#the boys s4 thoughts

[imunbreakabledude]

lol that homelander story in ep 404 was pretty good actually because even as someone who normally doesn't Dwell on his trauma too much (not that I don't see it or believe it is real, or find it interesting, I just tend not to get Brain-Engaged-Deeply on it as I do for some other fictional characters, yknow? how some characters tickle ya brain in a certain way and others are quite interesting but don't do the same tickle?)

I keep thinking about that line from barbara (?) that was like: "You could've left anytime you wanted, we had no physical power over us." and it's so sick cuz like... it IS true. in a way. but it's also very false.

'Cause damn Barbara, he was a child! Did you expect a two year old to murder everyone and escape the lab? a four year old? an eight year old? at what point was he supposed to pack up and leave if he didn't like it there? even a child who could overpower all his captors would sure have trouble caring for himself alone out in the world and that's not to mention the whole "alarms would be sounded, the US military and/or payback or other heroes would be brought in full-force to recapture or kill the secret superpowered kid who just broke containment" part.

say he got fed up when he was more of a teen (remains unclear to me exactly how long he was under 'lock and key' as it were, those height markers suggest he lived at that lab at least until age 16 but personally I headcanon he probably got a bit more 'freedom' and exposure to other people in a gradual way into his teen years)... like what's he gonna do at that point, just say, "I'm gonna move out. I think i'll get a job at walmart to afford a studio apartment and think about what I wanna do with my life, please allow me some space to become my own person" lmao like of course not.

and obviously barbara did go on to admit that it was engineered, that he couldn't/wouldn't leave... and the way she said it didn't sound like how a real person would talk and taunt him tbh she was a delivery device for what Homelander thematically needed to hear to push him to murder his past and all. and it felt a little less compelling in that sense than Homelander's convos with people we KNEW as characters more, like Vogelbaum and Edgar, but I digress... it still does a good job at representing the mindset of everyone involved with that mess. bc she presents it like "we had no power over you, but we engineered your need for love so you would be obedient" like first off that IS power, second off it's fucked up, thirdly it's dumb!

for context, i have to admit my controversial take here (or at least it tends to be controversial in fandoms around these characters lol) - i do have some sympathy for the characters AROUND the, um, idk how else to say it, even though it's loaded, the 'dangerous' characters like homelander, or like villanelle. i have some sympathy for that fear that the people around young homelander must've felt knowing this kid could kill them by throwing a tantrum or just by accident; I have some sympathy for Madelyn Stillwell knowing over the years that one day if her control over Homelander slipped he'd likely kill her. That's terrifying and can make people do some fucked up things - doesn't excuse how fucked up they are - in the name of survival. this sympathy, as i said, doesn't mean I think the way they treat those 'dangerous' characters is chill and justified... but it makes those surrounding characters interesting to me, not just one-dimensional Trauma Inflicters. it also makes me like to think about their POV because like - would I do better in that spot? would any of us? yknow?

but back to the lab people... I have sympathy for it in theory, but this situation really highlights how a good portion of that "fear" excuse/motive is BS because. even if they feared john... he is Literally a problem of their own creation. like a group of people decided and planned and put tons of resources into Creating The Most Powerful Supe The World Has Ever Seen and decided they'd raise him in isolation, conduct horrible experiments on him, abuse him into a need for affection and respect for authority.... not only is that immoral but it's also really fucking DUMB!!! just like colossally STUPID!!! of course that is bad for the child and also bad for the world and bad for YOURSELVES!!! the level of arrogance / denial people would have to have to convince themselves that's a good idea is off the dang charts.

obviously that situation is a little different than some of the other parallel situations i'm referring to like people from villanelle's past (who did not Literally Scientifically Create her with the Intent of making her the world's greatest assassin) or even Madelyn's relationship to Homelander (for all we know she doesn't seem to have been involved in his 'birth'? in shaping his life, certainly, and she KNEW about his birth and all and is certainly complicit in it, but in a different way? at least that's what i prefer to believe since it makes her relationship with him more distinct and interesting to me)

but this episode's story in its bluntness - just the RIGHT level of bluntness, that's the key part, it could've really irked me if it went even a few degrees further than where it did - really did the job of making me feel for Homelander in a certain way. not that I didn't feel bad for him in broad strokes before... this episode didn't really deliver "NEW" info about his traumatic past so much as details that made it more visceral... one of those details being the sheer number of 'regular' people involved. it wasn't just vogelbaum, not just one incredibly cold scientist... a shit ton of educated adults who decided Creating and Tormenting a Child at the Fringe of Human Existence is Okay And Maybe Even A Good Idea. just like, damn.

also i will say smart move by the writers to put emphasis in this episode on homelander's ways of learning/observing 'normal' things amidst the torment. really effectively highlighting the way such a situation would fuck him up, not only by inflicting said torment but largely denying him of even the most mundane 'typical' experiences of childhood that we don't even think about like learning simple games from adults around him or having moments of privacy in a bedroom or bathroom or whatever for 'self discovery' and so on.

[opheliasam]

god he (dean) used to be so different my chest hurts

[tink27]

Saw a video on tiktok of someone re-binding a copy of the Hobbit and giving it a really beautiful new cover and I could not get the idea of Steve doing that for Eddie out of my head.

He hears Eddie mention in passing that he's always preferred homemade gifts (partly bc of the thought that goes into them but also because people spending money on him makes him uncomfortable) and Steve decides he needs to think of something he can make Eddie.

Steve may not be considered "clever" by the others but I'm convinced that boy is a do-er. When it comes to physical and practical skills, he will just learn and do it. He painstakingly researched and buys leather and special glue for book blinding, and even learns calligraphy so he can write beautifully on the inside cover.

And when he presents it to Eddie, wrapped in stiff expensive wrapping paper, Eddie asks where he got it and Steve says casually

"I made it"

As if he didn't spend months, didn't ruin at least 5 other copies of the Hobbit before he got it right, as if it wasn't so much work and time.

But Eddie gets it anyway, he understands and that's why he immediately bursts into tears.

[puppyeared]

RETURN TO MONKE (PUBERTY EDITION)

MK’s monkey form doesn’t feel right to me so i wanted to break up his transformation into stages. Maybe as he learns to accept that side of himself it becomes part of him, instead of changing between human and monkey randomly (which is probably painful). Love yourself, NOW!!!

@zymstarz im tagging you for FULL MONKE

[hotluncheddie]

Memories of somethin' even smoking weed does not replace.

wc: 2.9k | cw: alcohol | rated: M | part: 1/2 | tags: pre s4 au, steve harrington centric, stobin soulmates, raised catholic steve harrington

part 2 | ao3

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8:32pm January 3rd: Steve’s car

‘God stop complaining! It’s one party!’ Robin says, her exasperation at Steve finally boiling over.

Steve rolls his eyes, hard, wants to make sure she sees it. He’s stressed and uncomfortable and wants to be petty and petulant and complain because this night is going to end in him embarrassing himself somehow, he just knows it. 

Robin makes just as much of a face back at him but then her eyes are full of concern. ‘You’ve just, been so mopey lately.’ she fiddles with her fingers, bites a nail even though that was her resolution. ‘and I know you say you haven’t been, but you know that I know, that you barely got out of bed on your days off over the holidays and that makes me sad.’ Robin laments, ripping his bitchiness off like a bandaid, seeing whats underneath.  

Steve signs, defeated by her big beautiful brain. She is right, but. ‘Robbie. it was between Christmas and new year, there was nothing going on. What do you expect me to do? it’s literally time made for relaxing.’ Steves own exasperation falling away into something that just sounds tired. He’s so tired. And he hates it when she worries, he’s not, he’s still not used to it. Someone who cares, notices when he spends three days in bed because the thought of getting up when his parents are downstairs makes him want to puke. And, he loves her for it, but, sometimes it makes his skin crawl, makes him feel like he’s not good enough, not hiding well enough. Pitied. 

‘But you don’t relax. You mope. You, like, wallow.’ She pokes his arm a couple times for emphasis, but her voice is softer, still a little sad. ‘And.’ she takes a deep breath. ‘I know you don’t want to talk about it. But I also know this time of year makes you miss Nancy.’ 

‘Oh God, Rob, please.’ Steve whines, desperate now. ‘Don’t start bringing up Nancy.’ He drags a hand down his face, that is the last thing he wants to talk about. Think about. Admit anything to anyone about. 

She’s not, entirely wrong but Steve still hates hearing it. He does miss Nancy, or, well, misses her in theory. He doesn’t really miss her anymore. But, he misses being her boyfriend, a boyfriend. Being needed, and being held, as pathetic as that sounds.

‘I know. Just.’ Robin says, twisting in her seat to look at him looking at the road. ‘I just. I want you to have some fun dingus.’

Steve squeezes the steering wheel. He nods. Glancing at her and giving her enough of a smile that she knows not to feel bad. It’s really not her fault that this time of year makes him want to sink into a hole, makes him think about purgatory and black vines, what he wants for his future if both can exist.

‘It’ll just be some band kids there, a few stragglers, no one’s going to care that you’re there too.’ Robin explains. ‘Plus, if they say anything I’ll be there to defend you.’ And Steve can hear that care again, but its lighter, said through the joke. He lets his shoulders drop and Steve smiles for real. He can’t help it. 

‘Yeah, yeah.’ he says, like she isn’t his everything. Glancing away from the road a second, Steve catches her smile. Happy she’s won but happier that he’s going to at least try and have fun.

‘And, don’t forget you promised to help me with seeing if any of the girls there are even remotely available to me.’ Robin sits back normally in her seat. Talking normally again, worry about her soulmate time over. ‘Plus, who knows, your new favourite customer might just be there too.’ She says into the window, head leaning on her palm. 

‘Robin!’ Steve near shouts, scandalised that she’d bring that up. 

Robin just cackles.

‘Man, you say a guys jeans fit him nice one time and then it’s all you hear about.’ He grumbles, pretending his cheeks aren’t flaming red. He really hopes any discomfort tonight has nothing to do with that. He almost prays on it. But monsters come out of walls so he stops himself. 

Robin wriggles around in her seat, delighted by his suffering. ‘Hey! Hey! No, okay you ragged on me over Tammy! I can make fun of you for making goo goo eyes at Eddie Munson!’

9:00 January 3rd: Kitchen

Steve shivers as the heat from the house mixes with the cold evening air he just walked through. Robin at his side but she’s quickly swept up in a little crowd to say hellos. She looks for him but Steve just waves her on with a scrunch of his eyebrows and a gesture to the beer he wants to find a sport for. 

The kitchen in strewn with bottles and cups and snacks, not a total disaster but people have definitely been helping themselves. Steve is a little laser focused on getting the cans set down so he can start on one, relax his nerves a bit, so he doesn’t even notice Eddie sitting on the counter until he nearly gets kneed in the crotch. 

He takes a hasty step back and gives himself a mental shake, get out of his own head. Eddies smile looks amused, his eyes able to look so sharp. Steve swallows, grateful for Eddies silence. 

‘Hey man. You want one?’ Steve offers Eddie a beer and makes a spot for them on the side. 

Eddie takes it, nodding in thanks, their fingers don’t brush, Steve would know. ‘You looking for anything stronger tonight? like King Steve back in the day?’ Eddie asks, taking a drink, hair framing the long line of his neck.

The old name makes bile raise in his throat. Eddie didn’t mean it like that, probably, wouldn’t have said it if he’d known how much that name feels like a brand on Steves skin. Itchy and scarred. Like ‘Harrington’, like ‘Bullshit’, like something that makes people think they know him, like his body and self isn’t his own.  

Steve looks away. ’Uh, nah, I’ll stick to the classics.’ Popping the lid and taking a long gulp, going for casual, slouching against the counter.

Eddie nods like it’s no big deal. ‘I won’t make this awkward by asking you about college. I know you know I’ve seen you at family video.’ 

‘Your late back on ‘Poltergeist’.’ Steve says without thinking. Winces, why is he acting like such a loser? ‘But uh, yeah. Thanks.’ He finishes lamely. No way any colleges wanted him on his concussion grades and zero extra curricular credits. 

‘Shit, so you do actually do your job.’ Eddie shakes his head, like Steve had deeply wounded him, sarcastic and mocking, pretty little glint in his eye. But it still makes some ugly, desperate little part of Steve rear up and want to take it back, beg for forgiveness. 

Steve drowns that thought and chugs the rest of his beer. 

Someone must motion something to Eddie from one of the other rooms because he nods his head up in understanding. But before he goes he leans in closer to Steve, smirking. ‘Oh, and, don’t thank me yet. I also saw you in that sailor get up at the mall.’ 

Steve chokes on his spit, coughing and spluttering like an idiot.

‘Thanks for the beer.’ Eddie says, patting him once on the shoulder before hopping off the counter and into the throws of the party.

Steve watches him go, skin of his shoulder tingling through his sweater. He feels an itch, like he’s being watched and turns his head to find robin staring at him from where she’s still by the door, talking to friends. Her smile wicked. 

Robins parting words from the car float back through his mind and make his stomach twist. ‘Lucky for you, Eddie makes goo good eyes right back.’ She’d said, quiet and teasing, and Steve hates her. her hates her. 

It’s going to be a long night. 

10:54 January 3rd: Staircase

It’s a little quieter at the front of the house.

It had been going pretty well and then someone mentioned Starcourt. A couple pairs of eyes flashed to him in recognition. Someone murmuring to another,  mentioning Hop. And then Steves eyes were prickling and his wrists were tingling and he had to excuse himself. Squeezing Robins shoulder for her not to follow. Just a minute alone to breath. Sip his drink to get the copper to wash from his lips. Get his teeth back where they’re supposed to be.  

Orange streetlights filter through the window of the front door. It catches the dust, makes it sparkle. 

He thinks about midnight mass with his parents, their one Christmas plan that he’s not allowed to get out of. Thinks about how the light filtered through the stained glass, made patches of the floor look red. Thought about the ceiling of Starcourt, the taste of red metal on his tongue as the world spun. 

Went up for communion and crossed himself. Looked up at the crucifix. Thought about how the gash that opened in Joyce’s living room was red. How somethings grow in darkness, in cracks and out of sinew. A nail bat ripping through skin. 

He looks at the drink Robin made him as a joke, its almost wine coloured, a murky, deep red. It makes Steves insides twist, she didn’t mean it, she didn’t. But blood of the lamb is making the back of his eyelids flash red and brown, flash lightning and ash floating through the air. His nose filled with mould. 

‘Yeesh what is that Harrington?’ Steve looks up, Eddie’s blocking some of the orange light, head haloed and face in shadow. 

Steve looks back into the cup, seeing it for what it is again. Remembering how her face lit up with laughter as she dumped in whatever she could find, knowing it would be awful but knowing Steve would still drink it. She made it for him, how could he not? 

He looks back up at Eddie, Steve can smell his cologne. It smells good. ‘Don’t ask, Robin made it.’ He waves his hand and tries to clear his head of red and black. The spirits mix with the beer and now his hands and feet tingle, he focuses on that, it’s nice.

Eddie eyes it warily. ’You wanna trade?’ and he holds up a beer, a different brand that the ones Steve brought, he has two, for some reason. 

Steve looks into his cup, ‘Its honestly not that bad.’ He swirls the contents around a little, there’s something floating in it. 

‘Seriously?’ Eddie asks. Steve looks up at him and his eyebrows have disappeared behind his bangs 

Steve smiles, his lips tingling. ‘No.’ and his smile grows at Eddie laugh, he has dimples.

He looks at Eddie and decides, then, to take. See what he gets given. He can confess later.

The alcohol made a couple of the awkward conversations he had tonight bearable and the couple less awkward conversations he had enjoyable. Maybe it’ll do the same for him now. Steve takes the beer and places his other drink carefully on the stair behind where he’s sitting, makes a mental note to dump it out when he moves. 

He shifts, sitting in a way he hopes looks casual, like he wasn’t just thinking about divine sacrifice. The staircase it wide and the carpet is soft, a nice place to take a break. A nice place to talk to a boy. A boy who makes his heart beat in his throat. Steve can confess later. 

‘You run Hellfire right?’ He asks, sipping his beer and cataloguing again how the orange light shines on eddies hair, over his shoulder. 

Eddie faces him fully, bobbing his head slightly to the music, Steve doesn’t recognise the song, he doesn’t think its one they play on the radio. ‘Yeah?’ 

‘Yeah. like X-men’ Steve says.  

Eddie blinks at him, but then the corners of his mouth curl and his eyelids droop and Steve feels too hot suddenly. ’Okay, I’m gonna need his majesty to explain how he knows about either of those.’ 

Swallowing, Steve goes for honest. ’Well first off you used to put new posters up every, like, two weeks man, kinda hard to ignore.’ Steve says, lifting up a finger. he paid attention, eddies doesn't need to know yet how much. But Steve paid attention. 

Eddie stays silent, looks at him, eyes roaming over his face, lip still curled. Steve feels his adams apple bob. 

‘Second, I babysit some of the dweebs who are current members.’ Steve lifts a second finger, takes another sip of beer. ‘And three, X-men is like super popular. And, like, super good.’ And Steve takes another drink, just because, just to help him be. 

Eddies lips curl into a full smile, all teeth and a little tongue. He sips his own beer, looking away from Steve then back at him a couple times, like he thinks he’ll vanish, change before his very eyes. He shakes his head. ‘What changed with you man? I never expected any of that to ever come out of your mouth, like, ever.’ And eddies sounds kind of delighted, voice musical and tinkling. 

Steve just shrugs, feels hot, Eddies voice too close to happy, words too close to praise. ‘Grew up a little, I guess.’ He crosses his arms, looks down at his shoes. 

‘Yeah? That why no more parties?’ and Eddies voice is soft, Steve can feel his body heat, his knee by eddies hip. 

‘I’m just not so big on, that much attention any more. That much noise.’ Steve says, looking back into Eddies face. Finds him staring, lips quirked in a little smile, softer, then before. Leaning his chin in his hands on the banister, leaning into Steves space.

‘So, you and Buckley, what’s that about?’ Eddies whispering now, like he knows it’s precious. The orange light kisses his cheek.

Steve clears his throat, whispers back. ’Summer job. We scooped ice cream and she, uh, scooped up my heart.’ he smiles, just from talking about her, thinking about them. 

‘Oh.’ Eddie says, drawing away just slightly, eyes hardening in a way Steve hates. 

He almost reaches out, something drastic, desperate. But he pulls back, fiddles with the tab on his can. ‘No, um. Not that kind of oh. I mean in, like, a friend way. Totally platonic oh.’ 

‘Right’ Eddie comes back, but it’s not quite the same, the moment lost. Steve feels a rosary between his knuckles. 

‘Seriously, platonic soulmates. It’s a thing.’ He tries to lighten, tries to make Eddie read his mind the way robin does. It takes a moment, but then Eddie lets his eyes drink in Steves face again. His smile unfurling, sweet and pretty and different than before. He nods once, taking a drink. Looking away, cheekbones flushed pink. 

Steve can confess later. 

Robin comes barrelling down the hall calling out for Steve. But she skids to a halt when she sees Eddie. Then her eyes find Steve and she looks at him with raised eyebrows and barely contained glee bubbling under its surface. ‘Munson.’ She greets, eyes staying on Steve. ‘You’re late back on ‘Poltergeist.’

Eddie laughs, big and delighted. ‘Hey Buckley.’ He says. ‘Looking for your boy?’ but as he said that he’s gone back to the same position, still leaning on his hands, still looking right at Steve. 

Steve feels his cheeks heat. 

‘Ugh, not my boy. You are definitely not getting out your late fee for that.’ And she shoves him out of the way to get to Steve and grab his hand. ‘They want me to play beer pong, you’re on my team.’ And she’s pulling him up and away. 

Steve cranes his neck back to give Eddie a little wave goodbye but he’s pushing off the banister, he’s following. 

He walks slow, lazy, almost sauntering. Looking right at Steve still, with that little smirk. He knows. He knows. Steve feels the eucharist on his tongue. ‘What?’ Eddie asks, innocent but his smile isn’t. ‘I wanna watch.’ And Steve just squeezes Robins hand tighter, lets her pull him into the kitchen. 

11:45 January 3rd: Kitchen

People cheer as Steve neatly sinks the ping pong ball into the final cup, Robin nearly jumping onto his back she’s so exited. The first couple games with Robin and some of her random band friends really weren't great, he drank a few times, helped Robin get through her shares, they barely won. But by the third game he basically played alone and won pretty easily. The crowd seem entertained, cheering for him and random people kept patting him on the shoulder. it’s weird, a little stale on his skin to be congratulated like that, over something like this again. But he’ll be that guy again for one night, if just to make Robin smile. 

He downs a cup someone offers him in celebration. Accepting a couple high fives from Robins band friends. Tries to not be weird, to not show how the praise makes him itch. 

Steve lifts his wrist up to wipe at his mouth. His eyes drawn to the far side of the room. Eddie is leaning against the wall, black jacket against stark white. He claps slowly once, twice, his eyes shining with something. Like Steve is something funny, something interesting. 

Steve’s hands and feet tingle, his lips a little numb. Feels warm. Doesn't think about churches or blood or monsters. Just lifts his eyebrows, sucks some of the sticky beer from the pad of his thumb, and winks. 

Eddie rolls his eyes and rolls off the wall, disappearing into another room. 

But Steve saw his smile. 

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part 2 | ao3

written for Lex’s Spicy Six Winter Challenge! run by @thefreakandthehair and using the prompt: 'spiked eggnog'. ty for putting this on always!! sorry im posting on the last day again lol xoxo

title from 'stick season' by noah kahan (edited slightly to fit better)

@pearynice and @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx ty for the kind words and guidance getting me unstuck with this fic <3 its alive now

lmk if you would like a tag for part two :)

[butterflysonnets]

yes i'm rooting for m*leven breakup because byler is neat but mostly? i'm rooting for m*leven breakup for the sake of el and mike.

to me, their romance was always a puppy love born out of a combination of social pressures, naïve curiosity, and a lack of true understanding regarding intimacy and romantic love and what it really is. it was real in that they do truly, deeply care about each other and they are close friends, maybe even shared an attraction, but a maturing romance is so much more than that. they've grown up and out of being boyfriend/girlfriend, and that's okay! i think television/film needs to show more often that most of us don't have definite "soulmates" or first childhood loves that we spend our whole lives with. it doesn't mean these relationships meant nothing and didn't impact us, it just means they've run their course and that something else is in the cards, and this is part of life!

i've always felt el was at her best and most confident self when broken up with mike, discovering who she was and what she liked alongside another girl her age instead of just relying on mike for mentorship on how to live in the real world. she deserves more of an opportunity to find herself, her autonomy, and her independence, and to love who she is, and she's made it clear she's felt insecure in the relationship with mike because she isn't being loved and understood the way she wants, needs, and deserves from someone who is her partner.

also, it's okay if mike doesn't love her in "the way he should". he is not obligated to love her romantically and stay in a relationship with her just because she's a girl, because she "needed someone", or because he cares about her a lot. he shouldn't be pressured into a romance if it's not truly coming from his heart. he deserves freedom to find out and honour who he is, too, instead of just staying in his non-functional first relationship — one he got into as a child, essentially — and defining himself that way because it's what's expected when a boy and a girl are close. he loves her in some way, yes, but it's okay if he doesn't feel comfortable or secure being her boyfriend anymore, for whatever reason that is. he's felt insecure too, and that's valid and it matters.

they are their own people and are steadily growing and changing every day. they need time to figure out who those people are, and it's become clear (at least in my opinion) that those people aren't meant to be a couple at this stage.

they deserve freedom. they deserve to grow up and be authentic to themselves and not feel like they need to lie for the sake of a relationship. they deserve to move on from this version of their relationship that isn't making them happy and rekindle the best part of their bond: their strong, beautiful friendship. they don't have to be a couple if it doesn't make them stronger and better and happier people.

i think it would be healthy and wonderful for a show, especially one consumed frequently by young adults, to show a relationship starting, progressing, and ending on good terms in this way. sometimes things don't work out, and that is okay.

[quantumxwoody]

He wants to be a trad husband soooo badly

(aka: POV: You're the deep and this is a normal one for you-)

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Couldn't resist getting a remote control Surfer Boy van. My five pound Yorkie loves it. She should. It's about the same size as her and just as yellow. I'll try to get to a picture, but she hates pictures, and she knows when I'm taking one. It took her about five seconds to realize I was controlling it. She still chased it. 😆

[shawn-meets-world]

Opinions and rant behind the cut :)

She is without a doubt one of the worst parents in tv history. She left Shawn. Ok cool she's done it several times and always came book so no worries right? But she took the mobile home with her.

She left Shawn without a home, without a bed, without his own personal things, without his school supplies, without any clothes but the ones on his back.

People claim Chet is the worst parent because he left Shawn to chase after her and yeah he was bad in his own way, but Virna is the worst.

And people want to excuse her leaving Shawn like that because she's not his real mother anyway. As if she hadn't raised Shawn as her own and made him believe his entire life that he was hers. As if only blood matters anyway.

And the show isn't really known for consistency but according to the writers it was all okay for Shawn to be left without a home and without his things and without his clothes - because she wrote him letters every day??? And Chet was worse because he didn't even call that often??? omg.

And to have her brought back like this, like it's a huge deal, only for her to leave Shawn again. And then have her send a letter to Shawn after Chet has died and be all like "oh well now I'm free to tell you that I'm not your real mother so all is forgiven right? not like you'll get any more issues about this lol bye" and not even having the decency to tell him to his face. Did she love him? Sure, she stayed so long for Shawn rather than for Chet so obviously. But loving someone doesn't give you the right to treat them like garbage.

Some people have even claimed that the birth mother was worse because she left when she'd just had him and didn't even want to get Shawn to know her when he searched for her. No, she never wanted anything to do with him. That is why Virna was worse.

damn this dumb old so-called sitcom really keeps breaking me. :')

[wikiangela]

I love Victoria Neuman, she's such a cool character 😍

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

Just had a random thought. I know it's not going this way at all in The Boys but wouldn't it be funny as shit if JDM ended up being Soldier Boy's/Ben's asshole dad? Like he gave Ben shit for taking the Compound V as a shortcut but then talked his military buddies into giving him some when he started getting older? And then,,,surprise. Four generations of Supe strong-as-fuck assholes for Butcher and Co to deal with.

Like I said, it's not going that way but how Kripke would that be?

[imunbreakabledude]

the boys 403 thoughts

starlight made me a godless nonbinary socialist its true (spoilers behind the cut)

live-blogging once again wheee simultaneously hoping for a maeve-is-alive crumb but dreading it for aforementioned "new information about her will jeopardize the fragile architecture of my brain" reasons

i know "i wanna rock" is a real song but every time i hear it i just think "that's the goofy goober rock from the spongebob squarepants movie"

butcher's plan cannot be "drug ryan and imprison him until he comes around" that is just pathetically stupid even for him

he literally said "i must get this child to safety as my last good act before i die" then said "the way to make this child safe is to drug and kidnap him and continue to drug/torture him indefinitely if he is unhappy with being kidnapped"..... oh lordy

listen i know this is a fictional tv show that paints broad strokes of "sides" to create drama and conflict but the idea of responding to the issues with supes by creating legislation that bans them from holding positions in govt/military/police sounds a... tad unconstitutional??? lmao it's one thing to do it based on someone's history but seems not many characters in this show tend to recall that "supes" is 99.9999999% a category of people who were experimented on against their will and without their knowledge, as infants.... ???? i know the pres is just goading neuman but god that would be an incredibly stupid piece of legislation to propose and i can't imagine, if this universe were real, that this would be a democratic platform they'd offer something much more toothless

god kimiko and frenchie just touch butts already!!!!! (jk i'm loving the slow tension) (if it is tension) (i want the payoff) (if it doesn't happen maybe i'll be writing nasty frenchiko fic by the end of the season. that's a threat)

they keep emphasizing firecracker hating annie... is there some backstory there or what like did they go do supe christian camp together and annie ignored her or something

wow it's true what they say if u let your kid play videogames online they'll be pursued by strange men who want to kidnap them

ashley wearing her fire dress to get fired (sorta)... listen... i know she isn't really fired but... THIS PAVES THE WAY FOR MY SPINOFF FIC (SORT OF) (EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT SHE WILL STILL BE AROUND)

no but this should give ashley plenty of time to start IMing maeve right? both of them stuck with nowhere to go and nothing to do.... strike up a penpal relationship.........

Ashley went to Vanderbilt??? that doesn't bother me nearly as much as a new tidbit about maeve but like it still will nag at my brain that now she has a canonical alma mater and my fic backstory for her dont cover that

butcher is seriously baking drugs into cookies and telling himself he's doing something good.... BECCA'S RECIPE??? sir do you really think she would approve of you taking her recipe and using it to DRUG HER SON????

a train heel face turn!!! god i hope this won't backfire but likely it will but we'll enjoy it while it lasts

i won't lie I find "Ryan Has Two Daddies" much more fun to watch than just butcher and homelander taunting each other repeatedly but never rlly doing anything

lowkey homelander and butcher are like the gay firefighters from 911 now where homelander's gonna have to let butcher into his life bc he knows how to talk to ryan

butcher you're actually doing good with character growth don't you mess it up now by drugging this kid (i bet hes gonna)

aww good for him but jeffrey dean morgan is probably gonnna pop out of nowhere and drug him or something

NOBODY HURT ANIKA!!!! NOBODY MOVE!!!!! ANIKA GET BEHIND ME!!!!

anika and ashley making eyes... No.... no.... not about.... not about maeve........

ok it wasn't about maeve but.... anika.......

i would be worried for ashley too in theory but i know she's too funny and also the way colby has been talking about the show there's no way she ain't gonna still be here in season 5

"you really don't remember me, do you" OH HERE'S THE CATTY DRAMA I WANTED.... wow annie was an outright BULLY???? haha wow i actually love that

annie calling maeve after that convo like: i had confusing feelings today....... Maeve pulls out her "ANNIE COMING OUT TO HERSELF" panic/party box

FAKE MAEVE YOU WILL NOT FOOL ME!!!! BEGONE WITH YOUR 'WAR ON CHRISTMAS'!!!!

is that andrew rannells voicing the skating homelander? i swear to god it is but xray doesn't cover that

"Why do you want to be president" GOOD FUCKING QUESTION HOMIE

is daddy stan ever coming back i miss him

the sweat drop is funny but youre telling me he didn't hear hughie's breath/heartbeat in the first place

also how would he be missing hughie in the vents with his heat vision because he also has.... XRAY vision???? listen i can suspend my disbelief, i know that's the game, but they really do stretch it a lot with homelander conveniently 'failing' to kill the boys when he supposedly wants to and by all facts on the show SHOULD be able to without expending any effort at all

frenchie no don't lash out at herrr :(

ryan's 12 and he was born 8 years before season 1 so you're telling me it's been four years since season 1 in-universe? i know u can't work around the actor aging but that timeline just does not hold up sweetie!!!! further evidence that timeline is BS in this show though allowing me to decide the characters ages how i want lol

is sage in maeve's apartment.... careful you're treading on holy ground.... right there is where elena was gonna postmates sugarfish.......

did i miss something what's the bloody prop tho did sage kill someone and i missed it or

the fact that homelander can smell butcher on ryan does make me feel a little better about him smelling butcher on maeve last season..... leaves some plausible belief that she DID shower post coitus

wow even homelander being homelander i thought he'd be a better dad than THIS (i bet homelander stans will be upset at this)

it's funny how the one "mirrorlander" scene last season was actually pretty powerful but you make it into 4/5 mirrorlanders and it's the goofiest fucking shit you've ever seen like the fuckin bohemian rhapsody video

ok homelander full on backstory episode coming up? alrighty see that doesn't trigger any issues for me see that's fine ok

now I can just be incredibly unnormal about getting my wish for 0 mentions of maeve (excepting a ballroom sign and a costumed skater) but also be sad about 0 mentions of maeve

oh one last thing as i found it in the trivia section IT WAS ANDREW RANNELLS... a little sad i didn't identify shoshana bean on the spot but tbf andrew's voice is just... . so distinct

[omnomnb]

luke: grr all demons are evil you should never trust them

mc:

[cowboytarlos]

Don’t ask me why, but Mateo gives me major Beast Boy vibes.

Like

Very similar vibes….

[oveliagirlhaditright]

A cute Bangel moment from the book "Seven Crows," that I've been meaning to post for a long while.

[jalapenyochips]

idk man if you thought either of them were straight i dont think we watched the same show