#4x07 ruining my life ONCE AGAIN

[imminent-danger-came]

do you think mks cosmic backstory conflicts with the previous conflict of his insecurities of being the wrong successor?

Not at all!

When it comes down to it, MK's main flaw is his lack of belief in himself ("Just believe in yourself! Even a smidge makes all the difference")—that's him at his core. He's also identity issues the character ("I'm not the Monkey King okay!" "You're right—you're the Monkie Kid! You have to find your own way to win."), and I think s4 laid into this quite nicely.

Throughout seasons 1 and 2 MK was trying to live up to the legacy of "Monkey King". That's what 1x06 and 1x09 are motivated by—MK is trying to make himself stronger and more like Wukong ("I just wanted to be good enough—like you."). Really 2x05 just worsened a problem MK already had. He was already having doubts about being the Monkie Kid, and SWK leaving in 2x01 was a crack in an already unstable foundation. So then in 2x06 and 2x09 you have MK desperately trying to get stronger, to be a sort of Monkey King stand in ("Pretty soon, Monkey King won't even need to come back!"), and that all comes crashing down in 2x10. And, not only does MK fail, he loses the staff and his powers.

This takes us to 3x01, where MK IMMEDIATELY tries to be Wukong once again:

Sun Wukong: "Kid, why did ya-" MK: "Uh, well yeah, I was trying to do you in the omelet story! Do the weird impulsive Monkey King thing and escape the bad guy."

Sun Wukong: "Well, I mean- Ne Zha ain't really a bad guy but- did you forget about the part where I got really hurt?"

(3x01 On The Run) (Hi MK good guy v bad guy mentality)

-

MK doesn't refer to himself as the Monkie Kid again until after he's able to use gold vision in 3x03, listing off a few of his labels:

"But I, Monkie Kid, delivery boy, somewhat equal to heaven—saw right through your trick." (3x03 Smartie Kid; another label)

Which, MK and his labels are a big deal ("Hero"/"Warrior" in 2x07, Noodle Boy, Successor, the "Plan Man" in 4x12). It's specifically what the curse antagonizes MK with in s4:

Subodhi: “Who or what you are, even I do not know the answer—but of one thing, I am certain: fate has plans for you! Great plans, or foul? Time will tell.” MK: "I- I can't be! I'm just MK!" Subodhi: "The Monkie Kid?" MK: *Gasps*

-

Curse MK: "Tell me, what do you think we are, honestly, cause I have been DYING to hear us say it, out loud." MK: "What kind of a question is that? I'm just- I'm just MK, a noodle delivery guy with the powers of the Monkey King, no biggie."

-

Curse MK: "Seriously? You still think we're just some noodle delivery guy? You can't remember where you came from, and we got ALL this power, and you never once thought, why us? What are we, what is our purpose?" MK: "Of course I thought about it! I mean- maybe, I was gonna thought about it I just- I just want to be me. To be MK!" Curse MK: "Yeah well, we all know exactly where that leads, don't we." Lady Bone Demon Echo: "To pain."

-

Curse MK: "We're just like Wukong, a fraud! A trickster! Why would our legacy be any different?"

-

MK: "No, no you're wrong I'm- I'm not!" Curse MK: "Not what, some Monkey Demon thing destined to bring chaos upon the world? Come on, use your words big brained boy, say it, what are we?"

-

Curse MK: "You can see it, can't you? This is your fate. Your friends will turn on you, seeing you for the monster you will become! They will destroy you, harbinger of chaos."

-

There's all of these different things MK is either trying to be or trying to not be, which all plays back into his identity. It also all plays back to one thing: his lack of belief in himself.

He's either not enough like Wukong or too much like his mentor. He's either not strong enough or too strong, destined to cause nothing but chaos and destruction. He's either not going to be able to protect the people he cares about, or he's going to be the very thing that hurts them. It's the same problem, just on different sides of the spectrum.

The 3x14 "Do you still really think the universe wants anything, from any of us?" to 4x08 "Until I know what I am, what my destiny is? I can't risk hurting the people I care about—the one's I have left" pipeline is both wild and important to note. It's the switch from MK believing he's nothing special, to believing he's the very "harbinger of chaos". It's all about his self-perception.

And honestly, when it comes down to it, he probably still believes he's the wrong successor, just for very different reasons now. You and I both know that there was no other choice for a protégé—who else would have been able to wield the Monkey King's staff and have his powers—but I doubt MK is in a place to come to terms with that. I think that realization is going to be part of his downward spiral next season, along with being one of the things that instigates the SWK V MK fight.

It's very on point that the way MK comforts Wukong at the end of 4x11 is through reaffirming his role as the "Monkey King":

MK: "Monkey King- I'm not ready to not have a mentor. Azure needs to be stopped but- we need you. I need you- to be the Monkey King."

(4x11 A Lifetime of Mistakes)

-

While the way he antagonizes Azure is to threaten his role as a Hero (also referencing his role as an Uncle, and before that his role as a friend):

MK: "Come on! Come on! Come on Unkie Lion, you're the big hero right? Then prove it. Show me!"

(4x13 Rip and Tear)

-

*Gestures financially* IDENTITY

Bonus "What I am" parallels post because it's pretty relevant I feellmk

#4x07. Dude. 4x07 #Running circles around the room thinking about MK and his labels like. Oughghghghghghghghgh #Identity the character. He has the reflection and hand motif and everything #But now I'm also thinking about Wukong and his labels #this is terrible oh god #Monkey King. Great Sage Equal to Heaven. False Sage Equal to Nothing. Sun Wukong. Trickster. Hero. Mentor. Fuck. Oh no #*head in my hands .png* #I am REALLY going through it over the monkeys tonight #I have a people ''knowing'' wukong parallels post to make too auaughghghghghghghghghghg #lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk meta #lmk MK #the light is no mystery #asks #what I am #lmk theme: identity #4x07 ruining my life ONCE AGAIN

[cancerian-woman]

You might think this is weird, but I kinda adore this fact:

An actor Maurice Johnson shows up twice in TVD. Once In My Brother's Keeper (4x07), he played the police officer compelled by Stefan to walk away as he took away a hospitalized convicted felon. In (8x13), fast-forwarding 6 years later, we see him again in the interrogation room of the police station and - due to Stefan being re-humanized and all his compulsions wearing off - we find out the former police officer lost his job, his pension, and fell off the wagon (lost his way or alcoholism).

It's kinda of frustrating yet amazing how for all the writing on the show, they still manage to pull off the tiniest details and make them significant. Or in this case, how Stefan's seemingly-simplistic actions to help Elena resulted in ruining a man's life.

Tbh I think Stefan’s compulsion undoing just because he turned into a human was a stupid lol. TVD never cared enough to show the effects of the MFG’s actions towards anybody outside the group until Stefan became human. When you had characters who cared about human-life like Bonnie or Matt they were written off as irritating.

It was a lazy writing choice because it never happened with other vampires. Kol died we never saw people coming for him when he came back to life on TO. Katherine died and we never see people wanting ig Elena gone because they had problems with Katherine. (we had that issue sorta in s1 but…) Imagine that being the reason Elena went into the coffin? Katherine’s enemies coming back to bite Elena in the ass just because she looks like Katherine. Elijah/Klaus died and none of those people become Hope’s enemies. Jeremy died, and when he’s brought back he’s not addicted to drugs again. You see what I mean? Stupid rule that applied to Stefan only. We’re told Damon becomes human and lives a perfect life with Elena. But if becoming human undos compulsion how is he and Elena living happily when Damon has done horrible shit to people for nearly 2 centuries???

I do feel bad there’s people who had their lives ruined because of Stefan or Damon. Both brothers should’ve died. Undoing the compulsions and other shit was a cheap cop out to make Stefan feel guilty enough to die in the end as a way to atone for his sins. Reminds me when Silas was brought back after Bonnie turned him into stone. If death undos magic then what is the point lol.

#dria responds #stefan salvatore

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Watching Merlin The Death Song of Uther Pendragon once again, and feeling more and more justified in my analysis of the episode, available here.

Above, we see Merlin’s expression go hard when Arthur mentions Uther’s disapproval of his decisions. He says, “You mean, your kingdom.” When Arthur shrugs at this fact, Merlin’s expression turns even more stony:

As I explained in my analysis of 5x03, this episode demonstrates that Merlin is the only real family that Arthur has. Upon rewatching the scene where Arthur sits morosely during his birthday celebrations, and rereading my post, I was struck by the inescapable conclusion that despite everything, Arthur is lonely. 

Why? Because he has no family. For the first time, I also added his lack of children to the reasons for his loneliness. I suppose this was obvious from the episode, but only through rewatching several episodes have I learned that BBC Merlin’s central theme is not magic, but friendship and family. 

Arthur Pendragon is actually one of the most tragic characters on the show. Setting aside the irony of his future being marred by destiny, I also thought about how long it had taken Merlin chiefly to build up his self-belief. Yet with just a few words, Uther could ruin that same self-belief, even if Arthur knew Uther was wrong. 

This is what angers Merlin: the fact that Uther still has the power to destroy his son’s confidence. As I said beforehand, Merlin’s deepest problem with Uther is that he doesn’t deserve to be Arthur’s father. 

However, I now have something to add. Whereas before, I thought that Arthur had subconsciously adopted Merlin as a brother, perhaps sometime between late Season 4 and early Season 5, I did not realise that Merlin would have done the same. 

After all, Merlin had watched the devastating impact that family betrayal had caused to Arthur. So I am now thinking that this motivates Merlin’s deeper sense of defensiveness and protectiveness over the King. This isn’t just about destiny.

Otherwise, Arthur would be totally alone. 

Remember: Arthur has no mother. In 4x12, Merlin allows the fugitive King to stay at his mother’s house, and we now see the once proud Arthur eating Hunith’s food. Arthur has no father. But in 4x07, Gaius speaks of taking care of Arthur since boyhood. Most importantly, Arthur has no siblings. Merlin steps into this role himself, and not just by vowing to protect the King, which his Knights also do. 

I think the most important thing that Merlin does is to behave like Arthur’s family ought to have behaved. It seems to me that he challenges himself to prove that he can show himself better than Uther, Morgana, and Agravaine. Those 3 in particular. All blood members of Arthur’s family, all traitors in some way, and all people whose mind control Merlin wishes to undo. 

Another point is Merlin’s own family situation. Though I would like to think that he kept in contact with Hunith more frequently than was shown, the truth is that he lives a totally separate life. The mother admits as much in 4x12, though she tellingly refers to Ealdor as “home” for Merlin, rather than Camelot. 

On top of this, Merlin has no siblings. We know that, despite friends like Will, the time he spent before arriving in Camelot was incredibly lonely, as he told Gaius. I do not know whether Merlin initially wanted siblings, but he certainly wanted a family, which is why he clung to the hope of reuniting Balinor with Hunith in Ealdor. Could he have dreamt of a different life, where he had siblings? 

I don’t know. However, even though Merlin shared the pain of losing his father with Gwaine, I think he has the stronger connection with Arthur on this topic. I base this on 5x03 and 5x04, where Arthur twice appeals to Merlin’s fatherlessness in a bid for support. In those cases, he effectively says that they understand the same loss, because they are alike. This is particularly true when, in 5x04, Merlin admits that if someone had murdered his father, he too would have sought vengeance. 

And we know that Merlin hates vengeance. In that moment, Merlin reveals that he is more like Arthur than perhaps he even knows. 

Fascinating stuff! 

PS-- I also finished watching 5x01 and 5x02 again, which make me more and more at peace with the Sir Mordred storyline and Arthur’s eventual death. Indeed, it is Merlin’s dogged insistence that Arthur should not die which is unrealistic. On top of that, I am now convinced the idea of a Golden Age was a false goal. I never really hear this vision being fleshed out, because it is an ideal. Merlin’s great undoing was his idealism, and when he failed to reach those heights, he became jaded. Had he appreciated what he had in real life, perhaps he would not have been so quick to submit himself to prophecies, fate, and paranoia. 

#bbc merlin #merlin characters #merlin fandom #merlin 5.03 #merlin the death song of uther pendragon #the death song of uther pendragon #merlin season 5 #arthur #arthur pendragon #king arthur #merlin & arthur friendship #merlin & arthur #camelot #druid #magic #uther #king uther #uther pendragon #mordred #sir mordred #camlann #morgana

[irhinoceri]

Some meta thoughts on Stark

Stark is one of my very favorite minor-to-major reoccurring characters.

The thing I really loved about Stark when he was introduced in 1x18 Nerve and 1x19 The Hidden Memory was the sheer unexpected turn of his character. He quickly went from kooky krazy menacing cellmate to a genuinely interesting character with pathos and hidden depths. Paul Goddard’s performance as Stark pretending to be crazed versus being actually a little bit crazy in reality but having a center of calm and healing just blew me away.

I was confused and disappointed when he disappeared off Moya the next episode despite not being dead and Moya not having been able to starburst, so I didn’t understand how or why he’d left the ship. When he did return to become a series regular I was really glad, but I did notice that his writing was very uneven.

There seemed to be some confusion about whether he was to be used for comedic effect and viewed as crazy, cowardly, worthy of scorn.... or had something more to do in the story. I loved his relationship with Zhaan, and I thought that while she was still on the show there was some of the best writing for Stark as well. But what was really interesting to me was his relationship with John over the course of the show and how it fluctuated between fear, resentment, anger, bitterness, kindness, support, affection, and understanding.

In season 4 and PKW when he came back after yet another departure from the crew in 3x17 The Choice, I feel that the portrayal of Stark leaned a bit too far to the one dimensional “this guys is nutso!” portrayal. But at the end of PKW they seemed to finally remember the best part of the character, that moment of quiet and calm and caring after the storm. So his final farewell to John and the reveal of the side of his face no longer aflame with mystical energy, was easily one of the best moments of PKW for me.

Stark and John Crichton are in some way similar characters. They are certainly connected by the Aurora Chair experience and their shared time in the cell on the Gammak base. They’ve both been tortured extensively by Scorpius on top of other traumas that led them into madness. For Crichton it’s all the shenanigans that happened in season 1 before Scorpius even showed up, for Stark it’s being a conduit for the spirits of the dead to pass on and being part of a “slave race” who has been kicked around and abused his whole life.

Crichton gets an epic love story which is very clearly presented as being his saving grace, the thing that pulls him out of the madness and guides him to a happy ending, though his tumultuous love affair with Aeryn provides him plenty of torture along the way.

Stark falls in love with Zhaan only to have her die for love of John and Aeryn. She sacrifices her health to resurrect Aeryn in 3x01 Season of Death and then in  in 3x04 Self Inflicted Wounds: Wait for the Wheel she gives her life to stop John and Aeryn from arguing over which one of them is going to die saving the others.

This arguably is why Stark becomes more unhinged in season 3, resenting Aeryn and John for Zhaan’s death, and being ever more the outsider because the person he had the closest connection to has died. In a way he’s become the oddball out that John was in season 1, only further along on the untethered scale, and not headed toward anything better.

On Talyn he really only has Crais and Rygel to hang out with, except for his brief and disastrous stint connected to Talyn. One of his best episodes in fact is 3x12 Meltdown, when he spends the episode talking to a ghost lady only he can see or hear. The parallels to John and Harvey are there. When he thinks he might be able to contact Zhaan he leaves the Talyn crew to go his own way, but once again he is linked to John’s story by passing on the holo recording a dying Talyn!John left for Moya!John to view.

4x07 John Quixote brought one of the most interesting and unhinged versions of Stark. At first I was very confused by this iteration of Stark as vengeful and exploitative, using Talyn!John’s memories to build a game that seemed designed to trap Moya!John in a never-ending loop of striving for an unattainable version of Aeryn, literally a vain and empty-headed Princess at the top of a tower of nightmares. But viewing it in the context of Stark struggling with the darkness inside himself and giving in to the resentment he feels about Zhaan’s death, it’s brilliant. Stark isn’t just a whimpering idiot in this treatment, he’s the unstable mastermind behind this personal hell. But is it John’s personal hell or Stark’s? And when John figures out that the Princess is not his princess, but Stark’s princess, it gives the whole game away.

Unfortunately this was the pinnacle of writing for Stark in season 4 and his other appearances kind of frustrated me. Turning that childhood memory that he was hiding from Scorpius into the location of a secret Scarran base was a good way to provide continuity but it kind of ruined one of the moments I loved from season 1... that moment when John and Stark are telling each other what secret hidden memory they’d been blocking. That was a moment of shared trauma and unhinged laughter over the fact that they’d been mentally destroyed for things so seemingly insignificant as a kiss and a fond memory of childhood. The actual Scarran base is not so whimsical as all that, and made me wonder why Stark was blocking it from Scorpius at all. John was obviously protecting Gilina’s identity as his accomplice on the Gammak base, but who or what was Stark protecting by not giving up the location?

At any rate, at least Stark’s presence on the Scarran base in season 4 reunited him with the Moya crew, so onwards to Peacekeeper Wars....

In which he spent the bulk of his screentime being kicked around, mocked, and abused by the main characters. Except for the very very end and that lovely scene, it was a bit painful to watch a favorite character get such underwhelming treatment. But I suppose I can say that for a lot of the PKW characters, like Sikozu and Jool and even D’Argo in the end, who died for really no good reason at all. I am grateful that PKW wrapped up John and Aeryn’s story, but I do think it suffered greatly from only being 3 hours which didn’t allow it to truly do justice to any of the other characters. If Farscape the show was an ensemble with a special focus on John and Aeryn, PKW was the John and Aeryn show with the rest of the cast as backup dancers.

But missteps in later seasons aside, I am still quite taken with the introduction of Stark in 1x18-19. And the scene where he cradles a tormented John and comforts and calms him with the glowing light of his previously masked face, is to me one of the really striking moments of the entire show.

#farscape #stark #paul goddard #farscape meta #1x18 nerve #1x19 the hidden memory #long post #stark and crichton #parallels

[cjrae]

Dueling Fairytales. Or: Why Lucifer won’t take a Queen.

One of the most popular fan theories is that Chloe will become the Queen of Hell. The appeal is strong on the surface as it does several things;

- It codifies Lucifer and Chloe’s relationship into a formalized, wedded partnership as King and Queen.

- It answers the question “What will happen to Lucifer and Chloe when she eventually dies?”

- It elevates Chloe to a seemingly exalted position, which is coded as a reward.

The trouble with this theory is that if Chloe became the Queen of Hell, that would undermine the major themes of the narrative. To emphasize my point, let me pose a question.

Is the story telling us that Chloe needs to become worthy of Lucifer or that Lucifer needs to become worthy of Chloe?

Actually, let’s flesh this question out a bit more.

Does Chloe need to go through trials that test her commitment to kindness in the face of abuse to be elevated to a higher status in order to receive Lucifer as her reward? Or does Lucifer need to learn restraint, a higher degree of empathy and to be on the receiving end of kindness in order to grow up so that he can learn, not only to give and receive love, but the responsibility that comes with a duty of care?

If these sound like two completely different stories, you’re absolutely right. The first one is Cinderella, the second is Beauty and the Beast. And in regards to the question of the Queen of Hell, they’re both relevant because these two tales are dueling in Season Four with the introduction of Eve.

The Cinderella Story

Cinderella; a girl who has no control over her life, serving a cruel family that takes advantage of her and erases her identity in service of the family’s needs, but whose kindness, compassion and empathy in the face of grief win her friends that help her escape her prison and find freedom.

Fits Eve to a tee, doesn’t it? She’s highly empathic, makes friends at the drop of a hat, even with people who are inclined to dislike her - i.e. Ella and Chloe. She’s kind, but not stupid. She only needs one look at a situation with all the actors in the room before she can pick out what’s going on between Lucifer and Chloe.

What makes Eve’s story highly compelling is watching her abuse her virtues attempting to fulfill the themes of her own story, which ultimately causes her to fail.

The central theme of Cinderella’s story is her commitment to kindness in the face of her family’s abuse. The one thing the Cinderella cannot be, if she is to succeed, is selfish; to allow it would be to invite that poison into her own psyche. That isn’t to say that the Cinderella is doomed to be a doormat either. She rebels by going to the ball (or in Eve’s case, to Earth). However, there is a difference between standing up for yourself, acknowledging your own needs to be valid and worthy of consideration versus prioritizing your needs over the needs of others, irregardless of what they feel.

Which is exactly what Eve does. Her pursuit of Lucifer is highly selfish.

Lucifer is telling Eve “no” in multiple ways, including verbal at the end of 4x04. He doesn’t desire a relationship with her, he’s trying to work through something very painful and he’s not in a good place right now. He is in love with someone else and Eve knows it.

Unfortunately, what Lucifer wants is irrelevant. Eve wants him and she intends to have him because Lucifer is her second chance - Adam couldn’t love her because he was remained in love with Lilith, but this time will be different. This time Eve thinks she can win. So she pushes him into showing her his Devil face and pours balm on the wound inflicted by Chloe when she kisses it.

What Lucifer misses in that moment is that Eve’s easy acceptance of him as the Devil is a giant red flag in and of itself.

The Virtuous Daughter

The Beauty; the member of her materialistic family who prizes practicality, hard work, and making the best of any situation in the face of ruin. The one who will sacrifice herself without hesitation to protect the ones she loves, who puts her needs last.

Chloe is a homicide detective instead of the virtuous, youngest daughter, but the Beauty is often characterized by her devotion to duty - filial duty in particular. Sure enough, who is Chloe emulating? Her beloved father, the cop killed in the line of duty.

Beauty and the Beast is a more interactive tale between the lovers than Cinderella. It is through cohabitation with the Beast and learning about each other that the Beast learns to put others’ needs above his own, rising above his former self absorption while the Beauty learns to accept the goodness within the Beast, not only for his attempts to do better, but for who he is as the Beast.

This is literally the story of Season 4 - of Chloe coming to terms with Lucifer being the Devil and reconciling the fact that she is in love someone she’s been told is the personification of evil.  It takes her the entire season to fall in love with the Devil as opposed to the Lost Prince (echoing the earliest written versions), who she’s been in love with since Season 2, and it comes in stages.

- 4x02, the ax scene when she realizes that Lucifer’s love for her is genuine, soothing her fear that, once again, like with Pierce, she’s been used as a pawn in a game she had no idea was being played.

- 4x05, when she throws herself between Lucifer and the anticipated explosion. The moment they both realize Chloe would sacrifice herself to protect the Devil. 

- 4x07, when Lucifer chooses justice over punishment and brings Tiernan into the station, sacrificing his own need for vengeance and proving to Chloe that the Devil is a good man. Chloe is still bifurcating Lucifer, but she acknowledges that he is both angel and Devil in that critical scene on the balcony. 

- 4x09, the traditional recognition of the Beast and the Prince as the same person, when Chloe realizes that his Devil form is a manifestation of Lucifer’s declared self-hatred.

Chloe’s love is not a redemptive object the way Eve wants her love for Lucifer to be. The transformation from Beast to man requires Lucifer to understand and forgive himself - Chloe can’t do it for him. Chloe’s acceptance can serve as a guide on that path, but Lucifer must do the work himself. He clings blindly to the idea that Chloe’s acceptance will either save or condemn him in a single moment - and when he attempts to force the issue he’s unable to accept Chloe’s “I don’t know” as an answer. 

The Prince Of Darkness

Lucifer ends up caught in the middle of these two stories as each of them casts him in a very different role.  The show frames Lucifer’s struggle between these two opposing visions of who he is as good and evil, but there’s something to be said for the idea that Lucifer would simply like to know which story he’s in, thank you very much!

Is he Eve’s Prince? A static, perfect figure that she will receive as a reward - her vehicle of escape and self-actualization?

Or is he Chloe’s Lost Prince? A man, trapped in a form not his own, battling his own worst impulses in order to regain the original identity he has lost?

And, in a twist, each woman assigns qualities of the other tale to their version of Lucifer - Eve’s Prince is a bestial version - Lucifer as he was in the Beginning. Primal, impulsive and living entirely in the moment with no care for the consequences of his actions. Chloe’s Lost Prince, however, is more of a tragic figure; sundered from himself, split into two - Prince and Beast.

The Beast is a protagonist of his own tale, but both as the Beast and as the Prince he is an object of rescue, which is not something Lucifer needs or wants from Chloe. Lucifer has no desire to be saved - it’s a concept that we’ve watched him actively reject before, when Amenadiel suggests that the return of his wings means he’s been forgiven. Chloe’s role in the tale is to learn to accept the Beast, letting go of the Lost Prince. 

As the Cinderella’s Prince, he’s simply an object, not a man. Lucifer’s role as Eve’s Prince is a vehicle to elevate her to an exalted position that will remove her from the prison she’s lived in most of her life to a place where she will be loved.

It’s only after Lucifer rejects both Eve and Chloe’s objectified visions of him that he’s able to look at himself and get to the core of what has been torturing him since, arguably, the beginning of time. He is neither Prince - instead he is a man in nearly unspeakable pain as he sits in Linda’s office, knuckles white as he finally identifies and articulates the problem - his self hatred.

The King and Queen of Hell

Both Cinderella and the Beauty share the traditional raising of status, but in Lucifer’s case it’s worth asking - is becoming the Queen of Hell a good thing?

I would argue that question actually has nothing to do with either Chloe or Eve and everything to do with Lucifer himself and why he became the King of Hell.

Both Cinderella’s prince and the Beast’s royal status are their original identity. But in Lucifer’s case, becoming the King of Hell is the curse from his Father. However you interpret God’s motive for punishing his son, the bottom line is that Hell is somewhere that Lucifer hates. It is not, nor has it ever been, home to him. It’s not a place that he is proud of, nor does he relish the work he does there. He has enough pride to do the job to the best of his ability, but we know he’s delegated out as much as he could, even if Lucifer’s hands are far from clean.

In short, Hell is nowhere that Lucifer wants to be. He certainly doesn’t want anyone that he actually cares about to be there either.

Eve, however, needs Lucifer to be the King of Hell. The first half of 4x07 is, from Eve’s perspective, the high point of their relationship. Lucifer is the most intimate he’s ever been with Eve when they’re lying in bed after punishing Julian.

Of course Eve wants that back - enough that she’s willing to listen to Kinley when he tells her that, if she wants Lucifer to love her, she needs to convince him to go back to Hell. As much as Eve recognizes that Lucifer doesn’t want to rule Hell, it’s where he could “be a King again,” which is exactly how he was acting when he was closest to Eve. And, of course, ruling Hell would be different “with a Queen by his side.”

So she, once again, succumbs to selfishness - and is called on it by Chloe in the wake of it’s consequences. “How could you be so selfish?! Naive!”

Eve had already lost Lucifer, but her attempt to force her ascension to become Lucifer’s Queen only crystallizes that they’re not right for each other, as she’s faced with losing Lucifer’s friendship and respect. He would have to be the one to elevate her to that exalted position and he’d already told her “I don’t like who I am with you!” rejecting the role of Prince to Eve’s Cinderella.

Lucifer’s desire to be his own man, aligns much more closely with Chloe’s desires. Chloe has no need for pomp and circumstance. She’s always been the practical member of this partnership - sensible shoes, boring sedans, Costco runs and reading a bedtime story to Trixie. There is room in her life for desire, but Lucifer’s presence is enough to fulfill that.

In fact, in the moment when Chloe tells Lucifer she loves him and begs him not to leave, she is finally asking for something for herself. The Beauty has learned to allow herself a healthy dose of desire rather than a complete devotion to duty while Lucifer, as the Beast, has learned the value of love, empathy and a duty of care. Chloe and Lucifer have transformed each other into better, more complete versions of themselves.

Presumably, if Hell can be faced and fought in Season 5 and Lucifer released from the burden of the throne, then having the “curse” lifted might allow him to leave the Devil in the past and simply be Lucifer Morningstar, the identity he’s fought for since the pilot.

But, of course, if that happens, then Lucifer will no longer be the King of Hell. Therefore, he has no need for a Queen.

And They All Lived Happily Ever After? 

The time for despair has passed - neither Lucifer nor Chloe can afford it. Instead, they (and we) are awaiting the reversal; the change in the status quo that will give them the opportunity to challenge Lucifer’s fate. If they are successful, then there may in fact be a new Queen of Hell, if Lilith comes into play.

But if she appears, she will likely not be Lucifer’s Queen, but a new ruler come to usurp the throne.

Long live the Queen.

#lucifer meta #lucifer analysis #lucifer on netflix #deckerstar #lucifer morningstar #chloe decker #eve #lucifer season 4 #lucifer season 4 spoilers #lucifer season 5 #lucifer season 5 speculation #beauty and the beast #cinderella #long text post

[meta-squash]

This is something I’ve been thinking about re: Mickey in 3x06 but I can’t really figure out how to write it out as a fic so I’m just going to write it as a meta.

Most of season 2 is Ian and Mickey properly becoming something like actual friends. Very slowly, since Mickey’s guard is still up like crazy. They’re fucking but they barely seem to know each other. Mickey working at the Kash And Grab changes that up a little, but he’s there pretty briefly because juvie. It’s not really obvious in the scene whether Mickey pussies out of killing Frank because of Ian or because of the prospect of, like, actually killing another person, but I like to imagine it’s because of Ian. Which makes some sort of sense because by the time he gets out at the beginning of season 3, it seems he’s done at least a little bit of thinking and has chilled out a little, in that he’s surprisingly okay with the jealousy he feels later on re: Ned. I think season 2 Mickey probably would have freaked out again at the fact that he was even jealous. Season 3 Mickey is just plain jealous, and even if that internalized homophobia is still sort of there, it’s not like it was before. Anyway, in early season 3 the friendship continues to develop since Mickey’s back at the Kash And Grab and then it speeds right the hell up when Mickey gets jealous of Ned. Mickey’s jealous, he acts jealous, but when Ian shows pretty obvious preference towards him instead of Ned I think he kind of starts to make an internal decision. Then there’s the kiss, obviously, and by then they’ve been fucking for a while and I think Mickey has, to some extent, admitted to himself that he’s actually gay. Because it seems like for most of seasons 1 and 2 he’s really holding on to the “just a warm mouth” type mentality that he tells Ian, trying to convince himself that Ian’s just easy and that’s why he does it, same as Angie being easy or whatever.

So that kiss is one boundary crossed, one pretty big change in Mickey’s mentality. One internal decision made. And throughout this whole thing, Mickey has been his usual thug self, talking shit, making threats, being a menace, etc etc. He kinda smooths out when it’s just him and Ian (like in the dugout and stuff) but he’s still got his guard up.

But then there’s the conversation in the Kash And Grab, when Mickey invites Ian over. First of all, I’m pretty sure it’s the first time Mickey has said the word “gay” so casually, without using it as an insult/threat or it being something he’s freaking out about. So that’s interesting. Also, he’s obviously a little guarded when inviting Ian over, but not freaking out, and not in a way that makes him insult Ian, which is new (and the “fuck you is what you’re invited to” doesn’t count because I feel like that’s a pretty standard Mickey response no matter what).

So basically what all this is leading up to is the night of 3x06, which I think is unique in its own right even without being followed up by the morning.

Because Ian sleeping over, alone in the Gallagher house without Mandy, or Mickey’s brothers, or Terry, or anybody, is essentially the first time the two of them have been safely, privately together, like ever. The dugout is pretty much the only other time and that was still basically in public. So not only is this their first time hanging out alone, it’s also one of the only times we ever get to see Mickey being a Teenager. Like, Ian does teenager shit, goofs off with his siblings, reacts to things like a teenager would. Mickey, up until now, has been all anxiety and violence. This is the first moment we see Mickey with his guard down, Mickey acting his actual age, which is like 17. This is the first time we see Mickey relaxed and genuinely laughing. The first time we see Mickey in a situation that is just so normal and teenager-y, watching a movie with your friend while eating pizza rolls on the couch, hanging out.

We don’t know how the rest of their night went, but the fact that Mickey is comfortable enough to bring out and display the ben-wa beads is pretty telling. I mean, obviously more fucking happened that night, duh. But also to go from being as guarded as Mickey was, to (barely) stepping over the boundary of kissing, to the relaxed Mickey we see in 3x06, I get the impression that whatever interactions they had that night put Mickey at ease. I doubt there was much heart-to-heart talking, or if there was it would be entirely one-sided because Ian’s a talker, not Mickey (at least in s3). Maybe it was sex in a private, somewhat safe and comfortable place, maybe it was hanging out alone and really kind of getting to connect on a level that wasn’t public, maybe it was getting to let his guard down and act a teenager, maybe it was something else, who knows. That glance between them as the movie starts makes me think there was probably some movie theater-style making out. In any case, this sleepover is the night that Mickey really gets to be a teenager, to be kind of a “regular kid” without the concerns and anxieties and things he usually has. Probably another threshold crossed, another level of Mickey accepting himself and all that.

And then it’s all ruined. Which is a scene that is horrible and fucked up and we all know it so I’m not going to go over it because obviously it’s hugely traumatizing for them. But it’s interesting the way that Ian reacts to the rape vs Mickey, in that Mickey’s walls go right back up (as expected) and we basically don’t get that guard-down Mickey again until the end of season 4 when he’s living on Ian’s floor. But Ian interacts with Mickey in this odd way, similar to how he talked to him in season 2, like he wants the walls to be down, and if he just talks enough he can force them down. Which kind of worked before, in a way. But this time it just kind of shoves it in Mickey’s face that he should never have let his guard down, that he’s fucked, that there’s this new trauma he doesn’t want to think about. Ian reacts like a teenager, kind of making this about him and what he wants, talking to Mickey’s brick wall. Mickey, on the other hand, pulls back into the acting-older-than-he-is shield of violence and silence. For good reason, obviously. It’s like Ian doesn’t quite understand what happened, the significance and intensity of it all. Mickey absolutely knows what happened to him.

What I find fascinating is that in the scene before the wedding, Ian somehow manages to hit the nail on the head while simultaneously missing the point completely. Mickey kisses Ian, they fuck, so it’s a pretty clear sign that Mickey’s feelings are still there (there’s even the “it’s just a piece of paper” line). Mickey quite literally tells him, “why you acting like I got a choice in this” and Ian responds with a line that should be him realizing the reasons Mickey has no choice: “Your dad is an evil, psychotic prick.” To Ian, that’s an excuse to NOT go through with it. To Mickey (and the audience), it’s the reason he HAS to.

And here’s the moment we see Ian’s family upbringing vs Mickey’s, and how different the Gallaghers have it despite their fucked up life:

“You’re just gonna let him ruin your life.”

“You need to grow the fuck up. Don’t act like you know a thing about my dad. Not everybody just gets to blurt out how they fucking feel every minute.”

It seems like Ian is seeing the rape as a one-time thing, as some crazy over-the-top reaction from Terry. He’s probably comparing Terry to Frank. Frank’s a bastard, but his assholery extends mostly to scams and insults and neglect, not actual physical violence towards his kids (minus the one time he slapped Ian). So Ian’s thinking of Terry as the same level of threatening as Frank, or maybe just a notch or two higher, rather than leaps and bounds more awful. Which I don’t quite understand considering the whole plotline with Terry also raping Mandy in s2. Ian understands that Terry is fucked up, but I think the “don’t act like you know a thing about my dad” line isn’t necessarily Mickey backing up his father in any way. In fact, I think it’s the opposite. I think it’s a “you have no idea how far he might go” sort of thing. And then the following line about blurting out feelings is just another signal that Ian misses completely. Ian grew up getting hugs and conversation and always had Lip or Fiona to turn to and talk out his feelings at least to some extent. He grew up in a household very giving when it comes to feelings. Mickey’s the exact opposite. So him even saying anything hinting that he wants to blurt out any feelings at all is pretty much him waving a big flag saying “I’m scared and everything’s fucked and I can’t actually say it because that might literally get me killed but I still have feelings for you.” But Ian has never been good at subtlety so it makes sense he doesn’t catch that.

So you have Mickey, who barely even got to be a teenager, stuck in this situation, traumatized and forced to live with that trauma on so many literal levels. He has to live with the emotional trauma, but he also has to live with Terry and Svetlana, two constant reminders. And no one else knows what happened. So he closes off again because it’s the only way to survive. Back to the walls he had in the early days. And you have Ian, who despite having been there, doesn’t get it and reacts like the teenager that he is.

There’s also the fact that Ian running away and disappearing means Mickey has the distance to worry and think and realize that he’s pretty fucking gone for Ian, so by the time he’s going out looking for him in 4x07, he’s dressing up and putting on cologne. The Milkovich siblings are loyal to a fault when they love someone, and so once Ian’s back for good, it’s like that distance really made Mickey make a decision. I mean, he quite literally sleeps on Ian’s floor like a loyal dog. Even after that, Ian’s making teenager decisions (manic ones, but still teenager-y) while Mickey is now actually legally an adult (I think? Thank you Shameless writers for being very flexible with ages and timelines) and is suddenly the stable one all the way up to the end of season 5.

Basically it’s just so interesting to think what would have happened had the morning of 3x06 not occurred and Mickey was able to have that night really being a teenager. How would their relationship have progressed had Mickey’s guard stayed down, had he been more relaxed around Ian after that? I’m sure he’d have still been Thug Mickey around Ian in public, but maybe in a different way, quieter, all posturing. Something like that.

Instead, Ian gets to be a kind of teenager, while Mickey is kind of stuck in various adult roles (whether he’s anxiously putting up more of an act like the early days or actually stepping into it like season 4 and 5). And the one night he does get to be a teenager is ruined by trauma.

#meta #shameless us #shameless meta #mickey milkovich #ian gallagher #shameless us meta #gallavich #also this is for another post but #i really want to know what happened between s4 and s5 that mickey went from barely being able to hold or look at yevgeny #to being so cute with him and hold him/almost offering to change him etc #because i think 'repressing-trauma' mickey wouldn't have done that ever ever #he'd have retreated to not interacting with the kid or only doing so if svetlana commanded/threatened him #some conversation or something must have happened to help him be able to hold and look at and actually love his kid

[blodreina-noumou]

Hello can you rec some good Octavia episodes? (apart from s6) i want to re watch but not the whole thing hahah

I would love to! Let me build you a complete Octavia episode list - what I consider the best and most important in her arc. (Under a cut, since it’s long.)

Season 1:

(I tend to skip the first four episodes, because I find them really cringeworthy, and Octavia is barely in episode 1x05. But if you wanna see her chase some butterflies, that scene is in 1x02.)

1x06 - “My Sister’s Keeper” - An obvious classic, where we get to dive deep into the Blake siblings’ history and how Octavia was exposed as an illegal child. Shows how simple mistakes can have lifelong impact, and really illustrates how complicated Bellamy and Octavia’s relationship is. Plus, this is where we get all of the first interactions between Lincoln and Octavia, and where Octavia’s rebellion against Bellamy’s rules takes a more righteous shape - from here, her goals shift from “do whatever the fuck I want because I finally can” to “do whatever the fuck I want because I need to protect this strange, new person, who is an outsider like me.”

1x07 - “Contents Under Pressure” - This is where Octavia’s stubbornness really takes shape, and we see her compassion and kindness in full bloom. She refuses to stay away from Lincoln, even though Bellamy keeps threatening her when she goes to the captive Grounder. She poisons herself to get Lincoln to give up the antidote, so Raven will stop torturing him. In a camp starting to go mad with power, Octavia is one of the few who tries to stop the brutality. The first time she talks to Lincoln, and he speaks back, and her face fills with joy and wonder - ugh, it gets me every time.

1x08 - “Day Trip” - Octavia’s role in this episode is smaller, but I really love the scenes she has. Realizing that everyone in the camp is tripping balls, she cleverly distributes the jobi nuts and uses the chaos to help Lincoln escape. I love her offering Jasper an “anti-grounder stick.” It shows her ingenuity, chaotic-good methodology, and her quick thinking, and I love all of her scenes in this episode.

Season 2:

2x02 - “Inclement Weather” - I think 2x01 is worth watching as well, if only to see Lincoln lug Octavia around like a sack of potatoes, and to see the first Trigedasleng lines spoken on-screen. But 2x02 is where Octavia really begins to shine again. After being given the antidote to the poison she was attacked with in the s1 finale, Octavia recovers quickly and is pissed. She takes Nyko captive, and attempts to use him to trade for Lincoln’s release from his people, who want to kill him (brutally) for being a traitor. When she stomps into their camp, holding a knife to Nyko’s throat and shouts, “I laik Oktevia kom Skaikru…and you have something I want!” - I fall in love. Ferocity in a tiny package.

2x10 - “Survival of the Fittest” - Octavia’s fight with Fio, which is one of my favorite scenes of hers. Everyone - from her own people to the Grounders - wants to stop her from getting herself hurt, from putting herself in danger. No one thinks she can handle it. No one trusts her to weather the storm, despite the fact that she’s been dodging lightning bolts her entire life. When she rises, again and again, refusing to go down, we really get to see her almost manic determination to prove that she’s a fighter, a warrior, and she won’t give up just because she’s in pain, or scared, or angry. Then, Indra offers her the chance to become her Second, and Octavia’s life changes forever.

2x13 - “Resurrection” - As one of the few to escape the bombing of Tondc unscathed, the pressure to save those trapped in the rubble falls on Octavia. She struggles to earn the respect of the other Seconds, but ends up saving everyone with her ingenious “let’s chuck this bottle of alcohol at this burning pile of debris and use the smoke as cover” plan. She’s able to keep everyone moving and takes charge, even while people continue to doubt her. By the end, she’s earned a respected and admired place among the other Grounders.

2x16 - “Blood Must Have Blood, Pt 2″ - Betrayed by Lexa, abandoned by Indra and the other Seconds, and knowing Lincoln is trapped and branded, yet again, as a traitor to his people, Octavia desperately tries to find a way to rescue the remaining delinquents inside of Mount Weather. She teams up with Bellamy, Clarke, and Maya to devise a plan, and ends up playing an instrumental role in protecting everyone - right up until Clarke is forced to pull the lever that irradiates Level 5. In many ways, this is Peak Octavia - she’s an excellent soldier, a badass, stoic warrior, and a surprisingly soft and understanding friend towards Jasper and Maya.

Season 3:

3x01 - “Wanheda, Pt 1″ - My primary reasons for loving this episode are aesthetic and pretty shallow. We get to see how far Octavia has come in learning Trig - she’s basically fluent at this point, and manages to act as translator between the Azgedans and the scouting squad. She’s in full Grounder gear, but is also clean and uninjured - a rarity for her. She saves Jasper’s life with a super slick knife toss, rides around on Helios like a pro, and shares some wonderful banter with Raven and Bellamy. It’s a fun one.

3x05 - “Bitter Harvest” - Octavia is doing her absolute best to protect both sides of her identity - the Grounders and the Sky People - but they’re making it very, very difficult for her. She has a bunch of amazing scenes. Saving the little boy named Gabriel, trying to warn the Grounders about the incoming attack, letting Gabriel pet Helios. Unfortunately, in trying to protect both sides, she betrays both sides instead, and Zoe Monroe ends up dead. It’s an underrated Octavia episode, because it really shows her true nature, and how even when she has the best intentions, she just can’t get things to go the way she needs them to.

3x09 - “Stealing Fire” - A really, really tough one, but essential to Octavia’s arc. The death of Lincoln kom Trikru, her savior, her soulmate, her true love. The building energy and tension of Octavia being born for this role, of using subterfuge and misdirection to sneak everyone out, of hiding under the floor with everyone, and of nearly escaping with Lincoln safely in tow…only for it all to go horribly, horribly wrong, at the last minute… it’s good TV, even though it’s heartbreaking. I’ll never forgive them for killing Lincoln. But Marie’s performance is stunning, and this is the beginning of Octavia’s downfall - which makes for some great television.

3x12 - “Demons” - I think this is one of the weirdest episodes of this show, but it’s also a really good one for Octavia. She’s pushed down all of her grief for Lincoln, focusing solely on getting the mission done, and on figuring out how to save everyone from ALIE. When she finds his book, and his jacket, and has that moment where she breaks down and shoves everything off the desk - my heart breaks for her. It includes some good Blake sibling moments, as well. Bellamy going from “don’t surrender, no matter what” to “here let me put these cuffs on myself for you” in a matter of 0.3 seconds because Emerson threatens Octavia is a top Blake sibling moment.

3x16 - “Perverse Instantiation” - Octavia reunites with Indra, and receives some pertinent and salient advice - don’t kill Pike until the fight is over, because they need him. Octavia fights with herself, coming close to ruining everything, but manages to swallow her rage long enough to fight alongside the man who executed her soulmate. But once it’s done, she does not hesitate - I was immensely satisfied, seeing her run him through with her sword, although it absolutely signals the start of Octavia’s descent into darkness.

Season 4:

4x01 - “Echoes” - Octavia begins her role as Skaikru’s assassin, taking out the men guarding Roan and allowing Abby to swoop in and save his life, saving all of their asses in the process. Again her role is limited, but she takes out the guards with a spear chuck and a badass knee-slide. It’s a cool moment. We begin to see the cracks in the surface as she starts spiraling more and more.

4x06 - “We Will Rise” - Tensions are very, very high in camp, as Ilian is being held as a prisoner for destroying the Ark, and pretty much everyone but Kane wants him dead. Octavia is still healing from Echo’s failed attempt to capture her, and has clearly gone even deeper into the darkness as a result of being pushed away by Kane and Indra. She allows the crowd to rush Ilian, then lets them drag him outside. She very nearly executes Ilian, in the same place Lincoln died, and in the same manner. Kane talks her down, and we get a very emotional and well-done flashback sequence of Octavia remembering Lincoln’s death. When she flees camp at the end, we can’t help but see her as a wounded, grieving kid, who took on way too much violence and brutality way too quickly.

4x07 - “Gimme Shelter” - Black rain strands multiple characters inside and forces them all to wait out the storm, dealing with rising resentments and anger. Octavia and Ilian find themselves sheltering in a cave together. Pushed to her limit by Ilian’s questions, Octavia very nearly walks out into the black rain, in an attempt to kill herself. Ilian rushes to pull her back in, and they consummate their brief, sweet relationship in a moment of mutual need.

4x09 - “DNR” - Octavia and Ilian try out peace for a while, to disastrous results. Her scenes are brief, but one of my favorite Octavia moments happens when she’s left to her own devices in the garden plot, moodily whacking at the soil, trying her best but clearly begrudging this peaceful lifestyle. Although the scene where she kills the other Grounders is brutal, it’s very effective. Octavia can’t escape the violence of her past, can’t pretend that she is able to go back to being an innocent girl. She still needs more time to see how much damage it’s caused her. Unfortunately, s4 kind of twists this arc and tosses it on its head, because she ends up being greatly rewarded and venerated for her ability to use violence to win the Conclave.

4x10 - “Die All, Die Merrily” - Even still, I can’t help but be enthralled by Octavia’s struggle in the Conclave. She uses her lifelong skills of hiding and making herself small to survive most of the battle. Then she teams up with Roan, showing that she’s willing to make allies out of enemies, if it ensures their survival. I’m still really sad at the way Luna’s arc ended, and that Octavia was the one who killed her - but it’s still a great episode for O, and one that really underlines her entire arc and character progression.

4x12 - “The Chosen” - Heda Octavia rises, though she’s never explicitly referred to as such, of course. Watching Octavia take the lead with uncertainty but steadfastness is so compelling. She takes on the entire human race as her people in 4x10, and then, she puts her money where her mouth is, forcing Skaikru to make the choice over who will be allowed to survive in the bunker, and who will be forced out into Praimfaya. It’s the beginning of Blodreina, in so many ways, and really sets her up well for her s5 arc.

Season 5:

5x02 - “The Red Queen” - Another classic. We get to dive deep into what happened during the six years that Octavia and the rest of humanity were trapped underground. Octavia chooses her new mantra, her new armor, and her new identity. She fights viciously, without mercy, and ends up triggering the start of an entirely new, but still very brutal, tribal culture. It’s a fun one!

5x04 - “Pandora’s Box” - My favorite parts of the Blodreina arc are where we get to see the cracks in the surface. When Bellamy breaks through the bunker to free Wonkru, Blodreina disappears and Octavia comes back, for the briefest of moments. She manages to look so small and vulnerable when she throws herself into his arms, despite her warpaint and armor. Her first interactions with Diyoza are so good, and the building tension of the other characters realizing just how much things have changed is palpable.

(For what it’s worth, I think most of the episodes between 4 and 10 are worth watching - but for the sake of keeping this as short as possible, I’m gonna skip those synopses. Octavia does a lot of posturing and power struggling with Bellamy and Clarke.)

5x10 - “The Warrior’s Will” - Blodreina is finally knocked down by her former friends. After throwing Gaia, Indra, and Bellamy into the fighting pits, she is thwarted by Monty’s dramatic entrance, with his miraculous flowering plant. Octavia, deep in her spiral, recognizes that the people around her do not understand that remaining in the bunker is untenable, impossible, and not something she can accept. She burns the farm. It’s the first time I was ever really mad at her, but it’s a very important part of her arc.

5x11 - “The Dark Year” - After an entire season of teases and hints, we finally, finally get the long overdue explanation of what exactly happened in the bunker during the infamous “Dark Year”. Although the cannibalism thing was pretty obvious at that point, and almost everyone in fandom had figured it out, there was still something very shocking and unsettling about seeing the way it played out. I think the true twist comes from two places - that is was all Abby’s idea in the first place, and that Octavia is forced to execute her own people in cold blood for refusing to take part. They’re epic, emotional, difficult scenes, and Marie knocks her performance out of the park.

5x13 - “Damocles, Pt 2″ - It takes losing nearly all of her people, and almost losing her adoptive sister/close advisor, but Octavia finally comes to see the error of her ways. They gave her about fifteen different, gloriously perfect lines to go out on. She marches into the light, shooting like a madwoman, screaming her mantra - and then she drops to her knees, ready to give herself up to save her family. In some ways, I wish she had died, but really, I can’t lie - I cheered and felt overwhelming relief when Emori, Echo, and Murphy bust in with the rover, saving the day. In the later half of the episode, we get some excellent Blake sibling moments, as well as a great conversation between Diyoza and Octavia.

Those are for you, anon, since you only wanted the first five seasons! For the rest, who might’ve followed along this far, and want to know where to go from here:

Season 6:

6x02 - “Red Sun Rising” - While everyone else goes crazy from eclipse toxin, Octavia just goes crazy. Seeing her struggle, wanting the surviving members of Skaikru to beat her up, is so heartbreaking. I think this is the episode where I really started to resent Abby and the way she treated Octavia. Lots of great little Niytavia moments, as well as a deeply frustrating but compelling Blake sibling reunion.

6x04 - “The Face Behind the Glass” - Giving Octavia a scared little girl to look after was one of the best things this show has ever done with her. Octavia thrives best with a clear goal, defined mission, and identifiable enemy. She has all of those things in this episode, but tragically, she cannot prevent the Children of Gabriel from killing Rose. It’s a surprisingly emotional arc in the midst of a lot of sassy angst.

6x05 - “The Gospel of Josephine” - The Octavia/Diyoza team-up this season was everything I wanted, and so much more. The scenes of them talking in the weird quicksand stuff are so interesting. It’s great to see Diyoza give her version of a pep talk to Octavia, and I love the banter between them and Gabriel. Also, the little nod she gives Diyoza after coming up out of the muck - “guess you want to live after all” - it means goddamn everything to me, okay? Don’t touch me, I’m emotional.

6x09 - “What You Take With You” - Our babygirl pops out of that anomaly lookin’ fresh and clean and younger than she did at the beginning of s5. We still don’t know what happened to her in there, but we do get a certain visualization of the emotional and spiritual journey she’s gone on, which has resulted in her dramatic transformation. I really loved her mindscape scenes, the return of the butterflies, and even Pike’s return, as much as he makes my blood boil.

6x12 - “Adjustment Protocol” - Bellamy and Octavia can finally work together again without going at each other’s throats. Seeing this improved, peaceful version of Octavia is so satisfying, especially after two solid seasons of her unquenchable bloodthirst.

6x13 - “The Blood of Sanctum” - At the end of reliving her arc in my head, via writing this, I have only one thing left to say: Octavia Blake is a badass mothafuckin’ bitch and there is no way in HELL that she is dead.

Thanks for reading! If anyone actually decides to use this as an actual watch guide, lmk. If you think there are any really important ones that I missed, give me a shout!

#octavia blake #stephspeaks #asks #anons #the 100 meta

[optimisticcritique]

Gotham 4x06 - Re-Watch Review

Preparing myself for Gotham’s return...yeah...about that...I can write all re-watch reviews by the weekend but in less than 24 hours? Probably not possible. 

Lee seems so unfazed when fixing a broken nose with ease. Just another day for her.

And the Lee and Ed scenes have returned! I missed their interactions. We never got enough of them in earlier seasons.

I appreciate Gotham not forgetting everything Ed did that affected Lee. It is the consistency of the matter. 

It’s funny when you remember that the last time Lee saw Butch, she nearly killed him. The last time she saw Ed? She slapped him so hard his glasses fell off. This team was destined to happen.

Did Ed honestly think she would help that easily? You’d think he would be at least smart enough to not count on that.

Oswald doesn’t waste time bonding, does he? What happened to being careful of his emotions?

Gosh Oswald...can I not have one season that I do not feel bad for you? We both need a break from all these emotions. 

Jim being a creeper as he listens in... since when did you become Ed, Jim?

So, did Oswald really not know he was there listening? 

You’d think hearing all that would make Jim re-think his strategies on Penguin... it doesn’t.

 You know, it’d be much easier if you just tried to be his friend yourself, Jim. Then you can get close enough to ask him to stop the licenses. 

Not the best threats. Putting her on a train home?  Really? You underestimate her, Jim. It’ll really bite you later on.

Killer pig with a knife!!! 

I love Pyg. He’s so much fun. 

Killing corrupt cops again? I’m getting season one flashbacks. What was it? The balloon man? 

Harvey to Jim as he goes to see Penguin: “Don’t go stirring the pot!!!” You mean the cobblepot?? ...I don’t recall if I’ve seen anyone say this joke but I would be shocked if it has not been told at least two dozen times at this point.

Oswald working so hard for his...whatever he wants to call it. Let’s be honest, if it was a date, you know it’d be a much larger table with a much larger selection of food. We all remember 3x06, Oswald! 

“If someone had a problem with me, I would know about it”. Yeah, kind of like with Butch, Gabe, Ivy, Babs, Ed, Jim, Sofia, Victor...

“It’s why I’m alive” Actually, it’s comic book plot armor and luck but sure, let’s go with that. 

That wink gave Gobblepot shippers amazing gif sets and videos, didn’t it? 

Mr. Penn is here to save the day once more! The true hero.

Oof the hubris. Stop pushing Jim, Oswald!  Moments like these is why you find yourself screwed almost every mid-season. 

Make up on a pig face. I have always wanted to take up that hobby. Hey, he forgot the blush!

Oswald is always being stood up...

Victor being subtle and considerate. 

“Something came up. I don’t know. I wasn’t listening.” *eats food* Why is Victor reminding myself of me in this moment?

Oswald’s face when Victor grabs the food. Such a mood.

Victor is such a teaser. I love it. He should really be Penguin’s wing man at some point.

Imagine if Victor lied, just so he could have an excuse to tease Oswald and eat all his food. 

I love how quickly the audiences’ moods change. Before fight: *laughs at Grundy* After fight: *cheers* “GRUNDY! GRUNDY!” It’s like they are saying, “What? We’ve always been your fans. What are you talking about? Grundy always.”

Man, what a waste of a good corn dog. 

Lunch...Harvey + food = forever <3

“I could go for a burger” It’s Harvey and Jim moments like these that I love. 

 It’s strange not having Lee or Ed there to look at the bodies...or Lucius. Hey, why aren’t you guys using Fox more in these situations? I hope this means he’s in every scene in 4B! 

Jim being observant of a “blind” man. He sure is watching a lot of people in this episode.

“Ed Grundy best friend” this touches me. Do not ruin this. 

Ed’s hand when Grundy slaps it...lol 

I can relate to Ed. I love waving money when I get a lot too...which is never.

Lee still having a heart for other people. How she manages to be so noble but seemingly dark at the same time...

Every time I see that twisted smile, all I can think is “You’re a mean one, Mister Grinch”. I blame the fact that I first watched this episode when the holidays were approaching and Ed loves green. 

Victor being so loyal to Oswald...what a great friend...

“Oink Oink little piggy” I never thought those words could ever sound so threatening.

Bucket of fried chicken! I feel like this season is the most we’ve ever seen Oswald eat. Is he going to eat all his emotions and get fat? I wouldn’t blame him.

“It was not a date!” I’ve been around this site too long...his words say it isn’t a date but his lips mouth something totally different to me now.

Oswald trying to give reasons for Sofia’s actions as Mr. Penn and Victor try to prove him wrong = what happens when in denial over something in your mind.  

Should have trusted your first instincts Oswald

Victor looks so happy to see Oswald mad...probably because he thinks he will get to murder someone. 

“Get the shovel” Mr. Penn’s facial expression reads: “How did I end up with this job? Is it too late to quit?”

Rent an apartment? Ed, where have you been sleeping this whole time?

“Blackmail?” “Yes!” “So let’s hear it. What’s your brilliant scheme?” “What?” Ed’s mind: Huh...I never planned for this! Is the word blackmail not enough?!

Epic fail Ed. At least Lee got a good laugh out of it.

That poor guy. How the heck did he live so long with that inside him? RIP guy who had the last word “RUUUUUUUUNNNNNN!” At least you went out with a bang...too soon? 

“My biggest fan is a pig” and your current enemy is a penguin. It’s just Gotham life.

Did Pyg mean for Harvey to live? Was he supposed to kill Harvey so Jim could be captain and, when it failed, they had to resort to other methods in the next episode? Or was Harvey left alive on purpose to just make a point? 

Ed drinking green drinks. Is he only eating green things now too? Is he on a green diet? 

Victor looks so horrified to see a bunch of children. 

Come on, Oswald. No one is that nice in Gotham these days.

Deep Harvey and Jim moment. Not going to be that simple Jim.

Bills and money being tight...never has Gotham ever been more relatable. And I mean this genuinely. 

Pyg starting up “his” plans...

Over all: A great episode. Lots of fun moments and humor. Lee, Ed, and Grundy now have their trio started as Grundy fights for money that Ed pays Lee in order for him to be smart again. Pyg has surfaced as Jim and Harvey investigate him. Penguin seems un-trusting of Sofia...has Victor investigate and she supposedly is running an orphanage, not betraying Penguin at all. Meanwhile, Sofia believes she has him wrapped around her finger.      

Previous Review: 4x05 Next: 4x07

#optimisticcritque gotham review #gotham #reviews should go quick once I get to episode 9 #4x06 #hog day afternoon

[simplyrali]

The ending of Halt and catch fire

This is going to be long so bear with me.

I intentionally waited more than a month to write my opinion on the ending of Halt and catch fire, I wanted to see if I would feel differently after some time and thinking. Although at first it seemed like the show ended on a positive note, something kept bugging me and I was left unsatisfied with what they presented us. I was strangely disappointed and confused because a lot of the actions of our characters didn’t make sense with their personal growth until that moment. 

First, I think two of the main characters were written OOC in the finale – Cameron and Joe. Let me explain. In 4x09 and 4x10 they made Joe do and react to things the way Joe from season 1 would have done. He was obsessed with work (Comet), was quite demanding, needy and it was made to look like he used Cameron for her talent and business connections. He even tried to bribe her with Centipede (something Season 1 Joe would have done). After their break up and his fight with Haley he leaves town. Again something the old Joe would have done, not the Joe who in season 4 found out that people were the ones who mattered, the connection. He loved Haley like daughter, why would he leave her when she just lost her father, her sister went away and he knows that she struggles with her sexuality? I don't get why he couldn't have been a teacher in SF and remained in at least Haley's life. But once more he burned everything to the ground. He was portrayed like the bad abusive guy in a relationship that lashed out because his partner didn’t want kids, at least not in that moment of their life. While earlier Joe showed he could be quite supportive, understanding and patient. Being sad doesn’t necessitate being an asshole. And leveraging your love life to help your business is a shitty thing to do.  All of his personal growth just… evaporated in thin air in the last couple of hours.

On the other hand, we were led to believe that Cameron was independent emotionally evolved woman at the end. But was she? Her trailer arc certainly didn’t make me believe that, I thought she matured after the end of last season. And then later after her separation with Joe and the thing with Alexa not working,  we saw her being just as confused about life as she was in S1. After being in marriage for SEVEN years it looked like she learned absolutely nothing about relationships. In season 2x09 she said “what if we just hold on to each other instead of chasing what each of us wanted separately and obsessively…”, in 4x09 she blindly chased AGAIN  work .Also she was supposed to be strong and independent (words of CC ) but in 4x10 we saw her as needy lost soul searching for something to hold on to while everything around her collapsed. And her reaching out to Donna was an act of desperation. I find it hard to believe she’d be so thrilled to jump into business with someone who sunken her company and lied to her face, mind the fact that she didn’t see Donna in the last three years at all. So in that time her trust in her ex-partner magically restored? I liked that they repaired their friendship in 4x08, that brought closure for both of them,  but I dread the fact that they might end up working together.

The Joe-Cameron relationship this season made me feel like schizophrenic. They were written as soul mates. I was rooting for them, I really was. Cameron finally confessed her love, something we waited 4 years for, and Joe imagined  their future together. What happened at the end confused me, and not their actual break up but the fact that neither of them fought for that relationship, which btw was moving the entire show. These two destroyed lives, marriages and businesses to get to each other and when that finally happens they break up  with “oh, okay” … it was so anticlimactic and disappointing, the whole situation seemed unrealistic. If you love that person and imagine building a home together and one day maybe even children, you don’t let them walk out the door without even discussion( Keep in mind the fact that the Chrises were even thinking to make Cameron pregnant). Also the whole season they very carefully avoided working together and then BOOM they’re working together. For me it felt like the writers  wanted to reference 1x01 and ” the thing that get you to the thing” that just inserted unnecessary drama. That break up was pointless, it didn’t lead to anything positive – Joe didn’t get his children (some may argue that with his choice of carrier, but having children and teaching them are two very different things! ) and Cameron could have worked with Donna without ruining her romantic relationship, after all one doesn’t exclude the other. I’m tired of this running away when things get tough, after 10 years I thought they were past that. It would have been more challenging and interesting to write a scenario where they stay together. 

When they killed Gordon in 4x07 I thought that was the perfect excuse to bring everyone together. And that happened in 4x08 (absolute TV brilliance) and I was so damn happy. Now I feel like Gordon’s death was meaningless. Wasn’t this whole season about connection?

Now, my opinion for the female duo working together again. I am in the minority that wasn’t thrilled by that idea. First of all, I hated that at the end Donna turned out to be the big winner. Her relationship with the main trio never felt organic to me. I liked Donna the first two seasons, in the third I started to see her true colors and in fourth I openly hated her. Throughout the whole series she chased only her self interest and never really cared much for anyone else. At the end they presented her as the idea woman when nothing really original ever came out of her mouth, maybe Community, but even that was born out of one of Cam’s ideas. Making her the big winner was undeserved, especially given the fact that she never owned up to her mistakes. So, no, I don’t want to see her working with Cameron mainly because I think she’ll use and manipulate her again, especially after  we saw in S4 that she turned into a business  shark and how cold she can be to achieve her goals.

Joe’s ending felt very… random to me. Seriously, tarot reading?!  We didn’t need to see a sign on his door to understand that he finally became human, all of his actions in the fourth season proved that. I think I might have bought it if they didn’t show him being so destructive (business and personal life) the last time we see him, therefore he learned nothing from his experience. Even if he is better off outside the tech world, what they’d showed us in 4x09 only proves that Joe would be a terrible teacher, with all of his pushing and mood swings. I didn’t buy his ending at all. How can you teach humanities when you couldn’t sustain the meaningful relationships in your life? In one of his interviews Christopher Cantwell said that from the very beginning they established Joe as a guy you can never trust, why the hell then anyone would entrust their children to such person? No wonder why Lee Pace fought with the writers on the finale, what they’ve done to him didn’t seem fair at all and it didn’t feel true to his character. The actor did a magnificent job with Joe and at the finish line they’ve turned him into a punching bag and send him in the sidelines. But, hey, they put a few photos on his desk to make it look better.

I am a woman and I’m all about girl power, but before being feminist I am humanist. What this show gave us at the end was some twisted feminism. In order to let the girls shine, the writers literally killed one of the main males and sent the second one to the other end of the country.  Joe was continuously punished throughout the series and Donna was redeemed right away, when in fact her sins were bigger and more. 

Joe Macmillan, the true heart of the show, deserved more! Life is not a bedtime story but what they did with the guy was simply cruel.

In my mind 4x08 was the true finale. In my opinion 4x09 and 4x10 were a product of someone’s effort to please the critics and it obviously worked – banish the bad guy and reward the poor underappreciated woman. And if you watched the finale as a stand alone episode I can see how it could be appealing, but it is not a stand alone episode. In its effort to deliver strong meaningful message, it actually managed to cripple two of the main characters so it could sprinkle fairy dust on the feminism that it tried to show. Don’t get me wrong the idea was beautiful, but it wasn’t executed the right way. Halt always showed the strength of its female leads in a very subtle way and it never made me question their qualities, so I found it unnecessary to have that spelled out for us for 50 minutes (Honestly the party speech and the way that Donna made fun of Trip in the office were a little too much for me). The Chrises admitted that to the very last moment they didn’t know how the story would end and sadly it showed. They wanted so badly to top 4x08 that at the end they simply didn’t know what to do with the characters. I feel like the final result was a loud cry for media attention and approval.

I guess something good may come out of all of this publicity at the end, the show may find bigger audience because it is truly amazing. Again, that’s personal opinion and I’m in the minority here but the finale just felt off to me. The good news is that they managed to leave it with an open ending so we can imagine what happens next. Right now I’m holding on to this recursion thing for dear life because I refuse to believe that Joe Macmillan will spend the rest of his life alone surrounded by memories and a bunch of teenagers.  

#halt and catch fire #joe macmillan #ending #finale #cameron howe