lauratheroo

[lauratheroo]

It's just that one con panel fan in a vid this summer asked if he thinks matt is autistic and he seemed so affected by the question, and he looked to Vincent who appeared to know a secret and charlie said he has personal reasons why this is a hard question for him to answer and left it at that. I'm autistic so I wonder if maybe he's not autistic but has some other neurologic issue he deals with

Ahh maybe or it could be one of his children, his wife or a family member. I would probably lean toward one of his children if he had a strong reaction. As a parent of an autistic child I’d get that.

Also does anyone have this clip?

[lauratheroo]

They do. Often.

ok so from what I've read, alters don't just go away or disappear so hopefully this series will do it right and bring Steven back just for that reason alone

[lauratheroo]

PRODIGAL SON | 1.02 — “Annihilator” (2019)

[lauratheroo]

The difference between Ainsley and Malcolm:

What he did was a misguided attempt at protecting his sister that he now realises was wrong. His intentions were benevolent. He was in an impossible position and, uniquely, had been there before. Last time, he turned his father in and saw what become of him. He went against better judgment because he could not do that to his sister. He genuinely wanted to save her from what he believed would destroy her.

What she did to him? That was premeditated, calculated cruelty. Just like what his father did to him. She wanted to fuck him up and she didn’t care how badly her ‘prank’ (!!) harmed him. In fact, her intention was just that. To harm him. The brother who has turned himself inside out for her. The brother with a list of mental health conditions as long as her arm. She wanted to teach him a lesson. The fact she referred to it as ‘underestimating’ her makes me wonder if she’s been playing him all along and is somehow offended that he thought she couldn’t handle it. It was a peculiar choice of word, certainly.

So now we have Malcolm burdened with the knowledge that no matter what he does, the people he loves will hurt him. He turned his father in for murder and Martin continued to fuck with his head. He did the opposite with his sister and the outcome was exactly the same. It doesn’t matter what he does or does not do, the people he loves will damage him. His sister was not moved by his obvious desperation whatsoever. She just coldly, calmly watched him break.

Ainsley knows full well he is not ‘like dad’ - but she knew those words will hit him the hardest. And they did. Look at him crumble and apologise when she says it. It’s his kryptonite. His weak spot. And she manipulated that horribly.

[lauratheroo]

I kind of just take it to mean that it’s essentially a slowburn relationship but, unlike the traditional slowburn where 2 characters gradually come to get together, it only takes place in Malcolm’s brain injured imagination. So, it’s slowburn, but it’s not real. Poor Malcolm’s subconscious is fucking with him.

chris fedak needs to stop using the term “psychological slowburn” as if any of us knows wtf it means

[lauratheroo]

Yeah true, imagine 2 people you loved being completely different people to what you believed them to be. That’s got to mess with the world view.

Speaking of opposites, people talk about eyes being the windows and all that. Malcolm’s are the clearest of blue, almost translucent at times. Ainsley’s are dark and the lighting on the show make them appear even darker. Ainsley’s apartment was floor to ceiling windows and pure white brightness, Malcolm’s is reminiscent of a speakeasy cellar bar where you need a password to enter. They both dress as their mother would see fit, though. That’s one thing they have in common.

I do wonder how Jessica is going to deal with her children, going forward. It’s not how she imagined things. Ainsley is perfect, she said, and Malcolm her only concern. Will she feel guilt that she missed it? That she didn’t see, like she didn’t see with Martin? Malcolm even implying they might lose her to herself must have been scary for her since he would not say that without reason. What I did like was how she immediately knew he didn’t kill Endicott when he said he was guilty of it, though. Such a contrast to his other ‘family’ believing he may have killed in Season 1 even as he pleaded his innocence. She might have gone years worrying her son could be like his father but when it came down to it she saw him, her son, she knew.

Okay but everything else aside-

*pushes Martin!Gil back into Hell where he came from*

This new episode, did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more… I don’t know if ‘affectionate’ is the word that I’m looking for, but I’ll go with it for now. Tolerant? Whatever. Did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more affectionate/tolerant toward Martin, or was it just me? Because I noticed a few odd things during their interactions in the episode that were a little strange.

For instance, during the phone call, about ten and a half minutes in, when Martin’s talking about how they make a good team:

Martin: We were partners! Just like the old, you know, uh… Starky and… Tubbs! Malcolm: *chuckles* You’re mixing your buddy cops.

Of course it’s not the first time Malcolm’s laughed at something Martin has said. But this time he sounds genuinely amused? Like, I can’t place it. Normally I feel like he would have been annoyed, and that laughter would have come across as dry and sarcastic, more of a “I really don’t want to be talking to you rn” kinda thing. But his tone and his expression - he smiles and grins when he responds.

He also doesn’t seem as short with him at first either. He’s willingly talking to him about, not just the case, but Ainsley. Talking about his past. Her past. With Martin. It’s just not a very Malcolm thing to do when it comes to his father. His guards are always up when it comes to the Surgeon, but in this scene it seems like those walls are down, if only for a brief moment.

Now then, the moment he went in to see Martin.

Malcolm: You like the doll maker?

Those are his first words. And like before, he sounds amused. Affectionate, even. It sounds like it would be followed up with a knowing, fond, “I figured you would”, because let’s be honest, of course Martin would like the doll maker. 

Malcolm: What about the eyes?

Come on. The look on his face. The barely-suppressed smirk. It’s a joke. A tease. When Martin goes on his tangent about the doll maker being a romantic, Malcolm smiles and turns away (similar to how he did on the phone), and again, his expression is amused, affectionate. Of course, Martin then brings up Ainsley which shuts the whole thing down, and we see Malcolm’s guards immediately go back up as he brings up the chloroform, the camping trip - almost like he’s trying to remind himself of those things specifically, reasons why he can’t let his guard down around Martin.

I’ve probably analyzed this to hell and back for nothing but it was just something I noticed that I had to share. There wasn’t as much tension between them until Ainsley was brought up and I don’t know if that was on purpose or what, but god did I enjoy seeing it.

[lauratheroo]

I have felt she lacked empathy since the beginning. The most obvious example was the surgery scene as well as how unavailable she was for her bf when he was recovering. How quick she was to throw Malcolm’s mental health out there to get a reaction from Martin (and you can tell by his face it hurt him). Her mother had to literally prompt her to hug her when Malcolm was missing and her first thought was that Ainsley was going to take it to the network.

I’ve found her a little ‘off’ all along, very self-centred and oblivious, and the fact that profiler!Malcolm hasn’t addressed it makes me think she’s always been like that so he sees it as her normal behavior. It’s been dialled up to a million now and he must be wondering how the Hell his love was so blind. Jessica too. For her, Malcolm was the weird, potentially dangerous kid, not Ainsley. But I’ve always seen Malcolm as someone who feels too much as opposed to feeling too little.

Okay but everything else aside-

*pushes Martin!Gil back into Hell where he came from*

This new episode, did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more… I don’t know if ‘affectionate’ is the word that I’m looking for, but I’ll go with it for now. Tolerant? Whatever. Did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more affectionate/tolerant toward Martin, or was it just me? Because I noticed a few odd things during their interactions in the episode that were a little strange.

For instance, during the phone call, about ten and a half minutes in, when Martin’s talking about how they make a good team:

Martin: We were partners! Just like the old, you know, uh… Starky and… Tubbs! Malcolm: *chuckles* You’re mixing your buddy cops.

Of course it’s not the first time Malcolm’s laughed at something Martin has said. But this time he sounds genuinely amused? Like, I can’t place it. Normally I feel like he would have been annoyed, and that laughter would have come across as dry and sarcastic, more of a “I really don’t want to be talking to you rn” kinda thing. But his tone and his expression - he smiles and grins when he responds.

He also doesn’t seem as short with him at first either. He’s willingly talking to him about, not just the case, but Ainsley. Talking about his past. Her past. With Martin. It’s just not a very Malcolm thing to do when it comes to his father. His guards are always up when it comes to the Surgeon, but in this scene it seems like those walls are down, if only for a brief moment.

Now then, the moment he went in to see Martin.

Malcolm: You like the doll maker?

Those are his first words. And like before, he sounds amused. Affectionate, even. It sounds like it would be followed up with a knowing, fond, “I figured you would”, because let’s be honest, of course Martin would like the doll maker. 

Malcolm: What about the eyes?

Come on. The look on his face. The barely-suppressed smirk. It’s a joke. A tease. When Martin goes on his tangent about the doll maker being a romantic, Malcolm smiles and turns away (similar to how he did on the phone), and again, his expression is amused, affectionate. Of course, Martin then brings up Ainsley which shuts the whole thing down, and we see Malcolm’s guards immediately go back up as he brings up the chloroform, the camping trip - almost like he’s trying to remind himself of those things specifically, reasons why he can’t let his guard down around Martin.

I’ve probably analyzed this to hell and back for nothing but it was just something I noticed that I had to share. There wasn’t as much tension between them until Ainsley was brought up and I don’t know if that was on purpose or what, but god did I enjoy seeing it.

[lauratheroo]

Oh definitely projecting, but kind of understandably so. Ainsley was pretty terrifying when she killed Endicott. That kind of unhinged lack of control, that kind of overkill? Imagine how nerve wracking it must be to see someone capable of that be so utterly detached at a murder scene, especially given she already filmed her boyfriend’s life saving surgery with the kind of detachment a sociopath might. When he asked her “how did it make you feel?” it was like he was desperate for her to believably tell him she was horrified by it. I don’t think he believes she was at all and, for him, that’s got to be horrendous. His sister is the human equivalent of the explosive his shaky hand was holding onto in ep 13. She could go off at any minute. His father, at least somewhat, has the safety engaged. Ainsley though? She’s triggered. And he’s the only one who knows she’s live.

Okay but everything else aside-

*pushes Martin!Gil back into Hell where he came from*

This new episode, did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more… I don’t know if ‘affectionate’ is the word that I’m looking for, but I’ll go with it for now. Tolerant? Whatever. Did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more affectionate/tolerant toward Martin, or was it just me? Because I noticed a few odd things during their interactions in the episode that were a little strange.

For instance, during the phone call, about ten and a half minutes in, when Martin’s talking about how they make a good team:

Martin: We were partners! Just like the old, you know, uh… Starky and… Tubbs! Malcolm: *chuckles* You’re mixing your buddy cops.

Of course it’s not the first time Malcolm’s laughed at something Martin has said. But this time he sounds genuinely amused? Like, I can’t place it. Normally I feel like he would have been annoyed, and that laughter would have come across as dry and sarcastic, more of a “I really don’t want to be talking to you rn” kinda thing. But his tone and his expression - he smiles and grins when he responds.

He also doesn’t seem as short with him at first either. He’s willingly talking to him about, not just the case, but Ainsley. Talking about his past. Her past. With Martin. It’s just not a very Malcolm thing to do when it comes to his father. His guards are always up when it comes to the Surgeon, but in this scene it seems like those walls are down, if only for a brief moment.

Now then, the moment he went in to see Martin.

Malcolm: You like the doll maker?

Those are his first words. And like before, he sounds amused. Affectionate, even. It sounds like it would be followed up with a knowing, fond, “I figured you would”, because let’s be honest, of course Martin would like the doll maker. 

Malcolm: What about the eyes?

Come on. The look on his face. The barely-suppressed smirk. It’s a joke. A tease. When Martin goes on his tangent about the doll maker being a romantic, Malcolm smiles and turns away (similar to how he did on the phone), and again, his expression is amused, affectionate. Of course, Martin then brings up Ainsley which shuts the whole thing down, and we see Malcolm’s guards immediately go back up as he brings up the chloroform, the camping trip - almost like he’s trying to remind himself of those things specifically, reasons why he can’t let his guard down around Martin.

I’ve probably analyzed this to hell and back for nothing but it was just something I noticed that I had to share. There wasn’t as much tension between them until Ainsley was brought up and I don’t know if that was on purpose or what, but god did I enjoy seeing it.

[lauratheroo]

I think Malcolm is just tired. Tired of everything. Tired of being angry and traumatised and responsible. Martin, at this point in time, is no longer his biggest concern. Martin is contained, or is contained as much as he can be. Ainsley is not. Ainsley literally hacked a man to death in front of him and buried it. Ainsley is capable of that. Maybe he has too much going on in his head worrying about her to keep up the facade of resentment and anger towards his father. His feelings are complex. Martin is the only one, other than Ainsley, who knows the burden he carries.

At the end of the taser episode, when Martin smiles at him, Malcolm looks like a timid child, wanting to smile back but ducking his head instead. It’s so disarming and so very young. He leaned into his father’s touch when he picked him up because he desperately needs someone to help with the weight of what he carries. There was no flinch. No apprehension, as there was when Martin grabbed his hand. He trusted his father to help him. He trusted him not to harm him. This is Malcolm at his most raw and, despite everything, rightly or wrongly he just needs his dad.

TLDR: Martin is no longer Malcolm’s biggest concern so he can let his emotional guard down a little with him.

Okay but everything else aside-

*pushes Martin!Gil back into Hell where he came from*

This new episode, did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more… I don’t know if ‘affectionate’ is the word that I’m looking for, but I’ll go with it for now. Tolerant? Whatever. Did anyone else notice that Malcolm seemed more affectionate/tolerant toward Martin, or was it just me? Because I noticed a few odd things during their interactions in the episode that were a little strange.

For instance, during the phone call, about ten and a half minutes in, when Martin’s talking about how they make a good team:

Martin: We were partners! Just like the old, you know, uh… Starky and… Tubbs! Malcolm: *chuckles* You’re mixing your buddy cops.

Of course it’s not the first time Malcolm’s laughed at something Martin has said. But this time he sounds genuinely amused? Like, I can’t place it. Normally I feel like he would have been annoyed, and that laughter would have come across as dry and sarcastic, more of a “I really don’t want to be talking to you rn” kinda thing. But his tone and his expression - he smiles and grins when he responds.

He also doesn’t seem as short with him at first either. He’s willingly talking to him about, not just the case, but Ainsley. Talking about his past. Her past. With Martin. It’s just not a very Malcolm thing to do when it comes to his father. His guards are always up when it comes to the Surgeon, but in this scene it seems like those walls are down, if only for a brief moment.

Now then, the moment he went in to see Martin.

Malcolm: You like the doll maker?

Those are his first words. And like before, he sounds amused. Affectionate, even. It sounds like it would be followed up with a knowing, fond, “I figured you would”, because let’s be honest, of course Martin would like the doll maker. 

Malcolm: What about the eyes?

Come on. The look on his face. The barely-suppressed smirk. It’s a joke. A tease. When Martin goes on his tangent about the doll maker being a romantic, Malcolm smiles and turns away (similar to how he did on the phone), and again, his expression is amused, affectionate. Of course, Martin then brings up Ainsley which shuts the whole thing down, and we see Malcolm’s guards immediately go back up as he brings up the chloroform, the camping trip - almost like he’s trying to remind himself of those things specifically, reasons why he can’t let his guard down around Martin.

I’ve probably analyzed this to hell and back for nothing but it was just something I noticed that I had to share. There wasn’t as much tension between them until Ainsley was brought up and I don’t know if that was on purpose or what, but god did I enjoy seeing it.

[lauratheroo]

He’s also wearing a simple T-shirt which is blue, not black, implying he wants to remove his armour around her. He was wearing a suit when she put him to bed. When she knocked him out in the shower. Here, he is in his comfortable wear. His vulnerable clothes.

Brightwell For Next Week:

Y’all, the reason I am loving Malcolm’s dream is- he’s not dreaming of hooking up with Dani- he’s dreaming about a loving, functional relationship where they are able to be happy and talk on his couch???? Like Malcolm subconsciously just wants to be in a healthy relationship with Dani???? That’s his fantasy??? #mood

[lauratheroo]

Adorable baby boy.

There is no more adorable face than Malcolm when he thought Gil was benching him after getting crushed by Watkins. He looked like a hurt 4 year old. Biggest blue eyes in the history of optics.

y’all are always like “oh why does gil always let malcolm do whatever he wants”...as if you could say no to this face

[lauratheroo]

Baby

When I was at Remington… when Nicky Covington locked me in that closet… who told him my real name?

(requested by anonymous)

[lauratheroo]

I used to think I was nothing like my father. But that’s not entirely true. Truth is… my father is a part of me. I can’t deny it.

(insp)

[lauratheroo]

casual!malcolm appreciation post