#season 8 redux

[katlyn1948]

I just got finished with the Game of Thrones season 8 redux on Spotify, and no disrespect to the all the people who took the time to record and write this thing, because they wrote TEN EPISODES, but in my personal opinion I think I’ll take the season 8 we did get over the redux and that’s saying a lot considering how much I despised season 8 (episodes 4-6).

While there were aspects that totally made sense and had wished that were in the original season 8, there were also things that seemed completely out of left field.

I don’t want to spoil it for those how haven’t listened to the redux/podcast or read the transcript available online at gots8r.com. Make of it as you will, but I disliked it.

[gloriousdreamunknown]

Are you okay?

Yes after taking a long weekend nap like I always do on weekends

[maddieandangel-2]

Just finished rewatching all of Atomic Betty and I miss everyone already,,, 😔

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Initial thoughts on that article - I’m excited! I mean the journalist needs to do a bit more homework (I’m looking at you sentence about Eddie kissing Kim!) and I’m always going to take anything Tim says in an article with a giant handful of salt, but by and large all he said is telling me that the arcs for all our characters seem to be interesting and varied.

This got so very long so it’s going below the cut - but if you only want to read the buddie stuff then start reading where I’ve changed the text colour (so you can find it easily - because I’m nice like that!) 🐝🐝🐝

I love that Tim described madney and henren as being a family unit outside of the firehouse and I’m really excited to see that built upon - I loved that we got more hen and Maddie interactions last season and I want more of it. So I’m looking forward to seeing that dynamic develop as part of the Mara arc.

Ortiz hs so much potential to be a truly great villain - with a more sustained arc - something the show hasn’t ever really done and I’d like them to. Ortiz v Hen as a half season or more plotline would be so good and exploring corruption in politics and how it corrupts other public systems and services would be such a great thing to explore (and Aisha would knock it out of the park)

I’m going to say here that season 8 is very much screaming season 3 redux at me - all of the things we know thus far all seem to parallel season 3 events, even down to the bee-nado - which is starting to sound more and more like a mirror of the tsunami - in that the tsunami wave itself was only a brief thing, but the aftermath was where the major incidents and action was for all the various characters and the set up of their arcs. And Tim saying the bees set up I’m super excited for that as a concept.

Since we first saw them filming on a plane I’ve been wondering if we were going to be seen if another 70’s disaster movie homage and it seems I was right - my money is on Airport 77 being the movie in question

And I’m really interested in who it’s going to showcase and what part of her history were exploring. I would really love to see them exploring the Jeffery arc and her trauma from that, but I’m not sure that’s what we’ll be getting (Jeffery being dead doesn’t negate this exploring that part of her story I just don’t think it’s where we’re going)

My feeling is it’s connected into Emmett in some way. It was ‘resolved’ in Athena begins and then never really spoken of again, so maybe we’ll be seeing Dennis Jenkins (the guy who shot Emmett) as one of the prisoners on the plane and Athena will have to confront her remaining trauma there and possibly the damage arresting DJ has had after all that time he passed.

On to Bobby - what can I say technical consultant bobby is going to be perfection. Bobby has had some heavy arcs over the past couple of seasons so it’s pretty obvious he’s got the comic relief arc for at least 8a. I’m really looking forward to seeing Bobby being done with Hollywood etc. And I’m really excited to see how they get him back to the 118 where he belongs.

Onto the bit I know most of you are reading this for!!

The Buck arc is screaming lawsuit redux at me and that ties in nicely to Bobbys arc. Instead of Buck being stopped from returning to the 118, this time it’s Bobby. Gerrard is the Chase Matthew’s of this situation and so I remain convinced of my assertion that buck (having learnt from the lawsuit arc) is going to initially fail against Gerrard before he figures out getting close to him and therefore being able to figure out his weaknesses is the best way to get rid of him and get Bobby back.

The Buck T*mmy section in the article of it all has me laughing so very hard I nearly fell off my chair.

Look, this ‘relationship’ is still fairly new and they are still in the ‘getting to know each other’ phase, so I wouldn’t be expecting Tim to start waxing lyrical about them as a couple, but saying this;

To describe the first queer relationship of one of your mains, whose entire storyline last season was his bi awakening, when it’s at the point when everything should still be new and exciting isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of said relationship.

It’s entirely possible to gush about a relationship - especially one that is essentially groundbreaking on your show - without giving any plot away or making it seem like they’re endgame.

More comfortable together is the only thing you could come up with to describe them as a couple? - what does that really mean? Comfortable is how you describe a pair of slippers or an old hoodie that’s all worn in and soft. If you’re using more comfortable as one descriptor in a longer sentence with other descriptors that shows the development of said relationship then that’s totally acceptable. But to use it as the only one (aside from saying they’re a couple), well that screams of a relationship that is a plot device.

And you know what else backs that up as a concept - Tim proceeds to use the rest of his answer to the question about Buck and T*mmy’s relationship to talk about Eddie and Eddie and Buck and their relationship. So what I’m getting is that Eddie is still at the centre of things within that relationship - just as he has been throughout the entirety of s7 - where Buck and Tommy managed to have a grand total of 3 scenes out of nearly 20 together where Eddie wasn’t either present or spoken about at length (and one of those was literally just a scene of them kissing!)

Even using the word comfortable again to describe Buck, Tommy and Eddie hanging out together (anticipating some sort of scene that echoes the karaoke bar scene - where we get petty jealous Eddie and I can’t wait!). Which means comfortable is a very intentional word choice - not one that bodes well for the longevity of the reltionship.

So what I’m getting from that. Is that ‘more comfortable together’ means boring and that Tim is using the relationship to create the same distance we saw between Buck and Eddie in season 3 during the lawsuit arc - the distance that ultimately brought them even closer together and led to Eddie changing his will.

Season 3 was when the show really established buddie as a thing - they lay the foundations in s2, but s3 was when they tested and then built the walls of that dynamic ready for the pieces to be put into place over seasons 4 & 5 so they could make buddie canon.

This BT relationship is literally being used to put Eddie in the same space he was in in s3 - isolated (thank you Ryan for that word choice!) because Buck is not available to him as much (or at all in the case of s3) so he spiralled out in his grief over Shannon’s death and joined a fight club.

All this to say that the chess pieces are being manoeuvred in a really positive direction on the buddie front and I expect to see 8a following a somewhat similar pattern as 3a did - big opening disaster which sets up the various arcs, which includes being shown buck and Eddie’s closeness initially, only to separate them off for a bit so Eddie can have his gay awakening (fight club minus the fight club) and Buck can do some more figuring out about what he actually wants of his own (lawsuit without the law suit) and then bring them back together in time for Christmas - which they will spend together with a newly returned Christopher (mirroring s3 Christmas perfectly) and the rest of the firefam.

Even the Eddie question backs up this as a theory;

I’m fully expecting to get Eddie having conversations with his parents - via call and FaceTime - but not with Chris because he still won’t talk to his dad. The choice to say everything has been stripped away from him except his job is also giving some echoes of s5 - juxtaposing when Eddie essentially had everything else except his job which lead to his breakdown. Tim is a master of deploying subterfuge whilst also using very intentional words - so this comment is making me excited. It’s (to me at least) saying that Eddie is secure in his job and there is not really going to be any drama on the job front. That in the past eddie connected his worth to whatever job he was doing (army, his three jobs in El Paso firefighter) so when the job was taken away he had no worth and that therefore meant he was a failure as a father and a husband - so he spiralled out. Now he has his job and he’s in a good place with that and knowing how his worth as a person isn’t tied into that job. Now instead he has nothing else - all the things he’d tied his worth onto away from his job are suddenly gone so he has to go back to the drawing board and this time look at himself and who he actually is and why he wants.

The choice of the word ‘hell’ is also a choice - ‘who the hell he is’ - season 7 laid the groundwork for edddies reckoning with the catholic faith (former nun Marisol, Eddie talking about being a lapsed catholic and catholic guilt and bobby giving Eddie the bible etc) and we know they’ve been filming in a church. Hell as a word choice is just backing that up and hinting at the idea that Eddie figuring out who he is and choosing living his life as his true self would damn him to hell in the eyes of his religion. So gay Eddie here we go!!

This was supposed to be a quick ‘ooh I’m excited everything is being perfectly set up’ post and then I did my usual thing and write a mammoth essay 🤣 so if you’ve read all of this - thank you and I love you and I hope you enjoyed it - can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

[chronicowboy]

okay pitch for season 8. 911 redux of captain bill hader catching jake and amy making out at work and having a heart attack but gerard walks in on buck and eddie's first ever kiss which inevitably turns into more and just drops fucking dead on the spot.

[riathedreamer]

As much as I like to think I’ve moved on to the next fandom, I don’t think any media can hold the same power as Red vs. Blue had over me.

I remember the first time I watched the ending of season 13 and the hollow feeling it left in my chest, how I had to pace back and forth to cope.

It’s been years since I rewatched the show, but when I listen to “Contact Redux” I sometimes tear up.

The ending of season 8 still hypes me up in a way no other show can do.

The fact I cared so much about these absolute assholes that watching the first seasons just makes me excited to see them grow again.

Some jokes still make me chuckle when I think of them in my head. I have to restrain myself every time someone says the number eleven, because “THERE IS NO ELEVEN YOU FUCKING -���

Then the absolute tone shift: some lines have taught me so much and I will remember them forever. Will I ever stop feeling sad about Beta?

I think of: “Memory is the key” and “I forget you” and “I quit” and “Ain’t that a bitch” and “the former Director of Project Freelancer, Dr. Leonard Church” and I remember how much I love this show.

I can’t even look at a color and not think of the show.

I’m sad the series didn’t go out with a bang, not even a proper hrggh-blrrrg, but a sad pathetic whimper.

But sometimes, I think of the very beginning of a conversation, just two little words (“Hey.” “Yeah?”) and I smile.

[patriunicornio]

Modern New York Apartment

Have you ever dreamed of having a cozy apartment where contemporary art and jazz come together? Then this is your apartment.

This apartment with a color palette dominated by red, black, blue, beige and brown, is a perfect choice for any single man or woman living in Manhattan.

Name: Modern New York Apartment

Price: $ 196,537

Lot type: Room

Furnished

WITH CC

World: San Myshuno (121 Hakim House)

DLC used: City Living and Movie Hangout.

ORIGIN ID: MEDIAGRAMA

My inspiration for this apartment:

This apartment is inspired by abstract art, especially the works of Mark Rothko.

This apartment is also inspired by MY FAVORITE SHOW, Sx and the city. I created this apartment while watching it and it reminds me of the first seasons of the show, Charlotte's art gallery, Mr Big, Carrie and Big, the girls going out for dinner and to have fun, New York, etc.

🩷🎶 (LOVE this edit)

List of the cc that I used:

Harrie @harrie-cc: The Coastal Collection 3,4, 6 and 8, Stockholm, Spoons part 2, Octave 3 and 4, Brutalism bathroom, The Country Collection 3

Felixandre @felixandresims: Gatsby set, Florence 1 and 4, Berlin part 1 and 3, Shop the look season, Grove part 3, Fayun part 2, Chateau part 4 and 5, Soho part 3

House of Harlix: Jardane, The Kichen 1 and 2, Livin' Rum, Orjánic part 2, Harluxe, Baysic Bathroom

Pierisim @pierisim: Pantry Party, Combles, Woodland 1 and 3, Unfold, Tilable, David's Apartment 1 and 2, Auntie Vera's Bathroom, Domaine 1, 2, 3 and 4, MCM House part 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Winter Garden part 1, The Living-Room, Calderone, The office, Oak house 4 and 5, Tidying up, Teeny Weeny

Max20 @maxsus: Kitchen Appliances Pack, Kitchen Appliances Pack, Mini pack "Home atmosphere"

SIXAM @imfromsixam: Boho Bath, Work from home

My cup of CC: Teenage Dream - Part 01, The Modernist

Carabiner Sims @carabinersims: Computer Lab

Syboulette @syboubou: Contemporary Haven, Country Kitchen, Jules Bedroom

The Clutter Cat @thecluttercat: Bubble Gum, Sunny Sundae 1, 2 and 3, Dandy Diary, Dandy Diary 1, Busy Bee 2 and 1

KKB @kkbsmm: My Cherish Things, Core Subway tile, JOMO Laundry

Bbygyal123 @bbygyal123: Calendar 23

Myshunosun @myshunosun: The Art Room Redux, Thrifted TV, Gale Dining, Simmify Instant Camera, Daria Bedroom

Charlypancakes @charlypancakes: Chalk, Soak, Modish

Littledica @littledica: Bathroom

Tuds @tudtuds: Cross Bed and Bath Set

Lilac Creative @lilaccreative: The Classic Collection

Taurus Design @taurusdesign: Fiona Bathroom

(For more specific information about the cc used in this buid ask in the comments and I will be delighted to respond to you)

*Please use bb.moveobjects on before download*

[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part VIII) UPDATED!: Missing Conversations and Mulder Gettin' His Groove On

In the aftermath of Three Words, we are left with a few resolved questions-- Mulder knew the baby was his, Mulder didn't resent Scully, Mulder and Scully eye-bantered about the baby issue in her kitchen with the Gunmen, etc.-- that help to more fully make sense of that episode and the tail end of Season 8.

However. We are then given a giant, gaping hole of nothing that bridges the gap between the heavier mood of Three Words and the buoyantly tender one of Empedocles.

So, that leaves us with speculations, probabilities, and body language.

**Note**: This post has been updated to include @baronessblixen's thought on Mulder and Scully's conversation (did they or didn't they?) The nuance of "a little of both" is also a solid possibility.

FILLING IN THE BLANKS

During the events of Three Words, Mulder and Scully maintained a pattern: she pulled, he pushed, she was frustrated and anxious to the point of tears, he was frustrated and fearful to the point of honorable death. Neither wanted to push or pull away too far from each other, always drawing back in close proximity. Most importantly, Mulder gave her short tender or joking glances but never touched her.

The touching is important.

Usually, it's Scully who withdrew in times of crisis: not because she wanted to ice Mulder out, but because she wanted to maintain her wall of strength. Knowing that a touch from her partner will unspool it, she tried (tries) to escape emotionally tenuous situations before losing control. Mulder, however, learned to draw to her in emotional crises (Anasazi, Herrenvolk, Paper Hearts, Redux II, Emily, etc.)

That pattern contributed to Scully's bafflement and concern in Three Words: Mulder attempted to keep his trauma under wraps but gave himself away by withdrawing physically. She already sensed something off with him in the hospital (script here, thanks @x-files-scripts); but each successive conversation reinforced that by the unnatural space he enforced between them.

I've previously discussed at length why he stayed at a distance (post here, here, and here.) In short, Mulder was trying to keep up a facade-- his cool exterior, if you will-- so that his partner wouldn't prod or pry or urge (or send) him to professional help. Mulder's a "lash out to fix a problem instead of searching within to find the solution" kind of guy; and besides, he likely saw his situation as hopeless. Most therapists and psychologists didn't (don't) believe in aliens, let alone alien abductions; so, the only place he could find professional help would be in his circles-- where he's already a very well-known community figurehead. (While I don't think the latter was a consideration during his Three Words kneejerk, it at least points us to a possible solution post episode.)

Another problem: falling in-step with this season's useless (and often infuriating) scripts-to-screen translation-- post here for the paternity question but also script here for Mulder and Doggett's needlessly baited escape from the DOD facility-- we're not shown the gap between Three Words and Empedocles. We're left to assume Mulder and Scully had an off-screen conversation that resolved the distance between them... but I have doubts that was the case.

DID THEY OR DIDN'T THEY TALK?

It's often referenced that Mulder and Scully don't talk outside of work (ex. stated straightly in Detour and hinted slyly in Rain King.) The show leaned so far into this narrative that the only proof we have of an on-going relationship between the two in Season 7 is Scully's tie twirling, flirting, and unabashed possessiveness post Millennium and pre-all things... and even then, it might not be proof enough for some (or most) viewers.

The reality is, Mulder and Scully spent hours and hours and hours investigating, researching, and surveilling. We've seen plot relevant conversations during work hours that aren't just about work (i.e. Mulder asking Scully about her brothers in Roland), leading one to conclude that they've had very interesting and tantalizing talks when not currently occupied with a case.

Did one of those tantalizing talks happen off-screen between Three Words and Empedocles?

We have two options before us:

Mulder and Scully did talk. This would require a shift in their dynamic post Three Words; and the instigator would likely be Scully. She was already emotionally raw, growing more compromised, and stretched to her limits by the previous episode. It's not a far-fetched theory for her to have requested space or time to recover; and that shift in their wonky new routine would have off-set Mulder, and possibly pushed him out of himself and back to her. There are two hitches to this theory: it would require time to pass (not as big of a deal), and a conversation that would all too easily click them back into their touchy-feely dynamic previous to the events in Empedocles. The latter part is key: him feeling the baby in her hospital room is framed as his first time reaching out to connect with it-- and that would leave us with another question: did Mulder reach out only to Scully in the gap between Three Words and Empedocles; and if so, was she okay with that? There was no barrier or awkwardness on her side in Empedocles, so that points to a negative on the "reaching out to her but not the baby" theory (proved by her distress when he avoided the baby entirely in Three Words.) This means: to have a conversation, they would have had to reconcile without touching at all... which might (would) also further upset Scully; and, thus, disrupt her placid temperament in Empedocles. Ultimately, this theory leads to more questions than answers; but it can work, though not perfectly (depending on the viewer's interpretation.)

Mulder and Scully did not talk. This works with the lore of the show: Mulder and Scully don't generally talk, but their body language does. Moreover, it would also fit with the insanely fast-paced timeline of Season 8 (and The X-Files in general)-- Three Words happening within days, Empedocles chockfull with unacknowledged air fare and car rides, etc. On top of all that, it would also fit in with Scully's light-hearted moments in Three Words-- continually trying to draw her partner into a better outlook or mood-- and her eager openness in Deadalive, Three Words, and Empedocles. This means: it wasn't a conversation that settled Mulder and Scully-- it was Mulder who came to a resolution of sorts and showed up in repentance and reconciliation. Ultimately, I think this theory fits more with the show writers' vision of the characters; and would work seamlessly if the two episodes were fitted tightly back-to-back.

Mulder and Scully do a little of both: This idea was taken from @baronessblixen's tags; and it absolutely sounded like something those two would do. To quote: "...a combination. Mulder found more of his footing. And I think they had a conversation-- maybe just a light one-- that just touched on things because they weren't there yet." This means: Mulder and Scully got to clear the air between them without progressing too forward too fast-- which gives Mulder talking without touching leeway and hands Scully reassurance without rejection.

I, personally, pick the second theory. Mulder's actions in Empedocles--showing up at her doorstep right before her morning (or afternoon) shower, sweeping her off her feet with a present and pizza man banter, hovering until she motioned for him to feel the baby, ordering her pizza from his place in an attempt to displace the pizza man, etc.-- are completely unexpected by Scully. She answers the door, perplexed; is amazed and amused by his "the pizza man is not above suspicion" tease; "touched" by his personal package and surprise pizza delivery; and confident enough in his stability to rib him about being replaced by the pizza man in his absence. To me, these read as the actions of a woman not at all "conversated" with her partner: surprised, pleased, and overjoyed he'd come around on his own, baffled, disjointed, and silent at his about-face in proceeding episodes. Most pivotally, there seem to be no boundaries laid down between them, which leaves Scully feeling she can't command or demand he stay by her side in future episodes-- another point against conversation.

**Update**: I retract the previous paragraph slightly-- Scully and Mulder could follow in the footsteps of Empedocles for both scenario 2 and 3; and their attitude would fall a little more in line with 3's mild conversation than 2's non-communication. Everyone can pick for themselves, of course~.

Because, again, the context of their touches changes the interpretation of their reunion: is he still withdrawn, yet temporarily stepping up because of the glow of her and the baby's safety? Did he touch her previous to the gift exchange and her hospitalization? Or did he hover closer and closer with presents and banter, trying to smooth over yesterday(ish)'s events before the abruption took place?

This point will have to be picked apart more in-depth in later posts; but in the meantime, the theory is out there to analyze.

MULDER GETTIN' HIS GROOVE ON

An important aside: Mulder and Scully and his package.

The original scene (script here) reads as more exasperated on Scully's part-- "what's my crackpot partner doing here with a gift in his hand", if you will-- and more jocular and unabashed on Mulder's. It's an interesting take, and not out-of-character. The final render of that scene, however, changes what we can infer from the characters. Perhaps that's mostly due to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson's chemistry, camaraderie, and history-- based on the note "the actors will know how to play it" (script here)-- or perhaps it didn't quite align with where Chris Carter wanted the characters to be. Either way, it's a smart change, I believe, in the unspoken aftermath of Three Words.

What is interesting is the "nice package" comment from Scully, and Mulder's shy initial misinterpretation with regards to his package. Beyond the comedy of the moment, it gives us a peek into Mulder's head: namely, that he is not dead, that he is still very aware of Scully, and that he didn't drop in and isn't hanging around strictly for pure or impersonal purposes.

Mulder usually sloughed off or was flustered by direct compliments, romantic and platonic, from other parties (i.e. Agent Henderson in Young at Heart and Cassandra Spender in Two Fathers.) His response here-- which I shall dive deeper into in a future part-- shows he truly thought Scully was complimenting with intent (propositioning, if you will); and that he was more than willing to reciprocate.

Not only that, but his misinterpretation bleeds right into his overtures for the baby. Mulder took a trip to his mother's-- meaning he still has her house, months later (another interesting thought to dig into)-- to root around in and find a suitable gift. An honorary Mulder family relic, too: another sign he saw this child as his own, despite his oft conflicting, paranoid doubts. This assumption aligns with David's astute observations of his character while filming the Revival: "William is the child that Scully had while we were together. It could be mine, it could be an alien, but I don't know. It's my child, I think. Mulder would live his life as if that was his child." Despite the doubts he voices in Essence's opening monologue, Mulder acts as if he claims the baby as his. And it's not surprising: the signs are there (covered in all of my previous meta parts) but smudged or written out by writers intent on baiting the answers as much as possible (again, post here.)

So, what does this mean?

CONCLUSION

Sometime between Three Words and Empedocles, Mulder gets enough of his act together to reflect on and tweak his behavior, schelpping up to and back from Tena Mulder's house to bear gifts for the offspring, caveman papa style. In addition to that, he lays down a few more walls; softens up; shows open, genuine interest in his child; and begins to rekindle his and his partner's relationship. Most tellingly, he touches Scully for the first time during her health scare; then for the first time with purpose after she and the baby pull through.

The question of what was said between them-- or even if there was anything said between them-- will never be answered. Knowing Mulder and Scully, the possibilities could go any way depending on one's own interpretation. Hopefully those possibilities have been fleshed out more thoroughly and reasonably in this write-up.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[nachosncheezies]

💋🎉🥰🤲

For this ask game.

💋 First kiss fics. Love em or hate em?

A fact about me, which may seem counterintuitive given my posting, is that... I'm actually not that much into shipping. I appreciate it, when done well, but it's not really the romance per se that draws me to things or drives my interactions with a piece of media. I don't really love OR hate first kiss fics; I suppose I would put them in the same category I put whump: if it's well done, and has some kind of plot or deeper introspection or something around it, something that helps the characters develop in some way, that's great! But just for its own sake? Meh.

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success?

It's cliche, but feedback, especially comments. One of the best I ever got was on the first fic I posted, where I'd put a stereotypical "I'm not a writer, please be nice" sort of nonsense at the top. I got a comment from a complete stranger that started with, "okay, 'not a writer,'" and rode those four words straight into the next two stories I wrote. If I've made someone feel something enough that they've taken the time to say so, that's pure gold, and a definite win.

🥰 How do you feel about reader interaction? Are you open to receiving questions about your fics?

I LOVE questions about them!! I love chatting about my shows in general, but tbh writing meta sometimes hurts my brain. My fics are almost all canon-compliant and usually express a headcanon or an interpretation of canon events. Sometimes I'm demonstrating why some part of canon that folks seem to hate or think makes no sense actually makes perfect sense to me. It's always so fun to chat about blorbos, I guess I'm just better at showing my thoughts on some things through fic than I am at explaining. :D

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

Bless you 💕 every time you do this you force me to look at another bit I've not worked on for a while and it sets my brain on fire with ideas for how to improve or expand on them. :D How about one not from season 8? Set in the reduxes, a scene I drafted ages ago for Scully and Bill Junior. I was delighted to later discover it has a lot in common with the deleted scene from I think it was memento mori? (also delighted that the deleted scene can't be considered canon, because what did air has him not aware of her cancer until much later, so my version could still stand :D I'll post it someday, probably)

"You're being rude," she stated. "I'm just looking out for you." "I know that you believe that, but you're also being rude." "Dana, I know-" he started, but she cut him off with a look. "I asked to speak to you, I would like you to listen," she said, and tipped her head toward the chair beside her bed. "Sit." His jaw flexed, but he acquiesced. "Look, I'm not going to ask you to like him-" "Good, because I don't," he interrupted petulantly. She gave him a quelling look. "I am not going to ask you to like him," she repeated, pausing between each word for emphasis, "and I'm not going to ask that you understand him. But I need you to respect me. We aren't kids anymore Bill, I'm a grown woman; I can make my own decisions. Please don't belittle that by assuming that I'm somehow being..." she searched for the right word, "manipulated."

thank you thank you thank you, a million times thank you for asking 💕💕💕

[pitchmoss]

SMAPI & Modding Guide

🍒Mandatory Mods: these are the ones that make the pretty/gameplay mods work.

Stardew Modding API aka SMAPI: The mod loader for Stardew Valley. Will have it's own pop up window upon launching the game: do not close it, this is how you run modded Stardew. It will also tell you what mods aren't working, what needs an update, etc. Most mandatory, most helpful.

Generic Mod Config Menu: Adds an in-game UI to edit other mods' config options. Will be shown on title screen at the bottom left as a gear icon.

Content Patcher, Alternative Textures, Json Assets, SpaceCore are the most common mods that make the fun mods work. If you're downloading mods, 9/10 times you're gonna need these.

Farm Type Manager, Custom Farm Loader, Fashion Sense, Faux Core, Portaiture, are probably second most used and are for more specific mods (farm layout mods, custom appearance, etc).

🍄Gameplay Mods

Skip Fishing Minigame: Hate fishing? Me too. This skips the fishing minigame and catches fish for you. You will still have to click when you get a Hit, just fishing without the fuss.

Stardew Valley Expanded: A fanmade expansion for ConcernedApe's Stardew Valley. This mod adds 27 new NPCs, 50 locations, 260 character events, 27 fish, reimagined vanilla areas, two farm maps, a reimagined world map reflecting all changes, new music, questlines, objects, crops, festivals, and many miscellaneous additions! (last updated April 8, 2024. also would recommend to second time players due to amount of content)

"I Fixed Him" A Shane Consistency Mod: Makes Shane's post-6-Heart-Event Dialogue and Gift Tastes consistent with his character arc.

🌈Aesthetic Mods: let's beautify this game some more!!

Custom Menu Background

Seasonal Cute Characters & Stanloona's Revised Portraits (not updated to 1.6 but still work)

Ana's Toned Down Sprites

Overgrown Flowery Interface and Overlay

❤I use pretty much all of Gweniaczek's mods, specifically:

>Way Back Pelican Town, Medieval Buildings,

>Gwen's Mailbox, Fishponds, Doghouses, Stable,

>Shipping Bin, Paths, Fences, Craftables, and Tools.

❤Aimon11 makes some good mods too, like:

>More Lively Sewer (+ Krobus content <3), Amanita Lover

>Tidy Cozy Cellar, Distant Lands; Witch Swamp Overhaul

Dynamic Reflections | No Fence Decay: Redux | Destroy Bushes

Cornucopia: More Crops & More Flowers

All Animal Mods: Pets,Farm Animals | Horses | Butterflies

Hats Won't Mess Up Hair & Coii's Hats and Clothes

Fae's Elf Ears or Expressive Elf Ears

(Unofficial) Simple Foliage for 1.6

Firefly Torches or Wisp Torches

Siamece's Furniture Recolors (AT)

DaisyNiko's Earthy Recolor & Tilesheet (if other mods have Earthy Recolor versions I download those too. They will match! Many modders will do this with other recolor mods so have fun with your new game palettes!) (Also DaisyNiko has so many amazing mods, just check out her page!)

[sagan-starstuff]

Secret Santa Gift Exchange Questionnaire

Starting broad, tell your Santa about your relationship to The X-Files. This could be how you got into The X-Files in the first place, what the show means to you, or just general information you think might be relevant for your Santa to know.

My mother was an X-Phile long before I was, she watched from the Pilot on. She was in chat rooms, on alt.tv.xfiles, in fic groups. I was afraid of the theme song at first, so much so that I made her mute it if I was still awake. I started watching in 1997, when I was 11 years old. I don't really remember my first episode - some time during the cancer arc. By the time the summer of 1997 was over, thanks to my mom's recorded episodes on VHS and re-runs on FX, I was fully caught up and 100% a shipper when Redux I premiered, and I've been obsessed ever since. I lived and breathed X-files, accumulated stacks of spiral notebooks full of bad tween fic and drawings, scrawled quotes and logos on the covers of my school binders. I was in chatrooms and on Haven, reading fic on Gossamer waaaaay too young, but everyone there still made me feel like I belonged. I was a weird, lonely tween/teen who had an incredibly hard time relating to my peers thanks to being skipped ahead a grade, but I could pretend Mulder and Scully were my friends. They were the smartest people in the room, they were outcasts, too. If they could be smart and strong, I could, too. The fandom gave me a community when middle school couldn't. I met my best friend in 1999 when she wore an X-Files shirt the first week of high school. I decided to become a doctor because Scully showed me that I could. I watched the way that Mulder and Scully loved each other with their minds and souls, and decided that I would never accept any less for myself.

I feel like I'm rambling, but I cannot understate the influence that The X-Files has had on my life. It was always a comfort for me, even when I was in college and the chatrooms and boards started to go dark. I lost connection with the fandom by the time IWTB came out, but I never loved the show any less. When my husband and I first started dating, I'd invite him over to watch X-Files with me...and we did, for a while, before we got up to other activities. He says I seduced him with The X-Files. It worked!

I reconnected with the fandom in 2023, and I wish so much that I'd known you all were out there this long. Finding other X-Philes, now in their 30's, 40's and beyond, has been such a treasure. As has been finding out that people in their teens and 20's love the show, too! I love seeing younger fans, people who may not even have been ALIVE for a lot of the original run. This is how we survive, how the show lives on.

I wear Mulder and Scully on my skin now. They'll be with me until I die.

2. Tell your Santa about your favorites! Favorite characters, favorite moments, favorite episodes, favorite seasons, favorite ships, etc.

This is so hard! My favorite will always be Scully but I love Mulder endlessly, even when he's an idiot. My favorite side character is Byers, though it's hard separating him from the rest of the Gunmen. My favorite moments...god, so many. But a moment I come back to again and again is Scully facing down the senate committee in Tunguska to protect Mulder. She displays strength, grace, and integrity that I can only aspire too. Every MSR moment is my favorite. My favorite seasons are 4-6, I cannot choose between them.

3. Tell your Santa about your LEAST favorites! We all love our show, but it also sucks sometimes. Which parts suck the most for you?

I hate season 9 - its like the writers forgot who these characters were. Mulder would never leave his new family after a lifetime of trauma from the loss of his old one. Scully would never give William up. Parts of season 8 are ok, though the way Mulder is written after his return is absolute character assassination, and I HAAAAAATE the secret brain disease. I don't even acknowledge it. I don't like IWTB much. I HAAAAAATE the My Struggles. I have...come to terms with the breakup, though I'll never like it. The Revival gave us a few great episodes and amazing moments. The parts of the show I rewatch most are season 1-7. Oh, and I hate Diana, but don't we all?

4. Tell your Santa your favorite tropes and genres! Only one bed? Friends to lovers? 5+1? Fluff, angst, hurt/comfort? You get the idea.

Ohhh I love first kiss/first time, I love love confessions, I love hurt/comfort. I like angst but only if it has a happy or hopeful ending. I looove Only One Bed, or huddling for warmth. I love fluff. I'm not a big AU fan unless it's a fix-it fic (like Mulder not leaving Scully and William, or Scully not giving Will up). I also love slice of life fic, seeing all their lost moments in rental cars and airports just...existing together.

5. Tell your Santa about tropes you tend to avoid.

Major Character Death, SA/Non-Con. I just want Mulder and Scully to be safe and loved.

6. For your Santa, but also just for fun, describe your ideal X-Files episode. Is it mythology? MotW? A literal porno? 

MOTW with an aspect that emotionally affects Mulder or Scully, with some nice MSR and evolution of feelings. I'm also down with a literal porno.

7. Speaking of pornography, tell your Santa what your spice preference is, using the following scale:

Salt only⁠ ⁠— No spice at all please! I.e. General audience rating.

Black pepper ⁠— A hint of spice. I.e. Teen rating.

Chili pepper ⁠— There’s a bit of a kick! I.e. Mature rating.

Habanero ⁠— Definitely spicy, but most spice lovers can handle it. I.e. Explicit rating.

✨Ghost pepper✨ ⁠— Only for the spiciest of spice lovers. I.e. VERY explicit/kink/POANG rating.

I will read anything Salt-Habanero, for Ghost Pepper it depends on the kink. Not into choking, non-consensual anything, nothing involving urine/feces, not a big anal fan, no physical or mental degradation of any kind. No feet.

8. Those are the most important things, but I want there to be ten questions because it’ll look better, so tell your Santa what ONE song you would pick to describe MSR. (Or if you’re not into MSR, pick a song for your favorite ship, or for TXF as a whole.)

The canonical MSR song is Walking After You by the Foo Fighters. Lovers in a Dangerous Time by the Barenaked ladies is also them in a nutshell.

9. Almost there. Pick your favorite TXF quote. 

"Please explain the scientific nature of The Whammy."

10. Aaaaand, ten. And the last question can be open ended: Is there anything else you think is important for your Santa to know? Put it here!

Thank you for being a part of the best fandom on the planet! Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or even just to chat!

[canonicallyobserving911]

9-1-1 Season 6 - Constructive Criticisms #14

Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz

DISCLAIMER: THERE ARE THREE SEPARATE POSTS ABOUT BUCK, EDDIE, CHRIS AND BUDDIE.  The reason for this is because there was a lot of information to cover and the attempt to combine it into a single post, like those completed for the other main characters and ‘ships’, wasn’t feasible since one post for them and their family would’ve been too long.  Therefore, their posts are numbered as follows: Evan “Buck” Buckley - #13, Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz and Christopher “Chris” Diaz - #14 and “Buddie” -  #15.  Each of these posts are identically tagged because they include information that’s related to all of them.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Eddie Diaz is my favorite character!  FULL STOP!  I wouldn’t and won’t watch 9-1-1 if he’s not present (which is the reason why I’ll never do a rewatch of season 1😊.)

This is a LONG POST.

__________________

Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz is a main character, he became part of the main cast in 2x1 and he’s been on the show ever since.  His legal name is Edmundo but he doesn’t allow anyone to call him by that name unless it’s his parents (they call him Edmundo and Eddie interchangeably) or someone who really doesn’t know him.  He also doesn’t like for anyone to call him “Diaz” but he does allow Bobby to call him that since he’s the captain and he let Lena call him that too in 3x4.  He has a son named Christopher, who’s also a main character.

Bobby recruited Eddie and when Eddie arrived at the 118, he had just graduated at the top of his LAFD Academy class and he had already completed two tours in Afghanistan where he was an Army medic.  While looking at him through the glass windows of the locker room, Chimney was the first person to say he was a beautiful man, Hen agreed and they WERE NOT WRONG since Eddie is indeed beautiful!  Then Bobby went on to explain all his accolades and accomplishments and he also said he liked to be called “8-pack”.

Eddie is not only beautiful, he’s also sexy, handsome and gorgeous but in addition to all of those attributes, he’s so much more than that.  He’s a GREAT AND FANTASTIC DAD all by himself and contrary to popular belief (Buck’s wacky memory during his coma dream in 6x11) Eddie was ALREADY A GREAT DAD BEFORE HE MOVED HIMSELF AND CHRISTOPHER TO L.A.  He works hard to make sure Chris has everything he needs and he’s sacrificed so much for him including his job in 5x10.

In season 6, Eddie was sidelined a lot the same way he was during seasons 4 and 5 but it doesn’t make sense because he’s a main character.  He only had four or five storylines for the entirety of the season and the majority of them happened in 6B when they forced the dating narrative on him via his aunt Pepa.  Only one of his storylines lasted for more than one episode and it was the one that had him dating again.  Prior to season 4, he had his OWN STORYLINES that didn’t revolve around another main character but after the shooting, everything that happened to Eddie was made to be about Buck and was told from Buck’s point of view.  Most of his screen time in 6B showed him out of character, had him doing things he’s never done before and the same is true for his blood relatives.  

By the end of 6x18, Eddie was almost unrecognizable with the way they had him acting and he ended up in a relationship that was a redux of the one he had in season 4.  In 6B, the show spent a lot of time proving he’s not alone from 6x10 through 6x13 but in 6x14, they had his aunt Pepa pressure him into admitting he doesn’t want to be alone.  There were a lot of unanswered questions for Eddie when the season ended and none of the things that happened from 6x14 through 6x18 made any narrative sense for his character.

My fourteenth set of “constructive criticisms” regarding the character Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz in season 6 are included below the cut.  Please note criticizing a TV show is NOT a bad thing especially since TV critics have been doing it for decades.  Constructive criticisms are designed to help make something better and they are VERY different from negativity.  A person can offer criticisms about a form of entertainment they spend their time watching and not be negative about it the same way two people can agree to disagree on a topic.  Just because one person liked the season, they shouldn’t expect others to feel the way they do because everyone has their own opinions.  Simply put, two people can have different opinions about 9-1-1 and those opinions can COEXIST since they are not mutually exclusive.

If reading criticisms about the TV show 9-1-1 upsets you, then don’t read below the cut.

                Warning! ⚠️“Constructive Criticisms” Ahead!⚠️  

Disclaimer:  This post is NOT about the actor RG who plays the character of Eddie.  RG is an excellent actor who has a lot of range and experience and he plays the character effortlessly.  The issues with Eddie and all the flaws included in season 6 as well as other seasons, are not reflective of RG as a person, so please don’t confuse the information included in this post with the actor.  These criticisms ARE NOT about the actor, they’re about the character (not a real person) and the way the show portrays him.

Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz

As mentioned above, Eddie is indeed a beautiful man but he’s so much more than that.  First and foremost, he’s an EXCELLENT DAD to his only son Chris.  He’s also competent, confident and very knowledgeable.  Aside from those attributes, one of his most important characteristics is often overlooked.  He has a HUGE HEART and he’ll do anything for anyone.  He’s given advice to his friends and family on several occasions and unlike some of Bobby’s advice (mainly the things Bobby’s told Buck and Eddie regarding relationships), Eddie’s advice is GOOD and it’s HELPFUL (related post linked here).  An example of this happened in 3x13 when he reminded Chimney “Tomorrow isn’t promised”.

Eddie was already skilled when he started working at the 118 and it was one of the reasons why Bobby recruited him.  He knew the reason why he was there and he remained focused on the tasks at hand.  It took less than a few hours for him to demonstrate that he was a valuable asset to the team and he was immediately accepted into the 118’s found family.  He was new to Los Angeles because he had recently relocated himself and his son, Christopher there from El Paso, TX after Eddie got a job with the LAFD.  Also, he had an established support system in his grandmother, Isabel Diaz and his aunt Josephina “Pepa” Diaz and they helped him take care of Christopher whenever he had to work if Chris was not in school.

When Eddie first started at the 118, no one knew he had a son because he didn’t tell them.  He was a private person and he kept his head down so he could do his job.  He remained focused and he wasn’t really big on sharing any personal information about himself.  Eddie has a complicated past; he was married but he didn’t tell anyone until 2x7 when he had to call her to interview at Chris’ school, his parents were SUPER CONTROLLING (his mother, Helena still is), he loves his grandmother, they have a great relationship and his aunt was always there to assist him with whatever he needed in season 2.

Prior to the end of season 4, Eddie had his own storylines and he’s always been viewed as a complicated character.  But something happened in seasons 4 through 6 because all of his storylines included Buck even though all of Buck’s storylines didn’t include Eddie.  He was sidelined for the majority of 6A and part of 6B too which was ridiculous.  All his scenes were cut short, chopped or shoved into the end of an episode (looking at 5x13 which included his mental breakdown in the last five minutes of the episode and 5x18 which showed his return to the 118 in the last one minute of the season).  Other than his PTSD storyline in season 5, he hasn’t had one that went on for more than one or two episodes since.

The storyline he had in season 5 SHOULD NOT HAVE AFFECTED THE AMOUNT OF SCREEN TIME HE RECEIVED IN SEASON 6.  HE’S A MAIN CHARACTER BUT INSTEAD OF GIVING HIM THE SCREEN TIME HE DESERVES, the show continuously shoved Buck into almost every episode for long periods of time.  Other than 6x3, Buck was not only involved in his own gazillion storylines; he was also shoved into other main characters’ storylines too and the recurring characters that were brought in for Buck's storylines were too.  But Eddie's barely received a full scene that wasn’t overshadowed by Buck’s involvement since season 3.

Eddie’s been a main character since his first episode in 2x1 but for some unknown reason, he’s been treated like a recurring character for the last few seasons and it doesn’t make any sense at all.  He’s constantly left in the background and he’s only given the attention he deserves when he’s being shown waiting for Buck to catch up and understand something.  It’s not fair because he’s a character all by himself and he has interests that go beyond whether he will or won’t end up in a relationship with Buck.

In the beginning, he was there to do his job and he wasn’t aware of Buck and how much he didn’t like him.  Based on Eddie’s reaction to Buck’s behavior, it seems like he really didn’t care.  Buck was the one who was all pissy and acted like a toddler while Eddie explained to him while they were in the firehouse’s gym, they did the same thing but he just did it while he was being shot at.

Eddie’s past

Eddie’s past is complicated and he was shouldered with a lot of responsibility at a very young age.  His father, Ramon was on the road for work and was rarely home but his mother, Helena was there and she was and still is very controlling.  He got his high school girlfriend pregnant then he married her and became an instant husband and father.  He enlisted in the Army and when his time was up, he reenlisted.  After he was wounded in action and honorably discharged, he returned to El Paso but nothing had changed.  Him and his wife, Shannon still argued all the time, they were never on the same page and she left him and Chris there while she traipsed off to Los Angeles to take care of her mother.  She left them with a note that stated she needed time too.

He worked three jobs to take care of Chris and even though his parents were helping him, he decided to relocate once he realized they didn’t have him or Christopher’s best interest at heart.  They wanted to control him and his mother told him to leave Chris with them instead of taking him to L.A. but Eddie didn’t want Chris to grow up like he did with his mother constantly limiting Chris and trying to control him.

Identity

In CANON, it’s never been explained why Eddie doesn’t usually let people address him by his legal name and his story has been told in parts.  He didn’t reveal he had a son until Buck asked him who he was trying to get a hold of in 2x2 and he didn’t mention he had a wife until 2x7 when he was at the Durand School with Carla.  His grandmother and his abuela were shown first in season 2 and his parents didn’t appear until 2x18 when they arrived for Shannon’s funeral.  They weren’t shown again until Eddie had flashbacks while he was trapped in the well in 3x15.

In 3x8, after Bobby was told about Eddie’s participation in the illegal fight club, Eddie admitted he needed to be in control during their conversation and while he was in therapy with Frank in 3x9, he admitted he doesn’t feel anything.  In one of his flashbacks in 3x15, he told Shannon he felt alone and it wasn’t until 5x1, after his first panic attack, that he was told by Dr. Salazar he might be repressing something.  In 5x13, he was extremely vulnerable, he reached his breaking point and he had a mental breakdown.  Prior to that he’d never let anyone see him cry (he cried a little while he was talking to Bobby in 3x8 but he didn’t cry like he did in 2x17, 3x15 [flashback to his time in the Army] 5x13 and 6x11).

Eddie’s a chameleon and he knows how to adjust to whatever situation he’s involved in but underneath his controlled bravado, he’s a genuinely nice guy who just wants to be in love.  He wants someone to not only love him but they have to love Christopher too.  He’s an awesome father who puts Chris' needs before his own because he doesn’t want him to grow up without him being there the way he had to grow up without Ramon being present.

After everything Eddie’s been through, the show dropped the ball when they regressed him in 6B.  All the work he did before he was forced into that raggedy and trifling dating storyline in 6x14 was dismantled and he became completely unrecognizable.  The show turned him into a giggly high school teenager who didn’t understand the things he wanted when he was 14 and 18 years old, like magic and chemistry no longer applied to him because he’s an adult now who’s either 34, 33, 32, 31 or 30 years old (more on his retconned age below).  He was no longer the confident, courageous, strong, stoic, Army vet because they completely obliterated his character by retconning his age, retconning his relationship with Shannon and by having him make the same mistakes he’s made in the past by going after a woman who would be someone who would be there for Chris instead of him choosing the BEST person for both him and Chris (BUCK!).

Decisions

People have told Eddie what to do his whole life and other than the decisions he made to remove Chris from that toxic environment with his mother, him moving them to L.A. and him changing his will, all his other decisions were based on someone else’s opinion, him being controlled and/or ordered around by someone else.  Ramon told him to be the man of the house when he was 10 years old, his mother told him what to do while his dad was away working, he enlisted in the Army where he received orders 24/7 and he got a job with the LAFD where he receives orders from his captain whenever he’s at work.

The two times he tried to make decisions for himself, he was told by Bobby to stay with Shannon in 2x17 because he would be a great dad of their second child (she wasn't pregnant) and Bobby also told him in 4x6 that he shouldn’t let an opportunity pass by which caused him to start dating Ana.  In 2x17, he tried to make it work with Shannon again even though he said he knew he shouldn’t have let her back into their lives during his conversation with Bobby in 3x8.  In 5x2, he was planning to stick it out with Ana instead of breaking up with her and he probably would have continued to do that if Buck hadn’t explained how it was going to end up hurting her.  Eddie was literally having panic attacks that were so visceral they made him pass out in a suit store all because someone mistook her to be his wife and Chris’ mom.  He was still trying to decide what he was going to say until 5x3 when he went home and that’s when he finally broke up with her and explained it was “the idea of them” that caused him to try to make it work.  Since Eddie misunderstands a lot of Bobby’s advice, he should stop seeking him out for answers and he should stop listening to him.  He should talk to someone who can help him with his love life because he’s not Bobby and other than the fact that both of them have deceased wives, they don't have the same life experiences.  Maybe Eddie should talk to one of his friends like Karen or Chimney the next time he has questions about who he should ask out on a date.

Therapy

Eddie worked hard to be better for himself when he went back to therapy in season 5, he took it seriously after his breakdown in 5x13 and he was happy at the beginning of season 6 but the show dismantled all the work he did on himself during 6B (related post linked here).  He was learning to be better but he wasn’t shown going to anymore sessions with Frank after 5x14.  Pepa pushing him to date was stressful for him and NO ONE LISTENS TO EDDIE when he tells them he’s not ready.  Bobby pushed him to date Ana in 4x6 even though he said he wasn’t ready and Pepa did the same thing in 6x14.  It’s clear something is holding him back but they won’t allow him to work through it on his own and that’s why he keeps ending up in these one-dimensional relationships with Ana and now her clone Marisol.

Since he still internalizes everything, in 6x11, it was clear he was struggling with death and how it attempted to take someone he loves away from him and Chris again but just like always, he wasn’t shown dealing with it or going to therapy about it.  He was wearing his therapy sweater in 6x15 but he wore it to Shannon’s grave with Chris so who knows if he even had a session earlier that day since it wasn’t shown in CANON.

He almost had a panic attack in 6x9 so it would have made sense for him to schedule a session to discuss what triggered it (the answer: Buck’s announcement about being the official creator of new life did it).  In 6x7, he talked with a random recurring character named Felisa about the Tsunami even though he didn’t mention Buck and Chris went through it together.  In fact, he didn’t mention Buck at all but he sure did mention Shannon even though he hadn’t said anything about her in years.

In 5x13, he told Frank, one of his old drill sergeants said, “Pain is just weakness leaving the body” which was clearly bad advice but Eddie hasn’t discussed the comment since that session but it was clear he experienced pain in 6A after Buck made his announcement, again in 6B after Buck died for three minutes and seventeen seconds and again in 6x15 when Buck said Natalia sees him which was a bunch of BS.

Missing

In 6x10, Eddie was missing during the scene that included the woman who had her baby after the car she was riding in got struck by lightning but he was CLEARLY SEEN AT THE FIREHOUSE with the rest of the 118 before they arrived on the call.  He was literally throwing a baseball with Hen while they stood in between the engine and the ladder truck, so what exactly was the show trying to illustrate with him not being on that one call?

Also, he was missing from the locker room in 6x13, when Hen and Chimney heard Buck calling all the women that he’d previously had sex with to see if he satisfied them.  Chimney wasn’t even on that call with the victim Patsy and her husband but Buck, Eddie and Hen were there.  Did the show think the audience wouldn’t notice that?  If they did, they were wrong.

Character assassination

One of the many things that upset a lot of viewers in 6B was the word used to describe Eddie in 6x11 during Buck’s coma dream.  Chimney said he was ANGRY but that’s so far from the truth that it’s utterly ridiculous.  It’s absurd how the show allowed that word to make it into the episode and it shouldn’t have been greenlit since Eddie’s NOT ANGRY (related post about stereotypes linked here).  Even though it was said in Buck’s coma dream, the whole episode was a jumbled mess that was too confusing to be figured out after just one viewing.  It had to be dissected to understand it in its totality, therefore viewers who haven’t watched seasons 2 through 5 wouldn’t know Eddie’s not like that.

He's so kind and humble and he’ll do anything for anyone.  He doesn’t like to show vulnerability but he’s not some ANGRY guy that’s rude to everyone.  He participated in an illegal fight club but his temporary partner introduced him to it and she wasn’t called ANGRY.  The only time Eddie was upset was in the grocery store in 3x5 when he and Buck were having a relationship argument about their kid since Buck wasn’t visiting Christopher so that’s just par for the course.  The truth is Buck was rude and angry towards Eddie and it happened on Eddie’s first day at the 118.  But in 6x11, in Buck’s twisted mind, he figured Chimney calling Eddie ANGRY was an accurate depiction of him, even though it wasn’t.  That one word completely ASSASSINATED his character in season 6, it’s still frustrating to think about it today and it’s been more than three months since the finale aired. WTF? This was BS and it needs to be rectified in season 7.

Lies

Eddie lied in 6x14 when he said, “I do not panic” when everyone who watched season 5 knows that he does panic (related post linked here).  He also lied to Chris in 6x17 when he told him he was going to run errands but in actuality, he went out to play golf and go hike so he could try to find a date.  This was completely unnecessary and should have been eliminated from the episode.

Why was Eddie blatantly lying about something everyone clearly saw him do?  As mentioned above, he became unrecognizable by the end of the season.

Single marital status

Another implication that assassinated Eddie’s character in season 6 was the fact that the show tried to make the audience believe Eddie’s going to die alone.  HE’S NOT and he wasn’t shown to be alone or that he even had feelings about it until 6x14 when Pepa wouldn’t stop pestering him about dating.  Then she pushed him to admit he didn’t want to end up alone.

The weird thing about the positioning of that episode was it happened AFTER EDDIE AND BUCK WENT ON A DATE TO PLAY POKER in 6x13.  So what exactly was the show trying to prove with that BS storyline?

It ended up being another disservice to Eddie when they could have just shown him thriving and enjoying his life as a single father.  But instead of doing that, they brought Carla back so she could tell him something that he was going to misunderstand again.  Once again, the show used Carla (6x8) and Bobby (6x14 and 6x17) so they could tell Eddie something about dating or his lack of it and they went even further when they included Pepa in the mix in 6x14 which was egregiously ridiculous since she was the one who noticed how much Eddie and Buck meant to each other in 2x4 after she met Buck for the first time at the hospital.  The truth is Eddie’s not lonely and he will not die alone.  But if he chooses to be alone, that should have been shown as a choice he made for himself and that it was ok to do it if that’s what he wanted.

When Eddie went on that date with Vanessa in 6x14, he said, “Full disclosure” but she interrupted him and wouldn’t allow him to finish.  What was he going to say?  Could it have been something other than him explaining he wasn’t over his dead wife?  Probably but the audience will never know.

Age discrepancy

EDDIE IS NOT THE SAME AGE AS BUCK!  From his introduction to the show in 2x1, he was shown to be older and more mature than Buck but his age along with Buck’s, Shannon’s and Denny’s were all retconned in season 6.  In 6x15, Shannon’s age was changed via the dates included on her gravestone and they retconned Eddie’s age in 6x16 when he said he and Shannon met when they were 14 in the 8th grade.  It’s nonsensical because Eddie and Shannon being two or three years older than Buck shouldn’t matter.  Prior to season 6, Eddie was ALWAYS SHOWN TO BE MORE MATURE THAN BUCK so they did his character a huge disservice when they retconned his age. 

His story has been all over the place, so no one really knows how old Eddie is but retconning his age WAS A MISTAKE because in 2x1 Chimney told Buck he wasn’t Eddie’s elder.  Since Eddie’s and Shannon’s ages were retconned, it’s possible Chris is not actually 12 years old anymore and his age may have been retconned to make him 10 years old again like Denny.

Eddie’s familial support system

They took EDDIE’S BLOOD RELATIVES and his PRE-ESTABLISHED support system away and didn’t tell the audience until 5x17.  Why did Isabel have to move back to El Paso when Pepa has a huge house that she lives in alone?  Isabel could have lived with her instead of Ramon but the show keeps removing people from Eddie’s life while they keep adding people to Buck’s.  It doesn’t make any sense because now Eddie has to depend on Buck and the 118 for almost everything but Buck doesn’t have to depend on Eddie the way the show has things setup.  This is UNFAIR and it doesn’t make any narrative sense unless they’re leading up to making them a CANON couple.

Pepa was written out of character in 6x14 and she seemed more like Helena since she was pushing Eddie to do something he clearly said he wasn’t ready to do.  What was the purpose of that?

Eddie’s parents

Eddie parents are interesting.  Helena’s done nothing but try to control Eddie and Chris while Ramon listened to everything she had to say.  In 5x17, after Eddie and Ramon reconciled, it appears their relationship has gotten better but Helena was still trying to control Eddie in 6x15 when he tried to explain they were busy and couldn’t visit them in Texas.  He told both of his parents in 5x17 that planes fly in both directions so what was up with them not visiting them in L.A.?  They could stay with Pepa when they visit.

Eventually, Eddie will have to deal with his mother and explain to her that she’s the reason why he had so many issues with control.  He doesn’t see it yet but hopefully one day he will.  She’s also said a lot of horrible things to him but season 6 retconned her and tried to make her likeable.  She didn’t deserve a redemption because she hasn’t earned one.

Eddie deserves for someone to care about him too

It’s unfair how every time something happens to Eddie, Buck’s the one who’s shown to have been affected by it but when something happens to Buck, they don’t allow Eddie to be there for him.  The show made Eddie being trapped in the well, the shooting, his mental breakdown, them being held hostage by Mitchell and Dom along with everything else that happened to him be about Buck instead of focusing on Eddie.  The audience didn’t get to see Eddie’s recovery after 4x14 but they shoved Taylor Kelly into Eddie’s house (instead of one or both of his sisters) at the end of 4x14 with everyone else and they shoved her into 5x11 too during the Buckley-Diaz Family dinner.

In 6x10, EDDIE WAS CATAPULTED OFF THE AERIAL but NO ONE, not Bobby, Hen or Chimney asked or checked to see if he was ok.  They didn’t even check on him after they made it to the hospital.  It seemed like par for the course since all the focus was on Buck even though they were both struck by the same bolt of lightning.  To add insult to Eddie’s injuries, they wouldn’t even let Buck check on him after he woke up from his coma dream.  They keep wedging all these random people into his storylines and they’re still doing it, hence, the reason why they wait for half the season to be over then they bring Carla Price back who’s Chris’ home healthcare aide.  But she shouldn’t be the one Eddie talks with because he does have friends.

Stop including Carla Price in Eddie’s storylines

WHY IS CARLA THE ONLY PERSON EDDIE’S ALLOWED TO TALK TO?  She’s Chris’ home healthcare aide but she’s always brought back to talk to Eddie when he should be allowed to talk to Isabel, Pepa or Ramon (since they reconciled in 5x17) or someone else other than her if they aren’t going to let him talk to Buck.  Everything she tells him confuses him even more and it’s always been like that.  In 2x7 when she said “A boy needs his mother” Eddie thought she was telling him to get back with Shannon but she wasn’t.  In 4x13 when she told him to follow his heart and not Chris’, he was confused then too.  In 5x10, Eddie should have had a conversation with someone else about whether he should leave the 118, like CHIMNEY, because Carla was not the person to help him.

He and Chimney are friends, they have been for years but they’re NEVER shown interacting outside of the firehouse.  It was clear in 6x5 when Eddie took Hoover the dog to Chimney’s apartment that he and Eddie hang out with each other.  In 6x8, Eddie should have had the conversation about Chris and his crush with Hen or Chimney not Carla.  Or here’s an idea, those scenes should have been SOLELY ABOUT EDDIE AND HIS SON CHRIS so they could have shared some father and son moments like they did in seasons 2 and 3.  Why is Carla being wedged in when she doesn’t have to be?  None of this makes any narrative sense.

Friendships

Everyone knows Eddie and Karen are friends and he’s friends with Chimney and Linda too but he’s never shown hanging out with them.  The question is why not?  He’s not afforded the same character development in that area like everyone else on the show is.  Hen and Athena are friends, so is Hen and Chimney.  Maddie and Josh are friends too but Bobby and Eddie are the only two who don’t have friends they can spend time with when they’re off work.  Eddie’s trip to the hardware store in 6x17 with Bobby doesn’t count because they have conversations like that all the time.

Eddie’s past relationships

Eddie wants someone who loves both him and Chris.  Shannon said she loved Chris but she left and didn’t contact their son for two years and if Eddie hadn’t called her to interview at Chris’ school, she probably wouldn’t have come back.  She suggested they get a divorce while he wanted to try again.  She told him he was a really great dad but she never commented on her own mothering skills.  However, she couldn’t wait to remind Eddie she’s Chris’ mother in 2x7 when she went to Eddie’s house and asked could she see Chris but when he said he didn’t want to confuse him, she said, “I’m his mom” well what did that have to do with the tea in China?  NOTHING because she left and didn’t try to contact them.  If she didn’t want Eddie, ok fine but she had a son who she didn’t check on.  Let’s be real, most mothers would have taken their child with them when they left but she didn’t.

They were never on the same page and all they did was ARGUE!  The audience shouldn’t have been convinced by that scene in 6x15 when they were sitting in front of her grave because Eddie knows the truth.  He read the letter she wrote to Chris but HE WILL NEVER TELL HIS SON THAT HIS MOTHER DIDN’T WANT TO STAY FOR HIM because he won’t hurt Chris like that.  Eddie carries the guilt of her not wanting to be a wife and a mother with him and hopefully he’ll be able to let it go in season 7 so he can focus on himself and stop it with this fictitious made-up fairytale about the way things were with her while they were in high school.

Eddie was 14 when they met and so was she and for anyone who believes those retconned ages the show pulled out in 6x15, they were 18 and fresh out of high school when she got pregnant so neither of them knew enough about love or anything else to have had some Romeo and Juliet type of love affair.  He was gone for 5 years while he was in the Army and she left for two years after he returned to the states.  If the amount of time they actually spent under the same roof is added up, it can’t be more than a few months.  He came back for Chris’ birth then he left again, he reenlisted which means he may have been in Texas for a month or two and when they reconciled in season 2, it was in October of that year and she died in May of 2019 but they weren’t living together in L.A., so the total amount of time they may have been under the same roof is 4 or 5 months.

That scene in 6x15 of Eddie and Chris sitting in front of Shannon’s grave was RIDICULOUS.  They had never done that before and it didn’t make any sense.  Eddie hadn’t mentioned Shannon since 5x10 and that was because Chris had a nightmare about her.  So, why did they bring her back to halo her like she didn’t leave Chris and not call him for two years?

Ana was in love with the “idea” of her and Eddie the same way he was but she wouldn’t admit it.  The proof happened in 5x1 when she cared more about dressing Eddie up like he was some type of Ken doll  before his first panic attack.  She avoided talking to him about it until he broke up with her.  She didn’t sit down to have a conversation with him like she should have but she sure did try to make it seem like he was the problem when she threw his panic attacks in his face.

At the end of 6x18, the way Eddie was acting was completely out of character for him.  Prior to that episode, he had never acted like a giggly school kid but that’s exactly how he acted in that episode when he was trying to ask Marisol out on a date.  Does the show really want the audience to believe King Petty Eddie Diaz who gave Taylor Kelly the stink eye several times in CANON doesn’t know how to ask a woman out on a date?  Also, he literally reproposed to Shannon in 2x17 before she suggested they get a divorce so the version of Eddie in 6x18 didn’t make any narrative sense.

So WTF was that BS and who’s raggedy idea was this?  Eddie’s nothing but confident, HELL he exudes it and he’s cool under pressure so how was the audience supposed to take that or interpret that scene of him dancing around like he got a date with a celebrity?

Is Eddie dating Marisol for Christopher or for himself?

In 6x17, Eddie WAS STILL LOOKING FOR SOMETHING/SOMEONE FOR CHRISTOPHER INSTEAD OF FOR HIMSELF (related post linked here).  When he saw Marisol at the hardware store, once again Bobby’s ‘raggedy advice’ was misconstrued and Eddie misunderstood what or who he should have been looking for.  He did the same thing after he saw Ana again in 4x6.  If they did date or if they will still be dating at the beginning of season 7, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if Eddie has another panic attack followed by another scene of him saying “Chris loves you so much” the same way he told Shannon and Ana before he ends it.  Marisol’s name literally means LONELY or SOLITUDE.  Their relationship won’t work so it doesn’t make sense for them to be together especially since HE’S ALREADY FOUND THE PERFECT PERSON FOR CHRIS (BUCK) but he keeps looking past him.

Christopher “Chris” Diaz

Chris is a main character but he only had two storylines in season 6 and they weren’t all about him.  In 6x4, he skipped his Science Club meetings but that storyline was used to rope Buck’s ridiculous sperm donor storyline into it and it was also used to show Chris is growing up and he won’t be hanging out with Eddie as much anymore.  Therefore, it was about Eddie.  Also, his 6x8 storyline about the crush he had on a classmate was also made to be about Eddie.  The audience wasn’t shown Chris dealing with his crush on his own and actually, Carla was the one who suggested he might have a crush but Chris never said if he did.

Can Chris please get a storyline that doesn’t revolve around Buck and Eddie?  He’s 12 years old now which means he should have his own storylines just like all the other first responder kids had their own.  There are so many ways the show could handle it but for some reason they won’t.  They could let Chris have an honest conversation with Eddie about Shannon instead of making up that smores storyline in 6x15.  Chris was 5 years old when she left them in El Paso and they weren’t shown making smores together in season 2 before she died so who made up that story and why was it greenlit since it wasn’t true?

Since Eddie was sidelined for all 6A except for 6x7 and his storylines in 6B were more of the same from season 4, it would be nice if they actually gave him some storylines that were all about him and Chris.  Not that retconned storyline with Shannon or the ones where they constantly add Carla into the mix.  Both Eddie and Chris are treated like recurring characters even though they’re both mains and it needs to change before season 7.  They shouldn’t be sidelined only to be pulled back in for Buck’s storylines.  When is Buck going to be sidelined so he can be pulled into Eddie’s and Chris’ storylines?

Eddie and Chris both need and deserve more attention.  If 9-1-1 is turning into the Buck show with everyone else revolving around him and his love interests then, Eddie and Chris need their own show.  Can Eddie be HAPPY once and for all?  If they aren’t going to let him and Buck get together then let Eddie live his life happily ever after ALONE and let him get into some activities that mean something to him like baseball.  They moved his family away and have made him completely dependent on Buck and Carla which is RIDICULOUS.

Hopefully things will be different in season 7 for both Eddie and Chris.  Also, it would be good if they leave Marisol in season 6 where she initially appeared because no one wants to watch Eddie be in another relationship only for him to end up having panic attacks and trying to stick it out while avoiding what he wants for himself.  EDDIE AND CHRIS DESERVE TO BE HAPPY!

These are my criticisms regarding the character of Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz for season 6.

I have a total of 15 CANON “Constructive Criticisms” and as of Wednesday, August 30, 2023, they’ve all been posted.  The topics were posted in a specific order that begins with the overall issues for season 6 so they can be referenced within the posts about individual characters and ships that followed them.

[sibylsleaves]

however the scene when chimney yells at Bobby is simply excellent. We need a redux of this in season 8 where chimney yells at Bobby for resigning

[paralleljulieverse]

Come taste the wine... : 70th anniversary of Julie Andrews's 'cabaret debut' at the Café Dansant, Cleethorpes, 3 performances Easter, 14-17 April, 1954

This week, seventy years ago, Julie Andrews made her official 'cabaret debut' at the Café Dansant in Cleethorpes. While not a major milestone in the traditional sense -- and one that seldom features in standard Andrews biographies -- the Cleethorpes appearance was nevertheless a significant event in the star's early career.

For a start, it was Julie's first appearance in cabaret -- the theatrical genre that is, not the Broadway musical which is a whole other Julieverse story. Characterised by sophisticated nightclub settings with adult audiences watching intimate performances, cabaret emerged in fin-de-siècle Paris before expanding to other European cities such as Berlin and Amsterdam (Appignanesi, 2004). Imported to Britain in the interwar years, cabaret offered a more urbane, adult alternative to the domestic traditions of English music hall and variety with their family audiences and jolly communal spirit (Nott, 2002, p. 120ff).

Julie's debut in cabaret was, thus, a significant step in her professional evolution towards a more mature image and repertoire. By 1954, Julie was 18, and well beyond the child star tag of her earlier years. Under the guidance of manager, Charles Tucker, there was a calculated strategy to reshape her stardom towards adulthood.

The maturation of Julie's image had begun in earnest the previous summer with Cap and Belles (1953), a touring revue that Tucker produced as a showcase for Julie, comedian Max Wall, and several other acts under his management. Cap and Belles afforded Julie the opportunity to shine with two big solos and a number of dance sequences. Much was made in show publicity of Julie's new "grown up" look, including the fact that she was wearing "her first off-the-shoulder evening dress" ('Her First Grown-Up Dress', 1953, p. 4). The Cleethorpes cabaret was a further step in this process of transformative 'adulting'. Indeed, it was something of a Cap and Belles redux. Not only was Max Wall back as headline co-star, Julie even wore the same 'grown up' strapless evening gown. In keeping with a cabaret format, though, Julie was provided a longer solo set where she sang a mix of classical and contemporary pop songs including "My Heart is Singing", "Belle of the Ball", "Always", and "Long Ago and Far Away" ('Cabaret opens', 1954, p. 4). That Julie should have chosen Cleethorpes for her cabaret debut might seem odd to contemporary readers. Today, this small town on the north Lincolnshire coast is largely regarded as a somewhat faded, out-of-the-way seaside resort. In its heyday of the mid-twentieth century, however, Cleethorpes was a vibrant tourist hub that attracted tens of thousands of holidaymakers each year (Dowling, 2005). With several large theatres and entertainment venues, Cleethorpes was also an important stop in the summertime variety circuit, drawing many of the era’s big stars and entertainment acts (Morton, 1986).

The Café Dansant was one of Cleethorpes' most iconic nighttime venues, celebrated for its elegant suppertime cabarets and salon orchestras. Opening in the 1930s, the Café was a particularly popular haunt during the war and post-war era when servicemen from nearby bases danced the night away with locals and visiting holidaymakers to the sound of touring jazz bands and crooners (Dowling, 2005, p. 129; Ruston, 2019).

By 1954, the Café was starting to show its age, and incoming new management decided to shutter the venue for several months to undertake a luxury refurbishment (‘Café Dansant closed', 1954, p. 3). A gala re-opening was set for the Easter weekend of April 1954, just in time for the start of the high season (‘Café Dansant opens', 1954, p. 8). Opening festivities for the Café kicked off with a lavish five hour dinner cabaret on the evening of Wednesday, 14 April. Julie was “one of the world famous cabaret stars" booked for the gala event, and she received considerable promotional build-up in both local and national press (‘Café Dansant opens', 1954, p. 8). There was even a widely circulating PR photo of Julie boarding the train to Cleethorpes at London's Kings Cross station. In the end, Max Wall was unable to appear due to illness, and Alfred Marks -- another Tucker artist and former variety co-star of Julie's (Look In, 1952) -- stepped in at short notice. Rounding out the bill were several other minor acts, including American dance duo, Bobby Dwyer and Trixie; novelty entertainers, Ruby and Charles Wlaat; and magician Ericson who doubled as cabaret emcee.

Commentators judged the evening a resounding success. The "Cafe Dansant has got away to a flying start, after probably the biggest opening night ever seen in Cleethorpes," effused one newspaper report (Sandbox, 1954, p.4). Special mention was made of Julie who “received a great reception when she sang a selection of old and new songs, accompanied at the piano by her mother” (‘'Café Dansant reopening’, 1954, p. 6). 

Following her performance, Julie joined the Mayor of Cleethorpes, Mr Albert Winters, in a cake-cutting ceremony and mayoral dance. Decades later, Winters recalled how he still “savour[ed] the memory of snatching a dance with the young girl destined to be a star… [S]he seemed very slim and frail,” he reminisced, “but she was a great dancer and I thoroughly enjoyed myself” (Morton, 1986, p. 15).

Julie stayed on in Cleethorpes for two more performances on Thursday 15 and Saturday 17 April respectively, before returning to London with her mother on Easter Sunday, 18 April. The very next day she commenced formal rehearsals for Mountain Fire, Julie's first dramatic 'straight' play and another step in her professional pivot to more adult content (--also, time permitting, the subject of a possible future blogpost).

A final noteworthy aspect about the Cleethorpes appearance is that it was during this weekend that Julie made the momentous decision to go to America to star in The Boy Friend. In what has become part of theatrical lore, Julie had been offered the plum role of Polly Browne in the show's Broadway production sometime in February or March of 1954 while she was appearing in Cinderella at the London Palladium. To the American producers’ astonishment --- and manager Tucker’s horror -- Julie was initially reluctant to accept, fearful of leaving her home and family. She prevaricated for weeks. Finally, while she was in Cleethorpes, Julie was given an ultimatum and told she had to make her decision.

In her 1958 serialised memoir for Woman magazine, Julie recounts:

“Mummie and I went to Cleethorpes to do a concert. It was a miserable wet day. From our hotel I watched the dark sea pounding the shore with great grey waves. I was called to the downstairs telephone. “Julie,” said Uncle Charles [Tucker]‘s voice from London, “they can’t wait any longer. You’ll have to make your mind up NOW.” I burst into tears. “I’ll go Uncle,” I sobbed, “if you’ll make it only one year’s contract instead of two. Only one year, please.” … Against everyone’s judgment and wishes I got my way…None of us knew that if I’d signed for two [years], then I should never have been free to do Eliza in My Fair Lady. And never known all the happiness and success it has brought me” (Andrews, 1958, p. 46).

The Cleethorpes ultimatum even found its way into an advertising campaign that Julie did for Basildon Bond stationery in 1958/59, albeit with the telephone call converted into a letter for enhanced marketing purposes. Framed as a choice between going to America and the “trip [that] changed my life” or staying at home in England “and go[ing] on in pantomime, concerts, and radio shows—the mixture as before,” the advert highlighted the “sliding door” gravity of that fateful Cleethorpes weekend (Basildon Bond, 1958). What would the course of Julie's life been like had she said no to Broadway and opted to remain in the UK?

It is a speculative refrain that Julie and others have made frequently over the years. “If I’d stayed in England I would probably have got no further than pantomime leads,” she mused in a 1970 interview (Franks, 1970, p. 32). Or, more dramatically: “Had I remained in London and not appeared in the Broadway production of The Boy Friend…who knows, I might be starving in some chorus line today” (Hirschorn, 1968).

In all seriousness, it's doubtful that a British-based Julie would have faded into professional oblivion. As biographer John Cottrell quips: "that golden voice would always have kept her out of the chorus” (Cottrell, 1968, p. 71). Nevertheless, Julie's professional options in Britain during that era would have been greatly diminished. And she certainly wouldn't have achieved the level of international superstardom enabled by Broadway and Hollywood. Who knows, in a parallel 'sliding door' universe, our Julie might have gone on playing cabarets and end-of-pier shows in Cleethorpes...

Sources

Andrews, J. (1958). 'So much to sing about, part 3.' Woman. 17 May, 15-18, 45-48.

Appignanesi, L. (2004). The cabaret. Revised edn. Yale University Press.

Basildon Bond. (1958). 'I had 24 hours to decide, says Julie Andrews'. [Advertisement]. Daily Mirror. 6 October, p. 4.

'Cabaret opens Café Dansant." (1954). Grimsby Daily Telegraph. 15 April, p. 4.

‘Café Dansant closed.' (1954). Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 28 January, p. 3.

‘Café Dansant opens tonight – with world-famous cabaret’. (1954). Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 14 April, p. 8.

‘Café Dansant reopening a gay affair.’ (1954). Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 15 April, p. 6.

Cottrell, J. (1968). Julie Andrews: The story of a star. Arthur Barker Ltd.

Dowling, A. (2005). Cleethorpes: The creation of a seaside resort. Phillimore.

'Echoes of the past, the old Café Dansant'. (2009). Cleethorpes Chronicle. December 3, p. 13.

Frank, E. (1954). Daily News. 15 April, p.6. 

Franks, G. (1970). ‘Whatever’s happened to Mary Poppins?’ Leicester Mercury. 4 December, p. 32.

'Her first grown-up dress.' (1953). Sussex Daily News. 28 July, p. 4.

Hirschorn, C. (1968). 'America made me, says Julie Andrews.' Sunday Express. 8 September, p. 23.

Morton, J. (1986). ‘Where the stars began to shine’. Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 22 September, p. 15.

Nott, J.J. (2002). Music for the people: Popular music and dance in interwar Britain. Oxford University Press.

Ruston, A. (2019). 'Taking a step back in time to the Cleethorpes gem Cafe Dansant where The Kinks once played'. Grimsby Live. 12 October. 

Sandboy. (1954). 'Cleethorpes notebook: Flying start.' Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 19 April, p. 4.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

So our yellow and blue high school coming back to us in 804 in another episode with home in the title and the connection to Eddie we got in 504 and seem likely to get in 804 got me thinking.

The mascot of that high school is the bluejay and they have very interesting symbolism connected to them, all of which play very well into what has been set up for Eddies journey this season!

Bluejay's are considered strong and protective birds and can be seen as loud, and aggressive, but the can also be seen as lucky or a symbol of good things to come.

Bluejays are connected to to the throat chakra - birds generally are connected to the throat chakra because both are connected to the element of air, but the bluejay is also connected through the colour blue. The throat chakra is related to authentic interpersonal and creative self expression and gives voice to the heart. It is said that if your throat chakra is blocked the person will have trouble expressing themselves and their truth and finding the words to explain how they really feel.

It is said that seeing bluejays in your life is telling you that you you need to work on your self - that you are not being honest in your communications because you are afraid that if you speak your truth you will not get what you want or need.

Bluejays are also connected to confidence - encouraging us to behave more confidently so that we can achieve more and gain the outcome we want and live our truth. The other aspect of the bluejay is judgment, both by ones self and by others. Bluejays are often judged because they appear bold and strong and can be aggressive, but those traits are signs of strong survival instincts, loyalty and intelligence - both intellectual and emotional. Seeing bluejays in your life can be a sign you are receiving unfair judgement from others, possibly because holding strong boundaries is triggering that persons ego.

Bluejays mate for life and stay with their partner all year round (some birds don't do this even if they mate for life!), they are family oriented birds - remaining loyal and protective of their family group. Their appearance in your life, especially after the breakdown of a relationship is said to be a sign that you need to work on healing your wounds so that you can honour the truth of your heart and move on and be happy.

Doesn't all of this sound very much like Eddie and what he is struggling with?! It does to me!

The fact that there are so many heart metaphors connected to bluejays and that they are being tied into the Wizard of Oz theming on the show - as we saw early on in s5 in the build up to 'Home and away' and again so far in season 8 in the build up to 'No place like home'. Its very telling!

Things just keep on getting louder and the idea that Tim is basically doing a redux of season 5 but as he would have actually done it had Fox not blocked things is feeling realer than ever!

[theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming]

My normal brain: Eddie Diaz is going to be going through it in Season 8. This is going to painful for me and him.

My unhinged brain: 😈EDDIE DIAZ GOING THROUGH IT. BRING ON THE SEASON 3 OR 5 HAIR STYLE REDUX😈