#in the last TWO episodes lbr | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

invisiblegarters · 6 months

Text

Only Friends Character & Relationship Ramblings - Ep 11

Last week on Everyone (put a pin in that everyone, because I think we're having trouble with it) Here is Messy, Boeing was doing his best to mess with the reconciliation of Top and Mew. Top shut him down pretty fast because my man is smart and he doesn't want anything getting in the way of Mew forgiving him, but Mew entertained the idea a little too much for most of fandom to handle. I, however, thought it was very understandable if not entirely the best choice. Atom accused Boston of raping him and no one stopped to think that maybe that was a tiny exaggeration on the little weasel's part because apparently being a slut means one is capable of anything (okay yes also because of what he did with Top, but let's not pretend that's the only reason here) and I nearly blew a fuse. And Ray found out that his dad had hired Sand to get him off the sauce and in predictable Ray fashion flew off the handle about it, leaving Sand devastated. He later learned what we all should have guessed (although lbr some people really want to think that Sand is awful in any way they can, lol): Sand had the money practically forced on him and still returned it, because he cares more about Ray than he does about his bank account (this is wild to me as I care way more about my bag, but I repeat, that is not Sand at all. I repeat this because people seem to be having a problem getting that). Ray then actually decided to give his rehab thing a real chance and had a breakdown in front of an imaginary Sand that actually made me cry a little. I'm not made entirely of stone, people. Just mostly.

So full disclosure, the real reason this is coming so late is that I've been hoping that the longer I wait the less irritated I'll be, but unfortunately the reverse seems to be happening. So I guess we're doing this full steam ahead (ftr, the steam is coming out of my ears).

Also once again I'm not ranking because only two characters really pissed me off this week, so we'll just ramble and then I'll put the Sand part behind a cut because he's the one I have the most feelings about this ep (and also that is where you should stop reading to avoid my apparently unpopular opinions).

Character Rambles

Atom & Cheum. I'm just gonna get these two out of the way because they are the ones that irritated me and since I've been banging this fucking drum for so many weeks that we're probably all very tired of it now. I do not know what the hell is up with this show when it comes to this stupid "Boston SAd me" plot, but I don't think I like it. Actually, I know I don't like it. I did say that I understood where Cheum was coming from in part last week and I stand by that, but the least Boston deserves from her is an apology for the way she came at him now that she knows it isn't true. But I doubt he'll get it. Or if he does it'll be the same bullshit he got from Nick - well what can you expect when you're like you are? The poor lad was just dickmatized, give him a break. NO. The idea that Boston needs to give someone e break for accusing him of rape boggles my mind, as does the constant implication that he's somehow earned all of this because he sleeps around. And no, I will never shut up about this.

I suppose at least Atom seems to realize that what he did was supremely fucked up, but I'm not sure it really matters when everyone is rushing to act like it's just one of those things that happens, and at least he learned something new about himself (looking at you, Cheum, because don't think I've forgotten you literally accused Boston of turning him gay last episode)!

I have said it before and I'm sure there will be a whole rant about it next ep, but the entire attitude towards Boston's promiscuity really puts me off. It's not the characters, either - a lot of people have some really fucked up ideas about sex and purity and morality - it's the show itself. There are ways to have the characters doing or believing things that the narrative explicitly disagrees with - hell, Jojo has done it before - so the fact that they really don't seem to be doing that here makes me feel like whoever wrote this agrees that Boston kind of deserves what he gets. And I am not a fan of that line of thinking. Even if Boston were truly as reprehensible as everyone thinks he is, it still doesn't make it right to do the things people keep doing to him. That line of thinking is insane to me. And honestly a lot of the problem I have here is that the show keeps explicitly conflating his promiscuity with being a bad person. Over and over again. It's never about the other shitty things he's done, it's always about him sleeping around. I hate it.

Boston. Since we're here, lol. I still love him. His journey has been the most fascinating one for me as we've gone on, mostly because it's been in increments. I said this last week, but Boston has been taking slow, steady steps to growth this entire time - and IMO it has very little to do with sex (but more on that later). This entire show has been a journey of Boston coming to terms with some of his less savory habits - breaking things because he can, not respecting or maybe not understanding that his way of doing things is not the only or best way, etc - and deciding how he wants to handle them.

This isn't me saying Boston is utterly wrong or whatever - you'll never hear that from me. He's an asshole in many ways though, and there is a part of him that has come to question why, and to maybe think that there is a better way of handling himself than he has been. He's also slowly gone from being very "I'm going to care about me and get mine" to thinking more about others - not saying he'll ever be the type of person that cares overmuch beyond a few set people and I don't think he'll ever stop putting himself first, nor do I necessarily think that's a bad thing, but he's definitely started to factor other people's feelings into his actions more. Maybe understanding more now that even if he's not necessarily wrong, he doesn't need to be quite so blunt force about everything. I think it's gone mostly unnoticed because there are others who are making changes with big displays, while Boston's have been almost entirely internal and only reflected on occasion through is discussions with Nick. It really struck me last episode and it continues to strike me as we go on, and I'm into it. Also Neo has just been killing this role. I can't get over how good he is.

Nick. Speaking of growing, this is the first ep where I really realized just how much Nick has done. I really hope that growth includes never bugging his fuck buddy's anything again, but I'm not entirely hopeful about that since his go to to catch Atom out in his lie was to entrap him via video recording. Sigh.

He was enjoyable for the most part this ep. I don't like him telling Boston not to be mad at Atom but I do completely understand Nick feeling some sort of kinship with him. Both of them fell for Boston after just one time, lol. That said, there was this look on his face when it was mentioned that Atom only fell for Boston because he was his first, and it makes me wonder if he was coming to a few realizations himself.

Top. TOP! I just loved him this episode. I have said before that he would be perfectly within his rights to tell Mew that enough was enough, and I was happy he did this episode. I thought he was very mature about it, actually - he knows he fucked up, he's known it pretty much since it happened and he owns that, but he's not wrong in saying that if Mew can't stop punishing him they will never work. It's very clear to me that he desperately wants it to - he is all in on Mew - but I liked that he said he'd walk away if Mew couldn't find it in him to forgive him.

Mew. I said that I understood his pettiness and I meant it, but I'm also glad it ended this episode. Look, I get the need to hurt someone who hurt you, and I very much get the petty urge to keep doing it until you're satisfied. The problem is that sometimes you just keep doing it, you push and hurt and hurt and push even past the point where it even feels good anymore because ultimately, you can't get over it, and it just breaks everything. Love and hurt and maybe a little bit of hate are warring inside Mew, and yeah, it feels good at first to hurt back.

But I think he came to the realization in this episode that his need to strike back at Top really wasn't worth losing him, because for better or for worse Mew loves him. He had to make a conscious choice this ep to actually forgive Top for what he did, and I think he rose well to the occasion. I really liked that he made sure to warn Top that he might bring it up again when they fight to hurt him - it's not pretty, but it's very self-aware, which I have come to expect from Mew. He might get hot headed sometimes but when he decides to reflect he doesn't fuck around. See too his acknowledgment that he probably won't be Top's last boyfriend, but that he wants to try with him anyway.

I also enjoyed how easily he dismissed Boeing and how little he let him get in his head, but to be fair Mew had Boeing sussed very quickly and was only ever going to entertain him right up until the point when he was no longer useful. Mew had less than zero emotional investment in that dude or his opinions once he stopped trying to flirt with Top, lol.

Boeing. Here is my conundrum with Boeing: I both love and loathe him. Honestly, he amuses the hell out of me. It should be impossible for one person to be so slimy and yet here he is doing the most constantly and it is very, very funny. The way he is merrily bouncing from couple to couple like some kind of video game boss (or the final endurance test in a stress challenge) amuses me so much and I desperately need someone more talented than I am to find a way to make it a meme. But I'm conflicted, because right now he's messing with Sand (yes SAND, that's his primary target and frankly I don't really care about Ray being collateral damage because one, he's actively making it worse and two, it feels like the rest of this fandom is doing that for me) and I have feelings about the way my favorite dude looks so miserable every time Boeing shows his smirky face (even if it is a pretty one).

Also he's basically got Ray doing the job of driving Sand away from him and he really didn't have to do much to get there. All the man had to do is make a few pointed comments and smirk and now he's got Ray doing the dirty work for him. It's amazing. I genuinely can't wait to see what he has in store for Boston and Nick (and I have my suspicions. More on that later).

Ray. He was absolutely adorable for like 95% of this episode. I really like him in boyfriend mode, lol. I also feel like he was mostly sober through the ep, too. I think that's great, and while I wish there were a little more about what he's doing to wean himself off of the alcohol, I have also come to the understanding that the show is not choosing to focus on it too much. I will just be glad they focused on it at all and move along. Honestly I should have expected it - if they were planning on dealing with Ray's alcohol problems in depth they would have started it earlier, lol.

The one quibble I have with him is at the end of the ep. While I can understand him being upset, it's pretty clear to me that so is Sand, and Ray is too focused on his own pissiness about Boeing to either see that or care if he does see it. Sorry guys I know everyone is saying it's insecurity and worry that he'll lose Sand but that just isn't what I'm getting from him at all. I don't think he thinks that Boeing is anywhere near his level or a real threat to him for Sand's affection, I think he's just pissed because Sand's not handling it the way he wants him to - which is by shutting Boeing down hard. And while I can understand and appreciate his ire, the way he's going about trying to force it is completely disrespectful to Sand. If Sand misstepped by sending Ray away to deal with Boeing on his own (which I don't really think was the horrible misstep people are making it out to be, but more on that later), then Ray is misstepping by ignoring Sand's clear wish for him not to insert himself by deliberately inserting himself and trying to provoke Sand into action.

If he's lucky it won't backfire right in his face (Ray has no fucking clue who he's playing with here, Boeing flat out does not respect Sand or his relationship and all Ray's doing here is showing his own damn belly and exposing the both of them to more mind games), but I don't think he will be.

Which brings me to the thing that has had my blood boiling since Saturday.

This is a good point to stop if you're not in the mood for half-essay, very probably half-rant.

Sand. Before I start, let me disclaim a little: I freely admit my biases here - for a ton of other people in this fandom Only Friends is The Ray Show, but for me it is and has always been All About Sand - and my own hypocrisies. I will defend Sand for things that I will not defend other characters for (although I do try hard to be as objective as possible with varied success, lol), and Ray has gotten it in the teeth from me more than once simply because he's often the character hurting my baby, possibly (probably) unfairly at times. Ray's done a lot of shit, but I admit that I see that heartbroken look on Sand's face and my objectivity tends to go out the window. It's why I understand all the posts about how much Sand sucks for the supreme crime of making Ray unhappy, but it's also why they make me furious.

I am going to pose a question here, for people that have been brave enough to read this far and who are genuinely worried that Sand and Boeing are gonna fuck: what in all the world has made you think that Sand would cheat on Ray? Is it just general fear combined with blorbo love?

Because okay I can get behind that, if so - I was utterly convinced last week that Ray and Boeing were gonna sleep together myself, and if I'm entirely honest I still expect some supreme stupidity of the Ray/Boeing kind simply because Boeing's MO seems to be going after the new boyfriend (estranged or not) after rejection - and I do NOT want to hear it about Sand not rejecting him, almost every scene that man was rolling his eyes so hard at Boeing it's a surprise that he didn't give himself a headache. He might not have been forceful enough for Ray or the fandom, but he is definitely not giving me the impression he's interested (to be fair I don't think Ray is interested either - I do, however, think he's infinitely more reactive than Sand in a lot of ways and far more likely to do some dumb, impulsive shit).

But if not that, what is it? Because there has been nothing in canon to suggest that Sand would ever, so apparently I do need it explained to me like I am five.

Maybe I'm just a little too much like Sand myself, because what I mostly saw was a guy who still has a lot of issues stemming from his previous relationship being confronted with the source of most of those emotions and doing his best to eject himself from the situation with as little conflict as possible.

And I've seen a lot of posts really taking after him for it. For being so passive, for not telling Boeing Ray's his boyfriend, for telling Ray to leave him and Boeing to talk. Hell, I've even seen people blaming him for the bullshit that is the last part of the episode, and I'm sure if Ray and Boeing do make out or (heaven forbid but I honestly won't rule it out yet) fuck, they'll find a way to make it Sand's fault, too.

And the more I read, the more annoyed I get. Not surprised, mind - I've seen too much of fandom blaming everyone else for every shitty thing Ray does (again, not saying he has no right to be upset here. I am saying, however, his way of dealing with it is likely to cause more problems) for this to be a surprise - but definitely annoyed. Because this isn't OOC for Sand, this isn't incomprehensible. This isn't some foreign, new thing that he's doing that we simply can't understand because we don't have context. This is all stuff that Sand has been doing since as early as episode two. The only difference is that this time, he's doing it for and with someone Not Ray.

Facts about Sand.

He is way way way too patient and has a tendency to bend far too often. We see this over and over and over again with Ray, well before Sand even really starts liking him much. I do think that he saw a bit of a wounded bird in Ray and wanted to help, because Sand at heart is a caretaker, a fixer, someone who needs to be needed. I'm not saying any of these are good traits - they can be, but as with anything they can be taken too far. And Sand unfortunately has a tendency to let himself be pushed well past his own limits so long as he feels like the other person needs him. I know. It sucks to realize that all that boundary pushing he let Ray do wasn't just because Ray's special. Not so cute when he's doing it with someone else, huh?

When Sand cares about someone, he does it wholly. I know a lot of people don't like to acknowledge this, but all signs point to him caring about Boeing at one point. Hell, in my opinion all signs point to him being deeply in love with him, and even though I don't believe that Sand still harbors those feelings for him, nostalgia is a hell of a drug and Boeing keeps doing his level best to bring that out in Sand. And just because he might not be in love with him anymore doesn't mean Sand can shut off his instinct to defer, to put himself aside, because that's what he does when he cares about someone. I hate to bring this up but look how much he's put up with from Ray. And while I can understand the temptation to think that Ray is the only person he'd be like that with, it was also spelled out to us in the very beginning of the episode that that's not how it is. I would wager that that's why they took the time to spell it out - so we'd understand when Boeing came along that Sand can't shut that off just because Boeing sucks.

Sand likes to operate alone, especially when it comes to his feelings. How many times has he said outright he'd handle how he feels himself? How many times have we seen him withdraw to deal with his own feelings and lick his wounds in private? Whether or not Ray wants to be there for him - and frankly I think that might be reaching, because that last scene didn't feel like it was about Sand at all to me, it was about Ray and Boeing's pissing contest - Sand has never learned to accept that kind of help. Of course he'd send Ray away to deal with Boeing's bullshit on his own. It's his mess. And to be honest, if I were Sand I'd do it too, because the last thing he needs is his sleazy ass ex on one side and Ray - who he knows can be volatile when riled up, mind, having been on the receiving end of it more than once - on the other.

And here's a fact about what went down with Boeing that everyone is choosing to ignore: he did lay down boundaries. He made zero effort to pretend to be into whatever Boeing was saying, he told him he didn't want to go to the Arctic Monkeys concert, he told him he couldn't come over and that all he could give him was friendship. He also tried to limit Boeing's access to him to YOLO only...and then Ray came in and trampled all over it. And Boeing watched him do it with a smirk, because now Ray is doing his work for him. And it looks like he'll continue doing it next episode.

I have to confess that the amount of vitriol I've seen directed at Sand for being a tiny bit messy flabbergasts me. Be honest, guys: is it because Sand is just the designated love interest to you? Because that's what it is starting to feel like. There's nothing wrong with that but knowing for sure would help my blood pressure.

Relationship Rambles

SandBoeing. I know we probably don't have time for this, but I would pay money to see a flashback of what they were like together. I already know that their relationship was very serious, at least on Sand's end and possibly on Boeing's (although I've seen enough of this man sliming around to not really buy it even if he says it, haha), but I am so so curious what their dynamic was like. Boeing's "you never yell at me" was telling, I think. But again, that's Sand all over, sigh. He'll just bottle it all up until he can't, then woe betide the person he sets his sights on.

Next ep may make me eat my words, but I say again that do not think that Sand has any lingering feelings for Boeing that would actually be a threat to his current relationship - but I do think that he has lingering feelings about what happened with Boeing that could very well threaten it. I think Boeing is mainly here to test the foundations of these couple's relationships and see how well they stand up to some huffing and puffing, but I also think (hope) that because he's so intimately tied to Sand due to their past that he will serve the same purpose as Ray and Mew's adventures in not really dating did for Ray: a way for him to get past the things keeping him from moving on with the person he wants to move on with.

I probably won't get much of this, haha. But it's a dream.

SandRay. I think I've gotten most of what I wanted to get out about these two out already. I can see this breaking really really badly. I will be disappointed if it does, but not surprised. I'm getting strong implosion vibes.

TopMew. Endgame vibes. And I am great with that because I adore them. Although them moving in together right after getting back together is a bit nuts. Slow your roll there, Topper.

BostonNIck. Saved for last because I have the most to say about them. I have to admit that they haven't been working for me as well in the past couple of episodes, and this one I was honestly really annoyed because - no points for guessing - of the monogamy stuff. One of my biggest worries as we've gone on is that the show will have Boston "redeem" himself by winding up in a monogamous relationship with Nick, and while I wasn't necessarily opposed to that if it could be done in a way that felt right for the character, I was super unsatisfied with the offer this episode.

But then I watched it again, and it hit me that Boston isn't saying forever, he's saying for now. And I can get behind that.

And then I watched it a third time because anything worth doing once is worth doing thrice. And now I've come to believe that he is mostly doing this for Nick. Because he does care for Nick a lot, but also because he's realized just how much Nick cares for him, and he's thinking to himself, "I can do this for him. I can give him this much, for now." It comes back to that whole wanting to put someone else first thing that I was talking about - it's not to pacify Nick or to make him stick around, it's genuinely (I think) because Boston cares about him and he wants to give him something he wants, something that - because it has a time limit - he thinks that he can give.

Enter Boeing.

I'm not saying that Boeing is gonna succeed in bedding Boston. I'm just saying that - fresh off of whatever happens with Sand and Ray (and regardless of what happens with the two of them as a pair, I have no doubt that it will end in Sand firmly rejecting Boeing once and for all. And unless I'm very mistaken the only interest Boeing has in Ray is to peck at Sand, so Ray will become useless to Boeing once that happens) - he's going to try it on with Boston next, and that it might make Boston and/or Nick realize a few things.

Why Nick? Because although Nick was flattered when Boston offered him the boyfriend title - flattered and pleased - he didn't accept it. I think he might, but I also can't help but wonder if they won't even get that far. Because as Nick says, he knows Boston, and maybe he knows that what Boston's offering isn't necessarily something he wants.

This is all spitballing, of course, and maybe a little bit of projection. I still think they deserve each other but I also still think Boston would do best in an open relationship and Nick...would not. One or the other of them might be able to do what the other one wants for a time, but eventually they will find themselves unable or unwilling to do it. And that would be the end.

I wouldn't mind being wrong here; this is mostly my gut speaking based on my interpretations of the characters. But if the show can convince me otherwise I'd be happy for it.

In Conclusion

My goodness, next week is the last episode. I have a nasty feeling that there will be a second season and I do not want it, nor will I be watching if it is so, so whatever happens Saturday will be how Only Friends ends for me. I'm excited and a little anxious, which is about how I've spent the majority of this show, so it's very fitting.

It feels like there's absolutely no way they have the runtime to make this work if there's no second season.

I hate it here.

#only friends #only friends the series #rankings

14 notes · View notes

likeabxrdinflight · 5 months

Text

I keep seeing more and more information about the netflix live action atla and I'm just so so skeptical of it. apparently the episode titles are out there in the ether and there's only 8 of them?

I'm just really not sure how you mash the incredibly episodic book one into 8 60-min episodes and have that flow smoothly without making very drastic changes. book one was without a doubt the most episodic season of either atla or lok. the stories do not flow into each other all that well and most were designed as relatively stand alone little plots while the characters bounce around from location to location. the only exceptions to this were the first three episodes, the winter solstice arc, arguably the storm/the blue spirit, and of course the final three in the northern water tribe.

I cannot figure out how they're going to either stitch together, stretch out, or cut the other episodes. there are some pretty obvious cuts- no one wants to see the great divide again, and the fortuneteller doesn't add a ton outside of some small development for kataang, which could easily be done elsewhere. and then I could see an argument for cutting bato of the water tribe, although I don't like cutting that one as much because it has some important character beats for aang and sokka, and there's also the introduction of june, which...you could cut if you're also okay with cutting her from the end of season three. everything else though?

obviously you can't cut the kyoshi warriors. you can't cut omashu or bumi (though you could re-write that episode to make it less...children's cartoon-y for lack of a better word). I don't think you should cut imprisoned because it's such an impactful episode for katara and also how she loses her necklace, which comes back for the waterbending scroll, which is also too important to entirely cut because again, very important katara episode and it's also important for aang learning waterbending. I suppose you could try to combine imprisoned and the waterbending scroll somehow? or cut imprisoned and have katara lose her necklace elsewhere? but that's not ideal and I'd hate to see them butcher katara's character arc for the sake of time.

then there's jet and jeong jeong's episodes, again both rather important- jet because he plays a major role in season two, and jeong jeong because his episode is central to aang's character arc and it establishes that there are fire nation citizens who oppose the war- and you could start foreshadowing the white lotus here. finally there's the northern air temple, which...I guess you could cut if you absolutely had to? it wouldn't be terrible to just establish upfront that the fire nation has air power, I don't think audiences would really question that too much or wonder where the idea for airships came from. but the northern air temple is such a meaningful character beat for aang and does a lot to establish sokka's strengths as a member of the group. plus the mechanist plays an important role later for day of black sun, so...I dunno, I think this would be a hard one to justify cutting completely.

but the other problem is how poorly I think these very separate, self-contained stories would flow into eight 60 minutes episodes. I think four of those episodes are already spoken for anyways- one for the first three, one for the last three, one for the storm/blue spirit, and one for the winter solstice. so really that leaves you with four more episodes. four episodes to cover at least episodes 4, 5, 9, 10, 16, and 17 of the original show, and maybe episodes 6, 14, and 15 if they don't cut them. (lbr we all know they're cutting episode 11, RIP great divide).

I jus can't imagine how they're going to do this. even with very significant re-writes I think it's going to be hard for this first season to not feel very frankensteined together. it'll be an easier task with seasons two and three, which were already more serialized, but season one? this is going to be a real challenge for them to get right.

I'm not sure they will.

#and I fully expect live action to suck a lot of the charm out of it #so there's also that issue #atla

6 notes · View notes

fortes-fortuna-iogurtum · 1 year

Text

feeling very weird about the last two episodes of Miss Scarlet (3.3 and 3.4), because I... actually really loved them?? and I know it was largely because of the absence of William.

which I find odd, because I actually DO like him!! he's a complex and interesting character, he and Eliza's spark off one another is really fun (and also lbr, infuriating, and that's a large reason why this show works; hence the title), and I just... genuinely do like the character. he's irksome as all get-out, he can be entirely insensitive and a touch misogynistic and sometimes I really do wanna break his nose. but I still like him! he has a part to play in this story and I understand that for what it is within the narrative, I really enjoy it!

and yet... I've felt like these last two episodes were some of the most genuinely well-written and especially well-character-written ones for a good while.

I guess it's just because, with the Duke out of the picture, other characters aren't constantly being held up to him in one way or another. Moses, Detective Fitzroy, Mr. Nash, Detective Phelps--they're all given a chance to be developed as characters in their own right, instead of just supporting William/William and Eliza's relationship. and even Eliza grows and is a far more multi-faceted and, I think, genuinely enjoyable character when she's not reduced to simply her reactions to and against William.

I'm intrigued, to be honest. I know he's back in his usual spot as the second lead in the next episode, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens given the ~revelation~ in the very last scene of episode 3.4... but I'm already kind of sad that the rest of the characters I've so enjoyed getting to spend more time focusing on are going to once again be cast in the shadow of 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke'. despite that literally being the entire point of the show.

#idk what's up with this but. it's a weird feel?#and I'm probably not communicating it well...#I think it's just that I feel like after 2.5 seasons #those two are kinda stuck in a rut?? they're in a perpetual cycle of nonsense with one another #seemingly never getting a n y w h e r e in either their personal or professional relationships #and despite the fact that they CAN in fact make a FANTASTIC team together... they also kind of bring out the worst in each other #and so Eliza is often at her most combative and disagreeable and William is often at his most resistant and authoritarian #when they're together and clashing over whatever new issue they've found to argue about this time #and since Eliza really is the /most/ lead character #I feel like she's got a lot more room to breathe and grow and *be* the Lead Character in general whenever she's not constantly bashing #heads with William and she has other characters to interact with #other people who challenge her assumptions and test her willpower and her investigative skills and who provide her with a very different #sort of jumping-off-point to what William usually brings #it... adds enrichment to her enclosure? I think that's actually what I'm trying to say here?? X'D #I'm not going to be one of those people who watch a series just to bash on half the MC group or to anti the ship that the show turns around #but it's still really funny (funny like odd) to me that I feel this way about all this #miss scarlet and the duke #gurt says stuff

27 notes · View notes

hausofmamadas · 8 months

Text

tag 9 people you'd like to know better. Prob won’t be able to do 9 ppl bc most of the ppl I’d tag were tagged, in addition to me, by @bellinitini and @when-did-this-become-difficult, two of my dearest dfs (dafucks dear friends)

last song: Buscando Oro by LOUJAY and Carlos Vallarino

currently reading: The Outsiders by SE Hinton and the Popol Vuh, both in Spanish to punish myself to get better. I’ve also finally started reading Out of Control: The Story of the Reagan Administration's Secret War in Nicaragua, the Illegal Arms Pipeline, and the Contra Drug Connection by Leslie Cockburn which I started last year and just never got around to finishing. Just ordered The Bastard Brigade by Sam Kean on Amazon, which I have no doubt I’ll start reading immediately

currently watching: Finished The Bear in the span of a day so like not actively watching technically anymore? Except when I put it on to run in the background while I work. Another show I’ve been doing that with is the X Files, which provides a deep and heavy rotation sksk and then I’m like halfway through Top Boy which is fulfilling the need I have for new episodes of The Wire even though the show ended like 20 years ago so sksj

current obsession: hmmmmmmm I guess I have two really cracked ships that I’m kind of preoccupied with. One I can’t name bc it’s for an exchange, and the other I wrote an Andrea/Carrillo fic for the Narcos fandom smut alphabet and have nottttttttt been able to stop the rotisserie-ing with them. Going back to my roots too, reading some new San Diego Reader articles that’s reignited as if it ever really went out lbr my love and passion for my otp, Dinarrón. Also been working on this fan video for Sky Rojo that I’m pretty fucking obsessed with and can’t wait to finish bc it’s gonna be sick, even though only me and like 3 other ppl on the internet have seen the show

Taglist (only if you so wish to participate): @artemiseamoon @cositapreciosa @drabbles-mc @purplesong1028 @proceduralpassion @roostersrocket @garbinge @flightlessangelwings @salt-is-a-terrible-currency

#ask games #an ask game I can really get behind #tag you’re it

8 notes · View notes

katherineholmes · 8 months

Note

Darklina and klena 💕

My fav dark ships!

Darklina - Willow (just how swept up Alina is with the Darkling in those first few episodes), Mastermind (cause everything was planned by him, lbr), Death By A Thousand Cuts (if we’d gotten a decent s2), Look What You Made Me Do - so fucking perfect for them! Mr. Perfectly Fine - I feel like it’s perfect for when she finds out about his betrayal.

Klena - I should make a separate post for them 😅

Peace - Such a perfect song for them! Their love can never bring them peace.

Hoax - I’m a bit biased on this, but it is the song for Make It Holy!

High Infidelity - I feel like this is perfect for them, because it’s universally acknowledged in the Klena fandom that these two are drawn to each other, no matter who they’re with. Which brings me to.

Invisible String - It’s literally perfect, because they are drawn to each other. It’s their fate to find each other and lose each other and kill each other.

Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve - Ugh, this song is perfect for them! Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts - this is peak Klena! The entire Midnights album.

The Great War - I mean, the sacrifice.

You’re On Your Own, Kid - This song is just perfect for them (and this is like the….third time I’ve said that).

Exile - They’re fated to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, go around in the same circles, always. Until the end.

The Last Time - Such an angsty song 😭

Wildest Dream.

#klena #taylor swift #darklina #that’s enough songs for klena #for now

6 notes · View notes

clochanamarc · 9 months

Text

so like, i'll be the first to admit that the number of plot ideas i have for a zombie apocalypse setting is frankly unhealthy, BUT. most popular zombie apocalypse franchises have woefully neglected some prime real estate, so it really isn't all my fault. anyway, i'm cuddled up in bed with water and caramel aero bites, so i'll be unleashing a little taste of my plot ideas under the cut!

first of all, in almost every single zombie apocalypse series/show, they love themselves a few traumatic flashbacks to the very first days of the apocalypse, but never actually focus on it. even ftw.d just shrugs it off after three episodes. this is dumb, and let me explain why. first of all, the idea of two characters meeting for the first time at the airport while trying to get on any flight out of the country?? managing to get on the last flight due to leave, only to learn that one of their fellow passengers is infected, and so they have to emergency land the plane, but a bunch of other people are already infected, so then the two characters manage to survive by using life jackets and the service trolleys to push back the infected until they escape down the slide, and from there we have like. unlimited potential for what happens next. two total strangers surviving the apocalypse together?? using their skills and intelligence and courage to survive the end of the world?? yes. delicious. i want fifty.

then there's an admittedly common trope that i do love, where many tv shows have started using a fixed location for the apocalypse, like a high school or a hospital or a prison, etc. and like, lbr, there are SO many locations that could be used?? my personal fave is obvs a diner, but it's followed very very VERY closely by a shopping center, like aldi or target or smth, bc then there's random weapons, loads of food, good shelter, u know the drill.

i also recently read a few chapters of a "choose your adventure" thing where it's a bunch of survivors who WERE part of a colony run by the military/government/some overseeing authority that ultimately turned out to be Bad and started abusing power and killing anyone who opposed them, so the survivors escape the colony into the hordes of infected, realize how dangerous it is, then they find a ski resort or hotel or smth, and they manage to fortify it and gather food, BUT there's more threats than the infected, so naturally the stakes are HIGH.

MY LAST THOUGHT OF THE MOMENT: if the last three years have taught us anything, it's that viruses have a unique talent for evolution and indeed evolving into new variations of itself. so like. we could do a lot more with the zombies themselves in terms of speed, strength, intelligence, abilities. also i'm on a bit of an etern.als vibe atm also and like, the idea of there being a very rare species of infected who become more articulate and intelligent and skilled with every human they kill? yep.

#( ' that which you love... ' / wishlist. )#( i'm gonna be honest i absolutely saw this coming )#( also aisling has like )#( two new sons bc of this show )#( BUT I DIGRESS )#( gimme the zom threads )

4 notes · View notes

cookinguptales · 2 years

Text

dunkaroosandglitter said: I feel more its the last two eps they got lazy at, because they undo everything this season has done in no uncertain terms and that makes me sad mad. Like its not just a ship derailed its like i dont even want it now

----------------------

Things definitely feel like they got... strange in the last two episodes. idk if it’s due to rewriting at a late stage or they didn’t know how to end things or what, but there’s a definite vibe shift from the front half of the season. I would say, though, that the last couple episodes then reflect poorly on the rest of the season. A lot of what felt like intriguing writing at the beginning (like for example, Nandor’s avoidance of Marwa and him starting to use wishes on her) now in retrospect just feel annoying because you know that they never did have a grand plan for any of it. Or if they did, it was rewritten to something... uh, less grand. lmao

Like I did initially feel like the last two episodes (and lbr, especially 4.09) were the problem, but once I took time to take a step back, I could see the signs all throughout the season. They just culminated in these last two messy, messy episodes. I don’t like that I got spoiled against my will, but I guess it did give me some time to reflect on things.

As for the ship itself, it’s actually less derailed than I thought it would be. It’s the writing of the show that got derailed for me, which is a far more severe problem. I still want the ship to happen... just on my terms, I guess. I immediately started thinking about ways to fix things in fic, which is... I guess not a thing I ever thought I’d say about this show.

I was actually surprised how easy it was for me to find ways to rationalize both Guillermo’s and Nandor’s actions throughout this season, and I’m sure I’ll be writing a lot of meta about that. But it irritates me to have to. These things should come through in the source material. I shouldn’t have to cobble together some cohesive characterization after the writers didn’t manage to. Again, I’ll be writing a lot more about my thoughts on this once all the spoilers are out in the open for everyone to discuss.

It’s frustrating, to be sure. Sigh.

#wwdits tag #wwdits s4 spoilers #nandermo tag #wwdits leaks

25 notes · View notes

outrunningthedark · 7 months

Note

The way I can tell the strikes have been delaying things to long for some of the buddie bloggers who can’t separate the characters from the actors is by how they recently have handled this wedding and Ryan and can clearly tell they need some to spec about. Acting like everything is a big puzzle with hidden meaning. I saw one person say Ryan wore dark glasses outside to hide the sadness behind his eyes. Someone else pointed out it was probably just because they were outside and the sun was bright and not that deep and then got immediately attacked and mocked because if it’s not that deep why do they need to say it’s because of the sun and not to hide his sadness . Another person said he was wearing black at the wedding to symbolizing (yes they actually used the word symbolizing) the death of his and c’s marriage ☠️ just today I saw someone say Oliver got the actress who played Natalia her job and C started following the 911abc page so the two events are related and now Ryan is getting C a job on the show as Eddie’s love interest because Oliver did it. Like blows my mind a little. Like they see clues everywhere ☠️

I- What. I'm not gonna call anyone names because I'm sure I can guess where these comments originate and op is just posting other people's opinions - opinions that they won't own on main, at that. Let's break it all down. o1. Unless someone discloses information about the *actual* dynamic between themselves and their partner who is not a good fit, they are making a CHOICE to stay. R is not a victim in any of this. Pointing out faults or bad behavior reflects on him and his choice to start a family with her. Trying to spread rumors about the behind the scenes happenings won't change what's led up to this point to make many of us realize where his ideals and priorities lie.

It's not on the same level because he's no where near as famous, but the R apologists sound just like Captain America's followers who pick on his new bride in order to avoid addressing what committing to a much younger white woman means re: separating fact from fiction. o2. There is zero evidence to support the claim that Oliver got anybody a job, and if there had been we'd know about it because those stans are always waiting around for content. Now, if you want to say he maybe got her into the audition process? Maybe offered her name as a suggestion? Fine. But she still had to audition. And they still chose her. As far as a "lack of chemistry" is concerned...I'm withholding judgement because, lbr, you can't build or find chemistry when one of your appearances is about your boyfriend's past relationships. Also, #unpopularopinion, but if the show wasn't gonna go with Buddie, I don't care who Buck ends up with 'cause he's never been my favorite. If working with Annelise makes for a more pleasant experience compared to completely ignoring BT as season five got going...good on Oliver for having fun this time around. o3. What is the obsession with writing the wife into the show? In five seasons all he got her was a background role for one of Eddie's fights. They did the same last season when we heard about filming the bodybuilding comp - "Do you think C is gonna have a guest spot since she's been doing that irl???" It's like people WANT something else to happen so they can twist the truth and say she "forced" her way onto set rather than him *asking* if there's something for her to do. And btw, she doesn't need to be in an episode to stay close. "Take wifey to work day", remember? I may not care for the wife, but if he truly were the "better person" as fandom as declared, he's the one looking dumb for forgetting who he is as soon as he found her on ig. She hasn't lost anything yet because he won't leave.

#anonymous #tina speaks #xoxo gossip girl

2 notes · View notes

idealisticrealism · 1 year

Text

TCL 2x09 recap

Phew, this week was busy as hell so ngl this show picked a good time to have a set-up episode haha. Still, I thought the ep was actually really great, and I’m excited for what’s coming next!

Ok I’m really happy to see more of Thony’s buddhism! Lbr she needs his help rn. Was it really necessary for Fi to bring Luca to meet at the temple though? The threat of Kamdar is fairly under control for the moment, so really she could have just brought him to the house. (Sidenote, but in terms of timeline, it sounds like he’s been at JD’s for 2 nights, meaning this ep is only a day or so after last ep?). But anyway. Ngl I like seeing Thony in her jacket bc it just makes me think of her connection to Arman, but tbh I was like ‘why is everyone in long sleeves?? It’s summer in Nevada????’ but oh right no, the filming is in summer/fall, but the show must be at least nearing winter by now (not that winter in Nevada is all that cold anyway haha). But yeah in the pilot, Thony says they’ve been in the US for 8 months, and in 1x07 they celebrated all the holidays they missed having with Marco, which included Christmas. So Thony took Luca to the US in December at the latest, and then the two of them were there for 8 months already before the events of the show started taking place, and it’s now been about 3 more months since then. So I guess we could almost be in November/December again? Too bad this isn’t the kind of show to do a christmas episode lol, I would have loved that

Ok speaking of jackets/wardrobes etc, Arman needs to stop wearing the same goddamn thing every single day (as utterly sexy as it is), bc it’s making it harder for me to know exactly when everything is happening haha. I’m gonna assume that this scene actually occurs the night before Fi and Thony meet in the temple (aka still the same day as when Thony told him about RK and Nadia’s marriage). Bc I’m guessing that Thony told him, then he left and spent a while being upset (and conflicted, because yes the lying and the manipulation sucks but hey on the other hand, suddenly he’s a free man lol) before looking up the public record, and then he goes to La Habana, where Nadia is excitedly setting up what looks to be a dinner date for them (sigh, I feel sad for both her and us lol). Tbh I think that is the timeline that makes the most sense, bc lbr, if this was happening the following day after he finds out (so the same day as Thony in the temple), then Nadia would have been upset or suspicious about where he had disappeared to for a whole night, because clearly this is their first time seeing each other since Thony’s reveal. But anyway I guess it really doesn’t matter much haha. Also I like how he’s like “so it’s true” and then later tells her that he looked it up on the public record. Like duh of course it’s true lol, you literally saw the proof? Also ngl I was very satisfied when he turned away from her kiss, and then when she hugged him, begging forgiveness, and he didn’t hug back. I know it’s mean but I just love every single thing that further proves that this relationship really has no future… (well, the romantic part of it, at least.)

Also YAAASSSSSS I knew she and Robert were still married!! I mean I’m sure I’m not the only one who called it, but still, gotta love being proved right. And like I said, gotta love Arman no longer being a married man haha. Also incidentally, if RK and Nadia ‘divorced’ after a year, then that was 7 years ago, confirming that her and Arman have been together less than that. (even if they met while she was with Robert, I doubt that she would have dared get with Arman until the divorce was supposedly finalised, given that she was afraid of RK). But anyways then aaaaahhhh the way Arman walks away from her– idk about you guys, but I just really can’t see them going back to being together after this, bc firstly there’s been a betrayal of trust on both sides, and secondly, cmon, the dude knows he’s in love with Thony, and knows that it’s her that he really wants to be with, not Nadia. Tbh though this did all work out a bit differently than I expected; I absolutely assumed that Nadia would demand to know how he found out, and would then learn of how he’d used her. But now instead of both of them being pissed at each other, we have her feeling guilty and desperate for forgiveness, while also accepting that she may have caused the end of their relationship. Which is kind of true but also not really haha. I think the dooming of this ‘marriage’ was a mutual effort tbh lol

Ugh the combination of Hyper-competent Doctor Thony and Worried Mom Thony gets me every time. But man seriously can the universe just give her and Luca a break?? Like she said in 1x06, why does it always have to be so hard?? (Bc it makes for good TV drama, of course, haha). Loved the throwback to Dr Saroyan, who has probably been enjoying the last few weeks of respite from these very stressful clients haha. I kinda wish we’d get to see him again bc I miss him, but at the same time we don’t really need him as much bc Arman has a new personal doctor now :P

Speaking of Arman, ughhhh at the fact that she’s clearly told him about Luca being sick again. Despite the uncomfortable way their last meeting ended, they’ve obviously been in contact, arranging the next med pickup and talking about Luca and still just being there for each other even when they’re kind of being pushed into being on different sides in regards to their situation with RK/Nadia etc. Tbh I just love this scene: the way he and Fi greet each other (from her expression, it looks like she has come to accept him and his place in Thony’s life and I’m so happy about it); the way he immediately asks after Luca; the simple sincerity and the eye contact with the “I wish I could help”/”You are” ughhh. (Bc the thing is, he’s not helping Luca directly; Thony and Dr Saroyan have that covered. But he’s supporting Thony, and that’s what she truly needs).

Nooooooo Boscoooo my boy :’C I know the writers have been basically telling us this was coming since like 2x03 but I’m still sad!! I do love that in this scene, Thony’s first response was to start checking for survivors/people needing medical help, then she saw the truck and her focus shifted to the meds and what their absence meant for Luca (and also her and Arman). Which is very much her character– help anyone in need if she can, but her family’s needs take priority. Arman’s response was just as perfect– his first reaction was Protect Thony, by warning her to stay back and also scanning all around them for further threats, and only once things appeared safe did he even think to look for Bosco. But ugh I really didn’t want to have to see Arman lose another friend, especially another whose death he’s going to torture himself over ughh. I’m sad Bosco didn’t even get to say any last words either but at least he wasn’t alone when he died. Ugh my boy deserved better :(

And then suddenly there’s magically appearing bikers (let’s ignore that their engines should have been audible way before they got that close, shall we? lol) and Armony running from bullets and stealing a bike and a high speed chase on a dirt road and honestly I didn’t need this kind of stress in my life haha. Also damnnn son I guess Arman is an amazing rider because do you know how hard it is to keep a bike steady at speed, on dirt, and with a passenger?? I do! It’s bloody hard! And kicking an object while riding without then causing yourself to crash is even harder lol. And don’t even get me started on that chain they broke through– like dude if that chain was attached at all to more than one side of the gate, riding into it would have clotheslined them both and sent them hurtling right onto the road in the path of that RV lol. Good thing it was apparently not attached and was just draped across the gap or something though… and like man I know it’s Vegas and all but that was a hell of a gamble lol

I am immensely satisfied that I accurately predicted exactly what Arman would do and say the moment they got off the bike haha, though lbr he IS kind of predictable when it comes to Thony and being worried for her safety. And okay I’m very glad they’re both uninjured (and look, shooting a target is hard at the best of times, so I understand them not being hit by bullets shot from a moving vehicle while they were also moving at speed), but I mean couldn’t Thony have gotten just a little bit shot? Like nothing serious, just a nasty graze across the shoulderblade or something? Just enough for Arman to freak out over and for her to have to take off her shirt for him to check it lol. But sigh, I guess I’ll just have to save that for fanfiction lol. Anyway though, you really gotta feel for Armony rn because they are really not having a good week lol

Ah, everyone’s least favourite sociopathic peacock is back. But how satisfying to see him get slapped right in the face haha (though lbr he probably likes that kind of thing?). Ngl though I almost enjoy how utterly pathetic he is when it comes to Nadia? Like with everyone else he’s self-assured, powerful, always at the advantage; but with her he’s a total simpering mess and I want her to crush him under her heel like a bug lol

Nope, not okay with hearing Thony just barely holding back tears over the phone with Dr Saroyan, and then trying so hard to keep things together as she explains the situation to Fi. She’s right about Luca never surviving the flight though ugh; I literally just did a course on the physiological stress of flight in critically ill patients and no way would he make it in his condition. Maybe on an official repatriation flight with a medical team accompanying him, but not as a deported immigrant on a commercial flight ugh. But anyway, I digress lol

And now Thony’s bad day is getting even worse as she has to go deal with RK’s shit lol. But oooh the burner phone is back! Given that later in the ep RK texts her on her other phone, I’m guessing that it’s Arman who texted her just then to let her know RK was back and that they have been summoned to see him– considering they show up to RK’s office together, it’s likely that Arman came to pick her up and take her there. And ugh that’s yet another moment between them I wish we could have seen, bc like did they talk about what they would say? Or the possibility that RK might hurt them as punishment?? I need to know lol. But ugh that moment when RK does snap and signal Joseph to kill Arman? (which tbh I don’t think he would have dared to do if Nadia hadn’t basically just told him she wanted nothing to do with him; bc previously it was only the fear of turning Nadia against him that kept him from killing Arman). Ngl I am obsessed with the way Arman clenches his jaw and stands straight, accepting his death like he has known ever since the prison that it was only a matter of time, that there would be no escaping it, not after everything that’s happened. But Thony will never accept that, will never stop fighting to protect him, and so she immediately moves closer to him, pleading on his behalf and getting herself even more deeply ensnared in RK’s web as she saves him ughhhhhhh

Ugh more DoctorMom Thony… I can’t deal with the way she looks at Luca before she walks out of the room. She knows that this may be a one way trip to the Philippines for her, but I guess she’s holding on to the thought that even if it is, she’ll be able to send the meds back and he’ll get better– and then eventually he may be well enough to fly back too and they can be reunited. (Well, if she doesn’t get murdered by RK, that is. Ugh). But at least in the meantime he will be safe with Fi– although dude “give him more morphine whenever he needs it” is an INCREDIBLY dangerous statement to say to someone who doesn’t have medical training haha. But I’m sure she wrote down some clearer instructions lol. Also aww at the fact that Fi has apparently been sending money back to her parents all this time, despite having such a challenging relationship with them and also having little money to spare?? I love her Your Honour

Seeing Arman and Thony pull up to the plane in the caddy reminded me that his motorbike is still back at Bosco’s camp ughhhhhh. Maybe he’ll be able to ride the other bike back and go get it? Though lbr the risk is probably not worth it. Ugh RIP you beautiful motorcycle I will miss you and all the Armony-embracing you created. Ngl the power couple in the caddy look is still hot though haha. As is the fact that Arman is dressed rather similarly to the last time these two took a private jet flight together, and then later slowdanced by firelight… got some subconscious hopes rising to the surface there buddy? Me too tbh lol. And then ugh RK shows up and completely ruins all our hopes, as usual. I love that both Arman and Thony tried to argue against Arman being left behind (“I need Arman to come with m–” yes you do need him ughhh). But then ugh when Arman realises that he has no way to fight this, that he has already been pushed out and deemed worthless, and as a result has no power to protect her anymore? And he just stares after her and she looks back at him for just a second and they’re both thinking, is this the last time we’ll ever see each other?

Boooo the ledger didn’t actually help?? So Arman went through that ‘reconciliation’ with Nadia for nothing? Great. Also ngl I am still stuck on my ‘Russo is indebted to Kamdar and under his influence’ theory. C’mon show, tell me what side she’s on, I need to knowwwwww

Of course RK chose the seat right across from Thony and is watching her sleep. Goddamn creep. Though tbh we all know that she is completely under his power rn and so there are far worse things he could be doing to her (things I’m sure Arman’s imagination is currently torturing him with), so I guess I should be glad that sexual violence does not seem to be one of RK’s proclivities. But ugh this flight is still so uncomfortable, especially the way she is forced to reveal her friend’s identity to him, knowing that it will put her at risk but having no choice. But holy shit the line “The chief of cardiology? That’s a lot to give up… the godlike power of saving lives, just to become a maid for criminals” is possibly one of the most powerful statements we’ve had in the show. And then her response: “My life became about saving one person’s life. My son.” Like wow, that really captures the entire essence of the show, doesn’t it? The lengths that a mother will go to for her child, the sacrifices she will make to save one person above all others. Though tbhI would argue that the truth has shifted a little bit now– in S1, yes, her life was all about saving Luca. But since the end of S1 it has become about saving her family– Luca, Fi and the kids, and Arman. Thony says in 1x04 that she became a doctor to be like her father, who her mother always said was brave and risked his life for others. She clearly dedicated so much of her life to that goal, to being the best doctor she could be, to help all the many the people who needed her knowledge and abilities. But after Luca got sick, and after she reunited with Fi and saw the way she was struggling through life as a TNT, and after she met Arman and developed such a deep and unexpected connection with him, I think that all that determination and caring and protectiveness that had been spread across scores of cardiac patients instead focused itself intensely on just five people. Of course, she always helps whoever she can, but those five people are who her life is really about. And I think that RK actually respects that, respects that she is willing to do whatever it takes for the people she loves, even when it comes at a huge risk to herself. Tbh I think he’s found her quite intriguing for a while, ever since he’d learned that she was more than what she’d claimed at their first meeting, and since seeing the power she held (in different ways) over both Nadia and Arman. Let’s just hope that he stays intrigued enough to not have her murdered lol

Ooooh I have been hoping for AGES that Joseph is Filipino!! Honestly I always felt it was too much of a coincidence that RK’s right hand man– who we’ve seen RK abusing more than once– should just happen to be South East Asian. Like that casting has to be deliberate. And now he and Thony are kind of vibing?? Like yaaaaassss c’mon Joseph, turn on RK and take Thony’s side instead!

Aw Thony being welcomed by her friends is so sweet (and I love the very classic bilingual conversation), but oh mannnn it’s so uncomfortable to watch her trying to be normal and social all the while knowing that she’s there with a motive and that RK is outside and that so much is riding on her friends taking a huge risk for her ugh. When she escaped to the bathroom I just wanted to give her a hug ugh. Just like I wanted to give Arman a hug when he was suddenly faced with Isabel selling the club, kicking him when he’s already down, and god as much as I’m suffering rn I do love the way the show juxtaposed those two scenes, like it’s saying that even separated by thousands of miles, their pain is still shared. Ugh our babies really are going through it lol

Nope nothing to say about this awful scene with Thony and her friends and her trying to beg for their help while suffering such a mortifying level of shame and guilt and ughhhh nope can’t deal with this at all. Although I feel like the drug he mentioned about hepatic damage might somehow become relevant later on? It seems Luca is copping every possible side effect or complication so who knows lol. But ugh when her friend gives her the name but then realises that Thony brought RK with her and basically exiles her for it ughhhh it hurts me. Especially because Thony has said before that many of hers and Marco’s friends stopped talking to them because he would borrow money and not pay it back– this woman may have been one of the only friends Thony had left from her life in Manila. And now she’s lost that too.

Lol I like this bisexual lighting in La Habana– I’m gonna headcanon that Nadia chose that lol. It’s also really cool to hear that she was the one who made the place into a cigar lounge; between that and her influence on RK’s business, I’m definitely getting the sense that this woman should absolutely be running the show. But ugh when he says he’s not going to say goodbye to either her or the club, I honestly kind of liked it?? Because I want her and Arman to be able to stay in each other’s lives, just not in a romantic partnership, and tbh I think we are actually getting closer to achieving that with each episode? Because they’ve had their heated, angry breakup, they’ve had their unwilling (on his part at least) make-up, and then they’ve had the reveal that their marriage was never ‘real’ and all the painful emotional fallout that came as a result of that. And now they’ve made peace, have apologised to each other for the way things happened and how they hurt each other, but it’s definitely got a ‘forgive but don’t forget’ vibe to it, in that while they can absolve each other for what they’ve done, they’re not just going to pretend it never happened and go back to what they were. Bc in my mind, they’ve now reached a place where returning to the relationship they had– the marriage– is impossible, yet it is still possible for them to have a new relationship, one where they are partners of a different kind, two people who know and respect and trust each other and can work well together toward a common goal. And tbh we’ve all always noted even from early in S1 that they seemed to behave more like business partners than husband and wife, and now maybe they can have that, and can see that it fits them better than being married ever did.

YEAAAHHHH BOOYYYYY “I’m gonna kill Kamdar. And you’re gonna help me.” Aaaaaaahhhhh you guys I have been WAITING for this and I am so excited. And you know what the absolute best part is???? The timing of this decision from Arman. He is suddenly filled with determination to kill RK, but that determination didn’t appear after RK forced him to commit murder, or after he found out RK caused his whole marriage to be a lie, or after RK literally almost had him shot dead in his office. Yes all of those things contributed to it, but it was truly cemented the moment RK flew away in the jet with Thony completely at his mercy, and Arman realised he no longer had the power to protect her. Like yes I know that RK has made it clear that he no longer has use for him (and that therefore he may potentially have Arman killed at any moment) but honestly, I don’t think that “it’s either him or me” is Arman’s real reason. It’s an effective reason to give Nadia, because if forced to choose, she would absolutely choose Arman; but I really don’t think Arman truly cares about the possibility of his death. Like in 2x07 he literally told RK that he wasn’t going to follow his orders to kill Maya, and to just kill him instead; and it was only when Thony’s life was threatened that he gave in. Even earlier in this ep when Joseph nearly shot him, he didn’t do a thing to try to stop it happening. Honestly I think that he believes that he deserves it; I think he’s now convinced that he only brings death and destruction and pain to those around him– Matteo, Carlos, Hayak, Maya, Bosco (and that’s not even counting the people he killed for Hayak)– and that by dying he would be paying penance for them, but also protecting Thony and Nadia from suffering the same fate. And so that’s why he is suddenly so desperate to kill Kamdar: because of Thony and Nadia. Because that moment at the hangar made it clear to him that unless he takes out RK permanently, neither woman will ever be able to get free of RK’s grip, and will always be in danger from him. Which means now he knows that he needs to act fast, to kill RK before RK can kill him, because if he dies before RK then there’s no one left to protect his family– the two women he loves.

Also, can I just say that I called it about the fact that if RK dies, Nadia– as his still-legal wife– is likely his main beneficiary, and so she would inherit his entire kingdom? Like ngl I could see some potential issues there, like the fact that if he died, the FBI would probably be pretty interested to investigate exactly what happened, and would most definitely tie up all his assets rather than releasing them to the estranged wife that had very suspiciously just made a very recent return into his life, and whose second ‘husband’ is a known enemy of RK’s lol. But who cares about logic and legalities, right? And tbh it was a very smart move of Arman to appeal to Nadia’s greed and ambition by reminding her that she could become queen of it all, and could finally have what she has worked so hard to earn. There’s a look of almost disgust on his face as he says it, which may be because he’s acknowledging that Nadia is RK’s wife, not his, but tbh I read it as also being disgust at a) manipulating her again, and b) the fact that money and status and power mean so much to her. If the situation were switched and it was Thony in her position, Thony wouldn’t care at all about what she might inherit from RK; she’d only care about keeping Arman safe. But to be clear, this is not a judgement of Nadia! Her greed and covetousness are actually really interesting character traits and they make her more nuanced and real, and tbh I can totally understand why someone who came from nothing (and who worked hard for everything she had and yet still lost it all, while watching others get richer and richer without ever working for it, purely because they were born into privilege) would be drawn to the idea of doing one ‘bad thing’ to get to have everything she feels she deserves.

Ugh at Thony keeping her promise to Fi and going to Fi’s parents’ house to leave the money she gave her. I’m glad she didn’t have to go meet with them– she could have stopped them when she saw them leaving, but she chose not to (in fact it seemed like she was waiting for them to leave), and she clearly knew where the spare key was kept (she may have had her own copy when she lived in Manila, but lbr she wouldn’t have taken her copy of the key to the US with her). Also the envelope Fi gave her was white, and she puts that on the counter first, but then she also takes out a thick, fresh stack of cash, and a yellow envelope– and tbh I think the cash and yellow envelope are from her. @enigmaticfox said, and I agree, that this moment feels very much like a goodbye; a goodbye to her former parents-in-law– the only parents she has had for years– and to her connection to the Philippines. Her work life there ended 5 years ago with Luca’s diagnosis, and her friends were lost one by one over the years due to Marco using them, with the last finally lost on this trip due to Thony using them; and then with the loss of Marco and the fallout from his death, the family ties she had to this place are gone now too. She says it herself when she gets back on the plane– “The Philippines are not my home anymore.” And it’s true. Her home, her life, everyone she loves– they’re all in Vegas.

Oh Russo what the actual fuck were you thinking? Kissing Garrett at any time is an incredibly terrible decision for many reasons, but kissing him at work only days after he lost someone he loved?? Someone whose picture he was literally just staring mournfully at as you walked in the door?? Like woman I have so many questions about your sanity haha. (Also about your loyalties. Seriously tell me, does Kamdar have you under his thumb???)

Damn Thony’s outfits for this trip have been so good. She looks so effortlessly elegant and sophisticated, and while I love that as a character she’s clearly not at all vain and will normally just wear the same simple clothes repeatedly, it is nice to see a little variety being included– tbh I feel that her tiny wardrobe was a symbol that her time in Vegas was only temporary and that she didn’t ‘belong’ there, so the more clothes that get added to the mix, the more it feels like she is putting down roots and really claiming Vegas as her home. Of course she doesn’t have a lot of closet space rn so she can’t go too wild with the wardrobe lol, but I hope it does get at least a little bigger by the end of the season. Anyway phew at RK basically pulling the rich-people equivalent of a jedi mind trick (aka bribery) on the customs guy lol; money really does open all doors huh

Okay so either RK is even more of a ridiculous simp for Nadia than I previously thought, and is completely fooled by her (let’s face it, rather terrible) acting lol, or he knows she’s deliberately trying to manipulate him into buying La Habana but doesn’t care and is happy to give her what she wants anyway, because it will get him what he wants– Nadia’s affection and gratitude. Tbh I hope it’s the first option because that’s just so much funnier. But either way, now that he’s the owner of La Habana, she can just “what’s yours is mine” her way into being the next owner upon his untimely demise haha. Work smarter not harder ladies!

Why do I feel a sense of foreboding hearing Luca say “mommy I don’t want you to go”? Bc like she literally just came back? Maybe he means he doesn’t want her to go away again? And ok even though I know nothing will happen to her (she’s the main character after all, and this show is no Game of Thrones lol), it makes me afraid of foreshadowing lol. But ugh when she tells Fi that the meds will fix Luca and Fi says “well, then whatever you went through over there, it was worth it”– yet another line that has really captured the heart of this show. Whatever Thony goes through, no matter how bad, it’s worth it to her as long as Luca (and her family) are okay. She will bear any pain, any burden, as long as it keeps them safe and healthy and happy. Which is why she will keep working with RK, bc even though she knows that he’s so unpredictable and mercurial that just being in his vicinity is a danger in itself; she’s willing to take that risk as long as he can supply the meds that keep Luca healthy. Which means that the situation between her and Arman is about to get a little complicated lol, because right now she needs RK, and Arman needs him gone. Bc just like her, Arman will do anything to protect the people he loves– and for him, that means protecting her from RK by eliminating him before he can hurt her. It’s the best kind of conflict imo, because it’s one person saying to the other “I love you enough to do what needs to be done to save you, even if it makes you hate me”. Of course, Arman doesn’t want to endanger Luca by taking away his access to the meds, but in his mind, RK is a far more immediate threat to Thony’s safety than the short supply of meds is to Luca’s wellbeing, and so he probably figures that once RK is eliminated he can then use RK's funds and connections (via Nadia) to get Luca all the meds he will ever need.

But the real question now is whether he will tell Thony what he’s planning to do to Kamdar??? I honestly can’t decide, because on one hand, keeping her in the dark would protect her (plausible deniability, etc etc) and that definitely seems like something he would do– plus, in terms of storytelling, it would create some delicious angst because Thony would see Arman suddenly shutting her out and instead spending most of his time with Nadia, and she would assume it means that Arman has now definitively made his choice regarding who he wants to be with, and so she would then endure their every following interaction with the quiet suffering of a secretly broken heart ugh. (God I would LOVE to see that, because the eventual reveal of the truth– that he loves her, has loved her the whole time and has only been trying to keep her safe– would be glorious). However, if on the other hand he tells her what he’s planning, and she tells him not to do it because she needs RK (also bc she doesn’t want him to get caught for RK’s murder, of course) then there’s a different kind of delicious angst where they both know how they feel about one another but they’re stuck on opposing sides regardless, due to external factors outside of their control. Which tbh would also be glorious. So basically, whatever happens next will be a freakin delight lol. And ok I know there’s a lot of fans who are unhappy about Armony being potentially pitted against each other while Arman teams up with Nadia, but I honestly cannot wait, because the truth is that any conflict between these two now will just make it all the sweeter when they eventually– and inevitably– finally give in to their feelings and accept that everything they’ve done, they’ve done for each other, and that there’s nothing they want more than to be together.

Oh no. The gun. Lbr, RK absolutely just had it planted in order to get Arman out of the way now that he thinks he’s got a chance with Nadia again– gotta remove the competition, y’know? lol. Though I definitely do take issue with the fact that he dared to plant for the FBI to find, considering that in 2x07 he himself touched it with his bare hands before Arman did, and that seems like a risk he would never take, but whatever. Plot hole maybe. But anyhow aaaaahhh now Garrett (and ofc Russo/the FBI) know about Arman, and I can’t WAIT to see what he does about it. Tbh my ideal headcanon would be that he immediately goes to arrest Arman, and Arman argues that if he’s already going to be going down for murder, why don’t they make it count– and so convinces Garrett to give him a couple of days to kill Kamdar (thus making him truly pay for what he did to Maya) before he takes him in. It would be fascinating to see Garrett agree to that, clearly venturing more into the moral grey zone, and also to see these two nemeses teaming up in that way. Especially if part of their agreement is that Thony is kept completely out of it so she won’t go down with Arman, because neither of them wants anything to happen to her. Ngl, I’ve already drafted the fic haha, and I’m sure I’ll get around to posting it one day– but in the meantime, I’m so goddamn excited to see what the show gives us over these next few episodes ugh. Honestly I am living the fangirl dream here kids and I hope you guys are too lol

#The Cleaning Lady #Armony #TCL recaps #oops late again #I blame my patients lol #also a very lovely wedding haha #but anyhow aaaaaahhhh guys we are REALLY getting into the epic part of the season here #these next few eps are going to be inSANE #and i could not be happier about it lol

8 notes · View notes

rahleeyah · 1 year

Note

OG is the most copaganda heavy of the shows and it honestly infuriates me. the show keeps framing shitty cases as strong ones and winning when they have no right to.

john oliver had such a brilliant and upsetting episode on bail reform and for og to imply that cashless bail is a problem is honestly insulting.

no you are absolutely correct like. it's all copaganda but WOW og has really taken it to the max. I only catch about the last 10-15 minutes of each episode, and every time I am left cringing and asking why the fuck are they telling stories this way in 2022? why are they trying to both sides issues that don't have two reasonable sides? and the bail reform thing is infuriating. svu can oversimplify and cheese up pretty much every major issue it tries to tackle, but it tends to try to go for humanizing those issues. Elliot goes to solitary confinement and sees for himself how horrible it is. Olivia fights the entire immigration system with her bare hands. svu tries, sometimes, hamhandedly, to tackle issues in a way that is - for a cop show, lbr, I am not fooling myself here - progressive leaning, and compassionate. to see og go the other way is disheartening. it's just a network show but the franchise has a long reach, and to see them use that reach to advance policies that actively hurt - and even kill - people is appalling.

#asks #s.vu #e.o asks

14 notes · View notes

lenievi · 9 months

Text

snw2 #6

My personal episode ranking based on my enjoyment: 3 - 6 - 4 - 2 - 1 - 5

such a GOOD episode

(this time I’m leaving all my feelings and thoughts as they occurred as I went through the episode, so it’s a mess and I mention things that the episode explains later. I mean these posts are pretty much just for me anyway)

Kirk/La’an in the preview!!! why are you teasing me so?????? (also the parallels in the preview between Kirk/La’an and Spock/Chapel.... if you’re experimenting with Spock/Chapel, I want you to experiment with Kirk/La’an, ok? I think that sometimes people misunderstand, because I don’t expect or even want Kirk and La’an to live happily until Kirk’s 60 and dies, I just want them to give them a chance... for a year or two (which is entirely plausible because there are years before Kirk gets the Enterprise where we don’t know anything about a girlfriend), it’s about the journey, not the endgame - and I feel like people are always focused on endgame. After ep 3, I made a mistake and looked around the fandom and the amount of people who would just be like doomed doomed doomed is annoying. And like, so what? I know people do this with Spock/Chapel too, even though with them it’s way more about glee than anything else, and it’s also pretty annoying)

....... wow they robbed us of Pike’s promotion ceremony? Does it mean it’s just for this episode so he and Kirk can meet? Like seriously? This is so hilarious if true

Pike: “I’ve been given a command of the Farragut” LMAO (this is some... convoluted writing lbr)

- awww Uhura’s watching video of Hemmer to learn T_T

- Una’s finally doing her job. amazing.

- oh, Uhura now has a single room. Interesting. So maybe only cadets share rooms?

- soooooo, the preview did lie to me, okay. I mean, I expected it, but I wanted Una and Kirk to meet :((((

- omg thank you for 1. Sam being jealous 2. the brothers not having a loving buddy buddy relationship 3. love seeing that Jim’s biases against soft sciences are actually still very much present

considering that Sam has a family, a wife and kids, I wonder if Kirk Sr. doesn’t consider that enough... and that’s why Jim is always going after career because that’s what his father instilled in him. = to be a man, you’ve got to be successful, you’ve got to aim high, you’ve got to be the best. And so Jim goes through that life while yearning for a home and family... and eventually, he just gets an empty house.

- I really like these types of episodes where we can see everyone. This is already so much better than last week’s episode

- Spock and Chapel do play chess together. Yay :D

- oh, wow, it’s gonna be Chapel who ends it? (just me theorizing, because she’s like pulling back now :/) That... hmmmm, will make tos!Chapel look worse. Please, handle the relationship with care or officially make SNW a different timeline where stuff in TOS happens differently (I know ep 3 did that, but also a lot of people are sooooo stubborn against it, like, ok, they changed the years, but it doesn’t mean that what happened in the episodes changed. But... anyway, handle it with care and don’t make tos!Chapel look bad because she’d still be pining even though it’d be her fault that the relationship ended. I mean we’ll see how it goes...) Also LMAO at Spock actually being extra invested. He really wants this to work, and Chapel is probably going to break his heart? (even though that is not what TOS implies but could be interesting. I’d actually prefer if we could get them having a relationship together, but... yeah)

love how Kirk implied that Spock might be losing against Chapel in chess lol (Kirk was like, ok, I guess Vulcans are good at chess BUT they’re also easily distracted. Noted.)

- why can’t all episodes just have everyone interacting, so we can learn more about their dynamic?

- uhmmm, Pike, you shouldn’t be your crew’s friend......... (I kind of miss the lack of proper professionalism like it was in TOS. I know, I know, different times, but...)

- is Kirk literally going to meet everyone from his future crew in this episode? (we’re missing Chapel and Spock atm, even though he already saw them playing chess)

- and as I was just wondering where is La’an since it’s a security job, she appeared. Good. Would be stupid if they kept her away from an episode with Kirk (can they meet pls?)

- why is everyone calling Kirk “James”??? (do the writers have some fanfics wishes for Uhura to do that or what? Wouldn’t an ensign call her superior officer by the title? Now, what’s missing is Kirk calling her “Nyota”)

- akhdkjahfjshdjfghjdsgjsgjsh

La’an: James? Pike: You two know each other?

akdhjahfjdshjghsjghsj

- I’m glad that Pike is there for Uhura too btw (I just don’t think a captain should say he’s an ensign’s friend, that’s all)

omg omg omg Thank you so much for that Kirk/La’an scene

1. just the way he opens up to her because he doesn’t want her to think he’s one to chase every pretty skirt

2. Kirk not truly growing up on Earth but jumping from an outpost to an outpost, from a planet to a planet is my long time headcanon. (So I’m gonna take it and use it so much.) Kirk not really growing up with a father around as well. (which might also mean that Kirk’s parents’ relationship might not be ideal, but we’ll see. So much validation in this little scene. Gonna probably be really annoying about it later)

3. La’an just... smiling at him T_T idk I’m just so happy with this scene

4. Kirk being all “I didn’t forget you owe me a drink” kshdjkahfjkhdjkghjsdhgjsh

it must still be hard for La’an, but tiny steps

- thanks for giving me good scenes with Una in this episode (but I still have the same problem when it comes to the relationships. They showed Una and Hemmer interacting once...)

- and when I thought they would ignore Spock, they had to insert him in lol At least, that’s out of the way, and now they can just exist while having adventures with other people. I like it was together with Uhura and that Uhura introduced them and that it was completely casual, but omg please stop with Spock needing to clean dishes after Sam Kirk.

McCoy: So, Jim, how did you and Spock meet? Kirk: He came to my table when I was talking with Uhura to clean a glass after Sam. Can you believe that? Who does that in a bar?

(I kind of entertained the thought that “meet James Kirk” was about Spock (or rather it was literally the first thought when hearing the line), just edited in that way in the trailer, and... I was right lol)

aaaand is Pike like going to loose the Fleet Captain badge in the next episode? Is that really what will happen? Temporary promotion for one single mission. Okay. Sounds... like a good writing (I think it’d be better to just ignore The Menagerie than do this... are you gonna not let them meet after this or what?)

anyway, such a good episode, and I’m actually so glad that they left Spock out, because people would probably just talk about that and wouldn’t focus on Uhura, and she deserves it so much. (the fact that startrek.com’s promo pic about the episode is Kirk and Spock is so insulting - it was like three seconds)

I kinda like that it felt like Kirk wasn’t actually sure about his “charm and jokes”, that he feels like he needs to use them, but they’re not really him, and it will take him years to grow comfortable with them.

Thank you for making him so serious. And thank you for making him immediately open up to La’an (and La’an knowing what to say back, so they kind of connected through understanding) T_T

I loved Kirk and Uhura together. Now, Mirror Mirror has so much background when it comes to Kirk and Uhura. Love it.

Now, since Pike was already randomly promoted, I wonder if we’ll still see Kirk or if this was his last episode in this season. They got everything out of the way. And tbh two episodes are enough lol

Next ep is the crossover (and he’s not in that one). Then I suppose it might be some M’Benga and Chapel and PTSD from the war episode (because I feel like that still needs to come up again), the 9th episode is ????, and then it’s the finale, which imho might have Batel (unless that’s 8 - you know, there’s a scene in the trailer where she is on some planet and some ship is attacking), so... Kirk isn’t really needed tbh

well, we’ll see

anyway, I was so worried about this episode, and I’m so happy they didn’t disappoint me T_T (doesn’t mean I’ll start trusting them though, but I got so much of my headcanon and even expectations validated. I’m so happy. I’m gonna be so annoying with all this Kirk info)

I mean, SNW just does that, doing what I expect (even though sometimes in a slightly different way), but it has to end one day...

#snw nonsense

2 notes · View notes