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sorry-mom-ive-sinned · 11 months

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Listening a bunch to What Could Possibly Go Wrong?, It's Teavee Time!, and That Little Man Of Mine, all different versions of Mike Teavee's intro song in the various musicals, I have a few different opinions.

First off my order of favs are: 1. Its Teavee Time! 2. That Little Man Of Mine 3. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?, and I'll tell you why. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Is too focused on a narrative that I feel just... doesn't really apply to Mike? At least not to this Mike. Like the lyrics "We teach our kids that when they lose they're winners. That everything they do, they do the best". This is clearly a commentary on america, like the whole song is, but this version of Mike isnt a kid that would be told that. He's a genius. A evil shit nose kid of a genius, but still a genius. He hacked his way into a golden ticket for God's sake. I feel like the lyrics of this song (and broadways Vidiots) apply the most to 1971 wwatcf Mike. That Mike is definitely not a genius and kind of stupid, with a clearer obsession with guns and fictional dumbed down violence. Musical Mike is a genius whose obsessed with real genuine violence.

And the rest of the song just, doesnt feel that much about Mike? All the versions of the musical focus too much on his mom for my tastes, but the broadway version is the most egregious here with Ethel. Theres more time devoted in the song to her being overwhelmed by her sons antics then what his antics actually are. This is why I like Its Teavee Time! the best. It devotes the whole song to talking about Mike's violent streak as well as Doris' direct reaction to how extreme he is. I honestly find Doris much more empathic than Ethel, given that West end Mike comes across as more of a terror in my opinion, and she seems more genuinely exausted by it all. Thats just my perception though.

That Little Man Of Mine is good, more focused on Mike which I like, but Mike barely sings in this version of the song which makes me very sad. Honestly Mike barely sings in the musical period, at least compared to some others, and that makes me so sad as he is very much my favorite of the bunch. Idk, I just like how the West end version focuses in a bit more on how much of a little shit he is, and the message in Vidiots seems more directed at him and the musicals interpretation of his character. Honestly I think the broadway version would be improved if they went for a more book/wwatcf version of his character, even though I like that interpretation a bit less overall. I think it just would of fit more with the messages they seemed like they were trying to convey surrounding him.

Also Doris seems more like she wants the best for her son, while Ethel seems more like she's already given up on him. Doris line of "...Where he'll make some brand new friends. I pray to God he fits in with the gang" and later on in Strike that, Reverse it when she tells him to "Play Nice", shows me that she cares more. Ethel doesnt have lines like that, and instead its more focused on her alone, with added jokes about her alcoholism. Idk, I just dont like it.

Conclusion: Doris>Ethel (in my opinion)

#had a lot of thoughts and needed to get them out there #i think about mike teavee a lot lmao #catcf #catcf musical #wwatcf #charlie and the chocolate factory #charlie and the chocolate factory musical #mike teavee #i also prefer west end mike overall #but think broadway mike has some funnier quippier lines #i think saying i prefer doris over ethel may be unpopular i know people like her

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buttonsreblogs · 1 year

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Every now and then I remember we're finally getting a CharlieMusical revival tour in the U.K and get excited...

And then I Immediately remember that there was no real footage of Jonathan Slinger's run, and god I wish you all could've seen how dark that shit was. He growled half his lines and it made you feel both unsafe yet utterly intrigued in the same breath; it was more menacing than the other takes on Wonka, yet he had these soft relaxing moments like in Simply Second Nature where it just hit so much harder.

Also this run's Mrs. Gloop death-screamed her son's name in such an agonisingly tragic way, and that shit sticks with you. And our Doris Teavee was the cutest.

Anyway, excited for the new run but also sad at what's lost.

also the song lineup for the new one implies it's running on broadway plot and god that saddens me that they're cutting SSN, and instills fear that they may be using American!Doris' design aaaa

#charlie and the chocolate factory #catcf musical #!thoughts

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thevillainsfangirl · 3 years

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The Teavee family make me sad.

Yes, the Teavee family from the iconic childhood tale, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s their story, the Buckets are just at the forefront of it.

Specifically, those 👆🏽 versions of the Teavees, from the 2005 film and the 2013 musical, though I will also look at the National Tour for the Broadway version because of the song they use in it.

Now, let me start off with this: I firmly believe that Norman and Doris Teavee love their son, and they are doing their best. Their best just isn’t very good. (They literally suck so bad as parents in ‘71, as he has 0 basic manners and they’ll let him get a gun for his 12th birthday! However, I don’t see them in the first movie as Doris & Norman anyway, and I think their names are different.)

...

I first want to cover the musical. Here, Michael is a feral child; he is violent, he is... “high-spirited,” he smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day (it used to be more)... he has set their cat on fire and chloroformed a nurse (which makes me wonder if they needed a nurse for him?), he somehow stole a German tank, and he is on house-arrest... at only 10-years-old. Because of all this, Doris is a high-strung alcoholic who is deep in denial. Meanwhile, Norman seems... disconnected; he gives off the vibe that he has dissociated in order to cope with his own son. (I know the intention was most likely to paint him as a clueless sitcom dad, but I personally don’t see it that way.)

I don’t care much for the Broadway version of this show, especially because of the song that replaces “It’s Teavee Time!” as it has nothing to do with them as characters, but it’s important to mention here because... Mike’s father (I won’t say Norman) is gone in the Broadway version. (Or is it only the National Tour where this is mentioned?) He’s just gone, he has up and left his wife and son, he has actually checked-out of the family! And I can’t even blame him; with that wife and that child, I’d honestly want to ditch them, too. Another thing worth mentioning is the song used in the National Tour of the Broadway musical, “Little Man Of Mine”, which mentions Mike still being on house-arrest for something that “they never proved”, and his mother (here called Ethel; I consider them a different set of parents, but I digress) doping him up and putting restraints on him, while also drinking and popping pills herself. The saddest part of the song is probably Mike saying that he (or they) try to find his father online every night. 🥺

Also very important to note: In both “It’s Teavee Time!” and “That Little Man Of Mine”, Doris and Ethel mention wishing they’d had a daughter instead of Mike. WHAT. THE. FUCK??? Does Mike ever hear this? I sincerely hope not! (Also, it’s simply illogical because a girl could act the exact same way that Mike does. 🤨)

Unfortunately, there’s no official recording of “Little Man Of Mine” anywhere, but the lyrics to it are here, and I’ve seen one (1) recorded performance of decent film/audio quality.

Now, on to the movie; grab some tissues, because the sads just keep on coming...

In the 2005 film... well, Mrs. Teavee doesn’t speak, and we only see her once, but she feels dead inside. She gives off a vibe that says she regrets having this child, and she and her husband haven’t been in love for years. Norman is a defeated pushover who would probably lay down in a puddle if Mike told him to because he doesn’t want to get his shoes dirty (not that the kid would care, he *was* stomping in candy goo); he tries to tell Mike to stop ragefully stomping on candy pumpkins, he tries to tell Mike to calm down in the TV room, but it of course doesn’t work, and he barely tried at all. He doesn’t understand his son, and he feels he has grown up too fast (which is probably true). And Mike, well... Mike is a lot of things, but I honestly feel like the kid is sad. He is so angry all of the time, that is not a happy child. That is a Depressed & Angry 2000s Emo Child, I can tell because I was one. I don’t know if he can tell how dead inside his parents are, if it’s because they don’t get him, if he gets picked on in school for being a little genius... but the kid is unhappy, that much I know.

But I don’t think it was always this way. I think they were a happy family once, when Mike was little, but then it started going downhill.

This newspaper article from the film (I’ve never seen in the film) paints the picture for me:

(First off: Mike looks too pure here, so can you imagine people picking up that newspaper and then reading the article? “Awww, what an adorable child!” 😊 *reads it* “Jeez, what an obnoxious little shit!” 🤨 And I sincerely can’t help but wonder how they got him to smile for the picture; his parents probably promised to buy him a new video game if he would just smile, please. I can hear the exhaustion in Norman’s voice.)

If you click on this 👆🏽 image (in Dashboard/preview mode), open it in a new tab, click the zoom magnifying glass, and look down to the lower-middle left of the paper, you should be able to read: Young Teavee also no doubt takes after his father, a Certified Public Accountant with nearly 20 years of experience. “I would always bring work home and Mikey would look over my shoulder when he was a baby,” professed Mr. Teavee. “He’s always had a knack for numbers.”

Now, I know that makes no sense because in the actual film, Mr. Teavee said that he is a high school geography teacher, not an accountant, but... let’s just go along with it for now. How precious does that sound? Imagine Mr. Teavee sitting on their couch, looking over his work, and little baby Mike is just standing on the couch and looking over his dad’s shoulder, just really fascinated by it. 🥺

What I’m getting at is: I think they were a happy family once, but then Mike started detaching and growing up, and maybe his parents marriage isn’t doing the best anymore (I get the vibe, I get the vibe), and it just all went downhill. And honestly? I think Norman is afraid of his son. Which is understandable; if I lived with that kid, I’d be scared, too. 😳

(Side-note: That newspaper says that Mike is 13-years-old? 🤨 Yeah, I don’t fucking buy it, that kid looks 10 or 11, which doesn’t sound like much, but kids are growing all the time, so they definitely look different at 13 than they do at 10 or 11. It’s possible he could be 13, but I don’t believe that, and I headcanon him as 10/11.)

I’m sure there’s something I’m forgetting, but I think I’ve said every relevant thing there is to be said so far about this candy-coated Greek tragedy called the Teavee family. My point is...

The Bucket family is sad because of their financial situation, but thankfully for them, that’s fixed by the end of the story. The Teavee family is sad in a way that I don’t think can be fixed, not if they don’t try. The Teavee family is sad because they’re broken.

#This took me a week and lots of research to write...#This is my MAGNUM OPUS...#so PLEASE don't let this flop! 🥺🙏🏽#mike teavee #norman teavee #doris teavee #ethel teavee #Mr. Teavee #mrs. teavee #Charlie and the Chocolate Factory #CATCF #catcf 2005 #catcf musical #catcf commentary #character analysis #commentary #text post

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outlawssweetheart · 2 years

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Are we gonna acknowledge the way that Eugene (and maybe Doris, I can’t quite tell 🧐) seems to be comforting Mrs. Gloop? 🥺 And then Wonka is just there like “Look at my Oompa Loompas!” 🙃

#She may even be holding onto Mike's jacket? Which is really sad considering that her own son is currently in grave danger. 😟#mrs. gloop #eugene beauregarde #doris teavee #mike teavee #catcf musical #catcf #charlie and the chocolate factory #catcf west end #catcf commentary #catcf tag #text post

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nalascat · 3 years

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i might just mess around and become a doris/ethel teavee fan blog

#catcf #ethel teavee #doris teavee #mrs teavee #nalas rambling again

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verucastutu · 4 years

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Mike: i don't cook, i don't clean.

Mrs. Teavee: *takes off the flip flop from her feet*

Mike:

Mike: yes i do the cooking ,yes i do the cleaning.

#incorrect quotes #tik tok #mike teavee #mrs teavee #doris teavee #ethel teavee #charlie and the chocolate factory #willy wonka and the chocolate factory #catcf #willy wonka #verucastutu

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brbuttons · 1 year

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Do you think that Charlie and the chocolate factory is the most underrated musical? I think it’s pretty good and pays nods to the original book.

Of the ones we've seen? Absolutely.

I think a lot of people dismiss the source material as they grow up- 'it's a horror story for children'- forgetting that it's as much wary warning to adults as it is kids. And I think this lead to a lot of people seeing a Musical version of this as nothing more than 'a kid's play'.

But oh god, anyone who's seen the musical... [insert nervous laughter] knows that's not the case.

For context, since versions differ: We saw the original West-End run in its final year, with Jonathan Slinger as Wonka. Which... whereas Hodge went more book-Wonka, and Jennings had this almost uncaring selfishness, Slinger's Wonka was unhinged. He was the perfect mix of 'I am genuinely terrified for my own safety, but if I don't follow this man, I will be all-consumingly curious for the rest of my life'.

He had the same vibe as creatures of myth that would lure people to their demise. You could tell me Slinger's Wonka was a fae, and I could easily believe it. You would have to have the willpower of the gods to not follow him into the dark.

I say all this, because I think a lot of adaptations ignore the cruelty of Willy Wonka. There's a cognitive bias in the story, as it's told from a star-struck child's view of a man who can do no wrong; and let's be honest, Charlie shrugs off trauma after trauma in that factory because of it. But the musical's Wonka makes choices and comments that just feel more true to the character?

The musical felt more adult, like it understood the assignment in a way no other adaptation did. It understood how- mind the language- utterly fucked up the whole tour is, it understood that Wonka is Ambiguously Evil, it understood that it is essentially a horror story mixed with a Wonderlandian Tale. And it didn't shy away from that.

And as someone who, as a child, was utterly confused on how no-one else saw these things of the story... it came out as, easily, our favourite version of the story altogether.

Perhaps it's because we've since grown up, perhaps it's due to our *ahem* personal biases within the system (see: our introject of Wonka was our primary persecutor during childhood), but the take not sugarcoating the whole story as 'look at the wonderful Willy Wonka!' and seeing it for what it is, was so utterly refreshing.

I wish more people had seen it. I wish Jonathan Slinger's run was recorded.

It wasn't perfect though. The first act is slow, but we do like that it took more time to explore Charlie as a character (we also still prefer that Wonka turns up at the end of act 1; something we know BW!CatCF changed).

The kids also felt incredibly flat. I think Charlie was a strong character, but all of the children in that version felt quite bland and too generalised? There was no subtlety to them, and they were incredibly in-your-face- which I guess is closer to the book, but if you grew up with the 71! & 05! versions, it's just a bit of non-taste.

Also 'Vidiots' is a boomer song about 'Technology Bad', and I know Mike Teavee is essentially that whole concept (even though that boy is obviously just undiagnosed ADHD, and hoo boy we have thoughts about that) but that song is very out of touch and could do with being removed or potentially taken from a more sympathetic angle. The only good thing that came out of it was Doris Teavee Jam Session lessss goooo baybee. hi we love west-end mrs. teavee if you could not tell, she's adorable and relatable when you're hitting 30 and stressed all the time.

That's all we can think of off the top of our head, but tl;dr: absolutely.

- Vi & Atticus

#🫐#🖤#[[ it's so nice to answer questions about CatCF again; we've been away from fandom for so long ]]#[[ We were in the Wonka tumblr fandom in 2013 and it was non-existent + the DA fandom in the mid 2000s and that was all Depp fangirls ]]#catcf musical #charlie and the chocolate factory #willy wonka and the chocolate factory #asks

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new-berlinwall · 7 years

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Tag Yourself

Doris Teavee -

Lives for that Aesthetic

Vodka ..... lots of vodka

Stares into the camera like she’s on The Office

@ N O R M A N

Just wanted to have a good time

Still tries too hard

Still gives a shit

Ethel Teavee -

PINEAPPLES EVERYWHERE

Lottsa snark

Klonopin

Ativan

Paxil,

Valium

Needs a pill to sit down an tally ‘em

Profopol

Librium

Beer!!!!!!!!!!!

Thought this was supposed to be an educational tour

Too old for this shit

But tries to be the cool mom?

#Charlie and the Chocolate Factory #Charlie Choc #Charlie on Broadway #broadway #west end #musical theatre #jackie hoffman #iris roberts #mrs teavee #doris teavee #ethel teavee #mike teavee #memes #i'm sorry lol

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beeffr · 3 years

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A little snippet of the next chapter of 'Pause, Rewind, Play' since it may take a little longer than usual and this chapter is pretty interesting for me to write.

Ethel and Mike dress in black, in mid-May and the entire household is far too quiet. Ethel tries desperately to wrap a tie around Mike’s neck, but of course as any seven year old, he does not want to and complains. Ethel gives up, but her mother does not deal with it, and forces the tie onto the boy. “It’s a sign of respect.” She says. “To dress properly.” It hasn’t even been a week since Ethel’s father passed away and it’s already going wrong.

Of course, Doris complained about having a funeral so late. If she had her way, she would have had the funeral on the same day, as traditional Jewish funerals were held. Doris was a very traditional person- she liked following such. Ethel was less so, but raised upon tradition, she knew how much it meant to her. Unfortunately, Doris had to wait for his sister to travel from New York to Idaho, which she finally had. They now prepared for it.

Mike did not fully understand the tradition, but he knew it was a sad occasion and so kept his head low. He’d already heard his mother weeping after the news of his death was told to her. Mike did not know his grandfather well, but he still felt the sting of grief. He even lets Ethel put a yarmulke on him before they leave.

They have to drive twenty minutes to the nearest Synagogue (because Jerome is a small town and Judaism is not exactly the epicentre of it) for the service and the rest of the family will return to their own home afterwards. In the car, it is silent and Ethel looks at Mike and whispers to him. “Please don’t make a scene. This is really important to me.” Mike obliges.

#mike teavee #ethel teavee #tw: death #tw: funeral #yes i headcanon them as jewish #mikes like seven in this chapter #doris is ethels mom btw if you havent read the rest

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itsteaveetime · 6 years

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If you're still doing prompts - what about a fic featuring Mike's dad?

//This sounds to me like it’s Teavee time for a Very Teavee Thanksgiving. Starring ALL of the Teavees. All of them.//

The little brat has kicked him under the table. Mike is both sure it was intentional and surprised that It could reach.

This is going to be the worst Thanksgiving ever.

It’s been a while since Thanksgiving was more than just him and Ethel and (best case scenario) KFC, or (worst case scenario) something turkey adjacent Ethel has tried and failed to cook. Mike’s behavioral problems have made him and his mother unwelcome at most family gatherings, and as far as Mike Teavee is concerned, that’s just fine.

He doesn’t know whose dumb idea this was, and he doesn’t care. He just wants this nightmare to be over with.

He kicks back.

“Ouch!” Norman Teavee yelps, bending down to clutch his shin.

Ethel Teavee turns sharply toward her son.

“Michael, did you just kick your father?” She asks.

“No,” Mike says, sullenly. Because Norman Teavee is not his father. Not anymore.

“No,” the nine-year old boy sitting across from Mike insists, crossly. Because his name is also Michael. Michael Teavee. And the fact that Norman Teavee thought that was a good idea says everything about the man Mike feels he needs to know. He is not interested in one single factoid more about his supposed father.

He already knows everything there is to know about his half-brother too. He remembers being nine clearly.

Neither he, nor…It (as Mike mentally refers to his half-brother, out of a lack of desire to surrender his own name) look like Norman. But they do look like brothers. The other boy’s skin isn’t quite as pale, and his hair is shorter and slightly less gravity defying, but it’s dark and spiky like Mike’s is. The other boy is short and skinny, like Mike is too. He could, in fact (in Mike’s opinion), stand to be shorter (or at least: a lot shorter than Mike, which he isn’t). He could also not exist at all. That would be best.

His dark brows slant down over his eyes, and he has a constant nasty expression that is admittedly familiar. He is stepping on Mike’s style hard, in baggy black pants, Chuck Taylors, and a red t-shirt with a flaming skull on it. He has yet to adopt finger-less gloves and snapbacks as a fashion statement. Mike gives that about a year.

Norman Teavee is tall-ish, with mousy brown hair, no personal style to speak of, and utterly forgettable facial features. His yelp at having been kicked is the most he has reacted to anything so far. He had not reacted when his wife had dropped a glass at the sight of Mike. He had not reacted when his son (his actual, current, nine year old son) had kicked the coffee table over (a total amateur’s move). He had not even blinked at Mike and the height which (at thirteen) he should but does not have. Mike had not looked up from his phone, but he had been watching the man carefully out of the corner of his eye.

“She wasn’t talking to you, doofus!” Mike spits at his miniature semi-doppelganger. The other boy’s tone is particularly enraging. Nobody talks to Ethel like that but Mike.

“She said my name, stupid!” It spits back.

“What if we all played a game!” Doris Teavee suggests, too loudly and too cheerfully.

Doris Teavee is Norman’s wife; Ethel’s replacement. She is a younger model, with dark hair (although Ethel’s natural hair color is also dark, closer to Mike’s than she will probably ever admit). Her fit-and-flare floral dress is less eye-searing than Ethel general prefers, but she’s certainly just as retro. Ethel is either not bothered by her, or has self-medicated herself into a coma. Doris seems even closer to snapping than Ethel, her smile tight and wild-eyed. She seems to be vibrating at all times. Mike wants to offer her a Klonopin, but that would require acknowledging her existence.

They all turn and look at her (except for Norman) like she has lost it completely. They have all just sat down to eat. You don’t play games while you’re eating.

(…well, both of the Mikes have been known to, but not the sort of games Doris means.)

“I just…I just thought,” Doris says, before trailing off into her drink.

“You never think anything, you’re totally useless!” It tells his mother, intentionally knocking his glass over into her lap. Doris leaps to her feet and tries in vain to brush the cranberry juice off the skirt of her dress. Something in Mike’s ears burns.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH YOU LITTLE JERK, THAT’S YOUR MOM!” He hollers, standing and slamming his palms on the table. Water (and other) glasses rattle.

Nine year old Mike Teavee pushes himself back from the table despite himself. His chair rocks, then tips, then sends him falling backwards, finally hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Everyone is very quiet, and very still.

The younger boy begins to wail. Doris and Ethel rush to his side. From where he is standing, Mike can see the boy’s arm is twisted at an unnatural angle. Definitely broken. The two women fawn over the boy. He bats Doris away.

“…what?” Norman Teavee says.

No one notices as Mike slips away, into the kitchen.

The Teavee’s kitchen in Colorado is achingly similar to the Teavee’s kitchen in Idaho. Mike feels like he could say what cabinet which dishes are in, and what is in the fridge without opening anything. He grips the cool stainless steel edge of the sink. He can still hear the other boy crying, but it is quieter, and then it gets further away, and then a door opens and closes, and then it stops.

He can hear footsteps even though this house is as wall-to-wall carpeted as his own. But it is not Ethel who collects him.

Norman Teavee clears his throat.

“There you are.”

Here Mike is. He turns away from the sink to face his father.

“Your, uh, mother. Went in the cab. To the hospital with them. But you and I would probably just be in the way,” Norman says, not quite looking Mike in the eye.

In the way. Yeah. That sounds accurate. Mike glares at the man.

“I didn’t do it,” he mutters.

“…what?” Norman says, sounding completely baffled.

“I didn’t push him or anything!” Mike insists. Because he’s no stranger to being punished, but he does what he gets punished for. He’s not going down for a faulty chair or a nine year old’s lack of spatial awareness.

“…oh,” Norman says. “…no. It was…no.”

He stands there, looking awkward. After a moment he moves to sit at the kitchen table, but he looks no less awkward. He also does not indicate in any way that he wants Mike to join him, even though that’s what it feels like he should do, so Mike just stands and stares at him some more.

“I thought,” Norman suddenly chuckles, “when your mother said you were thirteen now, that you would be…taller.”

Mike stiffens. His fists clench.

“I was,” he mutters, darkly, through clenched teeth.

“…what?” Norman says.

“Nevermind,” Mike tells him, sullenly. He stomps over to the table and sits in the chair farthest from his father, even though the man has not deigned to invite him. He folds his arms and stares at the table top. Somewhere, in Ethel’s purse, is his phone.

“I…uh…I suppose…we’ve never talked,” Norman says.

Mike raises his gaze slowly and wonders whose fault that is supposed to be. This is the most he has ever heard the man say, and it’s still very little, and even that small amount has brought him to conclude: Norman Teavee is terrible at talking. The man probably could not communicate with another human if his life depended on it.

“I don’t like talking,” Mike says.

That’s not really true: Mike likes talking. Other people don’t like when Mike talks.

Nevertheless, silence hangs between them. A clock ticks, somewhere.

“It was her father’s name,” Norman suddenly blurts.

“…huh?” Mike says.

“Doris,” Norman continues. “It was her father’s name, and she wanted… I don’t know where your mother got it from. I always liked the name ‘Henry’.”

Mike sits back hard in his chair. But not enough to fall over backwards and break anything.

“Do I look like a Henry to you?” He asks.

Norman looks him over thoughtfully. Looks up at the ceiling thoughtfully. Seems to be trying to picture what a Henry looks like.

“I…guess not,” the man decides.

Mike shoves his hands into the pockets of his black hoodie.

“Your mother and I,” Norman begins.

“No,” Mike says.

“We…two people, you know?” the man continues.

“I don’t wanna hear it,” Mike says.

“They grow apart,” Norman braves on.

“I don’t wanna hear it!” Mike insists.

“But we did, then, we loved each other very much.”

“Dad, gross!” Mike exclaims. Then stiffens. He hadn’t meant to. It had just: slipped out of his dumb traitorous mouth.

Norman notices. Norman says nothing. Then Norman says:

“You can. If you want.”

“I don’t want,” Mike practically growls. “You’re not my dad!”

Norman doesn’t argue.

“I guess I haven’t been,” he agrees. “…I didn’t mean to do that.”

“You shoulda kept doing it,” Mike snaps. “You shouldn’ta dragged us here.”

“…what?” Norman says. And Mike understands why nine year old Mike kicks over coffee tables.

“…your mother called me,” Norman says. “It was…she thought you…that it would…help.”

Mike sits, stunned. This is how he looks: blank-faced and slack-jawed. This is how he feels: like someone has injected molten lava into the base of his spine, and it is flowing upward through his veins toward his head where it will explode. She has betrayed him.

Also:

“You didn’t even wanna see…us.”

Mike’s voice is flat. He almost says ‘me’, but that would be giving too much away.

“It’s…complicated,” Norman explains, lamely.

It’s not that complicated. Mike stares across a table that seems to be growing wider by the minute, at his father. There have always been a million things he wanted to ask; to say to the man.

‘What did I do, that was so bad it broke you and mom up?’

‘When did you know you didn’t want me?’

‘Why wasn’t I good enough?’

Norman Teavee, he knows now, would not have an answer to any of his questions.

“Figure it out,” Mike says, instead. “Figure it all out. You’re messing up your kid, you know?”

He leaves his father alone in the kitchen. When his mother returns, she finds him sitting by himself in the living room, in front of the television set. It isn’t turned on. She sinks slowly onto the couch next to him.

“He’ll be…fine,” she says.

She means that It just has to wear a cast for a while; doesn’t need surgery or anything.

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” she admits.

“Can we just go,” Mike says. It’s not a question.

“That might be a good idea,” his mother agrees.

“No one blames you,” she adds, quickly.

He gives her a look.

“Duh,” he says. “It was never my fault.”

One days he’ll believe that completely. He’s closer now, at least, than he was yesterday.

#charlie and the chocolate factory #catcf broadway #fanfic #mike teavee #ethel teavee #DORIS TEAVEE???#I hate Norman Teavee #too many mikes #j/k give me all the mikes

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