ekconstantine

[ekconstantine]

Rip Elizabeth Keen you would’ve loved Inbred by Ethel Cain

[ekconstantine]

“With me, you’re enduring. Permanent.” - Futile Devices by Sufjan Stevens

This is my second go-around at Futile Devices and I feel like this one definitely outshines the last edit lol. I also worked on this for WAY TOO LONG but today I decided, fuck it let's just post it.

But of course, we can't have an edit without a small analysis because I'm annoying like that. (But be proud, no season 3 clips! What a miracle!!1!!!)

If you don't recognize it, Elizabeth's narration is from S6 when she has to take the stand as a witness during Red's trial. (Honestly one of the best arcs ever) I love the contrast created between her description of him and their soft moment on the swings from the beginning of their relationship. It enhances her own correction "I say almost because this is not how you interact with me." It's such a powerful acknowledgement of what she means to him.

It's also a nice change of pace because so often she places his feelings towards her in such a negative connotation. "you ruined my life," or "your obsession with me," etc, etc. But now, when she's facing the possibility of losing him, his permanence in her life is no longer a hindrance, but a comfort amidst her inner turmoil.

Going back to the edit itself, there's nothing I love more than small parallels so I hope the scene switch in It's been a long long time since I've memorized your face from the pilot to season 8 causes as much agony to yall as it did to me :) (the entire edit was built around it lol)

Also the scene where she falls into his arms..

Im such a sucker for it I have to stop myself from not including it in every single edit. They fed us so good in S1.

Also I do have to admit that after season 3, (ofc) season 7 has HANDS DOWN, the best first episode, no contest. As I've said before, we're finally free from the father allegations and for once in the show she just basks in her love for him openly. "A man I've grown to like." like are you kidding me??

I'll shut up now

[ekconstantine]

“What do you want Agent Keen? What do you really want?” - Thoroughfare by Ethel Cain

The first time I heard this song, the thing I immediately thought of was when they went on the run. (I really need to find a new medium that doesn’t have to do with season 3)

The ironic thing is that the scene that inspired this entire edit was a scene from before they went on the run. “What do you want Agent Keen?” Because I felt it really tied with the line But in these motel rooms I started to see you differently

Because that scene… holy crap I invite yall to go rewatch it because there’s no reason it should be should be as sexually charged as it is.

But returning to the edit, let’s talk about that first scene where she’s holding Tom Connolly at gunpoint to I met you there in Texas somewhere on the thoroughfare

Thoroughfare is defined as “a road or path forming a route between two places.” In that moment, when she chooses to kill, not an accidental fire like when she was a child, no, a fully conscious choice to end the life of another human being, is when she chooses to converge her path into that of Red’s.

THE BEST PART is seeing her resolve harden. Elizabeth’s hand starts off trembling, but as Connolly continues to speak there’s no hesitation in her. There’s a really good quote from a fan fiction I read a while back and I searched for an hour but couldn’t find the link. (If anyone can find it pls lmk) But it narrates what her inner monologue sounds like better than I ever could.

But Connolly had forgotten that he was just a man, who had threatened the very last thing she had left to lose, and that she was a woman with a gun.

When she frantically calls Red, telling him what she’s done, it’s not out of guilt, but fear that everything that they’ve both worked for will be lost. Because the murder allegations aren’t completely false anymore, and she knows no one will accept her now, except for Red.

And her choosing to become a fugitive with him, hence seeing the West, because (as I mentioned in a past post) he’s all Liz has left. Her moral compass has been completely skewed, and we see how far she’s come since the federal agent we met in the first season.

Then of course, we have the infamous motel dream sequence. Which by the way, who was going to tell me we never even see them share a motel room when they’re on the run 😭

But let’s go back to:

“What do you really want?”

Her subconscious knows she’s battling with these newfound feelings that she has no idea where to put. Her love for Red literally kills her love for Tom it cannot get more straight up than that.

And of course the perfect scene, my absolute favorite reunion between them, when, after being exonerated and freed from all charges, there’s only one person waiting for her.

[ekconstantine]

“Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to.”

This is me teasing an extremely long edit that’s not even to this song LMAOOO (but I couldn’t stop thinking that Fresh Out The Slammer was extremely applicable to them as well.)

It’ll be out this week but I couldn’t help clipping these screencaps that own my heart.

[ekconstantine]

just saw a man so beautiful i started to cry

[ekconstantine]

"I assume Tom is the father?" - not a lot, just forever by Adrianne Lenker

I decided that over Spring Break either another chapter was gonna get written, or an edit would be made. These are the results. My first viewing of the whole Agnes arc really set me off kilter in regards to Liz and Red's relationship. I felt the plot line so forced and it just left an extremely sour taste in my mouth. codeword for I was really pissed Then I was introduced to the amazing concept of Agnesgate and it made me view it in a much better light. Also it's pretty amazing how many of these scenes I have memorized but have absolutely no idea what context they're in.

You can thank the shipping container for being my inspiration for this edit.

So, in regards to how I view the whole Agnes situation, contrary to some belief, I think Elizabeth always knew to an extent who Agnes' actual father was. But the fear of actually admitting it to herself was stronger than wanting to give Red a chance to be a father. So Elizabeth went with the 'safer' choice in her attempt for normalcy. Look how well that turned out *insert Cuba kidnapping here*

Fuck you Tom Keen. Side note: I couldn't believe it when he actually died. I thought I was being punked like no way this show did something right for once???

Of course, Red always knew the truth, but he never would've contradicted the validity of what Liz decided to tell everyone. LIKE CMON MAN IN WHAT UNIVERSE DOES "I assume Tom is the father?" MAKE ANY SENSE IF THAT WAS THE ONLY PERSON SHE WAS WITH??? I'll die on this hill I don't care. Also her lack of "yes" speaks louder than anything else she could've said.

And the way Red treats Agnes... I'll never forgive you NBC for robbing that man of his little girl.

I won't give too much serious discussion into it because I'm not as well versed with all the evidence as I should be. Just some food for thought.

[ekconstantine]

Red and Elizabeth on the run: Anything by Adrianne Lenker

The funny thing about this edit is that I made it months ago and simply forgot it existed. It looks a little scrappy so I thought of just keeping it in my drafts but hey, better to publish it. The more content the better!

Have I ever mentioned *has mentioned it like 20 times* how much I love season 3A? It's quite literally the culmination of everything the story had been building up to and delivered us the most glorious thing the show ever made: blonde Lizzie.

I so distinctly remember watching the last scene of this arc before it shifted into the biggest loss of my life. Her crossing the street and throwing her arms around him has to be top 3 scenes of the show honestly. Every time I see it now I just think I should've stopped watching there and saved myself the disaster that would follow one episode later. Oh how I loathe you Tom Keen

Okay enough of my scattered thoughts. Let me try and give a semblance of an analysis that follows every single one of my edits.

When they go on the run, it strips Elizabeth down to the very core of her character. This is what makes these episodes so good, because there is such special attention dedicated to how she has to grapple with the loss of everything she knew, and her realization that there is only one thing she has left. This man, the bane of her existence has now become the center of her life.

All the relationships carefully curated over the course of two seasons are bulldozed, except Red. She is brought into his criminal orbit and is forced to confront the extent to which he loves her. How far he's willing to go, who he'll kill, threaten, and extort, just so that she can get her life back. This is when I believe she falls in love with him.

And let's not even TALK about the way she looks at him in all these clips my god

[ekconstantine]

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy | Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Hamlet: And therefore as a stranger give it welcome

Preview:

“And yet you speak as though I’ll become something else. What is it you see when you look at me, Elizabeth?”

“I see a child compared to the man I lost.”

Continue on ao3 -

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy (10130 words) by Evilkermit Chapters: 2/3 Fandom: The Blacklist (US TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Elizabeth Keen/Raymond Reddington Characters: Elizabeth Keen, Raymond Reddington, Dembe Zuma Additional Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Sort Of, Role Reversal, Agnesgate Summary: It took a few hours, but Elizabeth was now sure of three things.

First, she had somehow managed to time travel back to 1996.

Second, Red was alive and barely beginning his life as a fugitive.

Third, she was outside his Bethesda apartment, knocking on his door.

[ekconstantine]

After almost half a year slipping by, I’ve almost finished updating one of my Blacklist fan fictions. I was reading some of the comments in my inbox and was so moved I had to start working on it.

Honestly can’t believe people actually interact with my work! I’m just throwing stuff I wish existed into the void and hope there’s someone out there that loves it as much as I do.

Between school and work, it’s a miracle this story didn’t get completely canned 😭

But I remembered the pain of realizing a story was discontinued, and knew I couldn’t let mine fall victim to the same fate.

So keep a look out on Tumblr and ao3, because “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy” is almost getting its second chapter 👻 (also I’ve decided to extend it by a couple chapters because I wrote way too much dialogue.)

Link if you haven’t read it or want a refresher: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60564991/chapters/154629304

[ekconstantine]

#same lizzie #same

[ekconstantine]

“Has anyone ever helped you?”

A Conclave edit inspired these scenes to Futile Devices but holyyyy shit. I’ve had these scenes in the back of my head for an edit but hadn’t found the right song so they were fuzzy but the chemistry and tension… literally banging my head against the wall oh my god.

Her line delivery for the very infamous quote “has anyone ever helped you?” literally destroys me. There’s so much sadness and grief that her voice and eyes convey for Red in that moment RAHHHHHHH. Season 1 and 2 hold such a special place in my heart in terms of their relationship because it’s so fragile and new. There’s such a blind affection Lizzie has for Red that gets lost within the conflict about his real identity. Seeing her innocence in regards to him in S1 is so bittersweet.

Take for example the second scene which is post the Anslo-Garrick fiasco. I invite you guys to watch it. “Red.. where are you?” and “Wait! One question please.” The softness in which she speaks to him, I swear you’ll wanna cry. Doing all of this really makes me want to rewatch just that first season but like how do I make it so every Tom scene is deleted?

And for those of you who’ve seen the show multiple times I present you with the following questions: The lyrics “and I would say I love you but saying it is hard, so I won’t say it at all” made me wonder, does Red ever tell Elizabeth that he loves her? Like straight up I love you?

If the answer is no I have a whole post I’ll dedicate to that 😃

Final thing, after Elizabeth fakes her death in S3 and comes back, does he ever call her “Lizzie” again? Because I read in a fan fiction once that he never did after that and I haven’t rewatched so I wouldn’t know.

I know this account seems anti-Liz but I do feel for her sometimes like I too, am powerless against Red’s magnetic pull 😔

[ekconstantine]

More Blacklist ramblings because that’s all I know to do now. For all its faults, season 7 held the last flames of a dying empire. In my opinion, it holds without a doubt (after season 3 of course) the best season intro. Why? Because it’s when you see Liz at her most rabid, desperately searching for where Red has been taken.

I’ll never forget seeing that scene for the first time, when Dembe tells her they can’t find Red, god the thrill of seeing the fear spark in her face at the prospect of losing this man, what a game changer. Not to mention that season 7 is the first time in 3 seasons that the “father” cusp isn’t looming over us like a guillotine waiting to fall.

Season 4 introduces that stupid stupid plot line with the DNA test, season 5 is her misinterpreting their connection for a paternal one and, unknowingly about how as her father he’s still hiding secrets, and season 6 she holds up the facade up until episode 18 in an attempt to conceal her betrayal. It isn’t until Cooper asks her in 7x01, “who are you crossing the line for?”

“A man I’ve grown to like.” AND WE ALL CHEERED 🎉

Later on, in ep 2, when her and Ressler are questioning someone and she says “Im looking for someone I care about,” that had more significance than any of her stupid FUCKING scenes with Ressler in season 8. The only thing I mourn is that when they finally find him there’s no reunion scene (which we rightfully deserved).

Staying on that same line of thought, season 7 also delivers my favorite Liz scene and arguably the last scene where she’s truly happy. Season 7, Episode 13 (even though she’s already sided with her “mother”) has I think the last debriefing scene between Liz and Red.

The way her smile radiates at seeing him content and happy… GODDD WHY DID YOU TAKE THIS FROM ME

It’s like she knows their time together is coming to an end and is trying to grasp tight to the last remnants of him still loving her unconditionally, before her ultimate betrayal. I wish I could escape the Judas analogies but alas.

Watching that smile fade into the macabre character assassination of season 8.. well I’ve already voiced my thoughts on that but let me visualize it.

[ekconstantine]

“She looks like the real thing” - Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead

I’m not gonna lie to you guys, finding parallels scenes between these two was not easy but so worth the end product.

I’ve posted about this before but I rarely see any think pieces on Weecha and Elizabeth so it’s my turn to provide them.

As we all know, Elizabeth was Red’s life. Everything he did was for the sole purpose of protecting her and loving her (no matter what you’ve been convinced to believe otherwise). Those two years he spent (which I can’t believe they never gave us back backstory to those) trying to heal, unfortunately led to him desperately seeking his beloved’s shadow in the women closest to him. His mind couldn’t reconcile the fact that Liz was gone, so he searched for her elsewhere.

Enter Weecha, fiercely loyal to Red and his cause, protected him and loved him from afar (as we know he was with her sister 💀). She literally had to watch him be with another woman, which gives us reason to believe that she’d grown used to having him love someone else. This is why when Red romantically purses her, Weecha doesn’t care for the shadow of Elizabeth that hangs over her. All that matters to her is that Red finally chose her.

Which, on another topic, these two woman are such stark contrasts to one another. Since Liz had a streak of betrayal and Weecha was the embodiment of loyalty, my headcanon is that if Weecha had been introduced at around the time of the S6 betrayal when Dembe self exiled, Weecha would’ve hated Liz for always hurting Red and vice versa. Because as shown to us in S2 “Possessive of him, jealous of the girl he’s trying to protect.” and S8 when she literally KILLS Red’s girlfriend (which we never address 😭) Elizabeth can’t stand for Red to have another woman in his life.

Back to the song, Red’s “fake plastic love” is unfortunately Weecha. Because even though “she looks like the real thing” he’s never going to be able to love her like he loved the woman he devoted his entire life to.

Anyways my thoughts are kind of jumbled but I hope that makes sense.

[ekconstantine]

Rewatching the early episodes of S5 and seeing Liz be so happy with Red and the whiplash of clicking S8 directly afterwards.. I almost crashed out

The “cool!” tidbit from the end of 5x02 MAKES ME GO INSANE AHHHHH like im willing to ignore Tom and the whole he’s her dad plot just because for once in this god forsaken show they allowed her to actually be happy and not double crossing him every other episode.

I wish that they had made her “villain” arc deeper than the stupid shit that we got but hey at least she looked good during it right? (Every single episode of season 8 makes me wish I’d never started the show) which is kinda funny because I love angst but 22 hours of continuous pain? No gracias amigo 😃

[ekconstantine]

Season 8 Elizabeth Keen: Strangers by Ethel Cain

I can’t express to you guys how long I’ve been wanting to make an edit of her to this song. I’ve delayed it for so long because to be honest.. I really really hate her character in season 8 and I knew rewatching the episodes was going to be painful but hey, I finally did it!

There are a couple of things I got from her final character arc and one of them is her perverted sense of justice in attempting to kill Red. She is so blinded by her quest she literally drives herself insane to the point of hallucination (Kate Kaplan). I think it’s interesting that she has to manifest one of Red’s greatest enemies to try and convince herself that what she’s doing is correct, hence. “I try to be good. Am I no good?”

Her own psyche has trouble in trying to justify torturing and killing Red and that speaks a lot to the weakness of her own goals (BECAUSE SHE KNOWS SHE SHOULDN’T BETRAY THE MAN SHE LOVES MOST)

Almost every other scene she’s distraught/ fighting her own subconscious on whether she should cross the line or not, and I think this song really encapsulates that internal battles she constantly has during her fight against Red. And of course, her death scene being her desperately trying to make amends but dying almost by her own hand, is definitely not a fun viewing experience 😃.

[ekconstantine]

“He’s committed to you. He loves you.”

We got another one folks! New Lizzington edit but this time to Frank Ocean’s White Ferrari. I know I’m super late to the game but damn this song is so fucking sad and I thought who better to edit than these two beautiful, broken people?

I kinda derailed mid-edit because I got lazy with the clips but I think I saved myself pretty well near the end. Also I’m reaching a point that I can almost name each time she tells him off in all the seasons LMAOOO (I have a physical reaction every time Liz betrays him)

But on a different subject, I’ve always been (painfully) invested in the fleeting love Liz has for Red. Obviously it can be attributed to shit writing but in their universe Red has come to accept that her love for him is conditional and that is genuinely so sad. I like to think that the glitches that occur in the song during the beginning is Liz’s impending sense of doom, knowing she’s inevitably going to hurt Red again, because her character can’t help it. The scenes that follow are just early examples of the instability of their relationship.

With the last glitch, occurring during a Judas-esque scene with the “Do you forgive me?” For something she hasn’t done, a betrayal that has not yet occurred (he’s been sold but not crucified) Red experiences the glitch, his own premonition: knowing Liz’s path will always be conflicting with his, but loving her despite of it.

[ekconstantine]

good to know that even over a year removed, i can’t see red step out onto that sidewalk and watch out-of-focus lizzy climb out of that car behind him without my entire chest tightening just as painfully as it did the night it aired