#keenler is endgame

[keensressler]

I love steroline too! Just seeing your blog makes me want to start a steroline blog for all five of us who love them :) I'm also curious - do you prefer Phoebe/Cole or Piper/Leo if you had to choose?!

Aw anon! It’s a small community 🤣🤣 to be fair there used to be more of us but a lot of my Steroline friends are inactive on tumblr now. I left for a good few years but couldn’t stay away from this darn site 😂👌🏼

In most TV shows I think I have a ‘safe’ ship (Naley, Mondler, Peraltiago etc) a ship that’s established early-ish on that you know is gonna make it - I think Piper and Leo were another one for me.

Phoebe and Cole were one of my doomed ships and these are the ones that hold a big place in my heart (LoVe, Brucas, Steroline, Keenler) they’re more exciting, more angst, but they don’t often make endgame as they either break up or they sort of are but someone dies. Phoebe and Cole were my fave ship from Charmed.

[love-is-fiction]

Um so elizabeth keen and donald ressler kissed

I - I have no words

LOOK AT THEMMMM

THE TEARS IN THEIR EYES

I love the WHOLE scene I’m not mad about it at all (anymore)

IT’S GOING TO BE SO PERFECT FOR THIS WHOLE SEASON!!! THE ANGST! THE SEXUAL TENSION! THE LINGERING LOOKS!!!

we already know how Ressler is gonna react, he made it perfectly clear. “I won’t give up on you”

[aussieokie]

That moment when Ressler realizes Hannah isn’t the woman he’s meant to be with. He has to keep secrets from her just like he did Audrey. There is only one woman he doesn’t have to keep secrets with, and he’s just spent the weekend doing that with Liz. You can see it right here. 

“There's a perfectly reasonable explanation. I'm just not allowed to talk about it.” “I know all about secrets, Don. I work for a company that creates the illusion of authentic relationships. But I have all the lies I can handle in my work life. I can't have them in my personal life, too.”

[fancycaroline]

Febressuary ~

Ressler & Liz ~

Seasons 1 - 8

Hugs & Hands

Ressler: “Look, I care about you. And there’s nothing wrong with me saying that.”

8.03 ~ “16 Ounces”

[keenlerblacklist]

Keenler 8.03

[alyblacklist]

do you think keen and ressler will be officially together by the end of this season? or do you think maybe season 9 or end of the series all together? i feel like you have good instincts and predictions about stuff like this and the plot. So what do you think?

I appreciate that you think that, anon. Believe me, though, I’ve been wrong on plenty of things over the seasons.   

Before they took this most recent turn and actually made Keenler canon, I was of the view that there were two likely potential outcomes to the series with respect to Liz and her love life. One was an ambiguous, “status quo” sort of ending where Liz is not romantically attached to anyone, she’s just living her life with Agnes etc.  The second was that they would actually bring her and Ressler together near the end of the series after some dramatic moment that caused them to finally admit their feelings and establish them as a canon couple with the potential for a longer term future together.  A second chance for both of them after having their lives upended by the death of their first loves.  I never really felt that we’d get canon Keenler on screen for very long in the series because of them being partners and having to work together and the fact I didn’t really see the writers wanting to bring in another long-term domestic storyline for Liz after jettisoning Tom.

And then the writers surprised me by bringing them together romantically much sooner than I expected and upended everything. But, it makes sense that they did it now with where the story has gone, and Liz on the run, because having taken that extra step with Ressler adds a whole new dynamic to their relationship.  There’s an established investment of feelings there now that before was only hinted at. It’s not just waking up and heading into work together for the day all boring and perfect like Saram.  Many Keenlers hoped for something like this back in S3 when Liz was on the run but in retrospect, it was too soon.  But they did it now because it adds something new to the drama of the hunt for Liz and to the dynamics of the relationships between Liz and Ressler, Ressler and Red etc. in ways that I hope we will see a great deal more of this season.

So where do we go from here? The feelings are there, the writers have taken the step, and no matter what bumps this season may bring, I feel like they are not going to backtrack on them now having taken 8 years to build them up slowly (and most especially these past couple of seasons since S6)  So I am now more confident that they will be together at least in the way they are now by the end of the series.  

My perfect outcome to this season would be Liz returning to the fold having learned enough truth about Red to realize they should be on the same side and not enemies and have Liz, and Ressler and the rest of the Task Force working in conjunction with Red next season to finish whatever his mission is. Each fighting for their own better future in their own way.  But I wouldn’t go so far as to predict that wishful outcome because it feels like a “too good to be true” scenario and this is TBL, after all, and there are always curveballs.

Bottom line:  I remain absolutely confident in Keenler and in their relationship and in the fact they are each other’s second chance at love and family and all the things Red has promised Liz since the start of this series. I remain confident in a positive ending to the show for Liz because otherwise it will feel like Red’s efforts failed.  What that means for the end of THIS season as opposed to next?  Ask me again in May.  LOL.  In the meanwhile, expect drama and angst because that is the price of the ship being canon now vs in the final few episodes.

[kiss-my-freckle]

"I assume Tom is the father.” - Red, 3x12

"There’s no supposing.” - Aram, 8x4

[jsmyangel]

The last scene of my favorite couple 😭😭

Keenler will be always an endgame for us!

8x22 - Konets

[herosofmarvelanddc]

Gifs and Ships

I was tagged by @maos2013 to describe my ships using gifs 😊

Please don't judge me / attack me for any of these 😅

1. First Ship - Troy and Vanessa (or some other Disney couple idk)

2. First OTP - Percabeth

3. Current Fav Ship - Huntingbird

4. Your Ship Since the First Minute - Philinda Fitzsimmons Staticquake

5. You Wish They Had Been Endgame - Nyssa x Sara

6. You Wish They Had Been Canon - Lucaya

7. Most of the Fandom Hates, but You Love - Keenler

8. You Don't Even Watch the Show, but You Ship Them Anyways - Stydia

(never seen a minute of the show but I ship it)

9. You Wish They Had a Different Storyline - Romanogers

10. Fav Ship That is Endgame - Olicity

Feel free to come talk to me about any of these if you want to 😂

I tag @immhungry @browneyedgenius @melindamayownsme @momentofch-aos and anyone else who wants to join in on the surprisingly hard fun!!

[trishvaylar]

OK, right after I have watched 08.19, this is what I must say

There are two things I am going to say, one is about Rederina, the other...well, we'll get to that anyway later on.

So, about Rederina: it has been sealed a long time ago in my mind that Rederina is actually canon endgame; this is what the writing crew leads us to, this is what James is acting out, this has been a logical ziggsaw puzzle all along and it works, it is possoble to complete it only as long as the Mother theory is the truth, which I believe wholeheartedly is true! So, 08.19 just put another puzzle piece into our hands - we are lead with Elizabeth right to the reveal, which could be only to her, or both to her and to us. But right now is the moment when Red and Liz could only fight back TOGETHER or fall together, and that is just not going to happen with season 9 in tow and the possible plans to keep the show running. I see it clear enough that it is perfectly possible to do season 9 right after the grand Rederina reveal - because I believe that Jon has no reason to be afraid of loosing audience when he has the support of the chennel! And I do see it that way - Jon will see Rederina through as endgame because all the clues, 08.19 included, are no coincidence at all. They are preparing end of the season reveal, and outing The Witch as an imposter and killing Townsend is not enough of a reveal for a season with a slogan "no more secrets". How they will keep going after that? We shall see to find out. But the moment Red came to save Liz yet again was such a Mother-Daughter moment, Red's voice breaking with emotion, not trying to down talk Liz, but taking all the blame with so much love...Liz will get her answers, she sure will get them soon. And we shall too. And we shall too!

Now, to the second thing, which is actually a shipping war! God, I hate shipping wars, but we are onto one right now. And the shipping war is between keen2 camp and keenler camp, united by the first part of both shipps, Elizabeth Keen.

Well, first things first: Keen is her husband's alias, in fact per her husband she is Elizabeth Hargrave! As for the second thing - I am a keen2 shipper, they are my OTP, I love them so much I can barely accept the probobal fact of Liz finding her female happiness with anyone else...BUT that is not the point. The point actually is that Liz is a widow, and for quite some time right now. She has a Daughter, Agnes, who is a little angel, and angels need protection; a little girl and a lonely widow her Mother, don't they deserve better even despite my shipping feelings? YES THEY DO!!! Liz will never feel the same way about anyone else, but she could feel differently, couldn't she???

What I mean is that friendship is sometimes a more solide base on which to build a family, then passion, lust, or even love...because friendship requires taking care of one another, and that is love enough. That is true love, without the sex element, or even with it. Friendly sex is a known social phenomena, way better then just by blow which means nothing to either of the participants of the process.

There is one thing the writers need not prove to me time and time again, because they already did, they were proving it for 8 seasons, in every other episode: LIZ AND DONALD CARE FOR EACH OTHER SO MUCH, THAT HARM OR DEATH OF ONE WOULD EMOTIONALLY DESTROY THE OTHER!

Does that mean I support keenler as a shipper? No. Does that mean I would be OK with Donald and Liz together in the end? As a couple, maybe with another baby? YES, I WOULD BE!

If it was not Donald we are talking about, I might have found myself less pliant as a keen2 shipper, because what I wish Liz to have is so much more then just someone to fuck! And Donald Ressler is NOT just someone to fuck for Elizabeth. He is a friend, a partner, a shoulder to cry on, an honest voice, someone who is always true to his friendship with her, someone who cares so much that he would die for her or lie for her, because he cares! Does he love her? Well, that is NOT the question, because how would we care without loving? Love requires care, care springs from love! One does not walk without the other.

Same with Liz! She cares about Donald, she needs him in her life in any capacity whatsoever, so wishing her to not be with Donald romantically would mean I do not wish Liz to be happy, to be with someone she cares about, and that would mean I do not love Liz, but in fact I do love her. And Tom loved her! And her being happy still even after Tom's death just means that Tom's wish is fullfilled, for he wanted her to ve happy, not lonely and miserable for the rest of her life!

Shipping war is one thing, but why don't we use our brain and realize that this is much more then just about a shipping war - it is about wanting the unifying part of both shipps to be happy. And that means another thing - we shippers of the two shipps have absolutely nothing to war over!

It is just the past and the present. And the present can not happen without the past. So, my friends keen2 and my friends keenler, and my friends resslingtons, all of us, let's stop the shipping war because it takes so much joy out of being just who we are! There is fanfiction for every shipp, an answer to all of our hopes, because canon could not sattisfy us all, that would be impossible.

So why fight over something we have no influence on?!? Why not just enjoy the ride while it lasts? We know that nothing lasts forever!

Good day to you all, my friends in TBL fandom: rederinas, keen2s, keenlers, resslingtons and all the rest of the gang! Good day to all of you! And to each one! ❤

[love-is-fiction]

THIS AGED SO FUCKING WELL

Can y’all imagine the sheer panic Liz would feel NOW if Ress got taken. In season TWO she was terrified of losing him (“must have been terrifying” “it was”), of course we got her confession in ‘Brothers’ - her risking jail for him & literally telling him she can’t live without him - but in season EIGHT?? After everything?? The thought of him being physically harmed would drive her crazy; she would be relentless and in complete panic mode. She literally admitted to needing him to function - if that was directly threatened in a life-or-death context she would lose it.

The angst would be delicious

[codewordpumpkin]

a very optimistic view of tbl 8x03

*long, heavy sigh* 

where do I begin...

- "I know how you feel about Elizabeth... How could you do that to someone you love?” (Cooper to Red) + “Whatever happens, he loves you. You know that, right?” (Marvin to Liz) = literally everyone knows Liz and Red are married, and they are frustrated by how goddamn stubborn/blind/stupid they are (as they should)

- this little exchange between Red and Marvin: 

“You want to know if I still intend to leave most everything of mine to Elizabeth?” 

“You don’t want me to change your will? Even after she took sides against you?” 

“Okay, so, today she opposes me - maybe, tomorrow. But not forever. Look at Dom and I... In the end, we found our way to each other.”

Also, Marvin asking Red if he still wants to leave most of his assets to Liz even after she betrayed him: if Liz was Red’s daughter (which we know she’s not) or biologically related to him in any way, I don’t believe this question would be asked because in the end, family is family, and it’s usually standard to pass on inheritance to family. But because Liz isn’t related to Red, Red has no real obligation to pass his assets to her, which is why it makes sense for Marvin to ask Red this question.

- “Not until we talk.”

Despite what a crazy bitch Liz has been/is being/will be for the foreseeable future, Red still loves her unconditionally and wants to do whatever he can to hang onto her and Agnes (*cough*agnesgate*cough*)

He made it sound like he would let her go if that’s what she ultimately wants, but we can tell that Red will in no way let her go that easily:

“It may feel, at times, like the end, but our story isn’t over yet.”

+

“And if after our talk, you still feel the same, you can say goodbye to us both.”

Red seemed pretty confident that after their talk, Liz would change her mind/heart about where she stands with him. This implies that whatever unsaid truths that Red has up his sleeve is extremely significant (which is why tptb had Red cough up blood on Liz’s car window and prevented their talk from happening... *sighhhhhh*)

- About Liz suddenly caring more about Ressler than Red + going to his apartment at the end: 

Remember what Red said to Ressler in the infamous mannequin-kiss ep? “Boy, she played you.” (yes, I know he was distracting him so Dembe could place the bug, but doesn’t make what he said any less true). 

I’m not saying Liz doesn’t care about Ressler - it’s obvious she does have love for him as a friend/partner. But she’s not in love with him - not by a long shot. And if Tom (sorry to bring him up) wasn’t her relationship endgame, then Ressler sure as hell isn’t. 

Also, I’m actually glad they’re dipping into Keenler waters right now and in this way. By “this way” I mean they’re getting “close/intimate” scenes every time Liz is in trouble and needs him for something. It hasn’t been a gradual build-up over the years like lizzington. It’s too sudden + Liz reverts to her cold demeanour every time she’s done using Ressler (before cozying up to him when she needs him again).

Also Also, Liz and Ressler just really wouldn’t work. Ressler is Captain America. Liz has crossed too many lines that she can’t uncross. She’s not that green, naive FBI agent who might’ve had a chance with Ressler back in the day. 

And to be honest, Ressler deserves way better than Liz at this point (Park did call him hot...). Just like the FBI Task Force deserves better. Just like Agnes deserves better. 

(I’m starting to get mad again, so let’s leave it at that for now...)

- I’ve always believed that Red and Liz’s relationship had to be completely destroyed in order to be rebuilt in the direction (lizzington) that we want - especially after tptb acted like Red was her father for a (dreadfully long, nightmarish) couple seasons. They have to destroy that foundation in order to create a new one. 

This is all I have to say for now. I mostly wrote this post for me, as I needed it for my own mental/emotional well-being, but I hope this manages to shed some positive light on the episode that pissed us off like no other. 

And remember, if everything truly does go down the drain one day... we’ll always have fanfiction. 

[fancycaroline]

What about Agnes?

RESSLER: “She’s going to be okay”

LIZ: “Promise?”

RESSLER: “I do”

***

LIZ: “I gotta go”

RESSLER: “No you don’t”

LIZ: “I do”

LIZ: “And this time I gotta mean it”

“[Agnes] is going to having a lot of doting Uncles to look after her.”

[keenlerblacklist]

Sorry I keep posting lol but, I keep thinking too why give us these Liz and Ressler moments if it’s not building towards them ending up together or for something to happen sooner or later. Their looks, Liz smiling at him all the time, always having each other’s back etc...it’s all there & I hope the writers have it planned. But when is the burning question!!🙏 ❤️❤️❤️🚢

[love-is-fiction]

HE CARES INTIMATELY ABOUT HER YES HE DOES

EXPRESS FEELINGS THAT HAVE BEEN LATENT

WE’RE GETTING CANON KEENLER !! WE WERE NEVER CRAZY

Keenler folks - this sounds promising - from TV guide

It also puts a lot of strain on her relationship with her FBI colleague Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff), her close confidant and will they/won’t they counterpart. At the beginning of the series, Ressler didn’t trust Liz because of her mysterious connection to the criminal Reddington. But over the years, he grew to not only trust her professionally but care about her intimately, even sharing his biggest secret with her. “And now, realizing, as soon as he does, that she is committed to this path that might be dangerous for her, and might result in the end of the relationship that they have had to date, I think it brings out an incredibly intense desire to express feelings that have been sort of latent for so long,” executive producer John Eisendrath told TV Guide. 

[meetmeatthecoda]

You know what I’ve spent the last week going insane over Lizzington - backwards and forwards between ‘there’s no way it’s gonna happen’ and ‘yes we’re gonna get a meaningful payoff’ and I think I’ve settled on it’s going to be satisfying (no doubt I’ll change my mind 5 seconds later). Here’s why... nothing else other than romance in whatever form would explain the hands intertwined in the park. It just wouldn’t. So therefore there must be some kind of romantic endgame for Lizzington for that scene to even exist, surely! What do you think Coda? Am I just losing my mind?

Ugh, anon!! 😩 This describes EXACTLY what I've been doing for the past week!! Seriously, perfect summation of my mental gymnastics... Isn't it exhausting?? 😓 Since you asked (& thank you for that btw ❤️), I DO NOT think you're just losing your mind!! I agree that we have to get something satisfying, for exactly the same reason as you. That hand-holding is romantic. Period. I keep losing faith & then looking at it & hope surges through me once again. The existence of that, plus the knowledge that this is Megan's last ep, really makes me think they HAVE to resolve all this, at the very least platonically, if not ambiguously, & best case with explicit, canon Lizzington.

The only that gives me pause is the sneak peaks they released today. Not that fucking Keenler bullshit, I can't even fucking talk about that, so don't ask me. I know those scenes amount to maybe 3 minutes of screen time total, but 43-45 minutes isn't a whole lot of time & they have a METRIC SHIT-TON of plot lines to wrap up before the credits roll. I think the promo pic scenes probably come first, where Liz is healed & Red is offering the "disturbing request" (I'm assuming they've now spoiled that to be her taking over his empire? idk) & she's considering things & Red is worried, the scenes with R*ssler & Papa Coops are somewhere in the middle while she's "deciding", & all the gloriousness from the promo (record playing, Red telling her his story, the walk in the park with Agnes) is hopefully at the end of the ep. Honestly, I just want that to be the majority of the ep. But there's probably a tWiSt in there somewhere (hopefully what turns Liz fully to be Red, hopefully his real identity) & probably a stupid fucking cliffhanger to entice people to come back for a Megan-less season 9, but I just hope they don't kill her, & Red sends her & Agnes into hiding instead. That way we can sail happily into AU fic land & have a hope of seeing Megan return for one or two eps... But idk, anon, the panic is real at this point 😭

To answer your actual question, I don't think you're crazy & - while we're both biased - I agree there's gotta be some romance to preface that hand-holding. But if it's all we get & they try to sell it as f*milial/platonic? I'm fully prepared to write about 7 different finale/park scene endings this summer 🙃 Anyway, I'm not sure this was much of a comfort, anon, but know I'm in exactly the same mental place as you, I agree with you, & - regardless - we'll get through this together!! Thank you for sharing with me!! Much love to you, my friend, & see you on the other side!! ❤️