#a classic from s12

[eesttm]

S12E05

[abbott976]

I've been thinking a lot about Zekina lately (shocker, I know) and @theangrypomeranian has me noticing just how often Zeke and Tina really interact throughout the show, specifically in terms of physical proximity.

But beyond that, there are so many amazing examples and moments where Zeke is truly just DOWN BAD for Tina and willing to do anything for her.

While we have the classic examples of The Mad Pooper and Mid-Day Run, there are a lot of other moments where Zeke shows how much he likes Tina!

For example, in Teen-a Witch (S7 Ep 3), when Tina notes that she feels Jimmy Jr likely responded to her new attitude and chocker necklace, while J-Ju doesn't seem convinced (even stating "eh, idk") Zeke interjects that he liked her new look and confidence.

Similarly, in The Landship (S6 Ep 2), we see Zeke tell Tina that she has a spicy and a not spicy side and that he likes both sides of her. He also at the start of this episode is the one to encourage her to "get some spice in ya girl!" and to let loose a bit. I think this just shows that while he is supportive of whatever side Tina has to give, he is also willing to encourage her to have fun and be more in tune with herself.

Throughout the show, we also see multiple instances where Zeke is an enthusiastic participant in the Belcher Sibling Shenanigans, like in The Kids Run the Restaurant (S3 Ep 20), Stand By Gene (S6 Ep 12) and Stuck in the Kitchen With You (S12 Ep 8). There are plenty of other good examples of this, but they all demonstrate that not only is Zeke accepting and supportive of Tina, but he is willing to collaborate with her and her siblings and finds fun in their mischief.

For us as an audience, I think a real turning point for Tina going from hating Zeke to beginning to see him grow on her as a friend is seen in The Oeder Games (S5 Ep 21), where Zeke famously tells Tina that he's "up to his butt" in how much he likes her and the J-Ju takes her for granted.

This moment really pushes us as an audience into a new perspective where we begin to see this trio in new lights. As the series continues, we see Zeke and Tina continue to develop a growing friendship, albeit slowly, through moments like The Taking of Funtime One Two Three (S9 Ep 2) where we see Tina seek Zeke out for his skills and see J-Ju as an afterthought to the situation.

There seems to just be a slow and steady building of Zeke growing on Tina and their friendship slowly coming together, and I love to see how throughout it all, Zeke never wavers in his care and support for her. He's just patiently waiting in the wings, but also doesn't seem to feel that being her friend is settling in any way. He just likes her and likes spending time with her however she will let him.

There are a ton of other examples I could give, but I think it just goes to show there are those little strings and pieces of them throughout the show if you are really looking for them.

[annunen]

NHLWAM S12 E6: Anton Lundell & Sasha Barkov

Translated the highlights from this one too! Other FLA episode's translations here.

Again, Putkonen and Manninen are the NHLWAM hosts.

TLDR: Sasha is a proud dad, he praises his teammates and chirps Lundy a lot. Sunscreen discourse.

Under the cut!

-----

Manninen: Lunkka, it's been a couple years since we last sat there on the beach. How are you feeling, are you settled in Florida now?

Lundell: Yeah, it feels like home now. Even on that first season. No complaints, this is a cool place to play in and there aren't many places like this where you can go to the beach even in the winter.

Host: About being outside - it's really hot here, even today, so during the season do you have to wear sunscreen?

Lundell: You should. I've made the mistake of thinking "i don't need it, my skin should be used to the sun by now" a couple times and then my shoulders were completely red the next day.

-----

Manninen: So about Matthew Tkachuk, he's a really colorful person, at least on the ice. What kind of guy is he?

Lundell: Yeah, he came in with a rumble and showed everyone why he's such a good player. 40 goals, over 100 points. In the playoffs he showed us the direction, and that just tells about his persona, how much he just wants to win. He hates losing.

Manninen: What about your other new guy, Niko Mikkola?

Lundell: It's nice to have him on the same team. He's quite an annoying player, at least to play against, if i'm being honest. He plays hard, he's mean, he's a big boy. It's hard to play against guys like that. He's been a great addition to the team, bringing us some physicality and experience to the d-core.

Manninen: And what kind of guy is he off the ice?

Lundell: Really nice guy, Finnish too so it's nice to talk Finnish with him. He's a really funny guy too when he tries to joke a little.

-----

Putkonen: Who has the weirdest pre-game ritual? Does anyone have any weird ones?

Lundell: Patric Hörnqvist had a really weird one. Before the game he always took a stick to the bathroom and then he would say "we're going to score some dirty goals tonight".

(Putkonen jaw drop)

-----

Putkonen: Ville Nieminen asked "what things do you think you're better in than Sasha?"

Lundell: Soccer. Definitely.

Putkonen: What about padel?

Lundell: That's good. I don't think i'm better than him but at least i'm not much worse.

-----

Manninen: Welcome to the "Know your coworker" section. Here we have the Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov and the future alternate Anton Lundell.

(Sasha smiles sooo big at that)

(They had to know each other's draft club and draft number, hometown, birth year, junior club, shoe size, first car and eye color. After the fourth question Sasha asks "do you have any harder questions?" Both scored 8 points. I'll subtitle this clip later.)

-----

Putkonen: We came outside and it's like a heatwave day today, so i have a question: do you use sunscreen during the season?

(Sasha shakes his head.)

Putkonen: You don't?

Barkov: No I don't. I was at the beach yesterday and i didn't use sunscreen. I'm a tough guy.

Putkonen: Pretty tough cause Lunkka said he uses sunscreen at least for the beginning of the season.

Barkov: Lunkka is from Espoo.

Putkonen: Yeah, he is from Espoo. Tampere guys don't wear sunscreen.

(all three laugh)

-----

Manninen: So Sasha, you became a daddy a couple years ago! How would you describe this life event?

Barkov: It's quite a big change, but for the better. It feels amazing to have a person you have to take care of and watch him grow. Probably the best thing in my life.

Manninen: Could use the classic cliche of "you don't really understand until you become a parent yourself"?

Barkov: It's exactly that.

-----

Manninen: We were watching your game against Tampa. – – What caught my eye was after all the little scrums and brawls, when there was communication between the refs and the captains, Captain wasn't there. Had you delegated that task to Matthew Tkachuk? Is this a permanent thing or why was it Tkachuk and not you?

Barkov: We have actually agreed with him that when there's scrums like that, he knows about them more than me. He goes to negotiate with the refs. If there's something else to ask, then I'll do my job. But if there's a fight, he knows what to say.

Manninen: For all who have followed Matthew Tkachuk's career at all, he absolutely has seen those scrums. Last season he came in with a crash and really brought your team some of that rough edge.

Barkov: Yeah, he's an unbelievable guy on and off the ice. On the ice, everyone can see how he scores goals and points, how he plays. But how he is off the ice, how much he affects the team atmosphere and connects teammates, that's the biggest thing i've seen about him. He really is - he's like the glue of the team.

-----

Manninen: One Finnish new teammate! Niko Mikkola arrived in Florida this season.  How do you describe Niko as a player and a friend?

Barkov: He's an amazing guy. Just what we needed, a big guy who plays physically and moves really well for a guy that size. Just a great guy, he's really chill and you can crack some jokes at him and he won't get offended like Lunkka does.

(laughing)

Barkov: That might be because he played in Tappara for a couple seasons.

[blackbird-brewster]

CM Fic Recs: Whoops, All Whump Edition

Compiled: 26/06/2025 | For @racethewind10

Whump (noun)

(Fandom Slang) The term whump (or whumping) generally refers to a form of Hurt/Comfort that is heavy on the hurt and is often found in gen stories. Whump involves taking a canon character, and placing them in physically painful or psychologically-damaging scenarios.

Whether you love fics with heavy emotional angst, or a classic hurt/comfort scenario, or even hurt/ no comfort, I've got them all. As an Architect of Angst, whump is my bread and butter when it comes to writing CM femslash. What better way to celebrate the drop of 18x08 'Tara', than to compile a list of whump recs?

I'm including who gets whumped, whether the whump is physical and/or psychological, plus I'll rate each fic on a 1-5 scale of how painful it is using the '💔' emoji.

i can't be wrong (to be craving you)

JJ/Emily | Rated: E | WC: 101,300 Whumpee: Emily | Physical and Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔💔 Companion Playlist: i can't be wrong (to be craving you)

Summary:

Emily just wants to feel something, anything. She needs to be alone, but she's also desperate for human contact, desperate to have someone make her feel loved. JJ is not the person she should be longing to fill that need, she knows better than to get involved with her, but she also can't stay away. An Emily focused story chronicling her mental health and PTSD in the aftermath of everything she's survived and how her journey keeps crossing paths with JJ. [Starting in S4 and following through the years of Emily and JJ's relationship]

A Journey Through the Silent Chasm (Series)

JJ/Emily | Rated: M | WC: 12,500 | Works: 3 Co-Author: Phoenix_Falls (@otahkoapisiakii) Whumpee(s): JJ | Physical and Psychological, Emily | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔💔

Summary:

This three-part series details an intimate journey through JJ's depression and PTSD, to her suicide, and, eventually, to the healing of those she left behind.

Wreckage

JJ/Emily & Team | Rated: M | WC: 3770 Whumpee(s): The entire team....it's a plane crash. Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔💔

Summary:

"When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, or by using the challenge to find our inner strength." - Dalai Lama The team faces insurmountable odds after the plane crashes into the forest near Seattle. [Inspiration: Grey's Anatomy 8x24 "Flight"]

Do What I Want (Over What's Right)

Tara/Rebecca, Emily/Rebecca, JJ/Emily | Rated: E | WC: 74,100 Whumpee(s): Literally no one is okay in this fic Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔 Companion Playlist: Toxic Yuri

Summary:

After Rebecca and Emily have an extremely unexpected and ill-advised one-night-stand, they have to navigate working together while trying to prevent their secret from getting out. Meanwhile, Tara is still holding onto the hope she and Rebecca can reconcile their differences and get back together. And JJ isn't coping after finding out about the website related to her, but the one woman she wishes would notice how much she's struggling is the same woman who hid the site from her in the first place. Can the four women get through the Gold Star investigation without succumbing to the secrets, lies, and jealousy woven into their complicated relationships with each other? [Takes place in S17, but only loosely follows canon timeline.]

I Want to Love You

Tara/Emily | Rated: M | WC: 13,290 Whumpee (s): Emily | Physical & Psychological, Tara | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔

Summary:

It had been two weeks since Gabriel Lewis had been murdered after he had been abducted by Mr. Scratch. Tara hadn't seen her brother in years before his death. Now, his face was the only thing she saw when she closed her eyes. [Takes place over the course of S12 with obvious divergence]

Caged

JJ/Emily | Rated: M | WC: 39,100 Co-Author: Phoenix_Falls Whumpee: JJ | Physical and Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔 Summary:

When Emily finds out Will has become abusive she seeks to save JJ and Henry from his violence.

Head Full of Doubt (High School AU)

JJ/Emily | Rated: M | WC: 24,775 Whumpee: JJ | Physical & Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔 💔

Summary:

When Emily moves to a new high school she is intrigued by the quiet blonde who is struggling with her own demons.

She Used To Be Mine

JJ/Emily | Rated: T | WC: 3200 Whumpee(s): Emily | Physical & Psychological, JJ | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔

Summary:

A re-write of Emily’s return to the BAU — except JJ wasn’t part of the cover up and she had no idea Emily had actually survived. Full disclosure: This is heartbreaking.

Save Tonight

JJ/Emily | Rated: M | WC: 3230 Whumpee: JJ | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔💔 Summary:

JJ finally gets the courage to tell Emily how she feels but is she too late?

Between You & Me

JJ/Tara | Rated: E | WC: 72,600 Whumpee(s): JJ | Psychological , Tara | Physical Whump Scale: 💔💔💔 Companion Playlist: Between You & Me

Summary:

JJ returned to the BAU after having her second child, seemingly having perfected the art of hiding how unhappy she was in her marriage from everyone on the team, well, everyone except Tara. The newest agent of the BAU takes an interest in JJ, offering to be her confidant, and the two become fast friends. What neither of them expected was to fall in love in the process. [Takes place through S11-13]

Promises to Keep

Tara/Rebecca | Rated: T | WC: 1257 Whumpee: Tara | Physical Whump Scale: 💔💔💔

Summary:

When Tara gets shot in the field, Rebecca faces her biggest fear — the possibility of losing the woman she loves.

If You Need Me

JJ/Emily | Rated: M | WC: 3950 Whumpee: Emily | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔

Summary:

Emily wakes up from a night terror and seeks JJ's comfort in the middle of the night, just like she has done so many times over the years…but this night is unlike any of the others.

I Will Wait

JJ/Emily | Rated: T | WC: 2120 Whumpee: JJ | Physical and Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔

Summary:

This couldn't be how it ended, not like this. JJ had survived so much, it seemed unfair to die alone in a parking garage. It seemed unfair to die at all. [Takes place during 15x01]

Words Left Unsaid (Crossover)

JJ & Emily, Emily & Frankie Dart (Community) | Rated: T | WC: 12,580 Whumpee: Frankie | Psychological, Emily | Physical & Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔💔

Summary:

Frankie seeks therapy to deal with the demons of her past but things quickly become overwhelming as she uncovers the truth behind her sister's death. Meanwhile, JJ is forced to face feelings from her own troubled past.

Headcanon: The Worst 'Best Day'

Ch 26: Jemily Ficlet Archives

JJ/Emily | Rated: T | WC: 2500 Whumpee: Emily | Physical Whump Scale: 💔💔💔

Summary:

In which tragedy strikes on what began as the best day of their lives.

All You Never Say

Tara/Emily | Rated: T | WC: 1953 Whumpee(s): Emily | Physical, Tara | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔

Summary:

A devastating look at Tara and Emily’s undefined love for each other. “I burned so long, so quiet — you must have wondered if I loved you back. I did. I did. I do”

What If It Doesn't End Well?

JJ/Emily | Rated: T | WC: 8700 Whumpee: Emily | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔

Summary:

Four months after Emily joined the BAU, she and JJ have settled into a friends-with-benefits relationship. But when the team is called to New Orleans to work a case, they meet Detective LaMontagne and Emily's insecurities force her to make a difficult decision. [Re-Imagining of 02x18 'Jones']

Scars

JJ/Emily | Rated: T | WC: 2060 Whumpee: JJ | Physical & Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔

Summary:

Emily comes for a visit and JJ finally breaks down about her abduction.

The Call

JJ/Emily | Rated: M | WC: 5870 Whumpee: JJ | Physical & Psychological Whump Scale: 💔💔 Summary:

Emily becomes gravely concerned after receiving a phone call from Reid requesting information on JJ's abductor.

Motivation

Tara/Emily | Rated: E | WC: 5225 Whumpee: Emily | Physical & Psychological Whump Scale: 💔

Summary:

The team is reeling after Mr. Scratch ambushed their SUV convoy, killing Agent Walker. Emily is struggling with her abduction and her guilt — but maybe a familiar face could help her unwind. (Expanded ending of 13x01 ‘Wheels-Up)

Fix You [FANVID]

JJ/Emily | Rated: T Whumpee(s): Emily | Physical, JJ | Psychological Whump Scale: 💔

Summary:

FANVID: AU where Emily and JJ were together, but JJ left her for Will. Shortly after, Emily gets killed by Ian Doyle and JJ has to live with the guilt of her choices.

More Criminal Minds Femslash Rec Lists Below the Cut:

My Fic Master Lists: [JJ/Emily] | [Tara/Emily] | [Tara/Rebecca] | [JJ/Tara] | [CM Kink Bingo 2024]

Past Friday Fic Recs: [Friday Fic Recs - Tumblr] | [Friday Fic Recs - AO3 Collection]

Search my blog: #CM Fic Recs | And find ALL of my previous rec lists on my [Pinned Post]

[destieltaggedfic]

Sharing a bed - Part 13

Cuckoo And Nest – komodobits   Ao3

Nonspecific timeframe.  Dean is very particular about his room and Cas doesn’t understand why his things are slowly migrating there even though he spends most of his time there with his boyfriend.

Word Count: 10k                              No Sex

and all this devotion - dothraki_shieldmaiden   Ao3

Set Post S15 AU.  With Cas’ grace ebbing away, he isn’t able to heal Dean when the two are on a hunt, so he has to look after him the human way and Dean knows that Cas needs more human conveniences now so when there is only one bed in the hut they are taking shelter in… well he may try to take advantage of a classic trope.

Word Count:  11k                             Graphic Sexual Acts

just let the sun in – muItifandomjess   Ao3

Set S12.  In the wake of the incident with Ramiel, Dean takes Cas home to look after him and makes an admission of his own.

Word Count: 2k                                 Non-Graphic Sex

Baby – COWBOYCATDOTCOM   Ao3

Set 15x20 didn’t happen AU.  Since coming back from the empty human, Cas has suffered nightmares.  Dean offers to help him the same way Cas helped when Dean got out of hell.

Word Count: 3k                                 No Sex

Ignore and Override – chaoticdean   Ao3

Nonspecific timeframe.  Sometimes Cas ends up in his bed.  Dean isn’t even sure what they are doing because they never talk about it.

Word Count: 1k                                 No Sex

[andromedism]

In 2017, I watched “The Gang Tends Bar” as it aired live, and it’s all kind of a blur but I remember three things very clearly:

Sunnyblr was POPPING. To this day, I still see TGTB posts floating around with 10k notes and they are all still so fucking good. My beautiful relics of an absolutely insane time.

Airing A Crickets Tale that very next week is probably one of the most chaotic things that was happening to Tumblr at that time. We were all like, “Mmm, thanks for whatever that was, RCG! So yummy! Now can we have another helping of repressed middle-aged gay men?” and they said, “Okay, sure! Here’s more of that but make it foreboding,” and aired “Dennis’ Double Life” the very next week after THAT.

I didn’t sleep the night TGTB aired. I was a freshman in college and I went to class the next day and just stared at nothing during my lecture because I was so blown away by it. At 18, it was one of the most formative experiences I’ve ever had with television. Raw, emotional moments have always been so much more impactful to me in comedic shows. I still consider it one of the most romantic episodes of any show I’ve ever seen. I’m 25 now, and I have never forgotten the way I felt the first time I saw this episode. My life is entirely different now from February of 2017, but my feelings about TGTB are exactly the same if not intensified.

Bonus Big Feelings:

Once you’ve watched “Dennis’ Double Life,” TGTB reads so differently—it hurts so much more. Because you know how it ends for them and you never get closure. YOU NEVER GET CLOSURE.

Something about Glenn’s hair being outstandingly hot in S12 really brought everything together, that year + heightened the pining. He would do something and we’d all be like “ok work!”

Season 16 is the closest I’ve felt to Season 12 levels of deranged. I think this makes sense since S16, stylistically, reminds me the most of classic Sunny and somehow, also, every macden fic I’ve ever read.

I never had a good reference point for whether other people outside of Sunnyblr read that episode as incredibly queer, or Just Guys Being Dudes, but most of my comms class watched this show, and we were all foaming at the mouth talking about it the next day. Everyone was like, “Oh my god! It’s getting gayer! We won!”

Reflecting on where I was in life when TGTB, and when this most recent season aired, I can’t help but wonder where we’ll all be if they touch noses. Season 24 is our seasons guys.

[samdeanjohn]

hiiii! cause i haven't seen anything past few episodes of s10 what would you say are your fave episodes from s11 - 15? hehehe orrrr great dean/wincest eps from late seasons?

hii<3!!

personally i love s10 because it's at that point that sam and dean renew their vows and never look back. it's the season that pulled me back in after the messiness of s8/9 which i could only appreciate when i finally knew what it was leading up to. s11 is one of my favorite seasons in terms of main storyline and motw so ideally i would recommend watching the whole thing. but if you insist on select motw eps then baby is a must. so are thin lizzie, into the mystic, beyond the mat, safe house, red meat and the chitters. for s12 maybe the foundry, lily sunder has some regrets, regarding dean, ladies drink free?

the further we go into dabb era the rarer a classic feeling motw ep is. it's hard to rec certain eps to people who haven't seen the whole season in context and expect them to appreciate the same things i did, if that makes sense. i guess in s13 i recommend advanced thanatology, the scorpion and the frog and scoobynatural. s14 maybe mint condition? i like other eps but they're connected to what's going on with dean and michael. s15 entirely lacks episodes that are unconnected to the authorgod plot except for maybe one preseries ep that was sadly very forgettable.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Angel and Spike being in prophetic dreams of Buffy's, telling her "she has to know what to see," which of course has to do with important things she's dealing with at the time.

With Angel, it was how Jenny (moreso her family) was tied to him becoming Angelus again.

And in this season 5 classic comic, Dawn brings up this missing Slayer who, for whatever reason, was erased from history (Spike told her about this Slayer). The Scoobies at first just assumed said Slayer did something really bad to earn that fate, IIRC. Meanwhile, Buffy and the gang end up facing the above vampire. But of course through Buffy's dream with Spike, she starts to put together that the missing Slayer is this vampire, and that's why the Watcher's Council wanted the Slayer erased from history: because the knowledge that one of their Slayers had gotten turned into a vampire would be too shameful for them to bear (even though it, of course, wasn't her fault. Freaking Watcher's Council).

(In other news, "False Memories" is a really amazing comic and probably one of my favorites of the classic comics that I've read thus far. It also deals with some of Dawn's false memories that the monks gave her. And it was... just really epic, and felt like a missing episode of the show to me. And meeting another Slayer turned vampire, aside from Simone from the Buffy S8-S12 comics, and one from the Buffy tie-in books, was cool.)

[picnokinesis]

could you tell me (without major plot spoilers -- details about characters and character dynamics are fine) what you loved most about 13's era? <3 I've started my first major who rewatch since I fell off the bandwagon (somewhere along season 11), and I'd love to know what I can look forward to!!

Oh my days hello!! Welcome to my blog! :D Be careful scrolling around because there are a LOT of spoilers (one character in particular is a walking spoiler rip) but oh man hMMM this is such a good question okay because I'll be 100% honest with you, I wasn't actually the biggest fan of s11? Like, don't get me wrong, there are certain episodes that I absolutely love (The Woman Who Fell to Earth is a prime example) and I know there are a lot of people who love it a lot, but on the whole I was pretty 'meh' about that season. It's a great set up, though, for what comes next - because you know how in s11 the Doctor is very much, on the surface, all happy go lucky and everything about the universe is wonderful? Well, that's one hell of a façade, and I really love s12 and 13 because we gradually get to see that mask start to crack under pressure, and it's SO good to see how the Doctor just...steadily losing her ability to keep it up. And she's so SO terrible with vulnerability - I said it in an ask yesterday, but I'm certain that a LOT of that comes from Grace dying so fast after she met her, newly regenerated, as well as losing Bill at the end of s10, and it means that she keeps everyone else at arm's length and won't let anyone see her vulnerable, because she has to keep everyone safe and she can't let anyone else die she can't lose anyone she can't do that again. And in s12 and 13, you get to see some of the consequences of her not actually being upfront about everything with her companions.

On a similar note, I really REALLY love the key thematic threads in the last two series! There's a lot about memory, identity, trauma and grief in s12 particularly, but also in s13 too, and I absolutely LOVE stories that delve into those. For me, it's been such a treat to have storylines that really dig into these ideas and explore them. There's also a general anti-imperialist theme, especially in s12 and 13, which I really enjoyed. There is some pretty divisive additions to Gallifreyan/Doctor Who lore in s12 and 13, but I personally really REALLY love it - I think it really adds to the story and expands the sandbox, so to speak, whilst also doing this INCREDIBLE job of 1) adding new layers of angst to old episodes of Doctor Who reaching waaaaaay back into Classic, whilst preserving the episodes as they were before so you can read them either way, as well as 2) taking odd bits of canon that didn't make sense and weaving them into a coherent storyline. It's genuinely really cool, to me at least. So I would say go into that with an open mind.

There's also some WONDERFUL characters in s12 and 13 - I won't say who or what or where, but there's a lot of fun stuff. I don't know how you found my blog, so you might not know that I write a lot of fanfic, and I've had a whale of time exploring some of the side/recurring characters in s12 and 13, and they're such a joy to write :) But of course the MAIN characters are so SO fantastic - I absolutely ADORE thirteen, she's awful and a massive hypocrite but also just doing her best and trying to keep herself together (and failing), and she's so great to write. I've written over half a million words (literally) about her now, so I think that should tell you how much inspiration Thirteen and this entire era has given me. And the companions are just fabulous. ALSO!! There's a LOT of telepathy and other tropes in this era that I've reaaaaally really loved.

Also - and this is just a little thing, but whilst I love Moffat's era, he did have a tendency to overuse the TARDIS cloister bell - which, I mean, that's fine because I love it HAHA but in Chibnall's era, I think we only hear it......once? I think? I may be wrong, but I remember the one main time we hear it is pretty far into his era and I was like YOOOOOOOOO because we hadn't heard it in so long, right? And so to suddenly hear it again.......it was like 'oh frick, this is REALLY BAD then', and it just gave me chills, yknow? So I liked that a lot!

There are probably a bunch of other things too, but I reckon that gives you a sense of it. I think one thing to really remember with Chibnall's era is that the more you dig into the stories and engage with them, the more you discover and the more it rewards you. A lot of storylines that can seem really simple or sparse on the surface can end up being SO rich once you sit with them for a few minutes. I think I've particularly discovered this as I've written fanfic, but also just thinking about stuff and how it all connects - within itself as an era, but also back into previous eras too! It's such a celebration of the entire show - especially the last episode - and it's very VERY obviously been made by a team of people who had an absolute blast making it, and were all very supportive of each other. I've also really appreciated that there's been a genuine strive towards diversity, both in front of and behind the camera, and whilst there have definitely been some pretty blatant missteps, from what I've seen and heard (for example, during Gally One panels) these efforts were done with good intentions behind them, and all the time actively striving towards something better? And I personally think that a flawed end result is much better than one that plays it safe with no diversity at all. It's a step in the right direction, at least - and, post Doctor Who, Chibnall pretty much immediately went to set up a project that trained up new producers because he said that 'too many showrunners are people like me' - so I think that suggests (to me, at least) that his money is where his mouth is.

ANYWAY that ended up being long....hope this helps, though!! And I really hope that you enjoy watching this era as much as I did!! :D I've loved Doctor Who since 2005, but s12 and s13 just catapulted me into being absolutely obsessed with it again, and it's been so wonderful to get so much joy out of something that I've loved since I was a kid

VERY QUICKLY THOUGH - list of some of my favourite Thirteen episodes, in no particular order:

War of the Sontarans

Spyfall (parts 1 and 2)

Village of the Angels

The Woman Who Fell to Earth

Survivors of the Flux

Ascension of the Cybermen

Fugitive of the Judoon

Eve of the Daleks

The Power of the Doctor

[schmilsson]

gonna do some chibnall haterism bc I think you’d understand: the 13th Doctor era obviously didn’t deserve all the misogynistic backlash and “Doctor who has gone woke” or “Nurse Who” stuff. And there are things about it I absolutely enjoy and I do get that there was a lot of love put into the era. but after series 12 I watched myself like. fall out of love with 13 because I realized how mediocre, undercooked and conservative her era was. I hate sounding like the dudebros who said she ruined/killed the show when I agree that I’m not 13’s biggest fan (she didn’t kill the show, quite obviously) but to me 13 never got the stories she deserved.

Realizing I liked the idea of the 13th Doctor more than the 13th Doctor we got was heartbreaking. (And I then can at least engage with the idea of her unlike conservative dudebros. God I hope Jodie does Big Finish.)

god yeah i absolutely get it part of me feels so bad when i complain bc i do like thirteen whenever she gets to be weird and alien and an inventor eating dirt being excited etc like that's a joy to witness i do like her as a concept!! but the episodes themselves are so stunningly mediocre.. it's not even that all of them are objectively terrible (some of them defintiely are jesus christ but that's what episodic scifi tv is like it's not like if it's just a constant barrage of one godawful thing after the other) there's just something missing from them yknow... i saw an improvement in s12 but s11 was basically disappointment after disappointment with. like. two highlights. the companions and their relationships to each other & especially the doctor are so underexplored which is an enornous contrast to the past 10+ years.. like i cant rlly speak for classic who yet but nuwho is very much About The Characters and if the doctor has basically no relationship to their companion then what am i here for. the story? most if not all of these stories i wouldnt watch if it wasn't doctor who honestly. at least im seeing some character development now but it took so long....

[kitmarlowe]

Actually RTD didn’t kill off the Time Lords that was all Chris Chibnall in the Series 12 premiere

and that’s obviously not what I mean, actually.

the “last of the time lords” worked in rtd1 because it was just after the time war where those doctors thought they’d killed them all and felt like they should be honouring them because of that guilt.

now, the doctor knows the time lords literally used them to create their society. all the hierarchy, titles and self-importance, things the doctor does not care about and part of the reason they ran away anyway. it's just a story they told to make themselves elite. why would you cling on to a title like that? especially when it only exists because of the things done to you that they then forced you to forget. the s12-13 story is saying you don’t have to be defined by your past, who you are now is what matters. you might not like that story, but that's where we are now.

all rtd has taken from it is “they’re all gone," which is fine, let's acknowledge that. but having 15 repeatedly call himself “the last of the time lords” again is incredibly reductive. and let's be honest, the master at least is definitely still kicking around the universe so it's not even true. (also susan, as they kept mentioning her.)

like, yeah, chibnall could have left them standing but honestly the show needs to forget gallifrey. classic series had plenty of material. "the oldest civilisation, decadent, degenerate and rotten to the core."

[finerafin]

HI YES HELLO CHUCKER RECS YOU WILL REGRET THIS

so I can't link to any of these because anon but they're all on ao3 and should show up with a quick search/if you're willing to just scroll the tag for a little bit

here are some of my personal favorites:

you mentioned heavy weather already, but basically anything else by shir_khan is worth a look, Chemistry (oneshot, 6k words, Teen) is a favorite of mine.

I Want You By My Side by hartxstarr- oneshot, 765 words, Gen

short, sweet, and fluffy. Church and Tucker slow-dancing in the base.

you give me fever by apocalypticchick- oneshot, 12k words, Explicit

basic premise is that instead of getting alien pregnant in s2, Tucker gets alien sex pollen'd instead... and Church is the one who steps in to help ;) I don't know if explicit fics are your thing, but I threw this one in on the off chance they are because it has some of the best characterization for both of them I've ever seen. Church POV, lots of pining, some great lines from the rest of the team while they're there. (if explicit fics ARE your thing, it's a pretty worthwhile read for that too)

you are a walking graveyard by Cinead- multichapter (complete), 44k words, Explicit

ghost hunter au! The Reds and Blues run a Buzzfeed Unsolved-esque show, which turns out to not be quite as fake as they thought it was. Can't give much more away without spoilers, but it's a fantastic ride from start to finish, written by someone who's got a great feel for the characters. Classic rvb idiocy, interspersed with heartwarming team dynamics and scenes that gave me genuine feelings. (Warnings for character death and some sex scenes)

Machine Learning by Cosmobot- oneshot, 4k words, Teen

in the author's own words, "the s12 reconciliation scene but Tucker gets to yell more and also it's gayer". Church and Tucker actually talk about what him leaving did to the team, with the added subtext that they're crushing on each other super hard. Great character voices!

live by the pointy shit, die by the pointy shit by stellulam- oneshot, 5k words, Teen

this one isn't actually chucker, but it's a great read if you just want more of them interacting. Tucker is in recovery on chorus after getting stabbed at the end of s12, and Church not-so-begrudgingly keeps him company, and they learn a few things about themselves and each other on the way. Also featuring some of the fragments! (seriously the dynamics in this one are SO CHOICE)

Full disclosure, I might have snuck one of my fics onto this list eheheh...

Happy reading, hope you enjoy!

So I only have "you are a walking graveyard" left to read and half of that list I already knew but they are always worth a reread and everything here is excellent. Thank you so much!

[destieltaggedfic]

Music - Part 2

my soul revival - jill_ian   Ao3

Nonspecific timeframe.  Since he became human, Cas has started devouring all things classic rock, so Dean buys him a Walkman.  Now its rare to find the ex-angel not listening to music and he slowly starts expanding his collection.

Word Count: 22k                              No Sex

An Idiot's Guide to a Successful Love Confession in Two Words or Less - SaltyWords (agent4hire22)   Ao3

Set S15.  Cas may be back, but that doesn’t mean he’s forgiven Dean for his words yet, so things are rough when they are stuck in a motel room together on a case.  But the tape Cas is listening to may give Dean the push to make things right.

Word Count: 4k                                 Graphic Sexual Acts

Just The Way You Are – MidnightVantaWings   Ao3

Nonspecific timeframe.  Since becoming human, Cas has grown to love music. Once day as he’s taking a break from listening to it, he hears another source of music coming from Dean’s room.

Word Count: 6k                                 No Sex

Not Just A Gift – kettleknight   Ao3

Nonspecific timeframe.  When Sam finds out about the mixed tape he tries to get both parties to do something about it.

Word Count: 2k                                 No Sex

Music is a love language - Just_telling_a_story   Ao3

Set S12 AU.  When he learns about the importance of mixed tapes, Cas decides to make his own and present it to Dean in return.  It works, but they are separated shortly after they get together when heaven needs all angels back because hell is on the offensive.  Now back in heaven, Cas is acting very out of character but starts to act himself again when Dean starts praying to him.

Word Count: 76k                              Graphic Sexual Acts

[turn-the-blue-iris]

Every Halloween season I rewatch American Horror Story. It’s become my own little tradition: celebrating at home, settling in front of the TV, embracing the transition away from the warmth of summer to a much colder darker atmosphere. Few TV shows capture the spirit of Halloween like AHS. I tend to revisit my favorites, namely, Freak Show each year but this time around, I had a more ambitious goal in mind. My 2023 binge consisted of all 11 (!) seasons, and with them fresh in my mind, I'm well prepared to update my AHS Ranking.

One of the most exciting aspects of AHS is that with every season of the anthology series, we get another take on horror storytelling with some familiar threads throughout each new iteration but also major departures from previous years. Ever-evolving over its decade+ long run, it has brought to the screen: ghosts, serial killers, serial killer ghosts, demons, witches, zombies, clowns, vampires, cults and a healthy dose of political and social commentary. AHS has been known for its hyper-stylized cinematic flair, tongue-in-cheek tone, graphic depictions of visceral horror and a propensity for originality while also paying tribute to horror classics— in other words: there’s something here for mostly everyone!

It's fair to say AHS has its high highs and low lows and a pattern of finding a sweet spot briefly before taking a sudden left turn into a ditch, leaving us with only a few satisfying conclusions in 11 seasons. This could be a turn off for some but others might look past certain flaws depending on the level of appeal of each season's concept and themes. It’s not difficult to imagine why every individual has a uniquely varied ranking. There is so much diversity in personal taste preferences, especially when it comes to genre media that garners a passionate fan base. Comparing notes is a tried and true way to provoke fiery debates celebrate the series. My opinions haven't changed too drastically over the years but I still put much consideration into the order of my list. Some minor adjustments were made and the addition of a first-time watch, AHS: NYC (a welcome surprise). Introducing something new into the mix was exactly the change of pace I needed to reach the finish line on what was a lengthy and at times excruciatingly tedious TV marathon.

American Horror Story Ranking

Best in descending order:

Freak Show -> Cult -> Asylum -> Coven -> Roanoke -> NYC

Worst in descending order:

DF: Red Tide -> 1984 -> Murder House -> Hotel -> DF: Death Valley -> Apocalypse

My instinct was to keep Double Feature as one season but given how vastly different the quality is between those two stories, I decided I could more accurately place them where they belong by separating them.

My prediction for Delicate (S12) is that it might land somewhere around Red Tide but only time will tell. It’s off to a not so promising start.

Final thoughts:

Thinking back to the 2000s there was very little horror on television and come the 2010s AHS would be one of a few TV shows to begin to fill that void. AHS has contributed its vivid nightmares to the zeitgeist for 12 years now and that alone is something worth celebrating. Happy Halloween 🖤

[artisanfuckery]

Hi!

I like and follow from @leemontoast

My ao3

About me

My name is Zed!

My pronouns are she/her!

I'm neurodivergent, having being diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia.

I'm an artist, I like to do da drawings and da photos and da models and write sometimes too :))))))))

Media of interest

Dr Who, Torchwood, Blakes 7, HHGTTG, Good Omens, Sherlock, ATLA

Currently watching

Dr who s10(nu who) and s12, 19, 25 (classic who), Torchwood CoE, Blakes 7 s1, Being Human s1, ATLA s2

Current fave characters

Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, 10th doctor, Donna Noble, 8th doctor, C'rizz, Molly O'Sullivan, Liv Chenka, Kerr Avon, Ford Prefect, Arthur Dent, Rogue

Music

Big fan of The Beatles, The Kinks and Seb Lowe but I also like Queen, Tears for Fears and The Nonstick Pans

[vampyre-daisies]

Okay, I spent some time, here! *throws my special interest at you*

This is a lot but don't let it overwhelm you, classic who isn’t very continuity heavy, home video wasn’t really a thing for most of its run so no one was really expected to know much going in to any given serial. Pick whatever catches your eye and enjoy!

Also this ended up being EXTREMELY LONG so here's the short version, open the 'keep reading' at your own risk lmao (this show is my favourite thing ever and I tried very hard but it was simply impossible to shut up about it <3 ) No spoilers here obviously!

TL;DR Shortlist of My Favs & “The Essentials”

-1- The Dalek Invasion of Earth (S2) The Romans (S2) The Time Meddler (S2) The Tenth Planet (S4)

-2- The Power of the Daleks (S4) The Evil of the Daleks (S4) The Invasion (S6) The War Games (S6)

-3- Terror of the Autons (S8) The Three Doctors (S10) The Green Death (S10)

-4- Genesis of the Daleks (S12) The Seeds of Doom (S13) The Robots of Death (S14) City of Death (S17)

-5- The Five Doctors (Special) The Caves of Androzani (S21)

-6- Vengeance on Varos (S22) Revelation of the Daleks (S22)

-7- Remembrance of the Daleks (S25) The Curse of Fenric (S26) Survival (S26)

WAY more detail, episode numbers, and regen stories below. WARNING: LONG!

Okay if you’re looking for only a couple serials from each Doctor I’ll try to contain my innate desire to recommend like a million things lol

Firstly, Classic Who is a very different beast to NuWho, as others have said it’s slower and less full of energy. To set your expectations, I’d approach it like you’re watching theatre. The budget is low, there’s very little action other than some stage fighting, most of it is moved by dialogue. The sets (especially in the 60s) are mostly potted plants and painted backdrops, maybe a cool spaceship interior built of flimsy ply wall. The fact it’s so quaint is absolutely part of the charm!

First Doctor:

I’d recommended watching An Unearthly Child (the first episode of the first serial) The rest of the serial isn’t necessary and part one is very much self contained, but it’s THE beginning and it’s worth it to see!

The Daleks (first Dalek serial so worth a watch) Season 1, eps 5-11 starting with ‘The Dead Planet’

The Dalek Invasion of Earth (This is the essential, it’s the one most referenced to this day - bonus points for also being really good!) Season 2, eps 4-9 starting with ‘World’s End’

The Romans (an all time favourite, very fun - One at his most mischievous and Ian & Barbara at their most charming - highly recommend) Season 2, eps 12-15 starting with ‘The Slave Traders’

The Time Meddler (A huge step in the show’s history for reasons I won’t spoil) Season 2, eps 36-39 starting with ‘The Watcher’

The Tenth Planet (regen story + first cybermen story. partially lost but has been officially ANIMATED) Season 4, eps 5-8

(Also recommend The Aztecs, The Chase, and The War Machines - but here I am doing what I promised not to do and recommending a million things 😭 I just love 60s who so much)

Second Doctor:

Second Doctor is tricky because so much of his run was lost and now only exists in animations and telesnaps. I’ve avoided recommending missing serials so far because they can be quite tricky to get into but I will be recommending some animated episodes - the BBC has been slowly animating the missing serials using the original surviving audio tracks as a base)

The Power of the Daleks (Two’s first serial, also a masterpiece! ANIMATED) Season 4, immediately following from Tenth Planet

The Evil of the Daleks (Yet another personal favourite, serves as a season finale. ANIMATED) Season 4, eps 29-35

The Enemy of the World (beloved by fans, Troughton (Two’s actor) get’s to really have some fun here, also bonus none of it is lost media! You can see Two, Jamie and Victoria being a perfect tardis team for real!!!) Season 5, eps 17-22

The Invasion (maybe the most iconic Cyberman story in the show’s entire history) Season 6, eps 11-18

The War Games (regen serial, also HUGE for the show’s history for reasons I won’t spoil) Season 6, eps 35-45

(Also recommend The Macra Terror, The Web of Fear (UNIT’s first story))

Third Doctor:

The 70s, Colour!!! With Three comes a bigger focus on action, a consistent cast and setting as the Doctor spends several seasons at UNIT HQ with some iconic characters like The Brigadier, Jo Grant <3, Sgt Benton, and later Sarah Jane!

Spearhead from Space (first story, great insight into the tone of 3’s run) Season 7, eps 1-4

Terror of the Autons (A fan favourite and also the first appearance of a beloved character!!!!) Season 8, eps 1-4

The Daemons (Another fan favourite, the scientifically minded Third Doctor vs a mystical threat!) Season 8, eps 21-25

The Three Doctors (10th Anniversary Special, Multi-Doctor story as the title implies, a personal fav) Season 10, eps 1-4

The Green Death (The pinnacle of the era, political, dramatic, emotional, weird) Season 10, eps 21-26

Planet of the Spiders (regen story, this thing is wild! The most convoluted chase scene in the shows history with a plot about psychic otherworldly spiders! cw:ableism) Season 11, eps 21-26

(Also recommend, Inferno, The Sea Devils (fan fav, not mine), The Curse of Peladon, The Time Warrior (Sarah Jane’s first))

Fourth Doctor:

Okay… 4 is the longest running doctor by FAR, and he’s around during what is considered by many to be the classic run’s best era for scripts. When we think of Classic Who THIS is what we picture! Trying to keep this list brief is going to be HARD but I’ll try!

Robot (first story, very fun and full of iconic moments. Four comes out the gate strong!) Season 12, eps 1-4

Genesis of the Daleks (THE Classic serial, if you watch nothing else I recommend, watch this.) Season 12, eps 11-16

Pyramids of Mars (You’ve no doubt heard of this if you’ve kept up with Ncuti’s/15’s run, and yes, it is a banger) Season 13, eps 9-12

The Seeds of Doom (my favourite classic serial, every couple episodes the gear shifts, pacing is excellent and the Doctor is on peak form, monster is scary and fascinating) Season 13, eps 21-26

The Robots of Death (certified classic in the fan community, also has Leela in it and I love Leela) Season 14, eps 17-20

Horror of Fang Rock (Atmospheric horror with strong cast of characters, The Lighthouse with The Doctor) Season 15, eps 1-4

City of Death (one of Douglas Adam’s contributions to the show, a fan favourite, masterpiece) Season 17, eps 5-8

Logopolis (regen story, very dense hard sci-fi, honestly confused me on first watch, trust the process) Season 18, eps 25-28

Wheewww that was a LOT, I know, I tried 😓 The sheer lack of K-9 in that list hurts me but I had to TRY and keep this a short list of the BEST

(Also recommend, The Ark in Space, Terror of the Zygons, The Android Invasion, The Face of Evil, Image of the Fendahl, The Stones of Blood (part of a wider season-long arc but works on its own), State of Decay (VAMPIRESSSS))

Fifth Doctor:

Okay, this is where I admit the gap in my knowledge around 5, his era has simply been my blind spot since forever which is a crime I swear I will fix. But for now I’ll skip him and go on to the controversial Sixth Doctor. But here’s a couple:

The Five Doctors (20th Anniversary with you guessed it… four doctors! What you expected more? It’s a big fan service vehicle but it’s also just so much fun and I do recommend it once you’ve watched a fair amount of the classic series) It has no season as it is a Special on it’s own.

The Caves of Androzani (regen story, widely considered one of Five’s best and a classic who staple) Season 21, eps 17-20

Sixth Doctor:

Okay, Six is controversial. The writing at this time had declined, public opinion of the show was at a low point, then Six came out the gate with a bad attitude and an eye-straining rainbow coat and the show never recovered. This is the first big nail in classic who’s coffin that led to its cancellation (or “extended hiatus” as the BBC insisted). However, it really ain’t that bad so here’s a few highlights.

Note One: Season 23 is all one big story made up of smaller serials known as ‘The Trial of a Timelord’, the season is absent from this list because it is best watched as a whole and that’s a big commitment.

Note Two: Due to public opinion and backlash, the BBC’s heads souring on Who in general, and internal politics, Colin Baker never had a regeneration story. Seriously. They rudely and quietly replaced him and had McCoy, his successor, regenerate at the beginning of the next season by wearing a wig that vaguely resembled Baker’s hair, Baker was not present for his own regeneration. It’s messed up.

The Twin Dilemma (first story, not widely considered very good unfortunately) Season 21, eps 21-24

Vengeance on Varos (a darker story, regarded as Six’s best by many) Season 22, eps 3-4

Revelation of the Daleks (his sole Dalek story and it’s a good one!) Season 22, eps 12-13

(I will recommend here his outings on Big Finish, starting with The Marian Conspiracy, Big Finish carefully rehabilitated Six’s perception in the fanbase with a series of excellent audio adventures, he is now considered by many to be among the best incarnations thanks to his presence on audio)

Seventh Doctor:

Seven and Ace got me into classic who so I have a real soft spot for them, this is where the show was just beginning to find its feet again with some excellent stories and new take on The Doctor. There’s a grand sense of scale to this era which is impressive given the budget couldn’t have been much lower. Some of the best (and worst) of classic is in Seven’s run so here are the highlights:

Time and The Rani (first story, not good! But fun if you can deal with the fact it is b a d) Season 24, eps 1-4

Paradise Towers (a guilty pleasure of mine, fascism in a hotel with spooky grandmas and gangs of people named Bin-Liner and Fire-Escape, go in with low expectations i beg) Season 24, eps 5-8

Remembrance of the Daleks (The final Dalek story of classic, it’s ACE, a must watch) Season 25, eps 1-4

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (circus story with an eerie atmosphere that really builds and also it’s quite silly) Season 25, eps 11-14

The Curse of Fenric (Showcasing the darker direction the show was heading if it wasn’t cancelled, this is a great script) Season 26, eps 8-11

Survival (the last serial in classic who, wild note to end on, but also poignant in its final moments) Season 26, eps 12-14

(Also recommend The Happiness Patrol (Thatcher satire with a giant candy man))

Other than the Eighth Doctor TV Movie (which is a blast) that’s it for classic. I hope this gives you a good pick and mix to grab from as you explore classic. I’ve probably put WAAAAYYYY too much here but there’s 26 seasons and so much to love so I’ve really tried to give you the condensed list.

If you ever want to just start watching in chronological. Season 1, Season 7, Season 11, and Season 12 are all great jumping on points!

Classic Who watchers!!! I call upon thee!

I have a request. Can you guys tell me what are the best arcs or episodes of each Doctor? I don't have enough time in my lifetime to watch the entirety of Classic Who, but I can manage that much.

I will also watch their regeneration episodes (the one they regenerate and the first one after) aside from arc episode reccomendations. Please let me know when each regeneration arcs begin!

Write down each episode's name, number and season number so it's easy for me to find.

Thanks! I look forward to knowing more about my blorbo The Doctor.

As a bonus, tell me which one is your fave!