#so pleased again with ep3

[secriden]

Oh I just realised the crazy not-flirting shenanigans do NOT end, and in fact continue in episode 3.

Style. Style what are you doing.

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 4 part 7

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2][3][4][5][6])

THIS IS THE LAST EPISODE 4 ENTRY I SWEAR

agatha: why yes I'm listening politely because I'm being sociable, not because this story concerns me in any way shape or form

she did NOT want TO DO IT AGATHA. HE WAS HER SON TOO AGATHA. did you ever give her a chance to SAY any of THAT. damn rio is (metaphorically) fighting for her life here. waiting centuries to catch her wife with her guard down next to a random fire, and then reworking her LONG PLANNED SPEECH into bite sized easily digestible bits so that her emotionally stunted soulmate doesn't run away screaming

I was doing MY DAMN FUCKING JOB agatha

agatha looks away like whooops! wasn't listening! wasn't looking at you! no sir, not me!

that's right. acknowledge her feelings. show her that you understand but that you're hurting too. be mature. you're doing great. god the way she swallows and stares right ahead, so determined. this is such a crucial moment for her.

agatha: i'm stone cold. I'm a wall. this is not affecting me in the slightest. I'm bored, really.

lilia not missing a word of what rio's saying

lmao the neutral pronoun lasted two seconds. she's not even trying to pretend like she isn't talking about agatha. and the way she nods to herself like yes, I did the best I could with this. so, there.

"she is my scar" is going to the sapphic annals, isn't it?

LMAOOOO the unblinking cat stare. rio is like I WAS TALKING TO YOU DUM-DUM. I KNOW IT, YOU KNOW IT, EVERYONE AROUND THIS GODDAMN FIRE KNOWS IT. CAN YOU PLEASE PLEASE FUCKING TALK TO ME PLEASE DEAR GOD

and agatha doing a teeny tiny side glance and going whoooooooops not looking! I'm NOT looking! I'm not even here! and scrunching her face more and more trying to keep it blank

AND she's gone. she's so predictable lmaooo. every dang time.

awkwaaaaaard

rio with her soft smile again! with the little amused eye roll! never getting mad at agatha's antics. she's like FINE I'll come after you, you BIG BABY. the patience this woman has

lilia is so scared of rio because somehow, through her exceptional Seer abilities, she knew instinctively that this is her mortal foe. but something funny has just happened: here in front of her there's just a regular little guy, a bit odd maybe, doing her little thing, trying to talk to her ex. might it be... might it be that death isn't a monster, that it's just a thing, a strange but natural thing that happens to everybody? lilia cannot accept that quite yet. so she grabs rio and says no, no. I've seen what you are. you're scary, you're evil, you're dangerous. this is lilia's survival instincts kicking in. we are simply wired to fear death, that's just how humans are. it takes an exceptional mind and soul to see past that.

oh god, here we go, here we go. deep breaths (I'm telling this to myself tbh. i need the pep talk)

stroking her hair so gently. soft, tentative.

hey, subtitle people??? what the fuck??

rio just stands and stares. lets agatha decide what comes next, goes at her pace always

the haiR CARESSING

the HUG. the BIG SIGH. this bitch was running away screaming from rio just yesterday. and here she is. her love. her partner. she finally acknowledges rio's pain and all that they lost and all that they were (and still are tbh) to each other. THIS is what rio was looking for. she's not flirting to manipulate and deflect now, she's not being somebody else. this is agatha cracked open and bleeding love and sorrow

and they melt into each other, and they're rocking each other back and forth, with all their pain and tenderness and longing

agatha with her face buried in rio's shoulder. I'm unwell

and then agatha gently pushes rio back and strokes her hair and cradles her face like she did so many times before and leans in and here I am giving you a play-by-play and running a commentary like a totally normal and sane person would

you know what makes for a perfect onscreen kiss imo? no it's not tongue, although these two will give us plenty of that too. it's the TREMBLING. THE HESITATION. THE YEARNING.

rio and her superhuman willpower. couldn't be me.

and and and and and agatha looks at her puzzled for a second and doesn't register what's happening and dives for a kiss again she's so far gone. the feral animal noises I'm making you have no idea

THE ICY SHOWER

THE STEP BACK. THE MOST PAINED SMILE

THE REGRET

I think one big reason why agatha is always so calculated is because she's afraid her instincts will take over. she does something big and spectacular and stupid and then calls it a 'calculated risk' when it was actually a rush of fear, desire, sorrow, anger that she couldn't control. tonight rio has managed to poke a little hole into a carefully constructed dam, and now all the water is rushing out and tearing down the walls. agatha has rio in her arms and her shape, her scent, her skin are so nostalgic and familiar. her brain goes on autopilot, she's been lonely for so long, she is FAMISHED for love and connection and sex and acceptance. rio wanted her to open up, but agatha doesn't do half-measures. rio wanted her to give for a change, but agatha can only ever take.

rio HAS to put a stop to it. she puts logic before heart, one of them has to and you know agatha isn't gonna. more than anything rio wants to take this one perfect moment and run away with it, but instead she tears herself away and asks, what happens next? what happens if I have to take billy away from you? that reanimated corpse, that freak of nature who walked into your life only yesterday and took over?

billy is now part of the equation and rio cannot ignore it. she has been so gentle and careful with agatha, easing her into a reconciliation that is now in jeopardy because here comes billy maximoff like a sword of damocles! what happens if agatha takes her back only for rio to break her heart all over again? there would be no coming back from that. rio cannot help being the grim reaper just as much as agatha cannot help being a succubus, and she is almost at her breaking point here. because she is hurting too! she is sick of having to be the mature one! she's sick of always coming in second after all of agatha's issues! turns out there's a limit even to the heartbreak an impossibly old and wise being can take.

(and now I need a smoke and a future episode that is just 30 minutes of hot but soft cuddles and kisses and sweet nothings. please.)

once again a big shoutout and thank you to all the people reaching out and leaving comments, it's incredible to hear from you all @crybabyheathen @onceuponalegendbg @idkbroletssee @psychicsolanum @73chn1c0l0rr3v3l @a-tad-bit-obsessed @a-rusty-bucket-of-woes @miacheezytoon @isagrimorie @april-december @aquaaquila and I'm probably forgetting someone but I see you all and I appreciate you so much!

and now for something extra

[twig-tea]

Your Sky [ep3] is Gently Spectacular

I'm really loving everything that Your Sky is doing. It's one of the most quietly kind shows I've watched in ages. There are so many things this show casually does that I am screaming about just because they're so breathtakingly good.

One example is from the moment in episode 3 when the elevator opens on Muenfah, revealing for him a tense scene between Teerak and his friends trying to shut down Oh. I loved Lee signally to his brother with his eyes to step in and save Teerak, and Muenfah catching the look and understanding what it meant. But what really had me screaming into a pillow just to let out all of the feelings was the additional moment that Muenfah takes in this scene to confirm with Lee, his friends, and Rak that he should step in before actually doing it. There is so much silent communication happening in that moment, and it is the perfect contrast to Oh ignoring every hint and vibe and discomforted look from Rak through the series so far.

[I am bummed there is there no gifs of this scene if anyone makes one please tag me!]

And then, as though that weren't enough, after they get out of the elevator Fah checks in verbally with Rak to make sure he really did understand correctly and it was ok that he did that. SIR YOU ALREADY HAVE MY HEART CAN YOU STOP TRYING TO TAKE MY SOUL AS WELL?!

And THEN Teerak acknowledges aloud that his inability to say no is a failing of his, that he's not perfect and this is a problem, on par with Fah's temper. And as of this episode we're already seeing Fah work on his temper. Is this show going to give me Rak learning to say no as part of his character arc in this series? Your Sky has so far felt very purposeful about everything it does, so I am hopeful the answer is yes!

I can't overstate how much fun I am having with Your Sky so far. I spend each episode giggling, blushing, kicking my feet, giddy with happiness at everything this show is doing. I swear this show is going to make me believe in love again.

[small-orangedfish]

never posted before but I have just had a troubling thought about Jayce and Viktor’s storyline

‼️‼️‼️MAJOR ARCANE S1 AND S2 SPOILERS‼️‼️‼️

My sorta theory about their story is that it is the literal life cycle of a STAR.

OKAY SO

In S1 Ep3 when they do this floaty thing, the Orb™️ is glowing and blue

LOOKS LIKE A HIGH MASS MAIN SEQUENCE STAR YES?

Looking up a high mass star also shows that they burn brightly but are short lived (I’m sorry)

AND WHAT DID VIKTOR AND HEIMERDINGER SAY IN S1 EP6?

“My contributions will be short lived”

“Those who shine brightest often burn fastest”

I don’t remember the episodes of this in season 2 exactly but I’m pretty sure that when Viktor goes into his little egg it’s meant to be a SUPERNOVA

You can see he’s almost in the fetal position, which reminds me of how stars with a lotta mass collapse into themselves

AND THEN right after a supernova comes either a black hole or a neutron star

Pretty sure this is a black hole since they basically unexist afterwards 😻

A few more alsos before I finish this post:

That thing about burning brightly is extra true when Jayce sees Viktor’s vision, since everyone else shines but not as brightly or as a large as Jayce and Viktor

With this pic again of the two floating around, the circles/ovals look like magnetic fields especially on a neutron star

SEE HOW THEY’RE ON OPPOSITE SIDES AS WELL? THEY ARE THE NORTH AND SOUTH CHARGES OF A MAGNET THEY ARE DRAWN TO EACH OTHER❗️

^^corroborated by “In all timelines, in all possibilities, only you can show me this” GRRRRRAAAARARRERRR

Anyway I digress please add to this if anyone has something I forgor 🫶

[hmstartnell]

I found every time Tartnell pops his collar if anyone cares

episode 3:

Honestly, these technically count as one but you can never have too many screenshots of Tom with his collar up can you?

There’s another one in between these where he’s walking up the ramp but I can���t for the life of me get a screenshot where you can actually see it

and a couple of out of focus screenshots of the same one from later in ep3 because, again, you can’t have too many

Also, the one on the right: Tarts with a popped collar and a gun pt.1

episode 8:

It’s not easy to get in focus shots of most of these but l’m doing my best

Also, Tarts with a popped collar and a gun pt. 2

episodes 2 & 7:

the only two times we actually see him pop his collar, for your viewing pleasure

I think it might have already been up in the 2nd one and he just adjusts it but still (also please ignore how out of sync that clip is)

And a bonus one:

A partial popped collar in episode 4

Tom physically putting himself between Silna and a mob of angry sailors has full popped collar energy tho (does that mean what I think it means? Ah well, it does now)

And ones that don’t really count but it’s my post so I’m putting them in

episode 6

and because he looks cute in both of these scenes. Bundled up and cozy Tartnell lives in my head rent free <3

episode 2

and the SMILE!!!! Desperately need more of Tom’s smiles but the little chuckle earlier in the episode almost makes up for it

[lauraneedstochill]

I debated whether I should keep my opinion on EP3 in the comments to @st-eve-barnes post (she made some good arguments btw!) but I guess I’m out of fucks to give. just like the HOTD scriptwriters ✌

big fat disclaimer: I sincerely can’t say a single bad thing about Ewan. his acting was absolutely amazing, he owned the scene, and it’s pretty clear he doesn’t have a problem with nudity (if you watched “High Life”, you know what I’m talking about; if you didn’t, please read the warnings before watching).

my problem is with everything leading up to the brothel scene with Aegon — because this is NOT how you write conflict, and because it could’ve hit way harder if only it was done PROPERLY. unsurprisingly, it started in EP2:

➡ the fact that we got absolutely no reaction to B&C from Aemond is a joke. I’ve read some people saying “well, Jaehaerys isn’t his son so why would he care” — sure, Aemond wasn’t competing to win the uncle of the year award. BUT you are telling me he wouldn’t simply be pissed about the fact that a couple of nobodies managed to sneak into the supposedly well-guarded castle and kill a Targaryen like it’s no big deal? that they dared to put a knife to Helaena’s neck, that they clearly could’ve done worse things to her? that they left a mess in his room, touched his stuff? you mean Aemond, who is definitely an annoying perfectionist who puts every thing in its specific place, Aemond who’s extremely arrogant about being the best warrior, the biggest defender, the mister-know-it-all, Aemond who clearly has anger issues — HE wouldn’t be fuming on the inside? HE wouldn’t rush to the small council meeting to know all the details? HE wouldn’t volunteer to help Aegon murder the ones responsible? it’s a pity everyone’s forgotten S1 Aemond but I have NOT.

➡ I won’t talk much about the brothel scene in EP2 (@pygmyharmoset analyzed it really well) but I will say that to me it felt very disconnected from the main plotline. yet again, there is NO ! BUILD UP ! was it so hard to at least show Aemond leaving? to let us know what mood he was in (was he agitated? fidgeting? when exactly he decided to leave? did something trigger it?). they could’ve cut out the moment of his arrival so we wouldn’t know where he was going to have the big shocking reveal later when he’s suddenly with Sylvi, all naked and vulnerable. it would’ve only taken an additional MINUTE of screentime!

➡ now, to the worst of it — and I really want you to think over what I’m about to say:

people are allowed to grieve in their own way. not everyone is lucky to have all the right tools to process trauma.

did Aegon treat Aemond poorly? was he mean and cruel to his younger brother? yes. yes, he was (newsflash: there are no good people in this show. hope this helps).

BUT

was Aegon’s child killed because of a mistake Aemond made? is it possible that Aegon’s been harboring his resentment, that the absence of Aemond in that tragic, pivotal moment in their lives hurt him? the answer is also YES. Aegon doesn’t know how and has never seen how to cope with emotions in a healthy way, and it’s not in his power to break the cycle so he keeps repeating all the same mistakes. that’s the tragedy of it and that’s the ticking bomb planted under the foundation of their relationship.

the tragedy of that dumbass writing we’ve been presented with is that we did not see their conflict take root. we DID NOT get to see how their discontent kept growing, how they both felt caged and dissatisfied with their circumstances (Aegon realizes no one wants him on the throne and he feels helpless, Aemond is constantly being denied the chance to prove himself so he also feels helpless) — and how eventually that anger they couldn’t channel into anything else made them lash out at each other.

my first thought after watching EP3 was that there’s gotta be a scene missing between the small council meeting and the brothel scene. there SHOULD’VE been a scene with just Aegon and Aemond, they had all the reasons and opportunities for it! here, think about this:

Aemond’s comment at the end of the meeting comes off as patronizing (“It’s a brave thought” — Aemond is forbidden to leave with Vhagar so he’s glad that Aegon has to sit back, too). Aegon insists that he’s just “as fearsome”; but the thing is, he isn’t sure of it, so of course Aemond’s words stay with him, nibble at him, and it would only take a cup or two for him to get heated about it. he calls Aemond to his chambers and brings back the topic — “You don’t deem me brave, brother? You do not think I’d fight just as hard?”. it’s only the two of them, Aegon is in full armor, standing on his little wooden stool, a cup in his hands. and because he is hurting, he wants to hurt Aemond in return. so he gets off the stool and comes closer to him, sneering, “You are, no doubt, a fierce warrior,” — but then the smile falls off his face, and his voice gets quiet, pained, searing, “So tell me, where were you when my son was being murdered? I came to learn that they were looking for you, were they not? Oh, you would’ve fought them off with ease, for sure. So where were you, huh?”

and then you get the tension breaking, the emotions erupting — and, most importantly, the CONFLICT. Aegon throws the cup away, darts to Aemond, grabs him by his clothes (remember how desperately he held his face in EP9 of S1? the parallel would’ve been so beautiful !), finally screaming “Have you any idea what you’ve done? WHAT IT COST US?” — and now he isn’t talking about B&C but about Luke too. only, we’ve seen the extent of Aemond’s guilt and he isn’t about to show it now, taken aback by Aegon’s outburst, so instead of taking the blame, Aemond does what he knows best — he attacks him in return. they throw accusations at each other: Aemond reminds Aegon he was getting drunk, he himself didn’t do anything to be there for his family, he didn’t even do anything to deserve being on the throne. it’s nasty, it’s a shouting match, Aegon’s buddies eventually have to come in to pull them away from each other.

and it’s no surprise that Aegon goes back to drinking after that. and Aemond, overwhelmed and in disarray, goes back to the only place that can grant him comfort. so when Aegon finds him there and dares to humiliate him publicly and rob him of that illusion of comfort — that’s when something switches in Aemond. that’s when he decides he’s not a loyal dog anymore.

and that is, in my humble and very subjective opinion, how you properly bring someone’s temper to a boiling point. if only Ryan Condal ever cared, HA.

[realhumangay]

Eagerly awaiting your reaction to episode 3 😊💜

ask and you shall receive! (i’m not actually waiting for people to ask dw, it was just good timing ahahah)

prefacing this with flatmate and i deciding to watch it and saying at the same time to each other ‘i’m scared’ 🤡

(alsoooo i may have had erik’s death spoiled - i didn’t know when or how, but i quickly realised that it was coming when wille got called into the office, so im afraid im robbing you of that big reaction, SORRY)

after heart-eyeing the screen for !!wille and simon basically giggling at each other during the choir!! and !!let me teach you sheet music!! and then honestly laughing so much at the chaos of wille saying to forget about it only to literally the day after realise he can’t (obsessing over how accurately babygay that is 🥹)

i then proceeded to write one whole note whilst watching:

i’ve been icked out for about 15 mins straight

^this was at the parents cause Oh My God Get Them All To Therapy Immediately. and maybe tax them just a bit.

but then wille being the fucking cutest ever with simon’s mum 😭😭

also. i see now that august is truly and fully getting his own story line, and i am concerned. the pain in his mothers eyes in that scene??? and just the whole ‘my family are broke’ except he could easily sell his assets he just doesn’t want to loose the status AHH

actor geek moment again, i just want to mention how ive literally just come back from a day long workshop with a director and one of the things that we talked about that resonated with me was about how when you play a villain actors often have the tendency to try to sympathise with the character. the director said how that’s often boring and that what often really resonates is to bring out empathy with the audience- make them see the human in the bad decisions, and understanding even if it’s uncomfortable to admit. and august in that scene was so that for me!!! like what a dick!! but fuck? i get it? kinda?

and simon disappointing his friends :(( they didn’t get it clearly. and that’s so valid tbh

(a slight ick though at ayub waiting for simon to speak only to say ‘i don’t wanna hear it’ and rushing off…interesting directing choices but ill forgive it in light of the rest of it being genius so far)

also i spent this entire episode expecting the fish tank scene and it was nowhere to be seen??? my spoiler knowledge is clearly false/i have terrible memory for numbers

these are my thoughts, i can’t believe ep3 is halfway through s1, it’s felt like ive only just started and now somehow im in the thick of it?

and finally, to any new yr followers, apologies and also please enjoy the influx of san remo content on my blog- if you don’t know it, it’s a italian song contest, i lived in italy for two years and have accepted it as part of my culture. i’m afraid there is no way around this. (literally as im posting this mahmood premiered his new single im going insane if you don’t know him go find out especially if you like omar’s music i reckon you’d like this)

k im done bye thanks for reading xx

[adriwatchestoku]

Geats ep3 (and 4)

lmao a friend came into the chat yomi and i are in and told us that yes geats goes places

"DON'T PUBLISH THAT"

the woman manifests in Keiwa's room, I need to learn this so I can do this to Yomi when she's a menace

a lot of questions going on with what the fuck is going on and who is behind it!

oh that's not upsetting to say to your child

I need to learn more names

WE NOTICED THAT TAKAHASHI YUYA IN THE OPENING

I appreciate we're getting Kagami and Tendou again, Takahashi style

Neon, istg. If you're trying to run away don't stream it until you're GONE

Of course everyone is like NEO AND ACE YAY

Ace could NOT be like this but he IS

Even the bodyguards hahahaha

HAHAHAH NEON

"that's one way to get out of the situation you're in"

ah, Takahashi. you and your zombies

random but I appreciate Kamen Rider NOT covering moles

keiwa you're too nice. but hey, side mission clear

neon not knowing how to kill zombies… yeah, she doesn't seem like the horror movie type

this show lmao. Neon running around like that

ah the hatesex pairing

"can't I just buy my way to victory?"

"that does mean you can load up on cosmetics, which is important"

"do you have a problem with Ace" there are a million reasons to have a problem with Ace

"neon seems like the type of character who will be deeply terrifying by the end of the series. something is deeply wrong with this person beyond the obvious"

I'm glad to know this version of the Holy Grail War also has deeply wrong people

"that's not suspect at all"

Ace just knows how to get the most points, the minmaxer he is

yeah that was expected, even if he got his score docked

I need to learn who the main rider suit actor is for Reiwa because he's good

of course Ace doesn't fight back because he's minmaxing points

"Someone's going to learn real fast if the penalty for player attack is individually or all at once"

no penalty because he's a zombie already

oh damn

the visuals for the zombie stuff is so good

"a world where humanity is extinct" whoa the edge

oh ace that sounds like you've been traumatized by being in this for far too long

well shit, neon

"well this is interesting that it's not retroactive erasure"

Geats ep4

I appreciate Tubi has the bumpers so we can have the proper WTF whiplash experience

Keiwa you're a sweetheart. Very clearly the protag

nah, even if she survives, she ain't coming home

the image of ace in the barbed wire in the op remains ominous

ah the "it's just a joke bro" defense

neon got her reality dose early

"i mean I think that [wanting to run away but then when she's about to turn into a zombie, wanting to go back] is pretty normal given the circumstances"

both yomi and i noticing ace emotes a lot in the background

oh ace what's your trauma re: this

just the constant battle royal

that's apparently a weakness of yomi's

I mean, gps tracking on your rich ass makes sense

aaaaaaah kidnapping trauma for neon

and a mother that wants a doll, not a daughter

keiwa where did you come from

oh hi ace

ACE PLEASE

this is the weirdest date

oh the slow crumbling of the smile into tears

WE'RE FOUR EPISODES IN, TAKAHASHI. WHY IS THIS MOVING SO FAST. WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED

tubi with adblock is fucking hilarious

keiwa stop flinching every time you shoot

welp. da-paan has gone full asshole

alright neon let's go!

"just gotta fucking speedrun this shit"

Ace with all the information. still hitting on Keiwa and Neon huh

"i'm cheering for rocket hammer. more things should have rocket hammer and I think she deserves one"

oh nice you go neon

oh the teamwork!

c'mon neon… hold on…

ace with the minmaxing AGAIN

at least this time it's for neon

"GOOD. I'M HAPPY"

alright who's dead now. who lost this round

bye bye, da-paan

"he lost the right to be a kamen rider" "THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN"

GOOD GIRL, NEON

Wow, the confidence

oh a new guy next episode

[distantmaniacallaugh]

KINGER WOULD BANG UZIS MOM PROVE ME WRONG

Turns out I’m not gonna shut up about Kinger x Uzis Mom.

Listen, I’m a Checkmate shipper and you know that very well, I’m the 80k-on-ao3-never-going-to-shut-the-fuck-up-about-it patron fucking saint of Checkmate shippers, but I know a good dynamic when I see one!!!

Take Canon Kinger— no frills, no headcanons no whatsits. We can all agree that in canon, he’s very gentle and patient (as ep 3 displays) and if you take that as his true self— ignoring his more twitchy nature when his trauma is suppressed to the point of dissociation— and follow that thread a bit farther down a hypothetical character arc where he actually learns to function again, you get a kind, gentle, really fucking tired guy who likes computers and is pretty experienced relationship wise. He’s PERFECT for Uzis mom. He’s patient, kind, autistic, not obsessed with doors, autistic…

Think about it. She’s trapped in essentially her own nervous system with a few claws on it. He’s trapped in a hunk of wood with rayman hands. Neither of them have a mouth, so no problems there! She’s very wild and skittish and all over the place, clearly not very good with the whole “emotional vulnerability” thing, but very gruff and dependable in the right situations— Kinger is very gentle and kind and patient, with a lot of experience with traumatized people and relationships because. Marriage. Plus, he loves insects and willingly touched an abstraction at least once, so there’s no way he’d be disgusted by her, right? And she’s a literal ex robot, so there’s no “AUGH i would TOTALLY love you but youre all hard and cold wahhh :’[”

Also, like. he’s clearly very lonely. Also SHES clearly very lonely. Also Uzi definitely needs a semi stable father figure who will go “what. What th— excuse me???” When she tells him about what the LAST dad did. Cmon. He’d be the perfect step dad, right?? LOOK at him, he was born to be somebody’s fun uncle at LEAST!

In the shows INDISPUTABLE canon, Queenie is dead and gone, for good, no takebacksies, at least as of ep3. I of course ignore this to high hell, but in this pairing it works in our favor! There’s gold in these hills, dammit!

I mean, please note I know nothing about Murder Drones lore, and as I said I’m on the Queenie/Kinger train and will be on said train until I die— But as somebody who likes crossovers and is unhinged, if there’s someone out there willing to write a fic, hit me up. I’ll make art for it.

[drconstellation]

Being Kind To One Another

So I was watching through S1 again the other day for something, and you know how little things stand out to you that sometimes you didn't notice before. Like word puns that just fly past so quickly. Then one day the meta-brain inside suddenly goes "wait-wot! That was a repeated word!" and leaps upon it. yeah, you don't ignore stuff that in Good Omens.

So what did I hear repeated?

Kind.

One word. Three meanings.

Oh, come now, we can't just have one or two meanings with it. This is Good Omens, after all. The more that can be stuffed into it the better. And all of it works.

To start, we have the pun with the goats in the Flood scene, during the cold opening of Ep3, Hard Times.

Kids. Children. You can't kill children. Yep. Just warming you up here. Actually, its a bit of a theme in Good Omens, avoiding the slaughter of innocents, but we are getting a bit off track. Here is next bit:

[And because I cannot find the GIF to go with it] Crowley replies sarcastically:

"How kind."

oh. Oh. Geddit? No? Well, you might be excused, because it's actually doing a cross-over job with the next time period scene, at Golgotha, and it's one of those puns that you can really only understand going backwards.

On the one hand, we have the German meaning for kind which is "child," but we also need to introduce the third meaning for kind.

Remember this exchange?

We can take the kind here to be "thoughtful and caring," but you could also use another meaning for kind - as in like kind, or all belonging together, as in a family. So, be like family to each other.

Oh, yeah. Considering how some families are to each other that would definitely get some people upset.

Please, won't you consider the children?

I explain the other pun with the demon names here.

[bird-inacage]

The Heart Killers: EP3 Preview (Fadel vs Kant)

HOLD. UP. So next episode, I would assume after Bison and Kant get freaky, (and whilst murder kitten is presumedly passed out?) Kant begins snooping around the house and is caught by Fadel. How on earth does he plan to explain himself?

KANT: Uh yeaaah, so, erhhh. I know how this must look. [Glances over to the bedroom where Bison is still asleep and naked]. Please don't shoot me.

Here's how things will appear to go; Kant goes to find Bison at the burger joint earlier in the day, invites him out on a date at a bar. Kant and Bison engage in a drinking game during their night out. If Kant wins, they go to Bison's house and get kinky. If Bison wins, they go to Kant's and get kinky. (I mean it's a win-win as far as I'm concerned). But alas our man Kant has got a mission to do. Chris is getting impatient and is urging him to rifle through the house for more clues.

Kant wins as we do get the highly anticipated BDSM scene in Bison's bedroom. Which then leads to the confrontation with Fadel above (presumably) after aforementioned kinky shit happens. I just wonder how on earth they're going to diffuse this situation.

Fadel's going to be like: 'You fucked my brother AGAIN? In MY goddamn house? AND you're being HELLA SUS?!'

[rootspiral]

WANDAVISION DEEP DIVE part 1

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2][3][4][5][6])

After managing to keep away from social media for almost two months, here comes Agatha All Along sucking me back in 🙃 I want to rewatch the whole thing and see how many details I can catch, but I guess I might as well go through Agatha's scenes in Wandavision first. and you guys are coming with me!! we can all hyperfixate together (spoilers from both WV and AAA below. this is going to be just a stream of consciousness as I go through scenes, don't expect anything elaborate)

SO.

Agatha arrives in Westview attracted by Wanda's Hex. She might already suspect she's dealing with the Scarlet Witch because lbr, who has that sort of power? She takes a calculated risk to come investigate (detective Agnes of Westview on the case!) It's funny that her calculated risks are always way more emotional than she'd admit, because who in their right mind comes after the SW? But all that power is too alluring, so Agatha takes possession of Ralph's house, ruins the market value adding a creepy basement and brainwashes him into being her husband/minion/pet.

And now it's time to do what she does best, con artist is gonna con! I adore that Agatha became one of the most infamous witches in history thanks mostly to her improv skills.

She's a magical gal is a small time locale!! he's a husband who's part machiiiiiine (great now it'll get stuck in my head again)

worth nothing that both witches and androids have historically and culturally been used as queer allegories, and here's a very sapphic witch pretending to be a straight 1950s housewife and another witch who's got an elaborate fantasy going on where her husband is able to pass and all their problems are sitcom-level fixable.

How to solve the Hex mystery according to Agatha Harkness:

step #1, casually fish for personal info

step #2, flirt with your suspect (obviously)

she literally asks if Wanda's single ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

AGATHA

she's lying it on soooo thick

she dropped that pot so deliberately LMAOO stinky chaotic goblin

knowing she' s being an asshole on purpose makes this scene 100 times funnier tbh

(also a moment of silence for Sharon's irreparable trauma. her last words will be "Wanda, I'm begging you, let him breathe, please")

episode 2: Agatha keeps being a menace

And knowing now that she's always playing a part and her real personality is much more emo makes it easier to spot when she slips out of character

"was that too much? might rein it down a lil bit" (btw I'm still suspicious of Dennis the mailman and totally expect a big reveal in Westview season 3)

I'm betting that this was Agatha rather than Agnes too. she's so miserable lol. she hates playing this part so much. and that wig is hideous

not Agatha casually planting the idea of children in Wanda's head. She probably was the one making people chant "for the children" too. literally manipulating Wanda into showing her if she can create life, calculated risk my ass, she's out here playing with fire

(does that mean that Agatha is a liiiiiiitle bit Billy's and Tommy's parent too?? she planTED the sEED. hear me OUT.)

you know she was dead inside at having to sit through the whole talent show. she probably took it out on the contestants and made them trip onstage or something

Episode 3 of pappappa pappappa wandavision!

Agatha helping Wanda to pick baby clothes, I'm going to sob. (look at this technicolor filter! modern shows CAN color their shit! it's just that they'd rather make everything look like muddy ass instead)

not much from Agatha this episode except scheming to get Monica kicked out of the Hex, seeing as she's the biggest obstacle between herself and Wanda ('s powers). Also you know she was stalking the house to keep track of when the babies were born. Also also, the painted scenery! Like mother like son, it's such a big hint about the nature of the Road.

look at this piece of shit, I love her so much. And she does tend to wink when she's just told a truly egregious lie, doesn't she? it's like her little signature.

Agatha in episode 5 coming in like: LEMME SEE THOSE BABIESSSSSSS

kathryn hahn with 80s curls is doing something to me, let me tell you

so manipulative, in so many ways. and knowing what we know now about Agatha and children, imagine the turmoil inside of her!! triumph at having confirmation of Wanda's life-giving powers. nervousness about the mess she's putting herself in. exasperation at having to keep up the charade. and, most importantly, getting to HOLD A BABY BOY AFTER ALL THIS TIME (amazing, terrifying, traumatic, wonderful)

what is she doiiiing. this bitch, I swear.

OH MY GAWD I FORGOT WANDA SAID THIS. "so she keeps coming at me like a cat in heat, that's not her fault Vision, she has a Medical Condition"

"kids. can't control them. no matter how hard you try"??????? the suddenly wistful voice?????????????????????? why don't I fling myself off a cliff?????????????????? was this woman actually honestly dying inside while still having to play pretend, I can't, I cannot. And how much of Agatha's backstory was decided at this point, was Kathryn given a general idea?

Agatha and Billy, partners in crime already! Seriously, Jac Schaeffer must have had an idea of where this was going. And it's obvious in retrospect that Agatha would be drawn to Billy the most, he's a witch unlike Tommy and he's such a polite, sweet little fellow, he probably reminded her of Nicky so much?? Here's this scary dangerous witch who on one side is planning to murder everyone in the room, and on the other is fighting back the urge to go full mama bear on this kid and protect and cherish him forever. This is not what she signed up for when she decided to stalk Wanda!

She is so horrible. She is despicable. I'm allowed to say it because I love her so much! I can't remember, was it revealed that she turned a fly into a dog or something? Or did she kidnap a dog dog from a shelter / someone's garden and then stone cold killed him? No, wait, she made Ralph kill him. Do your own killing of cute innocent little creatures, you coward! Love that vest tho.

"Fix the dead!" "You can do that?" And of course she's pretending here but you know that's EXACTLY what this whole sordid Sparky affair was about, she's testing and prodding at Wanda's powers, trying to figure out her limits. There's an eagerness here that she doesn't need to fake. Who knows, maybe she was actually squeamish about killing the dog (she does have a cuddly bunny and woves him vewy much), hence why Ralph had to do it. But more importantly even if she didn't like killing a pet, even if she wasn't happy about traumatizing these kids - that's exactly what she's doing here, she's willingly hurting two children - she went and did it anyway, because her thirst for Wanda's powers is too big. She kills witches out of anger, out of fear and self-preservation. She is ultimately a selfish person, and that is what makes her a villain. It's not that she doesn't have feelings. She has plenty of feelings, she has a conscience, and she chooses to do the bad thing anyway.

"And we can't reverse death. No matter how sad it makes us. Okay? Some things are forever." These two shows above all else are about grief. You can peel this scene and find more and more layers, it was about the kids losing Sparky at first but also about Wanda losing Pietro, Wanda losing Vision, Wanda losing the kids. And it's also, DEFINITELY about Agatha losing Nicky. I need a drink.

Agatha discreetly wiping a tear in the background nbd

And I can only upload 30 pictures per post so there's going to be a part two. I was NOT planning to write so much, help. What are you doing to me AGATHA

go to part 2

[bluginkgo]

Depression is hitting hard, but you know what hits harder? Eternal Dream with the context of ep7

I kid you not, I was doing regular chores and brain said "Hey, pssst, eternal dream is HELLA depressing now."

...

BRAIN I DID NOT NEED THAT-

So here's me dissecting Eternal Dream yet again but with images from ep7 just to cope ;w;

Spoilers duh

(indicate my thoughts/ramble/not part of the lyrics)

I am tired of this dream Will it ever end for me?

(Betrayal after betrayal, the general tiredness of being let down over and over)

I don't have the will to know... Can you help me see?

(This verse remains a bit up in the air for me, as it always has been. I'll try a jab at it though. This is Uzi asking for help. She's tired of the horrors, the secrets, and betrayals. She needs someone else to help her see that this is not a waste of time. She needs N to help her see that there is going to be someone to encourage her.)

Let my body keep you warm Let my essence be your breeze

(So, technically, these images are rather hard to connect. But going with "Let my essence be your breeze" everything that N does in the fighting scene is to get Uzi to return to herself. Her entire being and personality is what is driving N to fight so hard. And in turn her "essence" becomes his "breeze" and will to fight back in situations that seem hopeless.)

Can you hear me calling? Please look out for me

(And he does, despite fighting to the death, he still continues to look after her TwT)

Can you set me free? Will you take my soul away?

(I keep going back and forth on this one. But the more positive one would be if N could set Uzi free from the Absolute Solver, like he has done in ep4 and helped in ep7.)

Casting me in cold Bury me in bones Rest eternally

("Bury me in bones" was first made me think of even doing this silly thing 😅 Because Uzi is literally going to be buried in the grave of Absolute Solver cores and humans that the solver snagged during the core collapse.)

Will you take me home? Can we see the moon again?

(I'm mostly pulling on the moons because they're seen in the background. This can be taken also as a way of asking to go back to the old times. To the times when none of this happened before.)

Dancing in the dark

(Hey, I know I've overused this, but I still can't stop thinking that this was a nod back to ep3. Their entire fight seems like a dance... a brutal, angst-filled, dance ;w;)

'Till we fall apart

(You know, I WAS THE ONE THAT FELL APART TwT. In all seriousness, they did fall apart. Fell/forced apart by the events of ep7.)

I can't end this dream

(This is not the end. Despite being ready and accepting of death, I- personally, so feel free to yeet this into the void- believe her job is not done. She still has something else to settle. And this dream will not end until Uzi finishes that job.)

Does this make any sense? I reckon not. But I needed Eternal Dream out of my head, and this is the only way I could think of getting rid of it ;w;

[iamdefinitelyreal]

Ace-Friendly Sherlock

Hi, it's me again! I did a sex-averse friendly Good Omens post a bit ago, and thought I might follow up with a Sherlock one! But I do want to make something clear: As with Aziraphale and Crowley, I know that some people head cannon Sherlock as Ace or Aro/Ace. Please, don't shame people for their separate head canons! That's the great thing and fan fiction: talented writers can share their own ideas about a show, please, let's be friendly!

Fics

Through a Glass, Darkly  By Calais_Reno (@calaisreno)

Rated: T

Chapters: 5/11

BBC!Johnlock and ACD!Johnlock

Time Travel Mystery, dual perspective with BBC being John and ACD being Sherlock

TW: Light violence, hospitals, mentions of death and murder, non-fatal major character injury

Notes: Really amazing! And of course, this fic goes with the theme that BBC!Johnlock has yet to confess by ACD!Johnlock has been all but married for years, and it’s wonderful! I can’t wait to read more updates!

Gifts Woven in HeartStrings By Seamless_Boundaries

Rated: G

Chapters: 5/5

BBC!Johnlock

Multiperspective 

TW: Slight homophobia, slight alcoholism

Notes: All fluff, and so beautiful. 

Solitude, and me By HopelessAndWandering

Rated: T

Chapters: 1/1

BBC! Johnlock (S2 EP3)

John’s Perspective

TW: Talk of death, unhealthy responses to grief, and slight blood warning

Notes: ANGST. This fic took the part of me that never healed from John’s reaction to 

Reichenbach and mutilated it. 

The Problem With Secrets By Charlie26 

Rated: T 

Chapters: 4/4

BBC!Mystrade (S4 EP3)

Omniscient Third Person Perspective

TW: Physiological torute, mention of child abuse, SH

Notes: Though I’m not a huge fan of Mystrade, this fic is fantastic! And it does a very good job (in my opinion of course) in portraying Mycroft’s personality!

Break it to Fix it - A Johnlock Fanfiction By jawnscoffee

Rated: T

Chapters: 2/?

BBC!Johnlock (The Dance Lesson)

TW: None

Notes: THE DANCE SCENE 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Comics

Closeted by @anotherwellkeptsecret

On Tumblr

Finished

Completely SFW, but there is a follow up (Naked) that is NSFW

Also a fic (Closeted by sussexbound)

Change of Pace by @anotherwellkeptsecret

On Tumblr

Finished

SFW and NSFW version (SFW only on Tumblr)

[brilliantorinsane]

Data Gathering: The Belligerent Ghost

For an explanation of this project and the various categories, see Data Gathering: The Pennsylvania Gun.

Ep1, Ep2, Ep3, Ep4

───────────────────────────────

Writer: Charles Early (co-wroter of Texas Cowgirl)

Director: Sheldon Reynolds

───────────────────────────────

First Shot: Holmes doing experiments <3

───────────────────────────────

Introductions: N/A

───────────────────────────────

Private Matters: N/A

───────────────────────────────

Looks:

Holmes @ Watson smiles:

3.27

3.35

4.09

5.02

12.45, 13.04, 13.18 - 13.23

16.47

21.13 look at him. Look at this guy he likes Watson SO much.

24.47

25.29, 25.41

Watson @ Holmes smiles:

2.14

2.25

3.27

4.05

6.11

8.51

9.23

14.11

24.54

Shared Moments:

9.36

16.45

Assorted:

1.24 - 5.03: Just Holmes responding to Watson being hurt and distressed with 4.5 minutes intense eye contact at approx. 4 inches from his face. Watson is not remotely disconcerted by this.

1.54: Holmes’ grumpy face when he asks who hit Watson.

2.55: I am irrationally touched by Watson's plaintive expression when Holmes reassures him he couldn’t have made a mistake about Higgins being dead.

5.40 - 5.55: I do just love how attentive Watson is to Holmes’ deductions.

6.09: I like to think Holmes’ amused/bemused expression here is in response to the landlady referring to him as Watson’s “gentleman friend”:

19.21: Holmes turns to look towards the museum curator, who is speaking, but his eye-line has to pass Watson to reach the curator. When he finds Watson looking at him, his gaze hangs out there for a distinct beat, just for the enjoyment of looking at Watson’s eyes I suppose, before finishing his initial project of paying attention to the curator and those international stakes he’s on about.

18.50, 19.42: Possibly does it again at these beats, although the second in particular is much more dubious.

23.19: In which Holmes takes a quick pause from answering the man pointing a gun at them to look to Watson with the reassurance that he believed him all along.

───────────────────────────────

Touches:

Initiated by Holmes:

1.24: Hand on shoulder

1.43: Hand on shoulder

1.53: Possible (probably accidental) knee brush?

5.08 - 5.12: Hands on shoulders > arm grab > shoulder pat. (Also please note that instead of just pulling away at the end, he fully slides his hand from Watson’s far shoulder across his back and arm).

8.12 - 8.20: hand on arm > jacket pinch to pull Watson out of the room.

Holmes bumping into Watson and pulling his nose ig (off-screen)

21.14 - 21.17: Arm pat > hand on back as they walk off screen.

Initiated by Watson:

1.29: Rapidfire poking

1.48 - 1.50: I’m reasonably sure Watson’s hand bumps Holmes’ at 1.48; accidental for a start, though they hold there for a beat.

8.21 - 8.31: Hand on arm to stop Holmes. Doesn’t stay there for the full ten seconds; pulls his hand away, puts it back, then taps it emphatically.

Incidental:

5.56: Holmes’ hand brushes against Watson’s arm as Watson turns. It would have been easy enough for Holmes to move his hand out of the way, but they’re comfortable enough in each other’s space that he doesn’t bother (/doesn’t want to?)

───────────────────────────────

Endearments/Compliments:

Holmes @ Watson:

1.21: “Watson, my dear fellow!”

2.51: Reassuring Watson that he’s a very good doctor who knows how tell when people are dead. (Sounds patronizing written out, but Watson was quite shaken and needed the reassurance).

13.38: “My dear Watson”

24.40: “Well done Watson, well done!”

24.47: “My dear fellow”

24.47: “I have sublime confidence in your ability to extricate us from any predicament in which my rashness may place us.” (A continuation of the above bullet-point, but I want the ‘my dears’ separate for synthesis reasons).

25.12: “My dear old chap”

Appreciation:

1.34: Watson (barely audible): “Thank you”

───────────────────────────────

Medical Examinations:

Before the start of the episode, Watson correctly assesses Higgins as dead, and believes he died of a heart attack. They view the body again at 8.53, but this is primarily for Holmes to examine it, since Watson already has.

It’s unclear whether the heart attack was naturally occurring or induced via poison or something by the curator? I’ll spare the details, but the case itself is … less than immaculately plotted in this episode. There’s lots of elements that seem to indicate the curator murdered Higgins, but during the interrogation at the end Higgins’ death never comes up. My guess is that the curator did murder Higgins in an earlier script, and it was cut out later.

───────────────────────────────

Crimes for Fun and Profit:

We’ve got breaking and entering and property damage in this one!

As in Cunningham, I cannot overstate how much they did not need to do this. They were working with Lestrade. The museum curator was—well he was very much the thief, but it shouldn’t have been hard to pressure him into cooperation with police backup. But that would have been less fun :(

The vase Holmes breaks is clarified to be a reconstruction, not an original artifact. But it’s still museum property, and once again this was so entirely not a required action. Holmes just takes great joy in scandalizing Watson 😁

───────────────────────────────

Jealousy: N/A

───────────────────────────────

Watson and Law Enforcement:

16.30: I wonder whether Lestrade mocking Watson’s ghost story is a step towards Watson becoming more willing to join with Holmes in his mockery of the police?

18.19: Watson does have a bit of a go at Lestrade using Holmes’ methods at the end of the scene.

───────────────────────────────

Want to go on a Dat—Murder Investigation? N/A

───────────────────────────────

Showtime:

8.46: Holmes loooves an accent and sucks at them pretty bad 😊 I don’t know if that’s Ronald Howard being bad at accents (and/or having 0 minutes to practice given the rapid shooting schedule), but either way I find it endearing, I love this guy and his little performances. Anyway, we’ve got the first here, in a cockney accent that Dick Van Dyke could have modeled his own after.

15.48: “isn’t it obvious?”

18.19: Lestrade: What’s he [Holmes] talking about? Watson: Art, ghosts, my black eye, and psychology. I love when Watson picks up on how Holmes runs his show and uses it to impress/mess with people (he also did this with Inspector McLeod in Pennsylvania Gun). He’s gathered that you don’t always need to know what the fuck is going on to pull off the cool, smart and mysterious act—just a waggling eyebrow, a few vagaries, and a confident attitude.

Intricate Rituals: Adding this subsection section because: am I convinced any of Holmes antics are absurdly elaborate schemes for getting close to Watson? No. Although I am squinting very very hard at two instances in particular. But is it theoretically possible to read some some of his shows as among the strangest creativity ever to manufacture excuses to touch the skin of other men? Absolutely. Do I find it really really funny to read his antics that way? yes. yes I do.

Holmes played dress-up and pulled Watson’s nose for case reasons, but I’m tentatively putting this here because fully bumping into Watson does seem more than altogether necessary.

───────────────────────────────

Watch What I Say, Not What I Do:

5.04: Watson protests leaving the house to investigate the ghost who punched him, yet following a singular protest of ‘I’m in no condition to leave the house’, he’s standing before Holmes can get three words into his counter-argument. And while Watson levies protests as they go, he does this while slipping past Holmes to march out the door ahead of him.

Once again Watson protests mightily about breaking into the museum, while following Holmes right on in.

Contrast the intensity of his anti museum-breaking protests to his halfhearted objected to Holmes getting them held at gunpoint again. "You didn't have to invite him in here to catch us, you put us in rather an awkward position" (24.44), he says, with about the intensity of reminding your flatmate to please clean their dishes before your friends pop over for dinner. And then Watson forgets to be even that hint of annoyance upon receipt of one (1) compliment. Ridiculous man 💜

───────────────────────────────

Knight in Shining Armour:

Physical Danger:

Note Watson's exclamation as they enter the museum: "Look here, have we broken into the rear of the museum? Because if so Holmes, really I don't know what's going to happen to us! (21.39 - 21.44). Whatever nonsense Holmes gets himself into, Watson will be right there suffering the consequences with him.

I've always thought Watson's sudden interest in the broken vase/rug pull was one of his less elegant stratagems, but hey, in the show logic it worked. So I'm once again giving him double-points for being badass and clever about it.

Remember this line from Holmes? “Oh, my dear fellow, I have sublime confidence in your ability to extricate us from any predicament in which my rashness may place us” (24.47). So yeah Holmes has officially appointed Watson his valiant knight. Getting damseled so Watson can be big and strong and clever and save them both is threatening to become his new favourite hobby.

Emotional Distress:

Nothing from Watson I can think of here; this episode is a reversal of the norm in which Holmes has a turn at care-taking.

───────────────────────────────

For Watson’s Ears Only:

I didn't catch much in this episode; Holmes has Watson to himself for most of the really exciting bits.

However, at the climax they're being held at gunpoint and Holmes is answering the curator's questions. Partway through his gaze shifts to Watson, and he continues to address Watson specifically as he explains what had happened the night of his ghostly encounter. (23.18 - 23.41). It's very, 'my best friend needs his sense of reality restored, so you and your gun will just have to wait'.

Asides:

As always Holmes can't resist a snipe at Lestrade, and turns to Watson to deliver it (9.33).

───────────────────────────────

You've Gone Too Far:

13.41: “Look here Holmes, this whole Higgins affair has gone too far.” - there's the phrasing, but in this case it's directed at the situation, not Holmes. 22.04: “Holmes, what are you doing, this is wanton destruction, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, I forbid you to—I didn’t know this side to your character Holmes, I’m shocked" - and here we don't have the phrasing, but do have the general sentiment directed at Holmes.

───────────────────────────────

Watson and Women:

13.59: Watson: “I stayed rather later at the club than usual, there was a chap from Afghanistan and he was awfully interesting—” here Holmes interrupts.

I understand this doesn’t seem remotely relevant to this section. Or to anything. That’d be because at the moment it isn’t, but I’ll want it for reference later.

───────────────────────────────

Violin:

12.16: The first time Holmes plays violin! He’s not very good <3

I can never decide if Holmes is self-aware about his poor playing. In this case, is Holmes playing violin when Watson returns after the indignity of getting his nose tweaked (by Holmes) as an attempt at soothing apology? Or is he perfectly aware his playing is grating and doing it to indulge his love for fucking with Watson?

───────────────────────────────

Gender Fuckery: N/A

───────────────────────────────

Climax Precautions:

Well Holmes' choices in this episode would be the opposite of that. As Watson notes (24.43), Holmes straight up engineers them facing the curator in the museum alone.

Alternatively, to refer again to Holmes' confidence in Waton's "ability to extricate us from any predicament in which my rashness may place us", Holmes' precautionary measure was having a Watson.

When they get held at gunpoint in Cunningham, Holmes looks startled and frighted. Not this time! We don't get an immediate reaction shot when the curator enters, but Holmes is chilling this whole stick-up. Takes a seat, chats about the case. Makes 0 effort to find a solution. My man's just hanging out while he waits for Watson to do something clever to rescue them.

───────────────────────────────

Final Shot:

Holmes looking at a fuming Watson sheepishly after revealing that he was the nose-pulling culprit.

[tinyevilgremlin]

love next door / ep3.

resonated with seokryu last week, and with seunghyo just as much, this week, with it being revealed that his career as an athlete ended so abruptly because of an accident. that too right when he was about to achieve such a huge milestone — that's quite the fall if you ask me.

it's interesting that they juxtapose their situations, bc it's true that seunghyo has the privilege to dream but seokryu? not so much. seokryu quit (likely) because of exhaustion and burnout, and seunghyo was forced to quit because of injury. their reasons are different, and they have/had different reasons for lashing out, but a major one that ties them both is how hard they'd worked to get till that point. the time and effort and hard work they'd poured to get till that point. when you're forced to quit (or quit out of your own will) something like that, it's bound to leave you empty, it's bound to leave you with this burdening sense of purposelessness and a big, big void in your heart.

there's resentment and a sense of futility.

resentment moreso in seunghyo's case because his dream was snatched away from him in an instant, just like that. that's got to hurt, when you love something so much, you're doing so well in it and in a moment's flash it slips right from your hand, never to return again— it quite literally feels like your whole world crumbles. there are constant thoughts that just go along the lines of "why me?" "what did i do to deserve this?", because it feels cruelly unfair, and that only piles up on the hate more and more, till you accept it. because only after accepting it can one move forward. you get better, of course, just like seunghyo, you learn to get back up again. but it's a lot of courage and hard work, and i think part of why seunghyo is prideful is from that as well. he fell, hard, but he's learnt to stand back up again. seokryu's also in a similar process, but a tad bit different, because i guess now she'll try to focus more on searching a 'dream', or at least something that she wants to do.

with seokryu, we get a better insight to her thoughts bc we get to spend more with her, and there's futility and resentment, and anger too, from how she has been burdened with having to shoulder her mother's life on top of already taking on the burden of the eldest. the sense of futility likely results from her people pleasing tendencies- how she's never really prioritised herself and her happiness, because she was so swept up in being the best, the first, the responsible elder daughter — because that's what was expected of her. now that she attempts to let go of those, now that she attempts to go against the flow and take a break, she has no idea how to, because she herself hasn't ever given a thought to it.

a sense of familiarity, fear of change, the feeling that only your time seems to have stopped while everyone else's goes on, leaving you behind.

once again, common points that tie both their situations, and the reason why, despite all the banter and differences, they understand each other in ways only they can.