#nobody was left out except Leela

[sandymybeloved]

they remembered Sara Kingdom and Katarina, but not Leela??!! the disrespect

[thewitforgecat]

I just finished a relisten of the Apocalypse Element and hooooowheeeee do I have some thoughts on Romana’s trauma.

I simply cannot get over how awfully she is treated throughout the entire audio and not offered the smallest amount of comfort. She breaks herself out of Dalek prison and immediately upon return is set to work trying to save Gallifrey. She’s been through twenty years of intense unrelenting trauma both mentally and physically, she’s starved, half dead, vulnerable and in pain and yet she is expected to shake it off and become responsible for the welfare of an entire planet. And not only that, but she then is forced to work herself until she passes out at least three (maybe four?) times in the space of two hours, and STILL feels the need to apologise for it the moment she wakes. She is so completely broken and yet nobody acknowledges it or even asks her how she feels about it. The Doctor even tries to leave without even saying goodbye to her!

The way she acts after she’s passed out also worries me a lot, because she is able to move from unconscious and pushed to the furthest reaches of mental and physical exhaustion, to fully alert and working hard until she’s outstripping even the Doctor scarily quickly. It’s a really ominous indicator of the sort of things the Daleks forced her into and how they treated her while she was working for them as a slave. And what makes it even more painful is that this behaviour is immediately reinforced on her return to Gallifrey until working herself into unconsciousness and doing the same from the moment she wakes simply becomes her norm. We see her go through the same in Appropriation when she’s immediately pushing herself after being almost killed by Pandora, and in this way she clearly demonstrates that she believes working herself to that state is what’s expected of her. Gallifrey does nothing to help her unlearn that behaviour even though it is clearly a response to the Daleks’ abuse.

But honestly the saddest part of all of this is the fact that even after everything she doesn’t have a single person that cares about her there to comfort her. She’s not so close with Brax, she has no Leela or Narvin yet and even the Doctor was trying to leave without saying goodbye. So she goes through a twenty year ordeal of relentless daily abuse that reduces her to her weakest state, manages to get herself out and immediately pushes herself to save a whole galaxy, protect her people and went above and beyond anything that was expect of her, almost costing her life, and yet after all of that she doesn’t have a single person to comfort her or even tell her she did well. I can imagine her sitting alone in her rooms after everything has happened and honestly? Her situation isn’t that much better than it was on Etra Prime. She’s still scared for her safety, still trapped by circumstance and still entirely alone, except now she has a slightly comfier bed. It’s no wonder she acts the way she does around friendship and connections with others after this experience, and no wonder she almost kills herself to save gallifrey on multiple occasions, she’s been conditioned to think by both the daleks and the time lords that working herself to near death with no comfort or praise afterward is the bare minimum that’s expected from her.

On top of all of that, she then has to consider the trauma of spending her life on Gallifrey knowing that the things that haunt her most will inevitably be coming to get her someday, it’s just a matter of time and she’ll likely be the only defence between them and the rest of the planet. The inevitability of the time war mirrors Romana’s fears of Daleks coming down the corridor in prison, except it’s not just her safety she’s scared for anymore, it’s the whole planet she’s devoted her life to, and the people she loves most in the universe, the people she would die for without a second thought if she had to. The possibility of her having to die for her friends or be forced to watch them die is becoming more and more real by the day, and I’m sure to her that it’s infinitely more terrifying than only having to worry for herself.

Anyways as you can tell I’m extremely distraught about the fact that Romana went through all this trauma and ended up so damaged without anyone to give her a hug and let her know she’s going to be okay. She was left utterly alone after the worst experience of her life, when she needed a friend most, and it really hurts.

[thebraxiatelcollection]

angst 25 and braxnarv? <3

Prompt List #2

“You’ll always be a friend.”

(A very angsty University AU. Sending feels your way!)

-

They had met at Prydonian University two years ago to this date. Braxiatel knew from the first moment they were forced to be roommates, he wanted Narvin to be his partner.

He had found him intriguing, and unlike anybody else, he knew. He was grumpy, irritable, and totally dedicated to his work. Except when the two of them went out together, or when their friends Romana and Leela dragged him out, he rarely had a social life despite the two of them have been roommates since the beginning.

He knew how Narvin took his coffee, black as the colour of his black hoodie, in the penguin mug that Braxiatel had bought for him during a trip to the local zoo. The mug had Narvin's name printed on the side and it was a penguin-shaped head. It made Braxiatel smile every morning when he made the morning brews. It was only because Narvin said that penguins were his favourite animals that he got it, and nobody but him was to know.

It was their last day on campus. All the exams had finished and they had all graduated, and their apartment was bare. Nothing of the last two years of them sharing the apartment remained. He stood in the hallway, gazing around almost wistfully. So many memories were made here. So many arguments, so much laughter, and drunk nights. So many memories of Braxiatel relentlessly teasing Narvin until sunrise. For Braxiatel, this place was the very first place that felt like home since escaping his own abusive home.

It had given him a personal sense of freedom.

"I thought I might find you here." Narvin's voice cuts across his thoughts, and Brax turns slightly to find Narvin leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets. "Saying a final goodbye?"

"You could say that," Braxiatel sighs heavily, places a hand on the wall, and pats it fondly. "This place is my home."

"Was," Narvin corrects him, reminding him of the harsh truth. Their fairytale had come to an end, now it was time for the bitter reality of living. "Where will you go now?"

"Back home," He grimaces. "Back to Lungbarrow. I have a job lined up in the local council as a civil servant, so until I can afford my own place, I will have to go back home."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I." He glances at Narvin. "And you?"

Narvin shrugs.

"Back home, or what's left of it. Dad's an alcoholic and mother...well, she's rarely home. I'm sure I can find work on my own."

"As soon as I get a place of my own Narvin, my home will always be open to you," Braxiatel says softly. The two had come from troubled backgrounds. It took a lot of unraveling, peeling away at each other's chipped pasts like a knife peeling away the layers of onion skin through the tears and pain, sharing their pain and heartbreaks. It was what brought them closer together.

Braxiatel had this opportunity to ask him now. Otherwise, there may never be a time again.

"Narvin," He licks his lips. "This isn't easy for me to say. But I care deeply about you. Ever since we first met in the hallway, with you struggling to move your luggage up the narrow stairs. We have shared our ups and downs, and I have shared more about my personal life to you than anyone else I know. I-"

"I know."

That caught him by surprise.

"You-You do?" Braxiatel's heart hammered against his chest like a warrior's drum. He was sure Narvin could hear it, and that it was about to explode from nerves any moment.

"I know," He says quietly, a small, sad smile on his face. "And in many ways, Braxiatel, I do feel the same. But...we can't."

"Why not?" Braxiatel snaps. Narvin called him Braxiatel, not Irving. He only called him Braxiatel to lessen the pain.

"We're about to start our new careers, we both have abusive homophobic households and I couldn't bear it if my father found out about you." Narvin's eyes looked at him painfully, and Braxiatel could see that he was breaking inside, just as he was. He so desperately wanted to go over to him, to hold his hand, to soothe him. But that would be overstepping boundaries. "I care about you, Braxiatel. I care about you a great deal."

"Narvin-" Braxiatel took a step forward, his voice breaking.

Narvin holds his hand up, stopping him in his tracks. "But we can't be together. Not right now."

He turns away, takes his hand luggage, and heads towards the door. He pauses just as he reaches it, and meets Brax's icy blue eyes. "You will always be my friend. Never forget that."

Narvin leaves the room and didn't look back.

Braxiatel watches him, his mind and emotions reeling. He clenches and unclenches his fist, trying to stop his whole body from shaking.

Narvin was right of course. He was always right.

But that didn't make it hurt any less.

He gazes once more around the room.

If only one could turn back time.

[avatar-state-kate]

The lack of any sort of Futurama meta on tumblr while disappointing for me who would like to read it, is not surprising. Seeing as the shows run and prime predating this hellsite. However as I am now revisiting the series and believe that it has earned a place in television history as one of the great animated series I believe that an introductory meta of the series would be a nice thing for tumblr to have.

If this meta seems vague, I am trying to keep it spoiler free as the target audience is potential viewers. Going forward I might make a more detailed version of this if people are interested. Now without further ado.

The premise:

Futurama is an animated adult comedy originally produced by Fox and later revived by adult swim that follows Philip J. Fry, a delivery boy from 20th century New York who is accidentally cryogenically frozen on New Year’s Eve of 1999 for 1000 years. The show follows his exploits in the year 3000, where he joins an intergalactic delivery service and goes on adventure of the week style escapades.

What is it about:

Any good show is always actually about more then it’s premise. I would say Futurama is about 3 things primarily: 1) sci-if media, 2) the legacy of the 20th century, and 3) the meaning of life comes from our relationships with other people

Let’s break those each down.

1) Sci-fi Media

Futurama is a nerd show that knows it’s nerd media. The series regularly devotes episodes to exploring tried and true sci-fi tropes, namely those popular within film and television. Time travel, parallel dimensions, interstellar travel, dark holes, string theory, robot uprisings, the works. The show does not just name drop these tropes (ahem Big Bang) but actually plays them out, sometimes straight and sometimes inverting these tropes.

Some of the strongest exploration of tropes comes in the form of the main cast. Fry as the Luke Skywalker/destined hero type, Leela as the badass alien babe, and bender the helpful robot. Except Fry is playing up the Everyman to his most farcical self, alien babe Leela is chronically single and solves her problems with her fists rather then with her feminine wiles, and Bender is the most self serving person in the whole series, doing everything to inconvenience his crew and practically nothing to help.

The comedy is not based on pointing at references and saying look a thing from science fiction, but by actually being science fiction, pointing out the things that are stupid and praising what’s good.

2) Legacy of the 20th century

There is an adage within literature/film critique that any story about the future is really about the present. The setting of the future a space in which to explore the fallout of what we are doing now.

Fry being from the year 1999 is deliberate, as it not only provides the audience a point of access character, but it contextualizes the future through the past. Many of the shows plots will directly implicate the 20th century as the cause of the problem the crew must tackle now.

From environmental issues, the colonization of Mars, and the rule of corporate monopolies, Futurama is to a degree a satire of the early 2000s and onwards.

3) The meaning of life comes from our relationships with other people

When Fry first awakens in the year 3000 he is initially very excited to have left his old life behind. Futurama isn’t the sci-fi of today but that of the 50s and 60s where the future is an aspirational place. Here Fry is expecting to shed his old life, where he was poor, had a shit job as a pizza delivery boy, and a cheating girlfriend, for something better.

Unfortunately his job assignment chip in the pilot is as a delivery boy, and through the series we see that really the future offers a lot of the same. Fry is still poor, with a shit job, and usually girlfriend-less. He’s still a nobody.

When Fry is defrosted he meets Leela, a one eyed alien who was orphaned on earth, and bender a robot disillusioned with his factory job. The three are completely alone at the beginning of the series, without friends or family. By the end of the episode they have each other.

Futurama is a comedy that isn’t afraid of sincerity or sentimentality, a rarity in adult comedy particularly of the “edgy adult animation” variety. The show is willing to sacrifice a laugh for heart and these relationships, the ones forged in the future and the ones Fry lost to the past, are the soul of the series.

As the Luke Skywalker type character Fry is destined to go to the year 3000 to save the universe multiple times. However futurama is not a show about destiny, if it were its finales (the show was cancelled and revived multiple times) would centre on world saving exploits. But they don’t, “Idle hands are the Devils Play Things” and “Meanwhile” are about Fry and Leela’s relationship, how they care for and love each other.

Being an adult comedy from the early OO’s some of the jokes did not age well, and the style of comedy is certainly not to everyone’s taste. But Futurama is a series that is able to blend high concept science fiction and social satire with tender character moments, which is a feat worth acknowledging. If not for the display of craft then for the message at the heart of it all.

You’re not nobody to the people who love you. The meaning of life, the universe, and everything are the people you meet along the way.

@shrinkthisviolet I am tagging you because this is my case for the show. Which I can summarize as a resounding check it out

[gingerteaonthetardis]

68. A Hoarse Whisper “Kiss Me” for Leela and Narvin?

What have I done??? Is this… a kink?? Do I have a kink??? Anyway, enjoy, Eileen! (Once again, Gallifrey fandom don’t @ me, I don’t know anything about anything. Characterization and plot who? I don’t know them. This is just nonsense.)

-

The council room was empty except for the savage, though — Narvin would be remiss if he didn’t acknowledge — no room could actually be even bordering on empty with her in it.

Leela sat on the floor, legs folded like butterfly wings. Her eyes were closed (as they always were, now) as if in meditation — but she was not inactive. The pad of a finger touched the point of her knife. In her skilled hand, the blade twisted and spun a dance of precision, light glinting off the metal and slicing through the dim room. It left an indentation on each finger, but never broke her skin.

She didn’t know he was there.

“Hello, Narvin.”

Alright, she knew he was there.

He approached, taking no care to soften his footsteps. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

She let out a faint chuckle. “Are you going to remove me?”

“Of course not,” he scoffed. “May I ask why you are sitting on the floor of the council room?”

“There is nowhere else for me to be,” she replied simply. Her tone was oddly devoid of feeling, and it left a hollow, sucking sort of sensation beneath Narvin’s ribs. “Romana has no need of me, and I thought I would make use of the quiet.“

He wasn’t sure how to respond.

But he wasn’t given the chance to respond. "Sit, Narvin,” Leela spoke, with the tone of natural command that almost certainly came from being a deadly weapon. “Rest with me. It appears that neither one of us is needed.”

It was, to the Time Lord’s utter mortification, true. The political machinations at play were outside of his jurisdiction and, even more embarrassingly, almost beyond his comprehension. He was a simple man, really. He just wanted to do his damn job, and at present, nobody was letting him do that.

Narvin resisted the urge to slouch down to the floor — mad as it was, he somehow felt she’d know, and worse, she’d judge him for it — and instead settled awkwardly beside her. His legs stretched out in front of him, thin beneath his robes, gangly and probably utterly absurd. He felt a sudden wash of relief that she couldn’t see him. How silly he looked, how at odds with his own body.

He’d never thought of such things before. Time Lords, as a rule, didn’t.

“You really shouldn’t be here,” he repeated. He was quite possibly speaking to himself.

“You seem worried. Do you think me defenseless?” Round and round went the knife. 

“No,” he answered, patient. Always misunderstanding one another, he thought. “But you shouldn’t need to defend yourself. You’d be safer if you stayed out of sight,” he winced, “until this… sham of a political coup is over.”

“Perhaps you are right.”

That was it. No rebuttal. But no sign of movement. A stalemate, as usual. Light caught on the blade and shone on his face, just for a moment before fading again. “What are you doing? With the knife?" 

Leela didn’t answer immediately. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "Feeling. Sensing.”

“Does it hurt?” He wasn’t sure why he asked, except that he’d always been more curious than was good for him, and the human woman and her barbaric blades were no exception to his curiosity.

The blade stopped.

Her finger withdrew from the tip, and reached over — across her own body, across the empty space between them. He wondered how she knew where he was, where his hand would be. She touched him.

Her grip was firm, her palm a shock of warmth. “Here, feel it.” When she tugged on his arm, the whole of his body shifted. He was suddenly leaning towards her, could suddenly smell the earthiness of her skin and the fresh, green scent that normally only rose when she shook her hair out of its bindings.

Narvin felt a chill on his finger, and a sting as the blade pressed against him. Despite himself, he hissed.

Leela laughed. “Time Lords. Your thick skin does not avail you. You are all soft.” Gently, she shifted the handle of the blade into his palm. “Notice the sensations on the tips of your fingers. Focus on the feelings. It is how I find my way when it is dark and silent. Scent, I use, and touch.”

He did his best, which was, he had to admit, not very good. He struggled with the sharp sensation, the pointlessness of the pain. He couldn’t understand what he was supposed to be feeling.

Without her knife, Leela’s hands clutched one another, disconsolate and empty.

“This planet is harsh.” She spoke, and all the while, the blade spun. Much less elegantly than it had in her hands. “It has taught your kind to avoid pain. You build great buildings, full of comfort and security, and leave the outside world to itself. But pain is not to be avoided. It is to be used.” She paused. “And, if you are very good at using it,” he heard the sly grin in her voice, “there is pleasure.”

The blade slipped. Clattered. The sharp ring of metal hitting metal.

Her smile grew.

She reached out and grasped the handle, somehow knowing precisely where her knife had landed. And she tucked it, unhurried, into her belt. All the while, her eyelashes fluttered, long and dark against her high, tan cheekbones. 

Narvin wished she’d open her eyes, but he wasn’t sure why.

He also wasn’t sure why he still leaned close. Everything in his body should have rebelled against it — that craving for nearness. But he remained, poised on the stupid, metaphorical knife’s edge, while she said, “I cannot see you, so you will have to tell me what you are thinking.”

His voice came out a hoarse whisper. “Kiss me, Leela.”

Giving commands came naturally to him, though commanding her was the sort of thing that only occurred in daydream. It wasn’t even really occurring now. This was walking into a trap. The illusion of power. He hung on a breath and the whim of a savage creature that should have been so far beneath his notice as to be invisible.

He wondered if she could hear his ragged breathing, because her mouth met his with pinpoint precision. Not so much a kiss as a blow, bruising and warm, with a force that would have knocked him flat onto his back if she hadn’t already, somehow, wound her hand into his hair. She held him fast.

In that moment — in that series of moments, even — Narvin’s time sense abandoned him. He had no idea how long they remained like that, mouths moving in the syrupy-slow way dictated by nature and instinct and the inherent sense of rhythm he’d been lead to believe Time Lords had lost. He only knew that the spell was broken by a sudden, flickering pain against his bottom lip. Knife-sharp. Stinging. His mouth fell open in surprise.

Her mouth curved, a karambit smile. “See?”

“Yes,” he breathed, already pulling her back to him. “Do it again.”

[hollyoaksloversx]

Back From The Dead: Round Two.

Rounding up a week in Hollyoaks (21st-25th May 2018)

It’s time for another weekly round up and what a week it’s been. After being pronounced dead last week, Sienna turned up alive and well, ready for a showdown with murderous daughter, Nico (who was thought to have died in a fire two years ago) on the hospital roof. As Sienna fought Nico for baby Sebastian, who should interrupt them but kiddie snatcher, Warren Fox, who himself was also thought to have met a fiery end a few years back. His stay in the village was brief and he ended up doing a runner with Sebastian, leaving Sienna with only pregnant fugitive, Nico, for company. As if that wasn’t enough drama for one week, we were also treated to delightful scenes of Glenn shooting his son dead and Tony getting electrocuted by a blender. By the end of the week, my face resembled that of Zara Phillips watching an American preacher at a Royal wedding...

The drama unfolded as the McQueen’s and Joel prepared for Sienna’s funeral, and it’s safe to say that Myra showed far more emotion about the demise than she did when three of her own children died. The preparations were soon interrupted by Josh, who informed them that they were going to use the funeral as an opportunity to catch Nico and that little Sebastian would hopefully act as catnip to the psychotic teenager. However, with Sebastian feeling unwell, Myra refused to let him attend and he remained at home with Sally, who ended up rushing him to A&E for reasons unknown (she seemed to go from “he needs to sleep” to “he needs to get to A&E” faster than Nana McQueen charging towards a buffet). Unfortunately, when Sally carelessly took her eyes of the baby, Nico snatched him and headed to the roof, where she was met by Sienna. It didn’t really make sense why she went up there given that she could have just gone back out the door she had just come through, but a rooftop is a far more exciting place for a showdown than the road outside the hospital, I suppose.

Sienna admitted that her death had been faked in a bid to catch Nico and begged her daughter to hand over Sebastian and turn herself in. However, Nico had a trick up her sleeve (or under her jacket) as she revealed that she was pregnant and so couldn’t possibly go to prison. As Sienna tried to process the news, she was interrupted by Warren, who offered her the chance to leave the village with him and be reunited with Sophie. The fact that he renamed her ‘Katy’ before he left the village last year was nothing but a distant memory. With Nico pulling her in one direction, and Warren the other, Sienna was left torn but ultimately, the pull of her non-psychotic daughter was too strong and she chose Warren, leaving Nico raging. As Nico lunged at her Mother, Warren made off with Sebastian, admitting that the whole thing had been a ploy to get his son back. 

Back at The Dog, the mourners were enjoying the wake, with Nancy, Darren and Tom partaking in a little game as they recalled all of the crazy things Sienna had done. Just then, the woman herself burst in, begging for help to track down Warren and Sebastian. Joel in particular was furious with Sienna and clearly does not process the brain cells to understand that her faking her death had been organised by the police, as he ranted at her for what she had done. With no one believing Sienna’s claims, she returned to her flat to find Nico waiting for her. The pair hatched a plan to leave the village together and Sienna soon found the perfect way to fund their getaway when she discovered that Darren and Mandy had been having an affair. Not wanting their respective partners to find out, Mandy and Darren reluctantly handed over cash meant for the restaurant, leaving Nancy furious when she realised it had gone. However, Nancy was soon distracted when she received a letter from Fran, the woman who had killed her sister, Becca, asking to meet.

Meanwhile, Glenn was furious when he discovered that someone had tipped the police off about an impending job and quickly decided that the culprit must have been Zack. Wanting to teach him a lesson, Glenn took the rather extreme decision to kill him and ordered Adam to help. Of course, we know that Adam is the grass and he was determined to keep his secret whilst also ensuring that Zack stayed alive. Not an easy task by any means but Adam soon saw his opportunity when he offered to do the deed whilst Glenn checked on the van. Running into the woods with his hostage, Adam let Zack go free but, just as he prepared to fire his gun into the air, Glenn interrupted, and was so angry with his son that he killed him. 

As the only police offer in Hollyoaks still alive, Roxy was tasked with investigating the death, and her first job was to break the news to Adam’s devastated family, whilst also trying to keep her own emotions in check. Grace immediately suspected that her Brother’s death was related to the job he and Glenn had been planning, but Glenn made her feel bad about the suggestion and insisted that he had nothing to do with it. One person who wasn’t convinced was Maxine and she accused Glenn of killing Adam. With Roxy also baying for Glenn’s blood, she tried to get Maxine to pick up where Adam had left off and gave her a listening device to plant in Glenn’s office. Unfortunately, Glenn caught her and knew straight away what she was up to. With Maxine determined to do anything possible to bring Glenn to justice, he knew he had to get her back on side quickly and so told her he had a brain aneurism and was dying. Although initially skeptical, Maxine soon appeared to believe him and told Roxy that she was no longer willing to help her. I bet Glenn’s not really dying. We’re not that lucky.

In other news this week, Alfie’s mental state continued to cause concern when he convinced himself that he was about to be reunited with Jade. Alfie was angry when Yasmine interrupted the ‘reunion’ but the voice in his head told him to be nice to her so she wouldn’t get suspicious. Also this week, Luke took a peek at Mandy’s messages and was devastated to discover that she was cheating on him. However, when confronted, she refused to reveal who it was with. Finally, there were arguments in the Hutchinson household as Tony and Diane couldn’t agree on whether or not to tell Tegan about Dee Dee’s illness. Dee Dee was left upset when she saw her parents arguing and punished them by asking for Scott to stay with her in hospital that night instead. There was soon happier news for the family when a phone call from Scott informed them that Dee Dee was responding well to her new treatment. 

5 Things We Learnt This Week:

1. Never take your eyes of a baby in the A&E of Dee Valley Hospital. They’ll be gone in a flash and nobody will have seen a thing. 

2. Tom’s black tie has gone missing. Which is most odd. You’d think that, given the amount of times he’s had to wear it, he’d just keep it on his person at all times, ready for the next funeral. 

3. Milkshakes make everything better. Except when the blender you’re trying to make one in blows up. 

4. Tony once bought Mandy a fax machine for Christmas. How romantic.

5. Divorce parties are a thing now and you can have one at The Hutch. Well, you’ve got to cash in where you can!

Characters Featured:

Adam, Cleo, Courtney, Darren, Dee Dee, Diane, DS Roxy Cassidy, Glenn, Grace, Jack, Jesse, Joel, Kim, Leela, Luke, Mandy, Maxine, Minnie, Myra, Nancy, Nico, Sally, Sebastian, Sienna, Simone, Tom, Tony, Warren, Yasmine and Zack. 

Past Characters Mentioned:

Jade Albright, Patrick Blake, Ben Bradley, Carley Bradley, Tracey Donovan, Becca Dean, Katy Fox, Neeta Kaur, Andy Morgan, Sue Morgan, Dodger Savage, Will Savage, Darcy Wilde.

[stacks-reviews]

Must Reads Special #3

Grab your favorite comfort food and an extra box of tissues. It’s time for another special edition of Must Reads. This months episode: Tears Part 1 Some of my favorite moments that will always make me cry. 

--Cowboy Bebop “The futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.”

Episode 24: “Hard Luck Woman” Faye comes across an elderly woman who knew her when she was younger which triggers some of her memories to return. Back at the Bebop, Ed runs into her absentee father and the rest of Faye’s memories return. As Faye leaves to find her home, she tells Ed that belonging somewhere is the best. Which prompts Ed to leave as Ein follows. Spray painting bye-bye on the ship before she leaves. As Spike and Jet eat the eggs that they had split for everyone we see Faye excitedly run up to her old home only to find nothing but ruins. She draws where her bed was and lays down. 

It’s sad enough to see the Bebop crew split up like this but with “Call Me” playing in the background, it makes this scene all the more heart breaking.

Episode 18: “Speak Like A Child” Our first look into Faye’s past through a mysterious package that turns out to be a tape that she sent to herself as a child. All other music and sounds stop, except for a quiet piano in the background. As the crew looks on, Faye spying from the door, it starts of easily enough. A glimpse into what was. But what rips out my heart every time is the cheer Faye gives to herself. Faye doesn’t remember making the tape or who she was and was like. So although young Faye is telling herself not to lose, to keep trying, adult Faye has already lost (at least in terms of memory).

Young Faye: “Good morning, me. Did you sleep well? Did you wake up feeling good? Did the light, and the wind, and the smell, and the sound, all seem like they’re brand new and fresh this morning? Is each and every cell in your whole body awake and alive now? Today, you are who you are today. See? You’re still me, but you’re a newer version.…Myself ten years from now. It’s so far away; it’s almost impossible to imagine. Am I alone or is there a wonderful person next to me? Knowing me I’m sure you’re causing all kinds of trouble for lots of different people. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to, but it’s all right. That’s part of life too, isn’t it? You’re not perfect but you’ve got a lot to give, so remember: I’ll always be cheering you on. And now a big cheer from my heart. Let’s...go...me, alright! Do your best! Do your best! Don’t lose me! Let’s go, don’t lose, don’t lose me! Do your best! Do your best! Me, me, me! Don’t lose, don’t lose! Me, me, me! Go me! In your time I'm no longer here, but I am here today, and I'll always be cheering for you, right here. Cheering for you- my only self.”

--Futurama “The adventures of a late-20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Phili J. Fry, who, after being unwittingly cryogenically frozen for one thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the retro-futuristic 31st century.”

Episode 2: “The Series Has Landed” Fry, Leela, Bender, and Amy head to the moon to deliver their first package as a delivery crew. The scene that makes me tear up; in more of a bitter sweet kind of feeling instead of downright sad, is when Fry and Leela are on the dark side of the moon in the Apollo 11 lander. Then this moment happens:

Fry: “Look, Leela. I’m sorry. I never should have dragged you out here.” Leela: “That’s right, you shouldn’t have. I still don’t get what the big attraction is.” Fry: “I never told anybody this, but a thousand years ago I used to look up at the moon and dream about being an astronaut. I just didn’t have the grades, or the physical endurance. Plus I threw up a lot, and nobody liked spending a week with me.” Leela: “A week would be a little much.” Fry: “The moon was like this awesome, romantic, mysterious thing, hanging up there in the sky where you could never reach it, no matter how much you wanted to. But you’re right. Once you’re actually here, it’s just a big, dull rock. I guess I just wanted you to see it through my eyes, the way I used to.” Leela: “Fry, look. It really is beautiful. I don’t know why I never noticed it before.”

It was the first scene that showed me that this show was going to be much more than a silly comedy. It would have moments like these where it becomes something beautiful.

Episode 137: “Game of Tones” A strange ship is heading toward Earth emitting four loud notes that start to cause structural damage on the planet. Fry seems to recognize the melody so they put him to sleep to explore his memories of the day he was frozen to find what was causing the melody. 

I haven’t seen this episode as much as the others on my list today but I do remember the ending. As a thank you for helping save the world again Nibbler helps transport Fry to his mothers dream so he could speak to her. She mentions that she dreamed about him a lot since his disappearance and asks what he wanted to speak about. Speechless, he just hugs her and back in the year 2000 his mother wakes from her dream to Fry’s picture on her nightstand, smiles, and peacefully falls back to sleep.

Episode 56: “Leela’s Homeworld” Leela learns the truth about where she is from. She is not the only cyclops alien in existence, she is a mutant and her parents gave her up so she could have a better life on the surface. At first she believes that the two mutants killed her real parents and almost kills them when they said they did. Then Fry shows up with the note that was left with Leela when she was given away saying it was written on paper commonly used in the sewers. After the reveal Leela says that they are her parents, they embrace and everyone cries. Even Bender gives out a little aww. But what really kicks you in the feels is the montage that follows, showcasing all the ways that Leela’s family secretly looked after throughout her life. Catching her before she could fall down some stairs, leaving her cookies while she worked on homework, giving her birthday presents, and even covering her up with a blanket to this day while she slept.

Episode 36: The Luck of the Fryrish After a string of bad luck Fry wishes he had his old seven-leaf clover; that helps him beat his older brother at everything, and with the help of Leela and Bender they travel to the ruins of Old New York to see if they can find it. Amazingly his house is still there but the clover is gone and after finding a statue that looks like his brother, Yancy, with the inscription, “Philip J. Fry The Original Martian, he concludes that his brother must have stolen it and his dream to be the first person on Mars. Fry finds out where his brother is buried and decides to do a little grave-robbing to get his clover back. The episode jumps between Fry’s past and his current time. Mainly focusing on his relationship with his older brother. Showing how Yancy wanted to be named Philip and kept copying Fry. 

Once they arrive at the grave Fry knocks off the moss that had covered the graves inscription. It then jumps to his older brother discussing what to name his newborn son with his wife: 

Yancy: “Daddy has a present for you today. Do you know what it is? It’s a lucky clover that can help you be successful whatever you do. Even break dancing. And it once belonged to someone very special.” His wife: “I know what name you want to give him, Yancy. It’s okay.” Yancy: Really? Son, I’m naming you Philip J. Fry in honor of my little brother, who I miss every day. I love you Philip (sniff) and I always will.”

Fry (reading the inscription): “Here lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit.”

The episode packs quite a punch. We spend the majority of the episode under the idea that Yancy didn’t care for Fry much. He wanted to be the one named Philip, he wanted to steal the clover, he kept copying his brother’s style, and appears to have taken over Fry’s life. And through Fry’s frustrations, we don’t care much for Yancy in the beginning. But upon later reflection we realize that Yancy actually admired and loved Fry a lot and wanted to be more like him. And I think Fry spends most of his life thinking that his brother may not have liked him and here he has irrevocable proof that his brother loved him.

Episode 61: Jurassic Bark At a fair about the 21st century Fry finds his old dog, Seymour, fossilized. With the Professor’s help they plan to clone Seymour but Bender becomes jealous and throws Seymour into lava. But realizing that Fry could love an ‘inferior creature’ and wasn’t trying to annoy him jumps into the lava to rescue Seymour before he melts. As they begin to extract Seymour’s DNA it is revealed that Seymour died at 15, 12 years after Fry was frozen, and Fry has them stop the cloning. When this happens: 

Bender: “Fry, what’s wrong?” Fry: “Think about it: Seymour lived a full life after I was gone...He probably even added new songs to his repertoire.” Bender: “But that’s a good thing. “Walkin’ On Sunshine” sucks noodles.” Fry: “I had Seymour ‘till he was three. That’s when I knew him, and that’s when I loved him...I’ll never forget him...But he forgot me a long, long time ago...”

After giving Seymour one last affectionate pat goodbye it cuts to show that Seymour spent twelve years outside Panucci’s Pizza waiting for Fry to return (while ”I Will Wait for You” plays in the background). Until one day he laid down and closed his eyes. 

Kills me every time. Fry thought Seymour happily moved on but he dutifully stayed there and waited for his return.

--Gattaca Gattaca is my favorite movie. And I have a lot of contenders for that position. But when it comes down to it and when I really stop and think about it, Gattaca is the first that comes to mind. I’ve looked up and thought about many of the quotes from it. 

In a futuristic setting (though the present gets closer and closer to it everyday) people are born through eugenics. Born to be the best of both parts of their parents DNA. Those born in a more natural was are known as “God-child” and are discriminated against. 

Vincent: “I belonged to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin. No, we know have discrimination down to a science.”

Vincent is one such God-child who dreams of going to space but no one is willing to hire him due to having a high possibility of getting sick and having an estimated life span of only 30.2 years. But with the help of a genetic donor he switches places with one Jerome Eugene Marrow, a former professional swimmer who was injured in a car accident. Posing as Eugene, the fake Eugene gets a job at Gattaca and will be heading to Titan as a navigator. But a murder occurs at Gattaca and almost gets him found out when an eyelash of his real DNA is found near the scene. After evading police and the real murderer being found fake Eugene is all set to go to Titan. Only to find a new security DNA check before loading. Not having any extra samples of real Eugene, fake Eugene is found out by the doctor that has always done the DNA tests. And has known about Eugene posing as someone else for a long time. He then joins the rest of the crew and is last scene heading off to Titan.

I love this movie for various reasons and I might someday do a whole breakdown of why. But for now, why it makes me cry. It is the ending. As he says his last line: 

Vincent (as Eugene): “For someone who was never meant for this world, I must confess, I’m suddenly having a hard time leaving it. Of course, they say every atom in our bodies was once a part of a star. Maybe I'm not leaving; maybe I'm going home.”

I tear up every time. The first time I don’t think I even knew why because I didn’t grasp the full film. That took a second viewing and a little research. There is the argument of how far are we willing to take science, there’s the issue on prejudice, and how limiting creating people in such a way can slow progress and ultimately affect our lives. How we would stop pushing ourselves. But for now let’s just leave it as an example of the underdog proving everyone wrong and rising to a position that no one believed they could make it to.

Anton: “Vincent! How are you doing this Vincent? How have you done any of this? We have to go back.” Vincent: “It’s too late for that. We’re closer to the other side.” Anton: “What other side? You wanna drown us both?” Vincent: “You wanna know how I did it? This is how I did it Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back.”

And then there’s this moment with his love interest, Irene:

Vincent: “My name is Vincent, all right? Vincent Anton Freeman, and I'm a "faith birth" or a "de-gene-erate", whatever you want to call it; but I am NOT a murderer!” Irene: “You're a "God-child"?” Vincent: “But we do have one thing in common, only I don't have twenty or thirty years left in mine. Mine is already ten thousand beats overdue.” Irene: “It's not possible.” Vincent: “You are the authority on what is not possible, aren't you Irene? They've got you looking for any flaw, that after a while that's all you see. For what it's worth, I'm here to tell you that it is possible. It is possible.”

--The Possibility of Fireflies by Dominique Paul “It’s 1987 and fourteen-year-old Ellie Roma doesn’t have much of a family. She lives with her mother, who has taken a break from parenting; and her older sister, Gwen, who is on her way to becoming a juvenile delinquent. Her father left them to start a new life. So Ellie spends a lot of time alone, especially at night, when all she has to keep her company are the fireflies that flicker in the summer air. Then one day a mysterious stranger enters her dark world. He is Leo, twenty-one, who is on his way to Hollywood to become a rock star. Ellie and Leo connect instantly, and Ellie hopes Leo will be the one to rescue her from her unhappy life. But instead, Leo teaches Ellie that no one can save you. You have to go after what you want. So one night - one terrible, frightening night - that’s exactly what Ellie decides to do.”

I loved this book. I read it at least three or four times when I was in middle school. Partly it was because I could relate to Ellie really well. My parents got divorced when I was nine and although I didn’t have abusive parents, the woman my dad got remarried to did do a lot of emotional and mental abuse to my older sister and myself. And those first several years of the divorce it was pretty rough. I’ve blocked a lot of it out and I try my best not to think about it but every now and then those memories like to attack. Due to the strong connection I felt toward Ellie and my own history, I have cried every time I have read this book.

Why it makes me cry. There are plenty of sad moments throughout this book but what makes me cry every time is the ending. Near the end Ellie’s older sister decides to run away with her friend. Ellie doesn’t really want to stay there with her mother alone so she runs across the street and asks to leave with her new neighbor friend. Who turns down her offer but does give her a ride and some money to get on a bus. She decides to go to her dads house and thinks of everything they’ll do together. But when she arrives no one is home and there aren’t even any fireflies for her to watch. As she starts to wonder if he even still lives there and would even want to see her, a car pulls up. It is her father and he leads her inside and shows her a bed (or was it a couch? It’s been a while since I last read it) so she can get some sleep. He tells her goodnight and leaves a house key for her on the table. 

--Yu Yu Hakusho “From cutting classes to brawling in the streets, Yusuke Urameshi is not your typical role model. In fact, this kid's nothing more than a fourteen-year-old delinquent with a talent for trouble. But in a single selfless act Yusuke dies while saving another. For such noble sacrifice he is given a second chance at life, but it's to be a life far different than the one left behind. Now a Spirit Detective, the young man must track down demons and humans alike who desire to rule over the three realms of reality.”

Episode 1: “Surprised to be Dead” Yusuke’s funeral. The first time I saw Yu Yu Hakusho was during my early anime years. So I was very unprepared for someone to actually die in their show. No other anime I was watching at the time had any deaths yet, least of all it the main character. 

If you’ve never seen this classic series Yusuke is a delinquent. He skips school, starts fights, all that. And yet he stops to save a child who was almost hit by a car and dies in the process. The shinigami who breaks the news to him, Botan, takes him to his funeral. Yusuke expects to see everyone laughing and being glad that he’s dead. Including his mother, his rival, classmates. Only to find his mother and his childhood friend, Keiko, crying. Then comes in his rival, his principal, and the boy he saved. And then I’m an emotional wreck.

Komada: "Come on, let's go back! This isn't right!" Kuwabara: “Shut up! Let go of me, wouldja?" Yusuke (floating over everyone’s heads): “What? Kuwabara [his rival]?!” Kuwabara (enters Yusuke’s apartment): "Damn you! You think you can just back out 'cause you're scared!" Okubo: "Kuwabara, this place is for mourning!" Kuwabara: "I'm not gonna leave! Not until he comes out here and lets me fight him!" Okubo: “He can’t do that!” Kuwabara: "I'm gonna beat you down, you punk! You hear me? Who do you think you are, huh? Dirty punk! Who am I gonna fight now? Who am I gonna fight?" Okubo: “He’s gone!” Kuwabara: “No! You’re supposed to be here...for me.” [and thus this bromance was born]

Takenaka: "At first I was so surprised, Yusuke...to hear you'd saved a kid at the cost of your own life. You've always acted more selfishly than that. Darn. Yusuke, I don't know why I don't feel like speaking well of you. [begins to cry] Why didn't you stay? You could have made something great out of yourself!"

Little Boy (the one Yusuke saved): "Mommy, do you think it'd be okay if I played with that boy tomorrow, if I'm good?" Mother: "No, son." Little Boy: "I know some people sounded angry at him, but he's really nice. He made really funny faces at me too, and he got me my ball! I don't know why those people were crying like that. It was probably because they wanted to play with him, too."

I think this was the first anime that ever made me cry. Yusuke thinks everyone hates him, would probably be better off if he wasn’t around, and then finds out that isn’t the case (a bit of It’s a Wonderful Life moment). It was a very sad scene and gets me every time.

[circular-time]

Hi! I'm trying to go through Classic Who and was wondering what some good serials to start off with would be, in your opinion? From a variety of Doctors, if that's okay.

Great question. It’s hard for me to boil 27 years into a quick watchlist, but I’ll do my best to give you a good sampler with good stories, watershed events, and most classic companions. I’ll boldface my top rec for each Doctor.

My suggestion is to try 2 top-recommended stories for each of the classic Doctors, and then watch more of whichever Doctor/companions catch your fancy.

Rec list below the cut: 

First Doctor

I always wrestle with where to start newbies.

Unearthly Child is such a good launch, especially the first half hour. It establishes that the Doctor has a lot to learn from humans! But if you find the later episodes of that story a bit draggy, it's okay to skip ahead to when the show hits its stride.Here:

The Aztecs (Barbara, Ian, Susan): First TARDIS team, classic historical, first to grapple with ethics of altering history. Excellent story.

The Romans (Barbara, Ian, Vicki): Lighthearted historical with a lot of moments to make you grin.

The Time Meddler (Steven, Vicki): Another fun one, first to introduce another Time Lord (although at the time, the showrunners hadn’t decided that the Doctor wasn’t human; the “Time Lord” concept was introduced in the second Doctor’s final episode.).

Second Doctor

I know this era the least, because almost all its episodes were lost when I was a kid, and I still need to catch up on recons and recovered stories. A pity, because Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Peter Capaldi all look back to Patrick Troughton as their Doctor.

I’m still playing catch-up, but I warmly suggest:

Power of the Daleks (Ben, Polly) I’m not quite sure about this rec. It’s the first regeneration story ever, totally lost apart from the soundtrack, recently reconstructed using 1960s-comics-style animation. The visuals may not be your cup of tea, but it’s a good story. I guess this is another, “Try it, see if it works for you, and if not, move on.”

Enemy of the World (Jamie, Victoria) WATCH THIS. NO SERIOUSLY. It’s alarmingly topical, and Pat Troughton is amazeballs. Remember it’s 50 years old now.

The Mind Robber (Jamie, Zoe) a goofier, more lighthearted entry than most of my suggestions, but if you have a sense of humour, it’s a lot of fun. It reminds me that (a) Who was primarily a kids’s show smart enough for the whole family to enjoy and (b) early television was like watching a stage play;  you had to suspend disbelief, tolerate flat sets and basic props, and fill in the rest with your imagination. Our minds were the CGI of early TV.

Third Doctor

Three was my first Doctor, so from here on it gets difficult for me to be choosy.

Spearhead from Space (Liz, Brig) for sure; it’s the intro of the UNIT era and a good regeneration story. Keep in mind what a radical departure this was; not only was it in colour, but it was the first time the Doctor and companions had left at the end of one season and been replaced with an entirely new cast in the next. The Doctor was now Earthbound, working with UNIT. The Time Lords had just been established in the previous (10 episode long!) serial.

Inferno (Liz, Brig) is widely regarded and a heck of a story, with some unforgettable moments, but it’s another that’s about one episode longer than it needs to be according to modern tastes.

Terror of the Autons (Jo, Brig, Benton) introduces Jo AND the Master. Good story. Watch it. :)

The Three Doctors was the tenth anniversary special, and I love it, goofy monsters, ham acting, campy villain and all. William Hartnell passed away not long after.

Fourth Doctor

This is especially hard to pick and choose because Tom’s era spanned seven years, and he had so many good companions and watershed stories. You don’t have to hit all of these; I just have trouble choosing.

Genesis of the Daleks (Harry, Sarah Jane) for sure, introduction of Davros. Unusually dark but important story, a real watershed.

The Brain of Morbius (Sarah Jane) is a solid Four-era adventure introducing the Sisterhood of Karn and another problematic Time Lord. It’s not a pivotal story so much as “this is absolutely classic classic Who, and good entertainment.” 

Hand of Fear is Sarah Jane’s final story. It’s a good sendoff, even if the writers had forgotten she was a tough bird; she shrieks more than I’d like. The final scene is embedded in the hearts of all Whovians of my generation. Our Sarah Jane.

The Deadly Assassin (just about the only solo Doctor serial): I waffle on whether to recommend this because it’s slow in spots, but it probably did the most to establish Gallifrey canon of any story, since it’s the first story that takes place on Gallifrey. 

The Face of Evil introduces Leela. And you can skip it. No really, it’s simply a good adventure, and I hate for you to miss Leela altogether.

The Pirate Planet (Romana I, K9) is hilariously over the top, a farce penned by the inimitable Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker’s Guide. Bonus: drinking game with the phrase “MIISTER FIBULIIIII!” Except that might land you in a hospital, so never mind.

The City of Death (Romana II) contains a lot of running through the streets of Paris and Tom Baker and Lalla Ward flirting shamelessly. Nevertheless, it’s a good story with an unusually good secondary cast. A fan favorite. Watch for the John Cleese cameo!

Drat, that’s too many Tom Bakers already, so I guess I shouldn’t say Keeper of Traken. But I’m gonna, because I’m biased. (It’s Nyssa’s intro, a Shakespearean tragedy with an interesting villain. More importantly, Anthony Ainley, the next Master, plays her father.)

Fifth Doctor

Castrovalva is the best regeneration story. Yes, I’m biased, but that sequence with Peter Davison wandering around the TARDIS imitating the Doctors he grew up watching is a great intro.

Earthshock (Adric, Tegan, Nyssa) I haven’t given you any Cybermen stories yet, have I? Watch this one. I refuse to spoil why; I’ve already spoiled the first cliffhanger (it had been seven years since the previous Cybermen story, and nobody was expecting them).

The Five Doctors (Tegan, Turlough, and everybody else) is the 20th anniversary special that brought back as many Doctors, companions and monsters as it possibly could. Pure fanservice, but fun for all that. Plus more Gallifrey worldbuilding.

Caves of Androzani (Peri) is often voted the best classic Who story ever. Not sure about that, but the directing in this one is so much better than most of the era it hurts. Even if modern audiences are no longer used to characters addressing the camera; it was a convention back then.

Sixth Doctor

Poor Colin; I love his audios but I haven’t gone back and watched his TV serials since the 80s. The two I remember as especially good are:

The Two Doctors (Jamie, Peri) - Colin Baker collides with Patrick Troughton. Not to mention Jackie Pearce, who played the arch-villain of Blake’s 7.

Vengeance on Varos (Peri) - keep in mind that so-called Reality TV was almost two decades away

Seventh Doctor

I loved the quirky first season of the Seventh Doctor era, but most people don’t. Delta and the Bannermen (Mel) was apparently penned under the influence of recreational substances, and I love it, but again, most people don’t. Happiness Patrol is another “I love it, but most people don’t” story.

These are safer, quality bets:

Battlefield. (Ace) WATCH IT. NO SERIOUSLY. Last Brig appearance on classic Who. A+ would recommend, if nothing else for the fact that Who clued in to having a diverse (and good) cast. Watch for Ace’s gal pal of the week. ;) 

Remembrance of the Daleks (Ace) was originally meant as the 25th anniversary special. The Doctor returns to Coal Hill School for the first time since Unearthly Child. There’s Daleks and the famous Unlimited Rice Pudding speech. Ace kicks Dalek ass.

Survival. Last classic Who ever. A Master story. Ace’s gal of the week is none other than Lisa Bowerman (Big Finish director, also plays Bernice Summerfield) disguised as a furry. Despite the naff costuming, it’s a good story, and the scriptwriter was slipping in as much lesbian subtext as she could get away with in the 80s (according to an interview).

Eighth Doctor

By all means, watch the TV movie, despite its flaws. When it came out, my friends compained, “Stop trying to appeal to Americans by making Doctor Who more American! We’re Anglophiles!” And I lamented, “This is the opposite of Doctor Who: The FX are superb [well, they were then] but the dialogue is mediocre!”  Nevertheless, we all loved Paul McGann as the Doctor and were angry on his behalf that he hadn’t been given a better script to reboot the franchise.

My opinion of the 1997 movie has risen considerably over the years, but it’s still a bit rocky.

And of course you have to see Night of the Doctor, but it’s only seven minutes. Perfect Paul.

Edited to add: Nobody is grading you on your hobby. Or if they are, F ’em. You are allowed to pick and choose! There is so much Who now that it’s pretty much impossible to see, read and listen to all of it. Different eras of the show have different styles and appeal to different tastes. So watch what gives you joy. Just remember there are overlooked gems in every period.