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starseneyes · 1 year

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Chenford REWIND- Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 4 Ep 8 & 9

I'm LOVING y'all's requests. Please keep 'em coming! The second I saw chenfordfan2386 request these two, I knew it had to be done. I'm a huge Peyton List fan, and I love episodes that dive deeper into our favorite characters.

SPOILER ALERT: If you like to live an un-spoiled life, this is not the post for you. I try to write these as though I'm seeing them for the first time, and will definitely spoil these episodes and include references to episodes previously aired.

Everybody ready and know what to expect? Great! Let's dive in.

Hit and Run

"I'm losing to Smitty?" "Oh, that's embarrassing."

I love how Tim is commenting on this discussion even as he's pretending not to be a part of it. Lucy looks up at him, a smile on her face like, "you're hopeless".

"You know what would really help? An endorsement from someone who is respected within the department."

Tim looks to Nolan, incredulous. But watch how his face shifts when he looks to Lucy. There's a subtle shift as she leans closer to him, trying to get him to give in.

"No. No. Don't drag me into this. No. I have never endorsed a candidate, and I never will."

Small detail, but I love it. Tim reaches for Lucy's camera first. He hands it to her before getting his own.

"Genny!" "Sergeant Bradford."

As soon as Genny approaches and hugs Tim, Lucy gets out of the way. She has no idea who this woman is, but Genny is making Tim smile and getting physical affection without hesitation. She has to be important to him, right?

"So, what are you doing here?" "I just wanted to see my big brother."

Look at the shift in Lucy Chen with this information! This isn't Tim's new gorgeous girlfriend he's never mentioned. It's his little sister!

"Oh! Hi! I'm Lucy Chen. I know that we just met but if you have any embarrassing stories from his childhood that would be..."

Tim gives a nice glare at Lucy and she shuts up... for now. C'mon, you know Lucy is gonna get that dirt!

"Because I know why you're here, and I've made my position very clear."

Take note, here, that Tim is speaking cryptically. Because, this is a tie back to the worst part of his life, the most broken parts of himself, and the source of so much of his trauma.

Lucy doesn't know how bad it was. Yes, after DOD he opened up enough to tell Lucy that his father "tuned [him] up on the regular"... but that didn't paint the whole picture.

And having his little sister here is going to re-open all those wounds that nobody, save maybe Isabelle, has ever seen.

This tops everything that ever went wrong with her. This is the foundational heartache that defined so much of Tim and how he lives his life. This is the place his nightmares were born and his need for stability and to protect his heart.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

"Why don't I do one of those ride along thingees? That way, we could have the whole day to catch up." "Yeah, see, you gotta get permission to do a ride along. It's a long process. A ton of paperwork." "Hey, you're a Sergeant, now, you can just approve it yourself."

Lucy knew what she was doing. Does she know exactly what will be discussed? No. But she can see that Tim's avoiding something he needs to face, and the psychology girl in her can't ignore it.

"Did Tim have any nicknames when he was a kid?"

I love Genny's look to Tim on this one. Like, "Is this person for real?"

"Oh, yeah, he tried to highlight his hair right before Prom. He ended up looking like Slim Shady."

I. Love. Lucy's. Positioning. She is literally turned completely toward him, this goofy grin on her face, drinking every second in.

There's a freedom in how she's talking with Genny, how she's watching Tim, and I think about later in the episode when she finds out he's not single... and how I'm glad she didn't know before this scene.

Because look at how happy she is. She's loving every little morsel, learning more about Tim. Yes, she's out for the embarrassing stuff, right now. But, don't you love even the silly facts you learn about the person you love?

"Oh, you know what, I think I have a picture of it." "Oh my god, yes!" "Genny." "What? You'd rather I keep this photo private? That's fine. Let's talk about Dad." "I have nothing to say."

He tries to catch eyes with his sister in the rearview mirror. He's still talking in short-code, not wanting to go further. While Genny knows all the details, of course, he isn't ready to be that vulnerable with Lucy, especially now that he's seeing someone.

Go with me... have you ever had a friend who kinda served as a placeholder for something romantic? I had a gay friend like that back in high school. We were super close and people thought we were dating, but neither of us had any interest in each other. We just did all the couply things together because neither of us had a person.

Lucy once realized she was doing it with Jackson, and I think after the events of 4x01, Tim realizes he was starting to do it with Lucy. Let's be real, he's been doing those things forever with Lucy. But, I think he started to notice and it scared the shit out of him.

His ex-wife was a Rookie with him. They were both officers. She was UC. And there are too many similarities there even if Lucy is a completely different person from Isabelle.

I firmly believe part of why Tim is seeing someone nobody knows about is because he wants to date someone separate from the station to convince himself that he can.

He needs to convince himself that there's nothing between him and Lucy, because he is in no way ready to face it.

So, of course he doesn't want to let Lucy into his heart and personal life further. He wants to keep her where he is since some part of him knows he can never push her back to where she was before the veils started to fall.

"Okay. What's your cell phone number? I'll text it to you." "Genny-"

Lucy is all smiles. Because she still doesn't get it. Lucy might've forgotten Tim's one sentence about his father post-DOD (for goodness sake, that scene had a lot going on). She was in a fragile mental state, and after Tim returned her ring, I wouldn't blame her if she forgot 90% of what he said.

"You are impossible." "I'm impossible? Lucy, who's more difficult? Me or Tim?" "Of course she's gonna pick me."

I cackled so hard the first time I heard this line that I had to rewind for the rest of the scene. How Melissa O'Neil kept a straight face is beyond me, but it makes it all the funnier.

"Because you are the most stubborn person alive. Which, by the way, is why you're still single." "First of all, I'm not. And second-" "Wait. What? You're seeing someone?" "This is insane. There's an armed and dangerous suspect at large. We gotta focus."

How long has he been riding with Lucy and said nothing about this chick? Now, we all know Tim likes to pretend that there's no personal business in that Shop, but this episode proves that particular rules is constantly in flux.

Lucy was doing a good job at staying out of the sibling fight and concentrating on her work... until she heard Tim wasn't single. He redirects and she holds up her hand. The wife equivalent of, "Alright, we've had this fight before, no point having it, again. I got it."

But Tim slides a look back at Lucy. He didn't meant to say anything about his new girlfriend in front of Lucy, but he's so comfortable with her, he forgot himself.

That's what it really boils down to. If it had been almost anyone else in the Shop, he wouldn't have been that transparent.

But he's comfortable enough around Lucy to say things without thought. And the last thing he wants to do right now is let her in more.

"What is your favorite show? Mine is House Hunters International." "Oh my god, the best."

Can we just take a moment to appreciate these future sisters-in-law bonding? Lucy and Genny definitely understand one another, and I have a feeling their kids are gonna grow up together with sleepovers, movie nights, and fun DIY projects. What? A gal can dream, right?

"Maybe I should just let it go, but that house was my childhood home. I don't wanna tear it down. I want another family to live there and make happy memories." "Of course! I moved out ten years ago, and when I think of home, I still think of my parents house."

Lucy is being conversational and compassionate. But she doesn't understand. Tim can't take anymore, and he pulls over.

Watch. Tim's. Hand. Eric Winter is an actor who acts all the way through his fingers and his toes. And you can really see it here with how his hand is suddenly unsteady on the wheel.

Because "home" is a hard word for someone who grew up in an unstable one. Genny was more shielded from it, even though she grew up around it. When you're the target of the anger and frustration... it's just different.

You think of the "house" and know it was never a "home". Not for you. Not for Tim. Tim grew up in a house. "Home" denotes a certain level of safety that was never afforded him.

No, he can't take another minute of this. He can't pretend that he's not mentally back there—just a helpless kid who did nothing to deserve what happened.

"What's wrong?" "Tim? Look, I know you don't feel the same way I do, but our childhood wasn't all bad."

Gosh. It's like talking to my little brother. I'm Tim and he's Genny, and the younger one was somehow so shielded despite growing up in the same house. There are legit tears in my eyes, because it's so darn hard. If not for my journals I kept religiously, I might question my own memory when talking to him.

"Stop. Alright? Are you really getting nostalgic over that place? What do you want? Some other family to just cuddle up under the broken plaster where dad slammed my head against the wall?"

We finally see Lucy, again. She's been cut out of this since they pulled over. But, we get to see her react. Because now she gets it.

There's so much for her to unpack, here about how this informs who Tim is, why he makes the choices he does, and how he's gotten so broken over the years. He didn't have a great foundation.

"Dad had a lot of demons." "Dad was a monster." "He's changed. You haven't seen him in 20 years." "The only thing that's changed is that the drinking caught up with him. He can't throw a punch, but he's the same guy underneath." "He's not, and you'd know that if you'd visit the hospice." "Not in a million years."

Tim hasn't glanced at Lucy once during this. It's not about her. But, in an indirect way, this shows, again, how close they are.

He's not censoring himself in front of Lucy. He's speaking freely about something very personal. Later he might re-think it, but in the moment he's comfortable enough for this scene to happen.

"Hospice?" "I had to move him out of Assisted Living last month. Dad's dying."

Hospice care in America is usually the end of the line. No chance of recovery. Make you comfortable until you pass.

And there's nothing anyone else can say at that moment. Tim's barely keeping it together, and it's been a long time since we've seen him this broken in the Shop.

But it really can work that way. One word. One memory. One reference that throws you back into the worst of it all. And suddenly, all the emotions you felt then but weren't allowed to show flood you to the point that you're barely containing yourself, and it was all so long ago you'd think the wounds had healed.

Tim needs to get his head back in the game. So, he wordlessly pulls back into traffic.

"When you were 7 years old he dropped you in Griffith Park with a compass and made you find your way home." "Which I did." "Tim Test."

How fast he looked at her. Lucy catches his glance and realizes how it hit. She didn't mean it to, but it hurt. Because that comparison to the person you want least to be like is agony... even if the words weren't intended to burn. They sear into your flesh and you start to re-examine yourself to see if there's a trace of them there.

You share the same DNA, but that doesn't mean you're the same. Your choices define you, and you have to believe that you can break cycles or else you'll break apart.

Lucy just equated Tim to his father. She didn't mean anything by it, but the barely breathed, passing thought is imprinted in Tim's memory, now.

"Uh, Tim, listen... your sister needs you." "Lucy-" "I realize that I'm overstepping here, but just hear me out. It's clear that you got the worst of it with your father, but she lived through it with you. Instead of arguing about how bad your dad was or wasn't, maybe as children of... of abuse, you would be better off supporting each other."

The way he looks away on "abuse" reminds me of how he reacted when she said he had a learning disability. These are not things Tim likes to think about or face. But Lucy has never seen them as a branding on his life, merely parts of who he is.

She doesn't label him to ostracize him or set him apart. She tries to help him understand how these things exist within him, but don't define him.

And, oh, my little brother was such a pill growing up. Such a pill. But he was also the first person to ever say I didn't deserve the verbal and emotional abuse I received. He was only 13, but it meant the bloody world. I was 17, and I truly believed I got what I deserved. I wish I'd never lived through it, but I'm infinitely thankful for my brother so I didn't have to go through it alone.

"Ready to go?" "Yeah."

Lucy wordlessly gets out of the way of the siblings, but Tim can't take his eyes off of her, and Genny noticed.

Come on. She's his little sister. Much as he said he wasn't single and has somebody, she has already clocked that there's something between these two.

"Look, I'm really sorry about today. I should have listened more." "I agree. But thanks for saying it. It means a lot." "I'm still not going to see him."

Tim put up a boundary, and that's healthy. It's so hard to set boundaries, sometimes, and I really do applaud Tim that he set his. He owes his father nothing. And much as Genny doesn't agree with it, she needs to learn to respect it.

Sure, Tim could benefit from some therapy and really processing through his trauma. Genny's not wrong in that. But Tim's not going to go unless Tim is willing to go, and berating him is no way to get through to him.

"If you're free this weekend, maybe we could go by the place, see what needs to be done, and you can give us an estimate." "Did you just say 'we'? As in you're gonna help?" "I checked out some comps in the neighborhood. We could get a million for that place easy. Plus, it shouldn't all fall on you."

I think it's marvelous that before Lucy told him to be there for his sister, he was already looking at comps. He was already thinking about it.

Lucy, in this case, echoed the best parts of Tim. Sometimes she helps him find those better parts. But, he's learning, again, how to listen to them on his own.

That's so much progress for his character. And it's so beautiful to watch him blossom.

"Could I have everyone's attention, please? I would like to formally give my endorsement for Union Rep to a man who has the backs of every officer in this station, John Nolan."

Did. You. See. Lucy!? As Nolan moves through the crowd hand-shaking, Lucy cocks her head at Tim. Tim cocks his head back.

Because she's proud of him. He just did something he's never done, that he said he'd never do, because he knew it was the right thing. Smitty would run the whole thing into the ground.

Tim took action to help the entire station, and he's opening himself up just a little more to the people around him.

And Lucy is such a huge part of that. She always will be. But... that's a story for another Meta.

Breakdown

AKA "The One Where I Cry The Whole Time"

"Well, Nolan says an open-concept sells better-."

Excuse me... I gotta cut you off right there because... Lucy Chen is in your childhood house? Lucy Chen is helping you with Demo? Lucy Chen is here instead of the person you're dating?

Tim... and I say this with all love... what the hell? You invited your coworker to come help you with this and thought we'd, what, not notice!? Your sister must be standing there thinking, "My big brother is in denial!"

"Do you remember how Mom used to make us pose by the window for every formal dance?" "Oh my gosh, my Mom did that, too. And I always had to have a wrist corsage." "Yes! Why was that ever a thing?"

Tim. Are you seeing this, Tim? This is sister-in-law energy. Clearly, you need to throw that lifeguard chick back to the ocean because the woman you're going to marry is right here... And you're the one who invited her.

"No. No more reminiscing. This is about fixing up the house and selling it." "Wait. Wait. Wait. Hold on. I mean, you guys are ending a huge chapter in your lives. You guys need closure." *Tim turns on the tool* "What?" "I said you need closure." "What?" "You're an idiot."

Huge. Married. Energy. Like, my husband and I do stupid stuff like this. And Genny is right there.

Also, let's talk about how far Tim and Lucy have come. Yes, Lucy has always stood up to Tim when he needed it. But this is downright flirty. Like, this is Girlfriend talk, not Sergeant's Aide talk.

"You guys are so lucky. I begged my Mom and Dad to have a sibling. They got me a turtle. Uh, it was cute, but a little smelly." "Cute and smelly pretty much sums up Tim's teenage years. You didn't miss much." "Wow. And to think I was actually excited when they brought you home from the hospital."

I love how freely Tim speaks to his sister in front of Lucy. Think about Season 1 Tim. He would never. But the fortified walls that once separated them have all come down. Thin veils are all that remains.

"What is it?" "There's something in the wall." "Oh, is it my Malibu Barbie? It's worth a lot, now." "No, it's metal... What the hell is a gun doing in our wall?"

This isn't Chenford, but it's so important to the story, and it makes me think of the previous episode when Tim talked about his Dad breaking the plaster with Tim's head... Looks like good ole Dad did a lot of repairs, so as kids, Genny and Tim wouldn't have even thought it strange. It was part of the cycle of abuse.

"We need to run ballistics." *aggressive head nodding from Tim* "Wait, you don't actually think it was used in a crime?" "It's our job to find out."

Tim looks to Lucy on this one. It's not hard for him to imagine his father the villain. He is too distracted by this weapon to think of anything else. Because thinking of Dad brings back up all those things he's tried to shove down and not face.

"Look, we'll be back as soon as we can." "But it's your day off. You said you'd help." "It won't take long. Come on, Chen."

Tim's in work-mode. But let's not pretend he's completely objective. Some part of him needs to know where this gun came from... to know if the Monster who raised him is even more of a Monster. Could there finally be some punishment for all the horrible things he's done?

But Genny's frustrated. She doesn't understand this part of Tim, and she's frustrated because for the last 20 years, Dad has been her responsibility.

She's been the one dealing with his medical care, with moving him from facility to facility, with visiting him and trying to be a caring daughter, all while not even living in LA.

They're not communicating. And they can't see this from the same viewpoint because though they grew up in the same house, they have different childhoods.

You might think, "that's impossible", but it's true. Some parents play favorites. Some parents dole out all the abuse on one child. Some parents are negligent toward one child and not the other.

It's very possible to grow up in seemingly the same environment and have completely different experiences. That's Tim and Genny. But she's tired of carrying the burden, and he's blind to his emotions clouding his vision.

"I knew you'd find some excuse to leave." "Genny. This is serious." "It's fine. Go."

Tim takes the out, but Lucy can feel the tension, and she's trying to mediate between her husband and sister-in-law.

"She's got a point. You could have called someone to handle this. You still can." "A good Sergeant doesn't create work for his officers. Even on his day off." "And it's not at all about the emotions this house is stirring up?" "It's just a house."

Because even Tim Bradford "Supercop" has blind spots. We see it in 5x12 (and, yes, that's all I'm saying on it) and we see it here. There are times when Tim can't be objective—and I'm so thankful Lucy Chen is there to keep him in check today.

"Ballistics came back on the gun we found in the wall." "That was fast." "Yeah, I mean, I had to buy a case of Girl Scout cookies from Derek's kid. You're welcome."

Married. We've seen Tim pull strings for Lucy, before, getting calls sent to him to help her with her checklist, and whatnot. Now, we see Lucy spending her own money to help rush ballistics on the weapon.

There's no guarantee that rushing ballistics would have gotten them back to Genny sooner. No, this is about getting Tim the answers he needs as fast as possible.

"Monica is not a solid alibi. They were having an affair. My mom didn't know, but I did."

Tim was 14. Just a kid. But he was protecting his mom. We had a babysitter, once, who left us outside a bar while they went in and got drinks. We had another who had a physical altercation with her husband in front of us and yanked us out of bed, riding through the night until we found a safe place to crash.

I distracted my little brother so he didn't realize what was going on. I didn't tell my Mom. I knew she had such a hard time finding babysitters with her hours, and we didn't want to add to her burdens.

It sucks being a kid who has to think like an adult. And that was Tim.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're going to question your father's mistress? ... You can't be the one to question her. We need to do this right."

Tim's objectivity is skewed, here, and Lucy can see it. Also, can we talk about how many times Lucy uses "we" in this episode? The gun "we" found. "We" need to do this right. She's using an awful lot of inclusive language, which is better for getting through to Tim, but also really telling. Even on their day off, they're a unit.

"You do it."

Tim points to her in a "you're right" movement, then hands over the case file. And can we just talk about the trust that these two have built up over the years?

Tim was her TO and he came down hard on every little mistake she made. Now, he has full trust in her abilities, including handling the most personal case that's ever come their way.

Tim Watches. Lucy Looks Back.

She knows he's behind her, watching everything. He's separated from it by the glass, but still there. And when his father's mistress rises to leave, Lucy casts a glance back at him.

Lucy's smart enough to know he's headed for the hallway, and she know his objectivity is nonexistent.

"Tim?"

It's likely been 20 years since she saw him. He was just a kid the last time they saw one another. And since he's in plainclothes, she has no idea if he's here because of his family or because he's a cop.

And I think it's so heartbreaking and tragic that Tim would face one of the hardest cases of his career personally without wearing the security of his uniform. We know he always has his badge on him, but this is different.

For so long, Tim has used his identity as a cop as his center. He doesn't have that protection today. He's a man... once a boy... hurting.

"She's covering for him." "Maybe, but we can't prove it."

There's that inclusive language, again. Lucy is letting Tim know that she's on his side, that he isn't alone, that they're together on this. For so long, Tim has operated as a lone wolf. He blocks out help, even from those who care about him.

But Lucy's here to let him know that he isn't alone. And she can only hope her message is getting through.

"Oh, man. Never thought I'd see your face, again."

No "My boy". No "I missed you". In his opening greeting, we get a stark look at what kind of man this is. We've had Tim and Genny's perspectives, sure. But, now we get to see the man for ourselves.

"Wow. Liver really did a number on you, old man."

Tim's distancing himself. He's protecting himself by trying not to think of this man as his father. Sure, lots of people say, "My old man" but it's not the same as "Dad" or "Daddy" or even "Papa".

When I first met my father, I called him by his first name. It took a while before I was ready to call him "Daddy". There's something sacred about that name... something Tim never had in a father.

"You always seem to have someone looking after you, even when you don't deserve it."

Oh, Tim. Because if you look back at Tim's life, he never seems to think that he deserves it. His friends try to be there for him, and he shirks from it. He pulls back. He shifts away.

"Because I saw you two together when I was 13." "Oh, crap." "For some reason that I still don't understand, I lied to Mom. I lied for you."

Because... he's still your father. And I totally get this. I totally understand that part of you that loves the person who's abusing you. That part of you that wants what you don't have and you half-wish that you can make them the parent you need.

You'll do anything for them because you think maybe if you do enough, they'll actually love you. They'll actually want you. They'll stop hurting you. You can have that relationship you always wanted. It's that hope that hurts so horribly because it's never enough.

Tim has tears in his eyes. He's facing the monster to try to get to the truth, because some part of him needs the answer. And if his hunch is right, he can finally see his father face judgment for something.

"Poor little Tim-Tim. What are you bitching about? You kept your mouth shut. You did good. Now, get over it."

"Good"? GOOD!?! You fucking psychopath of a human being. No wonder Tim ran as far as he could.

But, oh, I get this, too. Watching them do something you know is wrong and them expecting you to cover for them. They expect it. And anything less is betrayal.

"And so what if I did?"

Tim's father takes out his oxygen and stands. Watch how Tim braces himself when he does. He's ready for the punch.

"Get back in bed." "Make me."

He's asking for a fight—to prove that his son is no different than he is. Inviting him to take the first swing, to prove that he's a "man" in his father's eyes. But Tim looks away.

Little Tim would never have punched back. And adult Tim wants to be nothing like the man before him.

His father misses the complexity of that moment. He sees only a victory.

"Yeah. That's what I thought."

This line hit me really hard, but not for the reasons you might think.

See, as much as we fight to distance ourselves from those people... they still raised us. We still have them in us. It's a choice every day to be a different person and write a better life.

And the phrasing here sounds like Tim. Tim has a tendency to use "Yeah" as a singular statement and follow it up with another. His father is a part of him.

But that doesn't define Tim. Because every day, Tim has made the decision to be a better man in spite of the one who raised him.

"I brought Monica Ochoa back in." "Why? Because I knew there was more to her story. You couldn't see past the version that you wanted to see." "What'd she say?"

Lucy has always had Tim's back. But I also love that all it took for Tim to listen to Lucy was for her to tell him he was wrong.

There have been times she has called him out (so many times) that he didn't want to hear it. But he and Lucy have come so far.

"You brought me a present." "Think of it more as a push."

Oooooh, the shade. There's a show called Resident Alien, and when the main guy met the main girl's awful mother, he left her with "Smoke more" as a farewell. Same vibe, here.

Tim is letting his father know that, no, he won't end him. But he's not afraid to escort him to the end.

"Monica confessed." "Leave her out of this." "Frank was beating her. She fought back. She shot him. She was terrified, so she ran to you. You came up with the burglary story, helped her stage the house, then you hid the gun in case the cops got too close and you needed to frame someone else."

He's sticking to the facts, this time, instead of conjecture. He's looming over his father, this time, standing closer so he has to look down at him instead of across the room. It's different, this time.

"He was a brutal, abusive bastard. She deserves a medal for what she did." "He was an abusive bastard?" "What? You think I'm like him? I was nothing like Frank. I taught you what you needed to know, son. You're a man, now, because of me."

Toughen up, Rachel. Stop crying, Rachel. You're too soft, Rachel. You need a thicker skin, Rachel.

And somehow they can see it in someone else, but are blind to it in themselves. Because they have a justification for what they've done.

"I'm who I am in spite of you."

Yes. Tim. Bradford. Yes, you are. You looked at the Monster who tried to mold you to follow in his footsteps and said, "screw that". You chose to be your own man. You chose to end this horrible cycle of abuse. And now you get to say it to his face.

And the way his father has no response? It's perfect. Because you know some tiny morsel of what he said got through. Tim knows it, too. Look how he straightens a little... How now that he's said it aloud, he believes it himself.

"Goodbye, Dad. I hope it hurts."

It's the first time he's addressed his father by that name in the whole episode, and it's because he finally feels strong enough to say goodbye.

He'll never see that man, again, but this time he's said his piece and proved to himself that he the man he wants to be... not the Monster who raised him.

Tim walks out and closes the door. This is huge. Because last time he came here, he closed himself in with the Monster and he came alone. This time, he walked in and left the door open because he knew he had backup.

Tim knew Lucy was outside the door the entire time. She's had his back the entire episode, and this time when he came to face the man, he brought her with him. Some part of him knew he needed the support.

And this. is. huge. Tim Bradford takes care of his own problems. Tim Bradford doesn't ask for help. Right? No... Tim Bradford has isolated himself out of fear and trauma over and over and over, again. But today, he chose to let someone in—Lucy.

She heard all of that.

"You okay?" "No. He was protecting her. He never did anything to protect us, but his mistress? Broke half a dozen laws for her." "They picked her up. She's being processed right now. I don't think the DA is gonna prosecute your dad on his deathbed." "It doesn't matter. He'll get judged soon enough."

This whole episode, a part of Tim was hoping to see his father's judgment, to see him punished for the Monster that he was. This line right here shows he's accepted that it's out of his hands. And that's the way it has to be. He's releasing it.

Tim's looking away from Lucy... looking at memories she can't see.

When he does look to her, it's purposeful. He needs to say something.

"The Tim Tests? Those don't make me like him."

The way Tim's voice breaks here kills me. Because he's saying it aloud hoping he'll believe it, that he truly is nothing like that man. And hoping that she'll affirm it... because he'll believe her more than he'll believe himself.

Ever since Lucy mentioned the Tim Tests in the Shop, he's been thinking about it. He's been terrified that he mis-stepped and misjudged and maybe he messed up somewhere along the line. He's tried so hard not to be that man. But Lucy's words caused him doubt.

Because he cares how she sees him. No, they're not in a romantic relationship, here. He's dating someone else, so that's off the table. But, even now, mid Season 4, this is one of the most important relationships of his life. It matters how Lucy sees him.

He can dismiss the thoughts and opinions of so many others. But Lucy's is one of the few that counts. And he can't bear the thought of her thinking him a Monster.

"I know."

The first in a long line of "I know"s from these two. But watch how Tim's jaw clenches after she says it. He wants to believe it so bad, but some part of him isn't sure.

"You're nothing like him.."

Watch how he shakes his head along with her. He wants so badly to believe her, to know that she's telling the truth and not just what he wants to hear. Tim braces, pulling away. He leans away from her.

"Come here."

She echoes his words from 4x01 and puts her arms around him. he goes easily. No hesitation. He leans down to her, pressing his face against hers.

In this moment, he doesn't have to stand strong. The last time they hugged, he was the supportive one, tall and strong for her. This time, he's the one who needs to melt, and Lucy gives him the safe space to do it.

Just outside his father's room. A door separating him from the Monster. But in Lucy Chen's arms, Tim is safe.

"You're nothing like him."

And maybe, maybe, some part of him actually believes it since it's coming from her. The hug lingers. It's pure comfort. And it's exactly what she needs.

FAST FORWARD: Fans of 5x12 (like myself) might have been wondering where Tim got the snap shirt... this is a snap shirt. In fact, it might be the snap shirt. Someone with sharper eyes with mine might want to take a look. But it totally looks like the same shirt to me! (EDIT: It has been confirmed to NOT be the shirt, but at least we know Tim has snap shirts in his wardrobe prior to 5x12).

Moving on...

"Here. Let me help." "I got it. I'm good at cleaning things up on my own." "I know you are. I'm sorry I haven't been here to help more. I'm sorry I haven't been a better big brother."

You must be sitting here thinking, "Uh, Rachel. The last Chenford scene happened... why are you still writing?" Well, Chenford is nothing without Lucy AND Tim.

And who they are doesn't stop when they're apart. To truly appreciate this ship, I feel I need to look at both pieces in total as independent, beautiful characters. The Ship is nothing without them.

Tim has been so wrapped up in his own hurt that he's missed the burdens Genny has carried alone, as a result. But Tim needed the breakthrough that this episode afforded him.

"You're not that bad. When you're around." "Well, all that changes now. I'm coming to visit you every holiday. I'm gonna be calling you at least twice a week. And I will handle fixing up this place and selling it."

This is healing. No, it doesn't remove the scars or their phantom sting. But Tim Bradford spent so much time running away from his past that he missed the fact that he was also running from Genny. His little sister. Who really needed him.

"You should go home. Be with your family." "You're my family, too."

He needed to hear that. He is so worried that he screwed this up too much, that she would be too angry to love her big brother, still. And in four words, she soothed that fear away. You're still my brother.

"How about this? We fix and sell this place together, and then we'll both be done with it. All of it." "Deal."

Letting this go together is exactly what they both needed. Genny passes the broom to him, letting him share in the burden. And Tim gets right to work.

"Whatever happened with that gun?"

Tim doesn't even know where to start... so he keeps sweeping.

The growth that Tim is afforded by this pair of episodes is so needed. When we first meet Tim in the Pilot, he's a broken mess of a human functioning because he can lose himself in his work. He doesn't have to be a man when he's a cop.

Season 4 Tim has come around a lot, but he needed this healing to help him on his journey. He needed to finally be free of his father, not because he ran away, but because he faced him and released him and his hold.

Tim's healing has to come before he can be in a healthy relationship with Lucy Chen.

Look, I know what it's like going into a relationship when you're still dealing with un-healed trauma. Matthew and I had it on both sides. Yes, we fought through together. But, narratively, wouldn't it have been nice if the Universe had let us heal, first, so we'd be better for each other from the get-go?

The Writers afforded Tim and Lucy that opportunity. Does that mean Tim's trauma will never come up again? No. Does that mean Lucy's problems with her parents are a long-gone memory? No.

But whenever these two find one another, they will be healed enough not to destroy the relationship with their pain. When their traumas inevitably pop up, they can face them together from a point of some healing rather than completely raw agony.

Raw was Tim Bradford when we first met him. He has come so far. And he's a better man for it. Not just for Lucy, but for himself. He deserves healing and to find true hope.

Not the false hope that an abusive person will magically change their ways and be the parent he needed... but hope in the form of friendship, family, and a future. A truly beautiful future.

As ever, thanks for reading. Y'all are amazing, and I truly appreciate every Like, Re-Blog, and Comment. Can't wait to see ya on the next!

#Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Melissa O'Neil #Eric Winter #Lucy x Tim #Tim x Lucy #The Rookie #Meta

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dustedmagazine · 15 days

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Listed: Vague Plot

Vague Plot is made up of New York City avant-indie regulars, veterans of other bands, who got together to make driving, moving, long-form instrumental music a la Can and Popul Vuh during the pandemic: Zachary Cale, Uriah Theriault, Phil Jacob, Ben and John Studer. Of their debut Crying in 9 from earlier this year, Jennifer Kelly wrote, “Vague Plot’s jams shimmer like highways melting in the heat, running straight on through Kansas or Nebraska until they disappear in the undecipherable distance. Which is to say, they go on for a while, repeating the same short grooves ad infinitum, with modest changes, until the measures blow by like mile markers and the journey transcends itself.” All five members contributed picks to this wide-ranging listed.

Phil Jacob (sax/keys)

King Tubby meets Lee Perry — Megawatt Dub, 1997

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In my late teens I started getting into dub, particularly King Tubby and Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. It’s tough picking one album, but this is the compilation I keep coming back to over the years. My favorite Tubby track, “Termination Dub,” isn’t here, but the giddy feeling I get from “Come By Yah” and “Perfidia” has no equal. And these are some of my favorite Lee Perry selections as well, particularly “Rainy Night” and “Open the Gate”. There’s an attention to melody here that often gets lost on dub remixes, even while these two are digging deep and pulling everything apart. Every delay drop seems to happen exactly when I want it to, leaping out of the speakers. A lot of the genre classics make me feel locked to the couch in a smoky haze, but this collection pulls me into a dance of dub ecstasy.

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band — Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller), 1978

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Possibly the best music education I ever received was playing in a Beefheart tribute band. The emphasis on polyrhythms as arranged by Don Van Vliet and John French on Trout Mask Replica made me feel music in an entirely new way; that it’s best if things don’t always line up at the beginning or end of a bar, a tension I enjoy searching for. TMR does it so often and with such ferocity that it grows exhausting over the length of the 79-minute album. On the other hand, Shiny Beast manages to incorporate some of those ideas into layers and layers of infectious hooks. From the driving bass line of “Floppy Boot Stomp” to the loping funk of “Tropical Hot Dog” to the stately guitar lines of “Owed T’Alex” to the existential spoken-word closer “Apes-Ma”, every track perfectly highlights a different aspect of what makes Beefheart so unique to my ears.

John Studer (drums)

Slint — Untitled EP, 1994

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When I first heard the song “Glenn,” it changed the physicality of my body. Britt Walford has an impressive skill to subtly shift around beats so they gently roll and slide over themselves. It’s as if he’s repeating the same line of poetry but with different punctuation to give it fresh meaning each time.

DJ Shadow — Endtroducing, 1996

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The surprisingly refreshing choices around arrangements and samples on this album highlight their unexpected connections. Repetitive, hypnotic rhythms combine with soothing layers of instrumentation and allow every special moment to shine appropriately. Endtroducing then delicately transcends these distant connections to create an entirely new space.

Zachary Cale (guitar)

Sonic Youth — SYR 1: Anagrama, 1997

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The music on SYR 1 consists of four instrumentals. The first song “Anagrama” has a beautiful winding arc to it. Over the span of nine minutes, you can hear the band searching and expanding. When I first heard it in 1997, it broadened my sense of not only what guitars could do but also the importance of listening when playing within a group. There's structure but it's extremely loose, there's playfulness but not without restraint. That's a big part of what Vague Plot is about. One thing about Sonic Youth I've always appreciated is that even though they “jam,” they never get trapped into a traditional blues or one-chord vamp freak out. It's modal. Sometimes that can lead to dissonance, but that dissonance has always rubbed against something highly melodic.

CAN — Ege Bamyasi, 1972

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I once had a summer job painting dorm rooms at the college I went to. One day I found a discarded CD with no jewel case or artwork. It was Ege Bamyasi. I took it home and put it on not knowing anything about the band. I was completely taken off guard upon hearing it. I could not place it into any known quantity. The inscrutable lyrics, the infectious rhythms and the mystery and sonics of it all; it cracked my brain wide open. To me CAN’s mission was always to find the pulse, vibrate with it and then ultimately dance around it. Vague Plot uses some of that same framework in our music. A singular idea to keep extrapolating on. Now that I know more about music history I can hear Fela Kuti, Stockhausen, disparate folk music as well as 1960s psychedelic rock all mixed up in this record. CAN has always seemed genreless to me in their fearless exploration of style. That’s something we as a band all aspire to. All gates open.

Ben “Baby” Copperhead (bass)

The Staple Singers & Curtis Mayfield — Let’s Do It Again, 1975

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Let’s Do It Again is a soundtrack album composed by Curtis Mayfield and performed by The Staple Singers. A few years ago, I had the honor of performing a benefit concert for Little Kids Rock. I was playing guitar in the backing band and one of the singers was Hozier who wanted to do the title track “Let’s Do It Again”. Mavis Staples was also on the bill. It was an unforgettable evening. After the concert, I bought this record on vinyl and it’s been on heavy rotation ever since. The string arrangements are absolutely magical. The whole album is a beautifully recorded masterpiece with Curtis Mayfield and his stellar band backing up The Staple Singers. What more can you ask for?

Ornette Coleman — Change of the Century, 1960

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Change of the Century was the first Ornette Coleman album I bought when I was in college. I was interested in the world of “free jazz” and Ornette and his band were the pioneers. Surprisingly, all of it is incredibly melodic with bebop-style phrasing, which I wasn’t expecting at the time. All the musicians have incredible ears to be able to pull this off. Ornette Coleman used the harmolodic system which allowed contrapuntal movement during the solos to avoid a key center. Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins were masters at this and could make any soloist sound great by deep listening, feel and support.

Uriah Theriault (guitar)

Dirty Three — Ocean Songs, 1998

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My first exposure to Mick Turner came through this album, which introduced me to a broader range of guitar styles than the folk music I had been listening to. Unlike Fahey’s intricate picking patterns, Mick Turner’s guitar work resonated as lyrical phrases more than prose. Often open and spare, other times stormy and erratic, his guitar created atmosphere and conveyed emotion without relying on virtuosic solos. He and drummer Jim White crafted moody mise-en-scenes for Warren Ellis's main character, and l found myself drawn to the visual storytelling more than the narrative itself. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to see Mick perform in various forms, but the tour for this album stands out due to a specific memory. During a live performance of “Authentic Celestial Music,” my then-girlfriend passed out right in front of the stage. A stranger and I caught her and moved her to the side. When she came to, her only remark was, “Great song.”

Popol Vuh — Hosianna Mantra, 1972

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I was familiar with Popol Vuh only as Herzog’s house band until I heard this album, and it cut immediately. I listened religiously to this enigmatic album over the span of a few years, whenever I took a shower so that my attention was undivided. Defying easy categorization, the collection spans classical, ambient, and krautrock. The title track was haunting, calling back to the only music I knew growing up, Catholic hymns. The guitars, oboe, and harpsichord weave sinewy webs of harmony — more chamber music than rock bravado, more conversation than monologue. The ecclesiastical tenor of the Hosianna Mantra (Hosianna, or "please save") sits uncomfortably amongst its dancy krautrock contemporaries, but the slow-burn nature of this album is anything but stiff. If deep attention is akin to prayer, as suggested by Simone Weil, then to me, this album is a dozen rosaries — penance not required.

#dusted magazine #listed #vague plot #king tubby #lee ‘scratch’ perry #captain beefheart and the magic band #slint #dj shadow #sonic youth #can #the staple singers #curtis mayfield #ornette coleman #dirty three #popol vuh

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casualtysteviefan-slay · 11 months

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Series 37 Episode 38 review

- Episode was very different, loved the setup and interjections/narrations from NHS workers

- Iain with HEMMS is always a slay,

- Stevie looking gorge, as per. Eyeliner really slaying. However, I think she's anxious about something, they kept zooming in/focussing on her rubbing her neck/shoulder, and she looked exhausted all episode. Almost half broken mentally, not like normal sympathy and upset at patient dying, but genuinely broken. I think she was about to cry at one moment and that really shocked me, please someone back me up at how not ok Stevie seemed to be last night.

- No reference to last week's EP at all, bar Max not being in it (I think maybe Dylan referenced it very briefly but I might be wrong). I thought very strange as surely Jodie would be upset more.

- ED very busy, lovely highlighting in that EP as to how hospitals normally are now.

- The guy filming when HEMMS arrived at the scene was wholly inappropriate, but again too normalised

- Cam being anxious, please let him grow as a character because he stood up to Ryan last week!!!!

- Donna is being a great guide to the younger nurses (notably Cam and Jodie) this episode, loving it!

- Jodie and Stevie friendship need to see more of, they are such cuties really!

- Jodie getting smacked in the face wasn't expected

- I didn't like that Rob dude, the one that operated on the patient, he was a bit of a prat and he ground my gears

- "Cam, go move your butt and get one" - Stevie. I don't need to say anything else

- Iain promised his famous brew. Thank you Casualty for consistency!!!! Even if it is only Iain's tea making skills

- The patients wife was lovely, and I felt so bad for her, especially as she was pregnant

- Dorothy. Such a sweetheart. Love her.

- RYAN WAS ACTUALLY NICEEEEEE! We love that. Slight redemption in my eyes! Him getting Dorothy's family down because it was meant to be her birthday and she was meant to be travelling to Manchester to see her son, and getting everyone to sing happy birthday to her was adorable and it was soooooo wholesome. Love it.

- Stevie's a sweetheart really. I have no clue what I meant by that.*

- Was the team operating on that patient one from Holby City? Was Eli in Holby because I recognise the name but am not sure as I never got fully into Holby before it got cancelled

- Stevie and Dylan slay as a duo and we need more of this, along with more Dylan and Donna and Jodie and Stevie.

- Also, absolutely no mention of the Sah/Paige kiss this ep. Very confused because, like, very big moment, why no mention?

- I think it's because it was a 75th anniversary special for the NHS they tried to avoid too many regular storylines, but I have no clue.

*To make this, I used the spam I sent to my friend as the show was happening, so some of my notes I have no clue what happened in the ep to trigger that response.

This is a learning process these next few weeks as to how I set out the weekly opinions, so please be patient and/or give feedback

Stevie is a fave right now, so there is very likely to be heavy Stevie analysis. Enjoy!

#bbc casualty #stevie nash #dylan keogh #iain dean #review #casualty spoilers #75th anniversary

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blissfulseptember · 5 months

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I so needed this place. I never would've guessed that this little tin bait and tackle shop nestled on the outskirts of town would feel so much like home. I remember playing music here with my dad and his good friend when the shop first opened- it was the night of my senior prom- close to ten years ago. My hair and makeup were ready to go and I was playing my baritone with long acrylic nails that drove me crazy. (I was never again seen wearing acrylic nails strictly because of the sheer difficulty I experienced attempting proper chords)

When I moved back home last spring, the locals all told me I needed to sing at Carey's. I didn't know what anyone was talking about until he came into my work on a slower night last summer while I was tending bar. I had a handful of travelers eating at the back of the bar, and about 8 or 9 local regulars all sitting up at the bar together, insisting I sing for them to show Carey what I was made of. My coworker ran and got my uke out of my car for me and I sang my little heart out for them, sitting on the bartop. I would check on customers and pour drinks between songs, and everyone was having a blast. The travelers in the back left a decent tip and noted that watching the old local regulars gathered around me in amazement as though they were watching colored TV for the first time was the highlight of their stop in our little backcountry town. I don't really like to play unless people ask, because I still struggle sometimes with taking up space. But they ate it up. Carey too. His big toothy grin and warm laugh said more than enough, but he let me know that he remembered me, that he was good fishing pals with my dad, and that I was welcome to come sing on his stage anytime I'd like. "You got pipes, girl. Bring em around the shop sometime. Them strings, too. Donation dinners and $3 beers, but you drink for free. Somebody's gotta have live music around here, it may as well be us."

I've played music there a few times now, and each time I feel more and more like I'm where I need to be. Carey goes out of his way to make me feel wanted, included, and really a part of something special each time I'm there. In recent pictures and videos there, I look the happiest and healthiest I've felt since I've moved back. I was worried I wouldn't have a space to nurture my music and have that outlet here, and feared that that part of me was another thing I would be leaving behind in my previous city life. But it fills my cup beyond what I had expected, and my first memory there being with my dad is even more an added bonus.

I have an old gig poster for Carey to put on the wall next time I pop in, and I have plans in motion to host open mic nights. I'm beginning to think I might have to try to record a little live album in there this year. The acoustics in the shop are killer, and the crowd is always small and laid back enough to get hilarious commentary between songs. Another bait shop performer is, in my humble opinion, probably the best blues and bluegrass guitar player in idaho, and he wants to back me up on my upcoming original ep. Good things are happening, right where it all began for me. I am stoked, humbled, greatful, and ready.

#blissfulseptember ramblings #me #selfie #blissfulseptember #music #hannah sings #hell yeah #ramblings #writing #mine #idk

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vaggieslefteye · 4 days

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HELLUVA BOSS (2020—): 2x08 - "The Full Moon" ↳ "Blitz, I think so very highly of you... I didn't realize you think so low of me. ...Goodbye, Blitz." "Stolas, wait! I'm s—!"

#helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #helluva boss blitz #blitzo #stolas #helluva boss stolas #helluva boss blitzo #helluva edit #helluva boss edit #the full moon #episode highlight #ep highlight: regular #please stand by while i pick which name spelling to officially tag him with in this blog lmao #i personally spell it the way people are actively pronouncing it at the time for ease of reading but the general fandom seems to like blitz #or the version with the crossed out o which annoys me personally lmao #my gifs #ARE YOU AFRAID TO LOVE PEOPLE‚ BLITZY?#DOES ANYBODY LOVE YOU‚ BLITZO?

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missbrunettebarbie · 7 months

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Top 5 Gotham Knights characters

You mean Top 6! Bc there is no way I am not mentioning all the kids here.

1. Turner Hayes - I luff him! I love how kind and determined he is! How devotrd he is to the team they had created. He's heroic, but not stupid (see the art thief episode). He clearly loves the thrill of vigilantism, but he has pretty good self-preservation instincts. All his relationship are amazing! I love how he is always the one wjo talks about them as a team and so far he had put his money where his mouth is. He clearly loves being Batman's son, even if he only found out post-mortem (before that he loved being Bruce Wayne's son; see the party he throws in the pilot just because), while still holding a bit of grudge against his dad. I kinda wish there was a way to get Turner and Bruce flashbacks bc I feel they would be very different from the usual Batman-Batkid dynamic, if only by virtue of the fact that Turner is the one batkid who had no idea his dad was Batman (idk if this had been done before).

2. Stephanie Brown - She's brilliant, she's kind, she's loyal to a fault! She is aware of her brilliance and refuses to admit defeat! She keeps hacking even after almost being caught by the police! I loved the scene where she went to her dad with the mob ledger and basically gave him Cassandra's truth in order for him not to suspect anything. And her scenes with Harper...let's just say I am looking.

3. Duela Doe - I have a feeling that by the end she's gonna be #1 on this list. For now the other characters outshine her a bit. But I looove how she unintentionally saved the day by kidnapping a 90yo woman and had to be COMFORTED about it. Her dynamic with Carrie is hilarious and I ship her and Turner so much. I luff the subtle ways the show highlights her daddy issues, how she genuinely accepted Turner's apology in the pilot after punishing him (by punching), how she was ready to run away from Gotham from ep 2 even if she screwed others over. And I just love her general vibe.

4. Cullen Row - I liked him since the pilot when he tricked the cops with their stations. I find him admirable. He wants to stay in Gotham to clear his name cause he chose this name! He steals evidence from the police on the regular by disguising himself! He genuinely wants to be the hero Gotham thinks he is!

5. Carrie Kelly - She saved Batman's life and badgered him till she let her be Robin! She genuinely cares about Gotham! She has the drive and desire for justice only a Gotham vigilante could have. I feel like out of all the kids in the show she is genuinely ~Batman's succesor in ways I don't think I've seen other batkids be in any canon. She's only this low on the list bc I find the other shined more...for now.

6. Harper Row - We love an overprotective sister! I think out of everyone in this show Harper is the one I find most ~relatable (esp if her taste in women lie where I think they do). But sadly I think the others *popped* more.

#gotham knights #gotham knights cw #my thoughts #answer #ty!!!#gk thoughts #harper row #cullen row #duela doe #turner hayes #carrie kelly #stephanie brown #duela dent

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luckydragon10 · 2 years

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KinnPorsche Ep13 Lines of Power

Penultimate episode! I'm here to break down lines of power, staging, and framing for the second-to-last time for the season. (OMG, are we there yet? Are we there yet?)

First, check out this post by @heathyr about Porsche's reflection for a cool shot. Heathyr nailed is, so no need for me to cover it. Whee, one more space for another shot.

More LoP posts: [Trailer] ... [Ep09 Part 1] [Ep09 Part 2] [Ep10] [Ep11] [Ep12] [Ep14]

I have a quibble with this one.

All of my three favorite elements are at play:

Line of power: The fountain comes between Kinn and Porsche, showing division between them.

Framing: The outer doorway frames the shot and once again looks like a theatre's proscenium, much like in my Ep9 Part 1 LoP post with that scene of Porsche standing over Tawan in the chair.

Staging: ... this is where I have a quibble.

Kinn and Porsche are staged oddly, just a little too far apart. That's a weirdly wide distance at which to talk about intimate, private matters. And, sure, sure, you might argue that the staging is deliberate to show Porsche trying to keep a distance, but for me? It simply reads as a mistake; I feel as though a more natural staging was sacrificed in order to enable the line of power and the framing.

I would have looked for an alternative setup. Natural staging should be a higher priority.

HOWEVER, quibble aside, please keep in mind the frame in the foreground that acts like a theatre proscenium. This effect happens repeatedly in this episode.

The table runner is a line of power pointing to Korn. This is an easy one. (I hope you'll cut me some slack. I am drowning in meta for the Meta Doc right now.)

By the way, does Korn just have his bodyguards haul that big-ass heavy wooden table out to his patio on the regular? I sure hope the guards are well taken care of if they throw out their backs...

Porsche has a super-dark background, unusual for him, plus he has those two doors framing him. The doors feel like pressure coming at him from both sides.

Not only that, but the frame is tilted, askew just a little and tilting to the left. (You can see this most clearly by looking at the right doorframe.)

Meanwhile, Kinn is all greenery and natural light, and the line of the patio ledge behind him is completely level. Um, Kinn? Kinn? Alarm bells, please, have some alarm bells going off. The Porsche is NOT okay.

In short, great contrast between these two.

Tableau again!! It didn't hold for long, hardly counts, but I feel like this moment is right up there with my other top two tableau moments in Ep 5 and Ep 11. However, Papa Ironfist with his superhero pose will never NOT make me giggle.

AND there's that theatrical proscenium again! Look, look, the frame in the foreground again makes it look like we're watching a stage production.

Okay, if you've been following the LoP series all along, you know I've been looking for a reversal of the whole "Kinn on his throne" thing. I think... I'm probably not going to get it. 😭 However, I do really like this little moment where Porsche joins Kinn on his throne. King and Queen, together at last. (Sadly, later we see Porsche standing next to the same throne as a bodyguard, so we really aren't all the way there yet... but still. Please indulge me.)

Ahh, but all is not well. We are not in paradise. Their body language is telling its own story. Their legs are crossed in opposite directions, a hint toward them being closed off from each other.

And I will let the color theorists tackle the blue tinted sky. Something something Porsche's emotional arc for the ep something something...

Woaaahhh, super dramatic split screen.

Okay, lots of things going on. First, notice the black and white backgrounds. Second, the lighting casts Vegas with significantly more light that shows is face in red, whereas Pete is all in shadow with only a few neon highlights.

*Galadriel voice* He has fallen into shadow...

Bonus points for making Bible seem taller just with the staging. 🤣 I jest, but actually his higher positioning is pretty important, showing that he's the one with all the power here.

I'm not sure I can do this shot justice. I'm not sure anyone can do this shot justice.

The blinds act like a cage, speaking to both of their extremely difficult situations at once...

The split coloration shows Porsche in orange/red and Pete in teal/green... With green being generally accepted as a code for danger in this series, I think what I would interpret is that Pete's emotional state is its own danger.

The thick, black dividing line comes between them, but Porsche reaches across to try to help Pete...

This is a masterpiece. I will happily stare at it for ages and ages.

Ahh, a familiar shot from the opening credits.

Kim is looking small, alone, and lost in darkness. He doesn't know how not to be alone, but he wants it and is scared shitless. All the things that ARE wrong and COULD go wrong with his relationship are in direct conflict with what would make him happy...

Basically Kim.exe has stopped working. Boy is going through a malfunction caused by one (1) Porchay Kittisawat. I don't think he's ever looked quite this helpless.

It's interesting to me that this moment was shown only in the flashback. Everything is blurred except for Kinn and Porsche's clasped hands. Also, their bodies and the gravestone act as a frame. The promise to hold onto each other is significant. (Hear that, Porsche? Are you listening?)

This shot is used to highlight Kinn's empty hand after Porsche scurries off to Find The Truth.

Wow, I'd say "everything hurts and nothing is beautiful," but the cinematography continues to be beautiful. So, everything hurts and everything is beautiful. 😭

One more theatrical proscenium for this post!

I feel like the framing is appropriate given that we have a lot of drama going on, so much that I'd even say melodrama. I'm only sad Korn and Porsche didn't get their own theatrical frame in the final moments of the ep.

Basically, I feel like the show is telling us that the stage is set for the final confrontation. Dun dun DUN! I mean, I'm sure I'm stating the obvious, but there you have it.

///

More LoP posts: [Trailer] ... [Ep09 Part 1] [Ep09 Part 2] [Ep10] [Ep11] [Ep12] [Ep14]

For more great meta from folks across the KP Tumblr fandom, please visit the Damn Good KinnPorsche Meta doc.

#kinnporsche #kinnporscheep13 #kinnporsche meta #cinematography breakdown #lines of power

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cartoonfangirl1218 · 9 months

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Legend of the Dragon S1 Ep 14-26 Watch and Rewrite

Remember how I wrote that by the midway of the show, it was really picking up steam with more tension and intrigue between the siblings and the guardian world in general? It delivers by making Ling more human and less psychotic, Ang is less naieve, and there are far less slo-mo. Actually, in some episodes there is none and when they do use it, it's for appropriate dramatic purposes instead of filler.

Now, it's not without its flaws. The animation is still wonky at times, and it haas its generic melodramatic moments like there was four consecutive episodes in a row where Ang shouts at Ling when she leaves again. And I know it's supposed to be angsty but I just keep thinking of

Without the romantic conotations of course, but the melodrama yep.

Luckily it dies down. The humor (especially the sibling teasing) is top notch, creepy final boss villain, has some unique guardian powers and expands lore. The second half is a vast improvement and nicely sets up urgent business for season 2.

Now to the episodes, beware spoilers unless you want to watch it on youtube.

Sister, Sister has Ling split into four when she steals the rabbit armband and you can imagine the headache everyone has in having to deal with an angry Ling, a depressed, apathetic Ling (that is Valley Girl for some reason), hungry Ling and peacemaker Ling. Zodiac Master has the biggest migraine of all when he gets overthrown by the Lings (literally, he's literally thrown off his own ship) and goes to the gang for help.

While he relaxes in jail (confirming that regular Hong Kong police think he's a nutcase), the group goes to the Rabbit temple where the rabbit guardian, Hye has Ang all aflutter with a crush and Bengail with jealousy.

While this is mostly an amusing episode, I found the attempted character romance to fall flat on Bengail's side. While Ang is clearly experiencing his first crush (that's not going anywhere) and appreciates Hye's sympathetic ear in regards to his complicated feelings on his sister, Bengail's jealousy felt petty as she wouldn't even admit to her feelings. I just appreciate Hye for her maturity in playing along with Ang's crush and assuring Bengail that she has a role at Ang's side and can't be replaced. But tbh, I found her VA's high, soft voice to be lowkey annoying.

I would rewrite this to have Bengail's jealousy over Ang's crush lead to a real fight over Ang feeling unsupported. He knows he shouldn't trust Ling and he mostly doesn't but he's tired of everyone dismissing his hope that she'll change. Everyone expects him to forget that she's his sister and they had seventeen years of history, good history. She wasn't always an evil psychopath and he feels like he's the only one who remembers that and he's tired of being called naive and a fool when she's the only family he has left.

Then Bengail can go into her own feelings since Ling had been her friend too and why she's much harsher on her.

Otherwise, this was a fun episode with plenty of funny moments too and wit as Ang tricks the Lings into turning on each other as they figure out who is the real leader and whose the clone. Also apparently the only thing the clones agree on is shopping which is so random but funny. It does highlight a flaw that while the Lings go shopping, there are no background people. Maybe the clones scared them off but it’s more likely the animators didn’t have the budget to populate Hong Kong which makes it feel very empty.

Associating with Vermin: Another good episode where Ling tricks Ang into believing the rat guardian, is actually her in disguise pitting them against each other before she ambushes them and takes the rat band.

By the way, the rat guardian is a feisty twelve year old girl, Ming (I think she's around the age) whose armband allows her to shapeshift into different animals (mainly rats and snakes) and wolverine claws. Literal wolverine claws! So cool! Seriously, why do they make the guardian powers so much cooler than the protagonists?

And while the rest of the episode is predictable in how they team up to take her down using 's knowledge of her temple, it's full of funny lines. Like when Ling does the villain monologuing explaining her deception and complains no one recognizes her brilliance.

And -- just roasts Ang the entire time like when she says that the only protection she needs is protection from someone stupid enough to be tricked by their own sibling and he's supposed to be the golden dragon, not an oversized twit.

Also Xuan Chi getting to be the voice of reason is always fun switch of personalities.

Shell Game brings the return of the monkey band when Azng finds that a museum curator has it and in his attempt to not tip off the Zodiac Master goons that are spying on him, he accidentally lets the curator place the armband on a suit of samurai armor.

No problem right, they just go back and steal it back. Yeah, Zodiac Master gets it first and brings the armor to life so he can use it like a jacked up samurai monster with monkey powers.

Unfortunately since he cast a spell of evil it bites him and Ling in the butt when the samurai turns against them with another enemy of my enemy team up that ends up blasting the samurai to pieces and the monkey armband is lost to the wind again.

If I had to change the episode I would just remove the trite fight between Ang and Xuan Chi on the morals of stealing and give Xuan Chi a bigger moment to shine as retrieving the monkey band is so important to his arc. There had been a moment when Xuan Chi decides to fight the samurai armor on his own because it's his armband and duty, it is played for laughs as he quickly runs at the armor's might. If it was played straight, it would have added more bathos to this fillery episode.

Thief of Power: A big time thief breaks into the dojo, seeking revenge on Master Chin. But before he does, Master Chin goes to Vietnam and the gang goes to get answers from Shoong and Chin. Yes, it's backstory time!!!!

Apparently, Tommy the thief was actually the Pig Guardian whose greed led him to abuse his powers for thievery so Master Chin put him in jail. The big surprise is that Master Chin and Shoong were the ones that secretly broke him out because they needed him to complete a sacred ceremony to recharge the pig armband for the next 12 years. An interesting addition to the lore here is that one retains the power even in disgrace which explains Tommy's awesome moves and tank-like build.

So it's up to Ang, Bengail and Xuan Chi to keep Tommy from getting the pig band while keeping him within the temple for the ceremony to work. It was cool interplay and this might be me getting used to the show but I feel like there was less slow mo in the fights so that was a plus.

Horse Play had almost no slo mo! We’re getting places and by that I mean, Xuan, Master Chin are heading to the horse temple which Chin warms that things aren’t as they seem.

That’s certainly true as Ang has to trust his instincts rather than his eyes to find the temple under the lake. I just find the setting choices for each temple cool especially as the horse is supposed to represent

From there, Ang fights the Eternal Maiden who initially disguised herself as Manaho, the horse guardian but was so touchy feels and seductive that you know she’s bad news.

At the same time, Chin and Xuan Chi find the real Manaho who warns they have to get the armband back before the volcano explodes.

It all ends as predictably as expected but I thought it was a solid plot with good fight scenes. I would just give Manaho more of a personality, tying it back to the horse zodiac, specifically fire horse by showing her high spirited enthusiasm and well, fire. Something to make her more distinct as a character.

Darkest before Xuan was a fun episode giving the pathos to Xuan that was missing in Shell Game. After being easily bested in a fight by Zodiac Master and Ling, Xuan feels more down about his skills as a sole combatant. His self esteem takes a further plunge when the former monkey guardian comes and rips him a new one.

To be fair, he’s a grumpy old man the others don’t like as he considers them just kids and Bengali is more pretty than a warrior. And he’s bitter that Master Chin made him retire for Xuan to take his place.

So Xuan goes to the dark side and gets a shadow band. Why he thought he’d be able to use it without getting corrupted, I have no idea but he gets corrupted.

There’s fights and eventually Ang and Bengali save the day and remain Xuan of his worth but evil!Xuan is super entertaining. I just generally like Xuan’s arc of insecurity, confidence, slide backs and so on.

Venom has a ticking clock plot when the Zodiac Master sics his cobra on the snake guardian, Cobra (I'm guessing that's a psyudenom or else her parents knew the future) poisoning her. And without her snake armband, she’ll need an alternative antidote or the snake armband, whatever comes first.

Oh and their doctor from the mainland is an actual shapeshifting snake.

Pretty decent episode and has cool moments like Ang getting to use his dragon armband and Bengail’s Tiger armband in tandem. Like that’s the kind of creative action I want to see (tho I still they could have gotten a lot cooler than what they did do). Plus Zodiac Master backstory, apparently he had been the Snake Guardian before he turned evil. That explains why he attacked the snake temple in the pilot. I just wish they included it earlier and maybe showed a bit more of Cobra instead of her being unconscious for most of it. She was all British and badass in the pilot, she should be conscious more.

Empower the Darkest Ling brings back the spirit of the Emperor of Yin who possesses Ling into a dragon snake hybrid to with the power of shadow tiger/dragon/snake. He is on the hunt for one more armband since he needs four armbands to come back to life.

Know who else is on the hunt for the shadow armbands? Ang and the gang because while the shadow armbands keep the world in balance, they're still corruptive.

It ends in battle, it’s not Ang vs Ling but Shoong and Ming come to help for a big guardian showdown.

And while Ling won't admit to being thankful for their help in un-possessing her, she says she's not ready to go back. Being possessed by the emperor gave her in even more power than what she would have with just the shadow dragon band or the golden dragon band. She wants more.

But in big twist, she comes back to the dojo with the shadow tiger and shadow snake bands, warning them that the Zodiac Master cannot know but she is worried what would happen if the Emperor was resurrected. It cannot happen.

It shows that there's still good in there. She doesn't want the world to end and it gives Master Chin hope for the first time that she can change.

I know it all sounds like the plot for the second to last episode or part 1 of a finale. It's only the midpoint but I'd argue it would make a better finale.

That’s why the only change I would make is to rearrange the episodes. Zodiac Master trying to resurrect the Emperor should be a bigger deal and should build to the finale instead of popping up midway and having a bunch of episodes in between.

So I would switch The Last Dragon to episode 11 since that’s when Ling starts showing a hint of good again and is more willing to truce and help her brother.

I would put the scene of Ling giving the shadow armbands to Ang in the end of Emperor of Darkest Yin since that would be after the emperor tries to suck her into the tomb, thus sparking her fear that she's in over her head.

Spy Hard then would be ep 24 where Ling fights against the Zodiac Master for trying to corrupt the dragon temple. It’s then she realizes how far she has come from her original goal to get the dragon band and double cross Zodiac Master before he does real harm. Because again, she wants to win with honor.

Then it can segue to Empower the Darkest Ling as episode 25 where Zodiac Master seeing that he is losing control on his second in command, has the Emperor possess them both in an attempt to seize more power and irreparably corrupt Ling which it does by sparking her thirst for more power and goes into the finale of Double Dragon as episode 26. Yes, much more angsty, dangerous and in keeping with the episode title.

Hair of the Dog has a mad scientist turning into a man-wolf, one powerful enough to overthrow Chow Chow (the dog guardian remember) for man animal supremacy.

Luckily, Chow Chow’s pug heads to the dojo for help, preventing another Golden v. Shadow Dragon showdown. It’s a classic writer’s trick when you want to make someone sympathetic, make them like or rescue an animal. And even though I know what they’re doing, it does work to see how much Ling cares for the pug dubbed Cruiser.

The episode also improves her in another way. After they all save the day together, Ang once again offers Ling a chance to stay, even get all the pets she wants. And Ling shows that she has gotten over her petty jealousy of her brother. She no longer cares about being Golden Dragon, but she cannot return because she doesn’t want to give up her shadow dragon.

The only thing I would change in this episode is the pug. Yes, he’s adorable but it would be more culturally significant to have a pekingese or a shih tzu since they were bred in ancient China to guard their temples just as the guardians guard their temples.

X Games Guardians: In the early 00s, there was an interest in the skating craze. X Men Evolution did it, Scooby-Doo did it and now Legend of the Dragon is trying to show how hip they are with the kids by having some young skaters unintentionally steal the ram armband from Zodiac Master.

From there it’s a game of “keep away” with different skaters trying out the ram power as the gang tries to get it back before the Zodiac Master blasts them all in fury.

It would be pretty forgettable but it’s saved that they have Ling on the side of good again and bonding with the original thief/street urchin, Jungi, who she sympathizes with trying to be let in the inner sanctum of the big kids (or in Ling's case, becoming a guardian) and pushed aside (though Ling kinda deserved it).

A way to fix this episode would just get rid of the slang and x games references. Keep the interest in skating since that will always be popular but try to not to date it. Also, make the teens more competent so they aren’t outmaneuvered by a bunch of preteen skater street urchins, I mean that was just embarrassing.

Lost and Found has more revelations for the twins about their supposed dead family members. After fighting with the ram guardian, he accidentally let it slips that she seems so similar to her mother. He supposedly dead mother.

So Ling goes to Ang so he could ask for answers from Master Chin. And yep, she’s alive but amnesiac and the former ram guardian!

Another solid episode that expands the backstory, improves the twins relationship with some good banter and doesn’t end too sappily with their mom automatically regaining her memory. Rather she’ll try as she reacquaints herself with her old yet oddly familiar home.

Monkey See Monkey Do: For Xuan Chi's birthday, we go on yet another search for the monkey armband that leads to a walk on the evil side for Xuan. Well actually, a walk on the wild side since the evil mask Xuan Chi puts on to make up for his lack of power turns him into King Kong. I am only a little disappointed that they didn't take advantage of the scenario to do a classic king Kong holding Zodiac Master on top of the temple scene.

Anyway, Xuan Chi learns his lesson not to use evil to his advantage, it will only corrupt you. While I like that they have the monkey armband be an ongoing arc, this one felt repetitive in the lesson of the day and in the scenario.

The only intriguing parts were Ling's willingness to tip off the good guys to prevent Zodiac Master from getting all the armbands to resurrect the emperor, and Ang talking King Kong Xuan with the classic 'Fight it, I know you're in there" speech.

Others may find it a cheesy cliche, I still enjoy the trope. I feel like it could have been stronger by having Ang recount Xuan's growth throughout the season and their friendship. You know, really pull the heartstrings.

Double Dragon: I have no rewrites here. This was a good finale that has almost all the guardians returning, and Bengail and Xuan get their own spotlight moment in the final battle. The Emperor has a cool design. And it has Ling facing the ultimate temptation when the resurrected Emperor of Darkest Yin goads her to getting the golden dragon armband so she can have the power of yin and yang in ultimate balance.

I just wish Ang had just a big chance to reflect on his growth and how he's progressed from slacker, naive, and undisciplined to the wise, competent Golden Dragon he is today. Also Cobra didn't return and no one turned into a dragon, still waiting for a cooler power upgrade there, but maybe that will be revealed in season 2.

And for the first time, I realized just how dark skinned, Ang and Ling are when in Golden/Shadow dragon form. I must have been oblivious but it does feel weird. Both as a race thing and the artists couldn't keep a proper color palette thing.

Also cliffhanger, it has a very intriguing cliffhanger that will make fighting Ling and Zodiac Master small potatoes.

#legend of the dragon #watch and rewrite

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bengiyo · 2 years

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About Youth Eps 7 & 8 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

With this finale, I don't there's any completion for Love in the Air to reign as the prettiest boys currently airing.

I like the way they're using this small restaurant as a date spot for Qizhang and Ye Guang. It's probably not really a restaurant at all, and it's convenient to have Qizhang be a regular who just yells back his order. Very clever filming techniques.

Of course Ye Guang's dad is pissed that Guang is doing anything self-directed.

Baby is a messy eater. Let me just applaud Taiwan for the healthy care and hydration of the lips of the talent, because sometimes these boys be CHAPPED in Thailand. This cast has some of the best lips we've seen in BL, something I usually praise the Philippines for.

Ray and Jian scenes are so quick, but I do love the texture of their development. Also, a kiss that feels correct for where they are. It's a good one, but not one I think people are going to highlight. I like it because it was a bit stilted, but something they both wanted.

The skateboard date near the airport at night was cute.

Ye Guang's ability to fall asleep on the back of a motorcycle is impressive. Couldn't be me.

Oh, this unexpected double date is a treat. They are all so adorable. Immaculate vibes between the four of them.

Romantically satisfied looks so good on Ray. The Taiwanese boys consistently have the most enjoyable physical chemistry.

Holy shit we need to talk about how earnest all the high school BL has been this summer. When asked by Ye Guang why he's so nice to him, Qizhang gathered his bravery and answered, "Because I like you." Of course we get the biggest smile yet in response from Ye Guang. I'm just having such a great time in genre lately (even with some notable exceptions).

The immense relief I feel every time we overlay text messages over the frame instead of taking horrible shots of smartphones.

Oh, that was fun to learn that bag and hug sound similar in Mandarin. I'm choosing to ignore the impending parental drama for now.

Wow, so my disdain for Guang's parents continues to grow. Deriding a boy you don't know based on his wealth and limited family history is gross.

Holy hell I just got so mad. I hate love bombing, especially when you just struck the person. Being a teacher was hard sometimes.

On to Episode 7!

Ray and Guang have an enjoyable friendship dynamic to watch.

Oh and now we're back to shots of smartphones in hands. Sigh. The dad is such an asshole.

GMMTV, take notes. This is how you use flashbacks in the finale. Showing all the ways Ye Guang's dad has stressed him out in a quick series of cuts before Guang intentionally fails an exam is an excellent use of that.

Guang recording his breakdown and sending it to his parents because they always shut him down when he's in front of them hit really hard. That was a fantastic performance from Li Zhen Hao.

These parents are so frustrating. If you don't want him to repeat a mistake, tell him about yourselves. Tell him what you went through and why you want him to experience different things from that. FFS.

Mama Xu looks like she's suffering from wrist pain.

Oh do I love Mama Xu so much. Qizhang talks about the decision she's trying to make and offers reasonable responses that help him make a choice. More of this in BL, please? She, Uncle Man, Cheep, and Dej are all invited to brunch.

Oh, while they're singing the song, I have good news, ladies, theydies, and gays thanks to fellow clown @kyr-kun-chan. They finally uploaded Slow Motion to YouTube.

Ye Guang excitedly singing the song afterwards is incredibly endearing.

That was an adorable first kiss.

Well this show was very cute, but felt too short. We lost a few threads along the way. I'm going with 9/10.

#about youth #taiwan bl #taiwanese bl #bl series #Ben watches

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sparxwrites · 2 years

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i'm slowly circling around hermitcraft (i keep telling myself i'm not going to get into another minecraft smp thing, i did my days in the yogscast mines) and it's so compelling. i won't lie. what would you, personally, suggest as a starting point for someone who hasn't watched any of these people before? even without knowing these characters, your hermitcraft fic is so good that i want to learn more about them

yeah see, i told myself that too and then dsmp and 3rd life and hermitcraft happened and. here i am. back in the pits again!! having the time of my life about it ngl.

so, okay, my first caveat would be: fandom does a lot of heavy lifting re: it having a plot. like... i'd say they're less plotty than the yogs were, with season 8 being an honourable exception. so don't go in expecting that my fic has uhhhhh. really any relation to canon lmao. (though to be fair, it didn't really in yogs either, so...)

first option: watch an episode of Hermitcraft Recap (a channel that does a weekly "what happened on hermitcraft this week" highlights video), see if any of the things mentioned take your fancy, and then check out the channel of the hermit that did it. this is good if you're hunting for someone doing a specific Thing in minecraft, rather than streamer personality.

second option: see the rec list below, and check out one of those people's season 8. season 8 is now over, but it was very short compared to regular seasons - so a lot of the excitement gets compressed and amped up, and it's a good way to really get an idea of what people are about. it will give you an unrealistic idea of how plotty hermitcraft gets, especially the end, because they went absolutely off the shits with that one, but it's a great season.

third option: see the rec list below, and jump straight into season 9 - either at the beginning of someone's series, or at the current point, or skip around through various people's things. we're like 20-ish eps in, depending on the person, but honestly it's pretty easy to dip in and out; we just had a big Plot Development with rendog getting crowned king of the server, so it's a good time to start! rec list (biased to the people i watch, obvs! the others are great too, but these are my faves), to help you decide who to pick:

Literally unhinged impossible redstone, constantly on his villain arc, (and tomato plants?): DocM77

Very good redstone, also extremely funny: TangoTek (also makes excellent noises), MumboJumbo (on break atm. i miss him :( ), Zedaph (he's doing. weird shit this season, but i support him in his quest to be a lunatic)

Incredible building, but also chaos-gremlin energy: BdoubleO100 (excellent noises pt.2), Grian (main character energy, tumblr's fave), PearlescentMoon (i am kissing her s9 base directly on the mouth)

Incredible building, really nice voice: GoodTimesWithScar (tumblr's other fave)

Building but also like. weirdly chill-but-horny vibes: Keralis (deliberately), Rendog (on accident)

Literally no idea but you should watch him: Joe Hills (very odd, currently hyperfixated on pinball machines, i find him very soothing for reasons that escape me, writes haikus for his episodes????)

fourth option: some of what you've seen from me will be from 3rd / last / double life, a bunch of semi-hardcore "death games" series run by grian and involving a bunch of hermits (plus some other friends, including inthelittlewood from the yogscast!). these are great, and i watched these before hermitcraft, and then based who i was watching in hc on what i'd seen there. double life is happening rn and we're only 3 eps in, so it'd be easy to catch up! it's basically a soulmate au but in minecraft, because grian is insane; i'm really enjoying BdoubleO100, PearlescentMoon, Tango, Rendog, and Grian (Scar is on a weird zookeeping arc, godbless, so he's in my bad books until he starts killing again. otherwise, the go-to rec is Grian or Scar's pov of 3rd Life, which sent me fucking insane.

#anonymous #ask #sparx chats #hermits crafting #life smp tag #v i b r a t e s #anon if u watch any u gotta come back and gimme the Reviews #:DDD

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mdhwrites · 1 year

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TOH’S One Show War On Magic

That’s a really over dramatic way for me to say TOH is REALLY bad with its magic. Like fucking abysmal. Like I could make probably close to a dozen blogs about its magic alone, especially if I counted its fantasy worldbuilding alongside its magic, but here are some highlights because why not: (again make asks if you want expansion on something) Willow’s magic is way too powerful with no explanation to the point of supporting the coven system. Also nothing is done with it after episode 6 of S1 until S3 Ep 2 and that’s just really bad story telling. Gus’ magic is the same in that he’s so powerful in one magic inherently as to support the coven system. No one’s magical power is consistent as it changes constantly for the needs of the plot. Anyone remember when Willow had a super plant artifact glove and was quite literally, and I mean literally, tossed to the side and knocked out? Luz’s glyphs work entirely off of “It’s magic, we don’t have to explain it. Luz’s glyphs were presented as something she cared about and a part of her journey but none reflect her, her character growth and early season 2 shoots them in the head to say “We’re now just going to come up with whatever bullshit that looks cool or works for the plot we want” even though they did that with the plant and fire glyphs already. The invisibility glyph can turn only an inanimate object invisible despite being connected to breath but the object doesn’t need to breathe so how does that work? And how did no one else ever just disappear their shirt when they first slapped a glyph to their chest besides it being a kid’s show? EVERYTHING HAS TELEPORTATION MAGIC! EVEN ILLUSIONS DO! I’m not kidding! Gus summons his lunchbox from the fucking aether in order to give it to Hunter and he only can do illusions at a competent level from what we’ve seen. The teleportation glyph was made without a light glyph. You know, the closest in element to WIND. OR SPACE. Or literally any school of magic usually associated with teleportation, especially of the type presented. Palisman vs Stringbean because everything about Stringbean spits in the face of Hunting Palisman’s lessons. Spell circles mattering as some spells don’t need them like Darius’ transformation and size mattering is just a blatant lie, especially when connected to glyphs. The fact that Bump uses what looks like some sort of glyphs or magical writing in literally the third episode to put the school into lock down and this is never mentioned again. It could just be how it was visualized for the spell spreading but like... Why when everything is circles? The show doesn’t know if the Titan is a god or a regular creature, to the point where Belos, who has literally no reason to think the Titan is special and who’s religion is blatantly false, treats Luz having glyphs like a gift bestowed by a god through the Titan. Despite Titans also just having been a race and mocked by people who don’t live on the ‘corpse continent’. A bunch of magical beings, inherently having magic connected to their hearts, go to a place with zero magic and suffer zero complications or weaknesses from this. This includes a being who lost 99% of their body and is MADE OF MAGIC at this point. And those are just the ones that immediately come to mind. There’s almost certainly WAY MORE. And again, a lot of these points I could expand into whole blogs going into why its bad magic, bad writing, bad worldbuilding, etc. like that. Yaaaaaaaa-

#TOH #Rambles

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veil-touched-rights-org · 10 months

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Hello again! Welcome to part 2 of the series in which I look back at Night Shift episodes and highlight moments that stand out to me both in a look back and that made me stop then. (Part 1 can be found here: Night Shift Lookback Ep. 1). Again, this will be very long, as it covers an entire episode (the second one this time) and will have tagged spoilers, and this series is tagged both for that and as “the veil opens”.

The transcripts are pulled from the Night Shift Web Site: (https://www.nightshiftpod.com/).

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “Content warnings: murder, body horror, mutation, discussion of in-world prejudices, allusions to depression and disease.” End ID].

As these are the content warnings for this episode, they are also applicable here - I’ll also be tagging this appropriately, but I thought a warning up front would be nice.

Enjoy this look back!

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “Sebastian: Welcome back to the Night Shift podcast. Before we get into this week’s investigation, I want to thank Nocturne Studios right here in Echor City for seeing potential in my show and offering to support the production. And, I want to thank all of you, for giving these stories a chance.” End ID.]

Look, I’m aware that the reason this episode blew up and got Sebastian a studio backer and such is probably the surprise Volta interview, but I choose to believe that it's just because he’s a very charming and funny guy, and everyone fell in love with him as quickly as I did.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama that reads: "preternatural". End ID.]

Hello again to my favorite word <3

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama that reads: “Sebastian: I’m speaking with one of the coffee shop regulars. We’ll call him Quin. It’s a little - a lot, surprising that he’s actually initiating a conversation. Don’t get me wrong, Quin’s a polite guy, he’ll respond if you talk to him. But honestly, if he had his way, he’d come in like he does every Friday, sit at his usual table, and not talk to anyone. I think North is the only person to ever successfully hold a conversation with this guy, until now.” End ID.]

Introducing Quin in this episode, and with the things that he goes on to say about the veil touched and how one can come to fear and be uncomfortable in their own body was such a smart move. It sets up a lot about his character in such an amazing way. Like, it goes to show where he is when we first meet him (and where he’s been before that) and how far he ends up growing as time passes).

Not only do we get that he’s trying to largely pass under the radar, we get that he is a person uncomfortable with who he is, and who despite both of those things is a regular (and therefore recognizable) at a coffee shop, and willing to give an interview about the thing that drove him to this point. With that, his later willingness to start “not a revolution”/safe haven for the veil touched makes so much sense and has a clear origin point.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “[Cut to coffee shop] Justin: It’s contagious as hell. If you come into contact with a Shade, you’re gonna get Veil sick. Or worse, you’ll turn too.” End ID.]

Okay, so a few things - #1, this is a show of the kind of bigotry that I think is the most common - like the person won’t outright discriminate against them, or say anything to them, but the bigoted thoughts are still there, and the idea of being one them is terrifying to you. And using Justin (who very much strikes me as an “everyman”) to have this was a smart idea.

#2, I get that Seb needs to protect Styx and what he knows about Styx (and really I could have used a few places for this) but the fact that he never stands up for the veil-touched here sort of bewilders me. Mostly because later he very much does, almost to his own danger. Like, I assume here he just isn’t sure how much he can say without drawing suspicion, or maybe is still trying for an objective journalist vibe, but it’s so unlike later Sebastian that its almost whiplash inducing looking back. (It's also a little upsetting to see him not stand up for his friend, despite seeing what he does later tells me that he has reasons.)

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “He was… not as bad as I expected. Pretty standoffish, like every second of his time was more precious than a year of my life could ever be. I won’t stretch to say I like the guy, but I’ll consider retracting my statement that he’s the devil… maybe.” End ID.]

Does their relationship count as like, one-sided rivals to lovers? Sebastian starting with like, “this man is the worst” and going into “he’s fine, I guess” and finally landing on “oh shit, I’m desperately in love with him”.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “But looking good does not justify someone’s actions. He might not have held me down and forced experimental science on me at the table, but the verdict is still out on whether there’s a soul behind that self-satisfied, strategic smile.” End ID.]

Sebastian being like “some people call him doctor sexy, and those people are right. But he’s still an asshole. A sexy asshole though”. It’s so good for him.

The guy also gets so caught up on the idea of being experimented on, and I suspect that it has something to do with things we haven’t discovered yet about his childhood (possibly even his time in the Harmony House?). Because this comes out a number of times and while I think the fact that it later happens is rich irony, and a good source of conflict, I can’t help but feel like something else is also being set up that we’ll discover later. Especially because while we have such small amounts of knowledge about the Harmony House, what we do know actually sets up some of that as a possibility.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “His dogs are great, though. Apollo and Zeus, they’re both dobermans, and they’re trained enough to respond to the tap of his foot. Not very professional of me, but I did beg to pet them. They’re perfect.” End ID]

Zeus and Apollo <3 I love dogs, and in fact also have a dog named after Apollo, so this is always a fun thing to stop on.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “Sebastian: I’m speaking with Dr. Felix Feldman, at South Point Psychiatrics. I’ve known him for more than 10 years. If there’s anyone who can shed some light on the science behind psychosis, it’s Feldman.” End ID.]

So, I think it's important to critique the things you love, and to recognize that they aren’t perfect, and this is the first place where I sit with a critique I noticed on my first listen through. So, psychosis is actually not what leads to antisocial traits (at least not innately - like any other condition it varies, you know?). From what I’ve read and researched and heard from people who experience psychosis, it's essentially delusions of various sorts (this can mean hallucinations, or other forms of delusion). I don’t think this was a deliberate thing, especially because they’ve seemingly written Sebastian as someone who may be experiencing some amount of psychosis himself, but it was definitely off-putting here.

Additionally, there’s a sort of thing in media where people write personality disorders - and especially Cluster B personality disorders (such as antisocial personality disorder) as evil and harmful, and again while I didn’t outright get that here, it was still alluded to enough that I wasn’t comfortable leaving it completely unaddressed as I went through this episode.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads “North: Before Delaney had mutated! Sebastian: Exactly. Doesn’t that strike you as kind of weird? North: Definitely… but I mean… we don’t know how any of it works, like you said. End ID.]

I love how this started as “Here’s why there’s stigma” and quickly escalated to “okay, so I think he was framed”

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “Sebastian: (to recorder) I might not understand the science, but I know someone who will. [Sound: outgoing FaceTime call] Sebastian: Thank you for agreeing to speak to me again, Dr. Volta.” End ID.]

The fact that after Seb mentioned Volta he was just like “here have my personal phone number” is so funny to me. Like, I understand why considering it was his formula and stuff, but Sebastian didn’t know that - he just knew that he got this guy’s number after one conversation.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “Sebastian: If you don’t mind, I have a question on a different subject? Angelo: (displeased) Am I being recorded right now? I’m not your personal encyclopedia, Mr. Fen. Sebastian: I know, sorry. I’m not going to press you for answers again. I just wanted a professional opinion on something, to go with cell mutation? I don’t know who else to ask. Angelo: Make it quick. End ID.]

Even funnier than Angelo just giving Sebastian his number is him being willing to answer unrelated questions. He might complain about it, but those questions will be answered. I don’t know if it the ever-present charm of Sebastian Fen, or just that he likes being complimented, but this scene speaks to something in the way they interact with each other, even from the start.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: Angelo: It’s a small department. Most of them are just…Rift Chasers. End ID.]

I know more than one person who would do this. Like, storm chasing is a whole thing, and it really is in my area, so I can’t help but imagine the amateur storm chasers I know doing this as well.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “Sebastian: The thing is, we have to accept that Shades are out there. Fear is only going to cause a greater divide between us and these people who are, at the basest level, just affected by a condition we don’t understand. The lack of research into Shades has to change if we’re going to learn how to co-exist. So the next time you see or hear about a Shade, stop and think to yourself for a second: if it were me, how would I want to be treated?” End ID.]

Okay Seb, I appreciate the effort here, and based on what we know about this world it’s probably at the stage where this is needed, but I can’t help but think of an after-school special when I hear this.

[Image ID: A portion of a Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama transcript that reads: “(quietly) Not now… (nervous laugh) hold it together… [Sound: shuffling around, opening cupboard, pill bottle] (quietly I’m not paying you any attention. End ID.]

This is what I was saying about the whole “Seb seems to have psychosis here” thing. There is a possibility that this has more to do with how he also seems to open the veil whenever he gets stressed - like a connection to the veil & what is inside of it, but even if that is the case, the way it presents and is treated is very much like a psychosis. (Which I actually love! We need more psychotic characters, it’s an underrepresented and over-stigmatized group!)

That’s all for episode two!! Hope y’all enjoyed this run down! If you have thoughts feel free to share :) Have a great one :D

#veil vocalizes #night shift podcast #the night shift: an urban fantasy audio drama #the night shift podcast #the veil opens #night shift podcast spoilers #long post

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