#not because I think it’s a bad end for 14 or Donna. I just hate 15 being overshadowed AGAIN

[innocet]

Something vindicating about all this IS that I’ve been saying since 2020 that tentoo should have been Donna’s ending, not Rose’s. I love being right

[moonlitlex]

ok. final thoughts on doctor who season 14 (2024) (because maybe if i say all of this i will finally stop thinking about how much i hate this season)

short version: i'm this season's biggest hater. if this season has a million haters im one of them. if this season has 1000 haters i'm still one of them. if this season has one hater it's me. if this season has no haters it means i have left this world. if the world is against this season i am with the world

long & nuanced version (under the cut)

i'm just really, really, really disappointed. i've always said that good writing can redeem any project, and it kind of feels like they just took it in the exact opposite direction this time. there's so much that went wrong and like 99% of it is down to the writing. i did a rant on my youtube channel (which i'm not gonna link here because i want to keep these accounts separate) and it was like an hour long so i'm not gonna go into detail but i'll just go over my main issues with this season

fifteen lacks depth. i think he's a very generic doctor lacking his own eccentricities. after the first season the doctor usually has quite a distinct personality, but i don't think we got that with fifteen. just compare the kind of characterization fifteen has at this point to like... eleven in his first season. he was a lot more fleshed out. we got to see multiple facets of his personality. it seems like they tried this with fifteen but everything we got to see ended up being really surface level. the susan thing just kind of happens. the rogue thing just kind of happens. he faces racism and he's just kind of incredulous and then the episode ends. it's not explored. the show just moves on to the next thing and we don't get to see how he deals with it.

ruby lacks depth. similarly, i think ruby is a very generic companion. she's a young woman from present day london which isn't in and of itself a bad thing but it's not backed up by much. like, what do we actually know about ruby? she's adopted? she was left on a church doorstep by her biomom? she loves her mom but is still disappointed she can't find her bio parents? these are all plot relevant things. what do we know about her outside of the stuff that is necessary for the plot? job? friends? life before the doctor? there are a few tiny glimpses, but not enough to make her a developed character.

fifteen and ruby's relationship is boring. they never fight. they never disagree. they never argue. they're never angry with each other. they never challenge each other on anything. they're shown to have this amazing best-friend rapport but it's never developed or fleshed out. it just kind of happens. one second they're meeting and the next second they're bffs who never disagree about anything and are always on the same page. it's just not an interesting dynamic.

i found ten and donna to be a very compelling dynamic but that's because they actually have a real friendship and have to deal with conflict and challenges and disagreements. times when the doctor and companion challenge each other are interesting. this is a feature of some really beloved doctor who stories for a reason. dalek wouldn't be so well loved if rose just agreed with nine the entire time. the conflict makes the story more compelling. meanwhile ruby can't even muster an ounce of discontentment with fifteen for the entire season.

season finale payoffs were not compelling and are in my opinion a result of prioritizing shock and surprise and social media buzz at time of release over telling an interesting story.

sutekh is not automatically a compelling villain and the way that arc is written is so... bland. he appears and kills everyone and the next episode they just hit the reset button. fine, doctor who has done this before, but there was interesting character writing back then to distract you from the baffling story decisions.

the season 3 finale had flying jesus ten but it also had interesting character dynamics. this one had sutekh defeated in the most confusing way possible (if he got his power from the time vortex why is it killing him now....) but there's barely anything going on in the character department. it's rtd so i expected hamfisted deus ex machinas, but i didn't expect the lack of care on the character front.

the susan thing was just... it came out of nowhere, didn't really make much sense, and then it immediately disappeared. the doctor thinking it's his susan was just confusing for me and it didn't land. like why would susan.... do that? why would she be basically following him around the universe by weaving herself into the scenery everywhere he landed? this is never even addressed. they just get the tardis anagram and he immediately jumps to it being his susan and you're not really sure why he's so convinced and it's never really explained.

ruby's mom being a normal woman literally just doesn't make any sense. it's never explained. "we thought she was really important" doesn't just do all the inexplicable things. why and how is ruby able to make it snow if her mom is just a normal person? why does the song in his soul scare maestro so much? why is sutekh of all people unable to figure out who her mother is? the reveal is played as a criticism of the audience for building up ruby's mom to be this huge mystery, but it wasn't the audience doing this - it was the writers. these are the clues they laid out and they're never explained. "doctor who is more fantastical now" also doesn't make any sense. fantasy has rules too. you can't just do whatever you want. the world still has to be internally consistent. the reveal by itself is a nice moment but it's just disappointing that they decided to laugh at the audience for taking their show seriously.

i've seen a lot of people compare ruby's mom thing with clara's impossible girl thing. i would like to point out 2 differences that make clara's impossible girl arc superior. first - clara's impossible girl arc never tries to weasel its way out of the mystery. the point is that who clara is is more important than the mystery surrounding her. ruby's mom mystery tries to erase the mystery entirely. second - clara's impossible girl arc is resolved the way it is because of clara. clara is a person who takes an action because of who she is. it shows courage and selflessness and care for her friend. ruby's mom mystery is solved by ruby and the doctor finding a database where they can match ruby's dna to her mom's. it doesn't say anything about her character. her character is irrelevant to the resolution.

i've also seen it compared to the hybrid thing from season 9, but with the hybrid there was never anything unexplainable happening in the first place so "it was just the characters obsessing about it all along" makes sense because it literally is just the characters bringing up the hybrid all the time.

the individual episodes are not... good. here are my opinions on each of them

church on ruby road - ok introduction, weird pacing, the goblin song was just tonally off compared to the rest of the episode

space babies - genuinely makes the doctor seem like a sadistic asshole at times like he keeps laughing at the literal babies for being scared of the monster and this is played for laughs (???), boogeyman reveal thing literally came out of nowhere there was no setup and it made no sense and was never really explained, a lot of tonal whiplash in this episode, poor exposition choices at the start

devils chord - maestro was a fun performance but nothing else about this episode is interesting, there are no beatles, the 4th wall breaks are tonally inconsistent with the rest of the season

boom - ruby gets sidelined but making ncuti act without being able to move any of his body slaps as a concept and while it was too on the nose, the thematic messaging aspects of this episode are coherent and don't talk down to the audience, some side characters get to be relevant to the story and moderately developed (mundy, splice, the dad), splice's actor was far too old to be delivering those lines and it didn't land well, the dad ai defeating the ambulance ai was a bit too much but was in line with the power of love and faith theme so i'm conflicted on how i feel about that

73 yards - did nothing right. there are a few minutes of good welsh folk horror at the start before that aspect of the story is undermined by those people in the pub. ruby gets no character development. the horror atmosphere is abandoned at the start and the horror concept is abandoned entirely partway through the story in favour of the political stuff with roger ap gwilliam, which is kind of resolved in a really anticlimactic scene which doesn't matter anyway because everything just gets undone at the end of the episode. there are no answers.

it's not a good horror story because 90% of it isn't horror. it's not a good political drama because nothing happens. it's not a good character study because we don't get to know anything about ruby's character. i genuinely think rtd has forgotten the kind of stuff he's written because he called this the best thing he's ever written and it's literally not even in the top 10 doctor who episodes he's ever written. like midnight is right there. the waters of mars is RIGHT THERE. this episode is all setup and no payoff.

also - i might just be autistic, but the "can i pay with my phone" joke doesn't land because not everyone can actually accept digital payments yet! it's like... an extremely normal question to ask. i literally ask all the time unless i see an "apple pay accepted" sign because sometimes the answer is "no, we only take cash or card". i know it was supposed to be something about how ruby thinks she's in the past or welsh people getting wrongly stereotyped for being backward but maybe rtd should've come up with a line that would actually be offensive and not just a completely normal thing to ask in 2024.

dot and bubble - this is probably my most controversial take. i hate this episode. i think it's a poorly written bad episode. and furthermore i think only people who are disconnected from all discussion around racism think it's got genuinely good commentary. for MOST of this episode, it's a "kids be on they damn phones" thing. like, genuinely. lindy can't even WALK without her phone. there's nothing in the episode to tip us as the audience off to the idea that the dots hate them because they're racist. everything in the episode is pointing at "the dots hate them because they're stupid as fuck because they're always on that damn phone".

lindy at first seems like a flawed but sympathetic character, and this could genuinely have worked with the racism commentary. if it's about them being racist cause they're sooooooo fucking stupid, maybe don't have lindy be an irredeemable extremely racist character who kills someone. maybe she's repeating all the rhetoric she's heard her entire life without ever thinking about it. maybe trying to convince her racist friends to give the doctor a chance gets her socially isolated. maybe it's about echo chambers and social bubbles. maybe lindy as an individual has no malicious intent either way but she still behaves in a racist way and still ends up siding with the racists because they're her friends and she wants to fit in and be part of the in group and trying to not be racist because the doctor seemed kinda nice got her socially ostracized so she perpetuates racism regardless. but none of this is what happens. this is a reading you can get out of it if you're really dedicated to reading into a story written by a guy who doesn't give a shit about racism.

lindy and all her friends are stupid and bad and racist and the doctor is still desperate to save them for some fucking reason and he doesn't even get to SAY anything to them, he just laughs incredulously and that's his entire reaction. the commentary in this episode is baby's first lesson on racism. it's a message of "racism is bad and stupid" tacked onto an episode with a message of "being on your phone is bad and stupid".

it's shallow. it has nothing to say. it's very clearly a story about racism written by a white man who has never had to even think about racism. the entire writer's room for this season was white as well. rtd didn't even think he should maybe consider giving the racism episode to a black writer. he just wrote a full episode where the message is "racism is bad you guys" and patted himself on the back for his social commentary. i think it's embarrassing that people praise this episode for opening their eyes to racism in the real world and helping them understand it better. literally all that tells me is they've been closing their eyes and covering their ears every time a person of colour talks about racism. like black fans have literally been talking about racism in doctor who for decades and clearly none of you listened to any of them because you're here watching an episode with an "omg racism is bad guys" message going "wow, i never though about it like that!" that's because you're an asshole.

"wow i didn't even notice that everyone in this episode is white!" that's because that's not out of the ordinary for doctor who. or for television in general. this isn't revolutionary commentary. it's an indictment of the season 14 writer's room that they thought they could write this episode without even taking a look around their own writer's room and thinking "huh, everyone here is white too. maybe we should try to change that." this show has been predominantly white for MOST of its history. i'm a huge critic of the chibnall era but at least that guy hired poc to write for the show. at least the bad racism commentary in rosa (which was, to remind you, "the future racist is wrong. racism is bad. also the entire civil rights movement was basically a happy accident") was written by a black woman. at least the weird british empire glorifying shit in the partition episode was written by an indian man (to be clear, stuff written by poc also deserves to be criticized. my point is just that at least chibnall had the basic common sense to hire people who knew more than him to write these stories). rtd didn't even consider this. not even a cowriter.

it's just embarrassing to watch white fans falling over themselves analyzing how this episode is soooo deep when it's simply not. racism isn't silly goofy stupid. it's dangerous. it gets people killed every day. it's even more ridiculous that the racism is addressed in the future episode but not anywhere else! fifteen goes to 60s england and... nothing. he goes to 1800s england and nothing. sure, future people are racist. whatever. are we seriously sanitizing the real, actual, real life racist past of britain? and then patting ourselves on the back for it? and ricky september being considered not racist? like, reading a book doesn't suddenly make you not racist. racist people aren't necessarily idiots. plenty of highly educated people are racist. making ricky explicitly racist while also a clearly smart character would have added nuance to this episode, but rtd didn't do that. watching a black man beg and plead with rich racist white kids to please let him save their lives is just... ridiculous.

there are countless (and i do mean countless) works by actual people of colour that discuss racism in a far more nuanced way. that go beyond "racism is bad and racist people are stupid". there are specifically black british shows you can watch that actually address racism and have real commentary on it outside of what you would expect a toddler who has just learnt about prejudice to say. shows that aren't about coddling while people. watch shows made by and for people who aren't white. read books written by and for people who aren't white. and don't just watch and read this stuff to "educate yourself" on other people's experiences. watch it because it's art. because it's entertaining or funny or interesting or dramatic, just like stories that are about white people are allowed to be. and stop praising an episode with a racism is bad message for being good racism commentary. seriously. we already know racism is bad. this is embarrassing for you.

dot and bubble was a "kids be on they damn phones episode" with "racism is so bad guys" tacked onto it and white fans fell over themselves explaining how it opened their eyes and it was so deep and meaningful and powerful and it was none of those things. it was bland and shallow and honestly really boring they spend WAY too long hitting us over the head with how the kids are so stupid cause they're on their damn phones. you should be embarrassed. if this episode was the first thing that made me realize racism exists and is bad you couldn't waterboard that out of me. grow up.

rogue - rogue was an underdeveloped jack harkness ripoff, there's no development of the relationship between him and the doctor, ruby got nothing to do, the proposal came out of nowhere, the chuldurs were an interesting concept but they literally didn't even do any of the larping they were there for apart from the one who was lady emily. murder is not a prominent part of bridgerton or similar regency era romances that they were supposedly there to cosplay

legend of ruby sunday - this episode is literally 99% exposition. like i'm not joking. there's exposition and exposition and exposition for the whole episode and at the end sutekh appears and kills everyone. also "i will kill everyone" is like. not a compelling motivation. doctor who is full of guys who want to kill everyone. there's nothing making sutekh particularly scary or compelling apart from the fact that he thanos snapped the whole universe and that's also not particularly scary or compelling because he spares the main characters AND because you know they're gonna hit the comic book reset button next episode. sutekh being attached to the tardis since pyramids of mars is unconvincing personally (it would've made more sense if it was since wild blue yonder)

empire of death - ??????? ruby's mom is just a normal woman. they leash sutekh like a dog and drag him through the time vortex which kills him for some reason and also hits reset on his kill switch for the whole universe and that just fixes everything. ruby calls her biomom her real mom instead of carla which just really rubbed me the wrong way. she exits the tardis to stay with her family and it's... fine. you never see why ruby and the doctor were attached to each other so them saying goodbye doesn't hit home. nothing happens and then suddenly everything happens. the fact that the reveal is unconvincing makes the whole thing worse.

conclusion: i think rtd ran out of ideas for doctor who. i think he shouldn't have come back. i think the 60th specials were season 4 fanfiction. i think they should've given the showrunner position to a different writer entirely. i think 8 episodes is far too short for a doctor who season (flux being an exception because it was one ongoing story). i think the bigger budget and better production value can't save a show with poor writing. i think gatwa and gibson are acting their hearts out and i wish they had better material because i really like both of them in these roles. i'm also kind of sick of murray gold's music at this point. he won't let emotional moments just sit and it's really annoying how every time anything happens there's a swell of music. i think rtd should give up on racism commentary and just hire someone else who can do it justice if he really wants it to be in his show. i think rtd should shift focus back to the characters and their interpersonal relationships because that's what he's good at and his plot resolutions have always been underwhelming deus ex machinas. i think they should give this show more episodes. i think they should change the broadcasting times to be a better slot in the uk and the episode should go up on streaming at the same time or after it airs. this season has little glimpses of potential (some of boom, first few minutes of 73 yards, episode concepts in general are quite interesting, more fantasy in doctor who is a fun concept) but squanders all of it with flat characters. i started dreading watching the next episode after a while because i kept hoping it would be good and then i would hate it.

but i still care too much about doctor who to not watch the show so i guess i'll be here this time next year picking season 15 apart. woo.

[possessingtheproperspirit]

Thanks for the tag @mppmaraudergirl!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

33!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

614,012, which includes a few co-written fics.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just HP!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A. The Price We Pay - 274k, canon WIP, starts in sixth year

B. Forget-Me-Not - 55k, super brutal and angsty (SA content warning), muggle AU, 10 chapters

C. the way you left me - 10k, canon divergent one-shot, also super brutal and angsty, what is my problem?, grief

D. Vibrations - 5k, muggle AU one-shot, smut-town, riding the revenge rail, not at ALL brutal and angsty

E. A Lesson in Communication - 12k, muggle AU one-shot, miscommunications abound, but in a fun way

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do, although sometimes it takes me a while, because I think I've already done it.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

99% of my angst has a happy ending. One that doesn't is A Fate Resigned, so I guess that is my angstiest ending.

OR! I forgot about this one. My first HP fic was Not Waving But Drowning, following Remus in the lead-up to Oct '81. So that surely has the angstiest ending.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Again, 99% of them end happily. I think the end of Forget-Me-Not felt like some well-earned happiness after a long and difficult road, so maybe that one?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. I've had one or two arsey comments about not updating enough on TPWP, but that's about it.

9. Do you write smut. If so, what kind?

Yes although not that often. It's Jily all the way.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

No, I don't see the appeal personally.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I know of!

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I've co-written two fics, one with @corinnesamuels and one with @mppmaraudergirl, and thoroughly enjoyed both experiences.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Jily through and through. Although there are many (Will/Alicia, Josh/Donna...) in second place.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I don't think there's anything I've started that I won't finish. Whether people will still care about them by the time I've finished them is another story...

16. What are your writing strengths?

Sad stuff. And dialogue, I think.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Often under-planned. Rambling. Sometimes plotless. I could go on.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Speaking as someone who tried to get through French A Level by using Google Translate (spoiler: it did not work), I think this is something I'm better off avoiding.

19. First Fandom you wrote for?

ER, baby! I was a HUGE carby fan (Carter/Abby) and was dismayed when the writers fucked it up so spectacularly.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

It's probably between The Price You Pay, because I love writing the different characters, or the way you left me, because it hurt so bad.

Tagging @kay-elle-cee @sunshinemarauder @thequibblah @emeralddoeadeer if you fancy it!

[icarusredwings]

This is unfortunately true when you look at all of the stunts he pulls in public. He really doesn't want people to know or see him be vulnerable. He literally ran away and coward in the corner because he didn't want the doctor to make a fool out of him. He made everyone in the world him except for Donna and Wilf, and even that embarrassed him.

In this essay I will he spewing some utter nonsense-

Is anyone even going to read this? Idk. Anyway.

SPOILERS?

He wants to be taken seriously so bad and the Doc just CAN'T. Its so funny. Like when Dhawan tells her "ill kill one of your friends just to prove a point" and shes like "nah"

We all know deep down, though, that he just really wants a hug, validation, and attention. Unfortunately Dhawans type of attention is "Live with me in my cozy beach cabin and give me all of your attention forever" not the "Ill travel with you if you promise never to abandon me like you do your other companions."

It's why simm said no. He doesn't want to be "just the doctors companion." He wants to be equal. He wants to be the reason why the doctor won't leave a situation without him. He wants the Doctor to chase after him the way he chases after the pretty blonde girls.

(COUGH COUGH)

Like Rose.

I can see sax getting jealous more about Donna and the Doctor giggling to themselves all the time then River because to him donnas just some human girl that he took a liking too and theyre not even romantic??

You have to think of it this way, the Master has always really "been second" to the Doctor. When people came to look for him they'd find Theta because they knew Koschei wouldn't be too far behind. He doesn't want that anymore. He wants to be separated so badly yet desired the way the doctor treats the humans. Like old times.

I can totally see them being young and someone asking theta to play or study and Theta turning to ask Koschei if he wants to join too.

As much as the master HATES the idea of being a "side kick" he wants to be a package deal again.

So yes, He gets extremely embaressed about public affairs, esspecially if humans are around (bc lets be so fr the master sees them as lower life forms) and it reminds him of how embaressed he got with DECA too. How they'd tease him. Especially when they were like 13-14 you know damn well they came around like "Oh hey Koschei, wheres your boyfriend?" And hed be like "He's not my boyfriend!!" Bc yk. Children in denial.

He always wanted to be his equal, but he never could get to that point. Whether it's just because writing and plot armor, or its just his personality, even when he PROVES hes better then the doctor he STILL somehow gets demoted to second. (seriously, the doctor doesn't even have a license and has a broke ship yet everytime someone sees the masters TARDIS theyre like 'wow i didnt know you had one of these? Thats cool. It looks like the doctors.' And hes like 'Ofc you idiot, except mines not broken and im certified to drive! 🙄')

Its why hes so ducking weird with the whole "asserting dominance"/ humilliation thing. Ngl i think he just might be kinky but thats another topic-

Between trying to strangle him all the time, forcing the doctor to call him master infront of his friends, making 13 kneel infront of everyone, becoming the whole prime minister just to tease the doctor about having more people like him then the doctor (on god, dude has a validation kink I just know it), forcing the doctor to eat out of a dog bowl for a year, locking him in a cage, showing him off to lucy like a prize, Missy IMMEDIATELY kissing him seconds after meeting twelve and forcing him to feel her hearts just so he'd freak out?

I feel like if the doctor actually treated him as more then just a silly old friend who acts like a clown and more the way three treated Delgado, like an equal to be afraid of but also trust a little, they might actually get somewhere. But alas, for writing reasons I dont think they'll ever get the house and garden in south France ending :(

But that's why there's fanfiction!!

Funfact: They both have landscaping degrees for ZERO reason. The Time academy was like "hmm okay ofc you guys need to learn about time space quantime physics and thermodynamics but you need sunshine so go in the garden and learn how to chop hedges. And DO NOT stone your classmates!"

Tag treats

the master is reputation coded and the doctor is lover coded. thats it. thats the post

[thebadtimewolf]

now im shutting up

murray gold about to remix segun akinola's thasmin themes and you know david like to pull at heartstrings FUCK WE GONNA SEE 14 LOOK BACK AT YAZ AND HIM WITH THOSE EYES? FUCK IM GONNA CRY

everybody complaining about rtd trying to do an uphaul and im like: he better! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU AND I CAN HANDLE 14 LOOKING AT A PICTURE OF YAZ AND INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT IT IN REGRET FOR WHAT WASNT SAID, HE JUST. strokes it with his thumb. with that small lovingly smile, a slight tilt of his head, eyeline starting to redden. licking his upper lip as if still remembering the taste of ice cream, his hand reaching up tuck back what once was blond bob fring his hand shakes in remembering that he's not 13 anymore. before doing his ten's familiar one-hard sniff and blinking and sighing that familiar ragged 'ahhh' anywAY

NO. THE CORRECT ANSWER IS NO.

with the murray gold? having now segun's pieces AT HIS DISPOSAL?? OH HELL NO IM NOT.

because we all know rtd like to reference and make. it. emotional. pain. you think doomsday is bad?? journey's end with donna bad?? wait.

no. hell no. turn those complaints into dread and fear and worry

AND THEN 15 COMES IN? ALSO WITH BAMBI EYES? no we are royaly fucked. and yall strong chibnall lover need to brace for it. because im bracing for it. for real im bracing it.

god what if 14 and or 15 pull out the yellow flower they had as 13 when officiating yaz's gran's wedding and sort of play with it in thought with a far away look in their eye? NO IM SCARED YALL NEED TO BE SCARED.

every time when rtd or bbc overrelease some bts or clips or shit we end up sobbing. then giffing then sobbing and then analyze.

i need to see some ppl bracing themselves instead of acting like he aint had yall by the throat 6 ft in the ground of hit after hit of emotional shit. yall we still talk about doomsday and journeys end anf last of the time lords and end of time pt 2. what you think rtd gonna do after seeing ALL THE SAME SHIT WE SAW WITH THASMIN LIVE IN FRONT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIO AND AT HOME AUDIENCE? SEEING HOW YAZ AND 13 ALL OUT WITH THE BOOKS AND ALL OF IT?

he is gonna emotionally kill us. moffat he aint gonna do shit other than make us hate an ep, rtd gonna make new wounds. im glad the limit is three episodes. because yall. just. ooh. im tearing up oh god.

why was mandip the very last to leave?

because we knew jodie and chris was leaving. out the gate.

mandip took a brief but long as hell of a moment - and sacha never announced that that was his last as the master at all to this day unless i missed something - to say she leaving alongside jodie and chris.

and thats suspicious. why. so. long. and you know when they have a fantastic fashion photoshoot, they be popping up later as a surprise guest star. just like what billie did, what freema did, what david did, what pearl did, what jenna did. so.

so YES im scared. yall should be too

[question-mark-umbrella]

Okay as someone who: 1) 10 is my least favourite Doctor 2) RTD is my least favourite showrunner, I am not at all excited about his return, and I hate his writing - his plots, his characterisation. Getting rid of the Time Lords, turning the Doctor into an angsty whiny cuntstruck paedophile, deifying him and using Jesus allegory. Fuck offfffff m8, that’s not Doctor Who. Everyone’s banging on about Tennant at the end of that last episode, whereas I’m like “okay cool, I literally don’t care. They brought back Tegan, Ace, Ian, 5-8, of ALL the things that happened in that special, that is on the bottom of my list, beneath even the “dress for the occasion” callback. Oh yeah, and 10 was there too I guess. Whatever. I don’t give a shit.” Plus for everyone who engages in the online discussion and isn’t like “omg noooo, spoilers” it was. pretty obvious she was gonna turn into Tennant, a lot of people had already come to that conclusion. And I am FINE with her being 10. It’s a stunt casting for the 60th, a way to draw in viewers (incidentally, people who dropped off after Tennant, but come back now - or people who drop off after ANY Doctor; Smith, Whittaker, whoever - are NOT Doctor Who fans. They are Tennant fans, or Smith fans etc. They have entirely missed the point of the show). Not only that, but introducing a new Doctor in an anniversary special, which traditionally are a way of celebrating the past, not exactly a good place for Gatwa to start, while it’s focusing on all the history. So yeah, I’m fine with having a little odd regeneration fuckery going on to bring back 10 for the 60th. It’s a fun little scenario that’s been touted in fan circles for years, “Ooh what if they do a story where the Doctor reverts backwards through past regenerations and they have to resolve it and get back to normal” and I like that idea, that’s a great idea. HOWEVER, it was announced AFTER the airing of The Power Of The Doctor that Tennant is 14, and Gatwa is 15. LMAO, nah Russ, he’s not 14. Get fucked. Everyone’s already gotten used to saying Gatwa’s 14. It doesn’t feel right saying he’s 15. It ESPECIALLY feels wrong saying that TENNANT is 14. Seriously, say the lineup to yourselves out loud. Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. Eurgh. It just feels dirty, doesn’t it to you? Ncuti Gatwa is the Fourteenth Doctor, ahhhh, now that’s nice, that suits him, that’s the right number. I suspect this may all be a publicity stunt, in the sense that actually these statements will be retracted down the line and that it’s all designed to play into the mystery, the appeal, the drawing in of viewers, hence Russell’s comments saying “Ooh how does it all tie in to Donna’s return?” I mean the way he looks at his outfit change, he’s surprised, so that’s no doubt a hint that he suspects some shenanigans going on. And the same way everyone thinks of Chibnall, that’s what I think of RTD; a hack, and I can’t help but have bad faith and assume it’ll be shite. I don’t revere him. I HOPE that, in a 60th, there’ll be other Doctors, and there’s obviously things filmed behind closed doors that we don’t know, the location filming was obviously only a limited part of the story. But what with it being RTD, if it ends up being just 10 back, well it’s not really an anniversary special if you only look back to one era, is it Russ? The era you happened to spearhead last time (Christ, what an ego. And people complain about Moffat’s holier-than-thou grandiosity. I do worry that fandom’s worship for RTD has, like Joss Whedon, inflated him to the point of delusion). So it may well be that this is, as we all suspect, an interim Doctor. But regardless, that’s what we should make him. Like the War Doctor, like the Fugitive Doctor. Because Tennant is NOT 14. Never. Gatwa’s 14. Call him the Fake Doctor, the Interim Doctor, the Technical Difficulty Doctor, the Interloper Doctor, the Glitch Doctor, the Locum Doctor. But Tennant. Is NOT. 14. That’s just that, Russ, no matter what you say. People won’t accept it.

[1-of-those-things]

Fic Writer Review

Tagged by the lovely @picnokinesis (This is great. I love this!)

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

40 (But 3 are published anonymously. Don’t worry about why.)

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

313,378 (Good Lord)

3. How many fandoms have you written for?

Just Doctor Who. And just since 2020. The fandom bug got me!

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

Biological Specificity (239) — The gateway drug to Doctor/Donna (and Interspecies Compatibility as a series)

It Has Been 0 Days Since the Last Incident (237) — This one probably gets a boost because it’s got Tentoo/Rose in the tags, but it’s really Doctor/Donna like always. Sorry bout the cat-fishing. Sometimes you just wanna write Ten, Donna, Tentoo and Rose all traveling around the Universe together!

The Best of Times (Amnesiac Remix) (236) — Just a classic fix-it where a bunch of aliens follow a mind-wiped Donna around. Bog-standard, really.

Acclimatization (234) — The second in the Interspecies Compatibility Series, or as I like to think of it, the beginning of the descent into Doctor/Donna madness

Survival Without Recovery (192) and Lazarus Taxon (192)— The official ending of the Interspecies Compatibility Series and an optional epilogue. Always impressed how many people make it all the way through that series. So much love for this fandom!

5. Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

Oh yeah I respond to ALL of my comments. If I miss one I’ll go back later and apologize lol. I’m so genuinely impressed that anyone other than me likes my writing— anyone who goes through the trouble to let me know they liked it gets all the love from me.

6. A fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I can’t help it, I like all of my fics to have at least a hopeful ending XD. But (It Breaks You Down) A Little Bit More Each Time probably involves the most angst overall.

7. Do you write crossovers?

Nah, I can barely read them.

8. Ever received hate on a fic?

Nope! If my fics are ruining people’s days they’re successfully keeping it to themselves lol

9. Do you write smut?

OH, YES! More than I mean to, if I’m honest. (When did THAT happen?)

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know!

11. Ever had a fic translated?

Nope, I’d imagine it’d be a nightmare considering how many colloquialisms I just throw around.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic?

I’ve collabed with the brilliant @fritzmetzger and @denzikken on three fics (One of which is coming out this week!)

I might've also accidentally co-written a fic with @theoreticalabsurdity @echo84 @krebkrebkreb and @picnokinesis that I think is on schedule for next week. (My part is done anyway!)

13. All time fav ship?

SHOCKINGLY it’s Doctor/Donna. I just love their dynamic so much! Even when I multiship it just ends up poly so I can get my Doctor/Donna fix.

14. WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

OK all of my WIP’s live in secret shame files on my computer because the pressure of having a WIP out in the world might literally kill me. But within that… I was thinking of doing a follow-up to The Volatile Nature of Binary Stars with more Doctor/Donna/Master vibes. Considering I might be the only person on the planet who would enjoy that though... it keeps falling to the end of my very long list of random inspirations.

15. Writing strengths?

I seem to be good at humor. So that’s something! I also like to slide genuine emotion in, but make it sNeAkY so it hits with maximum impact. That seems to go over well, based on the number of reviews I get with phrases like “gut punch” XD. Also every time someone compliments me on my characterizations I definitely get that ’swallowed a hamster’ experience.

16. Writing weaknesses?

Endings! I’m so bad at endings, fam. I love setting up a whole elaborate setting and then I just kind of get too into it and forget I was supposed to be going somewhere or building to something. I just want to keep going! So I have to keep track of all my loose threads and make sure I’m actually doing something with them lol. (This is why most of my fics cap out around the 30K mark max. Keeping track of plot after that is just a bridge too far.)

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I usually just end up doing it in English or explaining my way around it instead of trying to type out another language. Though in my case they’re mainly alien languages that I’d have to make up. And that just seems like A Lot.

18. First fandom you wrote for?

Doctor Who, baby! I’ve literally only been in this game since 2020. Lockdown GOT me.

19. What’s your fav fic you’ve written so far?

This is hard because I become emotionally attached to all my fic monsters, but my favorite monster is… Oh, damn it’s a tie. I can’t decide between The Noble Neverwere and The Volatile Nature of Binary Stars.

The Volatile Nature of Binary Stars was fun for me because it has Angry!Donna AND the Master. And I just kind of want there to be more Doctor/Donna/Master dynamics out in the world. Especially when Donna’s (justifiably!) pissed at the Doctor for abandoning her.

The Noble Neverwere gets a special place in my heart as a fic that I actually plotted out and painstakingly put together. (If Donna seems a little OOC at first that’s part of the plot, not because I lost my damn mind. Though that second option is definitely a risk.)

But yeah, really I love all my fics a little too much. I’m in the camp of “I wrote this for me, but you can read it too,” and I’m always so happy that so many people take me up on that XD

20. Tag!

This was great fun! I definitely recommend it. I'm going to tag a handful of writers (not including the ones who were literally just tagged with me): @nostalgia-tblr @raywritesthings @lilsum4 @veraynes-blog @colorofmymindposts and anyone else who wants to do it!

[oreo102]

So I’m petty at 14’s existence, I don’t like him in the slightest. I don’t like that he’s basically 10.2 and the fandoms characterization of 10, I don’t like that he’s still around, I don’t like that it feels like he’s back just to being the viewersI’m annoyed (bc my pettiness sparks other emotions) that he gets to settle down his Donna 3-5 episodes after 13 has to break yaz’s heart by saying she couldn’t attach herself to anyone.

Just- why does he get a happy ending? (I know why) why could they do it for him but not 13? 13 suffers so much in just power of the doctor. She suffers in s13 and s12. I haven’t watched the other drs but I do know they didn’t have to hear from their *enemy* that they aren’t who they think they are. That they aren’t from when they think they are, that they aren’t even the species they think they are. It’s just- 14 gets a happy ending but 13 doesn’t?

I’m sure They could’ve kept Jodie Whittaker around for a bit longer- idk exactly bc I’m worse than illiterate about how tv show making works but I know she loved playing the dr. Why not just- give her a happy ending? Hell you could still bring tenant back- make the forced regen fuck with their biology and stupid shit. And I’ve gotten off topic

Basically: hate 14 for still existing (srsly the biregeneration is SO DUMB), hate him for getting a happy ending.

15 is where my feelings get complicated. Because I love the characters. I really do, but the plots… and villains… and side characters… they’re unbearably boring and the biggest crime in entertainment is being boring. Not bad, not shitty. Boring. Because it implicitly fails at its job: to entertain.

The main reason I’m petty about him is that he gets to kiss a guy after knowing him for a few hours and thasmin didn’t even get to hug more than once, tbh. Other than that I like him well enough

Hi, I’m incredibly petty about 14 and 15 currently, plz ask me anything about them if you want me to rant or anything about 13 if you want rambles (I’m being so serious, I like talking about these things but have to many thoughts to pinpoint) ((will reply inbetween sleep and work tomorrow, probably))

[whatsaboomlakalaka]

fic writer interview!

thanks for the tag @grantairesbottle !!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

20 ! how did that happen !

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

56,068

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

5 on ao3 but really 4 bc I think Original Work + Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game) count as one (its backstory for one of my PCs)

the others are Les Miserables, Dimension 20 (specifically Fantasy High) and Life with Derek

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

What To Expect When You're Expecting A Soulmate - (Dimension 20 (Fantasy High)) - Fig/Ayda - the figayda soulmark au nobody asked for but i wrote anyway - classic first words your soulmate will say to you are written on your body somewhere, bc with their first interaction how could i NOT. 2k, oneshot!

Llamas and Siblings and Pies, Oh my! - (Life with Derek) - Casey/Derek - texting fic! the whole family's involved! i don't know how to describe this one except ridiculous and very fun! 4k, oneshot!

Bump In The Night - (Life with Derek) - Casey/Derek - a mix of soulmark aus from a 3am prompt that i wrote in 40mins and didn't read through before i posted. wild that its this high up tbh. 600 words, ficlet!

A Pretty Good Bad Idea - (Life with Derek) - Casey/Derek - summer vibes prompt that's actually just pwp - everyone loves smut OPPPPP. 2.5k, oneshot!

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger - (Les Miserable) - Enjolras/Grantaire - again, everyone loves smut? this fic is so old omg but yeah i guess its a thing i wrong. canon-compliant pwp. 2k, oneshot!

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes! Always! I love to chat come talk to me!!

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

God, right. Do we mean angst like "everyone's about to die"? Because if so, What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger, again, or Just Open Your Eyes - but they're both Les Mis and like. Is death angst in canon-era Les Mis bc idt it is???

Non-death related, I'm going with Evacuate The Dancefloor. Mostly because it was going to end happily and then the last 40 words just came out of nowhere but like. It had to. Idk. Sad wanking innit.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Hmmm I haven't written any with like crossed over characters but I like putting people in different settings. Hogwarts AUs etc. And like. My Life with Derek Tag AU, cleverly just titled "Tag".

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Writing for small fandoms is a blessing, no.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yeah but like I'm not comfortable writing it really? But sometimes I do it to challenge myself and those are always the fics with the best stats which is WILD.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Again, not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Nel said this too in hers lol but like. No posts fic, but RP. A lot of RP.

Also @nosybutterfly and I have the starting of a Life with Derek one but we've both been working on separate things recently - Em we should get back to it !!!

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

The ship that first got me into fanfiction was Harry/Ginny (Harry Potter). But I've probably read more Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Miserables) than anything else. Plus Combeferre/Courfeyrac (also Les Mis). Honourable mentions to: Beck/Johanssen (The Martian), Josh/Donna (The West Wing), Laurie/Amy (Little Women), and Casey/Derek (Life with Derek).

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Nothing has been posted of it yet but I've got this one Ballet Dancer!Casey/Photographer!Derek Long Distance AU and. Eurgh. One day.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think I manage to get a lot of info into not a lot of words. I also think I'm funny but who knows what everyone else thinks.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I start so many things I know I'll never finish yikes

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter - I don't even remember my old username but it was on Sink Into Your Eyes, back in the day.

Also Firefly - mostly on fireflyfans.net

19. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

A Thousand Years Go By (Love Don’t Die) - Life with Derek - Derek/Casey - the mcturi siblings are paranormal investigators checking out sam's new mansion-come-hotel. 8k, oneshot!

this fic hit me like a fever dream and i could think of nothing else until it was written. its also got just... so few hits compared to my other dasey fics and that makes me sad sometimes ngl.

Tagging anyone who wants to do it! Say I tagged you and I'll back you up!!

[takaraphoenix]

Fic Writer Review

Thanks to @light-miracles​ for tagging me! <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

As of this week, 1004 fics! :D”

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

8,052,836 words and counting ;)

3. How many fandoms have you written for?

Gosh that depends on how you define “fandom”. Like, does the Rise of the Brave, Tangled Dragons fandom count as one, because the crossover makes it one fandom, or would you count the movies individually? Same goes to DC.

The way I would count it, I’d say 27. Counting all the DC properties under the DC umbrella as one, same for the crossover fandoms.

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Marvel, Loki/Tony, 6245 kudos)

The Lion’s Pride (Voltron, Shiro/Keith/Lance, 5615 kudos)

Percy and the Ghost King of Summers High (PJatO, Nico/Percy, 4680 kudos)

Percy Jackson, Ambassador of Hades (PJatO, Nico/Percy, 3841 kudos)

My College Boyfriend (PJatO, Nico/Percy, 3613 kudos)

Deadass, this feels like a glitch. I have written seventy-nine multiple-chapter fics. By virtue of having multiple chapters, they tend to draw in a bigger crowd of people. And even if not, I could think of a dozen of more deserving oneshots off the top of my head, at least. I do not understand number 5 at all, it makes no sense, I have 1004 fics and by virtue of people clicking a button, this incredibly... mundane... not-even-3k-long fic is the fifth place for most-heart-button-clicks...? Like, it’s not a bad fic, it is just... impossibly boringly slice of life? Nothing happens in it? It’s not even one of the long oneshots where a lot of plot or feelings - or heck even insanely kinky smut I’d get - happens? I truly can not fathom what made this story so much more worthy of clicking the dumb heart-button than all of the hundreds of stories that have... so much more going on in it...? My brain genuinely can’t comprehend this.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

Always. Because it feels like the polite thing to do. Sadly, receiving comments is not a given. Even when people like a fic - especially on AO3, with its cop-out “just click here to leave a heart” alternative, and yes I absolutely do think that that’s part of why many people don’t leave comments, because they are so conditioned through social media to think that a like-button is all it takes to communicate. So, in this comment-economy, I do think it’s worth to say thank you to those who do take the time and make the effort to leave actual feedback and truly let you know they enjoyed the story or what they enjoyed about the story.

6. A fic you've written with the angstiest ending.

That’d be a Beyblade oneshot from my German fandom days that was unrequited love ending in a suicide.

7. Do you write cross overs?

I used ot greatly dislike crossovers, because they only cater to a very specific group of people where those fandoms actually overlap for. But then I came across the whole Tangled/Brave/RotG/HttYD crossover fandom and it kind of took me by surprise. Opened my eyes to crossovers and since then, I’ve dipped into quite a couple different kinds of crossovers.

8. Ever received hate on a fic?

Were you really a fanfic author in the 2010 decade if you didn’t receive hate from the censorship and purity cult? Or, heck, in the beginning of that decade, from the homophobic “ew slash ships are evil and gross” crowd? :/

9. Do you write smut?

You could say that, yeah. *chuckles*

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

*ugly sobbing* I hate wattpad--

11. Ever had a fic translated?

I have been asked for permission more often than I can count, but I just... I just don’t like that? The thought of my fics on other people’s account, even when they do give credit to me as the original author.

And a bunch of the stolen fics on wattpad were, indeed, people who just decided to translate my fics and post them, all without my permission.

I did translate one fic myself though, because I wrote it when Germany passed the marriage equality law, so I wrote it in German and then figured I should also post it in English. ^^

12. Have you ever co written a fic?

Yes, I have! With the very lovely @kimmycup! ^-^

13. All time Fav ship.

ALL time. I think I have to go with Kaito/Shinichi from Detective Conan. It’s, by now, the ship that’s been with me the longest in an active way. I still get excited about them, I even wrote a fic for them just last month to celebrate my 1000th AO3 fic.

14. WIP you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

*looks shamefully at Animexx* Basically all my old Beyblade fics. I dropped out of that fandom too suddenly and it doesn’t help that they’re in German and I’ve stopped writing in German.

15. Writing strengths?

Writing speed and the ability to plan ahead; both, when I write a fic as well as planning my schedule ahead.

16. Writing weakness?

Endings? I really struggle with when to end a fic and how.

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

It’s stupid and unnecessary. Use italics and note what language they’re speaking in. Like, look, if it’s a language you actually speak, I can understand the temptation, but 90% of those include an A/N about how the author used Google translate for that and just... why.

And I straight-up hate when authors then don’t include the translation directly behind the spoken part but rather at the very end of the chapter... I don’t... I don’t want to scroll down to look at what I am just trying to read in the middle of the chapter and then have to find the place I was before? It completely breaks the reading flow.

I think that petnames, even some phrases, do make things more authentic, when you’re writing bilingual characters. But when it’s entire dialogues, that’s too much and should just be indicated that it is being said in another language.

18. First Fandom you wrote for?

Yu-Gi-Oh!

19. What's your fav fic you've written so far?

It always depends. I have a lot of fics I am very proud of, or that I think are incredibly well-done. But for me my favorite fic would be defined by the one I enjoy rereading the most. Within the last year or so, I’d say it’s probably The Lost Soulmarks, but there are a bunch I’m bouncing back and forth between and it’s also always up to what fandom or pairing I’m craving. There’s no one holy grail fic that I hold over all others, I guess.

Tagging @kimmycup, @fallenqueen2, @miazeklos, @donnas-troia, @justonemorechapternicercy

[det395]

ty sm arlo @throwing-roses-into-the-abyss for tagging me :D

1- how many books are too many books in a series?

i need a lot of convincing already to agree to the commitment of any series but i think if i fall in love with one then i’d be happy if it’s pretty long. but i think 4 books is a good number for a series

2- what do you think about cliffhangers?

hhhhh i want all books to be rounded out satisfactorily, but a bit of a cliffhanger can be fun

3- hardback or paperback?

paperbacks, with a passion! they’re cheaper, smaller, lighter, easier to hold/bend into position, i hate hardcovers where the sleeves are slippin and slidin, and i dont mind the look of worn books at all in fact i think it’s pretty cute (which i might just be saying bc i wreck all my books ok im gonna shove them in my backpack it cant be helped) and i want my bookshelf to be consistently paperbacks so i get Angery when new books only come in hardcover and i have refused to buy books for that reason. but i have a few used and gifted hardcovers

4- least favourite book?

i can’t say that i hold any real grudges against any books, but there is one book “in the name of the family” that my parents gave me for christmas, maybe bc i had a GoT phase? and it’s my only 1 star book. it’s probably not a BAD book but oh my god i could not get through it, every paragraph was torture because it was just so fucking BORING and i didnt understand the historical context or what was going on, nor did i care at all

5- Love Triangle, yes or no?

i feel obliged to admit that i will still go ham for the twilight love triangle if prompted, even if some (a lot) of it annoys me i fuckin love that drama so alas i cannot claim superiority in my tastes, but usually these days if i see a love triangle i scream at my book “JUST BE POLY!”

6- the most recent book you just couldn’t finish

star eater, which made me sad to abandon! it wasn’t even bad, hell it was about cannibalistic zombie nuns so it was right up my alley, but something about it fell so flat and i didnt care at all and i had another book that i wanted to read so i DID. bc i want to dnf more easily instead of forcing myself to suffer through books im meh about. but it still made me sad to not give it a full chance, even tho i think if it’s not great for the first bit, there’s not a big chance it’s going to turn around

7- book you are currently reading

the ocean at the end of the lane by neil gaiman! i am enjoying it

8- last book you recommended to someone

the secret history by donna tartt to a couple of friends! have already promised to lend it out once i buy a copy lmao. loved ittttt SO MUCH

9- oldest book you read

maybe frankenstein, 1818? i dont read many classics, and i also dont know when they’re from usually so i could be forgetting something, but probably isn’t that likely that i’ve read anything before the 1800s

10- the most recent book you read ?

(most recently published?) probably the final volume of attack on titan!

11- favourite author?

ahhh i don’t have a favourite and that seems like a lot of pressure to choose, i just have authors that i enjoyed enough to want to try more books by. some of those authors (not in order) are patrick ness, emily st. john mandel, shirley jackson, haruki murakami, benjamin alire saenz, stephen king, maybe donna tartt now. idk none get Master status in my books that ill read anything they write and i have big issues with some of these even ghdfjs and i have the feeling that im missing some

12- buying books or borrowing books?

was just talking today about how cute it is to borrow books! but im probably the biggest reader of my irl friends so it’s usually me buying all the books and then lending them out instead of the other way around lol….

12- a book you dislike that everyone else seems to love

didn’t HATE these but just wasn’t a big fan: jane eyre, the night circus, difficult women, couple books by akwaeke emezi that i wanted to love

14 - bookmarks or dogears?

bookmarks! ahhhh dog ears stress me out no creases!! im always smoothing out creases. sidenote: someone once bought me a metal bookmark and i was like wow fancy and then it ruined the pages lmao never again

15- The book you can always reread?

i rarely do rereads, id probably get sick of any book. excited to reread the haunting of hill house tho maybe that will become mine

16- can you read while listening to music?

sometimes i need it, sometimes i have to turn it off in order to see lol

17- one POV or multi POV?

one pov preferably but multi pov can be done so well

18- do you read book in one sitting or in multiple days?

ive only ever read one book in one sitting and that was eclipse lmao. i definitely don’t have that focus anymore, it always takes me a while just because my mind wanders

19- who to tag:

ill tag @realisaonum @uttermywish @overcapitalized @natigail @tarredion if you guys want! :D

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

@chanto-love has been getting a lot of people talking in the past few days about why they like these pairs so much. So I decided to try creating pairs of characters in my own fiction as the sort of thing I'm talking about. This post is a very very partial description of the list I got to.

Big

1. The Doctor and Donna, Doctor's Time and Donna Noble. I just wanted a pair of characters with one who was more capable in one way than another, and who would be very cool together. This was just the most obvious one at the top of my head.

2. The Doctor and Yaz, I mean really, you can't write about space without "lovable idiot" and "brave and sensible hero."

3. The Doctor, Yaz, and Ten, and then just for funsies the Doctor and the Master. I don't know if the Master counts as a "lovable idiot," but he is definitely a "brave and sensible hero," and the Doctor would be really great as his foil.

Little

4. Ten, Donna, and Ace, and then just for funsies Ten and Ace, obviously.

Soft

5. Ten and Rose, Ten's innocence as part of this contrast with Rose's corruption.

Big

6. Twelve and Clara, "the best" as a contrast to the Doctor's not the best, and also the Doctor's "you could never be like me."

Wicked

7. Bad Wolf and the Master, the "good guy," the "evil bad guy," the "chosen one."

Soft

8. Twelve and the TARDIS, the "soft" part of Twelve being contrasted to the Doctor's not the soft, and also contrast to the Master's "dark and dangerous."

Powers

9. Three and Rose, the Doctor being very good but not the best. Also Nine and Ten, and Eleven and Twelve, and Nine, Ten, and Eight.

Soft

10. Ten and Rose, again, contrast to the Doctor.

Dark

11. Ace and Six, again, contrast to the Doctor.

12. Twelve and Clara, again, contrast to the Doctor, and also contrast to the Master (because it's him).

Coolness

13. Twelve and Clara, again.

14. Eleven and Clara, again.

15. The Master and Donna, again.

Hate

16. I was trying to think of someone that's sort of a foil to the Doctor but ended up putting Twelve and Clara together. Anyway, there's a lot to say about those two!

thinking about ttcc manager pairs. thinking about how well they're designed as pairs and how we ought to see them as pairs more often

buck and brian, rationality and irrationality- or, the irrationality of chance and the irrationality of ego

mary and misty, big and loud but plays defensively vs little and meek but whips up a storm

holly and prester, girlboss vs sexist

benjamin and cathal, vapid industriousness vs righteous slacking

belle and dave, composed vs careless, classic vs experimental, only-eyes vs only-smile

flint and cosmo, fire and ice, kindness and cruelty, meek and powerful vs confident and incompetent. TALL vs lil bitty guy

tawney and graham, sleepy vs awake, union organizer vs startup bro, coffee vs energy drinks

i think we should draw the pairs together and or fighting more often. they put a lot of effort into the duality i think

[zeppelin-and-unicorns]

Fanfic recommendations part six: 100% Alternate Universe stories.

Hey! It took me a while to post this and I’m sorry, got too caught up with, well, you know, life (ew). But I’m back!

All the stories listed in this are stories are 100% AU (yes, I’m including the Soulmate AU’s in this category). I’ve read and enjoyed them all.

Accidentally In Love by the bohemian flow.

Rachel Hyde was a witness to a strange romance that blossomed between her twin brother, Steven, and Jackie Burkhart, of all people. Her and Steven weren't the biggest fans of Jackie, but now, he loves her. How could Rachel possibly put up with her brother's girlfriend?

AU where Hyde has a sister. Not 100% focused on J/H, since it’s from Hyde’s sister POV, but it’s still pretty good.

This story is a WIP and it’s being updated constantly.

109k words, 28 chapters so far.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, OC/Kelso, OC/Eric, Eric/Donna.

A Different Start Could Lead to a Better End by SoftBubbles

Instead of Hyde meeting her as Kelso's annoying girlfriend, what if he met her as his annoying English partner, whom he quickly learns is more than she seems.

This story is not complete, it was last updated on July of 2020, and I pray for the author to come back to it one day, it’s a really good story.

Trigger warning for child abuse.

13k words, 14 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Bad Moon on the Rise by Badfanfic

Set around season 2. Jackie starts to develop feelings for Hyde, even though its the last thing she wants. Hyde is just trying to survive but is having difficulty controlling himself, especially around a certain cheerleader.

Hyde is a werewolf in this story. And THIS IS GOOD Y’ALL, I’ve read this like 10 times already.

Unfortunally, I think this story is abandoned, the last time the author updated was in June of 2020, but I still have hope, it’s really good and I’m DYING to read more. I absolutely adore stories with supernatural elements, and it’s so hard to find good ones in this fandom. Please read this.

13k words, 9 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Focus by Jenny7

After a metaphysical awakening, Hyde develops the ability to telepathically connect with a single stranger. What he doesn't expect is that the girl that he shares the connection with, a rich cheerleader with a complicated past, will forever alter his views on life and love.

SO GOOD. It’s complete and it has a sequel (that’s not complete but still worth the read), called Darlin, Walk Awhile With Me.

2k words, 19 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde.

History Rewritten by kezztip

What if Hyde got his Season 1 wish and stole Donna away from Eric? And then what if Eric had turned to a certain tiny cheerleader instead?

This story is complete, and if you have a soft spot for Eric/Jackie, than you might like this a lot.

81k words, 25 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Jackie/Eric, Hyde/Donna, Eric/Donna.

(I absolutely hate the Hyde and Donna pairing but it’s temporary so it’s okay).

Playing Pretend by isnotme

Caught up in her teenager concerns – and some wounds to heal, Jackie didn’t realize that her parents' marriage was crashing down for real, causing a major turnaround in her world.

.

In the edge of seventeen, Hyde had too much on his mind. With graduation coming so soon, he knew too well he was about to be kicked out of the Forman's home. But when Bud’s illegal activities came to knock on his door, Hyde saw his plans falling apart once again.

Or

An AU where Jackie and Hyde get themselves in one of those fake relationship situation and somewhere along the way, they find somethings in commun. Highly inspired in every cliché Rom Com ever made, including Netflix's most recents TATBILB and Isi and Ossi.

This story is a WIP and it’s being updated often.

33k words, 13 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Pretty in Wisconsin by BelleBae

Jackie Burkhart has a lot to deal with. Her dad is in prison, her mum can't get it together and one of her best friends is in love with her. Will she be able to sort everything out by Prom? Inspired by Pretty In Pink.

Cute and complete.

20k words, 23 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Rock You Like a Hurricane by zeppelinandunicorns (yours truly)

Alternative universe where Donna met Jackie before meeting Eric and the rest of basement gang.

Jackie and Donna are 16 and 17 when they finally met the four basement misfits after a Fleetwood Mac concert.

This story is a WIP, and I do not plan on abandoning it, I love it too much to do that.

77k words, 15 chapters so far.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna, background Red/Kitty and eventual Fez/Laurie and Kelso/Brooke.

Also Available on AO3

She Belongs to me series by QueenBookBuff

A universe where Kelso cared a lot more about Jackie and Hyde getting together and implications of a deeper background for both Jackie and Hyde and Kelso and Jackie.

This got me hooked, it’s really good, please read it.

It’s complete and there are sequels! They are called All Our Tomorrows

and The Scarlet and SJ Chronicles.

27k words, 7 works in total.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Summer Music Series by Wickedfetch

What if Hyde and Jackie didn't meet until 1985?

Complete.

7k words, 3 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Also Available on AO3

That 70s show by Zenmaster21

What if Jackie had dated Hyde from the beginning instead of Kelso? This is simply a re-write of the episodes had Jackie and Hyde always been together.

One of my favorites stories from the entire fandom.

Not complete, but please read it, it’s worth it.

Trigger warning for child abuse.

152k words, 37 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

The Fifth Forman by BlueZeppelin

What if it wasn't just Eric and Laurie? What if they had another sibling? Like...Jackie? What would happen with Hyde? Would Eric be happy with his sister dating his best friend? Would Red like his daughter to be with one of the basement dumbasses?

This story is complete!!

52k words, 18 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

The One Where Jackie Moves In by Floweerchild96

Jackie has been living in New-York with her family but after her father goes to jail and her mother abandons her, she is forced to return to a town she thought she was done with for good. How will Jackie's reemergence in the basement effect the gangs lives?

A really good story, but unfortunally, it’s not complete. Still worth the read.

103k words, 20 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna.

Wall Around Your Heart by ourinvisibleink

Jackie Burkhart-Forman was adopted at almost ten years old by Red and Kitty, after her parents flee the country for drug trafficking crimes. Laurie grapples with addiction, Eric is messed up because of Red’s verbal abuse, Steven’s arrival is brought on by Jackie, Kelso is neglected, Fez is victim to racism, and Jackie befriends Jason, the new kid who happens to be gay.

This story is really good, but it deals with some serious stuff. I still love it.

Complete and it has a sequel called Plastar and Mortar.

52k words, 26 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna, Fez/Laurie, Red/Kitty.

One-shots:

A Little Less 70s, A Little More Modern AU by fairytalesandfolklore

A modern AU where the characters from That 70’s Show grew up in the 90’s x early 2000’s instead.

Cute as hell!!! Worth the read!

1k words.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

found a wife and a home (and a family that matters) by blackorchids

Hyde’s been part of the Forman family for years before they make him move in.

I placed this in the AU category because apparently Jackie and Hyde always dated, it doesn’t specify much.

1k words.

Rated G.

Pairings: background Jackie/Hyde and background Red/Kitty. This is not focused on the couples, but on Hyde’s relationship with the Forman’s.

Lady and The Tramp by soobeans

'See, I, myself, don't like you. I find you abrasive. But if I didn't know you, and I'd never talked to you, I'd think you were totally hot.'

In Point Place, Wisconsin, there are only three distinct areas. The Western area consists of the burnouts, thugs, outcasts, hopeless dreamers, poor people, and overall, tramps. The Eastern area holds the classy, rich, and more fortunate ladies and gentlemen. In between is where the two are forced to intermingle, but of course, they found a few ways to separate themselves.

8k words.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, some minor background Eric/Donna moments.

That Disco Episode: Zenmasters Style by springsteenicious

What if Hyde had learned how to dance to impress Jackie instead of Donna? And what if Jackie hadn’t been dating Kelso?

That Disco Episode, rewritten for Jackie and Hyde.

2k words.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Bonus: Soulmate AU’S:

I am so in love with Soulmate AU’s that I’m currently writing one, I wanted to make a special post just for this category but it would be too small so I just included it in here. 

Finders Keepers by nannygirl

It's said that before you find your soulmate you will find one of their lost items first, so what happens when Hyde finds a gold bracelet in The Formans' backyard? Will it lead him to his soulmate, someone who he's sure probably doesn't even exist?

This story is not complete, but worth the read.

5k words, 2 chapters.

Rated K+.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, some background Red/Kitty

It Takes Time to Fall in Love by yabookreader96

Jackie can't wait to meet her soulmate, but a dire mistake on her part leads her to mistakenly identify him as Michael, while Hyde watches his soulmate clock hit zero and immediately knows that it's Jackie. Years pass, Jackie with Michael, Hyde saying nothing as he knowingly watches from the side. Will this dynamic be permanent or will destiny bring the true soulmates together?

This story is complete.

18k words, 12 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, temporary Jackie/Kelso.

Mistaken Messages by MistyMountainHop

Jackie longs for her soulmate to accept her, and Hyde hopes his will leave him alone because he's in love with someone else. A stack of mystical index cards lets them communicate with their as-yet unidentified soulmates. But the more their soulmates write, the less control Jackie and Hyde seem to have over their fate.

This story is complete.

23k words, 5 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Also Available on AO3

Until We Get There by poetdameron

Running away from their own wedding is the craziest thing Hyde and Jackie have ever done together. But the tug he feels at his heart when realizing she doesn't want to marry him? The worst.

This story is complete.

39k words, 8 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Also Available on AO3

Voodooized by mc_1

Eric’s been noticing something weird going on between Jackie and Hyde. At a party one night, all of Eric’s suspicions are confirmed when the two become love-marked- an event that occurs when soulmates are ready to be together, resulting in a mark on the skin that bonds them together for life. The unlikely couple puzzle over how they could possibly be paired together as they struggle to understand each other.

This story is a WIP.

14k words, 4 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde. Eric/Donna

Where It Wasn’t Supposed To Be by moved-ao3

Jackie thinks it's a blessing, Hyde a curse. Set in an alternate universe where characters receive a list with their soulmate's worst qualities, Jackie and Hyde struggle to navigate their feelings for each other when everything else seems pitted against them.

Not complete, and it makes me want to cry, but it’s really good.

15k words, 5 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Also Available on AO3

One-shots:

all i need by orphan_account

"When he is six years old, the words 'Pudding Pop' appear on his wrist in the curliest, loopiest handwriting he's ever seen. There's even a little heart dotting the 'i'."

1k words.

The author didn’t rate this one, I would rate it as T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Blush by springsteenicious

On a person's eighteenth birthday, they swap bodies with their soulmate. Hyde doesn't have high hopes for his soulmate, but when he wakes up in a very pink room with posters and painted nails, his life is changed for the better.

4k words.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Also Available on AO3

I believe this is all!

I’ll repeat this at the end of every single post (seriously, I literally copy and paste this every single time): Speaking as someone who writes, it would be really cool if you guys decide to leave a review (or a comment, if the story is on AO3) in the stories you read, especially the unfinished ones. It really motivates the authors, and receiving a compliment is always a mood lifter. I’ve seen some authors updating stories after years because of nice reviews, so… yeah, this is just an idea.

Feel free to reply to this post if you think I left out a good story!

Next category: Christmas fics!

[shannonhutchins]

sending our boys josh nd toby back at u pls ! also sam if u would like to

Okay so uh these got long! Because of that I'm going to split the characters up into different posts--naturally I started with Josh because of course I did.

There are references to self harm so please be aware!

The first year at Harvard is Hard for Josh. Like he’s not in danger of like failing out or anything but one of his poli sci professors does take him aside after a month in and tells him he needs to pull it together. The professor is like “this is the big leagues kid and the connections and impressions here matter almost more than your actual grades” and the talk makes Josh so anxious. School has never been easy for him because of his dyslexia—he’s always had to try harder than most to get the same amount of work done. Josh has always been self-conscious about his learning disability and to this day only his mom, Donna, Toby, Sam, and Abbey know because he’s too embarrassed to tell anyone else or ask for help. But anyways, back to the Harvard idea after that talk Josh throws himself into school with such a one-track mind and signs up for as many study groups as he can. He’s really fucking proud of the fact that he made the Dean’s List all but one semester (and he will never talk to anyone about That Semester).

Josh is gay. He dates a lot of women growing up because that’s what he thought he was supposed to be doing but he always stared at certain men for a few beats longer than what could be deemed like *okay* but he doesn’t come out until midway through the Bartlet presidency. The first person in DC he told was Matt Skinner who just smirked at Josh like he always knew, and he promises to keep his secret until he’d ready to like to come out for real. Matt was so helpful in helping Josh navigate the whole coming out process and Josh is incredibly grateful to have him in his corner. The first person he truly tells is his mom when she visits one holiday and Ruth is a trooper just telling him that he’ll always be *her son* and nothing can ever change that. Josh is so relieved at how well his mom takes the whole thing because part of the reason he stayed in the closet for so long is because he worried his mom would be disappointed and he was a bit short of family members so he felt like he couldn’t take that chance? But telling her and being instantly accepted makes Josh cry.

Josh has a history of self-harm. He usually leaves marks in places most people won’t be able to see—like his hip bones and upper legs for example—and only when he was younger did, he cut around his wrists and more visible places. Leo found out when Josh was at Harvard and Ruth and Noah called him asking if he could look in on Josh because he wasn’t returning their calls. Leo never in a million years thought he’d walk in on Josh *like that* he figured Josh was just frazzled with end of semester things which was why he wasn’t getting back to his parents. Leo will take to his grave the image of Josh with a knife in one hand and red crimson dripping down his leg—Josh makes Leo swear he won’t tell his parents and tells him he only does this when it just gets too loud in his head. Leo makes Josh swear back that he’ll call when things get that bad again and Josh true to his word does and no matter what time it is Leo will pick up the phone and drone on to Josh about what stupid things Democrats are doing on the hill. No one else from senior staff know about the self-harm until Rosslyn—they all see the scars while Josh is in the hospital. Josh is self-conscious about the ones on his wrist so much that the minute he can stand it he asks Toby to help him into a long-sleeved shirt because he just can’t take the staring anymore.

Okay so this is a HC based on my Gaza AU arc that I SWEAR I will finish and post. Ya know one day. As a result of the explosion Josh loses partial mobility in one of his legs so he has to use a cane. Like the day his physical therapists told Josh he was devastated, and he locked himself in his room and wouldn’t even come out for Toby because like it’s a lot to get used to? He never expected to not 100% recover—even after Rosslyn he recovered with minimal physical setbacks so he just assumed this would be the same with just more work? Josh glares at the cane for a week straight whenever he’s reminded that he *needs* to use it. Toby gives Josh a week to mope and get his head around this new reality before he sits him down and tells him he needs to get over himself, tells him the cane doesn’t make his any less of anything, and that Toby didn’t wait through 2 surgeries that lasted 14+ hours only for Josh to resent living even if his life wasn’t the same as it was before. The day Josh steps back into the White House cane and all Josh is nervous—he hates the idea of walking into the white house so visibly off kilter, but Abbey greets him at the gate and welcomes him as if she was her son and brings him to see Jed first thing and Jed jokes that they should get matching canes and Josh laughs. He never 100% accepts needing to use the cane but his outlook on it drastically improves the longer he uses it and sees that people don’t treat him any differently.

Josh likes to wear dresses and skirts! I don’t make the rules the boy just DOES okay. He usually only wears them inside his apartment and he’s more likely to wear them when he’s stressed—he loves the different fabrics and styles and how they feel against his skin. It just feels nice and when Donna and CJ find out they always make it a point to pick up stuff that they think Josh will like when they are out shopping together. The first Monday Josh finds a box of clothes in his office and he opens it up to see what it is he *melts* because he realizes how lucky he is to have these people in his life. These people who accept him unconditionally. The first time Toby sees Josh is a short skirt he feels like he could faint—in a good way he rushes to tell Josh.

[stina-bo-bina]

Ships Meme

Talk about the first ship you ever had. That was Chandler/Monica  when I was 14 and in high school. I don’t even know how it began. I was  watching Friends reruns and saw them get together and boom! Obsessed.  It’s funny because I never went for Ross/Rachel but C/M were a good, easy ship to start out with.

Talk about three of the most important ships throughout your life.

What’s your current OTP? Right now it’s Josh/Donna since finishing The West Wing for my first time in October and currently slowly rewatching.

What’s your current NOTP? None.

Do you have any poly ships? No.

How do you feel about love triangles? I hate them! I much prefer a lot  of other keep them apart tropes.

How do you feel about RPF? I’ve never been into it.

Have you ever shipped yourself with a character? Yes, I think with the male part of every ship. hahaha.

Do you have many ships that never got together at all? No,  I don’t think so. I tend to ship pretty mainstream.

Do you ship any characters that have never met? No.

Talk about your favorite first kiss. Luke and Lorelai: amazing, amazing, amazing. It still makes my stomach flip every time I watch it. ALSO Nick/Jess. Amazing. Josh/Donna’s first kiss is also amazing. The whole vibe with the music.  (I know this said favorite but those are my top 3 I guess.)

Have you ever been disappointed when your ship finally got together? Yes, Booth/Brennan let me down a bit. It was kind of a bummer how we saw no lead up to it. I liked that they had a kid (well, 2) and got married but once they got together they weren’t as great anymore.

Has a ship ever broken your heart? LUKE/LORELAI. I mean, they made up for it in the end but late s6/s7 was painful in real time and I was legit heartbroken. Also Sam/Diane because they never ended up together.

How do you feel about will they/won’t they? Many of my ships ARE this, so I guess I like it. Although it has to be  “will they” in the end AND I  don’t like it if it’s until the VERY end.

Have you ever “shipped at first sight”? Don’t think so.

Talk about a ship you initially disliked. None.

Talk about a pairing you’ve stopped shipping romantically. None, I don’t give up shipping much once I start.

Talk about a moment which made you question an entire ship. Lorelai sleeping with Christopher a the end of season 6.

Have you ever shipped something despite yourself? No.

Talk about a ship you feel alone in shipping. None, I’m a mainstreeam shipper.

Is there a ship you just don’t get, but have nothing against? I have nothing against Ross/Rachel  but I never shipped them hardcore which seems strange that I didn’t.

Which of your ships have the best chemistry? Luke/Lorelai and Josh/Donna are pretty consistent through the whole series. Nick/Jess are strong in s2 and so are Booth/Brennan in s2.

Which of your ships deserve better writing? Nick/Jess (mostly Nick). His character got so strange after they got together.

Do you mostly ship canon pairings? Yes.

Have you ever shipped a pairing before you even started watching the show/movie simply because of gifs and graphics or similar? I was kind of like this with Booth/Brennan I think. Josh/Donna too. I knew   they were a big deal and would end up shipping them before I watched.

Have you noticed a pattern in your shipping? Is there a romantic dynamic you’re more drawn to? Friends first. 

Is there a ship you’ve shipped for most of your life? Chandler and Monica I started shipping in 1999. 22 years. Of course it comes and goes but whenever I get in a Friends binge I fall right back into them.

Does shipping come easily to you? Not really. I ship very few ships compared to all the TV I watch and there’s a lot of couples out there I’m cool with (I like Jim/Pam for example) but I don’t consider them my SHIP.

Do you need to ship something to really enjoy a movie/book/tv show/comic? Yes and no. I can enjoy a lot of shows without shipping obsessively (The Office, How I Met Your Mother, tons of shows I watch). But when I ship that’s when it spills over into OBSESSION.

Name a couple of fandoms in which you have no ships. HIMYM (I liked Barney/Robin but never felt I was a shipper), Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy. 

Talk about one of your favorite headcanons for a ship you love. I feel like Josh/Donna have a lot of  headcanons that are fandom recognized (the trip was to Hawaii. They move in together right after).

Do you have a favorite trope and/or AU for your OTP? I never really get into AU.

Do you like and use ship names? The only time it’s something other than their initials I think was Luke/Lorelai (JavaJunkies).

Is there a fictional relationship you’d really want for yourself? I’d go for the ones with less breakups and drama (Chandler/Monica, Josh/Donna aren’t too bad).

If you could change one thing about your OTP, what would that be? I understand Gilmore Girls wanting Lorelai to go through the whole Christopher relationship to prove it wasn’t right for her, but I’d change how it was done.

Which ships have made it to marriage? Chandler/Monica, Booth/Brennan, Nick/Jess, Luke/Lorelai (haha I can say that now!).

Which ships have children on screen? Chandler/Monica, Booth/Brennan, (Nick/Jess do in the flashforward?).

Ship that took the longest to get together? Josh/Donna

Ships that never broke up? Chandler/Monica, Booth/Brennan, Josh/Donna (simply because they got together at the very end haha).

[porcupine-girl]

I’ve not watched spn since season 9 (either for the plot or anything else!). But I have been reading fanfic again. Do you think I should start watching it again?

It would help to know what you did and didn’t like and why you stopped watching.

A lot of people left because of 9x03 specifically (the terrible episode where April tricks Cas into sleeping with her in a situation where consent on his part is just not possible for multiple reasons, kills him, then Dean tells him he can’t stay in the bunker without the slightest bit of explanation). It’s a terrible episode, and while I’m sad to say there are equally or more traumatic episodes after it, there’s really only a handful of them. A lot of people would probably say only two. So if that’s your sticking point, you might be fine if you do a bit of research to find out which episodes are similarly traumatic and skip them. (Edit: I thought Kevin died in 9x03 too, but mittens points out that’s in a different awful buckleming episode.)

If you just didn’t like the plot of S9 in general, again I’d probably need more details? Because other than that shit, overall I really like S9 and so you will probably have different opinions than me on other seasons as well. If you’re hoping for the show to go back to the “feel” of older seasons, that never happens. I think from S8 on out it’s a fairly distinctly different show.

Obviously, I kept watching so I think there’s stuff worth watching for - not uniformly, though. The show almost lost me for a while. The end of S10 is hot garbage, S11 wasn’t bad-bad but I didn’t like it either, and then I had no interest in one of the major plot lines of S12. But 13 got me back, and I think it’s a fairly solid season. I also like 14 other than one particular plot arc and a few specific episodes, and I thought S15 was fantastic other than episodes 2, 19, and 20.

The finale was so bad that if I weren’t doing my podcast I would likely have never watched the show again. Don’t watch the finale.

There are a lot of really wonderful characters in the later seasons that I personally think the show is overall worth watching for. Rowena, Jack, Eileen, Billie, Donna, Claire - I am excited for my sister, who I’m watching with for @season14podcast , to get to the later seasons just so she can meet these people! Some are killed too early. Some, of course, come back, though that doesn’t always erase the pain of their deaths. Some are treated unfairly. So even there it’s not all smooth sailing, but again, for me it’s worth it.

If you would be watching purely for destiel content.... well idk. Obviously I’m assuming you know how that ends. It’s up to you whether you want to watch seasons and seasons of Cas being Canonically In Love With Dean knowing that the show will never, never admit that Dean is also in love with Cas, no matter how obvious it is. I was not really watching for destiel reasons past S10. I got my destiel fix in fic. In fact, sometimes I really hate how Dean treats Cas and one of my favorite moments of S15 is when Cas has had enough and walks out on him. So uh take that as you will I guess.