#and i LOVE writing fic where i’m the target audience it brings me such joy on a reread

[callixton]

sorry for being insane abt my own fic but i forgot i said that. anything that’s mended is but patched virtue that transgresses is but patched with sin & sin that amends is but patched with virtue!!!!!! anyone else up being normal abt shakespeare’s fools

#i was gonna go to bed but i started indulging w some past fic #and i LOVE writing fic where i’m the target audience it brings me such joy on a reread #anyway having a moment. I MISS TWLRFHT NIGHT. #sir toby …… #also that line is 95% from memory i just couldn’t get amends. i loveee having plays memorized from working on them so many times #i’ve got hamlet and twelfth night and i think macbeth is getting there #was talking with rose abt this the other day. when i tell you i have to Constantly stop myself from accidentally putting shakespeare #- into my writing it is a near constant thing. and not it’s never intentional my brain has just latched onto so many of his phrases as #- Correct #looking at my texts w rose. #‘do u know that i’ve already accidentally almost included phrases from hamlet three times in the four paragraphs i’ve written today’ #<- abt ultraviolence #anyway. all of this to say that i’m SURE this was intentional but also i could’ve just written that and not noticed until my edit #ted talks #twelfth night

[toyfrog]

“We’re not done talking about this...”

Okay let me get this out of the way. I’ve earned it for one and secondly—I’m having a devastating April and deserve to stroke my creative ego.

My father is dying, my grandmother just died. Talk about creativity for a writer. Cancer sucks. Brain, lung, liver, and the potential to kill your loved one without any warning- which is what my family is facing during this month.

A grandmother at 97, “hope for a century” and a joy to my life with unconditional measure is part of life…a sad moment but expected. But the above a day after one beloved crosses over?

Not so much.

In short, love your family. Hold on tight to them. Every moment is a gift-choose wisely.

Now onto Olivia Olsen.

Lukas Reiter and J.R. Orci back in their refined element of sensible, artistic, and brilliant storytelling. Oh, and let me go back to what J.R. Orci said on Twitter after the Season 3 B debacle:

“Unpopular opinion, Liz should’ve chosen Ressler.”

No shyt Orci! It appears he’s finally getting his wish same with Reiter. If you picked up the similarities in this episode with the Longevity (is it initiative or experiment? Damn MS) whatever… then you are on the right track.

The Keenler pillow talk is back in the van. Liz is back to sporting the beanie (if only they could ditch the leather I prefer her in the classy suits from season one and 2-get back to it, Blacklist.) and bickering with her heroic beloved.

“A win win?”

Yes, Ressler not to worry- your future semi Daddy in law plans to make Lizzie-poo wealthy beyond her dreams- 60 million accruing interest because by the end of this season, Red’s team officially will be the Task Force…

Ah the insulin injections and pills… diabetes. Type one? Or cancer like my Dad and he’s taking morphine for pain? Time will tell but Red’s health issue technically has been in play for three years- you just need to go back to season two to look for it.

Now, let me get this one out of the way:

Thank God Eggold is gone. Thank God Eggold is gone. Thank God Eggold is gone.

His presence brought NOTHING to the show and TPTB know it. Original story arc flows systematically and effortlessly. With Samar gone (and here I thought they would kill her off. I really did. Guess she returns to Aram at end of series.) the ORIGINAL STORY TIER IS BACK and it works.

So whose loving all the zoom angles on Keenler? Yeah if only the fan base weren’t deprived for two years after a dreadful 24 months of story that went nowhere and did not advance characters. If you think about it, Season six operates like Season two before Tom Keen returned. The removal of Jennifer (what destruction to a character. So much potential. They could’ve hired Julie Gonzalo but whatever) was crucial to bring Liz out of the self destructive mode where she uses people to get what she wants. The character cannot grow nor is root-worthy if she’s hated by the audience.

NOW SHE MAKES SENSE!

She doesn’t care who Reddington is what matters is he’s just a man who loves her…

Or more like a long lost relative perhaps, that loves her? And I’ll leave that suspicion to myself for now… the rest of you should BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT.

WHY DOES ANNA MCMAHON LOOK IDENTICAL TO KATARINA ROSTOVA??

Recall when I said McMahon will be tied to Ressler’s story at the end of the season? Now Ressler is investigating where Liz’ mother is? Ah yes and why?

BECAUSE HE IS THE HERO OF THE SHOW THE MALE LEAD FOR THE HEROINE. He saves women nearly falling to their deaths from tall buildings… you know that Ressler from Season one and Season Two and Season 3 A.

It’s nice when Reiter and Orci and Bokenkamp finally—-can fall into creative mode knowing that by using original bible it’s easy to write the dialogue for the rest.

The Third Estate.. ah yes. France we are back to viva la France.

Who wrote about France in their Fanfic? Yeah that was me The Fleur De Lis Society followed by Reddington’s nemesis and a colleague of Anslo Garrick’s. Now I’m not saying that’s where this is going. Mine is a fan fic and it’s based off elements of story from seasons 1-3A—Third Estate is the international Cabal…

Blacklist finally going back to Europe… yay!

So with Ressler now digging into his previous task force (do we get to meet MJ? We need Liz jealous dang it) that’s another thing. With Samar gone the ickiness of Ressler sleeping with her is now gone off goodbye finito unless Aram tells Liz out of the lie-which he still could. It’ll be Aram who helps Liz face her feelings for Ressler. That’s always been a given) . ’s past the one that hunted down Reddington, and dig up the Intel on ROSTOVA… are we are going to find Liz mama come back from the dead in a verrrrrrry interesting way?

Hold me closer tiny dancer.

Now… let’s look at Aram stealing 60 million from Reddington: “you are more powerful than you realize Aram.”

Yes. He will Be needed for to do battle with The Third Estate and the plot against the United States.. what could that be? Germ warfare perhaps?

Also Reddington’s speech to Aram regarding Samar having to leave… no choice otherwise endangering her loved ones- Aram.

There’s ROSTOVA. “She was between a rock and a hard place. Leaving her child, her love of her life behind…”

“She is a Target.”

Go back to Season 3 B- red told Liz her mother was a spymaster and she knew things that would always keep her in danger… and a target.

We are back full circle in the blacklist storytelling. And can I say it again “thank God Eggold is gone!”

I’d look for blacklist ratings to increase during the next six weeks. The blacklisters will be tied under one umbrella and Easter eggs are hidden you just need to go back to them.

“If anything ever happened to you I’d never forgive myself.”

Yes, that reckoning is coming-AGAIN. “She was between a rock and a hard place.”

Ah and now Reddington will be on the verge of discovering who betrayed him… huge huuuuuuuuge oh Dembe…. oh boooooooooy.

This will make some despise Liz. This will make others feel for Liz. And this will make some long for the next phase in story.

McMahon like Hitchin has a boss-a Big one and its not the president.

Harold and Red working together is a good fit… and with the smaller cast it’s much easier confining the stories under one big umbrella…

Liz telling Ressler to let it go. No no that would be too easy… we need a reason for Liz to act out her true feelings for her hero…

And boy is she lookin pretty these days. I mean it. When was the last time you saw Liz look this good?

Not since Season 2. The Deer Hunter, The Mombasa Cartel, the Longevity Initiative…

Pay attention to Reddington’s dialogue regarding having no choice but to leave loved ones because of forever being a target. Then go back to Cape May and the Kaplan backstory.

And enjoy all those zoom angles on Keenler.

The tension increases.

God Bless.

[barryslightningrod]

An Apology to Fandom

After a recent article surfaced of Stephen taking back an apology for Islamophobic comments he made years ago, I made a post criticizing Candice fans on Twitter for praise of Stephen that I saw months ago when he promoted Candice. I received messages pointing out why this was wrong of me to do. I became defensive and lashed out at accusations that I was targeting black women. I then received more messages pointing out why my post contained racial undertones, and a user made a post about me detailing two other incidents where my criticism of fandom was offensive.

I accept responsibility for the comments I made. I don’t want to offer explanations or excuses behind why I wrote those things, because no matter what my thought process might have been, it’s evident that the things I said hurt people, and I need to take accountability for that. I have always subscribed to the notion that whatever you put out into the world will be received by the audience in their own way, and this is no different. In this instance, my followers detected microaggressive attitudes towards black women in my words. It is my responsibility then to offer my apologies and examine why I exuded such attitudes to be sure it doesn’t happen again.

I’ve invested a lot of heart into Iris, WestAllen, and Candice as many passionate fans have, so I understand how sacred fiction can be. In joining this fandom almost exactly four years ago, I wanted to write fanfic that would give Iris and Barry’s story the justice I didn’t see on the show, and I wanted to defend Iris and Barry’s love for her from racist viewers. I am thrilled that many fans have found enjoyment in what I’ve had to offer, but the fact that I may have tainted what should be a safe, fun space for black fans of Iris saddens and disappoints me. I am a person of color yes, but I am not a black woman. I will never know what it is like to navigate fandom, let alone society as one. I can write all the fics in the world, but it will never change the fact that I have to listen when black fans tell me to.

This is not just a silly fandom fight to me, because we are all people interacting and sharing regularly behind screens. Real people read what I post and are affected by them, which is why I have taken this to heart and why I am penning this lengthy apology. I am sorry for my undertones or microaggressions or anything in between, whether I was conscious of them or not. I’m sorry for my arrogance and dismissiveness. I am sorry for violating any trust people had in me.

Through my time in fandom, my eyes have been opened to the biases that come to play in writers’ rooms and in the audiences that consume their content. I began to notice such biases in other fictional stories I immersed myself in. It became easy to point it out. I need to be better about opening my eyes to myself now too.

I said I would step back for people, but if I’m being honest, I’m not sure I can do that. I don’t think I can convey how much I need this platform right now or how much sharing writing with others brings me joy.

But I still want to make amends. I am willing to listen. I am willing to reflect. I am willing to do better. I just know that nothing can change unless accountability is taken and apologies are issued, and that’s where I hoped to start.

-BarrysLightningRod