#rewatch s1-2 to see what i mean

[queen-of-hawkins-why-ler]

And if I said that Mike and Will's relationship has always been romantic and that them finally getting together is just them accepting their relationship for what it has always been from the start

[m0thlegs]

maybe the real Viktor arcane season 2 character arc were the friends we made along the way

[lover-of-mine]

Okay, I've been meaning to make this post and I never make it, but I'm rewatching s1 and the thoughts are in my head so, what better time than now. Like, I made this point before but I never went into detail.

The thing with 911 and love interests and the way none of Buck and Eddie's love interests ever stood a chance, is because in order for you to make a relationship work on a tv show, you need to make sure your audience cares about both parts. Obviously, getting 2 mains together, madney or bathena, works very easily because both characters exist on their own, so you're already invested in all parties involved, it's a lot easier to make the relationship work because you don't need to spend time making people care about anyone individually, you're just making them care about the relationship. But then you have the issue of making people care about a relationship when one of the parties is only there to be a love interest.

So let's take Henren. For all intents and purposes, Karen only exists to be Hen's wife, so if they didn't put in the work Karen would be very whatever, because as viewers, our loyalty in most cases will be biased towards the character we see the most. And considering we are introduced to Henren already established, they are already married with a child, which another thing that makes people be less invested, not seeing how it happened, the odds are stacked against Karen, which is bad if the show ever decides to use the character more heavily. But the show introduces her in a perfect way to avoid that happening. For starters, we meet Eva first. And we meet Eva while Hen is making up problems that aren't really there because of the ghost of Eva. We have Athena state how bad for Hen Eva is, we have the conflict Hen herself is feeling, we have her lying by omission. And yes, the whole thing leads to something a lot of people view as unforgivable, cheating, but during that whole storyline, we are siding against Hen, because she is letting this idea of rescuing Eva is making her step out on her family, so we are taking Karen's pain, we are taking Karen's side, and that makes us care about Karen, and therefore we end up invested on them together. And something else is how this all happens while we are still getting to know Hen, so there aren't any preconceived notions of how a relationship for Hen should go.

And the show knows how to work that concept in, but when we are talking about love interests for both Buck and Eddie, is that every relationship is introduced with something that's gonna make us side with them and ignore the other person. Shannon never stood a chance because she was written to be fridged, but leaving Chris is an unforgivable act, Ali isn't around and she fundamentally can't handle who Buck is, Taylor is introduced as willing to hurt Buck's family, Ana isn't around and Eddie is literally panicking about that relationship and even before that, the Christopher of it all, him getting hurt, not wanting Eddie to date, makes it so we're not the biggest fans, Natalia was only interested in Buck's death and since we were watching the damage his death did to everyone, it makes it hard to root for them, Marisol just didn't exist for the audience at all, and Tommy's past plus the circumstances they get together aka Buck hurting Eddie makes it very 😬.

And all of these happened while Buck and Eddie's partnership is continuously shown as getting stronger, so the relationships are fighting against two main characters who have a strong relationship, so it is really hard to establish something that will replace the idea of Buck and Eddie because they're fighting against 7 seasons of partnership. The thing that makes buddie is time. It's everything that happened to them (I mean, the actual thing that makes them it is Christopher but that's a different post). So for a relationship to actually replace them, you need to separate them and then give the new relationship at least half the time buddie had to establish themselves. Audiences generally don't get invested in relationships they didn't see happening, and usually when it's this far into a show and there is another option of paring 2 main characters, it's really hard to make a character likable enough to replace that. People just generally don't end up caring for a character that only exists to be a love interest.

The show knows that, see the way Karen was introduced, so that makes the way they handle Buck, Eddie, and love interests that more pointed.

[clairegregoryau]

Through the Looking Glass

From fairytale in Season 1 to stark reality in Season 2 of Our Flag Means Death- meta ported across from this Twitter thread by popular demand!

This thread contains spoilers for the entirety of OFMD Season 2

First OFMD S1 rewatch since S2, and holy shit, if you haven't done that yet... do that. A thing that it made instantly clear: they told us *all along* where this was going, but there was a reason we didn't see it. Because we were living in Stede's world then. Now it's Ed's.

I know that a lot of us have felt that the tone shift at the end of S2 was... jarring, compared to what's come before. This felt like a show that wouldn't go there. One where being run through was a temporary hiccup. We've travelled all the way from this to this.

But we haven't jumped there without a journey in between. And from the minute we started hearing about Blackbeard, the show never tried to hide what Ed's world and his specific life was like. Not once. In fact they told us over and over and over.

But Season 1 told us a lot of those things through song and story and fuckery. It blended reality with fiction.

Stede met the Blackbeard he knew through books and tall tales, and the real man was even more wonderful than he'd imagined.

We, along with Stede, were comfortable thinking that all those other tales were exaggerations and misrepresentations, and a lot of them very likely were.

The Ed Stede got to know was a person who was capable of whimsy and silliness and loved soft things and doing something weird. Yep, he was also capable of violence and rage, but when he was with Stede, he didn't feel it so much.

This was a vacation from that life.

To Stede he was absolutely lovely... oh, and also a bloodthirsty killer. And Stede loved (and loves) everything about him, and both of those things can be true. This is a perfect example of a spot where (in watching Season 1 without the benefit of hindsight) I assumed that everyone else in that pub was wrong, and Stede was simply trying to protect Ed's fearsome reputation by agreeing on the bloodthirsty bits. And I think from Stede's perspective that was largely true. I think that's how they wanted us to see Ed, through his eyes. Now, after watching both seasons, I think it wasn't the whole picture.

They told us, we heard it, we saw glimpses of it. But we (and Ed) were in Stede's run-away-to-sea fairytale the whole time. It wasn't until Stede left that we saw the reality- the Ed we knew had been, to a degree, a fictional character all along. I always saw this scene as Ed putting a bit of distance between himself and reality; it always felt like the Blackbeard of Stede's storybooks was the fictional one. But now it feels like the softer Ed that Stede knew was much the same- neither of them the whole story of who Ed was and is.

The one person who refused to live in Stede's fairytale was Izzy. I've seen people say it before, but he always gave off that vibe of the only human in the Muppets movie, or the guy who was in Black Sails while everyone else was in Pirates of the Caribbean. He saw the real risks clearly.

And in that light, the end of S1 has shifted an inch to the left for me, and I'm seeing it at a slightly different angle.

Izzy ripped away the healing Ed was doing, but in some respects he did it by tearing away the fairytale we'd all been living in, shoving Ed back into the Blackbeard story.

And that's where we pick up again in Season 2.

The fairytale reference came back in S2 in two notable places, those being Jim carrying that legacy forward in the darkest times, and in Izzy invoking the wooden boy against Ricky's efforts. Stede's made himself into a real boy. Ricky, nope.

Now that I've watched both seasons together, the tone shift doesn't feel so jarring at all, actually.

It feels like sliding through the looking glass, out of Stede's world, and into Ed's- a world that existed all along; we were just seeing it, la vie en rose, through Stede's eyes.

At the beginning of S2, Stede's gone, and we're seeing it unfiltered through Ed's reality.

But Stede wasn't lying when he said he loved everything about Ed. He made a promise to come back and find him- he went down into Ed's darkest place and reminded him that no matter how bad things got, there WAS someone waiting for him, ready to love him.

The contrast between S1's fantasy and S2's reality (excluding mermaids and actual bird guys and cursed coats) is stark, but it really is that.

We have the same settings, the same people, and very different ideas and outcomes at different times.

But it was always there.

Things do come back to a state of (precarious) balance once they're all together. Apologies are made, whether they're spoken out loud or through actions. Things go right, things go wrong. Healing happens. Izzy continues to have the steadiest, most real through-line in the story as he tracks toward redemption, finds acceptance, and to an extent finds himself.

Once again, I hate that they went here with the ending and I wish they hadn't. But it got a fraction easier for me looking at it not as a continuation of Stede's fairytale, but of the grounded-in-pirate-reality arc Izzy was always on, even while we lived in Stede's world.

Where does that leave us? We're not going back to the fairytale, but we're not going to be living in Black Sails for S3, either. We've hit a fusion point where S1 ended with each of them going to separate, miserable homes, but S2 ended with them in the same place, ready and willing to make a go of it.

Season 3 is going to give us their world, together.

I LOVED the moments in this season where the deep emotions were in balance with the silliness I've always adored about this show. Eps4-6 were wonderful like that. Clearly we're not done with drama, either, but like Ed and Stede, I think we'll find a middle ground.

Anyway in conclusion, a rewatch of S1 after S2 somehow made me love the first season even more, which felt impossible? It's now gained /even more/ layers of depth than it had before. No matter how you feel about S2 I think it's worth that rewatch.

Adding one more bit of clarity for myself: I think we got a bit (intentionally) seduced in S1 by the idea that the Ed of the storybooks, the Vampire Viking Clown with the nine guns, was a version of him that others saw, when Stede saw the REAL person who 'worked' for Blackbeard.

In hindsight I think it's clear the Ed Stede go to know was also not the complete version of himself- the reality is, there's a whole spectrum between the two, and they've landed in the middle of it now. Ed intentionally leaned into the unlovable Kraken image to protect himself.

It very much didn't work, just like being just... Edward hadn't worked to protect himself, either. This season has been very much about pulling those two extremes together and finding all the parts that make up Ed overall (another thread on that here on Twitter, which I'll also shift across to Tumblr soon!)

And I think one of my favourite things in S2 has been seeing the way Stede SEES that- he knows what Ed's done, everyone's told him, but he still loves Ed. sees his trauma and how it affects him, and believes he's a good man regardless. He IS lovable; he's not forever broken.

And together, they can heal.

[ollycohens]

oh no you guys. i’m going to spew things i’ve realized while rewatching umbrella academy. I’m realizing were all being too sucked into fanon things after being stuck without canon content for so long. We have convinced ourselves Five acts like a mean mean dude to everyone but rewatching, i’ve realized he’s only stressed and is saying things out of panicked anger, especially in s1 with the apocalypse dooming over them. he acts soft to his siblings multiple times, he’s really not as mean as we write him in fanfiction. he is a little crap though, that’s for sure, and i love him for that <3

also realizing that the siblings don’t hate five. they just literally don’t know him at all. he came back a completely different person after 17 years for the siblings, they don’t know five, he’s a stranger so of course they’re gonna be cold to him. it’s like, “i don’t know you well, but you’re always going to be my brother in the end”.

ALSO. for those who ship some of the siblings, uhm… i’ve seen a lot of you guys try to prove that they don’t see eachother as siblings and more like academy students, but they very much say in just about every episode that they see eachother as siblings. they don’t actually SAY that word by word but they say things like “she’s our sister”, or “our dad”. if they say OUR dad… bro. i’m not even going to continue, you can put it together yourself. But, i do realize why people ship the siblings. I am not defending incest shippers but with umbrella academy i can see why people have resorted to it. only 3 of the characters in the main sibling cast has romantic partners. people like shipping people, people love writing romantic relationships, but with only diego/lila, dave/klaus, and sissy/viktor, (i’m not going to count five/dolores for now) people are desperate with the need to ship the rest of the siblings with someone, and since there are only a few actual canon characters in the show that interact with our main 7, people start shipping them together… yikes. anywho, that’s all for that peice. i blame the show writers as well for shipping luther/allison, they did not have to do that, but i’m hoping it was only to convey the severity of what childhood trauma does to people.

ALSO THIS HERE SHOOK ME. I actually think Reginald cares for the siblings. i hate to say it, but it’s true. caring for them does not mean being good, though. he was a horrible father, and person, but he genuinely did care for the siblings, in a like, “being the best is the best thing for you, i will make you better, for your sake, even if you don’t know it now, you will see that i am right” kind of way.

also why has NOBODY MENTIONED THIS. in season 2 when diego first reunites with five in the asylum, while he’s walking into the visitors room, he’s staring at five with this heartfelt, soft look, and then says “five…” in the most soft spoken voice ever 😭 your honor i love them

ALSO UGHHH THIS. IM GOING TO FREAK OUT ABOUT CAMERAWORK AND METAPHORS HERE SO BARE WITH ME. we as a fandom complain about the lack of flashbacks five has due to his ptsd. we’ve seen his first flashback since getting back to his family in s1 during the van scene when he gets triggered by those kids playing and starts thinking about his own childhood, i’m guessing. i ate that scene up, and was sad to see that be one of the only deeply vulnerable scenes he has in the season, and during my first watch i thought they’d never bring it back up. but they do!! i may be stupid for not realizing but whatever. in season 2, when five is trying to explain at elliot’s with all his siblings around that another apocalypse is coming, everyone starts talking about each other. as someone who studies film and camerawork, i love this scene. we see the camera focus on five as it slowly zooms in. it doesn’t switch scenes at all as the siblings voices overlap and echo over eachother. this whole scene conveys him getting overwhelmed and he starts to zone out, starting to think of the nuclear war he saw his siblings in. the scenes of the war start quickly switching through, showing many different scenes of it before it switches back to five, who says “guys, you all die. i want to forget it but i can’t” which just UGH its so well done there. if you think about it, he was starting to slip into another flashback. he was triggered by talking about their deaths in the war but was handling it well until the siblings started fighting, where we see the overlapping voices happen. it portrays him losing control and being unable to pull it back together with too much going on for him to focus on grounding himself. we DO however, see that five was able to pull himself out before he fell too deep into the flashback. i love how they show this through them still having the scene showing the war, but then fives voice starts talking over the scene which is still focusing on the war as if he was pushing it back and forcing himself to come back to the present.

thank you for reading if you’ve made it this far, i will continue to freak out another time <3

[jane-newby]

Why I love Caitlyn Kiramman (S1 & 2)

Decided to write this just because... and well I've seen a few "why I hate Arcane Cait" so I am writing why I think she's awesome.

1. I am a sucker for misfit characters. When Cait meets Jayce in the rain and solidifies their relationship by admitting she's a misfit too, my heart was sold. Of course, many of the Arcane characters are misfits, but Cait because of her birth into high society runs against many of the expectations and beliefs of her station. She gives off Sherlock vibes when it comes to social interactions and her skill of deductions/sleuthing.

2. She's an excellent shot. There is something about a girl with a great aim that I love (Hunger Games Katniss is the first that comes to mind). My favorite shooting scenes are from S2 in the Jinx/Sevika skirmish and the final battle when she takes on a sniper role.

3. Noxian training montage. After being kidnapped, knocked out and almost choked out, it was about time Cait learned hand to hand to combat. While I would have loved a longer scene it was nice to see 60 seconds of her Mulan-esque training session.

4. Badass Disney princess/prince vibes. She had a heart of gold and was in the pursuit of justice and truth ever since her Season 1 convo with Grayson ("What are you shooting for young Kiramman?") Cait spends most of Season 1 defending or attempting to save others (i.e. Jayce, Vi, the people of Zaun). She is willing to listen when she is in the wrong (aka conversation with Ekko and the Firelights) or understand the experiences of those she knows little about.

5. Cait and Vi’s Slow Burn Romance. “Will they won’t they.” A Romeo & Juliet aka other side of the tracks romance. Opposites Attract. Again I am a complete sucker for this romance trope. Step Up. Mulan. The 100. She-Ra. Miles Morales and Gwen (Please never compare Jinx and Ekko just because the ethnics match. They are not the same.) You give me two unlikely characters who go through the ups and downs of life and then finally consummate that relationship. I am down HARD. I like the tension. The tennis match of love and hate until they finally figure out they are meant for each other. Cait and Vi could have made love in a tree and I still would have happily rewatched because their love was multiple little scenes of looks, nicknames, rescues, fights, a kiss, and “I am down bad,” shower scene. What’s not to like?

6. Cait’s Character Development. From the fires of tragedy, a naive, eager, idealistic, bright eyed Young Kiramman princess develops into an older, wiser, humble leader. 

To me, her arc is about the passage into adulthood. An examination of that age old question “What does it mean to be human?” As the years pass, Cait clung to Grayson’s words–essentially her why, her purpose. But what happens when that purpose is challenged or marred by reality, by pain, anger? 

Cait’s purpose is immediately challenged when she finds out the Enforcer sheriff is corrupt and almost kills her in order to hide his sins. While it’s clear, there is no love between the two, Marcus’s corruption and her confrontation with Ekko challenge her belief in a system she joined in her pursuit of justice. Immediately, after, she attempts to broker an agreement that will help Zaunites but the Council selfishly rejects her proposal. You know the rest of the story.

Hours later she is kidnapped, tortured by the sister of her crush. Then the same sister drops a bomb killing not only people she knew, but her mom. Then at the memorial, another attack occurs presumably from the same sister–Jinx. The Council is eager to annihilate Zaun, but Cait attempts to be a voice of reason while grieving. Then when she has a chance to kill Jinx she fails and pushes/hits her girlfriend away. She loses her brother, and the only council member who notices she’s struggling. Her father is MIA. A known genocidal general begins to manipulate her. 

In a matter of months, Cait’s purpose is crushed by tragedy and a need for revenge. In season 1, Silco states, “There’s a monster inside all of us.” Cait’s monster rears its ugly head as she dawns the evil cloak, broods in dark rooms (thank you ep 4 beginning montage) and embraces oppressive tactics to fulfill her new objective. Cait’s conflict is not just an external manifestation but an internal one. Will she let bitterness take over or will she stick to her values of justice, truth, and kindness? We know that she has not fully embraced Ambessa’s ideologies, as she is constantly questioning Ambessa directives. Her conversations with Singed and her decision to spy on Singed’s actions also show that internal war. Ultimately, it is the decision to help Vi and betray Ambessa that led back to Cait’s core. She didn’t need to make a Youtube apology video. She chose through her actions to get back to a new, healed version of her purpose. Her last words in S2  “Are you still in this fight?” are a reflection of Cait’s own journey–to rise from tragedy and her own mistakes to make a difference even when pain, challenges, evil can make the journey seem impossible. 

Cait said it best in Season 2’s final memorial, Our only consolation for every loss we found some good, some light, worth gaining, worth fighting for. And though we are doomed to revisit the error of our ways, spark ever more conflicts, our story isn’t over.

And this is why I love Cait because of what she represents. A strong female character with quirks. A sense of justice. Love. A closet full of demons. Transformation. Humanity. And Badass shooting skills.

[manwiththemagic]

The writers of s11 were cowards. If IIIIIIIIIII was in charge I'd made Lucifer's weird obsession with Sam show up more. Like the writers have very obviously included it and yet when Lucifer is processing the same vessel as cas, and therefore pretending to be cas, he just fucks off and tortures Crowley with fucked up bdsm pet play.

Like the few times casifer and Sam interacted were GOLD. because Sam sees it as his best friend cas, and Lucifer (who keeps talking about Sam like they're toxic ex's) is pretending to be him!! Although not to well. Like his freaky smirk when sending Dean into the past and coming back to harass Sam? Dude lives off of sadistic pleasure.

The way he full on LAUGHS when Sam says he trusts him bc Sam thinks it's cas?? Like gold!?!? Don't know why the writers didn't do more with that.

Also why not do more with the 'lucifer sent Sam visions to get him down to hell'. Like Lucifer is Obsessed w/ sam because that body/vessel is "supposed to be" his. And yet after revealing himself he doesn't try and convince Sam anymore?

He's just given up? Like nah man I don't believe that. I feel like he woulda fucked with Sam more in cas' body. And like it woulda been a way better not-romance-romance plot then whatever the fuck Dean and Amara were..

Like that came outta no where... I mean I get it.. but ew?? We saw her grow up, and maybe id argue "well there were two versions of her!! One physical on earth, the other her actual form and memories as a celestial being!!" BUT NO. SHE CALLS CROWLEY UNCLE CROWLEY.

cause he like raised her for a day or wtv..

Idk s11 is better than s10. Like the episode from baby's prospective?? PEAK CINEMAAAA!! also not that I dislike s11, no I quite love it, I just wish the dean plots were more fleshed out, and that it was more "Dean and Sam vs the world!!" Then Dean vs Sam yk??

Like where's my dynamic duo??

That's part of why I didn't like s10. Like no I loved the IDEA of Mark of Cain dean, and demon dean was hilarious (although I HATE him) but it was just Dean vs Sam, Dean vs cas, Dean vs the world. And idk I liked the idea, cause this time it was sam doing everything to save Dean, but man I just didn't like the fighting..

Also s11 had a mention of TMNT, S10 did not so... points!!

S1 and 2 of spn were peak ofc, and s3 was good but not really memorable for me?? Idk I'll go back and rewatch once I finish the series (just finished s11)

S4 and 5 were also really good, we got Castiel who is peak, blood junkie Sam, which was one of my favorite plots!! And of course a lot more bobby. Rest in peace king!

And unlike some I loveeeed s6-7 like.. the soulless plot, and death? Dean dealing with soulless sam?? Chefs kiss I mean mwah. Then Sam tweaking because of hallucinations. NOT TO MENTION GODSTIEL?? loved him sm stg.

8-9-10 is where it kinda fell off. I mean idk the leviathans?? Weak. Hated them ngl. Idk if they were s7 but either way.. mid. I didn't like purgatory bc no way Sam would do that?? But I did like how it developed deans character..

I don't remember what happened in what season but I lovedddd kevin, hated metatron (but in the "it's because he's well done" kinda way), the tablets were aight, Mark of Cain was uh... something.. (I hate demon dean but he was peak..)

So like idk.. show is peak though, I'm just at that point in the hyperfixtion where it's like "BUT I COULD DO IT BETTER!!" ykwim?? NVM I'm sick with a fever, supernatural is all I have going for me man.

[yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt]

Rewatching Season 1 of Arcane with my Season 2 knowledge and here's my commentary so far:

These children were giving SUCH Siblings. Not just Vi and Powder (although they were closer) but Claggor and Milo, whacking each other upside the head, bullying each other, protecting each other, being silly little kids. They deserved to all be brothers and sisters. They deserved to grow up together. I'm glad in the Alt Timeline it seems like Powder's relationship with her brothers really got stronger and they got to be a proper family, (with both Dadco and Dadnder to boot) it just sucks that Vi couldn't be a part of it :(

Viktor was kinda serving cunt with his finger tattoos and bracelets, although I found it interesting/weird that he had neither a limp nor his purple machine herald skin. I could see if being eaten by the magic and spat out fucking. Somewhere in the universe would return him to his original body, but then he should have had his limp, and if it didn't, he would have still had an augmented appearance. I get that he was likely from a different universe, but I think his disability is a part of him thematically and would be consistent across universes (at least ones where he would become a mage) idk. I guess including either feature would be an obvious giveaway for that spoiler, once Viktor and his limp were introduced, or once his hand turned purple towards the end of S1. And as powerful as he was, he probably could have conjured up a disguise so Jayce wouldn't be able to identify him later on, so it's a moot point ig just thought it was interesting

I forgot Silco had a bald cat. Probably because the bald cat is immediately killed. Take notes, anyone who is working on Domestic Vanco Everything Is Fine AU (me), they have a bald cat.

Silco is also much more sympathetic after having watched Season 2. Just knowing that if he had gotten Vander's apology, they would have worked on the nation of Zaun together again and created a truly beautiful thriving society like they always dreamed, like we see in S2 (which I strongly believe would not have been possible if not for Silco joining back up with Vander) is heartbreaking. He was a fucked up old twink but he really wanted to create something better.

Also it looks like Silco was injecting drugs into his eye even before shimmer was finalized??? Questionable. Was it not shimmer? Was it something else? Am I missing something? Whack. What this ALSO implies is that, well, we see in the alternate universe that his eye just looks like a normal injured/blind eye, but it's also implied that Alt. Universe events were largely the same up until Vi's heist went wrong. This means that Silco, in the AU, WAS shooting up dangerous untested drugs into his eyeball, and at some point, decided to stop after reuniting with Vander. Accepting his trauma, moving on from the pain? My Zaundads heart can't take it.

[raayllum]

today on TDP's consistent re-contextualization: the Sunfire elf tribunal in 4x06 (because I was rewatching and noticed some interesting set up / parallels for S7)

1) The dispute being a mourning ritual at all, since arc 2 (like the rest of the show) has an emphasis on grief. This is particularly evident since S7 is going to focus on bringing the dead back into the land of the living and affirming that life-death theme (whereas in S1, we didn't get any funeral rituals outside of S1 in Katolis; S4 comparatively shows two funeral rites)

2) Death being seen as "the dark night" (Aaravos wants to bring about eternal night / is a fate worse than death) and light guiding the spirit through said darkness till it be unified wholly with its primal / the light. Don't even think I gotta include the 6x06 screencaps for that, or the fact that Aaravos has corrupted both the moon and the sun Nexuses in an attempt to solidify an eternal night of literal death.

3) Aaravos saying that his years with Leola couldn't hold a candle to deeper mysteries; Callum refusing to snuff out his Light (Rayla) and therefore not being truly permanently Lost to begin with, no matter what may happen to him with dark magic. This is also interwoven with N'than in the same episode offering to help the group not get lost on the Path of Despair, which... yeah, hi metaphor for depression and hopelessness amid grief.

The fact that possession equals being dead or already dead, as well as dark magic's associations with death... vs light and life. Yeah. Yeah.

4) The emphasis on cruel punishment / rashness in the name of the greater good even when that means tearing a family further apart or the punishment being unnecessary (all around) and the victim(s) not being listened to no matter how much you begged, bargained, or pleaded (looking at you 1x03 Rayla and Runaan as well).

5) The application of accountability as well as the cruel motif rearing its head for the first time in arc 2, as it will become a mainstay

She had every opportunity to consider the pain she could cause. And she did not. She was callous. She was careless. She was cruel.

6) Both Aaravos (whose name means between light and dark) and Lucia (whose name means light) are involved in the trials we see in 4x06 and 6x06 respectively. Because Lucia is not killed and is shown mercy and compassion, she's able to contribute positively as a member of society in a way that also addresses her initial concerns; she takes on a positive purpose after the harm she's caused. She is tasked with rebuilding. Because Aaravos is not shown true mercy, and his daughter is brutally executed, he grows to no longer care about any harm caused, and his life takes on a negative purpose. He tasks himself with destruction. Also typical TDP emphasis on Choices throughout.

7) The contrast of "She is not innocent" being true in Lucia's case and untrue in Leola's case work together to set up Rayla's trial in S7. They also bode well for Callum's character arc. If he does dark magic again, he may not be 'innocent' on that level, but that doesn't matter; he still deserves life and love and to be saved / spared ("I'm not going to kill you"). The same could be true on Claudia's level (and was true for Viren, as he was imprisoned rather than executed).

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

A fellow fan (who prefers to remain anonymous) shared their “wild theory” that there can be more to the Elrond and Galadriel kiss scene that meets the eye, and asked me to do an "breakdown" and see if it can be. Now, this is just theory, don’t get your hopes too high, please. 

This scene isn’t meaningless like many are trying to make it to be: this is the kiss that Morfydd Clark teased at the premiere, and it’s in one of the main trailers for Season 2.

I rewatched the entire scene like 5 times, and I did notice there was something strange about Elrond (body language, the way he walked and, even, the way he spoke), and before the kiss itself, Adar himself seems to act shady as his eyes linger on Elrond’s face, with suspicion.

All of this can mean nothing, however, there can be some clues, here: 

Elrond sounded quite passive-aggressive in his exchange with Adar, and kind of manipulative as well (this is a tense scene, but Elrond seemed OOC); 

Elrond didn’t actually choose anything: it took me a third rewatch to observe this, but the way the scene is written and acted, it’s like Elrond isn’t there to strike any bargains with Adar or stop the attack on Eregion (which should be his goal in this scene, no?), but rather to help Galadriel break free.  

Random mention of Melian (yes, Elrond’s ancestor, but also the Maia who fell in love with an Elf); 

Elrond hitting back at Adar with mentions of his “children” (and the camera lingers on the Orcs to see their reactions. We already saw the Orcs starting to turn on Adar, and in 2x01 we saw another character pulling out the same move); 

Elrond randomly calling him “Adar” to his face;

The weird way Elrond removed the pin from his cape is quite similiar to another scene we’ve seen of a pin being removed in S1; 

Adar’s entire demeanor changes as soon as he gets close to Elrond, and looks him in the eye;

The music that plays during the kiss, seems quite familiar to the 6:22-6:25 chords of the “Last Temptation” OST. 

After Elrond leaves the tent, his demeanor seems extra cold for his usual self, and he speaks only in Elvish. He also tells the soldier that he’ll try to hold on the walls of Eregion in a cryptic way (I mean yeah, but there's another character who’s also holding the walls at the moment, and who saw the Elfish army coming from a mile away, and probably Galadriel in a cage, too).

What’s the wild theory? It’s not Elrond in that scene, but Sauron.  

We know Sauron can bend reality to his will and create illusions: we’ve seen him impersonating Finrod, Galadriel’s brother, in 1x08; and this Season he shaped the entire reality around Celebrimbor for him to complete the Nine.

We know Adar and Sauron also share a connection and they seem to be able to recognize each other (Adar knew that Halbrand was Sauron), so can that explain the change in Adar’s demeanor as soon as he looks into Elrond’s eyes? Because he realizes it’s not him, not Sauron in front of him?

A few months ago, there were some “leaks” that Sauron would impersonate Celeborn to kiss Galadriel: what if he impersonated Elrond, instead? 

Can this be how Sauron will prove to Galadriel his love for her? Because he was the one who helped her escape Adar, and he’ll show her this at the finale?  (with how the kiss was filmed, it’s possible to do a character-change-reveal situation) 

Now, and as I’ve said in the beginning of this post, this is a “wild theory”, so don’t get your hopes too high.

[dapperapple]

Mike's crush on El does not necessarily contradict him being gay rather than bi

I wanna start off by clarifying that if you see Mike Wheeler as bisexual rather than gay, THAT'S 1000% VALID don't let anyone take that from you babe

this is just my perspective as a lesbian who thought she was definitely straight until the end of 10th grade (age 16, a bit older than Mike and Will are in canon)

I was rewatching a lot of scenes from the show, mainly s2 and s3, to see if I thought that Mike's feelings for El came across as weird/forced or if their relationship felt off

and honestly it left me (a Byler shipper) pretty confused at first

because YES there are a lot of odd things about his feelings and their relationship

BUT ALSO

there are a few moments that are so cute and feel so genuine I didn't know what to do with them for a sec

mainly all the scenes where they're together at the Snowball dance

because that shit seems real to me, it's cute as fuck, that is a Mileven win right there if there ever was one

and honestly, the forehead touch when she and the Byers are about to leave, and again when they reunite in s4

dude that shit is so sweet okay

(Mileven shippers are valid even if I disagree with it for the narrative)

ANYWAYS here's where my personal experience comes in to help out with my confusion over this

Mike in s1 feels the most obviously comp-het to me

because I had a big crush on a boy in kindergarten, another in gr2/3

I didn't even know what gay people were, I knew girls liked boys, so if a boy was my friendly, and nice to me instead of mean, I probably would've liked him or thought I liked him

Mike in seasons 2-4 reminds me of myself in gr7/8

the most intense crush I had on a guy was in gr7/8

I was more used to being friendly with guys at this point but this guy was becoming a close friend of mine

a cute confident guy who was nice, funny, and taking an active interest in me as a person was like wooaahh

I really do believe that Mike unintenionally idolized El, putting her up on this pedestal, with his self esteem all wrapped up in her liking him back

but I also don't think that's his fault, when you're young you don't know any better

the pressure to date starts to increase a bit, and low self esteem is kicking your ass

I did the exact same thing with the guy I liked, I had this whole other version of him in my head and I started liking him less and less the more he didn't act like that ideal

(insert Mike's behavior towards El after she assaulted Angela)

even after I figured out that the kind of person and the kind of connection I wanted in a relationship was something I was far more likely to find with a girl, I still thought I was straight, so it just made me kind of sad

like- I had resigned myself to the fact that I would struggle to find a guy that I TRULY liked

maybe it was lingering internalized homophobia, idk, I had lots of gay friends, but I just hadn't felt that way about any girl at all before, I didn't think I was capable of being attracted to girls

and then there was her

we became very close friends, she was such a kind person, so fucking funny, an incredibly skilled artist, and absolutely gorgeous

and it finally clicked

finally my mind registered the fact that I COULD be attracted to girls

I still consider her my first love

and then there was no turning back

WHICH IS WHY

I wouldn't be surprised AT ALL if it takes Will coming out to Mike/the party in order for him to consider Will romantically

not because he isn't already in love with him subconsciously

but because I don't think he has registered it as a possibility for EITHER of them

moral of the story:

COMPULSIVE HETEROSEXUALITY IS REAL GUYS AND IT CAN FEEL MORE REAL THAN YOU'D EXPECT

especially since when you're young, the differences between boys and girls (both physically and how we're socialized) are much less apparent

MIKE WHEELER I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE (because me too!!)

[scribbly-artist]

Vander and Silco Tickle Headcanons

My inner demons won, I decided I wanted to make this lol.

This will cover both of them in the past briefly as well as them in the present, but not in the AU as I can’t really think of anything notable that I won’t already cover.

I think they turned out pretty well. :) And I hope you all do as well! Lemme know if I should write any other character headcanons. I’m maybe inclined to write some for characters I haven’t written fics for get as a gateway drug to finally writing for them. 🤔

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE JOURNEY FELLAS, UNDER THE CUT WE GO.

Vander

Vander Vander Vander hi hello.

He’d do some major tickle damage with his beard if he’s inclined to do so. It looks really soft rather than scratchy?? Which is either good or bad depending on how you take it

He’d totally give cheer-up tickles to all his adopted kids and to anyone when they’re feeling down. Especially to Powder when one of her machines doesn’t work the way she intended it to or if Mylo is being really mean towards her

No one can outrun the big fella, unless they squeeze into a tiny space he can’t reach, then he gives up the chase

In turn he’s a scary tickle monster from his size alone. He could totally grab two people and tickle them both at the same time

I feel like he doesn’t tease super often and not super directly, more in a “doesn’t it feel good to let it all out?” or a “this is what happens when you decide to be a little shit” kind of way

I feel like he’s not super ticklish and he doesn’t seem like the ticklish type because he’s the big strong leader that’s meant to protect his kids and his fellow Zaunites. Surely Zaun’s leader couldn’t have such a weakness

But he’s ticklish and very few people know about it

Some of the very few people who know he’s ticklish is, of course, his kids

They needed proof. They all devised a plan and tag teamed him once and got a couple laughs out of him. Only a couple until he went full Tickle Monster Dad Mode

I feel like his ribs are his most ticklish spot, his feet next. He’s not OVERLY ticklish, but if you poke and prod enough he’ll laugh a little. When you’re getting him really good, he’s got a loud, booming laugh. It bounces off the walls

It’s a rare sight, but one to permanently etch in your memory. The corners of his eyes crinkle up and he has a warm smile on his face, UGH MY HEART <3

Silco

Ah Silco. My first Arcane crush I forgot about until I rewatched S1 after S2’s release, and then I fell SO HARD for Viktor

This man gets nervous when tickling is on the table lol. He tries to say he isn’t, but he doesn’t hide it very well

I think he’s most ticklish on his sides and his legs, and weirdly his hands?? I’ve just got a feeling about it

Post Act 2, he needs to maintain his image, so he doesn’t let others get close. Jinx knows he’s ticklish from kid antics and Sevika only knows because she walked in once while Jinx was tickling him in his office

He’s banned Jinx from attending any chem-baron meetings because she would get bored and start prodding his sides mid-way while he was speaking. Everyone attending the meeting found it hilarious

He would die of embarrassment and shame if anyone else knew, though

He tries to hold his laugh back… for about five seconds

He has low, quiet chuckles only just escaping his throat, to full blown cackles when a really ticklish spot is targeted. When he’s laughing really hard he scrunches up his face and he hates when that happens

If you tickle him, he will 100% get you back tenfold, guaranteed

I feel like before he got scary after his betrayal, he could still instil fear into others if he tried hard enough

Approaching his prey with an evil glint in his eye. When he sees them squirm, he smirks

He can very easily grab onto their wrist before they run away too far and tickle them to pieces as revenge

And post Act 2, he doesn’t even need to do the chasing. He can very easily command Sevika to grab his target very easily

“Undone with just a little tickling?” “This will teach you that you crossed the wrong man.” “I applaud your efforts. Unfortunately for you, it was all for nothing.”

Some extras as a little treat

Silco would instigate tickle fights with Vander, but he would lose 99% of the time. And can you blame him? Have you SEEN how big Vander is compared to Silco? He TOWERS him dude

When Vander tickles Silco back, he regrets ever attempting to start a tickle fight because Vander can be ruthless if he chooses to be

Silco and Vander would totally tag team a target

Silco would just need to have a look in his eye and Vander would grab their target lee in a bear hug for Vander and Silco to tickle them to pieces

I feel like when they were friends they would bicker sometimes, leading Vander to tickle Silco to shut him up/stop the fighting

[avelera]

Why You Should Rewatch Season 1 of Arcane

For those who are just jumping onto watching Arcane now that Season 2 is coming out, let me just quickly say what transformed me from a fan to a frothing-at-the-mouth insane evangelist for how this show might be an era defining work of genius.

The writing is good, yes, but did you know that structurally, Season 1 might be the most tightly written show ever created? (And no, I don't mean that as hyperbole, because the animation, the music used, and the story as written is all done in-house by Riot, Arcane might truly be the most tightly created, centrally controlled story ever made for film).

If you go back and re-watch Season 1 knowing how it ends, with Jinx's rocket shattering the sky on its arc towards the Council Chamber, you can then actually go back to the very first scene of the show and see how every beat of the story up to that point led to that moment.

The core thesis of Arcane S1 is the question: how did we get to this moment where the potential peace of this divided city was shattered by the violent attack of one traumatized child of Zaun?

Every scene, literally every single scene, every single frame, every single word said or not said, every gesture, every pause of Arcane Season 1 is how we got to that moment.

Every chance encounter that happens or doesn't happen. Every time someone was in one place instead of another. Every time someone helped or didn't help a loved one when they needed it. Every time someone spoke up or didn't speak up when they needed to.

Every. Single. Beat. Every single breath of Arcane S1 is about that last scene and how it came to be and how no one stopped it before it happened. You can pause any frame, dissect any scene, and point to exactly how that last scene could have been averted if this moment had gone differently.

It is truly mind boggling how tightly connected even the smallest fragment of this story is. The care and attention put into it is so next level it doesn't even seem like it's in a different league (heh) from most other films, it's playing a different sport.

And I recommend everyone who has only seen Season 1 once go back and watch it again with this question in mind.

[lover-of-mine]

Welcome to the use of blue and green with 911 couples is not confined to clothing and how I believe this applies to buddie since season 2, a masterpost. (this does contain an explanation of the use of blue and green in the more obvious way, the clothes, so even if you don't believe the other elements of the scene part, this could still bring some clarity on the way blue and green is important)

Okay, so, after 706 a lot of people said they thought about me with the buddie/bathena blue and green scene, and I LOVE THAT, but a few people also came to ask me to explain more about the blue and green in general and why that is important and I realized my blue and green thoughts are scattered into multiple posts because I did figure out more stuff since I wrote the first one and season 7 is giving me more things to support the 2 main color theory theories I have when it comes to buddie/Buck, so I decided I need to write one long post about it all, including thoughts on 706 specifically.

Okay, so easy pattern to spot first, the blue and green thing is used with a lot of couples throughout the show, core couples, adjacent couples, random people in calls, the blue and green is used in a major piece of clothing in a couple, a shirt, a jacket, a dress, after s6 the use of pants was introduced more explicitly, and that has transferred to s7, but it is something heavily used since s2 (I can't find a conclusive example in s1 and the first obvious example is madney's first scene in 206) (this will have a bunch of tiny images because I'm trying to stay within the image limit, but if you click on them you can zoom in if tumblr doesn't decide to hellsite, I made them high quality enough)

And it is not just about meant-to-be couples, it's literally just a way to exemplify romantic connection. And while it is used a lot with most of the couples we see, the easiest couple to track is madney, since they have a lot of blue and green scenes, tracking back all the way down to their first scene, but bathena also have quite a few scenes. I love the scene at the station in 308 (last column, 3rd row down) because the cutout of kid Bobby makes it so there's a double blue Bobby there.

So the clothes element is very easy to track. It is a very real aspect of the show. And that is interesting when you consider the actual color theory aspect of it, because blue and green are analogous colors, which means they are right next to each other in the color wheel, and that's a color scheme used to create a harmonious look, it's about cohesion, creating visual unity, and it is what this accomplishes, the couples look balanced even if we don't fully register why, they just naturally work well together and that translates even if you don't know color theory.

This is the part we know exists in the show, but the thing is, I don't believe the show only uses that with the clothes, and again, madney is the easiest way to track that.

I noticed this while making a 512 set for the hiatus rewatch since I was focusing on the scenery to pick the shots I wanted because something about that episode is that it is green in nature since it is a Saint Patrick's Day episode. But everything about madney that episode is blue and green even when madney isn't dressed in blue and green. Pretty much everything about it has blue or green elements.

Maddie is wearing blue in the video, Chim is wearing green when he watches it, she's in blue while she's alone (even her hospital gown is blue, and that's not a common thing for the show), he's in green when he's alone, so we are still in the color scheme, there is a lot of green in the background that makes Chim and his vest stand out, we have green walls, that green bench, the blue red sox merch on the walls. But when they meet again, they are in neutral-colored clothing, contrasting with the background, and when Maddie tells Chim she wants to go home, both of them have blue and green shirts that are covered by a jacket, so the blue and green are not a focal point even if it's there, probably because they are not back in a place where they can get back together yet, and they are explicitly in blue and green in 601 when they do get back together.

They also did the whole make the episode blue and green with 706.

The backgrounds are very blue or green or both, a lot of the people are wearing blue or green, Maddie's phone is green, Chim's car is blue, there is a lot of blue and green happening there.

Something else about madney being blue and green is that their house has a lot of blue and green decorations. So, I definitely wanna say that the blue and green are being completed by other elements of the scene.

But I obviously have examples with other couples.

While doing the rewatch sets for 606 I noticed there are a few examples using Henren and other elements of the scene, 606 is also the episode that allowed me to include pants into this madness.

The thing about henren is that they don't have a lot of blue and green scenes, the 2 we had before s7, because s7 did gave us a few more, are in when they decide on fostering and when Eva comes back the last time, but since their color palette is based on patterns a lot, I decided maybe I should expand my definition of what counted, that gives us one of the flashbacks, because Karen's pants are patterned in green and Hen's shirt is patterned in blue, they also have Hen in green pants for one of the dates and there's the blue lighting, there's the scene with Hen in a blue hoodie and the green background. So more elements of the scene were being employed there.

Another couple is Eddie and Shannon. I will be honest, it took me a WHILE to clock they had an explicit blue and green moment in the form of Chris' birth. BUT, looking at them season 2 and the flashbacks in Eddie begins, they have moments where Eddie is blue or green and Shannon has blue and green detailing, her jewelry, her nails, her car, background of a scene. Also when they are fighting about Eddie reenlisting, they keep switching holding blue and green stuff. Shannon has a blue cup, Eddie is holding a green bottle, the rag on Eddie's hand is blue, the oven mitt next to Shannon is green, so even though Shannon is never a fully blue or green character, she always has blue and green accents.

Randon addon, but Thomas and Mitchell, the gay couple from Buck, Actually that is the couple that shows Buck what love is supposed to look like, they have a lot of blue and green details in their montage, the car, the driveway, the transition from a green cake to a blue cake, I just love that.

Now that we have all of this established, let's talk blue and green applied to buddie.

So, using the established, just the top, point of focus of the outfit, buddie has 3 blue and green outfits, technically 4, but we will talk about the hangar later, because I have a lot to say lol, the loft scene in 613, the station scene in 617, the hangar scene in 704, and the dispatch scene, the street scene, and the wedding in 706 (I will also talk more about 706 later)

One thing about buddie in blue and green is that they tend to have similar shades to past scenes with past love interests.

I don't know why they repeated the shooting combo, I guess it's just because Taylor's greens tended to be less earthy than Eddie's usual shades, but, I was scrolling through bucktaylor blue and green scenes to see if I could find a match for the hangar, and I do think that works, but I was fully ready to go full delusional here and say Buck's hoodie in 706 matches Shannon's nails in 207, because they do, BUT, that one seems to be a double kill and I don't have to sound all that crazy, because it seems like it is a bucktaylor combo from 509 too (the lighting on the loft is obviously different from two scenes in natural sunlight, but they are similar enough)

(Wait last minute addition that you don't know it's a last minute addition and can read more about here, but all thought s6, Buck and Eddie have matching blue and green phone cases, and the 706 scene seems to also somewhat match the shade of the phone cases from last season)

And these are the explicit ones, I would say the 706 scene is even more on the nose since bathena are also in blue and green right next to them.

Now, for other elements of the scene tho, we can go back down to the beginning. As in the you can have my back any day scene.

(Yes, I know the blue is because of the sirens, and it will eventually be red, but since red is such a prominent color for Buck, I can't really mind that all that much because I also have a color-theory theory that deals with the idea that Buck is red in scenes about doing the right thing about love and what more right for Buck than Eddie?)

But since I'm trying to stay within the image limit, let's rapid-fire some scenes here. If we ignore the uniform (I am choosing to because they don't have a lot of room with the uniform, it is what it is, and sometimes a scene will happen in the firehouse) Eddie is wearing blue after the tsunami and the will reveal, Buck's wearing blue after Chim goes after Maddie, Buck's wearing blue in the kitchen talk in 511 (and yes he's wearing blue because Taylor is wearing green, but he's still in blue), the shirt Buck has under the red jacket during the breakdown is blue, Buck is wearing something blue(ish) when they talk about the couches, Eddie is wearing blue on the poker date, Buck is wearing green on the cemetery. In the Carla scene, when Eddie shows up, they're not in the kitchen, and the backgrounds behind them are somewhat neutral. But funnily enough, it's only green behind Eddie there. (if you read my eddie fell first essay, you know I will die saying this is the moment that Eddie is done for so, love when an insane thought solidifies another lol), after the tsunami, we have green scrubs dude behind Eddie when Eddie sees Buck, even though most scrubs in the show are blue and everything behind Eddie is white, we have Buck and the blue of the tent, when they turn around, there's the green thingie behind Eddie and Chris, and the scrubs behind Buck are blue. Grocery store, the toilet papers behind Buck are blue and the outside along with the flowers behind Eddie are very green. Shooting, whatever that green thing behind Eddie is, Mehta's uniform, more blue uniforms, and a green medical person. 511 I just think are funny because Buck is wearing blue in the kitchen but everything about Eddie is white, and that's a fun contrast to the Carla scene and 517 is funny the way one side of Chris' room is mostly green and red and the other is yellow and blue and how Buck is on the green side and Eddie is on the blue (including his shirt). And the poker date, Eddie is in blue and the tables and chairs are green.

Considering using the pants, we also have the post-tsunami talk, the will reveal, and the 504 talk where Eddie has green pants on. Sure, the post tsunami talk, Eddie is both blue and green and there are no blue elements on Buck, but the will reveal, Eddie is both blue and green and the wall behind Buck is blue, and the 504 talk, Eddie has green pants and Buck has a blue hoodie on, considering the way the season 6 had the pants being in used with henren in 606 and with the girls from the oil well (both queer couples, I might add), I kinda wanna say that the 504 talk is traditionally blue and green lol

We also have my Roman Empire, aka the cemetery scene.

Because here's the thing, the sky is only blue behind Eddie and Buck is dressed in green. And also considering the way that they were being pretty consistent with Eddie being green and Buck being blue and the general breakup feelings surrounding the cemetery scene, the fact that bucktaylor switched colors mid-relationship, aka, when Buck tells her he kissed someone else, this is very interesting to me, because the colors in that scene feel like something that was accomplished on post-production, so they are like that on purpose.

This is also something that is used in the gym scene in 705, because Buck is wearing a green coat and Eddie completes the blue and green with the towel and the bottle, and considering green is Buck there is something wrong color and Buck is beating himself up for lying to Eddie, the switch in colors when applied to Buck usually means something.

With all this, let's talk blue and green in 706. Bathena is in 2 different blue and green outfits, the Buckley parents are in blue and green, bucktommy and buddie.

The bucktommy blue and green is very interesting because for one I had to swatch the color of Tommy's shirt and also because when talking about the blue and green in general, the shades tend to match, so to have Buck in a very light mint green and Tommy in a very dark, almost black blue is... a choice, especially considering that bucktommy did match during their date in 705, and Buck is in green, Buck in green is never a good sign (meta on that here), and considering Buck switches colors during crisis, I'm curious as to why they already switched the colors for them, since green is Buck's breakup color.

And the buddie of it all, well, they spent the whole episode matching, literally with the costumes for the bachelor party, but they also stay in their blue and green combo for the duration.

And to have buddie matching even in the bachelor party when the dude Buck is dating is there during the madney wedding episode is definitely a choice, even more, when you consider the way that Eddie is the one who is supposed to be the third wheel, in the costume design of it all Tommy was the one who was the odd one out, and considering the general married behavior buddie was exhibiting during the episode, it's a choice.

And since I'm already here, let's talk hangar scene.

For starters, with this scene, we had a blue and green scene for buddie 3 episodes in a row, which is something on its own, BUT, I will say that I watched the clip of this scene before 704 aired and said "oh, buddie just went canon", because here's the thing, for starters they are in blue and green and Tommy is in shades of beige, so the color on their clothes is the focus, but they are not really the focus, and they do match, but we have to consider the way Buck is wearing a maroon hoodie under his blue and Eddie is wearing a black jacket over his green. That clearly meant some sort of development was coming they're just not fully there yet. For me at least. Because the show has Eddie in the army green armor and Buck in the red jacket of love, and to have Eddie in the army green but with something over it, not using it to protect himself is something, and Buck not being in his brighter reds is also something.

To have this was very interesting for me, Eddie most of all because he's wearing black a lot and I have theories but I can't figure out why. But those are all colors used when Eddie is protecting himself and Buck is trying to understand something, so interesting. And then there's the actual dialogue of the scene "wait, you're not thinking about jumping ship?" "uh, no, I'm just, you know, keeping my options fluid." There is literally no more on the nose way to say don't jump ship than to literally have Eddie say don't jump ship. All that paired with the very obvious blue and green, definitely meant a plan was just set in motion for me.

I will link my Buck and the use of green and red again if you feel like reading more color theory theories. And also a theory about the use of blue and yellow this season.

Anyway, I think this is all, if you read this I love you 💜

tagging the ones of you who asked me about this or interacted with the post I asked about this: @dangerpronebuddie @missmagooglie @steadfastsaturnsrings @millymaki @inell @bella-bothered-and-bewildered @sparkedblaze @frihetstyrke @ilostyou @your-catfish-friend @estheticpotaeto @marmarthehatterverse @planetlet263 @mirrorbuck @lolpuppy

[bomikalover]

Austin & Ally (Auslly) Dynamic Analysis

Hello Again!

A while back I posted an A&A Analysis in which I asked what other things you want me to yap about. Well, this Yap Session was asked by @filmmakerdreamst so I was eager to answer!

The last one was about Auslly having horrid parental supervision and just bad parents in general. Which you can read here:

But today, we are talking about the Auslly Dynamic as a whole and in each season specifically in order to truly gauge why Austin and Ally have such a strong bond that any singular other character duo can replicate.

Warning: This is LONGGGGG lol

SEASON ONE: THE BESTEST OF FRIENDS

Season One was pure platonic friendship and I love that. Of course, they had that episode where Austin thought Ally had a crush on him and flipped out, but that was only because he didn't want to ruin their friendship and partnership with silly feelings and crushes. They were comfortable being friends and both decided to keep it that way.

-

During the first season, Austin time and time again makes mistakes that in other shows would cause episodes of drama and not get resolved till the end of the season. But Austin's respect for Ally and her feelings makes him think over his actions, realize that he did wrong, and handle the issue in a sweet and mature manner.

For Example, when Austin was continuously late and disrespectful of Ally's time, he got Ally a signed guitar by Bruno Mars (a favorite artist of Ally's) and gave her a planner to plan all the time she needed him since being her partner meant there was no more "Austin Time" but "Austin and Ally Time."

Another example is when the jealous blogger was ruining Austin's career because of Ally, yet he never blamed her. Even when threatened with never-ending blackmail he still chose Ally over his career. (Which he does all throughout the show which I will mention in other sections)

A Third Example, is Austin giving up his chance with the club owner at Trish's party to slow dance with Ally after getting rejected by Dallas (Ally's Crush in S1).

-

In S1 Ally had broken the personal boundaries and walls she had set up with everyone else for Austin and his career.

Like doing activities with Austin that she had never done with Trish. (The HorrerFest and doing a duo costume with Austin which led her to find out about Trish liking the Zaliens Franchise. Meaning she never went with Trish to any of these events before.)

Running onto a stage just to apologize to Austin even though she has extreme stage fright.

Also performing with him when Taylor Swift was injured.

Revealing how she had gotten stage fright in the first place in order to help him overcome his fears.

-

Season 1 was just the writer's way of selling their friendship to their audience. They weren't instantly friends, they had plenty of episodes of petty arguments and learning about each other to become as close as they were at the end of S1. It was realistic and fun to actually see them go from strangers to really close friends who entrusted secrets to each other. It was also refreshing to have Austin and Ally be opposites but have music be the thing that connects them. (Which I will give its own section at the end) Whether it be their parents' disbelief in their careers or just having someone to talk to who was at their professional musical level and truly understood music. Season One may not be the best season out of the four but it was extremely necessary for the realistic growth of auslly.

-

SEASON TWO: FRIENDS OR FEELINGS?

Season 2 is when things start to get interesting. Feelings were revealed, crushes were had, couples got together, people were jelly, and couples broke up. You could immediately see these two were WAY closer and their friendship has blossomed.

Austin realized his feelings after Ally but definitely had a harder time dealing with them than Ally. He gets with Kira Starr (daughter of the Owner of Starr Records - Jimmy Starr) after her bad breath is handled. (Kira Starr you deserved so much better as a character. I could write an analysis of her as well! Comment, if I should!) But when Ally starts to hang around an old camp buddy, Austin gets extremely jealous and Dez helps him realize his feelings for Ally. So after a lot of back and forth between Ally & Kira, Austin picks Kira....then kisses Ally...then dates Kira anyway. But after more back and forth, he breaks up with Kira and serenades Ally, resulting in them FINALLY getting together.

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Ally realized her feelings before Austin while helping him go on the perfect date with Kira. Ally immediately pushes her feelings down and does the mature thing like always. She decides to focus on her career after Austin continues to unintentionally play with her feelings. Then finally gives in when Austin breaks up with Kira and sings a song she wrote about him to her since he feels the same way.

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Though their relationship lasted one episode, I wasn't too mad. Once again, the writers are taking a more realistic approach and aren't making Auslly immediately a perfect couple with no faults. They are friends first and it showed this season more than last.

Austin was willing to give up his first magazine cover for Ally and Ally was willing to front flip off a building so that he wouldn't have to give it up.

Austin snuck out of his house to help Ally since he knew she was counting on him.

Austin tries to write his own songs since he is taking up the time Ally needs for her own career. (and his first successful song was about her.)

Austin gifts Ally priceless glass slippers which resulted in him carrying her for days since she couldn't walk in them. In the same episode, Ally helps Austin reinvent his childhood role model of a rock star's career.

Though they had a pretty big fight and realized that they had doubts about each other, they quickly made up and didn't let those past feelings control how they feel about each other now.

At the end of the season, they both agree it's better to be happy that both of their careers are taking off even if it's tearing them apart. This already shows growth from S1 Auslly who had the chance to be separated from each other (Ally going to NY for music school and Austin signing with another Manager and leaving team Austin) but chose each other over their careers.

Though they obviously have feelings for each other and both know that, they realize that if they truly loved and cared for each other...they needed to let each other go.

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SEASON THREE: SEASON TWO BUT MORE COMPLICATED AND MORE ANNOYING.

Season 3 is a whirlwind of emotions. The first half of S3 is focused on Ally on the Austin Moon Tour and them in school WAY more often. (which makes no sense btw. A&A are both EXTREMELY popular teen idols yet they aren't bombarded every hall they turn down? Like how are paparazzi not at Sonic Boom or the beach they famously hang out at? If anything they should both be homeschooled or do online schooling. PLUS Ally was working at Sonic Boom, working on songs for her and Austin, doing school, attending all her clubs, doing all her other duties as an artist, was in committed relationships, AND finding time to hang out with her friends?! Give that girl an award..)

The second half is the part I didn't like. They did the same thing they did in S2 but with different love interests. Ally with Garett and Austin with Piper. Both relationships last like 2 maybe 3 episodes then get broken up since Auslly can't think of anyone else but each other lol.

They get together once again at prom and stay together till the end of the season. (They technically break up in the last episode but Austin professes his love in front of the whole world on live television and throws away his entire career for her so I think that means they are together lol)

Now Austin and Ally are officially a couple and the season ends with Austin joining Ally on her tour parallel to Ally joining Austin on his tour at the beginning of the season.

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SEASON FOUR: MATURE SEMI ADULT AUSLLY

Season 4 is all fluff with very last-minute angst. Austin and Ally are finally together for good and it's a breath of fresh air. They help each other deal with their problems like Austin struggling about not being able to live out his passions and dreams. And Ally freaking out about her future and thinking she's not ready. Plus the constant problem of the two of them struggling to be a couple while being artists and now owning a factory together.

The overarching theme of Auslly blurring the lines between them as a couple and them as business partners and two extremely big names in the music industry is so intriguing to me. It was a slow buildup but S4 showed this buildup in its full intensity. Austin was so conflicted about being upset and saddened for himself but still extremely happy and supportive of his girlfriend that he was having nightmares of Ally living his dreams and leaving him behind. Also insecure about Ally going to Harvard and leaving him for a smarter man.

But Ally constantly reminds him that she loves him for him and only him which calms him every time.

But as always, good things always come to an end...Austin & Ally break up.

AND DON'T TALK FOR 4 YEARS!

Austin got back his career and Ally decided to go to college while still being a musician so they didn't have any time for each other. That distance took a toil and ended in them leaving each other's sides for a while. But with a little conniving from Trish and Dez, they were brought back together and realized that they never stopped loving each other. But the two of them still question how to be a couple when they're constantly competing against each other and being dragged away from each other. But then Austin had the bright idea of just becoming a singing duo instead of going head to head as competing artists for the rest of their lives.

That ends up being the right move and they live happily ever after with their two kiddos and music factory/museum.

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This was my stupid long dynamic analysis but I'm not done.

I also want to more intently explain why Austin and Ally are so close.

...and the answer is music.

I know what you are thinking, no duh...that's like the whole show premise but I'm digging into it deeper.

Remember in my earlier post I mentioned Auslly writing their songs about each other like no one else is there for them like each other?

I believe if A&A were on a more mature network, we would see the straight pressure and anxiety these two felt while being in the industry so young. Like, think about it...Austin and Ally were 14-15 when Austin went viral and Ally became his songwriter. Then Ally was around 15-16 when her personal career went off. They were absolute BABIES! With little to no support from their families, friends who could never fully grasp the amount of pressure they were under, and the entertainment industry watching their every move. Trish and Dez both play parts that are behind the scene (Manager and Director) and allow them to still keep their youths to themself instead of the youth being taken away from them like Auslly.

Austin was on a full-blown multi-city and state tour at 16!?

Ally was doing the same at 16-17...

in NYC performing Times Square BY THEMSELVES

Like literal children.

look at some of the lyrics these kids wrote about each other...

Parachute - Ally - Her First Album

"I remember life before

Faraway dreams and locking doors

Then you came, then you came

Afraid to fall, to be free

Always my own worst enemy

Isn't what, what you see

I took time to realize

That I couldn't do it by myself, myself

There's no gravity

when you're next to me

You will always break my

fall, like a parachute

When you're holding me so

weightless I can barely breathe

You will always break my fall, my fall

Like a parachute

You're my parachute"

LIKE? IM SORRY?

(Pls listen to the whole song and read all the lyrics cause it's really deep and emotional.)

here is Austin talking about Ally...

Austin - Stuck On You - Austin gets over stage fright by only looking at Ally

"So, I'm singing all the words I'm scared to say, yeah So, forgive me if I'm doing this all wrong I'm trying my best in this song To tell you, what can I do? I'm stuck on you I'm hoping, you feel what I do 'Cause I told Mom about you I told her, what can I do? I'm stuck on you

And like the nightsticks to the moon Girl, I'm stuck on you"

(Austin's isn't as deep and sad as Ally's but that is the character difference.)

But either way, the song is extremely sweet and endearing.

And this is only 2 songs out of 4 seasons worth of dedicated songs to each other. There was never a single song dedicated to their families only a couple for their friends but never as deep and descriptive as this. I think I can safely say that Austin and Ally were each other's safe places and utter sanctuary. It makes sense why their hugs were so long and their simple glances turned to deep gazes. They were each other's home...a place of peace.

Austin and Ally grew up with parents who gave up on their dreams, settled, and expected them to do the same. To work in the family business and forget their dreams since they had a one-in-a-billion chance of making it. No one fully understood how hard they worked and how much it hurt to have no one on their side.

No one but each other.

Trish never had the work effort that Ally had or the ability to not like having attention on her like Ally hated.

Dez never cared about being the one on camera like Austin or cared about what the public thought about him like Austin constantly did.

Even their best friends could never fully grasp their dilemma.

No one understands Austin like Ally.

And no one understands Ally like Austin.

It makes sense...they were two in a million.

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OK, THAT WAS SO LONG I AM SO SORRY.

But I love sharing my brain thoughts with you all so I'd gladly do more. Just give me recs in the comments even if they aren't A&A related.

This is the second yap session of this new series so you can always find this by the hashtag I put on each one...

#Yappin' with Shy

maybe next time I talk about the secret romance between Austin and Dez/Ally and Kira, or how Trish can be an aro-ace, or how Ally's dad's money problems root to something deeper than just being cheap.

But that’s a yapper-sation for another time - Shy

[moments-on-film]

Moments on Film: Carmy IS The Bear - Opening Scene Analysis

Hello friends. I hope your year is going well. If we have interacted or you’ve read my work before, hello again! If you’re new to my blog, welcome!

This is the final part I’ve been building to in a 3 part character analysis series I have written about the character of Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto from The Bear. In the first part, I analyzed how 🔗Carmy doesn’t know who he is yet because he’s never had the safety and freedom to discover who he really is by connecting with his true passion, art. In part two, I analyzed 🔗Carmy’s true purpose and how I believe his destiny is to set everyone up for success, leave the kitchen behind and step into his light.

I have rewatched The Bear multiple times, but nothing ever captures the wonder, intrigue, and immediate empathy I felt for Carmy after that fascinating opening scene in the pilot episode. I have been thinking about it since I first watched it and it has stayed with me.

Since the first time I saw it, I have always believed Christopher Storer wrote the opening scene of The Bear to provide a portal into the entire arc for Carmy’s character. Let me explain.

Think about what Carmy is doing in the opening scene. He’s approaching a bear trapped in a cage. He speaks to it softly and gently, shushes it, empathises with it, coaxes it out and unlocks the cage. Look at the words used in the script:

Trapped, locked away

Whimpers, cries from inside

Emerges

A mass of dirty, matted hair

Mouth bleeding and ill

Shivers

“Shhh…..shhhh…it’s okay…”

Sad, abused eyes

There was a cute animal in there once

“Come on….go….”

“I know.”

Why is The Bear so personified in the script? Why is Carmy talking to it like it’s a person? Carmy looks into its “sad, abused eyes”, and tells it,

“I know.”

In my opinion, in the pilot episode, Carmy encountering the Bear is more than a dream, it’s a premonition because….it is Carmy talking to his future self.

Think about everything we have seen him go through so far and read the scene below:

I think Chris Storer has given us the arc of Carmy’s character in the form of a fevered dream Carmy has while watching over a slow cooking pot of gravy while he sleeps on the metal counter.

Carmy is the bear in the cage. S1 set the trap, by the end of S2, Carmy has fallen deep into it, and I think in future seasons, Carmy will suffer greatly, then will make great attenpts to heal, get in touch with what he really wants and will set himself free.

The fact that the opening scene in the series takes place on the State Street Bridge is an indication that Carmy saving himself—letting himself out of the cage—will save his own life. This is the same Bridge where his brother Michael, trapped in the same cage he is caught in now, separately, but somehow together, saw no way out and took his own life. The symbolism is striking. The Bridge is the connection between the two realms, and the difference between life and death.

I also think that the words used to describe the bear mean that things will get so much worse for Carmy before they get better. Season 1 ended with Carmy committed to opening The Bear. Season 2 ends with Carmy caught in the walk in freezer of the restaurant, a literal bear trap of his own making where he is buried alive by his unprocessed trauma, and inability to thrive in the very place he was supposed to lead, and crippling pressure to turn a profit to pay off his debts. This is because in my opinion, the restaurant, his cage, is not his natural habitat. This is why everything in it always seems like such a struggle and so painful, forced and joyless.

I’m worried to see how things will get worse for Carmy than they already are. In the script, the bear is described as tapped, locked away, crying, whimpering from the inside, a mass of dirty matted hair, mouth bleeding and ill, shivering with sad, abused eyes.

From the moment I saw the drawing on the wall in the pilot episode, I said, wow, look at the bars, it’s a cage. Of course, I didn’t know until 2x6 that Carmy himself drew the sketch himself, as a Christmas gift for Michael, who was trapped in a horrible cage of his own at the time, which makes it all the more telling and poignant. There’s a reason why Carmy drew the sketch this way, even if it was subconscious, with the same bear trapped in a cage, which we see again in his dream.

Photo credit: moments-on-film (me)

At the end of season 2, Carmy is trapped, pacing the cage of the walk-in freezer.

I’ve been so worried about Carmy as a character since the first episode because it is so clear that he’s sick and badly needs help that he’s not getting. He has undiagnosed PTSD, and inner trauma that manifests physically in the form of nightmares, trouble breathing and terrible panic attacks that ravage his body. This has been so visceral to me throughout S1 and S2 that I wrote an analysis post about 🔗Carmy’s Vital Signs, and how they are dangerously visible on screen through Jeremy Allen White’s exceptional acting. The Bear in the pilot script is described as whimpering, crying and ill. If I am correct, this is where Carmy is headed before it can all turn around.

One other little clue that Carmy is metaphorically the bear from the opening scene, is the physical look of Carmy’s hair. From the pilot episode, Carmy’s hair has bothered me. He’s a 3 Star chef, trained with the best, and worked under the abusive chef in New York who must have had him and his hygiene under a microscope. It never made sense to me that his hair at times looked dirty and unkempt while his shirts were immaculately clean, pressed, and white. Below is a quote from an article where Jeremy Allen White talks about his hair as Carmy:

"I also wanted Carmy to always look just a little dirty. There’s a sink on set — everything was functional — and before most takes, I would get water in my hands and run it through my hair to get it looking kind of greasy.”

This always stuck out to me. He’s playing not just any chef, but, in the words of Sydney, “the most excellent CDC at the most excellent restaurant in the United States of America.” A chef who clearly cares about cleanliness, who gets on his hands and knees to scrub the floor more than once with just his hands and a washcloth. Why would he want him to look dirty? But thinking of it now, if he too knows the arc of Carmy, which he has said Chris Storer has shared with him, then he understands that where we are headed is to witness him as the bear is described, emerging from the cage, “a mass of dirty, matted hair.” The slightly dirty hair is a physical clue into the journey he is on as a character.

I think in future seasons we are going to see a great deal of guilt and therefore self flagellation from Carmy to over correct his mistakes from S2 that is going to further impact his mental and physical health. As I mentioned in a prior post, just like his tattoo, he is constantly dancing on the knife’s edge, and literally putting himself in life threatening danger.

I also have predicted in prior posts that Carmy is going to push himself so hard that he has a major health incident that might finally force Claire (if she’s still around) to actually take note of how sick he actually is. I’m not sure if she’s going to be prominently featured in S3, but I would not be surprised if a health emergency forces Carmy into her life somehow. It never made sense to me that her (then) boyfriend is sick, she’s an ER Doctor, and doesn’t seem to really notice or care.

As I mentioned in my last post, Carmy’s True Purpose, I ultimately believe that Carmy needs to get out of the kitchen and into a life where he can be happy and healthy, and connected to his true life’s purpose. I do not believe that this means Carmy will abandon his found family, or that he will do anything to betray Sydney. I believe she’s his shining star and he will do anything and everything in his power to make sure she gets hers. I also believe they will be in each other’s lives forever because they are truly soulmates. This isn’t about anyone else, though, I think this is about Carmy coming to terms with decades of abuse, unspoken thoughts and feelings, buried passions, his precarious health situation, which is in fact, eating him alive, and letting go of his long held mantra to 🔗 “just keep going”, before it kills him.

Perhaps there’s a way to marry art with the restaurant. That doesn’t solely mean he is only drawing. Maybe what Carmy really should be doing is creating, planning and designing menus, traveling the world to discover new flavors and finding inspiration that can help the restaurant, and provide him with much needed creatively, peace and, yes, joy. Maybe the restaurant will become seasonal and he and Sydney can spend the off time traversing the globe and creating menus together. Maybe down the line he can get out of the commercial kitchen, and he and Sydney’s can revamp her catering company and they can create together is a different environment. I must believe we are headed for somewhere healing, positive and beautiful, despite the valley of despair that ended S2.

The character of Carmy honestly breaks my heart. In him I see someone who so desperately needs a breakthrough and help on so many levels. He so badly needs to discover who he is and what actually makes him happy before it’s too late. I think Carmy is subconsciously very connected to this. His dream, which started the series, continues to haunt me.

One great thing about Carmy’s life are the people who now surround him. In my opinion, he needs to be very careful about how he treats them moving forward. He has people who genuinely love him and who I believe have his best interest at heart. If he pushes himself to the brink and then decides to leave the kitchen for the sake of his health, I believe everyone would ultimately understand. However, no one can take the reins of his life and fix it for him. Only he has that power and create his own reversal of fortune.

If I am correct, for his character to follow the arc of the opening dream scene, all Carmy ultimately has to do is unlock the cage and set himself free.

How he will arrive at that point is the journey of The Bear.

©️moments-on-film 2024