#v 5x17

[viking-chaos]

Hvitserk & Thora | Marco Ilsø & Eve Connolly Vikings | 5.17: The Most Terrible Thing

[samepisodebracket]

Round 1 Finished!

Round 1 polls have all ended! Winners and the percentage by which they won are below the cut. Any episode that won by less than 20% is bolded.

A few notes on the winners:

Only 17 out of 48 winners are from the post-Kripke era.

No episodes from seasons 10 or 15 made it into Round 2.

While the majority of polls were sweeps, the closest race by far was Pac-Man Fever v. Into the Mystic, with PMF coming out on top by 0.6% in the end.

Most polls had around 200-250 votes, with a few outliers in the more controversial polls. Group 24 (3x03 v 3x08 v 6x13) had 446 votes, Group 4 (3x11 v 13x19 v 1x10) had 454 votes, and Group 9 (2x17 v 7x17 v 4x13) had 497 votes.

Only 2 of the 10 episodes from season 5 didn't make it, with one of them losing out to another s5 episode (Swap Meat to Changing Channels). This makes season 5 the most represented season going into Round 2.

Round 2 will be 16 more polls of 3 and will start this Sammy Sunday, 4/2!

Scarecrow (1x11) - 1.8%

Pilot (1x01) - 66.7%

Nightmare (1x14) - 37.7%

Mystery Spot (3x11) - 38.4%

Bloody Mary (1x05) - 74.6%

Metamorphosis (4x04) - 41.7%

Swan Song (5x22) - 83.9%

The Man Who Knew Too Much (6x22) - 75.6%

The Born-Again Identity (7x17) - 7.1%

Hunted (2x10) - 10.2%

On the Head of a Pin (4x16) - 43.8%

Road Trip (9x10) - 20.3%

Shadow (1x16) - 58.5%

Peace of Mind (14x15) - 17.4%

The Girl Next Door (7x03) - 20.6%

When the Levee Breaks (4x21) - 68.3%

Born Under a Bad Sign (2x14) - 15.7%

Home (1x09) - 47.8%

Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie (7x14) - 13.1%

Lucifer Rising (4x22) - 75.7%

Hello, Cruel World (7x02) - 85.4%

I Know What You Did Last Summer (4x09) - 59.6%

Free to be You and Me (5x03) - 22.8%

Bad Day at Black Rock (3x03) - 4.5%

Repo Man (7x15) - 50.2%

Changing Channels (5x08) - 11.7%

The Song Remains the Same (5x13) - 10.7%

Playthings (2x11) - 51.1%

Dark Side of the Moon (5x16) - 58.9%

Sacrifice (8x23) - 57.9%

Good God, Y'all! (5x02) - 70%

American Nightmare (12x04) - 69.2%

Houses of the Holy (2x13) - 89.2%

Sam, Interrupted (5x11) - 81.8%

All Hell Breaks Loose Part 2 (2x22) - 51%

Appointment in Samarra (6x11) - 14%

The Great Escapist (8x21) - 6.8%

Lost and Found (13x01) - 23.2%

All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1 (2x21) - 76.2%

99 Problems (5x17) - 60.4%

Devil's Trap (1x22) - 47.4%

Just My Imagination (11x08) - 49.2%

It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester (4x07) - 24.2%

Red Meat (11x17) - 85%

Pac-Man Fever (8x20) - 0.6%

It's a Terrible Life (4x17) - 84.8%

My Bloody Valentine (5x14) - 82.8%

Meet the New Boss (7x01) - 29.2%

[consoledacup]

I know you’re bad with predictions but if you were to estimate the number of episodes allocated to jordayla’s angst arc out of 13, what number would it be?

Glad you know my brand!

From the v limited stuff we've been given, I see the angst happening in self-contained episodes. Like 5x05, 5x17, 5x08... they go through conflict, but then they resolve it.

Maybe an exception is the Patience situation. That's gotta be putting Layla in a lot of turmoil. So in that case, could be no more than 3 eps?

I don't see them in an angst arc just yet. Although if it's Jordan's feeling unappreciated during wedding planning, it could v well take up multiple episodes. Time will tell!

[supernovagifs]

Pretty Little Liars Masterlist

Below are/will be episodes of

Season 1

1x1 - Pilot

1x2 - The Jenna Thing

1x3 - To Kill a Mocking Girl

1x4 - Can You Hear Me Now?

1x5 - Reality Bite Me

1x6 - There's No Place Like Homecoming

1x7 - The Homecoming Hangover

1x8 - Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone

1x9 - The Perfect Storm

1x10 - Keep Your Friends Close

1x11 - Moments Later

1x12 - Salt Meets Wound

1x13 - Know Your Frenemies

1x14 - Careful What U Wish 4

1x15 - If at First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again

1x16 - Je Suis Une Amie

1x17 - The New Normal

1x18 - The Badass Seed

1x19 - A Person of Interest

1x20 - Someone to Watch Over Me

1x21 - Monsters in the End

1x22 - For Whom the Bell Tolls

Season 2

2x1 - It's Alive

2x2 - The Goodbye Look

2x3 - My Name Is Trouble

2x4 - Blind Dates

2x5 - The Devil You Know

2x6 - Never Letting Go

2x7 - Surface Tension

2x8 - Save the Date

2x9 - Picture This

2x10 - Touched by an A-ngel

2x11 - I Must Confess

2x12 - Over My Dead Body

2x13 - The First Secret

2x14 - Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares

2x15 - A Hot Piece of 'A'

2x16 - Let the Water Hold Me Down

2x17 - The Blond Leading the Blind

2x18 - A Kiss Before Lying

2x19 - The Naked Truth

2x20 - CTRL:A

2x21 - Breaking the Code

2x22 - Father Knows Best

2x23 - Eye of the Beholder

2x34 - If These Dolls Could Talk

2x25 - UnmAsked

Season 3

3x1 - It Happened 'That Night

3x2 - Blood is the New Black

3x3 - Kingdom of the Blind

3x4 - Birds of a Feather

3x5 - That Girl Is Poison

3x6 - The Remains of the 'A'

3x7 - Crazy

3x8 - Stolen Kisses

3x9 - The Kahn Game

3x10 - What Lies Beneath

3x11 - Single Fright Female

3x12 - The Lady Killer

3x13 - This is a Dark Ride

3x14 - She's Better Now

3x15 - Mona-Mania

3x16 - Misery Loves Company

3x17 - Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Inferno

3x18 - Dead to Me

3x19 - What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted

3x20 - Hot Water

3x21 - Out of Sight, Out of Mind

3x22 - Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

3x23 - I'm Your Puppet

3x24 - A DAngerous GAme

Season 4

4x1 - 'A' is for A-l-i-v-e

4x2 - Turn of the Shoe

4x3 - Cat's Cradle

4x4 - Face Time

4x5 - Gamma Zeta Die!

4x6 - Under the Gun

4x7 - Crash and Burn, Girl!

4x8 - The Guilty Girl's Handbook

4x9 - Into the Deep

4x10 - The Mirror Has Three Faces

4x11 - Bring Down the Hoe

4x12 - Now You See Me, Now You Don't

4x13 - Grave New World

4x14 - Who's in the Box?

4x15 - Love ShAck, Baby

4x16 - Close Encounters

4x17 - Bite Your Tongue

4x18 - Hot for Teacher

4x19 - Shadow Play

4x20 - Free Fall

4x21 - She's Come Undone

4x22 - Cover for Me

4x23 - Unbridled

5x24 - 'A' is for Answers

Season 5

5x1 - EscApe from New York

5x2 - Whirly Girlie

5x3 - Surfing the Aftershocks

5x4 - Thrown from the Ride

5x5 - Miss Me x 100

5x6 - Run, Ali, Run

5x7 - The Silence of E. Lamb

5x8 - Scream for Me

5x9 - March of Crimes

5x10 - A Dark Ali

5x11 - No One Here Can Love or Understand Me

5x12 - Taking This One to the Grave

5x13 - How the 'A' Stole Christmas

5x14 - Through a Glass Darkly

5x15 - Fresh Meat

5x16 - Over a Barrel

5x17 - The Bin of Sin

5x18 - Oh, What Hard Luck Stories They All Hand Me

5x19 - Out, Damned Spot

5x20 - Pretty Isn't the Point

5x21 - Bloody Hell

5x22 - To Plea or Not to Plea

5x23 - The Melody Lingers On

5x24 - I'm a Good Girl, I Am"

5x25 - Welcome to the Dollhouse

Season 6

6x1 - Game On, Charles

6x2 - Songs of Innocence

6x3 - Songs of Experience

6x4 - Don't Look Now

6x5 - She's No Angel

6x6 - No Stone Unturned

6x7 - O Brother, Where Art Thou

6x8 - FrAmed

6x9 - Last Dance

6x10 - Game Over, Charles

6x11 - Of Late I Think of Rosewood

6x12 - Charlotte's Web

6x13 - The Gloves Are On

6x14 - New Guys, New Lies

6x15 - Do Not Disturb

6x16 - Where Somebody Waits for Me

6x17 - We've All Got Baggage

6x18 - Burn This

6x19 - Did You Miss Me?

6x20 - Hush Hush Sweet Liars

Season 7

7x1 - Tick-Tock Bitches

7x2 - Bedlam

7x3 - The Talented Mr Rollins

7x4 - Hit and Run Run Run

7x5 - Along Comes Mary

7x6 - Wanted Dead or Alive

7x7 - Original G'A'ngters

7x8 - Exes and OMGs

7x9 - The Wrath of Kahn

7x10 - The DArkest

7x11 - Playtime

7x12 - These Boots Were Made for Stalking

7x13 - Hold Your Piece

7x14 - Power Play

7x15 - In the Eye Abides the Heart

7x16 - The Glove That Rocks the Cradle

7x17 - Driving Miss Crazy

7x18 - Choose or Lose

7x19 - Farewell My Lovely

7x20 - Till Death Do Us Part

[elivanto]

Iris & Nora deleted scene in The Flash 5x17, requested by anonymous.

[911bts]

SYNOPSIS • 5x17 "Hero Complex"

HEN AND CHIMNEY PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER ON AN ALL-NEW "9-1-1" MONDAY, MAY 9, ON FOX

After a mysterious death, Hen and Chimney put their lives in danger when they suspect that someone is playing God to make themselves look like a hero. Meanwhile, Eddie visits Texas, where he attempts to reconcile with his father in the all-new "Hero Complex" episode of 9-1-1 airing Monday, May 9 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (NIN-517) (TV-14 L, V)

Cast: Angela Bassett as Athena Grant; Peter Krause as Bobby Nash; Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie Kendall; Oliver Stark as Evan "Buck" Buckley; Kenneth Choi as Howie "Chimney" Han; Aisha Hinds as Henrietta "Hen" Wilson; Ryan Guzman as Eddie Diaz; Corinne Massiah as May Grant; Marcanthonee Jon Reis as Harry Grant; Gavin McHugh as Christopher Diaz

Guest Cast: Tracie Thoms as Karen Wilson; Arielle Kebbel as Lucy Donato; Anirudh Pisharody as Ravi Panikkar; Megan West as Taylor Kelly; Brad Durfee as Jonah Greenway; Debra Christofferson as Sue Blevins; Chiquita Fuller as Linda Bates; Declan Pratt as Denny Wilson; George DelHoyo as Ramon Diaz; Paula Marshall as Helena Diaz; Ana Mercedes as Isabel Diaz; Terri Hoyos as Josefina

[chasingfictions]

freak

[n.] any abnormal phenomenon or product or unusual object; anomaly; aberration. // a person or animal on exhibition as an example of a strange deviation from nature; monster. // a sudden and apparently causeless change or turn of events, the mind, etc. // an apparently capricious notion, occurrence,

[adj.] unusual; odd; irregular

[v.]to become or make frightened, nervous, or wildly excited

btvs + "freak"

{1x01 "The Harvest" // 1x09 "The Puppet Show" // 2x09-2x10 "What's My Line" // 3x02 "Dead Man's Party" // 3x05 "Homecoming" // 3x11 "Gingerbread" // 3x19 "The Prom" // 4x02 "Living Conditions" // 4x14 "Goodbye Iowa" // 4x18 "Where the Wild Things Are // 4x19 "New Moon Rising" // 4x21 "Primeval" // 4x22 "Restless" // 5x01 "Buffy vs. Dracula" // 5x03 "The Replacement" // 5x05 "No Place Like Home" // 5x07 "Fool for Love" // 5x16 "The Body" // 5x17 "Forever" // 6x04 "Flooded" - cut shooting script line // 6x05 "Life Serial" // 6x10 "Wrecked" // 6x16 "Hell's Bells" // dictionary.com}

[bing-bang-bingo]

- 4x3: c. 40:00 Cas comforts Dean after Mary makes a deal w/ Azazel

- 4x7: 15:50 Dean stops Sam from shooting Cas, then Sam mentions that he’s “heard a lot about him”

- 4x7: 39:00 Cas tells Dean he prayed he’d save the town, then he tells him about his doubts and Deans future troubles

- 4x10 & ???: Dean calls “last night on Earth” his best line. He uses this line on Cas

- 4x10: 27:15 “Castiel has this weakness. He likes you.”

- 4x10: 32:50 Cas looking jealous and sad when Dean kisses Anna

- 4x16: 7:30 Cas tells Dean he got in trouble for showing emotion and getting to close to Dean. 8:20 “I would give anything not to have you do this”

- 4x16: 39:00 Cas warns Dean to be careful while Dean is in the hospital, they discuss the first seal and saving Dean from hell

- 4x18: 31:30 Cas tells Dean how to save Sam from Lilith even though he’s not allowed to interfere

- 4x20: 38:00 Deans face when Cas tells him he “learned his lesson when he was in heaven”

- 4x22: 30:40 Cas considers rebelling for Dean. 33:00 He does. 35:20 He fights multiple Archangels for Dean

- 5x1: 5:45 Dean denies Cas’ death 8:25 “I learned that from my friend Cas you son of a bitch”

- 5x1: 31:00 Cas saves Sam and Dean from Zach

- 5x3: 6:10 Cas-“I need your help because your the only one who will help me”

- 5x3: 10:20 Dean fixes Cas’ tie and jacket

- 5x4: 38:50 “Don’t Ever Change”

- 5x8: 38:20 Dean makes Gabriel bring Cas back, then makes sure he’s okay

- 5x13: ?:?? Cas won’t let Dean meet with Anna because it’s not safe

- 5x17: 30:30 Cas and Dean discuss what it’s like to have a deadbeat dad

- 5x18: 25:15 Cas kicks Deans ass for trying to sacrifice himself

- 5x21: 3:50 Cas and Dean bickering like and old married couple then Cas gives Dean a heartfelt apology.

- 6x17: 18:55 “No you’re confusing me with the other angel, the one in the dirty trench coat who is in love with you.”

- 6x17: 38:00 Sam: “So you killed 50,000 people for us?” Cas: *looks at Dean*

- 6x19: 25:20 Bobby reassures Cas that they’ll be back soon, Cas acts like a worried and disappointed wife.

- 6x19: 36:25 Cas yelling “Dean!” when Eve bites him

- 6x19: 40:00 Dean is the only one who doesn’t think Cas is working with Crowley (he’s wrong but it’s sweet)

- 6x20: 4:50 Dean v v worried, “But Cas you’ll call right? If you get into real trouble?”

- 6:30 Crowley implies that Cas is distracted by Dean and tells him he reeks of the Impala.

- 7:20 Cas says that Dean taught him how to care and what to care about. Then Cas saves Sam (for Dean)

- 13:15 Cas says that the worst part of working with Crowley (basically his sworn natural enemy) is that it hurt Dean and that he hated lying to him.

- 25:20 Cas refuses to ask Dean for help because he has “sacrificed too much” even though it means Cas could die.

- 26:00 Crowley tells Cas he has a way for everyone to get a happy ending “with all possible entendres intended” while Cas stares longingly at Dean.

- 33:00 Dean is close to tears when he learns that Cas is working with Crowley, Cas says he did it to protect Dean.

- 35:25 “Dammit Cas we can fix this!” “Dean it’s not broken!” He then tells the boys to run from the demon cloud and Dean gives him the saddest look in the world before being forced to leave him behind.

- 38:00 Cas watches Dean sleep. “I’m doing this for you Dean. I’m doing this because of you!”

- 6x21: 22:40 “I do everything you ask. I always come when you call and I am your friend. Still despite your lack of faith in me and now your threats I’ve just saved you yet again. Has anyone but your closest kin ever done more for you?”

- 6x22: Dean to Cas- “Don’t make me lose you, too.”

- 7x2: 5:35 Dean nearly cries on screen when he thinks Cas is dead

- 7x17: Cas says “I remember ~you~” as soon as he regains his memories.

- 7x17: Cas ask why Dean didn’t tell him all the horrible things Cas did. Parallels the conversation Karen and Dean had about telling Bobby she remembered him killing her and her telling Dean that he had never been on love before.

- 7x21: The face Dean makes when he sees Cas again plus the prolonged eye contact when Cas says Deans name.

- 7x21: Hester telling Dean that when Cas first saved him from Hell he was lost- parallels- Lucifer/Jess saying she was dead the moment she met Sam.

- 7x23: 8:50 “Go ask him. He was your boyfriend first.” Meg to Dean about Cas

- 7x23: 32:45 “I’m sorry but I’d rather have you, cursed or not.”

- 7x23: 36:50 Cas steps in to protect Dean despite spending the whole season avoiding fighting and saying he won’t fight.

- 8x2: 25:00 Cas ran away to keep the Leviathans away from Dean. Dean refuses to leave purgatory without Cas.

- 8x7: 20:30 Deans reaction to seeing Cas all cleaned up.

- 8x7: Dean convinced himself that it was his fault Cas was still in purgatory because he’s a sweet idiot boy who hates himself

- 8x7: 35:00 The whole Dean and Cas conversation about purgatory and Cas doing stuff that puts him in danger.

- 8x8: 12:30 Cas just casually going through Deans stuff and Dean not saying anything.

- 8x8: 13:00 Cas offering to watch over Dean while he slept

- 8x8: 15:15 Dean talks to Cas about feelings and heaven even though Dean hates talking about feelings.

- 8x17: Cas fights Naomi’s mind control for Dean

- 8x23: 22:50 Dean and Cas sadly discuss Cas closing the doors of heaven and say goodbye

- 9x1: Dean prays to Cas and tells him he isn’t mad about the angels falling.

- 9x1: Cas’ first instinct is to explain himself to Dean then to come help him.

- 9x1: Dean begs Cas to “for once, look out for yourself.”

- 9x3: 36:45 Dean to Cas after Cas came back from the dead “Don’t you ever do that again!”

- 9x6: Literally just Dean trying desperately the whole episode to hang out with Cas

- 9x10: 26:00 Dean and Cas talk about how Cas is doing and Dean offers him a rare sincere apology. Plus the “I prefer the term ‘trusting’. Less dumb, less ass.” dialogue

- 9x18: Cas’ little smile when Dean makes a joke about Honor Bars and Cas is just so happy to hear his voice.

- 9x18: Metatron’s illusion of Gabriel calls Cas Dean’s boy-toy

- 9x18: Cas can tell something is wrong with Dean, then Cas yells at Dean about getting the Mark of Cain

- 9x22: Cas chooses Dean over all of Heaven once again

- 9x22: The Cas and Dean conversation about the three of them being enough when an army wasn’t and Cas giving up an army all for Dean

- 9x23: “I’m blaming you for taking Cas’ grace.”

- 10x1: 5:00 Cas about Dean- “I miss him.”

- 10x2: 9:00 Cas’ reaction to learning that Dean is a demon

- 10x3: The conversation between Dean and Cas at the end of the episode. “You look terrible” “You on the other hand, your looking good.”

- 10x5: Deans reaction to Cas and Dean actors hugging and holding hands

- 10x5: “Put as much sub into that text as you possibly can.” *looks directly at fake Cas*

- 10x9: 15:00 Cas tells Dean he’s a good role model. Then asks him if he’s okay and when Dean lies and says he is he pushes it further. Dean makes Cas promise to kill him if he goes Dark

- 10x22: Dean and Cas fight and parallel Cain and his Wife.

- 10x23: Dean sees Cas’ bloody face in the mirror

- 11x1: Cas being more worried about Dean than himself even though Cas is under a spell that will kill him.

- 11x2: Dean calling Cas and stressing out when he doesn’t answer

- 11x3: Dean trying to coax Cas out of the attack dog spell, refusing to fight back when Cas was attacking, freaking out when Cas took a minute to wake up, refusing to let Cas heal him (because he “had it coming”), and refusing to let Cas apologize (because “there’s nothing to apologize for”).

- 11x10: “Dean, I came as soon as you called.” Also: “Stick your tongue out.” Dean-*does*

- 11x11: Dean realizing that something is wrong with Cas (while he is possessed by Lucifer)

- 11x11: Mildred says that Dean is pining for someone else(probably meant to be a reference to Amara, but she told him this after he had seen Cas for the first time in a few days.)

- 11x14: The sadness on Deans face when he realizes Cas is Lucifer and then his determination to save Cas

- 11x15: Dean getting kinda dark when he talks about what he’s willing to do to save Cas and he prioritizes saving Cas over bearing Amara.

- 11x17: Dean once again prioritizing saving Cas over saving the world. Sam reassuring Dean that they’ll save Cas (even though Dean didn’t say anything about what was upsetting him)

- 11x17: The camera zooming in on Dean after Michelle says that there is no normal after losing the man you love.

- 11x18: Dean refuses to put Lucifer in the cage or let him fight Amara while using Cas as his vessel.

- 11x18: The difference in the way Dean looks at Lucifer vs at Cas

- 11x18: Dean about Cas: “Lets go find that idiot and bring him home.”

- 11x19: Dean has been looking for leads non stop for a week since Amara took Cas

- 11x21: Amara uses Cas’s heart to find Dean, then shows Dean images of Cas beaten and bloodied to convince him to turn against Chuck

- 11x23: Dean’s face when he realizes Cas is back and Lucifer is gone.

- 11x23: Dean tells Cas he isn’t stupid and that he always helps

- 11x23: Cas: “Dean are you okay? How do you feel?”

- 11x23: Cas hugging Dean super tight before he goes off to die. Dean entrusting his life’s purpose (look after Sam) then thanking him for everything.

- 12x1: Cas seeing that Dean is alive and hugging him while his voice breaks.

- 12x1: Cas taking the job Dean have him very seriously

- 12x2: Dean adorably venting to Cas about his mommy-issues

- 12x3: Dean- “Morning sunshine want some coffee.” Cas- “No thank you.”

- 12x7: “Well at least I don’t look like a lumberjack.” They are such husbands

- 12x7: “Engaged in what Cas? killing you?”

- 12x8: Cas being so worried about what happened to Sam and DEAN that Kelly escaped.

- 12x9: Mary-“You left them!” Cas- *voice breaking* “Dean told me to go!” Also, just Cas looking so hard for them.

- 12x9: Cas blaming himself for Sam and Dean being taken

- 12x9 Cas knowing how long the boys have been gone down to the hour.

- 12x9: Cas’s voice and eyes when he hears Dean’s voice on the phone.

- 12x9: Cas killing Billie because “You mean too much to me” and “The world needs as many Winchesters as it can get.”

- 12x10: Poor Sam having to deal with Cas and Dean while they fight like an old married couple.

- 12x10: Dean immediately telling Ishim to go to hell when he insults Cas

- 12x10: Sam telling Dean to go to Cas when Dean thought Cas was in trouble

- 12x10: Cas immediately believing Dean about Ishim even though they’re mad at each other. Dean about to let Ishim kill him to save Cas.

- 12x10: Ishim comparing Dean and Cas’s relationship to Ishims relationship with his human lover, then saying he was going to cut Cas’s human weakness

- 12x11: “And Cas is my best friend.”

- 12x12: Dean about Cas- “My shy but devastatingly handsome friend here...”

- 12x12: Dean stressing out and voice breaking as he tries to comfort poisoned Cas

- 12x12: LITERALLY TOLD DEAN THAT HE LOVED HIM WHILE CAS WAS DYING

- 12x12: *looking at Dean* “I love you.” Then adds “I love all of you”

- 12x12: Cas- “Run.” Dean- “Cas, no.”

- 12x12: The look Dean gives Cas when he won’t stop staring at him after he’s healed.

- 12x14: Dean says some very harsh stuff to Mary after finding out the reason they Cas almost died at the lake house was because Mary was working for the British Men of Letters

- 12x15: Dean could tell something was up with Cas after talking to him for less than a minute, over the phone.

- 12x18: Sam trying to make Dean feel better about not hearing from Cas.

- 12x19: Dean literally always acting like a scorned wife when Cas comes back after long periods of time

- 12x19: Dean made Cas a mixtape

- 12x19: Cas- “I ~needed~ to came back here with a win for you.”

- 12x19: Cas- *gesturing between Dean and himself* “You mean... we?” Dean- “Yes, dumbass, we.”

- 12x23: Dean screaming for Cas when he attacks Lucifer and trying to chase after him forcing Sam to drag Dean back through the rift. A direct parallel to Dean pulling Sam away from Jess and the fire in Pilot

- 12x23: Dean kneeling next to Cas’s dead body looking up at the sky completely devastated.

- 13x1: Dean couldn’t bring himself to say dead when referring to Cas

- 13x1: Dean PRAYED to GOD to bring Cas back

- 13x1: “We just lost ~everything~. And now you’re gonna bring ~him~ back.”

- 13x1: Dean personally wrapping Cas’s body and giving him a hunters funeral.

- 13x1: The look of complete devastation on Dean’s face when he burns Cas’s body.

- 13x3: Dean refusing to help save Jack because he blames him for manipulating Cas and getting him killed.

- 13x4: The Empty to Cas: “I know what you love, what you fear. There is nothing for you back there.” He loves Dean and Cas fears that Dean doesn’t love him back.

- 13x5: Sam being worried about Dean who has given up all hope since Cas died.

- 13x5: Dean being so distressed thinking Cas is gone forever that he tries to kill himself

- 13x5: Dean seeing Cas alive again and they both have tears in their eyes.

- 13x6: Dean hugging Cas and saying he’s been gone for “too damn long”

- 13x6: Dean being immediately happier and nicer to everyone once Cas is back

- 13x6: Cas saying “Yes. Yes, he does” (in response to Jack saying Dean really likes cowboys) with the tone of an exhausted spouse.

- 13x6: “I told you, he’s an angry sleeper. Like a bear.”

- 13x6: Dean made Cas watch Tombstone with him.

- 13x6: Dean and Cas dresses like cowboy husbands.

- 13x6: Cas saying “I’m your huckleberry” to Dean in a deep accent and Dean looking away.

- 13x6: Their undercover names are Russel and Kilmer

- 13x14: The whole scene where Cas and Dean fight Gog/Magog and act like an old married couple.

- 13x14: The angry, dark look Cas gives Donatello when he tries to kill Dean

- 13x16: “Dean has him by the thigh!” Cas, jealously: “He ~what~?”

- 13x16: “and that includes the Cartwright twins.” Cas, again jealously: “what did you do with the Cartwright twins?”

- 13x19: Cas angrily confronting Naomi about forcing him to kill a bunch of Dean clones.

- 13x21: Cas secretly sliding Dean more pizza when Mary and Sam left the room.

- 13x21: Cas having to hold Dean back from going after Sam. Dean would have beat the shit out of anyone else who tried to stop him.

- 13x23: Cas trying to stop Dean from giving himself to Michael even if it meant losing Sam AND Jack

- 13x23: Cas sitting alone in the bum jet with tears in his eyes after Dean left

- 14x1: Demon: “How is it you lost Dean. I thought you two were joined at the... everything.”

- 14x1: Dean trying to save Cas from Lucifer then vs Cas trying to save Dean from Michael now

- 14x3: The look that Dean and Cas give each other when Dean comes home.

- 14x9: Cas almost being happy seeing Dean happy. And then having to force himself to not be happy so he doesn’t die.

- 14x12: Cas being phased at Dean for wanting to put himself in the box with Michael forever

- 14x14: Cas is the only Dean will let talk to him about Michael and be honest about how Dean feels

- 14x14: “No, it’s on us.”

- 14x14: Cas’s voice breaking when he talks about the possibility of Dean dying one day.

- 14x18: The pure self loathing in Cas’s eyes when he feels like he failed Dean by not telling him about Jack’s soul.

- 15x2: “You asked ‘what about all of this is real?’ We are.” THE MOST ROMANTIC LINE EVER. (Plus later Eileen and Sam have the same conversation but they get to kiss because homophobia)

- 15x9- 20:00 Dean said that they lost everyone they cared about, then added Cas specifically. Then he says “I had to bury him” not “we”

- 15x9- 23:00 Dean cries when he can’t find Cas. Then he prays to him and apologizes for letting him go. He falls to his knees praying to him and fully crying

- 15x12: “I created the world.” *shows Destiel*

- 15x15: This time when Dean sees Cas leaving the bunker, he stops him. (In reference to Cas saying “you didn’t stop me” when Dean got mad at him for leaving)

- 15x16: This is the the only version of Cas that rebelled for Dean. This universe is literally being saved repeatedly because of Cas’s love for Dean

- 15x18: CAS CONFESSES HIS LOVE TO DEAN then goes to mega hell for being gay

Anyway, Cas loves Dean and Dean LOVES HIM BACK, OKAY?!?!? Feel free to add more

[raymondebidochonlifechoices]

Are you confident Bughead will be endgame on this show? That’s literally the last strand I’ve been holding onto, but the thread is weakening. I really can’t believe that they would take this ship, their absolute most popular and loved one, and just end it like this forever. I am so angry with the writing!!

Hey there, anon! It is unbelievable, isn’t it?

What a tricky question you ask! confidence + prediction + the Riverdale writers ... As Jughead would say: yikes!

The thing with these writers is that they use a lot of words without knowing their meaning. “Endgame” is one of them. “New” is another. “Exciting”. “Darkness”™. “Adult stories”. “The message”…

Dangling the bughead “endgame” carrot at the end of one or two seasons of no bughead or -worse- of b*rchie and j*bitha f.e. is not an endgame. The general definition of endgame -outside of chess- is: the last stage of a process. If the process (i.e. the season’s content) isn’t about bughead, then bughead coming together at the very end is not an endgame, it's a peripeteia i.e. a sudden or unexpected reversal of circumstances.

In shipping, endgame is a couple that will inevitably end together (for ever and ever and ever). In order for something to be inevitable, you have to create that sentiment, you have to build the couple up.

There’s an article about the misappropriation of the word “endagame” that I find particularly funny, as it starts by mentioning Riverdale!

Anyway, this is a long-winded way to say that, yes, I do believe that the show will end with bughead and varchie as their main canon couples. It’s just that, like you, I’m so very tired with these story lines. There is satisfaction to be had at the notion of endgame but a seasonful of investigative bughead would be infinitely preferable. For me (and I can only speak of myself) the journey is more important than the destination -even if for the simple reason that -in TV show time- it lasts longer!

Why do I think bughead is still … that word? Everything’s under the cut, so as not to clutter your dash!

1. A lot of people have been theorising that what happened in 5x18 was not the original plot. I agree.

Let’s start with 5x18 varchie.

Their break up came completely out of left field. Its unexpectedness is reminiscent of 4x17. I make fun of how s5 is a reboot of s1+s2’s leftover ideas, so another copy-paste shouldn’t feel out of place, and yet … really? Another repetition? To what end? If the season’s goal was not varchie, b*rchie was already there waiting at the beginning of the time jump! Why abandon that plot? In terms of romantic varchie time, that was extremely limited, since after their kiss in 5x7, Veronica’s divorce kept them apart until 5x17 … Why have Archie being extremely jealous of Chad, Veronica getting involved in all of Archie’s schemes (firefighters, bulldogs), Archie getting involved in Ronnie’s (rescuing daddykins) or Veronica telling her father she chooses Archie over him in 5x17? Also, for those who remember, there was this by the-writer-who-shall-not-be-named.

The reason of the break up is as ludicrous as Veronica moving into Archie’s childhood bedroom (with its effing slanted roof!) on the premise that long term the Andrews’ residence has more room! (By the way, I don’t know what surprised me more: that Veronica thought that Archie and uncle Frank would know who Ina Garten is or that Jughead didn’t.) Why is Veronica astounded by Archie’s involvement in the same activities he has been involved in all through the season?! For f***’s sake, she’s the one that gifted him the fire truck!

Ok. Now let’s give 5x18 j*bitha a try.

For me, 5x18 could either have gone bugheadwards or j*bithawards. J*bitha had some heartfelt talks, a hand touch, a hallucination and a kiss. Bughead had one unfinished heartfelt talk (the only one in the whole season for Betty), two shoulder touches, two hallucinations and Jughead attempting to reconnect with Betty (without specifying what his intent was, it's true).

While I do think that j*bitha is a ship that has been adequately teased, the way they were explored in 5x18 was … not underwhelming exactly (after all, they’re not my ship, so I didn’t have any expectations about them) but … maybe lukewarm is the word? They had but minimal dialogue, only enough to establish that Tabitha’s parents were in town. Then a song where Tabitha initially rejects Jughead, although she had been supportive before. Then another song, where the lyrics were heavily altered and didn’t make much sense anyway (we hadn’t been properly introduced to the Tates) but where the original lyrics were very compatible with Bughead’s history and state of being as of 5x17. The kisses were ok, I have no problem with the actors’ chemistry. But -and this is strictly a personal opinion- Jughead’s flirting scenes (not the make-out ones, you perverts!) with Cora were better and so was the j*bitha kiss in 5x10. For the 5x18 j*bitha to flow, more dialogue and more flirting was necessary (always a persona opinion). So, no, I don’t think j*bitha were supposed to sing what they sang in 5x18.

Production for s5 wrapped up one week after the official announcement of the 5 special episodes for Riverdale and The Flash: “we expect it will take us until Fall 2022 to get back to a regular schedule” was the official quote. Re-organising the cw’s overall schedule didn’t happen overnight. Yes, more likely than not, the writers knew about the specifics of s6a before shooting 5x18-5x19 and had time to re-write them.

2. The couples spoilers for s6 do not make sense plot-wise.

If the end-goal for 5x19-6x1 had been b*rchie, j*bitha and v*ggie all along, these were pairs already happening (except from v*ggie) at the beginning of the time-jump. As for v*ggie, last time we saw them, Veronica pulled a face when she heard that he had had (still has?) an affair with Hermosa. And what about Nana Rose?! (ok, that was a joke! ... or was it? 👀)

The majority of both the fans and the general audience are bugvarchie shippers. Teasing b*rchie and j*bitha as a means of maintaining the viewers’ interest in a will they/won’t they way, only works if the audience finally gets what they want. In this season. Not the next one! There is so much trolling one can take after all. In the space of 1.5 year (4x17-5x19) b*rchie will have been teased ... THREE times (and still lacking build-up)!

I cannot myself see b*rchie, j*bitha and v*ggie as endgame couples. For the audience to invest in them after 4 years of bugvarchie, the writers have to a) give j*bitha an absolutely incredible development that will surpass bughead and the cinematography to go with it (good luck with that) and b) undo Archie’s character (highly unlikely) and/or give Betty a lobotomy (at which point a lot of people will quit en masse, because Archie as The One All The Girls Want just doesn't resonate with the majority).

I have no idea if s6a is an AU or not. But if it’s not, no one will be left to watch 6b.

Can I guarantee a bughead endgame? Of course not. I have no idea how the minds of the Riverdale writers work. But I do think that Jughead and Betty getting back together is more than wishful thinking.

Fervently shipping Jughead/Betty, Jughead/his book and Betty/therapy, sincerely yours, @raymondebidochonlifechoices

I hope you have fun with the Riverdale universe regardless, dear anon. Riverdale has given us one of the most beautiful getting-together stories in s1 and lots and lots of beautiful canon bughead afterwards. Here's to many more! Much love to you!

[edgarsabandonedrocketship]

I liked your take on the musical episode. Honestly, it does make sense, and truthfully i think it that’s the case then its actually a good thing for the main ships. If they finish this season all trying to be ‘perfect’, then next season they’ll be able to realise what they need ISN’T perfection, but to be themselves and love who they really want, not who they think will help them achieve their ideal perfect life.

Hi Anon, thanks for your message about this post. I held off from responding until after the finale aired in order to have more information to work with. I have lots of thoughts about this and related topics, so I'm using your message as a jumping off point for what follows.

Normal, perfect, and the lies we tell ourselves One thing that strikes me about all of the new ships is how for everyone involved, the person they're with is the most convenient choice. B/A are neighbors, J/T and V/R work together, T/F are cohabitating co-parents. Alice and Uncle Frank are also neighbors (and on a town council together). Does convenience lead to true and everlasting love? I'd say probably not, but of course it all depends on the whims of the writers.

Another thing that stands out is the sheer speed of it all (even by Riverdale standards). Why the hurry? Why not take the time to develop these relationships at a more satisfying pace? While it's no doubt primarily for plot purposes, there could be other motivating factors behind the rash decisions and largely OOC behavior.

Although there's much that could be said about any of the ships or characters, I'm going to focus on J/T since that's where I started and wound up writing far more than I expected to. I'm putting the rest below the cut since it's long and references sensitive topics like addiction.

While I don't personally feel that J/T came out of nowhere, I do think its development until 5x18 was slow, stilted and inconsistent (less of a slow burn, more like a box of bad matches that mostly don't light but occasionally flicker briefly before fizzling). There were episodes where it looked like they were just going to stay friends and occasional scenes where more seemed possible.

After episodes 5x10 and 5x11, I personally got the impression that Tabitha would ultimately reject any potential romantic overtures from Jughead. She basically got a tour of a bunch of red flags that piled on top of some big ones she already knew about. Some examples:

The financial problems (one of their first interactions involved his debt collectors).

The substance use problems (as well as his roping her into babysitting him while using hallucinogens, which she was clearly uncomfortable with).

The interaction in the bunker after which she explicitly told Betty he "made a pass at her" and how she couldn't stay to watch him because of that.

Other various issues that could impact satisfaction in a relationship (e.g. messiness, living situation, employment situation, reliability, etc.)

But the biggest red flag to me relates to Jughead's previous relationships and what Tabitha knows about them.

He explicitly tells her he "never recovered" from his breakup with Betty, and that his relationship with Jessica was "more toxic than nuclear waste."

She sees hints suggesting Betty isn't over it either. There's Betty's reaction to the unchanged passcode to his phone (and the fact she still remembers it), as well as her keeping the infamous voicemail (which she apparently knows by heart).

She witnesses Jessica's reaction to the voicemail, including the realization it was sent while she and Jughead were living together. What evidence does Tabitha have to suggest she wouldn't end up in a similar position?

Through 5x17, Tabitha has been presented as a smart, level-headed voice of reason in this crazy town. Although initially guarded, she's empathetic and protective of her friends. She's observant and can sense when someone's struggling (as shown with both Betty and Jughead). She's highly educated and from an affluent Chicago household, but declined a six-figure job to take over Pop's (much to her parents' disapproval), where she hopes to expand its scope while remaining fiercely protective of its brand and legacy. In addition, she has a nest egg of a size significant enough to ask for Veronica's help with investing it. While Veronica was unable to help directly, she did connect her to someone interested in investing in Pop's.

So, what's driving Tabitha to suddenly agree not only to be Jughead's girlfriend, but to make the wildly irrational suggestion to move in together while on their first-ever actual date? Besides egregiously bad writing and some likely eleventh-hour script changes due to the looming special event, some things that could potentially be affecting her mindset include:

The recent deaths in her peer group (her friend, Squeaky, and Polly). For many people, the reminder of one's own mortality can trigger a "Life is short, I must do All The Things now!" response (tbh, I think this is a major factor behind all the characters' actions).

Her parents' visit. As I speculated before, dating Jughead could be a way to convince them (and perhaps herself) that she's truly happy with her life choices (even though it'd be perfectly natural to have some doubts).

In addition, she could just be lonely and looking for a connection (and who else even is an option for her in Riverdale?). That's very human, and could also easily be amplified by everything else going on.

Jughead, meanwhile, is acting incredibly OOC. He basically goes from wary ("why are you so nice to me") to declaring that he wants to be Tabitha's boyfriend. That's a significant label to throw around before the first date. Even in his teenage relationship with Betty, it took some development before using the boyfriend label (which was only prompted by a comment from Veronica, otherwise who knows how long it would've taken).

He's also making some other odd choices. For example, going to work instead of investigating (especially when the case involves the bombing of his new girlfriend's business)? Restarting the Blue and Gold alone and renaming it (to the Riverdale Choice, hmm)?

So, what are some possible reasons for this?

I think the biggest driver might be Jughead's newly achieved sobriety. Per the (very vague) timeline, I'd estimate that he's roughly three to (maybe up-to) six weeks sober. We know he's already relapsed once, after seven days. He's been shown attending AA meetings and going through some of his steps (the so-called apology tour). It's unclear whether he has a sponsor, which is troubling (I fear he'll lean on Tabitha as his sole support, which is not okay).

Early on in his journey, Jughead's probably feeling pretty good, even confident. Since the start of the season, it seems like he's been desperately seeking a fresh start (he's used the phrase here and there), and views a new relationship as a means to achieve it. We know he's not over Betty (even hallucinating her as a savior figure), and the show hasn't given us any indication of this having actually changed. But perhaps he hopes dating Tabitha will help him move on and even have a nice, "normal" life. Dating Jessica obviously didn't, but maybe he's convinced himself that this time will be different. That he'll somehow manage to happily wedge his square-assed self into a round seat to be "perfect" for Tabitha (which isn't fair to either party).

In order to do so, it's almost like Jughead's trying to erase/replace old memories by forcing new ones. People have noted the similarities between two arson scenes, for example. Also, renaming the Blue and Gold seems symbolic to me. This is a paper with a long history under that name. It was also what brought Bughead together in season one. That history won't go away with a new name, but it could be what he's hoping to achieve (even if he's unaware of it).

He's also jeopardizing his fledgling sobriety by entering not only a new relationship, but one involving the major life change of moving in with a partner. This situation is often stressful under the best of circumstances, but these two hadn't even finished one date before broaching the subject.

I've said it before, but it's worth stating again: there are very, very good reasons behind the advice to not start new romantic relationships during the first year of sobriety. Dating tends to divert focus and energy (finite resources) away from recovery, which can wind up derailing the process.

Related to this is the risk of a new partner becoming the newly sober person's "higher power" (this is described a bit in this article, which makes some good points that are easy enough to understand). We've already seen that Jughead may view Betty in such a manner. Is he trying to transfer this role (of his savior or "light") to Tabitha? If so, that's a terrible position to be placed in and one in which she's guaranteed to fail. What happens when they fight (or worse, does she suffer in silence, choosing to walk on eggshells in order to protect him)?

There's also the danger of substitute/replacement addictions, one example of which is romance/love and the euphoria associated with a new relationship's so-called honeymoon period. Trouble is, the honeymoon always ends.

Beyond all of this, Jughead recently suffered what is perhaps the biggest blow to his identity when he lost his status as a writer (managing a small town paper isn't the same as what he'd had). I'd say it's actually been a gradual loss. He relied on drugs in order to write as an adult. This resulted in his YA novel (which is completely respectable, but doesn't seem aligned with his earlier dreams). But in 5x16, it accelerated after he submitted another's work as his own before admitting it and accepting that he'd be blackballed by the publishing industry. There's a lot to unpack here, but he's probably trying to find something to hold onto, or some way to reshape himself (I'd say that the term "identity crisis" probably applies here).

In any case, I'd imagine all of this stuff could eventually lead to a lot of built-up resentment for both parties. Can Jughead really sustain (and be happy doing so) this facade he's taking on? And to what extent does committing to this relationship and all of its "baggage" impact (or completely derail) Tabitha's goals and vision for Pop's (especially with the set back caused by the fire).

If this were a well-written show, I'd anticipate an interesting journey may lie ahead. Unfortunately, it is not a well-written show and it's quite possible that nothing I've said will be any sort of factor, or will but in a very minor way (like, I can totally see Tabitha dumping Jughead after stepping in three-day-old pizza left of the floor one-too-many times).

I guess we'll see, huh?

[stypidwthluv]

Slight spoilers for 911 5b finale.

I was once again avoided Tumblr because I was participating in the Roe v Wade protest and thus avoiding all streaming services so I legit JUST watched both 5x17 and the finale. Most of it has already been covered but I just wanted to mention that while I don’t cry super often in general, I shed tears during Hen and Chimney’s scenes in 5x17. That episode was done so well in every aspect and I honestly don’t remember breathing for a lot of it.

The only other thing I have to say is, are we just not taking about how Ravi basically quoted Buck and Eddie, scratch that he did quote, an iconic Buddie line to describe what a partner should be?? I wasn’t gonna mention it but I haven’t really seen anything on it so here.

I’ll just leave these here have a pleasant evening and for those in college either a happy summer or a fortuitous finals week.

[viking-chaos]

Hvitserk Ragnarsson | Marco Ilsø Vikings | 5.17

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Hey! Thank you for your amazing costume metas. I settle in to read them with a cup of hot tea and a sweet snack. Those metas make my day!

My question: Dinosaurs have featured in Chris’ bedroom and clothing off and on for a while now. I think the first appeared with Shannon and then again with Ana. That made the prominent dino imagery in that 517 scene particularly loud to me. It was a super warm and domestic scene with Buck and Eddie talking about parents and family dynamics, and Chris wasn’t even there. There was a huge dino drawing on the wall behind Buck and he was playing with 2 different dinosaur toys as well. What do you think the dinos represent? Has their meaning evolved since they first showed up and how so?

I think you’ve spoken about dinos before but I was wondering if you have a whole tasty theory that I can sink my teeth into? Thank you!!

You know I love having you in my inbox 🥰

It just so happens, I do have a juicy dinosaur meta that I'm working on at the moment - its part of a Christophers bedroom and costuming meta I'm writing, so hang fire and I hope to have it out soon (although I am in the middle of moving house, so my time to write meta's has been rather compromised!) I will tag you in it once I have it done.

The dinosaurs are super interesting though and I don't think their meaning has evolved per-say, because I still think the meaning of them is still the same, I just think we have to look at the moments they are used and what else is going on in relation to them to understand - so in 5x17 they are prominent, but the solar system mobile is also the most prominent we've seen it and the conversation relates specifically to family dynamics and especially fathers. I will go into it in more detail in my meta, but if you add all that up and combine it with a cupboard door being left ajar, and then what we see later on in the episode, it all plays into one another.

The thing I love most is the whole space v dinosaurs theming they have going on with the Buddie storyline - the idea of space being futuristic, and dinosaurs being outdated is fascinating - especially when you think about the concept of time because realistically space is actually older than the dinosaurs - the stars we see are old light. But at the same time, space represents all matter - the fundamental building blocks of our existence, and as we learn more we know ourselves and the world we inhabit better - space is all about learning the truth and its such an amazing concept to play with in relation to queer narratives (the idea that our queerness is a fundamental part of who we are and that it is part of the very fabric of our being in the same way that atoms of carbon, hydrogen etc are the basic building blocks of all life) and I don't for a minute think the fact that Karen is a rocket scientist is a happy coincidence - they have been playing into it since day 1.

That it is also a theme that fits Eddie especially well - we have watched him through 4 seasons learning who he is - as a father, as a partner (in both relation to work and romance) and as a person - he is coming into his own as a person - just adds weight to the idea that the writers have been perhaps planning to have some form of queer narrative in relation to Eddie since the beginning (I am of the opinion that Buddie wasn't necessarily where they initially intended to go, but it was a possibility depending on audience reaction, otherwise Eddie would have had a queer narrative but separate from Buck and it may have looked very different from where we've ended up) and they have been using the space v dinosaurs theming to give hints to the fans!

I'll expand a bit more in my meta, but hopefully this will tied you over until then!

[thatiranianphantom]

Can you remind me which storylines would be unsolved if we'd go back to 5x17? Polly, hiram and tbk come to my mind. How would you want them to solve them? Which outcome? Especially since they had so much tbk in this season, I doubt they would really start it agiam in s7

Pretty much those, anon. I don't think we really covered anything else in the last three episodes besides the curse. To be frank, I didn't watch the last few episodes. Thank god for advanced spoilers, I tell ya. Much better than being blindsided.

It's really hard to say how I would want them being solved, because ideally for me, they'd never exist in the first place. Realistically tho, for Polly, I wouldn't necessarily want her to stay dead, but I definitely wouldn't want her coming back. My ultimate dream is for Betty to cut ties with her family and her and Jughead move away, maybe keeping in contact with Cheryl and V. As to Hiram, look, I love Mark Consuelos. He's the only one having fun on that set. I would love some occasional Hiram episodes where he just focuses his ire on different characters. It'd be very cartoonish and I would love it. For TBK, that kinda leads me into my entire problem with these last few seasons (well, one of my problems). The season-long big bad works well for many shows. TBK has been a thing for I believe 25+ episodes, to be solved in one scene. Whoever had investment in that storyline is long past it now. I am bored by TBK unless they really address Betty's trauma with it, which they won't. So if they forget about hte whole TBK thing, well, I wouldn't be upset.

[aimmyarrowshigh]

Dark Greetings this Spooky Season Ms. V. Can we get a list of your favorite Halloween movies and specials? I know you have seen *everything* and I am trying to go beyond my usual rewatches this holiday month.

V. AIMMYARROWSHIGH’S CRITERIA FOR HALLOWEEN EPISODES

Does the Halloween element combine convincingly with the usual universe of the show (ex: Lizzie McGuire 2x09 “Those Freaky McGuires” is not good as a Halloween episode because it changes the rules of the Lizzie McGuire universe, whereas Community 2x06 “Epidemiology” is a GREAT Halloween episode because it manages to logically introduce zombies to the regular Community universe)?

Does the Halloween element advance the plot of the episode/series (ex: the reason Boy Meets World 5x17 “And Then There Was Shawn” is literally the best Halloween episode ever made is that it uses the horror movie tropes it satirizes to provide a CRUCIAL turning-point to the plot of the show)?

Is the Halloween episode in the forefront enough that it’s clearly a holiday episode (ex: HAVING ONE JACK-O’LANTERN ON A DESK DOES NOT A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL MAKE, LAW & ORDER 16x03 “GHOSTS”! You gotta go ALL-IN, like Bob’s Burgers 3x02 “Full Bars”!)?

Does the Halloween theme balance well between spooky and warm-n-fuzzy (ex: Criminal Minds 11x21 “Mr. Scratch” is too fucking bleak, but Criminal Minds 12x06 “Elliott’s Pond” has a joyous/celebratory tone to the ending despite being a genuinely scary episode)?

Is it generally a well-written, acted, and designed episode of television (ex: Saved by the Bell! 3x26 “Mystery Weekend” is seriously, not exaggerating, the worst thing I’ve ever watched in my life; Psych 1x15 “Scary Sherry, Or Bianca’s Toast” is a triumph of the medium)?

THE BEST, bar none, Halloween special ever made is Boy Meets World 5x17, “And Then There Was Shawn.” Period. There can be no argument, except MAYBE Community 3x06, “Epidemiology,” but I like “And Then There Was Shawn” better because the parody and homage as less… biting? And because I think it continues and addresses the emotional core of the regular BMW season better than “Epidemiology” does for Community s3. “Epi” DOES plant the seed (…heh) for the Season 3B major plot arc of Shirley’s pregnancy and Chang Deciding To Murder, but it gets some major minus points for mocking Yvette Nicole Brown’s weight with other characters’ responses to her costume, tbh. And “And Then There Was Shawn” is just fucking iconic. It is THE Halloween episode manual, IMO, if there were to be a textbook on how to write a perfect Halloween episode for your sitcom.

HOWEVER, I also have to give major props to Bob’s Burgers and Psych, as complete series, for their CONSISTENTLY excellent Halloween episodes. A lot of series that have multiple Halloween eps really phone it in after one or two, because they don’t have any more ideas for how to incorporate Halloween pastiches while maintaining the overall feeling of the series (tbh B99, while the Halloween Heists are excellent in general, is/has been coming very close to this line, and I think that if they HADN’T had to switch out the Heist to Cinco de Mayo in s6, they would have jumped their Heist Shark [and I think they know it, too, because it was lampshaded in the episode itself]) or they just straight-up don’t have any more ideas for what or how to have the characters they’re bound to parody or pay homage to a Halloween thing after they’ve already done one or two. And let’s be real: those one or two have probably been either The Shining or Rear Window, because those are pretty much the two that every show starts with.

Bob’s manages to make every Halloween episode feel very fresh and organic to the series, which I think they do have some leeway to do because of the nature of cartoons keeping the Belchers living a kind of loop of never aging, yk, but amazingly they’ve only done the “Tina feels too old to trick or treat, maybe? Nope, she’s not 14 yet, so there’s still time!” thing in a way that felt tropey once (in 3x02 Full Bars). They’ve been able to address Tina being 13/in 8th grade, and worrying about it being almost too late for her to keep trick or treating, in ways that were in-character and added to the overall episode in 4x02 Fort Night, 5x02 Tina and the Real Ghost, and 9x04 Nightmare on Ocean Avenue Street, without me rolling my eyes at the screen and going “TINA, EVERY SINGLE SHOW WITH A TWEEN IN IT HAS ALREADY DECIDED THAT THE AGE AT WHICH YOU MUST STOP TRICK OR TREATING IS FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, COME ON NOW” which… at this point, is a Feat. Because like, I’ve POSTED over a thousand Halloween episodes, right? But I’ve watched and screencapped ::checks folder:: 3,905 Halloween episodes since 2014. Which is, um, a. lot. The ACTUAL BEST Bob’s Burgers Halloween episode is 6x03, “The Hauntening,” which is just… achingly perfect television. I know I’ve posted about it before (probably a couple times tbh) but the way that it aired originally back-to-back with The Simpsons 27x04, “Halloween of Horror,” so that the evening of Sunday cartoons juxtaposed eight-year-old Louise whose family worked so hard to scare her like she wanted with nine-year-old Lisa’s family working so hard to keep her from being too scared and make sure that she felt safe… reader, I FUCKIN CRIED. Little girls being deeply loved while also Spoopy Things!!!!!! IS WHAT HALLOWEEN SPECIALS ARE!!! FUCKIN!!!!!! ABOUT!!!!!!!

Psych, though, has the benefit of not really having any, like… central tone to the series? Beyond “friendship” and “having fun with joking,” tbh? So it’s able to do what a lot of series get docked “points” for in my Foolproof Halloween Special Ratings System That Is Completely Subjective To My Tastes And Mood, which is really just run full-tilt into parody and homage without really worrying about overall tonal connection to the rest of the season or series. 1x15, “Scary Sherry, or, Bianca’s Toast,” while it DOES fall victim to the way-too-common Halloween episode trap of making mental hospitals into a Scary Thing (they are a medical normality and a necessary thing for health for many people and should not be feared), is delightful Spooky Fun AND has the benefit of having Shannon Woodward in it.* We all know by now that if an episode of any show has Shannon Woodward as the guest star, it will by default end up being one of the best, if not THE best, episodes of that series. It’s just how having Shannon Woodward as your guest star rolls. I also really like, with Psych’s Halloween episodes, that quite a few of them understand the underlying thematic scope of Horror, which is “The Monstrous Feminine Is A Thing And All Horror Tropes Are Actually About Women’s Interior Lives Because Men Can’t Write Women And Fear Women Always,” yk, in a way that is neither TOO Actual Horror, which I am too afraid of to Do, or too trite and demeaning, which is the other basic trap that Halloween stuff falls into A Lot. Like, Scary Sherry is very much about women villainizing other women, avenging other women, and being in very specifically-female pain, even though Shawn & Gus are still the lens through which we solve the mystery, and so are 4x04 The Devil Is In The Details And The Upstairs Bedroom and 6x03 This Episode Sucks. But they give their Monstrous Females dignity and breadth, which is impressive, ESPECIALLY since they’re one-off guest characters. Also, 3x15 Tuesday the 17th is just plain funny and well-done, like, just give it props for the title alone.

*(Speaking of Shannon Woodward, another amazingly good Halloween episode is Raising Hope 4x07, “Murder, She Hoped,” which is among my very favorite Rear Window homage episodes and has probably the funniest gag in ANY Rear Window ep, in Martha Plimpton floating across the screen in the Grace Kelly silk nightgown and peignoir and announcing that it was on sale at Walmart, can you believe?! and honestly, yes. Perfection.)

Also excellent:

• The Addams Family (1991) + Addams Family Values (1993) • Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WERE GAY FOR SIBELLA AS A CHILD!) • Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost (RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE GAY BECAUSE THE HEX GIRLS!) • Halloweentown + Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge • Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire! • Z•O•M•B•I•E•S (to a lesser extent, Z•O•M•B•I•E•S 2) • Clue (1985) • Coraline • Corpse Bride • 6teen 2x00 Dude of the Dead • Arthur 21x00 Arthur and the Haunted Treehouse • Lamb-Chop in the Haunted Studio • Arthur 8x04A Fern-kenstein's Monster • Arthur 10x02 The Squirrels • WandaVision 1x06 The All-New Halloween Spooktacular (I KNOW YOU, SPECIFICALLY, DEAR @plavoptice, HATE MCU!WANDA AND I DON'T BLAME YOU, YOUR REASONS ARE VERY VALID! But this is a good Halloween special so I'm putting it on my list In General.) • Boy Meets World 2x06 Who's Afraid of Cory Wolf? • Ghostbusters (2016) • Gravity Falls 1x12 Summerween • Leverage 4x02 Ten L'il Grifters Job • The Loud House 2x40 Tricked! • Mockingbird Lane 1x00 Unaired Pilot • It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (Classic, etc.)

I'm SURE I'm forgetting some that I'll rewatch this year myself. I'm a big Halloween Baking Championship fan, tbh, which is on Discovery+ now so I recommend that if you like mostly-relaxing nice people baking cakes that look like bats and such.

I'm also IMMENSELY INTENSELY EXCITED for The Muppets' Haunted Mansion on Disney+ next week!!!

[targaryencalloway]

Thanks for trying to give us hope but I gave up. More we get infos more it's not worth watching. BH will get closure in 5x16, working together as friends in 5x17, VA will reunite in 5x17 but decided to be friends in 5x18, while JT will become a thing at the end of 5x17 and he is meeting her family in 5x18 while BA will decide to give a chance to their relationship officially now that J and V are not a problem at the end of 5x18 after singing together

Umm what? I don’t know how many times I have to say this but ep 16 is hardly closure for bh. They will be having closure on the vm and the cheating but that’s it. From rumors and other things about bh in 16 and 17 I’m not sure I would use “friends” to describe them but I don’t know 100% for sure.

I honestly don’t know if JT will happen but if they do it will most likely be a short-lived thing. I’m not really sure on va at the moment because Veronica still needs to get a divorce and maybe she’s just not ready for another relationship at the moment.

I would not take those accounts seriously. I honestly believe they are not telling the truth and are just trying to stir up drama or whatever. But, remember that if bh or va are not together at the end of this season DOES NOT MEAN b*rchie or JT will immediately be together.