#theatricality episode

[embodyingchaos]

Hi! Since you are writing for Finn could you please write about the gaga episode including the reader and they help him with his red outfit or the rocky horror episode? Thank you!

❥ hi sweetheart! MY FIRST GLEE REQUEST AAAAA im so excited, i hope you like this! (so sorry this is so late!)

theatricality rewritten pairing: finn hudson x gn!reader genre: platonic, fluff, sorta angst(?) warnings: finn being sortaaa homophobic, mention of the f slur, finn being a jerk, this is like so bad im so sorry word count: 1.9k

the halls of mckinley were filled with students roaming around, conversing with one another while someone was just trying to put their books back into their locker. y/n swore as the books inside their locker fell out and plopped onto the floor, “how the hell does this even happen, i put them sideways for god’s sake.” they whispered to themselves, bending down to grab them before rearranging their positions. as they were putting their books back in, finn hudson had approached them.

“hey, y/n.” they looked up, “oh, hey finn. what’s up?” y/n asked as they closed their locker, “so many things are up. so many damn things.” he exasperatedly said, leaning his back on the wall. 

finn and y/n had been friends ever since pre-school, they used to be best friends but some things change. they both reconnected when they joined the glee club around the same time. “what is it now? rachel? quinn? puck?” “kurt.” y/n whistled lowly, “that’s a new one.” they started to walk down the hallway to head to the glee club. “what about him?” “well, my mom made us move in with him and his dad, and now- now, i’ve got to share a room with him! like the dude’s fine and all, sure, but i need my privacy and he kinda makes me feel, i don’t know, uncomfortable?” finn rambled, stuffing his hands into his pockets as his flannel brushed to the side.

y/n only chuckled, “why on earth does he make you uncomfortable?” their question makes finn fidget a bit, “he just… i’m so sure he likes me. it’s obvious. sharing a room with him is like sharing a room with a girl that likes me.” y/n gave him a weird look, “okay, i’ll pretend you didn’t just compare kurt to a girl and that you think he likes you-” “i’m not thinking it! he does!” they sighed, “right. look, if it bothers you that much, sleep in the living room. it isn’t that complicated, finn.” finn huffed and nodded as they entered the choir room.

he sat beside tina, who was looking a little off today and that’s when it clicked. “you aren’t wearing your usual goth look, t. what happened?” y/n asked her as they sat beside finn, “figgins thinks she’s a vampire and said if she wore goth any time soon, she’d get suspended.” mercedes explained, “what.” y/n deadpanned, in disbelief that their principal actually believes vampires are real.

“it’s so weird.” “this so isn’t you.” artie and finn commented, “i feel like an asian branch davidian.” tina expressed woefully, will frowned at her state. “tina, are there any other looks you can try?” mr. schuester’s question started a plenty of suggestions. “biker chick?” “cowgirl?” “hood rat.” “computer programmer!” “cross-country skier.” “catholic schoolgirl?” “a happy-meal, no onions… or a chicken.” everyone looked at brittany with concern before tina had enough of their ideas.

“look, i appreciate it, guys, but it just isn’t me. i know who i am, and i’m not allowed to show it. it’s like communism.” she begrudgingly comments before rachel stomped into the room, fervent as always.

“guys, we have a serious problem. you know, i’ve been doing some deep background on vocal adrenaline-” “isn’t that against the rules?” artie asked her, “no, not at all- or, probably. whatever!” schue shook his head at her answer, but rachel didn’t really seem to care. “anyway, what i figured out, i rooted through the dumpsters behind the carmel auditorium and i found 18 empty boxes of christmas lights.” tina’s eyes widened, “oh, no.” “which led me to joelle fabrics. i asked them about red chantilly lace and they were sold out!” rachel exclaimed and now the girls and kurt looked entirely worried. “oh, sweet jesus.” “oh, my.” mercedes and him commented, a few of the guys looked confused.

mr. schuester looked at rachel, “what?” “they’re doing gaga.” kurt explained while mercedes and rachel expressed how screwed they were. “we should have guessed it. they’re going full out theatricality. they know it’s the easiest way to beat us. damn them!” y/n took a deep breath in, they were definitely screwed.

“what’s up with this gaga dude? he just dresses weird, right? like bowie?” puck’s question made rachel scoff, “lady gaga is a woman! she’s only the biggest pop act to come along in decades! she’s boundary-pushing! the most theatrical performer of our generation, and she changes her looks faster than britt changes sexual partners.” “that’s true.” she agreed as kurt went on a rant about how amazing lady gaga is.

“it makes sense that vocal adrenaline would pay homage. it’s a brilliant move. she’s a perfect fit for them.” artie muttered, “now, hold on a second.” schue spoke up, “we might be able to kill two birds with one stone here. we can help tina find a new look and find a competitive number for regionals.” tina smiled as y/n held her hand encouragingly.

“this week, your assignment: gaga.” a round of whispers filled the room as the girls and kurt began to plot, rachel announced the ideas were coming to her, needing a pen and paper before mr. schuester pointed at his office. the boys, however, didn’t look too happy about it. y/n was pretty neutral on the topic. 

after the glee meeting, both finn and y/n walked side-by-side in the hallway as they headed to class. they turned to finn, “you look excited about gaga.” they commented sarcastically but finn didn’t catch that. “what? i’m not-” “i know. i was being sarcastic, you big doof.” y/n smiled, “come on, it isn’t so bad. lady gaga’s got some catchy hits, like just dance.” finn tilted his head, “of course, you don’t know that song. why did i even mention it?” they muttered to themselves, looking around the hallway with a bored expression.

finn let out an annoyed grunt, “why are we always doing the things the girls wanna do?” he wondered out loud, y/n pressed their lips into a firm line. “well, if that’s how you feel, then why don’t you express it to mr. schue? i’m sure he’ll understand your point of view. sometimes.” the tall boy nodded, slowly smiling. “maybe i will.” he simply said before turning back around to head to mr. schuester’s office. “aaand there he goes.” y/n quietly commented, continuing their journey to history class.

gaga week had gone extremely well, other than karofsky and azimio picking on tina and kurt, and rachel finding out that vocal adrenaline’s coach was her mom. finn had also convinced mr. schue to allow the boys to do a song by the band kiss instead of lady gaga.

y/n was getting text spams and long rants every five minutes from finn about how much of a hassle it was to live with kurt, it was honestly starting to get on their nerves. they didn’t care about it much until they got a text from the quarterback saying he had called kurt a slur when he was blinded by rage. 

finn drove to their house and was immediately met with an upset face. “i cannot believe you called him that!” they yelled as finn fell onto their bed with his hands on his face, “i know, dude. i feel really bad about it, too.” he groaned in frustration, mad at himself for being such a jerk.

“i wanna make it up to him, but i just don’t know how.” finn muttered, staring up at their bedroom’s ceiling. y/n fiddled with their oversized t-shirt before their eyes lingered on a specific costume that was hung on their closet door; their gaga costume. y/n smirked, “i have an idea.” they slyly turned towards their best friend who raised his head up with a questionable look on his face.

with that, they spent the entire night fashioning up a theatricality costume for the boy as a way to show his support for kurt and that he was different from the other guys on the football team who would judge and scrutinise everything the glee club did.

the next day, since it was the end of the week, everyone had decided to go to school in their costumes. y/n didn’t mind but it was a bit uncomfortable to get to and from class in white latex tights.

“woah! guys, why are you all in your theatricality costumes?” mr. schue asked as he walked into the choir room, “it’s the end of the week. we were kind of hoping to learn what the lesson of the assignment was.” artie told him, “well, um, you guys have had some great numbers this week but i’m not sure that i know either.” he confessed and the rest of the club chuckled with him before a voice spoke up.

“i do.” tina walked into the room in her usual goth attire, “goth tina! you’re back!” y/n exclaimed, beaming at her. the girl smiled at their enthusiasm, “i refuse to dress like somebody i’m not to be somebody i’m not, and i learned it’s good to be a little theatrical.” she said before taking a bow as everyone applauded. “there she is! she’s back!” mr. schue encouragingly announced, patting her on the back.

artie looked around amidst all the cheering, realising that two people were missing. “wait, where’s kurt? and where’s finn?” his question made everyone look around, before the revelation hit y/n. “guys, we need to go find them. now.” the entire club ventured out together through the hallways to find the two guys, which they did.

“oh my god.” “what is finn wearing?” santana stated and quinn asked, in shock. “he wanted to make up for something he did to kurt so i helped him with his gaga costume.” y/n explained, “problem was that we could only use this old shower curtain i found in my attic.” they added, snickering at the sight of their friend wearing a red, rubber-looking dress. they walked towards them as they noticed karofsky and azimio were once again bullying them. “‘cause i’m pretty sure we can take the both of you.” “yeah, but can you take all of us?” puck quipped as they backed finn up.

“okay. okay, i get it. i took biology. you know what, karofsky? we done disturbed the freak hive! the worker freaks is trying to protect the queen freak.” azimio mocked, “next time, we’ll bring some friends, too.” karofsky threatened before the two jocks walked away from the group.

rachel took off her shades, “i’m tired of everyone calling us freaks.” she complained, “well, look at us. we are freaks.” mercedes joked as everyone laughed along. finn smiled at this, “but we’re all freaks together, and we shouldn’t have to hide it.” he told them before sudden clapping attracted their attention. 

“nice job, finn. think you just figured out what the lesson was, kinda makes me wish i’d planned it.” mr. schue joked, “but mercedes is right, you do all look incredibly insane.” y/n smiled and turned to finn, high-fiving one another. “told you my plan would work.” they whispered to him as he rolled his eyes, “yeah, yeah. you’re always right, i get it.” y/n only punched him lightly on his shoulder as they all began to walk back to the choir room.

[electricpipeorgan]

If his first scene in the series hadn't immediately made me fall in love with him, then it would've been here. The perfect warmth in his face and voice (as well as just the wonderful writing & choreography for him) is just too gorgeous j-j

I had no idea this man would be so warm and adorable from just looking at his portrait in the pilot

[horrorlesbion]

lolita, my love || interview with the vampire 02x07 "i could not prevent it"

bonus:

[cryscendo]

mercedes jones + purple

@giftober 2024 | day 19: purple

[hurglewurm]

me: i miss prodigal son

prodigal son episode 1: the most insane and dramatic rich little white boy being embarrassing. in public no less

[crehador]

mulled it over for a while and ultimately decided i'm really digging this arajin-matakara fight, because like

the whole series has set up arajin as a piece of shit fuckhead (and i LOVE that for him) but this whole lying to matakara about wanting to be a honki people thing... is like the one thing he did not actually do

i get real rambly under the cut but tl;dr the way matakara treats arajin is the way arajin treats mahoro and that is suuuch a juicy parallel to me

throughout the whole series arajin has been not at all subtly trying to get away from these fights

could he have been more direct about that with matakara? sure maybe! but matakara was really ignoring all the signs that arajin is not who he thinks he is

which is such a delicious parallel to how arajin willfully ignores all the signs that mahoro is not into him

like. matakara built this version of arajin up in his head, with all these unreasonable, unrealistic, and honestly unfair? expectations based off some past foolishness from when they were very small children. he's clinging to this version of arajin that only exists in his head and has basically shown zero evidence of existing in real life

(yes arajin shows crumbs of courage but i think the scales are tipped pretty heavily towards his I DO NOT WANT ANY PART OF THIS moments)

this fight between them was like if arajin were to blow up at mahoro like "you've been leading me on this whole time!" when obviously. lol. no she has not

she did initially! just like tiny arajin as a child had those honki people ambitions! his ambitions may have been genuine, while mahoro feigned interest in him with malicious intent, but they're same in the sense that after that initial story beat, they have consistently demonstrated that actually no what happened back then no longer applies (whether because they grew out of it, in arajin's case, or they were faking interest in the first place, in mahoro's case)

but arajin is blinded by what he wants (mahoro) and ignores the reality of mahoro snubbing him at every turn, and matakara does the same, ignoring the reality of arajin really just... being extremely reluctant to have anything at all to do with him

anyway that's the main thing i'm chewing on and loving here, but ALSO i think the story paints this parallel in such an interesting way because like

matakara is just a big sweet ouppy dog of a boy! it's so so so easy to feel sorry for him, to root for him, to think the best of him. which i still do btw, in fact this episode made me like him more than i already did

because matakara is so uwu angelboy perfect, and arajin is such a dickhead, it's easy to instinctively think oh matakara must be completely right to be hurt and arajin must have hurt him. even if that isn't the case! this doesn't make arajin any less of a dickhead, but he's a dickhead mainly for other reasons

the fact that they've been set up as the perfect epitome of the Pure Boy and the Pervy Boy tropes is just such clever framing for this parallel between them, because i imagine a lot of viewers, if told what mataakara is doing to arajin is what arajin is doing to mahoro, would be like omg wtf no my pure angel baby is nothing like that disgusting freak?

except in this case! he literally is!! which is brilliant!!! i think it adds nuance to both matakara's character and arajin's character at the same time, making it so it's not just one of them is Perfect and one of them is Wrong All The Time

what's even better is that this made sense for matakara, like his reaction breaks him out of the Pure Angel mold but doesn't feel out of character. his emotions are already running high with what happened to his brother, plus akutaro is malewife mansplain manipulating him behind the scenes, so of course he feels like he's driven towards this emotional high that leads to this blowup

the groundwork was already laid out, and it wasn't even subtle. it was right on the surface! but this episode really highlighted how matakara's way of treating arajin is so much like arajin's way of treating mahoro and how inevitable it was that things would reach this point

(there are moments, even in this episode, that are in hindsight so clearly setting up this parallel! like arajin trying to talk to mahoro during lunch, mahoro CLEARLY not interested, making viewers think ugh arajin get a clue. then matakara often IMMEDIATELY coming in to try to talk to arajin, when arajin is the one who clearly isn't interested, making viewers think boo arajin be nicer to him! like i think the show deliberately set the audience up to have those emotional reactions, and this is the moment where the rug is pulled out from under us, so to speak, where it becomes even more obvious that... wait... double standard much?)

anyway. personally my only gripe with this episode is i wished they'd done more with aniki than just pseudo-fridge him, and hope they do still do more with him in the coming eps? but kind of understandable if they don't, because it is just a one-cour show after all

the actual blowup between arajin and matakara was just. mawh, chef's kiss. perfect

[mistyheartrbs]

another thing about i saw the tv glow that fascinates me is the like...movement (transgression?) across mediums in that to begin with it's a theatrical feature film about a tv show. and when you think about it, while there are lots of tv shows about tv (30 rock, showtime's episodes) and lots of movies about the movies (singin' in the rain, la la land) there isn't as much crossover between the two as you would expect - few if any tv shows about movies, even less in the realm of movies about tv.

when isttvg came out in theaters, brigette lundy-paine made an instagram post with this caption:

which is a direct reference to a line their character says in the film - that the pink opaque airs on the young adult network right before they switch over to black and white movies for old people. (i'll have to double check if maddy says "movies" or "reruns" in the actual scene; i remember it as "movies" EDIT: it's reruns but my point still stands) and, for much of isttvg's runtime, it both operates in tandem with and against this notion - it's a cinematic spectacle, visually gorgeous to be sure, but the scale is very small, almost claustrophobic at times, in a way that says that the experience of watching this movie wouldn't be incredibly diminished if you played it on a boxy television in the middle of the night on basic cable (so long as you had somebody to watch it with)

but maddy's line is said with a surprising and youthful sort of disdain - the pink opaque is so different from the dumb nostalgia of their forebearers (with the same winking-at-the-camera irony with which a comic period piece notes the record-breakingly fast ten-mile-an-hour horse carriage or what have you - what they see as progress already obsolete in the eye of the modern viewer), and moreover it's in the exact medium it's meant to be viewed in. it's a tv show they're watching on tv (and in fact the impetus for owen and maddy to grow closer is owen specifically saying "i want to watch it live") - versus black and white movies, the original filmic spectacle, being thusly reduced to something smaller and lesser than they were meant to be. but of course that would never happen to our favorite Brand New television show, the pink opaque, which is super cool and is going to be relevant forever! nothing like that stuff for "old people." it's indicative of how prickly maddy is but it's one of the least sentimental sentiments of what is otherwise very much a love letter to the screen. it stands out!

(and we get even more of that with the streaming version of tpo later, but i'm getting ahead of myself here)

and it's further complicated by the fact that owen views the majority of the show via home-recorded vhs tapes, handmade gifts from maddy, forbidden things. the way you watch it matters too. the way you construct your relationship with this story. which in a way queers the viewing model too; he's literally watching the show out of order!

and now getting back into the horrendously depressing streaming scene, in which schoenbrun does the impossible and makes the phrase "soup party" upsetting, the convenience is what makes it wrong. transgression in the wrong direction. anybody can watch it. you don't even need a disc, owen/isabel says in voiceover, numbly. but instead of maddy's tapes, born out of connection/love (to a degree that neither of them even fully recognize yet), this version of non-normative/alternative access is something dictated by capitalism (it's also worth noting that the streaming scene is the only moment of overt product placement in the whole film, with the new flatscreen with the LG logo all but shoved in front of the viewer). owen/isabel flicks through the episodes lazily and languidly, landing in the middle on the mr. sprinkly episode. there is no effort involved anymore, none of the personal element present in maddy's handwritten notes ("season 2 finale: guaranteed to make you cry!"), just picking and choosing.

all this culminating in a movie about television, with a pseudo-wide release and enough buzz that it did moderately well as far as indie flicks go.

yet - inserting myself into the supposedly distant third-person analytical essay, as queer theorists are wont to do - i don't really think i would have been nearly as affected by this movie if i'd just watched it on like. netflix. if it'd had commercial breaks on late-night cable ("past curfew," as owen's parents repeatedly note) that's one thing, but the modern streaming paradigm doesn't really allow for that. seeing this movie in theaters forces you to go to the theaters. it forces you to sit with other people and view it together/separately. to walk out mid-credits and talk it through with your friend and look at each other and joke "(gasp)............we're secretly in another world where that dunkin donuts is two blocks away!" when the google maps app glitches out. you have to sit with it. you can't not sit with it. it took effort to get here, and you cannot so easily get it out of your head. it's a movie about tv. the medium doesn't fit like a glove. it barely fits at all. and you are left feeling like it's been much longer than a hundred minutes.

(i'd love to see if a24 has fun with merchandising once it gets a home release - if they sell a novelty vhs tape or what)

i think a lot of that is really something to look at. much like the film itself i do not have a conclusion to this essay.

[let-roman-bite-someone]

Janus's characterization was at its peak in SvS pt 1. In this essay, I will...

[pompompompeii]

Joey Tribbiani fucking shot Brian Thompson

[lilianhuas]

That awkward moment when you’re having lunch and the Vampire equivalent of a whole Black Forest Gateau shows up at your table. [Snowfall Episode 16]

[gleetournaments]

The Ultimate Episode Tournament: Round 3 Match 12

[dream-thief-forever-amen]

Season 2 of Joy of Life was not quite vibing with me the same as Season 1 - UNTIL the awkward luncheon where Fan Xian poisons the 2nd Prince. That entire episode was flawless - and reconnected me with the main characters as well as the 1st Prince and the Xi Princess.

But episode 14 has brought back the Shakespearean quality to the show… with the arrested swordsman… who we find out wants to go to old timey college! Ya’ll!!!

This scene was so profoundly moving to me and so well acted… with these two men giving performances of a lifetime.

When the dude has confirmed his dreams are shattered, he asks for a book…

And his buddy has one ready!

He tells him the 2nd Prince predicted he would ask for it. And now I am instantly conflicted about the 2nd Prince who promises to send his henchmen to college and gives them books?!

The body language! The acting chops on these guys! The way he touches then hugs the book!!!

And that last reach… the goodbye…

His buddy walks away from the cell only to walk back, now breaking down his professional stoicism and asking how they’ve been treating him in prison and does he have good food… and the other dude waves him off… now focused on the book… until the other guy is gone and then he cradles the book and cries!!!

Ugh. My heart!

I have rewatched this scene three times and am applauding how much was conveyed in such a simple and short scene.

And just like that… I’m sucked back in and will be watching this show all weekend no doubt.

[cryscendo]

I wanted to make a time capsule of my time at McKinley. I know it's stupid, but it'd give me a reason to come back every once in a while.

@giftober 2024 | day 15: references

[gleesongtournament]

[cctinsleybaxter]

the way i actually kind of want to watch the parker+stone casa bonita documentary bc i was also a colorado kid and think it's insane they were nostalgic enough to buy it when everyone knew it was a radioactive dump, but i also don't want to suffer through all the s*uth p*rk clips reviewers are saying are in there

[namelessprince]

mayor rolan loffin's deal with niklaus was that he would gain his hearts desire, but lose what he valued most, and it makes me wonder if all of his deals work in a similar way.