#it will be such a shitty ending and the entire show will just

[ennn]

Unpacking the Deals of Ep 8: Why and What They Mean

So episode 8 is... let's say a bit of a mess. I know there's some confusion around why Agatha proposes her terms for the first deal, why Rio flipped into cackling villain mode, why Rio makes another deal, etc.

Here's my read that hopefully helps draw a line from point A to B to C.

Let's consider the context of the first deal: Agatha's not having a good day. Two coven members who Agatha never expected to care about have died trying to protect her – a thing that has never happened before. And Death happens to be a person she can blame.

Death, who is pressing on that bruise ("Your coven is shrinking") and making her shitty day worse because she wants the kid Agatha is hardcore projecting on (and also didn't plan to care about) to die. Just like Nicky.

But Agatha then realises she has leverage on Rio. For the first time in forever, she has an advantage she can exploit. She can be in control.

And it's almost instinctive for Agatha at this point: finding the best buttons to push, the best terms for her given the opportunity.

Agatha: If I deliver Billy, you let me go. Rio: You will eventually die, Agatha. Agatha: But I want you to stop pursuing me. I want you to stop making my life hell. And when I die, a long, long, long, long, long time from now, I don't want to see your face. Rio: ... Okay.

The terms that Agatha sets out seem cruel because they are. She says what she does because she wants it to hurt. Agatha's not only rejecting Rio's continued presence in her life, she's denying all the love that Rio's given her, building on what she's said before ("You gave me nothing.")

From Rio's POV, Agatha's cutting words aside, this entire deal sucks. Because the options are:

(a) Agatha doesn't hold up her end, which Rio knows might happen: Rio knows Agatha cares about Billy ("I know how you feel about him"). Rio's constantly reminding her he's not Nicky. She was already doubting Agatha would deliver her usual number of corpses. She saw how affected Agatha was after Alice's death.

If Agatha doesn't help, she'd be choosing a boy over everything Rio's done again – and this time another woman's.

And if Rio somehow manages to take Billy anyway, Agatha will end up hating her twice forever.

(b) Agatha does hold up her end, which might also happen: Rio knows Agatha's manipulative and smart and capable. More than that, she's well aware Agatha hates her. That Agatha still doesn't see what she's done for her ("No one in history has had special treatment like you").

That she knows Agatha does care about Billy but maybe hates her so much that she's willing to go through with this to cut her out from her life. Billy would be a dear price but one Agatha's maybe willing to pay.

Even if it was a 50:50 chance for these options, I think Rio realises her relationship with Agatha is doomed either way.

Either way she does her job, with or without Agatha's help, she's going to be rejected and lose. One's just a slower path than the other.

I think that's why Rio gives in to her rage and bitterness and spite. Agatha thinks Rio's been making her life hell? She'll show her hell.

And Agatha, well I think there's some merit to the thinking that she didn't expect Rio to fold that quickly and completely.

Now for the context of the second deal, it's not clear whether Rio knows what happened with Tommy. I assume Rio doesn't – not yet anyway – as she doesn't mention it at all and seems focused on squaring that one life Billy stole.

Now here's where it gets a little squirrely, to borrow Schaeffer's language. Because if you don't look too closely, it seems to make sense: Billy stole a life so to maintain the natural balance, Rio needs to take a life, the one Billy has now.

But how does Agatha's life work as a substitute for this imbalance (“This means you’re coming with me”)? Would any other person’s life work? Could Rio have swapped someone else's life to save Nicky then? Agatha would have been all too happy to arrange for that murder.

I doubt the show is ever going to explain this so I offer few possible theories to deal with this weirdness:

Billy Maximoff is a product of chaos magic, so his existence and everything he affects already throws off the natural order, just to different orders of magnitude. Agatha’s life works as a substitute because his life is now intertwined with hers e.g. his hex probably saved her life from the Salem Seven and has the potential for greater imbalance

Rio is aware of Agatha’s tendency towards chaos and defiance of the natural order. Rio bent the rules of the universe only for Agatha. Taking her life would protect the balance in the larger scheme of things – if only so Rio won’t be further tempted to give her special treatment.

When Rio’s torturing Agatha it’s before she presents the second deal. So she’s still intending to go after Billy, she’s just removing Agatha as an obstacle while lashing out in rage and heartbreak.

In this moment Rio probably thinks Billy's in the wind. She saw how upset Billy was with Agatha at the end of episode 5. And Rio knows the reputation Agatha keeps ("Why do you let them believe those things about you?"), Rio probably thinks Agatha deliberately drove him off to keep him safe.

Then Billy pops up and Rio sees that Billy and Agatha care about each other and they're both aware they care about each other.

Fuckin’ great. Rio's not bitter at all.

Looks like you two are finally on the same page. So I'll let you decide. One of you stays with me. The other walks free.

Agatha proposed a deal designed to hurt her? Now it’s her turn.

From Rio's POV, I think here are the possible outcomes:

(a) Agatha sacrifices herself for Billy: Not impossible I think. Rio knows Agatha cares about the boy but she also knows Agatha will do anything to survive. She thinks she's above death. But again, I think Rio also knows Agatha would have sacrificed herself for Nicky if she had that choice.

What did Lorna want from the Road? To save her daughter.

This isn't an ideal outcome for Rio but she’s already resigned herself to losing Agatha I think, one way or another. This way if Agatha wants Billy to live so badly, this is the price she has to pay. The high cost of living.

(b) Billy steps up and sacrifices himself: Very possible given that Billy’s a young heroic sort and already showed up, risking his life to power up Agatha. Rio gets to do her job. Agatha will probably hate her more given the Nicky trauma but Rio’s already resigned to this on some level already, which is why she's raging.

Either way Agatha's going to hurt, and Rio's going to hurt.

It's interesting that when Billy does volunteer himself and Agatha seizes the opportunity to remind Rio of their earlier deal, Rio just shakes her head and looks amused.

You can also see for a brief moment Agatha looking almost remorseful about doing this before slipping her theatrical villainous mask on, overcompensating for her true feelings.

Do you remember pain? It kinda tickles doesn't it?

By the letter (not the spirit or intent) of the first deal, Agatha did ultimately fulfil her part:

I can arrange that. I can get him to the finish line and deliver him to you.

This is an opportunity that's almost impossible to resist for someone as calculating and ruthless and selfish like Agatha. She has power (chaos magic no less), she can have Rio leave her alone forever (she knows Rio honours her word), she knows Billy cares about her but can she really trust him?

But Agatha ultimately decides to take a risk. A calculated one sure, but still a risk.

I think the beauty in the kiss and her sacrifice is how – despite her calculating the odds – Agatha is choosing to give in to what she feels and wants in that moment.

Because she does want to protect the boy in a way no one did for her when she was young. She wants to save Billy like she couldn't with Nicky. And she does want Rio so much despite everything that's happened.

[min-kit]

"i think that's what's bothering me. they're definitely playing with the romcom tropes but don't seem to want to give us the romcom resolution."

Okay, as an aspiring author. This is it. I think you hit the nail on the head. There are rules to genres in books. Things you have to meet. Yes, 911 isn't a book & while it's not a crime show, it'd prob be closest to crime serial. However, there are sub-genres. And they set this up as a romcom. Everything from the start, including interviews, said this is a romcom.

Now i knew enough that maybe they wouldn't exactly be "endgame" cuz I believe that ABC wants 911 to be another Grey's. That's a LOT of seasons, but still, that aside, BuckTommy was being played as a romcom in a way that the other ships have not been. And any agent/publisher will tell you that the MAIN RULE to a romance/romcom is this

It MUST HAVE a happy ending.

That is the one rule you can't ignore. It can not be labeled a romance/romcom by genre definitions if it does not have a happy ending. It can have drama! the break up! but genre conventions promises the big gesture. It promises something will happen that they get back together. So this entire plotline has been played like a romcom, building all the way to Buck asking Tommy to move in.

Then the 3rd act break up comes in. And I wasn't worried because OBVIOUSLY this is moving towards the big gesture & Buck fighting for his man & (at least for now) they'll be fine as they get through the romcom story that has been set up to this point.

Then the interviews pulled the rug and was like "lol nope thats the ending. it's over. tommy is gone. they're broken up for good".

They broke genre convention after promising a specific genre/story. & that betrays the viewers trust. They shattered it with shitty writing and an unfulfilled promise. And THAT is what I can't forgive. THAT as someone who loves stories and wants to write them for a living is what pisses me off so much. (you know aside from the biphobia and not standing up against those awful ppl but focusing JUST on the show here)

I just feel utterly betrayed as a viewer & lover of stories & writing.

Tommy has clearly been hurt before in previous relationships with baby queers, but instead of exploring that and making them have a deep, meaningful conversation about that, the writers decided to just break them up???? that's lazy writing and honestly it doesn't make any sense narratively, especially having in mind the previous episode. if this is really the end for buck and tommy, then it was a completely useless story arc, they used tommy as a tool for buck's sexual awakening only.

[astrobei]

dearest suni i have a question for you. well two and they are both based in curiosity. a) what is ur level of confidence in byler endgame realistically (im like 50/50 on a good day tbh) and b) how do u phonetically pronounce ur name bc i realized it could go a couple ways and i want to make sure im mentally pronouncing it right!

ok thats all have a good day/night/year <3

hi ella !! both excellent questions !!

a) as for byler endgame i am. hm. i have been severely let down in the past so i am by nature a little cynical but. more than them not getting together my worst fear is that it’ll be some weird open ended left unsaid thing/they confess in the last couple scenes of s5 with no kiss no established byler moments ☹️ not too get too Analytical or anything but i think that having mike reject will would be such a disservice to his character and his growth throughout the series because it would end with will heartbroken and in pain AGAIN. this entire show has just been about will being put through the fucking wringer and i truly do think the only way to satisfyingly sum up his arc would be to let him have the boy !! let him have his happy ending !! they 100% didn’t have to make it mike that he was in love with bc having him struggle with his sexuality alone would have been very fitting in the story and they could’ve written a second love interest in like vickie, but they made it mike for a reason !! especially w no new characters being introduced in s5!! idk i am, like most people, a little apprehensive at times but i genuinely can’t think of a halfway decent ending where they don’t end up together especially with so many parallels to other couples in the show 🥳🥳🥳 (🤞)

b) suni is just the first half of my Real Name which is pronounced soo-knee ! but i also go by sunny when i give my name at like. starbucks and stuff so if that’s how u were pronouncing it u would technically Not Be Incorrect :^)

have a good day/night/year to u too ella thank u for the wonderful conversation 😙

[vaugarde]

pokeani moments that exist purely to make Me miserable:

the line where they call ash's oshawott a throwaway pokemon in the unova league so they're just flat out saying they think it's a worthless pokemon

to thine own pokemon be true (extra angst points for me bc ambipom was my second favorite on the team at the time)

the granddaughter of the guy who trains gliscor calling gliscor pathetic and weak to her face despite gliscor being an extremely sensitive pokemon

pretty much everything about that gible

blue episode (favorite color but they made it a fetish somehow and also dewott and brionne and meowstic are all there and its so bad)

boxing heracross immediately. also that battle frontier episode where it's literally the only returning ash mon (barring torkoal i think but i dont count it bc its native to AG) to get humiliated onscreen

pidgeot returning but gliscor didn't even show up in the miniseries despite being an Actual Character

[killerchickadee]

You ever rewatch Game of Thrones and get really really mad at how fucking stupid the last season was?

I know I probably make this exact post every year or two but jesus fucking christ.

[nobodyknowstrouble]

Everyone is saying that it's karma for August to realise that being king would actually suck only for Wille to abdicate immediately after but is no one thinking about the people living in (fictional) Sweden? Like imagine having that guy as a king. Not only does he generally suck but he's also not anything approaching mentally stable. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

[sheryl-lee]

yellowjackets rant time :)

people whining that natalie’s death was “shitty writing” makes me want to bang my head against the wall. like are you seriously shocked that the show about tragedy and murder has tragedy and murder in it. are you seriously shocked that the show about fucked up people has fucked up people in it.

[fakemagicjaye]

I HAVE FIVE PAGES. LEFT. TO DRAW.

[rottengurlz]

I was complaining about possibly having to get a new job because I wasn’t getting any hours but I’m back to working 7 days straight this week

[aphomic]

D.OPPY ON THE NEW MV

[sapphire-weapon]

am i really about to fucking sit here on my day off and rewatch fucking infinite darkness

lord help me

[autistic-beshelar]

oxenfree fucking sucks

[maggot-baggage]

Cant login to watch it anymore but i think of p-valley, Keyshawn specifically, and start biting my knuckles

[chaos-bringer-13]

Vlad, Dan and Dani move across dimensions to Gotham because of some bad stuff happening in their own dimension. Vlad has a lot of his money with him in cash, and they quickly get themselves fake id's as father and his two children. Vlad's plan is to keep low profile, wait it out and then return. Dan and Dani don't care about Vlad's plan.

Vlad is shady, Dan and Dani are causing shenanigans, and a bunch of coincidences leads to people believing that they're some sort of mafia family.

Some idiots try to rob Dani and she blurts out "Do you know who my dad is?". Dan emerges from the shadows, sends Dani off and makes extremely specific and detailed threats of slow and painful death to the would-be robbers. He finishes the speech by adding that they would be wishing for him to do all of that if his and Dani's father found out about the robbery.

Then Dan accidentally recruits a group of goons by beating up their boss and feeling kinda responsible for the henchmen.

Then Dani steals the talons.

Dan has a fight over territory with one of the smaller rogues.

Dani steals Scarecrow's chemicals.

All the while they keep convincing people that this is all a part of some bigger plan of Masters family. First it's just a misunderstanding, then they keep doing it to annoy Vlad. Some people think that Masters is just a surname, some think that Master is a rogue's name. After a while everyone knows that there's an up-and-coming crime family.

Vlad is entirely oblivious. He doesn't know shit. He ends up making a small organisation (restaurant? car repair shop?) to hire people who keep coming to him. He's not sure why his children tell all these people that he can help but they are in trouble, so he helps. And then helps again, and again. All the places he opens look like crime fronts.

Vlad is still unaware that he's a mob boss.

Maybe at some point Dan and Dani think that Vlad figured this out (because its obvious) but doesn't say anything because the police has bugged their house or because he wants plausible deniability.

Obviously all of this ends with the Bats deciding to confront Masters. It's also the perfect moment for Danny to enter.

Here, have a shitty meme showing the moment.

Danny: I left you here fOR ONE MONTH

Vlad: It's not my fault!

Danny: I figured. Dani, if I give you a candy, will you tell me what the hell you've done?

Dani: What kind of candy?

Danny, handing out a Yellow Lantern ring: A Ring Pop.

Dani, snatching it: We accidentally started a mob family :D

[loulovingho]

What was the point of having tommy bring up the importance of family so many times? What was the point in bringing him back at all? They literally could have chosen some rando with no history on the show for this. They never needed to intertwine him with Eddie. Like the entire storyline in general was pointless (with it being Tommy) if it ends there.

That’s just shitty writing.

[bearsgrove]

thinking about the last episode of the breaking bad on this fine sunday morning