#not saying it won’t be queerbait

[catwouthats]

“Lokius is queer bait! Lokius is queerbait!!”

Remember when y’all thought Good Omens was queerbait? Yeah.

[figonas]

I think you perpetually online people need to understand that “queerbaiting” does not mean a character is heavily implied to be a queer person, with a live in partner, but we the audience are not explicitly shown a coming out scene. Queerbaiting is when a character is heavily implied to be a queer person and then it’s explicit confirmed they’re Absolutely Not Queer(tm) and are in a Straight Relationship(tm) and that live in partner they have romantic chemistry with is just their Friendly Roommate(tm). Not everything needs to be shown to you explicitly for you to understand the implications. Having to use critical thinking skills to draw connections between clearly defined and obviously presented dots isn’t queer baiting. For the love of god use your brain cells before they all die and leave your head about as full as an empty peanut shell.

[microclown]

I think, not everyone, but a lot of the people who are so hung up on the kiss aren’t thinking about it within the context of the narrative.

I probably won’t articulate this well, but the whole plot of season 2 felt like a direct, meta-y response to us, the fans, and our desire see Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship progress to something more.

Neil had established in the first season, they are already in love, so what is it really then that we want see? What is it that’s missing? That leaves us feeling unsatisfied?

What does love mean to you? What would it mean to Aziraphale and Crowley? What does a loving relationship look like, and how does one get there?

The methods Crowley and Aziraphale use to get Maggie and Nina together are common romance tropes in fiction. Crowley says “one fabulous kiss and we’re good!”

But rainstorms and dancing didn’t make Maggie and Nina fall in love. They were going to get there on their own, eventually, after a lot of open communication and working on their own personal growth.

And “one fabulous kiss” won’t give us a happy ending. It won’t give us what we’re missing from Aziraphale’s and Crowley’s relationship. We as fans like to think that’s all we want, but is it really? Because the love is there! What we’re truly missing has more to do with internal growth and healing, communication, and working towards a true understanding of each other.

And I think that’s what we’ll get in season 3! I don’t know if we’ll get another kiss although I would love to see one but we will get a satisfactory resolution between two beings who are deeply in love.

As a side note, I don’t want to down play how fucking important it was to have them kiss on screen. As someone who has grown up watching queer coded relationships on screen and is exhausted from having everyone involved queerbait, or even outright ridicule their fans for seeing it that way, it is so refreshing to have a very visual, undeniable, romantic gesture. Because I know it really does take a kiss for some people *cough* my parents *cough* to see a relationship as anything but platonic. I’m so glad we got that undeniable validation before what I can only expect is going to be an epic third chapter!

[thealogie]

Everyone saying it wasn’t queerbaiting before and it won’t be queerbaiting if this isn’t what it seems you’re so right that’s such an overused word, we need a new term for “getting on my last nerve by making your whole show about the relationship between two characters of the same gender and deliberately playing on romantic tropes/storytelling conventions between them because that’s the most appealing aspect of the story and it’s what’s drawing in viewers but if I tell a single straight offline person this is a gay relationship they will at best laugh and say that’s a cute interpretation”

[elliewilliamscoded]

i know the wednesday novel is most likely queerbaiting, and it’s not fair - but that’s not gonna stop me reading it. i know that they probably won’t end up together, because this always happens. but in my brain they will.

i don’t understand why they’d hire a transgender author who is known for writing queer stories if that’s not what they were going for. people are acting as if netflix and MGM had nothing to do with the making of the novel. when the book is literally licensed by them, meaning they’ve GOT to know what’s in it.

wednesday in the novel is clearly experiencing less-than-platonic feelings for enid, and yes, this may be queerbaiting, but i’m still gonna enjoy it. it’s closer than we’re ever gonna get in the show. (i wanna believe that im wrong, but idk - i feel like they’d be too scared to, especially with a franchise such as the addams family. you know how people react when media ‘turns’ things gay. its bad publicity, and they won’t wanna risk it)

obviously i have no idea what’ll happen in the show, and we get no say over the final decision. i believe having both of them figure themselves out is a great opportunity for character development. imagine enid, whose parents (mainly mother, but her father doesn’t exactly stand up for her) express their disappointment, and enid figuring herself out is an excellent way for her to see that she’s more than her parents judgement. (plus, i think the whole ‘conversion therapy for werewolves’ was a metaphor. and the fact that girly wears the lesbian flag in jumper form) and wednesday, who’s so adamant that she’s unfeeling and will never fall in love - only for her to come to the crushing realisation that not only is she very much capable of feeling things, she’s falling in love with her roommate. someone who’s the complete opposite of her. i feel like it’s such a good opportunity for them to explore the experiences of queer youth, how it feels to recognise these feelings, and the anxieties that come with them.

idk, i can’t see them doing it - they aren’t that brave. i think it’d be good if they did, but i think they care too much about how the show is perceived rather than the characters (the main reason being including wednesday in a love triangle, when girly very obviously wouldn’t find herself in a love triangle - in any universe).

[thestarlightforge]

On a separate but related note, I can’t wait to rewatch WandaVision with all this juicy context in mind. Both for Billy and the foundations of his character, the Darkhold and its wider implications, the reveal of Agatha’s true (and deeper) motivations… But also, for this.

A quote about the WV finale from Jac Schaeffer.

I’d read this interview before, but kind of shrugged it off, to be honest. I figured they only got away with Vision because he’s a trans metaphor (and played by a white guy), with Wanda because she got whitewashed (Elizabeth Olsen owns my heart but it’s unfortunately true), with the boys because they vanished as young enough kids that the MCU didn’t have to mention their leading Marvel Pride every year, and with Agatha because (even in comics) she has a lot of queer coding that was never confirmed up to that point (as far as I’m aware). Like, “Sure, it’s fine to say this, it’s interesting, I love your writing and ALL these characters have strong queer backgrounds, so I won’t rage to the tune of queerbaiting—but still, not consequential enough news for me to really be excited.” Even once eps. 1-2 happened, I wasn’t fully sold. (I was sold on the show because of Billy—BILLY 😭—but remained unconvinced that Agatha’s or anybody’s queerness would ever be addressed or of consequence.) And ep. 3 was lovely, but more related to Nicholas backstory.

And THEN, EPISODE 4 OCCURRED 🥹

I hoped the show would be fun, spooky, and tie up a few loose ends. Much like with WandaVision. And also like with WandaVision, it has instead left me awestruck in ways I’d never imagined 🥰

[song-of-baldy-ron]

WWDITS fandom y’all gotta realize they’re gonna keep pushing this “will they /won’t they” Nandermo narrative until they make it explicitly confirmed in the show, right?

Like they’re not gonna come out and say “oh 100% these two are gonna get together” before they actually write them getting together, no TV show writing team in the history of TV has done that

I know queerbaiting has hurt us before but as many have pointed out this show is clearly and plainly queer already so that’s not what’s happening

[blakbonnet]

AUTHOR OF THE WEEK: @soupbtch

Ever read a fic and go "they're so 😭" - that's every single Danny fic to me, aka today's second aotw feature, and god, what an amazingly talented author they are.

I'm so glad you decided to write and grace us with your lovely and bonkers fics, because I cannot imagine the OFMD fic world without your incredible Every Part of You series. I cannot imagine logging into this website without another incredible post from you. Every single thing you write (and do) leaves me in stitches and then, more often than not, you straight up chair your friends with your ultra soft way of writing how much they love each other - in between the much needed elbow fucking. You are such an amazingly kind person - hilarious, supportive, and the best cheerleader 💕 Thank you for answering my questions:

What's your writing process like? Do you start with the beginning or the end? Do you write in order or as the scenes come to you?

I start with a pretty detailed outline because if I don’t go in with a plan, I’ll drop threads and/or write myself in circles. Then I have my outline open on half of my screen while I have a separate doc open on the other half where I’m actually writing. I write in order from beginning to end.

Favourite trope or headcanon you like to explore while writing? (Things like Ed's sweet tooth, Stede's ability to bury his feelings etc)

I have a lot of fun writing angst, so I think any facet of that I can explore is a good time. Weigh them down with insecurities and see how far I can bend them with external factors like plot points, each other, or other characters before they snap. So things like Stede believing he ruins everything he touches, Ed believing he doesn’t deserve fine things, and how they both stand in the way of their own happiness because of these feelings. I also love exploring like, the horrible communication skills Ed and Stede have with each other when it comes to their emotions, and setting up story beats where that intercommunication can break down. Because they’re idiots (affectionate).

Whose voice is easier to write - Ed or Stede? Why?

Ed for sure. I find him very easy to connect with, emotionally. All my favorite characters think they’re unlovable monsters and no, this says NOTHING about me personally, etc etc etc.

Your personal favourite thing you've written that you'd like more people to read

Red Skies at Night! It's modern au, but they're still on a boat! If you like slow burn, bitchy Stede, Ed with a tongue piercing, fun costumes, and a big dash of pining, I def recommend checking it out!! ❤️

What is the one word that you think you use a lot?

The one that comes to mind is ‘blink.’ Kind of a funny one, but to me, it’s such a juicy way to imply so much while saying so little, so I know I use it frequently. Stede asks, “Do you trust me?” and Ed blinks back at him as he tries to work out why that question hits him like a truck (because the answer is a very easy yes). Ed says, “You make me happy,” and Stede blinks back at him in awe (because Stede? Making someone happy? That can’t be true). You get it.

Do you have a beta reader? Have they made you a better writer?

Yes, Beedle (@sleepystede) and Connie (@spirker) have both beta read for me! They’ve helped me tremendously with flow and rewording awkward sentences, and I’ve improved a lot from their feedback. Connie has also been invaluable to bounce ideas off of for new fics and just generally pushing me to be more creative through her never-ending support and big beautiful brain.

Why OFMD 🥹

I loved season 1 when I first watched it, but as soon as I saw the season 2 trailer, something clicked in my brain. Where season 1 was slow burn, will-they-won’t-they, is this real or are they queerbaiting, season 2 was posing itself as very, very clearly queer. Stede is going to get his man. That’s it, that’s the show. Undisguised, unabashed, unapologetic gay yearning and gay romance. There are a million other things I can say, but I think it really all comes down to that. What a gift. No one does it like our show. 💖

Please head over to @ofmdlovelyletters (who also made the header) and send your love to all your favourite authors (and authors of the week 😈 watch that blog for some special letters coming your way)

[ravennhearted]

Okay listen up we’re gonna talk Merlin for a second.

Everyone’s always on about how the show was the greatest queerbait, or how there wasn’t any subtext and it was just text, and it’s all this big discussion on whether or not it was intentional or not and it’s just like

We have interviews of the directs and cast saying that Merlin and Arthur love each other. The literal director said that they shot the last episode as a LOVE STORY. They knew what they were doing. For how long is debatable, but they knew

And it wasn’t a queerbait.

It was queercoding

They couldn’t say it outright. Of course they couldn’t. In that time it never would have flown, not with the premise of the show or the executives, so they wrote it in as what they could starting from season 3, probably, if I had to guess on when it became a serious thing. And then they kept running with it, pushing and pushing and pushing as the finale nears, and they know they can’t get in a kiss, they know, so they try and have Arthur say I love you to Merlin

(You can see it in the clip, how the thank you doesn’t line up but I love you does. I’m not the first to say this and I certainly won’t be the last)

They tried. And then they were stopped.

Anyway I’m not exactly sure where I’m going with this anymore but it wasn’t a queerbait, it was queercoding, and I’ll die standing on that hill

[forestleavescat]

Is Moominvalley queerbaiting?

I wasn’t invested in voltron when that was a huge thing, so I can’t say I know for sure what it felt like for people to be teased with ships, but I kiiiinda get that feeling from moominvalley. There’s so much deliberate snufmin and I’m sure that people working on modern moomin works know The Deal ™️. I got into the show because of all of the clips of the soft wholesome gay scenes they were given. But then when I watched the show I had mixed feelings. Mostly when it got around to season 3. Like? They know people see the clips on youtube. People always get super excited abt that as the show is releasing and it spreads. They probably know that it brings a ton of people. And it’s one thing if there’s stuff that’s super ambiguous. A bunch of shipped snufmin from their experience with the rare crumbs in 90s moomins. But this is a lot more than that. And it’s great and sweet in the moment because it makes you hope and think it might happen. But then they cut back to him with snorkmaiden and it feels like we’re being jerked around ig? Especially since he’s not having a what do I do I like both of them thing. He just goes fully snorkmaiden. And I haven’t seen the finale yet. And I’m hoping so bad that I’m wrong on this. But if it ends without that going anywhere my question is: what was the point? There’s been so much potential and they seem to do this on purpose because there’s stuff there that can’t be an accident with how it’s framed. And it’s nice that the moments exist but when you look at the full narrative it makes me wonder if that was just used to bring in more fans. Because it wouldn’t matter if the fans weren’t happy if they went along for the whole ride before being given the answer no. The company would’ve still made a profit. Just like previous shows. It just would feel disappointing?? It would’ve just been waved around to get attention only to amount to nothing. After years of watching and hoping. I seriously hope that season 4 does make it canon. I want all of the build up and glances and planning to mean something. I don’t think I would expect a kiss even. Those aren’t really just given in the show anyway. But something to acknowledge a more romantic direction. Something to answer what was interrupted on the mountain. It’s such a comfort show to me. And there was stuff in the story that made me feel happy and safe about my own identity. Because of the idea that everyone’s welcome in moominvalley. But I started feeling a little betrayed in season 3. There were moments for sure between snufkin and moomin. But they still went heavy with snorkmaiden. It felt like this sort of cloud ig? Like they’re reminding us that moomin and snufkin isn’t the endgame. And if they never intended it to be then why’d they put in so much possibility and will they won’t they throughout. Only to drop every bit of build up.

I started to ramble but I wanted to put my thoughts somewhere. since it’s ending soon.

[eddiediazismyhusband]

This is what gets me when people write in depth analysis about how dumb they would be to not go there with queer Eddie and with Buddie. Like yes, I agree it would be incredibly stupid and bad writing - unfortunately as much as I want that to reassure me(and I’ll admit some days when I’m sad and need to not be I pretend to let it), it doesn’t. Just because it would be stupid and bad writing doesn’t mean they won’t do it. We’ve seen this show repeatedly make bad writing choices before. I’ve watched TV shows time and time again screw things up in the eleventh hour, I’ve seen so many shows set things up and then take a hard left turn into the dumbest plots in existence. And they get backlash for it but still do it. So as much as I want to believe that because logic and basic literary analysis says Eddie is queer and Buck and Eddie are each others’ best match - that isn’t a guarantee of anything. I’m also preparing myself that if we actually do get a queer Eddie storyline and buddie canon - there is a high possibility that they stumble through it in a ridiculous and poorly written way. I want more than anything for that not to be true but it is still a very distinct possibility.

this is exactly my feelings- like one of my biggest pet peeves are people making posts as if buddie is 10000% happening and there is absolutely zero possibility of it not going that way which i’m sorry to be a debbie downer once again but that’s just not true

what kills me is everyone in the fandom keeps talking about “it’d be so ooc for _______”, seemingly forgetting the fact that s7 was ooc for so many of the main characters to the point that we were all ragging on the writers about it… like if they were able to write a season so sloppy and terribly ooc what makes you think they won’t continue to do so, especially after tim just said “i don’t like to plan out seasons”

ooc writing happens in tv shows all the time. just because something wouldn’t make sense for a character/plotline doesn’t mean they won’t just do it anyway. like I’ve said before, tim has shown us that he only cares about shock value and drama- telling us himself in a interview that “i can’t just let them be happy, then no one would watch” (which is such total bullshit but this is the man who decided to make eddie have an emotional affair with a doppelgänger of his dead wife rather than just, yk, confirm his queerness)

i get it. it’s disappointing. you don’t want your favorite shows/characters to tank and go off the rails. but unfortunately, it has happened time and time and time again in network tv, and 9-1-1 is not immune to this.

i fully agree with the posts and analyses that detail how the show has set up buddie being the only satisfactory endgame relationship between them, and how it would be foolish and bad writing for them not to, but unfortunately (as you said in your ask) this show has made god awful writing choices frequently (literally the entirety of s7 is proof of that) and they have jumped through hoops to avoid buddie canon countless times— there is nothing stopping them from doing it again.

and this idea that just because they’re talking about buddie openly must mean they’re going canon is ridiculous. the short is reaching the end if it’s run; if it even gets renewed past s8, it’s very unlikely that they’ll go past s10 at the longest. they just moved to a new network, baited the fuck out of buddie pre-s7 and then didn’t give us anything and people are still watching. they know that as long as people think there’s a possibility of buddie canon that they’ll watch the show— it’s textbook queer/shipbaiting. 9-1-1 is not immune to this just because they’ve said “we don’t want to be accused of queerbaiting” in the past. we’ve reached a point where the network queerbaiting won’t cause enough backlash to warrant them being cautious anymore. it’s a dick move, yeah, but these creators are in this job for one thing: money. they have proven they don’t actually give a fuck about meaningful storytelling. it’s why they rely on cheap drama and shock value to get by bc they know people will tune in anyway.

i completely understand wanting to be hopeful and optimistic. i will forever be hopeful for the day that buddie finally go canon (although i hope they ditch the mustache before then because i don’t want to think of my alcoholic uncle when i see eddie kiss buck for the first time) and when it does i will be so fucking happy after waiting for 6 years.

but that’s the thing. i have waited for 6 years. i’m tired of getting my hopes up each season bc “guys this is literally the closest we’ve ever been there is no way they aren’t going to go there now” just to get slapped in the face by the showrunners and writers. i’m not going to get my hopes up about it just to be let the fuck down once again. and frankly, i don’t wanna see the fallout when we are let down again because people decided to convince themselves that it was 100% for sure set in stone happening when in reality it’s really not.

[laeana]

I'm glad more people think like me. The l*stappen are really funny. I've never seen anyone try so hard when the drivers are so obvious that they barely interact. And the l*stappen keep accusing maxiel's relationship of being a PR stunt. It's so pathetic. I like charles and pierre because their story is so sweet to me. But these people keep belittling pierre and charles' relationship. The l*stappen are like weird cultists who believe in their own assumptions and deny the truth right in front of them.

Some people have accused maxiel of being WHAT?? Color me shocked, I’ve never seen that but it kinda makes me have a laugh. Maxiel has really shown a relationship that has survived to time, they were teammates but not only, they kept in touch even after that.

Lestappen, on the other hand, we can’t even say it’s a PR stunt because their interactions are quite sparse. They interact when they’re on the podium together okay. Just like they do with every driver. They did some karting together, okay. I’m pretty sure Max and Charles also competed against other drivers.

Maxiel has had way more history, moments and interactions. There’s a reason why maxiel had also been so liked, it’s because Max and Daniel are really comfortable with each other, but sure it’s just a “PR stunt”.

It also saddens me like you say that Pierre and Charles’ relationship is belittled. There’s often the argument of “they’re best friends” to say they can’t be romanticized and that lestappen is somehow the “true” way. Okay, do you know the amount of series/medias/books who used the they’re best friends excuse to stop queer relationships and even queerbait?

I won’t call people who ship lestappen cultists but of course they see reality the way they want and certainly ignore what doesn’t fit their vision. Every shipper does this, that doesn’t mean however that I’ll ever understand them.

Don’t worry anon, you’re definitely not alone! And I’m sure we’re not either, even if we’re probably a minority.

[thealogie]

Remember that joke tumblr post that was like

"Terry, on his death bed, told Neil to make the greatest queerbait adaptation the world's ever seen"?

Not to parasocialize this awful man but like that joke made me think harder today and like

Neil offering to step back entirely so S3 can still happen, even with his MASSIVE ego, is also probably to assuage his guilt of tainting Terry's legacy.

Like he's gone on and on about how he made sure this happened For Terry. Because Terry asked him to on his death bed etc.

He is the worst and he will likely get paid additionally either way. But honestly? I do think of the Terry of it all. And I'm sure he is too, if he has a crumb of humanity left in him.

I heavily doubt he will take a full severance (no further payment) but if any article says that he will, I'm certain this is why.

I'm not trying to be #conspiracy at all but I really do wonder

I think you’re right that it probably played into Neil’s thinking but as someone who is a fan of Terry’s work I have to be honest I simply do not get the “Terry’s legacy” “do it for Terry” vibes that have overtaken this discourse. He’s dead? He won’t know? his legacy is totally fine because he wrote a beloved series that has nothing to do with this book.

[girl4music]

I once heard the term “straightbaiting” in regards to ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’. As in, what we queer people get in another show where there’s queerbaiting. But with Xena it’s just with the opposite sex instead. And that’s accurate because the central relationship in ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ is Xena and Gabrielle. The show revolves around both of them as main characters and their love relationship - be it platonic or romantic.

Every other episode in the earlier seasons they would bring in a male love interest for either one of them (later in the show they would also get female love interests as well as male love interests; Gabrielle - Najara, Thalassa, Brunhilda. Xena - M’Lila, Lao Ma and, ugh, Akemi) but none of these love interests lasted. They would either die, leave or otherwise just never show up in the show again. They were either always temporary fill ins/stand bys until the other main character returned or used as a relationship conflict between Xena and Gabrielle, basically stating and showing how unnatural it was for either of them to have any sort of love relationship going on when it’s not with each other. And whenever this happens, the show itself feels shaky and off-kilter: unbalanced.

In a sense,… not straight. It feels not straight for it to be straight. It feels fake. It feels abnormal. Wrong. Exactly the way a queer person is supposed to feel when it’s queerbaiting in a primarily straight show. Straightbaiting in Xena feels like that to a straight person because Xena is genuinely a queer show and, therefore, in that show,… Queer is right. Queer is normal. Queer is real. And even with the female love interests - it still feels that way because, again, the central and most important relationship is X and G!

So ‘straightbaiting’ is absolutely the most accurate term to describe what the experience of ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ is rather than queerbaiting because it’s not Xena and Gabrielle that is the bait. It’s everyone else. And this is especially true with the male love interests. Except maybe Ares. But that’s a whole other topic altogether that takes understanding Rob Tapert’s mind, who is genuinely team X and G all the way but just has hang ups with X and A. I won’t go into it here.

But yes, it also boggles my mind something awful when anyone watching Xena today could call it queerbaiting. It’s honestly the entire opposite. You can’t watch episodes like ‘When Fates Collide’ and ‘Who’s Gurkhan’ and hell, even Season 2’s ‘The Quest’, without realizing that the creators are genuine with how they write Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship. It’s not a joke. It might have started out as one but pretty damn quickly they changed course and it became serious. So serious that almost every other relationship for Xena or Gabrielle feels like a joke. Feels like it is the bait that keeps straight people tuned into watching a queer show about queer characters the way straight characters acting queer are the bait for queer people to watch a straight show.

And I cannot put it anymore concisely than that. That IS ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’. It is a straightbaiting show. So much so that Lucy and Renee have laughs about it. These are two straight women taking the piss out of the show’s attempts to keep its straight audience. Laughing about how unnatural it all feels for Xena and Gabrielle to have “straight” love relationships, proving my point completely true without knowing it. And I’m emphatically saying this as a queer woman myself that headcanons Xena as bisexual. Still queer but not gay. It feels extremely wrong for Gabrielle to be doing this. But it doesn’t ever matter because it doesn’t ever last. What lasts is the central relationship. That of X & G.

So regardless whether the nature of Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship is platonic or romantic, the creators are purposefully telling and showing you all love interests or love relationships besides theirs fail in comparison. And that’s not a very “queerbait-y” thing to do, is it? That’s actually the opposite of queerbait.

[bubbles-is-hardcore]

Okay y’all I’ve seen multiple posts now about how “dumb” it is that Sylki has had limited to no romantic/soft moments and they’ve only been fighting this season while Lokius has had a ton of nice romantic moments and like??? Yeah??? It’s almost like if a ship is going to be endgame or canon it would make sense to build up a positive relationship.

I saw one post say it was stupid that Lokius has gotten so much attention over Sylki when “we all know it’s not going to happen”. Why do we all know it’s not going to happen? Because it’s a mainstream character in a big franchise in a gay ship? Even though that character has been confirmed bi over and over again in the source material and beyond? That’s exactly the problem.

I just think it’s very telling that the straight ship’s own shippers acknowledge that there is no real romance between them this season and they are in two completely different places in terms of character development, goals, needs, etc, and still shit on the gay ship and complain that their relationship is being focused on too much by the show because “it’s not going to happen”.

It’s a really bad case of queerbaiting and they are mad at the wrong people. The fans of Lokius aren’t what’s making Sylki bad. The studio knows Sylki was less popular after last season and leaned into Loki and Mobius. The fact that they won’t follow through is entirely on the studio, not Lokius shippers.

Now all of this to say, I’m VERY skeptical of Lokius going any sort of cannon. I honestly think the best we can hope for is the tried and true ol’ “ambiguous ending” That so many studios go for in this situation. I got my clown shoes on and I’m honking my nose but it is what it is.