#starting from episode one and honestly the commentary will keep on coming

[destiny-in-the-universe]

So I just started a new show...

I figured I might as well give this show a go! I've yet to get past the first episode so I figured why not share my first impression.

First, the show's known as Xiaolin Showdown, following four students who are warriors and have to retrieve different items known as the "Shen Gon Wu", all while trying to defeat great foes. We're introduced to our short but well-spirited main character Omi and this kid is definitely sheltered but I have to enjoy his dedication- he strives to be the best. I'm not entirely sure how to feel about his character, so we'll just have to wait and see!

Then we have Raimundo, a young boy who I believe is Hispanic (?) - he's the prankster of the main four; he doesn't seem to be as concerned with what is happening, but this is just based on a first impression! I'm quite curious to see how he grows throughout the series.

Followed by Kimiko, and arguably my favorite so far, she's the only girl of the group and always seems to have a new electronic device on her person. While she does seem particularly tech-savvy, Kimiko appears to have a heart of gold and seems very free-spirited (much like the next character in point!). As before, I hardly anything about her but I'm curious about her heh-

Last in the party is Clay- a young cowboy turned monk. He's the most down to earth of all of them and honestly, is pretty chill. I can't say too much because he didn't fully have a lot of screen-time but he certainly represents his element well!

All four of them are to become the Xiaolin Dragons and protect their home while making sure these various magical artifacts can be protected and brought back to the temple in which they live. The animation of the show seems ever so slightly shoddy, though that might just be because I had to use a different site to watch it heh-

However, the lore is already proven interesting and the background characters (though especially the dragon - unfortunately I can't remember his name) are also pretty fun!

Unfortunately, the villain seems rather generic but who knows- perhaps they'll expand on his character a little more... as the series progresses because I just finished watching the first episode and am about to start the second one. Honestly, it's off to a promising start, but I still need to get a feel of the show to say the least!

The other title villain known as Wu Ya definitely has more promise than wannabe Jack Spicer but we'll see where this continues- now that I've hopped the train of warrior-ninja based shows, I cannot seem to stop but so far, the series that continues taking the lead is Randy Cunningham pfft though what's the harm in one more? We'll see where this takes me!

[hamletshoeratio]

didnt she also say something nasty about the queen when one of her kids had just died

Yeah here's part 2 of this

The way she talked about the death of Queen Charlotte's granddaughter; Princess Charlotte, who was historically only twenty-one when she died in childbirth. The Lady Whistledown commentary in QC is just outright cruel, it's clear Queen Charlotte in the off-season (QC present day timeline being set in the Winter/Early spring break between season 2 & 3) becomes Penelope's biggest target in the aftermath of her fallout with Eloise. There's no other way to describe it.

Ngl the above is really disturbing to me. She's angry at Eloise, has lost access to info from the Bridgertons because of her falling out with Eloise, and she's angry at the Queen for getting angry at Penelope's own words as LW, and trying to discover LW as a result. And so she spends the off-season insulting and attacking a grieving Queen Charlotte. I mean that's one way for a flower to bloom I guess...

Theo, one of the only working class characters in the show, nearly lost his job because of lady whistledown and may have lost it in the aftermath of the season.

A lot of her general commentary as Lady Whistledown isn't clever or witty; it's just outright cruel.

The way she talks about the Bridgerton family, a family that trusts and cares for her, is horrible. Particularly, the way she wrote about Daphne in season 1.

Betraying Eloise's trust for two entire seasons because it didn't start with the Theo situation. She listened to Eloise's frustrations about Daphne and then used LW to attack and belittle Daphne. Speaking as a sibling, I will rant about my sisters until kingdom come to my friends but the minute a so-called friend starts publicly attacking my sister, it's over. I would not be in control of my actions. Like over the course of two seasons, she's attacked and nearly destroyed the reputations of Eloise's eldest sister, two of her brothers, her first love, and the entire family as a result. Judging by the Bridgertons were born to shine line in the trailer, I doubt Francesca will make it through the season unscathed.

She hasn't felt real remorse. Despite nearly causing Marina's death (as she tried to miscarry in the aftermath of LW revealing her pregnancy), she ends season 1 smirking about being LW. Hasn't written or contacted Marina to see how she has been since, got jealous Colin went to see her and still probably hasn't written or visited her. Not to mention her "I least did something. All you did is talk" speech at the end of season 2 to Eloise. A speech that wasn't even accurate as Eloise had been to meetings, listened to speeches and debates, debated with Theo, shared and read and discussed different political leaflets with Theo, Eloise had grown intellectually from the beginning to the end of the season. It's because of Penelope that that came to an end.

Outside of rescuing Daphne from her betrothel to Berbrooke in s1, what good has her work as LW actually done? It's ruined far more lives than it's helped, and intervened countless times when it didn't have authority to. Many secrets weren't Penelope's to tell.

I could honestly keep going but I genuinely don't know how she's supposed to get redeemed in eight episodes because the character we have at the minute in no way deserves a happy ending. LW didn't really matter in the books as it wasn't as active a plot point as it is in the show. By expanding the LW concept to give Penelope a more complex arc, they've unwittingly robbed her of what made people like her book counterpart and as a result created a villain that they have no intention of trying to redeem, because they don't believe she needs to be redeemed.

[mikailys]

MCL NewGen Ep 8 Commentary

Ik it's late and that several days have passed since the episode's release, but I wanted to wait a bit to let my thoughts simmer and write my review with a cool head. I need to rant about it so sit tight 'cause this one in particular is though lol.

As it was advertised, the whole episode revolves around Roy and a peculiar hobby of his: skinny dipping. Thomas is the one who spills the beans -as always- and everyone is curious about it. Roy explains that he only does it after the swimming pool closing hour and you know what: that is fine by me. Is it weird? Yes, but I'm not supposed to care what my co-workers do in their freetime so I personally don't mind.

And, unfortunately, that's all. To sum up, the plot is "co-workers try to go undercover to spy on their other coworker while he's skinny dipping :|

Since I don't like Roy, the premise of this ep didn't really appeal to me at all. But, weirdly enough, it had the opposite effect 'cause I've spent its whole duration feeling sorry for him. He gets the possibility once a month to train alone in a professional pool, and the six of us -which I recall you are his co-workers and his boss- have nothing better to do than to go spying on him? Just because they thought he subtly implied he wanted them to come see him?!

One. It is false since during the whole workday they kept "catcalling" him and joking about it and he wasn't really pleased to say the least. He put on a brave face, endured the working hours, and then left the office asap.

Two. You're adults, fully grown adults that are acting like literally teens. It's not normal for grown-ups to feel excited, see Elenda and Thomas, to play spies to see your co-worker naked. It is weird and creepy.

I'm glad at least I wasn't the only sane person to comprehend this was wrong and absurd on so many levels. Paradoxically enough, the only one I found myself agreeing with was Amanda, a character I couldn't stand until now, she gained a tons of points in my eyes + she's also a girl's girlie so gg.

Also, special mention to the hint of peer pressure put on Candy and Amanda by the quartet. I didn't like it at all and it shouldn't be even a thing considering the context.

No is no, even if Roy supposedly enjoys voyeurism, I personally do not.

This is really a shame cause they butchered so many characters with this unnecessary sketch, Thomas being the worst of them in my eyes. I'm not sure if my perception of him was wrong from the start, but I don't recognize this character at all. Silly jokes, creepy hobbies, and an immature, teenage-like attitude were never traits I would have attributed to him. I know I keep repeating myself but it's truly a shame that such poor writing has impacted the perception and development of the characters, which now seems clearly different from how they were portrayed in the beginning...

Going forward, I made then the choice to leave with Amanda and warn Roy about their ambush. It was nice to have that option tbh. The whole scene afterwards, sneaking into the public pool and hiding in the lockers, was utterly embarrassing because it’s not the kind of behavior you’d expect from people in their late twenties, but whatever the problem it's the whole context so I can't complain about it too much.

Then Roy catches the sextet and pulls off his counter-prank. After snitching on us, we all decided it was a good time to play with water guns. Again, the idea was fun and silly in a good way, but context-wise mmh...

Now the long-awaited moment I've been patiently waiting for: the encounter with Jason.

Look at him I love him sm nsgsg

I had no idea how they would include him in the episode since he practically had nothing to do with the Devenemential gang. And honestly -unpopular opinion- they probably should have left him out of this messy episode because the reason they gave for his involvement didn’t fully convince me, and the special scene was disappointing.

Apparently, he also has deals with the guards -worst security protocol ever if you ask me- and he goes there once a week to train. And here I was thinking that the CEO of a famous and well-known company would have a private pool or the means to rent one lol. Looks like everyone's feeling the pinch these days. Good job Jason, saving money like the rest of us poor unfortunate souls, such a relatable boss.

Fun fact, it appears one of his dreams is to defeat Roy? In a swimming competition?? Like, okay? I'll gladly be there to root for you the day you actually succeed then dear.

Well maybe not everyone shares the same hobbies as you and Roy, Candy. Besides, why would he know about Roy's interests?? He's not as deranged as Thomas, who keeps tabs on his colleagues' private lives...

ANYWAY. Candy feels cold and needs to get out of the pool if she doesn’t want to catch pneumonia. Jason offers to help her by closing his eyes, but she’s not fully convinced. Again, NOT EVERYONE IS A PERV, CANDY. You're just the unlucky girl who's got to work with them. In fact you should bring him to Devenemential to have him teach your colleagues the art of not being crazy maniacs, I'm sure that could be of help.

I won't spend too many words on the next scene since I've already made a whole ass post ranting about it and sharing my headcanon. However, regarding the mistress scene, I will say that yes, it was poorly executed. But if the entire episode had followed this direction I would have gladly signed off on it because, all things considered, it’s not even remotely comparable to the plot we've endured so far.

Now for the special scene I am conflicted. Ngl I really thought for a split second that we actually managed to kiss him, but I quickly snapped back to reality when I realized it was just Candy being delusional and I am just as much as her. She must have ingested way too much chlorine to be having such a mental trip lol. Anyway, I didn't like it very much because it was clear that BV didn't know what to come up with. The fact that they managed to incorporate Jason into the plot was something, but asking for a well-written special scene was apparently too much.

On a side note, I’m DEAD TIRED of having to endure the worst humiliations in every single episode when we’re on Jason’s route. It's pretty embarrassing, and, at lest for me, it’s not easy to move forward without cringing every few minutes. Moreover, it always seems like he has to have the upper hand in every situation. When is our Candy going to stop acting like a fool and step up her game??

And that's all, the episode ends with Candy leaving the pool, wondering if she and Jason will ever stop meeting in the most weird way spoiler: you won't i assure you.

Now for the next episode I fear we’re in for another ‘fun’ plot since it’s called A Child at Heart, but honestly I have no idea what these interns will actually get up to. Maybe the theme will revolve around generational differences, since they seem to be Gen Z while our colleagues are more on the border of being Millennials? Idk but I do really hope the writing will be better than in this ep.

All things considered, I still have faith in BV. I know they have the ability to write a good story with a solid foundation when they want to—it’s just that I don’t know what’s happening with this series in particular. As other players have pointed out, it feels like this plot was originally conceived when NG was still set in a high school, and now they’re trying to repurpose it in a more 'adult' way. The problem is, it’s just not working.

The Halloween event is approaching, and let’s hope it can alleviate some of the discontent in the community. Hopefully the upcoming episodes will be better since they’ve addressed the topic in the forums but we'll see.

[lutawolf]

The Sign Commentary Review Ep 5

I'm going to link to my episode 3 commentary because I gave a lot of Thailand mythology information. While I will be watching the show for the first time now and giving you my commentary. I've been Ask a question that gave me heads up that a lot of mythology will show up in this episode. So let's go!

We start the series off with this guy who has a Naga back tat. Then we see the front with him dripping water down himself. I got to hand it to Saint, he really knows how to visually stimulate. Is he the killer?

Are we really gonna ignore that Tharn sees visions? 2. Phaya has gotten his period. I mean, I get it. Nobody wants the love of their life thinking they're crazy, but this has the hallmark of hormonal rage versus righteous anger. Maybe the lack of sleep is starting to get to him. 3. Where do we stand with the physical assault? Do we label this domestic or everyone else feeling that maybe something is off here? Like when a werewolf gets all testosterone before their first change. I mean, you can literally see the freak-out in his face after he realized he has hit Tharn. Which honestly makes me feel better.

Oh, so we now understand why Tharn saw the female and how she relates. And Yai proves once again just how special he is. He really put on that clown mask. That's just wrong.

There are two! Honestly, didn't see that coming. Ahh, well now it's more understandable why they were getting their ass kicked. It's Wit.

I mean, I'm having a hard time caring that he might be killed. Just go ahead and let him go. Tharn sees him getting hit by a truck. I'm so okay with that.

I mean, I get the logic of no vigilante justice. But... People who sexually assault rarely deal with serious consequences. Only about 6% of Sexual Offenders ever serve a day in jail. If an assault is reported (this is rare due to fear factors), there is a 50% chance of an arrest. If an arrest is made, there is an 80% chance of prosecution. If there is a prosecution, there is only a 58% chance of conviction. If convicted, there is only a 16% chance that they will go to prison.

Well, that was therapeutic. The parental guidance warning made me chuckle.

They found him! Now I'm nervous! Ahhh, don't save him Tharn, go save Phaya. Don't judge me, people. I'm a little blood thirty when it comes to this.

A Naga. Not good. He is using his power for the fight, and it looks like it's overpowering Tharn's. Surprisingly, Phaya is keeping pace though, despite the break out of power. Well, until he gets a rope wrapped around him, that is. I was in full support of you dude until you started hurting Phaya and Tharn. Now ya gotta go.

Shit! A lot happened fast!

Tharn steps in front of Phaya and gets stabbed. You can tell from home dudes face that he had never meant to actually hurt Tharn. Which means he knows he is a fellow Naga. Then why is he okay with hurting Phaya? Then we see combined powers. Both Phaya's and Tharn, with Tharn's being green, which is Naga colors. Golden red is a distinct color clue.

Garuda: Is a mythical bird-man creature that is the half sibling to the nage, but they are sworn enemies. The feud started when both he Garuda's mother and Nagas' mother married the same husband. The husband gave each wife one wish. The Nagas' mother asked for a thousand children, while Garuda's mother wished for two children superior to the Naga. The feud grew until Garuda's mother lost a bet ad became the servant of the Nagas' mother. Eventually she was freed, but her children swore vengeance.

The Garuda represents royalty, strength, and divine knowledge. With its fierce loyalty and warrior nature, the Garuda serves a protective function. It adorns shields, swords, and armor as a guardian symbol. The Garuda’s golden wings are believed to shine light on the darkness of evil and ignorance.

Soooo, right now I'm thinking our Phaya is a Garuda. It also explains why in their past life he rejected Tharn for being a Naga. There are some stories of Naga and Garuda that aren't enemy, though. These few stories are about devote Buddhist Nagas and as protectors of the faith, Garudas are unable to kill these particular Nagas.

Poor Phaya is flipping out while Tharn is very calm. You can literally watch Phaya's brain go into a "does not compute point." All because Tharn is glad his is safe and gently wipes his face. It's a stark contrast to the violence that Phaya has been giving him. This whole thing cools him down in the same way that a bucket of cold water would. Despite others showing up, they cling to each other.

Tharn is now cleaned up and very calm. Meanwhile, his other half is losing his shit. Dragging him away to try and get some answers. Finally, some much-needed communication and touchy-feely. I love the way Tharn looks at Phaya when he asks him not to leave him.

Look, he is all soft and gooey like a chocolate chip cookie. He might be talking about work, but his body language is saying something else. This boy is clearly touched, starved. Ahhh, I'm getting all the feels with this scene.

The nurses pausing and kind of turning back to them and then them breaking apart. Hahahaha!

This cute little micro smile. It means everything to have cleared things up with Phaya.

Guys... Someone on this show is an actual survivor. Cause this shit is too accurate. Yeah, they could have talked to a survivor but add it with other things, it's there. This is someone's therapeutic art. The writer? The scriptwriter? I haven't read the book, so I don't know.

Ohhhh, we're digging into his parent's case now.

Phaya staying the night with Tharn again. Slumber party! Yes, you absolutely should play a game of Doctor. Silly boy, he is cute though.

Oh! Another dream. Damn it! I want the real deal but... I mean, at least they are feeding us something. At least the dreams tell us that these boys clearly want each other. Oh, a daydream. Damn boy. Keep it together 🤣🤣🤣 He's trying so hard. I'm dead. I love these two. He is planning ahead, telling Yai to bring him lots of clothes. He'll probably have to crash there more in the future.

But nope, it's the stupid doctor. Who is clearly some kind of naga since Phaya's touch bothers him. He gives a strong kickback. So as I mentioned earlier, Garuda can't harm followers of Buddhism, but they can and will harm those that worship the serpent.

Nobody is buying your shit Phaya, but I'm with you on saying what ever you got to. This dude is creepy. He feels like he owns Tharn and I wanna know why. And we're playing doctor again! Which ends in cuddle time. OMG, I love Phaya so much. That is the fastest count to three that I've ever heard. Love it! Touch starved, Tharn is very handsy when he is sleeping. Phaya does not appear to mind.

Too cute!!!

Apparently, all that love goes out the window when he wakes up. 🤣🤣🤣

Ummm, home dude might be your adoptive dad, but he isn't a cop. Stop talking shop!

The precepts are rules or guidelines to develop mind and character to make progress on the path to enlightenment… The first precept consists of a prohibition of killing, both humans and all animals. The second precept prohibits theft and related activities such as fraud and forgery. The third precept refers to sexual misconduct, and has been defined with terms such as sexual responsibility and long-term commitment. The fourth precept involves falsehood spoken or committed to by action, as well as malicious speech, harsh speech and gossip. The fifth precept prohibits intoxication through alcohol, drugs, or other means.

Damn, Phaya over here tattling. Oh, no! Grandma is sick! Ha, he was tricked.

He is a cop. Of course, it's dangerous. This is why I'm oh so excited that two of my kids want to go into law enforcement. (said in complete sarcasm.) We do a tight focus of the eagle, he has wings on his back. I'm really thinking I'm right here. Damn, he is obsessed.

There is past life Tharn. Water and sky, the places where their other half reside. And there he is. Ahh, I get more and more excited with each one. I can't wait. 💜💜💜

[m3r1m4r5u333]

One very queer post to remind my fellow buddie truthers that patience is virtue...

Never forget that the show clearly called us clowns and crows...

And neither of those is an insult.

If you haven't, I recommend you read up on the history of clowns. Do you know where they evolved from?

Fools... What are fools, in story-telling?

They have always been the breakers of taboos, the ones who dare speak up and illuminate the truth.

That's repeatedly been the role of the "fool" in literature and theatre.

And remember the scene with these modern versions of fools, clowns, in 4x06? Bobby tells Eddie and Buck to be professionals!

...Much like when he has to cut off Buck from flirting with the tapework guy... In season one. The tapeworm guy? It's basically a scene of Buck being blatantly bisexual, totally flirting with a man... And Bobby going: Be a professional Buck, finish this conversation later!

And then that clown scene later on... There's a clown trapped under some (obviously quite phallic) helium tanks, and Bobby yelling about needing to "release the pressure"?

It's a parallel. Go rewatch Eddie's and Buck's first emergency together. They need to release the pressure to save that patient.

And the name of that first episode Eddie appears in? Under pressure. That's also in the season 2 promo, the first season with Eddie. And the songs in those promos... Under pressure by the Queen and David Bowie. And a version of Nowhere to run by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. It's a love song, about a persistent, devastating love. Fitting for a slow-burn.

Also...

Eddie: "You're a badass under pressure, brother.

Buck: Me?

Eddie: Hell yeah. You can have my back any day.

Buck: "Yeah. Or you know... You could... You could have mine.

....

Then that emergency with the grenade when they first meet...

Everyone originally assumes it's not live. Oh but turns out, it very much is a live grenade, isn't it? We see it exploding. What's a grenade, going off?

Well, it's basically deathly amounts of pressure. Grenades injure and kill from a distance, the blast, the pressure is so powerful.

So the clowns watch that scene, watch Bobby urging Buck and Eddie to release the pressure... They look at Buck and Eddie working together...

And the clowns make their opinion known.

A clown starts choking, and coughs up rainbow colored string. That's the unsaid truth which this fool says out loud to the audience.

"This story is queer. I'm telling you, there are rainbows. I'm choking on them here!"

The combination of clowns, pressure, grenades... Again... Makes me think of the Batman movie Dark Knight, especially the clever bank robbery heist which

Joker - A famous fool type character, also related to fools and clowns... plans.

Btw, some of you may have noticed that I keep rambling about the Joker, and Dark Knight. Why? Because THAT MOVIE IS A CAPRICORN OF QUEERNESS!!!

And there's that clown theme which obviously comes up in 9-1-1, too. The clowns are the queer audience, it's quite clear. That clown scene was written as commentary, to us, freaking out about the queerness of buddie.

In The Dark Knight... Remember that whole conflict of the two freaks, a Batman and a Joker?

It's a battle against conformity. Diverting from the norm. Joker spends the entire movie trying to make Batman see and own his freakiness.

Honestly I think that we queers should worship that movie, it's a tale of us, the outcasts, the freaks, us against the world.

Because we are the clowns, the fools, the freaks that people fear. Who are always told to shut up, and hide. The ones who have always been the outlaws running from the police, still are. Who nobody believes, when we see our kind.

That bank heist in that movie, which the ultimate clown, fool, Joker, organizes?

They enter the bank dressed up as clowns. The Joker is among them, a twofold fool, a jester wearing a clown mask, his true identity unknown to the other clowns.

The bank robbery heist btw includes lots of stuff which make me go "is this intertextuality?, was 9-1-1 inspired by this?", because they remind me of memorable buddie scenes. A failed phone-call ("I couldn't even call you to bail me out of jail!"),

the bank vault with electricity ("What more proof do you need, Eddie! We are trapped in a death box, thousands of volts of electricity...")

the clowns, the queers, hiding from detection, from the gunfire,

then clowns, destroying each other, one by one.

A clown getting hurt because he's an idiot who cannot really count (Buck, Eddie, the embarrassing struggle to get to "bi"?),

This one clown who thinks it's his time to spring out of the box and stop waiting. This shotgun has no ammo...

and the Joker nods, which convinces the dumb math challenged clown that the bank manager's shotgun has no more bullets...

Here's another deathly nod from our favorite fool...

This backfires quickly, the math challenged clown who thinks the gun wasn't "live"... Dies.

A fool just fooled a fool. A third fool cries out in dismay.

In the end... it's the patient fool here who ends up outsmarting the manager, and winning the battle.

Clowns are clever. We see under the surface, we voice the truth, but also, sometimes we lie to save ourself. That's what being an outlaw, an outcast is.

The Joker bides his time, is smart about it, and when the right moment arrives... he does not hesitate. He robs that bank, proves himself to be the smart one. The ultimate fool. The cleverest clown.

So remember the history of us clowns. We are silly, scary, strange, queer, the annoying ones who won't shut up.

And we are the fools. And fools are the truth seers. Tellers. We aren't dumb, we are clever.

That's how the story goes. Ultimately the fools always realise and tell the truth. We clowns, like the Joker... We saw the potential for "aggressive expansion" in buddie. We were there from the start, we looked at that lurking grenade, and thought... I'm seeing something here. And they will keep laughing at us clowns... But they'll learn when it goes off. I do think it's a live one, darlings.

So, how does the heist and the movie end?

Joker survives the danger, ducks the gunfire... And leaves the manager alive.

He also leaves an impression that will forever change that survivor. The Joker sticks a grenade in his mouth. It doesn't kill him, but that grenade is live, it releases a strange, queer gas.

The Joker gently tells the manager that whatever doesn't kill you... Makes you stranger.

Then... The way the Joker spends the entire movie urging Batman to hit him, to kill him... He challenges Batman to make him realise that they are really the same. That they are both freaks, outsiders... Birds of a feather. Batman needs to stop pretending that he isn't a freak.

It's like Buck and Eddie. Take a swing at me.

Wanna go for the title?

And in the end, they both survive this (really quite queer-coded) stand-off. They prove each other wrong.

Joker finds that he's wrong, that Batman cannot bear to kill him. And Batman admits defeat.

He becomes an outlaw, too. He takes the blame for the chaos, falls out of favor. The bat signal is smashed. Batman knows he'll be hunted... but he can take it.

"...Because sometimes... the truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded..."

And that's why Buck and Eddie, "Buddie" has really never been a tale of two buddies.

The "truth" is a lie. The fools have always seen it.

And so the Joker, the fool, the clown, actually... wins this battle. He is captured but creates another freak by turning Harvey Dent into the Two-Face.

He makes Batman realise who he really is, an outcast. Batman goes into hiding. But Batman creates another freak, Robin.

It's a lesson. Some of us freaks argue for chaos, some will argue for order. But to others we are still the strange ones. Outsiders, outlaws. Queers. Listen to the fool and realize it, own it. See that we are the same.

And they will hunt us, but the circus grows stronger. Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stranger.

Oh, and the crows I mentioned in the beginning? Well, they called the crows buddies, and told the audience that the crows always remember their tormentors, didn't they.

Do you think they're waiting for these boys to come out, the show asks?

Of course we were, are. And we've got one now. Waiting for another.

After all, sometimes the fool needs to wait and have patience to see the vision materialize. Doesn't mean the fool was wrong. In the end, the crows will feast.

Crows are smart. And the clowns see the hidden truth.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Uea and Red

I don't have a fancy intro for this so lets just get right into it.

Uea is red. We know Uea is red. I know Uea is red. But there is just something about the red on Uea that feels wrong. That I am having trouble wrapping my mind around. Maybe it's just that the color choice doesn't match well with James, but I'm going to choose to analyze it as an intentional part of the show instead, because fuck it, we ball. Because you see, it isn't all of the reds that I have trouble believing, just one specific shade.

So what red do I have a problem with?

The bright red. Uea's main red. Unfortunately :(

There is just something about it that makes it feel...fake? to me.

But, as I said, there are plenty of moments in the show where I wholly accept, understand, and associate Uea with red.

So when do I buy into Uea Anol The Red Rascal?

In lighting like this:

In clothing like this:

(I do consider pink to be a red since it has red in it.)

(This last image is from the after-credit scene of Cutie Pie where Net and James cameo as King and Uea).

In King's sheets:

All this to say that there are times when I completely see Uea as a Red Rascal, but I needed to figure out what it was about the main red that always took me out of that mindset. What was it about the main red that made me feel like it was a lie?

And after reading @respectthepetty's commentary on a previous thread : "Uea wearing a blue shirt in the past could very much symbolize him trying to not be himself." it really got me thinking.

That red is too saturated, too vibrant, too loud for Uea. At least in my opinion. Because while RTP is also correct and Uea "has been shown to be more spontaneous, attention-getting, and dominant" that is really only true when Uea is being sexual. When it comes to sex, Uea is the more dominant person. It is Uea that initiates/asks for the first sexual encounter with King, it is Uea who sets the (truly low bar) rules, at every point of the sexual relationship he has with King, Uea is in control.

But the same can't be said for non-sexual situations. In social situations, in matters of day to day existence, external personality, etc. King is the far more outgoing person. At the office King is the one who gets all the attention, he is more openly flirty. And while Uea gets his share of attention in the office, he does not reciprocate it the way that King does. Uea is quiet, Uea is reserved, and that's doubly the case when Uea is triggered. Unless he is actively re-living the moment, he dissociates or retreats in to himself to process his own emotions. When Uea's mother asks him for tuition in Episode 1 and he starts thinking about all his other stressors, he doesn't say a word, he just returns to the karaoke room and starts drinking:

At the hospital he folds in to himself, he barely puts up a fight, the only time he really even says "No," is when King starts reaching for his own wallet:

When King sniffs his neck the way his stepfather used to, Uea retreats to a hallway to hide. At no point does he offer any explanation (and to be clear he doesn't have to, he's allowed to keep it secret)

Honestly, the only way anyone in Uea's life probably has any indication that Uea is going through so much is from physically witnessing it themselves (King seeing Uea freaking out in the dark, King seeing Uea submissive in front of his mother, Jade protecting Uea from Pock, King rescuing Uea from Pock).

So to have such a bright and vibrant red for Uea feels wrong, it feels like a lie to me. Mostly because Uea's daily personality is more passive and restrained compared to his more open and demanding personality in the bedroom. I believe Uea as a Red Rascal when his reds are darker and muddier (the red-browns) or lighter and more subtle (the pinks). Uea's bright reds make me question his color-coding far more because it is so strong a color. (To be clear here this is not me saying I don't think Uea is strong, just me saying that he is too quiet for the bright reds).

And it got me thinking more about when and where Uea wears the bright red colors and where he doesn't. And it always seems to be in moments of anxiety.

When Uea wears bright red:

At the very beginning of Episode 1 when he is introducing himself to the audience

When he goes with King to get tested for STIs

When he goes home for his birthday.

These are all anxiety inducing moments.

Uea is making a first impression on us the audience, he's trying to gets us to see what he wants us to see. He is trying to convince us that what he is telling us is true. That is ordinary. The literal first words in his opening monologue are:

"I'm just an ordinary salaryman. I'm nothing different to others, but there might be one thing different...I don't like being around people in the office,"

Three minutes later, we get the truth:

Uea may seem like an ordinary salaryman on the outside, but he has been horrifically abused and is struggling with navigating trauma that is far outside what I would call "ordinary". Guess who picks up on the issue? King.

STI testing is the same thing, Uea is worried and King says as much:

And anyone who has seen Episode 4 understands perfectly well the anxiety Uea must be feeling at the prospect of going home. Because well...

#pransdaddarktimelineedition

And we know one of Uea's coping mechanisms is sex. He can't find the words to talk about his feelings properly so he tries to push them down, and distract himself with pleasure. If we want to look at the bright red as anxiety, Uea usually has something white on as a cover. His anxiety is there but he is trying to hide it.

But at King's he takes that white sweater off, tries to fuck his feelings away, but the anxiety is fresh, he hasn't regulated his emotions enough yet to be convincingly okay, and King #greenflagextraordinaire once again notices Uea is not in an emotionally secure enough place to proceed with sex.

And sure, you can argue that Uea wears these bright reds while he's one on one with King, and there the bright red can't just be anxiety, and we could also argue that every color has positives and negatives and the same could be said for the bright red. And to that I say, sure, but the one on ones with King are as follows: King snaps Uea out of an active trigger, King and Uea discuss starting a friends with benefits situation, Uea shows up to King's apartment on short notice after having a breakdown. None of these moments are what I personally would consider stress free.

Compare that to when Uea wears more muted/subtle reds:

The first time he meets King in a bar, (this is actually the brightest red that he wears that I can actually believe for Uea, and that's because it is a darker red than the other three firetruck red shirts.)

The day after he's shared a moment of connection and trust with King in the hospital after sending his mother home.

When he has forgiven King for accidentally triggering him without King knowing and is ready to re-initiate the FWB.

In the pool with King, when King asks him if he likes the sea and Uea replies "Kind of, but I preferred the calm one,"

Even the red lighting is different, the first red light is brighter and more intense, and that's because Uea is under time pressure to make a decision about whether or not to start the FWB deal with King. In the warmer post-coitus light of the second lighting photo, Uea is incredibly relaxed, almost drowsy, and is being asked to answer honest questions about why he agreed to be FWB. He's not anxious here, he's calm, and as a result Uea and King get to bask in a richer, deeper, less harsh red light. We can interpret the same information from King's sheets, with Uea being happy and relaxed and cuddled by King.

And even when we finally get King in red:

It's still not as bright as Uea's more purely red outfits (ie not the red-browns or the pinks). And naturally because King is still hiding something we've got to trap the brand new red color with all that black.

ANYWAY all of this to say I have figured out what is off-putting to me about the bright red, what makes me feel like it's a lie. IT'S BECAUSE IT IS A LIE!! Or I guess, more accurately, it's an over-compensation. Uea is red, but his trauma and his pain has made that red less vibrant. If respectthepetty is right, and let's be honest the Parent of All Tumblr Color Theory is always right, then Uea wearing blue at home was his way of suppressing his true self.

And if that's the case, then the separation he has from home, because he is no longer living there (since he's still in communication with his mother and therefore cannot fully be separated), has allowed Uea to stop hiding his true self, and embrace the Red Rascal he is. BUT because of his trauma, because his response to trauma seems to be more on the flight and freeze side of things, he is more prone to submission in the face of environmental triggers. When he can no longer simply ignore his mother's text messages, he will try to get his Mom to take a taxi, then give her money, and then resign himself to going to the ATM rather than actually fight her. When he sees his stepfather again, he will run to the dining room rather than engage, he will try to run to the kitchen, when he is stopped he will beg, quietly so as not to make a scene, and then he will run, and run again. (I want to be clear here, Uea does not need to fight, he is doing everything right, and he's doing the best that he can.)

When Uea is faced with high anxiety situations, he needs reminders of who he is. And those reminders need to be bright, and they need to be loud, because they need to be able to break through his initial panic and ground him. So he wears the bright red to tell himself and tell others fundamentally who he is:

A Red Rascal

And funnily enough, this bright red shirt Uea wears at the end of Ep. 4 is the only bright red shirt so far that doesn't bother me. It seems to fit him better than the other bright reds do and that is probably mostly because the loudness of this shirt is mitigated by the shadows on the front darkening the overall color and back of the shirt being washed out by the light rather than intensified by it. Or possibly because the pattern breaks up the color in a way that doesn't make it even brighter. I feel like the solid white stripes, and the solid white jacket from the examples above make their reds almost neon.

Here though, Uea is drunk and being hit on by a stranger. I don't think our boy is coping very well with the realization that he might be falling for King and so the Anxiety Red comes back. But it's not as In Your Face Bright Red as the others, and that's because he's not in as high stakes of a situation here. It's just hinting to me of potential inner turmoil on Uea's end, and since I haven't read the book I have no idea if Uea is contemplated fucking up a good thing and trying to end it because he doesn't think he is deserving of good things.

---

And for a total tangent, shout out to the purple in Ep. 3 after King and Uea's first night as official FWBs. I love when red and blue combine ;)

Ok, I have nothing else to say on this matter at this time. Thanks for listening, and as always if you made it this far, please collect your invisible Participation Medal.

TL;DR: Uea is a red rascal, but only when he is wearing muted red tones, not when he's wearing actual red. Shhh, I know...but it makes sense in my head

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Weekend all :) Watched this ep last night wrote down my thoughts and thought kick off Saturday with a review. Another really good ep ahead. S2 adds onto the base built in S1 in the best way. Off we go.

2x02 The Night General

We catch our first glimpse of our fine duo at the end of roll call. Grey has a new book for Tim to read for his Sergeant's exam. Tim doesn’t look excited in the least. Lucy calls out the book for its dated title. Grey explains to Lucy it's from the 60s. Lovely. Tim asks how this book is relevant with 21st century policing? Grey tells him 'Ours is not to reason why' LOL Basically saying he has to read it whether he wants to or not Poor Tim.

They're not in the shop two seconds before Tim hands her the book to read to him. Of course Lucy is going to give him some push back. She wouldn’t be her if she didn’t. Would you love her Timothy if she was anything but who she is? haha This is how they're going to spend their shift whether Lucy wants to or not.

Lucy suggests just to let her drive so he can read it while they work. That doesn’t fly with Tim baha Lucy doesn’t understand (yet) why he can’t just read it himself. Thinks Tim is just making her do it for him just cause he can. You'll find out soon enough my dear. Lucy knows when to pick her battles at this point. So she decides not to fight Tim on this one. Gives in and cracks this old fossil open and begins to read to him.

Mini marriage scene going on right here. It's their back and forth that I love so much about them. A comfortability has settled between the two of them and it shows. Instantly Lucy is being smug and sassy about the material. One of my fav things she does with him. Pushes his buttons like only she can. Instead of being immediately grumpy he dishes it right back. Oh how they’ve grown. Giving him crap with the book saying he shouldn’t generate fear but respect.

Tim is snarky as well firing back of course she would like this book...We all know she has thrived under his leadership. She's not really taking shots at him so much as using it to mess with him. She can't help herself. Lucy is taking full advantage of this scenario. Tim is painfully aware she is using reading this book to punish him. I mean it's only fair since he's forcing her to read it between calls.

I love her face in the gif above. She’s enjoying herself far too much for Tim’s liking haha He tells her to just keep reading LOL Like Lucy wasn't going to read this book without running commentary. Come on Timothy you know better than that hehe Lucy continues on and you can see him trying so hard to absorb it as she speaks.

Lucy ends up on another quote she likes. Of course its about patrol officers having value. So she chooses this one to have him parrot back to her. She is agitating the crap out of him and knows it. Telling him he needs to repeat it in order to memorize it. Using her psych degree to justify it. He begrudgingly does it and she asks him to do it again lmao Lucy is pushing her boundaries today and is fine with it haha

They get a call interrupting her and Tim is so relieved. Lucy responds to dispatch then says 'Ok 3 min out more reading.' LMAO She is relentless and begins up again. Tim's face above I’m dying. LOL He looks like he’s being endlessly tortured by her studying methods. This episode is absolute gold start to finish. He is at her mercy with this and knows it.

We rejoin them in the shop after their call. Lucy has moved onto chapter 3. ‘The Healthy Habits Of Command’ She goes on to read out loud ‘Delegation is the key to leading men in times of stress.’ Which leads to the line above. She follows it up with That’s so true don’t you think? Tim snaps back it’s hard enough to listen to this stuff without her editorializing haha Honestly Tim what did you expect from her? She tells him she’s happy to stop anytime and get back to her paper work.

Lucy goes on to tell him that he’s going to have to re-read all this again anyways to memorize it. You see the panic in Tim’s face. It’s here Lucy finds out he learns best when he’s hears it. That response immediately gets the wheels in Lucy’s head churning with her response of Really? He then asks what? Why? She tells him nothing…. Doesn’t take Tim long to figure out she’s holding something back from him. He says ‘Boot...’

Lucy tries to mumble her reply at first. Telling him he has a learning difference under her breath. It’s kinda funny how she tries to hide her answer. She knows he’s going to take it the wrong way. Tim makes her speak up and Lucy bites the bullet. Then try’s to soften the blow by saying he’s just wired differently. That he just processes information differently than others. She is digging herself a hole and knows it. Tim is bristly af as she tries explain this to him. He tells her he doesn’t have a learning disability. Flat out refuses to accept it.

Lucy digs her hole even further when she brings up Isabel. Tim has grown but that continues to be a sore subject for him. Lucy is trying so hard for him not to take this as a bad thing. Minute she brings Isabel up and their time at the academy he shuts down. Tells her they’re not talking about this. Lucy looks crushed she’s offended him. That comfortability and banter from earlier gone. You can see how much she wants to fix it. Unfortunately they get a call before she can rectify the situation. It's about a suspicious mini van casing a house. She tries to fix it as they drive to the call but he is shut off completely. Lucy is defeated and says never mind….

They pull up and its an old colleague of Tim's. He is a bounty hunter now. Lucy is assertive right off the bat saying they've received multiple 911 calls about him. Rex bites back calling her boot and to watch her tone. Tim steps in right away. No one calls her ‘boot’ but Tim good sir. So sexy when he tells Rex she’s the police now. Even though he’s grumpy about the studying he still has her back on this 100%. Such growth Tim. I love me some protective/supportive Tim. Lucy doesn't let Rex's behavior shake her. Lets this surly grump of a man know that. It’s like she has experience with them or something heh

Tim's face when Rex says 'You let her talk to you like that?' It’s a 'Watch it...' We all know Tim likes it when Lucy talks to him like that. It’s that assertive confidence that attracts him to her. One of many reasons But It’s far too early to delve into that fully haha We all know it’s true though. Lucy tells him his bounty Nico is a very dangerous person. Rex tries to rattle her one more time. Saying how he’s been dealing with dangerous men since she was in diapers. Lucy tells him these days you have to call law enforcement for this stuff. She cracks me up and says maybe he should read Tim’s book LMAO

Lucy tries the next day to mend fences with Tim. Asking him if he'd like her to read to him? Trying to offer up a olive branch. He instantly shuts her down. Says no. Lucy tries to implore him to let her. That he needs to learn it. He grumpily replies ‘I can do that on my own.' Oof she really hit a nerve with this one. Before Lucy can fight him some more they pull back up to Rex’s van. Tim is wanting to do a welfare check on him. He didn't report his bounty last night. Lucy calls him out for it and Tim says he wouldn’t put it that way to Rex though. But he's being a softie and she knows it.

They find blood and broken glass and call it in. Rex has been assaulted and Tim sees red. He takes off once Rex says Nico is headed to his aunt's. Lucy calls after him saying they need a warrant. Tim doesn’t listen as he takes off and Rex tells Lucy go with Tim.

Tim busts in raging says blood on the door enough reason for them to search. Lucy takes control of the situation quickly. Makes the aunt call Nico. Says they’ll arrest for aiding and abetting if she doesn’t. Does this to calm Tim down a bit. She’s so good at that. Not the first time she's taken charge to rein him a bit. The aunt calls it doesn't take long to find him in the house Then comes this bad ass fight scene. Last episode I said they’re like poetry in motion in the field. This gif is the definition of that. Look how well they work together to take Niko down. It’s a thing of beauty really.

First off let’s enjoy the fact we’re getting Tim all sweaty and guns out to play shall we? Ovary explosion for me. It's a very nice visual for me to start this scene. *fans self* Never get over how fine this man is honestly. Now let’s move onto the beautiful moment that’s about to commence. Lucy finds Tim working out. Ask's if he's training for his next re-match with Nico haha She hands him the little Audio book he looks so confused as to what this might be. His confusion continues after she explain its the audiobook version of his book.

Lucy looks so proud of herself when she explains she recorded it for him. She should be. You know she spent whatever free time she had off shift doing that for him. That is no small feat. Also the fact that she reached out to Isabel for him. I can’t imagine that conversation wasn’t a little awkward for her. But guess what? She did it anyways to help him. Even when he’s obstinate af with her she is driven to help him no matter what.

That psych degree comes in handy when she’s deciphering Tim. Why he acts the way he does. He lashed out cause he was embarrassed by the fact that he learns through listening. This is why Lucy does this for him. So he feels better about the way he learns. Doesn’t feel shame about it. He is much more receptive to her explanation this time around. You can see it in his face in that second gif above. She is so kind and gentle while she does it. Letting him know hey it's ok you learn this way. Nothing is wrong with it or you.

I can totally relate to Tim too btw. I am a Kinesthetic learner as well. I absorb audio books far more than sitting down and reading. I have to be moving while I listen or I’m instantly bored and disengage. If it’s a fic I’m fine for most part if it’s a one shot. But anything I have to read at massive length? I gotta be moving. So I get it Tim I’m same way my love.

She ends her explanation by complimenting him in the best way she can. By letting him know that the way he learns is why he’s such an excellent cop. Building him up and letting him know its why he excels the way he does at his job. Reinforcing his way of learning isn’t a bad thing at all but a strength for him. You can see it in his face he finally accepts this about himself. He replies 'Yeah.' with a small smile of gratitude. Like she's just taught him something about himself and he's not mad about it. Tim can't help but let that Lucy light of hers in.

Lucy says she will see him tomorrow. Wants to let him get back to his work out. You can tell Tim wants to say something before she goes. He builds up the courage to say 'Thanks' as she’s leaving ❤️ It's such a loaded Thanks for him. The absolute gratitude he has for her in this moment. I’ve said it many times and I’ll continue to say it. Eric says so damn much with just a look. If her recording an audio book isn’t an act of service and love to him I don’t know what is. The look on this man’s face as he says 'Thanks.' He is blown away she took the time to do this for him. Has to make sure Lucy knows how grateful he is before she leaves. Because she saw he had a need and fulfilled it for him. Put him first and took care of him in best way she could think of.

Lucy’s smile Is everything after he says this. It's the most honest and genuine 'Thanks ' she's ever received from him. She almost can't handle it. Why she nervously smiles back instead of replying. She is adorable. Gah no one gets through like Lucy does for him. Makes me wanna cry honestly. They’re written so damn well it makes me happy. Truly just make one another better in the best way.

That little smile of his when he hears Lucy’s intro. My damn heart. She truly is the best rookie he’s ever trained. Damn straight. If you weren’t shipping them before, this scene has to get you hook, line and sinker. She recorded an old outdated book for him in her personal time, built him up, made him feel better about how he learns, and reached out to his ex for clarification in order to help him better.

Actions speak louder than words they say for a reason. Her actions are screaming right now. Makes you wonder if he listened at night at all? Did he ever fall asleep to her voice during his studying? Maybe he did maybe he didn't. A girl can dream though haha Such a good ep for them start to finish.

~~~~~

Side notes non-chenford

Mmm Tim laying into Jackson about the hole he’s in. Yes please. Defending Angela when Jackson makes a joke if he’s late his dad is gonna light up Lopez. Tim goes on to tell him she’s going to pay the price if he doesn’t get his shit together. That she will be the target of his fathers aggression if he goes belly up halfway through training. That Jackson owes her his career. Whew lord I love me some protective Tim.

Also Lucy and Jackson living together ❤️ such a good friend to take him in like that I love it. First thing he needed to her back on track.

[flowitch]

okay i actually do have so many thoughts about dynamite

kyle hesitantly leaving will to follow don was so good and so sad

britt & mercedes is the natural choice for a wembley match, i just hope that britt learned how to wrestle while she was away so mercedes doesn't have to carry her like stat did

I'm glad britt's okay, that shit sounds so awful and scary. her & adam can't catch a break with head injuries

there's an alternate universe out there where britt is a heel and joins the evps and goes by her god given name brittany

hangman's new theme (as far as i can tell from the one time we've heard it) is great and fits him perfectly. the dim yellow lighting is also so perfect for his presentation. i saw someone on twitter say that they should pay for hurt by johnny cash to be his theme for PPVs and i think that'd be so awesome

thank god the cowboy is home. there was a distinct lack of cowboy these past few months

using jeff jarrett's real life investment & babyfaceism in the owen as a way to get hanger more heel heat was fantastic

the crowd doing the swerve's house chants to hanger was so fucked up when you remember they're chanting for the dude that broke into hanger's house and his child's bedroom LMAO that shit was so crazy. he has every right to go batshit after being made the bad guy. babyface swerve & heel hanger ended up being inspired booking

hangmatt i missed you so dearly. the angst is wonderful but i was sad for a moment missing the elite being all together. so much has happened in the past year!

i need kris statlander in ways I'm not allowed to say publicly

stat vs willow was great per usual. honestly if they wanted to run that again at wembley maybe with a stip that'd be awesome

bryan vs pac was great as expected. i did some looking and the only times they've fought 1-on-1 was once in 2007 for roh and once in 2009 for a UK indie promotion

will vs danny was great. usually my dad and i joke that certain people in matches have a -3% chance of winning when we can guess the booking but in this instance i upped danny to a 40%. i feel like he honestly had a shot based on the storyline they're doing with will. even though he didn't win im glad he has a feud now instead of just squashes or run-ins to help other people

it was def time to turn mjf fully heel again. i think his babyface run was great especially during the btybb era but being a heel is his bread and butter so it was def time.

we should all start assuming someone's about to die when they're wearing white. that's how u know the blood is coming

one minute danny is thrusting in will's face and the next he's dead, daddy magic has his eyes ripped out, and mjf is throwing trash at fans while they attempt to fist fight him

I'm so so so excited that the build to all in has started. they have so much time for it i think it's gonna be amazing

mark briscoe declaring for blood & guts made me very happy. he's gonna do some crazy shit. i really wish the acclaimed weren't in it because i cannot stand max caster but sadly that's probably happening. i keep thinking maybe swerve will declare since they hinted it & that's what'll help the bucks convince hanger to join their team. I'm all for them being in forced close proximity and angst happening. god bless

there was a chompy-shaped hole in the heart of this year's shark week episode. i liked him terrorizing commentary last year. speaking of commentary, taz being kicked off commentary should be considered a crime

i think that's all for now

[salarta]

I Saw The TV Glow Thoughts

So I saw the movie, and I wanna talk about several things within it. I'm gonna put it under a cut because spoilers are involved.

I thought it was a great movie, though I don't think it'll have the same impact on streaming.

The whole scene of Mr Melancholy speaking to Owen is a prime example. It feels very encompassing when it's on a huge screen taking up your attention, vs on a smaller screen when you can easily just look at your phone or get distracted. I LOVED the effect on his face. But yeah, "you won't even know you're dying" hits hard.

By the end, it very much feels like one of those popular 90s episodes where the main characters are tormented by a monster of the week that tries to convince them their actual reality is pure fiction and they're just "crazy." Except, in this case the movie all takes place from the perspective of the characters inside the fake reality.

I've seen mostly comparisons between Pink Opaque and BtVS. I can see that, both due to the director's comments and certain elements. But honestly, I feel Charmed is a better comparison point. The Pink Opaque focuses on two young girls who use the astral plane to communicate, and involves fighting demons, both of which do apply to both shows. But it's the implied sisterhood aspect, paired with the astral plane, that feels very Charmed in nature. The power of the pink opaque feels very much like it fits power of three.

More importantly, Owen's dad refers to Pink Opaque as a "show for girls." That attitude more closely mirrors Charmed because of its protagonists all being female, and very strong girl power emphasis of the show.

Then there's the fact Pink Opaque comes on during a "young adult" block even though it's talked about as being "for kids," yet the show comes on too late for kids to actually watch. And somehow lasts 5 seasons like that. That was the first indication to me something wasn't quite right.

I think just how different Pink Opaque is on streaming makes very clear that Owen's in the midnight realm. Aside from simply how cheesy it is by that point, if it was really that cheesy originally, why would it be on at 10:30 PM instead of during the day like with Power Rangers. The Mr Melancholy game at the arcade goes further into this matter by suddenly making it more "childish."

Now, within this whole framework, with Pink Opaque being the real world and Owen being one of its characters, Owen's midnight realm circumstances work perfectly both to keep the character trapped in the realm and to show division with Maddy. Maddy's two years older and a white lesbian, while Owen's trapped in the realm presenting as a black man. You get the effect of this on their relationship when Maddy starts out calling him a "baby" for being two years younger than her, and later with Maddy feeling she needed to make clear she's a lesbian.

Along with this, it helps get across to the audience how difficult it can be to "escape" the pressures of masculinity. How Owen feels the need to sneak around with "girly" interests and connections. Never considers asking to stay over at Maddy's. Also Owen cleaning off the pink ghost drawn on his neck. We know he loves the show, so that decision must come from fear of public stigma if people saw it on him. It's very much a "I'm wiping away this power of mine, this thing that gives me life, from public view so I can fit in" case.

Fred Durst is also someone I would not have expected starring in this. Yet he was a perfect choice for the character he played. He's one of several people who had a pop culture masculine image out there in the 90s, so it fits for Owen to have that affecting him.

Oh, and I very much saw the AYAOTD reference for what it was.

Wrapping up, I can understand the point of the ending after seeing commentary by the director. It's a very valuable ending and I certainly wouldn't say it should "change" in any way from the director's vision. However, I will say that I didn't get the impression the director intended while viewing. "This is gonna be a process Owen needs to go through, it's gonna take time" is something that makes sense once explained. Taken as-is, it ended up feeling like Owen saw the truth but then decided to run away from it again, like Owen has no hope of breaking free of the midnight realm. It felt like a very "if that's not enough for Owen to change, nothing will make it happen" situation.

That's all I have at the moment. Again, good movie!

[tricornonthecob]

Okay, confession time - as a non-USAmerican I have never watched Liberty's Kids. What is the deal with James and Sarah? What is their story? Europeans need to know!

Hmmm... how to summarize the pain...

Ok so quick overview, Sarah is sassy British gentry and starts out a loyalist. She comes over from Britian (15 YEARS OLD AND UNCHAPERONED, but I digress) to find her dad, who fucked off years ago to the Ohio wilderness ostensibly to find land for their family to settle in because land is cheap (no, their financial situation isn't explained,) but he's an easily distractable man and seems to keep forgetting he has a family. She takes up residence in Benjamin Franklin's print shop, because him and her mother are Best Buds, and this is where James is an apprentice and also lives. (There are alot of historical inaccuracies here as the shop had zero living space and Ben Franklin had sold the Pennsylvania Gazette and retired from printing before the 1770s and was in no way involved.)

James is a poor orphan colonist who manages to get an apprenticeship at Benjamin Franklin's print shop, which is wild and amazing in its own right. He's a tad goofy, smart but dumb, and a firebrand patriot, although his enthusiasm for rebellion and violence cools over the series. The show frequently uses him to make commentary about not letting your enthusiasm take over your mind, and not letting yourself be swayed into violence because of mob mentality. (But of course its an American show about the American Revolution that got released in 2002, a year after 9/11, so even though it does make a real genuine effort to be Fair And Balanced about the whole thing, patriotism can't help but worm its way in.)

Anyway, both of these teens are smart-but-dumb, sassy, hotheaded, and stubborn. Not only that, they are set up to be on opposite sides of the Revolution. Its the perfect formula for enemies-to-frenemies-to-lovers pipeline, and also coworkers-to-lovers pipeline, with a dash of Idiots in Love and a little bit of Forbidden Love vibes, and what eleven-year-old can resist? And honestly? Its frequently written that way.

Ok so I said there was pain.

Sarah had a gold locket she was gifted by her father. Its precious to her and reminds her of her father, who's been absent for years. (Are you picking up all the Dysfunctional Family vibes yet? Stick with me.) In the first episode, she unwittingly gets caught up in the Boston Tea Party shenanigans and loses the locket in the harbor. Its a Huge Fucking Deal, losing her only tangible connection to her dad and her life back in Britain.

In the second fucking episode (this is important to the Pain,) we get some backstory for James. Him and Sarah get to talking when she opens up about her dad and about losing the locket. James opens up and we learn he was orphaned as an infant when his parents died in a house fire from a lightning strike. A neighbor saved him, but eventually he ended up wandering the streets of Philadelphia when still a child. The only thing he has left of his family - of any family - is his mother's wedding ring, which he wears. Although they come from different backgrounds, he actively empathizes with Sarah's situation and tells her he understands what it means to put alot of emotional weight on an item like a ring or a locket.

(The second episode was the first one I ever watched and I went fucking FERAL at this scene.)

Anyway, at the end of the, and I remind you, SECOND FUCKING EPISODE, James makes the decision to melt down his mother's ring to make a replacement for Sarah's locket.

Please just let that sink in.

Is it sunk in yet? Allow me to go feral for a defining moment in my first experience shipping.

James melts down the only thing of actual value in his possession, and the only remnant of his family, in order to give Sarah a replacement for the locket that her deadbeat dad absent father gave her. The scene is very sweet. Sarah is genuinely elated. James is thrilled she likes it. He fucking. Puts it on her. When she finds out where they got the gold, she calls it the greatest gift she's ever received.

The SYMBOLISM HERE IS NOT VERY SUBTLE, is it??? The Found Family. The Healing. The coming together to make things Right. The Sacrifice. The Radiant Joy of Love.

Now, there are other moments throughout the series hinting that the two of them have crushes on each other, some more obvious than others ("I'm so happy I could kiss you!!!") but here comes the fucking PAIN.

They don't fucking get together in canon. Despite it being obvious that the writers had set them up to be a thing. I don't know if it was just infighting with the writers and the studio, or if there was some executive who decided that romance was silly, or if someone thought that romance wouldn't resonate with their target audience (children ship ALL THE TIME wtffff) but a grievous sin was committed that day and I have been burning with Bad Feels ever since.

Anyway that's why I spend so many hours trying to correct this error with silly, sometimes horny lineart.

[keef-a-corn]

Rewatching TFP-

Giving you commentary of episode 6 -Masters and Students.

(I would talk about episodes 1 - 5, except I watched them yesterday and it made me realise that they stress me the hell out. Instead I’m going to cover episodes that don’t stress me out nearly as much)

Also I watch Transformers Prime on Stan (I’m pretty sure Stan is only in Australia, but it’s a streaming service and has every episode of TFP), so if any of these time stamps don’t match up, I’m sorry.

~~~~I begin now~~~~

Not saying much about the first part because it’s pretty much as seen.

*intro*

02:52 - scenes like these where it’s just Ratchet and Optimus cannot be viewed without at least one ‘this is proof their marriage certificate exists’ moments.

03:14 - and there it is. Optimus literally just when ‘mm’ and Ratchet immediately switched up his approach, the second approach worked significantly better.

03:44 - I like how you can tell Optimus has significantly larger strides when running compared to Ratchet. He started off further away, but arrived faster and closer.

04:00 - NOTHING BOILS MY BLOOD MORE THAN WHEN MIKO SAID

‘Whoopsie’ LIKE WHO THE FRAG ARE YOU?! WHERE TF DID MIKO GO?!

04:02 - ‘h-what… in the allspark’. Ratchet pronouncing ‘what’ that way is all the proof that’s needed to come to a conclusion that he’s old. Take that clip outta context and everyone witnessing it will know that he’s closer to his deathbed than a mid-life crisis.

04:15 - Not even close to being an accurate comparison.

04:21 - DAMN RIGHT, RATCHET! THEY ARE MAKING A MESS! MIKO BEING WEIRDLY MESSY WITH THE PAINT, BEE AND RAF TRIGGERING FIGHT OR FLIGHT, JACK AND ARCEE… Being weird- I mean.. for the bots, wouldn’t that be like trying to construct a body?

04:27 - then why did you leave it to the last minute, Raf?.

04:34 - Soooo close, Ratchet, but Bulkhead doesn’t need to know about the solar system to help Miko paint, same with Bee needing to know about Volcanoes to assist in constructing a model like that.

04:33 ~ 04:46 - Optimus just standing but like ‘just gonna let him talk it out’

~sorry, not much to say either~

05:55 - I wanna know what Bee’s saying. It seems interesting!

05:58 - Honestly Raf saying that clues me in even less.

06:05 - OPTIMUS’S HAND ON BEE’S SHOULDERRRRR! It’s so big! Aaaaaa

06:06 - Optimus calling Bee awesome.

Also Optimus confirming Bee’s very young.

06:54 - I really like how Peter pronounces ‘Bumblebee’ in Optimus’s voice. Just makes it sound so regal, then you remember it’s the word ‘Bumblebee’. + Optimus had no reason as to choose Bumblebee (aside from plot), Bulkhead was most likely not needed because we saw Miko’s project was pretty much complete and Jack was most likely the only one that would require assistance from Ratchet as Arcee was clearly no help.

07:07 - damn, those two strong as hell.

07:40 - Gotta keep his Bee safe. + he looks so concerned as he watches Optimus walk away.

07:49- Starscream had a whole choreographed dance for ‘rise and serve’

08:15 - I like Skyquake. What a waste. ALSO HE LOWERS HIS UPPER HALF TO TALK TO STARSCREAM, BUT TECHNICALLY HE IS BOWING!

08:55 - LMAO he really just pushed him away.

09:11 - Aww Bee gotta check on Optimusss

09:39 - Optimus just watching them like: 🧍

09:40 - SLAY, SKYQUAKE!

10:11 - Scraaaaaaaaap I love Soundwave’s designnn (I know he shows up earlier in the ep, it was just at this point that I truly stopped to appreciate them)

10:37 - Bee’s eyes are so interesting.

10:50 - Gotta protecc his faaather.

10:56 - Ayo- Bee- WTF?? He really just tapped into his inner insect abilities.

11:01 - Optimus immediately stepping in when Bumblebee was down *cri*

11:04 - He really just threw Bumblebee.

11:30 - Optimus leans in a bit closer when saying ‘vehicle mode’ to Bumblebee. He doesn’t want Skyquake to hear. And Bee kinda perks up as he realises Optimus is right.

11:52 - Ratchet’s inner goat

12:17 - That’s me doing all the work in science because the rest of my group is an idiot.

13:40 - It took me four rewatches to understand that Soundwave repeats ‘must bear witness’ as a command he’s making.

14:00 - of Agent Fowler didn’t show up in this episode, I bet that Optimus and Bee would’ve benefited greatly.

14:22 - Now that I think about it… odds are, Skyquake isn’t calling Bee ‘bug’ because his name is ‘Bumblebee’, instead it’s more likely he called Bee ‘bug’ because he considers him a small inconvenience that could simply be squished. I feel ashamed that it’s taken me this long.

14:39 - Bee’s face rises ever so slightly- he’s obviously happy, it’s just that I never noticed it.

14:58 - See? He’s distracting the bots and giving Skyquake a vehicle mode.

16:33 - Starscream landing so nicely gives me life.

16:58 - he touched da boob.

17:18 - to disagree~ I’m sorry-

18:34 - Oh that must’ve hurt-

18:39 - Father watches son fly off on plane.

18:41 - Father immediately calls in only air support to retrieve son.

18:53 - Bee showing off his surfer skills, but also that he’s smart by committing mid air murder.

19:01 - whoever chose for Bee to make that sound when plummeting to his death, thank you. You couldn’t have chosen a more perfectly silly sound for this very dangerous situation./g

19:04 - yeas, it is, Fowler, so why are you waiting?

19:12 - Bee showing off perfect coordination abilities

19:40 - Damn- Bee teleports now-

19:56 - Optimus condemning the strategy before praising the performance is very smart. I will not explain further

20:08 - I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, TO ME, OPTIMUS SMILED WHEN RATCHET GOT EXCITED.

20:49 - if there’s a remote, why does the volcano have buttons?

21:08 - Optimus engages with a joke.. why does no one mention this?!

M’kay, those were my thoughts.

Lemme know if you thought differently/disagree with my points/have more to add.

I like hearing people’s perspectives.

[fairydares]

fuck it, new fic. let's do this.

(there's a 'keep reading' line so don't worry, this isn't too long.)

Title: Chasing Tails (AO3 Link) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3)

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Rating: E (Explicit) because I'm almost positive there will be eventual smut. I'll be clearer about this as I actually decide what I'm going to write lol. Overarching Warning for Graphic Depictions of Violence.

Categories: 2nd gen fic; adventure, humor, romance, fluff, and angst in approximately that order. i guess.

Pairings: Nalu, Gruvia, Gajevy, Jerza, Miraxus+Fried (don't know what that ship's called sorry), Chendy, Sting/Yukino, Baccana-- next gen has pairings, too, but I don't want to reveal those yet.

Tags/TW's: The first chapter contains UFC/MMA-esque violence as well as some implied street violence. There may be more TW's I need to add later, but I honestly haven't written the whole story or decided everything, so that's all I can give you for now. I'll do my best to tag appropriately as I go.

Summary: It’s been almost 12 years since 17-year-old Layla O'Neil was found living alone on the streets and put in foster care, and she likes to think she’s done a pretty good job of forgetting the past. She doesn’t remember her birth family, the name “Nashi [*1] Dragneel,” or where she heard the absurd stories she told the police who found her. Stories about Wizard Guilds, flying cats, and–most cringey of all–her self-proclaimed status as a “Fire Dragon Slayer.”

But the past becomes pretty impossible to ignore when it confronts her in the form of some middle-aged, pink-haired stalker who won’t stop calling her the ridiculous name she’d nearly forgotten, and trying to convince her to come back to “Fairy Tale.”

Oh, and claiming to be her dad.

Like Layla doesn’t have enough problems! The last thing she needs is some delusional freak following around. Especially one who’s starting to make her want to take his hand…

Yep, this is a Second Gen (and therefore post-canon) fic. The idea took root and just would not let go. I’ll warn you ahead of time that the premise is somewhat dark. That said, I’m the kind of writer who likes (and tries to write) stories with sad beginnings, hopeful middles, and triumphant ends. I don't want to give too much away, but you shouldn't expect major character deaths or anything like that, though their may be some forms of lightly implied abuse.

Feel free to reblog, make your own additions with commentary, whatever. I'm quite lax with stuff like that. Hope this was comprehensive enough, and that you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Dragon-Slaying Aliens

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

“That’s correct…a world that exists independently from the one we know. And, unfortunately, a world that’s begun losing its Magic…unlike here, in Edolas, Magic is a finite resource. Without limits on its use, it will one day disappear forever.” -from Episode 78, “Edolas”, (English dub, ~00:09), Carla’s line [*1]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------To say this mission had gone sideways was a big-ass understatement, and even Natsu had to admit it. 

It had started well enough. A relatively small mission. Not even S-Class! Puny wannabe Dark Guilds like the one Shirotsume needed dealt with–what was it called? Bony Jewel or something? Anyways, they were a dime a dozen, these days. Hell, Natsu was pretty sure he and Happy took out, like, a billion of them in the past seven years by pure accident. So how the hell was he supposed to know that this time, he’d get blasted to another world–one even Team Natsu hadn’t wound up in? 

And he was positive they’d never been here. He may have had a bad memory (something he’d begrudgingly been forced to actively acknowledge as he grew into a man) but he was sure he’d have remembered somewhere that made him feel this bad. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t use his Magic. If it had just been that, this might have been fun. Hell, a lot of the worlds Team Natsu had visited–even Edolas–had been fun.

This one sucked. 

If he hadn’t known better, he’d have thought he’d been transported to the future–one where FACE had been activated and all the Magic had been dissipated. Because it had felt, truly, like all the Magic was being sucked out of him. When he’d woken up on the forest floor, he’d felt as if he was dying. His lungs had burned with each breath (and not in the good way). His limbs had felt like lead when he tried to rise. 

He’d quickly realized that couldn’t be the case, though. Even if the Dragons hadn’t destroyed FACE, if all the Magic had been sucked from Earthland he’d have Magical Deficiency Syndrome. He’d either be down or in forced into his END form. 

He’d wandered around the small forest he’d woken up in alone, trying to focus through the stink and noise he was only capable of perceiving through what felt like about a hundred layers of thick blanket, and calling for his best friend as long as he could. It hadn’t been long before he gave up and left; Happy had never shouted back (something he considered fortunate, at this point; hopefully Happy was back in Earthland) his stomach was trying to eat itself, it was dark–and, worst of all–he still couldn’t use his Magic. At all.

Actually, scratch that: the absolute worst part was when a glance at his (as usual) bare shoulder showed him that his guild mark had vanished. It was just gone. So was his scarf, and so was his Mini Communication Lacrima. Obviously, his guild mark and scarf were bigger deals personally, but the Mini Comm was a bigger loss in immediate, practical terms. After That Day, seven years ago, Laxus–now Fairy Tail’s Master–had started putting Navigation Enchantments on everyone’s Comms so that anyone who went missing could be traced. There was a 3D map of Earthland and Edolas visually tracking everyone’s movements in the Master’s Office. It could even find them in Edolas. 

Now, Natsu’s was nowhere to be found. No one would be able to find him, wherever he was, and any hopes of contacting them were obviously dead in the water, too. 

He was gonna have to find his own way back, somehow. He only prayed his scarf was somehow back in Earthland, and that Happy had grabbed it for him. 

As he hobbled down the weird, too-neat walkway he’d found, he had to believe that whatever was preventing him from using his Magic was what kept him from sensing anything beyond the general–the stink, the sound, the pain, the hunger. Normally, with his better-than-normal resilience and enhanced strength, his pain would have mostly taken care of itself by now. Usually, making himself move helped. Now, it seemed to be making things worse. 

After finding the pathway, he’d kept shouting for his little buddy a whole bunch of times, but all he’d gotten were several loud verbal confrontations and one physical one. He’d expected to beat the massive brute towering next to the smaller woman beside him–and he had. But it hadn’t been as easy as he’d expected. His movements had been slower than normal. His limbs had felt like lead. His strength had been lesser. Every time he tried to call up his Magic, a wave of dizziness and lethargy had overcome him. It was like he’d feel the rushing up inside of him only to sputter to coldness at the last second; he hadn’t seen so much as a spark since he’d woken up. 

In the end, it was only experience and determination which had allowed him to level the much larger man, and hard-earned wisdom which had seen him running from the screeching woman and the gun-wielding, uniform-wearing soldiers her screeching had drawn. Yet the punch he’d taken to the nose had made it bleed and the kick to the thigh had made him limp. 

It wasn’t just that his Dragon senses had vanished, making him woozy, making it difficult to stand and excruciating to move. His strength was gone as well. Not even sealstone would have weakened him this much.

He’d wandered, now, for what felt like several hours. The number of Magical Vehicles around were astounding–astounding, and nauseating; just looking at them made Natsu want to vomit. The one good part of having an empty stomach was that he had nothing to give up. He meandered in a stupor, through unbelievably thick crowds, dodging Magic Vehicles and their honking, and glaring down anyone who yelled at him for not understanding something, occasionally barking back to scare them off.

He’d never been so disoriented, and the worst part was that deep down, he knew that there was no one to blame but himself. 

Lucy and Happy had asked him, point-blank, if the Quest he’d chosen had anything to do with his search for their long-lost daughter and kitten. 

It had. Of course it had. 

However, Natsu had denied it. Because if he hadn’t, he and Happy wouldn’t have been able to leave right then. Lucy would have forced him to bring someone else along; she was busy taking care of their son, Luke; the Perve-sicle was already out on his own mission/search for Juvia, and Erza was away, which meant he’d have had to ask someone outside Team Natsu. 

No thanks, he’d decided, covering up the fine print on the mission request with his fingers before holding it up to Lucy’s nose. 

Now, as he snarled at yet another person yelling at him for being in the way, Natsu was starting to consider the possibility that he just maybe should’ve been more upfront, and even that he should–perhaps–have waited for the stripper to get back before taking on Bony Jewel or whatever alone.

But how the hell was he supposed to have known it would end up like this?! It had been going fine–in fact, it had been going great! A couple opponents had offered a real challenge before their Master had shown up. Natsu had been laying down brick in that fight, too. Yet when the guy had been on his last legs, he’d whipped some creepy, sparkly rainbow skull from nowhere (now that he thought about it…that might have been what the Guild was named for!) and shot one last attack. One so big, Natsu had been unable to dodge–though, of course, he’d made to both block and finish the fight with an enormously powerful Fire Dragon Wing Attack. 

Based on his current predicament–he had to assume it hadn’t worked. Even though the skull had shattered in the heat of his flames at the last second, the blast had still hit him. His one consolation was that he was pretty sure his little buddy had heeded his final warning to get back. So he was almost definitely still back in Earthland.  

It had taken Natsu several pathetic attempts to stand. Getting here felt like a blur. Now, he had no idea what he was doing. What he should do. Their money had been in Happy’s knapsack, and without his precious nose, finding food was basically impossible anway. 

Man…Lucy’s gonna kill me, he grumbled internally, grunting at another group who shouted at him for bumping into him. 

Okay, yeah, maybe he should’ve been honest. Maybe he should’ve waited. But how could he do that when the lead was so good? When there was even the smallest chance he might finally find Nashi [*]? 

At the thought, his footsteps halted temporarily. He ducked his head, bangs shadowing his eyes. He balled his fists at his sides. The thought of the missing daughter he’d never stopped searching for never got easier to bear. 

It was the worst thing that could happen to a parent, to lose their child. Something he wouldn’t have wished on Fairy Tail’s most vicious, evil enemy. He and Lucy understood that too intimately. Still, he didn’t let himself get bogged down, not when it might hold him back, not when it might keep him from finding her. Seven years, she’d been gone. Her, Wendy–so many of their nakama and allies. Time had neither hindered nor halted his search for any of his missing comrades, but especially his little girl. She’d be twelve, now. He’d gotten better with birthdays and anniversaries when he married Lucy. He’d woken up and started crying on April 14th this year, the same as his wife. 

Still, even on that day, he’d spoken of her. When he was with Luke, Lucy, and Happy, he talked about it. He talked about how he’d find her and Harley–Happy and Carla’s kitten–how they’d be a family again. He spoke of the future to give it power, just like Igneel had taught him. Just like he��d taught his own kids. Wherever Nashi was, he was sure she must be doing the same; speaking of how she’d find them again, the same as he strove to find her. 

But he couldn’t continue his search (covert or not) until he got home. So getting home was definitely at the top of the to-do list. Right after eating. 

He kept walking.

Wherever he’d wound up was seedy, dark, yet strewn with lights that made paths across his newly-sucky eyes when he looked at them directly. Gross and smelly, too. The people he’d just bumped into started shouting back at him, something about bumping into someone’s girlfriend, and he huffed irritably. Normally, he’d never back down from a challenge like this, but believe it or not, he was too lost, confused, hungry, and tired to deal with another fight–not when the injuries he’d sustained from the previous one were still hurting this much. 

It was humiliating. He’d always been the type of person who refused to back down from a fight, no matter how outmatched he was. These days, a lot of fights were honestly pretty boring for him. Erza would always be scary, and Gray was admittedly pretty strong (if not badass enough to stand up to him, or so he would always insist). He could proudly admit to having achieved (at least) Gildarts-level strength without the clumsiness to make him dangerous. 

Now, he was balking out of fights with people who weren’t even using Magic. 

There was something viscerally terrifying about how much his injuries were troubling him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t limp without worsening whatever injury that asshole had doled out on his knee. His nose felt bigger than his head. 

He stumbled on, brooding. 

The guy whose girlfriend he’d bumped into got louder, closer. Obviously, the freak wasn’t gonna let it go. Cursing, he started hobbling more quickly, turning the next corner. To his relief and curiosity, bright lights, loud voices, and a huge crowd–littered with food stands he might be able to beg food from–appeared. He made his way into the thick of it, ignoring the shouts behind him, and ducked and wove between people. It took him several seconds to realize he was still trying to find food by his nose, which barely even freaking worked. Frustrated, he turned his attention to the source of the light, which seemed to focus down on whatever sat in the middle of the crowd. 

Curiosity shoving past the numbness and hunger, Natsu pushed his way towards it. 

“Ow!” 

“Hey!” 

“Watch it, freak!” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Natsu grumbled. “Watch your damn selves!”

He still felt like shit, but the crowd was oddly invigorating. As he crashed through the thickest (front) lines of the crowd, more lights came on while the darkness behind him fell deeper. Natsu winced, blinking. It took him a few moments to register what he’d stumbled upon: a roundish sort of stage, elevated a few feet off the ground and bordered by some kind of chain-link cage thing. Two corners were open to be entered, but fended off  by some big dudes in black suits, holding back the crowd. 

“WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” boomed a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere at once, making Natsu flinch again and the crowd start chattering loudly. 

Match? Natsu wondered despite his disorientation and exhaustion, thinking of the Grand Magic Games. He shoved aside every stranger who tried to take his place at the front of the audience, looking around with wide, curious eyes, shoving his gnawing stomach to the backburner.

“FIGHT FANS! ARE YOU REAAAADDDDYYYYY??!!! ” 

Fight? Natsu thought, perking up, conveniently forgetting his injuries in a burst of excitement. Several people started chattering at the crack of the loud voice that was everywhere and nowhere, making Natsu look around even more fervently. 

“BECAUSE THIS LONG-WAITED MATCH-UP IS… ABOUT…TO…BEGINNNN!!!”

The cheering got louder, the shoving got more aggressive, and Natsu got more aggressive right along with it. He’d be damned if he was going to miss a good fight. Besides. He needed to see what the Magic here was like. He was being smart. So ha! How about that, Lucy?!

“INTRODUCING: OUR FIRST FIGHTER!” the voice shouted while Natsu continued to elbow and shove, anticipation rising. Music rang out, a dude’s loud, snarly voice backed up by a bunch of deep bangs and booms which had Natsu trying to decide if what he was listening to was awesome or fucking awful–nope, definitely fucking awful. For the first time, he was glad he couldn’t hear properly since he got here. 

A light flashed at one corner, drawing his eye. “UNLIKE HIS OPPONENT, THIS FIGHTER IS WELL-ESTABLISHED IN THE SEMI-UNDERGROUND OCTAGON! HAD HIS PERFORMANCES BEEN FORMALLY JUDGED WHILE THE UNDERGROUND WAS STILL ACTIVE, HE WOULD LIKELY HAVE LONG-BEEN PERMANENTLY DISQUALIFIED! YET, IN SPITE OF A CONTROVERSIAL CAREER, HE HAS REMAINED A STAPLE OF THE SEMI-OCTAGON FIGHTING WORLD FOR TWO YEARS!”

“Er, feels kinda harsh?” Natsu muttered to himself, sweating slightly. Though he didn’t really get what “controversial career” meant. 

“WHILE THIS IS NOT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE, DUE TO HIS HISTORY, MANY WILL NO DOUBT VIEW HIM AS REIGNING CHAMP AND DEFENDER! INNNNTTRRROOODUUUCCCINNNG… ‘MAD BULL’ MATTHEW BRON!” 

A door Natsu hadn’t even seen was slammed open as if it had been kicked, and an enormous man–even bigger than the one that had managed to tag Natsu just a little bit ago, a man built like that potato head guy from Lamia Scale, and actually bearing a similar-shaped bald head–appeared, yanking off headphones and chucking them over his massive shoulder one of the lackeys who’d followed him out. The much shorter guy jumped, barely catching them and fumbling a lot once he had. “Mad Cow” or whatever grinned maniacally as he stormed for the ring, dark eyes wild.

The response from the crowd was mixed but mostly positive, Natsu quickly noticed as he glanced around. His eyes skated quickly over the group next to him (which was booing, unlike most of the crowd) then returned his focus to the stage-circle thing. He could see well enough, he was glad to note, even if his vision was nowhere near as sharp as it was back on Earthland. Big Guy took his place at the corner of the ring and immediately started pacing, lifting tree-like arms and roaring as he did so. Meanwhile his lackey scurried for the bit of protected corner behind him, trying to shout for his attention and getting nowhere as he continued to pace. 

Natsu quickly decided he didn’t like the looks of this guy, intro aside. He was the type of asshole Natsu lived to knock down a peg, and despite his injuries and exhaustion, Natsu found himself appraising the big bastard, hands twitching. Sure, he wasn’t in the best shape, but since when had he been one to turn down the chance to kick some ass? It was more a reflex than anything. For about the billionth time since he’d landed here, he tried conjuring up some fire only to curse internally as all he got for his efforts was a wave of dizziness and a wash of helplessness. 

���NOW FOR OUR CONTENDER,” the voice boomed. “SHE’D ONLY BARELY ENTERED THE UNDERGROUND BEFORE IT BECAME THE SEMI-UNDER, BUT WAS ALREADY MAKING WAVES! THIS FIGHTER HAS SPARKED INTENSE DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER WOMEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO FIGHT MEN–IN ANY OCTAGON!” More mixed din. Natsu frowned in confusion. Was it for the other fighters’ safety or something? Because someone should ban Erza from contributing to the guild hall violence. Oh, yes. That was a great idea. He’d have to bring the idea up to Gray when he got home. 

“BUT IT’S DIFFICULT TO ARGUE WITH HER HANDY VICTORIES!” the voice boomed. “THANKS TO HER NEARLY-UNBROKEN STREAK OF INSANE WINS, SHE HAS BEEN NICKNAMED THE THE ‘PHOENIX’, ‘UNDERDOG’, ‘TENMEN’...AND HER PREFERRED NICKNAME…” 

A new song started, and this one was undeniably cool, in Natsu’s opinion. Something hard, fast, and catchy, punctuated by an angry-sounding woman singing something about “not giving a damn” about something or other. The door at the opposite end of the ring swung open. A girl came swaggering out, and Natsu froze.

“THE DRAGONESS, LAYLAAAAA O'NEEEILLLLL!!!!”  

It wasn’t his daughter. It couldn’t be. Her name wasn’t Layla. Her name was Nashi. His Nashi would be twelve, and this girl was in her late teens–maybe even her early twenties. The fact that her fighting nickname was “The Dragoness” was a nasty coincidence, but that’s all it was. This couldn’t be Earthland’s Nashi.

But it was this world’s Nashi. Of that, there was no doubt. And Natsu couldn’t make himself take his eyes off her, couldn’t even make himself blink as he stared, ignoring the cheering and booing all around him. 

A couple strands of unruly pink hair at her bangs had broken free of their tight braids, as adorable and predictably unpredictable as his little girl’s. They clung to her forehead, bouncing as she strutted towards the monster still pacing, practically frothing at the mouth, and Natsu vaguely registered the sound of several peoples’ alarmed murmuring. If he hadn’t been so distracted, he’d have understood; she was about half the guy’s size and about -50% as insane-looking.

Not scared, though. 

And…she looked like Lucy. She looked so much like Lucy that it hurt. He could still remember times when he’d call his little girl’s name, she’d turn around, and he’d gasp–because it really was like an adorable, wild little pink-haired Lucy turning to look up at him, her whole face lighting up like he was the greatest thing in Earthland. The memory choked him up, a feeling he’d gotten used to over the past seven years. He swallowed hard.

But that wasn’t Lucy’s smile. Natsu felt like he had seen that smile somewhere but he wasn’t particularly interested in thinking about it all that deeply, because what mattered was that it was her smile, his little girl’s, big and toothy and unmistakable–a little lopsided, the corners of her lips characteristically curling. 

It hit his chest like a shot from Zeref, making him briefly clutch at his waistcoat’s dirtied fabric. 

Natsu knew, firsthand, just how similar other worlds’ versions of his loved ones could be to his. Hell, Edolas Lucy had chopped off her hair to make it a little easier to distinguish herself from Earthland Lucy. 

That didn’t make it hurt any less to suddenly see another world’s Nashi– Layla, this one was called. That was Nashi’s middle name. It made sense, when you thought about it. Names were one thing that seemed to sometimes differ slightly between worlds, as he’d learned on the 100-Year-Quest [*3]. Her canines were sorta sharp, maybe, but they weren’t Dragon Slayer sharp, like his and daughter’s. Besides. Edo Nashi and Fireball’s canines were a tiny bit sharper than normal, too. 

It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t be. Looking at her still felt like being punched in the chest by Erza. Yet he couldn’t stop watching as the music, cheers, and boos faded, she stripped off her sweats (to much catcalling and whistling) to reveal a black sports bra/shorts getup sort of like “Mad Bull’s” shorts, revealing a body packed with much more muscle than any of Fairy Tail’s women would’ve allowed themselves to accumulate. She looked pretty badass, he decided. 

The voice that was everywhere and nowhere boomed on:

“NOT ONLY A CHANCE AT THE UPCOMING TITLE ON THE LINE, BUT–POTENTIALLY–THE FUTURE OF MIXED SEMI-UNDERS. TWO CHALLENGERS, SQUARING OFF FOR A CHANCE AT THE SEMI-FINALS. THIS IS A GIGANTIC CULTURAL MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS SPORT… ‘MAD BULL’ MATTHEW BRON VS. THE ‘DRAGONESS’ LAYLA O'NEIL!” 

“‘Dragoness’ is fucking right!” Mad Cow or whatever roared while he hugged one arm across his chest, grinning ferally at his much smaller opponent. “Here hoping some man will look at you, fugly?!” 

Several people in the audience laughed. Even the announcer chuckled. Meanwhile, Natsu’s blood boiled. On some level, he knew he needed to separate himself from this. From this fight, from this “Nashi.” Especially when he was this powerless to do anything about any of it. But it was impossible to listen to someone say that to another version of his daughter and not have every protective instinct in his body flare, especially when the spectators apparently thought it was fucking hilarious.

However, her grin didn’t even flicker. “Like you’re one to talk!” she cackled. “You look like Popeye fucked Bigfoot!”

Natsu didn’t flinch at the language like many people in the audience seemed to. In fact, he found the disapproving murmurs confusing. The other guy hadn’t exactly been polite, but he hadn’t gotten the same reaction. Still, a solid number of people were laughing their asses off, including the group next to him which had booed Mad Cow. 

He also had no clue what the hell she’d just said even meant, but the way Mad Cow’s smile dropped off his face, a handful of people started howling with laughter, and the commentator’s chuckles cut off abruptly was enough to make Natsu grin. 

Some random guy in some sort of black, collared uniform entered the arena, signaling to the loud, annoying commentator. Unlike her opponent, no one had followed This Nashi into the arena; she was all alone. So she ran back to her own bit of protected yet empty corner and threw her clothes and a water bottle over the chainlink fence, then ran back towards the middle of the arena. There, she  hopped up and down, shaking out her arms. Stretched them above her head. 

“OUCH!” The commentator finally seemed to recover, though he sounded somewhat vexed. “WELL, ONE THING’S FOR SURE, THE CHALLENGER CAN TALK GAME…WHETHER SHE CAN LIVE UP TO IT IS ANOTHER QUESTION.” 

“God, I fucking hate when Hansis commentates,” the guy next to Natsu muttered, his friends snorting in agreement. Then he glanced at Natsu–only to double take. “Oi, are you related to the Dragoness or something?!” he asked, eyes on his hair. 

“Uhhh…” Natsu chuckled nervously, feeling himself start to sweat. He may have been what Erza would (and frequently did ) call an “impulsive idiot”, but he had no clue how to explain that he was the father of her other self. “Something like that.”

“Whoa, seriously?!” The guy’s friend leaned around him to look at Natsu with wide, shining eyes, then continued, “I won’t ask anymore, ‘cause obviously you’re trying to protect your identities or something, but that’s so cool! We’re huge fans!” 

“Hmm…” Natsu said, scanning their apparel–t-shirts and hats emblazoned with her face and silhouette–and what looked like homemade signs of her name, written in fiery letters. “I can see that…what is this, exactly?” He asked this while looking around at the lights, spectators, an unfamiliar kind of money being exchanged and counted between several people.

Natsu tilted his head, blinking. “No?” he said. 

“The semi-underground tournament?” the only girl in the group said, eyes almost as wide as her friend’s. When Natsu only continued to look confused, she said, “What, do you live under a rock?! You’ve at least heard of MMA, right? Mixed Martial Arts?” 

He perked up at this. “Like a fight?! Hell, yeah! How do I get in on this?!” He grinned, cracking his knuckles, his earlier scuffles and empty stomach completely forgotten. 

“YOU DON’T!” the entire group shouted, eyes bugging. 

The dude who’d first started talking to him huffed, sweating slightly. “The ‘semi-underground’ octagon used to just be called ‘the underground fights,’” he explained loudly, Natsu still having to lean in to catch what he said with his new, bad ears over the increasingly excited din. “It was illegal, but, like, illegal in the ‘everyone knows but won’t squeal’ way, you know?” 

Natsu nodded, fully getting this. After all, how many times had soldiers arrested him only for Queen Hisui to let him off with a finger-wag. Of course, his luck on that front had run out seven years ago…

“The feds finally cracked down on it,” the guy continued, “but didn’t prosecute any of the fighters. Now, it’s called the ‘Semi-Underground’...it’s got no weight-classes (which is why the Dragoness can fight big dudes like Mad Bull). All genders are free to compete and fight each other. It’s a bit more for entertainment than pure fighting prowess– that was different, before,” the guy added with a wistful tone. “But still! You can’t just go waltzing into the octagon, you know? Back in the basement where this used to happen, you could’ve gotten away with that, but now you’ve gotta work for it, you know? Seriously, do you live under a rock or something?” 

Irritated, Natsu opened his mouth, but his response was cut off when a loud voice–not as loud as the announcer, but still–redrew all their attention to the ring. “Alright, fighters,” the black-collar guy said into a microphone which was smaller and not as loud as the commentator’s, quieting the audience. “We’ve been over the rules. Protect yourself at all times. Follow my instructions. We’re going to have a clean fight, you hear me?” He glared at Mad Bull, but This Nashi was the only one who dipped her chin in recognition. Natsu’s eyes narrowed along with hers when her opponent refused to acknowledge the guy’s words. “Now, touch gloves at this time, and come out ready to do this!” 

Both fighters instantly danced away from each other. Black collar guy scowled. Both the commentator and the audience made sounds like “ OOOOOOOH!” 

“NO TOUCH!” came the commentator’s gleeful voice, “I REPEAT, NEITHER FIGHTER TOUCHED GLOVES, AND SO FAR, NEITHER ARE REALLY MOVING FOR EACH OTHER–” 

“SAY YOU’RE PRAYERS, BITCH!” Mad Cow roared. “YOU’RE DEAD MEAT!” 

“BRING IT!” This Nashi roared back, and Mad Cow lunged, swinging in immediately with a big, dramatic overhand hook that would have knocked her out immediately if she hadn’t skated out of its way. It took about three similar exchanges for Natsu to sag in disappointment. 

“Oi!” he shouted, utterly let down, “Where the hell’s the magic?!” 

“Geez!” the guy next to him laughed. “The fight’s only just started: give them a minute to warm up! Then we’ll get to see the cool stuff.”

“What, they’re not allowed to use it at first or something?” Natsu asked, still staring as This Nashi fended off huge, devastating blows raining down from above and leapt back from the powerful kicks, eyes narrowed and expression tight. 

“...Er, what?” the guy asked. 

“Magic–duh!” Natsu huffed, flickering wide eyes between the guy and This Nashi, who was now darting backwards around the round-ish ring, still fending Mad Cow off, weaving and ducking with a speed few could hope to match. “You know?! Fire, Ice, Celestial Magic…?

The guy stared at him for a second along with his companions, all of whom were also sweating. It was then that Natsu knew: 

Something more was going on here. Something he didn’t understand. This place…wherever he was, it was like Edolas. Not now, but back when he, Lucy, and the others had gone there. Magic didn’t just not exist, here; was some kind of… taboo on it.

“Oh, sorry,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Trying to keep his voice as quiet as he could over the crowd, he continued, “I didn’t mean to say something that would get you in trouble...” 

The group’s only response was to sidle away from him surreptitiously, glancing at him and sharing looks with wide eyes. Natsu was thrown for a loop once more. Ooo- kay, talk about overly-suspicious. Were there guards listening in on their conversation or something? As discreetly as possible, with his hand still at the back of his head, he looked around, eyes narrowed. 

Yet…he saw nothing to warrant their suspicion. An unruly crowd…and an astonishing lack of guards. At the Grand Magic Games, there’d always been a ton of guards. Way more than he wanted to be there, honestly. Did this have something to do with the whole “underground” thing? 

He looked at the group again, then realized something important: it was him they were looking at nervously. Nervously, and like…he was crazy or something. 

It had taken time, but the years had made Natsu wiser–cooler–about situations like this. Even as his stomach sank with the realization that getting home was going to be a much harder task than he’d initially realized, he acknowledged that he’d need to be careful about mentioning Magic here. Dropping his hand, he forced a small smile at them then turned his attention back to the arena, where Mad Cow continued to chase This Nashi around the edge of the arena. Meanwhile, his mind continued to reel, loud to himself and no one else. 

“–IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SHE’S CAUGHT IN A CLINCH, HERE, AND THEN OUR NIGHT WILL BE OVER!” the commentator was blaring. It was sort of surprising, how easily he’d been able to tune out when Natsu’s ears were registering so little. “I HATE TO SAY IT–” (Based on the glee in his tone, Natsu doubted that.) “–BUT HOWEVER MUCH OF AN EXTRAORDINARY FIGHTER SHE IS, SHE’S STILL A FEMALE FIGHTER. HER OPPONENT HAS WELL OVER A HUNDRED POUNDS ON HER [*4]. AND, AGAIN, I HATE TO SAY THIS–BUT THERE ARE JUST PHYSICAL BARRIERS NO CHICK FIGHTER WILL EVER BE ABLE TO OVERCOME! RIGHT NOW, THIS IS A DOG FIGHT, AND NOT ONE SHE CAN KEEP SCRAPPING IN! SHE’S NOT GOING TO COME OUT AS THE ‘UNDERDOG,’ THIS TIME–”

“Man, she’s getting her ass beat!” someone from the group broke the awkward silence as This Nashi was swept aside by a blow that caught the guard at her ear. 

“Maybe she’ll make a comeback!” another guy said, tremulous but hopeful, as a log-like shin crashed into her stomach. 

“She definitely will!” the guy who’d first spoken to Natsu said, though there was a distant note of doubt in his voice as she barely reeled from an arrow-fast straight right. 

Despite the awkwardness of their last interaction, Natsu couldn’t help appreciating these people, who were so devoted to this world’s Nashi. He decided to end their night more positively. “Is that what you think?” he asked in a somewhat bored tone, eyes on the girl still gliding backwards, dancing away from the hits and kicks or else blocking them. He felt, rather than saw, the group’s eyes jumping to him, some of them quickly leaping away only to dart back. 

“What do you mean?” the first guy ventured when he said nothing else, edging a little closer once more.

Natsu crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyes thinning as Big Boy brought down a hailstorm of fists on This Nashi’s head. His eyes tracked the way a particularly big hit caught her forearm–but only barely, seeing as she’d slid out of the enormous range even as she blocked. Just like he’d thought…

His stomach churned uncomfortably. It was eerie and cruel, how much her movements and the memories aligned–

“OUCH! That hurt, Daddy!” After the exclamation, Nashi began grumbling, vigorously rubbing her forearm where his fist had just him. 

“Woops!” Natsu chuckled sheepishly, “My bad!” 

Despite the fact that she was still rubbing the arm he’d tapped with a light hit, the little girl who barely came up above his knees scowled. 

It was midday, now. In their front lawn; his and Happy’s house, now much larger with the rooms he’d added for Lucy and their kids. 

“But–” He grew serious. “–you think your enemies will take it easy on you, Nashi? You think they’ll give you a break because you say ‘ouch’?” 

She dropped her arms to her sides and scowled–pouted, really. She was so cute, he couldn’t have kept his lips from quirking into a grin if he tried. Strutting forward, he planted a hand on top of her head, rubbing the unruly locks. He only grinned wider when she turned her scowl/pout up to him. “Sorry, kiddo, but they won’t!” 

Lucy would have lost her mind, if she saw the interaction. Natsu could just hear her now: “NATSU, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?! SHE’S FIVE! BE CAREFUL, WOULD YOU? BLAH BLAH BLURGH BLAH– !” 

He never really got Lucy, when she acted like that. Nashi was a Dragon Slayer, like him. She could take much more than a normal human, but would never learn that she could if he didn’t show her! Not to mention that Igneel had been way tougher on him, when he was five. Besides, he didn’t want his kid to be some weakling! What father did want that? 

Not any good ones, that was for sure. Especially not when their kids had Nashi’s determination and drive. 

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he apologized again, still rubbing her head affectionately. “But you’ve got to understand…if I hurt you, it’s because I know your enemies will hurt you the same way…I don’t want it to surprise you. I want you to be able to fight back, still. You do still want to be a big-time Dragon Slayer, don’t you?” 

She stared up at him dubiously, but the smile caught on quick. She’d never been able to resist smiling back at him. 

“...Yeah,” she admitted finally, feigning reluctance. 

He lifted his hand off her head, cupping it around his ear and leaning down towards her. “What was that?!” he shouted. “I couldn’t hear you…what was it you want?!” 

“I–pfft–I WANT–” Her small smile turned to a grin–the big, corner-curled grin only his daughter ever could or would achieve. The one that always melted his heart. 

“I WANNA BE A DRAGON SLAYER!” she managed to roar through her grin. “NO–I MEAN, I WANNA BE THE STRONGEST DRAGON SLAYER EVER!” 

“HELL YEAH, YOU DO!” he roared back, the pride managing to make his chest burst even as he squared up again, preparing for more training. An adrenaline only teaching one’s prodigy could spark electrocuted his system. “IF THAT’S REALLY TRUE, THEN COME ON, NASHI! YOU’VE GOT MORE IN YOU! I KNOW YOU DO!” 

“OH YEAH? WELL I DO! I GOT WAY MORE IN ME!” She dropped into the stance he’d taught her, grinning for everything she was worth. The sun illuminated her smile. 

He somehow managed to grin even more widely. “Right, then listen up!” he commanded. “When Dragon Slayers fight, they got one big advantage: they can take a whole bunch of hits–then still get up. So that’s exactly what you’re gonna do.” 

“...Huh?!” The little girl’s eyes bulged out of her head. “You’re sayin’ I’m gonna let myself get hit?!” 

“Well, not too hard,” he elaborated. “And not too much…you’re just gonna play defense for a while, see?” He moved for her, throwing a fist much more slowly than he normally would have. Automatically, she wove away, eyes wide on his face. His right fist was followed by his left, then a kick–all too sluggish to be real. She easily moved around and blocked all of them. “This way,” he continued, throwing another kick. “You can learn the guy you’re fighting, how step, how they breathe…” 

“How they step…how they breathe…” she repeated to herself in a murmur, eyes flickering all over his body as he continued to pantomime a real fight. Natsu couldn’t help but grin. Nashi was a distractible kid, but when it came to fighting, she was always on the ball.

Natsu didn’t mind one bit when Lucy blamed him for that. 

“...how they fight,” he finished. 

“...how they fight!” she whispered. 

He started speeding up his movements. Let her orient before he lit up his fists. She mirrored him, flames igniting her much smaller fists. Their dance became even faster “That’s it, Nashi!” he praised as she leapt back from a kick, only letting it clip her shoulder. “Get into the flow of it! Read my movements! Remember, breathe, and–” 

“She’s reading him,” he murmured, voice softer than he’d meant it to be. “Fending him off and waiting for the right moment; his hits are only clipping her.” His hunger was catching up with him again, as was his pain. He ached. He wanted to sleep. And…

…It hurt. It hurt too much. Knowing it wasn’t his Nashi…that just made it hurt more. Each hit, each block, each flash of those brown eyes…they felt like shards of glass piercing his heart.

I can’t stay here, he realized. 

“What was that?” the girl in the group asked, venturing closer to him. 

His heart was heavy, sinking as he watched the girl. Embarrassment washed over him as he realized that had been a stupid thing to say in the first place. This wasn’t his Nashi. She wasn’t using what he’d taught her because he hadn’t been the one to train her. Hell, she probably wasn’t even gauging her opponents’ movements; she was probably fighting for her life, here. 

She would lose. 

“Nothin’,” he replied thickly, dropping his arms even as he watched the girl roll away from a rather impressive and extremely long-ranged crescent kick, not even the man’s big toe catching her at all. “I was wrong…enjoy the rest of the fight, guys.” He used the ensuing beat of silence to stare–for just one more second–at the girl. This world’s version of his girl. 

Without thinking, he went to heft up his backpack, only to sigh in quiet defeat–the exhale almost visible even in the warm air–as he remembered it wasn’t there; he was just a weakling in this world. That’s why his back (and whole body) felt so heavy. 

“Oh, you’re leaving?” the first guy who’d spoken to him said as he turned away, pushing back through the crowd. His tone was an odd mixture of relieved and disappointed. Natsu said nothing, merely waving. 

Overhead, the booming voice–which he’d tuned out during the competition–continued to sound off. “–AN ADMITTEDLY UNBELIEVABLE DODGE, BY ,” it said, clearly shocked, as Natsu pushed past a woman who was obviously excited to be moving closer to the arena. “BUT THE NEXT FLURRY OF BLOWS LANDS, ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS SHE’S BLOCKED MOST OF THEM–” 

“YOU’RE DONE, BITCH!” roared Mad Cow, so loud that he managed to drown out the commentator–who went silent, anyway. This made Natsu pause, his brows knitting with fury. 

It doesn’t matter, he reminded himself. She’s not your daughter. He refused to look back, forced himself to take another step, then another. She’s just some fighter from another world who’s, apparently, out of her league. She’s not–

A loud slam, like a body falling on a mat. “SHE’S DOWN! I REPEAT, ’S DOWN!” 

Natsu smirked. “See, dumbass?” he murmured to himself. 

“IT’S ALL OVER, FOLKS! SHE’S–” 

All of a sudden, a fleshy CRACK rang through the air, followed by an enormous chorus of gasps and cries of surprise from the crowd. A deafening silence ensued. 

“... HOLY– UNBELIEVABLE!” the commentator managed. “A KICK FROM THE GROUND–AND O’NEIL'S BACK ON HER FEET! THEY’VE GAINED GROUND FROM EACH OTHER, AND MAD BULL–MAD BULL IS NOW TRYING TO RECOVER!”  

Despite himself, Natsu slowed even as he urged himself to keep walking. Even as he continued to force himself not to turn back. Looking back is only a distraction. It’s not Nashi. That is not Nashi. It’s not–

“Man, I really hate guys like you, you know that?” 

The seething voice was what made him stop, closing his eyes. There was just…something about it. A growl. A fire. Something that punched right back into his memories:

“Remember, breathe, and keep your eyes on my chest! That way, you can see my whole body at the corners of your eyes!” A combo, one which he pumped more speed and power to than before–throwing her off on purpose. 

“Oof!” she grunted as she landed on her butt. 

“There, when you fall– that’s when you make your comeback! Now that you’ve watched your opponent, and tricked him into thinking you’re down– now is when you get back up and blow them away! That’s how a Dragon Slayer fights! That’s how a Fairy Tail Wizard fights!” She stared up at him with huge eyes, shining with admiration, and flushed cheeks. 

He grinned. 

“So?! Get up! Always get back up, Nashi! I’m not asking the impossible of you–you can do this! I know you can!” 

“I–I will!” she scrambled to her feet, fists blazing with gold heat as she lunged for him. “I’ll always get back up! No matter what, I’ll–” 

His chest seized. He clenched his jaw, knowing he needed to make himself keep walking, but unable to do it. Even as people churned around him, trying to push past him, he found himself shoving them off, refusing to move from exactly where he was. One foot planted in front of the other. Half-hovering. Eyes still closed. 

Whatever just happened had quieted the crowd, an anticipatory sort of silence that made him clench his fists, eyes still closed. 

And then, Natsu’s world flipped upside down: 

“You didn’t even bother to study my previous fights, did you?” Her growl carried across the hushed crowd. “Tch, typical…if you had, you’d know: You’d know I always get back up!” 

His eyes flew open. 

He whirled back around and watched, wide-eyed and world rocking, as the pink haired girl rose. Rolled her shoulders against her ears, one at a time. The grin was gone, a heavy, intimidating scowl having taken its place as she recovered, getting her feet back underneath herself, her stance back in place. Her nose was wrinkled in fury. Her eyes burned. 

Natsu’s lips parted on a gasp as he stared. 

Mad Cow scoffed, hunched and rubbing his chin with a hand like a mitt. Natsu guessed that This Nashi must’ve caught him there–probably with a kick, given the size difference. That must have been what made the crowd react with shock. They were recovering now, though, getting louder.

“And why the fuck would I bother to do that?!” Mad Cow shouted, dropping his hand. “I don’t need to! Every guy you’ve faced could’ve beaten you easily if they’d quit acting like even more of a little bitch than you! You shouldn’t fucking be here anyway…fucking birds, knowing dudes will take it easy on you so you can take advantage of it and collect the reward…well I’M NOT ONE OF THEM!” He roared the last part. The bitter fury in his voice was a kind Natsu was familiar with. 

“Studying what you can find of your opponent’s fighting style–that’s basic! And you wanna sit here and bitch about how I don’t deserve to be here, you lumpy-headed fuck?! ” 

“The FUCK you just call me?!” McCow snarled back. 

“YOU HEARD ME, SHITWIT!” 

“THAT’S IT!” the man shouted. “I’ve had it! I was gonna take it easy on you, but–” 

“THAT’S MY LINE!” 

It seemed that was both their limit. 

They flew at each other. But now, everything was different, and Natsu doubted that anyone without a trained eye and fighting experience like him could recognize it. 

Apparently, the commentator was one such person: “THIS IS–THIS IS INCREDIBLE!” the voice boomed, full of disbelief, as the girl caught the fist rocketing towards her face with a hard elbow, making Mad Cow let out a roar of pain. She kicked away an arm flying towards her head, and launched a sidekick at his now-uncovered stomach–one that landed hard. She built on the damage, bearing down on him as he stumbled backwards, tripping over his own heels. A right roundhouse followed by a left to his head. Despite the fact he was obviously disorientated, he caught the first one– blocked it and tried, unsuccessfully to catch her foot–but not the second, which cracked into his ear and made him stagger, her chasing him and hammering him with surprisingly powerful blows. Each one of her hits accumulated speed and strength.

The commentator picked up again, saying something or other about “striking machines”, but Natsu didn’t hear. His eyes were wide, now, and glued to the girl cracking her shin into her opponent’s nose, teeth bared. The expression on her face…the fire in her eyes…the speed of her hits…her fighting style…it was like he’d begun watching the fight currently happening through one eye and a stream of memories through the other, his breath going still in his lungs–

“–No matter what, I’ll always get back up!” screamed the little girl, running forward and hammering him with fiery strikes, kicks, and even elbows. They’d only just started elbow work. Natsu staggered back with each good combo she landed. He put in the effort to make it look convincing, pride swelling within his chest. 

“That’s it! Build on it! Faster…harder! C’mon!”  

This Nashi slipped underneath and into one of Mad Cow’s big overhand hooks, the corrected trajectory of his fist barely skidding over her shoulder as her right fist tore up, slamming into his chin. Even as his eyes rolled and he staggered backwards, her expression was so mutinous it was almost funny. 

But as good as the uppercut was, it turned out to be a set-up: 

“LOOK AT THIS COMBO…CROSS, HOOK–WHOA! AN ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING LEG KICK! CLASSIC MUAY THAI-INSPIRED COMBO FROM TURNING–” 

“FUCKING BITCH–!” Mad Cow roared, but his opponent cut him off with a voice like thunder. 

“I’M THE BADDEST BITCH YOU’VE EVER MET!” 

“I’LL ALWAYS GET BACK UP! I WILL! I’M GONNA BE A GREAT DRAGON SLAYER, JUST LIKE YOU! NO–I’LL EVEN BEAT YOU, ONE DAY!” Nashi took a deep breath, and Natsu grinned, allowing the pause in the fight, because he knew what was coming. The catchphrase both like his and not. Inspired by him, but all her own. 

Her fists blazed brighter than ever. The sun illuminated her grin.“JUST WATCH ME, DADDY! DON’T EVEN BLINK! BECAUSE I’VE–” 

“–GOT A FIRE IN ME THAT YOU’LL NEVER PUT OUT!”

Mad Cow’s eyes were wild with fear as he desperately swung for another, big lead cross–one which spelled his downfall. The Dragoness leapt off her left leg–her back leg. Her right shin cracked into his already dipping head. 

He fell forward and bounced off the mat, limp as a ragdoll, while the audience screamed all around him. 

Even as the giant fell still, she made for his prone form, fist raised, but didn’t fight at all when the black-collared man appeared seemingly from nowhere, grabbed her around the waist, and practically threw her away. Instead, This Nashi– The Nashi skipped backwards, smirking, and raised a wrapped fist. 

And that was the realization which thundered through Natsu, now gaping up at the victorious, pink-haired fighter stalking towards the edge of the cage: not This Nashi. The Nashi. 

After seven, grief-filled years, Natsu Dragneel was absolutely sure he had just found his daughter.

*1. Yes, there will be quotes from the original series (the anime dub, sub, or the manga depending on whichever version I like best) at the beginning of each chapter. HOWEVER. The quotes are not spoilers and are often only tangentially related to my plotline. The one for this chapter, for instance, is specifically about Edolas, but is not actually true of the world where Natsu has landed.

*2. Yes, I know the canon Edolas Nalu child is “Nasha.” I decided on “Nashi”, instead, for reasons which will be explained later.

*3. Sorry in advance, but I pretty much kept what little I remembered/liked from 100YQ and ditched everything I didn’t. Same with the original story, but way more with 100YQ. Idk what it is but even though I’ve read the whole thing, 100YQ has this unique quality where a lot of what happens slips straight out of my mind as soon as I’ve read it. In one eye, out the other. So you’ll just have to roll with me, sorry.

*4. Real-life inspiration for Layla (/Nashi) comes mostly from Ronda Rousey, whose biography I read and happen to have on hand, along with Kaoklai Kaennorsing (especially his fighting style). Those are the two main ones. If you’ve read My Fight, Your Fight, you’ll understand how Layla (/Nashi’s) personality is inspired by her–especially as you go on. I highly recommend looking up the Thai kickboxer/Muay Thai fighter Kaoklai Kaennorsing. He has been called the Giant-Slayer because he did, in fact, defeat opponents who had over 100 pounds on him. Watching his fights is just an incredible experience. Other inspirations include Rose Namajunas, Connor McGregor, and some others. There are also several fictional inspirations including and outside Fairy Tail which I won’t bore you with (some of them I’m sure fellow anime fans will be able to guess lol).

[retrosofa]

After I finished Mahou no Mako-chan, I decided I wanted to re-watch some other magical girls shows I haven't seen in awhile. Last weekend I started watching Mahoutsukai Chappy or "Chappy The Witch." I haven't seen it in 10 years and honestly, I barely remember anything about it. Chappy is more or less a ripoff updated retelling of Mahoutsukai Sally.

Chappy and her family live in the magic kingdom. During a royal banquet she decides to flee to the human world with her younger brother, Jun. Her mother, father and "pet" Don soon follow, and thus their adventures in the human world begin.

Chappy is the third majokko series Toei Animation produced, following Mahoutsukai Sally, Himitsu no Akko-chan, Mahou no Mako-chan and Sarutobi Ecchan. While Mahoutsukai Sally and Himitsu-chan no Akko were both extremely successful series, Mahou no Mako-chan and Sarutobi Ecchan were not. Mako made decent ratings but definitely never came close to Sally or Akko's success. The series also failed to keep consistent ratings, which gradually dropped throughout it's 48 episode run. Ecchan tanked in the ratings, which resulted in it ending with a mere 26 episodes. Frantic to get another winner on their hands, Toei Animation decided to make their first "original" magical girl, combining elements from their previous series. Like Sally, Chappy was a witch from another realm. Like Akko and Mako, she had a magical item. Like Ecchan, she had a "pet mascot." The end result exceeded their expectations. Apparently Chappy was only planned for 26 episodes but got extended to 39.

The first episode, "Here Comes the Magical Family," was written by Masaki Tsuji, directed by Yugo Serikawa, and featured animation direction by Shinya Takahashi. These three men previously worked on Akko, Mako, and Ecchan. The first episode does a pretty good setting the tone of the series. There is quite a lot of Disney influences sprinkled around, namely Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. In the magic kingdom, Chappy dresses very similarly to Maleficent. Her father conjures a spell to turn a mouse and pumpkin into a horse and carriage. There's a scene where Chappy's brother and their grandfather have a magical battle that's reminiscent of Flora and Merryweather fighting over Aurora's dress color, etc.

The scenes in the magic kingdom are a lot of fun. They're pretty spooky and the denizen depicted are all eccentric and otherworldly. If you look closely you can see one of the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz, and there's also a demonic character aptly named "Satan King." When Chappy arrives to the human city, things are not as she had hoped for, evoking the social commentary we previously saw in Mako. As with the other series, Chappy and her family must keep their true identities a secret. There's a darker twist this time, as they fear being burned at stake.

I just re-watched the first two episodes, which were both pretty fun. Some of the darker aspects took me off guard - like the paranoia about witch burnings, as well as a scene where a biker thug attempts to assault Chappy's mother. It's not a graphic scene at all but the implication is very clear.

The animation quality is a little rocky, even for an older series. This series was produced in 1972 which was around the time of the Toei Animation Lock Down, so maybe that's why? If I remember correctly, the series has a lot of ups and downs in the animation department. Some episodes look fantastic while others are downright horrendous.

Oh, something I found very amusing: most of the cast would go on to star in Cutie Honey. Check it out:

Chappy: Eiko Masuyama (Honey Kisaragi)

Chappy's mother, Shizuko: Noriko Watanabe (Sister Jill, Mami)

Chappy's father: Koji Yada (Additional voices)

Jun: Sachiko Chijimatsu (Twin Panther)

Don, Chappy's grandpa: Kosei Tomita (Danbei Hayami)

Obaba: Nobuyo Tsuda (Panther Zora, Ms. Miharu)

Ippei: Masako Nozawa (Scorpion Panther)

The fact Eiko Masuyama and Noriko Watanabe play daughter and mother in one series and mortal enemies in another is so freakin' hilarious.

Anyways, I'll post more after I watch the first 13 episodes.

[k7l4d4]

K Reviews and Rants: Miraculous Ladybug Season 5! Episode 16

Hello, everyone, and welcome to another day of my mind melting over this show's writing.

Now, there isn't a ton to say on Episode 16; it's honestly one of the more mediocre episodes, since it's main issues are that the entire plot is artificially constructed to revolve around Kagami once again believing Lila's lies and manipulations, despite having known that Lila is someone she can't trust and who likes to emotionally hurt her since "Oni-Chan." It could've been an interesting look of Kagami struggling to balance the impossible expectations her mother forces on her and breaking from the crippling loneliness those expectations instill in her... but that's the kind of plot we should've seen in SEASON 2, maybe Season 3 if you stretched it. It's just far too little too late to be trying something like this.

We also are given the apparent reveal that Gabe and Tomoe are angling to force their kids into a relationship... for some reason. We aren't given a reason why they want to do this, when this deal was reached, or why Adrien or Kagami never even KNEW about each other prior to this season. It comes out of nowhere, and while the concept of exploring the expectations of high society folks and how it impacts their kids in the form of arranged relationships, particularly in how it negatively impacts the relationships they would prefer to have, would be interesting... this was never hinted at before. It wasn't even alluded to. So why the hell are we only learning about this NOW?

Anyway, that's my reflection on this episode, keep reading for the review below. Thank you, and as always, please forgive any profanity on my part.

Episode 16: Protection 

Okay, it's Protection, and we get a scene of Kagami hanging out for Lila for some reason, despite having an established history of the girl lying, manipulating, and using her. Off to a "great" start. 

Lila talks about how she's Kagami's "best friend" which is BS... or maybe something about Marinette being Kagami's best friend, it's a bit hard to tell for me. 

Now it's a bit of unfunny commentary on HOW FUCKING LONG IT TOOK FOR MARINETTE AND ADRIEN TO GET TOGETHER by their classmates. No Astruc, trying to go "hey, we get it, don't we get it guys?" and be self-aware about the singularly most infuriating part of the show does not make it less insufferable. Wow, they nearly had a swear by Nathaniel. I gotta say, I was genuinely not expecting that. 

And Marinette's obsession for overly complicated plans has infected the entire class that they are going along with what amounts to getting Marinette and Adrien to kiss through a ridiculously overly complicated "romantic moment" involving a Ferris Wheel and trained pigeons, instead of just... telling them to kiss or letting them sort it out themselves. 

And Marinette hitting the nail on the head of how just trying to kiss someone you are too shy/awkward to say you love is ridiculously hard... Ugh. I just... the show trying to make a joke about how overly complicated the romantic plots in the show itself just falls apart because we KNOW they are gonna try and go through this anyway, and "self-awareness" is more than just mentioning the problems with something, it's also about growing past it, which the cast clearly HAS NOT DONE.

Saying a "kiss is a miracle cure for all your problems" genuinely disgusts me. It's such a reductive and deliberately idiotic take on romance that it offends me that the show is trying to make it's utterly terrible handling of any and all relationships INTO A FUCKING JOKE. 

...Why the FUCK are Adrien and Marinette's classmates treating Fairy Tale and fictional tropes regarding kissing as some kind of ironclad fact of reality? WHY!? I was about to go on an angry rant about how Marinette is talking sense about waiting for things to happen in their own time, when it clicked in that the writers are deliberately making her and Adrien's classmates/friends into strawmen as a way to shut up people who just wanted the relationship drama between Marinette and Adrien to just FUCKING END ALREADY!! So now I'm too pissed off to rant. Now my blood is fucking BOILING. 

And the plan immediately goes off the rail because Nino doesn't even know how to play the guitar. Oh, and the fact that Kitty Section's music is REALLY not romantic in the slightest in any way that would be conducive to making things go better, but yeah, they did Nino fucking dirty. The dude wants to be a DJ, he should be WELL AWARE of how hard it is to use ANY kind of fucking instrument, least of all one like a guitar!! 

Them making Marinette run off in tears while sad music plays REALLY DOESN'T WORK when they basically made the ENTIRE FUCKING PLAN as ridiculous as possible while making everyone act as if it going off without a hitch was a given. 

Okay, we get another case of the writers relying on stupid as hell Japanese stereotypes with Tomoe referring to Gabriel's heartbeat as "louder than a Taiko Drum." Oh, and something about a Diamond Ball, which I'm pretty sure is gonna be fucking stupid.

Okay, is Tomoe supposed to be blind or not? Because the writers are deliberately angling her head so she's directly facing Gabriel's arm as he unrolls his sleeve and exposes the Cataclysm injury (which she literally can't see, so he has no reason to be EXPOSING THE THING TO OPEN AIR!!). 

Adrien... no. Fuck that. Even discounting how sheltered you are, you CANNOT be this fucking stupid. You CANNOT be so stupid as to think Marinette's painful levels of awkwardness was "just the way she is, just part of her charm." Like, shit like THIS is why I just cannot get behind them as a couple on a personal level, because THAT is not a healthy attitude to have in a relationship!! That's the kind of attitude you have towards someone you barely know, not someone you apparently know well-enough to want to date. It says very bad things about their dynamics as a couple. 

Them acting as if Adrien just NOW learning about Marinette's emotional issues regarding him is supposed to make him more sympathetic falls apart when you stop and realize that the ONLY fucking reason it's this bad is the fact that they have artificially stretched out the reveal and stagnated Adrien and Marinette's relationship this entire time. You can't make this a touching moment because all it does is highlight just how mismatched the two ARE as a couple!! And now we get Tomoe overhearing a fragment of a conversation between Adrien and Kagami. THAT can't possibly backfire!!

Ugh... the creepy emphasis on "Made for each other" and "Just as planned" is so disgusting. 

NEITHER OF THEM ARE FUCKING PERFECT YOU IDIOTIC RICH TWITS!!!! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!!! 

NOW they get that Kagami and Adrien aren't together and Adrien was talking about his actual "girlfriend" Marinette. Also, the show pulling this "Tomoe and Gabriel arranged to have Kagami and Adrien get together" shit comes out of nowhere, and is just cringe-inducingly bad commentary on the 1%. It's disgusting. "You've changed Adrien" NO KAGAMI HE HAS NOT. 

The show going from a gentle, introspective moment of Adrien trying to do something sincerely thoughtful for Marinette to once again making Marinette's emotional and relationship problems as a fucking joke pisses me off. 

"You were supposed to control your son, Gabriel." "And you, your daughter!" Wow, parents of the year, these two are TOTALLY not toxic shitheads! Tomoe, Gabriel is DYING you don't need to fucking dance around it!!

Adrien, she's not perfect, and for FUCK'S SAKE, shit like THIS is why the show trying to act like Gabe is a good parent fucking piss me off!! He is actively trying to dictate Adrien's life and refuses to acknowledge him as a human fucking BEING instead of just as a dress-up doll!!! 

Why the fuck is Gabe calling Marinette, someone he once publicly acknowledged as a Designer when she was the undisputed winner of one of his fashion contests, mediocre? This literally comes out of nowhere for no other fucking purpose then for more relationship drama BS. 

Well, we have another Japanese Stereotype getting spit from Tomoe's mouth, and yet another case of the show denying the possibility that relationships can just end and feelings can change, or that love is more complicated then "yes or no." 

Adrien, the guy who literally broke out of his own house just so he could go to school, TWICE, acting as if his dad telling him he can't be with Marinette is some unshakable iron-clad rule. It's shit like this that makes the Senti reveal so utterly stupid. 

And of fucking COURSE Gabe never bothered to take back the ring that lets someone mind-control Adrien (never mind how their care be TWO fucking Amoks for him or whatever) from the woman who has stated more than once that she's not on his side anymore and has physically assaulted him in his own house (not that she's sincerely done anything to actually stop him of course).

Marinette finally employing a strategy to circumvent her overcomplication problems would be nicer if the show wasn't currently acting as if her just deciding "not to worry and take things as-is" is this miracle fix-it that makes all her problems simple and that she can just ignore all her issues is super infuriating. 

And here we go, NOW we get to see Irrational Marinette, in that she's literally refusing to change her pajamas because it'll "break the magic of the moment." Bull. Shit. 

Does... does she SERIOUSLY not remember how much of a strict hardass Adrien's dad is? She probably doesn't. Because plot. Fuck the plot. 

Okay, not gonna lie, Adrien changing into pajamas to make Marinette feel less self-conscious about her impulsive decision is oddly sweet. Too bad it's buried amid a mountain of shitty writing. 

NOW Gabe realizes the issue with letting the woman opposing him have the same mind-control powers as him. Ugh... it's really, REALLY fucking hard to sit through this because of just how stomach-churning the writing is. 

Kagami... where the fuck is "I think I've fallen in love with him again" coming from? Wait, trick question, mind-control rings. Fucking bullshit. 

Do. NOT. Bring up that "meant to be together" BULLSHIT!! No one is "meant to be together," THAT IS NOT HOW RELATIONSHIPS FUCKING WORK!!! 

Why the FUCK is Kagami trusting Lila on any level!? 

Gabe, you OF ALL FUCKING PEOPLE have no right to call anyone on being toxic!! 

Kagami, DO NOT FUCKING FALL FOR LILA'S BULLSHIT!! THIS IS LITERALLY THE SAME GIRL WHO WENT OUT OF HER WAY TO TAUNT YOU WITH A FAKED PHOTO OF HER AND ADRIEN!! GOD FUCKING DAMMIT WHAT DID THE WRITERS DO WITH HER BRAINS!? 

Once again, Lila is a fucking PLOT DEVICE to enable bullshit because the writers ARE FUCKING HACKS WHO WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE MEANINGFUL CONFLICT IF IT SLAPPED THEM ACROSS THE FACE WITH A FISH!!! 

Kagami... THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU LETTING YOUR EMOTIONS CLOUDING YOUR JUDGMENT, YOUR JUDGMENT WAS FAULTY TO START WITH IN BLINDLY TRUSTING LILA DESPITE HER HAVING USED AND MANIPULATED YOU TWICE ALREADY!!! 

And she immediately believes Lila's sob-story about being best friends all over again, OF FUCKING COURSE!! On the plus side, we get a hint that Gabriel is eventually gonna cut Lila loose. And with that, this fucking nightmare is over!!

[theinfinitedivides]

totally obsessed with king the land and i need to rant about it somewhere and i figured this would be a fun place because i love your takes and can i start off by saying i've haven't seen someone as down bad as gu won in a really long while. to think he realized his feelings because he took a quiz a few weeks back and look at where he is now, confessing his love on a rooftop to the woman he falls in love with more and more every second.

ep 10 was honestly one of the most fulfilling romantic escape episodes i've ever seen in a show, like the locations were stunning, the chemistry was chemistrying like crazy and god the way won looks at sarang? the way he smiles so wholeheartedly? it's like she helped him rediscover what happiness and love feels like.

one thing i really loved from the earlier eps is how won always gives in and tries new things with sarang and realizes how much he enjoys it. also, the way sarang's grandma is such an important figure to both sarang and won now makes me so happy. i love how won takes all of her advice to heart and actually works on his communication.

i also absolutely loved how this week's eps focused on them just being in love and enjoying their dating era, the quality time and the constant need to touch each other and express their affection is something so precious. can't wait to see what's in store for them in the weeks to come. 🥹

i cannot tell you how honored i am to be the recipient of this little love letter to KTL bc you!!!! you get it anon!!!! i'm going to be addressing some of your points but i should warn you that it will be all over the place so i hope that doesn't confuse you once you get around to reading this sksksksk

first off, i think Won automatically gravitates towards Sa Rang's halmeoni bc in some ways she is that mother figure for him. we still haven't been told exactly what happened to his mother btw, but considering the age gap between him and his half-sister Hwa Ran you would think that after eomma "disappeared" (using that term for now) Hwa Ran would have stepped in. their relationship is so, so f*cked up, however, that she's never actually treated him as her actual sibling (as seen by her dangling the pocketwatch his mother gave him out the window/breaking it by letting it go. he still carries it around, even after all of that.) and so there is no love lost between the two of them. she has always viewed him as a competitor, someone to be wary against in her struggle for their father's company, and even though Halmeoni acts as if he is also one (for Sa Rang's hand) the way they interact says differently. (there's so much to unpack about why that is, namely the way that Gu Il Hoon treats his children and the lessons he's instilled in them, but that's not the point rn and i don't have energy to write that essay today)

so when Hwa Ran tells him not to try anything in terms of the company bc he won't be able to do anything substantial anyway, he listens, bc that fear has been bred into him. he's learned early not to expect anything akin to affection from her, learned that the only reason he's allowed to come so close is bc she knows his weaknesses (ep 3 publicity interview/panic attack anyone?) and uses them to keep him on a leash so he doesn't get in her way and he's tired. he says as much when he tells her '나 싸우고 싶지 않았어' — 'i didn't want to fight' during their convo in the lounge in ep 8 (have some slightly unrelated commentary on that scene here, although in the more recent eps after meeting Sa Rang he has begun to buck against her incessant emotional abuse). but when Halmeoni tells him to do something, he listens, bc he knows, instinctively, that whatever she's telling him is not going to sabotage his relationship with Sa Rang. she's not out to get him, and she does not loathe his entire existence—she is treating him like the grandson she does not have, and she in turn is the mother that he has been deprived of for so long.

(frankly i think the best way to describe Hwa Ran and Won's dynamic with the influence of their father coming into play is uh. 'but business is business! / and business runs in the family' from Amanda Palmer's Runs In the Family. fair warning the video is a bit all over the place and the lyrics may be triggering but i highly recommend listening to the song if you haven't already)

building off of that, i think Sa Rang is also another outlet of love for him that is making up for what he has lacked. the way she and her circle of friends, much like her halmeoni, treat him when he is around (even after a bit of a false start in the first episodes) is in contrast to his sister as well—it's implied, albeit not explicitly, that he has the tendency to attach himself to people other than her once they show him any kind of care (standing up for Sang Sik taking him with him from the internship after Sang Sik tried to help him adjust in case he got in trouble, for instance). he trusts them even if he doesn't say it, since he does not trust her, and in some ways the kind of fear he has around Hwa Ran has been rechanneled into the need to keep his eyes on Sa Rang, bc he is afraid he might lose her. and he does not want to lose her, bc he has loved someone, for once, almost as much as he has loved his mother. and so once he realizes that that is what it is he tries to tell her as much, every chance that he gets, and we get to see that in the touches and glances and the small things that he does, an opening up to her as best he knows how. i spoke more about that here, but one of the best comparisons to their relationship that i can think of (other than Mitski's Come Into the Water and KK's Aankhon Mein Teri that i have already made a post about) is this line from Lee Hae Ri's gorgeous song Maybe that she sang for the OST of Her Private Life ('어쩌면 그게 사랑 일���도 몰라 / 반복되는 일상 / 그 속에 나를 보듬어 준 네가 / 조용히 떨리는 심장이 말해 / 너를 보고 싶다고 말하래' — 'maybe it [this feeling] is love / you who've cared for me in my repetitive everyday life / my quietly trembling heart tells me to say that i miss you'), bc that is just Won telling Sa Rang in the pool in the gloriousness that is ep 10 that he missed seeing her face in so many words and God. God them!!!!! laying face down on the ground and sobbing they're too much for me

despite all of this i know something has to give in the upcoming episodes, though, and while i am not asking for heavy angst (no devastating messy breakup arc i am on my knees begging at this point) i do hope we get to explore more of that kind of dynamic between Sa Rang and Won and get a cathartic moment for him while we're at it. (if you're not going to send him to therapy to address his childhood trauma [possible panic attack trigger i see you in the ep 11 preview] then let the man cry ffs) looking forward to whatever they do as much as you are, anon <333

[bustyasianbeautiespod]

Episode 71 Transcript: This Episode is the Opposite of Scoobynatural

[intro guitar music]

G: Hello! My name is Grey.

C: And my name is Crystal.

G: And this is Busty Asian Beauties, a Supernatural commentary podcast where I, someone who has seen this show several times...

C: And I, someone who only knows the show through social media, discuss every single episode of Supernatural from start to finish. Also, we are both Asian.

G: Both Asian! For today’s episode, we will be discussing Season 4, Episode 11: "Family Remains," written by Jeremy Carver, [C laughs] directed by Phil Sgriccia.

C: Jeremy Carver will just have Sam say fucking anything for Dean character development. [G laughing]

G: No, for fucking real. This is so- The thing is, you messaged me about this episode way before I watched it. So you watched it before me.

C: Yeah yeah yeah.

G: And I will read the messages that you did send me. “This episode is soo corny. You already did ‘The Benders’! You can be done now.” And then you replied after like, a couple of minutes, “I feel mixed to negative about SPN so much it's unreal.” And then in a bit, you reply again, “Actually, it's okay.” And then you go, [laughs] “I'm back to mixed to negative.” Which, this did, in fact, color my watching of this episode.

C: Oh, apologies.

G: Because I didn't know what this episode was going to be about-

C: Oh no! You didn't know the twist? Fuck!

G: No, I had absolutely no recollection.

C: I knew the twist before I came in!

G: I don't know anything about this episode! Nothing! Nothing. So like, when you were like, "You already did 'The Benders,'" I was like, "Oh, it's gonna be a human being."

C: Oh no, I spoiled it all.

G: But the funny thing is, the entire time, like, I already knew that, like, there was a girl who killed a guy at the beginning of the episode. And I was like, "Yeah, I mean, yeah." But for some reason I was still thinking, "Maybe the family is like, a cannibal family." [both laugh] Like, I was still in the- Because they were like, you know, they were obviously like, building up that they have secrets or whatever; they're going through some shit-

C: Right, you thought the secret was that they cannibalized? That's so funny.

G: Yeah, that maybe the secret is that they are evil, evil, you know, mass murderers!

C: True.

G: And I was looking forward to that. And then twist was "there is a girl in there," and it's like, "Ah, okay, fine, whatevs."

C: Sorry. Sowwy.

G: But honestly, you know, it's okay. Honestly, I do not agree with you on this episode.

C: You liked it?

G: I think it was extremely entertaining. Whether I like it or not is up for debate.

C: There was a twist that she had a secret twin. [G laughing]

G: I- [both laughing] it was the stupidest fucking thing. I don't know why they did it, and then they never acknowledged it before or after. Wow! They're crazy.

But I- [laughs] I thought it was entertaining. Which is different from being good.

C: There was a twist that she had a secret twin. It opened with the guy being like, "Oh my god! It's impossible! How are you here?" but he was secretly feeding her the whole time! [both laughing] What- why was it impossible that she was there?

G: No, I really liked that it was like, we were looking into the psyche of like, another person, you know? There was another family here, and we do get insight on who they are and the things that they've been through, and how this is going to affect them. Because, like, one of my issues with Supernatural is, they keep doing this thing where a person learns about bullshit bullshit whatever, goes through a very traumatic experience, and they come out of it like, [valley girl] "Oh my god, thank you so much! Like, I really wanna kith you right now." You know? But this episode-

C: It's a slight improvement on that-

G: It is!

C: But also, it does imply that like, her brother getting murdered is what saved her marriage, so. [G laughing]

G: No, but like, you know what I mean. It has this impact of like, "This will affect them."

C: Yeah, that part is true.

G: And I like that. I really like that.

Although I would say, everything else about this episode is so fucking goofy! I mean, I'll bring up the shit when we get to it, so that I don't just ramble for the entire beginning-

C: Did he teach her how to spell while she was living in the walls?

G: I know! [laughing]

C: Like, she was able to spell "too late" out in blood-

G: She spelled "go"!

C: - even though, according to Sam, she's "barely human," or whatever the fuck. [G laughing]

G: That's what- [both laughing] we'll get it. I mean, this episode is entertaining. I would say that it's not boring. Which is, you know, there are episodes of Supernatural that are so, so humdrum-

C: It's not boring because I'm just flummoxed by [both laughing] how any of this can be true.

G: I mean, yes, and also like, Sam's like, reaction to the whole thing, Dean's reaction to the whole thing... [both laughing] You know what? Jeremy Carver, as we've said before, is good at comedy. He writes funny episodes.

C: And he tried to be serious-

G: He tried to be serious-

C: And instead was so unserious. [G laughs]

G: I think that's the best way to describe this episode. It is so unserious.

C: It is not the jonker from the movie the jokner. [G laughs]

G: It is unserious, and also like, it is so funny when you think about literally anything. And like, funny in a "What the fuck?!" kind of way, [C laughs] you know?

C: Yeah.

G: Because many times in this episode, I was like, "What??" [C laughs] And, I mean it sure is, you know. At least I was thinking. [C laughs] 'Cause usually, when I watch an episode of Supernatural-

C: It was intellectually stimulating.

G: It was. Because it was so funny. But usually, when I watch an episode of Supernatural, when I watch anything, really, I'm also doing something else. Like, I'm knitting, I'm crocheting, I keep my hands occupied. It's just how I watch things. But this episode, I really was watching it! Like, I put down my knitting to watch this episode [C laughs] because I thought it was that entertaining. So that's something to say about it.

C: I guess it is.

G: Yeah. So, well, going in, what did you learn about it? And also, I'm very curious as to how you knew the twist.

C: I think I just saw a post once that was like, it was like, a list of like, the scariest episodes of Supernatural, or someone asking like, "What do you think is the scariest episode of Supernatural?"

G: [laughing] They said this?

C: And someone I followed mentioned "Family Remains,"- or the episode said "Family Remains," and the person in the tags was like, "Was that the one where Sam and Dean spent so long trying to convince the family that ghosts were real, but it turned out to be children living in the walls?" [G laughing] So I knew it was humans living in the walls.

G: This is the opposite of "Scoobynatural." Like, here, they were like, "They're ghosts! They're ghosts!" And it was literally a human being. And in "Scoobynatural," they were like, gaslighting the Scooby gang. [laughing] Like, "It wasn't a ghost. You guys are craazy." [both laughing] Which is, honestly, such an odd thing to do in a fucking- I don't know. We'll get to "Scoobynatural" when we get to it.

C: Was it like, "We're gonna preserve the innocence of these children-"

G: Yes!

C: "- but they weren't children when I, Dean Winchester, was hitting on one of them earlier."

G: It was- it was literally like, "Oh, they're so distraught over having ghosts." Look! They knew they were ghosts. Like, the Scooby gang saw the ghost, and totally believed that there were ghosts. Then, Sam and Dean orchestrated this thing where it's like, "Oh, but like, it's not actually a ghost! It was an apparition!"

C: "It was Cas under a sheet!"

G: "It was a human being who was haunting you all and trying to get rid of you! Ghosts aren't real! [C laughs] You guys never even believed it! Like, you guys were just thinking that you believed it." It was a wild thing to put on.

C: That's very different from their usual thing. [G laughs] Why?

G: No, 'cause like, Dean wanted to preserve, you know, their- I don't know what the word is. I don't know words in English. You know, they were happy people.

C: Dean is an AO3 user for real. [G laughs] He does care about fictional characters more than real people.

G: He do. He fucking does. Well, anyway, is that all you knew about this episode?

C: Yeah, yeah. But I could guess, like, the rest of the twist. As soon as the housekeeper said that the daughter killed herself.

G: Well, I mean, the fact that it was her daughter, I didn't see that coming. I thought it was still her.

C: Oh, but like, I guess because I knew it was a human, so like, she was not old enough to be her.

G: Yeah, but like, you know. They did bring that up, and I was like, "I don't know. Maybe she has a banger skincare routine." [C laughs] Like, who fucking knows.

C: Maybe the all rats-

G: Maybe she's the opposite of Peter Capaldi! [both laughing]

C: Okay, the thing about that episode that haunts me is that I said that he was 58, but he was 55 or 56, and I knew that, and I said that in the post, so I don't know why I messed up on the age. Like, I'm a fucking fake fan, and everyone should laugh at me and throw tomatoes at me forever.

G: Yeah, exactly. I love how we're talking in this episode like everyone who listens to this episode are also listen to that episode.

C: Of course they did! What do you mean?

G: And you know, it's probably true. It's probably true. Like, why are you listening to an own episode of a Supernatural podcast for the episode "Family Remains" [both laughing] if you're not a consistent listener? But yeah.

God, we should start. We've been talking for so long.

C: Sure.

-

G: We start off with a "Road So Far" where they show Cas-

C: And for what?

G: And I did get my hopes up a little bit. I was like, "He's here. Is he gonna be here? Maybe!"

C: Nope.

G: No, he's not. It's not happening. [C laughs]

C: It's so joever.

G: What else did they show? It was Dean being like, [mocking, teary] "I tortured people. Put them in the rack." You know, stuff like that.

C: They really AMV-edited this one. [G laughs] Like, there's a part at the end of the last- or an episode before that- where Dean's like, "They like, carved and tore like, every part of me." But it's like he says, "they carved," and then it flashes to him in Hell, like, in pain, and then he goes "and tore," and then it flashes to another- the same clip of him in Hell but slightly zoomed in. [G laughs]

G: Exactly. They knew what they were doing. I wish, you know, everyone else who made this episode also felt the same way [C laughs], but it's okay. We should be less mean to the writers because they are having a strike, and I want to be clear that [laughing] I do support them. I just also am very much a hater.

C: Yeah, I support the strike. But I do think an AI could write a better episode of Supernatural than this.

G: [laughing] No! Do not say that! Do not say that.

C: Okay, yeah, they probably couldn't. Because they can only work off of previous data, and the previous data is also from the Supernatural writers, so it's shit data.

G: Yeah. And you know what? I don't think Supernatural can be what it is if it does not have Sera Gamble's twisted psyche [both laughing] embedded all over the first few seasons, you know? C: It's true. It's true. She did write some very important episodes

G: So yeah. Go writers, go actors.

C: I forgot that the Supernatural writers are still like, writers.

G: [laughing] You thought once Supernatural was over-

C: I just sort of assume that like, they took them out back and shot them like a lame horse. [G laughs] But yeah, I guess Sera Gamble did "You," which everyone says is like, good?

G: Yeah, I'm not gonna watch it, though. I'm so sorry.

C: Yeah, I'm not gonna watch it.

G: I watched Trixie and Katya's episode on it, on like, the last season of it. And apparently, this guy was like, being blackmailed for being a murderer by another murderer. And I was like, "Yeah, that's fun."

C: Oh, yeah, I heard that like, yeah, the most recent girl was like, a twisted cycle path, or whatever.

G: [laughs] Yeah. Hashtag cyclepathy.

-

G: Well, we start off the episode in a good old- well, this house is a house in the country, like, in the middle of a farm. It's a very pretty house. I would say that. It's big, spacious, etc.

C: It's nice. Though it's sort of grimy right now.

G: I didn't notice that, I don't think. I was still at my knitting era while I was watching this.

C: Maybe it was the lighting that made it seem like it was grimy?

G: Yeah. I mean, the thing about me is it takes me maybe 10 minutes into watching a Supernatural episode before I realize that I probably need to put my brightness to the max so that I can see anything. So like, for the first 10 minutes, I'm just like, "What's happening? What's happening?" [both laugh] And then I realize that like, "Oh, okay, like, I can actually control the brightness so I can figure out what is happening."

C: Yeah. It's so horrible. How dim every Supernatural episode is. I mean, it's like, a nice look. Like, I know I'm gonna miss it once they get fully into sitcom lighting. But right now, it just hurts my eyes so much to switch to my notes-taking Google Doc, [G laughs] which is like, all white, like, after I have cranked the brightness to the max in order to see what the fuck those men in jeans are doing.

-

G: Well, we start off in said house, and there is a guy there.

C: Sure is.

G: And he is watching, like, a show on the television. And then suddenly, power goes out.

C: Right, okay, so does she have control of the power, or does it just happen coincidentally?

G: I think she has control over the power. Maybe this is like, a Parasite situation.

C: Right, right, yeah. With the the flickering the lights Morse code thing.

G: Yeah. He tries to go out, but the door is locked. And then suddenly, this lady who looks like a ghost comes out, and then he goes, "You? [both] It's impossible!" [both laughing]

C: Why is it impossible?! He literally has been feeding her the whole time! What is he talking about?

G: It's wild shit. Anyway, he just goes like, "Stay away from me! Blah blah blah blah!" And then the girl, you know, attacks. And that's the end of our teaser.

C: Blood splashes on the "Home, Sweet Home" cross-stitch-

G: Hell yeah.

C: - is like, how they showed that he died. Which is fun, but also Corny.

-

C: We're in the Impala, and like, they're parked out, like, near some trees, and Sam's sleeping in the back seat. He's soo cute. And Dean's looking through newspapers and shit. And Sam's like, "Oh my god! Why are you looking for a job so much? Like, we've been working nonstop for a month. We just finished a job two hours ago. This sucks." And Dean's like, "No, I will sleep when I'm dead. I'm fine. I'm good." And Sam tells him that he can't run for forever. And Dean's like, [belligerent] "Oh, yeah? Well, what am I even running from?" [G laughs] And Sam says, "From what you told me." Like, i.e. the torturing souls in Hell thing. And then he goes, "Are we pretending that never happened?" And Dean pretends that it never happened by just talking about the case that we saw in the teaser. Sam's like, "Okay, that does sound like a ghost." And Dean's like, "Uh-huh. So we should check it out." And Sam does like, a fun thing where he like, sighs, and then he just like, fully flops back down in the backseat. Like, you just see his head go down. Love that.

G: I think he's so real for that. My commute to school is insane. And every time I arrive-

C: It's like 4 hours, right?

G: Well, it's 4 hours total. It's 2 hours away and 2 hours from.

C: That's still disgusting.

G: But every time I arrive on campus, I go - if I don't have classes immediately - I go straight to the library, and there's like, a couch situation in the sixth floor, and I just plop my head down. And seeing Sam do this, I was like, "I understand being on the road. [C laughing] Like, I get it." You know, 2 hours, a month. It's the same thing.

C: Yeah. [G laughs] True.

G: It literally is.

C: It is.

G: Also the case is in Nebraska.

C: Yes, which is so Ethel Cain of them.

G: What can you tell me about Nebraska? You know, the only thing I know about that place is-

C: It's near Kansas?

G: [Southern? accent] "Something about that cool Nebraska guy."

C: What?? [laughing]

G: "Something, baby." [laughing]

C: What??

G: I'm singing a song! Fuck off.

C: What is the song? [G laughing]

G: It's a Lady Gaga song. [typing] "Lady Gaga Nebraska song." It's called "You and I."

C: Huh.

G: It's like, I think her like, it's her country hit or whatever. And it's like, "Baby, like, we're drinking whiskey" and something about "you and I." And "you're a cool Nebraska guy." [C laughs] So yeah.

C: Wh- Yeah.

G: Why do I know this? What do you mean "why?"

C: I don't- No, no, I mean, that makes sense. Like, Lady Gaga's a famous musical artist.

G: Yeah. God.

C: I really don't know anything about Nebraska. Ethel Cain has a song called "A House in Nebraska."

G: Slay!

C: Available on all streaming platforms. But that's about all I know. And that it's close to Kansas, like, it's bordering Kansas.

G: Hm. Well, what are they gonna plant there? Like, what is Nebraska known for, agriculturally?

C: I don't actually know. Let's see. [typing] "Nebraska agriculture"...

G: "What is the major agriculture in Nebraska?" Corn! It's a corn place

C: I feel like everywhere that's an agriculture place is a corn place-

G: No.

C: - because of the US, like, subsidy whatever things regarding corn.

G: Oh, yeah. That's why corn syrup, you have in everything, yeah.

C: Yeah, there's high fructose corn syrup. There's corn in like, all animal feeds, even though, like, corn in cow feeds-

G: Yeah, is not good.

C: - causes them to form methane and fucks up the air, yeah.

G: Yeah. I mean, you have potatoes in Idaho. I know that.

C: That's true. Good point.

G: And then you have peaches in Georgia.

C: That's true.

G: I think you have weed in Colorado. [laughing] I don't know if that's the major culture in there.

C: I don't think it's the major. But yeah, there's weed in Colorado, and in California-

G: Yeah. That's true.

C: And probably elsewhere nowadays.

G: Mm-hm. Who is- is this from Supernatural? There's a guy who was like, growing weed in his bathtub? And then he goes, "That's not weed!" [G laughs] It was from here, right?

C: Yes! It was the fucking- it was the guy they fucking murdered [both laughing] in "Dream a Little Dream of Me," right?

G: [laughing] Yeah. [both laughing] That is still the funniest episode of this show. They literally just killed a guy [both laughing] after an entire season of "We shan't kill people, Sam. It's bad!" And then they just kill a guy.

C: Yeah. They don't even talk about it afterwards. [G laughing]

G: I love Supernatural.

C: Like, it's just business as usual.

G: Yeah.

C: They sent his abusive dad to beat him to death- [G laughing]

G: And then he died in his sleep! [laughs] Crazy.

C: God. [laughs] What the hell? Anyway, Supernatural is a show.

G: It truly is.

-

G: Well, you know, Sam and Dean drive through the country. And they see the house, and there's like, a thing where there's a sign that's like, "House For Sale" and I guess there was supposed to be like, a sign over it that says, "Sold." But the sign fell down so they didn't know that it was already sold.

C: Yup.

G: So they go to the farm. And there's this very long sequence- Did you notice this? Like, they just climb up the stairs and open the door.

C: Yes! [laughing] And Sam- the way Sam climbs the fucking stairs. [G laughing] I'm obsessed with him.

G: I am obsessed with him, that's true.

C: So like, the stairs, there's steps, but then there's like, you know, the flat area in between like, sequences of steps. And like, Sam switches between walking like a totally normal person [G laughs] and fucking like, jog-hopping up the stairs. Like, he has, like- you know the jogging thing where you have your hands in fists and like, you're moving your arms? Like, he fucking does that for like, sets of five steps.

G: I love him. Also, it's just a weird thing, because it was completely silent. Nothing was happening aside from, you know, we're watching them walk up the stairs. And then-

C: I think they just did that to make fun of Jared Padalecki for how he climbed stairs. [G laughing]

G: They open the door, like, Dean picks the lock or whatever. And the whole time, I was thinking, "Oh, is this one of those episodes where they're so obviously, like, running out of material [C laughs] and like, there's just so much time that they need to occupy or whatever?" And I was ready for that kind of episode.

C: But no.

G: But it's not that kind of episode. This episode is full.

C: In fact, they cut out the whole part where they talk about how the diary reveals that it was a twin so that they could show Sam climbing the stairs. [G laughs]

G: They literally cut out any mention of the twin brother other than his death [both laughing] in order to make room for this climbing up the stairs shot. And I respect that. You know, they know their priorities.

C: They were right to do it.

G: Yeah. Dean enters the house, make some quip about it's a 3 bathroom, 1 bath home, but, like, there's one homicide. "I guess this place is gonna sell really well." And then they start walking around. This episode does start very slowly. Like, it's just a house, and they're just walking around. And he's opening cabinets. They're like- they're just like, knocking at the walls, which I respect. And every couple of shots is interspersed with a shot of like, somebody looking at them from inside the wall.

C: Yeah, it's like, a POV thing where they're looking through the slats.

G: And it did make me think of- what's that? The Jo episode? "No Exit"?

C: "No Exit," yeah.

G: Yeah. Which, that was actually a ghost. And they fucking imprisoned him there with concrete, which is, you know. Always a fun idea to do.

C: Yeah.

G: But it has that vibe of like, "Oh, there's somebody looking at you through the walls." And then Dean finally, like, knocks the wall and notices that it's a different kind of knock. And he realizes that it's wood instead of, you know, concrete. Sam says that it's probably a dumbwaiter, which is, you know, old houses have them? A dumbwaiter is like an elevator for food, right?

C: Yeah.

G: Yeah. Is that common? Like, have you ever been in a house-

C: No, I've never been in a house with a dumbwaiter.

G: Yeah, okay. It is a very fascinating word. Dumbwaiter.

C: I guess because it's like, a waiter that brings you food except it's a machine, so it's stupid. That's fun.

G: Yeah, but like, it's so mean! Don't be mean! [C laughing] Don't be mean! That's all I have to say about it.

C: I understand.

G: Did you miss the little bit where Dean goes like, "Ugh. Know-it-all."

C: Yeah. And Sam goes, "What did you say?"

G: And then Dean's like, "What?" [laughs] I respect it.

C: "Huh? What? No? That must've been the ghost, Sam!"

G: "I think there's a ghost here-"

C: "You're craaazy." [laughs]

G: "I think it's a ghost here telling you that you're a fucking know-it-all. I mean, it's just what I heard." [both laugh] He is so funny. He's so funny for this.

C: He's not funny. But-

G: I love it when siblings are annoying to each other.

C: That's true. But it doesn't make them funny. It makes them siblings.

-

G: They go in, and, well, there's nothing. I mean, we learned later that this place was completely fucking- it was horrible in here, like, when the guy died. Like, the way it was described is "He was everywhere." So the fact that this space is spectacular is like, oh, well, you know.

C: Good realty company.

G: Yeah. And they open a closet. There's a doll head in there.

C: Just like in Yellowjackets.

G: Well, maybe.

C: The eyes are removed.

G: The eyes are removed? I didn't know notice that.

C: Or at least it looked like it. Or the lighting was so bad that just the eyes looked like they had been removed.

G: Well, this exploration is cut off by a moving truck and a car coming in. They realize that the place is, in fact, bought by someone already. And now they're here.

-

C: So we cut to, you know, the family, and they're such a like, capital letters Normal American Family it like, made me physically ill to look at them. You know, like, there's a son, Danny, and his dog, and they're both rambunctious or whatever. And then there's like, the parents. And then there's like, a daughter, and she's on they phone. We get a conversation where it is made clear that there is no cell signal out here. Which is-

G: It never comes up ever again.

C: Yeah, I mean, I think it's just helpful to know. Because it's like, as soon as you know it's like, a real person, like, I feel like a hashtag #NormalAmericanFamily would call the cops, so like, I guess it's like a "Well, they can't call the cops because there's no cell signal."

G: Yeah, but like, I think they can. [both laugh] I don't know.

C: Yeah.

G: There was cable. The guy jad cable. So.

C: That's true. Oh, and also, there's an uncle, the mom's brother. We learn things about their lives. They moved here from far away. We find out later they moved here from 400 miles away. Like, you are ruining your teenage daughter's life if you're moving away from all of her friends and now she can't even talk to them anymore.

G: That's true. [typing] "400 miles to kilometers," because I am, in fact, not American. 643 kilometers. I respect that. [C laughs] Aren't the like, "500 Miles" guys, like, Scottish or something? Do they also use miles-

C: Oh, The Proclaimers?

G: Yeah. Do they use miles there?

C: I think they also use miles in like- because I know they do miles per hour, at least, for driving speeds in-

G: The UK.

C: The UK. And I learned that from Good Omens. So yeah, maybe they do miles in general as well?

G: Well, I mean, it's a British, you know, imperial unit. I don't think they use it anymore. But maybe they did in the past.

C: Hm, yeah. Purgaps.

G: I have no idea. I have no idea what I'm fucking talking about. Slaycation! [G laughing]

C: Slaycation!

G: [laughing] What is happening?

C: - Which is what this family is embarking on.

G: Yeah, they're going to a slaycation.

C: So-

G: Wait. This house is a 3 bedroom. Where the fuck is the uncle sleeping?

C: Good question! [laughs]

G: 'Cause, like, the kids are in separate rooms, and I assume the couple is in one room.

C: Yeah.

G: Is the uncle just hogging the couch, like, "Yeah."

C: Maybe he's like, sleeping on the floor of the couples room. Who knows? [G laughs]

G: I respect that.

C: So, I don't know. They're just talking to each other, establishing a dynamic where it's the teenage daughter who's on they phone and the, like, uncle who's like, her friend, and like, a jokey guy. And then like, it ends on this shot where like, the husband, Brian, and the wife, Susan, are looking at the house, and he's like, hugging her from behind, and they're both looking up at the house. And like, I truly did want to throw up. Like, stop doing that shit. [G laughs]

G: What do you mean?

C: I just don't like this sort of pose. Like, you're not taking prom photos. [G laughing] Like, what are you doing with your life? [laughs]

Also, like, the women's outfits here are so 2000s. Like, the mom's, wearing like, a puffy jacket, but like, a puffy jacket vest, and the daughter's wearing like, basically like, a fucking Abercrombie jacket with like, a fur lining on the hood. Like, I remember my Abercrombie jacket was fur lining on the hood.

G: I also do fucking remember having an Abercrombie jacket with fur in the hood.

C: Yeah.

G: I fucking loved that thing.

C: Yeah, it was like, my go-to jacket-

G: It was also my go-to!

C: Even though Abercrombie is like, an awful company.

G: It was my go-to. We bought it at like, one of those like- what do they call it? It's like the store, but like, it's cheap. What's that called?

C: Wait, the name? I don't know.

G: It is the store. But like, it's cheap.

C: Factory store?

G: And like, you find it in like, gas stations and stuff. Yeah! It's a factory outlet, yeah. My sister had the blue one, and I had the red one! It was a wonderful, wonderful time.

C: Aww. I had a blue one, and then later, a gray one when I outgrew the blue one.

G: Yeah. I love jackets. They are my ride or die.

C: Yeah, agreed.

Abercrombie the general store was so horrible to be in because my sister liked getting clothes from there so like, we'd all have to go there, but like, they don't make clothes for people who are average weight, you know? Or above that? It's like, awful. Anyway.

G: Yeah. Well, you know, I- like, in American sizes, I am a medium to large, which means in Filipino size [laughs], I'm a XXL. Which, you know, makes life quite miserable. Yeah, 'cause Asian sizes are significantly smaller, I think. So like, shopping in like, a normal store that is like, not American sizes? Always been horrible.

C: Yeah.

-

C: But their reverie is broken by Sam and Dean like, [G laughs] running down the stairs, trying to leave.

G: I love it!

C: Yeah. Trying to sneak out or do something. And then, like, you know, the dad's like, "Hi. What?" And they pull out their fake code inspector badges, and go, "Hello! We're county code enforcement. And there's a fucking problem with the building. There's asbestos in the walls and a gas leak. So that means that no one is allowed to live here, and you all have to go stay at a motel. And if you don't, you are gonna get a fine or go to jail."

G: Boo.

C: And the family's all like, "Oh, I don't wanna. We just got here. Blah blah blah." Bro. It's fucking asbestos. Was asbestos not as big of a problem back then?

G: It's so funny- like, at one point, the wife goes like, "Asbestos? Meaning what?" [C laughs] I was like, "Meaning what?? What?? [laughing] Why are you asking this?" There's asbestos in the walls! [C laughs] I love it.

C: Are the health effects like, not immediate? Because I remember there was like, an episode of like, fucking House Hunters or Property Brothers or something on HGTV [G laughs] where, like, they had been in there for like, a while, and then they're like, "So, the inspection came back, and there's asbestos in the walls." [both laughing]

G: I mean, I think it's a little bit like mercury or like, lead or whatever-

C: Okay, it's like, a gradual poisoning.

G: I don't know. Actually, I don't know. What's the thing on the paint? That's lead, right?

C: Yeah, it's lead paint. And that like, fucks with kids a lot.

G: Yeah, mostly, yeah. Actually, I don't know. Let's not spread misinformation on our podcast Busty Asian Beauties.

C: True. About real things instead of Supernatural, yeah.

G: Yeah.

C: They are like, "Okay, fine. We'll stay in a motel for one night. But we aren't even gonna call anyone to remove the asbestos from the walls [G laughs] over the night."

G: Yeah, because, like, health inspectors are not allowed to like, touch up your house. This is like, a thing, because, like, it's- what do you call it?

C: Conflict of interest?

G: Conflict of interest. Yeah. Like, they're legally not allowed to do that. So like, they just did not call anyone. [both laugh] And I respect that! They were like, "We're gonna solve this problem by tomorrow. By tomorrow, I mean, we're gonna call someone tomorrow. RI-fucking-P." [C laughs]

C: Yeah. Yeah. And the daughter says some shit like, "Another motel? Awesome, dad. I hope this one has hooker sheets like the last one." What are Hooker sheets? What does she mean?

G: I don't know, I guess, like, if you're like, in a motel that's specifically like, a hookup motel, and it's designed in a tacky way-

C: Okay, Urban Dictionary says it's "a quilted polyester bed spread at low-budget hotels that may or may not ever get cleaned."

G: Ew!

C: Yeah. Anyway.

G: God. Best motel experience in Supernatural is still the one in "Provenance." I don't know why they did that, but I'm glad they did. It's always in my head and in my heart.

C: Yeah. Thanks, Phil, for that one.

G: Yeah. Our best friend Phil Sgriccia.

C: Though the best motel they've ever stayed in is still the "Yellow Fever" one where there's like, a door between the bedroom and the living room area. Like, what the hell? That's fancy.

-

G: Sam and Dean go to a woman's house, who, I guess, is the caretaker of this place, and she is also the one who found the guy when he died. Wait, I'm gonna burp. [burps] Okay.

C: Don't even cut it out. [G laughs] Do they still- in the more recent "Life in the World to Come"s, do they still keep in all the burps?

G: I think I have listened to one where somebody burped. I respect that.

C: Yeah, no. Earlier episodes, like, there's like, 3 burps per episode. They do not bother cutting that shit out.

G: I respect that.

C: Yeah.

G: So, you know, she says that it was a gruesome scene. She has been his house cleaner for a while, and Dean was like, "Oh, so do you know him at all?" And she goes, "Not really. He was very private. I think it's because his wife died in childbirth and his daughter hanged herself in the attic and stuff like that." 20 years ago, I think.

C: Yeah. And at this point, I wrote, "Okay, my theory is here that obviously, the daughter was pregnant at 20, maybe she was raped by her dad, and the creepy wall girl was her daughter."

G: How did you-?

C: So I called it five min into the episode, just so you know.

G: How did you-? How did you make that leap?

C: I just assumed that like- I don't know, like, it has to be like, bad or whatever.

G: [laughing] 'Cause they're in the country, and Supernatural.

C: Yeah, and also Supernatural like, loves like, just like, taking every single stereotype about the country and putting it in there. [G laughs]

G: Yeah. Yeah.

C: And also, okay, for some reason, I sort of thought that she'd given birth and then put the daughter in the wall herself as like a-

G: Oh, to hide it.

C: - "stay safe, stay away from like, yeah, the guy who raped me." So like, I guess that's why I thought that that was the situation.

G: It is wild to think that, like, if we are to assume that she killed herself, like, before the kids were grown, like, to a certain childhood. Like, this man like, raised these children.

C: Yeah, so.

G: How?!

C: He just like, threw food into the wall, I guess?

G: They were babies!

C: No, actually, yeah, they can't eat food.

G: They can't even drink water! [laughs] Like, you can't give water to a baby!

C: Yeah, was he going out to the stores and like, buying like, formula and mixing it and then like, tossing it on the ground for them to slurp? [G laughing] Like- What was the situation?

G: Ah! It was wild. Frankly- I don't know. We can be, you know, nitpicky about this episode, and we're never gonna get an answer, ever.

C: I mean, maybe she stayed around for like, the first few years of their life. But like, then [laughing] you would think that the diary would fucking mention that they were twins.

G: Yeah, like, I think we are to resume that she died like, immediately after birth or something. I don't fucking know.

C: Yeah, immediately after childbirth or something. Yeah, I feel like that the implication that I thought was like- Whatever. So yeah, like- They could not have stayed- They can't eat anything! [laughs]

G: Yeah! Anyway. she goes to get some pictures and hands it to Sam and Dean. You know, they keep the pictures. Sam asks why the daughter killed herself. She goes, "I don't know. But they were cremated." And also, Dean asks if she ever noticed anything about the house, like, "Oh, you know, like, are the lights going on and off?" like, blah blah blah. And the woman just goes like, "No, but there was one thing. Like, I heard rustling in the walls, like a rat." And they just went back to the house.

-

C: Back at the house, the moving truck and the family have returned because the uncle, Ted, is like, "Yeah, like, I'm a person who builds houses. That's my job. And I went in and I inspected, and there's no asbestos, and there's no gas leak, and those guys were total fakes."

G: How the hell did he do that? Like, did he buy like, materials that were like, asbestos detector?

C: How do you test if there's asbestos in the walls?

G: I think there's like, a tester.

C: Huh.

G: And then the gas leak is like CO something. CO meter or something? I don't know.

C: Yeah, perhaps.

G: Like, there's gotta be like, equipment that you need for sure. You can't just like, lick the wall [both laugh] and be like, "Okay, I licked the wall. It tastes like asbestos." You know?

C: Maybe he's the Tenth Doctor. Who knows?

G: Yeah. If he sat down and was like, "Oh, I started hallucinating after three hours. There's a gas leak here," like, yeah.

C: [laughs] Yeah.

G: That's a pretty good way to detect gas leaks, I feel.

C: That's true! Everyone should do that in the future. [G laughs] Who needs home inspectors?

G: Yeah. [laughing] You know, there's like- you know Jenny Nicholson? I love her. She's a YouTuber that I love very much.

C: Did she do a thing where she was a Reylo?

G: I don't think she was a Reylo. I think she was specifically like, "Reylos are so fucking funny," like, you know.

C: Wait, who was the person who was a Reylo?

G: I don't know. I mean, she read like, a published book that was a Reylo fanfic originally.

C: Oh, the fucking Love Hypothesis? I can't go into Barnes and Noble's anymore; it's always there.

G: Not even that. Not even that.  Not even that.

C: What, there's another one??

G: There's so many. There's so many. But like, she just made fun of it. I don't think she's a Reylo, but maybe she is. And you know what? [laughs] Star Wars made it happen.

C: I don't want to be flinging false accusations. Perhaps she isn't.

G: [laughs] Anyway, there's like, a whole deal where she reviewed a TV show that was like, a ghost hunting show. And basically, the format of the show is the family comes to them, and they're like, :Our house is haunted," and they start talking about why the house is haunted. And then the next segment is a house inspector going in and being like, "Yeah, you have a gas leak." [both laughing]

C: God, that's so funny. There's an episode of Monstrous Agonies that's also sort of the same thing. Like, it's a podcast that's like, a supernatural advice podcast [G laughs], and someone's like, "Oh my god, the house I'm in is haunted. Like, I've done everything. I've given it all the offerings that it's asked for, and it's still doing shit." And then, like, the like, host is like, "You have a fucking gas leak." [both laughing]

G: It was so funny because it's like, "Oh, like, sometimes, a door opens, and like, and then closes, and we don't know why." And then he just goes in there and goes like, "Yeah, this door is installed incorrectly, and it will open unprompted [C laughs] because the hinges are out of out of, you know, out of order." And it's like, "Cool! Great." And then after that, they bring in a psychic to be like, "Oh, I hear a spirit!" [both laughing]

C: So real!

G: Wild.

C: Also, I looked it up. I think it's Lindsey Ellis or Lindsey whatever who's the Reylo and Jenny Nicholson is friends with her, so that's how I got it mixed up.

-

C: Kate sees like, the creepy girl from earlier standing at the window, and she startles, but then she disappears. And the mom says something about how like, "It's gonna be great here, Kate, it really is." Which, you know, starts the thread where like, you don't know exactly what happened in this family's past, but they've come here to escape something. I think at this point, I thought that Kate was just like, bullied at her old school or something. But no, it's something else that happened.

And then we go inside the house to later in the night, and we start with the son, Danny. He's playing video games in the dark. And then the door-

G: He's playing on a DS! Which, you know, I love. Every time there's a DS in Supernatural, I feel extreme happiness and joy.

C: Good!

So the door, like, creaaks open, and then there's like, a dirty baseball that, like, rolls in, and like, this kid is not young enough to be falling for this shit. [laughs] He's like, "Oh my god! Hi! I'm Danny. It's okay. You can come out. Let's play ball together." Like, girl. Have you never seen a horror movie? Were you never taught stranger danger? What do you think is happening?

G: Yeah. He was like, "I've never seen The Shining. You can come in." [C laughs] Are there even ghosts in The Shining?

C: I don't know.

G: I think that's just him going insane. Like, I think that's The Ring, right?

C: Yeah, that's just- I think it's a psychological whatever thing of that guy being mean to his wife.

We don't see the girl. We just see like, darkness, and like, he like, rolls the ball back, and then, like, she throws it at him. They start playing catch. And you know what? That is kind of fun.

G: Overhand throw, I respect that.

C: Yeah, that is kind of fun. Except that this kid is not fucking old enough to be- not fucking young enough to be falling for this shit. What the fuck.

We cut to the next morning.

G: Is it the next morning? It's still night.

C: Oh, is it- Okay, it's still night. Sorry. I think I got it mixed up with a different- okay.

G: I think this all happens in one day, which is- there's a scene later that is very confusing because [laughs] it's so obvious that they filmed it during the day. But like, you're supposed to think it's night. And it's just the oddest fucking thing.

C: What is the scene?

G: The one where they're like, getting Danny out of the hole.

C: Oh. Hm.

G: That shit was supposed to be night, because, like, outside, it's night. But it's so obvious that they filmed it during the day [laughs], so-

C: Maybe the sun had started rising or- no, was it not that kind of light?

G: No, because, like, outside, we- the mother and the daughter are like, in the shed, and it's complete darkness.

C: Mm, true.

G: And they go out later, and it's still complete darkness. So the fact that the sun is coming up in the scene is- it's not.

C: Yeah, got it. So then we have a brief scene with, like, the parents. And the mom was just like, basically like, looking up  the Wikihow on how to start a farm.

G: I respect that. She said, "I'm a procrastinator, and this is what we're gonna do." At some point, she goes like- she's like, reciting very, very, very basic plant-growing facts. Like, "Zucchini will grow, but the soil is too acidic for beets." And then she looks up and goes, [both] "Do you understand any of that?" [G laughing]

C: Yeah, like, girl, what- what's not to understand?

G: "'The soil is too acidic for beets.' I wonder what that means?" [C laughs]

C: "What's acid? I never took chemistry."

G: Yeah, I mean, "Will zucchini grow or not grow? [C laughs] I don't know."

C: "It's a mystery. I'm gonna fail the GRE so bad!" [G laughing]

G: Yeah.

C: Sorry, okay, for the the the audience, I overslept our recording time and it's because I was doing GRE practice problems last night. Horrible.

G: Hell yeah.

C: Anyway. So the dad's, like, inspecting cabinets, and it smells bad. Like dead animals or some shit. Which is that because, like, behind the walls, it's all the dead animals? Is that the implication?

G: I think so, yeah. [laughs] I was so looking forward to him- because it's a two-door cabinet. And he opens one door. And a part of was like, "Is he going to open the other door and find a dead raccoon there?" And like, I think that would be the funniest fucking thing.

C: It would be.

G: But alas, they never open the second door, yeah.

C: Yeah. Sad. I mean, he did in the footage, but then they cut it out to show Sam going up the stairs.

G: [laughing] Show that Sam going up the stairs, yeah.

C: So, you know, like, he's not really listening to her. And she's like, "Brian, what are we doing. Like, we can't farm. What the fuck?" And he's like, "No, like, everything's gonna be good. I promise that we're gonna be happy." And she says, "If we're not?" And he says, "We will be. We have to be." [laughs] I don't think your marriage counselor did a good job.

G: Your marriage counselor was like, "I wanna get rid of these people. [C laughs] I'll send them to buttfuck nowhere. That'll get rid of them."

C: Yeah, yeah. And then she says something about how "I can't put the kids through another year like the last." So, you know more intrigue, more mystery.

-

G: Anyway, Sam and Dean are outside the house. They pull up. They see that the family is, in fact, residing in their house. And Dean goes, "So what now?" And Sam says, "We could tell them the truth." And Dean goes, "Really?" And Sam goes, "No, not really." [laughs] I love this conversation.

C: Which is what they do, like, immediately afterwards.

G: It is truly- you know. Like, they're like, "Oh, we should do it! But like, nah." And like, the reasons for doing it and the reasons for not doing it in their head are both equally stupid.

C: Yeah.

G: Like, I don't even know what the fuck these guys are on. Like, "We shouldn't tell them to keep them safe!" I don't fucking know.

C: I think it's "We shouldn't tell them because they won't believe us, and then it'll be less likely that they'll allow us to stick around."

G: Yeah. But they already think you guys are fakes, because, you know, you're not actually house inspectors.

C: I guess they don't know yet that they figured out that there was no asbestos. Like, it's possible that they just-

G: - just moved in.

C: - think that the family does not care about asbestos. "Asbestos? What's that?" [G laughs] She doesn't know what asbestos is, she doesn't know what acidic soil means...

G: Yeah. .Ted, the uncle- Okay. Maybe the uncle is only supposed to be here for a bit, just to help them move, and that's why there's not a room for him.

C: That's true.

G: Anyway, he's walking around, fixing some stuff up. And then he like, sees something on the wall, and then he calls the couple, and they come in, and somebody has written, "Go" in crayon, in red. So it's like, "Ooh."

C: Okay. [laughing] Did you also think that this was Sam and Dean? [both laughing] Because it happened right after that, like, "We should tell them." "No, we need a new method to get them out." And then it cuts to this, right?

G: "Let's just scare the crap out of them with crayons." I respect that.

They start calling on the little kid, and, you know, Danny goes down. And then he says, "Oh, I didn't do it. It's the girl in the walls. She wants you to go and me to stay because she likes me, but she hates grownups. So you guys have to leave."

C: How old do they think this kid is supposed to be? Like, I can see this kid and this kid is like, 12, or whatever the fuck. But how old is he supposed to be in the show? Like, 5?

G: No, definitely not 5.

C: I'd believe a 5-year-old could say that, but no one older than 5

G: Definitely not 5. Maybe 9? I think that's the age we're supposed to infer.

C: Okay, sure. I just- yeah. "There's a girl in the walls, and she's grimy and eats rats, and she hates grownups and wants you to leave and wrote 'Go' on the wall in crayon, and I'm her friend, and I like her, and this is a normal thing."

G: I don't know. Anyway, he goes- like, they like, make him go to his room, and while he was walking up the stairs, he goes, "If Andy were here, he'd believe me!" Which, you know, "Ooh. Mystery person." But this was interesting to me because this felt like the plot of- what's that episode?

C: 3.01?

G: No, the one with the- the girls and the haunted mansion dolls.

C: "Playthings"?

G: Yeah, it's, yeah, that one, I think. What's season is that.

C: 2?

G: It's Season 2. Yeah. It reminded me of that, which did make me feel like this episode was just a combination of the two episodes I've already mentioned, so-

C: "The Benders."

G: "Playthings" and "No Exit."

C: Oh, and "No Exit."

G: And "The Benders." So like, I don't know. I feel like they're rehashing old sentiments. Rehashing old ideas. But I like this because it has a more personal touch. Like, these people are people, I feel.

C: Mm, yeah. I mean, I guess what it reminded me of was like, Tamara and Isaac's thing in 3.01, where it was like, dropping hints about how they got into hunting, and then, eventually, it's like, "They had a child that was killed."

G: Died. Hell yeah. [C laughs]

Our next scene is the teenage girl, Kate. She's lying in bed, and she is like, caressing something on the floor. The dog. And she's talking to the dog also. She's saying like, "Oh, it's okay. I hate it here, too." And then the dog starts licking her. And then she goes, "Ew! Guh-ross! [both laugh] What's the matter with you?" It's a dog. Like, I think a dog can lick you, and it's fine.

C: Yeah, though, I mean, probably like, this dog is not much of a licker.

G: Yeah, I guess. Anyway, she keeps on caressing "the dog," and then the door opens, and it's the dog! [both laughing] I love this scene! The dog comes in.

C: What- okay, so like, this little girl was like, hiding under the bed, and what? Like, Kate was stroking like, her hair-

G: Her hair, yeah.

C: And it ended up being the same texture as the dogs? [G laughs]

G: It's not.

C: And then she started licking her? Like, for what? Was she pretending to be a dog? Was she like, "I wana eat this girl, and I need to check how she tastes." Like, what is happening?

G: It's wild shit, honestly.

C: Also, you would be able to tell if it's like, your dog's fur or like-

G: A human hair.

C: - some random girl's dirty hair. [both laugh] Like, this doesn't fucking work!

G: And also, she's supposed to smell really bad.

C: Yeah.

G: So like, I don't know. But I just love this scene because it's so ridiculous! [laughs] It's so- it's so funny! It's amazing.

C: Yeah, a lot of this episode is just like, "We want to do like, a fun horror trope, and we're just gonna like, throw logic out of the window in order to do it." And that does make it entertaining, because I'm like, "It is fun that it was the girl licking her, and that is something that would be scary." But also, like, just put a little thought into it. Make it seem to make sense a little bit, please.

G: I mean, a part of me was like, "Maybe it's the brother," 'cause, like, he has shorter hair, as we see later when he dies. But like, [laughing] why would he have shorter hair?

C: Why would he have shorter hair? Who's reinforcing gender norms inside of the walls? [G laughs, then screams]

G: It's crazy, what they in this episode. [both laughing] It's like, it's so bad, it turns back into good. [C laughs]

Anyway, Kate is obviously very distressed by this, and she starts screaming.

-

C:  We cut to the downstairs, and the whole family has gathered. And, you know, she's freaking out, and she's like, "Jesus Christ like, a ghost, just like, fucking licked me." And then Danny's like, "Oh my god! A ghost? Like the girl in the walls?" And then, like, the parents are like, "You guys are full of shit. Stop it." And then Sam and Dean knock on the door, [G laughs] and then-

G: Bust it open.

C: - they go, "You have a ghost." [laughs]

G: Literally, Sam just goes, "You have a ghost." And that's, you know, it's wonderful.

C: Even though the last scene was them going, "No, we can't tell them the truth." Like, what is hap- the logical leaps in this episode.

G: [laughing] No, this is what I've been talking about. This episode is so- I think part of it is intentional, like, it is intentionally funny.

C: Yeah, okay.

G: Like, this is like, a funny scene because they were like, "Oh, we shouldn't tell them." And then the next scene of them showing up is, "You have a ghost." Like, I think that's like, maybe intentionally funny.

C: I guess it was-

G: And I think the girl getting licked by the girl was also funny. Like, I don't know. I think this this episode is so funny.

C: It is funny, but I don't- I feel like they're just trying to do a regular horror movie.

G: They are.

C: But I guess a lot of regular horror movies are meant to be like, shticky and funny sometimes, too, so.

G: Yeah.

C: Dean's like, "Okay, like, your family's in danger, and you have to get out of the house fucking now because of the ghost." And then, like, all the lights go out. And then, they hear the dog, like, barking from a distance, and then the dog is whimpering, and then the dog goes quiet. And they run out of the house towards the direction of the sound. [G laughs] And then they see, written in blood, in the dog's blood on the wall, the words, "Too late." Who was teaching her the ABCs inside the walls?!? [G laughs and screams]

G: I love how they were like, "These people are animals. They don't even talk. Like, blah blah blah." And she just literally wrote, "Too late."

C: She can read and write. Like-

G: I respect that.

C: Right, so Dean's like, "Okay, we have to go. We have to head to the motel." They go over to the cars, and all the tires of the Impala and the moving truck and the family's car are slashed.

G: How do they drive out like, later? Like, Sam and Dean?

C: There's like, a scene of them installing new tires on- which actually, if they had- where did they come from? If they had new tires the whole time, why not just install them now?? [both laughing]

G: [laughing] This episode is fucking bonkers!

C: I mean, maybe in the morning they like, walked to town and bought new tires, like, from a store? And then they walked back? But like, why can't they walk to town now, then?

G: Yeah, it's crazy.

C: God, what the fuck.

G: They can't because they're gonna abandon this family to die.

C: Well, actually, it's possible that they had them, but then, like, they got taken like the guns got taken. Right?

G: Oh, yeah, maybe, yeah.

C: Okay, sure. Fine. Jeremy Carver, you get away with this one.

G: I mean, okay, first of all, how was she able to open the trunk?

C: Right. Isn't it locked?

G: Like, all the guns are stolen! It's a hidden compartment. If this person is so animalistic that she can even think of anything-

C: Yeah, so unsmart or whatever.

G: Yeah - how she able to figure out their hidden compartment? [C laughs] Like, I don't- this episode's fucking nuts.

C: Actually, the brother's like, really smart, and like, he knows how to read, he did all the writing, and he knows everything. It's just that, like, we didn't learn that he was smart 'cause he got killed so fast.

Sam checks the trunk, and all the guns are gone, and he also says, "So is the-" and then, like, he pulls something out. Was that like, the demon knife? What was-

G: Flashlights.

C: Oh, it's flashlights. Okay, I couldn't tell because Supernatural's lighting is terrible, and also, I had really bad eyesight yesterday.

G: It's so funny. Like, this person just did not get the flashlights? I don't know. It is such a confusing- everything about this episode.

C: Isn't there a thing where she's barely ever even seen light?

G: Blinded by the lights, yeah.

C: So she didn't have any need for the flashlights.

G: But did she see guns? Does she know what guns are?

C: Yeah, I don't- I don't know. She never used them.

G: They had fucking like, those like, things you throw, and they're blades, in that car. They had a flamethrower. [C laughing] And then she just took everything? [laughing]

C: She was like, "I'm gonna stick with my one knife."

G: Yeah. Anyway, like, at some point, Brian, the husband, comes back and he goes like, "Yeah, the truck's no good because both tires are slashed"? [laughing] Thinking there were 4 tires in the truck? [both laughing] Or is he saying that both the truck and the cars' tires are slashed? C: I think that's what he means, but it does sound like there were only two tires between the truck and our personal car.

G: [laughing] This episode's so bad!

C: Obviously, Dean's very upset because "Oh, no, it's the Impala." And he's like, [whiny] "What kind of ghost messes with a man's wheels??" Blah blah blah. Kate, sees the girl like, running off in the woods. And Dean's like, "What's a ghost doing outside?" So, you know, they're leading up to the "it wasn't a ghost at all" sort of thing. And Dean's like, "Okay, actually, we all have to go back into the house that I spent so long convincing you to get out of. Because, like, this ghost could go anywhere, and she's hunting us for sport, so we have to be in a place with better defenses," whatever whatever.

-

G: Anyway, so they go inside, and Dean sets up a salt circle for everyone, and Brian starts, you know, being like, "Oh, we're gonna go. I don't wanna be here." But Dean is being more forceful while Sam is doing the whole- like, he's calling this guy "sir," and he's like, "This is what we do. Trust us." And the kid shows a little bit of interest. Calls them Scooby-doo, which is fun. And Sam and Dean show the pictures to the kids.

C: Oh yeah, the housekeeper gave photos of the the daughter and the wife. Did we mention that? I forgot.

G: Yeah. I think we didn't mention specifically what pictures she gave. But yeah. The both kids say that the daughter is the girl in the walls, and Sam and Dean speculate like, "Oh, maybe she did not kill herself." You know. No no no. They speculate that she wasn't cremated, or like, something in the house has her spirit or whatever. Sam suggests going to the attic, and then, you know, Dean was supposed to stay there and take care of the people. Which, you know, in terms of division of labor, who would you assign? If you were the team leader here, right, who would you assign to be the caretaker of the people and who would you assign to go to the attic?

C: I mean, this family is in emotional distress, so I feel like Sam at least tries to be accommodating of that.

G: No, exactly. This is what I was thinking. Like, send Dean to the attic! [C laughs] Like, I don't know. He's- I mean, at least he doesn't have a gun that he can't actively point at other people.

G: Yeah. But that doesn't stop him. [G laughs]

G: But it doesn't stop him!

Well, anyway, they go, and Ted, the uncle, is like, "Oh, whatever. I'm gonna fucking get out of here." And Dean corners him to the wall, tells him, "I've got a gun. So get back inside that circle before I gave you a third hole." [screams]

C: Okay, yeah, no. Okay, what are the- okay, anus and mouth? Are those the two?

G: [laughing] I don't know!

C: Like, there's a lot of holes in the human body.

G: There are a lot.

C: There are nostrils, and like, ears.

G: Eyes.

C: Yeah. Or maybe Ted is trans.

G: Yeah, I don't know. Maybe the pee-hole is, you know -

C: Yeah, sure.

G: - the second hole, and then the gunshot is the third hole. So I guess if you have the anatomy of- he's gonna give you your fourth hole? I respect that.

C: Sure. This is very the "Maybe they like the other other white meat" of him. [G laughs]

G: Exactly.

C: Also, Ted talks exactly like Dean. He says, "It's just some backwoods hillbilly bitch, and I'm not about to sit around here waiting for her to go all Deliverance on my ass."

G: They should have kissed. [C laughing] They should have kissed for real.

C: I guess he turns out to be right, so. [G laughs] That's egg on Dean's face.

G: Yeah. Sam calls Dean out on not having a gun, but Dean's like, "I don't give a shit."

C: It's so funny how they're whispering and like, supposedly, no one in the family is going to hear this, but they're in a salt circle with a diameter of 6 feet max.

G: Yeah, exactly. And Dean says, "I'm not letting anyone die tonight." Which starts a theme in this episode that, like, [mocking] he doesn't want anyone to die.

C: Yeah. Because he feels so so guilty about Hell so he needs to save everyone, blah blah blah blah.

G: Yeah. I mean, I get what they're trying to do, but like, where was this in the earlier episodes of Season 4?

C: Yeah. He remembers being in Hell the whole time. Like, why is he only doing this now that Sam knows about it? Like, now, it just seems like, he's trying to like, look good for, like, Sam, not like, for actual guilt.

G: Yeah, exactly.

They start asking about the salt until suddenly, the girl comes in [laughs] and opens the door. And like, slowly starts creeping up to them. And all I could think about is, "They didn't lock the fucking door?" [C laughs] Jesus Christ, man.

C: Well, they think she's a ghost, and ghosts can pass through walls or whatever, right? [G groans]

G: Yeah. But like, still lock the door. Come on.

Dean is just there being like, "She can't come in the circle. Don't you guys worry about it." And the girl just keeps on walking and walking. She reveals a knife, and then, she steps over the line.

C: Yup.

G: Hell yeah!

C: Hell yeah!

G: And Kate goes like, "I thought ghosts can't cross the circle!" and Dean's like, "Yep. Not a ghost." And Ted is like, "Shoot her! Shoot her!" And Dean was like, "Mm..."

C: "Well..."

G: "I don't have it." and he just tells them to start moving. And then Dean, you know, is fighting for his life until Sam comes in, shines a flashlight on her face, which, you know, hurts her eyes, and she starts running!

C: Photosensitive gang rise up.

G: Yeah.

C: We cut to a leetle bit later. They've all left the house. They're all outside. So apparently, the whole family, when this happened, they all ran into the woods to hide and shit. Dean's like, "I'm telling you, man. Humans." Which starts a thing in this episode where it's Dean's like, "Humans are capable of so many horrible things." I just never find it interesting when Supernatural does "humans are the real monsters." 'Cause whenever they do "humans are the real monsters," which is like, this and "The Benders"-

G: It's always some, like- yeah.

C: Yeah, it's always like, "Oh, these are like, some Southerners who are poor, and they're just like, on the edge of society like, being serial killers, blah blah blah blah blah." Like, they never do it about like-

G: Actual people.

C: - corporate greed, or anything that is actually like, common and happens.

G: Even when they do corporate greed -

C: It's Dick Roman.

G: - those are Leviathans. It's literally Dick Roman. Also, like, it is quite irritating, in this episode specifically, where they keep on referring to those people as like, "They're barely human." I mean, we'll get into it the first time Sam mentions it. But that really like, pissed me off because, like, what's the point of doing this episode, then?

C: Yeah. Well, I think Sam's supposed to be considered wrong.

G: No!

C: No?

G: No, I don't think so.

C: Really?

G: 'Cause the thesis of the end is like, Dean going, "Yeah, they're barely human, but they're still better than me."

C: That's true.

G: "Like, the fact that they don't know what they're doing makes me worse because I knew what I was doing."

C: That's true. Also, they keep bringing up that they're in the countryside.

G: [laughs] Yeah.

C: Which I think is fucking annoying as well.

G: [laughing] It's a focal point of this episode. Yeah, this episode's fucking nuts.

-

C: Yeah. So they're talking, and Dean's like, "Hey, maybe it's like, the daughter Rebecca, and instead of hanging herself, she just went to live in the walls." And Sam's like, "No, she would have to be like, 50 now." Which, okay, wait if she has to be 50 now, and she killed herself-

G: 20 years ago.

C: When she was like- so these- okay. So these, okay, I keep calling them "kids," but they're like, 20. They're like, young adults.

G: Yeah.

C: Okay. Don't they keep calling them kids in this episode. Well, no, it's because she says she- 'cause she hates grownups. Like, that implies to me that that's a child. But like, she's like, 20 or whatever.

G: Yeah.

C: Sam says that he found Rebecca's diary in the attic, but nothing else. And, you know, they talk about how they have to like, hold her off, keep the family safe. So Brian is calling the family out to go, and Susan and Ted and Kate, I guess, show up, but they can't find Danny. They start like, yelling and screaming 'cause they don't know where he is. So their former plan of like, them all walking to town as Sam and Dean stay here and kill these people is now null. Nill. Whatever. You know, Dean decides that Kate and Susan should hide in the shed because the windows are boarded up and it only has one door, so it's the most defensible position. Sam and Dan are gonna work with Brian and Ted to find Danny. Why? I mean, misogyny. Anyway. [laughs]

So Dean and Ted are looking around inside. Also, Ted finds a knife., so they've got one weapon. Dean finds like, a board in the wall that's loose, and he's able to crawl inside. It smells really bad. As they go further inside, there's like, a little hole in the floor, and Dean decides that he's gonna go in. Okay, if they're just looking for Danny, can't he just shine his flashlight down there and see if he's there? Dean doesn't doesn't have to go in the hole. He can just yell Danny's name and then sweep a flashlight around

G: I mean, he wants to go into the hole. [C laughing] Yeah.

C: Yeah. He really wants to enter that hole.

G: I mean, there's a gaping hole inside of him! [laughing]

C: Yeah, fucking hell. "Don't-" what does Bobby say? "Don't go after Dick because it fills the hole. Go after Dick because-" what does he say?

G: "The right thing," I think. "Go after the right-" I don't fucking know.

C: We'll find out in like, two years or whatever.

G: He also says it this episode. He says "there's a hole..."

C: He does say that.

G: I respect that. They're obsessed with holes in this episode.

C: Doesn't he have a conversation with Gordon about a similar thing where, like, killing monsters fills a hole in him or something? Or is that someone else?

G: Yeah yeah yeah. I think so, yeah.

C: Poor Dean. He has so many holes. And Cas isn't even in this episode.

So he goes down, and it's like, a room with like, flies buzzing around, and there's like, dead rats, the dead dog in there. And he calls it her kitchen. Also, like, there's art on one wall, like, where there's like, 2 stick figures holding hands. Okay. Who the fuck is enforcing gender norms down here? Because one of them is like, a girl symbol with like, a triangle dress on it, or whatever. Where did she learn that.

G: Yeah. Oh my god, she's wearing a white nightgown!

C: Shit, she is, yeah. It's just very dirty now.

G: Like, what was the guy wearing? Normal guy clothes?

C: I don't know. It was very hard for me to see anything. Okay, how did she have clothes that fit her? Like, in addition to like, throwing like, food down there like, her dad/grandad was also like, making her new clothes each year?

G: I have no idea.

C: Yeah.

G: This episode is so fucking stupid.

C: Okay, wait. I couldn't tell. Were the two stick figures like, a girl and a boy?

G: Yeah.

C: Okay, so it's her and her brother. So it's like, foreshadowing. That's cute.

And then, Ted, hears, like, creaking behind him. He turns around, and the girl is there, and she stabs him to death. And the way that it is revealed that he dies is like, we're back to Dean, and then, like, Ted falls down perfectly. so that [both] his head falls through the hole. Which is fun. I did like that.

-

G: Anyway. Sam and the husband are in the shed together with the two women. And they're talking about how, you know, how "We should go in there!" and Sam's like, “No, no, no, let's wait for them.” And then Dean knocks, enters, and it's just him. And they ask, “Did you get Danny?” And he goes, “No.” And Susan goes, “Well, where's Ted?” And he goes, "He's outside." And Susan goes, “Well, why won't he come inside?" And Dean just goes, “I had to carry him out. I'm sorry."

C: I'm so annoyed every time they refuse to be straight up about a death notification. Like, “He's outside”? [laughs] Like, what is wrong with you? Just tell people. And also, how they didn't even tell Anna that her parents were dead. Sam was like, “I'm sorry,” and she has to come to the conclusion by herself. Which, I wouldn’t come to that conclusion by myself. I would be like, “Oh, are they like, very badly injured, or something?” you know what I mean? It's rude of them to not just tell people the truth because they feel awkward about it.

G: Like, the confirmation, yeah.

C: Yeah. In Disco Elysium, there's a scene where you have to give a death notification, and your skills tell you very explicitly you have to use the word “dead,” like, that is the only way to like, properly go about it. And I agree. Sam and Dean are so annoying. So so annoying.

G: Anyway, he explains what happened, and everybody starts freaking out. Dean is very apologetic. He's very sad. Dean... fucks off? I don't know. Sam is reading the diary, and the husband and wife are talking to each other. Well, the husband is saying, “We'll find our son. It's okay,” and Susan is saying like, “Oh, the kid is dead. I mean, my brother is dead, so, you know, our son must also be dead.” And Brian just goes, “No, our kid is alive.” And they just go back and forth, like, "He's alive." "No, he isn't." "He's alive." "No, he isn't." And then finally, he just goes, “The girl in the wall likes him. She said he could stay. So it's okay. He's gonna be alive.” And Susan just goes, “I don't understand. We're good people! We're a good family! Why is this happening to us?”

C: Which I found really annoying, but I also understand that she is in a situation.

G: Yeah. And the husband says, “What happened to Andy happened, you know; I cannot change that. But Danny, we'll find him. And we're going to be okay.” And then he goes, “You, me, the kids; we're gonna be fine.” And it's like, her brother just died!

C: Yeah.

G: And they do not even acknowledge this?

C: They don't care.

G: They don't give a shit about this guy. And it's just, I don't know. A part of me was actually very like, "Huh! There's an uncle in this family." Because I understand that, in the United States, that's not common, for like, specifically like, white families.

C: Wait, what do you mean?

G: I mentioned this before in the podcast. It's like, here, everyone in the family is just in the family.

C: Oh, yeah, I know what you mean.

G: Like, it's very common for a family to have an aunt or an uncle just tossed in there; a grandma, grandpa. Like, we don't really- we have the concept of a nuclear family, but it's, you know, it's more than that. It's extended. So having an uncle here, I thought was interesting. I was like, "Oh, what are they gonna do with it?"

C: Nothing.

G: And then, basically, they just do this thing in the show where it's like, “Oh, like, we got rid of the uncle, we got rid of the dog, but, like, those people are not necessary!"

C: Yeah. 'Cause it's the nuclear family.

G: "What's important is the nuclear family.” And I was like, “Okay, well, it is an American show, I fucking guess."

C: It sure is an American show. Aiya.

-

C: Now we're outside the farm- Okay, wait. Was Brian standing there alone, and then Dean came up to him? Or were they standing there together?

G: I think they're both outside. Which is just such a stupid idea.

C: Yeah, why are you not all just in the fucking shed?

G: [mocking] They need space. "I need space."

C: His brother-in-law just got murdered while he had Dean there for protection. And now he's like, “I wanna be outside with only Dean for protection.”

G: Nobody in this episode acts in any way that makes sense.

C: Yeah. So Dean's like, “Oh, was Andy your son?” And Brian says he was the oldest son, and he was killed in a car accident last year. And it was very bad for his marriage [both laughing] is literally what he says next. [both laughing] Oh my god. So he-

G: This episode is truly something.

C: Yeah. And he says the marriage counselor said that they should move here for fresh air and a fresh start. And he's like, “Oh, yeah, because what could go wrong in the country?" Which is like, whatever dude. Stop being- Supernatural just fucking hates the country. Like, they're like, "We're gonna set- like, Kansas is going to be the home of our protagonists, and like, we're gonna be so big on the like-"

G: "But they're not country people!"

C: "Yeah, but they're not disgusting country people. They're from the Kansas suburbs." Okay, man.

Dean's like, [fake teary/tough-guy] “I'm getting your son back if it's the last godforsaken thing I do.” And Brian's like, "Why do you care so much?" Which is, you know.

G: A very very prevalent question. [laughs]

C: What you ask when one of your sons died last year, and one of your other sons might be murdered right now by the girl who killed your dog. You go, "Oh my god! But you're such a hero! Why do you care so much? Please, tell me more about your life, Dean.” [G laughs]

G: It's just such a odd fucking- [groans, C laughs] Anyway, Sam shows up and tells Dean that they gotta talk. So they go inside the house-

C: Leaving Brian alone to be murdered! [G laughs] Leaving the family alone to be murdered so they could have a private conversation about something that isn't even confidential!

G: Anyway, Sam finished reading the diary, and he assumes that the girl is Rebecca's daughter because she, in the journal, she talks constantly about being pregnant and being ashamed of being pregnant.

C: Dean is such a shithead about this.

G: He goes like, “Oh, whatever. Get over it." He says, "Rent Juno and get over it.”

C: And then he knows that she killed herself. Like-

G: Yeah, I don't fucking know. He goes like, “Why did she kill herself, like, after the baby?” And Sam's like, “Oh, her dad called her a dirty little whore and said that he was gonna lock the baby up.” And Dean goes, “Why would he say that?” Which is, I feel like, an odd thing.

C: Yeah, I mean, I don't- Is it really true that men who grow up without sisters, like, don't know anything? Dean watches movies. Dean watches a lot of movies.

G: Yeah, but he watches the kinds of movies that are-

C: With no women in them. Just cowboys.

G: Yeah.

C: I don't know. Does he not know about slutshaming and how, like, having a baby out of wedlock, even if it's not the result of your dad raping you is considered shameful to a lot of people? He grew up in Kansas.

G: I don't know. The whole thing of like, Sam would say nothing, and that automatically means that like, "Oh, her dad raped her." And it's like-

C: Right, no, it's just-

G: This conversation doesn't make any sense.

C: Yeah. She was an unwed mother. Like, that's considered very taboo in a lot of people's families.

G: Yeah. And, I don't know. The question of “Why would he say that?” [C laughs] feels very much like, "What did she do to deserve this horrible thing thrust upon her?"

C: Mm.

G: And I think that's why it made me feel so uncomfortable. 'Cause like, "Why would he say that?" Because he's an asshole? I don't fucking know. [C laughs] But, like, now, it becomes a "Did something happen for him to say that?" And it's like, "Yeah." And it's- I don't know. It's just- This episode is just so weirdly written. It's so weirdly written. Jeremy Carver, what is up with you?

C: I don't know.

G: Anyway, they conclude that the father raped the daughter. And then, you know.

C: Dean cracks two different jokes about this. What the fuck?

G: Yeah. Sam starts this thing where he calls the man a monster, right?

C: Right.

G: Which, I mean, yeah, but also like, the way they use it here and for the rest of the episode- like, calling someone an animal or a monster is not a cry against their values or their morals or their actions, you know. It's basically going like, "Yeah, I mean, what can you do? Monster." [C laughs] Do you get what I mean?

C: Yeah, yeah.

G: Maybe it's more applicable to the later uses of Sam basically going, "Oh, monster," or like, "animal," or like, "barely human." But every time he says it, it has this air of- it becomes less like, "Oh, I'm telling you off for being a horrible person." It becomes more of excusing in a way. Like, "I mean, yeah, these people are horrible. What do you expect?" That's kind of the vibe. Which is annoying and is horrible. And, I mean, it's- in my personal life, that's something I try to not do.

C: Yeah, yeah.

G: Like, when people do terrible things, I do firmly remind myself, like, "These are people, and that is actually worse. Like, that makes it worse."

C: Yeah.

G: Because when you go like, "Oh, those people are monsters," or "Those people are horrible in a way that is different from a horrible that I can do, or like, a horrible that a normal person can do, it like, almost excuses the behavior."

C: Yeah.

G: It's the same deal with corporations. Seeing corporations as an entity that is indestructible removes the fact that those are built and made up of people, and like, that makes it worse, and you should be angrier about the fact that there are people behind this. And actually thinking about them less as people and more as just entities of evil that don't think as complexly as you or whatever is actually more, you know, it's more beneficial for them for you to think of that that way.

C: That's true. That is true.

G: So like, yeah. That's where my train of thought went, and like, yeah, it is a bit far off from this specific line. But I just don't like it. I don't like when people call other people monsters. 

C: I agree. Also, there's a scene in “rising sun blues”, which is the “bad moon rising” Season 2 thing which is the author's version of “Heart,” and Sam's basically telling Maddy, like, “Hey. So yeah, you're a werewolf. And like, I do have to do something about that.” And she's like, “What the fuck. The guys I killed were abusive and shitty.” And Sam goes, “Yeah, I know. Like, look, he deserved it, okay? He was a monster.” But then Maddy says, “No, he wasn't. He was human. And I'm not going to kill the monster that saved me.” Anyway. So yeah, that seemed slightly relevant to this.

G: Yeah, yeah. Anyway. Dean, again, as Crystal said, makes a joke about how "This is like a story from an Austrian headline."

C: So this is a Freud joke, which implies that she-

G: Is it a Freud joke?

C: Yeah, I think that's what he means, yeah, which is so terrible.

G: Is it not like a- What's the name of that family that's completely fucking inbred?

C: Oh, the Hapsburgs or whatever?

G: Hapsburgs. Is it not a Hapsburgs joke?

C: It's possible. Yeah, the Hapsburgs were Austrian, but like, so was Freud. So I don't know what-

G: I think it's a Hapsburg joke.

C: Okay, okay. I hope so.

G: I mean, it's probably on the fucking, like, SPN Wiki. But, you know, I'm not gonna look.

C: I'll check.

Okay, so what the Superwiki says is that it's neither of what the things that we said. There was a case in 2008, so it would have been right around the time this episode aired, of a guy in Austria, who held his daughter captive in a cellar for 24 years and raped her. So. 

G: Jesus Christ.

C: That's a bad thing to make a joke reference about, Dean.

G: Anyway, so she has been locked up and then gets out and kills the guy from the scene earlier. Dean goes, “Well, I can't say I blame her.” And Sam goes, “I'm sure her life was hell, Dean. It doesn't mean she gets a free pass for murder.” Honestly, I think she can do whatever the fuck she wants.

C: Honestly, yeah. Definitely, killing the guy from the intro, definitely, that's fine. Currently, it's not great, but like, I get it.

G: Yeah.

C: [laughs] We're saying this right after you said that you hate when people excuse people's actions by calling them monsters.

G: [laughing] No. I mean, I think I've delivered that with enough levity for people to conclude what I feel more strongly about, you know? C: Good point.

Also, I think she's a human that makes choices, and this is an okay choice for her to make. [both laugh]

G: And then the thing that Dean latches on in this sentence is the fact that Sam said, "Her life is hell." And he goes, like, “Do you know what Hell's like?" [screams, both laugh] Who wrote this episode? Jeremy. What are you doing, Jeremy?

C: Dean's literally a member of the people who were in Hell community, and he's advocating for you all to use more sensitive language in your figurative language. [G laughs]

G: You know, Sam, like, tries to apologize, and Dean's like, “Oh, whatever!” And then Sam's like, “Where do we find her?” And Dean goes, “Well. Kid's gotta eat. And he kept her locked up, but he had to feed her. So I think I know where.”

Do they mean like, where?

C: I don't know. Was it the dumbwaiter? I couldn't tell where they went.

G: No, it says here that they went to the basement, but they busted open a door. They busted open a wall. Why is there a basement inside the wall?

C: I don't know. I guess-

G: Isn't a basement like-

C: Yeah, like, accessible.

G: This is a tornado area, right? So everybody has a basement.

C: I think so, yeah. 

G: So it's normal to assume that there is a basement. But it's not normal to break down a wall to get there.

C: Yeah. I mean, it had to be hidden in a way, or else the realtors would have found her. But like-

G: Yeah, but like, it's so stupid.

C: Did he seal up the- Okay, he probably sealed up the basement or something, right?

G: But how did he give her food? C: The dumbwaiter? But then, like, the dumbwaiter [both] was also sealed up. But also, okay, right now, she's eating dead rats. Is the implication that she had regular food until recently-

G: And then it stopped, yeah.

C: - after she killed him, and then she had to eat dead rats.

G: I don't know. 

C: I mean, that has to be the case or else she would have died of scurvy by now.

G: I mean, I think she would have died of other things, too.

C: Yeah, I mean, rats often carry disease and stuff.

G: That's true.

C: And also, it's cold in the winter.

G: [laughs] She doesn't get Vitamin D. Like, who fucking knows.

C: Yeah, she doesn't get any Vitamin D. It's just, I know humans can survive in like, horrible circumstances.

G: Extreme conditions, yeah. But 20 years, I don't know.

C: But like, starting from being a baby, also.

G: Yeah! [C laughs] How did he give her milk? [C laughing] She can't process water! I don't know. Eh.

C: I don't fucking know.

G: Anyway, we go to the basement, and Danny, the kid, is there, and, you know, he's screaming. And then he sees the girl come in. Also, this is filmed in dark. What do you call that?

C: There's a green filter.

G: Yeah, what's that called? Like, night vision? 

C: Yeah, night vision, something like that.

G: And then, you know, she comes through the wall and she holds up like, a rat, and then she tries to offer him the rat, I think.

C: But he's gagged. He can't eat anything.

G: Yeah! He's tied up. He can't hold the rat. And then she just looks at him and then breaks the rat's neck, and then she bites into it. Are human beings even made for this kind of carnivorism?

C: I don't know. I feel like rats don't have very thick skin or anything, though, right?

G: You'll be surprised.

C: Okay. So okay, the transcript does say that they're busting a hole in the dumbwaiter shaft. So- but yeah. How was he giving her food if it was boarded up there? Or did he stop giving them food at some point? Like, is that that the "Oh my god, no, it's impossible for you to be here." Because, like, maybe eventually, he was like, “Actually, I don't want this anymore.” And then he boarded up the dumbwaiter and expected them to starve to death?

G: Left her to die? Yeah.

C: That could be it, right?

G: Maybe.

C: I would love it if this episode told us anything.

G: You know, I'm so excited, because I'm in the transcript right now, and I'm scrolling down alongside our discussions-

C: And we're so close to the end.

G: I am waiting for the end when we see like, deleted scene.

C: Was there a deleted scene?

G: No no no, I don't think so. But if there is, I want that insight. I am so curious about what they decided to delete to accommodate Sam's walk up the stairs. [C laughing]

C: Yeah, real and true. 

-

C: They like, hammer into the kitchen wall where the dumbwaiter shaft is until there's a hole.

G: They do this thing where Brian is there. Like, the father is there. And he's like, "I'm gonna go down," and Dean's like, [dramatic] “No, I'm gonna go down. [C laughs] I promised that I would save him, and I will.”

C: Yeah.

G: And he just goes down, and it's so ridiculous. 

C: Yeah. It's stupid.

G: I think it's realistic for Dean to be like, “I'll do it,” but he wouldn't do this, like, entire speech about like, “I said what I said, and I said I'll save him, so let me save him,” you know. I think he'll just be like, “No, I'll do it.” And just jump in. Like, you know. Everything here on out just feels so performative. Because he wasn't like this throughout the rest of Season 4. It's annoying.

C: Yeah, he wasn't like, at all. We spent basically every episode criticizing him for being sarcastic or untruthful about how he wants to save people. You're telling me that he had the same mindset during “Damn right, I wanted to save some naked women.”?

I guess the explanation, the charitable explanation, is that he was in denial about that stuff and trying not to think about it. And now that he's told Sam, it feels more real to him. So now he starts needing to redeem himself or whatever. Eh, I just don't think people can be that good at denial. He spent longer there than his natural lifespan on Earth. Like, that's pretty hard to tamp down.

Okay, and then after Dean goes in, Sam’s like, “Oh, by the way, are there any curtains around? Because we need a rope.” [both laugh] They don't even do this beforehand.

G: They're like, “No, I don't want to think about it.”

C: Yeah.

G: And they didn’t.

C: So Dean goes downstairs. Okay, there's like, a wooden cross and a rosary in there. Which, what does that mean?

G: There was?

C: Yeah, there was a wooden cross on the floor, I noticed. Like, did the dad toss one in? He's like, “I need this baby to be Christian.” And also, there's like, guns and stuff that - the stolen ones - littered across the floor. So Dean is able to get one. Also, we're like, we cut between like, Dean and the shed. Because, you know, Kate and Susan are in the shed, and then the window gets busted in, and the girl shows up and starts trying to attack them.

In the basement, Dean finds Danny tied up. He like, frees Danny, and is like, “Come on, let's go, let's go." And then Danny goes, "Hurry! He's coming back." And Dean goes, "He?" And Danny goes, "Her brother." [both laughing]

G: Everything is so miserable.

C: We've already spent, like, 20 minutes talking about how fucking stupid this twist is. But have we concerned that this twist is fucking stupid? [G laughs] Oh, god.

G: The thing is, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. I don't know. It's just- it's so stupid.

C: It's just for this one moment of Dean going like, "He?"

G: It is. It's such- it's also so funny, because like, occasionally, I would do this thing where I would translate Supernatural in my head. And sometimes, it's like, really nice, because when Sam and Dean are talking, and then they're amping up the whole big brother-little brother thing, and I think of Sam calling Dean kuya, I think, "Oh my god, like, that's so like, I'm gonna cry." I was thinking about this scene, I was like, "Yeah, we don't have gendered pronouns in Filipino, so this would not- [both laughing] this would have just passed us by." And there is - I've been saying this - there's a Filipino dub of Supernatural. A Tagalog dub, specifically.

C: Right.

G: And I have been looking for it. I have no access to it. I don't know where I can find it. I do want to find it. So if anyone has a link, [laughing] we've been saying this since Season 1, but if you know anyone who can give me access to this, I would want it. But this one- like, I think they did until Season 7. So they definitely dubbed this episode, right? 

C: How would they do it?

G: I was like, "How would they have dubbed this episode?" [laughs] I have no idea!

C: I guess, like, Danny would be like, “Hurry! The man is coming back.”

G: Oh, yeah, that's true. And then, "yung kapatid niya." I don't know, it's so stupid! [both laugh] It's such a pointless twist. 'Cause it could have- like, it would have made more sense if it was also a sister. Like, if it was also a girl. 'Cause twins generally work that way. C: What? No it doesn't-

G: I mean, like, identical twins, at least work that way. 

C: Oh, yeah, they'd have to be fraternal.

G: Yeah. And the thing about this is, it would have been a lot more interesting if there's like, two of her, you know?

C: Right, yeah. And "How is she in two places at once?"

G: And that would have amped up the whole ghost thing because like "Oh, she must be a ghost because she was here, and now she's there," you know. But they were like, “No, let's reveal a brother at the forty-minute-" or whatever.

C: But if it was identical twins, would I not be calling it corny, like, right now? [laughs]

G: I mean, who give a shit? It's already corny as hell. This episode is so bad it's good, [C laughs] and I feel like having a twin ghost-not-ghost actual people who want to kill you situation would be hilarious, and would be, you know, even cornier.

C: And then the brother starts coming out and attacking Dean.

G: [laughing] He has short hair.

C: What?

G: [laughing] He has short hair.

C: He does have short hair. I don't know what clothes he's wearing? Do you wanna do a redo of 4.09 where we go on the Home of the Nutty and try to see? Yeah, sorry, it is not even loading. But I really wanna check now.

G: Home of the Nutty hates me specifically. I mean, does he even have short hair? What if I was just seeing things?

C: That's true. What if the true gender norms were in your brain and Supernatural is more enlightened than you are?

G: Yeah.

C: I can do this. I can find it.

G: Episode 4.11.

C: The album for the episode is loading. I believe in myself. [G laughs] This is just gonna become a segment of our our podcast now. The one where we go to Home of the Nutty and wait for it to load.

G: Oh my god, it's here!

C: Oh. Does he have short hair?

G: I can't- wait, I can't see it properly because my darkness is, in fact, set to very low.

C: He does have short hair. It's a little longer than a quote, unquote “man's haircut.” It's like, shoulder-length, a little, more like.

G: Do you think they put him in a wig? Or this is just like, the guys hair.

C: I can't tell if he's wearing pants, but he's definitely wearing a long-sleeved shirt, and not a nightgown, so like, this man was tossing food, he was tossing baby formula, he was tossing wooden crosses, and he was tossing increasing sizes of gendered clothing into that dumbwaiter.

G: Okay, I don't think his hair is short, but it must be shorter than hers.

C: Yeah. And also looks a lot more washed than hers.

G: Yeah. [laughs] He's got a- this guy could have a shampoo-

C: He's got conditioner or whatever, yeah. [laughs]

G: Yeah. Palmolive. And also, like, yeah, not a nightgown in sight.

Dean looks ugly as fuck in this screencap.

C: He is fighting for his life. [G laughs] But yes.

So meanwhile, in the shed, you know, Susan is trying to defend with like, a rake. They're like, standing against a wall furthest from the window that got busted in. But then a knife stabs into the wall behind Kate's head. Sam drops down the curtains that made the rope for Danny to get up. You know, they get him out. He's okay. And then, you know, Sam tells Brian to run off with Danny. He goes down. Dean eventually like, shoots the brother to death and then Sam comes down and gets him. And then the sister is, you know, about to murder Susan and Kate, but then she gets like, pulled out of the shed by the ankle, and then there's stabbing and screaming sounds outside, and then they go outside, and Brian is there, and it's a whole reveal where it slowly pans to him holding a bloody knife. So like, it's like, a big deal that he killed her. I don't think it's a big deal that he killed her. Like, that's what was gonna happen. I guess the idea is just, "Oh, this was a regular American dad, and now he's been forced to murder." But, I don't know. The uncle was a regular American uncle, and he was ready to shoot her to death within like, two minutes.

And then, you know, everyone comes outside. They see the body, and they're all miserable.

-

C: So we get part one of the epilogue. It's the next morning. Dean’s replaced the tires and got all the guns back in the trunk. Dean's like, “Thanks for letting us leave early before you guys call the police.” And Brian says, “Why doesn't it surprise me you guys don't like the police?” And then Sam says, “It's sort of a mutual appreciation thing, really.” What?

G: Yeah, what?

C: What does that mean?

G: It is not, Sam. It is not, Sam.

C: Like, you don't like police because you were in jail and going to get death penaltied last season.

I mean, there's a "bad moon rising" excerpt about this, because of course there is. Can I read it? [laughs]

G: Okay.

C: “There’s a strange kinship between hunters and cops. If pressed, neither would admit it. Hunters wield unregistered weapons, and they find under-the-table ways to stay fed, and they print themselves fake badges, and they break into morgues and mausoleums. They set fires, they drink too much, they dig up graves and kill things without a twinge of remorse. They linger on the ragged border of civilization and monstrosity, violent and hungry, always one wrong step from death or prison. Still, you would be surprised how many cops have some odd knowledge of monsters, and the men that kill them. You would be surprised to know how many hunters left law enforcement because it wasn’t enough for them. There’s an implicit understanding between them, a knowledge that the only reason hunters aren’t out of a job is because there’s no cells made for werewolves or shapeshifters in federal correctional facilities.” So like, I get what Sam means except that Supernatural doesn't really do anything that implies it. You're right that they do basically the same job, and that's one of the criticisms of hunting in the Supernatural fandom, the fact that you are just cops for monsters, and because you're cops for monsters, you feel like you have even more power to be judge, jury, and executioner. But like, the show never plays into that, and it's weird for Sam to say.

Anyway, Brian and Susan both thank Sam and Dean. Dean asks, “Are you guys okay?" like an idiot. And Susan's like, “No, we're the opposite of okay. But we're together." And then she, like, holds hands with her husband, which implies that all the marriage issues they were having earlier from their son dying are now gone because of this. Which I think is insane.

G: I feel like, you go through this much shit. Just divorce. [both laugh] I don't know. That's a mean thing to say.

C: I feel like the whole "you can't find someone else because no one else was there, and they don't understand what you went through."

G: Yeah, but I'm not- whatever. Personally, I don't necessarily agree with that kind of sentiment. But, you know, if I were to fight or flight, I will fly, so.

C: True.

G: Anyway, they fucking get out of there.

G: They go to an overpass which, looks, I believe, exactly like the overpass they were at last episode. [laughs]

C: Probably.

G: Did you notice that? It's crazy. So they go out, and Sam hands Dean a burger, and Dean opens up the burger, and my first thought was, "How can you eat after everything that you've seen today?" [C laughs]

C: And he doesn't.

G: And you know what? Dean heard me. 'Cause he fucking looks at the burger and just wraps it back up. And Sam asks, “Are you okay?” And Dean was like, you know, “I felt for those sons of bitches back there. It's a life of torture. It turns you into something like that.” Sam says, "You were in Hell, Dean. Maybe you did what you did there, but you're not them. They were barely human.”

C: Jesus.

G: Dean goes, “Yeah. You’re right. I wasn't like them. [both] I was worse. [C laughs] They were animals, Sam, defending territory. Me? I did it for the sheer pleasure.” And then he reveals that when he was torturing souls, he enjoyed it. Because it felt like retribution for all the years of pain that he experienced. He said he didn't care about who they put in front of him, as long as he was able to inflict the pain that was inflicted on him. He goes, “No matter how many people I save, I can't change that. I can't fill this hole, [C laughs] not ever.”

C: I- yeah.

G: This scene, I was laughing all throughout it. Like, I'm being fucking for real. I was just laughing so hard. [C laughs] Because I don't know, it felt so like, "Damn. You did all that for this?" [both laughing] For fucking this? Jesus Christ!

C: Wait, what is "that" and what is "this" in your sentence?

G: Like, this entire episode was done so that this reveal could happen. I don't know. It's just so stupid. A stupid episode, a stupid reveal. Everything's so stupid. I love it!

C: To be fair, I think this reveal was better than the last episode reveal. So it's like, yeah, okay, you tortured people in Hell, because, like, it was the way to get out of torture. Cool. Who cares? At least, this is like, a little bit like, morally graying Dean, you know?

G: [laughs] Yeah, I guess.

C: Last episode was like, a total cop-out, like, "You were in Hell. It wasn't your fault. The end." At least this is something. And I think this is very in-character, but the writers often don't make Dean in-character in the way that he's in-character in my mind. So at least they did this one. Like, yeah, he does- like, he is a control freak sometimes, and also, he does feel resentment about the pain he's felt in his life, and he does want to hold power over other people and cause them pain sometimes to feel better. Like, that's him. Yeah, you got it. Good job. At least you're willing to admit that.

G: Yeah.

C: Sam will just say anything, though. [both laugh] What was that?

G: [laughing] Sam will literally say anything.

Well, okay. Do you have anything more to say about this scene, or should we do the exit stuff?

C: Oh, I figured you would have more thoughts about how Sam will say anything.

G: [laughing] I have no thoughts about this episode other than complete and baffled amusement.

C: Okay, how does Sam justify the demon blood stuff to himself, if, like, this is his attitude towards the world? [G laughs]

G: I don't think Jeremy Carver thought of that at all. [laughing]

C: I mean, that's a good point.

G: I think they were like, “Jeremy, we need you to do an episode where it's revealed that Dean tortured souls, and he liked it.” And he was like, “Okay!"

C: "I got it!"

G: He did not read a single other script from this epis- from this season.

C: I mean, this isn't the first time Sam has said totally out-of-pocket shit. [both laughing] Remember at the end of "Provenance" when he was like, "Well, some people are just born evil." [both laughing]

G: At least that makes sense because it's a belief system he has. He does believe that he was born evil.

C: Like, okay, you fucking Catholic. [both laughing] What is this one?

G: I don't fucking know what's wrong with this guy. [both laughing]

C: I mean, it's also, he could just be a girl on the phone with her friend where you go, "Yeah, literally. Literally, you did nothing wrong" to your friend even when they were the wrong one in the story.

G: Yeah.

C: Like, maybe he's just saying this shit to make Dean feel better. Like, maybe he doesn't even believe any of this.

G: Well, what did you think about this episode now that we have finished?

C: We recorded for 2 hours and 20 minutes? For what?

G: We have been recording for so long.

C: Just for us to say over and over again how stupid we think the episode is?

G: It is so stupid. The thing is, I feel like this is not typical Supernatural levels of stupid. I feel like Supernatural is constantly something, whether that is offensive, or like, distasteful, or sometimes good, you know? But it is often not this, like, just straight up like. "What? [C laughing] Why?" Like, that is the genuine emotion I felt watching this episode. So yeah.

C: Yeah. And also, there's no deleted scenes.

G: There's no deleted scenes. Guys, I'm so sad. Well, I guess we have to do Best Line/Worst Line.

C: Oh my god!

G: I don't even remember a single line from this episode. You know, I'm gonna start fresh and new and like, from up top, and I'll say, “It's impossible!" is my worst line. [C laughing] It's literally not impossible. It's completely possible. I don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

C:  Well, I think my worst line is the one you pointed out, where Dean goes like, "Why would he say that?" for the reasons that you said. Like, I didn't even think like- the reasons I disliked it when I watched it was like, "Does Dean not know about slut-shaming culture?" But when you pointed out that it sort of implies that he thinks that she must have done something to deserve it, like, yeah, that's not it, really. Yeah. Worst line.

G: Yeah, I guess my worst line is the whole like, "She was barely human."

C: That too.

G: "She's an animal."

C: Yeah, no, instead of having a Best Line/Worst Line, let's just both have two worst lines for this episode. [both laughing]

G: [laughing] No, I think this episode deserves it, yeah. What's your second worst line? [both laughing] I mean, I was wracking my brain for a best line and I couldn't think of any, so, I think we can just do this instead.

C: Yeah, I think you've covered a lot of the worst lines. I think the one criticism that we haven't covered yet is all the “Well, we're in the country," "she's a backwoods hillbilly bitch" kind of shit. So one of those.

G: Hell yeah. Well, we have to do spreadsheets.

C: Yeah. Huh.

G: I don't think this episode particularly has anything.

C: Like, there's moments where I'm like, "This is a bad thing, and it did happen because the character's a woman," but like, it's not- it's like, a different flavor. Like, I don't know if it's like, truly misogyny.

G: Yeah.

C: Is it just a nothing episode?

G: It is a nothing episode, I think.

C: Yeah. alright. Cool. Have no clue what the fuck the IMDb scores would be.

G: I am willing to bet that this is low.

C: I- yeah, same.

G: I want to believe so bad that people saw this as stupidly as we did.

C: But also, the fact that it was on the like, scariest Supernatural episodes post that one time makes me- I don't know. Like, before I came into this episode, because of that post, I sort of thought that this was-

G: It was gonna be scarier.

C: Yeah, that this was gonna be like, a “Roadkill"-esque episode where it's decent and a little horror one-off that's like, good. So it's possible that people do view it that way because they're not as smart and cool as we are. Also like, I don't know it's got some- It's gotta be bad, right? It's gotta be bad. You say your number first.

G: I'll say 7.8

C: Oh my god, okay. I was gonna go with 8.1.

G: I'm betting low on this one.

C: I'm gonna go 8.1.

G: Okay. Let's see. Ooh! It's closer to me. It's a 7.9.

C: Interesting. Okay.

G: [laughs] The first one is, “This episode is so perfect. And so movie-like.”

C: I mean, it sure is like a movie that had no budget.

G: This scores 10/10. "The twists in the story are so unexpected."

C: Oh my god.

G: "You just do not see them coming."

C: I got in 7- 5 minutes in. All of it. All of it except for who put who in the wall, but- [G laughs]

Oh my, [overlapping] "This is one of my most favorite episodes of Supernatural. Shows how simple human beings can turn into bloodthirsty killers." You're right. This happens to everyone. Everyone gets put in the wall by their dad/grandad. What a good message. [both laughing]

G: [laughing] This was in 2015! So there were definitely better Supernatural episodes at this point.

C: God. [G groans] You know that one reviewer from Brazil who we never read anything from because they always just summarize the episode? I do just want to say that it's very nice to see them week by week, ending with like, "My vote is [number'," and then putting the title of the episode in Brazil at the end. Like, good for you for being here all the time.

G: Yeah.

C: Okay.

G: It is basically a summary, though, so we just pass by it.

C: Uh-huh. Okay, the next one's 5 out of 10. It says, “No plausibility.” Thank god.

G: “One of the scariest episodes, despite poor writing.” I think that's an understatement.

C: Yeah. They mentioned that it does make no sense for Danny to be so innocent that he doesn't think there's someone weird inside the walls.

G: This one points out the writing, like, "How are they literate enough to write the warnings?"

C: Yeah.

G: "One word was even [both] appropriately capitalized." [both laughing]

C: This person enjoyed the surprise of the brother. "Well, it did feel convenient for the writers. It was also unexpected in an episode of surprises." It- the fact that it was unexpected is part of why you should dislike it. Okay, anyway. They keep mentioning The People Under the Stairs being- I don't know what that is, but supposedly, it's similar to whatever this is.

G: I think it's like, "The Benders"? I don't know

C: No like, it's like, they capitalize The People Under the Stairs by Wes Craven. Like, it's some kind of a- let me see if it's like, a short story, or a movie or something. Not that it matters like, at all. Okay, it's a horror comedy film from 1991.

G: [laughing] "Some of the dumbest crap in the entire run is in this episode."

C: God bless.

G: "Maybe if the Winchesters didn't lose their common sense here, the final scene would play better. [both laughing] As it is, it is insulting covert subtext into text."

This review is basically saying that like, if you watch the last confession, you can basically infer what Dean is trying to say here.

C: I don't think so. Maybe I'm stupid.

G: Yeah, I don't know. And he's saying that it's common sense, and it's like, insultingly covert subtext into text. I respect that.

C: Yeah. Okay. So AnnaShade is back. AnnaShade does not have a rating, a number rating. But okay, the review reads, “First, an explanation for my exuberant and unfounded rating of 10 out of 10. I will be happy for any episode without angels, demons, Ruby or Anna, plus haunted houses are just so much fun.” And then you read further, and it says all they did was they saw the preview for this episode, and are excited to see it on January 10th.

G: [laughing] This is-

C: And then they said, "So I think it's gonna be a fun, spooky episode with Sam and Dean in a haunted house. I'll probably change this comment when I actually see the episode. But who knows?" AnnaShade never came back [G laughs] to change- But okay, but it doesn't say 10 out of 10. It has no rating. Did AnnaShade come back and take out the 10/10 because they were like, "Oh, no. [both] This was bad." But they didn't change their comment at all?

G: I support that.

C: Oh my god, AnnaShade didn't start during the first Anna episode. I'm looking at their history, and like, they were the one who titled the “Bloodlust” review, “shows just how deep the show goes.” [G laughing] They've watched House M.D.? They reviewed “Birthmarks” and titled it “good to have the guys back together.” "I've always been a huge fan of House and Wilson as best friends, the two have a great dynamic.” [G laughing] AnnaShade, call me. Let me study your brain. Who are you?

Anyway. Sorry, let's not get deep into- this isn't what the segment's about. Let's not get deep into insulting one specific person.

G: Yeah. This person points out that Sam and Dean are like, hulked-up men, and like, this woman is like, malnourished.

C: That's true.

G: And like, how is it possible that like, when they were doing hand-to-hand combat, like, Dean and the lady-

C: She has a knife.

G: Why did he- but he has something too, right? He was defending himself.

C: He was just punching, I think, at the beginning.

G: Okay. [laughing] I love-

C: What?

G: They go, "It was not the greatest episode." And you would think like, saying like, "It's not the greatest episode," "but it's okay," like, that's what you expect, right? But they say, "It's not the greatest episode, and it's a hiccup in the series as a whole," [laughing] and they end it there.

C: Wait wait wait, did you- okay, the one that mentions the malnourished thing. yeah, they also mentioned that, like, it just seems ableist to like, portray these characters as terrifying monsters, and it ends with “P.S. has anyone else noticed that Supernatural is oddly misogynistic?” [both laughing] Which- and then, “P.P.S Though in all fairness, the creators of Supernatural don't seem too fond of ethnic minorities or the handicapped either. Though these elements are not quite so pronounced as the veiled misogyny. And yeah, I'm a dude writing this review.” [G laughing] You know what? Good for you, dude. Like, [laughing] it took you four seasons, but I'm glad that this episode was finally bad enough that you finally had a reckoning and realized.

G: No, this one says, like, “I felt so sorry for the poor, pitiable girl and her brother, whom the makers of Supernatural wanted me to fear and hate." I think this is like, a good point in that-

C: Yeah.

G: - like, I feel like, if you- Well, I don't know anything about feral - is this considered feral children situation?

C: I don't know. Sure, yeah.

G: I guess it is because they were not- yeah, like, since they were kids. But like, you would expect, I feel like, they would be more scared of you than you are of them? But I don't know. How would I know?

C: That's true. Isn't like- I don't think that like, she's killed anyone before, like, the guy in the opening. So like, I don't know. Like, yeah. I don't think that she has a history of being aggressive. You're right. And like, the flashlight thing. Yeah, it does make more sense that she'd just be scared. Though, I mean, fear it does sometimes like, cause like, aggressive behavior, so. I feel like it's like-

G: No, but the attacking the two women in the shed, that was obviously portrayed as like, he was like, grinning and stuff, you know?

C: Right. Right.

G: Yeah. "Wasted my time watching it. [both laugh] I was so disappointed. But I waited until the end of the episode hoping that it will have at least have a nice ending. [both] Bad decision." [both laugh] It literally is.

C: It literally is a bad decision.

G: Yeah. This episode is really fun. I really enjoyed [C laughing] dunking on this one, if I'm being fucking for real.

C: Yeah. Yeah. I had a time. Was it good? Was it bad? Who knows. What's the next episode? Tell me Cas comes back, or I'll die. I'll just die right here.

G: Okay, well, let's do the outro.

C: Okay.

G: That's it for this episode of Busty Asian Beauties. Next week, we will be discussing Season 4, Episode 12, “Criss Angel is a Douchebag.”

C: Oh, Ruby's in that one. Right?

G: Give us a rating or a review wherever you get your podcasts. I don't think so.

C: What? Are you sure?

G: Ruby is here, but Cas is not.

C: Oh, well, that's fine. As long as one of them's there.

G: This is the episode with the- with The Chief. "You haven't been had-" [laughs]

C: Oh my god, no. No, no, no, no! Dean hasn't been had until he's been had by The Chief?! [G laughing]

G: Yeah.

C: Oh my god, okay. I'm looking forward to whatever circumstance creates that scene. [G laughs]

G: Yeah.

C: Do I even say our Twitter in my outro anymore.

G: Sure, do it.

C: Should we just cut it? Like, no. Okay. We're still on Twitter? Okay, fine.

G: I mean, we do have a Twitter.

C: I guess we do have one. We haven't deleted it yet. Okay, follow us on social media.

G: If someone DMs us, we receive an email about it. So like- and I check our email, so like, I'll see it, yeah.

C: And we can't delete Twitter, because sometimes I do need to look at Tweets, and I do it through our account because I don't have one. [G laughs]

G: God. I wish, like- 'cause we share a YouTube sometimes. Like, I think we both forget to log out of our- like, we forget to change-

C: We forget to switch back to our personal YouTubes. So you see that I-

G: [laughing] So sometimes I see our YouTube history, and it is the funniest thing. And what I would give for us to see- for me to see your Twitter history on our account.

C: I mean, I'll tell you. It's just the Good Omens tag. [G laughs] Anyway.

G: I support that.

C: Follow us on social media! We are on twitter at twitter.com/BeautiesPodcast and on Tumblr at bustyasianbeautiespod.tumblr.com. Our official tag is #BABPod, B-A-B-POD. Thanks to everyone who's donated to our Ko-Fi at ko-fi.com/bustyasianbeautiespod, and check out our merch at babpod.redbubble.com.

G: If you have any comments, inquiries, feedback, etc, email us at bustyasianbeautiespod@gmail.com.

See you guys next time! [both] Bye!

[guitar music]