#3x06 the birthday

[chirpsythismorning]

One thing I love about twelvegate is that it easily explains why Henry picked Billy to torment them in the first place. Because in doing so he was also mocking the truth right under El's nose...

Billy aka William

[becauseofthebowties]

For #deansbirthdaybash ✨🥳🥧 ↳ Dean's little outfits through the seasons

[laufire]

Bat brothers + Young Justice's "Rescue Op" for @blairwaldcrf “What strange creatures brothers are!” ― Jane Austen [Caption: gifs from Young Justice. In the first one, Dick, as Nightwing, fights the Red Hooded Ninja in Infinity Island, his escrima sticks against the ninja's sword, toe to toe; Sensei appears in the gif, fighting, as well as Black Lightning throwing a bolt against the Ninja after he kicks Dick. The last gif shows the two of them again, standing in front of each other, lowering their weapons after Ra's arrives. The third and middle gif shows Talia walking in the scene after Dick and his team have left, with a serious expression and a baby, Damian, in his arms. That middle gif is bracketed by two gifs with a black and white gradient in its borders, showing a scene where the Red Hooded Ninja removes the hood, revealing short black hair with two strands falling over his forehead, saying "Gray...son."; Ra's replies, ominous: "Oh, your memory is finally returning. Excellent."]

[hayscodings]

working out a timeline for svetlana and now that i have it all written down in front of me, she could be as old at 25 by s8 if her birthday is late in the year as i personally hc it to be. that’s if s8 takes place during the summer-early september, i honestly have no idea

[dgct2]

Kristin Gaines In Every Episode : 3x06 Lovesick

[absent-o-minded]

Tiny YR S3 Analysis

Just wanted to compare the parallels between these two hand holds in 3x05 and 3x06:

(Please ignore the shitty screencaps, I tried my best)

In terms of composition, these shots are identical. A hand-hold centre to the frame, in a car with the camera placed in the middle. However, they're underpinned by different narrative contexts.

Here, the first shot from 3x05 is drenched in darkness. The actual lighting inside of the car is dim enough to obscure both of their suits, which almost blend them into the seats and so it becomes hard to distinguish between the two of them - The only focussed light is on their conjoined hands. Notably, the actual touch itself is tentative, almost like the bridging of an awkward divide on the way to the palace. Neither of them are sure what the touch actually means. Even their sleeves fall over their wrists and interfere with the actual act, so we only see the bottom half of their hands. Simon reaches out first and places his hand in the open sliver between the two seats before Wille accepts and laces their fingers together. It's an assured squeeze that reads as: "I'm not sure what will happen. I'm nervous." "I am too."

This scene has garnered a lot of analysis for its parallel to the Kristina x Wille car scene in S1 where people have commented on the reversal of blocking - Wille now assumes Kristina's position and Simon equally assumed Wille's. We now know that this arrives before the birthday explosion, and so it's also a touch that signifies confronting the inner workings of an oppressive environment (the palace). It's nerve-wracking and cautious and consolidating, but it's also doubtful. We, as spectators, pick up on visual and physical cues and so we begin to see the hand-hold as an visual indicator that the unity between the two characters is about to be disrupted.

~~~~~

However, the shot in 3x06 reads entirely differently. The first thing is that the shot is bathed in light. It's a bit like an embrace, contrasting the previous presentation of a cold backseat, Simon and Wille are literally basking in the sun. Most importantly, there is a light flashing on Wille as it seeps in from the windows, illuminating his spot as a person who is newly free. Simon sits to the left with the natural light (no abundance of light) because Simon has always strived to be free. He has never turned away from the light. As he said earlier in the episode: "I never gave up on us. I gave up on the royal court." For Simon, the issue was never the fear of being free, but the constraint of not being free. For Wille, fear hung over his shoulders just like a King's robe would. Being free was an aspiration, never a reality.

But that has all changed. The light is let in. It stands similar to a spot-light, where Wille finally lets the sun hit his body and not have it scorch him, but rather enlighten him.

The actual act of holding hands is no longer bridging an uncomfortable space; It's an assured togetherness. It is the two of them acknowledging everything that has happened and knowing that a future for the two of them is no longer a "possibility", but a truth. It's giddy and confident and safe.

It's also the final touch of the season, and so it had to speak louder than dialogue ever could - Which I think that it does. Throughout S1 and S2, we understood that physical touch was always done in private, or if not, it was done discreetly with the knowledge that it was fleeting. S3 saw the transition from private to public, but not without the fight to touch and not have it be seen as a revolution. To just let it be what it is. And THIS is what the show has been working towards for 3 years. It can all be summarised with this simple, final hand hold in a sunny car that's racing towards a future that finally, finally resembles their dreams. It's not overtly revolutionary, it's not a grand gesture; It's just theirs.

[erikiara80]

March 22nd and all the birthday references in ST

Will's birthday has always been important.

A birthday mug in episode 1

Same mug in Mike's basement. We see it in scenes with El in S1 and Will in S2. Yeah, I think birthdaygate could be about her, too. Will is the only character whose birthday was used to literally save him and the whole town. And we've seen El's birth and birth certificate, but we still don't know when she was born? Strange

The I forgot your birthday card in Will's room in S1

But in S2 we only see it when Joyce looks at the Will the Wise drawing. In all the other shots the card is not there, and the drawing is on another wall. This could be a hint at different timelines (of a timeloop?) More screenshots here

Basically, I have two theories about Will's birthday: either people really forgot it in S4, or the Will who was born on March 22 is the brown-eyed Will in the Missing poster, in the timeline we see in the shed scene, and not the hazel-eyed Will we see in the rest of the show. Maybe they hid the truth in plain sight, they let people believe that his eyes were different because he was possessed. But then in S3 they show that Billy's eye color never changes (here) Can't wait to see what this means

No birthday card in these shots

Lesbianmindflayer found a video posted on the official IG account in August 2017. At the time, they had already filmed S2, they knew there was an important scene about Will's birthday, so why posting the wrong date? Is it actually a mistake, or that's really his birthday in another timeline? We'll see!

The amazing shed scene. One of my favorite! Joyce talks about Will's 8th birthday. That was in 1979, the year of the massacre. She also mentions his rainbowship, a hint at his queerness, but also a reference to the lab. And I think there's a connection to the "rainbow rocket" near Creel House, and the ship of Brenner's father, who was involved with Project Rainbow, and the first man to wind up in Dimension X. This scene is so important!

Will drawing a spaceship could also be a parallel to Olivia Dunham (Fringe), who drew what she saw in another universe. A Zeppelin

Olivia's drawing (Byler-Polivia parallel and Subject 13)

3x03. Happy Birthday and '76 on the poster. The lifeguard is talking to El and Max here. My theory about what this could mean and what might have happened in 1976 here and here

The original title of episode 3x06 was The Birthday. There is no birthday in that episode, but after the intro, the song that plays is Stand up and Meet your brother, and then El meets the Mind Flayer/Vecna (as a lab kid, Henry is kinda her brother), who is possessing a boy named William. A surfer boy.

Episode 3x08, posters of Firestarter and Sixteen Candles. Will is associated with fire, and in Sixteen Candles a girl hopeful thar her 16th birthday is the beginning of a great year, is shocked when her family forgets it because her sister is getting married the next day.

Sixteen Candles and a boy's 16th birthday are also mentioned in S4, and it is likely that S5 is set in 1987, after the time-jump, when Will is 16.

S4. There are so many mentions of birthdays in this season, it's crazy to think that the writers forgot Will's birthday.

Mentions of birthday and stolen thoughts in the opening scene.

Birthday party at Rink-o-mania. I could be wrong, but it looks like a party for two people, to me. And there's a hidden reference to the massacre. The game Asteroids was released in 1979 (here)

The scene that made many people believe that the writers forgot Will's birthday.

March 22. The Rink-o-mania scene is a parallel to the lab scenes, Asteroids was released in 1979, and the day of the massacre El remembered her birth. Maybe a hint that her birthday is also on March 22?

They call her little baby, and two of the bullies are twins.

Murray says that a one-year-old won't remember their birthday

Also, the wallpaper reminds me of these birds we see in his house, when Alexei explains how the two keys open a gate

Murray says that his "son" is almost 16

Mention of Sixteen Candles

Mike's Happy Birthday mug

At Suzie's, Will mentions Dustin's birthday

Yeah, I think something will happen to Will in 1987, when he's 16. And it won't be funny, lol. But he'll get his happy ending.

Happy birthday, Will!

[sgtmickeyslaughter]

In Your Love - 82k words

Mickey had been out of prison for 2 years and Ian never would have known, until they ran into one another on a random night in May. Ian fights for the love they shared while Mickey fights for the life he built, as they both struggle with shame and guilt from their shared past it becomes clear that they cannot help but be drawn to what is bright and beautiful between them. Tags: Tattoo artist Mickey Milkovich, EMT Ian Gallagher, Canon Divergent Season 6/7ish, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow burn, Getting back together

Psychopomp - 28k words

Every patron in the Alibi went eerily silent as a news anchor announced that an infamous local thug and escaped convict was found dead in Mexico. The news was met with casual disappointment or outright cheers, but Ian Gallagher couldn't tear his eyes away from the small TV hung over the bar as the world seemed to burn around him. At the same time, a federal transport van sped up a stretch of highway just north of the border. Inside, Mickey Milkovich woke up in a body bag, and he was hungry. Tags: Vampire Mickey Milkovich, Canon divergence, Blood and violence, Bipolar Ian Gallagher, Temporary character death (vampire stuff), Angst with a Happy Ending

Lovers Carvings' - 28k words

Six conversations between Ian and Mickey between 10x10 and life beyond Tags: Post canon, Married Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich, Dialogue Heavy, Fix-it (kind of)

Both Sides Now - 16k words

In 2011, Ian and Mickey struggle with conflicting desires as their relationship grows. When the universe decides to drop them in 2024, their older selves balance the task of setting them on the right path while grappling with their history. Spoiler alert: it all works out in the end. Tags: Time travel, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Season 2 meets Post Canon, Married Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich, Husbands in Love, Idiots in love

City on a Hill - 18k words

As he left Cook County jail with the image of Mickey's heartbroken eyes locked behind bullet proof glass burned into his mind, Ian couldn't let Yevgeny slip away too. Between prison and marriage Ian kept his relationship with the kid and his mother a secret out of fear and trepidation. Years later, as Ian and Mickey live out their happy ending, he struggles to keep that secret in the dark. Tags: Hurt/Comfort, fluff and angst, Married Ian Gallagher and Mickey Milkovich, Yevgeny Milkovich, Svetlana Milkovich, Domestic, mentions of past canon-noncon (3x06), angst with a happy ending

Time of the Season - 5k

It's the hottest day of the year in Chicagoland. Mickey's stuck in the apartment waiting for the A/C to come back on, sweaty and sticky and just feeling altogether gross. Ian isn't helping. Tags: Porn without plot, fluff and smut, pillow princess Mickey Milkovich, Post canon

The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts - 2.5k

It took thirty years to become Mickey Milkovich, good things take time. Tags: Mickey's 30th birthday, fluff, husbands in love

Link to my A03

Link to my library playlist

[kmze]

Thoughts on 3x01-3x11, lol I WROTE SO MUCH but this season (especially this half) has so much happening it's kind of impossible to not have a lot of thoughts. This is also where the show starts to embrace being more comedic (like this show is really a dark comedy at it's heart) so that helps. More characters being involved in the supernatural business also helps and up-powering Tyler is great for the plot IMO. I don't think Klaus was as strong of a villian as Katherine was last season (he is so whiny in the first half) but he started to get a little more interesting after he came back, maybe he just needed his hybrid minions to become more interesting. More below, I even broke it up in episode order!

3x01

Isn’t Elena’s birthday in June? She said Ric spent half the summer on the couch but that would mean it’s gotta be late July early August, right? (don't know why I'm even trying to make sense of this show's timeline)

I forgot that A Drop in the Ocean was played during a montage and included Forwood sexy time! What a moment. When I first watched the show the Stefan and Elena scene at the end is when I actually started shipping Stelena, it was the first time I really felt like they truly loved each other (song helped too because WHAT A SONG I always sing-a-long). I didn't feel that same buzz this time though, but maybe too much time as passed (and that damn scene in 6x02 saying this was when Elena fell in love with Damon takes a lot away from my old feels). I'm getting such a buzz from Forwood though!

3x02

Elena’s getting on my damn nerves with this stupid rescue mission in the woods during a full moon… I don’t understand how Ric and Damon agreed. I fail to see any reason for this nonsense plan.

3x03

The moment in the 20s flashbacks when Stefan is looking at Rebekah while Klaus is talking to him and then he turns and looks at Klaus with the biggest heart eyes I have ever seen him use how am I supposed to not ship it? The way they keep using "brother" to hide the extremely heavy gay subtext too I S2G. If this show was made 10 years later on a better network with better writers that subtext would be straight-up text! Think Louis and Lestat on AMC's Interview with the Vampire. In that just world I would have gotten canon Klefaroline dammit!

3x04

Caroline is a much better person than I because she's protecting her Dad meanwhile I'm counting down the episodes until he drops dead.

Stefan is really off his game (happens when he's too emotional about something) I cannot believe he got out-manipulated by Rebekah one of the most easily manipulated characters on this show. Pathetic really.

As soon as Beremy started being cute the writers start fucking it up for Bonnie. Makes me madder watching it all over again and how much they never give Bonnie the devoted love interests like Caro and Elena. And I like Jeremy and Anna but I’m so annoyed at this whole storyline in how it’s treating Bonnie I can’t even enjoy it. GFY Julie.

3x05

Completely forgot Bill Forbes taught himself how to resist compulsion (IDK why too it's a big plot point oops) and I can't believe none of these idiots bothered to learn how. I like to believe Caroline did and there's a class at the Salvatore Boarding School that teaches it.

The gym buzzer countdown was a nice touch lol.

3x06

I like that Rebekah narrowed in on Caroline and was like “you, I want your life” because she sees the vision and the potential! In all seriousness though I wonder if Rebekah having an interest in Caroline is why the writers picked Caroline to be the love interest for Klaus (since it parallels with them and Stefan in the '20s). Things that make me go hmmm.

I'm with Ric and Caroline, every time I see or hear about Damon and Elena I was to scream "stop molesting her!" UGH! He is always invading her personal space and it annoys me! The part where Elena said Damon needed to use his charm to distract Rebekah and Ric said "better luck finding a dagger" and you see Caro in the background laughing was the best.

Kinda happy to get a break from Klaus for a few episodes, he's just so one-dimensional during this time period and frankly annoying.

3x06 made me laugh so much even though I'm not sure I was supposed to laugh as much as I did. I mean Ripper Stefan is never not funny (a jerk but a hilarious jerk) but the scene were Ripper Stefan and 1,000 year old Rebekah are sitting in Ric's HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY CLASS just kills me, like what even is this show. Also laughed at Tyler being a "d-bag" baby hybrid, and you knew he was sired as soon as he didn't want to help lock up Stefan. HA!

Um, how did Rebekah get into the Lockwood mansion?

3x07

How did Lexi make Stefan think he’d been bleeding out for years? Is that a vampire power they just never used again or is it a special ghost power? I don’t remember this ever happening again.

Caroline fighting the ghost-vamps in her ballet flats lol the cutest!

3x08

Elena dealt with Ripper Stefan for like an hour and was like "absolutely not, Damon you do it" LMFAO which reminded me of the gifset that made everyone mad.

The Defan convo in 3x08 about Stefan always saving Damon for the bajillionith time even without humanity reminds of the convo in Damon’s head in 8x10 a little. This is a good season for them if I remember correctly, obviously I always enjoy them more when their causes of contention aren’t solely about Elena.

Elena making the Beremy breakup about herself, she really does have a gift. Even Bonnie was like really?

Bonnie ignoring Jeremy and giving him a death glare 1000% BB you deserve better you brought his ass back to life and lost tons of witchy power doing so he deserves to feel like shit!

3x09

Oh this is the first time Tyler and Caroline get into it about not including each other in schemes. This is kind of always a cause of conflict in their relationship but it’s a good cause of conflict because it makes sense. Tyler has a pack mentality (werewolf/hybrid) whereas Caroline is more independently driven (vampire). Like Caro said so much supernatural boyfriend drama.

Elena stabbing Rebekah in the back with the dagger is one of her best moments (even if I RME at her “I care too much” moment after).

3x10

Elena giving Tyler shit for being sired to Klaus (something he has no control over) is pretty funny considering what happens to her next season... insert well-well-well-how-the-turntables.gif.

3x11

Stefan’s spin decapitation of one of Klaus’ hybrids in front of him is so extra, I love it.

The symbolism of Elena “crowning” Caroline is not lost on me. Neither is Klaus forcing his way into Caroline’s house through the doorway.

Yeah the Wickery bridge scene was rough, no one knows how to psychologically torture/traumatize people quite like Stefan does.

Lines that made me laugh:

Bonnie: You think you're bored? My dads family is like wet paint that never dries. (oh I’m saving that one!)

Stefan: You’re into Tyler now, huh? That’s kind of fickle. (He's the worst but the comedic timing is *chef's kiss*)

Stefan: We should all listen to Elena, right? I mean, her plans always work out so well, don't they? (I’m saying! Damon agreed too LMFAO)

[deluweil]

In response to that article (US weekly) that is circulating out there,

1. I love that they agree that Buck and Eddie should just get together.

2. KR and TM are either idiots or liars.

Why do you ask? 

Because as someone who spent her life chasing tv shows containing good best friends relationship (be it m/f m/m or f/f) and brotherly relationships, this, whatever the writers and the showrunners created here in 9-1-1 with Buck and Eddie is far beyond best friends by mid s3 and was way past brotherly bond somewhere between that grocery store love spat to the kitchen scene to the romantic coded shooting scene in 4x13 (and that’s when both guys were “dating”).

I can give examples going on for miles and make endless comparisons (we have NCIS LA Callen and Sam, Chicago Fire Casey and Severide, Station 19 had Gibson and Miller, and while unbelievably controversial Steve and Danny in H50 were indeed brotherly based relationship because it had all the markers of that relationship that outweighed the old married couple routine.)

They are all brotherly/best friend oriented relationships, where the word “brother” was used regularly, they each had their roommates era - that we got to watch on tv and not covid enforced quarantine era off screen.

We had hugs aplenty, a lot of teasing and beer talks, relationship talks, double dates (even chenford been to one before they finally got together.), marriage, uncle titles being bestowed, bff-ing with the best friend’s significant other and oh so many things that color a relationship in platonic colors. 

Now let’s take those and compare them to Buck and Eddie’s relationship. 

We got three hugs in 3 episodes, and that’s in S2 2x18, S3 3x01, and 3x06. 

We haven’t seen proper beer hangout that didn’t involve black eyes since S3 on Albert’s birthday.

No relationship talks, unless it was to make sure the other side was agreeing that the other should break up with their significant other. (Eddie in 5x03, Buck in 5x18)

Neither one of them even got close to marriage (after Shannon died, I mean. And even she knew it wasn’t working with Eddie anymore.)

Buck is Christopher’s and Eddie’ Buck (”His Buck”) - but he is uncle Buck to Jee-Yun.

Buck only interacted with Ana twice and that was when he saw her (but didn’t talk to her) when she brought Christopher to the firehouse in 5x02, and the other time was when she called him to tell him Eddie’s awake.

And we have the famous dinner where Taylor didn’t eat but tried to be friendly along with Eddie for Buck in the Diaz household. But other than that Eddie had no desire to interact with her unless he absolutely had to.

Last but not least, all the pairs I named up there uttered the words “I love you” at least once. It was said easily, and "thanks for saving me" was said out loud, too. 

- Buck and Eddie, going into S6 not once uttered the words. And Eddie thanked Bobby for saving his life, but not once has he thanked Buck - at least not that we saw. (Not in 4x14, not in 5x14 - Buck saved Eddie so many times, but we never see any deep conversation or even a light hearted one that expressed “thank you for saving my ass out there”)

I can go on, but I think my point is made.

Please for the love of god get these two together, they’d be wasted on anybody else at this point. - Manifest with me ✨✨✨

[nobigsecrets]

So tumblr tells me I created this post on Jan 1, 2022 and apparently, I’ve gone from monthly rec lists to not even one per year. I’m sorry for that. But in honor of Steve’s birthday I’m posting it today and before it gathers even more dust in my drafts. This list includes some gems from the early days of the show since I went all the way back to page 851 on AO3 when I started my rewatch at the beginnging of 2022. Happy reading! :)

Captain America and the Angel of Death by @missslothy Rating: M, Words: 29,360 The State of Hawaii welcomes the rare people in the world who have magical, supernatural abilities - people like Steve and Danny.  But sometimes people come to the islands who aren't so tolerant. People who are looking to make trouble... When Danny and Steve find themselves outed on social media, they have to fight to protect their reputations, their Ohana and even their lives.  And who is targeting Steve and Danny and why?

See the truth; and you will see me by ellievolia Rating: G, Words: 1,105 Because Steve is sitting on a chair - looks like a dentist’s one, which is not warming Danny’s heart at all - getting his forearm tattooed, right there next to the curve of his elbow. Danny can’t help but think for a second that it has to be an act of rebellion against something Steve is not really a part of anymore.

One Foot on the Third Rail (and One on a Banana Peel) by Taz Rating: T, Words: 3,250 Danny has an acute reaction to an over the counter cold remedy.

Boxing Day by klutzy34 Rating: T, Words: 1,711 Steve can't help but watch the way Danny moves.

Both Sides of the Rainbow by ariadnes_string Rating: G, Words: 4,343 “Seriously?” Kono couldn’t tell whether blood loss was making her loopy, or whether things really had gotten that absurd.  “Are they seriously arguing about who’s going to rescue me like I’m some kind of Disney princess?”

Morning at sea by ariadnes_string Rating: G, Words: 1,704 Everyone’s had one of those mornings when they can’t get out of bed, right?

Relief by MDJensen Rating: T, Words: n/a After rescuing the bus full of kids, Steve needs to freak out a little. He does so, in a very early-seasons-Steve way. Set post 2x11.

Better Than Socks by JaneDavitt Rating: M, Words: 1,109 Danny and Steve get drunk and share a wishlist on Christmas Eve. Blow jobs seem popular.

Sleepwalking by JaneDavitt Rating: M, Words: 3,769 Things between Steve and Danny come to a head on a night when both of them are dead on their feet.

You Can't Carry it with You (If You Want to Survive) by dogeared Rating: T, Words: 884 "Why do you have to be so crazy all the time, that's what I want to know."

From This Day Forward by annieke Rating: T, Words: 1,700 The end of the night brings a little clearer realization to Danny and Steve. (Coda to 3x06)

Direction by waldorph Rating: E, Words: 1,124 You know how in 105 Steve was really good at taking direction?  Danny noticed.

How to Keep Your Mouth Shut by primetime Rating: E, Words: 10,072 Danny’s sometimes gay. Gay, sometimes. Does dudes. He doesn’t know how to say it right. He doesn’t know how to say it at all.

Wedding Bells by glorious_spoon Rating: G, Words: 1,814 Danny leans against the door frame, rubs a hand over his face, and says, “Grace thinks we should get married.” “Okay,” Steve says easily, pulling the fridge open. “You want breakfast?”

Choose Your Friends by McParrot Rating: T, Words: 1,421 The look on Steve's face is breaking Danny's heart. (Coda to 1x07)

Dug Deep by tari_roo Rating: G, Words: 1,792 After the adrenaline rush is over, even will power can't keep Steve from crashing.

Manhunt by @goneahead Rating: T, Words: 14,760 Steve is a space-weary SEAL, Danny is a retired cop who's raising his daughter on a quiet backwater planet. When Steve tracks a wanted fugitive to Jer-C II, he's expecting it to be just another job--until he meets Danny and Grace. Yep, the space meet-cute nobody asked for.

A man in uniform by Bluespirit Rating: E, Words: 679 Danny has a thing for Steve's dress uniform.

Ma Ke Kahakai by Longboard_Chris Rating: E, Words: 1,150 Four deleted scenes from Episode 1x20 (where Steve and Danny go hiking) that will NOT be included in the boxed set of Season 1.

Buzz Cut by shinysylver Rating: E, Words; 1,243 Danny misses the curls, but he'll miss Steve more.

Never Say Never by mohinikapuahi Rating: E, Words: 619 Nobody ever said Doris was the shy retiring type.

Shades of Blue by ThatwasJustaDream Rating: E, Words: 1,336 Steve noticed the Camaro parked near his driveway, and knew Danny had let himself in while he was gone.  But he expected to find him down by the water, so the sound of footsteps upstairs was strange.

Detour by MidnightThoughts Rating: E, Words: 1,189 A missing scene from episode 3 of season 1, in which Steve actually does take Danny on the detour he wanted.

[chirpsythismorning]

[dailyats]

Best Episode Poll (Poll 5/11)

[princeescaluswords]

I wan to know your opinion about something that me and my friend talked a lot regarding the show's relationships.

Scott or Stiles; who obsessed more for "the girl"?

I think Stiles has a tad more obsession sprinkled into his character (especially if it's about Lydia and the 10-year plan thingymabob) but my friend said that Scott's obsession toward Allison is borderline assholic and made him a jerk to his friends (their words, not mine)

The first step in resolving a conflict should be defining the terms. According to Webster, obsession is "the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, or desire." On a television show that can't give us insight into a character's thoughts 24/7, the writers and actors have to demonstrate obsessive behavior in other ways. I would argue the most common sign of obsessive behavior should be very simple to identify: undesirable actions a character performs that indicate their thoughts are dominated.

If your friend wants to claim that Scott is obsessed with Allison, then it stands to reason that they have to give examples of actions -- not jokes or word play, but actual decisions he made with negative consequences -- which demonstrate this obsession. Accusations without proof are not useful in comparisons.

I'll start with my evidence that he is not obsessive in his behavior. While Scott's emotions toward Allison were intense, they were also reciprocated. In other words, Allison liked him back. They entered a mutually rewarding relationship, one that recognized boundaries and limitations. In addition, Allison became Scott's anchor, a psychological necessity for werewolves, distinctly required to maintain control as explained by Derek in Party Guessed (2x09).

Isaac: Then how do you control it? Derek: Find an anchor. Something meaningful to you. Bind yourself to it. Keep the human side in control.

Even with Allison as his necessary anchor, Scott did not allow her to control all his decisions. Scott ditched Allison four times in the early seasons -- Night School (1x07), Co-Captain (1x10), Abomination (2x04), and Restraint (2x07) -- to act appropriately even though he didn't want to do so. He also made decisions that would endanger that relationship -- Magic Bullet (1x04), Wolf's Bane (1x09), Ice Pick (2x03), Raving (2x08), Frayed (3x05), and Insatiable (3x11) -- because it was the right thing to do. Finally, Scott demonstrated his ability to let her go, such as in Master Plan (2x12), Tattoo (3x01), Alpha Pact (3x11), and Illuminated (3x16). I am confident in my analysis because of the sheer number of examples.

In addition, I would argue that the popular counter-examples are extraordinarily weak. In The Tell (1x05), skipping school to help Allison celebrate her birthday in a way that spared her from embarrassment and unfair public shaming is not an example of obsession; it's an act of kindness. Stiles finding an important clue while Scott's phone was off was a classic plot complication as was the Sheriff getting mildly injured by a car, not a demonstration of negligence. Scott only lurks on Allison's roof in Formality (1x11) due to Peter's direct threat. In Abomination (2x04), Scott didn't hang up on Stiles in order to concentrate on Allison, he hung up to concentrate on safely finding the Bestiary that Derek needed. Scott's deliberately creepy behavior in Motel California (3x06) is defeated by Allison saying "no." Even the heart-of-darkness influenced confrontation with Isaac in Anchors (3x13) -- while still a mistake by Scott -- was initiated by Isaac and doesn't indicate obsession, because there was no follow up by Scott.

I feel that the idea of Scott being obsessive comes not from negative behavior but from his resistance to white men, predominantly Derek Hale. He repeatedly tried to warn Scott away from Allison, and Scott resisted. But here's the thing: Derek was wrong. Allison wasn't Kate. Allison didn't have to become like her or Gerard, and when she had her dark arc in Season 2, that was a result of Derek's actions both toward Scott and Lydia. So, with confidence, I can argue that Scott was not obsessive.

Now, Stiles's attraction to Lydia was, to quote Scott in A Novel Approach (5x05), "a little obsessive, but not all bad." Stiles had a ten-year plan (then fifteen year) to win the heart of a girl who ignored him. It wasn't reciprocal. On the other hand, it was also passive most of the time. While Stiles demonstrated intense interest -- interjecting facts into a police investigation, waiting outside the hospital, talking to her when she wasn't listening -- most of the time he was an observer at a distance.

On the other hand, he did take deliberate steps that crossed boundaries. Even Stiles's die-hard detractors would argue that he's not ignorant of social norms. His behavior with a drugged-up Lydia in The Tell was very questionable, though he resisted the temptation to go too far. His pushing Scott to sniff Lydia when he knows it's a full moon was dangerous as was his attempt to punish Scott in Lunatic (1x09) for it. His rants to Lydia in both Formality and Master Plan also places his own emotional needs far above hers, reducing her to an object in those situations. Yet, as Lydia and Stiles developed a real relationship, these moments subsided, so I don't think it qualifies as a full-blown obsession. Was he more obsessive than Scott? Yes, but that's a matter of slight degree, and far less destructive than Derek's, Peter's, or Matt's obsessive actions.

I hope this gives you some perspective.

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

ANNE

🖥️Last thing you googled

🍕Last thing you ate you didn’t have to cook yourself

🍿Last film you saw in the cinema/theatre

📺 Last tv series you binged

🤬last time you swore in anger

please and thank you!

Thank you, Tessa!!

🖥️Last thing you googled

A chocolate cupcake recipe because I'm making cupcakes for my mom's birthday tomorrow. I'm going to make this one.

🍕Last thing you ate you didn’t have to cook yourself

I ordered a pizza for dinner last night.

🍿Last film you saw in the cinema/theatre

I went to see The Nun II a couple weeks ago. It wasn't that great, but it was ok. I particularly enjoyed the popcorn.

📺 Last tv series you binged

I don't usually binge watch things all that much anymore. The first time I watched Lone Star back in early 2022 was the last time I actually binged something. I watched the whole thing (which was up to 3x06 at that time) in about a week.

🤬last time you swore in anger

This afternoon when my thread kept knotting up while I was cross stitching.

[wibble-wobbegong]

in all of birthdaygate did anyone ever mention 3x06 literally being called The Birthday