#season hasn’t even started and we’ve already got 2/3 interviews coming out

[maydaydiaz]

not ready for the insane quotes that ryan is going to come up with for this season

[rhetorical-ink]

Haikyuu!! SPOILERS: Chapter 401, How We Connect the Dots.

**PENULTIMATE SPOILERS BELOW**

I just posted a video with my live reactions to the chapter, but here are my highlights, because FURUDATE YOU MADMAN GENIUS. This chapter connected so much together. So, let’s do:

My Top 10 Thoughts on Haikyuu!! Chapter 401:

10. Of course. In true Furudate fashion, he has Kageyama block the spike from Hinata, BUT, what Kageyama doesn’t realize is all the training on the beach Shoyo has done to prepare for such a moment. And that heel kick! *swoons* Also, someone reacting to Season 4, Episode 9 of the anime, where Hinata kicks the ball back to himself called this happening all those months ago...Furudate is next level at foreshadowing. Not that we didn’t already know that.

9. Hey, remember how in the VERY FIRST chapter of Haikyuu!! Shoyo did this crazy run across the court to score? Yeah, Furudate knows we remember. And he pulls this -- and Kageyama’s beautiful reaction, only for --

-- Only for it to all be a DECOY. Kageyama, you made this monster, you know. I love that Shoyo has come all this way from wanting to score all the points to accepting that the decoy DOES have a vital role to play, and in this instance, it’s allowing Bokuto to score the winning point for the MSBY Black Jackals. Just look at that smile! And of course, Tanaka and Asahi KNOW the power of Hinata as a Decoy...because they’ve been in Bokuto’s shoes before. 

8. UGH, the aftermath of that moment is glorious, which will detail down below -- but I love Shoyo and Kageyama’s interaction, though. How they’re still keeping track of each other’s wins and losses, exhausting Miya, hilariously, and showing that they’re on equal footing now, after all these years. This chapter is just cementing the last several chapters’ worth of character development. 

7. ARE YOU SHIPPERS READY FOR YOUR FOOD?!

Because these next few pages were healing my shipper heart. I mean, yes, the Kagehina fanbase is raving right now, but let’s talk about THESE ships below, starting with:

Tsukishima x Yamaguchi:

So, Tsukishima, of course, is not sappy about any of this and just points out how the season’s just getting started (ready the fanfics, y’all). 

And of course, Yamaguchi wants to watch Tsuki play! Yachi says she’ll come too! I LOVE how just like he was with Akiteru, he doesn’t want them to come watch (even though we all know he’ll love it when they’re there). Now, some people have commented that Yamaguchi could be with Yachi, but y’all...Yachi is in Tokyo. Yamaguchi and Tsuki both live in Miyagi. I can’t wait for all the Sendai Frog/TsukiYama fanfics!

If you’re looking for an extra Kagehina crumble, just look at the end of this adorable exchange between Romero, smol adorable Rubens, and Shoyo (who perfectly crouches down to talk to him MY HEART I CAN’T), to see Kageyama notice that Shoyo can speak multiple languages...oh, honey! If only you know about Hinata and Pedro’s marathons of DBZ in Portugese and English! ^^

Also, Furudate WE SEE YOU. We see you being meta and implying that now Haikyuu!! is over, he’s moving on...Akaashi’s line about going forward hit me hard...it’s like he’s telling us, the fandom, that going on to start something new isn’t so bad. SO YOU SAY. 

BOKUAKA NATION -- WE CANON NOW, RIGHT?!

I love that Akaashi gets to interview Bokuto (IS HE GOING TO BE THE STAR of the Volleyball manga Tenma Udai is writing?! He would be PERFECT for it!) and how happy Akaashi looks, even if he and Bokuto realize how differently they view the term “normal.” 

ALSO, it’s implied above that Akaashi, Bokuto, and Tenma were going out for drinks...which now....we know that it’s just Bokuto and Akaashi, since Tenma was going home. Uhm, FAN FIC WRITERS ASSEMBLE!

I also love that Udai joins the club, along with Fukurodani’s coach and manager, of people who realize that Bokuto and Akaashi are weirdos but they are weirdos together, so it’s fine. 

Keeping the “Ship Train” going, we get little bits of Shimizu x Yachi from the bathhouse before the Inarizaki Match, where Kiyoko finally acknowledges she is okay showing her legs...thanks to Yachi’s words. I also find Suga wanting to know “the tea” on the situation to be adorable. 

AND FINALLY, YES, Y’ALL:

I was spoiled with Kuroo’s return, but seriously, Furudate, you saved him for the end here so INTENTIONALLY. 

Because OF COURSE Kuroo would work for the JVA. As a promoter. CONNECTING people...with Volleyball...because that’s the Nekoma way.

And FURUDATE ARE YOU SUGGESTING TO US THAT KUROO AND KENMA ARE BUSINESS PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS BECAUSE MY KUROKEN HEART IS SOARING -- 

-- and let it be known Atsumu Miya rightfully doesn’t trust Kuroo, and neither does Sakusa. A nice SakuAtsu crumb where we actually see Sakusa agree with Miya without sacrasm or question! Poor Shoyo is a salesman’s dream, though. I mean, Kuroo does look a little sketchy in some of those shots...BUT....

6. Kuroo’s speech about sports was SO fitting. Seriously, everything he says here is BASICALLY what makes Haikyuu!! such a great series. I DID laugh out loud at the line about “hardly anybody dies.” 

*Flashbacks to “Dead Daichi” meme*

5. It’s taken us the ENTIRE series, but Kageyama finally talks to Kindaichi and Kunimi. This was so heartwarming, seeing Kageyama wanting to play WITH THEM. AS A TEAM. This made my heart expand three sizes. The character development on Kageyama, and Kindaichi, is through the roof.

I also LOVE Kunimi the most in these panels. Kunimi is a MOOD. 

Y’ALL. I’VE WAITED 400 CHAPTERS FOR THIS PANEL OF THESE THREE HAPPY AND BECOMING FRIENDS AGAIN.

4. I love that Hoshiumi doesn’t see Hinata as a Rival, but as someone that is going to help him show the rest of the world the strength of someone who doesn’t have height. I also find it interesting that we see the Japanese Olympic Coach walking out just as Hoshiumi gives us that beautiful gaze. So...does Hoshiumi know he’s going to be on the Olympic team, with Hinata, maybe? Foreshadowing, perhaps?

3. Okay, okay, I held it together until this page. 

It wasn’t Ushijima’s panel with Washijo that got me.

It wasn’t Saeko and Akane reuniting, though that was sweet. 

It wasn’t the three “Pure Captains” reuniting, though it made my heart happy.

It honestly wasn’t the five first years together, either. They’re all so happy and having a laugh at Kageyama’s expense, and as beautiful as that panel is.

SUGAWARA IN LINE TO GET KAGEYAMA’S AUTOGRAPH.

That is what got me. 

Him in line, so meekly, to get the autograph of his kouhai, the man Suga joked would have to tell about how much he learned from HIM when he was giving out interviews and autographs...I just...Sugawara made me cry. That is all. 

2. Then there’s this last page. 2021. 

"We overcame difficulties and stand here.”

Furudate really said “screw you” to Covid messing up the timeline.

Yes, seeing Kageyama and Hinata in their original jersey numbers was amazing, but I think we all saw that coming if these two happened to get on the Olympic team. 

What I want to focus on are the two countries we see included in the bottom corner here. We see: 

Brazil -- and some fluffy haired man carrying the flag for the team.

And we see the United States -- there’s several American Flags and stars and stripes on the shirts of the crowd, there.

SO, HEADCANON TIME: 

* Oikawa was on the Argentinean League, so could he play for Brazil? It’s not likely, but not impossible....BUT, I don’t think that’s it.

I don’t think Oikawa is on Japan’s National Team for the Olympics.

If he is on the Olympic Team, I think he’ll be on America’s. 

Why? Because, and this could be because I’m the biggest IwaOi shipper, but Iwaizumi was still in the United States with Ushijima’s father at the end of Chapter 395. And if he’s still there, there is no reason why Iwaizumi couldn’t be a physical trainer alongside Ushijima’s father for the U.S. Olympic team. And why wouldn’t Oikawa trek over to the States to be on the same team as Iwa-Chan’s working with? I’m probably wrong, BUT -- 

We also still need to see Seijoh’s banner, and as others have theorized, how fitting would it be to see Hinata, Kageyama, and (probably) Ushijima on the team facing Oikawa? I just....I’m betting money that Oikawa shows up in 402. I hope we at least see him on the Olympic Stage. OIKAWA DESERVES IT. 

1. So, who are we missing that hasn’t been shown yet?

We still need to see the rest of Nekoma (Lev, Yaku, Yamamoto, Kai....could they be in the stands or on the Japan team? I guess we’ll find out!)

We haven’t seen Daishou and Mika -- I would love to see them watching or narrating in the audience during the Olympic game.

And finally, yes, we’ve seen Tendo in the Chapter 395 flashback, but we’ve never seen what he’s DOING. Furudate has shown us with every character what they’ve been doing since the timeskip....EXCEPT TENDO. I’m calling it that he’ll appear one more time next chapter, too.

So....guys....I’m staying off of Social Media from Wednesday to Sunday next week, to prep for the last chapter and not be spoiled. I’m going to do a live reaction for YouTube, and I’ll post it here. You can see the one I did for 401 now. 

Furudate, this series has been immaculate. Time for one more round.

Let’s all cry together next week.

[swan2swan]

So, where do we go from here? 

Camp Cretaceous Season 4 Prediction (LONG): 

As much as I’ve argued that we need to stay on Isla Nublar the whole time, turning right back around after that final sendoff would be too much of a forced “Return to Status Quo” for a story that has propelled itself forward so much. The kids did it. They won. They got off the island. I feel like we've explored almost everything we needed to (what's left? The bamboo forests? The gardens?), and though we never saw Triceratops or Stygimolochs or got chased by Gallimimus, we can't just go back after everything's increased. The only Big Challenge remaining on the island is the volcano, and that's six months out.

But the story’s nowhere near done, because we have four major plot threads that need to be addressed before the show ends:

1. Most immediately, we have the dinosaur in the closet. Is it a baby Scorpios? Blue? A Monolophosaurus? A Dilophosaurus? A baby Ouranosaurus? A baby Baryonyx? Jeanie? We don’t know, but odds are that it’s going to throw a wrench into the kids’ plans to return home. 

2. The state of Sammy's family and the ranch are still in flux; what will happen to them? Did they get all the money they needed from lawsuits? Does Mantah Corp have dirt on them? Are they going to try to interfere with Sammy because she Knows Too Much? They were set up as villains for a reason.

3. Darius and Kenji's strained relationship is a setup for future conflict.

4. We need to see Bumpy again. This isn't something that “needs” to come up, but the fact is that she's one of the main characters—bringing her back is essential to the story's quality, and we're not missing that thread. She either needs to get off the island, or we need to see that she lives afterwards.

Considering all of these things, I can rule out a lot of options: we're not getting chased right back by the Mosasaurus, and the creature in the ship isn't just going to wreck the engines and send them back. They're less than a hundred miles off of Costa Rica, so even if they're cruising at a cautious ten miles an hour, they should be able to see the shore within twenty-four hours, which means we're not going on an island-hopping adventure, either. You need dinosaurs, too, so nothing generic will happen.

Thus we can consider:

1: The kids are on the mainland of Costa Rica, and lost in the jungle or mountains. Just because they found their way back to mainland doesn't mean that they're going to find a port, and if their stowaway or the Mosasaurus causes problems, they can crash easily. If it's a Scorpios Rex baby, they'll have to hunt it and capture/kill it to finish their mission from this season. The problem with this option is that it just retreads the threat from the last season, which is boring; if it's a Monolophosaurus (or two), then it might not even impact things...so, I don't think the “kids in the jungle” plot is going to stick. I give this one a “D”.

2:  The kids run into a patrol vessel before landing. Isla Nublar is under quarantine. While they're on the boat, their rescuers/captors unleash the creature (which could be Scorpios!), and now there's a tight opening adventure on the boat. Thrilling, but not much of a big season if it's just a navy vessel...which leads me to:

3:  This is the only way I think we go back to Nublar, and that is if they meet up with a patrol boat, and then the creature in the hold (a small Scorpios???) rampages through the ship. They put it down, but the noise attracts the Mosasaurus, which wrecks the boat and puts them right back on Nublar—separated and with a bunch of adults alongside them. With a cast of much-more-plot-vulnerable adults to care about now (perhaps including Roxie, who joined the crew?), the stakes are higher and the kids are guides—maybe even separated at different points on the island. Not a big fan of this idea, though—again, it's retreading, and the number of excuses for “military-trained adults can't radio for help” is slim. So, I give it an “F”. But let's refine it a little further:

4: The kids get picked up by a patrol boat that is actually working for Mantah Corp—and they discover the dinosaur that has snuck aboard. Seeing an opportunity, Mantah Corp excitedly takes the kids to their secret base...on Isla Sorna. Though the dinosaurs on the island are mostly extinct and sick from disease, the abandoned island was perfect for a field laboratory. Specimens to study, buildings that already existed, a quarantine keeping prying eyes away...there's a whole organization here now. The kids escape from captivity (as they do) and find themselves wandering around a new island with new dangers: all around them are long-decayed skeletons of dinosaurs from the past, and hunting them are bizarre creations from Mantah Corp's labs. It's an island of ghosts now, and the kids need to escape...and perhaps, when they do, they find that they only have enough fuel to make it to one place: and it's the place they never thought they'd return to.

This plot covers pretty much every base—the stowaway, Mantah Corp, the relationships, and a chance to return to Bumpy—and gives them a proper, probable reason to go to Isla Sorna that isn't “Fate decided that it would be fun if they went to a different island”. I give this one “B-to-A” probability.

However...

There is one other major option:

Three. Year. Timeskip.

There are only two things holding me back from leaning into this: one is that it would deny us the sight of the kids reuniting with their families. We need that. We need some sort of triumphant return home. The other, simpler, more obvious problem is the monster in the hold; that kind of cliffhanger seems like it should come up. Obviously both of these problems can be solved via flashbacks, or a prologue, but...the need for new models and such would be an issue, because “budget” has always been a thing.

The other major problem, obviously, is the fact that the kids would need a reason to come back together. Maybe they all gather together for an anniversary and a dinosaur attacks them; maybe they're all being interviewed; but a far more interesting, compelling, and obvious motivation would be this:

Bumpy is alive and in danger.

Thus, all six kids (well...at least two would be adults now...) go running off to find and rescue Bumpy. They're bold and independent, rebellious and reckless: they each go to save their dinosaur friend, and they end up running into each other and ultimately facing Mantah Corp, who is one of the major power players in the prelude to Dominion.

This one has the ultimate story potential, in my opinon. You have Kenji and Darius meeting again with death glares because they left on poor terms. Ben has adjusted. Yaz and Sammy have had three years of yearning, notes, and problems (or maybe Sammy vanished...). And Brooklynn has had to forge a completely new life for herself, because she can't deal with internet fame anymore—everyone asking her about the island wherever she goes was just too much.

It directly sets the stage for Dominion, allowing glimpses of the world as it will be in the movie. Maybe the kids set more dinosaurs loose from Mantah Corp's (land-based in this one) laboratories as they free Bumpy. Maybe they become renegades and outlaws—forced to live in the wilds of California, Nevada, or Mexico. They're no longer looking for rescue, but for refuge. Maybe Claire has a sanctuary, a real one, that they have to get to. This would make it a full-scale adventure in a world filled with dinosaurs. Whatever they brought back with them is out there, too...and perhaps an old, scarred nemesis they never thought they would see again.

The biggest drawback to this is that the show hasn’t been running long enough for kids who started it to connect with the grown-up forms of the characters, but also...at the same time...it could work? I dunno, I give it “B” probability, A+ potential. 

Other thoughts that could work in any of these:

Roxie is working for Mantah Corp. She's unemployed, combat ready, and bitter at InGen...also, she'd look great in a uniform.

Brand is involved in any mainland shenanigans.

Dodgson. Dodgson. Can we get Dodgson here?

[fuckyeahprodigalson]

SPOILERS!

After spending all season covering up Nicholas Endicott’s (Dermot Mulroney) death, criminal profiler Simon Hoxley (Alan Cumming) came to New York on the PRODIGAL SON spring premiere, determined to get to the bottom of the murder. But luckily for Bright (Tom Payne)—and the Whitly family—a link in the chain of people he used to dispose the body ended up being their possible salvation: after one of his connections snapped and killed the other people who transported the corpse, Bright was able to spin a theory that she killed Endicott, too.

With that wrapped up, Hoxley also left—after Bright convinced Ainsley (Halston Sage) to sit down with the Mind Sleuth for a one-on-one interview—and the Whitly family celebrated their narrowest escape yet.

But…are they really in the clear?

PRODIGAL SON co-creators Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver tease what’s to come…

They got away with it! In your mind, is the Endicott case closed or are you leaving that door open for the future? Sam Sklaver: Bright has done a very nice job of [tying things up]. But when we were, early in the season, talking to our one of our advisors who specializes in serial killers, and we said, “What’s the best way to get away with a murder?” And he told us no body, no murder. And the problem is there is an Endicott body.

So I’d like to think that Bright and the Whitlys have gotten away with it…but history always has a way of catching up with the Whitly family. So I think it might just be one more thing to haunt them in the future. I can’t say that anything in the past will ever just stay in the past.

Is this something you’re looking to play with later in the season, or is that more something that might get explored in later seasons? Chris Fedak: We’re going another direction for this season. We have a couple of really exciting things coming up. For Endicott this year, we always like to have twists and turns—[Joking] and you should never trust us, let’s be honest, Sam and I are terrible, terrible liars—but we’re about to depart on a new journey of suspense…we have some new stuff coming up.

At the end of the episode, Martin (Michael Sheen) and Vivian (Catherine Zeta-Jones) kiss—which certainly does not seem like it’s destined to go well, frankly, for either of them. What’s in store for that dynamic going forward? Sklaver: You hit the nail on the head. I think most people who enter The Surgeon’s life, it usually makes their life not better, but worse. Vivian Capshaw is finding herself within The Surgeon’s gaze. So, I am nervous for her. I’m 100% nervous for her. I’m also nervous for her just because we’ve really grown to love Catherine; she’s so amazing on set. And just as a person and with the actors and with our crew—I’m terrified for her; I’m with you 100%. [Laughs.]

Should we be a little bit worried for him, as well? We know he’s dangerous, but she, in theory, does have the bulk of the power in this situation. She seems to be calling a lot of his BS and has been manipulating him, as well… Fedak: I think that’s a really smart perspective on it—she’s no wilting violet. She’s a strong, smart, very sophisticated woman who has a taste for the bad boys—and by which I mean serial killers. So it’s definitely a place where she knows how to to use her authority within Claremont to protect herself and to also keep things from coming out. That’s something that Martin has to be careful of, because he is a patient at Claremont, he is under her thumb, in a way.

Earlier in the season, we got to see Dani (Aurora Perrineau) and Bright coupled up, albeit in his twisted dream state. How much will we be seeing him examine his feelings for her in the rest of season 2? Fedak: We’re exploring the Dani-Bright relationship. [Episode] 6 was a great opportunity for us to remind the audience of it to kind of launch the second half of our season, with an idea of exploring who they are and can these two ships ever come together, or are they doomed? As we head into this side of the season, you’re definitely going to be getting more of Dani and Bright. And, also, like everybody in our show, he needs somebody to talk to. And I think that so often he hasn’t been able to talk to anybody this season because 1) Nicolas Endicott, and then 2) we’ve got something that’s going to kind of bind the whole team together. It’s coming up and it’s going to be huge. The enormity of this event is going to cause everybody to seek refuge and to seek help. And for Bright, that’s going to require him to talk to Dani. Sklaver: The events of episode 6 definitely left a mark in Bright’s mind. And so he is seeing Dani in a different way, which is very exciting for us. You just hope that life doesn’t get in the way, as it often does of his family.

What can you share about this very big event? Fedak: It has something to do with The Surgeon and his plans.

Is this something where fans will retroactively realize the seeds you planted for this story, will it come out of nowhere, or a mixture of the two? Fedak: I think that it is something that we’ve been laying the seeds for for quite some time. Sklaver: And I think it will shock everyone. I think we’ve been laying the seeds for it and it will shock everyone. Fedak: It’s also the second book of the Old Testament. [Laughs.]

Which is Exodus…Should we be expecting to see Martin, potentially, in a different situation than we’ve seen him the first year and a half? Fedak: Let me be even more cryptic: We’ve done a lot of testing hair color for Martin. We’re doing some interesting things.

Intriguing. On another note, how much will JT’s struggles with the force play into what’s ahead? Fedak: I don’t think it’s so much a matter of putting anything off. We brought some very important issues into episodes. And, for us, we ran into a couple of things having to do with production, that kind of changed our plans a little bit in regards to how we filmed the show. But none of those stories have been completed.

For us, our perspective is we want to tell a story that gets into the emotion and the reality of what our characters are going through, especially JT and Dani in regards to that story. We’re not playing out a story where we’re going to solve racism; that would be a not great [or realistic] story. But I think that what we’re going to show as we head toward our finale, and going forward in the show, is that these are a long tail, and that this story that we started here is something that we are going to be playing out in the future.

But it’s not the type of thing that can fit in 13 episodes of television. This story will work more like, this is a part of their lives, and it will come in and out. And it will affect them. And I think we’re going to come at that a little bit differently than we would, say, dealing with our Big Bad of a season or something along those lines.

Looking ahead to the finale, you had a very clear point set for season 1. With production so in flux this year, were you able to be as firm with where you end up at the end of season 2? Or did it have to be more flexible? Sklaver: It’s a mixture of the two things. We’re always flexible, because we always need to be flexible. But we have a very explosive finale, that actually we’ve already shot—we shot it last week. So once again, because of our scheduling, we have a finale, hopefully in the can already. And now we just need to catch up with other episodes. It’s very much the story we did set out to tell that season. And similar to our last finale, it really just sets up an amazing season 3 storyline that we’re getting very excited to tell, fingers crossed.

Fantastic. Is there anything else you can tease about the rest of season 2? Fedak: What happens is that when we get to this point in the season, we have episode 8, which is just amazing and fun, and then we just have a lineup of really crazy episodes. Each one that’s coming your way has just more outrageous stuff in it; it just doesn’t stop until we get to the end of the year. So it really is a ramp, starting with this episode, and it just launches into the second half of the season, and it drives right to the finale. It’s almost too much stuff. We’re really looking forward to the audience watching our madness brought to life.

[im-justso-bored]

Week 7 of Clown Theories and Analysis

S03E07 - Beautiful Monster

So I’m feeling really good about the future of Killing Eve with Laura Neal running the show for season 4. With 3x03 and now 3x07, she really captures the essence of Killing Eve and I’ve missed that this season. We are definitely in good hands as long as we get through the finale without any bullshit which I am super nervous about!

Inappropriate touching - So apparently someone didn’t get the memo when I said that it’s illegal to keep making V cry. 

I wonder what effect it’s having on V’s mind for people to keep telling her that she’s nothing but darkness and chaos. She knows she isn’t but I want to know how it’s weighing on her mentally. Obviously she’s bothered and upset by it but I want her to talk about it, it’s be interesting to see what she would say. I hope this gives opportunity for her to talk about it to Eve next episode. 

It’s definitely having a huge effect on her actions, it’s giving her the drive to keep pushing to be the person that she wants to be and not who everyone says she is. She’s truly alone right now (especially since Eve, the only person who truly sees her, isn’t around) so she’s developing a better sense of self and will continue defy what everyone thinks of her. 

Also I love the “God, you’re sexy” after Helene tells her that she could kill her. That’s basically the whole KE fandom when it comes to Villanelle. 

Opening titles - Why? What’s with the inconsistency with the opening title scene?

Standard parents crap - If Konstantin dies this season, which I still think may happen despite the false alarm this episode, does that mean that this is the last we see of Irina? If he dies, that means she’s stuck there, right? I don’t see her mother coming to get her up any time soon. 

I think I liked Irina better in season 1, she’s kind of annoying this season? Whiny, even. Which makes sense though, her father is a piece of shit (I still love him though) and she doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with her mother so I can definitely see why she’s acting out and so defiant. I just find it annoying, probably because I already see enough of it with Geraldine. Come to think of it, Konstantin and Carolyn seem to have a lot of parallels like V and Eve. Both have whiny, problematic children, both are under a lot of stress, both feel like the walls are closing in on them. This season is definitely building up to something big happening for Carolyn and Konstantin as well as Eve and V. Especially with the promo videos and pics of each pair before the season premiered. 

It’s a rule - Eve is such a chaotic bisexual dumbass and I love it. Villanelle definitely has custody of the one shared brain cell during this scene because Eve is back full-force with her bullshit and pursuing Villanelle. And I am all 👏🏽 here 👏🏽 for 👏🏽 it 👏🏽

I really like the Bitter Pill team, Suzanne better not come for them next episode.

Can we talk about how Eve was about to use Niko’s pitchfork incident as a way to get the bakery to give her info on Villanelle? She was so casual about it like it didn’t just happen the other day and killed all her hope for their marriage. She really does have tunnel vision when it comes to V, literally nothing else matters. Which is also shown in her pressuring Bear with her blatant disregard for the law lol

Russia has vegans now - Omfg, V’s accent at the front desk and during the golf scene is everything 😩

Dasha didn’t have to come at V like that. V snapped back though but I really need people to stop coming for V’s feelings like she has none. I wonder if Dasha telling V that she’s going to die with her hand held while V dies alone is hinting towards V finding that person in Eve instead. Ah shit, as I wrote that, I had a thought. What if V does die (soon) while with Eve and in her last moments Eve is holding her hand. I can’t unthink that now and I’m pissed. 

I do like filet mignon - So for a second, I actually thought that maybe Geraldine was spying on Konstantin because she suspected that he killed Kenny but then she just got back on her whiny bullshit and idk anymore. All I know is that she’s gotta go. 

Hey. Hey! HEEYYY! - I loved this scene, the comedy in this show is gold. This is one of the things that has been lacking this season and it definitely brought me back to s1 and s2 in terms of humor. 

Has V really lost it when it comes to killing? That’s the big question here. Obviously her plan from the beginning was to get away and escape with Konstantin hence her saying that she called him hours ago when he arrived. So that must mean that she never actually intended on finishing the job. Which she didn’t, of course. But I don’t think it’s because she can’t, I think it’s more that she doesn’t want to. I think, if pushed into it, she can and will still kill someone. Like if her life was in danger or to save someone she cared about like Eve or even Konstantin. But outside of that, it seems like she’s lost the drive to continue killing as she did before. I think that this has been building up since the beginning of the season and not just after 3x05. You can even go as far back as Rome, I think. That’s when she was first (first time we see) denied of being able to feel or be normal. 

“I love you.”

“You don’t understand what that is.”

She was rejected and made to feel less than human. And that definitely had a lasting effect on Villanelle. Ever since V really started to feel more, I think that’s when her drive and excitement for killing died down. There are other things that make her feel alive now. She doesn’t look into her victim’s eyes and watch the life drain from them anymore like she did in seasons 1 and 2. You don’t see that excited, sinister gleam in her eyes when it comes to completing a job. The jobs that she’s had in season 3 aren’t what mattered anymore, it was her promotion. It was the prospect of gaining power and possibly some semblance of freedom.  But now that that’s not what she had hoped for, the drive is gone. And she’s never been one to never been one to kill meaninglessly, whether she enjoyed killing or not. So I don’t think she’s lost the ability to kill, I think that she just doesn’t want to. She wants to be normal and this is her step in that direction. 

Also, that was a whole lotta ass crack in this scene. 

Like Stalin - I like how the only description Eve needed was “a pretty girl with her mom” and she was pretty much like “Yup, Villanelle is hot, must be her, get the fuck out”. 

Dark Eve is rising!! What a contrast, Eve is becoming darker while Villanelle is trying to distance herself from her darkness. They’ve both been through a lot of shit this season which seems to have pulled Eve and V in opposite directions in terms of how it’s affected them. 

You know that excited, sinister look I was saying V used to have? Eve has the same one here. She was staring into Dasha’s eyes just like V used to do when killing her victims. I wonder how this will impact (if it does) their chemistry when Eve and V finally reconnect again. Will it bring them closer together? Or will they be at an impasse?

Another prick to shit? - So the train scene ended up being a false alarm but I don’t think that Konstantin is in the clear yet, especially with Dasha being in the hospital with him and her ties to the Twelve. 

I wonder what effects his death would have on Villanelle. Of course, she doesn’t want him to die but you see her come to the realization that he actually might in this scene and she didn’t seem too torn up about it. Maybe it was because of the urgency of their situation so she didn’t have time to fully process it but I do wonder how that’ll affect her going forward if he does die. 

Omfg the wave though. I had so many feelings about this scene. Like I was bummed because Eve was sooo close but like she literally ran alongside the train like that’s some gay shit right there. And despite the situation, you see V smile and seem genuinely happy to see her. I think Eve was the last person she expected to see or hear from and with everything that’s happened to V since her last encounter with Eve, her obsession for her slipped to the back of her mind until this scene. Clearly Eve is still thinking about V so I think that’s the spark that puts V right back on that same path towards Eve. 

Konstantin is literally dying and all these two idiots can think about is each other 😂

Emotional iceberg - Carolyn is definitely starting to feel the pressure after Mo’s death (RIP). Similar to Konstantin, Carolyn is now beginning to stress about whether or not she’s next. Her tantrum definitely wasn’t just for show. I really do love the different sides we’re seeing of Carolyn this season, she’s no longer the calm and collected Carolyn we grew accustomed to in seasons 1 and 2.

I’m not gonna lie, I lowkey thought Carolyn was gonna snap and kill Geraldine. Wouldn’t even blame her. If nothing significant happens with Geraldine next episode, then her only purpose this season was kissing Konstantin which I could have gone without and eliciting an emotional response from Carolyn which could have been done a bunch of other ways. 

It’s not good for both of us - Villanelle’s voice is so sexy omg. I need to know the entire conversation they had.

Did V really mean what she said? They’ve definitely had their ups and downs (putting that lightly lol) and V hasn’t really given much thought to Eve lately (from what we’ve seen) so it’s possible. But then we do see both of them in multiple scenes together for the finale so who really knows? It could be setting up for them deciding to go separate ways at the end of the season (although I really hope not). From all of the interviews that have come out, we know that the finale will be different from the first two which leaves four options that I’ve thought of for the finale: 

1. They mutually agree to stop pursuing each other and go their separate ways

2. They team up and run away together

3. One of them dies (although I think this is the least likely, it would hurt the fanbase)

4. Konstantin dies, Villanelle saves Irina and runs away with her, either with or without Eve

I want to say that the most likely option is 2 because if they separate (option 1) then that kind of leaves them starting season 4 the same way they’ve started every season so far. Separated and then coming together somewhere in the middle of the season. The show is about them, it’s about their obsession for each other so they would have to come back together if they separated. Which is just recycled throughout each season so I would hope they wouldn’t do that. 

However, I’m a little apprehensive about them running away together. It’s been said that the finale will go a completely different route from what we’re expecting and we’ve been expecting them to run away together since season 2 so I have a feeling they won’t go that route. 

Option 3 is the main cause of my anxiety for the finale. I don’t see why they would post so many promos of Eve and Villanelle together with “Love is worth the wait” and all the “you really see them come together this season in a way we haven’t seen before” if they were just going to kill one of them or separate them though. Especially since they’ve only met one and a half times (I’m counting the wave and the phone call as a half). 

What do you guys think? What other ways do you see the season ending other than these three?

OVERALL - I really loved this episode, definitely one of the best from season 3. I definitely look forward to seeing more of Laura Neal’s work during season 4. I can’t believe these 8 weeks are already coming to an end. I love and hate the fact that we likely have to wait 2 years for season 4. I like it because it means the show won’t end (if season 4 is the last) next year, and then hate it for obvious reasons. I will definitely be reading and writing lots of fanfics to fill this Killing Eve hole after next week!

[hyunllx]

Flopbb’s REAL All-Star Sim: Premiere Week

Disclaimer: The actions and words of the houseguests in this sim do not reflect who they are as players and real people, nor do they reflect my opinion of said players. Im just trying to make sense of a random event simulator lol.

“Good evening everyone, I’m Julie Chen Moonves and THIS is Big Brother All-Stars. It’s been 20 years since the premiere of BB1, with countless twists, hundreds of houseguests, and dozens of games played across the globe. The past two decades have led up to this moment, as 16 of the world’s greatest players are about to enter the yet again to compete as all-stars. Your votes helped us pick the elite of the elite players of Big Brother from around the world. Welcome, everyone, to Big Brother All-Stars!”

One by one Julie calls the houseguests in. Excitement fills the house like a flood as old friends, allies, and enemies recognize each other:

“I am ecstatic when I see Da’Vonne walk through the door. She’s a close friend of me and Swaggy outside the house. She was there for us after BB20 and I am so happy to play alongside her this time around!”

“I can’t believe I’m in this house for the FOURTH time. On top of that, I’m with Kaysar and Britney again, my two closest friends in the game. I’m already feeling like I’m in a great position this season despite being the most veteran player.”

“The first thig I notice when I walk in the house is how many old school players there are. Janelle and Kaysar in particular, who’ve I’ve played against before. I was entirely prepared to fight a cast of newbies but I may have to rethink my strategy already.”

“I walk into the house excited to play with people I had so much fun getting to know through interviews outside the house... until I see her. Of course Neda is here, and by the look on her face she’s just as delighted to see me. I can’t get away from this girl.”

Reunions and new introductions are cut short, however, as Julie instructs the houseguests to head to the backyard. Surely pros of the game didn’t need to sit around drinking champagne. The first HOH will begin immediately.

“I didn’t necessarily want to drop out this early, but I also didn’t want to win, so I’m fine with it. It may also help the newbies underestimate me. I was never a big player or a comp threat; I got through under the radar.”

“Janelle and I have played this competition before. This was the first HOH on our original season, BB6. I felt like I could stay up there for awhile but I also didn’t want all eyes to be on me for the first week. I’ll let someone else take that fall.”

“I fall and I’m devastated. I wanted to at least outlast the other players from Canada but I’m the first of them to fall. Neda’s still up there and I know if she wins or makes a deal I’m in serious trouble.”

“Did I plan on winning this HOH? No. But I know being a four-time player is a big target and I would be on the block if I didn’t. I really need at least one week where I can build alliances that’ll help me survive a few more weeks in this house until that target starts to shrink.”

“History repeats itself and Janelle wins the first HOH of another All-Stars season. The last time this happened, she put me on the block, so I’m feeling very uneasy about things this first week. I need to talk to her to make sure she knows this time I’m her ally.”

After the competition the houseguests return to their introductions, hanging around the kitchen while Da’vonne leads several others in cooking for the house. 

Ika is the first one to break from the group, not unnoticed as she pulls Neda into a side room. Ika appeals to Neda, asking if they can forget their former rivalry as they are severely outnumbered by the American returnees. Neda listens and assures her she isn’t holding a grudge and agrees to join an International Alliance if Ika can pull Anthony and Angela in.

“Ika is out of her mind if she thinks I’m just going to forget about her betraying me and getting me evicted on BBCan5. I don’t trust her at all. She’s a snake and I’m not falling for her fake loyalty again. She needs to go.”

Later in the night, Danielle R approaches Janelle in her HOH room, congratulating her on another HOH win under her belt, while also reminding her about her nominations the first week of BB7. Janelle reassures her that she will not be targeting old school players and that they should work together this time instead. Along with Kaysar, they establish an alliance.

In the middle of the night Neda approaches Janelle and Kaysar. She tells them in secret about Ika’s plan to form an alliance, though she exaggerates the tale and claims Ika is forming a majority alliance. She reveals her distrust for Ika and warns them of her ability to backstab if she tries to appeal to them for an alliance. 

“I decided to form an alliance with Kaysar and Danielle because I’ve seen how these newer players react to old school gameplay on BB14. They’re intimidated by playing with famous players but they underestimate our abilities to keep up with them. When they are hit with the realization that we’re just as good as they are, or better, they come after us immediately and relentlessly. I think it’ll be good to have a safety-net of these like-players to fall back on if the new school players decide to turn that target on me.

As for the information Neda gave me... I don’t necessarily trust her but I have no reason to doubt this is happening. It makes sense that an international player would want to feel secure in a large alliance. I don’t like how easily Neda turned on people trying to work with her, but I’ll keep her for now if she wants to be on my side.”

Meanwhile, downstairs Bayleigh and Da’Vonne find a quiet spot to talk privately. Their friendship outside the house is strong, and they naturally fall into the role of allies in the house, promising to support each other to the final 2.

“I love Bayleigh. She’s a good friend outside of this house and I trust her entirely. She’s smart and we think alike in the game. This alliance really just built itself without conscious thought. I will do everything in my power to ensure one of us gets to the end.”

The next day everyone is exhausted from the previous day competition. The realization that they are truly back to playing Big Brother settles in and tension starts while the house gathers for Janelle’s nominations.

“I have nominated Ika and Vanessa for eviction. As it’s the first week I have so little to go on. Ika, It’s come to my attention that you may be rallying an alliance already in the house. Hopefully you trust these people enough to help save you this week.

Vanessa, we’ve talked very little so far and I know not to trust that. Your gameplay likes to lurk in the shadows, so here’s a spotlight.”

“It’s day two and 75% of the house hasn’t talked game to you. Why pick me over them? I wanted to lay low this time but it seems I have to get to work faster than expected. I think Ika is her target but I certainly don’t want to be a first boot pawn.”

“The only person I’ve spoken to about starting an alliance so far has been Neda. Clearly she still holds a grudge and I can’t trust her. Having the HOH on her side is very, very scary. I have to work my butt off to win this Veto.”

After nominations, Janelle, Kaysar, and Danielle R split up to individually pull in the other veteran players to their alliance. Janelle convinces Britney very quickly to join being great friends outside of the house. She attempts to pull in Keesha who seems apprehensive of the idea, but tentatively agrees. Kaysar pulls Rachel into one of the side rooms to propose the same deal. Rachel is hesitant, unafraid to remind Kaysar of her rivalry with Janelle and Britney. Kaysar explains that their rivalry can wait until later in the season when the vets have secured their safety in the game. Rachel agrees to help the alliance half-heartedly.

“I’m not really sure how to feel about this alliance. On one hand being safe with the HOH this week is reassuring. However, she’s only HOH for this week and if it’s found out I’m part of this old school super-alliance then I could be in big trouble. I also don’t trust Janelle and Britney to continue working with me in the long run. We’ll have to see how this week plays out.”

Meanwhile, Danielle R attempts to pull Jun into a quiet bedroom but is intercepted by Vanessa. Vanessa appeals to both about her situation being on the block and asks if either would consider using the veto if they won, promising to return the favor and to keep them safe if she were to win HOH. After much convincing, Jun and Danielle R agree to the deal.

“I honestly don’t really care about this deal with Vanessa. I doubt I’m going to win veto even if I am picked, but I’ll take the safety if she wins. I’m more concerned about this old school alliance Danielle tried to pull me in to. Fortunately I didn’t have a chance to agree to or reject the alliance. It’ll give me a little more time to mull it over and decide if I trust the other older players or not.”

Saturday morning, the houseguests are woken up to the announcement that it’s time to pick players for the veto competition. 

“I’m actually feeling pretty good going into this veto comp. The two people I got to agree to use the veto on me are playing, plus myself. Hopefully they’ll either throw it to me or keep their word.”

“Of course I get picked. I have to throw this comp. I can not be picking sides on Day 3 of this game. I’m sorry Janelle, but I have a feeling you don’t need my help on this one.”

“Just like last All-Stars I’ve won both the first HOH and POV. I’m used to being seen as a comp beast in this game so it doesn’t bother me that much. If anything it’ll help my allies feel sure that I can keep my word to keep them safe.”

After the veto competition, the houseguests scatter back inside the house to privately discuss their options, automatically assuming Janelle will keep her nominations the same. Bayleigh and Da’Vonne head up to the HOH room to congratulate Janelle on her win and pick her brain for a target. Janelle asks Day about her experience previously playing with Vanessa and listens carefully to Day’s personal perspective of Vanessa’s game. They speak for awhile, eventually being joined by Kaysar, weighing both options carefully. After a couple hours, they agree to an alliance, having grown comfortable strategizing together.

“I really like Janelle and Kaysar. I think there’s a real friendship forming there. They are great strategic minds but they can also win comps left and right and lord knows Bayleigh and I need allies like that in this game. She’s always going to be my number 1 but I wouldn’t mind going to final 4 with Jaysar.”

“I do trust Bayleigh and Da’Vonne and I’m very happy to be in an alliance with them. I think they will be easier allies to publicly support compared to the old school alliance. They can slip under the radar easier.

After talking to Da’Vonne I am feeling better about  my decision to put Vanessa on the block. I think her being up week 1 has hindered her ability to puppet master from the shadows so I don’t think she’s much of a threat for now.

I haven’t heard anything more about Ika’s majority alliance and that’s not necessarily a good thing in my mind. Either I’ve been lied to about it or they’re working against me which is dangerous. In either case, I have to get my allies to figure out who is in this alliance, if there’s anyone at all.”

After a quiet Sunday of little gameplay, the houseguests gather Monday afternoon for the veto ceremony. It goes quickly as expected.

“I didn’t expect Janelle to use the veto at all let alone on me but it still sucks being on the block week 1. People throw random votes on the first eviction and some of those could come my way if nothing major happens.”

“As expected I’m still on the block. I tried to lay low to show Janelle that I really don’t have an alliance and I’m not making big moves against her but clearly that didn’t work. Now I have to work my ass off to start forming this alliance people think I have.”

“Ika is a final nominee and I couldn’t be happier. I feel like I’ll be be able to play the game without constantly feeling like I need to watch my back. All I need to do now is continue planting seeds in people’s heads that she’s working against them.”

Wednesday evening, the night before the live eviction, Bayleigh and Da’Vonne are approached by Ika and pulled into the back bedroom to hear her campaign to stay.

“Day and I decide to give Ika a chance to talk to us. Janelle is looking for any information she can get on this supposed majority alliance, but if she wants to promise us safety or a shield for the net few weeks, we’re all ears to that.”

Ika begins her campaign by admiring BayDay’s perception and strategic ability, playing into those in hope they will believe her. Da’Vonne is the first to address the alliance rumours , and Ika tells her the truth of her conversation with Neda. As she begins to explain, Britney walks in to join the conversation, having heard them talking in the room next door.

“I saw Ika take Bayleigh and Day into the back bedroom and I had to follow to listen. Janelle told me she wanted to work with them and if they were in this secret majority alliance all along, I was not going to let them plot behind her back alone.”

After a few awkward moments of Britney pushing into the conversation, Ika continues to confirm that she was trying to extend an olive branch to Neda and only  suggested an alliance with the international players as a way to leave their rivalry in BBCAN behind. After listening to the rest of Ika’s pitch, Britney takes this information to Janelle and Kaysar in the HOH room, who promptly call Neda up to talk about it.

Neda is steadfast in her lie when confronted about it, insisting she told Janelle everything Ika proposed to her. Britney reveals that Ika told her about the international players alliance and it was only proposed to put their rivalry aside. Neda denies this but becomes visibly upset. 

To put an end to the rumour once and for all, Britney calls the rest of the houseguests up into the HOH room. While everyone squeezes into the space, Ika and Neda bicker about the situation immediately. Ika reveals the truth to the house and Neda’s arguments become shaky, most people in the room skeptical to her lies. Eventually Janelle quiets the argument to ask Neda one more time about the alliance. Defeated, Neda admits to lying to get Ika put on the block.

“Hopefully this meeting shows people that I am true to my word and I haven’t been secretly making alliances behind their backs. I’m not going to stop campaigning and I think this might help keep me here this week. Sorry Vanessa.”

“I do feel bad for Ika in this situation but I don’t regret putting her up. This is big brother and someone has to be the first one out. Right now I don’t have a preference for either nominee so I’m just going to let the house decide for themselves.”

“I’m starting to feel uneasy in the house. I don’t like that the international players were brought up in all that drama. I had no intentions of working with them specifically and if people doubt my loyalties because of that it could be bad for me.”

“I do feel bad for Ika. No one wants to be on the block because someone held a grudge and manipulated the HOH. That being said, I know how good of a competitor she is and what she’s capable of. It might be good for Janelle and I if we get her out now while we have the chance.”

The following evening came in a flash, and nervously the house gathered in the living room for the first eviction of the game. Tension filled the room as they waited for Julie to appear on the usually-blank television screen. As usual, the host made idle chatter and jokes with a handful of houseguests to relieve some of the stress before calling for the speeches of each nominee.

“As everyone knows I have been lied on and you’ve been manipulated all this week. I have done nothing but tell the truth to the house about my plans and attempts to put a grudge behind me, and I think everyone knows who my target is. Janelle, I do not blame you for putting me up here, I’m not coming after you at all. Neda, I do blame you. You are a snake and I will not rest in this game until you are out of this house.”

“So I think I speak for everyone when I say this week has been kind of wild for a week one. There’s already been a ton of drama and plans have already been exposed to the house. I haven’t really gotten a chance to play yet but I know some of you have. Given how this week went, it seems like drama could pull any one of us in next, so I ask you if you think it would be a good idea to keep a non-threat, or someone willing to expose your secrets to the house.”

One by one the house guests are called to the diary room to vote.

It’s official; with 7 votes to evict, Ika will be leaving the big brother house tonight. Let’s see how the other votes fall.

[queenk00k]

but what if we were pure gold all along? chapter 2

Summary:  Set immediately after the Season 1 finale. JJ finds a way to cope when he feels like he has no one, and finds someone unexpected to enable him.

READ THE PROLOGUE HERE

Chapter 2: the one where pogue promises are bullshit

NOTES: hi here’s the first proper chapter of my fic!!! pls let me know if you enjoy it or not & know that whilst i’m working on this, fic requests are open <3 

----------

“You mean she can’t hang out with us at all?” JJ asks Pope over cereal late the next morning. It feels almost insulting to John B to be doing something so irritatingly normal but hey, a boy’s gotta eat and he sure as shit won’t be getting breakfast at home.

“Nope. Parents got her on lockdown,” Pope answers solemnly. “They freaked out after the whole running from the cops thing. Not to mention, they’re not keen on Kie ending up like…” Pope trails off as JJ looks up at him sharply.

“They could still be alive man. We don’t know.”

JJ’s sure Pope looks at him with pity as he replies, “Maybe. But I mean, JJ, the Phantom in that storm…Shoupe said it himself, they took an open boat into a tropical depression. I just don’t see how they could still be a-alive.” Pope chokes on the word alive as if it were poison and he sucks in a deep breath as tears fall down his cheeks and JJ can’t take it anymore. He pushes back his chair, the metal legs scraping against the floorboards as JJ rises from the table abruptly.

“I’m going out,” he says as he feels the walls closing in and he just needs to get outside before its too overwhelming and goddamnit he’s sick of crying, will it stop sometime soon?

“JJ-“ Pope starts to rise from his chair but JJ waves a hand at him to sit back down, not looking directly at Pope in case, God forbid, he sees just how broken JJ feels.

“Nah man, it’s fine. I just need some weed. I’ll see you later.”

And with that, JJ makes his way out the front door alone, his feet heavy and his heart heavier still.

JJ’s been staying at Pope’s house for a week now and he can’t help but think he’s the only one struggling. He still hasn’t seen or spoken to Kie who, according to Pope, is still on strict lockdown, and Pope has thrown himself into studying and finding loopholes for other scholarships that would let him interview. This leaves JJ with not much to do but wander aimlessly, not going too far just in case his dad decides to come looking for him.

Pope joins him on the back porch one night where, despite strict orders from Heyward to not get up to any mischief in his house, JJ is surreptitiously pulling on a joint, the smoke curling outwards into the un-seasonally cool evening.  

“Mind if I take a hit?”

Lost in his thoughts, JJ jumps at the unexpected interruption. “Shit man, you scared me. Sorry, I know your dad said not to get up to anything but I just feel like garbage and –“

“Nah, I know. I get it. Pass it here,” Pope replies, sitting down next to JJ on the worn steps. JJ passes him the blunt, the corner of his eyes crinkling in a rare smile.

“Coming back to the dark side, are you?” After Pope’s outburst around the time John B and Sarah went missing, he vowed not to get like that again.

Pope coughed as he blew out the smoke. “Ha, no. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

JJ takes the used stub and crushes it under his boot. “Uh oh. That’s never good.”

“It’s fine. More than fine. They’re letting me interview for the scholarship position again.”

“You’re kidding. Bro, that’s awesome,” JJ replies sincerely, clapping his calloused hand on Pope’s shoulder. “I mean it. Good for you. How did you manage to convince them?’

Pope smiles at him. “I told them about John B and Sarah. They figured two friends going missing at sea counted as ‘extenuating circumstances’.”

“Extenuating?”

“Means they agree it was fucked up and they’re letting me off the hook.”

“Hmm. Well, that’s great man.” JJ smiles. “Why did you want to talk to me about it this way?”

Pope sighs. “I’m just preparing you. I’m gonna be pretty busy trying to figure out how to answer their questions. I wanted you to know now so you don’t think I’m trying to ditch you.”

JJ nods solemnly. “I appreciate it. Thanks.”

Pope stares at him for a moment. “Do you think your dad is gonna come looking for you?”

“I don’t think he’ll try anything with your dad around.” JJ scoffs. “I’m pretty sure he was always scared of him.”

Pope nods and before he gets a chance to reply, his phone lights up with a new text and he steals a glance. JJ is sure he looks happy about whatever it was.

“Hey, I gotta head out and pick my dad up. Are you good here?”

“Yeah man, I’ll see you later.”

Pope claps him on the back as he bounds down the steps and in the darkness, leaving JJ alone to battle with his conflicting emotions.

On one hand, he’s overjoyed at the prospect of at least one of them having a decent future, considering his was pretty shot to bits and he had no idea what Kie was thinking, but on the other hand…on the other hand, JJ couldn’t help but feel jealous and a little hurt that Pope had something else to focus on other than the fact that one of his best friends was dead.

JJ remains sitting outside for longer than he realises, contemplating rolling another joint to keep him company and scuffing his boot in the dirt, willing himself to stop feeling so fucking emotional all the time.

-----

After a while, JJ is brought out of his own head a second time as the sound of the front door closing causes him to jerk his head up.

JJ stands and makes his way through the back door, stopping abruptly when he realises he can hear Pope’s parents voices, but not Pope himself.

JJ gets the sinking feeling that Pope was lying to him, and he edges forward to make out what the hushed voices were arguing about.

“….and the longer he’s here, the more danger we’re putting our son in.”

“What do you suggest we do then? You know we can’t let him go back home. That boat was his father’s and I know what Luke is capable of. I’m worried for the boy.”

“He can’t stay here…”

“Last time I checked, Luke was scared shitless of me and-“

“You’re not 30 anymore baby, and he’s unpredictable - he could have a gun. JJ needs to leave, go into foster care or something, but he’s not staying here whilst we risk our family.”

A loud, resigned sigh. “Fine, I’ll talk to the boy.”

JJ’s heart races and he breathes heavily, nostrils flared and hands curled into fists. He turns slowly towards the back door, opening it quietly, praying that Pope’s parents don’t hear him leaving, their words echoing in his ears.

“…the longer he’s here, the more danger we’re putting our son in.”

“He can’t stay here…”

“…he needs to leave…”

JJ kicks the wheelbarrow as he crosses the yard, out of anger or fear he’s not quite sure, and ignores the searing pain in his foot. He was used to feeling like a burden, so why did this hurt so much? He wanted to be angry at Pope’s family, and he figured he was a little bit, but he also understood. He wouldn’t want to put Pope in any more danger than he already had.

JJ rounds the corner and runs straight into Pope, who has the decency to look a bit ashamed of himself. JJ can’t help himself as he narrows his eyes.

“Picking your dad up, huh? What were you really up to?”

Pope opens his mouth to stammer out a response but before he can come up with another excuse, JJ notices something in the glow of the street light.

JJ curses and moves Pope’s collar to reveal a dark purple bruise. Pope’s eyes widen as he steps back, faltering under JJ’s cool gaze.

“Is that a hickey?” JJ manages to ask through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching. “Have you been sneaking off to see Kiara?” JJ’s angry, sure, but he’s also hurt because why doesn’t Kiara want to see him and why is Pope lying to him and why does nobody want him?

Pope clears his throat. “I’m sorry man, we’ve just started going out and she needs me and-“

“You’re going out now?”

“I mean yeah, she did kiss me and everything and it just kind of escalated from there-“

“And what about ‘she needs me?’ What about me, bro? What happened to us Pogues sticking together?”

“JJ, I’m sorry man, Kie’s parents don’t want her seeing you and I don’t want her getting into any more trouble-“

JJ interrupts again as he shoves Pope away from him, his blue eyes icy as he struggles to contain his anger. “Yeah man, whatever, I get it.”

JJ stalks past Pope, muttering “unbelievable” under his breath and heading straight for his bike.

“JJ, please,” Pope starts but JJ holds up a hand to silence him, as he hops on his bike and speeds away without looking back.

Pogues don’t leave each other behind, huh? Bullshit, he thinks as he speeds away.

------

JJ finds his way to The Chateau without even thinking, almost as if muscle memory brought him here. He stops his bike out front and heads inside, smiling tersely at the fondness he feels for the place. When his own home wasn’t safe enough, which was often, he felt most at home here with his friends, stealing food from John B and crashing on the futon after keggers.

His throat burns at the thought of John B, at the thought of the Pogues, at the thought of the fact that Pope’s been screwing Kiara and lying to him about it and why the hell is that their priority right now?

JJ walks slowly down the hallway, noticing how the place has been completely trashed and stripped bare thanks to those square groupers and now the cops. God, all of that seems like centuries ago. How did they manage to end up here?

JJ barely makes it to the back of the house before a familiar voice makes him stop in his tracks and his blood run cold.

“Boy, if you’re in here I swear to God I’m going to kill you!”

JJ gulps.

Looks like dad came looking for me after all.

[geeky-diary]

Princess Justice: Part 3

For those who aren’t caught up, here are the links for.

Part 1 Part 2

---------------------------------------------------

“Oh please, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug. That’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Chloe exclaimed. Adrien knew it was probably a hard thing for her to believe. Her least favorite person and the hero she looked up to being the same person would be difficult for anyone to comprehend.

However, Alya didn’t seem to be paying attention, too deep in her contemplation. All her memories of Marinette and Ladybug kept replaying in her mind, never pausing. Could it really be true? If so, what detail had she missed? How did Adrien figure it out before her? Then she realized something. It might not be enough to give the blonde boys claim any real merit, but it was something.

“No, I think he might be right about Marinette being Ladybug.”

“Oh really, what proof do you have?”

“For starters, Marinette never seems to be around whenever Ladybug is around. Even when the akuma attacks have been at school, she is always gone when Ladybug shows up.” Alya stated with confidence.

However, a laugh of disbelief escaped from the blonde girl’s throat. “Really, that's the evidence you’ve come up with to prove that Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug. The reason she can never be seen when Ladybug is around is because she is a coward. There are lots of people who run and hide during an akuma attack. Just because she doesn’t run towards the danger like you doesn't make her ladybug.” Chloe retorted.

The Creole girl wasn’t all that surprised by the other girl’s stubborn refusal. Her proof was admittedly weak, so her reaction should have been expected. She would have to come up with something more compelling. Suddenly, a switch flipped off in her head.

“Then how do you explain the people she’s picked to be miraculous users.”

For a single moment, Adrien’s breath was stuck in his throat. What did she mean by the other miraculous users? She couldn’t be talking about him, right? There was no way she could have figured it out. No, of course not, she had been focused on Marinette and not him.

Even Chloe was shocked by what the other girl had said, but then her face transformed into one of smug understanding. “If you’re talking about me, then I think you’ve forgotten that Ladybug didn’t give me the bee miraculous, I found it. Besides, we’ve met plenty of times before so she could obviously tell that I was worthy, so she let me keep it.”

“No, I didn’t forget. In fact, I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about myself. How could Ladybug chose me for the fox miraculous if she didn’t know me.”

A stunned silence filled the room. The blonde boy couldn’t believe that she would just reveal her secret identity like that. And for what, to prove that her best friend was indeed one of Paris’ heros? Though he wasn’t surprised to hear that she was Rena Rouge.

“Even if you were talking about yourself, my point still stands. You and Ladybug have interacted a lot before you were given your miraculous. She sat for an interview with you, so I think she could get a pretty good idea about who you are and if you were worthy or not.” Chloe retorted, refusing to back down.

“Then wha-” Alya started, but  reconsidered. Was she really about to expose Nino’s secret identity? Sure, telling them about her identity was fine since it was hers, but Nino’s wasn’t for her to tell. And really, why was she trying so hard to prove Chloe wrong. Ok, she knew why, proving the blonde girl wrong was always fun. “Nevermind, you’re just blinded by your love for Ladybug to see the truth.”

“It’s not that I’m not considering, I just need to hear it from Dupain-Cheng to actually believe it.” The blonde girl finally admitted, a look of displeasure crossing over her face. “What I can’t understand is how you supposedly figured it out, Adrikins.”

The blonde boy sucked in a deep breath. Of course they would want to know how he figured it out. He should have left the room when he had the chance, then he could be helping his lady out of her situation. Instead he stay and tell the girls about Marinette. But what would he have done if had left the locker room. Luckily, he didn’t have to lie, at least not completely.

“When Mari- When Princess Justice said she had already defeated Ladybug I knew that couldn’t be true since she had just been akumatized. But then I remembered that she had taken off her earrings and everything just started to make sense.”

The Creole girl responded quickly, “Ok, then what are we going to do with this information? Should we tell Chat Noir?”

“Oh trust me, that cat already knows what happened to his lady.” replied a high pitched voice.

Alya and Chloe looked around, confused about where the voice had come from. Adrien, on the other hand, froze in his place. What on Earth was Plagg doing!

As if hearing his thoughts, the cat kwami flew out of his shirt and out into the open space. “Ah, come on you weren't just gonna reveal Ladybug’s identity without revealing your own.”

---------------------------------------------------------

Part 3 is now complete. I’m sorry it’s been a while, I’ve been busy with college and such! I really hope y’all like this one. Also, for those probably not wondering seeing the season finale hasn’t changed the direction my story will go.

Yeah, I did a part two!!!!!!!!! Sorry about taking so long to update, my life has been crazy busy lately and my computer screen got cracked so I wasn’t able to start writing this part out for a while. But I have decided I will continue this AU of mine.

For any people who are brand new, this is an AU based off of what would have happened is Natalie hadn’t started dying that I from @amazinglikely. 

Tag List (If you want to join, just ask) @inkshila @aliana6021

Edit: Part 4 is up now!

Edit: Part 5

[nightqueendany]

The Original Final Season 7 - Preface

Okay guys. I’m still polishing up some of the later episodes, but this whole thing is almost done. And as motivation to make me finish the later episodes and publish them, I’m going to give you Episode 1 today, in a post directly following this one. If you do not see the link just yet, simply refresh this post and I should have put it in place, pending no issues with my Internet connection.

I’ve talked about this A LOT. What follows below and in subsequent weeks (I’m going to make you guys suffer, I’m going to put each episode out weekly) is 1) my explanation for WHY specifically I believe there was an “Original Final Season 7” and also, 2) WHAT I believe that Final Season contained.

NOTE: I will refer to the actual show events of Seasons 7 and 8 as “show canon” and will refer to my speculation as “Original Final Season 7.”

*Disclaimer because I have this weird feeling I’m going to get bombarded with anons asking me for links to “the original scripts” or interviews where this is all mentioned or something:

THIS IS ALL MY OWN SPECULATION. NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN TRUE. THERE ARE NO “ORIGINAL SCRIPTS” FOR A FINAL SEASON 7...THAT I KNOW OF.

Alright, now that that’s taken care of, I’m gonna lay this out here for you guys. (Parts of this may get fanficky but whatever, this is what makes the most sense in my mind based on what we’ve got on the table).

(Also note, this series will be really really fucking long because it includes what I *think* the original Season was, and evidence from aired episodes as to why I think that, along with long-winded, detailed descriptions of scenes, etc. Sorry not sorry)

Here is how I went about this speculation to determine what I believe was likely the “Original Final Season 7”:

1) I looked for instances in the series as a whole where plots were never finished OR scenes/lines were either retconned or never paid off  - i.e. Dany’s S2 throne room scene script clearly saying “snow” and in 8x06 it’s now ash - post Emmy script release note: the script may say “snow” but remember, it’s the same day as the attack on the city from 8x05 when it was sunny and super hot outside. Either the script was changed just to make it say “snow” OR it was snow in the 8x06 episode, but D&D literally changed the fucking weather just to make it snowing in Dany’s throne room scene when King’s Landing hasn’t had snow since 7x07. Either way, something was retconned and it’s fucking idiotic and hella obvious.

2) I examined Seasons 7&8 specifically for the same things - scenes/lines never paid off or left unfinished/unexplained, i.e. Yara’s line “somewhere the dead can’t go” when this was never needed because the Night King was defeated in one episode; also all the baby talk between Jon and Dany and Dany never being pregnant in show canon.

3) I looked for instances in the series where a plot was “undone” in a very short span of time. Meaning, something that could have taken seasons upon seasons for buildup but was scrapped or easily deconstructed an episode later or same episode - i.e. Jaime/Brienne finally getting together in 8x04 and Jaime leaving Brienne that same episode; also Theon rescuing Yara from Euron’s ship very easily in 8x01 when she was a captive for most of Season 7.

4) And lastly, I looked for things that have been said/mentioned either in show canon or by cast/staff that ignores something previous that is a contradiction of their words - i.e. Jon pledging to Dany in 7x06 after she already said she would help him and Jon in 8x01 saying he gave up his crown so Dany would come help OR Dan Weiss saying in 7x05 that Dany isn’t mad and isn’t her father and then in S8 naming Dany the “Mad Queen”.

There are many of these instances in the series so it wasn’t hard to map out a rough outline of what I believe the “Original Final Season 7” was.

So, why do I even think there even was an original, final Season 7 outline/possibly even an entire Season of script? Why do I think this a likely possibility rather than me just being a delusional Dany Stan who wanted a different ending for my fave?

Back as early as 2013, after season 3 ended, the number 7 was being thrown around. Seven seasons to finish the series.

[Producer Frank] Doelger said: “[The number of series (seasons)] is being discussed as we speak. The third season was the first half of book three, season four will be the second part of book three. George RR Martin has written books four and five; six and seven are pending....I would hope that, if we all survive, and if the audience stays with us we’ll probably get through to seven seasons.”

Keep in mind, at this same time, D&D had also JUST had their meeting with George about the series endpoints.

“Last year we went out to Santa Fe for a week to sit down with him [Martin] and just talk through where things are going, because we don’t know if we are going to catch up and where exactly that would be. If you know the ending, then you can lay the groundwork for it. And so we want to know how everything ends. We want to be able to set things up. So we just sat down with him and literally went through every character.”

Vanity Fair, March 24th, 2014 (LAST year being spring 2013)

So this meeting on the series conclusion took place right when D&D were just polishing up the scripts for Season 4, before filming began that summer). A year after their meeting with George, (the same 2014 Vanity Fair article), D&D apparently played with the idea of an eighth season, but that could have just been the reporter’s speculation.

In other interviews, they were fairly adamant about 7 being the “magic number.” And back in the very beginning when Dave and Dan first started Thrones, they always said they imagined the series taking 70-75 hours to tell the story - so again, the equivalent of 70 episodes or a normal full 7 Seasons of 10 episodes each).

With the major complaint from both last season and season 8 being that it felt “rushed” however, people may wonder how the hell the series was supposed to conclude after Season 6. However, when you think about it, Season 7 being the final season doesn’t seem that odd if it were originally going to be a regular 10 episode arc. The final two seasons only totaled 13 episodes anyway, so really, it’s just three fewer episodes than in the version that we got. And if some episodes in the final Season 7 were over an hour long, the series as a whole would easily reach that 70-75 hours D&D always talked about.

So, what was the original 10 episode final Season 7 supposed to look like?

Season 7 Episode 1: ?

Season 7 Episode 2: ?

Season 7 Episode 3: ?

Season 7 Episode 4: ?

Season 7 Episode 5: ?

Season 7 Episode 6: ?

Season 7 Episode 7: ?

Season 7 Episode 8: ?

Season 7 Episode 9: ?

Season 7 Episode 10: ?

To figure out the outline of the 10 Episode Final Season, let’s start near the end.

ONE FINAL BATTLE

Author George R.R. Martin, whose series of novels forms the basis for Thrones, had revealed to the duo the broad strokes of how his Song of Ice and Fire saga secretly ends, including a description of an epic FINAL BATTLE that’s been teased from the show’s VERY FIRST SCENE. But this climactic confrontation was miles out of reach for a series that cost about $5 million per episode. “We have a very generous budget from HBO, but we know what’s coming down the line and, ultimately, it’s not generous enough,” Benioff said.

EW

When Entertainment Weekly interviewed D&D back during the filming of Season 3, D&D made it sound like George had planned only ONE final battle - the battle between the living and the dead. Not two battles, one with the living against the dead and another later battle with the living against the living. Just ONE.

(Also should note, this says the FINAL BATTLE was teased from the show’s FIRST scene, which contained the White Walkers but not Daenerys. Daenerys didn’t even appear in the episode until sometime much later meaning the “epic final battle” was about the White Walkers, not Dany burning down King’s Landing as we got in show canon).

Both the books and the show begin by showing the audience the threat beyond the Wall. This is the main threat. This is the main event. The Game of Thrones doesn’t matter and is a distraction for both the audience and the characters. In GRRM’s original outline, he explicitly says that the greatest threat to the realm of Westeros is the Others and that there will be one final battle.

So this was our original “Episode 9”. Literally and figuratively. Episode 9 is always supposed to be the episode where the craziest thing happens in the entire season - Ned’s death, Battle of Blackwater, Red Wedding, Battle at Castle Black, Dany flying away on Drogon from the fighting pits of Meereen, Battle of the Bastards.

The only exception to this could be argued to be Season 5 as Jon Snow is killed in Episode 10, not episode 9. However, the change in structure of the season was probably the biggest clue to the audience that Jon wasn’t going to stay dead, as they had never ended a season on a cliffhanger of the death of a major character. We’ve always been given one more episode afterward to process said character’s death.

If Jon were going to die and stay dead, he would have died in Season 5 Episode 9, because of this pattern: Season 1 Episode 9 - Stark death (Ned). Season 2 Episode 9 - Battle (Blackwater). Season 3 Episode 9 - Stark death (Robb). Season 4 Episode 9 - Battle (Castle Black). Season 5 Episode 9 - no Stark death (where there should have been - and a Battle was in Episode 8 - Hardhome). Season 6 Episode 9 makes up for the flaw in the pattern where we get a Battle and a Stark death (Rickon).

Ergo, based on George’s original outline, D&D’s previous statements about George’s plan, and the pattern, 7x09 was the original Battle for the Dawn. So that’s what I’ll call this episode.

Season 7 Episode 1: ?

Season 7 Episode 2: ?

Season 7 Episode 3: ?

Season 7 Episode 4: ?

Season 7 Episode 5: ?

Season 7 Episode 6: ?

Season 7 Episode 7: ?

Season 7 Episode 8: ?

Season 7 Episode 9: The Battle For The Dawn

Season 7 Episode 10: ?

I don’t want to give the entire season away just yet, as I’ll be posting each episode in full detail, but I will fill in one more “event” from the outline above.

In the 7x06 Inside the Episode, David Benioff said something that I’ve always found very interesting.

“The whole path of the show, in some way, had been trying to map out all the episode endpoints and with this one, it was the dragon opening its blue eye. And realizing that the Night King has finally gotten his own weapon of mass destruction.”

This statement really made me think because a) it tells us how D&D planned the series - mapping everything out by episode endpoints. And b) Benioff doesn’t say “the ending of the penultimate episode of Season 7.” He just says, “this one.” So this tells me, if anything, D&D had always planned to kill Viserion and have the Night King raise him as his mount. BUT it also tells me this was always meant to happen in 7x06, regardless of when Season 7 ended….either at an Episode 7 or an Episode 10.

Season 7 Episode 1: ?

Season 7 Episode 2: ?

Season 7 Episode 3: ?

Season 7 Episode 4: ?

Season 7 Episode 5: ?

Season 7 Episode 6: ends with Wight!Viserion opening his blue eye

Season 7 Episode 7: ?

Season 7 Episode 8: ?

Season 7 Episode 9: The Battle For The Dawn

Season 7 Episode 10: ?

So what does each episode of the “Original Final Season 7″ look like? The following posts will be my rendering of a final, ten-episode Season 7 with explanations as to why certain events happen and why they’re likely based on the show canon, Seasons 7 and 8.

Without further adieu, here is what I believe to be the Original Final Season 7:

(Links to come weekly as I post each Episode, if link does not work immediately, just refresh a few times until it does. Two episodes today as Episode 1 is very short and familiar, Episode 3 next Tuesday!)

Original Final Season 7: Preface Post (Current Episode)

Season 7 Episode 1: Family, Duty, Honor

Season 7 Episode 2: Greywater Watch

Season 7 Episode 3: The Last of the Dragons

Season 7 Episode 4: Dragonglass

Season 7 Episode 5: The Storm

Season 7 Episode 6: Summerhall 

Season 7 Episode 7: A City Fit For A King

Season 7 Episode 8: Protectors of the Realm

Season 7 Episode 9: The Battle For The Dawn

Season 7 Episode 10: ?

[gra-sonas]

From show creator Carina MacKenzie, The CW series Roswell, New Mexico is back for Season 2, and Liz (Jeanine Mason) is torn between having her sister Rosa (Amber Midthunder) back and the sacrifice that Max (Nathan Parsons) made, in order for that to happen. And while Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Isobel (Lily Cowles) are struggling with their own grief over the death of Max, Rosa begins experiencing mysterious side effects from her resurrection, as she realizes that she’s been kept in the dark about what really happened the night that she died.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, showrunner/writer/executive producer Carina MacKenzie talked about how the death of her male lead was in her original pitch for the series, the interesting ways that they’ve made use of Nathan Parsons throughout the season, that the secrets pretty much all of the characters are keeping are going to blow up in their faces rather quickly, getting to explore the sister dynamic, that there will definitely be more Maria (Heather Hemmens) this season, her approach to exploring Michael’s bisexuality, how original Roswell star Jason Behr ended up doing a chunk of episodes, and what she’s most excited about with Season 2.

Collider: First of all, congratulations on already having a Season 3 renewal before the premiere of Season 2. That’s awesome.

CARINA MacKENZIE: Thank you! I think it’s awesome, except I’m so tired and I have to go back to work on Monday.

When you tell the powers that be, “Hey, I’m going to kill off my male lead and start Season 2 with him dead,” what was their reaction? Did they try to convince you to do something else?

MacKENZIE: This was actually part of my pitch, when I pitched Season 1, from the very beginning. I can’t remember if I told Nathan about it during the pilot episode or during when we were shooting the second episode, but it was the plan from the beginning, so they knew where we were going. I think they trust me on that stuff. I always make the joke that I’ve killed Nathan Parsons a lot on television and he always comes back, in one way or another. We started the series with Liz taking a bullet to the heart and with him saving her life. This is a show about a woman. It’s not a show about a man being the hero, all of the time. So, if that’s how we started our series, we wanted to turn the tables and say, “Okay, she doesn’t have superpowers the way that he has superpowers.” Our show is science fiction. It’s not about magic and witches and rituals. It’s about science. So if he somehow, within him, has the science to save her life, then somehow, she should be able to use that science to save his. The studio and network definitely were a little bit worried about how much we used Nathan Parsons because we pay him for every episode, no matter what, and you like to get your money’s worth. And so they were like, “Are we renegotiating his deal here?” But we did find interesting ways to use him throughout the season, whether it’s nightmares or flashbacks. I also made Nathan come in to do work that wasn’t even Max related. We had a character that we hadn’t cast yet, but we needed to see their hands, and I was like, “Okay, you come to work and be the hands.” Whenever we had a shadowy figure whose face you can’t see, I’d be like, “Hey, Nathan, come to work.” It was actually fun for him, I think, to get to be around when he wasn’t around, ‘cause he actually lives in Santa Fe, as opposed to some of the other cast members who live in L.A.

It seems as though everyone is really starting off the season with secrets and things that they’re hiding from each other. How will that affect things? How soon will those secrets really start blowing up in everybody’s faces?

MacKENZIE: Quickly, in different ways. Alex and Maria have a conversation that they need to have about the status of their relationships with Michael. Maria has been in the dark about a lot of things, including the fact that no one’s told her that Rosa is back, and she was incredibly close to Rosa. No one told her about Noah, and she was one of Noah’s victims. Secrets don’t stay buried very long on the show, so there will definitely be some fall out. But I also think that, in some cases, the fallout is gonna be what makes what makes the relationships stronger, as opposed to what weakens relationships.

With Rosa back, you really get to explore the sister dynamic now, in present day. What have you enjoyed about that relationship, and watching what Jeanine Mason and Amber Midthunder bring to that?

MacKENZIE: Well, they are amazing. Obviously, they look alike, which helps, but they also did a lot of work together to work on mannerisms that they could create for these girls to share. Right off the bat, in the pilot, they’re sharing a motel bed on their road trip, and they both sleep with one leg outside of the covers. Little things like that were things that the actors got together with us and we said, “Okay, how do we create this feeling of Rosa being a relatively new force in our present-day Roswell, but still show the audience how deep the history runs?” Working with Jeanine and Amber made that very easy.

You’ve previously talked about there being more Maria, in general, this season. What can you say about her storyline and what Heather Hemmens is bringing to it this season?

MacKENZIE: Heather is a goddess. She is the queen of my life. There is literally nothing that I’ve asked her to do that she hasn’t done, with full enthusiasm. I will say that we put Maria into situations that I don’t think the fans are going to see coming. I got a phone call from Heather once and she said, “I’m hearing a rumor that this might be happening in the next episode. Please tell me that’s not true.” And I was like, “Read the script and tell me what you think. We’ll change it if you hate it, but just read the script.” And then, when she read the script, she was like, “Oh, hell yes!” I know that I’m being incredibly cryptic, but we’re pushing boundaries with her character and we’re exploring all sides of her. We’re learning who she is, not just as Liz’s best friend, which was what it felt like throughout Season 1, but we’re learning who she is as a business owner, as a caretaker for her mother, as a friend, and as a girlfriend. We get to see a lot of sides of her, but one of the things that I’m excited about is that we put Maria and Isobel together a little bit more this season. They’ve got this really fun, long, deep history of just hating each other, for no real good reason, whereas the actresses, Lily [Cowles] and Heather, live together and love each other. So, it led to some really fun dynamics on screen.

One of the things that I love about Michael being a bisexual character is that it’s allowed you to explore two relationships with him, the one between Michael and Alex, and the one between Michael and Maria. What’s it like for you to get do that, be able to bring that to life, and to hear how people feel about being represented in that way?

MacKENZIE: The representation part of it is really important to me. It’s really important to me that it’s not portrayed like he’s having two relationships. He is a very honest character. When Michael keeps secrets, it is not because he wants to keep secrets. Michael’s not gonna be a person who’s cheating on anybody, ever. He’s not someone who leads people on, or wants to hurt anyone. And those relationships are very different. Michael and Alex’s relationship, the bulk of it, was the summer after their senior year of high school, and that was 10 years ago. There are obviously a lot of lingering feelings, and there have been some brief reconnections over the years, but he isn’t in a committed relationship with Alex. He’s also not yet in a committed relationship with Maria. But when Michael does commit to someone, it’s very important to him to be true to them and to be honest. That’s been my whole thing. We’re not playing this bisexual character as a promiscuous person who can’t decide what he wants, or who wants both, and who’s just flitting between the genders. He’s very much a lover. And it’s been cool for me to play him as the Joey Potter or the Felicity. He’s not the typical person in the center of a love triangle. The other thing that’s important, too, is that Alex and Maria aren’t rivals. They are people who have a very deep history with each other and who love each other very much. Later on, we tell a story where Maria admits that, when she was a little kid and Alex was her best friend, she always thought she was gonna grow up and marry Alex. So, there are a lot of layers to this, and we’ve made sure to tell it with respectfully because of the representation angle, but also, we’re not trying to tell a story about people that aren’t flawed and that don’t make mistakes and that don’t have any nuance to them. We’re telling a story about people who mess up sometimes and who have to emerge from that, just like anybody else.

It’s also very cool that you have Jason Behr coming onto the show for Season 2.

MacKENZIE: Yes, it is.

How did that come about? Did he agree to it, and then you wrote the character tailored to him, or did you write the character, and then try to convince him to do it?

MacKENZIE: I met Jason at Julie Plec’s birthday party, and literally sat talking to him for five hours, and I’m not exaggerating. Everyone, including the person who was throwing the party, had gone to bed, and Jason and I were still talking about work and art, and what inspires us as artists. He had watched the first season of the show and he said, “If you want me to come do a cameo, reach out.” I didn’t think he was serious, but I thought it was worth a try. And we had this character come up that was a pretty small character because I didn’t think Jason was gonna be interested in going back to work full time. He hasn’t, in a really long time. He’s a dad, and he’s very much rooted in L.A. But when I reached out to him about the character, he was so excited that he was like, “Well, I’ll stick around.” We developed a very rich backstory for this character. He has a very deep and complicated history, and a very interesting future. He ultimately appeared in five episodes out of 13, which is a lot, and he’s essential to the season. I also cannot say enough wonderful things about working with this man. I was expecting somebody to come in with some reluctance to revisit a reboot of something that he had worked really hard on 20 years ago, but there was no reluctance. He was immediately one of the gang. He gave everybody advice. He knows the show, inside and out. And we put him through the ringer. He did not have an easy time on the show, at all, and he never didn’t have a smile on his face doing it. If anybody, in the future, gets the chance to work with Jason Behr, jump at it ‘cause it was a dream. It was a literal dream. I had the guy’s poster in my locker when I was a kid.

What are you most excited about with what you’re getting to do in Season 2, and how you’re also working toward Season 3?

MacKENZIE: Season 1 was my first time as a showrunner, so I was nervous and I had a lot on my plate. With Season 2, I felt a lot steadier on my feet. With Season 2, I pushed the stories to be bolder and pushed us in directions that scared the crap out of me because I had more confidence that I, as a writer, would be able to rise to the challenge. I told some stories that shook some things up on the network, and that we had to really, really defend. They ultimately ended up being very supportive of us, but we definitely threw some surprises at our bosses, which we didn’t really do in the first season. So, bolder is the word. We are entering territory that’s a little more controversial, a little darker, and a little sexier, in some cases. I’m just seeing what I can get on The CW.

[x]

[iwroteinapastlife]

Change

So I was going through my wips and I found notes for this LadyNoir-centric fic I was planning to write once upon a time. Its main premise was completely negated by season 2, but I still really like the idea, so I wanted to share it with y’all! Enjoy <3

After finishing lycée, Marinette ends up going abroad to study fashion. The night before she leaves, she goes on patrol for the last time and finally tells Chat Noir she’s leaving. He does his best to be happy for her, but Ladybug can see the heartbreak in his eyes.

“I will gladly await your return, my lady,” he says, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. The gesture is so silly and she’s been rejecting it since the first day, but she knows she’ll miss it.

“I’m going to be gone for four years at least, Chat Noir.”

He smiles warmly at her, and she doesn’t think she’s ever seen such a genuine expression on his face. “You’re worth the wait.”

And so, she leaves. She keeps contact with Alya, but aside from that, she really falls out of touch with Paris in general. Most of her knowledge of what goes on comes from news that’s big enough to reach international coverage, and even then, she hardly ever tunes in.

Some months after she leaves, she sees clips on the news of a new hero that’s been named. She’s skeptic at first, because the new hero looks like Volpina, but after a couple months or so, she has to accept that Rena Rouge is real.

Sometime later, another one appears who calls herself Queen Bee. From what she sees on the news, she’s kind of glad she isn’t there working with this one. Chat Noir seems to get along with her well enough though and that’s good.

It’s been a couple years and she hasn’t been paying close attention, so when she hears about Carapace, she’s not even sure how long he’s been around. She’s surprised though, because he’s got the turtle miraculous—Master Fu’s miraculous. She calls him up in a panic, fearing the worst, and is relieved to learn that Master Fu is alive and well; he’s just training the new holder to be the next guardian.

Six years have passed when she finally makes her way back to Paris. After four years of university and two years of an internship, she’s finally ready to go back home and start up a life of her own.

Alya is different—older, more mature—but in some ways, she hasn’t changed a bit. She still runs the Ladyblog (she refuses to change the name, even if Ladybug hasn’t appeared for years), and she’s all too happy to spew everything she knows about the new heroes when Marinette asks. She’s especially proud of an exclusive interview she got with Carapace.

Watching the video on Alya’s phone, Marinette remarks that it looks like she could have a superhero boyfriend if she ever left Nino. To her surprise, Alya smiles with a certain spark in her eyes as she gazes at the screen and says, “He is cute, isn’t he?”

They’re out walking around on a nice day during her first week back when Marinette sees Chloé. She’s a fair distance away—thank goodness—and in the back of her mind, she thinks it strange that Chloé would just be casually hanging out in a public park, but that isn’t what strikes her. What strikes her is the completely genuine laughter Chloé seems to be sharing with the man whose arm is slung over her shoulders. The man with unmistakable red hair.

“That’s a thing?” she asks, unable to tear her eyes away. Alya follows her gaze just in time to see Chloé shove her cone of ice cream into Nathaniel’s face.

She laughs and Marinette is surprised by the lack of disgust or sarcasm or anything like that in her voice when she replies, “Yeah, that’s been a thing for a few years now.”

Years?

Nathaniel leans forward and starts trying to rub the ice cream off on Chloé’s face. Marinette can hear their laughter from here.

Her confusion must read loud and clear because Alya gives her an almost pitiful look. “You’ve been gone a long time, girl. Things change.”

That’s certainly true when she sees Chat Noir for the first time. She’s been seeing pictures of him this whole time of course—she knew he got taller, buffer, grew out his hair—but the cameras didn’t prepare her for this.

He’s still her Chat Noir though, she thinks, because when his eyes finally find her, there is absolutely nothing different in that stupid grin of his.

Except maybe the way it stirs in her stomach.

Ladybug finds herself so unexpectedly relieved to just sit on the Eifel tower and talk with him for hours on end. Being with him was always easy, and she’s so very thankful that that isn’t one of the things that’s changed.

Then the others show up.

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee are almost annoying in how excited they are to meet her. It’s been a long time since she’s had to put on a polite smile for fans, and she really wasn’t expecting to have to do that with other heroes. At least Queen Bee isn’t as obnoxious as she seemed back when she first appeared.

Carapace is a lot easier to interact with, though it’s a little unsettling how he seems to see right through her. He’s got that same insightful gaze that Master Fu has and she doesn’t know how, but she’s absolutely positive that he already knows her identity by the time he shakes her hand.

She soon mentally retracts her earlier statement to Alya, because it’s clear that Carapace only has eyes for Rena Rouge, and her him. It’s sweet how they look at each other, but at the same time, she can’t imagine dating someone who she didn’t know outside of a mask. She thinks that would be endlessly frustrating.

It doesn’t take long at all for Ladybug to start feeling like a fifth wheel—like, minutes. The others have their own established dynamic that she’s not a part of. And…they all seem so close. Way more close than she and Chat Noir ever were. They speak and joke with such ease, almost as if…as if they’re all best friends.

Toward the end of the night, Queen Bee is gearing up to leave when she points back at Chat Noir. “Remember, 8 o’clock. Sharp. Don’t keep us waiting again or we will leave without you.”

He rolls his eyes with an easy smile. “Your threats don’t work on me, Bee. I know he’s nice enough not to ditch me.”

“Yeah, yeah, just don’t be late.”

“I won’t. I’ll see you tonight.”

Then it’s just her and Chat Noir. “Tonight?” she asks.

“Yeah, I have dinner plans with her and her boyfriend.”

She’s confused for a few seconds—trying to wrap her mind around this image of two superheroes and a civilian just casually eating in a sit down restaurant out in public—when she finally understands.

“Oh my god,” she whispers, eyes wide. “You know each other’s identities.”

That easy smile fades from his lips and he just watches her with this almost sad understanding. “Yes,” he says quietly. “We all do.”

“All of you?” His eyes dart away from hers, almost as if flinching, and she hates how disappointed but unsurprised he looks.

“Yeah. All of us.”

She’s shocked, to say the least, but even worse, she feels almost betrayed. And she hates that feeling because she knows it doesn’t make sense. She knows she was the one who insisted they keep their identities a secret. Of course he shared his identity with these new heroes.

“It’s safe, you know,” he says quietly. He tentatively brings his eyes back to hers and she’s so very frightened by the unspoken plea swimming behind them. “We’ve known for years now. If anything, it’s made us more cohesive as a team. And it makes communication a lot easier. Plus if we’re ever stuck somewhere as a civilian, we can help each other out. Like this one time—,”

“Stop.”

He does.

She has to look away from that hurt in his eyes. It’s too calm, too long-standing of a hurt.

She can’t handle this right now. She feels like the ground under her feet has been stolen. “I have to go.”

He doesn’t stop her.

Things from then on are weird, to say the least. She feels out of place fighting alongside this team. An outsider. They’re all nice enough, and they seem enthusiastic to work with her. But they don’t know her. They know each other.

Queen Bee and Rena Rouge don’t understand why she won’t just reveal her identity.

“What’s the big deal?” Queen Bee asks. “It’s not like you’re some wanted criminal or something.”

“I bet you’re totally cool as a civilian!” Rena Rouge says.

Carapace assures her it’s safe, but he doesn’t push it. And Chat Noir just closes up whenever the topic comes up.

It’s just the two of them watching the sunset from the top of the Eifel Tower one night when she asks the question that’s been on her mind for months. “How’d it happen?”

He smiles fondly. “Queen Bee figured me out less than a week after she started.”

“You knew her?”

He nods. “We were best friends.”

The thought seems so foreign to her. She knew Chat Noir was around her age, but she had never considered him possibly being part of her civilian life.

“We didn’t tell the others that we knew for a while,” he continues. “But after it saved us from more than a few close calls, we decided it might be a good idea if everyone knew each other.”

“And the others? Did you know them?”

“Yep. We were already friends.” He laughs lightly. “And I can’t even describe the relief on Carapace and Rena’s faces when they realized they were already dating each other.”

Ladybug feels a pit drop in her stomach. As if she didn’t already feel like enough of an outsider, all of them were already friends as civilians before this even happened. What about her? What if she didn’t even know them? Or worse, what if…

“What if I tell you who I am and it turns out that you hate me?” Her body feels like it’s shaking under her skin, finally admitting her fear out loud. She can feel Chat Noir’s gaze on her, but she keeps her eyes on the horizon.

“I don’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do know that. Because I don’t hate anyone.” She looks at him then with a frown that asks him to take this seriously. His expression melts into a gentle smile. “Even if I hate you as a civilian—which I don’t—then…” he shrugs, “I’m wrong.”

He hasn’t flirted with her in that obnoxious way he used to since she returned, but looking back and forth between those green eyes in that moment, she knows he kept to his word.

“You really did wait, didn’t you?” she asks.

“I meant it when I said you were worth it.”

“And you still think that’s true? When I won’t even tell you who I am?”

He doesn’t hesitate. “I do.”

Ladybug has to swallow down a lump in her throat. She looks out at the sunset again, unable to handle the heavy weight of that loving green.

“I’ll tell you someday,” she finally whispers as the sun disappears below the horizon. “I’m not ready yet. But I will be.”

She looks up again as he takes her hand and presses a delicate kiss to her knuckles. “I will gladly await that day, my lady.”

Ladybug smiles. She was right; she did miss that.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

So NR just tweeted an article about a potential love between Daryl and Connie. Which got all the C@ryl 1.0 fans upset (and I'm secretly amused by). My question: Has NR done this before with non Bethyl tweets? Like tweeting articles about Rickyl, Dixonne? Cause while I don't believe C@ryl 1.0 or 2.0 is the endgame, it'll make me feel better to know this is just NR tweeting carelessly. Cause I KNOW Beth is coming back and I don't want to have a weird love triangle when this happens. That b awkward

Okay guys, I know I said I’d get my Details post posted today, but it’s super long and while it’s almost finished–just have to format–my day is turning out to be crazier than I thought and I’m not sure when I’ll get it finished. Maybe not until later tonight. 

In the meantime, I’m getting a TON of questions and concerns about what Norman tweeted yesterday, so I’m hijacking these Asks to say a quick word about it.

For those who don’t know, Norman tweeted a link to one of the Daryl/Connie romance theories yesterday. Now everyone is freaked out. But don’t be. I’m not.

1) I stick by what I said in my post about last week’s episode when they took off together. No way anyone–Norman or AMC–would spoil something as big as a romance for Daryl. They’d be very hush-hush about it. So the more they push it, the more convinced I am that it won’t happen.

2) Did you notice that the two of them are no longer alone together by the end of this episode? It does look like they have more scenes together in next week’s episode, but they’re carting Henry and Lydia along now. What are they gonna do? Just start rolling around in the woods, when they barely know one another, with two teenagers looking on? Yeah, really, REALLY not. 

3) I’ll admit I did wonder why Norman tweeted this. I never assumed it was because Daryl and Connie will happen on the show, but I wondered what his thought process behind this was. Again, he wouldn’t post something potentially spoilery without AMC’s blessing, so why are THEY pushing this? I have two basic ideas.

A) We’ve discussed in my group that this might be a bait and switch. We’re already seeing Beth/Connie parallels, so symbolically, Connie = Beth. So this might be a way to symbolically point to Beth coming, without actually saying that. Because obviously they couldn’t do that. 

B) As Nonny #2 said, other ships have put a lot of nasty comments on his post. When I saw that, I realized it probably has something to do with that, too. Especially one particular Dark Ship. We all know AMC has tried hard to let them down gently in past seasons with interviews and such, but they’re just not getting it. Or at least not accepting it. So I think it’s possible this is yet another way to let them know that any romance Daryl has won’t be with Carol, but with someone else. I don’t think it will be Connie, but the point is that he’s trying to prepare them for Daryl having a romance with someone ELSE. 

And that begs the question, why would he feel the need to do this now, where he hasn’t done it in other seasons? Could it be that he’s preparing them for a Daryl romance that’s…coming soon? Let’s hope so.

So I hope this helps everyone who has concerns about this. 

Let me answer the actual questions from above. I don’t think Norman, or anyone officially part of the show, has ever tweeted or otherwise posted actual spoilers. I honestly can’t remember if he ever posted anything Bethyl related, but even if he did, I doubt it was before the whole thing happened. I certainly don’t remember seeing anyone post Richonne theories or Sashraham theories, etc. before that happened, so I think it’s safe to say that if he’s posting this, it probably won’t happen. Real romances on the show are kept secret until they happen. Or at least until the spoiler site gets a hold of the script and reports them a few days before the episode airs. 

(And for the record, though they probably don’t have all the scripts for the rest of the season yet, the spoiler site hasn’t reported anything at all about Daryl and Connie.)

And for Nonny #2, I can’t stop laughing at the implication that Emily is in on some kind of conspiracy. Yeah, after all these years, Emily forced Norman to post this, just to piss off the Carylers. 😆😆😆 Cuz THAT’S super grounded in reality.

Anyway, everyone have a great day. I’ll get my Details post done ASAP, but it probably won’t be posted until later tonight. Xoxo! 💖

[lioncunt]

Why do you think Klance will be canon? I read somewhere you though it was the most logical conclusion, could you outline your thoughts? Or if you already have, could you add a link to your post?

I have written about it before but I’ll put down my new thoughts to include season 6. I’ve never been certain of it, keep in mind, it just always has seemed like an inevitable thing based on every single thing we’ve been told about the show and characters, no matter what angle i’ve looked at it from.

So, here’s what we had been given on romance in the show:

-they were planning a slow burn with all romances

-endgame romances couldn’t really happen with all the space plot stuff going on

-lance’s love interest will be someone lance needs, rather than what he wants, and will get him to a place opposite of where he started. they will be self assured and confident, in order to help HIM be more confident and help him with his insecurity. jeremy shada said that lance would fall in love with someone a little bit and like having one person rather than just going all over the place, and he would mature in all ways.

-when asked in a post-season 2 interview about keith and allura’s development, steven yeun replied “I like playing this mystery of where the romance is. I don’t know where it is. It could be between anybody. That’s the natural evolution of this relationship. Even as a friendship, it has fits and turns and ups and downs. I think this is the beginning of a wonderful, wonderful storyline.”

What we get from this is that all the endgame romances will take massive amounts of time to develop properly, and since they are slowburn, it really can’t be with characters introduced far past the halfway point, cause that’s the opposite of slowburn. we also know that they couldn’t really explore ANY romance that wasn’t relevant to the galra plot. lotura is an exception, because it was literally the foundation of the plot in seasons 5 and 6, so they were able to fully go there. but other possible romances have been inching along at a snail’s pace.

Now, in season 6, allura and lance’s relationship has been getting a LOT of focus. i ship this heavily, but in this season I personally was put off by the way their scenes were written and how they reacted to one another. this isn’t evidence that it’s not going to happen, because these are all my subjective opinions and that’s NOT factual, but if you’re interested in why I feel this way, I’ve written about it a lot in the last few days, just do a search on my blog.

so, my opinions aside, there was a lot of focus on their relationship.

but we can look back and see all those keith/allura scenes in season 2, when everyone was certain THEY were going to end up together. in season 1, people were sure it was going to be allura/shiro, before allura was revealed to be in the teen paladins’ age group. it changes literally every season. this is the most it’s ever been, because lance canonically is in love with her, but it’s still just more of the same.

I’ve said it before, but any and all endgame romance in the show will be limited to keith, lance, and allura. pidge is too young for any of them and hasn’t had a single serious one-on-one interaction with any of them, shiro is too old and is seen as a mentor/brother figure, and hunk is linked to shay. any side character hasn’t had enough development, and it’s too late to properly develop a relationship with a brand new character. so, romances are only possible between those 3 – and we’ve already seen this come into play, what with the ship fodder for their various combinations in every single season. and steven yeun even said it himself - “it could be between anyone.” 

now, before season 6, I would have said immediately that it would be keith/lance, because allura doesn’t fit the description of lance’s love interest (and he’s the only character confirmed to have one). he’s wanted her since episode 1, so how could she possibly be not what he wants, but what he needs? however, since season 6, you could also read it as that he’s wanted tons of girls, but he really needs just one. this is where one half of my brain is at right now.

the other half of my brain can’t stop thinking about the lgbt rep.

you can cry “queerbaiting!” all you want, but the fact of the matter is that they wouldn’t be so secretive about it if it weren’t happening and if it weren’t main characters. here’s literally everything that’s ever been said on the subject:

Pre season 1 Tim Hedrick (head writer) interview: http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/voltron/256121/creating-voltron-legendary-defender/page/0/1

So you worked on Legend of Korra and that show really broke ground with having Korra and Asami get together at the end of the series. Will we be seeing any LGBT content in Voltron?

“I think I’ll just let that play out as we go. No comment on that question.”

–

Fan interaction with Jeremy Shada right as season 3 came out: http://emerald-trash.tumblr.com/post/163610844403/so-today-i-got-to-meet-jeremy-shada-at-tbcc-i

So today I got to meet Jeremy Shada at TBCC. I made him a little doll of his character just like I did for Josh Keaton. I was so nervous but Jeremy was super nice and friendly! He loved the doll thankfully. I asked him about lgbt representation in voltron and his response was “I can’t say, but don’t worry. You’ll be happy.” Just the hope alone makes me happy lol

–

NYCC post season 3 panel question: https://vld-news.tumblr.com/post/166188210767/nycc-panel-quote

Fan Question: I know you can’t go into any specifics, or name any characters, but I was wondering if we will be seeing any LGBT representation in the Voltron universe before the show ends?

Joaquim: Lauren?

Kimberly: Ah, that’s a good question.

Joaquim: That’s a really good question.

Lauren: I think— You know, I think it’s something that is super important to us.

Joaquim: It’s very important to us. Um, you know, obviously I think what’s great about our community is that, you can pretty much tell whatever story you want to tell and put whatever you want to see into these characters. And just know that, from our perspective, we’re fighting to create as open and as broad a spectrum of characters as we can. So, um, yea. We—

Lauren: We can’t give you any definite answers, but we are super—

Joaquim: We are advocates, and we are fighting for as open and as broad a spectrum of characters as we can create.

–

Shada has also said some things on the subject that were illegally recorded and shouldn’t be repeated, but in short, there IS lgbt rep, it’s between two characters, and it’s apparently such a big deal that it would LITERALLY SPOIL PLOTLINES AND CAN’T BE TALKED ABOUT.

they’ve revealed info about the characters before. they said lance was cuban mere months after season 1 was released, even though that information wouldn’t come up in the show until years later. that could have been considered a spoiler. but no, it didn’t have to do with any actual plotline, so it was easily shared information to make people happy about good rep.

if the lgbt rep weren’t a big deal, they would tell us. they would at least say there’s definitely going to be some. i mean, people ask about it so fucking much, i’m sure they would say what it is if it would get fans to shut up.

and even before there was a fandom, tim hedrick said he would just let it play out as it goes, meaning it’s THERE and he wants people to watch the show and react to it naturally.

something else that i’ve said before – let’s go through the main characters one by one to determine who it could possibly be:

-pidge: has shown no interaction with any girl her age, and the creators have said that “if you want to see her as trans, you can” which is coding, NOT rep. plus, they did that in season 1, and they still won’t talk about the lgbt rep. she’s out.

-shiro: has shown no interaction with any guy his age. i originally thought it would be him and matt, but matt turned out to be younger than him and they haven’t interacted at all since matt came back. a husband back at home wouldn’t be a BIGGGGG SPOILER THAT THEY CAN’T CONFIRM OR DENY. he’s out.

-hunk: linked to shay. out.

-coran: has shown no interaction with any man his age currently. interacted in the past with alfor, but he’s dead, and the lgbt rep is a major plotline that can’t be spoiled. out.

-allura: has shown no interaction with any single girl her age. she interacted with shay, but shay is linked to hunk. unfortunately, i think romelle is too new a character for them to properly develop a relationship between them. out.

-lance: yall know.

-keith: yall know.

LITERALLY who could it possibly be besides keith and lance?? like i said, they wouldn’t be so hush-hush if it weren’t main characters and if it weren’t a huge plotline. i cannot think of a single other option. and anytime anyone’s tried to GIVE me another option, i just immediately disprove it. plus the fact that keith is super insanely self assured and confident now with his additional 2 years, his mom, and his brother safe and sound. he’s exactly what lance needs.

so that’s where the other half of my brain is.

I MEAN i really can’t be sure anymore. if you just go by romance alone it could totally be like allura/lance and keith/romelle or some other terrible het keith ship. or they could go back and rekindle keith/allura and do lance/romelle. but then when you factor in the elusive lgbt rep, there is no other fucking option than keith/lance. 

and if one of yall dumbasses comes on this post crying “sh*ith!!” i’ll come to your house and piss on your lawn.

[aion-rsa]

WandaVision: What Big Marvel Cameos Could Happen?

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This article contains spoilers for WandaVision and the broader MCU.

During a recent interview, WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen teased that we’re about to see a Mandalorian-level cameo happen in the Marvel series. Without fully spoiling the cameo she was referencing, it was a fan favorite from the Star Wars franchise who emerged in Mando’s Season 2 finale.

WandaVision featuring some notable guest stars hasn’t been a massive secret up until now, and a report that arrived way, way ahead of the premiere suggested that Evan Peters was about to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though it wasn’t known if the actor would play the X-Men version of Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver or not in the Disney+ show.

Olsen’s WandaVision co-star Paul Bettany built yet more hype around one particular addition to the series – possibly someone different to who Olsen was thinking of – and it didn’t really seem like he was talking about Peters.

“I work with this actor that I’ve always wanted to work with and we have fireworks together, the scenes are great and I think people are going to be really excited,” Bettany told the Lights Camera Barstool podcast. “I’ve always wanted to work with this guy and the scenes are pretty intense.”

Bettany also acknowledged some surprises from WandaVision had already leaked, but that the series was building up to a massive finale. “There were more special effects requirements for our TV show than there were for Endgame.”

WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer wasn’t keen to reveal who either Bettany or Olsen were referring to, but confirmed to TVLine that “there are so many surprises left in store” and that fans should settle in “because there’s more coming.”

Let’s have a look at some big potential cameos that could happen in WandaVision’s second half. Judging by Bettany and Olsen’s comments, they could be brand-new to the MCU or returning stars.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver

Though Evan Peters’ inclusion in WandaVision is practically a dead cert at this stage, the opportunity to bring Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s MCU version of Pietro Maximoff back for a cameo in the series could result in a much deeper connection to Wanda herself. The seeds of a potential Pietro return were sown in episode 3 of the Marvel spinoff series when Monica Rambeau – posing as ‘Geraldine’ – accidentally jolted Wanda out of her sitcom daze and back to reality by mentioning that her twin brother had previously been killed by Tony Stark’s villainous murder-bot, Ultron.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

We’ve been told that the events of WandaVision and Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are directly connected, so the most reasonable assumption when it comes to a big upcoming cameo is that Stephen Strange will arrive at some point to tackle the mystical wildness going on in Westview.

But since there’s been chatter about Cumberbatch appearing in the show for some time, Strange being part of the proceedings wouldn’t be either a massive surprise or a particularly thrilling reveal at the end of the day, would it?

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

Logan was confirmed to be Hugh Jackman’s swansong as his iconic X-Men character, but how hard would Marvel Studios have to push to get him back in action as Wolverine in the MCU? Kevin Feige hasn’t really shown any signs of tackling the X-Men again just yet, nor in fact mutants in general as part of the MCU’s reality, so Jackman reprising his role here would be firmly placed in the “unlikely” column.

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool

Could Ryan Reynolds make a tongue-in-cheek cameo as Deadpool? It does seem like a longshot. The meta setup of WandaVision is arguably the perfect place for Wade Wilson’s antihero to pop up and deliver a few fourth wall-breaking lines to camera, but the chances of Deadpool appearing so far in advance of his own MCU sequel feel fairly slim. Still, we’d love to see the Merc with a Mouth take stock of these strange sitcom scenes – where would he even start?

Michael Fassbender/ Ian McKellen as Magneto

For quite a while in Marvel Comics, Wanda Maximoff was thought to be the daughter of on-off X-Men villain Magneto, played by both Michael Fassbender and Sir Ian McKellen in Fox’s movie franchise. Wanda’s backstory has since been retconned, but there’s a sly joke about Evan Peters’ Pietro Maximoff being Erik’s son in the X-Men films. Could they re(re)retcon Scarlet Witch’s origins to bring back Magneto in WandaVision?

Er, we can likely put this on the Probably Not pile.

Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius

Kaecilius bid the world an unhappy farewell during the climax of Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange solo movie. The former Master of the Mystic Arts accidentally got his wish granted to live out the rest of eternity as part of Dormammu’s non-stop torment party in the Dark Dimension thanks to Doctor Strange’s time loop shenanigans, but fans of the actor who played the villain – Mads Mikkelsen – thought that dispatching him so early on in Strange’s evolution was a bit of a mistake. After all, why have just one injection of beloved Hannibal star Mikkelsen on screen when you can have, well, a lot more than one?

So, could Wanda messing with reality give Kaecilius an opportunity to escape Dormammu’s clutches and finally have his revenge? Hmm.

Patrick Stewart/James McAvoy as Charles Xavier

Much like Magneto, Charles Xavier has ties to Scarlet Witch in the comics, and if Wanda breaks down the walls between realities too far, we could start to see them bleed into each other, paving the way for an X-Men introduction in WandaVision. It’d be delightful to see either of these Professor X actors make a cameo during the show’s final episodes, but much like Magneto it could be quite far-fetched.

Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr appeared confident that he was completely done playing Iron Man in the MCU when Phase 3 wrapped up in 2019, but there could surely be no bigger surprise cameo in Disney+’s first Marvel spinoff series than an unlikely return by Tony Stark.

The question is, how could Iron Man possibly come back in WandaVision after he sacrificed his life at the end of Avengers: Endgame, and would it conceivably lead to more appearances by Downer Jr down the road?

Speaking of further appearances from someone we thought had left the MCU for good…

Chris Evans as Captain America

Deadline had some surprising news back in January when it published an exclusive report that claimed Chris Evans was in talks to reprise his role as Captain America in the MCU. It was teased that Steve Rogers could return in various future Marvel movies and shows as a sort of mentor for some of the other characters going forward.

It’s arguably way too early for Evans to show his face in WandaVision, and since Olsen and Bettany indicate that their show’s big cameos have yet to leak, Evans being “the one” should be put on the furthest backburner for now.

Keanu Reeves as Take Your Pick

We don’t yet know if WandaVision’s huge cameo will be from an already-established MCU character, though reports likening it to that of The Mandalorian’s season finale showstopper certainly indicate that it could be. This could all be a little sprinkle of distraction from Olsen and co., however, and a way to keep our minds off the introduction of a new villain who will connect the series to Doctor Strange 2.

Mephisto, Grim Reaper and Nightmare could all be nefarious additions to the MCU in Phase 4, and who better to play one of them than everyone’s favorite puppy avenger, Keanu Reeves? Reeves was close to joining the MCU in 2019’s Captain Marvel as Yon-Rogg before Jude Law landed the part. Has the in-demand actor continued to hold out for a meatier villain role?

Tom Cruise as Iron Man

Rumors that Tom Cruise has been desperate to join the MCU have been circulating for what seems like aeons. We doubt the man’s hurting for cash, but he did have designs on the Iron Man role before Downey Jr laid his claim, and there were definitely whisperings around the time of production on WandaVision that Marvel was trying to tempt Cruise aboard as an alternate reality version of Tony Stark for an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Since WandaVision sets up the events of the now-filming sequel, could it be Cruise’s brief appearance that Olsen and Bettany are excited about us seeing? Bettany did describe filming with the actor in question as “intense” and that certainly lines up with the experiences other people working with Cruise have had to date.

Have you thought of any other potential suspects who aren’t listed here? Let us know in the comments.

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from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2LjRldA

[the-real-xmonster]

Got this question from @seimeiyuzu​:

Massimiliano Ambesi‏ (https://twitter.com/max_ambesi) said:  - “In my opinion, 4 Lutz will be the first jump in #yuzuruhanyu ’s free skate.Then 4Lo, 3F, 4S, 4T/3T, 4T/Lo/3S, 3A/3Lo(in my dream) or 2T, 3A.” You think he’s right? Yuzu planned 4Lo, 4S, 4S3T, 4TLo3S, 4T. Can Yuzu add 4Lz yet? I’m full of concern, because Javi adds 4Lo, Shoma is practicing 4Lz (I think he wants to add?). And how many quads will Nathan and Boyang have? Do you think Yuzu needs 4Lz in this season? 

It’s a topic I love to talk about so, with permission, I’m answering this through a post :) 

Yes, I agree with most of Max’s prediction (bless his soul). My own forecast of Yuzuru’s FS jump layout this season is only slightly different from what Max said: 4Lz / 4Lo / 3F || 4S+3T / 4T / 4T+1Lo+3S / 3A+2T / 3A. Yuzu’s trajectory in the last couple of seasons has been to gradually upgrade triple jumps to their quad version (from 11-12 to 12-13: traded 3S for 4S, from 15-16 to 16-17: traded 3Lo for 4Lo). From what I saw in the news about Seimei 2.0, he did a 3A at the same music passage where he used to do a 3Lz in Seimei 1.0, complete with the same exit even, so yes, I’m pretty convinced #yolo3A as final jumping pass is a thing, and the 3Lz will be upgraded to a quad.

Can Yuzu add a 4Lz yet? Oh yes he can. That 4Lz has been in the making for longer than I can remember, going back at least as far as the 4Lo and likely even further. He has been quite reticent about showing off his 4Lz so we’ve ever had one official glimpse of it thus far (*sob*), but I think the reason why he’s much more willing to display the 4Lo is because, for a long time, he was the only person in the world who can routinely land it. The 4Lz doesn’t get the spotlight because there are already other skaters landing it in competition. Going by Yuzu’s usual attitude, he doesn’t like to show off a jump unless he is reasonably sure it’s going to impress (which, by Yuzu’s standard, is something along the line of “watch me land this jump nobody else can land, and make it so fine I can follow it up with a 3A”). 

(did I absolutely have to gif this magical sequence and shove it in your face, no I didn’t have to, but I needed to, because it’s magical that’s why)

Yet, he did go out of his way to show us that one precious glimpse of his 4Lz at the WTT practice, so I’m sure he’s reached a point where he’s confident enough about the quality of that jump.

(perfect takeoff, amazing height, but try harder on the landing next time please, Yuzu *smh*)

Regarding the rest of our top 6, yes I heard Javi is going to add a 4Lo, and Shoma is considering a 4Lz (I might’ve read somewhere that he’s going for 5 quads regardless of whether the 4Lz is included or not - he doesn’t need the 4Lz to go to 5 anyway, he can do 2x4F, 2x4T, plus one 4Lo). I think Nathan will stick to a 6-quad layout (7 quads will be borderline suicidal, even for him) and Boyang will likely add one more to make it 5 quads total. Wait, did we both just casually leave out Patrick? I guess he will be aiming for 4 quads at least to stay in contention. Don’t know how reliable the rumor of him working the 4F is, but as it is right now, to make it to 4, he can add another 4S to his layout.  

As to whether Yuzu needs a 4Lz this season, yes he absolutely does. I mean, c’mon, he’s recycling both his short and long programs so the choreography is pretty much taken care of, if he doesn’t work on more difficult jumps, what’s he gonna do from now until the Olympics? Either he adds the 4Lz, or he somehow shows me a fully rotated back counter quad Axel by the end of this season, I’m not settling for anything less! 

Joking aside, well, in theory, Yuzu doesn’t really need a 4Lz. He can totally construct a 5-quad layout using the 3 types he currently has in his official repertoire (4Lo, 2x4S, 2x4T for example). Using a 4Lz instead of a 4S or a 4T will give him about 3 extra points in BV, but we all know BV isn’t everything. Yuzu didn’t have the highest BV last season and he’s not going to have that this season either, but it hasn’t prevented him from winning events and setting records. In fact, even with the general inflation in scoring last season, we still haven’t seen anyone except Yuzu himself topping the score of 3-quad Seimei at GPF 2015. 

Considering all that, I’d advise that you need not be concerned with how other competitors’ strategy and layout might affect Yuzu’s chance of winning, because most likely, they won’t. This might come out sounding obnoxious, but I believe whether or not Yuzu wins any event is entirely up to him and him alone. If he delivers 2 flawless programs, he wins, and I think Yuzu himself is very much aware of that. I, for once in my life, am not (pardon my French) shitting bricks when I think about him. According to all recent interviews and public appearances, he’s healthy, well-rested, well-prepared, happy with his choices of programs, and is eager to win. As I recall all the ups and downs of last season, I also realize that Yuzuru is in this perfect mental state because he has learned a lot during 2016-2017, including but not limited to: how to cope with disappointment, how to overcome pressure internal and external, how to structure a program on the fly (*cough* 4CC *cough*), and how to, once again, be on top of the world. I read that he told Brian, before the season started last year, to please allow him to make all the mistakes he could make before the Olympic season - a piece of wisdom worthy of the ages, I’d say :)        

[roslinadama-sinequanon]

Major Crimes-Sanctuary City Part 3

I’m not going to get into too much about the illness angle in this episode because I already did an in depth analysis on my different takes on what it could be, but I will of course touch on them.

I know there has been a lot of talk about the lack of any Shandy so far in these three episodes, and oh yeah, that is the truth. But it isn’t just a lack of Shandy. It’s a lack of any sort of connection at all between Sharon and Andy. And that leads me to--

What happened to Andy Flynn? I feel like they have taken Andy’s spark away. Where is the brash wise cracking guy or the one with a sweet charming smile to buck up his lady? They are giving Wes all the lines that typically would have been Andy’s and Andy just seems like he’s standing around with a serious look on his face going through the motions. What gives? Is it because they want to give the other actors more now, because Andy will be more of a focus in the wedding? I don’t know, but I’m not liking that.

I did like the pace of this episode and especially the tension between Sharon and Father Stan, though I am hoping they are able to work things out. I liked Stan. I hope I like him again.

On to the episode...

“I have to say, Sharon, this is not the way I expected to be treated.” “Obstruction of justice is an extremely serious charge.” “Attempting to break the sacred bond between a penitent and a priest is not merely sacrilegious it’s grounds for ex-communication.”

This is getting heated and as soon as it got emotional, Sharon had her first of what I’ll refer to as “episodes” with blurry vision. But it only lasted a few seconds. A check mark to all of us who knew episode 2 was just a red herring, lulling us into a false sense of comfort before we got hit in this episode--and while we have yet to get the final blow, we did get pummeled with seven “episodes” making it pretty obvious that this is not something that is going away. Anyway, back to Sharon and Stan. Tossing out the ex-communication to a woman that Stan knows as devout and faithful was a really low blow. Sharon flinched when he said that.

“Consider how ex-communicating the investigator responsible for finding the boys would sound to the media.”

Provenza doesn’t give a rat’s ass about religion and has nothing but contempt for the Catholic Church but the minute Stan suggests ex-communicating Sharon he jumps to her defense.

“Couldn’t fit all three bodies in the trunk?” “That’s morbid Sharon.”

We can see how pissed Sharon’s getting.  Until this point Sharon and Father Stan had been dealing with each other respectfully, but Father Stan’s defensiveness and condescension has gotten Sharon’s hackles up and she isn’t giving an inch. And instead of her team tossing off the pithy comments she has joined in.

“Julio, oh my goodness. You have five more days of bereavement left.”

It was great to see how happy everyone was to see Julio. I especially liked the way Andy lit up. Something has felt strange this season when it comes to Andy. I feel like he is being sidelined so they can focus more on Wes. Wes is given all Andy’s great sarcastic lines and Andy just seems to be standing around not doing much of anything or just being rather bland in the interviews. Where is the old Andy spark? Having Julio back might change some of the dynamic. At times, with Wes and Cami and the FBI agents taking up a lot of time, it hasn’t felt much like Major Crimes. But now with Julio back it’s feeling a little more like home.

And of course, I can’t not comment on Sharon’s big hug. The first time she hugged Julio(when she commented on the team having no sense of occasion) he was completely shocked and stiff. This time, he was a little stiff but I think he enjoyed it and has gotten used to Sharon’s warmth and affection. Who would have ever thought this about her when we first met her on TC?

“Having Mark ask me if any more boys got kidnapped. He’s afraid to go back to St. Joseph’s.”

How cool is it that Mark goes to the same school where Sharon’s kids went. Wonder if she recommended it. And I love the idea of Sharon and Julio sitting in church together since they attend the same church. I’d like to have a scene between Sharon and Julio about what is happening with their church and the priests and the case etc. I think Sharon and Andy could also have this conversation since Andy is also a Catholic, however, I have a feeling that Julio is probably more devout in the way that Sharon is.

“Are you a spy?”

I love how blunt Julio is. And why does Cami always have the same look on her face, as if she just smelled something bad.

“Are you okay?”

This is where we get Sharon’s second episode of blurry vision and this time Andy sees it. He even puts a hand on her arm. When Sharon starts to move forward, he actually steps toward her as if he was afraid she was going to fall or something, but she’s already perfectly fine again. It seems strangely out of character for Andy not to be more worried. He would protect her privacy and not say anything out there, especially because she was able to collect herself so quickly, but I would think he would pull her aside as soon as could and question her about what’s going on.

“One of the LAPD’s main missions is to stop teenagers from dating each other.”

Great line. It’s nice to see Andy interviewing with Wes, but why is Wes getting the lines that would typically go to Andy? At the very least, Andy would have grinned at the line, but he seems very serious lately. Is it all because he’s worried about Sharon? It makes me sad, because Andy was always such a vital character; it’s as if they took his spark away.

“This story is going to make the church very angry.” “What are they going to do, UN-Christen us?” “I’m not a Catholic.” “I am.”

This is the first time that Sharon has revealed some discomfort between her job and her faith. She has been able to keep them separated and has dealt with the church as she would any other organization that she was investigating, however,  I think Father Stan really got to her with the possibility of ex-communication.

“Why would he come back after getting away completely?”

I know this storyline is going to heat up, but right now, I just don’t care. We’ve pretty much been told it’s all going to be about Rusty so now I’m just sort of “meh” about it. And when it comes to serial killers, a lot of what they do is for the thrill, the game. They want to come close to getting caught, they want to taunt the police and the FBI so I don’t think it’s so strange that Stroh came back. He feeds off being one-step ahead of the cops and must have been bored in Europe.

“Father Jonas is a known mother-lover”

Again, something Andy would say. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind Wes getting a smart-ass line IF Andy still gets some. Right now it’s all Wes and zero Andy.

Interesting that they were all so convinced that Jonas was after the boys when he was really after their moms. Sharon had commented on the less than priestly hug Jonas gave one of the mom’s but no one really latched on to that.

“Who might only want out of his back child support payments.”

Here is Sharon’s third episode, rubbing her temple as if her head hurt. Was it a little Jack flashback?

“While we’re in the alibi business let’s get one more.”

Sharon episode four. She has trouble rising. Again, Andy is there and again, he has a tense face, but he does not express his concern or seem overly worried.

“In the name of the father, the son, the holy spirit, Amen.”

I love the visual of Sharon striding up the church stairs in her high heels, so determined. God, I wish I had her legs. Anyway, she had no problem climbing those stairs. Inside, she quickly blesses herself and starts off toward Father Stan, but then she stops and starts looking around the church. She focuses on the crucifix and the statue of Jesus and it’s as the wind goes completely out of her sails. She tears up and places a hand on her chest as if her heart is breaking and we move into Sharon’s episode five. She genuflects (the first time I watched the episode I thought she was collapsing.) Once down she has a little trouble rising and some blurred vision.

The confession-

I thought it was a little anticlimactic and that it was going to be a bigger deal. Really it was just a conversation that Sharon could have been having with Stan in her office. 

“Andy took me back to the firing range this evening.”

I would like to have seen a little of this father/son bonding. At least it would have given us some Andy.

“I’m going to write him a letter and put it in the mail like they did in the 1980’s.”

Rusty does actually listen and absorb things that Sharon tells him. A while back when he was fighting with Gus she had suggested writing him a handwritten note has it was more personal and meaningful. Letters seem to be a “thing” on MC. Jack’s letter to Sharon when he leaves her condo, Andy’s letter to Sharon when he was going in for surgery, a letter we’ve still not gotten to hear the contents of, and the two times Rusty has written to Gus.The one common denominator...Sharon.

I’m kind of surprised that Rusty is being as angsty over Gus as he has been. When Gus left, it was Rusty who said “Good bye” in way that made it pretty clear that he knew they were over. Now he’s spying on Gus, pining over Gus, wanting to know what’s going on with Gus, passively aggressively writing him a letter to say he understands etc. Hell we’ve gotten more talk about Gusty than we have Shandy and Gus hasn’t even been in any episode.

“Mom…Mom… Have you thought about staying home tomorrow just so you can sleep in?”

Sharon’s episode six. More blurry vision. This time Sharon gave a little start before her vision blurred. These blurred episodes only last a couple seconds, but they seem to be coming on in quicker intervals.

“Oh boy” “Are you sure tomorrow wouldn’t work without you?”

Sharon episode 7. This time she seemed a little dizzy but no blurred vision.

“I’m doing something outrageous.”

I love the way she says this. She doesn’t usually do things like this so she seems almost excited.

“Oh my God, Commander.”

Everyone is stunned to see the FBI with boys and they are all outraged when the agents returned. No one more so than Sharon.

“What I’d like is for you to collect your things and go. NOW. They go now.”

Sharon is so pissed. I love the way she is waving her finger at them and the look of derision and her tone. It is so nice to see her finally cut loose and just let someone have it for once. It would have been the perfect scene if it hadn’t continued with….

“This case is our jurisdiction. Any….any…any…Oh God…Oh my.” “Sharon... Sharon... Sharon.”

So, if I knew this was a panic attack or something related to stress I’d be excited to see something like that being handled. But after watching this a second time around (and hearing about the upcoming episode where Sharon’s health has a setback,) I’m leaning more into a brain tumor type of thing (it could be a benign tumor near the optic nerve or something). She just didn’t seem to have much trouble with her breathing--she ran right up those steps at church without a cough so I’m thinking no walking pneumonia and her episodes were mostly about blurred vision, she wasn’t having trouble in a panicky way like an anxiety attack. But I am no doctor and I’m not a writer for MC so they could be twisting symptoms around. I do hope it is some type of stress/anxiety thing because working with a woman like Sharon to stop repressing her emotions could be very interesting. We’ll know pretty soon. Crossing my fingers for NO SERIOUS ILLNESS.