#the 100 3x08

[laufire]

STACKED100 | march 10th | “terms and conditions” When I communicate with someone, they listen to me. They agree with me. Raven... ... is strong.

[forbescaroline]

235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 100. ricky bowen and gina porter - high school musical: the musical: the series

[okmcintyre]

Jasper tells Raven about Monty before t100, as they try and guess his password

[juuuuunaaaaaooooo]

Lmao, he clears his throat because he want to stop himself to laughing, this is so cute <3^^.

[lesbiangracehanson]

feeling crazy about pam + ellen but . what is new 

[raayllum]

I've been thinking about the two-headed snake from the beginning of the show, and the Law of Chekhov's Gun is telling me that it's going to be coming back and causing problems sooner or later. Thought/theories?

The soul switching spell is definitely one of the most interesting plot and thematic elements the show has introduced and it looms over most of the fandom's thoughts regularly, I think. So let's go over it:

Plot

Obviously the biggest question here is "did Viren use the soul fang serpent to successfully switch Harrow's soul with Pip?", which people have speculated for years with about the same information (s1-s2) until s5 recently kicked things up a notch in terms of like having something new to turn over. @kradogsrats has a great meta here in regards to what exactly we can glean from 5x02 and how it may re-contextualize what we already 'know'. I highly recommend giving it a read.

That said, two things are true to me regarding the "is Harrow in Pip" theory:

Something happened in that room

Harrow is not going to come back

With these in mind, it's important to note that we know that TDP develops its seasons in batches simultaneously. The team didn't go from s1 to s2 to s3, but instead developed all three around the same time. Obviously production and some stuff was going around in order, but the only decisions that have been noted as changing was 1) Callum and Rayla were decided upon being a couple when storyboarding 2x04 as it wasn't originally in the cards and 2) Ezran going back to Katolis at the end of S2 was a surprise.

I make note of this because season two is absolutely the last point in show where you could angle things so that a Harrow who survived in Pip could come back and it wouldn't be Fucking Weird, basically. This is for two reasons:

1) We spend a good chunk of the season worrying about what the boys will do when they find out and actively mourning Harrow, with only one episode (2x07) not touching on it at all. That is a lot of time to spend on a character death you're going to ultimately undo. Conversely, we get less episodes dedicated to Rayla's relationship with her parents (1x05, 3x03, 3x08) in the first arc because it is widely implied that she's going to get them back; no point seeing her heavily mourn them when that's going to get reneged.

2) Harrow coming back wouldn't have much of a plot or character standpoint on the bulk of the trio — Callum largely received his dad/family related closure back in S2 and it'd let Runaan off the hook, so his and Rayla's relationship would be easier, not harder — but it'd nuke Ezran from both an emotional and a plot standpoint. His main arc is intrinsic to being royalty of a prince-turned-king, pushing him to make more decisions and figure out how to manage the difficult road to peace.

If Harrow comes back, he'd either stay on as an advisor (but that'd still kinda take weight off Ezran's shoulders that's currently there and arguably should be) or step away, leaving his young son to shoulder it alone. The first lessens Ezran's emotional poignancy within the theme(s)/show, and the second makes Harrow like, a bad father in ways he absolutely never was in life.

As pointed out in Krads' meta, Viren is likewise surprised when he sees Harrow alive and well in his 5x02 dream, and we get this exchange:

While we could read Harrow's initial "Surprised to see me" (because if the show points something out in dialogue, they really want you to Know) as "surprised to see me [out of the bird]" the show itself quickly does away with that reading. Viren is surprised that Harrow's survived, period. That doesn't bode well for "Viren is 110% sure that he, himself, put Harrow 100% into that damn bird". But like I said, something had to have happened, and Viren's behaviour with Pip is real fucking weird otherwise if he didn't at least try for something.

[ Side note: I also think it's worth noting what, exactly, is happening in the initial stages of Viren's dream with Harrow. This is decidedly not real Harrow, but the Harrow Viren wished for: someone who would not only forgive him, but embrace his dark magic use (aka him) rather than reject it. Not only is Harrow here alive because of Viren, but this Harrow loves Viren for what he did, and accepts Viren's act of devotion not only as one of family, but reciprocates it: "You're not just a servant. You're my family. You're a brother."

And Viren, for his part, is giving the reasonings behind Harrow's refusal ("I was frightened" / "They were coming to kill you") on both ends, without actually addressing the dark magic elephant sized rift in the room, still citing that it was about circumstance rather than principle or perspective. Moving on. ]

Remember how I said S2 was the last possible point things could've been shifted to accommodate a "Harrow comes back in full" plotline (most likely)? Yeah, well the other side of that is that S2 is the last time the show could've accommodated a retcon of "Viren didn't do anything to Harrow, actually, at all" the way that fans have often implied, and it's largely because of this otherwise very unnecessary scene all the way in 2x09 (in which other changes, like Ezran turning to go home, and Rayllum's romantic route, had been more than well decided):

This to me is the singular biggest sign that something did happen, and it's something we will uncover in the future, because otherwise, there is literally No Reason to not have Pip in Katolis upon Ezran's return. If the writing team truly intended to fully nullify Viren and 'retcon' the Harrow-bird situation, keeping Pip in Katolis and having him interact visibly and non-life alteringly with Ezran was the way to do it. But Pip has been MIA since 2x09 and has not interacted with anyone other than Viren since 1x04, and so it remains a Mystery that, likewise, the 5x02 Harrow dream went to completely unnecessary stakes to remind you of Pip's existence in the first place.

Moreover, you simply do not have a main character who can Talk to Animals (a power that outside his connection with Zym has not been incredibly plot relevant in ways that couldn't otherwise be achieved since like... 1x08-1x09 itself) and then Remove an animal he could talk to unless you decidedly Do Not (or cannot) have that conversation happen yet.

Which reaffirms what I said earlier: we can be 100% sure that something happened, and we can be at least 95% sure that Harrow is not being fully brought back in order to not lose narrative weight to Viren and Runaan's responsibility in his death and in Ezran's series' long arc.

So what did happen?

One possible answer (that I've posited, of course there are many) is that Harrow's soul got split in two.

We've seen people be separated from what would let them 'go on' before (Sarai's last breath yelling no as her spear sinks into Avizandum's chest; the Moonshadow assassin troupe in TTM). This would allow for a part of Harrow to exist in his own body (since there's a hot second between the spell being over and when Runaan's binding falls, though that might just be linked to bodies > souls, but the Lotus flowers are clearly linked to souls, so...?) and for part to exist in Pip. Pip could offer a solace and goodbye, that part of Harrow ultimately needs to be freed (literally) and left to be at peace, which could be effective and tie in both Ezran and Callum's emotional needs about their father.

Of course, this is all speculation. Harrow could be brought back as an advisor after everything, helping but not telling Ezran how to rule because the new generation should pave the way; something else could've been put into Pip entirely that we just don't have the Star or Deep magic context for.

Thematically and symbolically though, I think a lot of the actual concept of "switch souls with somebody else" > actual Pip-Harrow plot line has been brought back somewhat in full already, so let's talk about it.

Theme / Symbolism

The switching spell is, textually, a warped collision of Callum and Claudia's brains, and we see it repeatedly echo throughout both their arcs from S1-S5:

Some of this is quick-paced and obvious, such as when Callum literally switches places later just this episode and says he's Ezran, preparing to die in Ezran's place. (This is one of the reasons Callum, Claudia, and Viren circle each other so closely in the series; not only are they our three primary mages; Viren and Harrow's rift happens indirectly on Viren's end, after all, because of Callum and Claudia's collision here.)

Some of this is more of a slowburn — Claudia, collapsing on the floor and clearly having done a number on herself to spare her brother; Rayla with Callum's scarf to make Sol Regem chase her instead; Callum, taking Finnegrin's deal that was originally to set himself free in hopes he'll let Rayla go — or taken onto the shoulders of other characters (Ezran and Viren's literal king exchange in 3x04) simply because the idea of Exchange is so intrinsic to the series and to dark magic use in particular. Sometimes transactional, sometimes selfless, occasionally necessary in the eye of the beholder.

However, in a more literal sense, it sets up the series' long association of dark magic with snakes, and all that comes with it (poison, losing your soul, knowledge, chains, etc):

When Callum does dark magic, he's crushing a snake's rattle tail, a literal warning sign. Claudia for the entire first arc has a literal (snake) chain on her wrist that she uses for dark magic. The fact that the series routinely uses Christian symbolism for its villains (Aaravos eating an apple, Viren dying and being resurrected, sacrificing your "only beloved son" etc etc) only heightens this more negative association.

We also get mentions from the Book 2 novelization that the true sight serum Viren uses to try to see the mirror is 1) inherited from Kpp'Ar, which never bodes well and 2) made from the venom of eyeless vipers under moonless nights by the Oracles of Ophidia, just to double down on the "snake shit obscures your sight with dark magic and madness" angle.

But at the end of the day, thus far, snakes are just a symbol.

The more interesting way the soul-switching spell has come full circle though, already, through the possession plotline. Case in point:

Aaravos sets up his pawns to suffer and take the fall for him in the past (Ziard) and present (Claudia). He's hidden within Viren's body before (3x07 siege of Lux Aurea). He takes this to be a more literal, threatening embodiment through his possession of Callum. His soul and will overtakes Callum's body. Callum asks to die so Aaravos can't use him; in this lens, Callum will be dying for not just Aaravos' mistakes, but Aaravos' choices. Aaravos will 'hide' inside Callum's body and enact his will through it, and it'll lead to bloodshed either of Callum or of Rayla (or both) inevitably while Aaravos, in S6, will presumably get off scot free. (To be clear, Callum's not going to die, but this is the idea/risk of the concept and one of the reasons why it's so terrible.)

Which makes sense, honestly. The soul switch spell is the first real dark magic spell we get to see the context for, as Ziard's 1x01 spell takes time (3x01) as well as the moral reservations against. It just makes sense that Aaravos, the 'originator' of dark magic for lack of a better understanding, would then take said spell to its natural conclusion in which case even the consent of the vessel isn't just violated, but completely terminated and disregarded. Because, y'know — dark magic is awful, and it always has been.

[macgyver2016-bracket]

ROUND 1 RESULTS

1. 1x06 vs 3x11 - TIE, ROUND 2 UNDERDOG*

2. 2x06 vs 4x02

3. 2x10 vs 4x13

4. 1x17 vs 3x22

5. 2x13 vs 3x17

6. 2x14 vs 2x21

7. 2x12 vs 2x19

8. 5x02 vs 5x14

9. 1x19 vs 2x08

10. 3x18 vs 4x08

11. 1x01 vs 3x15

12. 4x01 vs 5x07

13. 1x13 vs 5x05

14. 5x10 vs 5x12

15. 3x19 vs 4x11

16. 1x14 vs 3x21

17. 1x18 vs 3x12

18. 1x10 vs 4x05

19. 3x14 vs 5x09

20. 2x07 vs 2x23

21. 1x15 vs 5x15

22. 1x02 vs 1x12

23. 2x01 vs 2x04

24. 3x06 vs 3x10

25. 1x08 vs 3x08

26. 2x02 vs 3x03

27. 3x05 vs 5x08

28. 5x03 vs 5x04 - TIE, FLASH ROUND RUNOFF VOTE*

29. 2x09 vs 5x06

30. 1x11 vs 1x21

31. 2x22 vs 3x13

32. 3x20 vs 4x03

33. 4x07 vs 5x13

34. 2x15 vs 3x16 - 100% SWEEP

35. 1x07 vs 1x09

36. 3x09 vs 4x06

37. 2x18 vs 4x12

38. 1x03 vs 2x20

39. 1x04 vs 2x11

40. 1x05 vs 4x04

41. 2x03 vs 2x16

42. 1x20 vs 5x01 - 100% SWEEP

43. 3x02 vs 3x07

44. 2x17 vs 4x09

45. 3x04 vs 5x11

46. 1x16 vs 3x01

47. 2x05 vs 4x10

*Quick note on the two ties! Match 1 had double the number of votes as Match 28, therefore, both episodes from Match 1 will be automatically put through to Round 2: One as the Match Contender and the other as the Underdog. Which episode goes where will be determined by the randomizer.

Match 28 will have a 24-hour flash round rematch to determine which one will go on to Round 2.

[captain-hen]

Hi! So uhhh from the Blorbo Bingo you answered "most fandom takes are incorrect" about Eddie. Now. I've certainly read some takes that make me go ????? But what are some takes you've seen and don't agree with that you don't mind sharing with that class? 👀

okay well i'm just warning you in advance that you've probably opened up a pandora's box by asking me this, but. here are my many, many thoughts on the subject:

the take that eddie has 'anger issues' because of the fight club arc annoys me SO much, because it is: a) racist as hell given that eddie and chimney are the only characters who are treated like this even though bobby has been demonstrated to lash out (violently) in anger on multiple occasions, no one ever tries to say he has anger issues or that his loved ones would be at risk because of him. the fight club arc was more about self-destruction rather than anything else; and eddie wasn't, like. beating up random people in the street. all of the people he was fighting were there for the same reason he was and it was all 100% consensual until it got out of hand in 3x08—at which point he immediately stopped.

the trope that eddie is 'bad with words' or bad at expressing his feelings, is sooo inaccurate, like my man has some of the most heartfelt quotes filled with devotion to his loved ones, put some respect on his name! he's bad with allowing himself to have these feelings, sure, but he's never had a problem with telling his loved ones what they really need to hear when the time comes.

'eddie's panic attacks were only because of ana/comp-het' god. please stop. there were a large number of factors, the most pressing being the fact that he nearly died four months ago. the thing with ana was merely a catalyst and he had at least 2-3 moments like that that had absolutely nothing to do with her. pls rewatch 5A i am begging.

this one was particularly strong in the weeks after 6x10: eddie verbally expressed his fear for buck's life loudly, which means he obviously cares about him more than shannon. fucking hell. please stop. not only is it a weird-ass comparison to make, the way a normal human being might verbally/physically express their grief is in no way proportionate to the actual grief they might feel for someone they deeply love. eddie has been an extremely private person when it comes to his emotions and canonically has a tendency to compartmentalize. his ability to hold it together while shannon was dying is no way indicative of him loving her less. and i'm SO glad 6B emphasized how fondly he thinks of her still asjkdkd

there are definitely loads more but these are the ones that annoy me the most, so. hope you agree with me sjdkdk

[moon0fairy]

Ted Lasso 3x08 commentary aka me suffering:

Jamie as Richmonds talisman aww and him and Rojas making a goal hehe

Yes Rupert suffer

Ted :(

Wait is his full name Jake Jacob ??

Akwaard~

Uhh Jacks tattoos

Girlfriends

Preparing myself for the bad news

Not a Nate scene I expected, he‘s so awkward hdgsjs

Look not to judge anyone by their looks but Jade gives of queer vibes

Oh no Keeley :(

Loved the whole locker room scene. Trent + his rainbow cup, Beard and Roy just watching behind the window, Beard agreeing with what Trent said

Roy asking if he wanna talk about it, look at the growth !! And immediately regretting it haha

Omg Trent is about to experience the diamond dogs for the first time he ain‘t ready

Trent experiencing a cultural shook hdjsks he looks so confused

Trent: 🤨

„You can‘t worry about something that hasn‘t happened yet“ (good advice bestie, still won‘t take it)

the amount of time I need to recover from Trent‘s „woof“ is embarrassingly long

AND WE DIDN’T EVEN SEE TED’S REACTION

Not Nate thinking Rupert would come over 🫡

Trying to recreate his own Diamond Dogs oh boi, bro really needs someone to talk

Those are terrible tricks and I hope this one guy burns this book and never speaks of it again

Noo not Ted learning Oscar Wilde is dead 😭😭😭

Knock on wood

Keeley don‘t read the comments :(

That‘s a terrible statement oh wow

Damn Jamie thats an impressive collection

Oh no Colin bestie what are you saying, that‘s too much and completely inappropriate

Thank you Isaac!! Thank you Jamie!!!

Bumberbatch, I wanna know your secrets

You would think Colin would be extra careful

Pain suffering… are Roy and Jamie gonna try to comfort Keeley ????

What did Jamie see…

The look Isaac gave Colin, fearing for my life right now

Isaac you just gave a whole speech about not looking at photos without permission😭😭 the pure panic and fear in Colins face

Suffering, only suffering (predicting a Colin and Trent talking about it scene)

Not even a word, this hurts so bad

I hope that teacher rots in jail wtf

Now I‘m scared that Jack will release the statement against her will (People are making me doubt her and I hate it)

Roy… why would you ask that …

Yeah Jack you should have asked :(

Look if I didn‘t know better and you just gave me that scene, I would 100% believe that Ted and Beard are a gay couple with their son

Not the west ham match🤡 Beard you‘re iconic for that

Damn Henry really loves Nate huh

„Friend“.. didn‘t you say in the beginning you wanted to show everyone your „girlfriend“ ?? (Not that she has to be out to everyone but this felt different)

Mae being petty love that for her

„Cause my dad does.“🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Rebecca asking the real questions, chapter Michelle is over!!

„You need to stop letting yesterday get in the way of today“

Jack…..

Jamie apologizing 🥹 being accountable matters !! Whoo

The whole scene about his password was hilarious jsksks

Henry ignoring Jake, that‘s right

[winderlylandchime]

Btw, dad’s reports to the chosen episodes are in and unfortunately (actually scratch that, fortunately) his reactions are way more calmer. We finished with our watch because my brother made us sit and watch the episodes all day. Not that I’m complaining but also I swear this is the most I’ve watched qaf in years. So the reports are in: 2x04: he absolutely loved the pride episode. He really loved the ending. He thought that this is where it starts to show even more that Brian cares about him a lot (keep in mind we skipped the 3rd ep so he didnt see the ‘you love him’ scene bc my brother has some flaws).

2x09: my dad was LIVID almost the whole episode. He almost died of second hand embarrassment because of Mikey. He loves Emmett even more. He fucking hated Brian’s mom. Did i mention he was livid? His only comment about the episode was ‘oh this explains a shit ton about Brian’ Highlight tho: the date night opening happens and my brother goes ‘oh…yeah this is sort of awkward for a family night’ for some reason neither of us thought this through. But the best part was my dad going ‘hey, dudes be fuckin’ while doing a shrug towards my brother.

3x08: he was very confused why we skipped so much, he was also confused about them breaking up. He absolutely loved that Justin decided to be a stalker but at least got a little better since the pilot. He really liked their reunion. And then after it was done, my brother went ‘okay now you gotta watch it again so it hits harder’ and then replayed the reunion scene.

3x09: his only reaction was ‘yeah it fucking is’ when Ben called it the most historic reunification since Germany. He is absolutely tired of Mikey though. And he really liked how in the end they have this open relationship that clearly both are aware of how it goes. If only he knew..

3x10: he is very confused over who stockwell is. My brother gave him zero hints cause ‘maybe if you picked up my calls last year, youd know.’ He likes that at the end when they put posters up together, you can tell that Brian has been a big influence on Justin as in he goes for what he wants but Justin is a huge influence on Brian as in ‘he helps him figure out how to get his head out of his ass’

3x11: he really fucking lived that scene in the GLC and he just went ‘oh they planned this shit together.’ He loved the scene with Debbie and Brian but he was also a bit upset about it cause he’s still mad at her from the beginning of S2. And he was absolutely obsessed with the scene where Stockwell finds them with the posters.

3x12: only takeaway: he really enjoyed the scenes with Justin, Brian and Hunter. He likes how Britin has their own little banter and inside jokes that in his opinion Brian doesn’t have with anyone else. When they had that hustler/100$ bit going on, he went ‘Michael would hate this cause he wouldn’t be able to join in on the joke’

3x13: he was so fucking delighted with that scene where Hunter asks Brian if he has a boyfriend. And the you fucked a murderer scene was again a big hit. And his love for Brian grows every episode.

3x14: Brian is now his favorite person alongside Justin. The last scene made my dad cry and my brother cried as well. My dad turned to him teary eyed and went ‘fuck’ and my brother went ‘i know right?’ And he loves Britin more and more.

4x07: he is completely heartbroken over Vic. He’s really sad about Brian’s cancer diagnosis. And he is absolutely horrified with Justin’s haircut. He was so fucking confused when he popped up on screen that he actually screamed. And my brother went ‘oh yeah i forgot, he got a haircut..rude, right?’ When that little office scene where Brian loses it and then comes back to hug Justin came up my dad declared that Brian is deep deep in love.

4x08: completely heartbroken over seen Brian is such a bad shape. He thought it was cute how Brian took him to school cause he missed him even tho he felt like shit. He thinks this is where Brian started to reconsider some stuff cause of cancer. And once again LIVID with Michael.

4x13: confused because where the fuck did Rage the movie come from. Annoyed because Brian and Justin could have little bike trip together. He really likes Brian being a stubborn little shit tho

4x14: he is absolutely obsessed with Brian. He loved that moment where Brian explains why the bike race is important to him and he cheered him on like he was watching a soccer game. And the last moment with Britin made him absolutely love them both so much. He was smiling the whole time and then went ‘it’s nice that he got his head out of his ass and finally allowed himself to be happy and in love’

And then after the episode ended, my brother turned off the tv and went ‘doesn’t it end nicely?’ And my dad goes ‘isnt there some proposal and another season’ and before he could even finish his question, my brother goes ‘absolutely not. It got canceled after season 4 so i guess we’ll never know how they wanted to end it. Sad.’ And then he just left the room. And my dad stared at me and went ‘but your mom said that the finale was’ and he couldn’t even finish before my brother yelled from the bedroom ‘NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO’

I AM DYING at your dad’s reactions to the episodes. I adore that he loves Brian just as much as we all do.

“Dudes be fucking” is going to be my response to any pearl clutching about drag, queers, transes, etc that I see this year.

The Michael would hate this (everyone being in on the joke) observation is so right. Poor Mikey. But not really. Get a sense of humor that isn’t TUMS spelled backwards.

I am also glad that he appropriately appreciated the “fucked a murderer” scene.

He correctly dislikes the Pink Posse haircut. And realizes that Brian is in deep.

ALSO thank you. Someone should believe that the series ends at the end of S4. Brian asks Justin to move in. Period. End of show. “It’s nice he got his head out of his ass and finally allowed himself to be happy and in love” is correct. HAPPY ENDING. Done. Sorted.

[augustheart]

fuck it stargirl episode ranking. yes! all thirty-nine of them!

3x03 "the blackmail": i don't have a cool justification i'm sorry i just love the crocks and i think the fight scene is fantastic. i don't even care that we can see the stuntpeople's faces it's absolutely delightful to me.

1x08 "shiv part two": ultimate comfort episode for me. what if two autistic people had to go undercover? what if a woman tried to fuck a man under a sink? just a few of the many questions asked by this episode

2x04 "summer school chapter four": crusher and paula should be allowed to do whatever they want. also the scene where dickie gets in an argument with a child in a bookstore is pretty good

1x11 "shining knight": this is the best episode of the show. like full stop. this is the best one. it isn't the highest rated on imdb. it isn't my favorite. but it is 100% the best episode of the series.

3x12 "the last will and testament of sylvester pemberton": i have probably Never gone crazier at an episode of television in my life. getting to the ending is excruciating because the first chunk is a "pat experiences ableism" simulator but oh baby. when the musical sting hits it hits

1x02 "s.t.r.i.p.e.": this episode is nearly perfect. why is there a two minute long one-take sequence in the middle of it? don't ask questions

1x01 "stargirl"/"pilot": this is one of the best cape show pilots of all time. i think doom patrol's is better but it's easily on the flash pilot level, probably higher. tells you everything you need to know: courtney rules. pat has autism. if you celebrate christmas you WILL die of supervillains attacking you. what more can you ask for

2x03 "summer school chapter three": mike should be allowed to do whatever he wants whenever. you can tell how much fun everyone had shooting this so even if luke wilson is Not looking at his mark in the slightest it's still good.

1x10 "brainwave jr": i get why this is the highest ranked episode on imdb but it is funny that it set the tone for james robinson writing episodes where he kills people in a tunnel. the scene at the beginning with barb where she's struggling not to break down is an under-appreciated bit that is so fucking good.

1x03 "icicle": the tonal shift is great. i wish hootie had come back.

1x05 "hourman and doctor mid-nite": ending scene alone puts this here. thank you cameron gellman

1x06 "the justice society": i really like it when crusher throws paula as a weapon at a group of children

2x06 "summer school chapter six": the fight choreography is off the charts. i wish that isaac's actor knew how to act and eclipso didn't run away like that.

2x08 "summer school chapter eight": oh my g-d. oh my g-d. jesus christ. oh my fucking g-d

2x02 "summer school chapter two": dickie's entrance to the show means that despite how unmoved i am by much of this episode i will forever adore it. he is so deeply weird from second one.

3x02 "the suspects": i could watch dickie make fun of anybody for hours at a time

3x07 "infinity inc part one": i could watch dickie make fun of anybody for hours at a time

3x08 "infinity inc part two": i could watch dickie make fun of anybody for hours at a time. also CARCHARO MENTIONED

2x11 "summer school chapter eleven": courtney clapping at cindy and going "AND HOW DID THAT GO FOR YOU?" about controlling eclipso after they both get stuck in the monster dimension is one of the funniest scenes in the show

3x13 "the reckoning": way better finale than other cape shows, which is fortunate for me and unfortunate for those other shows. just a really nice sendoff. i like that they bring it full circle by having kids murder someone in this one, too.

1x07 "shiv part one": the fight choreography in the courtney/cindy fight is so good. i think it's overlooked because it's a 1v1 fight but that spinning long take is really fantastic imo and i love the setting of the school gym outfitted for the dance.

1x04 "wildcat": yolanda baby :(

2x09 "summer school chapter nine": yet another episode that's a "pat experiences ableism" simulator and it is upsetting to watch but also john wesley shipp is there and it's quite well done all around. points detracted because whatever his name is that plays cameron can't act to save his life and his scene partner (an actual teenager) is absolutely killing it

3x01 "the murder": extremely good episode i love my friends i genuinely smile so big thinking about it

1x12 "stars and s.t.r.i.p.e. part one": i want to fuck crusher so bad for that garage scene and that's why it ranks higher than the s1 finale

1x13 "stars and s.t.r.i.p.e. part two": what if there was a liberalification beam.

3x11 "the haunting": obviously the setup of this episode makes me want to punch walls but artemis' screaming and breakdown at the end puts this a cut above other episodes

2x07 "summer school chapter seven": YOLANDA BABY :(

2x01 "summer school chapter one": i can't stop thinking about that person on reddit who accidentally watched this episode first and was like "why is the show so bad at exposition" not realizing it's because they didn't see season one

1x09 "brainwave": good episode ranked this low because of the evil dinner scene being one of the worst things put to film

2x10 "summer school chapter ten": dickie is really good in this but i'm not a huge fan of this conflict for pat and courtney. however i do enjoy pat getting heated for once

2x12 "summer school chapter twelve": pat torturing matt rules and i like when beth and charles metaphorically type on the same keyboard to hack something faster

3x10 "the killer": fine episode. ranked this low because the last four minutes of it never aired and definitely don't make me listen to classic decemberists song "we both go down together" on repeat

2x13 "summer school chapter thirteen": jakeem rules mike rules rick calling in a buddy to fight for him rules but i don't care about eclipso

3x04 "the evidence": we're getting into episodes i don't really care for. i do like charles though

3x09 "the monsters": i don't care about dctv cameron

3x06 "the betrayal": i don't care about dctv cameron. however pat enjoying lutefisk is good

3x05 "the thief": i don't care about dctv cameron

2x05 "summer school chapter five": It's Just Not A Very Good Episode Guys i don't know what more you want from me

if you read through all of this thanks. several of these are actually tied with each other to be honest so if parts of this seem interchangeable, that's why.

[imminent-danger-came]

Sorry if you‘ve been asked this before, but since we know you‘re fav lmk characters, I was wondering what you‘re favorite duos and trios were?

And/or however many characters you wanna group together. Just in general, the character dynamics you find neat!

(My guess is that MK and Mei are somewhere on the top of the list- if not THE top)

One of my favorite things about lmk (of which there are many lol), is that you could throw two darts, and whatever two characters the darts land on are bound to have an interesting dynamic.

One of my favorite episodes is the Sandy and Huntsman episode (2x08), Tang and Macaque also have an intriguing conflict in 3x08, and Pigsy and Chang'e (3x07) have such a heartfelt shared passion that you can't help but enjoy their on screen time together.

I'm someone who wants a sort of Ne Zha and Yellowtusk "we reluctantly work together" arc, where even though Yellowtusk may have helped nearly bring the world to it's destruction, he ultimately helped save it, and he also happens to know a thing or too about keeping the Jade Emperor's power contained. I think it'd really fit in with lmk's "past mistakes vs making the right choices now" theme—in all honesty Yellowtusk has already paid his time with an eternity spent in the scroll—and now he can truly help make a better world. I think it'd be a neat way to keep him involved in the story, give Ne Zha someone to bounce off of (they both view power as sacred and a huge responsibility, unlike Wukong for example who is much more flippant with power), and would give some juicy drama ("You would betray your brothers?") between Peng and Yellowtusk later down the line.

Though anon you're 100% right, MK and Mei are at the top of my favorite dynamic list lol (They're whole motivation is to protect each other out of 100% platonic love. Obsessed with them). I'm also really partial for the MK, Mei, and Sandy trio that pops up here and there (1x03, 1x04, 3x04, 3x06). Traffic light trio is a treat, and the sunburst duo has my heart forever and always (I love seeing the way MK and Wukong's relationship has developed over the course of the show, both for the better and worse). Pigsy and Tang are always a delight (thank you 1x04, 2x03, 2x04, 3x05, 4x04, and specifically the line "Sometimes it's that little bit of char that makes for a more flavorful meat! Even if it is a bit tangy."), they're definitely at the top of my list. Obviously I like shadowpeach, and shadowpeach + MK (ooooo the monkeys are such delicious/tragic foils oooo), and I think Mei and Wukong have a really interesting dynamic (Wukong seeing Ao Lie in Mei, Mei viewing Wukong as someone who has hurt MK). Wukong and Azure's dynamic is also super interesting (Azure with his unrequited crush and heartbreak), so is LBD and MK's (could talk forever about these two), however I'll cut this off here since I could probably go on for a long while about this specific topic.

[thesupremeoverlordismysister]

If anyone ever tries to deny that Jack Carter has ADHD, I want them to watch the scene from 3x08 "From Fear to Eternity" when he's going down in the mysterious bunker to confront the eternal lady and he sees the dangerous canister of Instantanium (instant industrial cement) and has to stop himself from touching it after an accidental incident earlier by saying to himself, "Don't touch the pretty metal canister."

Like...that is 100% something I would have said in that situation. Then again, I probably would've actually touched it so he's got much better self control than I do.

[bylrlve]

Rereading the posts by @galecstatic and @chirpsythismorning about the edits to the script for 3x08, and I want to articulate my thoughts - screenshots taken from their posts

There are two angles to this - very confusing scriptgate implications and what it may say about Mike.

1.) It would be very, very strange for Nick to post fake scripts on 8flix, then go back and edit out bits of internal character dialogue. Not impossible, but strange.

One could argue that he did this because scripts usually don’t contain internal dialogue and ‘filler’ stuff, and he wanted to make them appear legitimate, and I certainly am by no means ruling it out, but he kept that kind of stuff in for the fake 404 and 408 scripts he sent out last summer in exchange for money, and we know the Duffers do include that sort of thing in their scripts - the confirmed 209, 407 and 409 scripts have those things.

From 409, to demonstrate my point:

It makes one think that these scripts did originate from Netflix, and that he was contacted at some point to have these parts removed - but then, what implications does that have for the script debacle of last August? It’s hard to make a firm conclusion, but nevertheless the potential implication is that this script, at least, is is real. I’m refusing to get my hopes up, but i’ll 1% conclude they’re real.

Now, onto what this may, potentially, possibly mean for Mike, if this script is real - and again, I’m not getting my hopes up about any of this after Vol.2 lol.

In and of itself, these thoughts and actions - angry with himself, what’s wrong with me?, I’m such an idiot, appearing confused, remaining still, what the hell just happened here?- are not entirely inconsistent with the explanations given in s4 for Mike’s inability to say ILY.

One could surmise that he’s aware in s3 of this insecurity about being a nerd, given that he spends the season trying to be ‘cool’ and ‘not nerdy’, being a bit brazen in front of her dad, but one could also guess that he’s perhaps not self-aware about the ‘don’t want to say Ily bc it makes losing her hurt more’ thing, hence why he’s asking himself what’s wrong with him.

However, he does say it to a room of people in 306, and tries to say the words in the grocery store. I have no idea whether this is intentional, but s3 and s4 Mike? Do not gel.

Back to the point; it’s strange that he’s confused by ‘what happened’ as it’s pretty straightforward: she overheard him a few months prior, told him she loved just then, and kissed him, and what’s wrong with me? is supposed to reflect his thoughts as to why he supposedly won’t ‘say it’, it being ILY. However, he’s then confused when she says it? The script also doesn’t reflect that look of realisation on his face at the end of the scene - I assume him realising… that she loves him? When she just said it? .

It’s all confusing, but I’d be 100% willing to accept that these thoughts are supposed to be consistent with s4’s venting to Will and the monologue… if they weren’t removed, perhaps on request of Netflix. Because if they were, that has very interesting implications. Very 🏳️‍🌈? implications. And the timing of the edit could be meaningful, although I’m not sure when it was.

[walker-extended-universe]

Season 3 Deleted Scenes

3x01 "World on a String"

Scene 1:

In the Ranger HQ bullpen. Cassie gives the sim card from the neighbor's trail cam to James, saying that the image is pixelated but they should still be able to get a partial plate from it. James says he'll "have digital put a rush on it" and walks away with the card.

Cassie sprints after him, asking if they can "jump the line" on this one, considering it's a missing ranger case. James dismisses this saying they jumped a lot of lines just getting everyone on the search throughout Texas and he's out of favors. Cassie asks for just one more favor to do a deeper background check on Sean.

James, exasperated, tells her that, with all due respect, Sean was a dead end. He knows this is a "hot button" for her but a bag of peanuts is not a clue just because she wants it to be. Cassie, irritated, tells him that, with all due respect, "following every possible lead when my partner and your top Ranger is missing is not a 'hot button', it's my job." She then snarkily suggests that she should follow her "paranoid leads" without using state resources. The scene ends on Cassie and James in an apprehensive stare-off

Scene 2:

Liam exits an elevator in a parking garage, bag of groceries in hand. He's on the phone with Ben, saying that tonight he's going to be taking it easy but he'll be happy to meet up tomorrow morning. Just after he hangs up, a white van careens in front of him and two men with bandana masks jump out and attack.

Liam backs up but they knock the phone from his hands, punch, him, and grab both of his arms to toss him in the back of the van. One of them yells at the driver to "Go, go, go, go" and the tires screech as they pull away.

3x08 "Cry Uncle"

We get a scrolling shot of the outside of the B&B, then a shot of Stella and August approaching up the driveway on foot. They both pause to look at the house in front of them. Stella, annoyed, asks if August is sure this is the place. He says that no, he probably screwed this one up too, and keeps walking up the driveway. Stella sighs and follows him after a moment. The light and airy music playing over this scene is in great contrast with their attitude.

We then cut to Ranger HQ, where Trey hands Cassie some paperwork regarding their current case in the conference room. James pops in to ask if Madison is guilty or innocent. Trey says she was hard to read and tells James that all they really got out of it was that Madison said Ziff "wasn't the man she thought he was". James asks for clarification: "wasn't" as in different or "wasn't" as in dead. Cassie says that's the million dollar question. James nods and tells them he got them access to Ziff's office and computers for them to check out and to let him know if they find anything. They nod and he leaves the room.

3x13 The Deserters

Scene 1:

We're in a Cooper flashback, right after Colin Ford!Cordell beat a bunch of guys at darts. Cooper drags a very smug Cordell away and towards the bar, saying he can't leave Cordell alone for two minutes. Cordell replies that those two minutes earned him $100, which Cooper doesn't seem too impressed by.

Cooper signals the bartender, telling him that their "friends" over by the dartboard want to send them home with a bottle of whiskey. He then raises his beer toward them and they raise theirs in return, which solidifies this story for the bartender. He selects one bottle of whiskey, which Cooper dismisses as "swill" and amends that their "friends" insisted on the best for the war heroes, which the bartender doesn't question, going to look for a better bottle.

Cordell asks Cooper where he learned that con and he replies that that was the only good thing he learned from his father "when the prick wasn't off with his Dallas family". The bartender returns with the whiskey and Cooper thanks him.

Scene 2:

We see Cordell stumble out of the brush, panting as he tries to follow Cooper's trail. He frantically checks the ground and starts to freak out a bit as it appears the trail has just gone cold. He turns and looks at the sky as birds caw and pass over. He gulps and continues cautiously forward.

Scene 3:

Trey is staring off into space at the Grey Flag compound, putting his hands up to fight when he gets clapped on the shoulder. It's Snyder, his new partner now that Lana has run away. Snyder apologizes for scaring him but Trey brushes it off, saying he's just excited to meet their leader tonight. Snyder understands that.

Snyder then tells Trey he has a question and he wants an honest answer. He wants to know if his previous partner, the man Trey let die to keep his cover, suffered in death. Trey gets pulled into a flashback as he answers. He says that he was too late to save the man (something we see isn't true in the flashback) but that dying by blood loss is one of the least painful ways to go. He explains the medical jargon behind it and reassures Snyder that his former partner didn't suffer too badly. Snyder appreciates the peace of mind from that. Before he walks away, he confirms that he and Trey are now partners.

3x17 It Writes Itself

Scene 1:

Cassie, Gerie, and Kelly are directed to poolside lounger chairs at the spa resort. As they bask in the luxury of their soft robes and the eucalyptus towels, Kelly gets an alert on her phone. One of her players just posted a video of himself doing a keg stand at his son's 10th birthday party. Cassie and Geri agree that that's not good, but it's also not her problem right now. Kelly is hesitant but they push, insisting that her assistant can handle things for a few days. Cassie hold her hand out for Kelly's phone and she eventually agrees. Cassie then confiscates Geri's phone too and they settle in to relax.

Scene 2:

Liam is reading by the fireplace at home when Stella enters the room. He asks her what she got up to yesterday and she tells him the truth: that she went to a party with Sadie. Before Liam can comment, she says that it was actually an eye opening experience.

Liam puts his book aside and asks her to elaborate. Stella comments on how lately she's just been floating around, not really being sure what she wants to do next. Liam that actually she hasn't been; they're running the horse rescue together, aren't they?

Stella says that of course she is, but she needs- or at least wants- some space. Liam seems put off by this and she rushes to assure him that it's nothing personal. She knows what she wants to do, she wants to help run the horse rescue, and she wants some space. Liam asks how she's going to get that space and she tells him that she wants to attend the local college in the fall. She goes on to say that they did accept her once before and it's not like she spent her gap year partying in Cabo. She then tells him that they've accepted her again for the coming fall semester. Liam is, of course, very happy for her and makes a joke about crappy dorms rooms in her future.

3x18 "It's a Nice Day for a Ranger Wedding"

DJ James is making a wedding speech for his parents. He thanks them for always making this family feel like a family but that this version, with them married, is the best possible version. They James family hugs, then Trey stands up and says he has a few words he wants to say too.

He thanks them for reminding all of them what real commitment looks like. After all, it wasn't too long ago that he wasn't sure if he was even going to stay in Austin, let alone thrive there. But they, and everyone int his room, are his home now. His family. Then they toast and everyone claps.

[raayllum]

Stumbled across this post in looking at meta backlogs as it's one of the only times I've talked explicitly about the Dragon Quartet episode structure overlapping with possible CHET-esque structure

Short form structure version is:

Rayla wants to protect a dragon

This means risking herself

Callum isn't fully on board with it / scared about losing her

Rayla protects dragon

And, evolving from 1x03 onwards, Callum protects her (often with increasing risk to himself, and possibly also saving/defending the dragon)

We see this on the battlements with Runaan in 1x03, in 2x07 with Phyrrah, in 3x08 with the Dragon Queen, and in 3x09 with going off the Pinnacle - even arguably in 3x01 as well

There have been times where other characters dip into this structure (namely Ezran in 1x06, though Rayla moves in to be the person to actually save Ezran - and Callum gets points for 100% trying & being willing to do so!) but not to a large degree. For example, all the trio - Callum included - usually want to also protect the dragon, but normally it's them following Rayla's lead at first or her taking a different stance at first. It's her making the primary sacrifice usually, too

This structure is also part of why I think 4x05 when Rayla walks away from a dragon such a shock ("I thought that was something you cared about" "We can't save everyone, Soren")

But what I want to talk more about is how 5x08 completely subverts this structure by:

Callum is the one who is primarily trying to protect a dragon (Domina Profundis)

Like Rayla, he 'walks away' because there is "too much at stake". For Rayla we can assume it's the group's safety / world ("end of the world and all that") given that's how she frames her decision to not actively help her parents in 5x01, but it is an assumption.

Callum walks away, meanwhile, and instead puts Domina potentially at risk because Rayla's life is on the line

It is only a lucky accident (Elmer) that results in Finnegrin's death - though I'm sure either Callum or Rayla would've eventually succeeded in killing him (they both tried, after all)

To be clear, I don't think Callum and Rayla's subversion of the pattern are equal; it's a much bigger and more highlighted change for Rayla as a character, whereas Callum's choice is far more in line with previous seasons.

That said, if the Dragon Quartet (quintant? the dragon six?) is lying dead in a ditch on both sides for them right now at least partially, I do think it shows that the show's cycle is unravelling (and not necessarily in a good way) and reaffirms that they are both likewise struggling to have stable, solid senses of identity