#6x16 black hole

[ratsalad]

i’m losing my WHOLE goddamn mind

> house challenges wilson to choose at least ONE piece of furniture for their new condo instead of letting other people make choices for him/define who he is, bc according to him, the kind of furniture you get says something about you

> wilson spends ages at a shop looking at chairs and tables but in the end he caves and hires a decorator 

> house calls him a wuss

> but oh, what’s this? wilson’s bought an ORGAN. FOR HOUSE TO PLAY. i’m going to die screaming the implication of this..... that this is what wilson chose, that he looked at an organ that house would love to play and thought “this is me”

> the HOPEFUL APPREHENSION on his face when house uncovers the organ

and the pure childlike joy on house’s when he turns around to look at wilson after playing the phantom of the opera theme

and of course this exchange

love is stored in the organ

[momentofmemory]

FICTOBER 2020 - day twenty-four

Prompt #22: “And neither should you.”

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Characters: Scott McCall, Malia Tate, Melissa McCall, misc.

Words: 2326

Author’s Note: There are seven people in the McCall house when it gets shot up by Monroe’s men. Only two of them can heal. Aftermath of 6x16; Scott POV.

>> six and one

Scott knows, objectively, that the make up of his pack is a little unusual for a werewolf.

Three wolves, a werecoyote, a chimera, a kitsune. Maybe a kanima, or at least part of one. A banshee. No less than four humans if he’s being selective, but in practice, probably a lot more than that.

It’s never felt like a liability until now.

There’s glass all over the floor, floating like icebergs through the garishly red stains that seem to double in size with every passing second. Newly splintered wood creaks; a faint dial tone as the neighbors next door scramble to call the cops. The sound of guns being loaded back into their cases.

Scott knows what a bullet feels like.

The difference between a hit to the arm (muscle, tendon, bone) or a hit to center mass (bleeding, organs, spine). An iron fist at the entry and if he’s lucky, the exit, too. Confusion—it doesn’t feel like anything at first. Then burning, burning, burning.

Lead isn’t cold when it’s swimming through veins. It’s molten.

So when dozens and dozens of bullets had flown into the room, he’d thought he’d been prepared. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been shot in front of his mom.

But he’s never—

He’s never seen his mom—

Malia stirs next to him and he senses the exact second her anger slips into fear.

“Oh, god—”

She’s launching herself across the room and it snaps him out of his stupor, swallowing down the part of his brain that’s screaming to divert the energy into something useful, because—there were seven people in his house.

Seven.

And because he’d chosen to let in non-shifters, only two of them had healing powers.

They’re all awake, which is comforting because it means they’re alive, and horrifying because they’re all so, so scared.

Triage.

Malia goes for Mason and Lydia—their heartbeats sound strong, if fast—and his dad’s got two wounds, one to the thigh and the other in the meat of his shoulder, but they’re not immediately life threatening.

His mom, however—

It’s a chest wound. It’s a chest wound, and it’s—it’s close, it’s really close—

He drops to his knees in front of her.

“Mom, hey, I’m here.” He takes her hand, which had been grasping at air, into his. “EMS is coming, okay? I gotta apply pressure—”

“Wait,” she gasps, and Chris is shifting beneath her to give her more support—Scott doesn’t think he got much more than a graze—“chest wound. Sucking—”

Chris’s eyes widen, but Scott’s already yanking out his wallet and grabbing his mom’s credit card. “I got it, can you breathe out for me?”

She nods—a frantic, barely lucid thing—and exhales as Scott presses the card over the hole in her chest, cutting off the air flow.

The scent of copper is so thick it feels like it’s in his mouth, and he wants nothing more than to tug her gently away from Chris until she’s resting in his lap, but he knows he can’t move her.

It’s a chest wound. It’s a bullet to the chest—and a bullet isn’t a sword, but—

Scott applies as much pressure as he dares with one hand, and starts pulling as much pain as he dares with the other.

It burns.

It burns like fire, like electricity running through his veins and he would know, but he almost cries with relief because if it still hurts then maybe there’s a chance.

He lets go, gasping, when there’s just a little left—enough to take off the edge, but not so much her body forgets it’s trying to heal. She doesn’t say anything—all the pain relief in the world can’t prevent blood-related shock.

His dad groans behind him and Scott’s reminded with painful clarity, seven people.

"Argent,” he says, through gritted teeth. “Chris. I need you to switch with me. Can you—”

“I got it, Scott. Go.”

He’s pale, but his hands don’t tremble when they overlap with Scott’s. Black lines shoot up Scott’s arm almost the second they come in contact.

Chris inhales sharply. “Scott—”

“Keep the pressure on.”

There’s not as much to pull from Chris as there was from his mom, but he takes all of it this time—unworried about interfering with the healing process, since his injury is more stable. Scott pulls away after only a few more seconds, biting back a hiss as the aftereffects burn through his system.

He turns to see Malia pulling pain from Mason, even though she’s got a through-and-through in her calf muscle that’s only half healed.

He doesn’t deserve any of them.

(Seven.)

(Two with healing powers.)

(Only one that didn’t—)

He gets his feet under him and skirts around the pooling blood, patting Lydia on the shoulder as he passes—if he steals a quick line or two from her, who’s counting. He kneels in front of his dad.

“Scott—”

He doesn’t even wait for him to finish his sentence; just wraps his hands around the dish towel on his leg (Malia’s assistance again, probably) and increases the pressure while siphoning away the pain.

His dad’s eyes widen in shock—probably both kinds; there’s a lot of blood. “Scott, what’re you—”

Scott’s head swivels to look at the door; Malia joining his reaction a half second later.

“Sirens,” he says, alerting the rest of them. “EMS should be here any second.”

Mason shudders, one hand wrapped around the gunshot wound that nicked his bicep. “We sure they’re not with the ones shooting at us?”

“Yeah,” Scott says. “Sheriff’s with them. And I recognize a couple of the EMTs’ voices.”

“Okay, then you need to go.”

“What?”

Scott turns to look at Chris so quickly he nearly jerks his hand off his dad’s leg.

“You and Malia,” Chris clarifies. “You can’t—they’ll want to do a medical examination. You can’t explain that right now.”

Scott glances at Malia—her calf is nearly scabbed over by now. “Malia can take the jeep.”

“Scott, you can’t—”

“I didn’t get hit.”

Chris looks at him—they’re all looking at him—with an extra level of scrutiny that makes him painfully aware of how intact his clothing is. The lack of evidence itself proof of his failure to protect them.

“Scott.”

It’s low, thready; but he’d hear his mom’s voice no matter how loud it was. Mason moves to take over applying pressure for Scott’s dad—even though Malia already took his pain, Scott siphons just a tiny bit more as they trade off—and Scott hurries back to his mom.

The sirens are loud enough for the humans to hear now, too.

“Scott,” she says, and at the crackling sound in her breathing Scott’s guilt vanishes under a wave of overwhelming fear.

“Chris, take the card out. Do it now—”

Lydia pulls herself to her feet, Malia supporting her. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”

His mom’s lips are turning blue and he can see her breaths getting more shallow. “Get her on her side.”

Chris frowns, having only just reapplied pressure after removing the card. “But the bullet—”

“Doesn’t matter if she bleeds out if she dies from asphyxiation first,” Scott snaps.

The sirens are right outside. He can hear the EMTs approaching the door.

“Malia, go—”

He curls around his mom, her head now in his lap. Even with the tension slightly relieved, she’s still struggling to breathe. “Come on, mom. Just a little longer.”

Lydia’s at the door, frantically calling the EMTs in. Mason’s still with his dad.

Scott wraps his shaking fingers around his mom’s shoulder and pulls, forcing the connection to hold even as his body tries to reject a sixth dosage.

The EMTs burst into the room.

His mom stops breathing.

________________________

He traces her heartbeat like it’s his own.

Every blip. Every palpitation. Every stutter.

The slice of the knife through skin.

He doesn’t know how long the surgery takes—enough, in that it’s still going when Malia joins him in the waiting area, the blood from earlier scrubbed clean.

He feels her hand wrap around his, but he doesn’t acknowledge it—can’t bear pulling his attention away from the operating room for even a second, until—

“Hemodynamics are stable… she’s going to be okay.”

Scott feels like his own chest might collapse under the wave of relief that washes over him. He unclasps his hands and brings Malia’s between them, threading her presence into his.

He looks at her and just nods, the air in his lungs too heavy to form words. Then he drops his head into his lap, and breathes in rhythm with his mother.

It reminds him of what she used to do for him when his asthma first starting acting up—back when it was him in the hospital, not her.

It shouldn’t have ever been her.

“It’s my fault,” he says, softly enough to not by heard by anyone but the werecoyote next to him. “I shouldn’t have let any of them—”

“We all made our choices, Scott, and none of them involved getting shot. You don’t choose getting shot. You choose to be the one taking the shot, and that was all Monroe.”

“They don’t heal, Malia,” Scott says. “Not like us. I should have—I was right there, and I didn’t save any of them.”

Malia’s hand tightens around his. “Neither did I.”

“You got shot.”

“So getting shot was the prerequisite to success tonight?”

Scott flinches and looks at the floor.

“Hey.” Malia waits until he catches her eye to continue. “Look, Chris was right next to Melissa, and he didn’t save her from getting shot, either. Do you think he blames himself for that?”

Scott pauses from where he’d been worrying his nails across his knuckles, and gives her a pointed look.

“Okay, he probably does because you’re both weird like that, but he wasn’t the one firing bullets into a house,” Malia says. “He shouldn’t blame himself for it, and neither should you. The doctor said she’s in the clear now, right?”

“Malia…” He doesn’t know how to make her understand. “It’s not just—it could have killed her. She’s going to have months of therapy before she’s okay, and she won’t be able to be at the house by herself or go to work, and the hospital bills are going to be awful—”

“Chris can stay with your mom,” Malia says, “or Mrs. Martin, or something. Maybe the Sheriff can pitch in and we’ll do a rotation. And as for money, I can always bully Peter into paying for your mom’s bills since everything to do with the supernatural in your life is automatically his fault.”

Scott tries to yank his hands away, but Malia doesn’t let him. “That’s not—that’s not how it works.”

“Then stop blaming yourself for Monroe.”

He can still hear the echo of his mom’s pulse, thready and vulnerable, in the edges of his memory.

It’d been close. Really, really close.

He slides one hand out of Malia’s grip, successfully this time, and wipes at his eyes.

“Scott…” Malia sighs. “You can feel sad about it being your mom instead of you. Logically, it would’ve been better, yes. But that doesn’t make it your fault.”

Scott scrubs at his eyes. “It feels like it kinda is.”

Malia tugs at his arm until his fingers find hers again. ”There’s a difference between feeling bad something happened and feeling genuinely guilty over it.”

“Seven people, Malia,” Scott confesses. “Seven. And I’m—I’m the only one that didn’t get hurt. How am I supposed to help if I can’t even protect my own pack?”

Malia’s brow furrows, not out of disagreement this time, but from genuine confusion. “You don’t have to get hurt to save people’s lives, Scott. Did you—did you really not see what you did tonight?”

Scott looks at her in confusion “What I did…? I didn’t even call 911, that was—”

“No, Scott. I mean—everything else. You took so much pain from everyone—”

“You did, too—”

“Yeah, for two people, Scott, and it sucked. It always sucks. But you did it for everyone, which means you’re probably still feeling it now.”

Scott concentrates harder on keeping his hands still, which just makes Malia roll her eyes.

“But that’s still about making yourself hurt. So I’m not even talking about that.”

Scott frowns. “Then what…?”

“Your mom,” Malia says. “You knew exactly what to do when she was having trouble, and then at the end there—I don’t even know what happened—”

“Tension pneumothorax,” Scott says, softly. “It’s when there’s too much air pressure in the chest cavity and your lungs start to collapse. Dogs and cats can get them too, so. It comes up sometimes.”

“Great, well, that’s not average information,” she says. “If you’d been down with a bullet or six, no one else would’ve known what to do.”

It earns a slight smile out of him. “Pretty sure my mom would’ve.”

“Shut up,” Malia says, jostling his shoulder. “My point is… you did good on a really bad night. And you did it because of who you are, not because of what someone’s made you or forced you into doing.”

Scott’s ears pick up Dr. Geye’s familiar gait approaching. “I think they’re going to let me see her for a bit before she’s out.”

Malia purses her lips, and squeezes his hands once more before letting go. “Okay. Just do me a favor?”

Scott looks at her.

“Six people got shot in your house,” she says, enunciating each word to make sure he’s listening. “Six. But there were seven people total. And tonight might’ve been a very different story if it’d been just six, and not six and one.”

Scott licks his lips. Digs his nails into the pads of his fingers: one, two, three, four, five, six—

Seven.

He nods, and his lungs feel a little lighter.

[therealsaintscully]

My list of X-Files inspired BBC Sherlock fic prompts

 I recently finished reading @88thparallel​‘s fabulous “Written in Ashes”, a BBC Sherlock fic inspired by the X-Files episode Demons. I’m a huge X-Files fan myself, and the idea of adapting an XF story into a Sherlock one sent me down a rabbit hole. I decided to compose a list of ideas, all up for grabs, for X-Files plots that can be adapted in interesting ways to a BBC Sherlock casefics.

Below you’ll find a list of X-Files episode with their original description, and some suggestions based on my knowledge of the two shows of what makes the plot an interesting one to write. As I mentioned, these ideas are PROMPTS, suggestions - feel free to write them. In fact it’ll be my honor! Let me know if and when you do (I might even create a collection for them in AO3).

Ice (1x07) - Mulder and Scully  investigate the death of an Alaskan research team. Isolated and alone, the agents and their accompanying team discover the existence of extraterrestrial parasitic organisms that drive their hosts into impulsive fits of rage.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: extreme nature adventures (mountains, snow, remote research facilities); isolated together with strangers in a distant location (Ice was supposed to be a bottle episode); a lot of suspense as Mulder and Scully’s trust in each other is put to the test (a handgun showdown), physical inspections rife with sexual tension, ooo! 

Darkness Falls (1x19) - Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate when a team of loggers disappear without a trace. Initially suspecting eco-terrorism, the agents find themselves trapped by a seemingly ancient menace lurking in the woods. According to Wikipedia, “Chris Carter was inspired to write this episode based on an interest in dendrochronology (sic? that’s how it’s spelled in wikipedia), a subject that involves analyzing annual growth rings found in non-tropical tree species.”  An interesting topic to develop!  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Just like in Ice, opportunity to write magnificent nature descriptions; also like in Ice, Mulder and Scully have to fend to themselves against the ‘others’; wonderful quotes such as “Rugged manly-men. In the full bloom of their manhood.” and “Come on, Scully. It'll be a nice trip to the forest." A Three Garridebs moment could work here!

Pusher (3x17) - Ah, Pusher. An early Vince Gilligan classic! Mulder and Scully’s assistance is requested for a case involving a man, who goes by the pseudonym "Pusher", seemingly capable of bending people to his will. The suspect uses his mysterious abilities to manipulate Mulder into a dangerous end game.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Many parallels can be found between Modell and Eurus and or Moriarty; the game of cat and mouse in hopes of luring Mulder as the end game is quite similar to the TFP/TGG; the final game of Russian roulette with Mulder at the end is a classic MSR scene which could be lovely to write for John and Sherlock (Gillian is amazing with that One Tear™  while she threatens Modell); an opportunity to instill a fear of a very specific shade of blue in your readers; a chance of a sequel, since Modell returns with a vengeance in Kitsunegari.

Jose Chung's From Outer Space (3X20) - Mulder and Scully hear, and promptly investigate, a story about an alien abduction of two teenagers. Each witness provides a different version of the same facts. Within the episode, a thriller novelist, Jose Chung, writes a book about the incident.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Humor! Lots and lots self-aware, meta-type inner-jokes humor as an observant book writer describes Mulder/Sherlock’s many weird traits.

Avatar (3x21) - Assistant Director Walter Skinner  is accused of murdering a prostitute, Mulder and Scully investigate to determine the truth behind what happened. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: A fine chance to turn Skinner into Sholto or one of John’s other army friends (Skinner discusses trauma from his days in Vietnam in this episode, which could be adapted to Afghanistan). John Asks for Sherlock’s help on behalf of Sholto/said friend and there’s a thrilling prospect of some good old jealousy :) *After writing this I kinda fell in love with this idea and I might attempt writing this, but I’m absolutely not claiming this exclusively! If you like the idea go ahead!

Paper Hearts (4X08) - Another Vince Gilligan episode, my go-to one these days for when I miss the show and need a good dose of Mulder and Scully. I can go on and on about why I love this episode but I’ll spare you from that right now ;) Mulder and Scully find that a child killer who Mulder had helped to apprehend several years earlier had claimed more victims than he had confessed to; and in the resulting investigation, learn that the killer is now claiming to have killed Mulder's sister Samantha. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: The Alice in Wonderland theme in the episode is somewhat reminiscent of the Hansel and Gretel theme from TRF so Moriarty could be one way to go; another way to go is have Eurus as a villain in a TFP plot fix-it (if you find the Sherrinford plot exaggerated), with Sherlock’s hope of finding Victor’s body by the end of the game.

Zero Sum (4x21) - In the episode, a case Mulder is asked to investigate is covertly covered up by the agents' boss Walter Skinner, who has made a sinister bargain with The Smoking Man. Scully is missing in this episode (Mulder cites her cancer treatments; Gillian Anderson was filming something else at the time). Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: A wonderful opportunity for a Lestrade-as-Skinner story!  (and you’re given a fine chance to write a Lestade naked with nothing but pants situation); Mulder is a bit lost without Scully in this episode so that’s added background Johnlock angst; the story can happen when John is away, either during his honeymoon or after Mary dies.

The Pine Bluff Variant (5x18) - This is an underrated episode which I quite like, personally. Scully grows suspicious of Mulder when she thinks he may be helping a terrorist organization. Scully begins to wonder if he is now a traitor to the FBI. It is eventually revealed that Mulder is working as a mole in the group, and he is trying to stop them before they are able to use a biological weapon—that may have been created by members of the U.S. government—which causes rapid degeneration of human flesh. Cool plot points you might enjoy: alternating POVs between Sherlock and John; a lot of tension between John and Sherlock while John is suspicious; Mycroft recruiting Sherlock to appear as a traitor.

Triangle (6x03) - What can I possibly say about Triangle that hadn’t been said before? Cool plot points you might enjoy: An AU-within-AU opportunity - a chance for John and Sherlock to meet in a WW2 era, saved by rebel-Nazi Lestrade, Sherlock’s irregulars are The Lone Gunmen, a kiss, a punch, “You’re my one in five billion” (remember when there 5 billion people on this planet?) :) If you do write this, please make sure present John and past John pass each other by and get a strange, tingling sensation as a result! It’s one of my favorite scenes in the entire show.

Dreamland I & II (6x04 and 6x05) - Mulder and Scully visit Area 51. But when the agents witness the flight of a mysterious craft, Mulder and a member of the Men in Black switch bodies, unbeknownst to the others. In part two, Scully begins to suspect that her partner's strange behavior is more than it appears to be, while Mulder fights to return his life to normal before it is too late. Cool plot points you might enjoy: Humor, humor and more humor. Mostly Morris Fletcher trying to bed John (=Scully) who promptly pulls a gun on him. That should be an awesome scene to write in and of itself. And let’s not forget “Lately, for lunch, you've been having this six-ounce cup of yogurt, plain yogurt, into which you stir bee pollen because you're on a bee pollen kick even though I tell you you're a doctor and you should know better.“ as well as “I’d kiss you if you weren’t so damn ugly.”

Tithonus (6x09) - Another underrated episode. I think it deals with the theme of death’s inevitability rather beautifully. Scully learns that she, but not Mulder, is being given a chance to prove her worth at the FBI, and—paired with a new partner—she investigates a crime scene photographer with an uncanny knack for arriving just in time to see his victims' final moments. What she does not expect, however, is for Death to play a role himself. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: John exploring on his own, for one reason or another, attached to another investigator (things happen!); this episode further explores a theory referred throughout the show since Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose, that Dana Scully is immortal (she seems to avoid death in this episode as well). It’s an Appointment in Samarra sort of story.

Monday (6x15) - Mulder and Scully are stuck in a deadly time loop. It’s a story that writes itself! Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Sherlock or John having a really bad morning, over and over again.

Alpha (6x16) - Mulder and Scully investigate several killings blamed on an Asian dog called the Wanshang Dhole, thought to be extinct. Mulder and Scully join an obstinate Sheriff, a seemingly eccentric hunter, and a reclusive canine expert to find it. However, there is more mystery to the expert than meets the eye. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: I enjoy this episode because it has some gentle but obvious MSR moments. Scully is suspicious (and low-key jealous) of Karin Berquist’s involvement in the case and it colors her opinion of the investigation. A key quote in this episode, preformed softly and beautifully by Gillian, is: “She's enamored of you Mulder. Don't underestimate a woman. They can be tricksters, too.”

The Unnatural (6x17) - This is a weird ass episode, let’s admit it. This is DD’s love story to baseball and it’s silly and sometimes boring/slow. BUT, it has lovely MRS moments.  Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: The structure of story within a story (Mulder retells his time spent with Arthur Dales who tells him the story of Josh Exley) is interesting enough. The opening and closing scenes are lovely as well of course!

X-Cops (7x12) - Mulder and Scully are interviewed for the Fox reality television program Cops during an X-Files investigation. Mulder, hunting what he believes to be a werewolf, discovers that the monster terrorizing people instead feeds on fear. While Mulder embraces the publicity of Cops, Scully is more uncomfortable about appearing on national television. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: It’s your chance to write a Sherlock crossver fic about an X-Files crossover episode. If that’s not cool, I don’t no what is.

Hollywood A.D. (7x18) - Let’s admit it, Hollywood A.D is not a good episode, as funny as it is. This episode was one of the first signs the show had lost its edge, possibly because they thought this would be their truly-this-time last season. However, it IS funny and gave rise to fans claims that by this point, Mulder and Scully were Definitely Sleeping Together. Wayne Federman, an entrepreneurial Hollywood producer and college friend of Walter Skinner picks up the idea for a film based on the X-Files, however Mulder and Scully find that the level of realism in their fictional portrayal is somewhat questionable. Meanwhile, during the filming of the movie, Mulder and Scully research the mysterious "Lazarus Bowl", an artifact that supposedly has the exact words that Jesus Christ spoke to raise Lazarus from the dead recorded on its surface. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: Lots of inner-jokes and crack humor, many fluffy moments, the chance to imagine who’ll play Lestrade, Sherlock and John in a BBC Film, Lazarus could refer to The Fall(!), which could be the plot to said film.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Mulder and Scully have both left the FBI, but when an FBI agent is mysteriously kidnapped, and a former priest who has been convicted of being a child molester claims to be experiencing psychic visions of the endangered agent, they reluctantly accept the FBI's request for their paranormal expertise. I know, I know. Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t like it either at first, but a) compared to the revival seasons, it’s not that bad and b) in terms of established relationship angst, it’s a fucking goldmine. Cool plot points you might enjoy writing: A chance to write a post-recent-retirement fic for Sherlock and John, with a lot of tension in their established relationship based around John’s reluctance to return to their lives as investigators. IWTB has quotes like “This isn't my life anymore, Mulder. I'm done chasing monsters in the dark.” and “This stubbornness of yours, it's why I fell in love with you.”  So there! Don’t dismiss the idea so quickly!

Wow, this turned out longer than I expected! I hope you liked them, and even if you don’t write anything - I definitely enjoyed this exercise.

My finished fics are ready to be read on AO3 :)

[cheryls-blossomed]

For me it's not even about the teasers but looking at this storyline as a whole. Iris has been trapped since 6x10 and out of all the eps only got decent screentime in 6x17 and 6x12. I'm talking about IRIS, not Candice or Mirror Iris.

6x11- No Iris at all, Mirror Iris

6x12- Mirror & real Iris

6x13- No Iris or Mirror Iris

6x14- 30 second Iris scene of her seeing Wally

6x15- no real Iris at all

6x16- miminal Iris

6x17- decent amount of Iris

6x18-6x21- miminal Iris

It's inexcusable. Iris has played third fiddle to Frost, Sue, Allegra, Cecile and guest stars of the week. Iris's screentime is bringing back memories of her treatment in 2A where she was getting less screentime than guest stars. Only difference is Iris is supposed to be the center of the plot but she doesn't feel like it. Her scenes don't get space to breathe because Eric refused to flesh out the mirror arc. But he wrote plenty of scenes of Sue and her beef with Carver, Frost wanting a life, Nash whining about Allegra etc.

What was the point of trapping Iris for the whole back half of the season? Iris could've gotten out 4 eps ago. That would've been enough time to deal with her trauma and still go after Carver, Black Hole, & Eva. Instead I get nonsense where she's basically been sidelined.

They wrote themselves into an impenetrable wall with this story-line, and I think it’s definitely a problem that the one time Iris gets her own Big Bad, she’s trapped in a mirror, and we honestly barely see HER in this story-line. 6x10, 6x12, and 6x17 (and possible 7x03, although remains to be seen) are the only episodes in this arc which feature Iris prominently and/or with a decent amount of screentime. In one episode, she’s not trapped in the Mirrorverse (6x10), and in two episodes, she’s figured things out about the Mirrorverse (6x12 is her discovering the Mirrorverse, and 6x17 is of course her discovering Eva’s deception). Because Mirror Iris was out of the Mirror and doing Eva’s bidding, she was featured far more prominently. I wouldn’t equate this to season 2A, though, because lbr if Iris wasn’t in the Mirrorverse and Mirror Iris wasn’t out and about, they wouldn’t have sidelined Iris like that. But I do agree that there’s a lot about this arc that is problematic. 

As I said above, they wrote themselves into a wall with this story-line. Iris could have gotten out four episodes ago, but with fully cultivated powers that allow her to control the Mirrorverse, she would have immediately gone after Eva... and well, Eva can’t be defeated before the finale. Obviously there are ways to handle this better than essentially stalling until the finale, when Iris is given a designated time slot to get out of the Mirror (or the very end/cliffhanger of 7x02, whenever it is). Killing Carver off before Iris had a chance to face off against him and take down Black Hole is an issue. That’s why they tried to hand off the Black Hole arc to Sue, and even still, Sue gets the chance to come help Team Flash in the finale.

They could have handled this so, so much better. It peeves me that the one time Iris gets her own Big Bad against whom she will face in the finale... she’s trapped in a Mirror and is stuck there until TPTB drags the story out long enough to ensure that Eva can only be defeated in the finale. Putting plot points above character is something The Flash has always struggled with, but at this point, it’s honestly just exhausting. Especially because I think Eric is better than Todd at not doing the whole ‘how do we get from Plot Point A to B,’ thing. And yet... when it comes to keeping Iris in the Mirrorverse for as long as he did, that’s exactly why he did it. While not giving her scenes in the Mirrorverse to explore and investigate, because imo there’s so much they could have done with Iris and the Mirrorverse. Like it could have been a whole experience, which they didn’t take advantage of. 

[westallenhugs]

Theory Update after 6x16 - (based only on what has aired)

I know I said weeks ago that I thought there were a lot of mirror people running around 😂 and now I think Carver might be a mirror too!

Up until last night all mirrors were women so I wondered if Eva could only make women mirrors but with the revelation of Mirror!Singh in Eva’s camp I have updates to my theory-

The particle accelerator explosion created Mirror!Eva - a dark, mad scientist version of the Real Eva.

Mirror!Eva trapped Real Eva in the mirror world and then pretended to be her. (I think there has to be a reason Real Eva is stuck in the mirror world. She has powers. We’ve seen her transfer objects between worlds. So I think Mirror!Eva - who has the same knowledge and is just as intelligent - is somehow keeping real Eva in the mirror world).

Mirror!Eva began testing her research on metas to get proof of her theories - something a real scientist would never do. (Eva told Iris not having proof of her theories is why her bleeding-edge research wasn’t taken seriously in her field).

Mirror!Eva creates and controls the Mirror!Metas and traps the real people somewhere in the mirror world. This is why Black Hole’s Light Metas - Esperanza, Hoshi (a scientist) and Sunshine (a decorated military officer) - are so compliant. They’re all mirror versions. (Remember Mirror!Iris told Barry that all metas had limits? There might be more to that statement than just motivating Barry).

At some point early on the real Carver figured out Mirror!Eva is not his real wife. He tried to get real Eva out of the mirror world. (Eva told Iris Carver used to visit her mirror but then he stopped).

Real Eva thinks her husband gave up on her and turned evil but the real reason he stopped visiting her is because Mirror!Eva found out what he was doing and trapped real Carver somewhere in the mirror world. Mirror!Eva creates Mirror!Carver and has real Eva declared dead.

So it’s Mirror!Eva (the real mastermind) and Mirror!Carver who are running Black Hole.

Meanwhile Real Eva’s main goal is just to get out of the mirror world and confront her husband.

Real Eva thinks her husband betrayed and abandoned her all these years. (In contrast Barry has had feelings that something isn’t right with Mirror!Iris from day one. He will figure out that it’s not his Iris and will work to get her out - hopefully).

Real Eva pulled Iris into the mirror world because Iris was too close to exposing Carver. Real Eva thinks if Carver went to jail she may never get free of the mirror world or get to confront her husband.

Eva created Mirror versions of Iris and Kamilah (not planned) to help her get what’s needed to escape the mirror world.

Still thinking Sue might be a mirror too. She also speaks Italian - coincidence? I don’t think Mirror!Iris was the first mirror version that Eva created. She would probably test the process with someone else first. Her plan to get out of the mirror had to have been in place before Iris went snooping at McColluch Technologies.

Real Eva had Mirror!Singh send Joe away to protect him from Carver (Mirror!Carver) who wants Joe dead and also to slow down Joe’s RICO case (again Real Eva doesn’t want Carver to go to jail before she can get free).

Also I think Mirror!Singh suggested to Joe that Sunshine was the mole to slow Joe’s case down. I think the female cop who’s always at crime scenes is the real mole.

Main points-

Mirror!Eva is the big bad leading a team of Mirror!Metas known as Black Hole.

Carver is really Mirror!Carver controlled by Mirror!Eva.

Real Eva just wants to get out of the mirror world and confront her husband.

At it’s core, the story also contrasts westallen’s relationship with Eva and Carver’s relationship and how each couple deals with trust issues, betrayal and how well they know each other. Westallen’s solid foundation is what makes them the more solid couple.

[jonmercer]

The Flash 6x16 “So Long And Goodnight” Synopsis: After Black Hole hires Rag Doll to kill Joe, Singh suggests he go into Witness Protection but Joe refuses to stop investigating Carver; while investigating Carver with Cisco, Ralph runs into Sue; Iris becomes suspicious of Eva.

[televisionpromos]

The Flash 6x16 "So Long and Goodnight" Promo - BLACK HOLE THREATENS JOE’S LIFE – After Black Hole hires Rag Doll to kill Joe, Singh suggests he go into Witness Protection but Joe refuses to stop investigating Carver. While investigating Carver with Cisco, Ralph runs into Sue. Iris becomes suspicious of Eva. Alexandra La Roche directed the episode written by Kristen Kim & Thomas Pound. Original airdate 4/7/2020.

[irisandtheflash]

do you have a guess as to which episode iris gets out of the mirror?

Season 6, Episode 17 is apparently titled, “Liberation,” so I’d hazard a guess it’s that episode. Could it be longer than that? Possibly, but I don’t really see how much longer it can be drawn out. I think now that Kamilla is also trapped, and there’s a Mirror Kamilla running around with Mirror Iris, it’ll happen sooner rather than later, especially because Iris is going to grow suspicious of Eva in the next couple of episodes, per episode descriptions.

I know it’s hard to see Iris suffer, and I also know it’s frustrating that she’s trapped, but I do think that each episode has moved the arc forward, and I’m guessing 6x16 and 6x17 is where things really escalate with regards to this arc. Besides, once Iris gets out, I do think (or rather hope) that we’re really going to see her be instrumental in taking down Eva and Black Hole.

[sunshinesunsethappiness]

Description for episode 6x16

BLACK HOLE THREATENS JOE’S LIFE – After Black Hole hires Rag Doll (guest star Troy James) to kill Joe (Jesse L. Martin), Singh (guest star Patrick Sabongui) suggests he go into Witness Protection but Joe refuses to stop investigating Carver (guest star Eric Nenninger). While investigating Carver with Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) runs into Sue (guest star Natalie Dreyfuss). Iris (Candice Patton) becomes suspicious of Eva (guest star Efrat Dor). Alexandra La Roche directed the episode written by Kristen Kim & Thomas Pound (#616). Original airdate 3/31/2020.

(x)

[barryallenis]

Well we have a new ep of the Flash coming soon so fans can actually have something to complain about instead of making up stuff to complain about 😂. Anyhow, the promo pics got me real excited about the episode. I noticed that they haven’t released the synopsis for ep 17, I wonder if it’s too spoilery. Usually we get it by now since the ep is a week and half away 🤔

Oo I didn’t think about that! Hopefully that means there’s something juicy and very important happening in 6x16 that anything they would release for 6x17 would give too much away. Just the fact that they mentioned Iris getting “suspicious of Eva” has me forming all sorts of theories as to what could happen. But I’m happy whatever it is will be adding to the black hole/eva storyline!

All those promo pics also had me excited honestly too! I love that ralph and sue are back, I love that Joe and Cecile are back (not loving that they’ll be in perile but eh they’ll be fine lol) and I love that scientist Barry is getting featured more.

Can you tell I’m super happy the flash is back??

[twicetolivetwicetodie]

How long are they gonna drag the Mirror! Iris arc out? I didn't think it would be *this* long

I have no idea! I didn't think it would be this long either. I honestly think she'll get out by 6x17. And if not I don't even know anymore. I do think she's gonna end up saving herself from the Mirror World, however. I also think Barry will (finally) have his suspicions confirmed about Mirror Iris in 6x16. Everything seems to be coming to a head in that episode with the mirror and Black Hole arcs finally converging.

I'm hoping we get a Mirror Iris vs Barry fight cause that's the fight that makes the most sense. They're gonna wanna make the reveal as dramatic as possible so that's why I think he'll find out in this ep. Not sure if Mirror Iris will succeed in depleting his speed or not but she might?

I said it in another post but I have concerns that Barry and Iris won't get the time to cope with how traumatic this arc has been for them. That's one of my pet peeves is that the characters aren't allowed to process their trauma before more shit happens to them and then it keeps building up and the narrative acts like they're fine now

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

My favourite Charmed episodes - season 6

This is the sixth part of my Favourite Charmed Episodes meta series all posts in the series will be tagged as #favecharmedeps.

Season 6 is a strange season because for some fans it’s their most favourite season and for others it’s their least favourite. For me, I’m afraid it’s the latter. Whilst season 5 saw a change in the vibe of the show, season 6 felt like a much more dramatic change that simply didn’t work for me. The characterisation of the main character seemed to become inconsistent and their development flopped, the strong sister relationships were neglected more than any other previous season and despite the potential of Chris’ character and plot, the indecisveness around what to do with his character led to a bunch of plot holes and a character that simply didn’t fit or make sense within the Halliwell family or Charmed as a whole. Nonetheless, the season wasn’t all bad. I still like some episodes from the season and there are some that provide some good characterisation that’s consistent with previous arcs and episodes. I’ve chosen 4 episodes from season 6 - Little Monsters, The Courtship of Wyatt’s Father, Hyde School Reunion and It’s a Bad, Bad, Bad World.

Little Monsters (6x09)

Overall, I think this episode is very underrated and slips under the radar. The plot with the manticores, the baby and his father (Derek) is one of my favourites involving innocents from across the series. Charmed tackles the greyness of morality multiple times, but the shows emphasis at times is generally black and white in its representation of good and evil, so this episode is great because it’s a particularly effective exploration the greyness involved in good versus evil. 

By having a demon baby, it immediately forces the sisters to question everything they feel and believe about demons. Usually their approach is simple - demons are evil and they kill them. However, the baby is not only a baby, but he also looks human and develops a bond with Wyatt. This causes conflict for the sisters who obviously cannot justify or bring themselves to kill a baby, regardless of the demonic powers he seems to posses. He may have evil powers, but he’s not evil yet and they know that evil is made not born. And the fact that Wyatt takes such a shine to him causes further conflict since Wyatt’s instincts from a very young age have always been very good. He knows when he’s in the presence of evil or if someone is untrustworthy and wants to harm him or his family, and he demonstrates that by having his force-field up. So the fact that he never puts his force-field up around the baby means that Wyatt doesn’t sense anything amiss from him. 

For Piper this is a particularly interesting episode because it taps into her feelings and instincts as a mother. By meeting Derek and seeing his desperation to be with his son, she’s able to sympathise as a mother who would also do anything for her child. There’s something that I just love about the fact that a suspected bad guy and demon who the sisters believe wants to kidnap the baby to do him harm actually turns out to be a human man who simply wants to save his son and voluntarily transformed into a demon so he could do exactly that. It’s one of the most emotive and touching stories of any innocent on the show, in my opinion. And I love how Piper was able to connect so easily to Derek, even when he was in his demon form and she was still unsure about his intentions. Just like Wyatt, her instincts didn’t let her down and she quickly realised that she wasn’t in the presence of evil.

It still makes me sad that Derek and his son only appeared in this episode, because the chemistry between Derek and Piper and the little friendship Wyatt and the baby developed was incredibly sweet and I think there was potential there for a friendship to continue and for Piper and Derek to go on play dates together with the kids. 

Overall, this episode isn’t stand-out brilliant or amazing. The side-plots with Darryl being made invincible by Paige’s spell and Phoebe and Jason’s struggles in their relationship are forgettable and lacklustre, but there’s something about Derek’s plot that I find very compelling and endearing. It’s one of the few stories of the many, many, many innocents on the show that always sticks in my mind. 

The Courtship of Wyatt’s Father (6x16)

There’s only one reason this episode makes it onto my list and I’m sure you can guess what it is. It’s Piper and Leo.

Generally, I’m not a huge shipper of Piper and Leo, but I still have a strong attachment to them and always rooted for them to be together. After the turmoil they go through in season 6, this episode is much needed. There’s so much left unsaid and unresolved between Piper and Leo, and the way he leaves at the end of season 5 and how he’s kidnapped by Chris and placed in Valhalla is just two of many issues they don’t address in regards to how their relationship ended. 

This episode is simply an emotional, heart-wrenching and authentic glimpse at two people who have a long, complex and deep history re-connecting in the moments which they believe could potentially be their last. Finally hearing those words, “I never stopped loving you” is so gratifying, because we all knew that but neither of them had openly voiced their feelings. Piper and Leo overcame so much to be together and they were cruelly ripped apart by Leo becoming an Elder, and everything about what happens between them in this episode is earned. 

The fact that Chris’ very existence is dependent upon Piper and Leo having sex and conceiving him on the very same day only thickens the plot. What’s so beautiful about it, is that all through season 6 you wonder how Chris is possibly going to be conceived since Piper and Leo are split and for a long time I started to think it was going to be done magically. So the fact that Chris is conceived naturally and out of nothing but pure love is so beautiful and it’s exactly what he needed. He feels inferior to Wyatt and knows that Wyatt was planned and wanted, and although he may not have been planned in the same way he was born out of Piper and Leo’s love in exactly the same way Wyatt was. If anything, the moment Chris was conceived was even more romantic and special than Wyatt since we as fans got to see that experience and the emotion between Piper and Leo in that moment. 

There’s really nothing more that I can say about this episode, other than to say that the way the episode ends with Piper finally learning that Chris is her son is a huge cliff hanger and just adds to the gratification of the episode. 

Hyde School Reunion (6x17)

There are a lot of aspects of this episode that are cringey as hell, but what I like about this episode is how consistent it is with Phoebe’s characterisation (which is particularly important to me, since I feel like the writers lost sight of Phoebe a lot in seasons 6-8). I also enjoy the fact that it slightly parallels with Coyote Piper where Piper had her high school reunion and had to confront her past and the ways in which she’d changed but also the ways that she’d stayed the same. Coyote Piper also showed the dynamic between Prue and Piper, whilst Hyde School Reunion shows the dynamic between Phoebe and Paige.

As I’ve mentioned multiple time throughout this meta series, Phoebe has always been characterised as being the sister with the darkest nature. We know that she got into trouble when she was younger and she was somewhat rebellious, but this episode allows us to literally see that younger version of Phoebe as she becomes her. The opening scene between Phoebe and Paige is cute because we see them bonding and Paige expressing that Phoebe’s a lot to live up to as a big sister. It’s these kind of sister moments that are so important to me and they’re particularly precious at this point since they don’t happen as often in season 6. It’s also nice that Phoebe invites Paige to attend her high school reunion with them since Paige has expressed in the past how she sometimes feel a little out of the loop since she never had the opportunity to know Piper and Phoebe when they were younger. By allowing Paige to be part of her high school reunion, Phoebe enables Paige to journey back to her past and see the sides of Phoebe and aspects of her life that she didn’t know about. This is also important because seeing the flip side to Phoebe enables Paige to realise that as much as she may look up to Phoebe as her older sister, Phoebe isn’t perfect either, which is always a valuable lesson to learn about our role models no matter how old we are. 

Phoebe has come up against her dark side multiple times in the previous seasons, but what’s significant about this episode is that she isn’t under the influence of magic or evil, it’s just her. The young Phoebe we see is exactly who she was when she was that age and a spell brings her to fruition, but it’s completely authentic and true to the person she was. What this episode does by connecting Phoebe to her past and her younger self, is to allow her to remember the person she was, how she’s changed and to take responsibility for the terrible things she did and prove that she’s no longer that person. It’s one of the most effective episodes at demonstrating how far Phoebe has come because she’s a million miles away from the young Phoebe we see in this episode. 

In addition to Phoebe’s arc, seeing Piper trying to work through the fact that Chris is her son, Chris revealing that Piper is dead in his future and Chris and Victor meeting is all very moving and emotional. Piper can clearly see that Chris is closed off and she wants to remedy that, and we see that already she’s having those motherly instincts towards Chris. Since the family finally know the truth about who Chris is, he’s forced to confront his demons more so than before and him admitting that Piper is dead in his future explains a lot of his behaviours and attitudes throughout the season. As for Victor, although he made amends for being an absentee father all the way back in seasons 2 and 3, knowing that he develops such a strong bond with Chris and is so involved in his and Wyatt’s life is so lovely to know. This little sub-plot with the three of them works very well and despite it being in the background rather than the forefront of the episode, it provides a lovely bit of development for all three characters and their relationships. 

When you look beyond Alyssa’s somewhat cringe portrayal of young Phoebe and the fact that the criminal plot with her old high school friends is a complete miss, this episode provides some very good characterisation and development for the sisters, Chris and Victor and builds upon some of those important familial relationships with Phoebe and Paige, Victor and Chris, Piper and Victor and Piper and Chris. 

It’s a Bad, Bad, Bad World (6x22+23)

A lot of my enjoyment of this episode lies purely in the fact that we get to see a parallel world where we get to see the sisters’, Leo and Chris’ evil counterparts and the Demon of Hope. It’s also a memorable episode in terms of Chris’ death and birth, Leo’s turn to the dark side and the general moral message that the episode contains.

I have a lot of issues with Chris’ plot throughout season 6 and how inconsistent it was and how many plot holes there were, but in this episode he’s very sympathetic and his death is heartbreaking. He sacrifices himself saving Wyatt’s life, which was his main goal from the beginning. It’s good to see that he’s finally developed bonds with the family, and that he dies with Leo by his side given the turbulent nature of their relationship in Chris’ reality. 

As for Leo, him murdering Gideon is one of the most interesting things that ever happens to his character. Leo’s goodness can only extend so far and let’s be honest in season 5 and 6 he was screwed over majorly. After working his ass off just to be able to be with the woman he loved and earning that right from the Elders, he was ripped away from his wife and newborn son by a higher calling, he was isolated by Piper he didn’t even tell him she was pregnant and he had to endure the wrath of Chris who hated him for something that he hadn’t even done (Chris’ anger was with the Leo of his reality, not our Leo). After finding out that the very people that had caused most of the issues in his family - the Elders - were also responsible for trying to kill Wyatt and murdering Chris, is it any wonder it sent him over the edge? What I love about this aspect of Leo’s arc is how embedded it is in fatherhood. In fiction there’s always so much emphasis on motherhood and mother-child bonds, and father’s are often cast into the background and those relationships and bonds aren’t explored as much. But Leo’s arc in season 6 is one of fatherhood and I admire that so much, because few male characters have the opportunity to have that kind of storyline. Leo loved his children every bit as much as Piper and was consumed with their safety and happiness to the point that it pushed him to act completely against his morals and commit murder. You often hear how parents will do anything for their children including murder, and Leo goes that far. He proves that when it comes to the love of your children there are no limits on what you’ll do. And honestly, this plot is probably one of my favourites from season 6, it’s just a shame that it wasn’t handled properly in season 7 and was very inconsistent and then kinda randomly dropped to revert him back to the exact same pure, “good” character he was in seasons 1-4. 

Obviously throughout the episode there’s a clear moral message regarding the importance of striking a balance between good and evil. It’s a message that’s been conveyed on the show before and that’s symbolised by characters like the Angel of Death and the Cleaners (despite how inconsistent they are with the mythology of the show, but that’s a separate topic). Although the sisters fight on the side of good and kill evil demons, it’s never the end goal to eradicate all evil. There’s an understanding within the Charmed universe and from the sisters themselves that good cannot exist without evil and vice versa. We’ve also seen this within the characters themselves as they struggle with the light and dark inside themselves and the valuable lessons they’ve learned along the way about the interconnectedness of the two. Having evil in the world is how one is good; because they choose to act on their better instincts and morals to promote good. The completely “good” world that the sisters find themselves trapped in is actually awful. Phoebe is shot in the street for parking her car in the way of her neighbours drive, people can be physically harmed and even killed for cursing or simply expressing pessimism. It might seem comical on the surface, but it carries a deep and important message that pure “good” doesn’t exist. If you go to the extreme on either side of the good-evil scale the consequences and results will be disastrous. 

Likewise this episode contains a similar message about life and death, which Chris really symbolises. That message is simply that there is no life without death. And although death is unfair and it’s tragic and it’s heartbreaking, for every life lost there is another life being brought into the world. 

Overall, season 6 is the first season of Charmed that I can categorically say has more aspects/episodes that I dislike than I like. Like all of these posts, it’s completely subjective, but I don’t really get this season in terms of it’s overall message or the character arcs. Although Charmed always follows a monster-of-the-week format season 6 feels more disjointed than usual and a lack of continuity. You can read more about my thoughts on season 6 and why it’s one of my least favourite seasons here. But I don’t want to end this post on a negative note, so what I will say is that season 6 definitely isn’t all bad. I admire the writers for taking on such a huge challenge with Chris’ plot, I appreciate the exploration of Phoebe’s relationship with Jason as the first “real” mature relationship she had without the interference of magic and just like season 5, this season has a much more “campish” vibe with a ton of light-hearted episodes like The Power of Three Blondes and Witchstock. But in between that there’s exploration of complex issues such as Leo’s absence from his family, Piper’s continuing dilemmas and struggles as a mother, Phoebe’s efforts to strike a balance between work, being a witch and having a social life, Paige’s dedication and perhaps over-investment in being a witch at the detriment of other aspects of her life, Leo’s darkness which is awoken by his fierce love as a father and Chris’ pent up resentment, rage, grief and sadness due to decades of complex family history. 

[cheryls-blossomed]

also, mirror iris kissed him on the lips once then barely let him kiss her on the cheek. she didnt let him hug or touch her the 3 or 4 times we saw it. so I just cant see how they were sleeping together. and how if they WERE having sex (mirror iris and barry), how barry wouldnt be able to tell it wasnt his wife at that point. this makes me extremely upset, moreso than if they just didnt have sex at all for a month and a half

Mirror Iris was very manipulative, though. She would dodge Barry’s kisses when she wanted something from him (see Mirror Gun), and she’d purposely put distance between herself and Barry to make him doubt himself. Other times, she would playact at being quite romantic. So, it wouldn’t surprise me that she would have sex with Barry, where it suited her overall objectives. I think from Barry sitting in the loft by himself at the end of 6x12 that it wasn’t something that was happening regularly. It’s just hard to shake Barry’s reaction to the, “Sharing your bed line,” and also the incredibly suggestive way Mirror Iris delivers it the line; plus Iris’s rage towards Eva explodes from that one line as well.

I know people are really frustrated by Barry not knowing Mirror Iris was Iris, especially if they were intimate, but 1) I think it’s worth remembering that this whole story-line is the show’s version of the Black Hole/Two Irises story, where Barry did have a hard time telling the two Irises apart, and 2) again, I think Barry was suspicious, but quelled his suspicions for a lot of different reasons and for a long period of time, because Mirror Iris was so good at impersonating Iris. So she would do or say something so completely opposed to what our Iris would do or say, but then Mirror Iris would do or say something that is exactly what Iris would say or do, and she had, at her disposal, all of Iris’s memories and Iris’s emotions attached to those memories. The arc needed way more nuance, and we needed a lot more of Barry’s perspective upfront, plus I think the final scene of 6x16 was incredibly contrived, but I do understand why Barry didn’t realize right away, especially given the context and also how his suspicions kept getting curbed for X, Y, Z reason.

[ialwayswannakissyou]

Lisa Cuddy in every episode 6x16 “Black Holes”

[jonmercer]

The Flash 6x16 “So Long And Goodnight” Synopsis: After Black Hole hires Rag Doll to kill Joe, Singh suggests he go into Witness Protection but Joe refuses to stop investigating Carver; while investigating Carver with Cisco, Ralph runs into Sue; Iris becomes suspicious of Eva.

[televisionpromos]

The Flash 6x16 "So Long and Goodnight" Sneak Peek - BLACK HOLE THREATENS JOE’S LIFE – After Black Hole hires Rag Doll to kill Joe, Singh suggests he go into Witness Protection but Joe refuses to stop investigating Carver. While investigating Carver with Cisco, Ralph runs into Sue. Iris becomes suspicious of Eva. Alexandra La Roche directed the episode written by Kristen Kim & Thomas Pound. Original airdate 3/24/2020.