#tht parallels

[sometimesoliloquy]

4x03 "The Crossing" - Parallels

"I can't ask God for something she didn't want."

"I just want her to stay alive."

To me the contrast between these two scenes really highlights Luke’s deep lack of understanding as to June’s situation—and how it is to be (to survive) in Gilead in general. It’s now over 2 seasons later—he still doesn’t get it and I don’t think he ever will.

(screencaps sourced by me)

[hinamie]

9 / 266

[lemongogo]

blue period // look back

[just-b-wilde]

Wow, thanks for your video: Nick ✘ June • Love In The Dark [6x08]

I love the parallel between Nick and Rose walking down the aisle, June watching // Nick and June walking up the stairs at the Waterfords, Eden watching. ❤😉👀

In one of the comments, @sweetdonkeyartisaneggs mentioned this similarity and I immediately thought it would be great for a video. Haha, well I had no idea I was going to be making that video today.

Anyway, did you notice it too?

When Nick went with June, he was so close to her, even though it wasn't safe. When he walks by his wife's side, his body is as far away from her as possible, like he doesn't even want to be there.

Likewise, the hand on her back feels like "I'd help an old random lady like that because she needs it" but with June it's protective and intimate.

[dailyjasontodd]

Batman #496 (1993) → Death in the Family - Robin Lives #1 (2024)

[howlsofbloodhounds]

How do you feel about delta x killer. (Like general dynamics,,,)

Well considering I came up with their duo name, blood orange duo, and as far as I can tell, was one of the firsts that even made posts about them and their potential dynamics—I absolutely love them.

[chronicallyfabulous22]

“You built this whole world so you could have SOMETHING and it didn’t work…”//“You seek not to free yourself but to create a window into the wall of your prison”

I made an edit because one day I’ll probably write a PhD thesis length analysis of the parallels between Serena Joy and Alicent and how Alicent could’ve been both an iconic sympathetic villain and a blueprint for female antagonist to rival even Serena if the show wasn’t so obsessed with justifying her

[yumenosakiacademy]

a couple times in the series, mephisto nearly loses praxina n despite being fed up w her, hes absolutely Heartbroken n desperate n even resorts 2 teaming up w the enemy 2 try n get her back bc at his core, hes the more heartful of the duo n loves his sister despite her attitude n so u think 2 urself "if she was in mephistos place, she prob would NOT care [as much] lbr"

n then the finale flips it Entirely on its head when MEPHISTO is the 1 2 get hurt this time. PRAXINA is the 1 experiencing loss now. mephisto watched her b trapped n her memories wiped n saves her both times but she can only watch on as her brother plummets presumably 2 his death as a crystal explodes above him.

n it effing crushes her.

theres no nonchalance. no "hah good riddance" or "oh no. Anyway-". no selfishness or self preservation. she takes all the expectations n preconceived notions based on her arrogant attitude n in 1 moment, swiftly shatters them jus like her breaking heart w her scream of her brothers name. she sits there grief-stricken n in shock instead of quickly trying 2 flee.

4 every time her brother cared abt n saved her, she channels him in her dark powers n vows complete intense revenge n destruction in his honor. an eye 4 an eye. a spot of softness under an exterior of sharp dark crystal. "the world's deadliest duo" of a newly born villainess of grieving seething rage n the darkness of her brothers memory as her everpresent shadow.

[sometimesoliloquy]

1x08 "Jezebels" / 6x05 "Janine"

Parallels

***

After last week's episode I was having a lot of thoughts & feelings about the Moira/June conflict. I went back and rewatched the two "Jezebels" episodes from s1, where we see June and Moira reunited for the first time since they were separated trying to escape at the train station (in the s1 flashback), and was struck by the number of parallels both echoing and contrasting 6x05.

In 1x08 "Jezebels" (notably, the first time we are introduced to Jezebels, both the specific establishment in former Boston, and the concept in general), June and Moira catch each other's eyes across the room. It's a shock for both of them to see the other there (both good and bad). They emotionally embrace in the restroom.

Interestingly, Janine is mentioned in this scene, and Moira is quite dismissive of her.

It's interesting to see the evolution of the various characters' relationships and how this comes into play in the fight in 6x05. Back in s1, Janine was often treated as just the wacky, mentally damaged dingbat. She was dismissed as "crazy" and was often the butt of the joke between bff's Moira and June. But a lot has happened between this scene and season 6, and June and Janine have had the chance to get so much closer. June became protective of Janine, starting to see her as a '"little sister" and see her as a whole person--her kind spirit, never-failing optimism, and strength as a woman, as a good friend and mother in spite of all the terrible shit that happened to her. Moira cares about her, and getting her out, of course. But something has shifted and now it is June and Janine who have been bonded together "in the trenches", and Moira and June who have been out of sync, for some time. This all feeds into the later conflict where Moira is resentful and quite possibly a little envious of this changed dynamic.

***

In 6x05 "Janine", we have very similar reunion scenes in which Janine and June lock eyes, and later share an emotional embrace, along with Moira.

side note: I love how the subtitles of the song lyrics playing over the background make it seem like they're saying "hey" to each other :)

***

Going back I found this scene interesting in hindsight. in 6x05, Moira is frustrated with June and calls her out on what she views as selfishness. It's right after June admits "I wasn't thinking about you, I was thinking about her" (Janine).

Again, it seems to be triggered by Moira feeling left out of the loop, and interestingly it's very much in contrast to their first reunion in Jezebels in 1x08, where Moira starts "What about you? How's Waterford" and June replies "Forget him, I just want to hear about you. Tell me everything."

Notably, relating what happened after she and June split up and she was recaptures, Moira says "They didn't take me back" (to the Red Center). "I was a 'corrupting influence'. They took me somewhere else." I picked up on this as something she and June unfortunately do have in common by season 4. Moira may have assumed June would be tortured (quite likely at the same facility) after Angels' Flight, but it doesn't seem like they probably ever talked about it.

***

The argument in 6x05 ultimately ends with Moira telling June that she loves her, echoing their heartfelt goodbye in 1x08.

It's moving, but there's still an unavoidable sadness to the resolution, because the fact is things have changed between Moira and June. They will always be family, they'll always love each other "so fucking much"/ "all of the time", but they'll probably never be back to that place where they were best friends, always in sync. Their friendship, their dynamic, has shifted due to external forces, the divergent paths they've gone down--both full of incomparable, but different suffering and trauma. The obvious truth is that Moira has become (somewhat ironically given their dynamic in pre-Gilead flashbacks) much more in sync with Luke, and maybe with other refugees and Mayday folks as well. And June is more in sync with Janine, and others who were handmaids, or in Gilead longer. And I think we all understand that feeling when we realize a friendship has unalterably shifted. It's often inevitable, and is no one's fault, but it still hurts.

***

As a bonus I wanted to touch on a scene from 1x09 "Bridges". This is where June gets Fred to take her back to Jezebels to procure the Mayday package Alma has told her about. Fred brings Moira (who he knows as "Ruby") to the room as a "present" for June, and we sickeningly learn that June and Moira sadly have another trauma in common--being raped by this dirtbag. Once they're able to get rid of Fred, they have a bit of a heated exchange. Once again we see Moira being dismissive of the other handmaids: "risking your life because Alma said so, fucking Alma?" and we're reminded again that June has known the other handmaids so much longer and has so much more in common with them now due to their shared experiences.

I've noted before that I think Moira buried down a lot of her PTSD once she got to Canada. There are probably a myriad of personal reasons. Maybe the hurt and rage just felt too huge of a monster to let out. But it seems perhaps in part as an attempt to try and assimilate, to be the "good" kind of refugee who doesn't make waves, doesn't make people too uncomfortable with her anger. It's interesting to note also, that this seems very much in line with the attitude we find her stuck in above. The don't fight back, just keep your head down and stay in line kind of mindset she shows while trapped in Jezebels is notably similar to how we start to see her act (and counsel June to act) as a refugee in Canada in s4/5. And it's striking because I always thought of Moira as a fighter--we see her so involved in activist causes in pre-Gilead flashbacks, her rebelliousness in the red center, and going to anti-Gilead protests in Canada in s2/3, etc.

But I think it's really important here to look at this in the context of race and history, which is something the show really doesn't seem to do? And I realized, yeah it makes sense that Moira would feel empowered to be outspoken and be a women's activist in the US before Gilead came to power, before all the shit hit the fan and they still thought they were living in a post-feminist, post civil rights world where certain rights could never be taken away. It makes sense she would feel empowered to enact peaceful protests in a Canada that was still outraged at Gilead and compassionate and supportive towards refugees. But in the context of Gilead, specifically of the dehumanizing brutality of Jezebels, and when Canada starts turning dangerously toward anti-refugee sentiment--where probably the most dangerous thing to be is an angry, outspoken black woman refugee--of course she would start making herself smaller and quieter and more "palatable" out of self-preservation. June, by contrast, comes from a place of relative privilege. It's not to say that she doesn't suffer and isn't punished for her acts of rebellion, she is. But contextually it makes sense for her to generally feel freer to express anger, violence and anti establishmentism in a world that has more tolerance for these things coming from a white person, not just "now" in the context of the show but historically in America and the world.

And we see this here in 1x09, just how much Moira has been beaten down, how much she has become resigned to just keeping her head down so she can just survive as long as she can. Here June gives her "pep talk", telling Moira "you keep your fucking shit together ,you fight!" And of course later we see Moira, bolstered by these words, killing a "patron" and donning his clothes to escape.

What I didn't remember, though, was this little line Moira responds with at the time:

I found this so interesting and relevant both in the context of 6x05 and in the larger context of s4 and 5 in general. Because I think "I was doing all right until I saw you again" sums up exactly how Moira feels in s4/5 as well. I've also said before that I think June, with all her loud, messy trauma coming hot into Canada in s4, really triggered Moira and her (largely repressed) trauma. I believe she thought she was doing fine--she had a girlfriend, work with refugees she cared about, the group therapy circle she was leading. But June's fresh, raw anger, her apparent erraticness and sometimes single-track need for revenge brought up all the stuff under the surface for Moira. Some of it, as we saw, was guilt for "leaving June behind". Some of it was resentment for feeling like she owed June, had to "live her life" taking care of Luke and Holly. But a lot I think was seeing an echo of her own rage and hurt mirrored back to her; the emotions she buried down and now doesn't know how to deal with, doesn't even feel like she's given the space to have.

And so, somewhat irrationally, she blames June for this. But just like she needed the reminder of her strength and ferocity in 1x09 to fight for her life and freedom, she also needs the reminder that trauma doesn't just go away because you've convinced yourself you've moved on. It needs to be dealt with if there's ever a hope of really getting to the other side. And keeping your head down may help you survive, but it won't make you feel fulfilled when you know injustice is happening (the same kind that happened to you) and you're not doing anything to counter it.

[just-b-wilde]

The Viewer’s Paradox: Two series fandoms

This year, two well-known shows came to an end — The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) and You (Netflix), which have been with us for a similarly long time, just a year apart. I decided to share a few thoughts and observations about both stories, but also about the fandom reactions and certain “similarities” I couldn’t help but notice.

You might ask — what the hell do these two shows have in common? A story about survival in dystopian Gilead and the tale of a serial killer? Well, there’s something there, I promise!

⚠️ This post contains spoilers for both finales.

Honestly, it was more of a coincidence that I watched both shows around the same time. I’ll even admit that I’ve known You much longer than THT. But I was more of a casual viewer, and after season 2 (which I watched five years ago), I only got around to catching up a few days ago.

The Hate Reactions

Even before I saw either finale, it was impossible to miss the wild fan responses — especially the disturbing hate campaign against Madeline Brewer, who just so happens to appear in both shows (Janine in The Handmaid’s Tale, Bronte in You).

She’s a beloved character in THT, but one of the most hated in You. On social media, the actress was subjected to truly awful bullying — people were saying she "ruined" the show, and many insulted her appearance as well.

I was honestly shocked by how far people will go online (hiding behind their screens, many clearly think they can say anything), and it just felt wrong. Even after watching the finale, I had to go read multiple reviews just to understand what people were so upset about.

Poorly Rated Finales

IMDb ratings for the final episodes:

You: Finale – 5.4 (7.6K ratings) Penultimate – 8.5 (3.6K ratings)

THT: Finale – 5.7 (3K ratings) Penultimate – 9.2 (3.5K ratings)

It really caught my attention that both shows had very highly rated penultimate episodes, but their finales totally flopped. In both cases, fans complained about a drop in narrative quality, unsatisfying resolutions, and weaker writing compared to earlier seasons. And sure — both shows touch heavily on feminism and misogyny. Or maybe people were just… bored?

What I found especially fascinating was this:

In one show, viewers praise something that viewers of the other hate. Namely — the invincible female character trope.

In You, it’s Bronte who brings justice and finally gets the protagonist into the hands of the law after all these years of slipping through the cracks.

But what breaks the logic is that she was severely injured and somehow became nearly unstoppable for the sake of plot. Viewers had a huge problem with that — same as with another character who survived certain death, clearly just for shock value.

It immediately reminded me of the scene with June, who survived being hanged from a height, and in the next scene she’s basically fine — just complaining about a sore throat.

Fan reactions? The opposite. Many people admired June, while many started to hate Bronte.

Who's really the bad guy?

Now to the core of why I’m even writing this: Nick Blaine and Joe Goldberg.

Surprisingly, I found some very interesting parallels between them:

Both experienced childhood trauma and abandonment by their mothers.

Both were willing to kill for love and were portrayed — in some ways — as romantics.

For both characters, there is talk of viewers liking them because of their looks.

But the key difference?

Joe was not a good person. He could “love” someone — and then kill them when they were no longer “the one” or when they “betrayed” him (in his own twisted view). He was a deeply disturbed man who repeated his cycle until it caught up to him.

Nick, on the other hand, was always loyal to his love. Yes, he was capable of violence — but only to protect her or help her. And most of the time, she knew about it. One could even say she counted on that kind of help. Sure, he was part of the “bad side” — but it was about survival.

Joe enjoyed his position. He literally admitted to enjoying the violence he inflicted. Nick carried the weight of his choices. We could see how it affected him.

Yes, their backgrounds and contexts are vastly different — but it’s still astonishing to me how audiences perceive them.

Joe killed over 20 (mostly innocent) people on screen, yet many viewers still feel sympathy for him. I've read several people's reactions that he deserved a happy ending with a woman who would finally accept him. Even after everything.

Nick? He never did anything on screen that made me say “wow, that’s a bad man.” And yet, the clumsy writing of the last few episodes tried to tell us he was bad. Period. Without any real scenes to support it — just a few vague lines of dialogue.

And the story, the promo, and even some of the actors played along with it. Nick ended up as the guy who reaped what he sowed. And many viewers agreed, showing zero empathy for him.

And I keep asking myself: How is this even possible?

Are the audiences of these two shows really that different?

How can one character be written off based on a few inconsistent lines that contradict the rest of the story — while another, a literal serial killer, gets sympathy and understanding?

It honestly blows my mind.

Final thoughts

In the end, the show I didn’t even care that much about (You) turned out to be far more enjoyable to me than the one I had a deep connection with (The Handmaid’s Tale).

Joe is, in my opinion, the true definition of someone who reaped what he sowed. That absolutely does not apply to Nick.

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

I’m not defending Billie in the least or anything, and she is an adult and is responsible for her words and actions, but I’m just saying… She was a child star whose family’s entire existence revolves around her career and has since she was a young teenager. Which can be lovely for support, sure, but could also lead to limited outside guidance or perspective on her career. (Look, I know little about her family other than watching her documentary on Apple a few years ago.) I’m just saying there could be an echo chamber of influence in her circle leading to people enabling short-term resentment and pettiness instead of calculating how to play the long game. The fact that her own management was obtuse enough to be liking unsavoury tweets about another high profile artist on a public account is evidence enough that her larger team’s judgment is perhaps not the best to put it mildly.

Obviously it’s not a great look to vocally criticize *checks notes* selling more physical copies of albums, selling special digital editions of albums, releasing long form content and putting on an intricate show for fans when that’s the industry standard that you have to aspire to, and more importantly, even worse to make it seem you’re above it all while actively pursuing some of those things. Eventually she (along with any other artist coming up) is going to have to find that you do in fact have to show you care to have the kind of longevity that the big names have. She might just skate through this one because her fanbase is young and will support her, but eventually, she will have to have the product to back this all up.

I don’t know what I’m really saying here other than who you surround yourself with absolutely matters.

[individuating]

ik every time someone denies beatrice’s existence and maria gets upset and insisting she does exist sayo smiles to herself like Yes fight for my honor my psionic warrior

[dracula-enthusiast]

really trying not to post too much abt it bc it only came out days ago but man. saw x was such a love letter to the franchise. you can feel the care for the overarching story and for the characters that went into it and it really really pays off and its really healing to see a Good saw movie, especially after the three titles before it. i will def be seeing it a third time before it leaves theaters

[canismajors]

the problem w hoyos storywriting is that whatever themes they try to establish will never be actually followed through with or explored properly making it feel just really shallow & weak

[anissapierce]

Luffy n Usagi r characters cut from the same cloth n i need them to go to an all you can eat buffet n scare the restaurant owner (mamoru after writes a check for their trouble)

[sometimesoliloquy]

I just watched Casablanca too and wow there are so many parallels between Nick and Rick. I would love to hear your thoughts about it.

Thank you for asking, honestly I would dearly love to ramble on about this lol! I really would like to do a more well-organized post with screencaps and quotes etc. but sadly I don't have the time right now, so for now maybe I'll just give the cliff notes of my initial thoughts and hope to do more later. I'll put these under the cut just in case anyone wants to watch the movie and doesn't want to be spoiled of certain details haha. I really do recommend it! (to note, it's currently available to stream on (hbo) Max for anyone who has that).

The frequent references to Rick's mysterious past, with seemingly varying views--at times the allusion seems of a more nefarious nature, whereas other times involvement in resistance efforts seem to be hinted at. This of course immediately reminded me of Nick and how the shroud around a lot of his past allows for wildly different interpretations, both from other characters and from the viewers.

Likewise, Rick is generally outwardly portrayed as reclusive and "selfish", his main modus operandi being "keep your head down and stick to your own business", but it seems clear from early on this is largely a front. He makes it clear to all who will listen that he doesn't stick his neck out for anybody, but in small, subtle gestures we see his actions contradict this. He clearly has a moral compass and wants to do the right thing--while staying under the radar, of course. This is Nick to a T, especially as we meet him in s1 of The Handmaid's Tale.

Then of course in the end, Rick makes the riskiest and most selfless move possible for the woman he loves, and for the cause (proving not just his nobility in the name of love, but for humanity in general). We have yet to see where Nick will land at the end (and personally I hope he doesn't turn out to be quite this noble and selfless!! We want a happy ending for you, Nick!!), but we have certainly seen him risk and sacrifice for his Love and for his daughter. And I mean, the 6x03 quote “I’m risking everything I have to save your husband” is right spot on.

Rick and Ilsa's love story echoes Nick and June's in that they fell in love in a sort of whirlwind nature, while Ilsa thought her husband to be dead. By design they knew very little about each other, maybe due to the transient feeling of the affair. But Rick of course can't let it go when the time comes, he wants her to run away with him. Who knows, Nick might well have actually run away with June when he had the chance if he hadn't known her husband was still alive and waiting for her in Canada!

And of course they're still impossibly, star-crossedly in love even years later even though Ilsa is now back with her (not dead after all) husband, Victor Laszlo. This is obviously where the love stories differ because Rick had no idea the hubs was still alive, or who he was, so that all comes as quite a shock, as does seeing her at all since she basically ghosted him years ago. And of course Rick has not wed into a marriage of convenience with a baby on the way (he does seem to have an on again/off again escort gf). There is a scene with a very similar vibe to 6x03 though (if a little more confrontational!), with him feeling hurt and passed over for the husband (especially when she specifically asks him to help the husband), followed by an emotional confession of her continued love for him (Rick/Nick).

Let’s be honest though, Luke is certainly no Victor Laszlo (Luke wishes. I mean he does have the air of self-importance but none of the clout to back it up if you know what I mean). Essentially June is both Ilsa AND Victor Laszlo in this story but also just happens to be saddled with a pre-war husband who she’s grown apart from and isn’t in love with anymore but feels obligated to stay with anyway.