#the society 1x08

[forbescaroline]

235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 97. sam eliot and grizz visser - the society

[girllookingoutwindow]

Dance is a love language.

And like all the love language is based in connection.

When you're dancing with another you would have to create , even for a moment, a team, a  partnership.

But it's not easy to find a way to create a connection with the other and to understand their needs and necessities.

Dancing is a symbol of their love and their life together.

The first dance we see between Colin an Pen, it's there to show us something about them.

The story of their relationship is a tale about dance. In dancing they find each other. The dance floor belongs to them. The first we know about them is that Pen desires to dance, she wants to be in the dance floor, with him. She's new in society and she wishes to be part of it. But even when he's dancing with her occasionally, he's not seeing her in the way she wants to. He is given his attention to Marina, and trying to save her. But is him dancing with her the first time that's heartbreaking. She's taking her place. The place that Pen wish to have and she belongs to.

Penelope and Colin story is told to us between dances. A very beautiful way to shows us a love story. Even Anthony is foreshadowing their destiny saying the contrary of the truth: they dance together, they will love each other because of that.

With the happy moments , every encounter, every overstep, and  struggle is there too. Love is a dance. A way to feel the other.

The first dance is a happy dance. They're young and they're being playful. We can see, just there, they're friends because the way they smile  to each other. When they are dancing are enjoying themselves and they're having a synchronization: not only about the steps, about the energy of the moment. They're having fun, enjoying the company of the other. It's very obvious they enjoy being with the other.

Without words, we know, this is not the only one time we're going to see them dance. Because dancing is for them a common place. A place where everything else doesn't matter. Even when the social rules are present, even when they can't communicate properly with words or find each other there: the dance says the truth. Their bodies are talking with honesty through them. They cannot lie.

A moment it's very important is 1x08 rejection to the dance. He wanted to spend the rest of the time he was going to be there with her. She's saying no to him because she wants to hide her feelings about him leaving. We know that, he doesn't. He's just reading her rejection to him. And in a way that rejection implies a desconection, a miscommunication. At the same time a different path. They're not dancing together anymore, because they separating themselves of the other. They need to go different paths, following separate steps, to find each other again.

Lead and being lead is not easy either. Because involves trust. Colin is a good dance leader, but trut is one of the reason is Pen trust him enough to let her leader. To do so they need to prest full attention to the other.

In the end of season 2, when they are dancing is very obvious that Colin is oblivious about the reaction of the rest of the people about the way he's dancing with Pen. Specially because we see him, and they did too, dance with someone else before and it's very obvious to us ( and everyone else) the difference in his manner there. When he dances with Pen, the world around him disappears. He's looking at her and giving to her his full attention. And that necessity of the other is going to be more and more strong. Nothing else matters.

Deblin's dance

This moment is to tell us and Colin something special. Pen is who is going away this time. She found another partner that's welling to dance with her. To accepting her, but specially someone who see her for what she's. A woman. She's not the little girl of the first dance. She's a grown woman and she feels desired for the first time in all her life. Someone is noticing her, and they're very open to do so in from of the eyes of all the town. Something that was just between Colin and her, now is not only about the two of them. It's someone else ready to be a dancer, and with that, we see Colin craving the thing Pen was wishing for years. He is the wallflower now. The places are changed. And now he is watching someone else take the love of his life in front of him. Someone  he doesn't know anything about and he doesn't care, but who is taken everything from him. It's so painful to him that even seeing them hurts him so much, and then she smiles, and nothing belongs to him anymore. She doesn't belong to him anymore. His partner in life is choosing dancing with someone else, through his eyes she's choosing a life with someone else that's not him. His "life" is taken away from him.

The Eros and Pysque dance.

Telling a story through dance is a beautiful way to do it. Bodies expressing themselves, the desire, the fears, the love invading the air. That's the Eros and Psyque dance. it's there to remember love, is a dance about love and for love. The love that Pen is giving away, but she craves. The love she dreamed all her life. She's leaving all her hopes there, in the dance floor. But all her hopes revived again in the same place. Dancing is a way to remember the feeling. So, when she dances with Debling she has that need of love again, she's looking for it, asking for it, searching for it one more time. Wishing one more time having love in her life: the love that she always dream about.

Colin interrumpting

Finding the courage to fight for what you want and you wish is not always easy. Specially when you're always caring about others. The reason why Colin is a good dancer and a good partner for Pen, it's that.  He really cares, he always puts others needs first. But this can make you lose everything you want, and you're. Because being a good partner is not only about caring about the other, it's about knowing how to express your own needs too. You can't have a connection with someone else if you don't express yourself and hide yourself and your wishes.

So, dance is again a way to tale the story and connect with the other. He goes to the ball to find her, and he's there to ask for what he wants, maybe the first time in his life. He's there for her, but specially for him. He's again in the dance floor. Life starts again for him, he puts himself there and he's ready to fight for it, for her, for himself.

The church and 3x06.

Words sometimes doesn't mean anything. But sometimes it's all what it matters. There in the church both know for the first the time that the other loves them. The most important thing for them is a reality, the bond between them is sealed. Dancing with the other is a promise. The promise that the love they feel for the other is real and it's going to be there. It's not casual she confess her love there, because her love is saving him from torture. Before she said she loves him, he was so insecure about her feelings and know she is realising him from that torture. They're alone, but they're together. They always will be.

If you dance with someone else, you would have to care about the other needs, what they're feeling, prioritizing even their needs. A good partner doesn't care so much about what is happening around them, most about what the partner is feeling in the moment. It's not easy to always know how your comunícate your needs and accepting your mistakes.

Learning with the other, and trying new things is not always easy.

Struggling can be a problem. Accepting the other is too. In the 3x06 we see them enjoying themselves, but then the danger of LW appears between them Pen can follow his steps because she overhears something, Colin gets distracted too. The world is reapering between them, is breaking the connection. It's foreshadowing us that problems are going to be there between them, they're not in syn anymore. They want differents things and problems are close.

The world around them is a danger to them. And it's gaining the battle.

But the feelings for each other are more stronger. So, even when it looks that everything is going to separate them, nothing really matters.

This is what happens in the wedding dance. Their connection is so strong that they lose themselves in the other. There are just both of them, it's not world around them. The connection and necessity of the other is so strong that is all what it's: the other. It's like a hypnotic dream. They don't care about anything else. The only one thing is important is the other and they love each other. It's all what is there.

The last dance is and acceptance dance. Is the dance after the storm. Because they found each other again. Now, after all the pain, we see each other and they accept the other with more intensity than before. Now, they're enjoying themselves again and the life that is coming. It's a full circle. The world is there, but it doesn't matter. Nothing is going to break them now. No matter what happens in the future. They trust in the other and they know the dance floor belongs to them. They're going to be able to dance with the other the rest of their lifes.

Life is a dance, but together.

[incesthemes]

consider the rakshasa in 2x02 as an allegory for john.

he's just died, and this episode is about sam and dean's grief, as well as their struggles as they try to move on from his death. the circus itself represents hunters and the hunter society they've just newly discovered (also in this exact episode), and the rakshasa is a monster hiding within that culture of misfits. much of 2x02 is from dean's perspective, and dean has just come to view his father in a violently negative light (consider the end of the episode, where he destroys the impala in order to symbolically hurt john).

so the rakshasa as john. the monster can turn invisible, similar to how john's presence in the narrative is oppressively absent: in season 1 he's missing, and now in season 2 he's dead. yet he's always present in spirit, even though sam and dean can't see him. he's an invisible force weighing down on them, there yet not.

the rakshasa also preys on children. this could be symbolic of the way sam and dean are rather emotionally immature, frozen in time due to the abuse they suffered as kids. indeed when children are featured as guest stars in an episode, they act as allegories for dean (see 1x03 and 1x18). the same thing is true for teenagers, who are typically paralleled with sam (see 1x05 and 1x08)—this present, if sparse, theming could indicate the emotional states of the brothers, or the points in their respective lives which have shaped them most strongly: dean lacks a childhood because he was forced to grow up too fast and therefore imprints on children, and sam is stuck a rebellious teenager, allowed to grow into adolescence due to being sheltered but perhaps stunted in growth as he becomes aware of the world around him and his own situation, and as he develops a lasting resentment toward john. therefore, the invisible monster john winchester is preying on sam and dean, both in their literal childhood and as their present-day selves, trapped in a state of immaturity due to a life of abuse and neglect.

i also like the little detail that the rakshasa lives in squalor, as this can be compared to the motel rooms and the car that sam and dean grew up in: their constant instability and run-down, cheap housing that sheltered them their whole lives. it's a stark difference from the comfort of a stable home, and combined with the nomadic lifestyle of a circus, there is a very striking parallel between the rakshasa's life and the life that john forced his children into.

(an interesting aside, but the rakshasa feeds in 20-30 year cycles, which is quite similar to the cycle azazel appears to be working with to create new generations of special children, which is around 23 years. not sure if this is intentionally drawing a parallel between azazel and john, but i wouldn't be surprised given the tangled-up, impossible web they exist in together.)

in the end, sam is the one who kills the rakshaka, as dean has been immobilized by it (the imagery recalling that of 1x22, where dean is immobilized by an azazel who looks like john; additionally, one can compare the emotional arc dean is suffering at the moment, metaphorically paralyzed by john's final wish and his inability to act on his own because he has spent his whole life a soldier to john's instruction). if the rakshasa is john, then it implies that sam will ultimately be the one to save dean from his conflict, the one to free him of his paralysis—and he does in 2x09, when dean embraces his codependent relationship with his brother, abandons his father, and throws down his gun to choose sam as his guide and moral center. the conflict of croatoan is all about dean finally coming to terms with the choice he's been given and making his decision: sam, above all else. and so sam is the one who saves him and propels him forward into the rest of the season, with his head on straight and his mind clear of distractions. sam above all else, no matter what, no nuance. just like here, where sam frees dean of the rakshasa's literal binding, sam too frees dean of john's emotional binding.

[gaylordlady]

Watching Boom and then immediately watching the final episode of Fallout feels so right? Like, both have such strong anti-capitalism messages about war and warfare in the future.

Spoilers below cut for Fallout 1x08 and Doctor Who 1x03

"Flashy lights play well in a show room. Modern warfare. Death by salesman." - The Doctor to Ruby.

And then hearing...

"Because, in our current societal configuration, which took shape without intentional guidance, we have friction [...] we have conflict, and we have war. And war? Well, war never changes."

While businessmen and women discuss experiments on people, all in the name of "creating a good society"? Making 122 vaults, many of which actively existed to see how fucked up they could make people behave.

And throughout Boom, there is constantly a "Thoughts and prayers" quote being said (which is the go to response for people in need, in wars, or in active hostile environments), a company literally making soldiers kill each other? (Which happened in vault 11)

Both of these shows are being streamed on massive corporations, DW on Disney+, which generated 8.4 BILLION last year (only increasing since it's initial launch, as it has removed many shows and movies from other sites). And Fallout on Amazon Prime, which had gotten 35.22 BILLION in revenue last year, as well has being known (practically globally) as a company that uses and abuses it's workers, but has made itself such a staple in so many places, that it is physically impossible to not support them in some way, and some can only use them.

But Doctor Who has always been a show about anti-war and anti-capitalism. To have such a show go to the hand of one of the biggest mega corporations is such a shame, it is incredible that they can have Moffat come back and basically flip the house of mouse off and shit in their toilet all while getting paid, and have that approved? awesome.

Fallout has always been about how war is horrible, and how fucked up humans are, giving a rare glimmer of hope towards something attainable, and Amazon Prime taking this media and making it a show? All while ignoring what the message is? Incredible. Perfect.

[angelsdean]

Hot take: between Sam and Dean, Sam is the one more at risk of being Republican.

(Maybe he had been at Stanford but, please, the whole Secession War episode. How people are forgetting their two very different reactions at Confederacy?)

hot take: this isn't a hot take dsjfkdsfk. idk if i'd go as far as say republican. but sam def leans toward some brand of conservative liberal. people use stanford to back up the fact that he's a little liberal college boy but imo stanford is what gave him some of these whacky conservative ideas. he drank a bit of the ivy league rich kid kool-aid to fit in at stanford imo. s1 sam and his judgement and opinions toward dean abt how he makes money is not a cute look. esp since he grew up dirt poor alongside dean !! he teases dean abt wanting to use a free bbq to scope out leads for their case in 1x08 and like yea, sibling teasing, but there's def judgement in his tone re: the free food part. like dude !! you were food insecure throughout your whole childhood !! but dean of course bore the brunt of that trauma, made sure sam didn't realize how bad it was. so, to be fair to sam, i think some of these conservative judgements and beliefs stem from sam just being a bit oblivious, ignorant, and unaware.

HOWEVER, yea he's had some questionable things to say on other topics, like you said his attitude re: the civil war and reducing it to a fight between brothers or some shit and trying to be respectful toward the confederate soldier ???? meanwhile dean was like very vocally FUCK THAT. we won. etc etc. also sam in folsom prison blues when dean was like "innocent people are in danger" re: the ghost and sam was like "we're in a prison i wouldn't call these people innocent" like..........this guy was gonna be a lawyer! (yea tax law, but still, you know what i mean). not everyone in prison is guilty !! and even still, they're not ghost bait.

anyways yea, dean (esp in the early seasons) represents the acab fuck authority working class Othered communities living on the fringes of society while sam is coming out of being very much Part of Society and cosplaying as Upper Class and operating with a very ridged view of morality, right and wrong, little room for shades of grey, which is what most of reality consists of (this is the guy who suddenly wanted to become catholic after zero religious upbringing ! like my dude. what) and he's slowly trying to untangle himself from those beliefs that he absorbed during his pretending-to-be-a-normal-guy years. but yea if i had to choose a brother to end up republican it would Not be dean !!!!!!

[darklinaforever]

Helaena said she was happy until she became queen. So Aegon wasn't hurting her, otherwise she wouldn't have used the word "happy" to describe her life.

I don't even know why you're sending me this because I haven't even talked about them.

Then, HOTD is a piece of shit filled with inconsistencies, especially in its dialogues.

So sorry for not taking this line from Helaena seriously.

Aegon II clearly maritally raped Helaena and episode 8 of season 1 was very clear on this.

Beyond the inconsistency of the writers, given the society in which Helaena and her family live, I don't even think she realized the horror of her situation with Aegon II and this was seen very clearly in the light manner in which she had talked about it at the table in 1x08.

But we, the spectator, are supposed to understand that she was raped several times by Aegon II.

Literally in the same episode he commits rape when he is drunk on the servant who takes care of the children he had with Helaena, and he sexually harasses Baela, while continuing to drink.

Refusing to see and understand these parallels is embarrassing.

[goodwhump-temp]

Ichigo; Bleach Whump Shinigami Arc and Soul Society Arc

Bount Arc (S4-S5) Arrancar Arc (S6-S8) Zanpakuto - Arrancar Finale Arcs (S9-S14)

Agent of the Shinigami Arc

1x01 The Day I Became a Shinigami - Fighting his dad, sad, freaked out, paralyzed, angry 1x03 The Older Brother's Wish, the Younger Sister's Wish - Blasted out of a window, knocked down, unconscious, bloody forehead 1x04 Cursed Parakeet - Beaten up (flashback) 1x05 Beat the Invisible Enemy! - Ragdoll real body, panic 1x06 Fight to the Death! Ichigo vs. Ichigo - Kicked and punched multiple times, panic 1x07 Greetings from a Stuffed Lion - Shoulder sliced, bleeding, hanging off a building, terrorized by stuffed animal, reliving trauma, depressed, emotional pain 1x08 June 17, Memories in the Rain - Trauma, angry, depressed, emotional collapse 1x09 Unbeatable Enemy - Engulfed by a hollow, stabbed through the chest, badly bruised, impaled, emotional, collapse, unconscious 1x10 Assault on Trip at Sacred Ground - Restrained, forced out of his body, limp body, trapped by Hollow 1x12 A Gentle Right Arm - Panic 1x14 Back to Back, a Fight to the Death! - Kicked, flown to the round, bloody forehead, exhausted, collapse, dying 1x16 Encounter, Renji Abarai! - Stabbed in the shoulder multiple times, pain, bleeding 1x17 Ichigo Dies! - Stabbed multiple times, collapse, unconscious, mass bleeding, weak, heartbroken, held down, dying, bandaged, pain, knocked down 1x18 Reclaim! The Power of the Shinigami! - Knocked out of his body, weak, hard to breathe, punched, kicked, huge fall, restrained 1x19 Ichigo Becomes a Hollow! - Extreme pain, falling from a great height 1x20 Gin Ichimaru's Shadow - Bleeding forehead, exhausted, body collapse

Soul Society: The Sneak Entry Arc

2x01 / Ep 22 The Man Who Hates Shinigami - Knocked back, bloody mouth, knocked to the ground, head pain, kicked 2x02 / Ep 23 14 Days Before Rukia's Execution - Trampled, cat scratch, bleeding, pain, punched/kicked multiple times, tickled???, knocked to the ground by fire, scared, collapse 2x03 / Ep 24 Assemble! The 13 Divisions - Punched to the ground, headlock, exhausted, spirit energy gotten out of control, blows up 2x05 / Ep 25 Penetrate the Center with an Enormous Bombshell? - Passed out (flashback) 2x06 / Ep 26 Formation! The Worst Tag - Head sliced, shoulder and arm sliced, a lot of bleeding 2x07 / Ep 27 Release the Death Blow! - Knocked to the ground, unconscious, bleeding 2x10 / Ep 30 Renji's Confrontation - Knocked into the wall, bleeding forehead 2x11 / Ep 31 The Resolution to Kill - Serious bleeding, slowly passing out, shoulder sliced twice, bleeding worse 2x14 / Ep 34 Yoake no Sangeki - Collapse, passes out, serious bleeding, dying, extreme pain, knocked out, spooky hollow mask appearance 2x15 / Ep 35 Aizen Assassinated! The Darkness Which Appears - Bloody forehead and pain (flashback) 2x16 / Ep 36 Zaraki Kenpachi, semaru! - Overwhelmed, exhausted, impaled, bleeding hand 2x17 / Ep 37 Motive of the Fist - Beaten up (flashback) 2x18 / Ep 38 Desperation! The Broken Zangetsu - Exhausted, impaled, serious bleeding, dies 2x19 / Ep 39 The Immortal Man - Man vs self (5head), face sliced, impaled, bleeding, collapse, unconscious 2x20 / Ep 40 The Shinigami whom Ganju Met - Weak, bleeding out, unconscious 2x21 / Ep 41 Reunion, Ichigo and Rukia - Weak, bandaged, extreme pain, spooky hollow mask appearance, bleeding

Soul Society: The Rescue Arc

3x01 / Ep 42 Yoruichi, Goddess of Flash, Dances! - wounds stabbed, bleeding, knocked out, weak, collapse, pain 3x04 / Ep 45 Overcome Your Limits! - Explosion/knocked back, bleeding forehead, chest sliced, collapse 3x06 / Ep 47 The Avengers- Bitch slapped into a wall, face sliced 3x10 / Ep 51 Morning of the Sentence - Bleeding 3x11 / Ep 52 Renji, Oath of the Soul! Death Match with Byakuya - Sliced in the shoulder, bleeding, exhausted 3x13 / Ep 54 An Accomplished Oath! Get back Rukia! - Bandaged, badass 3x16 / Ep 58 Unseal! The Black Blade, the Miraculous Power - Hit by powerful blast, bleeding all over his body 3x17 / Ep 59 Conclusion of the Death Match! White Pride and Black Desire - Sliced shoulder and cheek, bleeding, stabbed in the foot, blasted through the chest, paralyzed, turns into a hollow, extreme pain, stabbed, bleeding, emotional scream, nausea 3x19 / Ep 61 Aizen Stands! Horrible Ambitions - Being carried, almost sliced in half, unconscious, bleeding out, manipulated 3x21 / Ep 63 Rukia's Resolution, Ichigo's Feelings - Punched in the face, bloody nose

[qqueenofhades]

Finished s1/started s2 of WOT, thoughts as follows:

1x08 truly was just the LOTR Lite Power Hour, including Helm's Deep

I will say that the bit at the start, where they reveal that 3000 years ago was an advanced sci-fi society, was the most interesting and original plot thing they've done so far

2x01 did feel more interesting and better paced overall; I am hopeful it will indeed be better than s1, which was fun but really nothing particularly special

I am aware that they get together in the book, but I'm still getting nothing from Lan/Nynaeve? They looked at each other meaningfully a few times in s1, they were then in love, or something

Zzzzzzz

Lololololololol poor Lan, tried to be emotionally available and have a nice dinner and then immediately nearly died

GODDAMN IT GOTTA RUN OUT AND FIGHT SOME RINGWRAITHS BECAUSE MOIRAINE DONE DID SOMETHING DUMB AGAIN

I don't ship him and Moiraine exactly (because I like them being platonic lifemates and also I obviously like Moiraine with Sophie Okonedo's character) but I also don't NOT ship them, it's confusing

Rand now has the Buzzcut of Angst, he can talk to Flint in Black Sails s3 to find out how that usually goes

Hint: it's usually Not Good

Me at the end of s1: yeah there's 14 more books in this series, that was definitely not the Last Battle

And indeed, Dark One Guy is back, we suspect this likewise won't go well

I am excited for the arrival of my Hot Evil Eyeliner Wife

[mbsgifs]

top three episodes of the mysterious benedict society as voted by our followers

↳ #1: a bunch of smart orphans (1x01) and big day today (1x08)

[forbescaroline]

MAKE ME CHOOSE ► anonymous asked: helena (orphan black) or allie (the society) You’re half right about everything, do you know that? And that’s worse than being wrong. That makes you dangerous.

[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.

[incesthemes]

at the end of 1x08 bugs, larry and matt are able to reconcile and make amends. they do this by way of larry abandoning his ambitions in housing development and real estate, and of matt giving up his interest in bugs. much of the tension in their relationship comes from these two points of contention: matt's interests are off-putting to his parents and to normative society, and larry's pursuits become a vector through which larry alienates his son from the family in his attempts to placate and solicit his potential customers. importantly, i think, matt's interest in bugs is not actually harmful nor dangerous; it's just socially unacceptable and weird.

the episode considers sam's relationship with john through this allegory. at this point john still has not made an appearance in the show, so allegorical placeholders like bill carlton and jake devins (1x03), reverend sorenson (1x07), and now larry in this episode are vital to developing an understanding of who john is, especially through the filtered lens that sam and dean provide. who they think john is. 1x08 is the first time that sam and dean really go head-to-head over The John Issue and take ideologically opposite standpoints, and they do this through the medium of matt and his father; sam encourages matt, and dean takes a reactionary stance in favor of larry. the family becomes a battleground for their own issues, and so the reconciliation that larry and matt have at the end of the episode is therefore a thinly veiled blueprint for what sam and john must do in order to overcome their differences.

that is, john must be willing to give up on his ambitions—hunting azazel, his revenge quest—and sam must be willing to sacrifice his "interest"—which must be his pursuit of a normal life, also read as a pursuit of independence. through this reading, the only way to become a big happy family once again is to abandon azazel for good (it's important to note that sam's hunt for azazel is itself a hunt for his own revenge and therefore his independence and, realizing that revenge, a return to normal life). they both must turn away from azazel's path and to each other, or they will forever be at odds.

conveniently enough, this is exactly what they aim to do between 1x22 and 2x01. john sacrifices himself to azazel in order to spare dean's life; he is giving up his revenge quest in the most literal and extreme way he possibly can. he chooses his children over his revenge, and he is freed of the anger and hostility at the end of it all.

sam, at the end of 1x22, equally gives up his revenge by refusing to kill azazel and by choosing his family (mostly dean) over his revenge. he then spends the entirety of 2x01 trying to dissuade john from seeking out azazel, because he is no longer concerned with hunting him—dean is all that matters now. and it's from this point on, too, that he entirely abandons his dream of a normal life. he sacrifices his "interests," and at the end of 2x01 he is able to find a certain peace with john (and indeed he is the one who finds john dead, the one who reacts most violently on screen, and the one who vehemently defends john to dean throughout the rest of the season).

it's just an interesting thing, i think, that bugs shows the audience exactly how sam and john will be able to make peace with each other, and even more interesting what it depicts as being the things they each have to sacrifice for that to happen. for john it is his wife's memory, his grief, his violence. for sam it is his memory of a normal life, his own grief, his independence. reconciliation for them is a bittersweet thing, one not without its casualties.

[horizon-verizon]

Do you think Helaena has an opinion on the whole Blacks vs Greens situation and the impending war? Do you think she truly believes in the Green cause or just goes along with what they do because she has no choice? From what I’ve seen, Helaena is mostly regarded as merely an “innocent” by both sides of the fandom, I’ve seen neither Team Green or Team Black people say that they think Helaena has either negative or positive feelings towards the Blacks.

In my opinion, it is unlikely that she has negative feelings towards the Blacks despite Alicent spewing her poison, because she happily toasted to Baela and Rhaena in 1x08, who she must know where involved in the fight that took her brother Aemond’s eye, and she also agreed to dance with her nephew Jace, and it seemed to be the first time in a long time where she was truly happy. I also remember her smiling a little when Viserys showed up to defend Rhaenyra against Vaemond. I honestly think that Helaena might wish that she could be closer to her family members from the Black side, and I don’t buy that Aemond treats her all that well either.

Aemond might be gentle with her and defend her from Aegon, but he clearly hates his relatives from the Black side more than he cares about her, given how he interrupted her happy dance with Jace by slamming his fist on the table so he could mock his nephews. Helaena deserves so much better. She was just born into the Greens. I don’t think she actually agrees with what they are doing, especially because she can see the future at times as well, which means she might be able to see all of their tragic fates which are caused by her mother and grandfather’s schemes.

Helaena is not a real player in this whole thing, even in the book. And I think that she likely just wished everyone will get along but knew it will never happen. Both in book and show. The book, written by a maester in a patriarchal society, emphasizes her gentleness and how others thought that trait would work well for motherhood.

In-world & in the greens' schemes, she is a means to:

legitimize and strengthen Aegon’s image and rule

(later events I won't spoil) draw more sympathy for the greens due to how vulnerable her neurodivergence makes her to societal and familial dismissal

a means for Condal/the writers to both add some more mysticism for this fantasy-less show (where are the damn dragons?!)

validate Aegon I’s prophecy and its unnecessary narrative role in HotD (the prophecy may be an element of fantasy but for the purpose of this particular story, it was both unnecessary AND the show writers try to use it as a means to diminish Rhaenyra's willingness to fight back aginst the greens whether that mean the actual usrpation or in one of many of the smaller conflicts before then, bcit's paired w/her guilt, her need to perform as aruler her neglectful & ineffective father said a ruler should be, etc.)

appeal to people justifiably looking for neurodivergent representation in their media and make the show more attractive

I really can’t see Helaena as hateful towards the Blacks. 

The show gives us no real indication that she despises or dislikes any of them because she doesn’t give them any particular look nor does she interact with any of them at all until she dances with Jacaerys. Happily and with more life in her than she ever had with any Green, I might add.

Of course, she would not be close to any Black because Alicent would have kept her away from them for most of her life (not that the jump cut between episodes 5 & 6 helps). But since Helaena seems very distant from Alicent and Otto treats her both “better” than he does his grandsons and a bit condescendingly as if she were a child or he was entertaining a cute puppy’s burst of energy, I would go out on a limb and see her as being a sort of innocent bystander in her own world. 

Otto has no real stake in her behavior apart from her giving Aegon kids and staying quiet and out of the way. Which she usually does from what we get to see.

This is also why, I guess, people also feel her adaptation into being a prophet makes sense and is good. But I already have my problems with her TV characterization (POST & POST). 

About Aemond Defending Her

This is the script piece of episode 7:

Aegon: We have nothing in common.

Aemond: She’s our sister.

Aegon: You marry her, then.

Aemond: I would perform my duty, if mother had only betrothed us.

Aegon: If only.

Aemond: It would strengthen the family. Keep our Valyrian blood pure.

And he looks for a bit longer than necessary at Helaena without directly engaging with her. 

Before Alicent pops up in her room to see her, Helaena also recites in episode 9 that: “It is our fate, I think, to crave always what is given to another. If one possesses a thing, the other will take it away”. So folks heard Aegon and Aemond’s words, the latter’s look at Helaena in the 7th episode, and Helaena’s words here all show a potential or certain reality where he is secretly infatuated with her and she knows of it through her extra sight. 

They might see Aemond as more sympathetic or morally better than Daemon since that Aemond is also trying to prove himself, and Helaena-- being his sister (Targ custom and Targness) and his older brother’s neglected wife--also would bring him closer to the throne if only Aegon hadn’t existed. Poor Aemond. He has to work for a brother who doesn’t appreciate the position he is in: has the birth order, the girl, the support from the grandfather and the Hightowers.

In episode 8, I think that if you are one to think he is in love with or infatuated with Helaena, you’re inclined to think he got angry for many reasons: 

Lucerys goaded him

he is upset/flabbergasted that Alicent called a cease fire despite the years she’s been telling them all Rhaenyra needs to be usurped/killed and is trying to begin the process of reorienting his life’s mission

Jace is taking all of Helaena’s attention

or/and Jacaerys purposely danced with Helaena just to get back at Aegon for his incessant goading. 

Rather than him just wanting to get back at Lucerys. 

One problem with that Aemond would have to be a lot more explosively angry than what he’s been portrayed so far. Like how he is canonically.

Another problem is that, as you pointed out, Aemond of HotD AND Fire and Blood really care about proving himself more than Show! and Book!Daemon did. (POST, POST, POST & POST).

Final problem is that we do not get a scene with them together alone where we can gauge how he thinks of her and vice versa in a more concrete way after watching episode 7.

We’re given this suggestion of romantic feelings, but nothing afterwards to really cement or negate it.

Perhaps Condal doesn’t even know what to do about this supposed ship himself yet.

[hukkelberg]

Chapter 11

Bridgerton shot Cressida a hard look but did not say anything. Instead, he turned quite deliberately to Kate and Penelope and murmured their names in greeting.

Kate nearly gasped with glee. He’d given Cressida Cowper the cut direct!

“Miss Sheffield,” he said smoothly, “I hope you will excuse us as I escort Miss Featherington in to dinner.”

“But you can’t escort her in!” Cressida blurted out.

Bridgerton gave her an icy stare. “I’m sorry,” he said in a voice that said he was anything but. “Had I included you in the conversation?”

Cressida shrank back, obviously mortified by her outburst. Still, it was beyond irregular for him to escort Penelope. As the man of the house, it was his duty to escort the highest-ranking woman. Kate wasn’t sure who that happened to be this evening, but it certainly wasn’t Penelope, whose father had been a mere mister.

Bridgerton offered Penelope his arm, turning his back on Cressida in the process. “I do hate a bully, don’t you?” he murmured.

Kate clapped her hand over her mouth, but she couldn’t stifle her giggle. Bridgerton offered her a small, secret smile over Penelope’s head, and in that moment Kate had the oddest feeling that she understood this man completely.

But even stranger—suddenly she wasn’t so certain that he was the soulless, reprehensible rake she’d taken such comfort in believing him.

“Did you see that?”

Kate, who, along with the rest of the assembled company, had been staring openmouthed as Bridgerton led Penelope from the room, his head bent to hers as if she were the most fascinating woman ever to walk the earth, turned to see Edwina standing next to her.

Chapter 12

A man with charm is an entertaining thing, and a man with looks is, of course, a sight to behold, but a man with honor—ah, he is the one, dear reader, to which the young ladies should flock.

LADY WHISTLEDOWN’S SOCIETY PAPERS, 2 MAY 1814

This whole moment is one of my favourites, for obvious reasons. I'll be the first to admit that I don't actually know the extent of Penelope's relationships with the other Bridgertons besides Eloise in the books, and how that impacts the portrayal in the show, because while I do see her being in the background of a lot of familiar scenes, like when Daphne and Simon visit Bridgerton House (1x08) or Anthony declares the family's all there and should go to the races (2x02), I don't think a lot of them have actual personal relationships with her specifically as her own person and not just Eloise's friend.

Which is fine, but it does bring the motivation behind actions like this one in The Viscount Who Loved Me into question. Why did Anthony step in? And I have not read this book either, I'm only speculating, but I do believe that it was entirely selfless for him—or, rather, Anthony making use of his power consciously, all for the sake of honor whilst eschewing propriety. Whistledown points it out as that too, and I think that Penelope also sees it for what it is, and is thus warmed by the gesture because it is ultimately, in story, for her.

Because you could make the case that he likes Kate and with her being around, it's a way for him to show off, even if he does it unconsciously. At an extra textual level, you know that this is one of the things that is meant to frame Anthony as a good love interest, and also, as we see in the next chapter, it's also one of the plot points that will prompt Kate to change her views on Anthony. But I like that it's a character revealing moment as well as a strategic decision, and yet Anthony doesn't necessarily, in his own mind, think of it like that. It's just a thing he must do, because he is one positioned to do so.

And I find it really interesting because I don't recall any moments that show!Anthony has that serve the same purpose of establishing Anthony's honour as something that is good and desirable, rather than constraining to him.

[fishandshesmygills]

i said i was gonna stop watching for tonight and do my readings since im returning to society tomorrow but the next ep is 1x08 ice... one of my favorites...

[pumba2205]

Ich habe gerade geschaut The Mysterious Benedict Society 1x08 "Big Day Today"