#moordale

[melinarodofile]

[laurastudarus]

Sex Education is returning for its fourth and final season on Netflix on September 21. When we last saw the students of Moordale, Eric and Adam had finally called it quits, Aimee was in the mist of learning about boundaries and baking, Lily and Ola finally found a happy medium to their spacy romance, and Maeve was getting ready to leave it all behind for a study-abroad trip to the United States — leaving her on-again-off-again flirtation with Otis in question. But not before the school music department took Peaches’ sex-positive anthem to shocking new heights, only to find out that their school has been closed. Oh, and who is the father of Jean’s baby?

(via Where Does ‘Sex Education’ Take Place? Explore the Locations Behind Netflix’s Hit Show)

[starduststudyblr]

just finished sex education s4 and the thing that stressed me out the most was why did the school let UNTRAINED TEENAGERS give therapy to their friends??? just bc they said they were “therapists”??? like did nobody at the school stop to think hmm maybe this isn’t the best idea

[khrused-archived]

the  ultimate  date  prompt  list  :   [  𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙽𝙳  ]:  𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐  𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛  𝚑𝚊𝚜  𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗  𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚍  𝚞𝚙,  𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛  𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜  𝚝𝚘  𝚋𝚎  𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛  𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎  𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍,  𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛  𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗  𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐  𝚝𝚑𝚎  𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐  𝚋𝚎  𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍.

of  course  it  had  been  a  joke  ──────  she  should  have  known  better  than  to  believe  someone  good  (unbroken  and  untouched  by  cruelty)  could  ever  wish  to  be  seen  with  her,  a  monstrous  mess  of  frayed  edges  and  chewed  out  pieces... 

jaw  clenches  as  she  fights  back  tears,  golden  cheeks  set  ablaze  with  the  sudden  rise  of  hushed  whispers,  convinced  her  shame  their  chosen  subject.  gaze  fixes  upon  her  empty  plate,  wishing  to  burst  free  from  her  seat,  yet  pinned  by  critical  and  curious  eyes,  onlooking  strangers  peering  into  a  girl's  breaking  heart. 

tears  drip  onto  porcelain,  her  head  dipping  in  effort  to  hide  her  tears  behind  falling  hair,  nearly  missing  her  sudden  guest...  dishes  clatter  as  @trickstercaptain  plops  himself  into  the  empty  seat,  teary  eyes  lifting  with  hope  only  to  settle  upon  jack  with  confusion.  "wha  ―  what  are  you  doing  here?  "

[vogelmeister]

i know im gonna get hate but i think my main issue with sex education s4 was cavendish itself and i partially think its because moordale secondary felt more like an Actual High School

[trickstercaptain]

so i love jack's hawkins verse and it's one of my favourite verses to write in because it's an excuse to play with younger jack who i adore worldbuilding around, but his moordale verse ( that exists almost purely in my head and that i've yet to actually write in ) makes so much sense for jack's modern verse that every time i rewatch sex ed i am tempted to just make it canon that jack went to moordale lmao

[5onthe5]

Ncuti and Emma reactions in the background are giving me life

Beach both of us off?

BARBIE (2023) dir. Greta Gerwig

[perpetualspinach]

my "neigh" jumper (pattern by boyland knitworks), knit in rowan moordale yarn.

[ID: a deep pinkish-red jumper, with light grey horses rearing up around the body, light grey crosses on the sleeves, and dark purple ribbing on the neck, hem, and cuffs. end ID]

my next knitting projects will be focused on using up the yarn i already have, because my yarn drawer is full and im also spinning more...

[bumblesimagines]

“i dunno. sometimes i just... feel things when you’re around.”

“sometimes you’re not annoying.”

“maybe i don’t wanna be just friends with you.”

Ruby Matthews

“i dunno. sometimes i just... feel things when you’re around.”

“sometimes you’re not annoying.”

“maybe i don’t wanna be just friends with you.”

There were many things Ruby would never admit. Like how she'd been bullied as a child or how she sometimes struggled with helping her dad while her mom worked or the fact she never invited anyone over to her house cause she feared being ridiculed. Or, worst of all, how much she enjoyed spending time with Maeve Wiley's twin brother, (Y/N) Wiley.

They should've hated each other, hell, at one point they despised each other. But then they were forced to partner for a school project and it was history from then on. (Y/N) Wiley was everything Ruby should've hated. He was reckless, careless, irritating, poor. Trailer trash at its core and it disgusted Ruby. Until she got to see the compassionate, caring, and nurturing side of him that destroyed the image she'd conjured of him through the years.

It was why, despite the rules she made for herself over the years as Queen Bee of Moordale, she allowed (Y/N) to follow her home. To her small, one-story house on Carlton Close. Her house was underwhelming, she knew it well. Her friend's all had nice big two-story houses that she often frequented and envied. But when she looked at (Y/N), she only saw his typical expression. Not a hint of disgust, smugness, or even malice in his eyes.

"I live in a trailer, Rubes." He reminded her when he noticed her softened expression. She nodded, silently, and unlocked the front door. All she had to do was pray her dad wouldn't-

"Rubes, is that you?" Roland called out from deeper in the house and Ruby winced when she stepped into the hallway in his robe, a plain shirt with a stain on it, and his equally stained sweatpants. He blinked at the sight of (Y/N) and then a teasing smile slowly spread across his face.

"Hey." (Y/N) greeted, lazy grin ever present.

"Let me guess... you must be (Y/N). Boy, I've heard so much about-"

"Okay!" Ruby nearly shouted and sent her snickering father a scathing glare before ushering (Y/N) into her pink-colored bedroom to avoid her father embarrassing her further. She closed the door behind her and groaned quietly, feeling the tips of her ears heat up.

"Is this Baby?" (Y/N) asked and when she turned, she spotted him crouched down by the bed. Baby's tail wagged furiously, her fluffy tiny body wiggling along with it. The chihuahua lapped at his fingers and with confirmation he wouldn't be getting bit, (Y/N) scooped her up into his arms and plopped down on the bed.

"You didn't come here to cuddle with my dog, (Y/N). You said you'd help me with homework." Ruby huffed softly, trying to ignore how her heartstrings tugged at the sight of her beloved pet accepting (Y/N) so easily.

"And cuddle with your dog." He grinned at her and Ruby rolled her eyes, setting her purse aside on her vanity and shedding her coat. She took a seat on the bed and kicked off her shoes before tucking her legs underneath her. Her eyes remained locked on the gentle way (Y/N) handled Baby and a small smile appeared on her glossy pink lips.

"(Y/N)..." She began quietly, manicured nails picking at one of her fluffy pillows. When she'd gone to Otis for advice, he told her- after getting over his stunned silence- to be honest. "Can I... tell you something?"

"Sure." (Y/N) eyed her curiously and shifted to face her, delicately setting Baby down on his lap and letting her curl up on his thighs. Ruby inhaled deeply and his brows knitted, a mixture of concern and suspicion seeping onto his face.

“Sometimes you’re not annoying.” She stated and his brows raised, a soft snort leaving him. His fingers raked through Baby's fur, head tilting ever so slightly as his lips curled into an amused smile.

"Thanks?"

“I-I don't know. Sometimes I just... feel things when you’re around.” Ruby pushed out, uncertainty laced in her voice. She wasn't an emotional person. She never allowed herself to be vulenrable, even around Olivia and Anwar. She'd experienced betrayal and humiliation at the hands of the first and last person she let herself be vulenrable with. But with (Y/N), it felt different. Safer.

"You mean... the Ruby Matthews... is feeling human emotions? I'm shocked, truly. I really am-" (Y/N) ducked his head, laughter falling from his lips as Ruby swatted at his arm and clicked her tongue.

"I'm being serious, (Y/N)!" She huffed again and (Y/N) giggled, cradling the sleepy chihuahua close to his chest. He gently set Baby aside on a pile of blankets, watching her melt into the fabric and doze off.

"Okay, well, obviously you're feeling things, Rubes. Don't you feel things with Olivia and Anwar? It's called enjoying someone's company."

"That's not- It's not the same feelings. You're like... the complete opposite of them. I-I like talking to you. I feel like I can talk to you. You're honest. You're not afraid of me." Ruby explained, internally wishing Otis had just told her exactly what to say instead of being so vague. Being honest? When had that ever done her any favors?

"As much as it pains me to say this, Rubes... it's because we're friends. You might even be my closest friend." (Y/N) reached out and let his fingers brush along her tan arm. Ruby's heart fluttered and she pressed her lips together, summoning the confidence she knew she had.

“Maybe I don’t wanna be just friends with you.” She revealed quietly and his fingers stilled, eyes snapping up to meet hers. "Maybe... maybe I want to go on dates with you and- and hold your hand when we walk into school. Maybe I don't want to keep this a secret from Maeve and my friends. Maybe I want to kiss you and hug you and sleep with you. Maybe I want to be... your girlfriend."

[filmmarvel]

Sex Education Season 4 Review

Unfortunately it wasn’t as good as the others. It’s less that it was bad or that I didn’t enjoy it, and more that it sort of failed in its duties as a finale. I really liked the finale, it wasn’t until I finished it that I was left like… that’s it?

Starting with the Pros: I’m glad they had the sense to end it here. This season has gotten hated on pretty hard so far, which makes sense, but isn’t quite deserved. Even though it wasn’t as good as it COULD’VE been, it was still good! In particular, Aimee, Eric, and Adam had wonderful and satisfying arcs which I found quite compelling and felt like a lovely send off to each of their characters. Maeve’s ending, despite being a point of controversy, was fitting. She had a difficult but moving season, and her destiny was always to be a writer. As disappointing as it is that she doesn’t end up with Otis, I thought the writers justified it quite well. It would’ve simply felt wrong for her to stay back in Moordale just for Otis. She was always going to get out.

This brings me to the Cons. I have to say, my biggest disappointment with this season has to be Otis himself. Being the lead character, I really wish they would’ve chosen a more personal storyline with more depth to it to send off his character. Instead, they had him acting like a child the whole season. He’s the primary character and yet he has the least interesting, least sympathetic, least moving storyline. It was all about his relationships with Maeve, Ruby, and Eric, and his competition with O. Nothing really about him. They didn’t give enough closure as to how his future looks- he’s no longer the school sex therapist, which is disappointing. He agreed to think about working with O, but that’s all, and that isn’t the most satisfying conclusion. They left him in a very nondescript place. Additionally, many former cast members weren’t in this season. As a result, I felt that there were a number of missed opportunities. My other big complaint is, predictably, the change in setting and new cast of characters. I really didn’t love the new school. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that too much, it was just kind of over the top in a way that felt misplaced and unrealistic. As for the new characters, most of them weren’t bad, they were just unnecessary. The one character I did have an issue with was O, who was a rather grating presence. Which I don’t think was something all that good for a finale. I didn’t find her character at all interesting or sympathetic. She was really annoying, and didn’t grow on me at all over the course of the season.

To sum things up, I wish the writers had just focused on the characters they had already. The new characters weren’t as interesting (naturally), and I thought the season could’ve benefitted from more of a personal journey for the characters we already know and love- such as Otis, Jackson, Ruby, or Viv. When a show ends, I always really like to have some closure on where each of the characters are headed in the future, such as new passions, future relationships, careers, etc. While again, they did a lovely job with this with a few characters, there were a lot of characters who just left me unsatisfied (namely the aforementioned 4). I enjoyed the ending, but it left me feeling like a lot of precious time was wasted with new characters and misplaced storylines. It didn’t feel as though the writers quite understood how important this season was, and failed to treat certain characters with the care they deserved.

[bilbotargaryen]

Aegon would have absolutely THRIVED at Moordale Secondary School.

[khrused-archived]

❝ look, i’m just trying to turn that frown upside down. ❞ for the moordale verse we discussed maybe ? 👀

𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝟺 (ac)

despite resistance ────── years of plaster suddenly crumbling from her cheeks, the cool unmoving demeanor of her mask breaking at the outrageous scene before her as her lips suddenly split into a grin and a chuckle (a sound she thought she had lost) bubbles to her lips. her hands lift on instinct, quick to hide the evidence of her joy ― an unwritten rule somewhere in the depths of her mind. she allows the sound to pass before daring to lower her fingers, grin still evident upon her lips despite her now playful scowl. " well stop...because it's working. " she teases, " ― and i can't let people think i'm going soft. "

[musecraft]

      HIS EVERY WORD HITS HOME, & for a moment rae can only nod her head in utter shock. ❝ yeah, actually. i know exactly what you mean. ❞ it was almost unbelievable that jackson marchetti ( the swim team icon, head boy, & indisputable hunk ) of all people would struggle with anxiety. he always seemed so confident all the time, so unbelievably handsome & cool. but the symptoms of an impending panic attack are instantly recognizable — especially to someone who has firsthand experience with them. ❝ you're going to be alright. listen, just forget about it all for a second, close your eyes, & count to ten. slowly. it's something ti- something my friend showed me to do when everything seems overwhelming. it sounds strange, but it works. ❞ & rae reaches out to rest a friendly hand on his shoulder, hoping that the point of contact will help steady his breathing. ❝ here, i'll count with you, alright ? one ... two ... ❞

@musecraft​ ( rae ) sent a meme for jackson:

33. west end girls  /  pet shop boys

        “ Too many whispering voices. If, when, why, what… It just doesn’t fucking stop, you know what I mean? ”

[kiekiecarrera]

multifandom meme > [4/10] locations - moordale secondary school (sex education)

[mindibindi]

SEX EDUCATION FINAL SEASON: If There Was Orgasm, Then I Missed It.... 🍆💦🍑🍌👅🍌🍒🔥😏

The final season was good. It was not great. It was not everything I wanted it to be. It would’ve been a satisfying enough season if it had not been the last. And I acknowledge that it’s difficult to write a satisfying final season to such a popular, ground-breaking show. That said, here are few thoughts on the final season of “Sex Education”. Some came. Most didn't. Not Moordale: It took guts to do away with the old school and transplant the characters into a new environment. This was an interesting experiment which centred what had previously been marginalised and drove the progressive politics of the show further forward than they perhaps could’ve done in their old, more traditional, more repressed surroundings. (I liked that Otis and Maeve revisted Moordale Secondary tho). All the new characters were great, but then this show has always done a great job of finding interesting actors that seem to bring a level of freshness to their roles. Well done to the casting director. Props for the popular kids being two trans cuties who are having sex and issues in their sex life. Seeing Eric in his queer element was great. There was better disability inclusion, but the writing felt a little clunky and preachy at times, as this show is wont. And obviously we lost a few characters in the shuffle. Lily was the one I missed most. She would have loved Cavendish.

Aimee and Ruby: In terms of the young cast, the most satisfying storylines for me were Aimee’s and Ruby’s. When Aimee and Isaac began to connect, I was like: Yes, go there, do THAT. Maeve coming round in the end and realising that they're family was nice. Loved Aimee getting closure with her jeans thru art. Also liked the further fleshing out of Ruby’s backstory and her journey towards gaining popularity through being kind(er).

Eric: My least fave storyline was Eric’s whole religious epiphany thing. I liked that he found a fellow christian with whom he could share his conflicted feelings about being both queer and god-loving, but I’m not into organised religion or religion of any kind really (as is my right after being raised in it). I don’t believe in god so I don’t believe in divine signs. I don’t think they broke the reality of the show as such, but they were a bit obtuse and boring. I think when Eric spoke in church, his mum should’ve said she loved him as he is, his sisters (who've been supportive in the past) should have done the same, and they should have all left the church together. I think them all coming to the fundraiser later was super trite. It looked like a hasty way to wrap up that storyline after Eric left to rescue Cal. I also think that religions in general have to do way more than make placating noises, so having Eric enter into one was not my idea of a happy ending for him.

I think a better storyline for Eric, based on his history of being pulled in different directions by attractions to more than one person, would have been to discover polyamory. We had one polyamorous couple in the mix this season but it was mentioned once and they appeared together maybe twice. I think it would have been more in tune with the show for Eric to realise that traditional monogamy didn’t suit him and start seeking partners that would celebrate him in exploring ethical non-monogamy. Then we could have had an inside look at how that works for poly peeps, how people navigate less traditional sex and relationship models, what comes up for them mentally, emotionally, sexually, socially etc. In my opinion, the religion stuff just closes down possibility for this character, puts him in a box that the show admits is problematic. I would have preferred to see him open up to more possibility than any church can provide.

Adam and Fam: I liked the whole move into horses thing, liked that he became a teacher like his dad. It felt a little not-fleshed-out tho. It felt like the start of a new life for him, but just the start, with a long way still to go, which is kind of fine. That character does have a lot to learn and heal and these things take time. It would’ve been good to see him interact with some kids, maybe see how he treats a young boy differently to his father (maybe horse girl coulda had a son?). I’m not entirely sure about rehabilitating bullies/abusive parents. In my experience, it doesn’t happen but I recognise that this show is working with ideals, with the question: “what if we did sex and relationships better?” As such, I think they did a beautiful job of reconnecting father and son. It helps that both actors are so good at playing awkward masculinity. One awkward hug does not solve years of abuse and neglect but it was a start, I suppose. Horse girl was nice enough. When Adam admitted to being bisexual, I kinda wanted her to say: “Oh yeah, me too.” Because otherwise, she was just kinda there, emblematic of possibility. Adam should’ve moved into the farmhouse as a boarder, and Maureen should have moved some new boyfriend in. The parents should NOT have got back together. Hard nope. Some relationships end, and this was one that should’ve. Maureen should have continued her sexual exploration, maybe got into burlesque or BDSM. The dad should have had a hot affair with the art teacher (who should’ve been less of a ridiculous middle-aged man-eating woman cliche), or better yet, the home ec teacher. Bring food into sex.

Cal: Gender dysphoria distress is not something I have personal experience with so I would be interested to hear what people who do thought of this storyline. I was up for it but, if I’m honest, I can’t say I’m any more enlightened on what it feels like or what I should do for someone in similar circumstances. Though I like them, I think this is in part due to a lack of range in the actor playing Cal. I can say that the scene where they are by the ravine feeling suicidal meant a lot to me personally, cos I do have experience with that. (Jackson shoulda figured out where they were sooner tho).

Jackson: Didn’t love Jackson or Viv’s storylines. Jackson’s whole history was established way back and I NEVER appreciate when shows walk that back and go: “oh no it actually happened this way.” His whole swimming thing was cos Hannah Waddingham’s character was anxious about them having a connection but if he is the result of a previous relationship and her partner was already pregnant when they met then that changes that whole dynamic. Her insecurity makes more sense, is more intense, if having a child is a decision his mums take on together. Great to explore a scenario in which Jackson seeks out his biological roots but I don’t think he needed the extra trauma of two lying mums and an uncaring biological father. They should’ve stuck with the original context, there was enough shit there to sort out. Nice to see HWad’s in the mix, even if she only had two lines (but she’s super busy and big now so that’s probs why). I notice that all the previous acrimony between the mums has disappeared. So no therapy. No Jackson dealing with divorce. And no Hannah Waddingham having an affair with Gillian Anderson. So yeah, pretty disappointing all round.

Viv: Friendships are important but I kinda thought Jackson and Viv would’ve made a good couple…? Viv’s storyline was good for a teachable moment on coercion but not much else. Also I don’t think the boyfriend needed to grab her so hard. It doesn’t need to be hard to be scary and wrong.               

Maeve: I liked how they brought Maeve home then sent her back, which was absolutely the right thing for her. Dan Levy was great and, again, the scene where she confronts him about being gate-keepery meant a lot to me personally, as a low-SES student at University. The stuff with the brother was all v. well-written and acted, although they seemed to forget about lil sis pretty quickly. Liked everyone showing up for the funeral, esp. the old Moordale teachers. The song was a def. highlight of the season. We also got some closure for Maeve/Isaac and Eric/Adam. Otis was, of course, a dick throughout but awkward lovable dickhead is kinda his brand. The climactic sex scene with Otis and Maeve was okay. Top marks for playing Jeff Buckley who was a big part of my high school experience. I wasn't as weirded out by it as I thought I might be (mostly cos I remember Asa Butterfeild from "Ashes to Ashes"). But jeez, for a show on sex, they don’t give a lot of time to foreplay, do they? IMPORTANT PSA for het dudes of all ages: DO NOT expect to be inside a girl/woman 10 seconds after kissing her. Maeve interacting with Jean was another highlight, but I would’ve liked a final call/text between Otis and Maeve, rather than leaving them both staring out windows thinking of the other. (On the other hand, totally get people who were for an Otis/Ruby endgame).

Jean: Okay, so I like this show as a whole but one of the major reasons I watch is for The Gillian. Jean Milburn is another in a long line of her iconic characters. So on the positive side: I actually liked the sister storyline. I have a sister and that felt appropriately intimate/infuriating. And they finally cast someone who actually could conceivably be related to Gillian Anderson (unlike “The Great”, “Crisis” and even Melissa in “The X Files”). GA has very unusual facial features but these two looked alike, got the dynamic right, and the backstory illuminated Jean a little more for us. I kinda missed overconfident, fashionable Jean, but hey, when you have Gillian Anderson, you’re gonna use her, right? I don’t know postpartum depression but I know depression and that felt real to me. Beautiful job, as always from GA. The relationship with Otis followed a similar rocky trajectory to other seasons and was as well-played as always by both, even if it yielded little in the way of growth. It did annoy me that Otis was like: “we need help” but then he barely acknowledged Joy when they were in the same room. My brother has just had a baby and whenever anyone walks in the room, it is ALL ABOUT the baby: talking to the baby, talking about the baby, holding the baby, playing with the baby…. So I was like: Otis! Pick up the baby! Cuddle your sister! (Being ignored in favour of the baby could also have heightened mum’s PPD. And how about modelling a young man participating, even minimally, in child-rearing, dear show??). The radio/podcast stuff was fine. As an Aussie, I was delighted to see Hannah Gadsby in the mix. People may not know this but she is a comedian, not an actor, so I loved seeing her do such a great job. Loved seeing her interact with Gillian so much, and looking fab too. Gillian also looked gorgeous, even while falling apart, and more so as her medication started to kick in. I say this just cos I like seeing women onscreen looking their age.

The biggest disappointment here was the disappearance of Jakob and the disintegration of that relationship (which had a lot more going for it than Adam’s parents). I don’t know if the actor was unavailable or if this was just the direction they chose but I missed both Jakob and Ola. If they were going to write them out tho, I do think it was better to have them gone before the show began. I didn’t wanna see that breakdown. They’d already introduced some elements into this relationship that weren’t necessary, imo. I don’t think they needed to make Jakob’s dead wife unfaithful. I think illness, death, single dadhood and late-in-life love is quite enough to deal with, esp. considering the limited screen time they had. I also don’t think they needed the overly hasty move-in, which seemed to me like a totally rookie mistake for a sex and relationships therapist to make. Of course that was not going to work! Otis and Ola being needlessly stroppy was likewise unhelpful for what could have been a joyous, sexy mature-aged romance. They placed all these unnecessary stresses on this relationship in order to force it to fail, the final stress being the paternity of Jean’s child, which, if they hadn’t introduced Jakob’s dead wife’s unfaithfulness might not have been such a huge deal, he might have been able to stick around and raise a child not biologically his (he already had two of those). I personally didn’t like what it did to his character either, since he initially seemed like such an open, honest, easy, considerate, responsible, mature, big-hearted kind of man. Was this their idea of giving him layers? Why did they have to turn the ONE good grown man in the show into a petty, bitter, suspicious little coward?

There was so much potential in the Jean/Jakob relationship and the problem with introducing so many new elements in a final season is that you risk not wrapping up some of the core elements you began with. Like Eric, Jean’s final season doesn’t really match her trajectory throughout the series. When we met her, she was having a lovely time having lots of casual sex but no relationships. Which is fine, except that her reasons for doing so were more to do with hurt and avoidance than with pure sexual expression and honest personal preference. She was still reacting to the disintegration of her marriage and the infidelity/promiscuity of her ex-husband (so to have her left for supposed infidelity/promiscuity seems again needlessly cruel). She was afraid of further heartbreak and, thru her relationship with Jakob, began to overcome that fear. While the PPD and Joanne storylines were solid, illuminating and enjoyable, they did not contribute to resolving the core issue Jean initially presented with. With Jakob, Jean was starting to ask herself: ‘’how do I trust again after being devastated by the infidelity of my son’s father?”, “how do I let go when I can’t control every outcome, aspect and possibility?”, “how do I live with someone again after living alone for so long?” Oddly enough separate residences never seemed to occur to anyone on this super progressive, groundbreaking show. Or you know, Ola could have gone off to college and Otis found some opportunity in America, leaving Jean and Jakob to try again in a different context, with different skills and a different spirit. (But personally I would have gone with separate residences for a time).

You could say that Jean’s issues were partially addressed in her relationship with Jo but we all know that familial and intimate relationships are different. Related but different. Jean’s issue was how to combine intimacy, trust, sex, romance and relationship. That can’t be resolved with a sister or a son. It can only be resolved with a romantic/sexual/life partner. Even if Jakob left for a while, I would have liked to see him come back (I wasn’t sure whether he would but it looked increasingly unlikely as the season continued). Otis or Jo could have called him. Or he coulda heard Jean on the radio. In the end, it looked like Jo and Motorcycle Man were going to be a thing so they coulda made a v. weird parenting foursome (which also would’ve helped alleviate Jean’s depression and workload! Look at that!). Now how’s that for an alternative family model? Why have one parent when you can have four (esp. when two of you have already raised kids)? That would have been great for Jean and Jakob (who get a little more time to themselves) and for Jo and Motorcycle Man (who may need some more responsible parents around). It would be good for Ola (who NAMED Joy, let’s not forget) and her sister, and also for Joy to have some loving siblings, since her big bro won’t pick her up and cuddle her.

[khrused-archived]

soft,  cherry  red  lips  only  seem  to  drift  closer  and  closer  ──────  an  intoxicating  pool  of  wine  tempting  hungry  lips  to  taste...  "  do  i?  "  her  words  now  are  hardly  a  whisper,  as  if  any  louder  could  risk  blowing  out  the  flickering  flame  dancing  between  them.  gaze  lowers  to  his  lips,  contemplating  her  own  surrender  with  the  thought  of  his  kiss,  sure  to  taste  like  cigarettes  and  relief... 

she  grins,  pausing  only once she is a  mere  breath  away  ―  emerald  eyes  suddenly  alive  with  mischief  as  she  taunts,  this  time  her  turn  to  play  with  the  edge  of  his  buttons.  "  tell  me...  do  you  like  getting  caught,  jack?  "

       Oh, he was in for it now. First the jab of a finger into his shirt, and then the twisting of her fist in the fabric — though Jack remained smirking through it all, in a way that he was sure made him even more punchable in that moment. He couldn't help it; Hera was fun to mess with. Pushing her buttons was fun and she didn't seem to object to it either. It was harmless. But when she yanked him down to meet her height, something else took over. Something about the tone of her voice, the distance of her lips to his face. He'd never doubted it, but now he knew for sure: she knew what she was doing, too. Jack cocked his head to the side, letting his dark eyes linger on her face. “ You make that sound... kind of appealing. ” His brow arched, as if inviting the possibility of... whatever this was. It was her move.