#i’m on 1x06 surely nothing bad is ever going to happen to them

[ashleyeveerson]

⚠️ WARNING TO ALL MY MUTUALS ⚠️

i’m currently in the process of rewatching House MD so proceed to my blog at your own peril

[howtosingit]

Fic: when the world’s on fire, all i need is you

Concerned about his lack of culinary experience, Carlos teaches TK how to make fajitas.

*

A missing moment from 1x06.

1.7K | Also on AO3

- - - - -

Carlos stands in front of his refrigerator, staring inside and having no idea what he wants to make for dinner. 

He’s glad to have the night off at home, but ever since TK texted him to unexpectedly cancel their evening plans, he’s been wandering aimlessly around his apartment, trying to find things to keep himself busy. Unfortunately, he only has so much dirty laundry, and living alone means that his place is already pretty clean.

It’s not that he feels like he has nothing to do without TK around, it’s just that… Well, they’ve been spending a lot of time together - as friends - and he looks forward to the few nights that the both have off work. Tonight, they had planned a whole cooking lesson, with Carlos showing TK how to make chicken fajitas. Ever since he found out about TK’s limited culinary experience, Carlos has taken it upon himself to ensure that the man knows how to at least cook a few easy recipes for himself. They’ve spent many nights in his kitchen, music playing low as they circle around one another, making dinner together.

He’s not upset that TK cancelled on him; from his texts, he gathers that something came up with his dad at work. Carlos had offered any help that his friend might need, or at the very least his presence, but TK hadn’t responded to his messages. He’s trying not to worry too much; last he’d heard, Captain Strand’s treatments had been going as well as they could expect. In the past few weeks, TK has even seemed a little lighter, like a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders, if only a bit. 

With a sigh, Carlos reaches into his fridge to grab the chicken and peppers, deciding that he might as well have the dinner that he’d planned, even if he’ll be having it alone. He turns on some music, prepping his work station, and has just started to slice the chicken into strips when there’s a knock at his door.

He looks up, wondering who in the world could be here to see him. A glance down at his phone shows no missed calls or messages, and everyone that might visit typically lets him know when they’re coming over. He puts down his knife, quickly washing his hands at the sink before moving towards the door and pulling it open.

“Hey,” TK says, standing on his front step with his hands hidden in the front pocket of his hoodie.

“TK,” Carlos says, his surprise clear in his tone. “Hey.”

“Sorry I’m late,” the other man apologizes, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth, “but I was hoping dinner might still be on the table?”

Carlos scans his face, trying to get a read on what exactly TK might be thinking. Based on his texts, he wasn’t expecting to see him this evening, and he can’t tell if TK being here is good news or bad news. 

“I actually just started,” he finally responds, opening the door a little wider, “and I’d love an assistant.”

TK smiles, his face morphing into a grateful expression as he steps across the threshold and into the apartment. Carlos follows him over to the kitchen, wondering if he should ask about TK’s day, or if it’s better to wait until TK offers something. There’s soft music in the background, the only sound breaking the somewhat tense silence between them as TK washes his hands at the sink.

“So, MasterChef Reyes,” TK jokes, turning to face him, “where do you need me?”

Carlos stares at him for a moment, noticing how the other man is avoiding eye contact and fiddling with the sting of his hoodie. It’s clear that TK’s in need of a distraction, and he is more than happy to provide him with one.

“Okay,” Carlos nods, turning back to his workstation. “So, I’ve been cutting the chicken into strips, and then I’m going to cook them. While I do that, you can start cutting the peppers and onions.”

“Yes, sir,” TK teases, coming over to stand at his side and nudging him gently. Carlos briefly shows TK how he wants the vegetables cut, then goes back to his chicken. When he’s finished, he carries his cutting board over to the stove, turning on the heat and adding oil before tossing the chicken in and adding all of his spices and seasonings. 

His mind races with a possible conversation starter, anything that might pull them out of this awkward silence that exists between them, but following his quiet day at work, nothing really comes to mind. He’s just begun to hum along to the music under his breath, hoping that might fill some of the void left by their lack of conversation, when he hears the sound of forceful chopping behind him.

He turns to find TK huffing heavily over the cutting board, the knife in his hand a newfound weapon as he slices into the onion in front of him. Carlos watches him for a moment, taking in the tense set of his shoulders and the way his head is bowed over the counter, hiding his face from view. It’s only when his fear of a possible injury outweighs his desire to let TK destress in his own way that Carlos steps forward.

“Hey, hey, be careful,” he says calmly, his right hand coming up to grip TK’s weapon-wielding arm as his left arm circles around his waist to press against TK’s hip. “No one needs to lose a finger tonight,” he jokes quietly, guiding the knife down to the board, where TK finally releases it.

“You want to tell me whose face you were picturing on that cutting board?” Carlos hedges when TK doesn’t speak. Instead, the man presses his palms into the counter, his breathing heavy and his eyes wet - whether from the onion that he was just cutting or something else, Carlos can’t tell. 

“Fuck!” TK cries, pushing away from the counter and Carlos to pace on the other side of the island, near the table. He runs his hands through his hair, clearly agitated, as he turns and faces Carlos. “I’m so sorry, Carlos, I’m not trying to ruin your night, it’s just…”

He trails off, throwing his hands into the air. Carlos hasn’t seen him this frustrated since he cooked him dinner all of those months ago and then watched as TK stormed out of his apartment into the night.

He would give anything for that to not happen again.

“TK, it’s fine, you don’t have to apologize,” Carlos says gently, backing up to turn the heat down on the chicken before circling around to join TK on the other side of the counter. “Just, tell me what’s wrong. Let me help, I want to help.”

TK stares at him for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between Carlos’s own, almost like he’s weighing his ways forward. Then, with a nod, he steps closer, his shoulders dropping as he lets out a deep breath.

“My dad’s gonna lose his job,” TK says, his voice shaky.

Carlos’s eyes widen, and he instinctively reaches out to take TK’s hand, the other man gripping him tightly. “What?” he asks, sure he must’ve misheard.

“Judd introduced my dad to this fire captain buddy of his,” TK explains, an edge of anger in his voice now, “and my dad started spending time with him. He revealed all these things, including his cancer diagnosis. Turns out, the guy actually wants to take his job, so he turned him into the chief.”

“Shit,” Carlos breathes, his mind racing with all of this new information. 

“Yeah,” TK agrees, nodding as he clenches his jaw. “So now he’s got to take the CPAT in full gear or they’ll replace him.”

He pulls away again, letting out a frustrated groan. 

“Why is it that every single time I feel like I’m finally finding my footing in this place, something comes along to fuck it all up?” he cries, his voice thin as he drops down into a chair at the table. “Every time I start to get a really good look at things, to start to understand them, they shift and I’m just left trying to figure out where I am and what I’m supposed to do.”

“Hey,” Carlos says soothingly, coming up behind TK. Before he can think too hard about it, he bends over to give him a hug from behind, wrapping his arms around the firefighter’s shoulders as he presses their faces together. “It’s going to be okay, TK.”

“You don’t know that, Carlos,” TK says in defeat. He reaches up to run his palms along Carlos’s forearms, gripping his wrists tightly.

“Yeah, I guess I don’t,” Carlos admits, ducking his head to press his chin against TK’s shoulder. “But I do know that no matter how crazy things get, you are surrounded by an army of people who want to help you. So, be there for you dad. Do whatever you need to do to get him through this, but let others help you when you need it, okay?”

There’s a pause before TK turns to look at him, their faces close as their eyes lock. 

“Even you?”

Carlos sucks in a breath, a small smile pulling at his lips.

“All you have to do is ask, Ty. I’m right here, always.”

TK nods, his eyes shining as he presses their foreheads together. For Carlos, this moment seems completely outside of their normal friendly behavior, the lines blurring more and more as the seconds pass, but he can’t bring himself to pull away. He wants this, more than he’s ever wanted anything, so if TK’s willing to let him, he’s going to stay by his side for as long as he can.

The moment is finally broken by the sound of TK’s stomach rumbling, reminding them of the half-cooked dinner waiting for them in the kitchen. They both pull away, laughing softly. 

“C’mon,” Carlos says, holding out his hand. “Let’s make sure I haven’t burned the chicken.”

“I’ll forgive you if you have,” TK says, his tone light as he takes Carlos’s hand, rising from the chair. “Nobody’s perfect after all.”

Carlos laughs, shoving him away as he moves over to the stove. TK follows behind him, pressing up against his side to listen to his instructions, the small smile resting on his lips a far cry from his cloudy countenance when he first arrived.

The music plays on around them, keeping the roaring fire of their unexpected futures at bay for just a little longer.

[handonhaven]

So a few things popped into my head, and will most likely stay there for a while.

1. This whole long hair thing with Landon. I refuse to believe they went through all that trouble just for a ten second scene. I believe they did all of that because we're gonna get a flashback episode so we can find out what happened to Landon and how malivore ended up possessing him. And I think this because I like to thing that episodes Aria wasn't in at the beginning of the season/or episodes he was in only a scene or two that's when he was filming the flashback episode. Because sometimes they do film episodes out of order for whatever reason. And I will go on believing this until October when I'm either proven wrong or hopefully proven right.

2. When this thought popped into my head I got mad and sad all at the same time. Because this is now the second time they've separated Handon from each other for months at a time. NOT once but twice they did that. First with Hope jumping into malivore and everyone forgetting her. So the whole summer and a couple months into the new school year they were away from each other. Then again when Landon ended up in malivore. So they were separated again for another two, two half months maybe. I refuse to believe it's any long than that. Since seasons 2&3 are one school year. My reasons for thinking that is because the season 2 final(3x04) was Handons 1 year anniversary and they started dating about half way through the first school in season 1. But anyways I don't I'll ever be able to forgive the writers for doing that to them. Just like I don't think I'll ever forgive them for giving us a whole season without the real Landon.

3. So I have this theory. So you know how there's been this pattern the last two season finals with either Hope getting separated from Landon or Landon getting separated from Hope. Well I think if they keep up with that pattern then the real season 3 final will be Handon getting separated from everyone else. I'm not sure how or why it'll happen but I think it might. But I like to think that when they get malivore out of Landon, Handon leaves to follow some type of leave. Or maybe Clarke does what he tends to always do and he screws them over and they somehow end up in the prison world or trapped in a alternate reality(I think that could be fun to see).

4. What is up with people trying to say that Landon is dead just because malivore is possessing his body. That's not how possession works, the person doesn't just die because someone takes over their body. That's never happened in the history of posseson in the TVDU(or any other show I've seen). And if Landon was really "dead" then what would be the point of those Handon flashbacks during that inspirion scene? I mean come out is peoples dislike and misplaced hatred for Landon run that deep and they'll try to come up with anything just to kill him off? You know what let me not good down that rabbit hole.

5. Okay I don't mind maliLandon being a thing for now. But I just don't want it to last very long. Because I want to real Landon back. And for him to finally be out of pain(again I don't think I'll forgive the writers for putting him through that). I know malivore will be more active in season four but just let it be in a different body not Landons. After this season I want him to be done going through trauma for a long while(and Hope) like just give him half a season with nothing bad happening to him or even a whole season with nothing bad happening to him. I know the chances of that happening are very slim but I can dream can't I.

6. So I saw this theory and I'm not sure how they came up with that or even if they were kidding. But they think that Ethan might be one of Malivore kids. I don't think that's the case, I truly believe that Ethan is just human. I feel like he couldn't be one of malivore's kids because he can be compelled and because his mom was never erased from peoples mind. And Landon can't even before he activated his powers back in season 1. And honestly I just want Ethan to be the one human teenager on the show. I know this show is about supernaturals but that's doesn't mean every character we met should be or has to be supernatural. But maybe that's me. Any thoughts on this theory?

7. You know I wouldn't be agaisnt seeing more of malivore's kids. We know for a fact that Landon is the youngest and last kid malivore had(at least we know that as a fact as of right now. They might change their minds about that). And Clarke is the oldest out of all his childrens. But what about the others kids malivore had. Are any of them still alive and if they are where are they? Are they all like Clarke personality wise or are some of them like Landon? I don't know I feel like that could be fun and nice storyline to do at some point if they ever decide to.

8. I feel like triad might be making a come back for next season. Because this season triad was mention a quite a few times. So maybe they'll come back into play next season. Like maybe MG finds out about another facility from his mom or something.

Wow that got longer than I meant too lol. Came here to talk about 3 things and ended up talking about eight. Lol my mind just got the better of me and I just needed to keep going.

I’ve thought the same thing. If they really pinned his hair back for all those months just for that one brief scene, I’m gonna laugh. Because why on earth would they go to all that effort for a small detail like that? It’s not like they’ve been consistent or realistic about other little things like that, so it had to have been for flashbacks. And my thoughts exactly. I had also wondered if that’s why he wasn’t in 3x14 or 3x15, because apparently, some contracts require the actors to have episodes off (which was why he wasn’t in 2x14 I guess). So if he had been filming flashbacks earlier on, maybe that’s why they were required to give him time off during 3x14/3x15? But it would make sense if he had filmed back during like 3x07 or something when his hair was long. That’s really what I’m hoping. And yeah, if we don’t get it in October, I’m gonna cry.

Ugh, yep. I realized that as well, they separate them every season. The writers are cruel. Yeah, literally, it’s like every summer/into the new school year! And yes, I’m not sure exactly how long with Landon though, but it would’ve had to have been at least a couple months? But the whole timeline for season 3 has made no sense. I had thought season 1 started in like February or something, since the twins’ birthday is in March (1x06), so I figured Handon got together like middle/end of March (1x08). Then Hope would’ve jumped into Malivore around April/May, then we got a new school year throughout season 2. But then 3x04 is when it gets confusing, because I figured that was probably around April, since 2x15 would’ve been mid-March because it was the twins’ birthday again. But then with 3x05, they had the “3 weeks later” and then in 3x06, it seemed like a new school year was suddenly starting? And not long after, they were dressing for colder weather in coats and stuff, so what happened to the summer? They should’ve just said “3 months later” in 3x05, that would’ve made sense. So I have no idea what time of year it is in the show now. Some people thought it was spring again because of some posters at the high school? So who knows how long Landon was actually gone, I’m confused... sorry to go off on a tangent about the timeline haha. But anyway, they’ve still been separating Handon every season for way too long, and it’s terrible. I don’t think I can forgive them either, and same thing with Landon! I still can’t believe we went almost an entire season without him! I’ll never be over it.

Ooh, interesting... okay, I would actually love that haha. If they’re gonna be separated again, let it be together. I’ll take it! But yeah, it could happen. Maybe something will go wrong or they’ll get screwed over, but they’d be together this time around. But I feel like them ending up in a prison world again would be so repetitive, but I wouldn’t even be surprised haha. I think it would be fun to see too though. I had actually thought that might happen in 3x04 when they both were in the prison world, but that did not last long. But who knows, it’d be nice to see something different though, but I’m not sure what other alternate reality they could end up in. But I’m sure the writers could come up with something. Even if it was like a chambre de chasse or something where they had to be put in one of those for whatever reason, that would also be nice because they could get a break and be together that way. I think as long as they’re together and not separated from each other again, I’ll be happy (I think haha). And if they could finally have a break on top of that and be able to recover after everything, that would be ideal.

And I have no idea. Exactly, have they not seen the rest of TVDU? That didn’t happen, and I don’t think I’ve seen that happen in other shows either. So true, we saw Landon’s memories in that scene, that came from Landon so he can’t be gone. Yeah, those people are just so desperate for him to be gone, they’ll try to come up with anything to give themselves hope. They thought he was dead for good after he was stabbed by the golden arrow too. And after they spent an entire season showing how much Hope loves Landon, idk how anyone could possibly think they’re just gonna get rid of him.

I’m a bit torn when it comes to Malilandon. Because on the one hand, I feel it needs to last a significant amount of time. They’ve been building up to it since season 1, this is the main villain of the show finally achieving his goal (part of it anyway), so it’s a huge deal. And I feel they shouldn’t rush through it, plus Aria does such an amazing job, I want to see more of him playing that. But on the other hand, I need Landon back now. I want him out of pain too because I cannot believe all that the writers have put him through. I just want him to be okay again. And one of the issues as well is that he has been possessed for a long time, at least a few weeks now, maybe even a month or so, but they didn’t show it when I feel they should have. But I feel like they could make up for that by showing flashbacks of what Malivore has been up to all this time, and that way we would see more Malilandon, but they could get Malivore out of Landon sooner without it feeling too rushed and like we hadn’t seen as much of Malilandon maybe? Idk, them keeping Landon’s time in the prison world and Malilandon a secret made for some good plot twists, but I’m not sure it was worth it tbh. Because now there could be problems with us not seeing as much of that as we should. I would’ve preferred them letting the audience know what was going on with Landon and showing it throughout the season, while still keeping the other characters in the dark. But yes, if Malivore is still a big part of season 4, he had better not be in Landon anymore. I can’t imagine he will be though. And I completely agree, they better leave Landon alone after this. He and Hope shouldn’t have to go through anymore trauma at all, but at the very least, they need a break. True though, unfortunately, I don’t think they’ll let them have a whole season without something bad happening either.

I can’t see Ethan being one of Malivore’s kids. I think, besides Landon obviously, most of Malivore’s children would be pretty old. And they’ve implied throughout the whole show that Landon is the one child of his that was actually born, which took a very long time for him to achieve. I just can’t imagine he would’ve done that twice around the same time since Ethan and Landon are probably around the same age? At least within a couple years of each other? Plus you’re right about the compulsion thing too, that’s a big giveaway. And also, I think his mom would’ve mentioned something about it, like how Seylah knew, if that had happened. But she wasn’t at all aware of anything supernatural before. So if that ended up being true, that would be extremely weird I think, and would feel very forced and out of nowhere. And I’d like for Ethan to stay a human too. True, I feel like they could bring more humans into the show without everyone being supernatural, so it might be a nice change to have a human as one of the mains.

I’ve thought about that too, and I don’t think I’d mind seeing other children of Malivore either, as long as it was done well, of course. Because yeah, what happened to the rest of them? It’d be very interesting to see if there are others who are still around and if they also hate Malivore and want him gone, or if there are some who would side with him. That could make for some good new characters or villains. And if there were some who were good like Landon, I’d like to see Landon interact with them and maybe have some sort of sibling relationship with them too. So I agree, there’s definitely potential for some cool storylines.

Yeah that could be true. They really just kinda dropped triad after season 1. Where did they all go? They’re still out there somewhere so you’d think they’d go back to that at some point. And yes, something could happen with MG and his mom. And also, is he not curious what happened to his mom and the rest of triad? You’d think they’d try to find out what’s going on with them after what happened when they’ve supposedly disappeared. So yeah, I’d say there’s a chance they’ll bring triad back at some point.

Haha, I feel that though. There’s just too much that goes on in this show, it’s easy to go on about it.

[atlantisresource]

Atlantis Injuries List

Here is a repost of both the S1 and S2 lists.  Tumblr removed the originals because “there might be adult content.”  It’s a family show, quit deleting all the fandom resources!!  Anyway, I apologize if anything got accidentally missed while putting this back together.  Feel free to poke me.

LONG POST!!! (we’re looking at you, Jason, sheesh)

Injuries - Season One 

Ariadne:

1x01: hit in the face

1x05: drugged unconscious

Medusa:

1x02: sliced hand (to save Hercules)

1x06: possibly enchanted by the song of the sirens when Hercules attempted to put her under a love spell (since it was actually a trap, we don't know that it worked - Medusa's feelings may have been her own - but Hercules is still an arsehole)

1x06: cursed by Circe (Hercules' fault)

1x09: cursed by opening Pandora's box (also Hercules' fault)

Pythagoras:

1x01: fell and hit his head

1x06: clawed on arm

1x09: fell from balcony, then knocked out (long enough for a fire to spread through the house, be put out, and then for Jason and Hercules to be declared dead and hauled away)

1x09: sliced hand (he needed blood to wake Jason and Hercules)

1x12: drugged unconscious

1x12: drugged to sleep (again)

Hercules:

1x02: hand bitten

1x06: shoulder injured while wrestling (it looks like there's a cut when Pythagoras is tending to him, but there's clearly no cut directly after the fight - Pythagoras is also doctoring the opposite shoulder)

1x06: turned into a pig by Circe

1x08: injured back due to being thrown against a rock wall

1x09: knocked unconscious

1x09: knocked unconscious again

1x09: drank poison that "will slow your heart until only the faintest traces of life remain“ in order to enter Hades (you threaten a man’s life to get information, he gives you a vial of poison while going “yes, here’s how you get to Hades” and refers to you and Jason as “the bodies” - and you actually drink it?!  WTF is wrong with you?!)  

1x09: whacked and tossed against a rock wall (but I don’t know if this counts, because he wasn’t physically there)

1x09: smoke inhalation

1x09: buried (I’m calling this an injury because who knows how long he was without oxygen)

1x12: drugged to sleep

Jason:

"stabbed through the arm there in the third week" - this is actually Jack’s scar, gotten during filming

1x01: woke up on the beach (meaning passed out while in the water)

1x01: shot with arrow (caused the scar on Jason’s upper, left arm in every episode)

1x02: struck on back of head/neck, momentarily dazed

1x03: voodoo-dolled by Pasiphae

1x06: magically burned by Circe

1x07: kneed in the stomach by Hercules (might have gotten the crotch a bit also)

1x07: tossed around by Hercules and Pythagoras to train him for the Pankration

1x07: kneed in stomach again and separated shoulder

1x07: separated shoulder fixed by Hercules

1x07: “feverish”

1x07: smacked around in the arena, injured shoulder was targeted

1x07: smacked around in the arena again - Heptarian went for his injured shoulder also and added yet another blow to the stomach, then went for the other shoulder and punched him in the face

1x08: punched in the face

1x09: drank poison that "will slow your heart until only the faintest traces of life remain“ in order to enter Hades (you threaten a man’s life to get information, he gives you a vial of poison while going “yes, here’s how you get to Hades” and refers to you and Hercules as “the bodies” - and you actually drink it?!  WTF is wrong with you?!) 

1x09: smoke inhalation

1x09: buried (I’m calling this an injury because who knows how long he was without oxygen)

1x10: axe, sword, or knife wound (knife assumed, although there was no blood on it, but Jason definitely stabbed somebody with it, so the lack of blood means nothing) - healed by Atalanta

1x11: cursed into being a Kynikoi (oh, who are we kidding, I’m just gonna say it: werewolf)

1x11: knocked out

1x11: bitten and tossed against a wall

1x11: drank silver to cure the curse

1x12: arrow again (the amount of blood on the arrow goes from rather serious to “OMG, how is he not dead?!” between shots)

1x12: grazed by spear (even though it looks like it misses him by a good couple inches - serious enough to require bandaging)

1x13: scratched arm (bonus points for continuity since this must be the wound from the previous episode, however I’m taking those points away again because this is clearly not the same mark)

1x13: knocked unconscious by blow to the head

Injuries - Season Two

Pythagoras:

Seems to have managed a full season streak (see post: somebody explain this).  However, if we counted emotional pain, all the acting awards to Robert Emms, because damn.

Medusa:

2x09: cursed again

2x09: fuck it, I refuse - nothing else happened to Medusa; she went to live on a farm in the country with lots of space to run around and other Gorgons to play with

Medea:

2x04: fell down a cliff with a rock-slide (knocked out for a bit, but basically just walked it off)

2x06: knocked out, wrist cut

2x12: grabbed by throat, possibly choked a bit

Ariadne:

2x05: fell and got a cut on her arm

2x05: stabbed by Medea (we learn in 2x06 that the blade was enchanted)

2x06: knife wound from previous episode still bleeding

2x07: hand sliced

2x09: held prisoner by Pasiphae and tortured by Medea (using magic and a voodoo doll)

Hercules:

2x02: punched by Cyclops and smacks into stone wall

2x02: injured arm during the battle

2x06: clawed by a frickin' pterodactyl (after being bit by a mosquito)

2x08: hit in back of head by jug then sword hilt (unknown if he was knocked out by the second blow - the first was part of a staged fight, although unplanned)

2x09: drugged to sleep

2x10: punched by Jason

2x10: sliced with sword by Jason (wound was tended to by Pythagoras)

2x12: cut when Pasiphae’s men attacked the temple (this is the only time I’ve ever seen an “it’s nothing” that was never mentioned again - I thought “it’s nothing” in tv land was code for “I’m going to collapse in the next scene”)

Pasiphae:

2x04: shot with an arrow by Ariadne (being able to just yank those suckers out must run in the family)

2x06: strangled with a chain

2x12: poisoned with the nectar of the passion flower to neutralize her powers

2x12: sliced hand

2x12: knocked out from blow to the head - and stays out a long enough to carry her to the camp

2x12: forced to drink more poison

2x12: stabbed to death

2x12: dropped (this happened while she was dead, but a fall like that had to do some damage)

2x12: most likely got burned while being brought back to life (injured while being healed, what irony)

Jason:

2x01: seizure (from drinking the Oracle’s vision-inducing kool-aid)

2x01: yet another arrow (I hate to break it to you, Jason, but with the amount of blood on that arrow, you are dead)

2x02: "You fainted; the fall reopened your wound." (and he was out long enough for them to drag him from the river into the forest and make a fire)

2x03: sliced with spear

2x04: not certain if a sword got him or he was just smacked around with shields (but Ariadne felt the need to tend to his wound - and I might have to give huge continuity points to the writers here if this mystery injury is actually a shield hit to his spear wound from last episode)

2x04: fell down a cliff with a rock-slide (knocked out for a bit, but basically just walked it off)

2x05: broken leg (wait, you were unscathed in the epic cliff fall, but being knocked down broke your leg?!) - healed by Medea

2x06: knocked out

2x07: hand sliced (they say “blood sacrifice” and you’re all “okay sure” ... is there anything you don’t just go along with anymore, Jason?) 

2x07: knocked out (by men sent by Pasiphae in an elaborate scheme to kidnap the Oracle, get Medusa to kill her, frame Jason, and cause Jason to be sentenced to death with the help of Melas who’s only a traitor because they’ve also kidnapped Cassandra -- good thing they decided to stick with that plan instead of just killing him while he was unconscious on the floor - seriously, do none of the bad guys ever hit people with the other end of their swords?  YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO USE THE POINTY END, GUYS!)

2x07: hit in the face

2x08: this is the only ep in season 2 that he makes it through uninjured - however, I thought it worthy of note that he’s imprisoned and sentenced to be slowly burned to death as a traitor, so it's not like his luck has changed

2x09: heart blackened by learning the truth about Pasiphae being his mother - I’m not sure how this works, but it does seem to have been mind-altering, so it goes on the list (although frankly I’m calling it good old regular trauma from slicing off the head of a dear friend... in order to kill his own mother - I mean damn, that would fuck anybody up)

2x10: stabbed with sword (magically healed, at least partially, by Medea)

2x11: wound from previous episode is still bleeding (so it wasn’t fully healed by Medea’s magic)

2x11: presumably beaten up by Pasiphae’s men when captured, has multiple cuts

2x11: sliced in the arena 

2x11: sand tossed in his eyes in the arena

2x11: kicked around in the arena

(my personal opinion is this is self-harm with a bit of a death-wish after killing Medusa - it seems he let himself be captured and he doesn’t really fight back until it’s Diocles’ life at risk)

2x11: drank poison in order to appear dead (dammit, Jason, what is this, the forth time you’ve trustingly gulped down poison?)

2x11: shoved and smacks into a rock

2x12: whacked with a sword hilt (they never did learn to use the pointy end)

[scotts-stretch-line]

Spinning Out 1x06

I’m glad they’re digging deep into Jenns family, that’s important. But please Jenn take care of yourself!!

This whole thing is between Mitch and January Jones is complicating the shit about this whole thing and I’m really not sure about it. Like so far Mitch hasn’t done anything super terrible but he still gives me the heebie jeebies.

She landed the jump! Yay! We love a supportive team that helps us succeed!

Umm Justin and Dasha playing bingo is sending me I fucking love it so much. Eat it Dora!!!

Is Justin really that bad at darts? Ugh don’t let women win at darts

Don’t force the chemistry, more talks about trust and passion please!! And where is jenn and them?? Of he’s hanging out with Kat alone!!! Jenn you were dumb for trying to date Justin anyways. Kat did not promise you anything and you haven’t even told her you liked him??? What’s happening.

Omg Johnny Weir sucks.

Skaters do not drink this much during the seasons.

That sigh Justin gives after he zips up Kat’s cost and watches her leave?? That sigh has started wars. It has gotten greater men than him killed. He’s forever lost to her guys. He’s wholeass irrevocably in love with her. You love to see it!

Damn girl came back. I don’t blame her. Justin asking if she’s sure?? Omg this scene is so cute!! The shoes!! Omg!! Of course this is way to early and she gonna fuck it up but here we go!! (This was hot ngl).

I’m glad she felt comfortable enough to tell Justin about the biting but she should probably come forward about the whole bipolar thing in general or else he’s gonna trigger something shit without even knowing it!!

Jennnnnm ugh we knew this was gonna happen. Nothing is worth this.

Oh no I hope January Jones doesn’t use this new found info against Mandy!!! This is a lot to unload on your somewhat enemy. But honestly this is women supporting women.

Kat don’t go off your meds!!!!

Dasha I love you so much. Please let nothing be wrong with you.

We’ve reached the roxane costume knock off. Yeah it sucks and this was pretty bold. I guess they thought no press is bad press? And seriously I do agree it’s hard to buy the skating when you’re so used to seeing good skaters

Oh god Kat is gonna succeed on half her meds and then we’re fucked aren’t we?

Honestly I don’t feel bad for Jenn, sorry not sorry but Justin and Kat don’t owe you anything. When did Jenn ever say she wanted Justin? This is just dumb. Can’t a girl understand when she’s lashing out at someone?

Guys things are heating up!!!!!

[justalittlebluetiefling]

The 100 1x06: His Sister’s Keeper

And this is actually one of my least favorite episodes of the season, so it’s surprising how many emotions I have over it.

I have a lot of complicated feelings about this. A lot. This is too much responsibility to put on a six-year-old. Your sister, your responsibility. Poor baby Bellamy. There is a reason he’s so overzealous about protecting his sister.

When he admits he needs help, he goes to Clarke. “Thank you.” / “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for Octavia.”

The first view of Lincoln’s cave: you can see he’s been collecting things. There’s a model of a car. Stacks of books. Some weird electronics I can’t quite place. He wants to be more.

I like the way Bellamy and Clarke stand in the middle of a semi-circle to give their leadership addresses. It’s very official.

“We started something.” / “It’s nothing we can’t stop.” / “Are you sure? Because I’m not.” - aerhtsj,ig.k,dbhatrs I hate it.

Clarke isn’t using her anger at Bellamy as an outlet for her emotions anymore while Raven is blaming Bellamy. “Yeah, he knows.” Clarke isn’t one to pile on the guilt.

This is where I’m remembering that they basically split book-Bellamy into two characters (bellamy and finn) and gave Finn all his tracking abilities. 

Do you ever wonder if Bellamy actually wanted to be on the Guard? Was it just a necessity to protect Octavia? And by extension, his mother from what she was doing to keep Octavia alive? Was it something he would have wanted regardless?

Raven doesn’t know what’s going on, but she’s trying to mend things between Abby and Clarke anyway.

Bellamy just wants to give Octavia a little taste of freedom. To get her to that dance.To let her meet other people for the first time. It’s a stupid, stupid choice completely informed by his heart. It’s stupid and sweet and god I feel so bad for them that it doesn’t work out they way he wanted.

The stand-in they got that’s clearly supposed to be Monty??? It sticks out every time to me. IT’S SO WEIRD.

I still. Want to know what Lincoln’s whole plan here was? Was he going to talk to Octavia eventually? Like... what was the end goal of taking her there and fixing her knee? Chaining her up so she can’t run away a second time? Was he interested in peace before he even talked to them?

“Bell, how do I get home?” - maybe one of the most heartbreaking lines in the entire season. Great delivery. FANTASTIC.

I think the worst part of this for Raven is finding out Finn didn’t tell Clarke about her. That’s... when it changes for her. 

And then. They make. Bellamy live there alone. After they lock up his sister. And float his mother. He still lives in that same apartment. Where he lived with his family. That’s almost more cruel than any of it.

“Smart, hardworking, resourceful.” Hey, it’s canon that Bellamy is smart. 

Someone needs to check in on Clarke. Everyone else’s well-being is more important to her than her own. 

This was an interesting moment for me when I first watched. Octavia throws all of what Bellamy did in his face. She knows he feels guilty for everything that happened on the Ark. And his response, his overreaction. “My life ended the day you were born.” I always empathized with Bellamy more. I think it’s part of being an older sibling. I knew he didn’t mean it. I knew he didn’t hate Octavia for what she said. He’s hurt and overwhelmed and lashing out. Also, the Instant Regret.

It’s important to note that the only two characters we get these flashbacks for in season one are Bellamy and Clarke. Their backstories are the important ones. Because this show is about both of them. 

[xfcklprtehkrx]

Malex and the Boomerang

Okay so the boomerang… This is basically my theory about people, especially loyal people, ie people aren’t boomerangs, sometimes when you throw them away, they don’t come back.  

As the season progressed I was seeing it strong and hard (mostly as Michael being the throwee), but at the end of 1X13 I was like, ‘oh man’.  Like in my brain Alex was all off and into space and nothing would bring him back.  Soulmates yes, but that makes the pain even worse, right? I’m a firm believer in soulmates, but I also believe that sometimes too much has happened and you can’t go back.  So I ruminated on it, and decided they hadn’t quite reached that point yet, hence all my posts being sure they would come together again.  

Yes, we see Alex be what Michael interprets as judgmental, but I don’t really think it is.  When you love someone you want what’s best for them and you want them to be their best selves.  Come on, parents do it every single day.  Their love is still unconditional (most of the time), and I think for Alex that’s also true. He loves Michael no matter what, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t call him on his bullshit or tell him when he needs to do better.  The people who love us should do this.  People always say that someone should love all parts of you, and that’s true, it 100% is, but if you think you’re perfect and there’s nothing about you that needs improvement, well you’re also delusional.  Michael is so thirsty for acceptance he can’t see the forest for the trees when he’s dealing with Alex.

Now... Alex… Man oh man can this boy walk away like he’s gold medaled in the sport.  Whenever things hit him too hard, he walks away.  I suspect this is a lifelong thing.  When it’s hard he ghosts.  In 1X06 he invites Michael into the space he runs to, so we know it exists.  Clearly his feelings where Michael are concerned are very potent and very complex.  Having spent his life having cold ruthless efficiency, military precision, and self loathing literally pounded into him, I don’t think he knows how to deal with feelings so intense in front of people or without processing.  When he was younger, the part of him wanting to connect with someone who understood was like a chasm waiting to be filled, but after 10 years in the service and the awful (given his speech about being the evil you thought you were fighting) things he’s seen, I don’t think that part of him exists anymore.

I felt bad for Michael every time Alex walked away, because it kills him.  It really does.  I mean in 1X02 Michael being literally unable to watch Alex drive away? Yeah, that’s pain.  They both have such strong defense mechanisms (common in abused children). I mean Alex runs from his feelings again, and Michael pretends he doesn’t remember a thing.  It’s clearly a lie since when they met at his trailer before it was frosty, and his behavior is 100% different this time around.  Yes, Alex knows this, and lets the lie fill the space between them.  It’s easier.  

Michael is always left with the space where Alex used to be, and Alex is always left with a space he wished Michael was filling. 

In those moments, it’s easy to forget that every time Alex looks at Michael he remembers that day so long ago too. A day he wasn’t strong enough to protect someone he loved from the literal monster in his closet (I got a bit of this from his saying he wanted to be someone who won battles).  At the end of 1X13 it’s pretty clear that when Michael looks at Alex he sees his father, but I think this goes both ways.  When Alex looks at Michael he knows he’s fruit from a tainted tree, and the literal sins of the father are visited upon the son. Alex puts that burden on himself. He shouldn’t, but he does.

These boys are the biggest failure of communication I’ve ever seen…  

Alex is afraid to open the lid on his feelings.  He feels them, and they are so strong, and he wants to smash them down like the good little soldier his daddy forced him to be, but he can’t.  He needs them like he needs air, water, and food, because they are what holds him together I think.  When he realizes that Michael has been trying to build a way to leave the planet, you can see it on his face, something in him breaks just a little bit more. He needs Michael, and he is wounded, but he would never say it. Instead he leaves, and Michael feels abandoned, but Alex is running from a presumed abandonment that doesn’t really exist yet, but he’s terrified will one day.

Then there’s Michael who’s so desperate for acceptance that he won’t say what he’s feeling, no matter how strong, because he’s afraid of rejection.  Even when he’s confronting Alex about them ‘being over’ in 1X09 he reduces their relationship to basically a 10 year booty call.  It’s a harsh blow, but again defense mechanism.  It’s also a blatant bold-faced lie.  Alex is the only person who ever made Michael feel hope, love, welcome or acceptance.  Alex sees through the smoke screen, he always does, but he lets it lie, like always, because for them running away is easier than facing this powerful thing between them.

Enter 1X13 and the push that might have been too hard… Maria DeLuca.  Is this the unforgivable thing to be done/said that will end them for good?  Is she the thing that is finally too much and too far?  This is different than 1X10.  In 1X10 Maria didn’t know about Michael and Alex.  That day Alex and Michael had said goodbye.  It hurt Alex, but it was forgivable since they aren’t actually together, but in 1X13?  Frosty soldier boy Alex made himself vulnerable in front of Michael and peeled back a few layers for him to see.  Michael accepted this for the important moment it was and asked Alex to come back, and then he didn’t show up.

For Alex I think that’s about as unforgivable as it gets.  He’s also a very loyal guy, so Maria is right on up there too, but Michael?  Oh… that’s a deal breaker. Alex is about to become an iceberg worthy of sinking the Titanic. However… in what would be called the ‘big gesture’ if Michael makes himself vulnerable to Alex in the same way, Alex will forgive him.

I have commented many times on their magnetic pull towards each other.  The seeming ‘it just is’ of them and their feelings.  A man who has always loved the stars more than anything else calls it ‘cosmic’.  There is power in that statement. He has compared their bond, their feelings, their love, to the thing he longs for more than anything else.  Something so significant can’t be denied forever, so that ‘big gesture’ will come.

They really should communicate so much better than they do.  They are so much alike.  All the same pieces fractured by life.  To me there is no better more revealing image representing these two, than this one:

Both not perfect, both just a bit broken, and more beautiful for the way they fit together.

[laylainalaska]

Torchwood 1x01-1x08

Since I’ve been posting Torchwood rewatch episode reactions over on DW, I may as well post them here too!

Cut with a readmore because long and also spoilery. No specific S2 spoilers except set off in its own section.

----

1x01: Everything Changes, aka Torchwood is the worst-kept secret in the greater Cardiff metropolitan area. The episode with the infamous date rape via alien aphrodisiac. I have made the deliberate choice to compartmentalize this/pretend it never happened due to TV writers being notoriously terrible with recognizing the real-world implications of fantasy aphrodisiacs and sex magic (there was just a scene like this in The Witcher in 20-fucking-20), and treat it as what it is clearly supposed to be in context -- unethical but basically harmless misuse of an alien artifact -- instead of what it really is. But I recognize that this is a personal choice and I also hate this writing decision and wish they'd picked literally any other way of making this particular point, for the record. Anyway ... the rest of this episode other than the fucking date rape was a lot of fun, though. Torchwood is the worst secret quasi-governmental agency at being secret. THE ACTUAL WORST. I love the team trying to keep straight faces and then giggling when Gwen enters their secret base, and the entire base set is just so fantastically bonkers; I really really love it a lot. There's literally a fountain in the middle of it and, like, random water everywhere?! And a pterodactyl. And the invisible lift, with Gwen's wry comment about how there's nothing to stop random pedestrians from falling down it. It's possibly the most utterly bonkers secret spy base outside of kids' cartoons and I love it. 1x02: Day One, aka Murder By Orgasm. In which the show classes things up with an alien who kills people (men only!) via orgasm. Choices were definitely made in this episode. Many choices. For sure. Owen continues to be a total sleaze because the writers think it's funny. Also, his survival when the sex alien targets him makes absolutely no sense at all. He's literally the only person she left alive, and she's in the throes of sex-energy withdrawal at the time. In short, this was an episode that happened. There were a few cute team bits but really not enough to redeem it. 1x03: Ghost Machine, aka Burn Gorman Is Very Pretty. Not that I am biased. He is so pretty in this episode. SO PRETTY. Also, for a refreshing change, Owen manages not to be creepy and sexist at all in this episode. He's just prickly and kind of sweet. I like this Owen. I want to keep him. This episode overall was really a lot of fun, aside from (or perhaps also including) the most unintentionally hilarious death of a redshirt ever, in which he goes to hug Gwen and she accidentally stabs him with the knife she's holding. But overall it's so great! The Owen arc was my favorite - I love how affected he is by the memory device (the scene where he's clearly having a panic attack and trying to keep control!) and how determined he is to get justice for the murdered girl, only to be essentially brought down by his basic decent nature and inability to kill an old man in cold blood. Owen trying to save the guy's life when he was holding a knife on him thirty seconds earlier breaks me a little bit. Lots of fun team scenes in this one, too. The Splott conversation! ("Estate agents call it Sploe.") 1x04: Cyberwoman, aka CYBERBIKINI! Here again, Choices Were Made, most of them by the costuming department with a side of deeply uncomfortable racial implications on the part of whoever cast the episode. To be fair, maybe they just couldn't afford enough tinfoil to cover CyberLisa entirely, since the budget for this episode was clearly three shoestrings and a potato. I don't know if my favorite part of the low-budget f/x is the way they're clearly splicing in Doctor Who clips for the cyberization process, or the fall of Torchwood One, a giant battle involving hundreds of participants that is represented by Ianto screaming while surrounded by plastic sheeting. Honestly, I really love this episode. It is not good by any stretch of the imagination, but there is something incredibly charming about its sheer commitment to utter batshittery and OTT sobbing over emotional team betrayals, and parts of it were incredibly tense. It has the general feel of a horror film shot by college theater majors. Also someone getting doused in barbecue sauce and fed to a pterodactyl is literally a plot point, and the team basketball game at the beginning is one of my favorite little team moments; it's so cute. Cyberbikini aside and with expectations properly lowered, this was terrific fun. 1x05: Small Worlds, aka Death By Hanahaki Disease. On the whole this episode was not terrible nor was it memorably unpleasant; it was just kind of there. In going back to write about the episodes, I really had trouble remembering what even happened in this one. The concept is really interesting, but the fairies stopped being nearly so creepy once you actually see them in all their low-budget-CGI glory; I think the episode would actually have been better if they'd stayed invisible. The flower petal deaths were really gross. I hadn't realized that, while Gwen (unlike the rest of his team) knows that Jack can die and come back, she didn't actually know before this episode that he's much older than he looks. 1x06: Countrycide, aka Don't Split The Party. WELSH MURDER VILLAGE. I loved this episode. This is the ridonkulous teamy sci-fi horror shenanigans that I'm here for. I mean, I was there with bells on for TEAM CAMPING TRIP and then it just got better and better. Ianto gets to go out in the field for the first time and nearly gets eaten by cannibals! Poor Ianto. His life is the worst. I sort of vaguely knew because of season two that there was Owen/Gwen in the first season, but what really caught me off guard is how much I enjoyed it. I was expecting meaningless sex with a side of skeeve, and I do really hate that she's cheating on her boyfriend and how pushy about it Owen is at first, not to mention outing their kiss to the whole team. But the crazy thing about it is, by the midpoint of the episode they're actually, genuinely very sweet, and by the end of the episode you can see what they're both getting out of the relationship and get the feeling that it's a positive human connection for both of them. Also, the near-kiss and teamwork in the woods was incredibly hot. I really loved (and was also surprised by) how loyal and protective Owen is toward his teammates. We saw it a little bit in the previous episode with his "Don't you touch her!" re: Gwen, but it's abundantly on display here, from Owen repeatedly insisting that they need to go after Tosh and Ianto, to his fury at the guy threatening Tosh, to his captor having to restrain him when they pull the hood off Ianto's head near the end. Love Jack's big-damn-hero entrance to the Murder House, and everyone running around screaming and getting separated and hurt, which is always a good time. Basically I just loved this episode. It needed more hurt/comforty aftermath, though. I might have to write some. 1x07: Greeks Bearing Gifts, aka Tosh Has An Alien Girlfriend. I really loved this episode, on the whole, but it is Made Of Ouch. As well as Tosh's isolation and hurt, there's also that bit where she hears Ianto's thoughts and it's just endless painpainpainpain. I like to think that after this episode, she started getting together with him for drinks occasionally and talking about things. They both need friends so badly. (I do not love Jack's random transphobic comment near the end. From JACK of all people. WHY.) And seeing Tosh's delight and squee when she gets to just geek out about things is so lovely. Tosh is absolutely a person who leaves her teammates notes with little hearts on them. I love her. ♥ (Also, as much as I love Owen personally, I really wish that so much of Tosh's storyline didn't revolve around her hopeless crush on Owen. Toshiko deserved better, in all ways, than what this show gave her.) It's too bad that Gwen and Owen's affair is, on the whole, a rather destructive thing, because they're really happy! They're like the only happy people in Torchwood at this point. It's not a grand love story or anything, but I felt like the sheer joy of that initial rush of infatuation was well conveyed and sweet. Owen's relationship with Tosh in season one is completely baffling to me. He's not only staggeringly oblivious to Tosh being into him, but she's literally the only woman at Torchwood that he doesn't hit on. And yet, it's not that he doesn't like her! He clearly does like her in a friend kind of way and enjoys hanging out with her. The card that Mary was looking at in Tosh's apartment looked handmade to me, so he literally made her a handmade birthday card! And yet, he is blindingly oblivious to her interest and rejects her every time she makes overtures. ... I mean, the meta-reason is probably just that the writers thought it would be funny if the character who always sleeps around doesn't notice the one person who really wants him. But I can't help wondering if the basic issue is that Owen has somehow, without really intending to, classified his relationship with her as basically a sibling-type one. We know from the flashbacks in season two that they both joined Torchwood at about the same time and were both in a very emotionally fragile place when they did, and Jack also has a very quasi-parental sort of vibe with both of them. It makes me wonder if Owen either tried to initiate something early on and was rebuffed because Tosh wasn't really coping well either, or if he met her at a point in his life when he was really not interested in having relationships with anyone and simply classified her mentally in a sort of little-sister category. This actually does fit very well with the sometimes bullying, sometimes playful and sweet, generally sexless way that he relates to her this season, and the way that he clearly does care about her and in fact is very protective at times; he just doesn't view her as a target of romantic interest. Anyway, Tosh was very beautiful this episode, and her alien girlfriend was also quite hot, and I really enjoyed it. 1x08: They Keep Killing Suzie, aka I don't think anything I could come up with is better than the actual title. The scene in which they've accidentally locked themselves in their secret underground base and have to call the cops to let them out is possibly my favorite scene in this entire show. That was GOLD. I also wish the cop lady from this episode had come back. She was great, and her rapport with Jack was really neat. Part of what I want to say about this episode contains massive season two spoilers, so that's set off in a spoiler section at the end. This was a highly entertaining episode with a plot that was total nonsense that falls apart within 0.2 seconds of actually thinking about it. Good emotional stuff, yes! Plot? BONKERS. I mean, Suzie's plan was something like this: 1. Drive someone insane by feeding them Retcon for two years. 2. Kill yourself. 3. ???? 4. Profit! I am just going to headcanon that the team are actually wrong about Suzie planning all of this, and it's mostly an accidental set of circumstances that she took advantage of. I did love the twist of Suzie wanting a deathbed reunion with her dad not because of love, but because she wanted to watch him die because he's terrible. (However, this does completely undermine what was previously given as part of her motivation for getting addicted to the glove, which was trying to save her dad. See above re: plot nonsense.) But the team stuff was fun! Love everyone scrambling to save Gwen, and Owen holding her at the end -- I'm still seeing them through a lens of mostly-platonic more than romantic. The general vibe with the team pulling together vs. Suzie having basically no one in Torchwood to talk to is really interesting; it's hard to say how much of that is the team having gotten closer over the course of the season, and how much of it is just Suzie not really ever bonding with her co-workers the way they bonded with each other. I mean, I do get more of a co-workery vibe off them early on, as opposed to the chosen-family feeling later on, but the closeness is there under the surface; I'm just not really sure if they've realized it yet. But with Suzie, it's hard to say if the closeness ever really was there. They're all damaged in their various ways, but I feel like Suzie might be damaged in a way that simply precluded her ever really being able to let people in, as the others are learning to. Ianto's visible depression at this point in the show is mostly down to Gareth David-Lloyd's acting, but it's so well done -- his flat affect and thousand-yard stare, especially contrasted against his dry, sarcastic humor when he's not miserable (mostly in season two). The other Ianto-related thing I noticed is that the warmer, more bantery rapport between Ianto and Owen in season two is actually present in this episode to some extent, for perhaps the first time ever. In particular, Owen makes him smile at one point by teasing him (the only time Ianto smiles in the last few episodes, I think, up until he's with Jack at the very end), and offers him the first shot at naming the knife in spite of Ianto's artifact names being genuinely terrible - like, trying to include him a little bit, in a way I haven't seen Owen doing with him before. There's a general feeling throughout this episode that Owen has warmed up to him a bit and is actually reaching out a little. And Ianto and Jack are sleeping together now! I don't know when that happened and I wish we'd seen more of the beginnings of it. It's nice to see Ianto smile, though. Season two 1x08-related spoilers: 

Watching this episode after having seen Owen's resurrection glove arc in season two was FASCINATING, especially for the compare/contrast of the way the team reacted to resurrected!Suzie vs. resurrected!Owen; I mean, the fact that she died in the process of betraying them after becoming a serial killer is obviously a large factor here, and they were somewhat wary of Owen too, but there's just so much more ambivalence in how they deal with Suzie, vs. the way that Owen's death and resurrection actually brought the team closer together, and brought Owen closer to all of them.

But the most interesting contrast to me is how Owen and Suzie, as characters, both reacted to the whole idea of having to survive by killing people, with Jack trying (unsuccessfully) to argue Suzie out of allowing Gwen to die, whereas Owen's immediate reaction to finding out that his survival might be killing people (just random people too, not teammates) was to try to sacrifice himself, not just once but multiple times, starting with a fundamentally horrible euthanasia-type death and continuing on to destroy the resurrection glove himself even though it was likely to re-kill him. Why yes, I can turn any episode discussion into an Owen discussion, even an episode he wasn't especially prominent in.

[manesguerin]

Thoughts on the scene in the trailer . From beginning to end (malex somewhat sex scene)

First, Nonnie, I am SO sorry it took so long to get back to this. I’ve been of course thinking on the question - where do we consider the start of this, how in depth do I want to go, etc. Once I decided I’m going to go hella in depth (buckle your seat belts kids), I figured that means watching it. Multiple times. (I know... what a struggle!) but I have a five year old and a husband and I figure repeating the same scene over and over might annoy them. So here I am, three nights later, writing in the dead of night. Would’ve done it Sunday, but ended up binging and introducing my niece. Monday - my brain was dead. Tuesday - well I was too busy screaming into the void about episode 5.

But alas, we are here now.

In order to fully go into the scene, I feel like we need to go into the scene leading up to it. You know the scene. “I never look away.” So let’s dive in folks.

First, we have Alex’s arrival. Michael is loading the truck and he’s so defensive. His guards are up. The last thing actual interaction with Alex (not counting longing looks at the Wild Pony) was not good. Alex didn’t want to revisit their history and also basically told an alien that aliens don’t exist. So Michael, reasonably on the offense here.

And Alex? God his voice when he says good just kills me. There’s a palpable relief that Michael is still going to be around. And Michael just looks so confused. You can practically hear Katy Perry’s Hot N Cold playing in his mind.

Then starts the scene, the emotional confession from Alex. Michael reminds him of the past. Of who he was before he went to war. And now that we’ve seen 1x05, we know that its more complicated than just remembering the skater boy he’d been back then. He remembered being terrified of his father, of his father trying to beat the gay out of him. (Seriously don’t watch with that context - it makes the scene that much more emotional and that much more painful.)

It also makes Michael’s next line - From where I stand, nothings changed - that much more painful too. Because Michael isn’t just talking about his feelings. HIs feelings might not have changed in the decade since they were together, but neither has Alex. He’s still afraid to be who he is. Yes, he’s out, but he’s also afraid to be with someone that could piss off his dad. And Michael, he calls him on it.

Alex calls him right back about the fact that Michael’s feelings haven’t changed. Michael makes him feel like he’s 17. In a bad home situation but loved in a way he’s never been before or since. He forgets his trauma and he just feels safe. (After all, assuming Michael is the boy from the museum, that was the only time he liked their hometown.) And then Michael looks away and it crashes down and it crushes him. It crushes him that he’s no longer 17 and loved. He’s 27 and he feels broken by everything in his life. He’s back in a town he hates with a father who abused him and who hates who he is.

And then Michael changes that.

I never look away - not really.

It is confirmation of what Alex already said, but its not just a guess. Its not just a thought that Michael has a lingering attraction, has lingering feelings. No, its confirmation that in the ten years that Alex was gone, Michael was there. Michael was there and he was loved and you can just see it settle on his face. And he makes his decision. He wants to be safe and loved and home and for him, that’s Michael.

He turns away and Michael, my poor baby alien, he looks so lost. He looks so rejected as he tries to comprehend this. Alex poured his heart out to him and Michael, he gave what he could. Six words that said everything for ten years and Alex looks like he’s walking away and you can see the moment his heart starts to break.

Except that its not exactly what he thinks it is. Because Alex doesn’t walk to the car, but to the trailer. Michael reaches out to him, asks what he’s doing. There are full internal monologues in those moments. Alex making the final decision. The slight shrug of his shoulders. Michael following along, still confused. They go into the trailer and we see, for a moment, Michael’s world and Alex going into it.

Once inside, Michael turns Alex to face him. Just a simple touch and Alex responds by turning around and reaching out to grab Michael and pulling him in for that kiss. You can feel the hunger and the desperation they have for one another. To be seventeen again, young and in love and so certain of who they were before the world went to hell. Before Rosa died. Before Michael helped cover a murder. Before Alex went to war and lost his leg.

When they cut back to Michael and Alex, they’ve pulled away from the kiss. They’re backing to the bed and we see Michael’s face. There is lust there, yes, but there’s also a disbelief. You can see that he’s thought of this - this exact moment - for ten years. And now its happening and Michael Guerin isn’t the kind of person that gets good things. Sexual things? Sure. I mean look at the man, but good things that he feels to his very soul? Not often. Then he pushes Alex onto the bed.

Look at Alex’s face in that moment. Look at his confusion. Michael has pushed him down. Is he pushing him away? But also think about how that must have felt for Alex too? Think of how many people have probably tiptoed around him - even Liz did in their first interaction at the Wild Pony before Alex got quippy and proved he was still Alex. Michael pushing him onto the bed is not delicate. It is not treating Alex as someone who is broken, but simply someone Michael wants more than oxygen.

And Michael’s sigh before he takes off the shirt. The this is it moment for him. He’s looking at the man he loved back in high school on his small bed in his small trailer at an address that will be changed in the morning - or maybe later that night - and he takes a deep breath because this is happening and I don’t think he thought it ever would again.

The thought had kept him up at night though, after the reunion. I’d almost put money on it.

And Alex, he reacts almost instantly. Going to undo his belt before Michael collapses on top of him, ready to sate that hunger that he’s had for a decade. They kiss and fade to black and we all collectively died.

What I find interesting, besides the emotional impact of this scene, besides the raw hunger these two men share for one another, was the way it was cut in with the Max/Cam scene. The feelings of the two scenes, the moods, they’re so different.

Max and Cam also have the hungry desperation, but its not to be complete. Its to escape, to erase, to lose themselves. Max is wanting to feel anything other than what he feels for Liz and Cam, she’s okay with this. Its blowing off steam and its something they’ve done many times. There is no look of completion, of wholeness.

And I find it so interesting that the scene fell in step with it. That the cutaway from Malex is a culmination of ten years of missing one another whereas the cutaway from Cam and Max is that sadness in his eyes and that look over her shoulders where he is dead inside.

So yeah, those are my thoughts. Long and drawn out.

I contemplated doing the several mornings after scene but this is legit all my heart can handle right now. The addition of context from 1x05 made this scene so painful and I know it’ll be worse if I revisit it in two weeks with context from 1x06.

Because everything I’ve said about when they were 17 is speculation.

I can’t wait to see how it really was.

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 10: The 100 1x06 Fog of War

Mmmm watching another ep and it’s been less than six months since the last one?! * jinxes self *

Bellarke date at the outside cafe. (WHY IS THIS OUTSIDE CAFE NOT IN MORE FICS? WHY IS IT NOT IN MY FICS?)

I don’t always love Clarke’s art tbh but I do love her Mount Weather sketch.

“You won’t be by yourself.” They are canonically Soft with each other.

I have a hard time believing they would wait two days just sitting on their hands, Abby or no Abby. YOU GUYS WERE THE LEADERS. JUST LEAD STUFF.

“We’re at war. We’ve all done things,” is, like, first, beyond the point, because even in war, one doesn’t usually attack civilian villages. (Unless one is a terrorist.) And second, it’s weird that Bellamy would be defending Finn? Not really sure how to read that. Unless his hatred of Grounders is truly that intense, which is possible. And third, are they really still at war? Because after attacking the dropship, the Grounders have done... literally nothing? Like it’s a semi-war scenario.

“Next round’s on me.” Do they have to.... pay for things...? With what lol?

“Salvaged Monty’s still. Now if we could only salvage Monty.” Someone here has a sense of humor. Also lol @ everyone at Camp Jaha using a teenager’s illegal still.

Really, the “pardon for surviving” should not include time on the ground, because pardons aren’t forward looking. Also they bring back the idea of trying Finn later. They just don’t want to deal with Murphy and Finn, and don’t really see the massacre of Grounders as a big deal, which, I am a Sky Person partisan to the last, does not reflect well on them. I think also they still haven’t figured out what tf their judicial system on the ground is, and just don’t want to deal with that yet either. Which isn’t a great excuse but it’s of a piece with how this show deals with society-building questions in general. (By... not.)

And Finn still doesn’t even feel bad.

And Murphy thinks Clarke and Finn are still together...? I guess that makes sense given how long he was away. He’s ALWAYS behind on delinquent gossip.

Clarke to Murphy: “Just because they pardoned you doesn’t mean I have.” Another line that should be iconic.

If Mount Weather is the reason they never heard from any other Ark Stations then they should have heard from more of them after S2 just putting that out there.

Raven is so beautiful.

And I’m sorry but she’s completely in love with Clarke here.

“You and your friends are not soldiers...” Hmmmm except in a certain sense they kind of are. Love this s2 adults versus delinquents conflict though.

Anyway I realize this is just to get them going back to Mount Weather but they were apparently doing this radio mission to get more Guards from other stations, which never happened, which sort of reminds me of Day Trip and the ‘winter supplies’ excursion when apparently winter doesn’t exist in the future anyway.

Literally only now at the credits.... Why am I like this?

So Maya couldn’t survive on the ground, obviously, because blood isn’t good enough, it has to be bone marrow, which, fine, for plot purposes--but what if she could???

“I know the plan was to assimilate them into the gene pool.” COMPLETELY forgot about that. So they did have a reason for being so nice to them. That is a rather long term plan though...

With the delinquent blood, they’ll “live longer and feel better.” I wonder what the sickness rate is, then. What the quality of life is, low vitamin d aside.

“If I agree to harvest those kids, then I won’t deserve to see [the outside] again.”

That Finn is a good tracker is, like, not a retcon in the sense that this was true in season 1, but still a semi retcon in the sense that nothing in the very early episodes implies he’s Mr. Earth Skills. (Unlike, say... Wells.)

Privileged Ark people really do just throw rules around and up and down however they like. Like, Abby clearing her daughter’s friend because “he was trying to save his friends” even though what he did was objectively much worse than pretty much anything the 100 were imprisoned for? Or other people killed for? Hmmm,, yeah, okay.

Jaha’s death wish transformed into a lazy acceptance that he is invincible is truly one of the best character arcs on this show imo. Infuriating but amazing.

“How many times on the Ark did we go two days without water?”

He recognizes the prison as a train station, which is not objectively surprising but I bet the Grounders don’t know what it is. Somehow. Since memory isn’t a thing in the future either.

On the one hand, it’s reasonable to think that Finn’s attack was coordinated from above but on the other hand, these two prisoners literally could not have ordered it, because they have been... imprisoned... the entire time. And I mean truly putting two Sky People who could not themselves have been involved in another Sky Person’s murder spree into some sort of Saw scenario in response to that murder spree really isn’t “justice” in any sense of the word. Like truly the JD in me is just SCREAMING. There is no nexus between the people you have and the person you’re angry at, other than “Sky Person” but the thread is so tangled you’re just.... throwing around bloodshed for lolz. (I know it’s a test and that part isn’t dumb but the scaffolding of the test is DUMB.)

I am still not over that someone gave Jasper a stuffed toy bear as a thank you for giving Maya blood. Also, it looks like... an alarm clock?

I like Dante but every time he says “Jasper” it just creeps me out. Maybe it’s the way he’s, uh, playing him.

It is 100% true that Mount Weather was not meant to last that long. At least not in the sense of ‘as a closed facility.’

Ridiculous as it is to pardon Finn AND take him adventuring AND give him a gun, I like the tension between him and the others, that they have officially forgiven him, and want to still love him, but are wary of him, scared of him, for good reason. For all that people are constantly ‘doing bad things’ and yelling at each other about it, this scenario doesn’t really have a parallel anywhere else in the canon.

“According to Clarke, before the bombs, there were buildings everywhere here. I’m guessing some of the had access to the bunker. So we’re looking for ruins. Anything man-made.”

Bellamy says he and O aren’t under the Guard command. But in a way, aren’t they? Like aren’t the Guard basically in authority over all Arkers? I know I’m overthinking but does he see himself as more delinquent than Arker? Especially with the “our people” are in Mount Weather.

All those mice.... Or rodents....

What a scenario: Clarke and Finn hiding from the acid fog in a weird little personal bunker where they once fucked, and now there’s a dead body in it, and Finn put it there. Not even Olav can top this.

Raven playing with the radio is my kink.

Parking garage as tomb. Who would protect a parking garage with a big-ass steal door that protects cars from radiation? If it does lead to Mount Weather (no recollection if it does) I guess it could be... part of it? Idk. Nice aesthetic though.

Bellamy is very comfortable calling people Sir. Polite young man.

So Clarke’s Dad’s watch returns to Clarke. I can’t remember what ultimately happened to it. Is it basically tainted now?

Monty’s obscene jealousy of Maya just gets me every single time. Makes up for the horrendous second hand embarrassment I’m getting from the rest of this scene.

“Hey, it’s pizza day! Who’s hungry?” uhhhhhhhhhhmmmmm So natural. Cute dress though.

How did she figure out the breach wasn’t an accident? Or that there is surveillance? Anyway now that she knows she was experimented on, and that Jasper was experimented on, one would assume she is pissed. One would assume that’s part of why she shows them the Grounders. Also to stop Jasper perhaps from embroiling his people even more with (her own) untrustworthy people. Because truly it is in part to save them, but it’s also a real risk to herself, admitting this terrible thing she’s been a part of.

“To get you to agree to be her blood brother.” He’s not wrong but that language is sooooo jealous--both revealing the threat he feels (because Jasper is his ‘brother’) and diminishing the JasperMaya relationship (which he knows to be romantic, and is turning familiar.)

Why did the show ever try to top the pure horror of the Grounder Torture Prison?

“What are we supposed to do?” / “Die.” Another Iconic Exchange. This is Monty’s morality: uncompromising. Are the standards he sets for himself hypocritical or consistent? Also, some foreshadowing lol.

I wonder what Monty’s allegiance is to the other kids... Would he have irradiated the Mountain for them if Jasper were safe? Legit question because he defects to his mom’s side pretty fast in S3, and he would 100% leave Mount Weather through the side door just like Clarke, at this point, which Jasper refuses to do even if it were possible. I am intrigued by this scene and the switching of plans/different points of view.

So this is the revelation that the acid fog is a Mount Weather weapon. I always really liked that twist.

Okay so this explains why they didn’t get to the other stations, because they choose to keep the tower up to listen to Mount Weather, but it’s actually not a tough call bc if you defeat Mount Weather and take your people back, then you can get rid of the blocking signal, and then find your other people, so win-win, you just have to go in order and on that note, why did it take 3 months to find only one station??

Is that a....hand crank mp3?? Got a lot of juice from just a little bit of cranking.

There are a hella lot of storylines in this episode. I completely forgot about Jaha and Kane and Lexa.

Kane’s continuing death wish makes him utterly unreasonable. What in a million years makes you think that the Grounders value sacrifice as opposed to just being sadists? I mean, you don’t know. You’re imposing your value system and also your thought processes on them. You’re also assuming that if one of you killed the other, the survivor would actually get something, like a chance to negotiate, which is probably not true--in fact, Gustus basically told you as much with “We’ll hear the terms of your surrender form the survivor.” Winning means nothing except you get to surrender!! And probably die!! They are not coming to you in good faith is what I’m trying to say and having watched the whole season I know I am Right.

“You didn’t order the massacre.” / “Not that one.” Honestly dude get over it lol. Interesting that Jaha, although he has transformed in some ways, keeps to the old lines, about survival, the human race--and our people, if the human race is broader than just the Ark, which it is, and no big deal. So in some ways his morality has not changed at all, at its core.

Look, I’m sorry, not to be that person, but he probably would have been better off killing Lexa there. I mean, I know he’s choosing ‘an innocent’ in his mind but... what a power move to behead the Commander WHILE you’re her prisoner. Good old Jaha, smart and quick and sure of himself.

Just uh not quick enough at murdering I guess.

I’m no Lexa fan but that was an excellent entrance and it remains an excellent entrance. Also while I never thought she was as smart as people said, because name me another tactical decision she made that was actually good, this was a smart ploy. And probably the most subtle thing any Grounder character ever did, even if it does end with her basically beating Jaha up ‘as a message’ as if she were a gangster.

Is this the episode that introduces Blood Must Have Blood? Already Tired of it tbh.

This Clarke and Finn scene is so sad. I realize that they  purposefully made him unredeemable at this point, that this story line was always intended to be the method by which he was written off, and that there’s only so much awkwardness you can write around this scenario, but nevertheless it would have been interesting to see Finn in the long term, in a way. Not redeemed.. I don’t know. Whatever I’m thinking it’s not in the range of this show, though, for sure.

Did Jasper and Monty tell all of the 47 everything? To get them to volunteer? (Answer: No, but they told at least Harper and Miller, maybe a few more.)

“How high are you right now?” We were SO robbed of more intoxicated!Monty scenes.

Jasper and Dante: creepy creepy creepy.

“There’s been a Wallace in this office since the bombs.” So glad to know we immediately reverted to some sort of pseud-monarchy post-nuclear war. That said it’s only been 97 years so that’s like 3 Wallaces tops.

Prioritizing the radio also means of course admitting that getting the 47 out of MW is a priority for Abby/Ark PTB, which wasn’t exactly clear before.

I’ve never been a fan of the “Build a brace for yours” line and I’m still not, because I think conflating physical and mental injuries is not exactly helpful, but I guess I appreciate it as a look into Raven’s mind--Raven, who has never really understood mental scars and never really does--and the soft way she says it is a sort of forgiveness. Not really forgiveness she has the right to offer, and in a way a very brash thing to do, because this was literally a war crime that her best friend committed, but nevertheless.

Jaha: appears. Everyone else: what the absolute fuck.

So on that mission they accomplished... literally nothing they set out to do lol.

What is that random shot of Camp Jaha doing there? They’re not within sight of it. They’re still where they set up tents.

I want to point out that this is the FIRST time the Grounders have demanded that the Sky People “leave” or implied in any way that they consider the Sky People to be on “their” land, and that this was never an issue in Season 1, when their beef seemed to be for things like crossing the river at Mount Weather, accidentally dropping their flares on a Grounder village, and torturing a Grounder spy. But I guess at this point the narrative needed to focus on something because the actual reason for the feud, which is roughly, we accidentally pissed each other off and then kept on retaliating, doesn’t play very well or make the Grounders, who were rehabilitated this season, very sympathetic. (Guess who still has zero sympathy lololol?)

[ralfstrashcan]

Warlock Magic Mysteries

How does magic even work?

That is actually an excellent question with, let's say, less than satisfactory answers from canon. I'm talking about that ley line mess that is 3x02 since this is the only instance I remember where that matter is addressed. Canon aka Magnus says “Healthy ley lines are the energy source for all magic, seelie and warlock alike, but they can become corrupted.”

This statement has two implications, both of which confuse me to no end.

1) Why the hell do all warlocks keep talking about 'their' magic if appearantly they all just suck the same magic from the ground? Or at least need a connection to the ley lines to do magic – a bit like you need a spark (magical disposition) and fuel (ley line energy) to start a fire (spell). Why do the magics look different?

Angry red/orange for Magnus, sleek light green for Lorenzo. (Also Magnus's face I can't. Ok sorry.) Does every warlock add a personal color? I mean I'd buy that from Magnus in a second, and Lorenzo probably too, but why would the other warlocks do that? Seems a little excessive. And also how does that work with the whole Edom Situation. Are there better ley lines in Edom (since Magnus needed to go there to be able to close the rift in 3x20)? Does that mean a warlock is always just as fancy as the ley line he taps into??

2) No ley lines, no magic. We know the Institute is built away from the ley lines

so there seem to be huge areas not covered by ley lines. Yet we see Magnus do magic at the Institute without any problems and it's never mentioned that maybe a place could be bad for doing magic because there are no ley lines.

One possible solution is that warlocks need to recharge (be it magic or “energy” you need in addition to magic to perform a spell) on the ley lines once their supply has run out. Then they can do magic from everywhere, ley lines or not, as long as they are charged. I'd even let myself be convinced that being stored in a warlock's internal supply bowl somehow 'dyes' the magic and, like, customizes it a bit? And therefore Lorenzo could recognize the corrupted ley lines had a specific signature and track it back to the person who did it. (Allow me this dig, he says “You think I don't recognize Asmodeus' handiwork when I see it?” and like.. it was Lilith... Lorenzo, you're a loser.) The same spell done by different warlocks is distinguishable by some kind of warlock signature.

Okay, so far so good. But then I don't understand

a) why a corrupted ley line would have an influence on a warlock who's still stocked up on magic. The fact that Magnus and Cat and every warlock at Lorenzo's party was immediately affected implies that there is a constant link necessary between warlock and ley line while doing magic (which, again, would make doing magic at the Institute impossible).

b) how magical depletion and strength sharing works. In 1x02 and 1x06 we see Dot and Magnus respectively using up too much magic, leaving them exhausted. Dot even says “I've been portaling all over the city looking for Clary and my magic is dangerously low” which, if she could just walk 5 meters and stock up her supply on a ley line, why is she whining? So apparently recharging from a ley line isn't easy and requires some effort? It seems ley lines like to torment you when you're not even tapping into them but at the same time make it super hard for you to siphon a li'l bit from them? Confusing.

It gets even more confusing when strength sharing comes into play. In 1x06 Magnus uses up almost all of his magic and is on the verge of unconsciousness until Alec swoops in to lend his strength. Meaning... taking strength from a person is easier than taking it from a ley line (assuming Magnus has a ley line in access-distance from his loft, which I assume because Magnus is not an idiot)? This doesn't make sense to me. Because shouldn't it be easier to tap into a whole big-ass ley line than into one very contained person with very limited energy? Since this is the natural way to do it and all. If it really were easier to tap into a person than a ley line there would be tons of warlocks keeping slaves to enhance their powers, right? Just like there are blood dens for vampires without morals, and vampires keeping their personal pet humans that they feed from 24/7? Yet no such thing is ever mentioned. And even less slavishly, warlocks don't have familiars either, which... ok I don't really know what familiars do, traditionally, beside being a cute animal sidekick, but usually they help channel magic or something.

Speaking of magic, if warlocks use ley line energy to power their spells, then I don't really understand what Magnus was even doing taking strength from Alec. I mean, it seems a little far-fetched that Alec has ley line energy flowing through his veins, right? Why the hell would the, I don't know, life energy of a shadowhunter be the same as a weird energy line that courses through earth? Are they interchangeable? Does any type of energy do the trick? Could Magnus use electricity from the socket?? Absurd.

But! There is actually an explanation why Magnus uses Alec's shadowhunter energy even if it's not a substitute for ley line energy: Magnus drew on Alec because he was exhausted, too exhausted to tap into the ley line (since that requires energy), so he restored on Alec's normal life shadowhunter energy so he had the strength to tap into the ley line again. The magic flowing into Luke wasn't from Alec directly, but ley line energy that Magnus was pulling again thanks to his little refreshment at the Alec Drink Table. And yes, I'm aware that this sounds like utter bullshit, but to me this makes more sense than that Alec has ley line energy flowing through his veins.

Another thing supporting this weird two-energy-theory is the fact that whatever spell Magnus was doing was insanely strenuous. Magnus is ass powerful, okay. He is the High Warlock for a reason. He moved his whole appartement block without breaking a sweat (1x04), he singlehandedly kept up wards that, when he left, had to be sustained by multiple other warlocks, he summoned Greater Demons as if it's nothing, closed rifts between dimensions..... if whatever spell he was casting to keep Luke alife managed to exhaust him to the point of passing out this must be some really really huge magic. So, with all due respect to Alec, it seems a little unrealistic that his energy alone would be enough to maintain that spell for more than a few seconds. ANYWAY here is my point: If Alec really was just functioning as a li'l crutch so Magnus could tap into the ley line again and this whole strength sharing didn't cost Alec as the donor all that much, then it seems even more unlikely that warlocks don't keep around animals to help them through difficult spells. Is this whole line of reasoning just a self-indulgent explanation of why it's unfair we were deprived of Chairman Meow? Maybe. (I mean a cute cat as familiar, who would pass that up?!)

Still, no matter how you slice it – if ley lines transport magic or specific ley line energy, if you can store it and carry it around with you or need a constant connection to do magic – it all amounts to this: This whole ley line business is a mess full of contradictions. The terms are blurred, there seem to be weird interdependences and no one understands what's going on. Of course all these inconsistencies could be explained by someone just completely screwing over the mechanics of magic between season 2 and 3, but that would be insane, right? I mean, why would you do that? Just for that one action scene in 3x02? Sounds really far-fetched to me.

Magic & Immortality

Moving on to something else entirely. In 3B Magnus will have, spoiler alert, lost his immortality along with his magic and... what. Why. Leaving aside that with this whole ley line mess it's a little difficult to determine what Asmodeus even did, I mean, if Magnus doesn't have his own personal magic store that Asmodeus took... did he steal Magnus's ability to tap into ley lines? What would he do with that? And how do you steal an ability from someone? Can Magnus just relearn how to wield magic? *sigh* Well, magic, so probably not. Whatever the Plot needs.

Anyway, leaving all that aside. The fact that Magnus loses his immortality as a consequence of losing his “magic” only makes sense if his immortality is a result of his magic. And if it is.... does that mean any warlock could just not let his magic manifest that way and limit himself to a mortal life span? Because that would be some interesting news.

It could of course be that Asmodeus demanded Magnus's immortality and his magic as two seperate things. But I find that hard to believe because a) easy for Magnus to bargain that Asmodeus should choose only one thing, not two and b) why would Asmodeus take Magnus's immortality when he can watch him suffer without his magic forever instead? Because I definitely got the feeling he didn't take Magnus's magic because he desperately needed the extra fuel, but as a punishment for Magnus refusing his offer to rule beside him.

To be honest, I always thought that the immortality was caused by the demon blood and not by magic. I came to that conclusion because 1) there are in fact magicless warlocks in the books who are still immortal (and while, yeah, the books are the books and the show is the show it's still supposed to be the same universe, right?) and 2) because of the vampires. They are immortal, too, and they don't have magic (no, Encanto does not count as magic like seelies and warlocks have it, that's just a handy party trick). Sure they don't have demon blood, just some weird demon infection or whatever, but. Demon infection. Not magic infection. So it seems the demon infection is what turned them immortal. (It didn't happen with werewolves for whatever reason, possibly Plot Convenience, or because it would be too much to have all downworlder races be immortal. Or because werewolves are pretty much human while they aren't shifted whereas vampires don't have a shifted and an un-shifted mode. Their change is permanent; turning into a vampire includes dying and waking up again, so it stands to reason that the transformation they undergo is more profound than the one werewolves undergo.)

So yeah, I think I'm pretty justified in assuming that immortality is a symptom of demon components in your body, not of magic. And if Asmodeus didn't make a blood transfusion and refurbishend Magnus's bone marrow I don't see why suddenly Magnus's immortality should be gone.

Same with his eyes btw. This technically counts as speculation but. After Magnus returned from Edom his pretty cat eyes were nowhere in sight. And if Asmodeus didn't put a glamor on him as a parting gift or gave him contacts (which I think we can safely rule out) it means he lost his warlock mark as well?? And just.. no. A warlock mark is a physical feature. Why would it disappear? If he had horns, would they have fallen out? That's just stupid. It's like saying that just because Magnus lost his magic he's no longer a warlock. That's not true. Sure, wielding magic is an important part of being a warlock but it's not the only defining feature? That's like saying a de-runed shadowhunter is no longer a shadowhunter (or nephilim if you want to get technical, since 'shadowhunter' is just the job description.) A de-runed shadowhunter might not be able to access the angelic power, but there's still angel blood cursing through those veins. That, or Maryse is really stupid since she asked Alec in 3x10 to get her a seraph blade, and like Jace said in 1x01 you need angel blood to operate a shadowhunter sword. I don't think she wanted to fight Lilith with a hilt.

So a warlock is a warlock is a warlock, magic or not. And warlocks have warlock marks. And I know this is futile and we'll likely be robbed of more cat eyes from Magnus in 3B (until he gets his magic back at least). I'm just already pre-emptively lamenting the unfairness of it all, okay.

Warlock Mark

Talking about warlock marks, those things are a mystery. When do they appear? Because while that baby under Iris Rouse's care already had fishy eyes

the narrative heavily implies that Magnus's cat eyes only appeared when he was nine.

That, or it took his mother nine years to figure out what his strange eyes meant, since after finding out she immediately kills herself. I mean, this still could be the case but what the hell would tip her off after almost a decade when staring into her son's cat eyes for nine years didn't do the trick? (In the shadowhunters wiki it is also explicitly stated that his mark appears only when he's nine years old and his eyes just look unusually bright before.)

How do manifestation of warlock mark and having magic correlate?

We know for a fact that Magnus had magic very soon after his cat eyes make an appearance - when he finds his mother his eyes aren’t on display, meaning he’s hiding them with a glamor (which, impressive and also thanks for that kick in the feels, that Magnus felt the need to hide his eyes this early on in life).

Maybe the warlock mark developing is a sign of the magic manifesting, meaning warlock children develop both at the same time. An argument against this is that magicless warlocks with warlock marks seem to be a thing, so magic isn't necessary for the warlock mark to appear.

What’s indicative of this theory however is a) if Magnus had magic since either birth or several years before his cat eyes developed then it really shouldn't have taken his mother so long to figure out that her son wasn't an average human boy, like the magic didn’t tip her off but the cat eyes were the final clue. Uh-huh. b) why else would Alec suggest that Magnus wasn't in control of his powers when attacking his stepfather (which happened very soon after his cat eyes developed)?

If Magnus did have his magic since birth / several years ago then he should be in control by nine years, right? So Alec probably meant that Magnus was just growing into his power and therefore didn't have control yet.

It is possible that Alec meant his statement in the sense that in this extreme situation Magnus lost the handle of his magic, but keep in mind that he explains it with “You were just a boy” and not “It was an exceptional situation.”

I don’t think it makes evolutionary sense for baby warlocks to have magic already if intense emotions can unleash their magic beyond the warlock's control. How would mundane warlock-parents ever make it out of their child's first years alive? Imagine a toddler with magic having a tantrum. He would totally level the whole village. Repeatedly. Even a warlock parent would have their hands full with a child that holds so much destructive power.

Personally I always assumed a warlock was born with a warlock mark already (since they are physical features) and developed magic later on with like 5-7. But I get that that couldn't really be the case for Magnus because Plot and he had to get his mark late, and I could be convinced that the appearance of warlock marks varies, like, some have them since birth (like fishy eye kid or Max, who was born blue) and some develop them later on in life – kind of like wisdom teeth: some get them with seventeen, some when they’re well over twenty. Though in that case I would expect the warlock mark to be a necessary condition for developing magic, meaning there's no warlock with magic but yet without mark.

If so, in what time frame after birth do warlock mark and magic manifest, at the latest? Could you go like 20 years of your life without knowing you're a warlock? That's creepy.

Headcanon though: There once was a warlock who aged til 40 before he received his mark and magic, and since he had a midlife crisis at the time he did pretty dumb shit and died after like two days. That's why

has become a winged word in warlock society.

Spells

Talking of the different ages in which warlocks learn how to wield their magic: It always irked me that Magnus had to study physics for decades, get three PhDs, research with Henry Branwell for years just to finally invent the portal, but Madzie who, sorry, probably doesn't know shit about physics can open a portal like a pro. So either all that fancy knowledge wasn't necessary to create the portal – then I wonder why the hell it took Magnus so long – or to invent a spell you have to really understand it but once that knowledge is unlocked to the world everyone can use it easily and doesn't even need an incantation or Madzie is a frikkin physics prodigy OR this works similar to, idk, my laptop. I don't know shit about how it works but I can use it just fine because one day I went into a store, put some cash on the counter and got this amazing tool in return. Do warlocks have to buy the ability to open portals from Magnus? Can he like, implant the necessary physics knowledge on how the portal works into their heads with a spell or a potion? Wtf I have so many questions.

There's another thing: Lorenzo says in 3x02 to Magnus, “More importantly, you know how to use [Asmodeus's] demonic magic.” The statement itself is confusing. Is Lorenzo talking about certain spells? Or a magic signature? Or a power level? Are there certain areas of magic you can't learn unless you go to the Asmodeus School of Evil? Are there demonic ley lines you can only access if you have Asmodeus's DNA? I don't have the faintest idea, but I'm just throwing this in here for good measure.

Conjuring/Summoning Things

I'm not talking about portal travel, because I covered that already in this exhaustive (hah) post. Summoning something seems different from portal travel; instead of opening a pathway from A to B it seems specific items desintegrate from where they were just to reappear somewhere else. And while most of the time it's pretty clear that Magnus just teleports stuff around, like when he steals Alec's stele in 1x09

or when he brings over Ragnor's stuff

there are instances where it is less clear, for example when he serves Alec wine in 1x12

or when he presents Max with a present in 2x08

Like, did he prepare that glass for Alec in advance, stow it away out of sight just for this move, or did he conjure a glass from the cabinet / drink cart and wine from the bottle, all in the same spell? Did he wrap that present beforehand or did he wrap and summon it in one go?

Leaving those minor instances aside where it doesn't really make a difference, there's also this moment from 2x17

and just..... what. Magnus even says that this is from the Cape. Did he just steal a whole ass table from a restaurant? The table is set, so either he ordered the waiter to set a table for them, stack food on it and just leave it there or he stole the table from other patrons that were just about to dig in. What.

I mean, people would notice that, right? I'm pretty sure I would notice if I was at a restaurant and suddenly a table vanished. This isn't exactly keeping the shadow world a secret. And while, yeah, only shadowhunters are contractually obligated to do that, it lies in the best interest of downworlders to keep up the secrecy because uuuuhh humans are very trigger-happy and would probably start hunting them all down if they globally learned about their existence.

Leaving that aspect aside there's another problem I have with this. How exactly does Magnus summon the table when he needed eye contact to teleport Alec's stele?

One could argue that he only stood there to keep an eye on Alec and warn Jace in case Alec noticed anything but a) what are the chances of him being quick enough to warn Jace if Alec takes an unfortunate look at his empty jacket pocket and b) standing in front of the office makes him suspect #1 and he wanted to avoid Alec finding out about his involvement at all costs. So he wouldn't have hung around there if he could have teleported Alec's stele away from somewhere else.

Back to the Cape table, how the hell did Magnus summon it without having it in his sight? All other things – the wine, the present, Ragnor's stuff – were things that were stored in his loft, and that he himself placed wherever-they-were before summoning them. It makes sense that he could get those without looking at them.

But a table? From a crowded restaurant, probably miles away? Please.

Therefore let me introduce my favorite headcanon. Magnus can summon things, which means teleporting them from somewhere else, and he can conjure things, which means creating them from thin air. And this is actually what he does with the Cape table, tableware, candle, lobster and all. And yeah, I can already hear you all yelling about Gamp's Law and how it's not possible to conjure food with any nutritional value from nothing, and that it might be possible to transform but not create something from nothing because physics, but 1) that's a different fandom and 2) it's magic.

So in conclusion I want to ask one very important question:

What's the point of magic if you can't screw the laws of physics?!

(Gif Sources: 1x09, 1x12, 1x12, 2x08, 2x17)

[brolinskeep]

Under-giffed scenes of Merlin

another anual rewatch series

based on a post by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​ i'm going to do a series of under-giffed scenes of merlin for my anual rewatch this year starting end of october.

but we may need some help picking scenes to gif for every episode, so if you have a scene that doesn’t get the gif-attention it deserves, please send in your prompts :)

just send an ask, reply to this post or reblog it adding your prompt, including the number of the episode and which scene from it (if it’s a rather long scene, please let me know which moment/line you’d like the focus to be on!). also: when i make the gifset of your prompt, i’d like to add ‘prompt by [yourtumblrname]’ to the post. if you do NOT want to be mentioned, please let me know.

despite the tags i’m tagging this post with, A L L scenes and characters are welcome with one exception: since i am an exclusive merthur shipper, i rather not gif merlin or arthur in a romantic/*shippery* context with anyone but each other, so no freya\merlin, gwen\arthur or those s1 morgana\arthur scenes.

you’re welcome to send as many prompts as you want for every episode. *

for the list of episodes and what prompts have been made yet:

1x01: sir owlen’s medicin [by @momotastic27] , saving arthur [by @tracionn] 1x02: “Has your father apologised for not believing you?” “He'll never           apologise.” -> arthur apologizing to merlin [by @momotastic27] 1x03: Arthur raiding Gaius’s place and asking what his papers are and Gaius is          like “My life’s work” [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles] 1x04: Merlin goes wild wild west: Showdown in the throne room (you know when           the red ones meet the blue ones) [by @merlination] 1x05: - Lancelot and Gwen's first meeting [by @xrosheen]          - Arthur Dom!tendencies towards Lancelot "ON YOUR KNEES" vs."I only            wish to serve" [by @momotastic27] 1x06: - Merlin learning some magic from Edwin [by @momotastic27]          - merlin and arthur talk   [by anon] 1x07: where Sophia is being attacked and Arthur fights them off and as the           bandits are running away Merlin yells “AND LET THAT BE A LESSON TO           YOU” and Arthur gives him a look like “wtf”           [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​] 1x08: - Merlin in the military gear or however that gangway is called             [by @merlination​]          - Mordred being separated from his fellow starting with “Go!”            [by @merlination​] 1x09:  you could say there’s a bond between us 1x10: - Merlins shoulder clap vs GAius hug [by @merlination​]          - Merlin cant sleep without Arthur by his side aka turing wildly, seaching             the sword and standing up in the most clumsy way ever.             [by @merlination​] 1x11: I want you to go in there … But it could be dangerous … Lets hope so.           [by @merlination​] 1x12: - Morgana searching for Gwen in different locations [by @merlination​]          - Gwen and her father and the present part: You’re a beautiful girl, you            deserve beautiful things. [by @merlination​] 1x13: Arthur puts himself between Merlin and the Questing Beast (cave scene)           [by @xrosheen]

2x01: merlin saving arthur from the gargoyle 2x02: -Every moment of Arthur in Merlin's cloak/the moment where Arthur gives           away his credits and rewards to his jousting substitute? [by @tracionn]          - arthur trying to sleep at gwen’s 2x03: merlin vs the broom 2x04: - Merlin when he does the magic to let the Kronleuchter fall and Arthur             when he gets them out of the fighting pit? [by @tracionn​]          - gwencelot tunnel scene          - its him you need to worry about          - anything with Merlin in his disguise clothes really [by @tracionn​] 2x05: merthur watching  uther and catrina 2x06: - i told you so          - Arthur has drunk the [potion] and passes out. Merlin and Gaius lower            him to the ground. Merlin cradles his head and then once his head is on            the ground, he goddamn strokes the side of his face.            [by @peepscarf108]          - merlin “cleaning” arthur room [by @moonliel]          - dragon laughing about uther          - arthur and uther talk 2x07: - Merlin being all sad and magicking the fire horse [by @tracionn​]           - Arthur defending Merlin please  [by @tracionn​] 2x08: - arthur losing to morgause           - “Oh great, so the horse knows where we’re going”              [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​]          - Merthur i was defeated by a girl . That’s quite funny when you think            about it, or not. [by @merlination​] 2x09: merthur sure you haven’t eaten them?  I haven’t had the chance.          (The drum stick acvident) [by @merlination​] 2x10: - “Every WOman in the Land is aTtracted to his boy”              [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​]            - merlin? Yes arthur? (Because he rarely calls him by his name in exactly            that way, it’s usually sire) [by @merlination​]          - uther to merlin abt arthur ‘whatshappened to him?’ 2x11: arthur’s dinner ‘let it thicken 2x12: - one where Arthur picks Uther up, sees that he’s sleeping and drops him             back on the table  [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​]          - the bit where Merlin is trying to revive Gaius and it’s not working             [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​]          - there’s also the moment where Merlin makes a joke about Uther having            a big ass [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​] 2x13: - “That’s a BIG WORD Merlin, sure you know what it means?”             [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​]          - wet!merthur in the tavern [by @ofkingsandlionhearts​]          - They’re in their hotel room- equivalent- Arthurs getting undressed.             Merlin is in a separate bed on the other side of the room. There’s a             silent exchange where Merlin looks [wistfully] at shirtless Arthur. Arthur             turns and looks over his shoulder. Merlin awkwardly avoids his gaze.             Arthur then asks ‘what is wrong with you today?’ [by @peepscarf108]                         

3x01: - Gaius talking to Uther in the throne room, because beautiful shot             [by @merlination]           - morgause and merlin chatting 3x02:  arthur promissing uther to defend camelot 3x03: - Merlin in the library “east is that way” [by @merlination]           - arhtur tanghled in his sheets           - goblin!gaius b*tchslapping uther [by @ofkingsandlionhearts​] 3x04: - Gwaine’s disarming move ™ [by @momotastic27]           - Merlin is in the fake-Knights’ chambers being attacked. Gwaine bursts             in to save him. He says “You alright, Merlin?” And Merlin shakes his             head and does the cutest little “Nooo”. [by @peepscarf108]           - Gwaine saving Arthur in the tavern and going down because of his             injury [by @merlination] 3x05: - Merthur: Trust me - If you say that one more time [by @merlination]           - Throne room, Arthur parising Merlin infront of the court, Gwen being a              proud mum [by @merlination] 3x06: - Grunhilda talking to the sidhe king [by @momotastic27]           -  the guard and arthurs horse           - Elena and her father and the shoes. Perfect for what? Certainly not for             walking. [by @merlination]           - Uther/Arthur in his chambers. One fine day you will be a husband, but             for sure you will be king. [by @merlination]           - gaius and merlin talking tongue magic 3x07: - The WoOoolves a.k.a when Merlin pretends not to doesn’t get the hint             that Arthur wants to be alone with Gwen             [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles]          - Breakfast scene - Uther: We can just replace her and the reactions of            Arthur, Merlin and Morgana. [by @merlination]           - Elyan/Gwen reunited hug  [by @merlination] 3x08: - When Gwaine and Arthur are arguing about who has to stick their hand             in that bug infested thing to save Merlin [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles]           - courage strength and magic           - Gwaine’s sword being turned into flowers [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles 3x09: the one where Merlin is a sassy dad. Gaius/Merlin “Do your supplies           normally kiss you?” “How dare you" [by @merlination] 3x10: Morgana and her gorgeous red dress searching the castle in different           places (because that castle is as pretty as Morgana in her dress)           [by @merlination] 3x11: - Merlin. Yeah, you’re right, theres nothing to worry about.            [by @merlination]          - Gilly/Merlin “Youre not a gladiator, Uhter will have you executed.”            [by @merlination]           - dinner talk ‘arthur is ready to be king’ 3x12: - Leon being healed in the cave “Welcome knight” [by @merlination]           - uther ‘u must go alone’ - arthur: takes merlin with 3x13: - Merlin/Gwaine “You look like you’ve seen a ghost” “I’m fine”             [by @merlination]           - Merthur: “We cant defeat a mortal army.” “We dont know until we try.”             [by @merlination]           - the knights being knighted 

4x01: arthur comforting the girl in the council chambers  [by @nerdderek] 4x02: lancelot being like "you're meant to be dying" to merlin and then merlin's           like "sorry" and they banter a bit about lancelot's skills [by @nerdderek]     4x03:  merlin's expressions when arthur's on the wheel [by @nerdderek] 4x04:  merlin and the badass "i am the last dragonlord" scene  [by @nerdderek] 4x05: 4x06:  merlin-morgana conversation with the "do me a favour will you? let arthur            know. he still thinks of me as an underachiever but i'm quite proud of            those accomplishments" [by @nerdderek] 4x07:  convo between gaius and arthur at the end "contained within this great            kingdom is a rich variety of people with a range of different beliefs. i'm not            the only one seeking to protect you arthur" [by @nerdderek] 4x08:  the guy for the village being all dismissive of merlin and elyan stepping up            and going "his name is merlin." and gwen saying "he was appointed            acting physician by king arthur himself" [by @nerdderek] 4x09: 4x10: - “So now YOU’RE ignoring me. Great. I might as well not even exist.             ‘Hello, my name’s Merlin, but don’t worry about me. I’m not even here.”              [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​]           - “Ask Arthur I’m always peeing" [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​]           - merlin following arthur into the woods and they have that “fancy meeting             you here” - ”what the hell are you doing creeping around the woods             conversation  [by @nerdderek] 4x11: 4x12: “A king must look KinGLY” or the “I’m saying… the belt is one hole shy of           perfection” [by @dollopheadsandclotpoles​] 4x13: When the party enters Camelot           Isolde to Tristan: Whatever happened to the idea of finding a bit of land           and settling down?           Arthur trying to say something nice to Merlin: You know, this thing’s not           bad.           Merlin to Arthur: Thought you might like it. [by @lao-paperman]

5x01: where Arthur says it's treason to threaten a king and merlin goes "how          about an ass?"  [by anon] 5x02: 5x03: at the start of the ep before they hear the woman screaming / when they           run towards the village and arthur says "you're learning" to merlin           [by @nerdderek] 5x04: when Arthur fights in that cavern and then realizes that he's been           betrayed [by @tracionn] 5x05: Gwen in the dark tower- freaking out because of Morgana’s bad magics.           EvilVision!Merlin waves at her to come closer. Then he appears behind           her roaring. [by @ peepscarf108] 5x07: 5x08: 5x09: Arthur rescues Merlin after he falls off the cliff [by @xrosheen] 5x10: 5x11: 5x12: 5x13:

*if there’ll be more than one prompt for an episode, i get to choose one of them :p

[stahlop]

Once Upon a Time 3x01 “The Heart of the Truest Believer” Review

Reviews 1x01 1x02 1x03 1x04 1x05 1x06 1x07 1x08 1x09 1x10 1x111x12 1x13 1x14 1x15 1x16 1x17 1x18 1x19 1x20 1x21 1x22 2x01 2x02 2x032x04 2x05 2x06 2x07 2x08 2x09 2x10 2x11 2x12 2x13 2x14 2x152x16 2x17 2x18 2x19 2x20 2x21 2x22

Well, here we are. Season 3! And we are in Neverland! And Peter Pan is an evil little sucker. And Rumple has some emotional connection that we don’t know about. Plus a lot of fighting, evil mermaids, flying, and some things going on in the EF. This episode deals heavily with the idea of belief and believing, so I think we’ll be seeing a lot of that in this story arc. So batten down the hatches, we’ve got an unbelievable season ahead (see what I did there? Huh? Huh? Whatever.)!

Summary: While Emma tries to dissuade her parents, Regina, and Hook from tearing each other apart, Henry encounters a scared Lost Boy on Neverland and reminds him of the power of belief. In the Enchanted Forest, Neal goes to his father’s castle to figure out what’s going on with Emma.

Opening: Henry and Peter Pan flying.

New Characters: 

Peter Pan: Although we don’t know he’s Peter Pan until the end; he finds Henry when he’s running away from the Lost Boys and pretends to be another scared boy. My only problem with this is that the actor playing Pan looks at least 16, so him pretending to be scared to an 11-year-old Henry is a little odd. Maybe it’s supposed to be believable because Felix (Lost Boy Leader’s name according to the credits) is creepy as fuck. Also, why are the Lost Boys so old? Wasn’t the whole point of coming to Neverland to never grow up and be a kid forever? Wendy (in the Disney version) wanted to go there because she was being kicked out of the nursery because she was almost 13. So why are the Lost Boys teenagers? This makes no sense to me. But I digress. Henry tells him how Pan sent people to kidnap and the boy tells him if Pan sent for him he wants him for something. The basic gist of this whole ‘game’ is that Pan is pretending, he wants to make sure that Henry’s belief in magic(?) is real, and tricks him into using pixie dust in order to fly. Only then does Pan reveal himself to Henry and that he basically needs him because he has the heart of the truest believer. And then, in the most menacing way, he calls the Lost Boys and says they’re going to play. Yikes! What has Henry got himself into?

Character Observations:

Emma: We start with Emma giving birth to Henry 11 years ago. Her leg is shackled to the hospital bed and there is a prison guard watching over her. She absolutely refuses to see the baby when it’s born and says she can’t be a mother. But she’s absolutely devastated. We then move to the Jolly Roger where they are going through the portal, a true picture of a mother going after her son. Mary Margaret and David try to cheer her up, but instead, she blames them for giving her hope, for telling her that life is a fairy tale when that’s not her experience, and she can only go off of her experiences when saving Henry. She is just letting them have it while trying to keep herself together, and it’s some of the best acting I’ve seen Jennifer Morrison do on this show. She is so tired of the optimism that David and Mary Margaret have about everything and just wants them to realize that so many bad things have happened to them and to deal with that.  But they refuse to deal with reality and still hold on to hope, aggravating Emma even more. Gold comes out, now dressed like Rumple, and tells everyone that he is going to get Henry back. Emma, still upset from her talk with her parents, wants to know why Gold doesn’t think she can get Henry back. He tells her she doesn’t believe in her parents, magic, or herself. Emma says she’s pretty sure she believes in magic after everything they’ve seen, and that’s exactly the point. She only believes in what’s in front of her, she can’t talk a leap of faith without evidence, and since Neverland runs on imagination, that’s not going to fly. He basically tells her she’s the same person who came to Storybrooke and she can’t do anything without a little hand holding. Emma takes her stress out Sarah Connor style by doing pull ups down in the crew’s quarters, delighting Hook to no end. Hook gives her Bae’s old cutlass to fight with. They toast to Neal with some rum before their lovely moment is interrupted by a mermaid attack.  Everyone attacks them in different ways, but Mary Margaret and Emma catch one in a net and decide to bring it on board the ship. Everything starts going to hell when they bring her aboard. She calls a storm and everyone starts arguing with each other. You can see that Emma is finding this very strange and that this isn’t normal fighting. Regina finally turns the mermaid into a wooden statue and Emma is freaking the fuck out, especially because a wall of water comes at them after she does that. Emma and Hook are desperately trying to regain control of the ship while Mary Margaret and Regina duke it out. Hook and David end up fighting as well and Emma finally realizes that their fighting is causing the storm. She can’t get their attention, so, in a leap of faith, she jumps off the ship, which probably would’ve gotten them to stop fighting even without the rigging that flies off and hits her in the head, knocking her out under the water. Luckily, everyone works together to save her, and they get her back on the ship and she doesn’t have any type of head injury (not even a bruise!). But their working together gets the storm to stop and Emma gets in an ‘I told you so’ after she coughs up the water that could have drowned her. They finally make it onto Neverland and Emma goes into leader mode. She even admits that she was wrong and Gold was right about belief. Her parents think there’s a right way to find Henry, but Emma wants them to be who they are and do whatever it takes, no matter the consequences to save Henry and just cooperate with each other. Regina questions Emma’s role as something other than the Savior. She tells Regina she is a mother and their leader. She’s pretty much had enough of Regina’s lip and basically tells her to keep out of her way as they try to save Henry. They head off into the jungles of Neverland. So Emma has finally accepted her role as Henry’s mother and is finally taking a leadership role instead of letting everything just fall in her lap. We’ll see how she fares with Henry’s other mother.

Gold: He’s not very helpful to anyone. He does decide to dress more Enchanted Forest appropriate by wearing his crocodile skin outfit. He tells Emma that he’ll be the one to get Henry back since she doesn’t have enough belief. His speech borders on religious when he talks about taking a leap of faith (something Emma does later by jumping into the water and Henry does with the pixie dust), and then he vanishes from the ship, leaving his cane behind (I guess being back in a magical place makes it so he doesn’t need his cane anymore).  First he comes across the carnage that is Greg and Tamara. She is still alive so he makes it so she can tell him what happened to Henry. Tamara tells him that Henry ran, and then tries to justify her actions by saying she didn’t know she was working for Pan. She also apologizes for killing Neal. She asks for his forgiveness and Gold is done with this. He almost looks like he’s sympathetic to her plight, but then rips out her heart and crushes it. Bye bye, Tamara. You really did get what you deserved. He wanders around the island until he senses Felix nearby and tells him to come out. Felix addresses him as Rumplestiltskin and Gold does his little Rumple hand gesture with the biggest expression of disdain on his face. It’s hilarious. Felix tells him Pan welcomes him to the island and is happy to see him again. So now we know that Pan and Rumple have some sort of past together. What it is remains to be seen. Gold finds it hard to believe Pan wants him there. Felix tells him as long as he’s not there for the boy, he’s welcome, otherwise he’s Pan’s enemy. So I guess he’s Pan’s enemy.  Gold tells him nothing’s changed then. So I guess they’re already enemies. Felix tells him he won’t survive against Pan. Gold isn’t particularly disturbed by this. He’s more concerned about how many Lost Boys he can take with him when he goes down. Gold thinks their confrontation is over until Felix throws him a straw doll which instantly reduces Gold to tears. Holy crap! Who knew Gold could be so emotional when it didn’t have to do with Belle or Neal? Felix says something about things they haven’t thought about in years having the ability to make them cry, so I’m assuming his doll has something to do with Gold’s childhood. Felix leaves Gold crying over the doll in the middle of the jungle. Well that took a turn.

Regina: Annoying as ever, she immediately lays into Hook for the ship slowing down, and if he didn’t realize what the purpose of their trip was, it was to go rescue Henry (because they went through a portal just for the hell of it?). Like this whole conversation is completely ridiculous. Then she tells Hook about how Greg called her a villain, which she seems incredulous about (does she really not think she’s a villain, she is the Evil Queen after all), and that Greg said villains don’t get happy endings. Hook and Regina reflect on this and how they might have been wasting their lives if that’s true. Didn’t they have a similar conversation when they were below the library in The Evil Queen? Where Hook asked if their pursuit of vengeance was basically an ending and not a beginning? So, Regina doesn’t see herself as a villain, and she continues this belief throughout their journey. When the mermaids are attacking, she’s not a villain by sending fireballs after them. When Emma and Mary Margaret capture one, she yells at her (and is not above torturing her) for information, eventually causing a fight between herself and Mary Margaret (Regina wants to kill her or torture her for information, whereas Mary Margaret wants to free her), and Regina turns the mermaid into a wooden statue satisfied that that will end the storm. Except it brings a huge tidal wave upon them instead. She seems genuinely shocked that this plan didn’t work. Listen to Emma and think things through, Regina!!! Always thinking in the short term and never looking at the whole picture. Mary Margaret and Regina continue to go at it with each other (involving an actual fistfight between the two of them) and Regina, once again, plays the victim when Mary Margaret tells her to stop ruining her life. When Emma jumps off the ship she tells Mary Margaret she can’t see her in the storm to bring her back up. But they all end up working together to save Emma which stops the storm. Once they dock, Regina says she can fix the Jolly Roger and they can go with Hook’s original plan, but Emma tells her to save her magic and says that Pan already knows they’re there. Emma makes a moving speech about believing in each other and Regina poo poos this as her wanting them all to be friends. That’s not even close to what she said. Emma says they just need to be who they are to succeed and she calls Regina a villain in this speech. Regina keeps a very cool facade when Emma goes on about being a mother and their leader (both roles that are usually Regina’s forte), but seems to be on board when they go further into the jungle.

David/Mary Margaret: I just want to roll my eyes at their optimism like Emma does. Their unwavering belief that everything will work out is very annoying. They are genuinely shocked that Emma doesn’t share their optimism. You can see that Mary Margaret is doing all she can to not dissolve into tears when she tells Emma that her experience is all she has to go on and she could share some of her wisdom with her. But Emma reminds them that they are the same age with the same amount of experience. Ok, I see where Emma is coming from, but being the same age does not give them the same level of experience. They both have different experiences that they can both learn from. Mary Margaret is doing everything she can to placate Emma, but Emma is pissed off. Mary Margaret tells her that the moment she lets go of her belief the moment things will ultimately get worse (how much worse can it get? You’ve already been cursed, lost your daughter, Johanna was killed, and now your grandson has been kidnapped?). I’d be frustrated too.  David and Mary Margaret are trying to control the ship when the mermaids attack, and David’s the first to do something useful by making explosives and shooting the mermaids with the mini cannons (I will not be capsized by fish). And he looks hot doing it. Whew! Mary Margaret gets the idea to catch the mermaids, I’m not really sure what the thought process there was. Later on she thinks that talking to them and seeing if they can make some sort of deal with them will work, but all in all, the capturing a mermaid plan basically almost killed them all. When questioning the mermaid, David first goes from the yell and threaten approach (even bringing a sword to her throat, and Mary Margaret looks horrified at this), while Mary Margaret thinks that killing them with kindness is the way to go (she thinks they are scared of Pan and doing his bidding, even though Hook tells her mermaids are liars and just want to kill them). Regina continues to try and kill the mermaid even though everyone else tells her not to and she brings on a huge tidal wave when she turns her into wood. Mary Margaret blames Regina who doesn’t think this is her fault. She wants her to undo the spell and Regina calls Mary Margaret a naive princess, so Mary Margaret punches her! Damn girl! Get out all that pent up frustration! They continue punching each other so David goes to break them up, but Hook tells him to let them fight because he needs him to help with the ship, but he uses a derogatory term for women and David punches him. So now they’re fighting. He even tries to stab Hook with his own hook. Talk about cold blooded. They finally all get their acts together when Emma jumps in the water to stop them from fighting. Mary Margaret and David are terrified.  They all work together, with David jumping into the water to save her and the others pulling them up with rope. Once on the island, Emma tells them all they need to work together and David and Mary Margaret don’t want to work with Regina and Hook. I’m confused as to why they think they’re there then if they weren’t all going to work with each other. David wants to do things the right way (which is what exactly?), but Emma says they just need to be heroes while Regina is a villain and Hook is a pirate. They need those skills to get Henry back. When Emma says her skill is being a mother, Mary Margaret gets the proudest look on her face. Like Emma’s finally understanding what being a parent is all about. And then after she tells Regina to either help or get out of her way, David is the first to follow with a proud daddy smirk on his face.

Henry: Basically, he’s running from the Lost Boys. He has belief in magic and flies. And now Peter Pan and the Lost Boys have him surrounded.

Greg/Tamara: They know they’re in Neverland because it’s the mother lode of magic. They want to destroy it. Henry asks them who they work for that works on Neverland, but Greg says it’s none of his business. The Home Office takes care of them. Henry wonders how they’ll get back home once they destroy magic, but Greg is deep into the ‘it doesn’t matter as long as it gets done’ belief to worry about little things like getting home. They immediately realize something is wrong when their communicator is filled with sand. Tamara even wonders if it’s a toy and Henry remarks that it’s a good thing they don’t ask questions. Greg just gets angry while Tamara starts getting worried. Greg builds a fire to send a signal, but Tamara thinks the broken communicator was intentional. That’s when the Lost Boys emerge. They tell Greg and Tamara they’re the Home Office, and Tamara is getting really frightened now that they know the Home Office is run by teenagers. Henry clarifies that they’re the Lost Boys. Henry’s confused as to why the Lost Boys want to destroy magic, and Greg reminds him that that was their mission. Felix tells him they only told him what he wanted to hear so they could get Henry. Tamara finally gets some balls and asks how they’re getting home and Felix tells her they aren’t getting home. Greg tells them they aren’t getting Henry, but Felix summons the Shadow who rips Greg’s shadow from his body and kills him. Tamara tells Henry to run and gets shot with an arrow from a Lost Boy. Now, I have to admit, I really didn’t like Greg, but this was an awful way for him to die. After everything he went through as a kid he just wanted some justification in destroying magic, and unfortunately, he found the wrong organization who just used him for their own means.  Tamara manages not to die right off the bat and is found by Rumple later. He heals her so she can tell him where Henry went. She apologizes for everything and asks him for forgiveness over what she did to Neal. But Rumple don’t play that game and takes her heart and crushes it.  RIP Greg and Tamara, you will not be missed in the slightest.

Neal/Mulan: Ugh! I really wish Neal was just dead and I didn’t have to deal with all this. First off, we get no explanation about how they rescued Phillip from the wraith, he’s just there with them. Neal wakes up and is bandaged pretty modernly for being in the EF. Mulan immediately thinks he’s lying about being from the EF since he’s wearing clothes like Emma and Snow did. Which makes no sense because she knows about the curse and how they were all from the EF, so of course he’d be wearing modern clothes if he was from the same place they were. Once Mulan mentions Emma and Snow, Neal wants them to help him find her because Emma’s in danger. He also mentions Henry and Aurora quickly comes to the conclusion that he’s Henry’s father. Mulan questions how Neal got there, but he explains about the portal. He tells her they’re all considered fairy tale characters, or legends. When Aurora can’t make contact she thinks the worst. Neal realizes he needs to go to his father’s castle and reveals his father is the Dark One. Mulan and Neal have a deep discussion about why Emma never mentioned him when she was there. Neal says he broke her heart and then never came back for her even though he loved her and he regrets it. He claims he didn’t try because he didn’t want to be rejected. Or, maybe because you were engaged to Tamara up until she shot you? Seriously, what is up with all the Neal retconning. He didn’t want to risk seeing his father so he let Emma go to jail for him and then didn’t ever look for her once the curse broke because he’d moved on and still didn’t want to deal with his father. This whole still loving Emma thing is bullshit! Mulan seems to understand his regret more than she should. Still wondering if she’s in love with Phillip or Aurora. They get to the castle and Neal realizes that someone is there because they left out a goblet of wine. Then an arrow comes shooting near his head and Robin Hook makes his entrance. Neal is in disbelief. He tells Robin he can have the castle, he just needs to find something first and Robin believes he is the son of the Dark One, because who would admit to that if they weren’t.  He also tells Neal that Rumplestiltskin spared his life and Neal wants him to help him find whatever he needs to pay for that debt. Neal is looking for something magical that his father would have hidden away. Neal finds his father’s old cane, swings it around, and uncovers a magical cabinet. Convenient. Neal claims it’s blood magic that made it so he could uncloak the cabinet. Neal finds a crystal ball and laments about how he’s been running from magic most of his life and now it’s the only thing that can help him. Boo hoo. But he can’t make the crystal ball work. Like your father said, you have to believe. Mulan tells him he needs to think of Emma and not a place. And when he does he recognizes that she’s in Neverland. Uh oh!

Questions:

I get having a guard while Emma is giving birth, but shackled? I’ve given birth three times and trying to move without help after you’ve given birth is almost near impossible. I’m honestly surprised she didn’t break the cuff with the sheer force that is necessary to give birth.

With the way Henry fell out of that portal (and that he couldn’t brace himself since his hands are tied), shouldn’t he have broken something? That was a pretty high fall from the portal. 

Why didn’t Greg and Tamara’s portal spit them out in water since they went into it in water?

Why does Regina ask Hook about the ship slowing down? He hasn’t cast anchor, it’s not a car, it doesn’t just slow down. That’s not how it works. If Hook hasn’t put the anchor down then the ship is slowing down most likely due to lack of wind, or the fact that they just shot out of a portal, not because of anything he’s doing.

How is Aurora’s dress not shredded by now? She’s in the same dress that she was wearing in Broken.

Why is Aurora’s first reaction to not being able to reach Henry in her dream that he’s in trouble and not that he’s not asleep?

How does Neal a) know about his father’s castle (he left the EF before Rumplestiltskin owned a castle), and b) know where this castle is?

Doesn’t wearing a bag crossed over where Neal just got shot hurt? He’s acting like he was never shot at all.

Anyone else think David’s face is a little too close to the mini cannon? I was afraid he was going to at least burn his eyebrows off.

Why are Mary Margaret and Regina still wearing their suit jackets in the middle of a storm? Emma took off her turtleneck and David rolled up his sleeves. Having that extra soaking layer must suck.

First of all, Robin Hood says he arrived at Rumple’s castle shortly after the curse (I’m assuming after it ended) to find it already looted by thieves. Did it get looted after Rumple was taken captive by Snow and Charming?  Secondly, why did he decide to go back to Rumple’s castle after he was tortured and nearly killed the last time he was there? Did he know Rumple had been imprisoned beforehand?

I thought Felix was with the Lost Boys chasing Henry. Did he decide to take a break when they discovered Gold was on the island?

Where did Mary Margaret’s bow and quiver full of arrows come from? She only had a backpack when she came aboard the Jolly Roger in And Straight on ‘Til Morning.

Why is David questioning working with Regina and Hook to get Henry back? They all made the journey to Neverland. Were they just going to leave Regina and Hook on the ship?

Observations:

The lights flicker when Emma gives birth to Henry. The last time we saw this was in the Pilot. It seems this is a manifestation of Emma’s magic in our world.

It looks like Gold lost all the gray in his hair when he had his wardrobe change.

Apparently getting your shadow ripped from you will kill you.

Snow didn’t teach Aurora how to control the dreams and walk the dream world. Henry had the amulet that Gold gave him that let him control things (and David later broke). Not that they ever used it after the first dream.

Neal explains how portals work. You have to think about the place you want to go to.

I don’t know if it’s because of the difference between filming a live ship and then greenscreening a background when filming the actors, but the ship looks like it’s barely moving when it’s just a ship shot, and then it’s speeding along when you see the water behind the actors.

Robin Hood is played by a different actor than when we last saw him in Lacey.

I’ve decided that the forest that we saw in Cora’s bubble must be Sherwood Forest, as that’s the only explanation for Robin Hood to still be in the EF, and why he hasn’t aged.

So that’s the season premiere for season 3! We are officially in Neverland. We don’t even see Storybrooke. And we have to deal with characters we don’t particularly care for in the Enchanted Forest (although I like the smarminess of this Robin Hood). We’ll see how this all comes together. Some other thoughts: Regina is still Evil Queen Bitch. She seems to have learned nothing from her brushes with death just that morning. David and Mary Margaret also seem to think that if they just do the right thing then everything will be alright, when we’ve yet to see that work out for them. Emma is the only one who seems to have made any growth by calling herself Henry’s mother and finally taking a leadership role in finding him. And Hook just fancies Emma when she’s not yelling at him.

Please leave comments and reblog! Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future reviews.

@searchingwardrobes​​​​​ @thisonesatellite​​​​​ @justbecauseyoubelievesomething​​​​​ @laschatzi​​​​​ @profdanglaisstuff​​​​​ @mariakov81​​​​​​ @lfh1226-linda​

[peterkayscarshare]

Listen to the Words 1x04 & 1x05

Not much at all going on in ep 4, although a lot of cracking tunes. Just a couple of apt choices, rather than insight into their minds.

1x04

Labour of Love - Hue and Cry (Beyonce dance) Get on Up - Five (Janine and Elsie fight) Mmmbop - Hanson (carwash) Bump and Grind - R Kelly  (Golden Hour/Ted2) How Bizarre - OMC  (Dave Thompson is a knob) If Only I could - Sydney Youngblood (sponsored animals) Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Tears for Fears (losing virginity)

1) Mmmbop - This is a song about friendship and the fact you don’t know which ones will flourish and be around for you in the darker times in your life. And fittingly the lyrics tell us to hold on to the ones who really care... as John and Kayleigh grip hands as John helps her through her panic attack.

You have so many relationships in this life Only one or two will last You go through all the pain and strife Then you turn your back and they're gone so fast Oh yeah And they're gone so fast, yeah Oh So hold on the ones who really care In the end they'll be the only ones there And when you get old and start losing your hair Can you tell me who will still care Can you tell me who will still care? Oh care

2) If Only I Could - Just a little aside that this song about making the world a better place plays while Kayleigh is telling us about the animals she’s adopted.

1x05

Episode 5 is MUCH more interesting with song choices, as we start to really see their relationship shift form friendship to something more.

When Smokey Sings - ABC (running to the postbox) Put Yourself in My Place - Kylie (dropping the kids off) New Sensation - INXS  (Kayleigh driving them to work) Have a Nice Day - Stereophonics (wedding song discussion) Hero  - Enrique Iglesias (Golden Hour/Ted2) Picture of You - Boyzone (Rachel jealousy) Devil Woman - Cliff Richard (Rachel) Drive - Cars (Kayleigh is going to have to move) I Knew You Were Waiting - George Michael/Aretha Franklin (Playing Who am I?) Somewhere In My Heart - Aztec Camera (Who am I? cont) This Time I Know It's for Real - Donna Summer (mechanic’s arrival) Stronger Than Love - Johnny Cash (shit for brains)

1) Hero - Although this song doesn’t have any deep meaning in this episode - it’s used to show the saintly Ted is also good with children - it does give us an interesting parallel in the future. In this episode when Hero plays, and they watch Ted2 in action, Kayleigh says “he can lift me up like that anytime he likes.” She’s looking at Ted2 as a heroic figure. He can be her hero. Yet, fast forward to 2x04 and Kayleigh’s fantasies are John as her hero, and she lets him know. “John to the rescue. My hero.” Ted2 is nothing but eye-candy, John is the hero of her heart.

2) Picture of You - This is an interesting song lyrically as at first it sounds like someone who’s made a bad choice romantically, with someone who will break their heart. But as the song goes on, it shows that in fact that person was there for them through it all, despite what they thought of them.

Didn't they say that I would make a mistake Didn't they say you were gonna be trouble People told me you were too much to take I couldn't see it I didn't want to know

I let you in and you let me down You messed me up and you turned my life around You left me feeling I had nowhere to go I was alone how was I to know that

You'd be there when I needed somebody

You'd be there the only one who could help me

I had a picture of you in my mind Never knew it could be so wrong Why'd it take me so long just to find The friend that was there all along

Who'd believe that after all we've been through I'd be able to put my trust in you Goes to show you can forgive and forget Looking back I have no regrets 'causeYou'd be there, when I needed somebody You'd be there, the only one who could help me

I had a picture of you in my mind Never knew it could be so wrong Why'd it take me so long just to find? The friend that was there all along

You'd be there, when I needed somebody You'd be there, the only one who could help me

If you focus on the chorus, it’s Kayleigh’s thoughts on John - she thought he was someone but there he is flirting with Rachel, and so it’s proving her mental image of him wrong. Although this is the opposite meaning to the song itself (an image of someone who was trouble but was there through it all). Of course, the overall theme is one that does relate to John and Kayleigh whichever way you take it - the friend that was there all along. Why’d it take me so long just to find?

3) Devil Woman - Glaringly obvious what this one’s about from the video - Rachel is the “devil woman” leading him astray. The question is, is John’s smugness because he’s enjoying the attention of Rachel? Or because he’s sparked some very obvious jealousy in Kayleigh? Given that in 1x06 he says he’s not actually interested in Rachel, I think we can be sure it’s the latter.

4) Drive - Oh how I love this. Utterly perfect matching of song and scene, as Kayleigh reveals she’s going to have to move to Bury and they both decide John can no longer drive her to work. “Who’s gonna drive you home tonight?” indeed.

Who's gonna tell you when it's too late Who's gonna tell you things aren't so great You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong, but bye Who's gonna drive you home tonight? Who's gonna pick you up when you fall Who's gonna hang it up when you call Who's gonna pay attention to your dreams Who's gonna plug their ears when you scream You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong, but bye Who's gonna drive you home tonight? Who's gonna hold you down when you shake Who's gonna come around when you break You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong, but bye Who's gonna drive you home tonight?

But more than just that line, the whole song sums up what their relationship has become. They are they to hear each others dreams and fears, pick each other up - literally and emotionally, they have become THAT PERSON to each other. And perhaps at this point neither of them realise just how much. Kayleigh’s tears reflect the lyric “you can’t go on thinking nothing’s wrong”, because it seems like Kayleigh is the one to realise not having John drive her to work means more than simply who’s gonna drive her home tonight... it’s something much deeper than that.

5) I Knew You Were Waiting/Somewhere In My Heart - I’m grouping both of these together because we only hear brief snatches of them during the scenes waiting in the car for roadside rescue. Both can be seen as about finally finding the person in your life who has made all the pain and misery worthwhile cos now you’ll see it all through together.

Like a warrior that fights And wins the battle I know the taste of victory Though I went through some nights Consumed by shadows I was crippled emotionally Somehow I made it through the heartache Yes I did. I escaped. I found my way out of the darkness I kept my faith (I know you did), kept my faith When the river was deep I didn't falter When the mountain was high I still believed When the valley was low it didn't stop me, no no I knew you were waiting. I knew you were waiting for me

So we were drawn together through destiny (oh, boy) I know this love we shared was meant to be

**********

Who cares what people say We walk down love's motorway

Ambition and love wearing boxing gloves And singing hearts and flowers

Somewhere in my heart There is a star that shines for you Silver splits the blue Love will see it through

6) This Time I Know It’s For Real - Never was there such a perfect song for Kayleigh’s feelings at this point, and frankly throughout season 2.

I'm going crazy just to let you know You'd be amazed how much I love you so baby When I get my hands on you I won't let go This time I know it's for real Should I write or call your home Shout it out with a megaphone Radio, TV news Got to find a way To get my message to you To say I love you with a neon sign Anything to make you mine

I'm going crazy just to let you know If I wait too long for you I might explode baby I've been around the block enough to know That this time I know it's for real

She’s desperate to bring up Rachel again, and ask if John is going to go out with her. Rachel’s interference has made her face up to her feelings for John and she’s prodding around trying to find out what he feels. This song signposts what Kayleigh’s going to do next - pushed on by the end of their car sharing time, and the looming Rachel, Kayleigh needs to let John know how she feels. How will she do it? Write I love you in a neon sign? Or get him to “listen to the words” of Pure and Simple?

7) Stronger Than Love - speaking of neon signs... Peter and co couldn’t have made it ANY CLEARER what is driving the emotions and relationship between John and Kayleigh when they use this song.

Six foot six he stood on the ground, He weighed two hundred and thirty-five pounds, But I saw that giant of a man brought down to his knees by love. He was the kind of a man that would gamble on luck, Look you in the eye and never back up, But I saw him crying like a little whipped pup because of love. You can't see it with your eyes, Hold it in your hand. But like the wind, it covers our land, Strong enough to move the heart of any man, This thing called love. It can lift you up, Never let you down, Take your world and turn it all around, Ever since time, nothing's ever been found, That's stronger than love.

(interestingly the second verse deals with non-romantic love, but it’s the verse about a man brought to his knees that they chose to use)

It’s utterly clear what’s happening here, that despite the anger in this scene, these two are fools for each other, and John will forgive it all (even though it was his fault!) because he’s in love. I mean there’s signposting and then there’s literally telling the audience in a song HE IS IN LOVE!

[creacherkeeper]

jemma autism checklist

[fitz post here]

someone: jemma’s not autistic 

me: *pulls receipts* 

okay here we go! here is a very detailed post explaining why jem is totes autistic 

to sum, she shows a lot of traits of atypical autism (which is more often how autism manifests in girls) and displays a lot of traits necessary for a diagnosis. she is awkward and blunt in her social interaction (needing to be reminded at times how to act “appropriately”), has a deep passion for her specific interests, is literal minded, stims, was probably hyperlexic, has trouble lying and improvising language, and shows signs of alexithymia

(big thank you to @unlessimwrongwhichyouknowimnot for helping with this, as well as the anons who sent in suggestions!) 

this and more under the cut! lots of gifs ahead, image descriptions added for accessibility 

allistics feel free to interact with this! 

Deeply focused thinking and passionate interests in specific subjects.

jemma is deeply passionate about biology and chemistry, to the point where she had a PhD in both by the time she was 16 years old. she knows a lot of specific facts about animals 

[x] [Jemma saying, “Yeah, and close to 200 species of snakes. The shushupe has a fascinating venom.”] 

[x] [Jemma talking to Fitz, saying, “Did I give you an antivenin pack? The Caucasus have a plethora of highly endemic spider species.”] 

[x] [Jemma talked to Fitz, saying, “Did you know that there are over a thousand species of fish in the Seychelles? I cannot wait.”] 

Need for consistency, routine, and order

[x] [Two gifs of Jemma saying, “A tidy lab is a happy lab.”] 

[x] [Jemma saying, “Clear? Well, B is for blue is for biological.”] 

3x03 

About Jemma’s desk 

Fitz: Just as you left it. Made sure not even a post-it note was moved. ‘Cause I know how particular you can be about it. 

3x05

Jemma: Planets have ecosystems with definable patterns and rules that can be understood after enough--

Difficulties in understanding and expressing typical social interaction 

[x] [Two gifs of Jemma saying, about Randolph, “A thousand years. Maybe more. If we could just cut him open a little bit, get some tissue samples, maybe some bodily fluids, we could find out.”] 

[x] [Jemma saying, “You mean once we have sex?”] 

[x] [Jemma saying, to someone in the Framework, “So incredibly lifelike.”] 

[x] [Daisy says, “Don’t spiral. Just say something. Anything.” Jemma says to Agent Sitwell in an attempt to flirt with him, “You certainly have a gorgeous head, don’t you?”] 

jemma is blunt, awkward, and doesn’t seem to understand what’s the “normal” thing to say in any given situation. there’s a bunch more examples of this (like her calling herself “nubile” like what) but here are some good ones. even in the framework example - compare jemma’s creepy serial killer thing going on here with how daisy reacted, even almost blowing her cover to help a random inhuman npc. 

Has trouble “reading between the lines” 

1x07

Daisy: “I need answers. And I know just the person who has them.” 

Jemma: “Who?” 

Daisy: “Coulson. I was obviously talking about Coulson. 

1x06 

After reprimanding her, Coulson sits down and starts doing something on his desk 

Jemma: Oh, does that mean we’re to leave now? 

2x03

Couson: Have you made friends? 

Jemma: Oh, sir, you don’t need to worry. I mean it’s been a tad lonely, true, but ... (pause) You weren’t asking out of concern for my feelings, were you? 

[x] [May hands Jemma a gun, saying, “If it makes sense here,” while motioning to Jemma’s gut. Jemma responds, “Sorry. I’m not sure where you’re pointing.”] 

it takes her a bit to catch up to what people mean when they aren’t direct with their speech or actions

Has to be reminded to act in situation-appropriate ways 

[x] [Two gifs. The first one has Jemma saying, “Now they can create super-soliders with no fear of explosion.” Her eyes are wide with excitement. In the second gif Fitz says to her, “Maybe don’t get so excited about it.”] 

[x] [Three gifs. Jemma and Fitz are examining Lucio’s dead body. Jemma says, “Fascinating.” To which Fitz replies, “No, not fascinating. Quarantine.” Jemma nods, looking abashed. “Quarantine,” she repeats.] 

jem: *says something fucking weird* 

fitz: jem. there are neurotypicals around you need to stop

Literal minded 

[x] [Two gifs. In the first Jemma says to Fitz, “I’m gonna do something with you on that island that will take your breath away.” In the second she says, “Snorkeling.”] 

3x05

Will: This whole godforsaken planet is evil. 

Jemma: Planets can’t be evil. 

3x08

Fitz: The bloody cosmos wants us to be apart. 

Jemma: The cosmos doesn’t want anything. 

okay you could interpret the snorkeling one as a joke but then it would go under the “inappropriate” category because jesus jem, not a joke to make to a guy who almost drowned for you 

Sensory seeking (includes stimming) 

[x] [Three gifs, from two different scenes. In each Jemma twiddles her fingers, rubbing them together and rubbing her thumb over her fingers.] 

[x] [Jemma twitches her fingers and rubs them over each other.] 

[x] [Two gifs of Jemma pressing her hands against her face and neck.] 

she also does the forehead thing but i couldn’t find gifs of that. jem’s always got little fidgety hands going on, especially when she’s nervous. she rubs her thumbs over her fingers to sooth herself, which counts as stimming, and i’d argue that the neck and forehead thing count as pressure/grounding stims 

Talents in any pattern recognition  

[x] [Two gifs of Jemma saying, “I’m not an engineer. I hope I can re-create what you did there.”] 

pattern recognition is a part of jemma’s job, but i think this is the clearest moment of it. she recreates a coding sequence from memory after seeing it years ago 

Uses control as a stress management technique; rules, discipline, rigid in certain habits, which will contradict their seeming unconventionality.

[x] [Jemma saying to Daisy, “I like following the rules and doing what’s expected of me.”] 

2x03 - Shows her following a strict routine every morning/each day while she’s at Hydra 

jem is a pretty eccentric person but she definitely uses control of herself and her surroundings to sooth her anxiety. i’d argue she even uses the way she dresses as a method of control, controlling her appearance is one way to influence how people regard her 

Hyperlexic as a child 

not canon, technically, but it wouldn’t be surprising. i mean she has a very advanced vocabulary and had two PhDs by 16  

Anxiety and fear are predominant emotions

this one is just. a jemma simmons callout. and like yes, okay, you could argue that this is just ptsd, but it’s been proposed that autistic people are more likely to develop ptsd anyway so 

Talks out loud to herself 

3x05

Pretty much the whole episode. Sometimes she is talking to Fitz, sometimes not. She even does this after she’s with Will. 

Jemma: You should make him dinner tonight. Yes, that seems like a good idea. (sighs) Then you should stop talking to yourself. 

4x17

Jemma: This isn’t real, Jemma. 

Hates injustice 

[Jemma saying to May, “No, I just let a known murderer loose to save my own skin. Traded all those ... those lives for mine.”] 

[x] [Jemma saying about Trip’s death, “Well, and I feel responsible.”] 

[x] [Jemma saying to Coulson, “But I also have a duty as a SHIELD scientist to pursue this, to save lives!”] 

do i even need to explain this one. jemma to a T 

Is very outspoken at times, may get very fired up when talking about passions / special interests / obsessions

[x] [Two gifs of Jemma saying to May, “Did you hear what I said? Peggy Carter, founder, happens to be British, held this in her hands.”] 

[x] [Jemma says to Coulson about the Chitauri virus, “It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen on Earth. I didn’t think it possible a virus could alter its host’s molecular density and polarity.” There is a big smile on her face as she talks.] 

and basically every other time she’s talking about science or something she’s interested in. she gets excited about her interests even when it would be more appropriate not to say anything 

Will not have many close friends

it was pretty heavily implied, if not stated, that fitz was her first good friend, and that was when she was already 16. even then, it was hard for her to tell if they were even friends or not or if she was just annoying him (though she followed him around despite that) 

Finds it very difficult to/had to teach herself how to lie 

[x] [Fitz saying to Jemma, “You’re a terrible liar.”] 

[x] [Daisy saying about Jemma, “I love her but her trying to lie, it is a horror show.”] 

this is said a lot, obv. kind of a plot point 

Can’t improvise well 

[x] [Three gifs. Jemma telling Coulson, “Past events, like that unfortunate incident at the Hub, have shown me that I’m not good at improvisation. However, I excel at preparation.”] 

jemma simmons, Bad At Improv. she doesn’t really know what to do/say if it’s not expected or she hasn’t prepared for it. could imply that she falls back on scripts 

Alexithymia 

[x] [Jemma saying to Fitz, “I’m sorry. I can’t do this. Excuse me.”] 

1x08

Ward yells at them after picking up the berserker staff 

Jemma: That was just a biochemical reaction. He didn’t mean all that 

so alexithymia can be defined as difficulty understanding and identifying emotions in the self, and difficulty describing feelings to other people. jemma definitely fits that bill. she has a really hard time dealing with her own emotional state, and gets easily overwhelmed by emotional situations (like the “maybe there is” scene). she attributes emotions to their scientific explanations instead of valuing them as feelings. she often seems at a loss when people tell her it’s okay for her to be emotional or feeling a certain way (like daisy telling her it’s okay to be angry at ward and miss fitz). she’s a very emotional person, but she doesn’t seem to know what to do with that. even when daisy got shot, she became very cold and cut off until she got overwhelmed and broke down 

in conclusion: 

jem is super autistic. the end 

[yangingaround]

“Temper Tantrums“

okay so Tai compared Yang’s semblance (and her use of it) unfavorably to a temper tantrum and basically treated her like she gets on like a reckless idiot when she uses it

which doesn’t follow how things went down at all in her previous fights

but first let’s get into what her semblance actually is because that’s what’s really unclear

Yang’s semblance is that she builds up energy for every hit she takes, and that boosts her strength. we see similar semblances with Adam and Nora. the visible tell when this is in use is that her hair starts glowing (according to the commentary for volume 2), to indicate energy build up - it’s based in damage, not rage

here’s the thing - in the fights Taiyang cites? (all two of them, because that’s a pattern, sure) this never happens - hell, she doesn’t even get hit that much or that hard by Neon, and while she does take a few hits from Mercury (most of the time she was trying to dodge), it’s never enough for her to resort to that element - in fact, we only see that happen three times over the course of the entire series, the Yellow trailer, 2x04 and 3x11 (so in order; a demonstration of what she can do, she would’ve literally died if she hadn’t used it and finally, she didn’t have any other options and it was a highly tense emotional situation, ‘taking a step back’ and looking for another route could’ve gotten Blake killed and Yang isn’t that cold)

so what does Yang use in those fights? her fire ability, which does tie into her anger, but seems to function almost entirely separately from her semblance (it has different tells - red eyes like her maternal family -who also have strange abilities- and flames in her hair on occasion - and she doesn’t need to take damage to get into it, as seen in the numerous non-combat situations she’s brought it out in. she does use it in conjunction with her charge thing, probably because taking that much damage would piss anyone off) - and in those situations? in the Mercury fight all she does is fight more ferociously and ends it reasonably quickly. in the FNKI fight, she doesn’t come across anything like how Tai is framing her

when she finally lets loose with her anger after Neon’s constant pestering frustrated her (we see in 1x07 that she can get frustrated when too much is going on and seems to impair her ability to process things), she stops trying to catch up with and brute force the fight with Neon, instead resorting to ranged attacks to scatter Flynt and Neon (and used previously unseen fire streams, which are incredibly fast, in order to break up the arena with craters - a feat matched in the tournament only once, by Nora, who was fully charged, jumping from height and behind a hammer. Yang had been slapped about with a glowstick and was firing these things from her hands - and if she can do that just by getting angry, then that’s more reason it’s not part of her semblance, if she can dish out that kind of destructive capability without needing to get punched through reinforced concrete, then the charge thing is redundant). she then took on Flynt and Neon separately and defeated both with shots from her gauntlets - she’s also not that tired out afterwards (nor is she in the Yellow trailer, 1x06 or 2x04, the latter of which she should be given what happened to her, or in 3x06 - both the volume 3 examples have her pausing to take a breath but that seems more like she’s cooling off than because she’s tired), so Tai’s point there is invalid too (as is his ‘think before you act’ thing because she was playing tactically there)

so ‘relying’ on her semblance wasn’t really what’s happening when a) her semblance wasn’t in use and b) what was in use supplemented her fighting the way everyone elses does - and we’ve seen her fight without using it too, 2x11 against Neo (because she was surrounded by Dust crates, using her abilities, and even her gauntlet shots if she didn’t have a clear shot away from the crates, could’ve set them off and killed everyone); Yang’s biggest problem in that fight was that Neo is small and quick and Yang had been on the go all day and hadn’t slept for much of the night - she was the only one not shown sleeping at all - Yang even manages to catch up with Neo’s fighting style and grabs her, but Neo turns it around and knocks her out (helped because Yang’s already exhausted by that point) - possibly because continuing the fight would’ve led to Yang getting in a decent hit

it almost seems like Tai’s trying to invalidate/lessen her victories by treating her like she’s... well like she’s Ruby, who is reckless and more reliant on her semblance. Yang brings out her stuff towards the end of fights as a trump card and usually as a last resort, she doesn’t go into a fight and spring it right away, and she still doesn’t seem to use it terribly often, certainly not more often than any other character

it also seems to be knocking on her tendency to get angry which... isn’t necessarily a bad thing (she never lashes out, see 1x08 and 2x06, she gets angry and even taps into her fire thing, but no one gets hurt; even her shoving of Blake is very light and done to prove a point that Blake’s run herself ragged - if Yang wasn’t in control of herself there, we saw how immense her strength is at the beginning of the episode, she would’ve put Blake through the desk without much effort. in addition, 1x08 and 3x05 show that when she gets understandably frustrated, she actually has trouble focusing at all; releasing it benefits her more than bottling it up and suppressing it does), especially as the one time she’s gotten in trouble because of it is due to a trick taking advantage of a built-up perception of her (in tournament match-ups that were more than likely rigged to build that perception more), and so the criticism comes off as shaming her for a flaw she doesn’t actually have

i’m hoping this is deliberate misdirection - with Tai being an audience surrogate, making assumptions because he wasn’t paying attention/didn’t have all the info

i mean, Yang, from the start, has been associated with the message that she’s more than what’s going on on the surface (which is all anyone seems to focus on with her; even Tai is primarily focused on her arm and the way she fights, her issues and PTSD have gone unaddressed and he didn’t do much to help when she had an attack)

“Scathing eyes ask that we be symmetrical, one sided and easily processed. Yet every misshapen spark's unseen beauty is greater than its would be judgement."

the symmetry thing is obviously brought into play in 3x11, as basically a reminder of this, and right now i think we’re seeing the ‘would be judgment’ that she’s going to prove greater than - especially as nothing he said was really fully complimentary, and even when comparing Yang favourably to Raven, he didn’t go into specifics on her own merits and wasn’t looking at her for much of it, which makes his “i’m proud of how much of her i see in you” come off as slightly disingenuous

plus what he does compare positively doesn’t exactly ring true - like especially with “her ambition, her dedication to whatever cause she thought was worth fighting for” - that doesn’t line up with Yang’s self-admitted lack of motivation and how she always ‘goes with the flow’ (and indeed, only ever went along with what everyone else was doing - protecting her loved ones is the only thing she really dedicates herself too and that’s not really a ‘cause’). i think Tai may be projecting a little