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Also...Fiona has THE BEST t-shirt collection in history.

#the cleaning lady

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Arman is much smarter than I was giving him credit for. Walking in there all "its crazy the gangs tried to blow me up: btw I sold the guns to a crazy prepper...didnt wanna tell you."

And Hayaks face was all "I fucked up"

Meanwhile Garrett is fucking it all up in Mexico.

#the cleaning lady

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So Garrett somehow won while (inadvertently) helping others.

If he doesn't show up at the club and tell Nadia that Arman is in Mexico with Thony she doesn't jump to the conclusion he's having an affair (which she genuinely believes and isn't sure if Arman lied about the gun deal). So she tells Hayak it's an affair, thereby taking her out of Hayak's crosshairs (Sorry Arman, you're a dumbass...the dead aunt story was awful, terrible, the WORST LIE EVER).

Meanwhile, Arman is off the board with regards to the guns - hopefully he isn't stupid enough to go to the farm.

But who knows now? Hayak. Who probably WILL go to the farm and possible get nabbed?

Somehow he successfully failed? It's freaking hilarious to me that one conversation set off a chain of events that may end in him getting Hayak.

#the cleaning lady

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I see alot of people talking about how Arman picked Thony up and while it is SUPER HOT, all my brain can think is it had to be a production choice.

Eloide is so much shorter than Adan it was starting to look uncomfortable for them both - she's reaching up and bending back, he's hunched way over - that picking her up levels them a bit.

My brain is dumb because it was so hot and that's all I can see. Lmao.

#the cleaning lady #thony x arman #armany

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For a solid 5 seconds there I legit thought he was just gonna throw her on the desk and...fade to black (it is network TV you know). I mean...it was close it was reeeeaaaallll close.

#the cleaning lady #thony x arman

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Oh, Arman, you cleaver bastard.

Let's wait and see if that move comes back to bite him in the ass.

#the cleaning lady #arman morales

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This episode felt a bit...uneven for me. Outside the character arcs, there was A LOT going on in the plot - almost TOO much. I really feel like they could have moved that Thony/doctor convo to next week - or even the whole Thony/Luca plotline really, it felt really out of place. I dunno it was just clunky with the wedding side plot going on.

But the character stuff - that was solid. 

Thony clearly saw the “good” in Arman, though she willfully turned a blind eye to reality: dude is a mobster and willing to hurt people to get what he needs. Which considering last ep she heard him kill a guy Im not sure why its a surprise, but reality came crashing into the party early in the ep. I feel like she is torn - he’s been kind to her, has helped her when, really, he shouldnt but also - he murders people. She’s doing what she thinks is best for her son while also having weird...feelings for him.

Arman clearly WANTS her to see his good side - first evidence is when she walks into the club and the first thing he says is “its NOT what it looks like”. Cause it looked like a freaking massacre had gone down and he didnt want her to think that. Second was he barked at her to get out of the kitchen; again, he didnt want her to see that. Its not clear what his relationship with Nadia is - arranged marriage? Loved each other at one point but now stay together because they cant divorce? They seem to at least like each other so....?

I really like the Nadia character and oh, guys...she KNOWS. 

But the real gold - the scene between them at the wedding. When she pulled away from him Arman looked genuinely gutted. Everyone around him (except Thony) sees him as a monster. It hurt him deeply that the one person that he allowed to see his “good” side was now scared of him, so he lashed out at her - pushing her farther away. Clearly his insistence not to come to him isnt going to last - wouldnt even surprise me if he reaches out to her. He LIKES how he feels around her - like a human and not someone’s “employee”. 

Would not be surprised if that weasel-ly kid Tarik ends up turning in his Dad.

#the cleaning lady #thony x arman

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My brain is percolating a Miggy fic for the first time in years and cant decide how (ridiculously) far to take it.

#magnum pi #miggy

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Dammit... SUCH a sucker for dark, violent, personal-space-violating, but sorta soft men and the strong women they attract.

The Cleaning Lady has that.

The leads have fairly good to great chemistry.

Pilot was solid.

The second episode...I was sort meh on some scenes. Specifically the one where she goes to the casino, how did she know he was there? Whyyyy would she go there - she's smarter than that. But him at the hospital was very good and the scene with the boss was even better.

Two people who have to hide their attraction because it would be VERY BAD for everyone if something happened...sign me up.

Of course, this is Fox and they killed Pitch (those bastards) so we will see.

My fic brain is even twirling a bit and it's been silent for years.

#the cleaning lady

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So I was a little slow to this show, not sure why...Fringe is one of my favorite shows of literally ALL TIME. So I ended up watching the first 10 episode straight through. After the finale I think I'll rewatch again.

In the meantime a couple notes:

It seems clear to me that whatever injections Bryan is getting means he is immune to the Debris. 1) in "Caroline" Finola could sense the Debris did not want them there but Bryan couldn't and 2) the finale where the brain wipe didnt work. But you could also make the argument since Bryan wasn't under the Debris control the wave wouldn't have worked anyway. But more likely 1 since George seemed convinced Bryan's memory would be toast.

JOHN FREAKING NOBLE. That is all.

The Influx guys seemed...concerned maybe about the ball of light. So it seems to be working against them somehow? And about weird grey blob that seemed to be slowly stalking them.

Brill! Another Fringe vet but seemingly on the "good" side?

Oh, Maddox. I sorta thought he was on the good side for a while, dude seems very family oriented

Finola/Bryan. I enjoyed that we just got dropped 3 weeks into their partnership but we don't get any context for why these people to "investigate" aliens stuff. It just feels like something is missing to me. But over the episodes you see them bond as they trust each other more than thier respective governments. The Icirus eps are particularly good, showing how much they've come to lean on each other. And it's interesting to me that most of the second half of 1x10 involves Finola just...believing this strange man she's never met (and a teenage girl) that the reality she's in is wrong. I mean, she must have felt down deep that she knew him or else why continue jumping to fix it?

CaveFinola. What the fresh hell was that? When did that happen? Is Our Finola a clone? Is one of them from a different reality? When did she get suspended?

JOHN NOBLE. God, I love him. He was robbed of an Emmy for his work on Fringe.

Renewal: I am am avid ratings nerd and have had many of my shows taken down (still pissed about Pitch y'all and this year Prodigal Son). This one has me concerned for sure - the ratings are below the NBC average but they've also shown patience with Manifest which I thought was very odd (I expected that to get cancelled 2 seasons ago). But I also don't see NBC going with 2 high concept shows. Maybe they shuffle this to Peacock as an "Original" series there, that seems most likely to me. Or as a summer series. Crossing fingers!

#debris nbc #spoilers

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So we all agree the "with me" was implied after "you could have a life" line, right?

Right?!

#brightwell #spoilers

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Dani was 100% all in on that kiss. Call me surprised, I figured Malcolm would start it and she'd stop (I mean...she did technically I guess).

But no, they went in together and it was a full on hot-and-heavy-lets-bang kiss.

#brightwell #spoilers

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So...Brightwell.

I love we get a kiss next week, Malcolm is clearly just going to put it all on the table. And honestly, for me, the best way this can play out is to have Dani more hesitant.

It's clear based on thier friends conversation that, while she considers them friends, that anything more is a conflict for her. Malcolm is messy, wound tight, likely not the best romantic partner (not from a lack of trying but because he's a freaking mess). She cares for him, might even have feelings but he's Malcolm Bright and entering a relationship with him requires thought.

So I can see the season ending on Malcolm confessing feelings (or you know, kissing her in a moment of desperation and want in a weirdly lit warehouse) and Dani's all "I gotta think about this". They are in different places in thier relationship and I love that idea, it provides drama and a natural way to keep them romantically apart while they struggle to define what they are.

#brightwell #prodigal son #spoilers

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Awwww man, I knew that last conversation between Bright and Dani seemed familiar. 

Head Case (in bed): I’m here. Everything’s ok. 

Killabustas (by window): I know. It’s ok....I’m here.

Plus the whole “You’re a good person, you cant really be doubting that” vs “Malcom Whitly, you are the best person I know.”

Head Case is the episode that continues to provide Brightwell gifs. 

I’ve watched that last scene like 50 times already now and I’m pretty confident Dani thought they were going somewhere. The way she touched him, her “What are you doing”, and the confusion/sadness on her face when he locked the door behind her. I guess we can debate what that somewhere would be: him opening up to her or something uh, physical. 

EDIT: And as soon as I posted this I saw the gifs brightpowell did comparing the two. excellent!

#brightwell #prodigal son #spoilers

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My god is Malcolm Bright an emotional disaster. He so desperately wants to talk to Dani, and does so a tiny bit in unguarded moments, but at the same time he self-sabotages because he's scared telling her the truth would push her away. I mean, he's not wrong, it might. But he's wound so tight the idea of getting close to her, of losing what they have now, sends him spiraling. So he PHYSICALLY PUSHES HER AWAY, thus completing the sabotaging circle.

She just looked so confused standing there, and a little sad. I think Dani cares for him deeply and knows something is seriously wrong, she's not stupid, I wouldn't put it past her to get on the right track.

This is not a tenable state...somethings gotta snap eventually, right?

#brightwell #prodigal son #spoliers

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I feel like when it hits the fan Dani will be protective of Bright and ready to throw hands with the Whitlys and the special agent guy.

I think that will certainly be part of her reaction, mixed in with good portions of anger and disappointment. They are clearly building toward something and Bright is sabotaging it however unintentionally.

Part of the reason I love thier relationship is because I think he's drawn to her because she doesn't treat him like he's broken or fragile as everyone else does. She jokes about his trembly hand and messed up family (never in a mean way) and calls him out on his BS when needed. Basically she treats him like a regular person. Not sure if that will make the reveal better or worse. Lol.

Edit onto second thought: I just watched some gifs, and I swear she was about to make a crack at the "beautiful" line but when he turned and looked at her with that disarming grin she couldn't do it.

#brightwell

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I have so many feeeeeelings about Brightwell now, more than I ever did in S1, its like the writers turned up the dial just enough. 

From 2x06 I still love how they portrayed the Whitly’s vs. Dani in Malcolm’s “dream” (its more like a hallucination I think, but...whatever). His subconscious literally had to change every one of the Whitly’s personalities in order to make them fit into this picture perfect world he created. But with Dani its like his brain just went “this human, we like her exactly the way she is, put her here” and that was that; he didnt need to change her because to him she is already perfect. 

Which does lead into the “beautiful” comment in 2x07 - he said it so offhandedly and unconsciously - was that his “dream” slipping into reality? I dont think so, I think he just...said what he thought even if it was without realizing the actual implications. And Dani’s reaction...so on point, she accepted the compliment (a little giddily), recognized he clearly didn't realize what he said, though he did mean it and just moved on. Overall I was hoping for a bit more awkwardness between them after his dream but honestly, I think this worked better, he’s distracted by Ainsley and her uh....shenanigans right now. Its obvious they have feeeeelings for each other but its so slow and...I just love it.

Also really glad they acknowledged her past drug use issues - like, I don’t feel like it needs to be a plot point or anything but its nice to see it referenced occasionally. And she wants to help him so badly.

#brightwell #prodigal son