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slowandsteddie · 5 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by: @numinosmoon

1. How many fics do you have on AO3?

Currently, three. (find me at deleteurtexthistory ; also have a sideblog by the same name where I just share my own writing if y’all are interested)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

8,388.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I write for a lot of fandoms, but so far I’ve only posted for Stranger Things. The other stuff I have is more… dark. More for me.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Uhh… I only have three published, but

Claudia Henderson and Her Two Boys has 119

Cleaning Headstones has 91

It’s My Turn (To Be The Hero) has 74

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes I do. I know it makes me happy when someone replies to my comment.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Can we count one’s that are still a work in progress? Because I’m writing a Steddie thing based on my grandparents' love story. And I’m going to have to keep it true to source, which means that someone is gonna die. If not, I wrote a Marvel one where the main character gets saved by someone only to end up dying (again?) a few chapters later because they were returning the favor… I’m not posting that one anywhere anytime soon.

7. What’s the fic that you wrote with the happiest ending?

I try to make all of my fics have a happy ending, with only the two exceptions. But I think the happiest is the one where Steve didn’t get what he wanted because he ended up getting something (someone!) even better.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far, luckily.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes and no. Yes, I do write it a lot. No I haven’t actually shared it with anyone other than a RP partner. When writing a smut scene, I go with the flow and the comfort levels of the person I’m writing with. When I write for myself, I notice that I tend to go omegaverse if that helps y’all figure out what kind.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest you’ve ever written?

I do write crossovers! I think my craziest might be Supernatural and Riverdale. To be fair, it was a crack fic.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of, but someone did use our RP (without permission) and turned it into a fic that they posted on Wattpad. Everyone’s favorite parts are the ones that I WROTE. I’m still salty about it. They could have asked or given credit.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I would be so incredibly honored if anyone were to ever ask.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! In high school, I co-wrote a One Direction fic with my best friend at the time. I also have co-wrote on a Teen Wolf fic around the same time. I did our boy Stiles justice before I had ever actually seen the show. I wonder if I can find those fics. Hm…

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Steddie. 10000% Steddie. It is all I can think about most of the time. I have never been so obsessed with anything in my life. (And I’m autistic with Hyper Fixations being a normal occurrence.)

15. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Well. The thing is, I’m torn on it. It’s a SVU/Stranger Things crossover. I want to finish it, just to say that I have. But at the same time, it is… Probably the darkest thing I have ever attempted to write. I do know that I’ve taken some of the lighter scenes out and used them elsewhere. I say that I’ve posted a dark thing on here before, but it is so Tame compared to how dark I go most of the time. Like I will edit to make it more palatable and I have no idea why I do that.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like to think that I’m good at dialogue. I’m good at explaining things, most of the time. At least in my opinion.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I never think anything I write is ever good enough. I always feel like I have to tame it, or lighten it, or just change everything about it in general. Even my answers have been edited and I still no happy.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fics?

It’s good as long as someone isn’t forcing it. Like don’t have someone just randomly throwing in the other language to prove that they know it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

It was either StarGate: SG1 or Charmed.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Cleaning Headstones for my published ones. There is one that I wrote in high school called The Wrong Mister Wright about werewolves and the main character falls for a guy with an older brother who ends up being his True Mate, so he has to decide between his heart and fate. And I think it’s really well paced considering I was like 14 when I wrote it. One of the few fics that I didn’t second guess every single word.

Tagging: anyone who wants to participate 💜

#twenty questions #twenty questions tag game #tag game #a bit about me #kinda steddie #let me know if I put the wrong link on anything #I’m at work lol

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buck-yyyy · 2 years

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okay. i’m sorry. but i need to fucking say this.

i have no control over what other people post, and just because im personally uncomfortable with something DOES NOT mean that other people can’t or shouldn’t post about that thing. it is in no way my place to decide other people’s comfort level with certain ideas and topics, particularly when they relate to sex.

the great thing about tumblr is that it’s so easy to curate your online experience. don’t want to read about,,, say, riverdale? BOOM, tag blocked, i don’t ever have to see anything about it ever again.

HOW FUCKING EVER

that system only works if you TAG YOUR SHIT CORRECTLY.

do you know how many times i have been scrolling through my dashboard, or a certain tag, and come across posts that SHOULD be tagged with a tag that i have blocked, or that have been grossly mistagged in order to increase their audience?

and do you know what group seems to have the biggest issue with this?

smut writers, i don’t have a problem with you. you do your thing, i’ll do mine, our paths don’t need to cross, and that’s okay.

but it’s disrespectful and rude to tag your writing as something it’s not just to increase viewership, and does nothing but increase resentment towards you from the people who’s spaces you are invading.

if im looking for byler fanfiction, and i’ve curated my search appropriately, but then come across explicit eddie munson fics tagged as byler- im going to be really fucking annoyed. this is SUCH a huge problem with the steddies, and it’s really unfair to everyone around you.

please, people, i know that a lot of people in the stranger things fandom are new to online fandom spaces and their respective etiquette, but seriously- quit mistagging your shit.

and hey- the majority of the people on steddie tumblr are awesome about tagging! if you’ve never done this, then this is nothing to do with you, keep on scrolling. but there’s SO many of you that cannot seem to grasp that mistagging your posts won’t get them more notes, it’ll just piss people off.

sincerely, someone who had to completely block the steddie tag because of all the mistagged posts, and even then stuff still slips by.

#stranger things #do i dare tag this as eddie munson- oh fuck it #eddie munson #steddie

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rightpastnowhere · 1 year

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13, 13, 39, 41? :o

okay so i dm'ed yea to clarify that you DIDN'T mean to ask 13 twice, so i will also be answering 16 :)) also, essayofthoughts also asked me 41, so i answered it over here

questions for fic writers

13. Are there any tropes you used to like but don’t anymore?

ooooooo, hm. i'm not a fan of high school AUs anymore, but that's probably a side effect of realizing how most of them are just... inaccurate. it's clear a lot of them are romanticizing the concept of high school, or focusing on the darkest and grittiest possible version of high school ever. it's like all the shows like euphoria and riverdale now that just... what kinda high school is that??? hello???? and that was fun to read when i was like, y'know, 14, but that's not as fun now. also i hated high school fnrjkgnkejg

16. What’s an AU you would love to read (or have read and loved)?

I WOULD K I L L TO READ POST APOCALYPTIC MODERN VOX MACHINA!!! but not necessarily zombie apocalypse, cause i like the other apocalypse vibes better mgjkrngjr. i've read a couple fics with the trope, but there aren't that many for the fandom, and it's one of my favorite situational tropes EVER. i would write it, but i don't trust my chances of actually committing to the worldbuilding process, and i've never successfully written a long fic with my fluctuations of motivation and fixations. i would hate to start something only to abandon it. BUT !! if anyone wants to i would gladly spitball worldbuilding with them. ALSO the best apocalypse vm fic i've read so far is hands-down it starts with an earthquake by impossibletruths on ao3, aka @teammompike on tumblr!!

39. Is any aspect of your writing process inspired by other writers or people? If so, who?

oh boy. so much of it??? honestly??? i feel like i go around picking up pieces from writers i admire, collecting them like little shiny things, and trying my best to incorporate all these tiny pieces of skill in what i write. it's difficult, because sometimes i get so inspired by something that i want to write just like it, and other times it just seems so out of reach for me, a level so unattainable. it has gotten better over the years though!! it helps that there are things i genuinely like about my writing that originate as mine, and it helps to like things that aren't something you're trying to live up to.

hm. i got off-topic. but, i suppose the cheap answer is everyone. every writer that i read, i take a little bit with me, and try to learn from it. and i think if i tried to list them, i would leave out the ones whose names have slipped from my mind now, because i've been part of this whole shindig for going on 4 years now, and every new fandom has just given me more people to be inspired by. (and yes, blorb, you're one of them.) so, sorry to cheap out on the answer, but. :)

#HOOO BOY #i was forced to Reflect #more words in my brain than i expected #asks #blorbologist

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wiremotherenergy · 1 year

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i think kevin and veronica have a lot in common in terms of being addicted to relationships - in this way they are both pathologically searching for ways to feel opressed: in veronicas case the role of kevins (mostly imagined - except when enacted by other gay people) homophobic societal constraints is filled by Hiram. i could easily imagine a scene of veronica in fox forest yelling at betty that she doesnt understand her strife - Your dad never tried to recruit manipulate or murder any of YOUR boyfriends! The difference is though that while veronica suffers from chronic venus in cancer disease and can only feel self actualised and fulfilled by caring for and devoting herself to a boy (thats why her cognitive dissonance girlbossing is so fascinating. ask me about veggie), kevin is a coward and instead of searching for ways to fiercely defy the patriarchy through embracing the patriarchy he is searching for ways to become a young adult dystopian romance protagonist through manufacturing narrative conflict and tension to make sense of and give purpose to his otherwise boring existence (see also: cult member proclivities). his presumed but untouched on mommy issues may or may not play a role in this - there is no other possible justification for these levels of attention seeking behavior but momma keller is mentioned circa 3 times in the whole series so i kind of doubt this. he seems to have no conflict with his cop #ally dad and i bet that pisses him off SO MUCH. in contrast to poor veronica who is constantly given zero credit for her own craziness # noteverythingishiramsfault! how do i know veronicas existence is NOT defined and made absolute by her father? because thats why we have her amazing sexy sister hermosa - SHES here to show us what that actually looks like. (and still she is not the preferred child - aks me about hermosa). veronicas issue is that she wants to have it both ways (her character a never ending conundrum of feminism as the unstoppable force and being a daddys girl as the immovable object) while kevins issue is the same one i had when choosing a major - nobody actually wants or expects anything from me and i am free to do whatever i want and i hate it so i create my own mental saw traps in my head. i love his arc in s6 and his relationship with percival and the whole lord of the flies thing. not necessarily a 100% true observation but definitely the most narrative structure kevin has ever been allowed to have. him and betty work great as besties bc they are both victims of intense internalised homophobia and hate each other btw. why is kevin always in some random bland unimportant boring relationship with a nothing guy whos only personality trait is being gay (only half pertains to fangs - he does have other stuff going on but only ever one at a time and during his kangs era it is being kevins gay bf*). because kevin is choosing gayness to be his own only personality trait to trap himself and give his life meaning. only it consistently fails to provide the drama he thinks it should have (again - excluding that thing with mooses homophobic gay dad. i love that the only homophobic characters in riverdale are all - at least semi canonically - gay). veronica also consistently has near nothing in common with her boyfriends** but at least she is getting the returns that kevin is denied. maybe because she is a better businesswoman. ultimately she is the loser though because while someone in the writers room for s6 has probably said she should be freed from the boyfriend vs daddy dichotomy on account of that being kinda misoginystic and therefore hasnt had anything to do at all in the plot since - kevin will always have either an unremarkable boyfriend or a stupidity induced allegiance with a villain or both ( THANK YOU for this percival. please come back.)

#*prior to kangs era its playing rosencrantz to sweet peas guildenstern and after that its tonis blue collar family man malewife #ask me about fangs...#**ASK me about veggie #to be clear i love kevin but not more than i love to hate him and i do suffer from academic bias on account of desiring veronica carnally.#rvd #etxt

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riverdale-retread · 1 year

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I posted 57 times in 2022

30 posts created (53%)

27 posts reblogged (47%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mothmanchronicler

@storkmuffin

@imreallytryinghelp

@taratantsi

@theultimatewildcard

I tagged 38 of my posts in 2022

Only 33% of my posts had no tags

#riverdale opinion - 18 posts

#riverdale season 6 - 15 posts

#riverdale episode recap - 10 posts

#jughead jones - 8 posts

#riverdale recap - 7 posts

#tabitha tate - 6 posts

#reggie mantle - 6 posts

#veronica lodge - 4 posts

#anti fangs fogarty - 4 posts

#jabitha - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#i've had notes on this forever and the airing of the season 6b promos in the us finally gave me the kick in the pants i needed to write this

My Top Posts in 2022:

what would the other riverdale characters' heaven be if they had died in the plague of the first borns?

the show picked the easier characters to construct heaven for. polly died after a miserable destitute single motherhood so her heaven would obviously be being mistress of a thriving thornhill with five babies. jughead suffered childhood food insecurity and career failure plus all his childhood intimate relationships betrayed him without exception so his heaven is as a successful aroace writer permanently residing in his favorite diner. we saw alice’s heaven when polly died - her three kids stepford-perfect while crowding ecstatically next to her as she plays mozart on the piano in a world where hal doesn't exist. kevin's heaven was shown in Vale to be as a Broadway star with Fangs as his manager boyfriend subservient.

but what is Veronica’s heaven? Betty's? Reggie’s? Cheryl’s? Tabitha’s?

15 notes - Posted August 7, 2022

Riverdale S6 E2 (Rivervale Ch 2)

Happy New Year (this is being drafted Wk 1, 2022). My ‘reading’ Rivervale as a fanfic of Riverdale continues!

Alternate Universes that fic writers come up with can be completely hypnotizing if you the reader are on the same wavelength. By the same token, fanfic using alternative universes can be utterly alienating if it’s not a thing you’re into. For this installment, I must say that I was on the Read, Regret and Move On side of the dividing line for this AU that is Rivervale. Horror is not a favorite genre and because I find the myth of La Llorona as presented here kind of retrograde and boring. But! As a deliberate exploration of misogynist tropes that bind women characters in fiction this installment was very fascinating to analyze.

16 notes - Posted January 3, 2022

Riverdale S6B, Ep #101 (“Unbelievable”)

Hello people I am back. Spoilers and gratuitous longing for Sweet Pea follow.

A bomb blew up the Andrews house to smithereens but the Cooper house is completely unscathed. I don’t know why that strikes me as less creepy than the fact that Alice Cooper is wearing her hair exactly like her surviving daughter’s.

See the full post

19 notes - Posted April 24, 2022

Riverdale Episode 6.5 (Rivervale Finale)

In the final chapter of this fanfic-within-the-canon that has been the ride through Rivervale, there’s a truly Herculian effort to resolve the in-AU storylines that have received varying levels of development, and an attempt to tie it all back to Riverdale, to which we will return. And a lot of it is very witty and so much of this episode encapsulates what I so love about Riverdale the show as a piece of entertainment.

See the full post

19 notes - Posted February 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Riverdale S6B, Ep #102 (“Death at a Funeral”)

See the full post

22 notes - Posted April 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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trashfordair · 3 years

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i feel like this has been said a million times, but roberto tried so hard to blairena veronica and betty's friendship but failed so miserably.

for starters, the basis of their friendship is so very different.

with blairena, right from the beginning, from the moment we're introduced to them they're already feuding but you get the sense that they seem to owe each other a certain level of loyalty. even when you find out serena and nate, who is blair's long term boyfriend, slept together, you understand why blair is so upset. you get it. serena is her best friend and has been in her life forever, it is a massive betrayal. then as the show progresses, they both fuck up. they both hurt the other, they scheme and they tear each other down, but when it comes to it, they are there for each other, they apologise to each other and they hug it out. it feels genuine.

with veronica and betty, the writers try to do the same thing. they set up a love triangle with them and archie, but it doesn't quite work. yes, veronica is well aware of betty's crush on archie, she's informed by kevin almost immediately, but when she kisses archie, it doesn't really feel as big a betrayal. at that point, v and b have only known each other for days, v owes betty no loyalty, they're barely even friends at that point! i can understand betty feeling betrayed, but it just doesn't work in the way the writers want it to. then, as the show progresses, their friendship doesn't seem to grow organically (in my opinion). of course, the fact that they're constantly in life or death situations definitely plays a role in that, but afterwards it really just feels like veronica constantly giving and giving and giving, and betty takes and takes and she tears it apart! she makes multiple speeches where she insults veronica and she slut shames her and every other horrible thing she's said to her, the first time she kisses archie she and veronica have been "best friends" for two years, and i don't think we ever even see her apologise to veronica. the second time she kisses archie is four years since they've met (riverdale's timeline is never really clear, so im going off the seasons), she's had a full blown emotional affair with him, and still, we don't really see their friendship go through the pains of the betrayal. we only see the affair through the lens of their respective romantic relationships, and all we get is an "apology" and she's just, forgiven. how are we supposed to believe this friendship is so epic and so genuine if we don't even see veronica feel an inch of hurt by betty's betrayal? (yes I understand the whole genuine friendships should never be torn apart by a guy blah blah, but genuine friends would never have an affair with their friend's significant other, and if there is love there, there should, would be hurt too!) everytime their oh so great friendship should be challenged, it's over in a second, everything is forgiven and forgotten. who's buying that? no, I'm not saying they should be full out feuding/cat fighting like blair and serena, but tell me, if your friend did/said some of those things, are you going to tell me that you would forgive them in a split second just because they "had a reason"?

it. just. doesn't. work.

i don't touch on the betrayal of the significant other in both love triangles because i think the shows handled that

#nat rambles #i might have gotten some facts ab riverdale wrong here #in terms of storyline #IN WHICH CASE #im sorry #lol #disclaimer : this is my opinion feel free to disagree but no name calling and please respect my opinion #im scared of the betty stans lol #riverdale #gossip girl #blair x serena #veronica x betty #anti beronica #i guess #This is kind of #anti betty cooper #just to be safe #rvd meta

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milenadaniels · 3 years

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Hi! I saw your tag on your informal buddie lap makeout poll (Which, exceptional scientific inquiry. Cannot wait to see the results. Especially if it leads you to write something...)

Anyway, what is your thinking on lonestar and a potential buck +e ddie sex scene? (FWIW, I don't watch LS. I tried, but just could not. Not yucking anyone's yum, just didn't work for me.)

Curious what you think?

Thank you! The study is going well, I look forward to analyzing the results in depth!

(Please note: after three hours of writing out this response, I realize I may have misunderstood your question 😂 If you meant "what do you think a buddie sex scene would look like given tarlos", please let me know and it would be my genuine pleasure to describe that in great detail. What follows is not that.....)

I have been thinking about the potential of a buddie sex scene more than I ought to, I'm sure. You could say I've been a smidge preoccupied since realizing all the legit sex scenes in the show happened in season 1/early season 2. In seasons 3/4, the closest I think we've gotten to textual sex is Madney having sex to induce labour and that consisted of Maddie throwing her shirt at Chimney from off-screen.

Someone on that post (can't find it now of course) said that 911 Lone Star took over the original 911 later time slot and thus took over the ability to have sexier content.

As someone who hasn't watched a television show live in like 5 years, your ask has prompted me to do actual research to confirm this 🤓 According to pogdesign, 911 currently plays Mondays at 8pm and 911LS plays at 9pm which supports the theory.

That said, it kind of strikes me as weird that 8pm is considered too early for sexy content? But maybe I'm just out of touch with cable television??

So I did more research! So much research omfg this took 3 hours of my life. 😅

First we define the issue at hand

I'm defining a "sex scene" as a scene that involves two or more people mackin' on each other with any of the following:

the beginning of clothing removal onscreen

the movement towards a bedroom or bed

getting into someone's lap as a sign of escalation

post-coital pillow talk or cuddling

actual shots of naked skin and writhing (softcore porn essentially)

So 911 got moved to 8pm. Do any other 8pm shows have sex scenes?

CW - The 100 🔥 (I know there was a minimum of 2 wlw sex scenes, though they may have been post-coital)

CW - Riverdale 🔥🔥 is another teen show that I don't watch so I youtubed "Riverdale sex scenes" and I'm led to believe at least one couple is banging semi-onscreen well into season 4 (it has 4 seasons???)

NBC - Chicago Med 🔥, a procedural show not about teenagers and seems to have a least 1 couple with sexy scenes (the other Chicagos air at 9pm and 10pm) and I saw lap sitting for a hardcore makeout for the other couple!!!!! TIM TAKE NOTES!

NBC - Superstore 🔥, a half-hour comedy that played at 8pm on NBC, did have at least this one cut-away sex scene

So 2 teen shows, 1 procedural and 1 comedy all had something in the way of "sex scenes" while airing at 8pm.

But what if Fox the network is the sex-scene-killers??

Apparently Fox literally has only 5 scripted dramas of which the 911 is one and the others are:

The Resident 🔥🔥, a medical drama that plays at 8pm as of season 2 (9pm for season 1) and the main couple seem to have several sex scenes, but interestingly from what I can glean from YT, they may have stopped after s2 (though the couple stays together until at least s4 from what I can tell)

LA's Finest 🚫, a rebroadcast through Fox, it airs at 9pm and YT didn't show me any sexy scenes

Fantasy Island 🔥🔥 which plays at 9pm and looks to have sexier content based on the trailer

911: Lone Star 🔥🔥🔥 which plays at 9pm. Tarlos have had like 2 heavy makeouts/implied sex scenes plus a pretty hardcore-for-tv sex scene in the s2 finale

So it seems like even for Fox, the 8pm timeslot isn't necessarily what's vetoing the sex scenes in 911. But just to hammer that home, I did even more researching into the watershed hours, which is apparently the designated time broadcasters can show sexiness, but in the US that's 10pm to 6am so if the restrictions were such that they couldn't show any sex scenes before 10pm, Tarlos wouldn't have gotten that finale action (thank you, IRL bff who watched 911LS so I didn't have to!)

TL;DR - a summation of our findings

The 8pm timeslot is not the sex-scene-killer I once thought it was (see: all them filthy shows)

911 being a cop show is not a sex-scene-killer (see: dramas, procedurals and comedies all had sex scenes)

Fox is not anti-sex in their 8pm scripted dramas in general (see: The Resident)

Fox is not anti-sex homophobically (see: Tarlos, Hen/Eva)

However!! There seems to be a somewhat weird, somewhat isolated trend of Fox shows either cutting off or tapering off sex scenes (see: 911, The Resident) after 2 seasons or specifically after 2019.

So what are the theories (from least to most favourite)?

Theory #1 (Buddie loses 🚫): "Something" happened at Fox in 2019. The Resident is the only true analogue to 911 as it's also on Fox, also premiered in January 2018, also started at 9pm but was moved to 8pm (in season 2, not season 3 like 911). If my very brief googling can be trusted, The Resident saw a lot of sex scenes in season 2 (at 8pm) but after 2019 there isn't much to write home about. That lines up with what we've seen in 911. If something happened internally at Fox that changed broadcasting guidelines for 8pm, then canon Buddie will not get sex scenes unless the timeslot changes back.

Pros: It would be a hell of a coincidence wouldn't it?? Both shows airing around the same time, both stop showing sex scenes around the same time???

Cons: It's pretty weak, I can't find anything that supports "something" happening in 2019 that would affect an 8pm timeslot but not the 9pm one.

Theory #2 (Buddie loses 🚫): Sex as a short-term sales tactic. Fox uses sex in the first two seasons of shows to boost ratings and get people hooked because sex sells. But then, for whatever reason, they taper it off. If so, Buddie being canonized would not produce any sex scenes as we're far removed from season 2.

Pros: The Resident and 911 both stopped showing sex scenes after season 2 from what I can gather

Cons: If sex sells, why wouldn't it keep selling all the way to the bank?? There's no reason to stop something that's working.

Theory #3 (Buddie wins 🔥): Actors are the roadblock. Fox is fine with sex scenes at 8pm but the actors aren't comfortable! If so, Buddie sex scenes could be in the cards as both actors have had on-screen sex scenes previously.

Pros: Angela Bassett, Peter Krause and JLH are bigger names and they presumably get to not get naked on screen or simulate sex scenes if they don't want to. Aisha Hinds as a (criminally) smaller name wouldn't have had that kind of leverage in season 1, nor would Ryan Guzman in season 2? And Oliver Stark knew what he was signing up to to play a self-diagnosed "sex addict" so.

Cons: This is absolute, complete conjecture. I have zero idea what each of their comfort levels with sex scenes are or how that might relate to the writing/direction of their characters.

Theory #4 (Buddie wins 🔥): Stable canon relationships kill sex. Fox dramas use sex only pre-maritally to build relationships and the network or the showrunners/writers decide it's not as important once characters are in stable relationships/married. If so, we will get Buddie sex scenes as their canon relationship develops.

Pros: The Resident couple did get married post-season 2 I think? Athena stopped having onscreen sex after she married Bobby. Hen had sex but out of her marriage.

Cons: That's dumb, let married people bone. And we technically do have a Madney sex scene, tame as it was (but maybe they straddle of the line of stable but pre-marital???). Also if sex = building relationship, EddieAna have been excluded from that formula oops 😌

Theory #5 (Buddie wins 🔥): We're overthinking all of this. There hasn't been sex scenes past season 2 because the stories haven't called for it but when it does, such as the start of a new relationship, then we'll get some!

Pros: We haven't had any "new" relationships other than EddieAna since season 2 and their lack of intimacy is a glaring reminder they aren't well suited - they're not boning for plot reasons. While not strictly meeting the aforementioned definition of a "sex scene", we could use Albert coming out of Veronica's shower as a use of sex-as-relationship-building.

Cons: That's dumb, let married people bone, the sequel. Especially since HenRen is criminally neglected in terms of development and could use a fun playful sex scene.

So what have we learned?

Should Buddie go canon, 3 theories indicate we'd get some sex scenes for them, and only 2 say we wouldn't. The odds are in our favour. 🤡

I will do literally anything to procrastinate writing this damn fic that's been tormenting me for weeks. Please someone, anybody...send help...

#buddie meta #buddie #911 meta #are you also kept awake at night by the thought of canon buddie without sex scenes??#or even lap sitting makeouts????#well rest your weary head on this qualitative data analysis friends!! the future looks 60% bright!#911 reference #my posts #did you know we could add colour to text now guys?? did you know the mac keyboard comes default with emoticons??#the things I learned this night

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cakebeam · 3 years

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So what did you think of episode two, the first fully Carina free episode?

Hey nonnie, I'm going to reply to this ask under the cut to spare my mutuals from having to read my negative thoughts and feelings on this episode lol

I really didn't like it. I think more so just because it is a Carina free episode and though I didn't expect it to blow me out of the water, I did think the problematic storylines would cease and potential would be shown on fixing the mishaps (character's actions and behaviors) from season 2. That looks even less likely to happen now after seeing 3x02 and now there's no Carina excuse, it's just the RNM writer's room.

I have no idea what the game plan is for this Wyatt/Rosa storyline but so far it just looks like RNM is white washing Wyatt's past behaviors which included murdering Liz (she only came back to life because Max was there), beating the sh*t out of Arturo and making his life a living hell for 10 years and perpetuating a racist/white supremacist ideology which at the time, the show was purposefully showcasing as a negative. To make it clear to the audience Wyatt Long is a bad man. Now RNM has decided to wipe all of that away with a memory loss injection, and having Rosa potentially even seeking a romance with Wyatt or at the very least, have her feeling bad because she was the one to erase his memories... It's so unbelievably unacceptable on so many levels. Again, I don't know what the point of this narrative is, but if it is what it looks like, I'm not going to feel morally or ethically comfortable watching this show anymore. It's just WAY too much on top of an already problematic season 2 that made me and a lot of people (LGBTQ+ especially) feel like sh*t.

If anyone has any theories on what the f*ck RNM is doing with this Wyatt narrative that doesn't make this show look even worse, please send them my way. I really need to hear why I should give RNM the benefit of the doubt at this point.

In the other areas of the episode, the writing is still bad even with Carina gone. Having monumental character reveal moments all in one episode without any buildup to it? If Michael can't have fire burn him, why not bring this up before? Also, I'm pretty sure he had past foster parents that literally burned some religious sh*t on his skin when he was a kid, am I remembering this wrong? That doesn't really make sense with the whole "fire can't burn him" thing. The dialogue was really cringe. Alex saying "talk about a crash landing" or something in the Crash down when his cup fell over or Kyle's "ring ring" thing I mean... It's not good. Maybe I'm the only one to think so but yeah, it's giving me Riverdale vibes.

I don't like Alex being separated from everyone. I knew he was going to be a part of Deep Sky but I also thought he'd be in contact with the others through out it. I don't care about Deep Sky, I mean I do, it's just hard to care about it right now when the relationships and friendships are still left to the wayside and very much in need of re-building. I wish they could have held out on that until the foundation of the character's were fixed first. Plus, 3x02 is yet another episode of where Alex's disability is still invisible. There was even a moment where Tyler just flat out forgot he's not suppose to wiggle his foot. I mean, it's just ridiculous at this point. I'm really disappointed in there still not being representation for Alex's physical and mental disabilities.

I didn't like Isobel being on board with Jones's more than likely ugly lies about Nora and Louise. I didn't like Maria still being written to be allowed to be a selfish assh*le and everyone just being cool with it. I didn't like Michael being the one to save her and then telling Max he hate's him less now because he "spent the day keeping Maria in one piece". Once again, Miluca still has not been established as dead for Michael. And on top of it, not one single Malex mention.

I am happy Liz is back in Roswell and she's not giving this Heath guy special treatment of her time. She's needs to be back to get this ball rolling on the show and I hope she stays there permanently. I liked seeing the pod squad's planet. I hope we get to see more of it. I liked the MIB moment with Alex in the waiting room.

Annndd that's about it for what I liked about 3x02 lol.

I don't want to ruin anyone's good time here, that's why this is under a cut. If you enjoyed the episode and you're reading this, don't take in my comments about it. This is just what how I felt about the episode, you don't need to share these same thoughts and feelings. We're all on this season 3 RNM rollercoaster, some of us just might get nauseous on the ride ✌

#ask bee #rnm 3x02 #rosa ortecho #alex manes #michael guerin #anti maria deluca #anti carina #2 down #11 more to go

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alexzalben · 3 years

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What do you think of all the backlash the last Riverdale episode received? I’ve never seen the writers speak out like this before on all the hate.

This is a pretty complicated topic that I probably can’t do justice with one Tumblr ask, but I’ll try to address some of the broad strokes ideas here. And hang tight, because this is gonna go long.

First of all, a caveat: I have by no means read through every comment the writers were responding to, nor do I know what they discussed or how they’re feeling about things, nor do I speak for them in any way.

However, I do think one of the joys and downfalls of making TV in the social media era is the accessibility of the creative team to fans. Joys because it opens up new ways of understanding how a show is made, demystifying the process, which is always a good thing. Downfalls because to some fans - not all fans, by any means - it makes them feel like they have a say in what happens in the show.

On the latter, it’s not to say that the writers aren’t listening, on many series they’re well aware of what fans think about their show, the plots, the ships, etc. Sometimes they’ll even shift where they’re going based on fan feedback. Nikki and Paolo on Lost are the example I always go to, where they were introduced to show the outside perspective of what other survivors were doing while Jack and his gang were going on adventures... And everybody HATED THEM. So much so that plans changed and they were literally buried alive on the show by the end of the season, in a very unsubtle metaphor.

That said, there’s a difference between what I perceive to be the tone around Nikki and Paolo, which mind you was pre-Twitter days, and what some shows have to deal with now: one is constructive criticism presented as “hey we don’t like this”; the latter sometimes veers into “you suck and you should kill yourself.”

I want to emphasize again: this is not everyone. Usually there is a small section of any group of people that delves into hyper-negativity, and they always get an outsized focus to the number of people who actually do that. Again, example here, but for a while I was part of a pretty popular online sketch comedy group. We got tons of views, tons of comments, I’d estimate 95-99% of those comments were great. Did I internalize those? Of course not. I internalized the one comment out of 100 that told me what a shitty writer I was. That’s the one that rolled around in my head all night, because it seeped into the fear that most writers have that they do suck and will never be successful, at any level. It’s Imposter Syndrome, plain and simple, and it affects everyone no matter how famous (or not) they are.

Reason I mention that is it’s entirely possible that 99% of the comments to the writers of Riverdale this episode were mostly fine, but if 1% of them were of the “fucking kill yourself” variety, that hurts, a lot. It’s not on everyone, by any means, but that pulls the focus, and it’s horrifying every time no matter how often it happens (and believe me, it happens far too often).

Specifically with Riverdale, there are another few factors that are exacerbating this. One is, and I don’t want to diminish this: the pandemic. We’re a year in and people are crumbling mentally. Nothing has been “normal” for a year, that impacts every single aspect of your life, and some things are easier to lash out at than others, like a TV show. If a deadly virus is causing inconsistency? Not much you can do about that. If your fave TV show is shaking up the broadcast schedule and changing your favorite couples? Complain to the writers, the directors, the actors, etc.

The other is the arc of this season so far, which I do think is driving people fucking nuts. This again gets back to the pandemic, but ending with episode 19, waiting months, and then coming back for a premiere that is actually the third to the last episode of the season? That’s unsettling. It throws you off kilter, because it’s not the right rhythm. I know this sounds a little silly, but it’s actually very important: stories have a rhythm to them, and a lot of TV shows in particular have had that rhythm broken. Riverdale had three episodes that were all essentially climax, then upended the show with a time jump, and has continued to mix things around almost every episode. And then it’ll be going into another three month break.

This is definitely the point where someone says “mix things around? they’re doing the same couples they always did.” Sure, theoretical person. But having sifted through fan comments and tweets over the past couple of weeks, every single week one section of the fanbase has been 100% sure it is their ship’s time to shine, and the next they’re being told it’s done forever, and then the next they’re back on, then the next they’re done... It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride, and that’s how the writers designed it, and it’s frankly not over yet. But add in that pandemic uncertainty above, and you have a recipe for people panicking.

Also, and again, this is a small section of any fanbase, but it’s very clear that because of this hyped up panic, some people are being absolutely terrible assholes to other fans. I know I don’t usually curse this much, but the amount of gloating I’ve seen from people on all sides, back and forth, is super gross. Personally, if someone is sobbing for whatever reason, my reaction has never been to quote tweet them with “you lost, get over it” and a peace sign emoji. It sucks when people are sad, and we have a moral obligation to make sure other people feel okay. Don’t know if you’ve ever heard this one, but “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Sort of an important life rule.

Overall, I think a fanbase is stronger is they support each other rather than engaging in ship wars, and I do think there’s a lot of people who do do that. Or just express their displeasure, without attacking people. But there are some people who do, and that’s overall making the whole tone of the discussion that much worse.

So what’s the solution here? I always emphasize to my writers that it’s okay to have a negative take as long as you provide something constructive about a way out of the situation, and I’ll apply that both to the Riverdale fanbase, as well as this extremely long Tumblr ask.

There are three things I’d suggest, and both of them are on you. By “you” I mean the general you, and the reason I suggest them, versus what the writers and creators of Riverdale can do is that “you” are the thing you can control and change.

The first is changing the tone of the discussion. Realize that there are people deeply, emotionally impacted in different ways by this TV show. Allow that they may be having different emotional reactions than you, and give them the space and the support to work through it. If you’re a Varchie fan, it actually makes you a better fan to check on a Barchie fan and see if they’re okay. If you’re a Barchie fan, it’s okay to be happy for a Varchie fan and sad at the same time. Mainly because none of you had anything to do with it. This isn’t even a case where you wore your lucky socks and your fave team won the game. The writers are writing what they wrote, and you are a passive observer, not involved other than the involvement you bring to it. So if everyone supports each other regardless of the circumstances, that will improve things overall.

The second? Disengage. Take a break. Stop watching the show. You have no obligation to tweet, or go on any other social media outlet for this series, nor do you have to keep watching the show if it hurts you. In fact, taking a show break if you feel too involved is a very good thing. Check out, clear your head and come back much later and look at it with fresh eyes.

Third? Think before you comment. It took me a long time to get here with this one, and I’m still working on it, but before you comment: pause, read it over again, and think “is this something I really want to send?” You do get that rush of taking whatever anger you’re feeling and getting it out of your body and mind, but ultimately it’s usually more damaging than either waiting, posting something a little more thoughtful, or not posting at all. It’s really thinking about what you’re adding to the conversation, and what you’re hoping to get back.

So there you go. Lots of thoughts there, and I’m sure there’s lots more to say. This is only my outside perspective on this, and I hope it’s helpful at least in some small way. And if not, that is cool, too!

#Riverdale

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thetaoofbetty · 2 years

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did i miss something? bas are still bragging about how that montage in 4x17 was really meaningful, but i recall it merely being all scenes with ba in the same frame and compiled without context. do you think that that scene actually meant anything (given how downhill everything went from there)?

sorry this is late, doll. i got boosted and it knocked me on my ass and i have a deadline for work by the last day of the month—every month.😭

but to answer your question: they're always bragging. even when they have nothing to brag about. they take things, twist them until it fits into whatever narrative they agree with and then go from there.

also, wasn't that montage, like, most of the b/a scenes no matter the context because they don't really have enough to make much of anything unless they use what little they had?

we've all seen them take scenes totally out of context right? like, not even subjective stuff, yeah? like, literal they are saying the things out loud but they still think there's some 5 year conspiracy theory of it all being hush-hush just for them levels of subjectivity.

and no, i don't. roberto said they were going to bring back bh/va together in s5, that was the original plan. so even if their last minute swerve in s5 is what it was, the montage wasn't nearly as pointed as the one in 5x03.

and guys, i know everyone believes what they want (and that's cool with me) but there's believing what you want and ignoring the very clear intention of the writing. listen, they don't like veronica (or betty a lot of the time but whatever, there are other stans who act like betty killed their cat or something it's very weird of them) and that's whatever but people acting like the writers are writing her to be pathetic and archie has never loved her is pretty delusional.

the writers aren't writing veronica with some comics betty-esque vibes just to embarrass her. they very much write her with the brand of feminism that reeks of being written by men who have patted a woman on the head and said she's cute before dismissing her entirely. and they think they're doing a bang-up job of it too.

and let's be real, they were very arrogant and obnoxious during the 2020 hiatus as well. and then they lost their shit when the season didn't end with a b/a love confession (again, something the writing never backed up but they decided it's what must be happening) and then they lost their shit after 5x08 (and again, the writing never backed up their expectations). now, the only reason they're acting like they are after the 100th is because b/a was in the promo for 6b. do i think their expectations are going to far exceed what the show is going to give them? i mean...yeah. i do.

but we have a fandom full of people (on lots of sides, tbf) that pull entire motivations and meanings out of small things and have no concept of how marketing, cinematography, subtext, text, or narratives work. so why anyone wastes their time on it instead of keeping it moving i will never know.

honestly, i have no idea why anyone pays attention to them. they said we were wrong about rivervale not being riverdale's universe, they said we were wrong about the horror genre thing (even tho it was beyond obvious based on the trailer alone), they said that archie and betty were going to be so in love and couldn't wait to be married and have a baby (uh. yeah. we all know what happened there), and they also told us that bughead was going to be pointless to the 100th while archie and betty were going to get married and live happily ever after even tho the whole climax and crux of the episode depended on bughead's interactions.

and seriously, even when they get some b/a leaning latam account giving out spoilers for 5x19 they were mostly wrong because context matters. even evan, their b/a warrior promotes episodes with little to no or flat out bad b/a content because he might like the ship but he likes the engagement a whole lot more. i get it, you know, the whole twitter stan wars they have going on but if you replace their b/archie fervor with other talking points, they all sound like performative activists who are probably low key anti-vaxxers with major puri-teen vibes. block and move on. that they're far more interested in fighting or degrading bugheads instead of enjoying their content or each other outside of feeling superior within their echo chamber just tells you what energy they're giving and no one needs to waste their time entertaining them.

#besos!#anonymous #anti b*rchie

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reggierightsactivism · 3 years

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What do you rank your personal fav Reggie ships and do they differ between digests and the show?

ooh a very good question 👀to start with your second question, yes they do! not all of them, but there are definitely some things I ship in the comics I'm less keen on in the show or vice versa, it really depends on the dynamics and interactions in question. and then as far as rankings go... they tend to fluctuate a bit tbh depending on what sort of content we've been getting lately and my overall mood, but I'd say this is more or less accurate for most of the time:

riverdale:

usually it's between archie/reggie (/rarchie) and keggie (and sometimes they're just tied)

varchiereggie (veronica/archie/reggie throuple which yes i'm counting in this because it's just, excellent)

munreggie, rangs, keggangs (kevin/reggie/fangs) are roughly about tied

regpea

mcmantle, veggie, moose/reggie + toni/reggie all hover around similar levels (toni/reggie has really grown on me in s4 and s5 especially tho I ship it hard in the comics) and reorder themselves differently depending (again) on recent canon events and/or my mood

beggie and reghead which is a bit complicated for me because there's obviously potential to both (and I ship both a lot in the comics) even if I don't find their dynamics inherently conducive to shipping with reggie as-is in canon, but i've also written both with friends and had it been excellent so for me it's very much dependent on how they'd develop

chuck/reggie

and also ethel/reggie don't even ask me why because 🤷🏽‍♀️but ❤️

+ i'm trying to think if I'm forgetting anything or anyone but that may be it...?? there's other ot3s/throuples I didn't mention but I ship a lot of those

honorable mention tho to spellmantle (sabrina/reggie) because I ship it sooooo much in the comics and, y'know, it'd probably be fun in the show too if they ever actually allowed us our crossover episode 😞also reggie with nick and/or prudence would slap HARD

polly/reggie is okay I guess but it would REALLY depend on how it was written for me

+ bear in mind most of these rankings are very very close together and do often swap places, sometimes even from several numbers away (for instance I was fairly apathetic to rangs before s4 and now...?). like especially everything between #3-5 all tend to switch places semi-regularly. or how I don't ship regitha yet because there's nothing to go off but if/when I did it'd probably land somewhere in #3-6

(also a lot of them I ship for slightly (or very) different reasons, so that's why my mood can sometimes affect what I'm shipping most at a particular moment because I'll be more in the mood for [x] dynamic over [y] or whatever)

honestly though I like most reggie ships to a certain degree (and/or dependent on the development). the only one I don't particularly care for is midge/reggie (well and I guess cheryl/reggie...) but others I haven't listed such as jason/reggie or dilton/reggie etc. I'm more just apathetic to

comics:

archie/reggie, reghead, and/or beggie depending on my mood (I go through ~phases~)

moose/reggie (& moose/reggie/midge), keggie, toni/reggie all more or less hover around equal levels

spellmantle 😌🌙

reggie/harper!!!!!!!!!!!

veggie but it can depend on the writers. i LOVE them in the life with archie married life storyline(s) though (both of them) but sometimes they give off more of a blossom twins and/or gay bestie vibe so yeah, depends on how the dynamic is handled

chuck/reggie

brigitte/reggie! almost forgot about this one

reggie/ethel

frankie (valdez)/reggie and also frankie/reggie/maria I don't know you guys just don't question it

reggie/melody can be cute

still not really a fan of reggie/midge, /dilton, or /either blossom twin even in the comics 😭

I can't think of any more but again I may be forgetting someone

#replies #ship rankings #idk how to acknowledge regram or reggie's thing for milfs in these rankings so i'm just not <3 #riv txt #a.gen txt

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patina-millers-biceps · 3 years

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Tell us how you would redo SMASH tell ussssss

OH HELL YEH Thanks.

OK, SO in my ideal world, Smash runs for 5 seasons. Remember that bc I’ll come back to that later. Overall Tone: I would take it all... and dial it up to 100. Remember Ellis? Now EVERY character is that fucking crazy. It’s like Glee if Glee was self-aware to how batshit crazy it was, and relished it. The problem was that Theresa Rebeck (season 1) knows what NYC theatre is like, tried to be realistic, but also make it relatable to middle America, and that Joshua Safran (season 2) does not but also tried the same things. When really they needed someone who A) knew what NYC theatre was like B) didn’t give a fuck and C) didn’t give a fuck also about if middle America found it relatable. But Sarah! What about viewings? You ask. Well, if YOU’RE the moron who’s going to write about a hyper-specific industry I think you just gotta dive in. Commit. Make everything fucking crazy and completely unrelatable to literally everyone. Riverdale that shit but make it good writing. Ultimately, it’s why season 1 worked better. Because at least my girl Theresa knew how to write drama without resorting to burying her gays. I think she should have taken it up higher though. Like, when Uma Thurman’s character got an allergic reaction? I think Karen and Ivy should have teamed up to poison her. I said what I said. As for the Team Ivy vs. Team Karen? We’re balancing a tricky line here bc it has to be dramatic but also not misogynistic. (that season 1 Ivy character assassination? Bad.) Ideally, these two would go from hating each others GUTS to reluctantly teaming up against movie star Rebecca (Uma Thurman would thus have to appear earlier and stay longer), deciding that they are in love actually like each other, and cheering on their successes and hating on the MEN who force them against each other. (But while we’re on the subject... #TeamIvy). That Out Of The Way: Season 1: The Bombshell Workshop Phase Season 1 would ONLY follow the workshop phases of season 1. Which is most of it. Here we have Ivy and Karen’s strangers to enemies to reluctant teammates to friends to lovers arc. This is the emotional core of the show. Rebecca Uma Thurman has to show up around the midway point. Julia’s adoption arc? Throw it out. Sorry Ms. Rebeck i stan you but it sucks. Focus on her and Tom’s friendship as the secondary emotional standpoint. They’ve worked with with other for years!! That dynamic is awesome!! But they were fighting the whole ass show??? Nah. Pit them against Derek. I would change nothing with Eileen. Oh I also don’t give a shit about Karen’s shitty boyfriend. Season 2: The Bombshell Out of Town Tryout/ Enter Hit List The first half of season two is the out of town tryout with #TeamIvyKaren against #TeamRebecca coming to a head through rehearsals and the first few previews. Like, I’m talking some Phantom of the Opera level fuckery these two are doing. Falling set pieces, costume malfunction, Ivy actually fucking putting the peanuts in her smoothie. It’s seen as OK bc in this version of Smash Rebecca is a terrible person who has no respect for the ~~**~Theatre~~**~~ The creative team still choose Karen as Marilyn (why?) but she doesn’t get good reviews!! This causes Karen to freak out if the theatre life is really right for her when she meets Jimmy and Kyle. Karen jumps ship to Hit List, Ivy rises to her rightful place as Marilyn in Bombshell. Rehearsals begin to reshape the show for Broadway, Hit List lands its Off-Broadway run. Season 3: Broadway Here I Come/ It’s Tony Time Babey!! Bombshell opens on Broadway, Hit List opens Off-Broadway and KYLE DOESN’T FUCKING DIE (He still gets hit by a car, everyone thinks he died at first, but he’s just in a coma for a few episodes wherein he has weird out-of-body experiences.) Hit List transfers to Broadway. BUT WE HAVE SOME DRAMA because Movie Star Rebecca has landed the role of Maggie in a revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof! We have some cross-show hate bt Bombshell/ Hit List/ and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof because they’re all on 45th street. There’s drama bt Julia and Kyle bc of Kyle’s fling with Tom! But will it last? No! Kyle ends up really hitting it off with Wesley Taylor’s ensemble member character when he visits Tom backstage at Bombshell! Eileen threw one too many drink in her ex husbands face and he’s legally blind now also she’s producing Bombshell AND Hit List! I’m fucking crapping that shit with Ana getting booted from Hit List and Derek being a perv. Karen and ivy still really hate Rebecca (??? it’s Smash it doesn’t have to make sense!) so they stage a coup and replace her in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Jennifer Hudson’s character! The Tonys happen! I liked how they worked out in the show, so i’ll keep that. Jimmy still goes to prison! Tom gets back together with Sam! Season 4: That’s How We Keep 8 Shows A Week Fresh Y’all Basically what it sounds like. We go back and forth between Hit List and Bombshell and the absolute CHAOS of backstage on Fake Broadway. There’s a snowstorm that shuts down the city, people hooking up backstage. Derek has an actual redemption arc. Ivy does not get knocked up bc she knows how to use birth control. The Big Story is how bc Eileen is involved with some illegal shit if it’s going to all come crashing down on the unsuspecting actors and writers. Tom and Julia start writing their Great Gatsby Musical. Fictional Lin-Manuel Miranda is there. Jimmy gets out of prison and rejoins the cast. This season takes up about 2 years of time and will be dubbed the weakest one by critics and fans alike. Season 5: Big Finish! Bombshell and Hit List have been running for about 3 years total by now. Eileen’s illegal shit comes out. Bombshell and Hit List have to close! It’s a really long that takes up the whole season. All the camp of the previous seasons is gone now and it actually is really beautiful and sad. Some real “What I Did For Love” shit. At the end, Hit List is able to transfer back Off-Broadway a la Jersey Boys and Avenue Q with a new producer, Bombshell dies but goes out strong and is recorded for PBS and eventual DVD. Ivy now finds out she’s pregnant and also joins the workshop of The Great Gatsby The Musical as Daisy, Ana is Jordan Baker, Sam is Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway is played Nick Jonas’s character who no one has seen since season 1. Derek is the director. Another Op’ning Another Show yall. Karen and Ivy reunite to sing “Big Finish” End of Series. You’re welcome everyone, even though literally only 1 person asked for this.

#smash nbc #andy mientus #jeremy jordan #christian borle #megan hilty #katherine mcphee #leslie odom junior #debra messing #angelica houston #my stuff

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where-theres-smoak-2 · 3 years

Text

Barchie 5x06 Review.

So I usually just do one reivew for an episode but I have so many thoughts on this episode that I decided to split it in two otherwise it’ll be way too long, I figured two smaller reviews will be easier for people to read than one novel of a review. So in this part I am just going to be talking about the Barchie content. Then I’ll post a second half covering the rest of the episode later on today. As always these are just my own interpretations and opinions and naturally there are spoilers. So if you want to know my thoughts on Barchie this episode read on.

The Teacher’s Lounge

The first scene we get of Barchie is the one where they are in the teacher’s lounge. Now I have seen some people who are disappointed or using the argument that Barchie have become only sex and that they never talk. To me though I don’t think that is true at all and this scene is proof of that. When Archie first approaches Betty they are talking about the Polly situation. Betty is confiding in her friend about what is going on in her life and is sharing her worries with him. In return he tries to reassure her and comfort her when he reminds her that Alice had said Polly would disappear for days at time before showing up again. Another thing I’ve seen some people worry about is that Barchie are just using each other as a distraction. Again I totally understand why some shippers might be worred about that. But to me I’m kinda like well yeah they are. I mean maybe I misinterpreted the situation but I kind of thought that’s what their whole friends with benefits arrangement was about. It’s a friend that you can use to help you work out your frustrations and to be a distraction for a little while. Also this idea of using sex as a distraction and coping technique is hardly a new thing to riverdale both v*rchie and b*ghead have used sex in the past to distract themselves from their problems and they were both long term established relationships, them using sex that way didn’t negate from their very real feelings for each other. So I don’t think that just because Barchie are sleeping together in an attempt to escape for a moment, that means they are doomed or that their relationship is shallow and only about sex. If anything its a good thing because it shows that when they are feeling stressed and worried its each other that they choose to turn to. I think we often get so distracted by the sex part of the arrangement that its easy to forget about the friends part of friends with benefits.

What I did love about this scene was how cute it was. Like when he calls her Ms Cooper and just the fact that he came to check up on how her day was going in the first place was adorable. And of course I loved that little hand touch it was just so soft. I also thought their smiles and that playful look Betty gets when she’s thinking about a plan for where they can hook up was really funny.

The Titanic Sails Again.

Growing up Titanic was my favourite movie and in my young mind it was the most romantic of movies, so naturally I was thrilled about that iconic titanic moment being recreated for Barchie. At the same time I couldn’t help but laugh a little at it too. That being said there is no denying that the scene was on fire.I mean I don’t know if its just Barchie and their chemistry or if its because they’re depicting adults now or a combination of both but is it me or do these sex scenes seem so much more explicit than they used to be? I mean holy firecracker.

I also thought the song choice was perfect. I’ll be honest I had never heard it before but I do think the lyrics and also what the song is about is significant. I talked about songs a bit before and how in tv shows the lyrics can often hold significance because the producers have to shorten the song to fit the scene, therefore they have to chose not just a song that will fit the scene but which lyrics specifically work for the scene. Obviously it was a sexy scene so they wanted a sexy song to go with it. But the song, by the writers own admittion, is a love song. Bazzi said this about the song and I just think it is so in line with Barchie at the moment "It became more than just a love song to a girl I was with…Lyrics were just flowing out, because I had felt this certain love and acceptance from this girl, and I wanted to take that and on a bigger scale give that back to people." This is exactly how I see Barchie’s relationship, its about love and acceptance. They have always loved each other, whether that’s romantically or as best friends or both. Also they have always been supportive and accepting of each other.

So what about the lyrics that are actually in the scene. Well like I said some of them I just think are because they go with the whole sex of the scene. I mean lyrics like ‘hit it from the back and drive you wild’ and ‘hands on your body.’ Those don’t really need much analysis, pretty damn obvious why those lyrics were chosen. I mean you can look at it as simply its a song about sex and they are having sex, its not that deep. But I actually think there are some lyrics that could indicate that there’s something deeper to Barchie. The lyrics ‘girl I lose myself up in those eyes’ for example is actually a rather romantic line about how he is enamoured with the girl and I do feel like that’s how Archie feels about Betty and always has. Also the line ‘I just had to let you know you’re mine.’ Again this to me seems deeper than just sex. I do wonder if on a subconcious level they both see each other as theirs but that they aren’t willing to admit to themselves or each other. My favourite lyrics though are ‘feels like forever even if forever’s tonight.’ To me this makes me think that when they are together they let themselves feel all of those feelings they have for each other. Just for those moments they aren’t hiding, they just feeling it all and it feels like something that can last, it feels like forever. But neither one of them is ready to confront that so instead they just settle for tonight, they are willing to take what they can for now.

I also feel like when they choose a song they probably do so knowing that either the audience have heard it before or that they will go and listen to it in full. So maybe there are some more clues as to where Barchie are heading in the rest of the song? (Probably not, its probably me just over analysing everything as per usual but hey let me live in my land of denial a little longer, its fun here.) In the full version of the song it starts out with a speaking part where the guy announces that he’s had a bit too much to drink and now he needs to tell her how he feels. I do wonder if this will be how Archie ends up confessing how he feels, like he has a bit too much to drink maybe at this point Glen has shown up and he’s feeling some jealousy and so he just goes to her and admits to how he’s feeling? Anyway back to the song, he then goes on to talk about how much he loves her smile and how he gets lost in her eyes. Again really romantic notions that we often associate with being in love. Later in the song there’s another similar lyric ‘Even when it's rainy, all you ever do is shine.’ Again this idea of someone being the sunshine in the rain is a very romantic notion and again I do feel like this is how Barchie feel about each other and kind of ties into what I was saying above about how when things are bad they turn to each other. I mean those scenes when they are together they look happy, they are both each others sunshine when things are getting stormy.

Throughout the song there is also alot of the idea of belonging with the other person and this idea of a long term relationship. Outside of the obvious ‘you’re mine’ lyrics and the title of the song itself. I talked a little about the feeling like forever lyrics too but there are some other lyrics that I think are important. For example ‘Man, this feel incredible, I'll turn you into a bride, you're mine.’ Again this lyric isn’t about sex its goes deeper than that this is talking about being together forever not just a fling. But I think another even more interesting lyric in the song is ‘Swear to God, I'm down if you're down, all you gotta say is right.’ I’ve said before that I think that Archie is the one that is more willing to explore a relationship than Betty right now. I do feel like this line reflects how Archie is feeling like all Betty would have to do is say the word and I think he would be all in. Now I am fully aware that I could be reading way too much into this but I just find it interesting that they chose a song for a Barchie scene that is talking about how in love a guy is with the girl he’s with and how that guy is longing for more.

So like I said earlier there is no denying that this scene was all kinds of hot so naturally I was very amused when the fire alarm started to go off. I don’t know I just found that really funny, like a literal fire broke out whilst they were doing it. Of course this is because some Stonewall Prep footballers set a fire in the school. One thing worth noting though is that obviously those two guys saw both Archie and Betty there at the school I can’t help but wonder if they’ll go back and tell Reggie this. I mean I don’t think they will but its possible they could do some scenario where Reggie tells Hiram and considering how Archie later tells everyone that he was alone and out running when he discovered the fire, Hiram is going to know that Betty and Archie are wanting to keep things quiet and maybe he or Reggie will use it to try and blackmail Archie. Like stop what you’re doing or we’ll tell everyone about you and Betty. I mean Betty didn’t do her blouse up all the way when they came out so I think the students probably would be able to guess what they had been doing. I’m not entirely convinced on this theory but the thought did cross my mind. Speaking of Betty’s state of dress, that leather skirt and the heels with the blouse, our girl came all dressed up for Archie and I loved that outfit. Also I really loved the scene where Archie was trying to explain why he was at the school in the middle of the night to see the fire. I mean Archie does go night jogging, he has in the past at least so the excuse was a believable one but his delivery was far from smooth.

On a less fun note I have seen some people comparing the Barchie car scene with the one with Miss Grundy and that’s just not ok. They are very different situations one scene is between two consenting adults and the other was a person of authority and an adult manipulating a teenager into having sex with them. The fact that people are using that scene as a way to prop up their own ship or to try and say its evidence that Barchie are wrong is quite frankly disgusting and disturbing so please just stop.

The Shallows.

So this was on the surface such a small scene but in truth I actually think in terms of Barchie’s relationship it was one that held the most significance. Whilst Veronica sings the lines ‘Tell me something boy, aren’t you tired of trying to fill that void.’ It zooms in on Archie’s face and you can see he is feeling some things. He is clearly got some things on his mind that have been stirred up by those particular lyrics. I said before the episode aired when I saw the clip of them in the teacher’s lounge in the promo that I wondered if Archie was already beginning to get tired of sneaking around and after seeing this episode I do think that’s the case. I think Betty and Archie have been in love with each other since the pilot, maybe even before, but they’ve spent so long pushing down those feelings and ignoring them that I’m not sure they know how to do anything else. But as a result, I think not acting on these feeling has left a void in their lives/ hearts. Now they’ve reunited and they are both single and they’ve realised those feeling are still there, but like I said, I think they spent so long denying their feelings its become second nature to them. I think they both fear losing the other if they take it to the next step and it doesn’t work out, then they’ve lost their best friend. But I also think this void they’ve created is becoming too much so they instead try to fill it by sleeping together hoping that it might be enough to make them feel more complete.

When Veronica sings the next line ‘Or do you need more?’ this time it zooms in on Betty who you see gets a little sad and looks down at the ground, like Archie those lyrics have got her thinking and feeling things. Again these lyrics are so significant and I think the mesage is pretty clear. Barchie want more with each other, as much as they are enjoying the whole FWB thing they’ve got going on they’re realising that its not enough. They are also probably feeling a lot of fear and uncertainty around that revelation. The next line Veronica sings is also very meaningful. ‘Is there something else you are searching for?” What’s really interesting to me is obviously I think this lyric is suppose to indicate that yes Barchie are searching for something other than the FWB deal they’ve got going on. But I actually think the writers show us exactly what it is Barchie are looking for. At this moment they zoom in on Kangs. I think its important that at this moment they show us a happy, stable couple, who have a deep relationship and who fell in love when they were in high school and who still had those feelings for each other all these years later. This is what Barchie want with each other.

Also the song talks about the shallows. Shallow water is indicative of safety as oppose to being in the deep end which makes you think of being out of your element or in danger. Barchie has always been associated with safety, Betty on several occasions has talked about how they feel safest with each other. I also feel like they feel safe with the whole FWB arrangement. The song continues to go on to say that they are ‘far from the shallows now’ and talking about ‘I’m in the deep end, watch as I dive in.’ This line is talking about willingly throwing yourself into the deep end, to embracing the unknown and just going for it. I do think this is suppose to tell us that this is what Barchie will do. That eventually they’ll take that leap of faith for each other and just dive in. A large part of the reason why I think this song is about Barchie despite it being sung by Veronica and Chad (well truthfully I think it had signifcance for a few couples but I’ll cover that in the other half of the review) is because one the fact that they zoomed in on them both. But two because right when the song finishes Archie immediately turns to look at Betty and she flicks her eyes to his. I think this shows that they were thinking about each other during that song.

The Porch

Ok so now I want to talk about the scene that seems to have caused some differing opinions within the fandom. A lot of shippers are saying that the scene where Betty comes to the door and they kiss, that Archie had a strange look on his face as he closed the door after she suggested they go upstairs. Now I agree there was a strange look on his face. I did see a lot of people speculating that this was because Archie was jealous over Veronica and Chad and was distracted by that so wasn’t really that enthusiastic about hooking up with Betty at that moment. Respectfully I am going to completely disagree with that reasoning. I was actually kind of surprised when I saw so much speculation that Archie was jealous of Chad, particularly over on twitter because me personally I didn’t see any indication that Archie was jealous. He was definitely wary and suspicious of Chad and obviously still protective of Veronica but I don’t think that situation was the reason for the conflict Archie seemed to be feeling. However whilst I don’t think that Archie was jealous I do think that at some point some element of V*rchie is going to come back into play and that was being set up in this episode. One thing I noticed as I’m sure many others have is that so far the time jump has had a lot of parallels and throwbacks to season 1. But the interesting thing about these parallels is that they each have different outcomes then the original parallel. For example the scene in 5x04/05 when the core four reunite at Pop’s. This scene parallels the one, I think is in 1x02, where the core four sit together for the first time, the one where Betty and Veronica are there and then Juggie and Arch come in and Betty offers for them to join them. Both scenes are very similar but the outcomes are different, in the original scene the four of them are relaxed and laughing together, in the season 5 scene they are a little tense and its awkward. Well I think the V*rchie and Barchie storyline is going to parallel the one in season 1. I think Betty will once again feel jelaous of Veronica and Archie. I could also see Archie get confused about whether his concern for Veronica is old feelings returning or just a friendly kind of concern and whether or not what he feels for Betty is deeper or just an attraction. Basically Archie is going to find himself in the same situation he was in in season 1 but in reverse. In season one he was confused about whether what he felt for Betty was just a friend thing and whether what he felt for Veronica was something deeper or just attraction. Now I think it’ll be the other way around. Back in season 1 ultimately Archie chooses Veronica, sort of, especially after Betty shuts him down during his ‘a part of me always thought’ speech. What else I find interesting is there is another kind of role reversal here between Betty and Archie. In season 1 it was Betty who had feelings for Archie and believed he didn’t have feelings for her. I think in season 5 its Archie that has feelings for Betty but believes she doesn’t have feelings for him. I think they’ll hint at V*rchie but I don’t actually think they will put them back together. I think how it will go is Glen will show up and Archie will feel jealous when he realises that there was something between Glen and Betty. As a result he’ll start spending more time with Veronica which in turn will make Betty jealous. Evenutally in 5x10 it’ll come to a head and Archie having one too many will show up at Betty’s door and declare his feelings. But I don’t think anything will happen right there. I think Betty will just look after drunk Archie and it’ll be the next day that they’ll talk about their feelings and then get together because this time Archie will choose Betty.

Speaking of parallels that brings me back to this porch scene. Obviously I feel like this porch scene is a parallel to the porch scene in the pilot where one has shown up at the others door. Last time it ended in rejection but this time they kiss and sleep together. Also I couldn’t help but notice that during this scene and the one where they a laying in bed together the theme playing is the same one that was played during that first porch scene, which can’t be a coincidence. Ok so what about that strange look? If its not about Veronica then what was it about. Well I think it was because Archie wants more with Betty but feels like she just sees him as a hookup.

There was another parallel between this scene and the one earlier in the episode in the teacher’s lounge. In both scenes it starts out with Betty talking about how she is worried about Polly. Again this is showing that friends element of their relationship and how they still go to each other for comfort when things are troubling them. Archie in turn confesses that he himself was feeling crazy and frustrated and whilst I do think some of that relates back to Veronica and Chad, I mean Chad had been a huge dick to him right before this, some of it also probably had to do with Reggie and that situation, but I also think some of it is that he is frustrated about where his and Betty’s relationship is, which was brought on by him hearing Veronica sing shallow. Another parallel between the two scenes is in both it is mentioned that Jughead is out and at work. In the first scene Betty says its too risky for them to be together at Archie’s even if Jughead is out. But this time she doesn’t seem worried about it. I think she just wants to be with Archie and so just doesn’t care what the risk is. I do think this is a small indication that things are changing between them. There are more little hints in this scene too. For example unlike after the scene in the teacher’s lounge where we next see them going at it in the car, in this scene they don’t show them in the act. Instead they show them after. I actually really loved this scene, even more than the car scene. Because here they were just cuddling together, it wasn’t about sex in this moment, they just wanted to be near each other and were taking comfort in each other. I am going to come back to this moment in a bit but first I want to go back to the porch and talk some more about that.

After talking about how he is feeling frustrated, Archie and Betty kiss. But this kiss to me seems different from the others they’ve had post time jump. For one the others were during their hookups and so were passionate and urgent. This kiss however was just so soft. I also think its worth noting that when I first saw the scene I thought it was Betty that initiated it but I actually think it was Archie. Archie takes a small step towards Betty but also as Betty moves forward you can see Archie’s shoulders move almost like he is pulling her too him. Now I feel like if it was a case of he was distracted by Veronica and wasn’t that into being with Betty he wouldn’t be the one pulling her too him for a kiss. Also Archie is the one that deepens the kiss too. Another thing worth noting is that despite Betty’s concerns about the risk and that they up until now have been very careful about not getting caught. Well they kissed each other on his porch with the door wide open. Literally anyone could have seen them. But again in that moment I don’t think they cared, I think they just wanted to be together. Also despite Betty aksing to go upstairs after I don’t feel like that kiss was meant as a prelude to sex, or that it has anything to do with sex. The kiss wasn’t passionate or heated. It was a much more romantic kiss and maybe I’m projecting but to me it seemed to be more fuelled by their real feelings for each other than by desire or lust. And this is exactly why I think Archie had that look on his face as he closed the door. I think he poured his feelings into that kiss hoping she would know and to me the look on his face was one of frustration and I think its because when she wanted to go upstairs he felt like it was a case of her only seeing him as a hookup option. However I think judging from the look on her face as she looks at him after they kiss I don’t think that is true. Again I could be projecting but to me she just looked so in love with him.

Ok so going back to the scene where they are cuddling in bed together. Like I said they both have pensieve looks on their faces but the really sweet thing is that Archie is stroking Betty’s shoulder and Betty is stroking Archie’s side and I don’t know why but those little details made me feel all soft and gooey inside. When Betty’s phone goes off Archie is just staring at her the whole time with such a loving look, he looks completely besotted by her. Also there is that moment when Betty says that she has to go and then says ‘but this... was really nice.’ That hesitation before she says really nice, to me, showed that Betty was trying to think what ‘this’ was exactly and it seemed like she couldn’t quite find the right words to define it. Again they both just looked so in love when she was saying it. Also as a FWB type arrangement I’m not sure it was necessary for her to kiss him goodbye like that. Like the kiss on the porch it wasn’t a heated or lust fuelled kiss it was soft and tender, again as if there were real feelings behind it. Also as she goes to leave you can see Archie almost reach out to stop her and say something. It’s pretty obvious in this moment that Archie doesn’t want Betty to go and wants to say something, maybe about his feelings for her, but he changes his mind and again looks deep in thought.

Overall I thought this was a really good episode for Barchie and I do think that they are moving more towards becoming something more than just friends with benefits. I know that there is a possibilty they might go back to the original couples but as of right now I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I do feel like as a fandom us Barchies have been let down so many times that we just expect to be disappointed but for now I’m staying optimistic and I’m just going to enjoy speculating and enjoy any scenes we get.

#barchie

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