#they tried so hard to make him have chemistry with a woman this episode.....

[kisses4mizu]

y’know I respect a fan’s choice about how they want to view mizu but tiny ramble about it here. this isn’t any sort of discussion or ‘matter of fact’ essay, just a simple rant about headcannons about her being TRANS and her SEXUALITY.

Warning: extremely long.

Given the numerous limitations that would arise from traveling as a woman, I find it very difficult to understand why some people believe Mizu is transgender when it's obvious that she is hiding this information in order to survive. This was particularly true during the Edo period, when women were dehumanized and treated like objects because we only ever see them as a slave or working in a brothel (majority of the show at least). They were also seen having to depend on men for nearly everything, as demonstrated in the episode where the mother and daughter were left outside to freeze to death since her husband was not present to accompany them. Along with that subtle hints were presented to us that show how comfortable she is when in touch with her femininity like a few moments in the episode where she came back to Swords-father Eiji’s hut. Though, I can definitely see why people would label her as transmasc with the theory that she must’ve grown so accustomed to this sort of lifestyle, she’d perhaps just become transmasc in the later episodes. We’ll never know!

Next, not gonna lie, I’m insanely guilty of viewing Mizu as a bisexual women despite feeling that she is leaning more toward heterosexuality in terms of her sexuality. I have the biggest fattest crush on her so I have no problem stating how much I'm crying and wailing over this. Like c’mon, let's be real, I guarantee that 98% of simps are female, and I’m sure every single one of us has mentioned once that we can all treat her better than Mikio and Taigen. Speaking of Taigen, I HAVE to admit that him and Mizu do have the best chemistry compared to everyone in the show. It’s clear in the way she pulls him away from those shooting arrows, knocks him out becahse she fears for his safety if he follows, saving him from Fowler's castle even though she could have easily just left him to die and slain Fowler, etc. At first, I would’ve assumed she’d have trauma with men especially after Mikio’s betrayal which might’ve led her to stray away from any romantic attraction with men—or anybody in general. Honestly, I have dedicated my time to search for ANY hint (ok not rlly) that she might be attracted to women, but the only time I ever see her become flustered by one is when she appears to be taken aback by the prostitues she tried to ask for directions to the Shindo Dojo. Plus, there were only two occasions where she interacted with Akemi that people use to automatically ship them which is when she saw Akemi in her carriage (not sure of the specific name) and pinned her down in Madame Kaji's brothel. I can’t imagine them as a couple in later episodes, something I’m been dying to see. Though, it’s hard to determine what was running in her mind during the scene where they both stole glances at each other, especially since there was no sort of indication in her inner thoughts or emotions, so it’s normal to assume the above as well. (Despite that, I’m still rooting for AT LEAST bisexual Mizu because for the love of god and for the sake of all of the gay women here, PLEASE. /j)

I may make jokes about these headcannons like playfully hating on the TaiMizu ships. All in all, I’m sure the fans are mature enough to understand that these are meant to be lighthearted jokes and that people interpret a character and show in various ways and it’s normal! Even if I can’t comprehend the theory or feel as though it is a little too complicated/really negotiable, remember to support what you want, ship what you want, make whatever headcannons, nobody’s stopping you! Don’t be too afraid to just announce what you feel about the show. All I ask is to avoid SERIOUSLY cancelling someone just because of their own feelings and opinions. In the end, they’re stilll fictional characters (😞😞) who have no sort of physical form of any sort so do whatever, as long as it isn’t really THAT problematic in a sense (e.g. romanticising rape), go for it.

(Sorry for bringing her sexuality into this, I’m aware of how the show is definitely not centering on this and not every single thing has to be LGBTQ-related but I noice it’s something constantly brought up in the fandom. As someone whose phrasing and essay writing skills suck, I’m still learning bit by bit about how the world works in terms of differing views on things. I may not support your idea of a character but I RESPECT it! If I came off as rude, I’m sorry, remember it’s just my random midnight thoughts🙏)

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s4 episode 4 thoughts

woohoo!! it feels, again, like our separation has been so long, but it has been about… 3 whole days. oh, how i miss the earlier months in which i had time to post episode thoughts every day… 

this episode sounds interesting!!! no idea how someone’s thoughts could be captured on film, but we do a lot of disbelief suspension around these parts, with varying levels of success.

wait. hold on. i just saw the description for the episode after this one. what the hell is mulder getting himself into with that. do we need more mulder ex lore? i don’t need that. it doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

putting aside my many questions on that matter to focus on what is here in front of us.

(author’s note post-episode: …. woaghhh. scully…)

in all honesty, having processed my thoughts, i think this one was just a LITTLE bit too intense for me. which i recognize is okay, and to each their own. but i need to speak my Truth.

liveblogging commences below 

we begin with this sketchy looking dude, who is being rude as hell to a woman putting on lipstick before getting a passport photo taken. god forbid a woman want to serve… then he says to act natural while not acting natural himself. HYPOCRITE!

she goes in for a passport photo and…. she left her money in the car! she must return to this unfortunate man and go get it. but someone is following her…. 

he did something to her… and she gets back to the car to “billy”, but someone did something to him, too!! he appears to be dead and bleeding from the ear!! then she falls to the ground and tries to crawl to safety, but the mystery man in the yellow rain jacket comes back for her…. 

and the man in the photo store looks at the passport photos, but despite taking just a standard headshot, he sees the woman’s dying face in the images!!

oh. that is an unpleasant day on the job for such a nice seeming man.

this intro always makes me laugh... i’m sorrrrryyy the ufo pictures just remind me that this show is fundamentally unserious 

scully and mulder are rolling up to a town in michigan, while he asks her for any thoughts on the case. it appears this woman was abducted three days ago. and billy was punctured in the brain. yuck.

okay, so her name is mary. and this poor pharmacist…. he has to take people’s pictures, and give them drugs, AND deal with this nonsense 

they are at the pharmacy where the “druggist” (they keep using that term which i have never heard before) is showing them his camera, which he keeps under lock and key, and i notice he has some fun candy in the background. but i assume things are not fun at this time for him. 

scully wants to see the camera, and mulder takes a step back to let her pass. it kinda looks like he does that thing where he touches her back, but it’s hard to tell. and once again for all readers, that thing where men touch your back is only attractive when it’s mulder to scully and not between some randos!

scully notices something on the pharmacist’s foot, and also that the film is out of date. she is always noticing things. one of her many lovely qualities. 

mulder calls the pharmacist “bruno hauptman” and i don’t get that reference so i do what i do best: go to wikipedia. oh! bruno is the guy that was executed for kidnapping the lindbergh baby. i don’t know why i thought that mystery was unsolved. i guess it’s because the article is saying it was a heavily criticized and debated case. huh, a mystery for another time.

anyway, mulder is saying this all tauntingly with his stupid beautiful mulder smile, but scully is saying yeah, this nice old pharmacist doesn’t look like a usual suspect.

but she does point out that the film has heat damage, and a heater is right there… “so you think that would make it look like she posed screaming for a passport photo?” <- LMAO MAN LET HER FINISH

BAHAHA she is onto nothing 🔥🔥 

“plus, the film is two years out of date” “oh” the- the photographic chemistry could have changed” (mulder nodding) “uh-huh” “the- the dyes fade… they… alright, what’s your theory?” <- BAHAHA love that… you have to admit when you don’t know wtf is going on! i had full confidence she would pull something out of her science-y brain, but sometimes you just don’t know!

(this stupid scene had me giggling, as did her face of resignation)

mulder seems to ALSO have no idea wtf is going on, but as they discuss this, a police officer walks in and says they might have wasted the agents’ time…. what does that mean? did they figure it out that quick?

back at the house of the victims, they meet a postal inspector. okay!!! that’s fun and different. and i pause to write this down, and scully is SO beautiful, i actually might blow up. a full on explosion where once stood me is liable to go down. oh my gooooood.

okay: postal inspector is investigating a mail theft. mary had been working at the postal office, stealing people’s credit cards, and her boyfriend was signing them! oh! very illegal. inspector seems to think she faked her disappearance, but mulder points out that would not explain the stabbing of the boyfriend. also, they have this creepy ass broccoli magnet on their fridge which. bleugh. it did not spark joy.

mulder wants a camera from their house, and he finds one! did he just. take a picture of scully…? oh my god. he said “stand back, scully, it’s loaded” and took one… he didn’t even let her pose or anything… that's so cute... even if it's a little weird to use a dead person's camera from a crime scene... he wanted to take her picture

no, i am all wrong, for it appears he is just… taking random photos. because someone in the 60’s once claimed that he could concentrate really hard on undeveloped film and show his thoughts. uh. press f to doubt.

(man, i want to live in that very brief and exciting moment where i thought he was taking a cute little candid of her again… it was so blissful there)

wait. what da hell. he just clicked the camera a bunch of times and it comes up with the screaming mary photo again and again.

oh… he thinks that someone was stalking mary, and the stalker’s psychic energy altered the film by him coming in its proximity. i didn't realize that was how psychic powers worked but i am listening and learning

scully says that these images had to be doctored, which is, again, a reasonable conclusion, but he asks her to “what if” the situation and just think about it!!! just imagine!!!

cutscene to… someone crawling on the side of the road. it’s mary!!! she’s bleeding from her eyes (?) and not responding at all to the police car arriving behind her.

now she is in a stretcher at the hospital that our agents are helping to steer. they are kind like that. she had a “painkiller cocktail” in her system, but that wouldn’t account for her condition. scully orders a PET scan for her, a term i have never heard before. i love when she uses terms i have never heard before.

they’re putting mary in what looks like an MRI sort of thing to look at her brain. whatever it is, it is clearly very bad, as told by scully’s visible reaction and audible declaration of “oh my god”, while mulder looks at her and asks “what is it”? 

(and while i appreciate that this is a sensitive moment for our story, mulder not knowing wtf is going on with these medical things always is a favorite trope of mine, 1. because me too, and 2. he is usually such an insufferable know-it-all i love watching him admit when he knows nothing. humility!)

oh my god… “she has been given what’s called a transorbital lobotomy” <- oh that does NOT sound good… it used to be known as an ice pick lobotomy!!! oh my gosh i’ve heard of that one!! ice pick… eye sockets… i can feel myself growing faint…

but whoever did it, did it wrong… who would do a lobotomy without knowing how to do it the right way???

in the machine, mary is mumbling!! she is saying “unruhe” according to the closed captioning, but it just sounds like faint groaning to me. however, given that this phrase is the title of the episode, i venture to guess that it IS in fact relevant.

a policeman bursts in and says there has been a second abduction, and our agents look deeply sorrowful at this news, seeming to know what will happen next if they cannot crack the case.

oh! now we are seeing the new victim, and whoever took her is in fact saying “unruhe”, and other stuff in german! NO! he pulls out a pick…. fade to black. 

WHO in this small seeming town speaks german and has a psychic effect on cameras… ?? i hope this can be narrowed down to a slim pool of candidates!!

scully is going into the next crime scene, where mulder reports that a man has been murdered, and his secretary alice taken. this is not good.

mulder has been looking into what that word alice was mumbling means- first in a phone book, but then as a translation, i guess, because it means “trouble” in german.

WOAH, WHAT?

! SCULLY LORE REVEAL ! she took german in college!!! and knows that the word is more accurately translated as “unrest”! 

(oh my gosh, i need to get back into compiling lore reveals at the end of each season like i did for s1…. good thing i take such detailed notes so i can go back and do them for s2 and s3)

((we didn’t get a ton in the last 2 seasons, so i thought of doing one post for both seasons- but the organization freak in me wants to do 1 per season, so i’ll go through them again and see what i can find when i get bored someday))

scully hands him a photo from the first crime scene, but mulder says the criminal wasn’t there, because if he was, he would have altered the photos. scully seems annoyed that he’s looking for psychic photos and not crime scene evidence, but he explains that whoever did this has to be very good, and photos may be their only lead since he doesn’t seem to know he is doing it. but then scully sees something and her eyes go SUPER wide… and she says she wants to show him something. 

oh! they find a construction company’s logo at both sites. so maybe the criminal worked at places under construction and was able to kidnap the women…? this theory is brought to you by scully.

he says she might be right, but he is going back to DC to get analysis on the photo. she still is skeptical, but he says that since the woman’s time is running out, that’s all the more reason to analyze the one piece of hard evidence they do have, and that he’ll be in touch. 

he must have really cared if he said he’ll be in touch, because usually he just runs off to god knows where to do god knows what. 

(and how much time would they even HAVE if he has to drive all the way back??? that isn’t a quick trip, is it???)

the same criminal dude from before is now saying stuff in german and taping alice’s mouth shut, while mulder is back in the photo lab sitting practically on top of this nerdy yet attractive fellow, asking for the blurriness in the image to be reduced. and it reveals very scary looking demon things! 

mulder sees someone in the back of the photo… and they get a more enhanced image on the face, but it isn’t clear to me who it is. i felt like i was supposed to know who it was, but luckily i wasn't!

scully is ordering people out to canvas and investigate the employees who may have been working at both construction sites. i like when she does that.

mulder and the lab guy figure out that there is a shadow in the background of the photo from the kidnapper. “he’s standing over her, he means to pass judgement on her, like a god” <- an unsettling thing to say, mr. spooky

scully rolls up to one of the construction sites and i’m thinking, oh please, do not get kidnapped, please please, it’s not something we need today. she’s yelling “hello” and no one is answering... but she hears something….. 

it’s a… guy on stilts? it’s the foreman named gerry. oh… could he have made the big shadow in the picture his stilts? but he doesn’t sound german…

mulder calls and says the kidnapper’s legs are unusual, either he’s very tall or he wants to be. stilts man?!?! is it you?!

instead of playing it chill upon hearing this news, she hangs up on mulder, and turns to gerry and says “unruhe”, pulling out her gun. but he uses his stilts to jump across the building! only to collapse and fall. his getaway is thwarted as scully tells him to stop or she’ll shoot, and to prove her seriousness, she does so. but i’m not buying he’s the guy!! sorry my queen!!

NO!! I WAS FOOLED, WASN’T I??? she reaches into his pocket and pricks her finger!!! NOOO! it’s a huge pick in there! like we saw before at the kidnapping!!

is she gonna be drugged from that….

(thankfully, the pick itself did not contain the drugs)

they’re interrogating the dude, and he denies everything. i mean, i guess a lot of people could have stilts and a pick at construction sites. maybe they didn't grab the right fellow.

he says that tool is used to start keyholes in the sheetrock and all fixtures. a good excuse…

but he really does seem confused. 

however, mulder brings up that gerry was arrested before, for attacking his father with an axe handle until he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. OH! this is not promising.

gerry says that he was institutionalized, which mulder reveals was for a schizophrenic disorder. gerry claims that since his release, he had been taking care of his father 24/7, until he passed away in january. well i’m not entirely sure if that makes amends, but i guess it’s better than nothing?

“and how did you feel about that?” asks mulder about gerry's father's death, sounding very much like the psychology expert i sometimes forget that he is. then he reveals that the same year gerry attacked his father, gerry’s sister passed. connected….?

gerry is staring intently back at scully, saying that she looks troubled. oh! do not talk to her that way.

then mulder comes in with the enhanced photo from earlier, and asks if it shows gerry’s father. he seems taken aback, like it really is his father, and then further taken aback when he pulls out the full photo and asks if those demons figures are what he sees when he closes his eyes. this finally gets gerry to crack and say that he knows where alice is, and that she is safe, “from the howlers”. HUH? 

(is it bad my thoughts went straight to a howler monkey when he said that? i was thinking man, monkeys do not look like that at all. you and i have seen some different monkeys, gerry. but no, he does not refer to those types of howlers)

a ton of cop cars are arriving in the woods, to find alice, who is bleeding from the eyes, which can only mean one thing in this context. oh noooo. scully seems horrified and as if she is blaming herself 

oh, we get a very charged exchange here. she says it doesn’t matter what is in the photos, or if it shows gerry’s dreams or nightmares, because it’s over, and they couldn’t save alice. she starts the engine, and when i think she’s gonna drive off without mulder, he hops in. i bet that guilt that doctors feel when that cannot save a patient is even worse in her than in usual doctors, because she also has to deal with trying to rescue people from crime. :(

gerry is being taken in and photographed by the cops. but instead of a mugshot, when we see the picture, it’s the guy who was taking him in with a bullet hole in his head. oh! so that seems to confirm earlier suspicions on behalf of mulder. 

OH NO!! gerry reaches out and grabs the gun from the cop! NOOO! 

mulder points out that the image from that interaction showed the man shot in the head, but in reality, he was shot in his throat. so i guess it’s not based on reality as much as his intentions? sure, why not. and scully says there was a robbery at the pharmacy back where the very first photo was taken. no! our druggist friend!

gerry took all of the film in the store and a ton of drugs for more “twilight sleep”, which is a bad sign. i think i’ve seen this film before…

scully thinks that perhaps he was stalking his next victim at the construction site, and i’m thinking, girl i think he picked out his victim alright, but i don’t think she’s in the apartments.

mulder wants to wait a bit for his photo to come out. so he sends her to pull the car around and i’m screaming NO, NO, DON’T SEPARATE, NOT WITH A GUY ON THE LOOSE WHO LOOKED AT HER AND SAID “YOU LOOK TROUBLED” AFTER DOING 2 DIY LOBOTOMIES ON OTHER WOMEN AND KILLING 2 OTHER MEN! JUST WAIT A MINUTE AND WALK TO THE CAR TOGETHER!!!

but she cannot hear me….

NO! as she unlocks the car, a hand from beneath reaches out and pierces her foot with a needle NOOOO… and it’s gerry and she’s going down and NOOOOOO!!!!

AND MULDER PULLS THE PHOTO OUT TO FIND GERRY WAS THINKING OF SCULLY WHEN IT WAS TAKEN!

he is RUNNING after that car. despite his best efforts, even trackstar mulder is not as fast as a car, yet he follows her and screams her name regardless. until he realizes he will not win this race.

back at the police office, mulder is STARING at that photograph, the one showing scully being taken by these horrific creatures known as “the howlers”. he’s asking for any leads, including “does he have a summer house? a winter house?” which could be seen as desperation for answers or mulder being out of touch with how many people grew up with summer houses, take your pick.

OH! in gerry’s wallet was his father’s obituary. and his father was a dentist… and the name sounds german… 

so they go to his old dentist’s office, where they did an ad for the pain medicine cocktail he’s been cooking up. and mulder finds a footprint and a missing dentist’s chair. 

NO!! scully is in the dentist’s chair at some undisclosed location. waking up to find her arms and legs bound with a pick on the table and gerry in the distance. she’s watching him…. and she says to let her go. 

he begins his german ranting that has happened before the other lobotomies, and she… RESPONDS???? in clumsy german??? she says she has no unrest and doesn’t need saving, but he insists she does??? WHAT!!!

good on her for remembering some words after all those years :,)

he says everyone has some unrest, but especially her. she thinks she must remind him of his sister, and they talk about “the howlers”, who live inside your head, and make you say and do things you don’t mean.

so she turns the tables on this, and says maybe there are no such thing as howlers, and maybe he made them up to justify what his father did to his sister, which sets him off further. OH… so she thinks gerry attacking his father and his sister’s death were related. damn… that’s heavy

she tries to convince him that the “howlers” are just in HIS head, and no one else’s, as he approaches with a camera to try and prove they do exist. because cameras cannot lie!!

back at the dentist’s office, mulder appears to be losing it. mumbling about the 6 fingers the howler had in the photos, and yelling “WHY are there 6?” to no one in particular, as if he can find an answer through sheer willpower. one of the cops is asking him what to do while he looks at the obituary and counts five headstones…. and the father makes 6? sure, if that makes sense to you king!

they’re off to the graveyard while scully is still in a mystery location, with tears in her eyes as gerry shows her the photos he took. he takes the photos to mean he doesn’t have much time left, and tapes her mouth… and oh my gosh, i think of what would go down here if i knew she wasn’t gonna pull through… until gerry hears a tapping and MULDER IS LOOKING IN!! YES!!!

gerry is doing this in a camper van! by the graveyard!!! mulder is peeking in, sees a tooth keychain, and realizes she’s in there!!!! he’s yelling her name, and she’s yelling that she’s in here, while gerry tries to hold her down!!!

mulder’s BEATING on the window of the camper with his hands, and when that doesn’t work, he finds a giant metal pipe and SLAMS it into the window, goes in, and shoots gerry. this escalated quickly, but it was almost not quick enough.

mulder asks if she’s hurt, and neither of them say anything as she walks out, with mulder kneeling down to see that the last photos gerry had taken were of himself dead on the floor. it’s a terribly thick tension that reminds me of the ending to irresistible, but without the tension bursting like it did in that episode with her finally revealing her fear to him. i wish that she did it again this time. 

scully is doing the episode wrap up, sounding terribly solemn. she is reporting that gerry had written a diary intended as a letter for his father, including the list of the women he hoped to “save”. and her name is the last entry. she has no explanation for the photographs. but she empathized with him, which her survival depended upon.

“i see now the value of such insight. for truly to pursue monsters, we must understand them. we must venture into their minds. only in doing so, do we risk letting them venture into ours?” (said while there are tears in her eyes, as she looks at the photograph of her being pulled by the howlers)

WHAT THE HELL.

okay, so chris carter… you and i need to have some words. 

i have a lot of thoughts. perhaps number one: what if mulder had been 5 minutes later… can you imagine him never being able to cope with that….? oh my gosh. oh my gosh. no, i shan’t imagine. but i’m sure they both were imagining it. and that is probably why she couldn’t say anything as she walked out of the camper van. it was too horrific.

second. this was a dark one. i was giggling at first and then it got really dark. lobotomies… are a hard subject.

third. when the writers make the bad guy have a mental illness, i do feel it to be insulting, because we don’t often get a character where a guy with schizophrenia is just a guy doing normal things like working at the store or going to get his oil changed. no, he’s gotta be up to something nefarious. i wish that wasn’t the case and that these episodes didn’t use mental illness in that way, and i understand that things were kind of Like That in the 90’s and arguably still are in media, but it has been observed with distaste. 

okay, final thoughts? like i’ve said before, i believe in gender equality when it comes to kidnapping and rescuing, and i hope that will be evened out at some point. i understand that gerry had a fixation on women for his own personal reasons, but that’s the doyleist vs watsonian debate thing. and i want a 1:1 ratio on who goes about saving the day. although the ratio was uneven in s2, i’m not recalling the ratio from s3, and we’re 4 episodes into s4 with a 1:1 ratio. so i hope that overall, the entire series ratio evens out eventually. damsel in distress is gender neutral

i was actually really invested in this episode, probably because it let us look into scully deeper, and also because the stakes were high, the pacing fast, and the horror a new kind rather than a standard serial killer we get in a lot of episodes. 

but… while i appreciate that, i’m not sure i can say i enjoyed it, you know? because even a “scully speaks german” lore reveal cannot save me from the feeling of… something adjacent to fear? not horror as in “ahhh i’m so scared” but maybe a sort of horror as in “stop putting her into these fuckass situations, let my girl have a day off” and also a bit of terrible grief in knowing that lobotomies were a very real thing and did untold harm. and to be clear, i’m not saying that fact shouldn’t be explored and discussed, i just think that for me it seems to provoke some intense feelings that make me want some fluff. now. 

deliver it. to my door. as we speak. in fact, here is an incomplete list of things i want to read our agents doing in fanfiction form:

apple picking and apple cider sipping, hiking and sharing weird facts they know about the things they encounter (scully will be all “this type of spider has a unique silk production gland” and he’ll be all “this type of wildflower is used to induce hallucinogenic states” while they look at a pretty view), ice skating (can they ice skate? need to explore that), getting ice cream cones, a visit to the beach, decorating for various holidays, a very serious game night- perhaps uno or some sort of trivia where it turns into a real nerd-off, arguing over unsolved mysteries, more implications of them starting a family together if you feel bold and brave, even, but for those who like it more reserved we can just have an aquarium date, watching a meteor shower, scully attempting to understand his fascination with the various sports of the world by tagging along on an anthropological expedition to a knicks game with him, baking, movie theater trip, etc

well! i have gotten myself so enthused at the idea of them doing silly stuff like handing out halloween candy that i have forgotten all about my initial feelings, which shall surely resurface soon when i go through and edit my notes, but you’re gonna sit there and tell me you don’t want to play dolls in your head of them getting hot chocolate together? 

canon? what is canon? c’mere, kid. let’s daydream about them eloping without ever having the “what are we” conversation and ignore the suffering 

[popculturebuffet]

Top 12 Captain Holt Plots (B99): RIP Andre Braugher

Andre Braugher 1962-2023

So as if this year hadn't piled enough death on me.. yesterday Andre Braugher of Brooklyn 99 fame died. Braugher was a comedic genius, great at drama and it's sad to see him go just as his career was having one hell of a second act.

Figuring out how to honor Andre.. was tough. I didn't have time for a full review of some of his best episodes, a story arc or the normal things i'd do, and a list of just Holt's best moments wouldn't really portray the characters depth. Don't get me wrong there's a LOT of hilarious little holt moments from "Hot damn!" to "Bam had it both ways" but it just didn't do the character justice. Holt was a character funny for his stoicism, his outburst of emotion clashing with that, and his chemistry with just about everyone on cast.

So I found a comprimise, something small I could do before my two bigger reviews this week, but something that still pays full service to what a great character Raymond Holt was... and how much of it was Braugher's amazing comedic timing and great dramatic talent. Ray MIGHT of existed without Captain Holt, but he wouldn't of been such a JOY to watch every time if it weren't for Braugher.

So I picked my 12 faviorite plots starring Captain Holt. Husband, Captain, Robot. Meeep Morp.

12. VINDICATTTTITOOOOOONNNN (Episode: Monster in the Closet)

Look a lot of this subplot making it here is this moment, from the fist pump to just how Braugher plays the word like an instrument, but the plot itself is comedy gold: Rosa Diaz, bisexual icon, is having a rush wedding to absentee boyfriend and human disaster Adrian Pimento, who returned after months in hiding the way anyone having a normal one does: by hiding in a child's closet.

Naturally this wedding didn't end up happening.. but it did bring us one of Holt's best running gags: his love of balloon arches. It's something that makes perfect character sense: he's a perfectionist, he loves art, and it's just weird enough to still be funny while not so weird you can't understand why Holt would be doing this. Holt pettily popping the ballons when crticized and going into a creative tailspin over minor critcisims is just gold and the payoff, him getting his VINDIIIICAAAATTTIOOOONNNNNN is both sweet.. and purespun gold from the highest of heavens.

11. The Disco Strangler Returns (He Said She Said) One of the serious episodes of the series, dealing with Amy and Jake tackling a sexual harassment case and Amy revealing her own assault, was paired with one of the series silliest, funnest b-plots.

This one COULD be here just on the strength of "And you'll here it again" but has way more to offer as Holt chases down his former nemesis the Disco Strangler after he seemingly dies, convinced he's alive while Terry and Boyle are convinced he just can't accept his enemey's death. Turns out their wrong though as the Strangler is alive, worked his groovy voodoo on a way younger woman and has one of the funniest scenes in the show as Holt TRIES to have a big action hero final talk with his nemisis.. only for the man to be largely deaf. It's a gag that shoudln't work but Baugher's commitment to the bit carries it, as does the reality of the strangler being so old and feeble hitting Raymond about his own mortality.

10. The Heists (Various Episodes)

Yeah this one's a bit of a cheat as it was hard to pick just one Heist Plot: After the first two their largely ensemble pieces. But it'd also be criminal to ignore just how SERIOUS Holt takes the annual halloween heists, from training his dog for them, to calling a fake replacement for Cheddar (the goodest of boys) "This bitch?", the Heists brought out the pettiest, hammiest parts of holt and the best of Braugher's comedey from threatning to slit his two protege's "from head to anus and wear them as a jacket", to his flight of the valkyries entrance, Holt was always a delight.

9. Pie (Two Turkey's) The shows final thanksgiving gave us it's best thanksgiving plot, and a nice spotlight on Holt's relationship with his Husband , kevin. Holt's queerness was baked into the character, being why it took him so long to climb the latter and why Kevin takes ab it to warm up to his new coworkers, as most of Ray's past coworkers were racist, homophobic or both. Holt and Kevin were just as weirdly stoic, with Mark Evan Jackson having great chemistry with Braugher.

The couple also just had their own weird things such as getting a special pie every year to get a pie for thanksgiving and finding the hours spent in dead silence on the trip deeply romantic.

Said pie is also what sets off the plot as it goes missing and Holt blames the presicnt and goes into full petty holt mode, one of the best kinds of holt. HOlt isn't the only star here as near constant fuckups and wallpaper Hitchcock and Scully prove useful for once as Holt investigates Rosa, Terry and Boyle. We get great moments from the three too as Boyle calls his own son "a basic bitch" and Rosa reveals an embarassing minons t-shirt as she rebonds with her family post jailtime.

Holt interogating everyone and going full ham would be enough to land it here.. but what elevates it to this slot is the ending: Holt finds out the culprit was Kevin, who hates the pie but would miss the drive. HOlt suggests simply.. taking the drive for fun and Kevin is super horny for that. It's adorable, sweet and a great capper to one of the shows best subplots.

8. Let's Never Talk About Anything (Stakeout)

This is a quick one as it's mostly on the comedy but it's a scenario that's both deeply, deeply funny, and involves one of the shows best duos: Rosa, the stoic bicon herself, and Holt. Both being stoic queer persons, they naturally get along great. And of course it's natural Rosa ends up the one in a very awkward situation through almost no fault of her own: Holt brings his cardboard standee of a human being Nephew named Marcus, whose staying with him for some reason never elaborated upon because Marcus is here for one thing: to date rosa and have one of the best awkward morning afters EVER: He tries to sneak rosa out.. only for Holt and Kevin to naturally both be up, and his using her full name and mild confusion are just.. great. The wrap up, that Rosa and Holt are both FINE not talking about this or anything ever, is great. The followup plot with the two forced into a dinner is fine, but this first interaction and the two being on the same stoic page is gold.

7. Apparently That's a Trigger For Me (The Box)

This is another one that has a strong moment couched in, but really the Box is just a very strong episode, a tense 22 minutes as Jake and Holt team up to try and get a confession out of a local dentist played by sexiest man alive Sterling K Brown, who does great getting under their skin, including with said doctor bit as Docterates are a bit of a trigger for Holt. the episodes fantastic chess match between our faviorite duo and Brown is just fun to watch and it's only this low because Jake gets the big finale. But Holt's oh damns are still vital. As is his over the top reservation cancelation. God bless this man. I miss you andre.

6. They never actually said No (Full Boyle)

Like, really, ALL of these there's a classic gag couched in here as Holt explains how he formed his black gay and lesbian police orginzation: he pitched it to his fellow entirely white and certainly straight cops who laughed their asses off.. then went ahead and got the funds since they were too busy being jackassses to say no. Dark, hilarious, and perfectly showing just how much shit holt's been through trying to get here.

And that background helps shape this plot which while not laugh FREE is mostly anchored on the good Captain's character journey: when a younger officer plans to challenge holt for predsency, Holt, as you'd expect digs in and refuses. He's not at full ham yet, but he's still fully willing to fight tooth and nail for this, that after all he had to go just to make this group, brian wouldn't understand

It's Gina of all characters who points out that's why he made the group. So younger officers wouldn't have to go through that. Brian has new ideas to genuinely improve and open up the doors for more queer black officers, and Holt recognizes that and steps aside.. though if he screws up he will impeach him. He's happy for him but he will impeach him.

5. I've Glanced At His Work Satchel (The Honeypot)

This episode's a-plot is just one long hilaroius bit of holt deadpanning as he gets a new assitant to replace Gina.. only to find the guy flirting with him. Having his tie slightly ajar and inviting him to a barrel museum counts as flirting in Holt's book. Turns out Gordon is a spy for our heroes latest nemisiss, corrupt comissioner kelly, and this brings this plot to ahead as finding out, and getting evidence hw as actively spying on them finally gets rid of the old bastard. It's a nice payoff.. but it's really here because Holt declaring a barrel museum an erotically charged atmosphere is classic deadpan holt. If you want premium deadpan holt, this is your episode.

4. Terry Come Here and Dangle Me Off the Edge of this Building (Bad Beat)

This episode is one of my faviorites, having both a lot of rich character stuff for holt.. and a lot of funny deadpan for holt.

This ep reawakens something that's mostly come up previously as a joke: holt had a serious gambling addiction in his past and when Jake and Terry come to him for help with a poker case, Holt's forced to join in as the two have obvious tells.

Holt's relapse is a nice mix of hilaroius and deeply troubling: he's betting on childrenj's gymnastics (No jayla don't drop the baton!) runs up to the roof when the pagent's cut off and as seen above wants Terry to dangle him over a roof.. Braugher does a hell of a job threading a very narrow needle here: Hotl's antics are funny, but still jarring enough to be worrying.. .and the laughter stop when Jake pulls the one card he has... he'll tell kevin, an idea alone that DEVISTATES holt as he can't put kevin through that again.

Unfortunately it's not THAT easy as Holt goes rogue.. then nearly gets captured, having to use improper grammar and admitting he needs help. Ther'es no easy answers here and while granted Holt's addiction never comes up again.. it's a sign addiction dosen't go away easily and everyone needs help.

3. The System (Moo Moo) Props to Brooklyn 99 as depsite being a cop show, it pointed out many a problem in the NYPD and police in general long before George Floyd made it too loud to ignore for us white dumbasses.

This episode is the main showcase of that: while the show had plenty of corrupt cops for our heroes to foil, Moo Moo shows the system ITSELF is broken and ther'es no easy answer to fix it.

The setup is simple, heartbreakingly common, and painful: Terry goes out at night in his nice neighborhood looking for one of his daughters "moo moo", her faviorite toy.. only to get accosted by a police officer, with only the fact he IS an officer making this end well.

Terry does try to handle this peacefully, inviting the guy to lunch, and trying to explain why racial profiling him like that was fucking awful. The officer dosen't listen, only thinks he was wrong because Terry is also a cop, and is generally a dick.

This leaves terry, who has a promotion on the table, with a fairly simple path: report the son of a bitch. Except .. HOlt dosne't send it in. Holt wants Terry to stay quiet, so Terry can get promoted. it's one of the oldest fights in a broken system: Should you make noise and take care of something horrible immdeitly, or stay quite and let harm go on so you can do more good later. The latter is clearly Holt's go to not out of corruption but out of survival: as a black gay cop, he had no real allies for the longest time, and thus had to simply keep his nose to the ground and work his way up to where he had real power. Terry on the other hand, argues, rightly that he dosen't want another man like him to go through this, one without a badger and that his career... simply isn't worth more innocnet black men being arrested falsely. There isn't an easy resolution with both acknowlding each others point: Holt supports terry and gets the guy fired, but Terry is passed over impliclty as a result and admits he could've impacted more change. Terry still did the right thing.. but it wasn't the easy thing. Police.. .simply aren't set up to properly police themselves and change is needed and it was noble of b99 to point that out without going over the top with it.

2. BOONNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEE (The Skyfire Cycle)

Okay look while this plot is good on it's own (I"m teaching father the math!) it's up this high ENTIRELY due to the Bone Scene. You've seen it, i've seeen it, it's the reason this plot goes from "pretty good" with Rosa seeing through holt's math problem to his marital issues and need to get laid, and Amy trying hard to impress her dads and acting lik ea grossed out child anytime holt's sex life comes up. This bit belongs to braugher.. but you NEED Beatriz and Fumero to set it up so perfectly and react so great to it.

Rosa being rosa just comes out and says "You just need to bone" and holt LOOOSES IT.

Every line from that moment is pure poetry from Braugher's mouth, from his squeaky "what'dyousay" to his shakesperean "hooooowww dare you detective diaz I AM YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER." and of course his glorious shouts of BONE and BONNNNENEEEEE while he VIBRATES ON HIS DOORFRAME. His quick yups in the resolution are the cheery on top of the greatest comedy sundae ever conducted by man. Sports. This subplot hinges on one joke.. but when it's the series best joke, it's REALLY hard to argue. It's only not #1.. because our #1 is CRAMMED with jokes near this level.

Ding Dong The Wuntch Is Dead (Ding Dong)

Ding Dong is one of my faviorite episodes of B99. Even it's subplot's grown on me with Terry bending a quarter in mid air and the strawberry basket. But let's face it while the subplot is.. kay, it's the main event that makes it a classic and when I do the inevetible top 12 list, possibly for feburary, this episode is almost guarnateed a spot for damn good reason.

If your wondering why I haven't brought up Holt's legendary rivarly with Madeline Wuntch it's because while their all fucking gold, their teid into larger plots. And while this one kinda is, with Wuntch's death wrapping up Holt's time as a patrol officer, it's really just there to sned the character off and give us one of the funniest episodes in human history.

Everything about Holt's petty rivarly with Wuntch that makes it one of the best thigns in the show is on display here and the shock I had to the opening of ding dong was palpable: Holt's making his usual jabs, calling her a korean tolilet ghost (and having gone to korea just to find new monsters to call her).. before Terry, trying and failing to head this off drops the bomb: Wuntch is dead. Naturally Holt dosen't buy it, assuming we'd hear the children singing (all the childrne everywhere), and having to see her body for himself. Given their rivarly and what an elaborate scheme Wuntch left FOR her funeral, it's not hard to see why.

What follows is the very best of petty holt from the glory that is BAGEL, BAGEL, to his assumption ET is a monster because "he caused quite a comotion), Baugher is at his PEAK this episode comedically, handeling his Rival's death with joy and too many lines to count, with Amy's horror and Rosa's unabashed joy at his pettiness being perfect bounce off points.

Add in comedy legend Micheal Mcdonald as Wuntch's nephew playing her rival, a fake funeral and an attempted funmeral full of balloon arches and bright pastels and you have one of the greatest peices of televesion comedy ever. Rest in peace Andre.... your dearly missed.

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Monday fandom :) I love these episodes for them. I know they’re not always a fan favorite but I adore them. Just for the Chenford content alone. The married moments, the touching, the sassy banter. What’s not to love? Just like I did for 3x07 I’ll just be analyzing their moments in this ep. Since they’re disconnected from rest of group for most part. Let's get going shall we?

4x16 Real Crime

Sunshine x Grumpy at it's absolute finest kicking this episode off. Lucy is so jazzed to be back. Her little foot kick after she asks how they are? I cannot. She’s so cute. Tim is already over it from the moment his sexy ass hits that chair. It’s so friggin funny. Our king of expressions is on one in this ep. Tim judges Lucy the entire time with serious sass throw in. Their banter mode is on right away and never turns off. We start off with them asking Tim if he saw the last one? Of course he didn't...

Why would he? The only way he would watch it is if Lucy forced him to. haha Lucy rolling her eyes at his answer but with a hint of fondness. She loves her grumpy old man so much. The married train has officially left the station. All aboard. The ride is gonna be hilarious. Tim gets them back on track saying they were first responders to the scene. Tim notes how frustrating it was with all the cameras and coverage nobody saw anything. Nothing useful for the investigation. I mean that is ridiculous tbh. I'm with him on that one.

Lucy tries to add colorful sound bites and Tim is judging her so damn hard. The amount of sass in that second gif. He was not about that line at all. Like who are you right now? Their mini fight in front of the interviewer I’m dying. ‘Why are you SO happy?’ 'I'm being colorful!' LMFAO Lucy defends why she’s doing this and Tim can’t believe it. The bickering in hushed tones is too funny. Like a true couple. Lucy imitating a wife scolding her husband while defending herself.

God I love these idiots sfm. Naturally this is the last thing Tim wants to be doing. The shake of his head above is one of many to come. We all know he would much rather be out on the streets than dealing with this circus. Lucy going the opposite direction. Wanting to get them as many segments as possible We all know the less he's in this the better for him. He barely wants to be in the amount he's in now. heh

This next section is one of my faves. First off I love and commend Lucy’s confidence to just rap in public. I adore her so very much. She couldn’t be cuter in this episode if she tried. Of course she has a karaoke jam I adore her. She is more than happy to share this info. We’ve talked about Eric’s comedic timing. He is absolute gold in this.

His reactions from start to finish are what make this portion so amusing. Goes from 'Huh?' to 'WTF is happening?' It's so funny every time I watch it. Tim doesn't need to say anything. His facial expressions say it all. The sheer amount of judgement he is throwing her way is immense. This is the woman you’ve chosen to love Timothy LOL

Lucy is in her own world as she jams this out. Tim is next her with all the judgment he can muster. These moments are one of the many reasons why he loves her though. Just being 100 percent herself no shame in the game. We know it’s these types of goobery scenes that he actually enjoys from her. She looks so joyful and happy when she turns to sing at him. Then she see's his reaction.... Prompting the iconic line below that always makes me laugh.

Tim’s confusion of her rapping is everything I have to say. I think she’s partly trying to impress him with her rapping skills. He doesn’t give her anything though. LOL They’re so cute I might burst. The marriage moment to end this scene is the best. ‘Can I be interviewed alone? ‘ LMFAO. She is already over his grumpy ass and I’m laughing so hard. Eric and Melissa play off each other so well. It’s a delight to watch them. They have so much chemistry just sitting next to one another. It''s unreal.

We flit back to them talking about Aaron’s father’s musical partner. Tim delivers a ‘colorful’ sound bit of his own. Lucy is beaming with pride. So much so she has to say to make sure it's noted. Interrupting to heap on that praise. Then casually touches his arm. Not a short touch either. It's 4 seconds. Yes I counted heh She lingers. I love watching Tim get all fidgety and hot under the collar after she does this.

Wringing his hands to shake off the feelings washing over him. Trying not to have his feelings recorded for this documentary. Too late... It’s so cute because one he clearly got a little contact high off that touch. Two she just complimented him publicly with the proudest look on her face. He is riding high ha Look at her. That is proud wifey mode right there. Especially after he thanks her for the compliment.

She tries to put herself back in check but is brimming with giddiness. It's adorable. I cannot with these two. *heart clutch* Be more in love please. It's one of those 'Everyone knows but them moments.' He’s also just so cute when he says ‘Thanks..’ haha Oh my Timothy you are so out of your depth with this documentary. But so adorable I wanna squeeze you. Part me of thinks he was trying to get into this for Lucy. Impress her a little with his quote. Mission accomplished sir. Your girl was very proud. Love these idiots in love so much.

Their chemistry is so palpable in these scenes. They're asked a question about the knife in Aaron's kitchen. Saying his DNA was all over the murder weapon. Well duh....Lucy slams the interviewer hard with some solid logic and sass. They're trying to implicate Aaron for having DNA all over the knife in his kitchen... Lucy absolutely destroys this guy's stupid question. Then starts to feel bad afterwards. Checks in with hubby and asks if that was too mean?

Lucy couldn't be cuter turning to her person for feedback. Her immediate reaction to do so getting me all in the feels. I adore him backing her like he does. She looks to him for reassurance and he gives it to her in spades. Saying no that it actually felt good. To be able to stick it to them a bit. You know he is proud of her for doing so. Instead of doing an evocative soundbite she knocked them down a peg. He didn't need to help her in the dept. But the support one? Nailed it.

I love her proud and smug face when he says it was a dumb question. Careful Lucy your feelings are showing my love. Look at her in that first gif. She a ten but crap at hiding her feelings. The second gif is that same look she always gets when he compliments her. *sigh* I just love them. He backs her so fiercely here and Lucy is so ecstatic with his reply. It’s all over her face especially in the last one. That smug smile when he validates her is everything fo her. Basically saying my hubby says I'm right so that means I am haha

Tag team of smug righteousness and it’s amazing. He is oozing proudness in this moment for her. He followed it up with having her back and she’s a happy girl. Let’s not forget the gloriousness that is Tim’s biceps and forearms out on display. Mmm defending his girl and his arms are crossed? Pass the ice water imma need it. This man is deliciously fit and I too am a happy girl in this moment.

The case leads them to a woman named Colette who was brought home to their apt that same night. She had a controlling BF that was never questioned. Cue back to Lucy and Tim. Lucy explaining how a group of internet sleuths found him. How they spent countless hours investigating Aaron’s case. Tim notes this group also pointed the finger at a lot of innocent people ruining their lives… Lucy comments some of the members went little too far.... That's putting it lightly. lol

It’s here the interviewer reveals a prominent poster named ‘truecrimejunkie.’ Implying it’s Lucy who posts under that name. The amount of sass Tim is throwing her way is hysterical. I'm laughing so very hard. Tim’s reaction is the best part of this whole scene. It’s the intense stare down he does. This episode has me laughing from beginning to end. The way he fully turns to her is hilarious. Making fun of his wife with just a look. Lucy stumbling around for words and coming up short.

That moment when your husband finds out about your secret internet life LOL Lucy could not be more embarrassed. Stuttering trying to defend herself to Tim. It’s so funny. It finishes off with Tim’s ‘Seriously?’ Eric and Melissa are a god damn treasure. We are so lucky to have them. It's truly mind blowing the chemistry these two have just with their banter alone. What makes these episodes so very good with their segments. They are the best part with their back and forth. I love this episode for them. I defy you not to laugh or smile with this one.

It comes out Aaron’s mom was in Paris the day Patrick was murdered. Lucy gets all hyped up when they ask what they thought of this? The true crime junkie in her coming out. Saying what a game changer it was. Tim brings her back down to earth with his reply. Lucy doing her cute ‘Well yeah…’

Tim shaking his head. Not at her but this whole documentary. He hates the feelings/people being exploited in this whole thing. Doesn’t sit well with him at all. Once again proving Tim is just a good man on the daily. Not trying to impress anyone with it. It's just who he is as person. His integrity deeply ingrained in him.

Unlike the clown. He's not even in this one but I had to point this out and take a shot. lol Also let's not ignore the GLORIOUS forearm/bicep porn here. My god it's a miracle his work shirt contains those guns of his. Bursting at the seams with muscled goodness. I’m here for it. He could bench press me any day. I'm available is all I'm saying...

We cut back to Tim and Lucy talking about the case being closed. They have their killer finally. Aaron has been exonerated in the process. She starts on another ‘colorful’ bit and stops herself. Rubbing her tattoo feeling how wrong this is. The way she stops herself mid sentence knowing this. Tim jumping in saying ‘Feels gross doesn’t it?’ She agrees and says 'Yeah.'

Look at Lucy growing in this documentary at the end. No longer wanting to do 'colorful' sound bites to get them more time. Being much more focused on respecting those involved. Her ending statement is much better than her potential ‘juicy sound bite’ Look at our babies still growing. I love this episode. So nice to have after a clown fueled previous ep.

~~~

Side notes non-Chenford

Everyone is funny on these types of episodes. Always enjoy their bits. Especially Harper haha

Patrick’s dad coming to apologize to Aaron was a really nice way to close that chapter of his life. Was very sweet.

Thank you as always to those who like, comment and reblog. I appreciate you all more than you’ll ever know. See you all in 4x17 :)

[empyreanromantic]

Suuuper long rant about The Cleaning Lady and armony because I'm sorry, but I'm just really disappointed with the energy this season had. But hey, if you enjoyed season 2, then that's amazing! I'm genuinely happy for you and I hope you can continue to enjoy the show!! These are just my thoughts:

So I haven't watch episodes 2x10-12 because 1) I wanted to focus on finals, and 2) after 2x09 I just wasn't feeling it anymore. And after seeing the mixed reactions to the finale, I'm not sure I want to catch up on the show after all. I tried to enjoy this season, I really did. I normally hate love triangles with a passion but I thought hey, if the writers are having a fun back-and-forth seesaw motion with it as they put it, maybe I can have fun with it too.

The thing about season 1 that really got me hooked was that it was SO DIFFERENT. The story, the characters, the entire atmosphere and aesthetic was so unique compared to other shows I had seen. And most of all, it had SPICE to it. A mother who will risk it all for her son and a gangster who learns to open up his heart and falls hard for this woman. Incredible concept. Classic beauty and the beast story and enemies-to-lovers trope that I will never get tired of.

Thony and Arman's chemistry was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. There was a passion and fire there since the very beginning, and the fact that these two went through all those different stages of "please don't kill me" to "maybe you're not so bad" to "you're not the man I thought you were" to "how could you betray me" to "I trust you with my life" and finally "we're in this together" was just ugh. It was so good!!

I rewatched armony scenes from season 1 so many times, I listened to Thony singing "Someone to Watch Over Me" on repeat. I'm sure it was the same for a lot of viewers as well. I loved the soundtrack composed by Mark Isham.

I loved the progression of looks Arman gave Thony throughout the season. I loved their teamwork. I loved them finessing the FBI. I loved that Arman cried in 1x05 because he thought Thony betrayed him and in 1x06 when he cried FOR her. I loved that 1x07 opened with a freaking musical number. I never expected that from this kind of show and it surprised me in the best way! I loved the vulnerable and earnest dance scene in 1x08. I loved Arman tapping out the numbers in 1x10. The tension was palpable. This show had me hooked. It made me feel things and I was so happy to have found something new to obsess over. I LOVED season 1.

And went it comes to sequels, of course it's never going to be the exact same because the writers have had a lot more time to work on the first installment, to really polish it up and make it the best version it can be before it even gets pitched to a company who will invest in their idea. So I understand that for season 2, the showrunners didn't have as much time to develop it. That being said, it is no excuse for the mediocrity that was season 2.

Whereas season 1 was unique and fresh and spicy and heartfelt, season 2 was monotonous at best and downright stressful at worst. The fast-pacing was them trying something different. I get it. But I stopped enjoying it because it got real old real fast.

I've seen a lot of criticisms that the passion between Thony and Arman doesn't seem to be there anymore, and I agree to some extent. I wasn't expecting them to kiss and have sex or confess their love for each other, because there were still a lot of obstacles in their way and that's realistic! But the pacing of their relationship was so odd that at times I was wondering why they even tolerated each other's presence. There were moments where you could still sense the chemistry, but those moments were few and far in between. Where did all of that magic from season 1 go?

I liked that Thony and Arman didn't get together at the end of season 1, because even when you put the whole infidelity part aside (which never bothered me because come on this is fiction), despite the chemistry, attraction and tension between the two of them, there was still a power imbalance there. Arman was Thony's boss, and Thony was very much dependent on him, most obviously financially. Their conversations were mostly about money and Luca. I feel that 1x02 and 1x03 did the best job in exploring Arman's past and his relationship with Thony as a man rather than as her savior. And yes Arman came to rely on Thony and trust her as well, but I never got the sense that they were truly equals until the end of the season.

Season 2 came around, and Arman was at his lowest point, working for Kamdar who treated him like dirt, and he was more and more ashamed of who he was becoming. I thought, "ah I can see where they're going with this! Arman and Thony are now on the same level and they're going to build each other back up!" But no. They just end up running drugs and spend the entire season trying to pay off Kamdar. Maybe I was just interpreting it all wrong and was picking up on the wrong things, but hey, the viewers picked up on the concept back in season 1 that maybe Nadia and Arman never truly loved each other, which would have been really interesting to explore and we could see how their marriage starts to fall apart. But it turns out they do love each other and they have problems because... *squints at smudged writing on hand* Nadia's possessive ex suddenly wants her back??

And despite the showrunners insisting that Arman and Thony's relationship is never going to be a full on romance, I call bullshit. You cannot deny that people were watching the show for the romance, filled with all the angst and sexual tension. Whenever I see the showrunners talking about how armony is platonic or that their bond is deeper than love, I cannot help but think that they feel bitter that people are not watching their show for anything else besides armony. Like Jesus Christ it's okay that people started watching because of the romance. It means you were doing at least one thing right, you should take it as a compliment.

I'm getting way too heated about this lol, but if this show ends up getting greenlit for season 3, I'm not even worried about Thony and Arman getting together at this point. I don't think I even care anymore. Who knows if the writers are actually going for a slow burn, because they seem to have a different idea of their relationship than the viewers do.

What I'm worried about is the writers getting into their heads thinking that their storytelling is amazing and the choices they made in season 2 were justified, therefore they're on the right track for a third season. Because honestly that is the impression I'm getting from them. I have only read snippets from interviews that people have been posting online, because I personally don't care to read interviews. If the writers need to explain OUTSIDE THE SHOW the decisions they made, that's a big red flag to me. I've seen it before too many times from my favorite media. I really hoped The Cleaning Lady showrunners would be different.

And it just boggles my mind that they're patting themselves on the back and thinking they've delivered the most mind-blowing season with all their twists and turns and high stakes, because they haven't. Season 1 to me was mind-blowing. Season 2 turned into your average crime drama with drug trafficking and using the same plot elements over and over again. Every week I just ended up rolling my eyes thinking "oh boy, Luca is in trouble AGAIN. Thony is asking Arman for help AGAIN. Marriage problems AGAIN. Working with the FBI AGAIN."

Naveen Andrews and Eva De Dominici were both really charismatic and brought a lot of fun energy to the season, and I'm happy that Eva De Dominici got more screen time because Nadia is just a really fun and interesting character. No hate to Elodie Yung and Adan Canto in the slightest. But only a few episodes into the season and I ended up watching the show for Nadia and for Kamdar. How can that be? When in season 1 I was on the edge my seat, glued to the screen, watching the show solely for the two main leads? I'm sorry but I'm just not feeling it anymore.

Again, if you liked this season, I am super happy for you that you were able to get joy out of it! I sincerely hope you will continue to feel that joy if they announce season 3. Maybe my opinion will change over time, maybe the writers will get back on track. In the meantime, I'll probably just stick to rewatching season 1 and make up my own story of what happens after in my head.

[chvoswxtch]

👋 hi, i'm back again already :)

i'm so glad i'm not alone in being completely feral for those set pictures. like it's insane what just seeing them has done to my brain chemistry. i saw them like an hour or so before i had therapy on wednesday and i felt like i was going insane for the rest of the day. the frank brainrot is real and i will be binge-reading ur fics again (bc i love ur portrayal of frank and i need that man in my life) and just UGH, i can't even explain how this man makes me feel without sounding fucking nuts.

and okay after finishing season two, i just, i have no words. i know that the fandom doesn't always love amy but genuinely, she has such a special place in my heart. and the lengths that frank went to protect her actually just made me want to sob. he absolutely melts my heart and i remember when i watched the start of season 2 all the way back in like september last year, i literally sobbed at the end of the first episode after he had that conversation about maria with the woman he met at the bar. like i am such a simp for this man, it's insane how emotional i get over it sometimes.

also i know you've watched criminal minds (the two fics u wrote were absolutely delicious btw) so i feel like you will understand this but pilgrim's actor being the same as will's just made it slightly hard for me to take him seriously. like the actor did a phenomenal job but i just couldn't help but see him as will. it was so jarring and also just a little bit funny. either way, i didn't hate the storyline as much as i thought but the connection between him and the schultz family did seem a little jarring? or like out of the blue? but i'm not sure if that's because of the writing or because of how long it took me to actually finish the show. but i think it was such an interesting way to connect the two plots even if it confused me?

then okay, like billy this season, he was a complete fucking psycho and usually ben barnes can make psychos be so hot but after he and dumont tried to like break frank by making him think he killed innocents, bro i was not on this man's side anymore. like i honestly was so mad at him. i haven't like been that mad at a character in so long, i was concerned for myself. honestly, i could have strangled billy in that moment. also dumont was just such a kind of dull character? i think the scene in like episode 12 when dumont and madani are having that conversation about like the trauma she (and billy and frank) went through was so good but that was like the most interesting i found her. i'd love to know your thoughts on her!

and like madani? i can't talk about madani without going too feral. like her and frank are my definition of bisexual panic. any time they are on the screen together, i go insane. the thought of the two of them actually is just- it's too much. i feel like madani doesn't get a lot of love in the fandom which always makes me sad because she is (to me) a literal goddess. but anyway.

i have so many more thoughts (mainly about how much i love frank and how fucking good a job jon does at portraying him) but this is already such a long message. i am SO sorry, i can do nothing but apologise

(the only reason it's so long is because none of my friends have actually watched the punisher so i have no one to talk to. sorry court <3)

i'm gonna ramble below the cut with you, please step into my office <3

those set pictures are ruining my life. like it still feels surreal that it's happening?? but i'm so happy they listened to the fans and seem to be taking the reboot seriously. also I know how protective charlie and jon are over matt and frank, so I trust they're making sure it's done right. akjdfhdfh you're too nice to me pls

I loved season 2, personally. it felt a little rushed, but I think that has to due with the fact that they planned more storylines and got cancelled because of the disney plus thing. I liked that we got to see a more fatherly side of frank with amy because it added so many more layers to his personality. we got to see it with the micro's kids, but we got to see it so much more with amy and I loved that

OMG WHEN WILL SHOWED UP I WAS LIKE SIR WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?? WHERE IS JJ??? it's so funny you say that bc the first thing I saw that actor in was a horror movie and then criminal minds but I always think of those two when I see him lmao. the pilgrim/schultz storyline was a little strange but again I think it's one of those things where they planned for more and weren't able to do it with the cancellation

I did not care for dumont's character at all to be candid. I don't really feel like she added much to the storyline. my main complaint about billy in season 2 is he still looked too pretty LMAO. like I get it, it's ben barnes, they can only do so much, but frank rocked his shit too hard for him to have a few scratches. I would've preferred to see him be more evil and psycho and bloodthisty for revenge but that's just me

DINAH MADANI THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE. she and frank are the definition of bisexual panic. she's just...like that scene of her and karen in the conference room when she's asking her if she knows anything about frank being alive?? karen is a stronger woman than me bc I would've let her bend me over that table. dinah doesn't get enough love in this fandom and that doesn't sit right with me and I feel it is my civic duty to keep the thirst for her alive

pls don't apologize! I am happy to chat about frankie anytime :)

[opuestocomplementario]

Love in The Air: the end of an era

Quick commentary of the special episode

So, why does the intro of the special episode slaps harder than the actual intro??? 

Okay but I love how touchy Sky got with Pai; like when Pai takes him out of his brother's hands and Sky is trying to ease Pai I find it so endearing how he is also hugging Pai back and playing with Pai jacket. 

Pai angry>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sky teasing Pai >>>>>>>>>

Literally any scene with Rain on it (he looks so cute and beautiful with the hanbok)

Phayu in any time of clothes hits so hard honestly. He is fulling every one of the fantasies ever made (mechanic, architect, doctor, pilot, korean prince)

Likes and the defending of my favorite boy

There’s a lot of things I liked about this episode: Pai switching his tone of voice between angry with his brother and soft and lovely with Sky, Phayu talking with his friend (which, yes, I do love their chemistry, how tf Boss gets to do that?), Rain and Sky jealous and possessive over their boyfriends and also being horny and giving up to them. 

What I liked about it too, something we also see in the series in general, is both part of the relationship focus on pleasure the other: Sky knows how to play physical with Pai and Pai loves to worship the fuck out of Sky when they fucked. Phayu and Rain deal with a lot more of D/s tones, focusing on Phayu giving Rain pleasure and therefore Phayu enjoying the reactions of Rain, I feel like their relationship in this episode got more room to develop and make the watchers understand their relationship more. 

I love how this series emphasizes the importance of giving pleasure to both parts and is not just the “top” giving and doing all the stuff. 

I will stand on this hill and defend the shit out of Rain no matter how much the show tries to make him look like a comedic relief, mainly because I love those types of characters. I will like to briefly talk about the structure of the episode being built on jealousy and insecurity. Things we had seen more in the Pai and Sky relationship. Here’s the thing, Rain is insecure dating someone as cool as Phayu as everyone else might be, like, Phayu is literally a god to everyone's eyes, Rain included. So it makes sense that for once Rain wants to keep him to himself. 

What I find interesting is the reason why Rain got “really” mad with Phayu; one might think it would make more sense for him to get angry at Phayu cosplaying for everyone (because as they said, cosplaying is something Phayu does for Rain, and only him). But, nop, our boy got mad because Phayu was talking with our beautiful girl Natsu. And is more weird when you focus on what Phayu said to Rain when he was confronted: Rain said Phayu was kissing that woman, and Phayu said that’s something he only does with him (aka he only kisses Rain). 

Look, we have the var way to high for dealing with Phayu mocking Rain most of the time so I maybe my biases toward Pai and Rain makes me wanna grab Phayu and making him understand that Rain needs verbal validation AND backup when they are with people and not only when they are by themselves. Like, the boy is crying because he always gets made fun of and Phayu goes and does that. 

But overall, Phayu does know how to approach Rain and make him feel good not only physically but mentally too. He knows how to get on Rain's good side because he understands the reason why he got mad is important to him. Also, I am going to fully believe (I will in fact pretend the scene where Rain confronted Sky and saying stuff along the lines of “you knew they were coming all along?” is not a scene perse and just a fever dream BECAUSE I WANT TO) Rain did all of that - ignoring Phayu and going on a trip with Sky-  because he wanted to have something more spicy in their lives and what more can he give to his boyfriend than a perfect honeymoon and unlimited sex in the beach? Exactly, nothing can beat that. 

I don’t have to brag and talk about how beautiful it is to see our Sky have confidence in himself and brag about his boyfriend but also see him struggle too with his known insecurities. I am obsessed with it. I don’t know if I say it but this show actually goes in depth with how the parts of the relationship worked in individuality and then they go about their relationship in pairs. Love is not about finding a boy who will fix all our problems (we wish) but to give us encouragement and support to actually get to that place where we can be fully ourselves. I like that Sky wasn’t automatically “fixed” after him and Pai became official; the nightmares are still there, the insecurities too, are not all gone just because Pai is there. They got better, yes, but not faded. That’s a work in progress and the part in the beach where Pai says he will wait until Sky is ready and even if he is not, he will still be there OH MY GOD, PEAK CINEMATOGRAPHY AND SCREENWRITING. Nothing, and I say, nothing in the BL universe will ever top that scene, sorry for all the BLs to come but my heart has already sealed that place with that scene. 

Masterminds

Also, I think the idea of Rain and Sky planning the trip beforehand and doing it for their boyfriends makes more sense than thinking they were just living in the moment. Like, for real, we are talking about architecture students. I don’t really think they have a bone of spontaneity in their body when it comes to things like their boyfriends. Why else will we have not only Rain BUT Sky too give his boyfriend the time of their lives? Like, they had some planning to do in their free time away, don't get me wrong; they do enjoy it for a while but they do get really into giving their boyfriends a surprise because they both knew they were coming to get them. 

Last thoughts

Anyway, I will say I love this episode more than the entire series all together because of how much I love already established relationships and their dynamics. However, I also think it is a good way to end both couples' stories and show how they work after all the drama they have been through. I love PaiSky more for the emotional support, the slow-burn and the reverse meeting (fucking then feelings) but I like PhayuRain for comfort and cuteness; more from Rain tho. Overall, the story and the elements work really well most of the time and the weather is such a great element present all over the series and gives it a more strong feeling and is a hint on how much the story took effort to build.

Now, let’s go find another show to hyperfixate and write shit about.  

Ratings: 

Plot: 8.5/10 

Directing: 9 (first half) - 7 (last half) /10 

Acting: 8/10 

Satisfaction: 9/10

Overall: 8.5.

[bottlepiecemuses]

Terrible Writing Advice On Smart Characters: One Piece

How nice this episode of Terrible Writing Advice drops while we are on Egghead Island because it brings up how not to do a smart type of character. And I realized how in many ways that the Strawhats has many types of smart characters. Not one is an expert in everything and is disciplined in a certain field. For the strawhats who are disciplines here is the list: Chopper-medicine; Nami- navigation/weather; Franky-machinery/shipwright; Robin- archeologist; tinkering- Ussop. A lot of their skills have been used for exposition and for combat as well. Look at how Ussop makes weapons for many people, Franky as well. Chopper made the rubble balls and Nami again uses the climatact and her knowledge of weather science and later weather sorcery to help her fight. Again their fields help them achieve their goals and serve as a theme of how each one brings something to the table to make their crew succeed. It shows how being the smart guy can be versatile. 

As for the mad scientist part, we have tons of mad scientists in One Piece which includes the likes of Caesar Clown, Judge, Queen, and Hogback. One interesting thing is that many have expertise in a field or two. For instance, Judge is focused on cloning, genetic engineering, and super weapons, Queen has focus on bio-weapons, cybernetics, and machinery, Caesar Clown on chemistry and biogenetics,  and Hogback is on medicine. Of course, as shown here the mad scientist part is because of how unethical they can be but it is shown again these people have a focus on a field and know how to really use it and usually stick to their field of knowledge when you see how they work. And again all these people seem to be skilled in a certain discipline instead of instantly being an expert in all fields unlike other scientists in other media. 

Another thing noticed is that again cut Luthor a check is averted because they do sell their skills to others. With Caesar Clown being the most prominent, since he’s part of the Smile’s operation and sells his bioweapons. While Judge doesn’t sell his stuff, he does use his expertise to sell his services as assassins. Queen and Hogback don’t do that type of stuff but just serve their masters. With Hogback, he already made money off from being a doctor and was just obsessed with mastering death to bring back the woman he lusted over. Queen himself is less focused on profit since he was a Calamity under Kaido, but also the fact he’s a sadist who wants to put new ways to do warfare. So, in a way, he doesn’t need money to really enrich himself

I do notice that of them all Caesar Clown tends to be the one who is both a hack when he tries to imitate Vegapunk but an expert when it comes to what his field is. I do think the reason why he’s second rate is because stuff like the artificial devil fruit are out of his field since Vegapunk is a rather versatile scientist who is beyond regulars. So Caesar set himself up for failure by trying to imitate Vegapunk’s mastery and it’s actually kind of a deconstruction of how a scientist can fail hard if they don’t know the mastery or expertise behind recreating another’s scientists work if they don’t have the skill. 

And of course, we get to Vegapunk a character who until recently has finally revealed after being played up for many years. Of course, as we see he’s the embodiment of the archetype of the brainy scientist and is acknowledged as being ahead of his time so much that he’s said to be 500 years ahead. He does seem to be one of the few depicted omnicdisiplinary scientist which is a scientist who is presented as being able to do any science. And in a way, it also makes him a dangerous asset because he can create so much that it can become more and more a threat to the government’s standing. Another thing I notice from here that even though he’s multidisciplinary there are stuff he can’t know or do because of the difficulties replicating results. And another thing mentioned why he can’t sell his ideas is because of lack of funds and because it would be difficult for common people to replicate what he’s created. And again it’s a good look into what being a multidisciplinary scientist can be. It’s an aspect of a scientist I notice not utilized much for his archetype but it’s very interesting that Oda noted. 

[dramashii]

A 2022 Recap: My 5 favorite dramas of the year

2022 was an interesting year. I didn’t watch as many dramas as I hoped to have had, so making this list wasn’t as hard as I expected it to be. 

Disclaimer: This list is purely based on my own enjoyment of the show. They come in no particular order. This list is subjective, and will only include dramas that premiered in 2022 or have had their last episode air this year.  

Our Beloved Summer (SBS,Netflix)

“A life without love is like a year without summer.” 

This was absolutely beautiful. The cinematography, the music, and the chemistry between the leads were amazing. Watching this is like watching a movie. It was well-written and poetic. Notwithstanding the fact that I initially found the relationship between the leads toxic, this is actually a really solid romance drama. The characters were able to outgrow these toxic characteristics later on when they were older and gave the viewers a beautiful take on a second chance romance. 

Twenty Five, Twenty One (tvN, Netflix)

This drama taught me what love was. I have never seen a connection between two characters as beautiful as what Na Hee Do and Baek Yijin shared. It’s been 9 months and I still think about them from time to time. 

This drama captured the beauty of youth, first loves, and fighting for your dreams. Definitely was broken hearted with the ending. I didn’t need a happy ending; I just want one that made sense. I felt cheated when I first watched it, but then I realized how this drama literally resurrected me from my drama slump. Sometimes we forget how beautiful something was in the beginning, just because of its ending. The first 3/4 of the drama was definitely a 10. Regardless of how it tied everything, this was definitely one of the best dramas I’ve seen in my entire life. 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (ENA, Netflix)

This is the best surprise I had this year. I wasn’t really keeping up with the news surrounding this drama nor was I planning on watching it. I just started it on a whim one night and easily fell in love with it.

 Although I love the portrayal of the romance, the real star of the show is the growth of Woo Young Woo as a lawyer. I love how each case she handles ties in with important themes in society. I especially like how this drama highlights the treatment of autistic people, since the titular character is one. You will definitely see how she tries to fit in, in a world where people have so many prejudices against people like her. 

Relevant themes, unique, well-acted and heartwarming. This is definitely one of the best dramas this year. 

A Dream of Splendor (Tencent)

This historical drama filled in what I was looking for in Chinese dramas for so long: a good, solid historical romance.

Well-acted and has a sensible plot. This drama is considerate to the eyes and the brain. I also liked how there is a story outside the romance. The 3 women’s journeys to finding their places in a male-dominated world is to root for. I especially liked each woman had a different personality and at some point, even had different directions in their lives, but they still kept their strong friendship in the end. 

Love Between Fairy and Devil (iQiyi)

The hype is real guys. This is the xianxia drama of the year.

This is straight out like a fairytale. “What happens when the villain falls in love?” Watch him damn the whole world just so he can kiss her one last time. 

The CGI, costumes, music, and the overall aesthetic of this drama was absolutely beautiful. I definitely think this is a good drama to watch as an introduction to the world of xianxia dramas. 

Runner Ups

A Business Proposal (SBS, Netflix)

This definitely reminded me so much of old-school romcom Kdramas which I missed so much. This is cliche done right. It almost has every trope you’ll find often plagued in Kdramas, but this drama did it so well. 

I do wish the ending was different. Definitely a drama to watch if you just want to turn off your brain and watch two most unlikely people fall in love. 

Lighter and Princess (Youku)

Definitely a guilty-pleasure. I really enjoyed the transitions of the relationship of the main couple. They started out as academic rivals, then became co-workers, then friends, then lovers, broke up, met again in a new workplace, became friends again, then got back together. Objectively, it’s not the best drama out there. The second half most especially felt lacking, and I didn’t like the “villain” of the story. Still this drama got me so hooked I bought a Youku subscription.

Maybe it was because of the chemistry between the leads, maybe it was because of Arthur Chen’s dashing looks, or maybe it was the fact that it rekindled my love for bad boys. I can’t pinpoint specifically what made this drama so addictive. But I do know for sure that this is my favorite modern Chinese romance drama of the year. 

[sonic-candy]

♥︎♥︎♥︎ Kawashimo and Yamanoue ♥︎♥︎♥︎

♦︎♦︎♦︎ Miri and Jetter Mars ♦︎♦︎♦︎

Oooh this was HUGE, but I finally got it done. Tumblr’s crappy search and tagging did not make it easy to find the headcanons I made a while ago, so sorry for the long wait!

Also I never finished the Anime (I know how it ends tho) and flipped through the manga. Spoilers ahoy!

Kawashimo

Sexuality Headcanon: Hard to say as he made Miri so you claim gay/bi or he wanted a kid without adoption/marriage, so you can add Ace/Demi to that possibility as well. I'll go with straight.

Gender Headcanon: Cis male

A ship I have with said character: I guess with Yamanore but we don't see them interact that often to really convince that could be a couple.

A BROTP I have with said character: Again, Yamanore.

A NOTP I have with said character: Any villain characters. Also goes without saying but no underage or (pseudo-) incest!

A random headcanon: He's created the Kokoro equivalent in this universe and installed it in Mars, so he mentally grows up and becomes more heroic.

General Opinion over said character: He seems like a Ochanomizu clone and not much of his own character IMO. While I don't hate him, I don't find him interesting.

Yamanoue

Sexuality Headcanon: Unlike Tenma who was married with a kid, there's no mention of his familyHe does have this traditional masculine-like attitude so he can be straight or in the closet. He could also be ace/demi.

Gender Headcanon: Cis male

A ship I have with said character: Kawashimo being the only person he seem to respect.

A BROTP I have with said character: Kawashimo, again. Maybe he'll get along with (better)Miri after the series ends.

A NOTP I have with said character: Any villain characters. Also goes without saying but no underage or (pseudo-) incest!

A random headcanon: Like Tenma, he’s on the Autism scale too.

Bonus: I gave him the first name of ’Okuran’. Okura is the name of an ancient Japanese poet, Yamanoue No Okura, and the Japanese name of the Okra plant that his sideburns resemble.

General Opinion over said character: If Tenma was more of a hot head and an jingoistic then you’ll get this guy. Despite that, he never abandoned Mars purposefully and even tried to hash things out with him before he was supposedly killed off but was actually captured. Him and Mars had great chemistry together and I wish he appeared in a few more episodes with him.

(Jetter) Mars

Sexuality Headcanon: He had a crush on a robot girl and an alien like girl so either straight or Bi. Gender Headcanon: Cis male

A ship I have with said character: The alien girl was cute, basically genderbent version of Bem for Astro Boy. The robot girl was a teenager so that wouldn't work out.

A BROTP I have with said character: Other than Miri and Melchi I can't say.

A NOTP I have with said character: Any villain characters. Also goes without saying but no (pseudo-) incest!

A random headcanon:

General Opinion over said character: He's basically a genderbent Uran with Astro's powers who slowly becomes a caring and more considerate hero like Astro but a bit more playful.

Miri

Sexuality Headcanon: She's pretty accepting so really It can be anything.

Gender Headcanon: Cis woman

A ship I have with said character: None, she's pretty much in the background sadly.

A BROTP I have with said character: Mars and Melchi.

A NOTP I have with said character: Any villain characters. Also goes without saying but no underage or (pseudo-) incest!

A random headcanon:

General Opinion over said character: Like most woman in Astro Boy, she gets pushed to side and never really had her chance to shine. She has the ability to fix machine by simply touching them yet that was only used in the first episode. It’s doubtful but should we ever get a Reboot (After we get an AB one but who knows when that’ll be..) I’ll love to see her a bit more fleshed out rather be the ‘Generic nice girl’.

[mejomonster]

Watching Enterprise, from the get go its obviously inspired by the Kirk Spock McCoy trifecta. Archer is a middle balanced leader like Kirk, McCoy and Trip are more emotionally driven in the sense of heart on their sleeve, T'Pol and Spock represent logic. Now of course this oversimplifies: Archer is not as good at balancing in some ways, Spock is a lot more emotional at times, Trip does not make as emotion-based decisions as McCoy. But overall, I think that 3 person balance from TOS is what Enterprise was trying to recreate.

I think initially, Archer/T'Pol was explored because its a straight Kirk/Spock dynamic, so easier to explore canonically and go more in depth with. Now, ultimately (from what I've seen into season 3 so far) the show didn't have Archer/T'Pol become a romantic couple. So it actually turned out quite similar to Kirk/Spock in terms of what was explicitly explored: different species and people with different values learning to become a solid leadership team and close partners who trust each other deeply. (And of course, again, these characters arent exact matchups to the TOS counterparts so a platonic matchup in Archer/TPol compared to what i interpret as romantic subtext with spock/kirk makes sense, given they are their own unique characters).

Then, Enterprise decided to explore their McCoy/Spock dynamic equivalent, Trip/T'Pol. Which is a bit wild to me, just someone deciding "ohhh we have Bones and Spock type roles, can we put them in a romance?" Its fun. I get the desire to try it out. And its also interesting for its unique new elements: T'Pol is only vulcan and culturally has no reference for humans (unlike Spock) and way more social pressures to Push Humans away (her bosses constantly insist her choices are Wrong, despite her finding personal value in working on Enterprise and valuing the things shes accomplishing). Trip is part of this earlier starfleet that is not yet used to other species, but he's very open to learning (despite his emotional reactions he was open to the woman who got him pregnant, the cogenitor, the high monarch, and despite complaints about tpol's attitude he's willing to keep extending her olive branches and sharing cultural information in the hopes she'll explain from her side, and communicates concerns to her about misunderstandings). Trip is Very willing to learn and adjust to new species (in a way McCoy maybe wouldnt immediately work as hard at if flirting with an alien in terms, even though he'd still care). For Trip and T'Pol, the idea of a relationship between species is SO unheard of from T'Pols end, and very much something Trip is open to considering on his end - while also being still quite brand new to human culture.

I just saw the episode where Trip mentions people were gossiping about why he spends time at T'Pols late at night, concerned people will think they're hookingup, and TPol says its no one else's business if they are. And its just... ues, on one level of course I see the writers Trying to push this romantic tension to see if it will work. But on the other hand, I do think it works. (I think in a perfect world lol, it could have worked in a less contrived way, as simply putting them together in random scenes would have also served fine to develop a romance, possibly that wouldve felt more natural than this neuropressure reason). I do think this neuropressure plot reason, while a bit overtly forced (the writers didnt need a half naked intimate forced daily situation to create chemistry and development), does work for them. The characters themselves are simply treating it platonically, Trip being helped because TPol does wish to help and considers him a friend. Trip being himself and open to other culture's experiences/knowledge, and using it as an opportunity to (as he has been) offer TPol olive branches as thanks (and because he always has tried to become her friend), such as continuing to invite her to movies, to give her peaches (a big gesture honestly), to massage her too.

And so their friendship feels to be becoming more solid, which is in character. And its of course in character, for Trip to be concerned for TPol - to make sure SHE is okay with them being half naked, to make sure SHE isnt burdened with helping him and actually Wants to help and isnt irritated by the time of hers occupied, wants to make sure she KNOWS gossip has started and tells him how she would like him to respond. Hed be happy to stop their meetups if she wants to, to stop it if she doesnt want the gossip or her time taken up by him. So her assuring him that she does not mind, and wants to continue, is very comforting to Trip. 1. Because he wants her to be okay, and 2. Because she's assuring him that she does genuinely value their time spent together helping him/receiving his trades in return, enough that she doesn't care about outside consequences. He feels like she values him, and its not just obligation. He feels assured shes comfortable and would say something if she wasnt, which hes often unsure of (since she Lovessss to bottle her own discomfort and not mention how irritated she sometimes is).

I like trip/tpol being explored and I'm excited to see where it goes. They do mesh extremely well together as characters interacting.

[tenpintsofsundrop]

I haven't seen the episodes with Maxine, but I remember watching the Maeve episodes as they came out - and that storyline was just confusing to me.

I watched those episodes when I was in early high school, when I had a lot lower emotional maturity, and a lot less emotional comprehension, so everything you're saying about Maeve being manipulative makes so much sense (and I would love to go back and rewatch those episodes now through an adult lens)

but I just remember thinking "hey, Spencer, this woman is making no effort to actually see you in person or embrace you! it seems like she doesn't even like you so why are you trying so hard!" - to me, it didn't feel romantic, it felt like Maeve was so suspect, and they were going to reveal that she was an UnSub.

Especially the payphone thing - it makes no sense to call someone from the exact same payphone every single week. It would be so easy for someone to show up to that payphone booth and shoot you or kill you or kidnap you. like hmm???

and weren't he and Maeve exchanging letters? isn't snailmail like such an easy way to track someone???

she was acting so weird (and definitely not the 'I'm in danger so I'm being paranoid' kind of weird) - and I 100% thought that the show was going to reveal her to be someone mining Spencer for information about a BAU case, or a killer, or someone stalking him. SOMETHING.

when she got shot in front of him I got upset just because Spencer clearly (weirdly) loved her and the show needlessly made him depressed again. I wasn't upset because they were actually a good romantic fit.

I think the show was trying so hard to make her like 'manic pixie dream girl?' or do the thing that they did with Kevin and Penelope and basically have him dating the female version of himself - because she's smart, she reads a lot, she knows the obscure references he makes, she's a #nerd. but they didn't have any real chemistry and she clearly didn't even like him ??

and yeah, I totally agree about your picks for his love interests - he had way more chemistry with Lila than he ever did with Maeve.

also, it's weird that the 'excuse' Maeve used to not see Spencer in person was that she had a big bad evil stalker (who turned out who be a petite easily killable - or easily punchable woman) - when that was the exact same circumstance Lila had? and rather than being like "you shouldn't be near me!!! it's too dangerous!!!" she was constantly using Spencer as a BODY SHIELD because hmm - she knew what was up. having an excuse to cuddle him and hiding behind the man with the gun.

like, Spencer actually saved Lila's life because he spent enough time with her to know how to talk her stalker down, he had grown close to her to know those personal secrets - and I think if Maeve had actually tried going to him for protection, it could have been the same. at the very least, he could have seen the girl coming and shot her.

but nah. the producers just wanted a weird elusive manic pixie dream girl (someone who is better in fantasies than irl) - who dies in order to give Spencer more trauma

Wait what's wrong with Maeve and Maxine 😭😭 and I do agree that there's sm off with Garcia in CME

There’s nothing wrong with them, really. If you like them, then power to you. The show is fictional and so are the characters, and I don’t ever recommend that people care as much about prime-time television writing as I do lmao.

That being said, I have a few complaints about Maeve as a character and Maxine as a partner for Spencer. I’ll put them below because it’s a lot.

For starters, Maeve is an awful geneticist. I’m also confused as to what the hell her job is. If you have an understanding of medical science, you know that absolutely no part of their story makes sense unless Maeve is an awful person.

(For the record, I don’t think the writers understand medical science, so this is probably unintentional.)

We’re introduced to Maeve as the woman who cured Spencer’s headaches. When he explains how she did that, the “magical cure” is, in fact, the equivalent of a multivitamin. Setting aside how unlikely it is that none of Spencer’s doctors could identify a very basic nutritional deficiency, it’s absolutely absurd that Maeve would recommend high doses of vitamins to someone who isn’t her patient.

(Is she even a medical doctor. Do we ever get confirmation? You don’t need to be to be a geneticist. I know because I’ve worked for one.)

That leads to the next question. Why the FUCK did she agree to read someone’s brain scans? You are NOT a radiologist and you’re not a neurologist. You have NO idea what you’re doing.

Now we move into her even more serious ethical violations.

Maeve identifies this man who is desperately seeking care for (what appear to be) psychosomatic symptoms as a result of trauma and stress. Instead of, I don’t know, helping him access psychiatric care he clearly needs, she…

That’s right! She starts dating him!

Maeve is a master manipulator. We see it repeatedly. Every time that Spencer begins to open up to her or offer her any vulnerability, she responds by either mocking the things he enjoys or by suddenly freezing him out. The one extended conversation we see between the two of them, Spencer expresses the desire to get to know her better, and once again offers his very specialized assistance in her exact problem.

What does Maeve do in response? She refuses to answer. The call goes silent, and she immediately proceeds to heavily guilt him while he apologizes in excess. She starts to vocally cry, but then immediately stops when he retracts his feelings.

Then, when he is devastated by being rejected, she tells him that she loves him and hangs up the phone.

What?

Then we get introduced to Bobby—the very recent fiancé that Maeve completely refused to mention. We hear from Maeve’s parents that Bobby was “controlling,” but when we see him, and how he interacts with Maeve… he’s completely normal? In fact, he seems genuinely concerned for her safety.

We have no reason to believe Bobby was ever acting against her best interests. She sure didn’t give a shit what happened to him, though, or else she could’ve helped him (and herself) by simply letting the FBI help her with a very basic and unsophisticated stalker that was identified in like five seconds.

Maeve didn’t want help. Maeve didn’t want Spencer to be cured. She wanted him to be available and rely on her because she was bored. She was lonely and she exploited a sick man for company. She left Bobby because she was worried about his safety. Didn’t give a fuck about Spencer’s, though.

I think Spencer knew that, too. Because even in his fantasy of her, he playfully corrects her just for her to shut him down for “arguing” with her. Because he corrected something she said that was literally just wrong.

So, that’s why I hate her.

(Don’t even get me started on how nothing they did made sense to avoid a stalker. You had Spencer call the same number every week on the same time through the same mechanism. Her number. She never changed her number. How many times does the BAU tell us that routine is a stalker’s best friend? Come on, man.)

Moving on to Maxine.

She’s fine. Really, I don’t have any qualms with who she is as a person except for the fact she’s a teacher who hates her job (and her name). You’re telling me this woman who went through school for art history hates children’s art? What?

Also, why are you devaluing children’s art? They’re kids. Are you okay?

The first thing we learn about her is that she’s a teacher, but she hates it because children’s art is lame. So, with a man’s permission (Spencer), she leaves that job to go work for the Smithsonian (Finally! A prestigious enough career for her!).

Setting aside how cringeworthy that notion is, it’s not even the worst part about that storyline.

My problem with her is the way they set up their relationship. Saturday begins with Spencer expressing his (very autistic) concerns about connecting with other people. In response, the psychologist essentially tells him to… just be normal, dude.

That’s when we meet Max, who then spends the rest of their onscreen time together constantly reminding Spencer how fucking weird he is and he should just chill out and be normal.

Pass.

That whole idea of “ommmggg we’re not dating okay it’s super chill and casual 🙄 we’re not dating it’s not even that serious 😒 he’s NOT my boyfriend I don’t want to call him that 😬” is also… not cute. It’s very juvenile and sort of insulting. It always came off to me as her repeatedly saying she doesn’t even really like him that much, she’s just there because the narrative needs her.

Then we get Date Night. What a fucking disaster of an episode. Here, we get to see Cat and Spencer reduced to absolute idiots who randomly believe a basic ass young woman’s super manufactured story about how she murdered someone.

Are you serious? Cat Adams, an actual serial killer, can’t tell when someone isn’t an actual murderer?

SPENCER REID, AN ACTUAL GENIUS AND A DECORATED BEHAVIORAL PROFILER, CAN’T TELL WHEN HIS GIRLFRIEND IS LYING ABOUT BEING A MURDERER?

Of course, we’re meant to believe she’s “just that good,” and also seemingly totally fine under the pressure of her family being kidnapped and potentially murdered.

(Maybe she is a psychopath?)

Her little jokes about Cat as a “mean girl but stabby” are so poorly received in the context of the episode. We have Spencer, still reeling from JJ’s forced confession and the upcoming loss of his mother, lamenting about how he really needs to stop basing his whole identity on the women who love him. Yet, that’s exactly what Max is there for. To be “better than Cat” so he has someone new to attach his mouth to.

(Also, super fucking weird she abandoned her family and kissed him after saying how much he liked kissing Cat, but we’ll move past that.)

Max is a mediocre character and a misogynist’s attempt to make a girlboss. She is also a way for the writers to reinforce that Spencer will only be deserving of love when he stops being so autistic “weird” and learns to just be “normal.”

Spencer frankly deserves better than that. This is why I’ve always loved his love interests like Lila and Austin. They reveled in Spencer’s “weirdness.” They found his real personality charming and cute. They were nice to him because they actually liked him.

So, that’s why I don’t like Maeve and Maxine. Feel free to disagree, but you should probably argue with someone else because I’ve developed my opinion after (too) many rewatches. I don’t see my perspective changing much.

That brings me back to how I started this rant, though. This is a fictional serial television show. It’s not literature to be preserved forever. It’s just our fun little copaganda show, and you can enjoy it however you want! That is your right, and you shouldn’t let me rain on your parade.

Just have fun! That’s what fandom is all about.

[noblechaton]

I've seen Voyage of the Damned twice in the last few weeks (once with Ari and once alone) and funnily enough I feel I'm kind of two minds on it and wanted to further blabber about Doctor Who things so

on one hand I think the special is probably the weakest of the era. it has this almost dour feeling throughout given that basically all of the side characters - most of whom are entertaining but really one note and bland otherwise - get fucking killed throughout the episode lmao. the plot feels really thin in that the entire story is "a CEO guy is so mad that his company failed and shareholders bailed that he's sabotaging them by killing thousands on the ship and potentially 6+ million on the planet below which is the earth btw". it's a really simple story that's kinda written as simple as it sounds and the entire hour feels more flash than substance

Astrid in particular is maybe the worst companion - as temporary as she is - in the era thanks to how aggressively one note and boring she is. she wants to see the stars and is just another blonde woman the Doctor ends up kissing twice for no real reason, especially given their chemistry did not really exist (tho Tennant sells that shit as hard as he can all the same - a true pro). like going from the end of series 3 where the Doctor may finally have overcome his romantic grief in relation to Rose thanks to Martha's wakeup call into an hour where the Doctor makes out with another random girl who has no screen presence or connection with him is a huge misstep imo and whatever attempt at romance they tried here actively takes away from the episode. it felt mandatory and not like some natural thing that came about throughout the course of the episode. really forced and very annoying

and on the whole it just isn't very strong. it doesn't really leave much of an impression bc the setting of a ship's interior is largely bland, the plot is fairly barebones and even the "alien" designs are. basically just humans? I really didn't get this, like makeup can be tough and I understand not wanting to do it for a huge cast like is featured early on but. why are they all just humans. there's nothing really said or done to make them stand out from humanity but they're not meant to be humans but they're just. humans. except for Bannakaffalatta

but on the other I actually think it carries a somewhat darker depth similar to the depth found in runaway bride and christmas invasion even - there's an underlying current that ties into the ongoing themes around the 10th Doctor and it becomes really apparent at the end where he's outright told that it's not up to him who lives and who dies and I really loved that exchange between him and the uh faux Earth expert guy it's probably the highlight of the special and really sets the stage for what comes in series 4 and the specials that follow

I also think it's the best the show has looked to this point where it still has that visual charm but isn't too blurry or unfocused. the effects are largely solid and the music has reached that masterpiece level it'll stay at through at least the rest of the era with bombastic themes well mixed with those softer melodies. the writing is also largely fine as is sort of typical of RTD by this stage - the dialogue is snappy and fun even if it lacks in some areas and is a bit too simple in others. they've been good at this for a while now but this is where they're firing greatness on all cylinders

there's some other odds and ends that I both love and hate. I think the TARDIS once again being rendered useless is annoying if only because I think having it could have made the story more interesting - ala Runaway Bride - while I really enjoyed the married couple every time they were on screen. Alonzo is a fun character and his side of the story is probably the best but I also find it really funny how he just stands around with a bullet (from a fucking revolver btw. a HUMAN GUN. hello.) inside of him the entire time and that he survives all of this and presumably goes on to bang Captain Jack at least once

anyway it's a really mixed bag and ultimately really middling I feel even if that just makes it fine at worst really (the power of RTD tbh). weakest holiday special for sure - it doesn't feel like a christmas special at all btw lmao - and going from Last of the Time Lords into this could almost make it seem as if the quality of the writing is decaying and I could see myself being concerned of just such a situation if this were my first time seeing all of this, or if I'd watched these come out in real time way back when

but thankfully as we all know that's not true - for, next episode, Donna's back and we hit the peak of the mountain

[bronx-bomber87]

Oh my lord where to begin…My adrenaline from that ep was sky high in the best way. First off the ep as a whole was fantastic I enjoyed every bit. Chenford had my heart racing the entire episode. This is the kind of angst I’m talking about. Where it drives them and their story forward. We got to have a glimpse into them dealing with Lucy as UC deep cover as a couple for first time. Having days apart from each other. It was fascinating and amazing to watch.

First off they looked like a BAMF power couple in the beginning at roll call my god. Tim ensuring his CI would be sure to take care of her cause he asked, and it was about her. That CI must’ve gotten some fierce protector Tim. Her calling it ‘Under Cover Love’ and him smirking. Loves this woman so much.

The flirting they had going on was primo. Her trying to check in on him emotionally and him combatting it with his version of flirting with her. His stupid in love smile when she calls him a jerk. I’m diabetic at how sweet this interaction was. Telling him not to watch top chef without her. I love the idea of them snuggled up binging shows together. Little glimpse into their non work life.

These chats on the phone gave me serious Alias vibes which made me happy. Show was my first love and ship. If you ever watched that show you’ll know what I’m referring to. The main ship was a handler and his agent. I was getting that from this mission and loving it. The fierce protector watching his love do her thing and trying to keep himself in check. He was visibly shaken by the possibility of Frank making a move on Lucy. Didn’t hide his feelings at all. He was twitching almost at the thought. Grey trying to help him rein it in. Poor Tim.

Watching his whole body reaction to her being ok after the drive by. The audible sigh of relief. Eric really crushed this episode with his reactions/facial expressions while she was in the field. Melissa too crushed this episode. The desperation in her voice when he suggests meeting up at her laundry room. She’s so eager to get to the one who centers her and make her feel safe. That hug was cathartic for them both. First time both of them could breathe.

The rest of that scene phew lord. If you needed their chemistry on display. Watch that scene. Lightning in a bottle chemistry these two. Eric and Melissa are so good at conveying so much by doing the smallest things. His facial expressions, the way she touches his jacket and leans into him. Wanting him to check in with her because he’s clearly shaken. Her confronting him with it. She knows he’s not ok and wants him to talk to her. He’s trying to do what Grey told him and treat her like any other UC.

The hitch in her voice when he tries to leave and she tells him to lock the door. My god. They legit had adrenaline filled I almost got killed laundry room sex. His smirk after she says it. I’m here for it. This ep delivered so much. I loved him bringing it back up later. After he knows she’s done. I was smiling so hard. One of the best eps of season IMO. Has so much goodness.

The cuteness of them at her apt. Her wanting sexy time with him before she conks out. Then poor Tim his PTSD from Isabel was showing hard. Saying how she would’ve unwound from an op. Lucy countering with what SHE would do. He’s still stuck in his PTSD when she asks about the ally arrest. Where he almost died. She wants to know these things Tim. Her calling him out on it. Saying she isn’t Isabel. She isn’t gonna react or decompress the same.

I love that she challenges him still. That hasn’t changed since they got together. Forces him to face what he’s feeling and tell her. This is the kind of angst I’m wanting and talking about. It’s productive and so good for them. Moves them forward as a couple. By her doing this he finally voices a fear of his. Her not listening when he wants her to pull away. Her reassuring she would never let it get that deep or far. Then the best line of the scene. Him voicing his deepest fear of all. Losing her the way he lost Isabel. Her reassuring him again and getting another cathartic hug in. So proud of him for telling her this. It was needed after last ep.

Hot damn this episode was good. Eric and Melissa were incredible solo and together. Their ability to command a scene emotionally whether that’s together or solo floors me. We’re so lucky to have them and get to watch them. I can’t believe this is the second to last episode, but I’m a happy camper said it all season. Could not be happier with this season if I tried. Anxious and excited to see what this finale will bring for them. ❤️

[gilmores-glorious-blog]

damn, i can’t believe pre-reform spock is straight 😔