#s3e6 you are so beloved to me

[desolate-skies]

where are the cameron/cuddy shippers bc there is no way i’m the only one seeing this????

cuddy’s unfortunate attraction to anyone who’s impertinent after they cause problems on purpose + cameron’s habit of looking up at every older authority figure with doe eyes before she starts a fight……..yeah, gay sex would fix them

[itsclydebitches]

Continuing my perhaps delusional argument/hope that Ted permanently returning to Kansas is just a red herring, I was thinking about our references and callbacks this episode. Specifically, how they don't paint Kansas in a positive or unique light.

The Wizard of Oz pinball game is definitely the most on-the-nose nod to his return, yet in the scene itself Ted is literally refusing to play.

When we get a closeup on the machine we're shown Dorothy's house spinning out of control. That is, a moment when she leaves Kansas for the bright world of Oz, not the ruby slippers of her return.

Similarly, Beard loses his game before Ted walks over. The ending of the Wicked Witch is one wherein Dorothy (Ted) does not go back home.

(I'm not entirely sure what to do with this one yet, but having Mae quote "This Be the Verse" is certainly A Choice. Though I think the overall message -- people, specifically parents, will inevitably hurt their kids -- is an uplifting and very relevant argument within Ted Lasso's heartfelt context -- ergo we should acknowledge that we'll never be perfect while still striving to improve -- but that last line? Oof. "Get out early as you can / And don't have kids yourself"? That's not the proposed solution I'd expect for an episode that was sending Ted back to his son for good. Obviously Ted already has Henry, but it may be significant that Mae eschews a generic 'You can do it!' argument for a far more nuanced and harder to swallow conclusion, perhaps one that heralds Ted's controversial decision to stay separated from Henry for at least part of the year.)

(Also let's toss in the fact that Dottie uses a football metaphor -- not American football -- to describe how Ted needs to parent: sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, mostly you just tie, and all you can do it keep playing.)

Finally, we've got references to both BBQ sauce and sunflowers via Ted's WiFi password and the bread Dottie bakes him, Ted's "favorite."

Half a season ago these would have been straightforward references to Kansas, positive ones at that. However, post-S3E6 (literally titled "Sunflowers") Ted has both of these beloved objects tied to the UK instead. He enjoys the beauty of Van Gogh's Sunflowers in the Amsterdam museum and finds a BBQ sauce so good that it inspires him to (hopefully!) win it all in his English sport.

It might just be me reading into things because I'm looking for my preferred ending to the series... but also I don't think I am because it's weird that Kansas is continually framed as a negative this season. Ted is still super awkward with Michelle. Her new boyfriend is kinda awful and likewise makes him incredibly uncomfortable (understandably). The Wizard of Oz references aren't targeting the happy aspects of the story, or even the parts about going home. The symbolic references to Ted's beloved state (sunflowers, BBQ sauce, the little green army men) have all been integrated into his life here. We get a whole episode about how once Ted learns to focus on Henry instead of Michelle, Henry has a fantastic time living in London. Hell, this episode opens with Ted enthusiastically greeting everyone he passes on his walk, a beloved member of the community, a staple of this town... and then his mood turns sour when he hits his Kansas-sprung mom.

Obviously Ted is undergoing some last-minute growth when it comes to being a father to Henry (and healing the rift with Dottie), but I think Ted's in-universe improvement is misleading, implying that because he may think he needs to return to Kansas, that's actually how the story is going to end. If that were the end-goal though, I would expect the subtext to have a more hopeful, optimistic feel to it; something that not just implies Ted's return, but argues why he would want to outside of Henry.

If none of that is relevant... that's going to be even worse for me than Ted just going back to Kansas. A Kansas ending framed as a positive is far from my preference, but it's (arguably) a strong conclusion to Ted's journey. A Kansas ending after all these implied negatives both isn't my preference and feels like more objectively bad writing.

[hergrandplan]

Hi Nina! 9 & 24 if you please for the writing asks thing :)

Hi June!

9. Start to finish, how long did it take you to write the last fic you posted?

Well, the most recent things I posted were all part of multichapters but neither are finished yet so I don't think I can use those. Which means that the last fic I posted and finished was Got My Heart on your Hand (my beloved). Start to finish, that one took me about a week. I started writing it in the Week From Hell (aka the period between s3e5 and s3e6 from Young Royals) to cope with that ending of episode 5 - some good fluff to wash the angst away, and posted it 2 days after episode 6 dropped.

Probably would have taken longer if I'd let my beta reader read over it butttt I was very impatient with that one lol

24. How do you recharge when you're not feeling creative?

At first, I try and write anyways (much to my own detriment, but I'm stubborn). Then, when I realize that's not happening, I do about anythng else. I watch tv, I crochet, recently I've been making friendship bracelets. If it's light out I might go for a walk. Maybe I try and read some, basically, I get my mind off of writing and the creative process. And then, usually, at some point it just starts flowing again.

Send me fic writer asks!

[jtheplante]

All Hail King Julien survey! 🎉

Feel free to copy & paste, then give ur own answers! 👍 Stolen from @fairfaxandy

1. What do you think about All Hail King Julien?

Worst show ever

2. When did you first watch the show?

I knew this show existed for years. WHY DID I SLEEP ON IT FOR SO LONG??? Anyway last June I think I finally gave the 1st episode a chance, I was bored & looking for something new. The 1st episode is only okay so I didn't think much of it. A few weeks later (early July) I decided to give the show a 2nd chance. Episode 2 is meh, but it was Episode 3 w/the absolute gay furry thirst trap that is Karl Fanaloka that won me over & sealed my fate to watch the whole show 🔥

3. Favorite season?

Season 2 is probably the best season of any show ever in history. Exiled as a whole is also amazing but sadly dips in quality for a couple episodes IMO

4. Favorite episode?

Um have u even watched my episode rank video?? I put s3e6 (Jungle Games) as my #1, but as time's gone on, I think it's really s5e11 (KJ Is Watching You AKA the Orange ITN Black parody episode). Ted is peak and this episode is his peak 🔥

5. Least favorite episode?

As said in my ep rank video!! The S3 opener - O Captain Where Aren't Thou (both parts). Jokes fall flat, KJ's parents are a pain to watch, & the pirate crew is so forgettable I can't name a single one off the top of my head

6. Favorite scene?

Um the whole show but the hardest I laughed at any moment was when Ted suddenly exploded on stage while singing for no f*cking reason

7. Least favorite scene?

s3e4 the episode basically opens with a minute of nasty visualized farts & everyone vomiting on each other. I like gross-out to an extent but this was TOO. MUCH.

8. Favorite characters?

1st: Ted my beloved 💗💗💗 he's so much like me it's scary

2nd: King Julien - a VERY close 2nd. His energy & ability to stay goofy in even the worst situations inspires me to be the same 🔥

3rd: Karl - Gay thirst trap hottie social reject misunderstood sad backstory creative genius who just wants love 😭😭😭

4th: Mort - Objectively the best fictional character of all time. Sure he delivers the funniest moments in animated history but I don't really feel a connection with him like I do the top 3

5th: "Uncle" Julien - sass and ASS 🍑🥵 I love villains who are unapologetically assholes. His redemption was forced & stupid

9. Least favorite character?

Maggie - I love farts but it 100% depends on who. If it's a hot guy then 😍😍😍 but this is an old woman so 🤢 & that's like her whole character

10. Favorite ships?

Jaurice - absolutely adorable couple, heck I get teary eyed just thinking about them, gosh I'm so gay. Anyway their ship is extra special b/c KJ is usually hedonistic & horni, but with Maurice it's so wholesome & romantic 🥺

Julieddy & Karlien - These 2 ships have their own unique dynamics, but I put them together b/c they're both a gay man desperately wanting a man they can't have. This kinda situation always fascinates me & I can relate myself...

Karl x Chauncey - we all kno who Karl wants the most, but the fact that he has a happy life with Chauncey makes me happy 😌

Pandy - Be gay do crime

Ted x Horst - tbh if Ted finally divorced & married a man instead, Horst is a genuine contender

Nurse Phantom & Dr. S - the way they bicker is hilarious

KJ x Rob - Gay booty bumpin hotties enough said

11. Least favorite ships?

Clage - I've already ranted about it a million times it's just crap

"Uncle" Julien x Zora - like I said, forced & stupid

Willie x anyone - Willie's too innocent y'all

12. Have you ever cried while watching?

I'm an overly emotional gay man I cry over litcherally everything. I practically choked to death crying the first time I saw Maurice fall 😭

13. Favorite songs?

-Theme song superiority 🔥🔥🔥

-True Bromance is a gay anthem for the ages

-All Eyes On Me (Photronique) 🔥🔥

-I also like Swagnificent & Big Stacks

[oh-three]

Mando S3E6:

- Oh no, he's going back to Trask, isn't he? - But....the fish............That felt so cruel to it omg. - Ayyy, Bo-Katan's Mandos. Koska Reeves is back, nice. And is that Axe Woves doing the speaking? He didn't have much screentime before. (It is him!) - The Mon Calamari sounds familiar. - NOOO, THEY BROKE THE TITLE THEME CHAIN. - Yeah, no, not Trask. - Accidental tourism 101 - Damn, that is a fast train. Getting Hunger Games & Jurassic World vibes here. - ..............What the hell is this place. - "You want us to eliminate your droid problem." Oh my god. - "You had me at" Ayyy, never thought I'd hear that line in Star Wars, especially not from Din. - Whoaa, okay, this is robot workforce future but Star Wars. Didn't see that coming. Also, yeah, this whole episode is a prime example of why we shouldn't do let t hat happen irl. - Ayyyyyy, Din's mention of Kuiil and "I have spoken" to get the Ugnaughts to hear them out. Didn't realize "I have spoken" was a cultural thing of their kind. - ominous marching noises - THEY USED THE SAME B1 VOICE ACTOR FROM TCW! MATTHEW WOOD MY BELOVED. - Ah, the droid problem. - Holy fuck, it just threw a crate. I didn't realize Super Battle Droids could do that. Or jump, or tear things up. Guess they'd capable of more than shooting, huh? - "You kicking droids is really not helpful." / "I figured out which one was malfunctioning, didn't I?" 😂 - Damn, okay, the bartender does give a good point though. - There we go. Nanodroids. Of course. - I knew there was something off about the Head of Security, but wow. He's a Separatist. I didn't see that coming. - Grogu, that's cheating! - We're finally getting somewhere omg - Ooh, Mandalorian challenge ritual. - I feel like I've seen Woves's actor in something else before, but maybe not. No, I have. Bakshi, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I just watched that last year, hence why I didn’t recognize him back in S2. I wonder how it passed me by when I watched AOS though. Like, I didn’t recognize him at all then. Glad to see Woves being given the screentime for me to recognize him now, though. - Now that the argument's turned to Din's ways, why do I feel like he's about to remove his helmet? - No shit, I thought her saving him previously would come back to haunt him like this. But damn, he's just giving it to her like that, I still kinda didn't see it coming. - There you go, Bo. Happy now? You got the Darksaber, you got your fleet, what more do you need? - LMFAO I KNEW THE COMMISSIONER LOOKED FAMILIAR. LITERALLY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD.

No hate, but this is definitely my least favorite episode out of each season so far. The whole society on this planet somehow both bored and annoyed me, and I’m not quite sure why. Probably got something to do with the naivety of the rulers giving droids full access to the workforce. There were a couple of really neat cameos though, and I loved the scenes featuring Din & Bo’s dynamic. Oh, and her fight with Woves, that was neat, glad neither of them died.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s9e17 mother's little helper (w. adam glass)

noticed misha directed this episode, will be honest i don't take note of the director unless while watching something catches my eye

SAM Yeah? See, because ever since you killed Magnus, you've been acting... sort of...obsessed. DEAN Well, maybe because I want an end to all this. Maybe because if we find Abaddon, then Crowley ponies up the First Blade, and we kill her and him both. So, what you call being "obsessed," I call doing my job. SAM Okay, um... I get it, Dean. I'm just checking in. DEAN I'm fine.

nice brotherly (wait no not brotherly!) concern. and dean is TOTALLY fine. no issues here. he's just workin, sammy!

(sighing that it's a men of letters old timey thing, it's just not my jam on many levels)

so now is the mark making dean grumpy(er)? fic is giving me unrealistic expectations

always a good sign.

the whole bottle, dean? does the mark change your alcohol metabolism? i guess i don't know that it's the same day still. no sleep all booze makes moc!dean somethin not good

dude getting picked up by the van makes me expect a demon slice and dice phone call situation a la s1!meg. i don't remember what the blue light monster was. not a dragon is about all i got. oh right, vespa

do they ever use christo anymore? haha apparently not

Christo is God's name in Latin, will make a possessed person flinch. Despite many subsequent encounters with demons, this method of detection is not used again by the Winchesters. This has long been a bugbear of fandom.

one episode! until s14

DEAN Acting out how? SAM Well, same as the woman -- aggressive, violent, impulsive.

i wonder if dean is feeling some of these feelings too!!

CROWLEY You're lying to Sam like he's your wife, which kind of makes me your mistress.

ha ha

LOL from the side i was all SHIRLEY MACLAINE????

er s3e6 fear of flying - jenny o'hara as nurse rhonda sterling

i started an ER rewatch last year maybe? and her character was memorable even she was only in 2 episodes. givin trouble to our beloved nurse hathaway

huh never seen someone do that before. i appreciate them showing us his little routine for racking. show me that competency

DEAN What do you want? CROWLEY You tell me, romeo. You rang. Let me guess -- you butt-dialed me? DEAN Whatever the hell that is.

do you expect me to believe dean winchester doesn't know what a buttdial is??

CROWLEY What's going on with you, huh? You call me, you hang up. You want Abaddon, you don't want Abaddon. You want the Blade, you don't want the Blade. If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you're stalling. Just between us girls, how did you feel when you sunk the First Blade into Magnus' head? DEAN Not half as good as I'm gonna feel when it's yours. CROWLEY Love it when you talk dirty. You know what I think? I think you felt powerful... virile... and afraid. DEAN Afraid? CROWLEY Don't scam a scam artist, darling. You're stalling 'cause you're scared.

another thing that was lost a bit i think when crowley was straight evil, didn't get to see him being clever and insightful (in his assholeish way)

did i ever do a hiky for abaddon? don't think so. it's more noticeable to me now that you can't see the red hair

stargate universe s2e7 the greater good - alaina huffman as lt tamara johansen

JOSIE No. It -- it's pre-Enochian. A crest of some sort. Kni-- "Knights of Hell"? What is that?

reminded me to look up enochian, hadn't realized it was an actual thing

Enochian (/ɪˈnoʊkiən/ə-NOH-kee-ən) is an occult constructed language[3] — said by its originators to have been received from angels — recorded in the private journals of John Dee and his colleague Edward Kelley in late 16th-century England.[4] Kelley was a scryer who worked with Dee in his magical investigations. The language is integral to the practice of Enochian magic.

okay well this page says it was used by adam in paradise, so what came before that, how did she know what it said? bah

JOSIE I could be more useful to you. People underestimate a woman. MOTHER SUPERIOR No. That's not it. You love him. He loves you, too, you know. Like a sister.

LOL what. everyone's hot for the winchesters of all generations?? i thought she was offering because he had a family

CROWLEY I saw you. I saw the two of you together. Nothing like Cain? What's in that bottle? Delusion?

snorted

DEAN Where you going now? CROWLEY I'm going to go water the lily. Care to cross streams?

would love to see his face if sam or dean took him up on his propositions

do not understand the point of that baby hunter interaction. and why is he so clueless? with the swarms of demons that been around the past handful of years, surely even a freshly hatched hunter would know how to handle them? confusing.

JAKE But he did do exactly what you said he would. He saved you. CROWLEY Of course he saved me. We're besties. And now he's ready.

okay then :p that explains it.

bummer that dean is so grumpy now but he is extra pretty when he's like that

keeping souls in jars, okay. will this teach sam the lesson that when regular people lose their soul they turn into violent uncontrollable animals, but when he lost his soul he was just only sometimes violent and had a reason for it!

haha finally being practical, phone exorcism recording, hurray writers

nother episode where they're too busy to have an angsty we're-not-brothers-yes-we-are thing

well i'm grateful it wasn't a flashback heavy episode after all. this whole soul harvesting business is a lot more labor intensive than cas getting all those souls from purgatory

[skullhaver]

It's 2021, and I'm watching Buffy for the first time.

The Virgil on my Buffy journey is my long-distance girlfriend, who has loved the show for years. We just finished season 4, and I wanted to write about my favorite episodes so far. I suspect some of my faves are beloved by most fans, but others are weird, personal picks. Buffy fandom, please don't come for me.

I thought this post would be short but I was wrong.

Hono(u)rable Mentions: "Band Candy" S3E6 and "Halloween" S2E6

Both these episodes have fun premises where the Scoobies run around Sunnydale after it was upended by zany, chaotic dark forces. "Band Candy" is fun for devil-may-care teen Giles. "Halloween" is fun for 18th-century-ditz Buffy. These are both very good, and are the sorts of episode I can imagine happily rewatching in the future. I just have more to pontificate upon for the other episodes on this list.

10. "Ted" S2E11

I can’t say I enjoyed this episode, but it did take me for a wild ride. Probably nobody else has strong feelings about this weird story where Buffy's mom dates a stereotypical cheesy family man, who turns out to be a controlling abuser, who turns out to be a robot. I remember shouting at the screen, "Did Buffy just kill a human man?? Is it okay in the moral logic of this show for Buffy to kill a human if he's a direct physical threat to her??" I knew Buffy would have deeper stories than the monster of the week formula we'd seen so far, but this early in season 2, I had no idea when or how that would happen. This was the episode that finally taught me that Buffy is largely not interested in moral ambiguity, or in exploring what it means to be good or bad. Except for season-defining exceptions like Faith and Angel, evil characters are simplistically, essentially evil. But it was wild to believe for a moment that Buffy murdered her mom's abusive boyfriend and would have to live with the consequences.

9. "Helpless" S3E12

When Buffy tries to be genuinely scary, it succeeds with aplomb. The premise of this episode is dumb and contrived ("Giles has to remove Buffy's powers without her knowledge for a seeeecret test by the Watcher's Council") but the chase and fight in this episode are some of the most tense and spooky scenes of the whole series so far. Buffy's vulnerability makes the stakes feel real in a way few other episodes manage. And Buffy's victory is all the more satisfying because she can't punch her way out of this problem, she has to be smart and creative. The fridge horror, of course, is that Giles would endanger her like this in the first place, but that gets sorted out over the emotional arc of the next few episodes.

8. "I Only Have Eyes For You." S2E19

Another spooky episode, this one a classic ghost story of forbidden love ending in murder - but with the twist that the ghosts possess people's bodies to have them reenact their final moments. I love stories about breaking a doomed-to-repeat cycle. I love weird shit like the snakes manifesting in the cafeteria. And I really loved the choice to have Buffy and Angel come to understand their feelings about their own relationship by embodying these ghosts - especially how they embodied different genders than their own to better fit the "roles" of the haunting story, thus subverting the expected pattern. I found this episode clever, poignant, and effective.

7. "Who Are You?" S4E16

"Faith and Buffy switch bodies" is a wild premise, but the real joy of "Who Are You?" is watching Sarah Michelle Geller being an extremely talented actress for 45 minutes, portraying a totally different character. Watching Faith confronted by kindness and love from Buffy's mom, Riley, and her friends, then getting launched into an existential crisis over it is so great. Also, I just dig a good church fight.

6. "Hush" S4E10

As stated above, love an episode that reminds me that these people are talented actors! Featuring demons that render all of Sunnydale unable to talk, we get to watch great physical comedy right next to tense, silent fight scenes. The visual creepiness of the Gentleman and their straight-jacketed weird little helpers is hard to beat. "Hush" is such a clever episode that it ascends monster of the week status to become almost Twilight Zone-esque. Also, for the first time, Buffy sees Riley doing his Initiative thing, and Riley sees Buffy being the Slayer, but they can't talk about it?? That's good shit.

5. "The Wish" S3E9

Both "Something Blue" and "The Wish" feel like the writers decided to use fanfic premises on their own show... so obviously I like them a lot. But getting to watch a dark timeline AU with interesting world-building and attention to detail, a hilarious and horrifying Cordelia POV, AND a smirking kinky vampire Willow? Hello?? And the fact that the Wishverse comes up again in "Doppelgänger" (another truly fun episode) only improves my opinion. I imagine this is the kind of episode fans simply love coming back to.

4. "Restless" S4E22

This David Lynch-ass dream sequence was a weird choice for a season finale, but an extremely ambitious and cool episode. I should say up front that I love David Lynch-ass dream shit. There were creative and well-executed scene transitions as characters moved seamlessly from one dream room into another. Several memorably neat shots - Willow running between endless curtains as she tries to get onstage, Buffy alone in a vast desert with a weirdly high camera angle. And I got myself all excited thinking that the First Slayer would maybe become a different kind of antagonist - maybe not even fully revealed in this episode, or maybe an Id-like aspect of Buffy herself. But I forgot Whedon gonna Whedon, so the First Slayer had to be someone Buffy could punch in the end. And the First Slayer is sadly yet another primitive-themed, emotionally-stunted character of color for this show. Most of her lines in this episode are literally voiced by a white woman speaking for her, and of all the dumb quips to make, Buffy had a line about her hair being unprofessional? Also, I'm a lesbian, so the fact that the most explicit act of intimacy between Willow and Tara this show has allowed us to see occurs in Xander's horny dream sequence... it’s unforgivable, Joss. This episode was one of my favorites ever, deeply marred by some bad writing choices.

3. "Lovers Walk" S3E8

Spike, perhaps the best non-Willow character in this show, is back in Sunnydale, a hilariously heartbroken mess of a man, hell-bent on getting his former girlfriend Drusilla back. (Drusilla left him for a fungus demon.) So Spike breaks into a magic shop to get ingredients for a love spell, where he runs into Willow, who is getting ingredients for a de-lusting spell, because she is worried she and Xander will be too thirsty to behave appropriately in public with their actual partners, Oz and Cordelia. This is a hilarious moment just to exist. This is all the episode needed to do to satisfy me. But the fact that Spike then kidnaps Willow, and it ends with tragic stakes of everyone's relationships coming apart, not to mention me genuinely thinking Cordelia was dead for a minute there - wow. Chef’s kiss. The episode is balanced shockingly well between Spike being an ominous villain, and being the sort of lovable semi-evil (more gremlin-like) side character he'll become in season 4. What a wild ride.

2. "Graduation Day" S3E21-22

I'm counting this two part season finale as one because it's my list and I'll do what I want. "Graduation Day" feels like a quintessential Buffy episode executed to perfection. It has Buffy reaffirming her position as a moral heroine, sacrificing her own blood to save Angel's life even when she thought she had to kill Faith to save him. It has Buffy and Faith (or Buffy/Faith, as I prefer to think of them) getting to square off in a dramatic, tough fight. It has a lot of Mayor Wilkins, a character I truly adore for some reason. Nothing like a public administrator who plays mini golf in his office, wants you to chew with your mouth closed, and will kill a graduating class of high schoolers to gain immortality. The catharsis of the whole school getting to fight back against evil, instead of just Buffy against the world - a real joy. This episode misses the top spot for two reasons. "A special vampire poison and the only cure is the blood of a Slayer" is too contrived for me to let slide, and also I had to see Cordelia and Wesley kiss.

1. "Becoming" S2E21-22

Buffy’s season finales really do have good stories and satisfying payoff. First off, Buffy starts this episode by punching a cop and fleeing from the law. Later, Spike also punches a cop. A.k.a., Buffy said blue lives don't matter. Second - I haven't gotten a chance to comment on this yet, but all throughout season 2, evil Angel is such a joy to watch. As regular Angel, David Boreanaz makes exactly one face ("I am a kicked, angsty puppy") and bless his heart, it gets so tiresome. As evil Angel, he is so expressive, dynamic and terrifyingly creative in his badness. And I love his weird threesome energy with Spike and Drusilla. But also, it's so hard to watch Buffy suffer as she deals with her evil boyfriend doing evil things. Her ultimate choice in this episode, to kill Angel even as Willow's spell restores his soul, gave me some real big feels! Also, this episode marks the first moment of Willow doing big, plot-shifting magic on her own, solidifying her transformation from computer nerd to witch! 

Also, shout-out to the many good smaller moments in this episode: Spike making awkward small talk with Buffy's mom, Buffy constantly dunking on Principle Snyder, and Giles being tortured by visions of Miss Calendar (RIP Miss Calendar, I was your biggest fan.)

"Becoming" is an excellent season finale and the kind of Buffy episode I imagine I will want to re-watch in the future just for nostalgia's sake.

[geenee27]

MFMM  S3E6  Death & Hysteria

A Recent Re-watch Reminded Me Again of All The Goodness That Is This Episode and Frankly Everything About This Show

MAC !  Because Mac is the best and here she brings her A game while being Phryne’s wing-woman and burning down the patriarchy.

Jack’s lasting impressions from the Chinese brothel he raided as a cadet; you know he has filed all that away for a later date.

Jack pretending to be totally focused on the task at hand, so to speak, while his partner plays with the ‘electric massager’,

“I’ll speak to you later, Not Hugh, about being an idiot, and a misogynistic one at that.”

Women supporting other women and helping to shine a light on the appalling way women’s trauma, mental health and physical issues were treated.

Jack thinking ... This is my life now ...  but being very proud of his partner.

Phryne and Jack supposedly talking about suspicious behavior when we all know they are eye banging and thinking about how tightly she has grabbed onto his arm and snuggled up.

I’ll just leave this here because apparently some people *cough* @jeneenp like this shot. 

Phryne solves the case and Jack gives her his patented side eye. He has had a lot of practice to get very good at it.

A beautiful, sad rendition of ‘There’s A Long, Long Trail’ as Aunt P finally acknowledges the death of her beloved son Arthur.

More eye banging and blather about psychoanalysis, on a couch we hope they will use for something else. Perhaps some enlightening will ensue.

[ganymedesclock]

A lot of the fandom speculates that there are parallels between Zarkon/Alfor and Shiro/Keith, particularly in the friendships these groups of people had/have with each other. I can't remember if you've talked about this before, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts on this and what this could mean for the future of Shiro and Keith's friendship?

See I think it’s kinda natural to want to see our paladins in the prior paladins since the former we know better, but… I really hesitate to say that, because I think there’s a fundamental difference to how Shiro and Zarkon relate to the world that isn’t just not the same between them, but diametrically opposed.

Roughly, Shiro and Zarkon both value- discipline, control, self-denial.

Shiro takes these traits as things he should prescribe to himself. I talk very much about Shiro as a leader and the concept of Noblesse Oblige since what it comes back to is Shiro views vested authority, the “crown” of the Black Paladin, first and foremost as a burden and a responsibility. It’s fundamentally how he sees it.

If you are Black Paladin, you have an obligation to be a worthy person. The Black Lion has trusted you, your allies have trusted you, and their trust and loyalty is a debt that must be repaid, with earnest and continuous effort. A king is only as worthy as what he will do for his subjects- and in that sense Shiro tries to live as he thinks his position begets- he’s the guy to jump on a grenade for the team because if you’re in charge you should be that person. And this is his attitude about leadership in general.

People point out it was unlike him in s3e6 to tell Keith to let Sincline shoot him in order to destroy the cargo ship, but the thing is, in s3e6 and s4e1, Shiro’s trying to groom Keith to be in his position. He’s not oblivious to, or not upset at Keith’s pain. The thing is if it was him in that cockpit he’d make that sacrifice, take a direct hit to the Black Lion if he thought it would make it work. He can’t- he’s benched, forced to the sidelines, and because of that he tries to take control of a situation that same way, that he sees as needing that sacrifice- by projecting onto Keith.

Shiro’s only cold and demanding with people he projects himself, or his own perceived role onto. In s3e6 thru s4e1, that’s Keith- just like in s2e10 that’s Slav.

Zarkon is Shiro’s polar opposite, and was from the start. Because the thing in s3e7 that we see, is while Shiro (as he spells out in s1e4 and exemplifies later in s3e5) views leadership as a responsibility and loyalty to that leader to be a choice, that he cannot and will not lead someone who doesn’t want to follow him- Zarkon believes that entire categories of people exist naturally as followers.

Simply put, Zarkon’s classism factors immensely into his view of what it means to be a leader. There are strong people- nobility- that force their way to the top. And there are weak people- everyone else- that are fated from birth to belong to the strong. These categories are non-negotiable and fatalistic. Servants do not become kings, nor kings servants. In s2e8, the way that Zarkon talks to Shiro, in my opinion, makes it very clear that he’s basically incapable of viewing Shiro as anything other than the slave gladiator he first met him as. He characterizes Shiro as weak, when Shiro endured horrifying brutal things for an entire year without breaking.

Zarkon will not make sacrifices for his subordinates. Instead, his perspective is that the natural order is that his subordinates will sacrifice everything for him. He preaches Victory or Death but pulls back in s4e6 rather than risk his personal ship.

How does this come back to their relationships with their respective right hand?

Both of them are very close, but in completely different ways.

While we don’t know how Shiro and Keith met, we can draw some inferences. Keith states Shiro was “the one person who never gave up on me.” We know that before meeting Shiro, before coming to the Garrison, Keith was entirely on his own, and he’s still processing a lot of trauma that he perceives himself as fundamentally unlovable and unwanted.

Keith really doesn’t have a social sphere outside of Shiro. He’s coming to build one with the paladins, but slowly- he’s both clumsy with interpersonal relations and to a degree, utterly terrified of them. He’s starved for closeness and connection to such a degree that part of him can’t really believe it when it’s there.

Consider what I just said about how Shiro views leadership, and to a degree, a lot of his connections- since he’s very much a kind of natural leader who gravitates towards those positions reflexively in times of strife.

Shiro’s a mom friend. He’s a therapist friend. He commits very hard to being a shoulder to cry on, a confidant where it’s needed, a protector, a caretaker. Again, he’s the kind of guy that will jump on a grenade for his team and more than a sense of distant responsibility, it’s rooted in the fact that he just genuinely, deeply, cares. He’s charismatic and connects to people easily with his natural strength of personality but once there, he wants to tend and nurture his connections.

Keith- with his network of loneliness and trauma and isolation, would have latched onto anybody that could help him keep his head above the water. In s2e1 he says “If it weren’t for you my life would’ve been a lot different” which raises the implication he was on the precipice of… something very nasty. (considering this kid is way too comfortable throwing his life away for anything he perceives as a sufficiently worthy cause…)

But Shiro? I think Shiro latched onto Keith as someone who he wanted to take care of. He met Keith, and he saw how much Keith needed… anyone to care, and to Shiro, that simple fact that “someone has to watch out for this kid” immediately in his mind leaps to “I have to do this.”

So there’s something mentorly about their connection, and it’s definitely worth saying that Shiro does think very highly of Keith, he doesn’t just view him as a lost cause. He has a lot of faith in Keith as a person, and sees him as an amazing and talented person.

At the same time, there’s a feeling- especially with the missing year and his own newfound trauma, Shiro doesn’t really realize quite how much he means to Keith. His helping Keith out of that dark period fostered a profound desire to see Keith grow and thrive, but, as far as he’s concerned, there’s no debt here. Keith’s probably come very far since when Shiro met him, but what I don’t think Shiro quite realizes at this point is that Keith is definitely still holding onto Shiro as his comfort person. And from Keith’s perspective- the idea of not having Shiro around is the idea of going right back to the same dark place he was in before meeting Shiro.

He’s not entirely right about that, because we see in s3 that without Shiro there, Keith actually is able to move on- and the degree to which he’s able to even seems to scare him, and he reacts guiltily as if this very prospect of moving on without Shiro is repeating the hurtful things others have done to him onto Shiro.

What it boils down to is Shiro and Keith are extremely close. They’re kinda fire-forged friends because Shiro came into Keith’s life at one of its darkest chapters and helped him up, and since then, Keith has earned great esteem in Shiro’s eyes as an amazing person. If there’s anyone Shiro sees as worthy of being a leader the way that Shiro thinks is called for, it’s Keith- Keith is someone who could carry that weight, and that’s not a shallow compliment.

As far as Zarkon and Alfor…

The first thing about Alfor is he is a hell of a lot more grounded than Keith is and you can see this at a glance. Keith, again, had nobody in his life besides Shiro and his psychological landscape has some pretty deep craters as a result- while Alfor we see was a beloved leader, a family man, surrounded by his adoring wife and advisor, having a good connection with the rest of the team. We see him exploring Gyrgan’s culture, which would even suggest that Alfor may have built separate alliances with the other planets separately from his alliance with Zarkon.

Alfor is much more connected, and a lot more anchored and stable. He’s sure of himself of a way that Keith isn’t, and I think in that sense, even if he has great affection and respect for Zarkon, they’re both more distant, and more independent.

Alfor has his own world Zarkon isn’t really part of and even faced with setbacks, he tries to emphasize his self-sufficiency “I was handling myself.” The ways that we see Alfor hold Zarkon in high esteem is that he respects Zarkon’s military capability, and at least early on, he trusts Zarkon to show him his other connections- taking baby Allura to see him.

But it’s a really good thing that Alfor doesn’t really need Zarkon- because Zarkon and Keith would never have worked as a team. Because while Shiro is very much naturally drawn to people that he sees as needing nurturing or support… Zarkon, conversely, has a very clear tendency to expect his connections to keep up with him to his standards.

And part of this is entirely nonmalicious- Zarkon has no real art for connecting with people. He’s clumsy and awkward. If anything, we see kind of an inversion of Keith and Shiro’s dynamic- Alfor is the charismatic diplomat who’s able to set Zarkon up to meet new people and get him talking to them while Zarkon is the guy that has to excuse himself from the room because whoops beautiful intelligent scientist is on your planet now.

But unfortunately it’s not all benign, since… Zarkon’s social awkwardness combined with his perception that he is entitled to others’ loyalty makes him nastily possessive, and this is shown to be a problem with the paladins of old from the start.

All of the paladins are rulers, but Zarkon fundamentally views them as belonging to him. Blaytz is his to correct and scold when he thinks the others’ behavior doesn’t measure up, and they are not allowed to criticize him, considering how he retaliates even cheerful teasing with a not-so-subtle attack of “But you need me”

And this comes out big time when Alfor and Zarkon start clashing. Zarkon’s perfectly fine turning a cold shoulder on Alfor for years, but when Alfor uses that independence to hold his ground and challenge Zarkon on equal footing, Zarkon starts panicking and yelling about he commands Voltron, Alfor, where are you going, he didn’t give you permission to leave-

Young Zarkon reminds me very much of ATLA’s Azula, in her single most tragic character trait- how she takes, or, doesn’t at all, the loss of her two friends.

Zarkon is needy of other people. If there’s anybody that doesn’t have other people in his life and feels incredibly threatened by that person potentially leaving, it was Zarkon, not Alfor. And frankly… ten thousand years later, Zarkon is still not over the fact that Alfor left him.

And even Zarkon and Keith have major differences. Keith’s fear of being left behind stems from a fear of not being good enough for Shiro, the one person who stuck with him this long. The idea of being rejected by Shiro is horrifying to Keith and he sees even Shiro talking about the idea that he might not make it as horrifying, suggesting Keith’s not worth staying here for. He takes it personally and processes it on a level as his fault.

While Zarkon… I think he has that same root anxiety. It’s hard for him to make connections, and comparatively easy to lose them. I’d suspect Zarkon has a pretty troubled past of his own when it comes to connecting to people or not, especially if his whole attitude of “don’t fraternize with those beneath you” came from his parents- like Keith, I think that he comes from a very lonely background. No wonder Alfor was so pleased to see Zarkon happily married, and no wonder Zarkon latched onto Honerva with the intensity he did.

The problem with Zarkon that turns this from a sympathetic struggle to a devastating character flaw is… Zarkon refuses to accept that any failure of a relationship is his fault. He’s decided to make his loneliness his partners’ problem. If someone leaves him and he’s hurt, his response is- how dare you, that’s not how this works, you’re not allowed to leave, you- get back here right now, before he gets mad.

When Alfor turns his back on Zarkon, at a point when Zarkon’s also losing Honerva to something else- Zarkon yells, orders, threatens, and none of that works. And that’s when he panics. This is when we see Zarkon in the past at his most vulnerable and scared.

But he’s a leader. He’s not allowed to not be in control. He’s gonna take control of this situation. What does he have to do? Well… he could always lie. Alfor’s a bleeding heart. Pretend he’s changed his mind, say what they want to hear, and he has his team back, and he can get his wife back, and everything will be right where it should be.

Shiro would never do that. Keith would never do that. What happened between Alfor and Zarkon is a product of very different constructions of their mind that Shiro and Keith really don’t have. If anything, I’d think scenes of Keith holding his ground and challenging Shiro on things are heartening signs. It tells us that Keith is starting to have more of a foundation that’s not just Shiro, and more of a sense of certainty, and I think he kind of had to build that in s3 and s4. That’s the good thing that came out of the entire Shiro-gets-kidnapped-a-second-time debacle; Keith’s foundations got a particular, aggressive boost.

[saltyobjecttheorist]

Thoughts on The Path S3E6 “Messiah” Biblical rambling, theories and possible spoilers!

Messiah: the anointed one,” or “the chosen one.” The question is.. Chosen for what? 

So firstly the Title is echoed in Eddie’s opening lines regarding Carpentry (Dude, Hanks been using a hammer since before you were born.) 

And closing lines which bare a striking resemblance to those from a certain slightly more well known prophet of The Light.

Contrast and compare

Eddie Lane:

“ But All who decide to follow me, Like Hank, will find their place in the Garden.”

Jesus Christ: 

 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

And speaking of Fathers, lots of Daddy issues in this episode: More on that in a moment. 

They’ve been playing up the Eddie Christ analogy all season, complete with a prophesy regarding his sacrifice for the salvation of mankind. And a symbolic resurrection from a grave in the last episode.  I predicts a Gethsemane moment of doubt for him in the near future. Then a death to save humanity...Then maybe another miracle. 

Biblical Tangent. 

Do you know why Christ is called ‘ The redeemer?”

Fun fact. Very early In the old Testament they used to sacrifice the firstborn of every male animal to God the Father. 

Exodus 13:2

“Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

Including humans. Yes you heard correctly the firstborn male children were sacrificed 8 days after birth. Some people (me) think that circumcision (traditionally performed 8 days after birth) is a remnant of this. 

Later this became anathema to the Hebrew people and was only performed by the worshipers of “lesser Gods” like Baal.

The rules changed. 

Exodus 13:11-16 

“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 

TL:DR? God doesn’t want your firstborn sons anymore. You must redeem the life of a human baby for the life of a lamb instead.  

Which is why Jesus is called the “Son of God”

Which is why Jesus is called the “Lamb of God”

which is why Jesus is called the “Redeemer.”

Jesus was a human sacrifice that we swapped for our own souls. 

Biblical tangent over

Why, you ask, did I go off on such a tangent? Well I suppose my point is that Old Testament religion? Somewhat fucked up, and cruel to children, and only redeemable through the sacrifice and resurrection of a Messiah. 

Just like old time Meyerism...Sorry Eddie. You wanna shake things up you’re gonna piss off the wrong people and they will probably crucify you. 

The only thing is, temper, lack of patience,resentment or violence towards dudes who banged or are currently banging your ex wife... Those things aren’t very Christ like are they? Eddie is indeed still a human man. With human failings. He got his miracle and that enough for his followers. But did he really earn it through spiritual growth? This is one of the most interesting questions the show asks IMHO.

Another thing I noticed: 

Cal as John the Baptist.

This wasn’t as apparent in this episode but upon his return to the compound Cal said he’d been in ‘The Wilderness.” Like a certain ragged  locust and honey eating harbinger of Christ. 

At least thats how he was selling himself. 

“I am a voice crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord,“

Indeed Cal acts as a warm up act for Eddie in much the same way  that John the Baptist paved the way for Christ . 

With one MAJOR difference. 

John the Baptist was asked if he, himself was the Messiah:

“When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?” 

He replied:

“This is he who comes after me and he was preferred in honor before me; he whose sandal strap I am unworthy to loose.”

This is, a show of humility to the power of the Messiah. Something of which Cal isn’t capable. He wont “ Play second fiddle to God.”

HOWEVER: 

 Cal may have begun as a shill pretending to be John the Baptist. But deep down somewhere is an actual belief in Eddies miracle. Cal was shaken to his foundations. Just because he cant play second fiddle to God that doesn’t mean he doesn’t believe in God.

 Indeed, deep down maybe he wants Eddie to be God, and clean the corruption that came before him.

Cal longs for a Messiah. And has done since season 1, where he quotes Christ on redemption and mercy ( after murdering Silas).

He is listening to Mother Theresa on Christ’s sacrifice early in Season 2 (replacing his self help tapes.)

He might have a neurotic need for control due to his terrifying childhood. But what he truly needs is redemption, and he knows a Christ figure can give him that. This is in strange contrast to Sarah’s desire for punishment for her sins. More than anything Cal wants mercy. 

Also if anyone was wondering,  the pictures over Cal and Mary’s beds in the “Pageantry” episode are of John the Baptist and the Risen Christ.

Thing is, blackmailing and power grabbing do not a John The Baptist make... He is, lets not forget, a ruined human being. He may never heal enough to attain enlightenment but he is trying. Its interesting that in the last episode he agreed to give up the blackmail. And showed genuine growth in regard to his relationship with Mary. 

Daddy:

Father issues galore in this episode alone. Let us count the dads on the show. 

Hank: THE Dad. The beloved father, although his personal authority wasn’t of the “patriarchal elder” sort. He wasn’t and Old Testament Father. He was a Dad. 

His primary characteristic was kindness. He loved his children. Remember him ‘threatening’ Eddie over the supposed affair? Or his refusal to abandon Tessa? Or the fact that he’d fly to Peru to support his Son during crisis? He may have lived in a denial ruled cloud of hash smoke but his heart was in the right place and his was a big heart. And his grandkids adored him.  Remember Summer’s response to finding out he’d broken the rules and seen Tessa when everyone else freaked out?

Eddie: The literal and symbolic dad struggling both literally and symbolically to be a dad. As a rule it’s a bad sign when cult leaders demand to be called Father, Daddy or any variation thereof. Because it infantilises the acolytes and puts them in a position of dependance. Eddie didn’t want this... At first. But perhaps came to realise that his followers actually did. They don’t want self actualisation as much as safety. It ‘aint healthy but its human nature. 

Cal: Surprisingly gentle dad, while not being openly affectionate (with anyone) he is very, very protective of his baby. He almost seems a little afraid to physically engage with Forest ( and Mary) But If he is standoffish with his family its because he grew up literally sharing a sleeping bag with Steve. lack of physical boundaries can be just as damaging as too many. Say what you like about Cal, he’s a better dad than either of his dads. 

Wesley Cox: He was no Hank thats for fucking sure: We wont miss him. Back in Season 1 The characters actions were much more black and white in terms of good and evil action. Season 2 bought a sense of liminality to their morality and season 3 has done aways with moral absolutism. I don’t think she was right to murder him. But she wasn’t wrong either. 

Steve: Creepy Old Testament God who requires child sacrifice and chosen sons. Quite simply a con artist, sadist and monster. A betrayer of innocence and all round fuck face. 

Russell: I don’t know anymore I Just can’t with him. I think he’s kind of useless on every level. He is a maker of song and folklore though. And so he is valuable to Meyerist culture I guess?

And what of the feminine energy among all this sausage swinging? Well we have the forgotten or hidden Mother: 

Lillith: Excised from history, like Esoteric spirituality was cut out of the Gospels. Who, I am starting to suspect was not terribly different to Steve, remember she calls Vera ‘ Her greatest joy’, which is what Steve called Cal. And isn’t she spiritually abusing her daughter? But she wasn’t revered and worshipped like him, she was hidden from our sight. Until now. 

Gabby: Gatekeeper and enabler to Steven Meyer and true believer. No religion can function without women like Gab willing to sacrifice their children to it. 

Sarah: Fiercely protective and willing to be deeply unpopular in order to instil her perception of morality. She is fighting against forces she has no awareness of YET. She has become the Spiritual seeker and Heretic. Her children are often threatened symbolically on the show and one of her greatest motivations is to hold onto her kids and keep them safe. She is ( lIke Eddie) always falling short of what she feels she ought to be. And working clandestinely and hidden to uncover the truth. 

Nicole: female equivalent to Russell. Resentful, unhappy in her role ( She didn’t want all those kids.) A casualty to the patriarchal nature of Meyerism. She quite possibly resents Meyerism as a whole for the loss of her parents.  

Mary: Mary is the type of person who would take her baby with her to a crack den rather than leave him with a stranger. ‘Nuff said. Forest is a part of her. She is rarely seen without him. She would kill before allowing that kid out of her sight. She is almost an architypal mother ( “Mother Mary’) . But she is also working secretly and manipulatively behind the scenes.

Predictions? 

My latest prophesy regarding  the outcome? Well with all this talk of fathers, children and firstborn sons. My suspicion is that Eddie will die to save little Forest. He did take responsibility and promise never to let the little guy down. He will redeem himself for the life of Cal’s first born son. 

Other thoughts: 

Finally after unearthing his trauma Cal has enough self awareness to ask Mary what she wants. He still can’t say "I love you.” he ‘needs’ her. remember Sarah’s quote from the Pilot? 

“ This guy could never love a person, he needs too much.” 

This is very sad. Fucking Steve.

 Poor Mary can’t see herself as anything except a commodity. Fucking Mary’s Dad.

Love has been twisted for both of them. And while they try to navigate what consent actually is, and Cal asks her how she wants to be touched, all she really wants is an embrace. 

Professor Jackson’s heart was in the right place when he tried to comfort Sarah. But hell, is there anything less comforting than the standard secular “ He lives on in you.” Speech when you’re grieving? 

Despite that, I like him and I think if she’s going to have a relationship its healthier with him than Eddie. I do like that she’s going on a spiritual quest With Eddie and bought him the books. BUT what would make me happier is if every female character wasn’t defined by the dudes she’s bonking or choosing between.

Is Lillith is a passive observer of upcoming disaster, not an architect of it? She appears to know something will happen to Eddie but not to be planning to do it herself? 

Hawk: I dig it. But Caleb’s dad won’t. I’m really curious where they will go with this because Caleb’s dad is going to object to the gay thing and Hawks Dad? He may not be too fond of the Christian thing. Also how sweet was it that he and Joy hugged at the end? Family first you guys.