#Coach Keats

[jhsharman]

Playbook

And now the rest is just -- six of one versus half a dozen of the other

To land on --

[pitchsidestories]

cheerleader II Grace Clinton x Reader

masterlist I word count: 1882

a/n: inspired by the request if we write for Grace Clinton, enjoy. 🤍

“Hurry up, Celin, I don’t want to be too late for the match.”, Grace Clinton told the fellow football player impatiently, the arms crossed over her chest. The rest of the friend’s group had already been ready to leave fifteen minutes ago.

The Norwegian meanwhile took a final glance at her bathroom mirror, checking if the curls she just made fell right, before announcing:” I’m coming.”

“Finally.”, Grace sighed relived.

Eyerolling Celin padded the shoulder of her friend: “Don’t be annoying. We’ll be on time.”

“Someone can’t wait to be the personal cheerleader of her girlfriend today.”, Khiara Keating teased the fellow Lionesses teammate with a huge grin on her face.  

When the goalkeeper mentioned you Grace cheeks turned immediately red which Charli Grant couldn’t help but to point out in a swooning voice:” I think it’s adorable. Look at how much she’s blushing!”

“Oh, shut up!”, your girlfriend begged annoyed who felt her face becoming even hotter than before.

Amused Celin commented: “Disgustingly cute.”

“Celin!”, she yelled at her.

The Norwegian looked innocently at her teammate:” What?”

“Stop it. No one said it was disgustingly cute when you got engaged.”, Grace reminded the woman who was only two years older than her.

Smiling at the memory Celin admitted: “ No, that’s true. Bethany was really annoying about it though like a mum. She asked me if I was sure about it? And that we’re still in the puppy love phase, blab la bla.”

“She just doesn’t want you to make a mistake.”, your girlfriend replied softly.

Dramatically the midfielder groaned:” Yes, and that’s sweet of her but she really needs to stop using dog metaphors all the time.”

The smile on Grace’s lips grew even bigger as she thought of Beth Englands golden retrievers who were adorable in her eyes and made her wish that you both would eventually get a puppy together, maybe the summer would be the perfect time for it:”  Everyone loves dogs though.”

“And her golden retrievers are so cute.”, Charli added in a tone she usually reserved for Harper.

The youngest of the four, Khiara was looking alarmed at the time on her phone:” Girls now we really got to hurry up!”

“Tell that to Celin.”, Grace scoffed.

She pouted: “It wasn’t my fault!”

“Yes, it was.”, your girlfriend laughed.

As they stepped out Charli was putting an arm on each of the best friends, while reminding them why they were heading out today: “Come on, girls. It’s time to watch some grassroots football, now.”

Your teammate Ava bumped her shoulder against yours as you walked out on the pitch together. With a smirk she commented: “Y/n, havd you spotted your cheerleader already?”

“Not yet. I fear they run a little late. She's bringing some friends with her today.”, you replied, your gaze wandering towards the entrance of the football pitch. But there was still no sign of Grace.

Avas eyes widened: “There's even more of them coming?!”

You nodded patiently: “Yeah, Celin, Charli and Khiara are coming as well.”

“Holy F-…”, Ava replied, stopping herself before your coach could hear her.

Your goalkeeper, Max, joined your conversation, lifting their eyebrow at you; “But you warned them that we do this just for fun and that we are not really good in our league, right?!”

Grimacing, you looked at your two teammates; “Uhm…”

“What the hell, y/n? We're totally going to embarrass ourselves in front of them!”, Ava yelled out, her voice rising with anxiety. She exchanged a panicked look with Max.

“Girls, calm down…”, you started, fighting back a smile.

The defender shook her head, her blonde ponytail swinging: “How?!”

You rolled your eyes with fondness: “You guys know Grace already and you never had a problem playing in front of her.”

“That’s different!”, Max interrupted you but the corners of their mouth curved into slight grin.

“Yeah, she’s only there to look at you with heart eyes during the match.”, Ava agreed, giggling.

You could feel your cheeks heat up: “Oh come on…”

Max shrugged nonchalantly: “She’s got a point.”

“Her friends are very nice, you’ll see.”, you promised them while you caught yourself looking for your girlfriend again.

Ava raised her eyebrows: “Let's hope so.”

“I guess we should start warming up.”, Max changed the topic and started to jog across the grass.

Ava clapped her hands: “Yes, let’s go.”

Max looked back over their shoulder towards you: “Come on!”

Laughing, you followed them: “I’m coming, children!”

“Children? You’re the child here!”, the goalkeeper laughed.

“Since she got into uni she thinks she’s an adult.”, Ava continued to tease.

“Hey!”, you protested. You were not even the youngest player on your team.

Max deliberately ignored you: “She wishes.”

Before you could reply, you were almost knocked off balance by someone jumping on your back and wrapping their hands around your shoulders.

“She’s still our baby!”, Rileys voice shouted right next to your ear.

You shook the redheaded midfielder off: “Ugh, stop it. I’m not.”

“Yeah, you are.”, Max countered smugly.

“At least I’m faster than you!”, you grinned and increased your pace, switching from a fast jog into a sprint.

The goalkeepers jaw dropped: “Without stretching! If we’d do that, we could go home right now.”

“Honestly, some things you can only do when you’re young.”, Ava shook her head.

Riley laughed: “My knees hurt from only watching her.”

“You sound like Lucy Bronze, Riley.”, you chuckled, remembering the phone call you had with Grace when she was away with the lionesses in Spain. Your girlfriend was happy about the fact that the English defender put her under her wings.

Even though the knee of the Barcelona player was hurting after she ran against Grace in training the older woman was still joking around with her like the pain was nothing.

Dropping the name of the famous lionesses Riley’s mouth dropped wide open: “Excuse me?!”  

“Yeah, it’s true but Luce wouldn’t just sat by and chat when she has to warm up.”, Khiara joined the conversation with a teasing smile on her lips.

Your teammate pouted, begging not all too serious: “Never ever bring your girlfriend and her friends again.”

“Riley, you got compared to Lucy Bronze that’s a compliment., you tried to cheer the older woman up before you turned around to kiss your girlfriend who was standing next to the Mancity goalkeeper, hi babe, glad you could make it.”

You were willing to ignore Celins fake gagging noises unlike Grace. She scolded the Norwegian for her reaction:” Celin!”

“Ignore her, Grace. Have fun watching the game, girls.”, you told her softly.

“We’ll.”

“Good luck.”, Khiara shouted after you, widely grinning.

Grateful for her support you mouthed: “Thank you, Khi.”

“You’re welcome.”, she replied.

During the match, Celin bit her lip, looking worried at what was happening in front of them:” Oh god, their team is bad.”

“Don’t be mean.”, Grace immediately defended you and your team.

With a mischievous grin Khiara reminded the Tottenham players:” You guys were bad too when we won against you 7:0.”

“You said you wouldn’t remind us anymore.”, your girlfriend whined.

The mancity goalkeeper countered: “At least it stopped Celin from being mean.”

“Grace, your girl scored!”, Celin excitedly interrupted them.

Proudly Grace said:” Not too bad, right?”

“It was a really nice goal.”, Charli admitted.

When Max celebrated your goal with you, she pulled you close to hum into your ear:” Little one tell your girlfriend she needs to come more often if her presence makes you score such bangers.”

“Oh, but you know she’s a busy girl.”, you answered grinning.

Confidently she shook her head:” Doesn’t matter. We need some wins.”

After the match, Ava announced to your girlfriend:” Grace, we need you to attend more games it works wonders on y/n’s performance.”

“I’ll try to come more often. But my weekends are pretty booked.”, Grace promised.

 In a reassuring tone you responded:” You don’t have too.”

“No, I want to come more often. I really enjoyed watching.”, your girlfriend looked at you lovingly.

“To be fair I enjoy watching you play too.”, you confessed sweetly.

She smirked while suggesting:” I think we could make a deal out of it.”

“Yes, we’ll try to see each other’s games as often as we can.”, you nodded eagerly.

The promise was sealed with a kiss from her on your lips:” That sounds fair.”

Two weeks later, the roles were reversed and you watched Grace and her team play against Manchester City in the FA Women’s Cup.

It was a suspenseful game that eventually went into a penalty shootout. You held your breath as Amy Turner converted the final penalty for Tottenham. You could not hide your joy for your girlfriends team while you watched them run towards each other and celebrate their win.

“Becky, you were amazing!“, Grace yelled at their goalkeeper who was able to save two of Manchester penalties.

Beth England pulled her two teammates into a hug: “I’m so proud of you, girls!“

“You really saved us with your goal in the last minute of stoppage time!“, Grace yelled happily at the striker. Her cheeks were still red from the game as her gaze drifted over the crowd of people applauding the win.

Beth shrugged with one shoulder: “They had to make a mistake at some point. She’s over there by the way if you’re looking for her.“

A new bright red flashed across Graces face: “Yes, I was searching for her.“

“Come on. Go to her, get your winners kiss and then we can celebrate together.“, Becky laughed and pushed the younger player in your direction.

Beth called after her: “Hurry up!“

“Trust me, I’m running as fast as I can.“, Grace laughed back at her as she made her way across the pitch.

She stopped right in front of you, a huge grin on her face.

“Hi, love. I’m so proud of you and your team.“, you greeted her and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Thanks. I’m glad you could be here.“, she replied.

As you pulled out of the hug, you held up your phone and presented your girlfriend your text messages: “Ava, Max and the whole team congratulate you and forgive me for missing training today.“

“That’s so sweet of them.“, Grace smiled, visibly moved by the thoughtfulness of your football team.

You nodded: “Yes, they are the best.“

“They are.“

“Go and celebrate with your team, babe, you deserve it.“, you laughed and gave her gentle push.

Grace held out her hand for you: “Join us.“

“Are you sure?“

“Absolutely.“

“Okay, I’m coming with you.“, you finally agreed and followed your girlfriend onto the grass.

Grace carefully took your hand in hers: “Good. The girls will be happy to see you.“

As soon as you reached the celebrating football players, you smiled: “Hi, girls.“

Charli beamed at you: “You’re here!“

“Gracies' lucky charm!“, Celin yelled with a slight tease in her voice.

“So that’s why we won.“, Charli concluded with a grin.

Grace pressed a kiss to your cheek: “Oh yes.“

Celin shot her a sceptical look: “Sure. It was probably her.“

Grace turned towards you, searching for your eyes: “Ignore the sceptic Celin. Love you, y/n.“

“I love you too.“, you replied and kissed her passionately.

[morfitties]

Dead Poets Society really is THE movie for anyone who has thought “I will never be like them when I’m an adult” because all the adults in the movie, bar Mr Keating, do is push unrealistic expectations onto kids like their rent is due. NONE of those kids have empathetic adults in their lives, but when Keating becomes their teacher, something changes. Even if they don’t like the class, they love Keating. He was the only adult they ever knew who respected them, treated them like real people, like what they wanted mattered.

My point is DPS is a gift to everyone who has ever been crushed under the weight of their families egos and rules and I hope we all had a teacher or a coach or any adult who treat us like we were real.

(The English teacher I had for 4 years was mine and he still keeps in touch with a few of us, when I saw him on the bud a month or so ago he looked at what I was reading and talked to me about it and my life and he’s the only teacher that looked at my art portfolio for university)

[lucawrites11]

the lionesses' no.1: who should it be?

England's greatest goalkeeper of all time, Karen Bardsley, unfortunately retired in 2021 and there's been a lot of change since. In 2021, three English goalkeepers were taken to the Olympics, with Ellie Roebuck in the number one spot and Carly Telford and Sandy MacIver taking the other two spots on the team. Now, the three goalkeepers being called up to camp are Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton and Khiara Keating. Ellie Roebuck hasn't been called up since she fell out of favour with Man City coach Gareth Taylor and has since suffered a stroke, which she is recovering from. Carly Telford has retired and Sandy MacIver has switched national allegiance to Scotland.

I ran a poll the other day and 44.2% believed that the first choice should be Mary Earps, 40.7% believe it should be Hannah Hampton and 12.8% believed it should be Khiara Keating.

However, I think, against the majority and say that Hannah Hampton should be England's first choice goalkeeper.

before i get into this, i want to say that i spent quite a while discussing this with @wsoc-gay and i want to thank them for that

Karen Bardsley is undoubtedly the greatest England goalkeeper of all time. Fun fact: in her career, Karen Bardsley never conceded more than 1 goal per 90 minutes in a league season. Mary Earps this WSL season has conceded 1.45 goals per 90, Khiara Keating has conceded 0.68 goals per 90, Hannah Hampton has conceded 0.7 goals per 90 and, last season, Ellie Roebuck conceded 1.09 goals per ninety. Hannah Hampton played the least amount of minutes at 900 while Keating and Earps appeared in every match with 1980 minutes played and, last season, Hampton played 1482 minutes.

To look at these pure stats, Khiara Keating is the best goalkeeper and should be England's number one, but the bigger picture needs to be looked at. When Mary Earps had the best season of her life last season, she conceded just 0.5 goals per 90 and Karen Bardsley best season where she conceded just 0.26 goals per 90.

While Khiara Keating kept the most clean sheets and conceded the fewest goals per 90, Janina Leitzig for Leicester made the most saves per 90 closely followed by Courtney Brosnan for Everton. Khiara however had the highest save percentage in comparison to shots that came her way, however she had a lot less shots come her way due to a far more robust defensive line in front of her in comparison to Brosnan and Letizig.

It's the England Keepers that should be compared, though. Mary Earps is consistently weak across her seasons and in her stats with her high claims (catching the ball in the air - often from set pieces) and long ball accuracy, which she attempts significantly less. Furthermore, compared to her competition, she rarely acts as a sweeper keeper.

In contrast, Khiara Keating is weak when it comes to long ball and pass accuracy, though better than Earps, and has made some simple errors leading to goals and conceding penalties. It is clear in her play that she needs to develop more and gain for experience.

Hannah Hampton, is weak when it came to high claims, however, stronger than Earps. She also made far fewer saves compared to her competition, however this can be contributed to her lack of minutes.

In their strengths, Hampton has the most accurate long balls at 46.2% compared to Keating at 43% and Earps at 38.3%. Keating made the most high claims with 13 whereas Hampton made 11 and Earps made 9. Earps had the highest pass accuracy at 79.9% compared to Hampton's 76.9% and Keating at 75.1%. Keating was the strongest at sweeper keeping (coming out of goal into the defensive line to help push play forward).

It is in these stats, that despite her strengths for the time being, Khiara Keating should be ruled out. She has too little experience and is young and needs her first England caps. She made mistakes that led to goals this season. One more season at City as the first choice goalkeeper should give her the ability to compete more as well as hopefully a chance against Ireland later this year to get her first England cap to start building that international experience. Roebuck should also be ruled out for the time being until she's playing again for Barcelona. I will revisit this analysis when she is back in form because there was a reason she was the first choice goalkeeper util Mary Earps came along.

Karen Bardsley's greatest strength was her sweeper keeper style of play and long balls. Her ability to come out of goal and push play forward. Hannah Hampton and Khiara Keating both emulate this play style whereas Mary Earps does not.

Mary Earps plays the game very strictly in goal, which requires her centre backs to work very hard and stay far back. In the case of England, this creates weakness because the midfield is tightly marked by England's opposition and chances can't be created through the midfield when they are playing through the 4-3-3 and these struggles have been obvious throughout the Nations League and European Qualifiers against the strongest teams. Her weakness on corners and set pieces also puts pressure on the centre backs to make the clearances. England fortunately has very effective centre backs, but if this wasn't a case, this would be a major weakness for England. Furthermore, it was a greater weakness with Millie Bright out injured as the best England defender for set piece clearance.

Hannah Hampton plays as a sweeper keeper, she's strong with a ball at her feet and she can send long balls up the pitch. In a 4-3-3, this allows her to take the burden off the centre backs, who in turn can overload the midfield, which pulls the markers out of position and allows chances to be created through the midfield. Her long balls and their accuracy also allow for chance creation over the top. On paper, she is also the better keeper for saves at the moment for England. England, ultimately, have a problem of scoring goals and a keeper that can help them create chances is what they need at the moment especially in the 4-3-3 used by Sarina Wiegman.

Under Earps the formation looks like this with very little movement:

Markers placed on Walsh and Stanway easily cut out the ability to move the ball and long balls can only come from Williamson in the backline who would face pressure from forwards meanwhile full-backs can mark Hemp and Mead out of the game. In order to get the ball forward, Russo has to drop into the midfield to create chances so she isn't in the box for the delivery and the goal isn't finished:

i hope my attempt to draw on my laptop makes it clear

The use of Mary Earps creates a knock-on effect of cutting off England's goal-scoring chances. However, the 4-3-3 under Hampton looks very different with the movements that players can make

The image on the left allows for the movements in the centre, which allows players to occupy the positions shown in the image on the right. Hemp and Mead can also move closer to the box, but the whole thing was already too confusing. The midfield overload, that is so clear in the image, cuts out the markers by overloading them and allows for passes in the midfield. Both Hampton and Williamson are also freed up by the markers being pushed out of position, so chances can be created through long balls. A midfield with a lot of freedom can further push forward and you get players like Stanway scoring goals. Overall, England can create more chances and score more goals and it is this style of play which changed the game in the first half against France to put England two goals ahead.

If England continues to set up in a 4-3-3, they need to use Hannah Hampton, it doesn't matter how many goals are saved if no goals are scored. If England uses a 3-5-2, three centre backs would allow for a midfield overload without the use of a goalkeeper and Mary Earps would be the best choice and I explain this in more depth here and here - this post is already so long but send me an ask if you want a little more elaboration about how Mary Earps specifically fits into this play style.

However, issues are brought up with Hannah Hampton and that is in her experience. It's argued that only Earps is experienced enough, with 50 caps to Hampton's 6 and Keating's 0. Mary Earps made her England debut in 2017 and Hampton only made hers in 2022 and is just 23 to Earps' 31.

On the other hand, when Mary Earps became the consistent England number one in September 2021, she hadn't been called up since her final camp and eighth cap in November 2019. At the point, Sarina made her the permanent number one, taking the spot from Roebuck, she had just 8 caps which is not far off Hampton's 6. However, Hampton has made 4 appearances for England in 2024 whereas Mary Earps hadn't made an appearance for England since 2019 at a camp or on the pitch. Moreover, when Mary Earps became England number one, she had only been the first choice goalkeeper for one and a half broken seasons through the pandemic after a season at Wolfsburg where she was the second choice goalkeeper in 2018/19, she had also just come off a period at Reading where she was again, the second choice goalkeeper meaning that she had only recently begun to get regular playing time half a season before entering her position as England's number one. This is relatively a small amount of experience.

Meanwhile, prior to her Chelsea transfer, Hampton spent three seasons as the first-choice goalkeeper. First, at Birmingham City in 2020-21 and then at Aston Villa in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Upon moving to Chelsea, after half a season she broke out ahead of two of the world's best goalkeeper's: Zećira Mušović and Ann-Katrin Berger (and no one tell me AKB was out of form, she is KILLING it for Gotham). That is very impressive making multiple appearances for Chelsea in both the WSL and Europe which allows her to practice and gain experience against a wider range of players, a privilege no currently afforded to any other England goalkeeper options. Ulimately, I believe that Hampton definitely has the experience at this point to be England's number one IF and especially if Weigman continues to utilise a 4-3-3 formation.

Let me know what you think. My asks and DMs are always open and I love a good debate/discussion about these things :))

[cecekeating]

My 608 Jordayla thoughts/breakdowns pt.2

We are back at the therapist with Layla. She is about to start the treatment. She is again very nervous. The therapist wants them to talk about her mother. Just as an aside, if you are wondering how the therapist was able to pick topics off the bat to talk to Layla about, it was mentioned in the first scene with them that she has notes on previous sessions. So the therapist has enough info about Layla and her previous history and is making decisions about the sessions about them. Again, Layla is reluctant and at this point, the therapist makes it clear that she can’t help if Layla is not willing to co operate. Layla agrees. 

This is where we get to to the meat of the issue. When I was watching, I had concluded that the session was going to be about Layla just missing her mother or Layla just  confronting her abandonment issues as it related to her impending marriage to Jordan. I was not ready for the angle the writers took with this arc at all. 

We get the first flashback with baby Layla ( absolutely adorable actress playing Layla and perfectly casted). She is at the old house. Remember the house that Layla trashes in season 1? I want to pause here and have us reflect on the end of season 1. Maybe Layla trashing the house can be indicative of trying to destroy the traumatic memories she had in that house as a child. Just a food for thought for you. 

So we see baby Layla hearing her mother and father in a room. Remember this is an actual memory from Layla’s childhood. She is recalling the memory to the therapist. Because she is going deep into a buried memory, Layla becomes overwhelmed in the present and session is paused. 

We start the session again and Layla is able to continue relaying the memory to the therapist. We now see baby Layla open the door to reveal her parents. This was when my mind was blown away. I was GAGGED when I saw that the writers had Mike and Greta play JP and Monica Keating. I did not expect this at all and I need to give the writers their props for this brilliant writing. I also feel I need to pause to explain what was going on in this scene because I feel it was lost on some of the audience.

What we are seeing is an actual memory of Layla from when she was 6 years old. We see that at that time, her mother is deep in depression and her father is struggling to help her mother. Monica Keating is lost as to her identity, JP needs her and he tries to let her know that Layla needs her too. Monica also feels that JP lost his spark from having to deal with her. Do you see where the second question Layla asks Jordan at the beach house comes in? 

 Again, this is an actual memory from Layla’s childhood. Having Mike and Greta play JP and Monica is to show that specific memory from Layla’s childhood has now manifested as a fear in Layla’s head about her relationship/ impending marriage to Jordan Baker. 

We go back to the present and it all makes sense now for Layla. She is afraid her marriage will be like her parents’ marriage. 

We are now at the final part of this brilliant story. Jordan and Layla talking about the session. This was my favourite part of the entire episode. And so much was said in this scene without it being said explicitly. First of all, I want to call back to the light moment about breaking up with coach Mac. Jordan having his own podcast episode to say FU to coach Mac and “end things” with him is the right level of pettiness and dramatics that I expect from him and I love him so much for it!

Back to the conversation! So Layla explains to Jordan that she was able to figure out why the meds stopped working. The engagement. The next thing Jordan says is “The thought of marrying me made you unhappy?” In his head, his worst fear is about to come to pass. Call back to earlier in the episode. Layla asking those questions triggered him too and threw him off balance. This scene showed us the extent to which those questions threw him off. Layla says no but she continues to explain honestly. Again, she feels safe enough to tell Jordan everything - including the uncomfortable aspects of her parents’ marriage. As she speaks, you can see the hurt form on Jordan’s face. It now makes sense to him. Why she was dragging her feet and questioning his love for her. But also he understands. In this moment, Jordan shows so much compassion for the situation Layla is in. He understands that the engagement was sprung on her without notice and he takes responsibility for that. Before going further, I want to once again applaud the writers for their attention to detail. I did not think they would ever bring up how quick their engagement went but here we are. Because when you look at things panaromically, Jordayla got engaged really young and quickly and it is super realistic that there are implications of doing that. In this case, it triggered an unresolved trauma in Layla’s life. 

Jordan with all the love and compassion in his heart, offers Layla an out to end the engagement. Lets go back to episode 607 shall we? In this episode, we saw how Jordan was so worried about Layla and her well being. He was so worried that he nearly lost a very important game as a footballer. We saw him fight to make sure Layla was okay. Layla was his top priority in that episode. In that same episode he said “none of it matters until my fiancee is whole”. This episode showed us that Jordan meant every word he said in episode 607. He meant it so much so that he was willing to lose this same fiancee if it meant she would be whole again. Jordan chose Layla above the engagement, his feelings and his hurt. You could see him hurting but like he said in episode 607 “Your best is my best” If the best thing for Layla was to end the engagement so she could be whole, then it was the best thing for him too. He gave her an out because he will give anything to make her happy because he loves her.

On Layla’s end, she explains her fear of marrying him but she also comes to the realise that she and Jordan are not her parents. She also realises that in spite of all she has been through, Jordan has stuck with her and he has always looked at her with love. She realises in this moment, on her own, how unwavering and unconditional Jordan’s love is for her. If you recall in earlier episodes, she has had people talk and convince her to realise how much Jordan loves her - Ryan in ep 2 with the moving in, Patience in ep 6 and Olivia in ep 7. This time around she realised by herself that Jordan loves her by remembering that he has stayed with her in her lowest and through it all, he never gave up on her or stopped loving her. 

This realisation gives Layla the courage to choose Jordan, just like he chose her. Remember, love is a choice. She chose Jordan over her current circumstances and was willing to face her fears with him by her side. If she has to face her fears so she doesn’t lose Jordan, she would. If you notice the breakthrough happens when she assures him that she meant it when she said Yes to his proposal and when she confesses her love for him. You can see her struggle to get the words out but she fights to say it out. This was the moment, she chose Jordan regardless of what was going on in her life. In the difficult moment, Jordan and Layla chose each other and decided to remain committed till the end. She asks for more time and Jordan tells her to take all the time she needs. Of course he will say that. He has always been patient with her. From their first kiss to waiting for her before having sex with her to becoming a couple and agreeing to the secret dating, Jordan has consistently let Layla take her time to figure things out. I think its one of the reasons why she loves him. Again she is safe enough with Jordan to ask for some more time to heal so she doesn’t bring any baggage into their marriage because she knows he will accept her request. And he did!

I have enjoyed the writing for Jordayla this season so much and this episode really brought it all together. The writers have been A* with this mental health arc and how it relates to Jordayla as a couple. I am excited to see what is in store for them as the season progresses and I am confident that they will continue to grow stronger. I loved writing this piece and I really hope you enjoyed it. Apologies if it is too long or if I rambled. This is my first ever Jordayla breakdown. I have loved being part of the Jordayla fandom so I thought I’d make my own small contribution.

For everyone struggling with any kind of mental health issues, know that you are loved. Keep talking, find your tribe and get all the love and support available. I promise it gets easier.

For anyone helping or supporting a friend or loved one through mental health issues, thank you for showing up and being there. Know that you are loved and appreciated. 

If you want to yap about Jordayla, my DMs are open! Feel free to reach out. 

[cliquestitsandicks]

Rewatching Wildmoore scenes and started playing a game of Married, Partnered, or Broken Up for my queer ships.

Wildmoore: Married. In the erased timeline on The Flash, they were already married. That timeline is no more, but I think they still end up happily married maybe 3 years after the season 3 finale. Sophie has been in a sham marriage before, living a total lie personally and professionally. I think it’s going to be everything to her to be able to live her complete truth and that includes being able to call Ryan her wife. As for Ryan, she’s never had the comfort of stability and belonging. It’s going to mean the world to her to have not just her biological family, but a home with her wife Sophie who chooses her everyday. Given their ages, experiences, and history with each other, neither of them was going into this relationship unless they thought it had a chance of going the distance anyway. Consider how long it took for them to act on their feelings, as apparent as they were, even though they were seeing each other every day and night.

Catradora: absolutely married.

Pearl and Bismuth: Partnered and living together, but not married.

Garnet: still, forever and always, married. But lives as Ruby and Sapphire more often.

Kadena: Partnered and living together, but not married. And Adena takes an extended international assignment once or twice a year to keep from feeling trapped/caged. She typically stays for about 5 weeks, asking Kat to join her for the 3rd week. She always showers Kat with affection and reassurances (even though she’s long ago told her she doesn’t need them anymore) when she returns.

Carson and Greta: And They Were Roommates (as close to married as we would probably get in 1943). They wouldn’t be able to get a house without a man. I’m thinking their coach helps them get one.

Max and Esther: Broken up but still friends. It was good for a while, but ultimately Max needed time to find herself and adjust to this new level of freedom. Esther found someone else while she did that and they’ve been roommates for 10 years.

Calzona: re-married when Sofia was 19. Lots of therapy and a change in their dynamics helped this. Teddy, Cristina, April, Webber, Bailey, Meredith, and Mrs. O’Malley attended after Sofia told Zola it was happening.

Korrasami: married like crazy. You’ve never seen an avatar married so hard. They give Aang and Katara a run for their money. This is the avatar state of marriages.

Not canon, but go with it… Laurel and Michaela: Partnered but not married. Hear me out. I’ve said it before and I stand by it, Michaela was in love with Laurel. It’s canon that she loved her; Annalise said it, told Michaela that Laurel didn’t “deserve” her love in that pillow-hitting therapy session scene. It’s just not canonically said that she was in love with her even though her behavior and vulnerability with her suggest so. Anywho… Michaela, like the rest of the non-white male Keating 5, had an unfair share of trauma even before law school and it drove her to seek 2 things above everything else - success and a sense of traditional normality in her home life. That second part is why i think the series is completely on track in that she will marry a man and have children with him. But i think she also knows she can’t shake what she feels for Laurel and her child. If given the chance to keep them in her life she absolutely will. I imagine her conducting a relationship with Laurel that is very much a “romantic friendship” as the fics call it. Like they are clearly more than platonic but she’s trying to pretend they’re not until she can’t. She treats Laurel’s son the same as she does her daughters with this man - holds him the same, dotes on and soothes him the same, is there for all the milestones. Every weekend (starting Thursday nights) she and Laurel take the kids out together and have these sleepovers at Laurel’s where she and Laurel are in the same bed every time. Her husband knows all about this sleeping arrangement and has been just acting like his wife spending half her week in her other home with their kids is completely normal since he came to the hospital after Michaela had their first daughter to find Laurel in the bed with her soothing said daughter as Michaela napped while cuddled into her side. He knows exactly what this marriage is and is not. He benefits from having this image as much as she does. But it all comes to a head when he has an affair. Michaela is livid but he just deadpans her and says “you have a whole wife i share half your time with. Our children knew her voice from the womb and were bilingual by the time they were 3 even though neither of us speaks Spanish. But i can’t have someone i just sleep with occasionally?”

[notexactlyrocketscience]

favourite adhd creators masterpost!

(especially for gender minorities, people of colour, and lgbtq+ community!) in no particular order:

adhdinos (ryan keats): just compassion and wholesome vibes.

the mini adhd coach by alice: incredible resource that highlights diverse experiences, presentations, and comorbidities of adhd outside the stereotypes.

adhd nutritionist (becca king): if you have trouble eating because of adhd, she’s going to save your life every day with compassionate advice that actually works.

how to adhd (jessica mccabe): her ted talk was one of the things that made me realise i may have adhd. her content covers a lot of breadth and is very resourceful.

adhd couple by ingri: the perfect resource when your partner (or friends!) also have adhd.

adhd superwoman (ingrid heyerdahl): more of the inspirational type, often featuring accounts of women with adhd.

izzie and adhd by izzie: incredible candid and heartwarming blog of her own experiences, with both celebratory and difficult moments.

authentically adhd by jak: here for the adhd positivity, staying for the gorgeous queer energy.

adhd alien (pina varnel): an incredible individual and artist who needs no introduction, they were the first adhd creator the majority of us stumbled across. <3

female adhd: great resource to learn about how adhd works in afab bodies, how symptoms interact with hormones, and the distinct impact of adhd on women's experiences in our society.

elyse myers: need i say more? her #theadhdway posts remind me of the untethered joy that can come with being neurodivergent. laughter is medicine and that’s what elyse is here to remind us.

this is a working list, so come back for more. <3 I am an instagram girlie so all of these link to instagram, but most (if not all!) of these creators are on twitter, tiktok, and tumblr (!!) as well! as someone with little to no access to mental health support for adhd, they have been imperative to my survival. I hope you find some comfort in them too!

[obsessedwithlarkin]

2025 NEW TGR CUBS:

•Adaline Rose ( Dance Universe)

• Adelynn McLeod ( Project 520 Dance)

• Alexa Paul ( ????)

• Arina Brizgunova ( Allegro Performing Arts Academy)

• Brayden Bane ( DC Dance Factory)

• Brennyn Bishop ( Dolce Dance Studio)

• Cambrie O' Haver ( Club Dance Studio)

• Charlie Nees ( Tiffany Dance Co.)

• Dylann Sebes ( Evolve Dance Complex)

• Evie Lacoste ( Modern Conceptions Of Dance)

• Grace Nunez ( Dance Unlimited Miami)

• Harlow Snow ( Dance Studio C)

• Haven Bryan ( Dance Deluxe)

• Isabella Fernandez ( DanceTown Miami)

• Lily Knopps ( Club Dance Studio)

• Lyla Lou Longo ( Dance Institute)

• Madison Luckman ( Studio X)

• Kenny Braga ( Stars Dance Studio)

• Mia McDowell ( Broadway South Dance)

• Nahlea Fay ( Yackel Dance Studio)

• Reagan Tannehill ( Club Dance Studio)

• Remi Frye ( CSPAS)

• Ruby Maxine ( Integrity Talent Project)

• Sadie Daniels ( Elite Classical Coaching)

• Sadler Williams ( Tuscaloosa Comunity Dancers)

• Willow Keating-Rendon ( DC Dance Factory)

• Chloe Todman ( BLA Dance Academy)

• Bronson Arrivillaga ( TheCREW)

• Neriah Karmann ( K2 Studios)

[etxrnaleclipse]

SLICE OF LIFE MUSES

((Hit the heart if you'd like a starter from one of my regular slice-of-life ocs. Specify which character you would like in the comments or IMs!))

Connie Price || Investigative Journalist

Diogo Rosa Madrigal || Literature Professor

Ellen Sutherland || Restaurant Owner

Eva Dempsey || Law Student/Dancer

Evan Gamble || Music Teacher

Fran Parks || Fashion Designer

Freddie Buchanan || Photographer/Former Singer

Grace Rosa Madrigal || Broadway Actor

Harry Jacobs || Medical Intern/Resident

Hollie Gamble || Junior Chef

Isabella Perez || Elementary School Teacher

Jayne Gamble || Ranch Owner

Joseph Anderson || Professor

Kara Halliwell || Mechanic

Koa Ross || Baseball Coach/Former Pro

Lou Wagner || Hairdresser/Survivor

Maria Delgado || Paramedic

Michael Lopez || Art Teacher

Mira Campbell-James || History Professor/Museum Curator

Nicholas Keating || Crown Prince

Nigel Stones || Bank Security/Former Sheriff

Olivia Grant || Nurse/Former Escort

Robyn Whittaker || Author

Tamara Kim || Doctor

Vera Madan || Nurse/Former Military

Zara Hudson || Vet Student/Bookkeeper

[consoledacup]

going off of the idea that jordan and layla would’ve found each other eventually, what do you think it would look like if all american ever did a “what if” episode in which spencer never transferred to beverly?

OMG, such a different story. Because Spencer's arrival to Beverly unravels so much.

Like, this is a earth-shattering, mind-bending event. It would splinter me in pieces to go down all the different avenues how this would affect all characters, all relationships, all situations... This is gonna be a vague overview of one possible pathway.

Oh boy, okay. So let's say it played out where all the characters are the same age they are. Spencer might've met Jordan in college???? Like at GAU?? And maybe when Billy is visiting Jordan after a game, he runs into Spencer who's like, I know you? Because Billy tried to get Spencer to transfer to Beverly, but he never took the bait.

And Jordan and Spencer bond and start to hang, which will inevitably result in Spencer's introduction to the Beverly Crew, including Olivia Baker, Asher Adams, and Layla Keating.

And where would we find these characters? Would Asher and Layla still be complacently dating? I doubt it. In a What If? ep, they could go that route, but that would take some serious suspension of disbelief. Yes, Layla broke up with Asher for Spencer. But they also just needed to break up and eventually realized they were never right for each other.

Asher cheating with Olivia would've still come out. Asher would've still fallen in love with Olivia. Asher most likely would've still taken steroids and messed with his health. And Asher and Olivia would've still broken up because she didn't need to keep saving him. So he's killing it as a coach hopeful at Coastal and probably met Jaymee still.

Okay, but Olivia would still be pursuing journalism, but I'm not sure if she'd be at GAU or not. But the initial sparks she'll share with Spencer will be so interesting because a college athlete and a journalist??? Spencer would feel dubious of her wanting to spend time with him because did she just want a quote? And she'd feel dubious and wonder if he really likes her or is he just interested in a sports feature?

And Olivia probably still would've relapsed and would've still pursued activism as an outlet. Because she's always gonna be a change maker.

Layla would've still dealt with her depression in full force. She didn't have Spencer to help her like he did in s2, whether she wanted the help or not. But she would've had Olivia. And she wouldn't have met Coop, so she wouldn't have anyone to inspire her enough to experiment with producing. So she'd most likely be in college.

She would've still gone to Running Springs. She would've met Carrie. She would've gone through what she did. Jordan would've been affected like he was, after casually dating and moving from girl to girl. And they would've fallen in love because he refused to give up on her.

But it would not have lasted. She didn't trust him to really take them seriously, and he would've been upset far more and not known how to maturely handle conflict.

Because Jordan had tried relationships before Layla, but they never lasted more than a few months. He and Asher were football kings at Beverly, and he loved loved loved the attention. But he had not undergone training from Billy or Spencer, so he doubted himself constantly and coasted on bravado.

But with Spencer popping up in Beverly?? He and Jordan train together. Jordan learns to push himself to become a great athlete. Spencer's constant presence around Jordan, and then Olivia finally finally finally convinces Billy to come clean to Laura about his affair. Because Corey had popped up a couple years prior to offer his forgiveness. And it stuck with Billy, but also it was in the past, right? Spencer was happy at South Crenshaw, and he never sees Grace, so none of it needed to be addressed.

So the affair is out. Olivia and Spencer have no idea how to handle their feelings along with the knowledge of the affair, so that tears them apart. Jordan flies off the handle and has fling after fling until Layla confronts him about it. And then you got two separated ships trying to find their way back to each other.

In the show, Spencer's arrival in Beverly set off truth bombs and connection shifts and breakups and a real dichotomy of two worlds crashing together.

Whether that would've happened sooner or later is irrelevant. Because the truth always comes out, right?

[jhsharman]

Healthy-ish

Chuck is not doing so well in the high school boxing circuit, and Archie uncovers the reason why. Depending on which version you read, you can just call Chuck "Kid Candy". " Kid Energy Bar" doesn't have the same pejorative.

Easy enough to fix. But alas --!

Just what is Rudy Wrotten's game plan here?

Dude. It's just a high school boxing match. What, exactly, is the prize at the end of all these trained carrier pigeons, dog delivery services, and skulking outside the gym room on your rival school?

And here we see the reason that the premise of the story shifted from Chuck's addiction to candy bars to his addiction to energy bars.

It is a throwback to the doctors of old and their endorsements of one cigarette brand over another. But then, how does the new version play out health conscious-wise?

I guess it depends on what it is, these Chewy Dewys. But even supposing they aren't the brands that really aren't anything but candy bars -- dipped in chocolate! -- and maneuer away from sugar, it can't be good to eat as many as we're Chuck eat here -- and out of the mouths of birds! -- if the concern is his four full meals a day. Though, strictly speaking, I don't know what level of athlete one has to get to before the dietary requirements become unreal.

[bazpitchs-violin]

todd speech kid headcanons part… five???

his senior year he ends up putting up every single event (di, hi, poi, po, pr, duo, oo, info)

so he goes to tournaments and in final rounds he’s like 6xe

neil is so proud of him because guys. he is SWEEPING

there is no reason for him to be doing this well except that he’s crazy /hj

when neil’s applying to colleges, todd gives him the lucky penny from his shoe

keating is definitely the speech coach at welton idk about you guys

when todd tries to take all of his events to the harvard invitational keating is like um todd are you sure and he’s like yeah. i’m sure. please. i know it’ll be a lot, but i can do it.

so he does

when it gets to awards, he finals/wins everything and it gets to the point where the person announcing it is like okay todd just stay up here haha

keating lovingly gives him shit after because they had to move so much shit around in the car for all his fucking awards

keating always works his pieces with him and it’s like the scene with the improv poem half of the time

todd’s blocking is always so fucking clean it’s wild

when todd graduates, keating gives him a notebook

[ghostlykimiboo]

Twisted Metal: Dropout

Lore/Plot: As a new Twisted Metal contest was about to occur around 2020 by the infamous Calypso, he was tracked down and was captured by the FBI. Now one knows what has ever happened to Calypso, with some believing he’s still alive out there or is possibly dead. Society went back to its usual routine; especially in the small town of Hell, Michigan. That was until an unruly student named Kendric at a university was finally expelled after he was let go from jail for grand theft auto and selling stolen vehicle parts. He moves to an underground tunnel that lead to an open area that had some kind of large man-made home. Surprised that it had running water and energy, he decided to live in it. As days went on, Kendric was wondering around to see what else he could find in the underground. He stumbles upon “Roadkill”, one of the vehicles that were once used for the infamous Twisted Metal tournament. He takes it for a test drive and surprisingly it still has power in it, but he notices some damage to it as if something was removed roughly. Just as Kendric parks “Roadkill” near his home, he notices that the door was open and he pulls out his pocket knife in case of a conflict. Turns out it was another college student he recognizes, the student was Jay. Jay was once a successful student from the university, until he family became homeless and broke after a violent robbery. This event lead to Jay having no other choice but to dropout. Kendric decides to let him stay, but only if Jay doesn’t gossip about the area the two are living in. As the new year arrives, Kendric decides to secretly bring some girls down for a party he threw; which brought the attention of two rival jocks, Zale and Braylon. The two charge down and they challenged Kendric to a couple of games, which Kendric had an idea and who introduced the two newly discovered vehicles for a drift race. “Spectre” for Zale and “Crimson Fury” for Braylon. Kendric decides to use “Roadkill” for the race, to which the begin the drift race throughout the underground and Kendric took the victory. The two were astonished by Kendric slick personality, especially towards those that “follow” him. The more “dropouts” came along, they were assigned newly discovered vehicles that were used, but Kendric came to the realization that the reason why all of the vehicles had some kind of damage was that all of them had their weapons removed due to safety precautions to the public. Since Kendric and the small growing club don’t have access to such weaponry, Kendric would mainly due car bashing and drift race events and give the winner their desired prize of their choice. Twelve “dropouts” live with Kendric, usually have their own shenanigans that would lead to small rivalries and them using there vehicles for rival battles or in some cases, take them out in the open for a ride across the small town. This of course would get Kendric annoyed since he has been trying to keep these hidden or else he would get caught once again and end up in jail again or worse, entering prison.

The Dropouts/“Drivers”

Kendric Granger (Age: 23/Male)

Nicolas Rider (Age: 21/Male): Sweet Tooth

Naenia Ellis (Age: 19/Female): Shadow

Thiago Colton (Age: 20/Male): Outlaw

Michelle Sutton (Age: 22/Female): Warthog

Zale Rhodes (Age: 23/Male): Crimson Fury

Lena Finley (Age: 19/Female): Hammerhead

Raiden Kahlo (Age: 23/Male): Mr. Grimm

Orson Baker (Age: 22/Male): Mr. Slam

Braylon Watts (Age: 23/Male): Spectre

Clover Monroe (Age: 21/Female): Thumper

Jay Keats (Age: 23/Male): Roadkill

Taylin Emery (Age: 18/Female): Twister

Vehicle Types

Sweet Tooth: 1996 Chevrolet Step-Van

Shadow: 1960 Cadillac Funeral Coach

Outlaw: 1992 Land Rover Defender 110

Warthog: 1987 AM General HMMWV

Crimson Fury: 1996 Lamborghini Diablo

Hammerhead: Ford F-150 (Seventh Generation)

Mr. Grimm: 2006 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200

Mr. Slam: 1972 International Hough H60B Wheel Loader

Spectre: 1970 Plymouth Superbird

Thumper: 1963 Chevrolet Impala

Roadkill: 1970 Dodge Charger (B Body)

Twister: 2020 Formula 1 Race Car

[writermuses]

Send some numbers + muses!

Nathaniel (4, 11, 29, 32)

Triz (7, 27, 64)

Danny/Lieve ‐ for both or whoever wants to answer (12, 20, 41, 68)

From Ask Meme #16

Nathaniel

4. First kink tried? Spanking. It was definitely his gateway into impact plat. After the events in college, though, he's 97% dominant and likely can NOT be with someone that hits/chokes/bites him. He'd have a full blown meltdown. So, he's a giver, not a receiver... at least not until they have been together for a while and makes him comfortable enough to see some things as a possible outlet to his trauma.

11. Top 3 places to be touched? Outside of the obvious (lips, nipples, downtown bonanza) Thighs, stomach, arms

29. Where would you most like to have sex? He's got a stargazing hobby and hasn't had a thread where he's having sex camping/in the backyard. He'd be into just naked outdoor hoe hours as long as they wouldn't be seen.

32. What’s your biggest kink? Here's Nate's kink chart. I'd say his biggest is cockwarming, especially doing it to his partner when they're cuddling at home watching a movie/news, etc.:

Beatriz

7. Biggest turn on? Attractive people in kitchens. They can literally have zero skills and she's going to enjoy seeing them licking a spoon or smirking as they look over at her while they stir something. It's a make her want to strip and get eaten out on the counter/fucked on the table behavior. Add an apron and she's soaked 🤣

27. Would you have sex in public? Absolutely. She loves the beach and is their all the time- and the restaurant is on the beach. It's impossible to assume she hasn't had sex in the ocean and on the beach at night. She doesn't believe in the 'sand in the wrong places' mentality and says 'get a bigger blanket'.

64. How good are you at dirty talk? I don't think she's as bad at it as Nora, but she's definitely not good and needs coaching. Triz is a quick learner and extremely good at reading people and listening. So between some coaching and trial and error, she'll catch on very quickly. No one will be able to stop her from whispering hoe thoughts in her lover's ear after that.

Danny & Lieve

12. Ultimate fantasy? They're living it: A third partner that can give Lieve the opportunity to be submissive and Danny the opportunity to have a male partner that respects his slowness to open up and be sexual given his physical appearance.

20. Loud or quiet partners? Choosing 'loud' but to clarify they both (and all of my other muses) really just mean vocal. There isn't much all my muses agree on but vocal-in-bed partners and a love of John Keats 🤣 Some of them (not these two) would kick a screamer out of bed though.

41. How much foreplay do you like? Lieve, kissing and light touching or even dirty talk is enough for her- even just watching her partner(s) masturbating is enough to get her close. Danny's different, he needs a lot of work to be ready to have intercourse. Even if he's hard, he needs praise and patience to get over the edge. That's why he's so fragile, he needs someone that will work with him to get him there.

68. How many orgasms can you have in a day? Lieve has yet to find the limit. Danny's had five in a day with her, but that's not his norm. He has to work for one or two post-injury.

[cecekeating]

My 614 Jordayla Analysis/Commentary pt.3

Now let’s go back to the housing situation. After Layla has a brief chat with Preach, she realizes that what she and Jordan need is a home, not a house. I am happy to be wrong but so far, the writing is pointing to Jordayla taking over the Baker home. If you recall in 401 when she tells her father that “it is not about the house, it is about the home”. The next time we see Layla after that scene with her father, she is moving into the Baker house. The Baker house has been Layla's residence since S4 until she married Jordan. This house is also where she grew up with Jordan and Olivia since middle school. We even have a laylivia childhood flashback in that house. So home for Layla is the Baker house.

For Jordan, obviously, this is his childhood home but also in 517, he tells Spencer that the Baker house still feels like home even though Coop is now in his room. While there was an undertone of Layla who he considers his home living in the house, I still believe that Jordan always knows that the Baker house is where he will always call home. So I am expecting Jordayla to take over the Baker home and I will be very surprised if NK and Oby go a different route in 615 with this housing arrangement.

Jordayla pregnancy theories!  I feel this episode dropped major pregnancy hints through the writing. Between Jordan cooking for Layla, him patting her tummy and Layla wearing pink in this episode, I feel it is very clear that Jordayla will be getting a parenting arc. In the worst case scenario, the audience would likely find out about Layla being pregnant in the early episodes of S7. This is the worst case scenario. I am also sure of Jordayla having a daughter, I am not so sure of a son yet.

Now this brings me to the wild theory I am about to share with you.

I don’t know if it is me but have you noticed the writing sort of building up Amina and Layla? Starting from 611. I am beginning to think Amina might be the new gen character or at least one of the new gen characters. When we heard of the new gen stuff, I think a lot of us assumed it would be a coach Baker and Spencer type situation. I don’t know why we didn’t consider the fact that the new gen character will likely be a female character from Crenshaw being mentored by a new gen Baker who is female. It is definitely Billy and Spencer all over again but it is also different because we are looking at female characters. If this is the route NK is going, I am here for it because it will keep things fresh and allow the writers to be more creative. So I can see Amina likely being the new ‘Spencer’ that gets mentored by a Baker only that the Baker is Layla. 

From a storytelling perspective, this makes a lot of sense. Amina has quite a bit in common with Layla. Just like Layla she lost her mother at a very young age. Remember Amina’s mother is Mo (the main antagonist in season 3) and her uncle is Tyrone. Both her uncle and mother are/were gang members and her father Preach used to be a gang member. Preach, her father fired the shot that killed Mo, her mother. I don’t think Amina is fully aware of this yet. Amina had a pretty fleshed out arc in seasons 4 and 5 that showed her curiosity to know the truth about what happened to her mother. From season 4, you can see she sort of had an idea of what was going on. She was also involved in a custody battle between Preach and her grandparents. So just like Layla, she had a pretty tough background as a kid. So you can see there is already so much material with Amina’s character that the writers can pull from to bring in high stakes drama. 

There are also some hints in the writing that she is already in a ‘teen phase’ with Preach. Preach grounded her in this episode. I can see her having tensions with her dad which is similar to teen Layla in seasons 1 and 2 and a bit of season 3 and  the tensions she had with JP Keating. This tension can become something else if Amina eventually understands/finds out more about the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death and the role her father played in it. If the writers play their cards right, the Amina arc is already brewing to be a really messy drama on AA. For more complexity, the writing can have Amina struggle with grief, depression or for a change, become a wild rebellious teen that Preach struggles to handle and we have our hands full. 

With other characters, Amina fits in very well too. She knows Patience very well and since she did/does some drama in high school(611), I can see Patience step in here as Patience is a musician and also has broadway experience. Coop blends in so well here too. Coop was front and center in the custody battle, Coop knew her mother very well and other than Preach, Coop is likely the only other character that has a full picture on the lives of her uncle and mother. Again, another source of drama. 

Going back to Layla, the storyline has been strongly hinting on her being the mother of a little girl. Having Layla mentor Amina makes loads of sense as Layla can begin to process motherhood or prep for motherhood through the lens of supporting Amina. I can see her relationship with Amina force her to really think about what type of mother she wants to be for her daughter. This will land better if it happens while Layla is pregnant or if she has a newborn daughter. Both Amina and Layla being young women that lost mothers at a very young age, in quite tragic circumstances (murder and suicide)  takes the Layla/Amina dynamic to a deeper level. I can see the writing continue to flesh out Monica/Layla a little bit more too, especially as Monica Keating was a huge part of Layla’s arc this season.

So Amina being the new gen character that the show decides to focus on will not come as a shock to me. Again this is what I have seen from the writing. I don’t know NK’s plan and which actors she plans to bring back  but this is likely where I can see the writing on All American heading. If all the stuff I have written makes no sense, please throw it out. This is my writer brain, fan theory brain here and I just wanted to yap all about it. If you also have some extra theories, I would love to hear! DM on Twitter or on here and let us yap away!

This episode also sort of dropped clues on the vibe S7 will likely have. I am thinking the vibe shifts into a more lighter, feel-good, wholesome vibe with maybe a strong family vibe lean. There was just something very light about this episode because even the writing for Spelivia (who normally have their writing lean into more serious, angsty stuff) were written to be pretty light and comedic. The next episode seems pretty emotional too. I am thinking this will likely be the vibe next season and I expect the audience to change a little bit because of this shift.

So that is all the yappings for this episode. There are still some loose ends to tie up with Jordayla so I will surely be back next week with more yappings. I personally loved this episode and I am looking forward to seeing how NK closes season 6 for us.