#qots 4x13

[northcountry39]

QOTS Parallels 3x05/4x13

[sorryformyfrenchposts]

QOTS 4x13 : Reactions !

Well well well looks like I organize myself well enough to be able to watch the episode almost live ! Seems like my fav TV show can be a really good motivation : I wraped up my work in no time. Anyway, here are my reactions straight to the episode. I need time to process everything that happened, I think I’ll rewatch it in a couple of days. 

I’ve never been so stressed about one episode ! My heart was beating so fast, my hands were cold and wet haha, I’m way to involved in this

With no mentions in the previouslies and neither in the cast ... maybe James belongs to the deleted scene ?! 

YEs ! Oksana comes back. This new deal with the Russians seems scary. I remember Camila saying “I don’t deal with the Russians”, I guess there was a good reason for that. But I get the point of Teresa though 

Alfonso Herrera was very very good in this episode. I loved all his scenes. I could feel his pain. 

Marcel scared me ! 

The Judge got what he deserves. Too bad for his son though. It crossed my mind maybe his son would have killed him. But I think we are not done with him. He is very powerful.

I loved the scene when Javier told Teresa about Rene and Emilia. So good actors ! And One mention about James, out of the blue, one ! 

I told you Javier will be out. Well Dead. But What a scene !! Loyal to Teresa till the end, being his soldier. I was litterally screaming of joy in front of my screen. But ugh being burnt alive... my god this is harsh. 

Eddie... really ? I saw it was already 5 minutes before the hand and I confess that my hope for James were going down... Even though I had seen the promo pictures. But wow, how she tells him the truth. First time she says this, first time we here it, was kind of a big moment I think. I don't know if it was a smart move. But I'm not sure Eddie is more than a piano player so maybe it's just the only way to keep him far from her.

28 sec and finally PG is back ! Well no surprise effect here for me but glad to see his pretty face again.

Now hiatus. But stay close by because I might give you all my thoughts about what's coming next. I can't wait for S5, with PG back, it will be a lot more addictive than this season.

[qotsgifs]

[santa-xx]

oh, some idiot is going to die... wait, that’s MY idiot!

but seriously... they are literally the Queen and the King of saving each other's asses lol

[jamesvaldez]

I've seen alot of speculation about how much Teresa has grown and changed since James absence and that she might be a more hardened/closed character in S5. But i've seen little speculation as to who James will be. I don't know if it's just me but on his return- the car, original leather jacket, longer hair, neater beard i got real S1 James vibes. So i'm wondering after what Jame's has experienced off screen if he has reverted to 'win/lose, live/die attitude. Who do you think James will be in S5?

It’s a very interesting ask, and you are right, James’ mindset for s5 hasn’t really been talked about as far as I know and it’s pretty legit as we really don’t know what happened to him during s4. I can only base myself off of the James we’ve followed from s1 to s3 and thus, I think s5!james will do everything he can, using his skills and knowledge as well as putting his life on the line (see 4x13), to protect Teresa and her business. I wouldn’t say what vibes he gave off in 4x13, he came warn her while bleeding out and, to be honest, he would do so in every single season of qots haha.

I don’t want him to revert to his s1 live-or-die attitude because I think it would destroy his - according to me - wonderful s2/s3 character development. I always remember James’ mindset in s2, and what he said to Guero in 2x13: “If I give her that money, she’s gonna have a foothole in this business, and we both know how that ends.” He just never wanted Teresa to go after the money, to build a drug business. But since Teresa decided on that, and that he finds peace with himself in working with her/loving her, he wants in and wants to protect her. “We did it. -No, you did it.”, “If they come for me, I’ll be ready. -If they come for you I’ll be ready.” 

James is written smart and we can assume that by spending time with the CIA, be it as a prisoner or informer, he's probably gathered information regarding Teresa’s business situation on a broader scale. He can use whatever that is to their advantage and be smart about their situation, maybe suggest new alliances even. But we don’t even know what went down exactly with the CIA so it’s really all speculation on my part.

Ultimately, what I’m worried about is whether or not James’ love for Teresa and the purpose he finds in protecting her will be his downfall. I can see that being the recurring theme for James in s5 more than him reverting to a live-or-die attitude. But that’s only my two cents :’) Thank you for asking :)

[jerepars]

Throwing Copper Extended Chapter Notes

3 / 5 Why We Ever

Hyperlinks appear in blue (underlined on mobile). The story is posted here. Direct link to this chapter is here.

James contemplated what an early morning of everyday things would consist of if they were different people, in a different life. He wondered if she would make fun of his bedhead and if her laughter would fill up the air in the room when he reached over and pulled her closer, threatening to not let go unless she stopped squirming, until the book they’d been reading toppled to the floor, forgotten. He wondered if they’d let their coffee run cold.

There’s a song called “Everyday Things” by David Usher, which doesn’t mention any of the things James is thinking about here, but I do like the idea of James (or Teresa for that matter) thinking of what everyday things would consist of for them. Also, I hadn’t heard the original version of this song in...years...because the one I always listen to is the acoustic version, featuring Cœur de pirate, whose back vocals are very complimentary. The original version of the song doesn’t even sound right to me and it sounded so off when I listened to it to get the url. Not that any of this matters at all.

A frown settled between Teresa’s eyebrows and she blinked away tears before they could form. She swallowed the lump of emotions blocking her throat. There was an irony to her actions. Doing something for James gave her new lungs, but explaining it to him made it hard to breathe.

The song “New Lungs” by Glacier Veins is what I was thinking of here, because of the line that goes And with new lungs I relearn how to breathe.

“You know why,” she answered simply, unwilling to elaborate what she was sure they both understood.

Making her feel better and being a shoulder to lean on might’ve been things James did out of a sense of obligation. But turning up in New Orleans to warn her about Devon, and then being the overwatch for the meeting Devon had shown up to – those things were about something else. It was the same for Teresa. When the opportunity presented itself, for her to make James’ Devon problem go away, the reason she didn’t hesitate wasn’t because she felt she owed him or had to repay him. She did it because it was James. The things they took on for each other, actions strong enough to shift tectonic plates, they did because they wanted to. The only boundaries of their loyalty and love for one another were speaking about them out loud.

I’ve found the cave metaphor from 1x06 to be something that I continually come back to while writing about James and Teresa. There’s a part of the conversation, which focuses on how far implication goes with them, when James says, “You know what I’m talking about” (1:35). So I wanted there to be a similar thing here, with Teresa saying “you know why” about why they’re willing to do so much for each other. It seems a big part of why they never say how they really feel is because it’s so easy for them to make vague statements with implications that they both understand. 

Teresa was right, and James did understand, because when he looked at her again, the warmth of his eyes was ebbing away at the anger held there. “Not sure I can exist without consequence,“ James told her softly.

When I started planning this chapter, I could hear James’ dialogue here so clearly in my mind. The line and the idea of James having grown so uneasy with a life where there’s no retribution against him is inspired by American Football’s “Uncomfortably Numb”. Mike Kinsella (the band’s vocalist) and Hayley Williams (who is featured on the track) do a little call and return with the line: But how will you exist (how will I exist?) without consequence? I’ll let you know.

This song is so hypnotic and I remember listening to it ad nauseum, except that I never got tired of it, when it first came out. I listened to it over and over and over again (again, lol) while writing this chapter, and I still love it. The mood of the song, in my opinion, really matches the mood of the chapter.

Despite the high stakes of their mission, or maybe because of it, the last three days had been better than, perhaps, the last three hundred. Like looking in his eyes and searching for clarity, working with James again was like muscle memory for Teresa.

This part is a call back to the first chapter, where it’s mentioned that for Teresa, looking at James and searching his eyes for their next move, for reassurance, for clarity is like muscle memory she can’t shake. Not that this is a super important detail, but I do like to put earlier ideas into later chapters for cohesion. This is probably why I can’t write something short to save my life, because I think too much about small details. It bugs me, in fic, when it’s obvious time has been spent on certain details but then the idea is never brought up ever again.

Working on an operation with him made Teresa curse the reasons why they’d ever said I’m gonna miss you and I’ll see you around a year ago, when they’d said goodbye. It brought back the feelings of longing, of wanting to coexist in the same space and move in the same direction, at the same time, together.

It was unintentional that the two songs that inspired this chapter most have Hayley Williams in them. But when I listen to them back to back, I can also see why that ended up happening. This chapter is named after the Hayley Williams song “Why We Ever” because of the line that goes And now I can’t seem to remember why we ever felt we had to say goodbye. 

I watched the goodbye scene in 3x13 to write these two sentences. There are a lot of scenes from QOTS that I’ve watched over and over again but that’s not one of them because, like, it hurts me. Also it’s super frustrating that that’s the note Jeresa ends on until the last ten seconds of 4x13. I'm thinking S5 Jeresa needs to happen by 5x03. And if not, we riot. Lol.

“For freaking out and needing you the other night. For doubting you and questioning you, when you’re always just trying to help me,” Teresa rambled, then paused to take a breath, because what she really wanted to apologize for cut at her the deepest. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve asked you to do. For the people you had to take out and people you had to bury. Even after I knew about what happened with Suzie, I still asked you to…”

The part of “Why We Ever” that really pulls at my heartstrings is the end, which goes: I just wanna talk about it. I know I freaked you out. I just wanna talk about it. Sorry for freaking out.

That’s simple, sure. But it’s raw. I wanted Teresa to get pretty raw in this scene, letting her honesty come tumbling out without eloquence.

Also, something that has irked me since 3x05 is the fact that James is so clearly not the same after what happened to Suzie, and when we learn what happened, we understand why he’s so affected by the stuff he has to do, even out of necessity. What happened to Suzie takes it to the extreme, creates a breaking point for James, but even going back to S1, James has never liked the part of his job that means he has to hurt and kill people. After finding out what happened in 3x05, 3x04 seemed especially cruel to James, when he’s left to bury the reporter - we just didn’t know how cruel it was at the time.

And I get it, he has to do his job. Occupational hazards, right? But he’s changed after 3x05, and he still has to kill for Teresa. He even has to dig the ditch to bury Guero. The experiences of cartel life that Teresa and James have are certainly different, and again this makes sense, because they are in different roles. But S3 is not kind to James, not in the least, and I think that’s why it makes sense to me that he’d want out of the life if there’s nothing or no one to stay for.

I don’t know that Teresa will ever be this apologetic in canon, since she’s the queen so she’s free to give out orders without explanation or sympathy. I wish it would happen though, and I think there’s potential for prime Jeresa content if she does. I wrote it myself since the likelihood of it happening is probably slim to none.

Teresa trailed off without finishing her train of thought. She wasn’t meant to apologize, for she was the queen. She was supposed to stay icy and distant; sensitivity deprived. But she couldn’t help it with James. She couldn’t help the light leaking back in. It was different, because he was different.

The opening lyrics of “Uncomfortably Numb” are sensitivity deprived. That phrase begins the first two verses. As already mentioned, to me the song encapsulates the mood of this chapter so well.

He looked scared, confused about what she’d said. James had grown used to Teresa’s mixed signals; they’d been dancing around each other and their feelings for so long. But Teresa being direct was new. Her dark side scared him, and he didn’t know to which part of her directness belonged to, light or dark.

This is, again, a call back to the first chapter, where it’s mentioned there’s a part of Teresa (the Teresa that she’s become) that scares James a bit. Just trying to tie it back in and keep the chapters cohesive, connected, over the course of the story.

Her heart was already on the floor, but had she been entirely forthcoming? She’d reinforced that he had a choice, and he was free. But had she even given James a reason to want to stay? Had she ever? Did he even know her desire for him to stay had many layers to it?

Heart is on the floor, why don’t you step on it? is the first line in the chorus of “Rocks Tonic Juice Magic” by Saves the Day. I didn’t really realize I was making this reference until I was actually typing it out. And it being the last song reference in the chapter, when I went to get the URL, I ended up with so much sorrow because I have so many fond memories of being at shows surrounded by people with the same feelings for this song and this music as me, and singing these words back with such urgency. I miss shows so much. I think finally being able to go back to shows, in a post-pandemic world, whenever that is, is going to be so emotional and I’m probably going to cry.

Okay, so that was a tangent.

Anyway, I don’t think Teresa has ever let herself be so vulnerable, to just come out and tell James how she feels or what she wants. It doesn’t mean she and James don’t already know. But there is something to be said about, well, saying those things. It takes brevity, but if she can’t be honest where it counts, then they don’t have a chance. That’s why I wanted Teresa to have this moment, with her heart on the floor, thinking...does she need to take it even a step further?

And by the end of it, she does.

[kalena-henden]

I can't wait to see how Teresa's gonna react when she finds out why James really left. How do you think she's gonna take it?

Anonymous asked: I just watched 4x13 and wow I didn’t expect so see James in the end. What did you think about the reunion between james and teresa ?

Anonymous asked: QOTS?

Hello, nonny! I hear you. LOL I’m here. I know many people have extra time during this pandemic but I’m not one of them. Still working my full-time job but now from my living room. At least, I can do that. 

I feel so rusty on the QOTS front. I have to confess, I haven’t watched the show in almost 2 years (since S3 ended). When James left, so did I. I meant to start watching again if he came back. Since that didn’t happen until the end of S4, I planned on catching up right before S5. But with S5 getting delayed... uh, I don’t know when exactly I’ll be catching up. That being said, I’m really touched you want my opinion and I do have thoughts. *grin* 

I expected James to return at some point. The writers kept hinting at it on Twitter. Whereas if he was off the show for the foreseeable future, there would be no reason not to tell us that.

I have so many questions about James reappearance. Wasn’t he locked up by Devon and the CIA? Did he escape or is he working for CIA? If he’s working for the CIA that worries me. I don’t want them to turn him into Guero 2.0. 

It doesn’t surprise me in the least that James would show up out of nowhere to warn and protect Teresa. He loves her and would sacrifice everything for her. Even his life, as Pote begrudgingly admitted. Honestly, you win over Pote that’s saying something. lol However, when Teresa learns the truth she will be upset. Both from a business and personal standpoint, James’s unilateral decision means he didn’t include his ‘partner’ when it mattered most. As much as they love each other and are ride or die in a very literal sense, they still both have trust issues. There are many thoughts and feelings they’ve kept to themselves that truly need to be shared to be successful partners. At times this has left Teresa and James open to doubt the other’s loyalty and love. Though I don’t think either of them doubt their own loyalty or love for the other person. There will be some relief in being reunited and strength in fighting side-by-side once more. 

Still James needs to tell Teresa the truth of where he’s been before someone else does. She’s not going to be happy but it’s worse if he keeps it hidden from her. Hopefully, they can work through their personal stuff while they’re fighting their next cartel battle. I really want to see them in a committed long-term relationship. It won’t be all smooth sailing but it will be worth it. The will-they-or-won’t-they is overrated in storytelling. Let my ship be together!

Anyway, so happy Peter Gadiot is back!

[mymostimaginaryfriend]

Y’all I’m gonna die if it’s Teresa telling James “you’re safe” this time. 

I know I just said he wasn’t gonna die and I still believe it but her hand on his back sent me reeling back to my Bolivia Jeresa feelings.

4x13 pics from @teresa-valdez-qots

[reyesmp4]

My crackhead dissertation about QOTS S4, hidden connections, and the return of James Valdez!

I want to start out by saying these are all THEORIES. Mostly from my crackhead brain, but there are a few things that MAY actually tie my theories together. They are mainly fueled by my love for James Valdez and my unwillingness to believe that the writers, producers and cast would be stupid enough to really write him off the show. (the only time I accept that is when its the actors wishes. And if it was Peter's wish, I would respect that.) But in this case, I don’t think that’s what is happening here. I also want to mention here that when it comes to flashforward scenes in Queen Of The South, I don’t buy into them and I don’t believe they are actually real.I believe they are metaphorical warning rather than an actual depiction of teresa in the future. Thats my personal opinion/theories. With that being said,  ALL OF THIS is just that, my opinion. 

First of all, I know a lot of people (myself fucking included) are nervous that there WONT be a return of James Valdez. But please, don’t worry until we know something concrete. 

I know a lot of people have seen that NOTHING has been posted on social media about James. Not by the cast, not by peter, nothing. But we have to remember It is really  common nowadays, in the age of social media, for networks and producers to place a gag order on actors/cast/crew about the return and fate of certain characters. 

So first of all, the main reason I firmly believe there WILL be a return of James Valdez, is because of the way season 3 ended. I wholeheartedly believe that it wouldn’t have ended that way, had there not been a REASON. For the most part, as for  storylines QOTS has been extremely cohesive and able to have twists and turns, along with callback to previous seasons /relationships etc. If they were planning to kill off James, they would have left it at their goodbye scene in 3x13. But instead they showed an incredibly powerful scene of James, a soldier and sicario, giving up his gun for the person he loves and will die to protect. If they didn’t plan to incorporate that entire storyline back into the following season(s), it would not only be uncharacteristic of our QOTS writers who are notoriously cohesive when it comes to storylines, but it would also be incredibly STUPiD. There was no reason to add that James/Devon scene if they weren’t going to call back to it at some point. It was a huge, super poignant scene and I believe that it was put there for a reason. (though it does sometimes happen, lookin @ you ‘The Magicians’!) 

So quite a few of my theories lie in episode 3x05, so I will be calling back to it a LOT. Get used to it. Don’t @ me. 

3x05 truly solidified the trust between James and Teresa. In the beginning of the episode, they were sitting together cheersing their business while teresa looks at planes. Teresa says,

 “Now if they come for me, ill be ready.”  

James looks at her earnestly and says, “If they come for you, I’ll  be ready.” (Implying he’d die before letting “them” get to her). 

Later in the episode, when they learn that Kellyanne is being held hostage by Devon, Teresa instructs James to stay in the car, knowing that if he were to go in there, he would be killed on the spot because he hurt Devon’s business. She tells him to go to ‘la commission’ for help. Instead of listening to her and staying in the car, when he sees things go south, he walks in there himself and which basically translates to “Take me instead”. After agreeing to leave with Devon, James asks to tell teresa himself that he’s leaving. He informs her that She and Kellyanne are free to go, and that Devon will back off her business. Teresa asks what Devon gets in return, what the catch is, and the answer is James. To which teresa immediately says, uh “No��. 

Devon asks Teresa, “Are you willing to sacrifice everything, including your life, for this man?”

To which she easily answers, Yes. Devon forces James to tell Teresa what REALLY happened in Texas, and asks if she still wants to put her life on the line for him. She answers “take him” (and you can visibly see James heart break). But she quickly tells James that she isn't going to let them take him, and that she was just buying time, and grabs the guns stored close by. James looks panicked, knowing that if they try and shoot their way out, they'd both end up dead. He tells her “We’re outnumbered, we’ll never make it.” And she answers simply, “Then, we don’t make it.” Showing that she is willing to go down swinging and die right along side him. 

This interaction solidifies their trust in one another and shows how deep their feelings for one another go. 

First theory- Devon has ties (possibly family ties) to New Orleans/Dumas 

So we learn in 3x05, that Devon works with his family when it comes to his less than legal activities. While Devon is a CIA agent, his family (I believe) are civilians. His sister often acts as his enforcer. 

Now, in 3x05 when Devon and Teresa have  “dinner” together, devon steps away to take a call. Teresa observes her surroundings, taking in devons crew- who are speaking what seems to be hatian or some type of creole. Teresa looks at ‘The Professor’,  Devon's sister, and asks “Are you Hatian”, to which his sister gives a weird look, asking Teresa what she said. She repeats herself, and says “Are you hatian? You sound hatian.” Teresa gets a “mind your damn business” type answer. But my point is that Teresa very OBVIOUSLY pointed out that she appears to be speaking hatian or some type of creole. 

Now, in 4x04, Marcel Dumas sends his men to raid Teresa's factory. They shoot up the place, but before they go- they leave behind a voodoo doll. Now you don’t need to know much about New Orleans to know that there is a strong afro-french/hatian influence there. Creole and Voodoo often go hand in hand. The use of hatian/creole along with the voodoo doll, lead me to believe that there is some sort of connection between Devon and New Orleans. I believe, especially given what happened in 4x04, that the war with Marcel is going to BLOW UP. Possibly bringing either Devon (if he has ties to marcel or to NOLA) or possibly Castel into the picture, and that is how teresa and the team may learn that James didn’t leave on his own volition, but instead did it in order to protect Teresa. 

Back to 3x05 for a minute, as I was saying earlier when they looked into Devon’s sister, because she was a civilian she had an internet presence, and they were able to find out where their mother was located and used her as collateral against the siblings. Lil tay, who was the one to go and threaten devon's mother. When she's sitting in the church, she talks about how she was impressed that the van she was driving could hit over 150mph on the highway. Telling me that she wasn’t just kickin it around phoenix, she had to have traveled a pretty long distance. Because we don’t know how long this whole sequence took it is *plausible* that his mother was located in louisiana/new orleans as well (it would have taken 6-8 hours traveling at 150mph). The song that the church choir was singing “Wade in  the Water” also has strong ties to the black community, which I think is important to point out as well. 

I don’t know if this is planned, if these certain points were added as fillers or if they really are important and will tie together all of these strings, while paving the way for James to come home.

The Devon and Castel Connection 

Now we know that in 3x13, in the scene with James and Devon, they talk about how Devon killed El Santo to take out the competition for the columbians. Devon tells James that Castel is a “friend of the  agency” meaning basically that they’re in bed together on whatever operation Devon is running (legitimate or not). We already saw that in 4x01, Teresa pledges allegiance and loyalty to Castel, who showed up in new orleans. 

So the fact that James went with devon, whether he’s working for him to pay his dues or if he’s more being held captive, I honestly have no idea. I DO believe based on the title of 4x13 ‘They will come for you.’ is a callback to Teresa and James’ conversation in the beginning of 3x05 (where he says, “if they come for you, I’ll be ready) . So I don’t know if they will rescue James or if James will end up rescuing her but I am praying that there is an OBVIOUS connection there for a reason. ( thank you for your later episode theories, I AGREE! @mymostimaginaryfriend )

But the fact that Devon and Castel are in bed together ALONE tells me they are going to be calling back to that at some point, especially with Teresa pledging allegiance to Castel/the columbians. That is probably enough of a connection for Teresa to end up finding out what REALLY happened with James. (I still believe in the Devon/ New Orleans theory though.) 

So where does James come in? Honestly I dont know yet. I do strongly believe he will be back. He wouldn’t put his life on the line to protect teresa without them calling back to that storyline, honestly. It would be really dumb for them not to. 

@folie-lex  pointed out that James is almost always seen as an equal to Teresa. For just being a sicario, he is able to call her out on her bullshit and point out how they should maybe look differently at the situation. That's an important power dynamic, and that is something that  is so far EXTREMELY lacking in season four not just between Teresa and James but for the entire team. James would have NEVER pulled what Javier did in 4x03/4x04. Never. The current team that she is working with, she has no one to use as a sounding board when it comes to the *hard* decisions. She doesn’t have that same rapport she had with James with any of them.  No, not even pote. 

While teresa can rely on Pote, to do what he is told when he’s told. Pote is a loyal soldier, but James was able to both follow orders but also turn around and challenge Teresa in a way no one else ever has. In a way that helps her keep hold of her humanity. 

If you've watched the current episodes, especially 4x04, then you know that it is a SHIT SHOW. Everything is falling apart, Javier has not only killed one of Judge Layfayettes lackeys, but in addition to doing that and then disappearing, he also got Marcel Dumas nephew KILLED, essentially triggering a gang war. Dumas will be out for blood after he learns that his nephew has been killed. 

Had James been around he would have seen this coming for MILES. He would have been there as a sounding board for Teresa, as someone to clean up the mess, but he also would have kept everyone in line. 

I understand that the network, showrunners, and writers think that action and chaos sells, but we are a rather small fanbase. Small, but loyal. For them to decide to squash our loyalty, knowing that James well loved and fan favorite, would be a (as i said previously) STUPID, and possible fatal mistake. I truly believe that they haven’t made that mistake yet, but if they were to make a permanent decision to write james off, they could be digging their own cancellation graves. 

This isn’t a background, small time character. This is James Valdez. He’s been here since DAY ONE and gave an extremely vital structure to the show and added greatly to the dynamic between characters and the team. There is a visible, palpable James sized hole in this season and I hope it’s there to prove a point in how much he is needed, rather than to squander a well loved and respected series regular. 

James Valdez has a big, protective heart, and is willing to die trying to protect the ones he loves, his family. Lets try to have some faith that this is all for a reason and that james is going to get the storyline and love he really deserves.

[northcountry39]

I’m going to get to that meeting, but that suit is baller (Teresa + the white suit in QOTS 4x13)

[northcountry39]

Teresa and her boys (QOTS 4x13)

[mymostimaginaryfriend]

QOTS 4x13 Reaction Post

It’s the finale AKA  my very own reenactment of that taste-testing kombucha reaction meme!  

Yup, that’s the one lol. 

I feel like this ep will require a few rewatches to process BUT the good news is: Marcel lives! Oksana lives!  King George lives! Chicho lives!  (er...the Judge lives?) and the unexpected guest we’ve all been waiting for...LIVES.  James ends the season alive and in Teresa’s company and fully available for S5.  It’s a miracle.

About that--well damn guess we know now why the crew was piiiiiissed the network released those promo pics.  They kept James out of the previouslies and Peter out of the opening credits because he was supposed to be a literal last second surprise.  They even shoved an Eddie red herring in there last minute to throw us off (bless Bailey b/c THAT is a thankless role omg.  I can count on one hand the number of people who needed an Eddie update and they’re all related to the actor).

But gotta love the writers knowing they finally had PG for the finale and then packing the ep with as many James parallels/references as possible.  Oh did Javier lie to protect the woman he loved? Fancy that. Interesting choice of goodbye between Javier and Pote, can’t put a finger on where we’ve heard “Take care of her”/”Always” exchange before.  And O RLY to “If you had trusted me I could have protected you” and on and on.  Who knows if the specific parallels mean anything or the writers were kids in the James-is-finally-available-to-reference-in-the-script-again candy store but I’m looking forward to finding out in S5.

What’s weird is going out of a finale we don’t really have a clear view of S5.  With the Judge surviving the season, I’d think Teresa would stick around in NOLA for unfinished business.  But with Oksana’s scaryass cousin beckoning Teresa further down the Queenpin path, NYC sounds like an option as well.  Can’t wait to see who they cast as Kostya.

And as thrilled as I am that James showed up to tell Teresa the title of the episode (very considerate of him lol), who is this “they he speaks of? It’s a cliffhanger but a wide-open one.  We have no idea really what is next.

One hopefully good omen for Season 5 is Teresa had FIVE scenes with three different women characters this episode and I hope in my heart that  those dark Bechdel Test failing times of midseason are gone forever more.

As for the rest of the episode--

Damn, I knew Javier’s death was pretty much inevitable but what a way to go. And in true Javier fashion, he managed to double down on the deception consequences til the bitter end, backing Teresa well and truly into a corner before confessing.

And wow, the confession scene was amazing for Alice and Alfonso.  I loved both of their acting choices.

Good thing James is back though because apparently he is the only person on this entire show who can successfully shoot someone?

All that Randall/Javier chase scene needed was some Benny Hill music. What in the world lol. 

Okay I might be using humor to heal the sadness of seeing Alfonso go because Javier levitating amidst the flames to take down Randall made me scream and not in the way they intended.  To be fair, I guess Javier’s athletic ability of jumping out of trunks was foreshadowed last week.

SEE YOU IN ANOTHER LIFE, BROTHER. There has to be a take Ryan used the Desmond accent on that line, right?!  Give us the deleted scenes, QOTS! Oops he said other side. I still want deleted scenes tho.

Hellloooo S2 Queenpin outfit.  So it’s gonna be like THAT, huh.  And did anyone else think Eddie was wearing a wire at first in that scene??

But at the same time, the Queenpin transformation wasn’t as literal as I feared going into S4.  She’s still OUR Teresa too.

Curious to where her journey goes next

And curious to see how they fill in the James blanks.  What’s he been doing the last 9 months?  Is he a free man now or on the run?  And the really important questions such as: does he have like 10 extras of that exact same leather jacket stashed in safe houses across the country?

SO glad it got early renewal so we can find out.

And just like that we’re in hiatus again.  While this Season may not have been what I wanted it to be, or what I believed it could have been, at the end of it I’m still so thrilled I get to spend at least one more season with these crazy fools and you wonderful people.  THANK YOU to everyone who messaged me, commented, reblogged, tagged and to everyone who posted content--you made this season more fun than it had any right to be lol and I’m so grateful for you!  

Here’s to a fic-filled hiatus and an amazing Season 5! 

[mymostimaginaryfriend]

QOTS Season 4 Episodes

4x06 La Mujer en el Espejo: Dealing with the losses of a drug war, Teresa and Dumas finally strike a truce.

4x07 Amores Perros: On her day off, Teresa is hunted by a sicario from her previous life while on the road.

4x08 Secretos y Mentiras: An FBI informant threatens Teresa’s growing empire while she deals with turmoil within her family.

4x09 Los Pecados de los Padres: Teresa must choose between leaving New Orleans and compromising her morals.

4x10 Lo Que Más Temes:  Teresa works to ease tensions between her business partners after she discovers that someone is stealing from her.

4x11 Mientras Dormias: Teresa's closest allies must make difficult decisions without her when she cannot.

4x12 Diosa de la Guerra: Teresa takes out a group of mercenaries while expanding her empire to an unexpected place.

4x13 Vienen Por Ti: Teresa must solidify a new business deal to take down an enemy - but an unexpected visitor arrives.

[reyesmp4]

I've seen others say James' absence might be to prove why he's so needed. I think that's a big risk for the new show runner to take. By having such a loved & important character off screen for 5eps & counting, you run the risk of diminishing/alienating your fans & killing off some of their enthusiasm for the season or show as a whole. I do think you're pretty spot on w/ your theories & I hope that at least some of them come to pass & they aren't waiting 4 the very end of S4 to reintroduce James.

I definitely agree with the fact that they may be trying to prove WHY he is so vital to the story line. Things are certainly a fucking MESS, if you ask me. We’re at the point where Teresa has her finger on the trigger, ready to execute one of her own men if needed, because of his lack of loyalty and unpredictable, dangerous nature. I really am starting to not care for him, and I can’t wait for him to be mmm-bopped right out of the family. 

I agree. I know that he would be gone for a while, but canonically it’s been like....10 months??? And no one is questioning him being completely a ghost? Letting KellyAnne live....no one has any questions, at all?  

James is 100% a fan favorite, and so I really don’t understand what they are doing by keeping him offscreen for an entire season. It is pretty confusing and makes my chest ache. QOTS has in the past probably had one of the best cast/writers etc and fandom, that I’ve ever been a part of. I hope they are listening to what their loyal watchers are saying, and I hope they know that this is a very sticky situation when it comes to people not tuning in. The ratings aren’t horrible but they aren’t as good as last seasons. I hope they kNOW what they are doing. I hope that this is all connected in the ways I think they are. 

Me @ the Writers:

I do unfortuantly, with the more I learn, think that they are going to be keeping James off screen for the season and then having him come back in the last episode. 

If you look here, the title of episode 4x13 is ‘Vienen Por Ti’  which roughly translates to ‘They Come For You’, in English. Which could be a number of things. Could it be Camilla? Maybe. Could it be Lafayette? Maybe. Could it be Devon? Maybe. 

Could it possibly be James? I really do think so. 

In 3x05, this is their conversation. James promises Teresa that if the mysterious “they” come for her, that “He will be ready.” 

So it very much could be that its a callback to that conversation.Or it could be Teresa returning the favor, and rescuing HIM. I do still have a suspicion that someone is going to spill to her that James didn’t leave on his own volition. I need her to either figure it out or have someone tell her so they can get along with getting James back as soon as possible. (I mean... I am in serious withdrawals here. 

 The synopsis’ for the rest of the season has come out, and unfortuantly. It looks like the last episode  4x13, would probably be the best fit as far as the synopsis’ go. 

So I believe that “unexpected visitor” might be James. It’s really the only thing that makes sense right now. 

All I know, is that every single one of them needs him back. Sooner, rather than later. Because this is so so messy and I am... I’m tired of being clowned on every week. Between birdie dying and no James, I just... I’m tired. We will have to see how it all ends up playing out. Let’s just hope that by the time of James return, that QOTS hasn’t squandered their chance at renewal for season 5. 

Lets cross our fingers and pray that  USA is watching what we are saying and taking note. 

Bring James Back

[jerepars]

Ape Dos Mil Extended Chapter Notes

4 / 9 Point Me Toward the Morning

Hyperlinks appear in blue (underlined on mobile and the dashboard). The story is posted here. Direct link to this chapter is here.

First things first, James already hated New Orleans. It wasn’t the potholes that put the tires of the car at risk of puncture with every few feet he drove. It wasn’t the alligators hanging out with their mouths open in low marshes on the side of the road. It wasn’t even the tacky jester crowns or beaded necklaces in the displays of all the tourist shops, the in-your-face reminder of Mardi Gras even though February was months away. No, it was a matter of principle. James had been in New Orleans for all of five minutes, hadn’t even had the chance to pick up a bag of beignets to indulge in yet, and had already been shot. So yeah, he had something against New Orleans.

This first paragraph is a call back to the first paragraph of the first chapter.

There were mere moments between when Devon told James there was chatter of a team carrying a map with an ‘X’ drawn on the name of Teresa’s new city and when James tried to contact Teresa and Pote. Neither answered. James hadn’t been surprised since he’d made himself a ghost in the last year. A few months back he’d heard Teresa had her business up and running in New Orleans; he’d spoken to The Charger—who like Lil’ T had been given a bag of money and told to go home to his family—after Charger got a phone call from Pote, reaching out and trying to get a message to James.

A key part of the song “Division St.” by Thursday goes:

I drew an X on your city's name. Lights out. Black out. Blow out the candle again. Spin the room around. Fall down. Pass out. Get up. I can’t keep repeating.

The whole song is what I could hear to be the background music if this whole part happened, if we followed James from when he gets shot to when he shows up to tell Teresa there are people coming for her.

Beyond the song reference, I had to make a decision about timeline for the sake of the story. The lack of a solid timeline for QOTS is absolutely maddening, I tell ya. In 4x01, Pote tells Teresa no one has heard from James...and I think in this episode there’s also implication it’s been about six months since they left Phoenix? Maybe? In 4x13, right before James show up, Pote says they’ve doubled their business in the last 3 months. So does that mean it’s been 3 months between 4x01 and 4x13? And when exactly did he try and reach out to James? In 5x01 (and 5x03), it’s said James has been gone for a year. So. Like. I have no idea. I went with “a few months back,” which hopefully is somewhere between 3-4 months ago? 

The show also never addressed what happened to Charger after his last appearance in 3x12. Since he played a bigger role in the first and third chapter of this story than he ever did in canon, I thought it would be nice to drop a line about where he landed. Back home with his girlfriend and Jack Russell Terrier, of course.

It hurt when he showed up to relay the information that her life was in danger and he’d risked his own to let her know, and even more when she found out the real reason he left a year ago was so she wouldn’t be affected by the score he had to settle with Devon. Teresa felt guilty for all the time spent not thinking about James, for trying to forget what he meant to her, when he’d been thinking about her all along. And it was obvious the kind of love that burned in her chest couldn’t be so easily dismissed based on the reaction she had when she saw him bleeding through his shirt. She was in charge. She had things to do. But she couldn’t bring herself to leave him until he went in for surgery, and couldn’t bring herself to stop worrying while the operation was happening.

The chapter title comes from “Point Me Toward The Morning” by The Matches. The line in this paragraph about Teresa not being able to dismiss the love that burns in her chest is thanks to the chorus:

We know, we know that we are more than this. More than we know, there's a reason we exist. We know, we know, we know. We won't be this easily dismissed.

I’m definitely reaching, but this is a soulmates AU. They are soulmates. Their reason for existing isn’t just the drug business, and it isn’t just to help one another navigate through all the crime they’re involved in.

Also, the lyric from the song relevant to the title is: Someone point me toward the morning, no more is it a sure thing. In the first half of the chapter, James’ survival isn’t a sure thing. And really, in the line of work these characters are in, nothing is a sure thing. Every day, there’s no guarantee they’re going to make it to see the next morning. (The pessimistic point of view is that this applies to everyone, really, not just those who put themselves in high risk situations.)

“Oh. Right. So like a soldier, not a nurse. I’ve never seen anyone else do it that way, I—” Teresa stopped speaking abruptly and put her hand over her heart when she felt it. There was a pang, a searing pain in her chest that throbbed before it faded, and then nothing. It knocked the wind out of her anyway, so she didn’t know if it was from her heart or her lungs.

Teresa had gotten used to the burning feeling in her chest when she was around James, or when she thought about him. She’d willed it to go away before—when they first met and when she thought of him after Phoenix—and failed. So for the burning to leave, to feel it fade to nothing in the middle of a conversation with James had to mean something.

It couldn’t be that she didn’t love him anymore. That would be more convenient. That would be better. Because if she didn’t love him, she wouldn’t be so conflicted over whether she wanted him to stay or go. She wanted him to be safe, wanted him to have the life outside the business he deserved, even if it meant leaving her behind. But she also wanted him to stick around.

So it was different. It was something bigger beyond love.

I established back in the first chapter that this is a weird soulmates AU, with the thing that got James to realize Teresa is his soulmate being the way she made the bed, because it was the same way he made the bed. He thought there’d never come a time when Teresa would see him doing the same thing--so how was she ever going to find out? But of course I had to follow through! Of course I thought the gunshot wound he showed up with in 4x13 meant Teresa would walk in on him making the bed in the safe house. 

Through the first three chapters, it’s been constantly reinforced that Teresa has this burning feeling in her chest, and she knows it’s because of James, and in the previous chapter she identifies it as love. As a bonus, I wanted this moment, after she sees James make his hospital corner to be the moment that the burning feeling stops because the universe has done its job, has finally made her realize who her soulmate is. Now, whether or not the feeling is going away for good remains to be seen. :)

[reyhospacebitch]

IM SO READY

QOTS Parallels 3x05/4x13