#I love the christmas special so much it is genuinely my favourite episode

[herestoburiedsecrets]

One of the things I really love about Pat's character is the way that in both the episodes that centre him (1x3 - Happy Death Day and 4x7 - It's Behind You) focus on the way that Pat is honoured and loved through Daley and the rest of his family. We see a lot of instances throughout the show of that being a father is a core part of Pat's personality, and by putting an emphasis on the ways that Pat lives on through his family the show further highlights this. Daley seems to show this the most, which is not that surprising given Carol was cheating on Pat for most of the marriage. The fact that they all visit Button House on Pat's death day and the way Daley mimics his dad in the home video is genuinely so heartwrenchingly beautiful, and I love it so much. It is so fitting for the character, and a really beautiful way to explore Pat's past!

[ailendolin]

Here are my first thoughts after finally having watched the 2023 Christmas Special for the first time:

Positive:

Baby Mia is absolutely adorable and Alison and Mike are wonderful parents. They've grown and matured so much throughout the series and it's lovely to see that in the way they are with Mia and take care of her

and speaking of growth: I think it's lovely that in the end, the ghosts are ready to let Alison and Mike go. They've really come full circle from trying to get them to leave in the beginning to begging them to stay in series 5 and finally, to encouraging them to leave because that's what's best for Alison and Mike's family

I love that Alison looks like the tired, exhausted mum she is. These days, characters often look picture perfect in film and TV, no matter the situation, and Ghosts has always felt like a breath of fresh air because people are allowed to look normal. It's little things like Alison's yellow coat that she's worn throughout the show hanging by the door, her wearing Mike's flannels or having bags under her eyes that make it feel beautifully real down to Earth, and I'm glad the downsides of having a child didn't get glossed over

one of my favourite moments was the shrug Humphrey's body gave when everyone was looking for its head. That genuinely made me laugh because of course the body would not care whether the head would get exorcised or not

and omg, the exorcism scene was so well done! I love the music in the background (I so hope we'll get a soundtrack one day), the panic on Mike's face when he quite literally runs to warn Alison, the panic on Alison's face when she's faced with the possibility of losing the ghosts, the fear when she can't find them (which parallels 5x01) and finally the relief and smile when she hears their voices. That whole sequence was just perfect

I love that it's Thomas who says, "Because they just can't help being who they are," because it's not an excuse for his behaviour but an explanation - and a recurring theme for him. Right in the beginning of the show, he said, "We stay how we die," and I think for him, those words have proven to be true. He is heartbroken and he'll stay that way. He can't help that. He does not want Alison to go ("Why did I vote for this? I hate it.") but in the end he knows it's what's best for her and for himself, even if it breaks his broken heart a little more.

seeing Button House in all its glory in the end. It still being called Button House. Fanny and Humphrey's portraits on the wall (and the third one might be Kitty's?). Higham Suite (which was the thing that made me tear up because my first thought was that it's meant to honour Isabelle and I love that (although I realise it's probably meant to honour Kitty but I'm choosing to ignore that)). Thomas still complimenting Alison even though she's grown old and thus making a point that his affections for her were never just about her looks

Neutral:

I would have preferred if Alison and Mike had stayed at Button House because for me, the show has always been about family and I don't think they had to leave the ghosts behind to find their own way. BUT the way the Idiots wrote and executed it - with the ghosts encouraging them to leave, establishing that Alison and Mike regularly come back to the house and with details like Higham Suite that clearly show that Alison and Mike had the ghosts in mind when they made the contract for sale - makes it okay for me.

I'm a bit sad we did not get to see more of the ghosts interacting with baby Mia but what we saw - Pat and Cap especially - was very sweet

Negative:

the pacing. I am so sorry but I think they crammed too much into the episode. They either should have cut the exorcism storyline (as much as I loved it) or gone for a 60 minute special. There's just too much going on for 30 minutes, and too many time jumps (I wasn't a fan of them in the 2021 Christmas Special either) that sadly make the whole episode feel very rushed

and because it felt so rushed a lot of plots did not have the impact they were meant to have, at least not on me. Robin's feelings about Christmas for example.

also what was going on with Kitty and the baby at the beginning? Her being jealous is obviously not a new thing but the issue did not really get resolved, did it?

the latter also goes for Thomas's feelings for Alison which brings me to my biggest criticism of the whole show: he never got the character development he deserved (and, to an extent, neither did Fanny). The whole baby storyline would have been the perfect set up for him to move on from Alison (including discussions about different types of love and him realising that Alison does love him platonically and that that's enough) but it never happened. I feel like he was done dirty in that regard because every other character except him got to grow

I have probably missed a ton of moments - and I will rewatch the episode once I've rewatched series 5 - and likely repeated things here that others have said before. Since I had blocked all tags blocked when the Special aired I have no idea how the fandom's reaction to it was but if anyone still wants to talk about it, my asks are open.

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Meet the Writer Tag!

(Thank you so much to @mysticstarlightduck for tagging me! Sorry I took so long lol)

This is me!

(I don't normally wear this many accessories/jewellery lol. But I wish I did! I love it sm)

Three Fun Facts About Me:

I have never been in a relationship before. Ever. The only experience I have in that department is through other people's stories, not really my own. And by that, I mean that I'm used to watching my friends/people around me getting in and out of relationships, and listening to songs about romance and love and heartbreak... but not really relating to them due to not having any of those experiences myself (but it's alright, tho. It'll happen when it happens! In the meantime, I always have my made-up ships from my writing lol).

My favourite book growing up was "Matilda" by Roald Dahl. I thought Matilda was such a cool girl growing up lol. And lowkey relatable in a lot of ways. No, I wasn't a child genius. But she kind of fits into the archetype that I always found comfort in due to being that kind of person myself. Smart/intellectually curious, bookworm, introverted/independent, genuinely kind and has a heart in spite of being seen as cold by others (another example of this is Huey from Boondocks. Been rewatching some episodes of that show recently and wow... forgot how crazy it was lol. It's good, tho).

Christmas is my favourite holiday! 🎅❄️🎄I do get why some people may dislike it, I guess (like, my younger sister isn't a fan, and she's explained why... I get it. The over-commercialisation of it takes a lot of the "specialness" out of it, you know? Distracts from the actual meaning behind it and all. Plus, it can suck if you're just feeling sad and lonely during a time of celebration for everyone else. Aside from that, technically Easter is more significant if you look at it from the lens of which Christian holiday is most important). But I love the joyfulness and festiveness. Makes me feel all jolly and cosy inside. Plus, I love singing Christmas carols. And presents. And Christmas movies. I just love Christmas lol.

Favorite season:

Autumn. Or fall, as some others prefer to call it. That's when my birthday is!!

(Second place is summer because that's holiday season. Plus, that's when my sister's birthday is.)

Continent where I live:

I live in the UK, so Europe.

How I spend my (free) time:

Writing (duh)

Writeblr stuff (tag games, making OC playlists, answering questions, communicating with followers and having discussions with them about writing, etc)

YouTube (mainly watching videos... but I do want to start making videos myself at some point. Stay tuned for that, I guess)

Studying/school assignments (I'm in university)

Listening to music

Singing

Watching movies/TV shows

Reading

Eating lol

Are you published?

No. It'd be cool to be, though. Pretty sure I've mentioned this at least once before, but I want to self-publish the Stephanie Smith saga once I'm done with it.

Introvert or extrovert?

Introvert. 100% introvert lol. I feel most comfortable within myself when I'm by myself. As a kid, I was so painfully shy that the thought of going up to someone and asking a simple question would terrify me lol. As I got older, though, I was super duper lonely, and I realised that I had no real friends because I was keeping myself all closed off in a tight shell, so I'd literally force myself to open up and become more social and make friends with other kids. I practised it, like how you do with any skill. Now it's not so bad. I'd say I can carry a conversation with someone fairly well, even if I don't know them so well.

Favorite meal:

Ooooh.... this is hard. I love most foods lol.

I think I'll go with something a little bit more traditional. I'm Kenyan, and one of my favourite meals that I've grown up eating is chapatti and stew (any kind of stew, or soup. But my mum would usually make this stew with kidney beans. That was a big hit growing up). Haven't had it in almost a year, tho.

Aside from that, I love pizza. And Nandos.

Tagging: @clairelsonao3, @exquisitecrow, @mister-writes, @winterandwords, @mjparkerwriting, @e-everlasting-g, @erieautumnskies, @annethewittywriter, @writingwithfolklore, @ashwithapen

[danielfeketewrites]

DOCTOR WHO TOP 10 - 1st Doctor

So, I threatened to do this a while ago, and I'm finally ready. This is my first top 10 in a series of Doctor Who top 10s.

Expanded universe wil be included, always. Let's go.

10. A Big Hand for the Doctor

Out of the 11 Doctors, 11 stories anthology, this might be my favourite one? Although a few of the others are great as well.

It's just so... weird. I mean, all of those short stories are likely written by people with little to no knowledge of eu. So Colfer (who I am predisposed to like, because I loved Artemis Fowl as a kid) isn't tied to... I dunno, Quinnis? Operation Proteus? He's probably never even heard of them. So he creates a glimpse of a whole new NewWho-esque era that takes place before Totter's Lane. One that (unlike the one presented in Fugitive of the Judoon) seems actually fun and interesting.

The 1st Doctor had a cybernetic arm for all of his episodes. Why? Because why the fuck not.

9. The Savages

Whenever some weird incel on the internet says "Doctor Who was never about politics!", the correct answer to that is "Shut the fuck up and go watch The Savages." Or it would be, if any of it still existed.

Don't get me wrong - William Hartnell's Doctor Who era was very political. Mostly with "Nazis bad" and "cold war bad", which are both solid takes. But this serial has balls.

It has no monsters, it's just a parable about South Africa. I don't know, I just think it's really cool for this children's sci-fi show in mid-1960s to go "Yeah, fuck apartheid!"

8. The Edge of Destruction

I haven't seen this one for years but from what I remember and what I know about it, I like it a lot. It's just this weird filler, except it's not at all, because it's an integral part of each character's arc. It has a profound weirdness about it which I adore.

It's Doctor Who, as originally intended.

7. Home Truths

I listened to this one recently for the first time and - wow. Just wow. It's just dripping with atmosphere. I love it a lot and need to listen to the rest of that trilogy now.

6. Dalek Invasion of Earth

It's the one where the Daleks... actually become the Daleks. From opressors on a futuristic planet, bound to a single city, to galactic conquerors. Iconic, and for very good reasons.

5. Journey Out of Terror

Simon Guerrier is just fucking excelent at writing the 1st Doctor, Ian, and Barbara. There's no way around it, this short story is properly brilliant and you should read it if you haven't done so yet.

4. The Daleks' Master Plan

I love the madness of the Master Plan. It's a lot bigger than manageable. It's ambitious and epic and I adore it to bits. It has the Monk! Huge empires! Jumping through time! Cold war parallels! A Christmas special! There's nothing like it. Hopefully more of it returns to the archives one day.

3. The Aztecs

The Aztecs is one of the purest Doctor Who experiences ever. It's really funny, but also quite dark. It has action and adventure, yet stops to think about history and culture, as well as the philosophy of time travel. It feels timeless.

2. The Keys of Marinus

The Keys of Marinus is widely disliked and overall not a beloved story. Which is, of course, bullshit.

I love it so goddamn much. It's the first "Classic Who" serial that was genuinely FUN for me to watch. It made me fall in love with Doctor Who again, in the same way I feel in love the 11th Doctor's era. It's amazing and should be recognised as such.

1. The Time Meddler

Alright, this is one the most beloved Hartnell era serials. And... for good reasons.

I love this story. It's clever and fun and inovative and just all around marvelous time. I can't help it, the Doctor x Monk rivalry just gets me. The setting is excellent. And it kinda invents the final bits of Doctor Who that weren't invented by Season 1.

[whynotlol9]

My thoughts on Christmas Special.

I was so excited, i was reaally looking forward for it and i was ready to love it but... it just wasnt it! I tried to love it, its the last ever episode of one of my favourite series, but i came out of it very dissatisfied

I like sad endings, i love angst and heartbreak and tragic deaths, and i also love happy endings, what i really dislike is a dissatisfing ending. At the end i felt cheated! I was ready for anything (ghost being sucked off or even alison/mike dying) for as long as it made sense in the episode and it was genuine. I wasnt sad, i was baffled!

First, this felt so disconnected from 5x6! It was such a jump from "family, family, family" and acceptance that they are indeed family, to "oh no, we bother you, you need to be your own REAL family". It needed a whole season to lead to that, ten minutes is not enough, i just dont believe it!

It was established that alison cant live anywhere without seeing ghosts. She will just trade the ones closest to her for a new bunch. It was season one. If she needed some space then they could make some ground rules like ghosts get one wing of the house, living people another and they spend time together.

And speaking of ghosts, all development went through the window! Especially my Kitty, she grew so much, she was ready to be a big sister. We saw her being jealous in season three, she wouldn't be like that. It felt so off, like we saw almost everyone revert coupe years ago. Ghosts grew in that time i just dont think they could be that unbearable, we saw them become better! Alison is not there doing everything for them every minute, she has a backbone, she established boundaries before. They did manage to cohabitate peacefully. And on that note, i felt like alison was changed too much. I get it, motherhood, exhausting, but she was too nice! I would be furious if i saw a priest performing exhorcism behing my back, in my house, maybe killing all my family. Yes, it was made with good intentions, but it was made in secret, no trust there

Also, i liked betty, but in the last ever epusode we barely saw the ghosts. We saw them so little. I just wanted to see them being silly and genuine one last time!

The pacing was way off as everyone saw. I think the biggest problem i have is that tge crew wanted it to be a final episode. They wanted to say goodbye, so they made them separate. To move on themselves, they were too wrapped up the characters. But do we as an audience need to move on so bad? Its a fun and heartfelt show about dead people living on, i dont need great realism, i dont want last great lesson about living your life, i want my Christmas special to be a good episode with lots of heart, not some metaphor for moving on.

Yes, families do move out and stay in contact, but its not the same. And its not like they could call and chat or visit regularly.

Im rambling but all in all, i felt cheated. I really believe that the episode was made more for theythem than for us, they wanted a goodbye and a real sense of finalty. But as an audience maybe we didnt need one, why cant we have a happy feeling knowing our favourite family stayed rogether and just have a final shot of them in button house opening presents and being happy. What is so bad in happy open ending?

[vergess]

So, have you watched the new Doctor Who episodes? What do you think of them if yes?

Yes

I LOVED IT ALL SO MUCH

Hugely relieved that the nostalgia tour is now over; I don't think my neurons could tolerate much more of it

I think my favourite is still The Star Beast because I enjoy when Doctor Who gets all hamfisted about social issues. I'm a sucker for that!!

But oh man, oh man, the Giggles!!! The music sequence! The ending!!! AHHHHH

And then the fucking. The direction on Wild Blue Yonder, fuuuuck. Like, I expected the actors to be amazing; it's Tennant and Tate. To describe them as "good actors" does not capture the skill that they have specifically in working together.

But I was blown away by how well it was directed!! The fucking scenes where you as an audience member are realizing "wait, that's not how the Doctor talks to Donna normally.... WAIT THAT'S NOT THE DOCTOR AT ALL" just. Delicious. Perfectly done. Which is extra wild to me when looking at the dirctero's other credits which are ummm. Not that good, shall we say.

And THEN you find out that the torso-and-head framing of each camera shot was So On Purpose and it just!!!

It was all so good.

Oh man, I know I'm the specific target demographic being pandered to (queer millennials who loved Eccleston, obsessed over Tennant, enjoyed Smith, wandered off during Capaldi, and bounced off Whittaker).

I was always going to love it. It's designed to make me love it!

it's designed to bait with nostalgia. I know that. I recognize it.

But the thing is? Oh my god, the thing is, instead of a nasty little trap, the bait was just to get you SO HYPE for Gatwa.

And it worked. I'm so much more excited for his run than I was beforehand. Like. WAY more hype.

I was excited enough for him that I knew I would watch his Christmas special and probably the first 1-3 episodes of his run.

Now? Just from the little sample we got of the way Gatwa will be carrying this role, in the context of the more child-friendly* approach that earmarks Davies as a Doctor Who showrunner?

I'm SO fucking COMMITTED. I wanna see where they take him. I have always preferred the... the times when DW is like... Cringe? But earnestly cringe? Hamfisted social messages. Monsters that sound absurd until you see then. Monsters that stay absurd even as you're hooked. AMVs as threats.

All that shit is MADE to please me specifically.

AND BUDDY!!!!!!!!!! I AM PLEASED!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot WAIT to see the Situations they're going to put Gatwa's doctor in and watch him get out of them. He has the perfect level of charismatic charm and genuine emotion.

Normally I need to see the Doctor and his Companion interact before I can get a sense of the pathos the actor will bring to the role and how they work off the writing and direction.

But shiiiiiiit, Gatwa came out swinging and I already have SUCH high hopes.

And this hasn't even gotten to how fuckin' diverse the backgrounders were in these specials. They really said, "okay, we have filled these scenes out with too many unmarked people, we need to dial that down." And I know, I know, packing your background with diverse actors (race, gender, ability, etc) while you foreground two white, abled actors that were brought in specifically to be nostalgia bait is, like, on paper it's a bad look.

But they gave those backgrounders each a lot more charm and character in their writing than I was expecting. Everything from Sgt Singh's suspicion loosening to military obedience and Shirley saying "don't make me the problem just go" to Rose reframing her mother's tic into a statement of her own independent power.

(Yes I know Davies has a thing about how he writes moms but listen I'm going to let him have that one)

And fuuuuuuck meeeeee, but they just KEEP saying trans rights, even after The Star Beast ended.

I just really, really enjoyed all 3 so much.

*Child-friendly isn't the right term, but I've gotten through the whole post and I can't figure out better phrasing. What I mean is, under Moffat and Chibnall, Doctor Who was not for children. The show didn't go out of its way to exclude them, but it certainly didn't try to provide education, entertainment or even engagement for them.

Doctor Who is not "a kids show" but critically, it shouldn't be "an adult show" either. It functions at its best as a family show. Something you can watch with your parents and your kids both on the same couch, and everyone enjoy it. This is an absurdly difficult line to walk. It's why Disney had so many years of failure before the renaissance.

And one of the ways people fail to walk that line is by treating children as an afterthought (Chibnall), or not at all (Moffat). Meanwhile, Davies's previous stint as Showrunner did a phenomenal job of bringing up The Horrors in ways that would put adults on edge while letting Children also enjoy the ride.

And the same is true of these 3 episodes.

I think "can kids get really into it too" is an extremely important benchmark for this type of scifi (and, I think it's part of why many modern Star Trek properties are so fucking tedious).

[akajustmerry]

merry! hope you're well ❤️ random doctor who question of the day that you are more than welcome to ignore: what are some of your favourite songs from the doctor who soundtracks? (this ask was brought to you by me listening to The Majestic Tale (Of A Madman In a Box))

hiiii I love a random dw question of the day 🥺 and oh boy I have soooo many. I'M SO HAPPY MURRAY'S BACK. mr murray gold has had me in a choke hold since the age of 14!! I loveee majestic tale too! but other than that one my faves are:

Clara In The TARDIS (track from The Snowmen when Clara follows the Doctor up the ladder to the tardis). I listen to this all the time it just gently strokes the happy receptors in my brain idk why

hello twelve - this is 47 seconds and goes so fucking hard murray is such a lunatic I love him.

this is gallifrey, our childhood, our home - this is Murray's magnum opus imo (this and all the strange creatures). needs no intro. I don't even know if the season 3 finale would have been good without this piece of music

hidden treasures - from Vincent and the Doctor, pretty much every track for that episode is dear to my heart but I adore this one. The last 15 seconds makes me cry.

my tardis - this is the little piece that plays when the Doctor meets idris when she's locked in the cage hehe it's just cute. used to be a favourite track to study to

tell me who you are - I genuinely think this scene (where river finally explains she's amy and Rory's kid) is one of the most dramatic scenes ever and I think part of why it goes so hard apart from everyone Acting™ is this track. This comes on shuffle I'm like fuck yeah

same old day - honestly I feel like my fave tracks are just reflective of my favourite eps. These ones from heaven sent + Peter's performance. what TV is all about innit

Murray's instrumental of 'Don't Stop Me Now' from mummy on the orient express is so fucking good. Makes that shit ep worthwhile.

just generally adore all of season 5 and 6 score as a general rule cos I love elevens main themes. fave special score is a Christmas Carol but of course it is cos that ep is about music so it has to be amazing.

I actually....don't really vibe the season 1-2 scores I don't think murray had found his groove yet but season 3 through 6 imo was his best work on the show which isn't to say the rest is Bad I just think he was really on a roll.

I wish the BBC would release season 10's score cos I love Bill's theme so much and it's been 6 whole years and it's not been released and idk why ://

[purpleplaid17]

Jess Watches // Thu 28 Dec // Day 97 Synopses & Favourite Scenes & Poll

Orphan Black (rw with mum) 5x04 Let the Children and Childbearers Toil

Sarah and Siobhan follow a lead on a Neolution defector, hoping for enough leverage to free Kira from Dyad's clutches. Also, Cosima investigates rumors about a creature in the woods.

The Sarah/ Helena scene in the convent is one of my faves of them. The vulnerability, the gentleness, the hopefulness, the sestra bond. And that any time Tat talks about filming this scene she gets emotional when thanking Kathryn's generosity as a scene partner. Also, Mrs. S in glasses these past 2 eps has been very distracting. I am thinking thoughts.

Unprisoned (with mum) 1x02 How to Be a Main Bitch

Paige moves into her new house, but Edwin complicates her life at every turn, including her relationship. Meanwhile, Finn helps Edwin get a job.

[Daily mantra] I am a main bitch. I AM a main bitch. I am a MAIN bitch. I am a main BITCH.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians 1x02 I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom

Percy finds his place at Camp Half Blood, where he learns just how special his origins may be.

Percy is the funniest little guy. He is just being hit from every angle with all this wild new information and is handling like a champ. I trusted Annabeth immediately but not her brother. His friendship just didn't seem as genuine and came across as more calculated. I don't trust the adults either tbf so everyone is sus atm. Also, I feel like I definitely should read up on Greek gods to understand the intricacies of the story better.

The Dragon Prince 5x07 Sea Legs

The Ruthless sails into dangerous waters, with Finnegrin in hot pursuit. Queen Janai and her guards face a deadly infiltrator seeking the Sun Seed.

The little baitlings getting their new names was so cute. The animation of it was over-the-top in a way that was befitting their character; Queen Janai getting momentarily distracted by an injured guard being the only time she was truly overpowered in the fight seemed an easy way storywise to prolong the drama, which I'm all here for. Especially if it means she and Amaya (who is back!) will take Karim down once and for all.

BBC Ghosts 5x07 A Christmas Gift

Mike’s mum visits, but her attempts to lend a hand drive Alison and Mike mad. To make matters worse, Betty soon senses something is awry with Button House, but does she know what?

I don't think I liked this new ending tbh, when 5x06 was a perfectly lovely way to end the series. I think the time jump of having the baby, then another at the end, made things feel a bit rushed. I didn't mind so much that Alison and Mike left. Life always moves on. I just didn't feel their joy or sadness or any emotions really. Maybe an extended episode would've solved a lot of these issues idk.

[alex-and-coffee]

So. I need to get my thoughts out on the last Doctor Who special. I've seen posts with takes that I very much disagree with and didn't want to derail them with my thoughts, so here we are.

(Also. These are my personal thoughts and so they are going to be very self centered. That said, I am open to discussion if you wanna add your two cents.)

(Also also. This became an ESSAY lmao I had more to say than I thought so I'm putting in a read more so it doesn't completely take up your dash haha)

I will first say that I do agree that not mentioning Martha and Yaz weird. They were important to the Doctor and I can't think of a reason why they weren't mentioned among the others. Also, the ending to The Giggle wasn't great. It was anticlimactic, rushed, and made the Toymaster seem like he wasn't an actual threat? It felt more like someone was pulling his strings tbh. There are probably more things I could say about it but this post isn't about my criticisms of the episodes.

Another quick note, I like the bi-regeneration. My interpretation is 15 is the regeneration of 14 after he's lived his life, but instead of regenerating at the end of 14's life, he's regenerating early because of the Toymaker.

To start with the first thing that has me ruffled is that, to me, Ncuti shone in the role as the Doctor. He was charismatic, joyful and fun - we're getting something different and exciting. We got time with him before his first official episode and that made me very excited for his run as the Doctor (I will add that after seeing the trailer that I am worried about the Christmas special because goblins eating babies? Antisemitism anyone?).

This episode was the happy ending for 14 and the exciting beginning for 15. I don't understand where the complaints of 15 being undercut or being overshadowed by 14. To me it functioned as a soft reset - we got 14 settling down with the Mott-Noble-Temple family to rest and heal from his trauma while 15 goes and starts his adventures without all the baggage of 9-14's runs. Healing isn't linear either, and he still has that history so it can be referenced to and can come up later, but 15 is truly happy ("fixed" - though I hate that they phrased it that way) in a way that he hasn't been in NuWho (I haven't seen classic Who so I can't say anything about it). People don't change until the pain of not changing outweighs the pain of staying the same. If we didn't see that change happen in the Doctor, then I wouldn't have bought a transition from Jodi's Doctor (who represses absolutely everything) to Ncuti's Doctor, who's been magically "fixed".

I've seen several posts about how 14 regressed on 13's happiness and made the Doctor sad again, which. I would say misinterprets 13 in a pretty fundamental way. Her smile and happiness is a mask 13 hides behind. She's hurting and bottles all of it up to shove out of sight in the hopes that if she ignores it it will go away. She's running away just as much as her previous regenerations, which is shown in the way that she doesn't share anything personal about herself. She doesn't talk about her history with anyone she travels with, she even brushes her hurt off when Jack, who has been with her through some of her shit, asks if she's ok. (This. might not be the best point bc it feels like Jack excepts her to be ok, and 13 does have people pleasing tendencies, but still. They're friends and he does care about her. I think getting thrown into prison to break her out demonstrates this point.) Even when the fam corner her and ask if she's ok, it never continues into a productive conversation - either she deflects or it gets awkward fast because they don't know how to reply to what she's said and it never goes anywhere. She's such a repressed mess I don't know how anyone interprets her as genuinely happy. (Just to note before anyone thinks I'm hating, I do love 13. She's pretty high up on my list of favourite Doctors.)

Now (the main reason why I wanted to make this post), to explain why I think Donna is kind of the perfect person for the Doctor to go to to stop and rest and heal. (Disclaimer - 10 and Donna are my favourites. While I love them a whole lot, I am trying to be fair when I think about this. Please keep that in mind.)

Of the NuWho companions, after crossing off the people that are dead, not on this Earth/universe, and left of their own volition; you are left with Donna and Yaz.

(I'm struggling to keep things kind of concise, so I'm going to make a list that is hopefully comprehensive.)

I'm going to start with Yaz, and I do like her, but I'm gonna outline why I don't think she would be a good option.

Yaz is young. She's in her early 20's, and as someone who is also in their early 20s, I'm gonna straight up say that helping someone rest and recover through lifetimes (multiple!) of trauma is not something Yaz is going to be equipped to handle.

Yaz has only just started her life. She's driven and loves the adventures she's had with the Doctor, so much so that she stayed with the Doctor after everyone else left. Yaz would get as restless as the Doctor, resulting in either more adventures or resentment.

Yaz is in love with her. We get the scenes where the Doctor says she would but can't, and in them Yaz looks heartbroken. If the circumstances were different then maybe they could have, but they're not so they can't. Yaz needs time to heal her heartbreak, which she can't really do if the Doctor is still around (and whether or not the Doctor is 13, they're still the Doctor and would still be difficult for Yaz. Also difficult for the Doctor bc she did love Yaz but her fear and trauma was unfortunately too much for her to risk it).

Just to repeat, I think Yaz should have been mentioned in the episode. It doesn't make sense for someone who the Doctor has explicitly stated they loved not to be mentioned.

And here are the reasons why I think Donna was the good choice.

Donna and the Doctor make each other better during their run together. Donna reminds him that he can do good, even if the impact is small. The Doctor shows her that she matters, and is brilliant.

Although he doesn't know it at the time, the Doctor is given an opportunity to save Donna and return her memories, undoing one of the things he has massive guilt over.

Donna is someone who has settled down. She has a house, a husband, a kid. She knows what it's like to go a bit crazy being stuck in one place (even if not for the same reasons). She has the ability and experience to help the Doctor through it. She is also someone who will enforce his rest and healing while knowing what it's like to want to be doing something.

Donna also comes with an added support system because her family is pretty close knit, with a particular spotlight on Wilf ('I'd be proud to have you as a father', anyone?).

This so pretty long and if you're still here then thanks for reading! Mainly I wrote it to put my thoughts out there so I don't explode. If you have any thoughts about this and are gonna be nice about it, then feel free to add to this post :)

[cheesybadgers]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

Aw thank you so much for sending this 😘

1. Old Habits Die Hard 

Pairing: Javier Peña x Horacio Carrillo (Narcos)

Oh boy, where to start with this ever-growing beast (that I’m pretty sure ticks all of these)? 😂 It feels like it’s been 84 years since I first started it way back in February 2021, but I promise we are getting near the end now! Copious amounts of blood, sweat, tears and love for these messy idiots have been poured into this, and it’s been such a massive learning curve which has challenged me in SO many ways. I also didn’t expect more than about two people to be interested in it, so when I think back on all the wonderful comments I’ve received, it kind of blows my mind.

I still don’t really know how I fell so hard for this ship, it wasn’t supposed to happen! Initially, I only wanted to cover the events of Explosivos because it’s such an interesting episode for their canon relationship never mind anything else, as it shows Javi’s unwavering loyalty to Carrillo taking full effect when he shifts from passive to active participant (the disagreement they have over Gacha is so raw and they both seem genuinely hurt by each other’s words…it’s one of my favourite scenes in the whole show), but soon decided I had to fix everything and it sort of morphed into an emotional slow burn?? I don’t even know and it certainly wasn’t supposed to get this ambitious or take up so much of my time. But their dynamic seems to really suit my writing style and the more I wrote for them the harder I fell and the more they became my comfort ship, so here we are in the depths of rarepair hell lol.

2. Secret Santa 

Pairing: Javier Peña x Steve Murphy (Narcos)

I think this one will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first fic I shared ❤️ A lot fluffier than some of my more recent writing, but it was Christmas and I still love the gifts I chose for them to give to each other. They feel very them.

3. All In

Pairing:  Steve Murphy x Javier Peña x Horacio Carrillo (Narcos)

Tbh I have no excuses for this utter smut fest that somehow also doubled up as a character study 😂 Do you ever re-read some of your older fics and can’t quite get your head around the fact it was you who wrote them? Because this is definitely one of those lolol. 

I’ve always been obsessed with the dynamics between these three, as there are so many fascinating layers going on. I’m never getting over the intimacy and trust portrayed between Javi and Carrillo, to the exclusion of Steve (and the viewer, seen as we see everything from Steve’s POV and we aren’t privy to Javi’s and Carrillo’s history either, but it’s blatantly there). Then on top of that you’ve got Javi being (over)protective of Steve, Carrillo being wary of Steve, Steve wanting to impress and be included by Carrillo and Javi but also not being afraid to sometimes push back against Carrillo...unlike Javi who is wrapped around his little finger. Honestly, they provide so much fic material.

4. Healing Hands

Pairing: Horacio Carrillo x Female Reader (Narcos)

Well, this originally started out as a ridiculously self-indulgent one-shot written in one sitting after I pulled my neck and could barely move. For some reason, I couldn’t get the thought of a certain grumpy Colonel’s hands out of my head and a massage seemed like an obvious use for them 😉 But then I got encouraging comments hoping for a sequel and it ended up being three parts of utter self-indulgence (and more feelings and character study than I had originally intended) and I have no regrets lol.

5. In Another Life

Pairing: Esteban x Female Reader (There Is a New World Somewhere)

As my only non-Narcos fic so far, I thought I’d include this for a bit of variety lol. This stemmed from one of the Maurice Monday group chats last Christmas, when apparently I was feeling all melancholic about the festive season and who better to scratch that bittersweet itch with than Esteban? That film messes me up every time I watch it 😭 So I transported him and reader to a log cabin in the snow for some angsty smut...although actually, there’s not that much smut and it’s mostly just lots of feelings and wistful yearning. It’s interesting to compare this Christmas fic to the previous year’s fluff fest...I guess I decided to embrace the pain in my writing over the course of a year?! 😂

[toaverse]

Hi! Encanto to me is special, like really *really* *REALLY* motherfucking special. For me, it took me back to when I was 14 and I know this will be a long winded story, but hear me out. I was 13, 14 and getting really badly bullied at school, to the point where both my twin and I ended up moving schools for a bit but then moved back as the teachers were shit. What got me through the constant harassment, the name calling, the teasing, the purposeful ignoring because I didn't understand social cues and would react and go into meltdown which just added fuel to their fire? Glee. That's right, Glee. It was the right show at the right time and gave me something to look forward to, something to live for. I didn't care if it wasn't a good episode or the songs were off, it gave me hope and happiness at a time where it wasn't around. And just like Glee, Encanto has done the exact same thing. Given the circumstances when I saw it for the first time, it gave me hope and happiness. My relationship at the time with my mum was almost irreparable to the point I wasn't sure if going over for Christmas was a good idea and me being out of the picture that year would be easier. And then I saw it and whilst it didn't fix everything, I had hope and I felt seen. The arguments between Isa and Mirabel, putting too much pressure on myself like Luisa, repressing my true self for the sake of the family like Isa and trying so hard and over compensating the fuck ups like Mirabel. And what got me was not "Dos Origuitas" (though an amazing song nonetheless) but "All of You". "We see how bright you burn, we see how brave you've been. Now see yourself in turn, you're the real gift kid, let us in. Open your eyes. Abres los ojos. What do you see? I see me. All of me." That. Fucking. Scene. Boom, instant waterworks, Mirabel finally seeing for herself her whole self and her family acknowledging her and validating her. As someone who is always after validation (thank you adhd, autism and burnt out gifted kid syndrome) this part got to me. Ever since, it's become my hyperfixation and also my favourite modern Disney film (favourite classic is Hunchback of Notre Dame) and I have so much merch as well, I have a sticker book, a colouring book, a picture book, the junior novel, the art of Encanto, I have it on Bluray, the two book lego sets of Antonio and Isabela's room, a Julieta funko pop, the doll set of Luisa, Antonio, Mirabel and Isa and I went to Wales Comic Con back in April and met Jessica Darrow who I can confirm is the sweetest person ever! She is so nice and genuine and a literal cinnamon roll, she was super patient with me (I was a stimming and partially verbal wreck, it was beautiful) and I wanted to say "Hi, I'm a huge fan, thank you for being Luisa and also I love your new song make it clean!" Instead what came out - "Song!" "Love!" "Keeping clean!" and she understood! I love her, she is incredible and taking a good but sneaky look, I can confirm her butt is fantastic

That’s wonderful to hear!

While I myself really don’t like the film, I’m glad to read that others do, and see their struggles within the characters.😊

Don’t let anyone stop you from that :D

[xstarrydawnx]

Hi! Encanto to me is special, like really *really* *REALLY* motherfucking special. For me, it took me back to when I was 14 and I know this will be a long winded story, but hear me out. I was 13, 14 and getting really badly bullied at school, to the point where both my twin and I ended up moving schools for a bit but then moved back as the teachers were shit. What got me through the constant harassment, the name calling, the teasing, the purposeful ignoring because I didn't understand social cues and would react and go into meltdown which just added fuel to their fire? Glee. That's right, Glee. It was the right show at the right time and gave me something to look forward to, something to live for. I didn't care if it wasn't a good episode or the songs were off, it gave me hope and happiness at a time where it wasn't around. And just like Glee, Encanto has done the exact same thing. Given the circumstances when I saw it for the first time, it gave me hope and happiness. My relationship at the time with my mum was almost irreparable to the point I wasn't sure if going over for Christmas was a good idea and me being out of the picture that year would be easier. And then I saw it and whilst it didn't fix everything, I had hope and I felt seen. The arguments between Isa and Mirabel, putting too much pressure on myself like Luisa, repressing my true self for the sake of the family like Isa and trying so hard and over compensating the fuck ups like Mirabel. And what got me was not "Dos Origuitas" (though an amazing song nonetheless) but "All of You". "We see how bright you burn, we see how brave you've been. Now see yourself in turn, you're the real gift kid, let us in. Open your eyes. Abres los ojos. What do you see? I see me. All of me." That. Fucking. Scene. Boom, instant waterworks, Mirabel finally seeing for herself her whole self and her family acknowledging her and validating her. As someone who is always after validation (thank you adhd, autism and burnt out gifted kid syndrome) this part got to me. Ever since, it's become my hyperfixation and also my favourite modern Disney film (favourite classic is Hunchback of Notre Dame) and I have so much merch as well, I have a sticker book, a colouring book, a picture book, the junior novel, the art of Encanto, I have it on Bluray, the two book lego sets of Antonio and Isabela's room, a Julieta funko pop, the doll set of Luisa, Antonio, Mirabel and Isa and I went to Wales Comic Con back in April and met Jessica Darrow who I can confirm is the sweetest person ever! She is so nice and genuine and a literal cinnamon roll, she was super patient with me (I was a stimming and partially verbal wreck, it was beautiful) and I wanted to say "Hi, I'm a huge fan, thank you for being Luisa and also I love your new song make it clean!" Instead what came out - "Song!" "Love!" "Keeping clean!" and she understood! I love her, she is incredible and taking a good but sneaky look, I can confirm her butt is fantastic

I'm happy for you that you found something that you enjoy alot,also it must have been such a experience to meet one of the voice actors for encanto!

Also I really wanna get the art of encanto book so badly

[hacash]

Ted Lasso 2x03 thoughts

SAM OBISANYA EVERYONE

SERIOUSLY

JUST SAM

EVERYTHING ABOUT SAM

IF YOU DON’T LOVE SAM YOU’RE WRONG

I - just - I saw a preview saying Sam was going to have a ‘protest in sport’ storyline this season and I thought that the writers could probably pull it off, but nonetheless it was a relief to see that they did pull it off. The fact that the momentum of the protest was pushed by Sam and the Nigerian players rather than someone like Ted or Rebecca was good - the fact that Sam fully held his own with dignity and integrity all the way through the ep was good - the fact that we had Ted acknowledging that when bad things happen to white dudes like him the press covers it without encouragement was good….

On a slightly more baseline reaction: I love every second I see Sam’s lovely smiling face on my screen and will continue to do so.

There’s literally nothing I can say about the taping-up-the-shirts scene other than it made me tear up at 9.30AM and that’s not a thing that usually happens in my life.

We’re finally getting more Richmond FC screentime! It’s pertinent that we see this on the ep where Jamie returns - how much camaraderie and genuine friendship has built up since he left - but just any excuse to see those daft happy faces together. The general ribbing of Sam’s ad, the post-match party together - I adore these himbos.

A special shout out to: ‘I’m nervous and excited, kind of like whenever Colin takes me somewhere in his Lamborghini’ ‘Yeah it’s way too much car for me.’ As a fellow Welsh person, I can confirm that flash speedy supercars really aren’t part of our national DNA.

I’m also hoping that Richard talking in French and Zoreaux translating for him becomes a regular thing.

I love how they wrote Jamie’s return: it would have been so easy for him to come back and have all be forgiven, but they made it messy and complicated and have forgiveness come in dribs and drabs. I love that Jamie didn’t immediately understand everything about the team’s feelings and that his first impulse was to buy their acceptance back (that’s a painful little snapshot into his psyche right there) and that we saw people like Sam and Nate and Colin be allowed to be petty with him returning. I also loved seeing Keeley not being put into the role of ‘Jamie’s minder’ again but instead pushing him to speak with Sharon, a person who is actually paid to deal with this crap - it was an understated but neat little moment of a woman demonstrating personal boundaries with the men in her life.

What I absolutely adored, though, was that the final reconciliation comes after Jamie puts his own fame and reputation and wallet on the line by joining in with Sam’s protest. It was a proper ‘I’m part of this team even if it hits me where it hurts’ sacrifice when before Jamie has only ever been about himself, and such a neat resolution to the rift.

Is anyone else concerned about Coach Beard’s relationship with Jane? All these fights do not sound healthy.

I really like how the boys react to Keeley now - it seems to be a genuine friendship between her and the team, as opposed to the mutual objectification on all sides that we saw in the first episode. Her becoming the entire team’s big sister warms my cold heart.

Nora was a delight. I was a little worried about her inclusion because so often TV writers can’t get teenage girls right - they’re always a bit too sassy and perfectly put together and smarter than every adult in the room - but Nora was the perfect blend of snark and teenage insecurity. Her crush on Sam was both adorable and the most relatable thing about her; and her bonding with Rebecca was adorable - I really enjoyed the email composition scene, and hope we get more of her in the future.

Rebecca ‘Ally Who Stands By Her Boys At All Times And Takes No Shit’ Welton is an absolute queen.

For a show about Ted Lasso there wasn’t so much Ted in this ep (the Led Tasso scene was pretty fun, admittedly), but all I can say is a dating app with no pictures that both Ted and Rebecca are on, leading to a YOU’VE GOT MAIL AU TED AND REBECCA???? PLEASE. I need this like air.

Also: Ted Lasso as a sexual partner who is, and I quote, ‘so eager to please’??? Rebecca take notes, girl.

Similarly not so much Roy in this ep, but his appearance on Sky Sports was once again a thing of absolute beauty. (’I hope he dies of the incurable condition of being a little bitch’ is a line I am going to use all the time now.) I would pay Brett Goldstein any amount of money to join Sky Sports and commentate on real life football as Roy.

Higgins being so easy around Rebecca and lying (unsuccessfully) to a teenage girl to big up his boss in front of her granddaughter was a perfect and underrated moment. Their friendship just makes my heart explode.

I’ve already shrieked my head off about Colin being all but confirmed as on Grindr and how it will take a lot to disabuse me of my ‘bisexual disaster who drives like an idiot’ headcanon (I mean, they put the two lines in the same scene ffs), but it does bear repeating. I actually love him, your honour.

Probably my favourite episode of the season so far. Next Friday’s Christmas shenanigans cannot come soon enough.

[janamelie]

Dimension Jump XXI Report

I suppose I’m a DJ veteran now as this was my fifth consecutive one and the fourth at the Nottingham Crowne Plaza which is an expensive four-star hotel.  Sharing with a friend helps keep the cost reasonable and honestly, it’s worth it for the sheer convenience of being right there in the hotel and being able to nip back to your room as required.  (To be clear, you don’t have to stay in the hotel to attend the con.  There are plenty of other hotels nearby.)

Plus there is always the chance that you’ll see a guest at breakfast as I did Danny once.  He picked out a few pieces of fruit and nibbled at them before wandering over late to his photoshoot.  What else would you expect from a cat though?

Friday

Myself and @downonthepharm-red-dwarf (Amy) had arrived the previous day so had plenty of time to be near the front of the queue for registration.  Which meant we saw Hattie Hayridge arrive in a stunning designer coat and with smart luggage.  She really brought her outfit A-game and looked great the whole weekend.

Once we’d presented our respective proofs of full Covid vaccination or a recent negative test, we were given our DJ passes and booklets.  The latter has spaces for signatures from guests, an Order Of Events and various handy tips for the weekend.

The con kicks off at 5pm with an hour of gradual build-up in the Main Hall - they show videos from previous events, specially made titbits with various guests past and present such as Mark Dexter doing a mock guide to DJ and Rebecca Blackstone voicing Pree.  It all helps with the atmosphere, as do the numerous RD posters dotted around the hotel.

Then it was time for the Opening Ceremony featuring various Fan Club team members and an overcrowded stage full of cardboard boxes - the joke was that they’d had too much time on their hands during lockdowns and bought loads of stuff online.  It was obviously also a nod to Lister’s hoarding in “The Promised Land”.  

The sketch featured a specially made shot of the AA adverts’ Starbug model landing outside the Crowne Plaza and an 80s computerised version of the lovely convention logo.  You could tell a lot of loving effort had gone into the whole thing.

Once the guest line-up had been announced (I’ll get to that not-really-a-surprise-guest shortly), we went straight into the RD Pub Quiz, hosted by Hattie.  DOTP and I had been joined at our table by Lapsang and Barbs from our Discord (No Kind Of Atmosphere) plus various other attendees we’d befriended.

Someone in the crowd yelled “I love you, Hattie!” to which she quipped “I’ve pulled already!”  Another bloke shouted “Fuck off, she’s mine!” which led to a few shouts of “Fight!”  When neither seemed keen to do so, Hattie joked: “Only two?  That’s a bit pathetic!” and then we got started.

The quiz is hard, by design, but I’m good at quizzes and my team - No Kind Of Atmosphere after our Discord - came joint third which was gratifying.  (I was on the winning team a few DJs ago, to blow my own trumpet for a moment.  This is my report, after all.)

And then it was time for the first guest Q&A with - surprise, surprise - Johnny Vegas aka the Crit Cop in “Timewave”.  Not a great episode but he more than made up for that with an appearance I can only describe as chaotic.  Warning - DO NOT attempt to heckle him unless you want to be singled out and humiliated in front of the entire audience in a “Can’t look away” fashion which was nonetheless entertaining.  The man in question tweeted about it afterwards and seems to have taken it in good spirit.

Once we’d moved on from encouraging people to leave unpleasant things in room 429, it turned out Johnny’s a big fan of the show and owned it on VHS (so did I).  He thinks of the main characters, Holly would win at “Taskmaster” and had good reasons for that conclusion.  

He was dubious about the pink costume he wore in “Timewave” as he thought it might take away from the character but said he eventually decided he needed to get over what he was wearing and just go for it.  He also said one of his worst working moments was on “Benidorm” when he had to hold his breath underwater in a freezing swimming pool and his co-star kept forgetting her two lines so they had over 30 takes.  Ouch.

Johnny left commenting that he got less love at his 50th birthday party.  But we hadn’t seen the last of him by any means as people kept buying him drinks during the Auction, leading to him successfully bidding for one of the items on offer.

And then he was back for the Karaoke.  Now if you - as he informed us - had to undergo emergency dental surgery in the morning and had practically lost your voice, would you sing karaoke?  And not only that, would you sing a version of “Love On The Rocks” which lasted 11 minutes according to someone on Twitter (I wasn’t timing it, but I can believe it), followed by the full-length version of “American Pie”?

If you answered no, you’re clearly not Johnny Vegas.  He went to bed so late that the unfortunate Fan Club team member assigned to look after him got a grand total of 90 minutes’ sleep.

Saturday

DOTP and I had paid for the Photoshoot with Mr Vegas, Danny John-Jules and Ray Fearon.  We got in the queue at 9am which was when it was supposed to start.  An hour later we were still waiting.  Yep, Danny was late.

Once he made it to the hotel, I got my photo in front of a Science Room backdrop.  You might think Mr Vegas would be hungover and rushing through it, but on the contrary, he was still enjoying the hell out of proceedings which was refreshing to see.  Since he’d been added to the line-up too late to be in the souvenir booklet, he signed extra inserts for the Fan Club which they handed out to everyone at the later Autograph sessions so attendees got his autograph after all even though he’d finally left.  That’s what I call throwing yourself into an event.

Next up was a combined Q&A with Danny and Ray (originally separate but Danny’s lateness meant they were teamed up).  This wasn’t a problem at all though - on the contrary, it worked really well as the chumminess between them added to the vibe.  Also it was Ray’s first convention so he probably preferred to have Danny backing him up, especially since the poor man tripped on his way to the stage and almost fell.  I don’t think he was hurt but I cringed with secondhand embarrassment and empathy.  He wasn’t the only one to fall foul of the edge of the stage that weekend; I think it was the slightly raised dancefloor in front of it.

As is usual for Danny, we were treated to over half an hour of what you can only really describe as a stream of consciousness as he pontificated about various things.  He and Ray did also talk about working together on “Death In Paradise” and Ray described his worst working experience there - he had to play a scene in a club in 45 degree heat with a live snake wrapped around his neck!

Ray is attractive in a “Hollywood hunk” way and Danny was clearly conscious of this, joking that he’d “brought his own security with him” and muttering “I’m better-looking anyway!”  But all in a jokey way as they’re clearly friends.

Danny had come from filming and dropped a heavy hint that he’s appearing in a Dickens adaptation which I imagine will be shown at Christmas as they generally are.  He also complained that Craig Charles never answers his phone: “You send him a message and he answers it on Twitter a month later!”  (Interestingly, Chris Barrie later mentioned a recent phone conversation with Craig so make of that what you will.)

Ray was quieter but happy to talk about the vagaries of showbiz and typecasting - he said that due to his Shakespearean background he gets a lot of serious roles so people were genuinely surprised that he could also do comedy but “I was always funny!”  He also gently teased Danny about the age of some of his references before admitting he still finds Tommy Cooper funny.

Danny usually performs “Tongue-tied” with a good grace when inevitably asked to by an audience member but perhaps it’s finally starting to pall as this time he did it in the style of Oliver Reed’s Bill Sykes and included a lot of X-rated references to cunnilingus etc.  It was entertaining though.

Next up was a live Q&A (over Zoom) with Chris Barrie.  Danny decided to stick around as he wanted to show Chris something he’d ordered online.  It took a while to get the cameras in the right position for Chris to be able to see it and Danny needed a knife to open the parcel, leading Chris to quip “Is this a good time for me to step out for some lunch?”

However, it turned out to be worth it as it was a custom-made Ace Rimmer doll which impressed Chris with its quality and he complimented the maker.

Danny and Ray then departed for their lunch and to take part in the Coffee Lounge which this year had reduced its numbers for Covid-related reasons and held a ballot for entry in the interests of fairness.  Amy and I didn’t get in but happily stayed for the rest of Chris’s Q&A.

In the “working from home” spirit, Chris was in a hoodie in his living room as opposed to his more usual smart suit.  He was suitably relaxed and revealed he got through lockdown by concentrating on the things which make him happy, such as his hobbies, his garden and his family.  His favourite episodes are “Marooned”, “Dimension Jump” and - less predictably - “Twentica”.  He also referred to a recent “mannerly, as he would call it” phone conversation with Craig.  No details but it had clearly been a positive experience.

Amy decided to liven up the ending of his Q&A by asking a vitally important, “TPL”-related question.  Whom would Rimmer find more attractive, a female version of Lister or a female version of Cat?

Once the laughter had died down and Chris had bought some time by pointing out that “neither of them are women”, he gave the question appropriate consideration.  He pondered whether Rimmer would be more taken by the “simple charms” of Lister or the “feline grace” of Cat.  This next bit is courtesy of Amy as my memory isn’t infallible: He said it’d be a choice between a feline form or a rounder, a bit more slovenly woman - he wouldn’t want the perfectly feline woman because she might not like his imperfections, but he also wouldn’t want someone who ate curry three times a day.  “Basically, a balance would be ideal.”

That was the last question but Chris provided a little more entertainment as he had a “How do you turn this off then?” moment a la Gordon the computer in “Better Than Life” and made amusing faces as he figured it out.  If it was anyone but Chris I’d think it was a deliberate reference to that but I think he was genuinely befuddled.

We then broke for lunch, followed by Autographs with Hattie, Danny, Ray and Norman Lovett.  I got the latter three to sign the “TPL” poster I’d brought with me but gave Hattie the booklet instead as it seemed more tactful.  She complimented the dress I was wearing and I returned the compliment, telling her how much the fans appreciate the effort she makes with her DJ outfits.

Norman commented how there’s a version of the “TPL” poster he isn’t on, bemusedly.  Fortunately mine was the version including him. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon chilling in the bar with Amy, Lapsang and Barbs, chatting to other attendees.  Graphic Designer Matthew Clark was now in the Merchandise Room with various props from Series XII and “TPL” including the Starbug manual used onscreen.  I got his autograph on my poster but it’s an incomprehensible squiggle.  Oh well.  He was very friendly and easy to talk to.

After a break for dinner, the Main Hall reopened for the Costume Competition.  This seems to get better every DJ, with an amazing “Greyscale Rimmer” who was discomfiting to be around due to the corpse-like makeup, a Natalina Pushkin, a Nirvanah Crane who could almost have been Jane Horrocks herself and a Diving Suit Cat from “BTE”.  Other entries included Rimmer’s Mum, “Giraffes who were armed and dangerous” and a Confidence And Paranoia who were later pictured at the bar chatting to Paranoia himself, Lee Cornes.

We then had a special video message from Doug Naylor which I won’t go into as I’m sure everyone’s already heard the details.  Suffice to say, his tone was positive.

The second Auction was hosted by Ian Boldsworth who made it more entertaining by adding his own commentary to each item.  This was followed by a stand-up set from Norman.  It was amusing but he misjudged the mood a bit, I feel.  When you’re waiting for a disco to start and it’s already hours late due to Danny’s tardiness, you don’t particularly want to contemplate your own mortality.  We were here to get away from all that, as much as possible.

Anyway, the Disco was a lot of fun even if Dave Benson Phillips’ presence as host was sorely missed.  Hattie danced for the best part of an hour alongside everyone else.  The stand-in DJs did their job and I stayed until the end.  The final two songs were “Bohemian Rhapsody” and … “Tongue-tied”.

Sunday

Not being in the Sunday Photoshoot, Amy and I had a nice leisurely breakfast and got over last night’s festivities before the first Q&A, live over Zoom with Robert Llewellyn.

This was hosted by Ian Boldsworth who in his capacity as Dave era audience warm-up knows Robert well.  Clearly well enough to get away with teasing him relentlessly about not being at the con in person until poor Robert was a mess of Krytenesque guilt.  

His protestations that he’d been scheduled to be in Munich this weekend but no longer was (he was at home) only made things worse.  Ian: “Oh, so that’s two sets of people you’ve disappointed now!  Stop saying yes to things!”  It was hilarious and Robert took it in its intended spirit.  Also Ian was getting a measure of revenge for Robert - in character as Kryten - dry humping him at recordings.  One attendee asked “With the groinal attachment?!”

Robert admitted that he finds Kryten’s various groinal attachments hilarious and if he was writing the show they’d be in every episode.  He praised Doug’s restraint.

He also admitted that in “TPL” he had an earpiece to have his lines fed to him.  Since it’s controlled by an iPad, certain unscrupulous cast members took great delight in feeding him rude ones.

He still intends to update “The Man In The Rubber Mask” but atm “Fully Charged” is consuming a lot of his time as it’s become much more successful than he anticipated and he’s in charge of several people.

Surprisingly, he would hate appearing in RD without the Kryten makeup, both because it’s become much quicker to apply and because it provides him with a shield and he becomes Kryten and forgets stagefright.  He still can’t watch “DNA” for that reason.

Lapsang, who played Kryten in “Into The Gloop”, asked Robert if he’d seen it.  He hadn’t but said he was now very curious and would find a way to.

Next up was Lee Cornes aka Paranoia who said he originally auditioned for the lead roles and like the other unsuccessful actors got the consolation prize of a guest appearance.  Upon being asked if he’d gone out for a drink with Craig Ferguson’s Confidence, he said no because at the time they had a frosty relationship due to rumours that Craig was plagiarising other comics’ jokes.  Lee said it was all very silly and he’s since apologised.

Interestingly, Lee is a qualified science teacher and carried on with that career alongside his media one, leading to surreal situations where his pupils would ask: “Sir?  Were you on the telly last night?”  “Yes.”  “Are we on the telly now, sir?”

Someone asked a good question - what would Lister’s Paranoia be like now 33 years later?  Lee would be willing to reprise the role but isn’t sure it would work as the original had a childish quality whereas he feels now the character would be a lot darker and less funny.  Lee was both thoughtful and entertaining in his responses.

He was followed onstage by Hattie and Norman, who resolutely refused to rise to the bait of an audience member attempting to stir up a rivalry between them.  That only works when one isn’t the nicest person you could meet.

A tactless audience member asked both if they’d watched “TPL” instead of directing the question at Norman.  Luckily Hattie had seen it and particularly enjoyed the cat flap joke although she felt there was a little too much focus on the guest cast.

Norman didn’t really watch RD after he left but Hattie has seen Norman’s early episodes as he lent them to her back when she was originally cast as Hilly for research purposes.  Bear in mind this was 1988 when they weren’t even available on VHS so presumably he recorded them off the TV.  

Hattie confirmed with a sigh that she’s simply never been asked to return in any capacity: “That’s the short answer.”  What the hell, I’ll say it one more time - Bring Back Hattie!  One episode, that’s all I ask.  As it stands, it’s starting to look like a pointed and deliberate snub which mystifies me.

We then broke for lunch, followed by Rob Grant and Paul Jackson.  For obvious reasons they didn’t go into the current legal mess, opting instead to entertain the fans with the story of how they met and their early pre-RD work (Rob and Doug as freelance writers for Paul’s producer).

We saw some clips from their early shows including “Three Of A Kind” with Lenny Henry, Tracy Ullman and … later magician David Copperfield; apparently they all had the same agent and Paul took on David as a favour.  For a 40 year old show it held up pretty well and was in much better sound and picture quality than older shows often are. “Carrott’s Lib” was just as funny.

It’s a bit hard to summarise but this session was entertaining and gripping.  Rob still wants to write another RD novel and I believe there’s nothing actually stopping him as both he and Doug had an option to write a second solo novel.  So we’ll see.

The final Q&A was Matthew Clark who was very informative and interesting, showing us numerous production stills from Series XII and “TPL” and talking us through them.  There was a groan when time was called before he was finished.

By now time was running short and Amy and I went back to the room to pack and leave our luggage with reception before watching the start of “Dibbley Family Fortunes”. Since I knew I wouldn’t have time to watch it all, I instead nipped upstairs to Autographs with Lee and Ian, timing it perfectly as the queue had almost vanished.

Ian was still performing, drawing scornful attention to the fact that Lee had a longer queue: “Can you imagine all these people queueing to see Lee Cornes?!”  It sounds rude out of context but he was clearly joking.

I decided to ask Lee what flavour the yogurt Paranoia eats was.  He said it didn’t really taste of anything as it was the cheapest, nastiest canteen yogurt available and was also starting to curdle under the studio lights so eating it can’t have been much fun.

Since I now had about 15 minutes before I had to go, I caught a bit of Dibbley Family Fortunes, said goodbye to Amy, Lapsang and Barbs and then dashed off to catch the tram to the train station.  Another great DJ.

[being-of-rain]

I’ve listened to Big Finish’s Peladon box set! It’s not groundbreaking, but I enjoyed it. I’ll list some initial thoughts here.

Overall I wish the stories had been linked a little closer, but I wasn’t really expecting that because it’s a wish I already have for many Big Finish series. But it does seem strange when episode 1 felt like the first part of a story arc, while the other eps feel much more stand-alone.

Ep 1. Content Warning for religious fanaticism. This ep is kind of depressing, really jskdf. I could definitely feel Jonathan Barnes in the story; he co-wrote this and wrote some of the great sprawling Big Finish Sherlock Holmes series that I love. But his slow gothic build-up works better when he's writing the rest of the series to see it though, which doesn't really happen here. The surprise cameo in this episode was nice and fun (no prizes for guessing who it was jskdljf).

Ep 2. River and Alpha Centauri were fun friends together, as I hoped. I had expected River to be flirty, but was surprised how much Alpha was as well. Admittedly I might have been able to follow the whodunnit aspect of this episode a bit more closely if I was paying more attention, but it had a fun cast of ambassadors. The sporadic feminist comments in this story felt clunkier and less genuine to me than the feminism in the original 1970s stories, but maybe I'm just cynical from too much CW shows kdsfjsdfj.

One thing that felt weird to me in ep 2 was that River was really rude about the Arcturan ambassador before she even met him, purely because of his species. And that’s an issue I had with the series as a whole: in 3 out of 4 episodes the Arcturans appear and are played as one-note evil greedy villains. This felt pretty ironic to me, since when they were introduced as the bad guys of the Curse of Peladon, it was a twist that the bad guys weren't the Ice Warriors, because of course every member of a species isn't a two-dimensional cartoon villain. I love that reveal (and am happy that the Ice Warriors in this set are all allies), because it made the Peladon setting feel more grounded, and the characterisations more real. In this set, the Arcturans have just taken their place.

Anyway, Ep 3. I think this is the weakest in the set. It felt like the set as a whole was retreading a lot of the politics of the original stories. But none of it took the most obvious political point: holding the monarchy accountable (rather than just blaming evil advisors)- and demolishing it since it doesn’t seem to help anyone in any of the stories. But maybe this shouldn’t surprise me since in the behind the scenes, the creators said the idea for the series came from The Crown jskdlfj.

Oh, probably my favourite part of episode 3 was Erimem getting mentioned. Big Finish do tend to ignore their own history, preferring to just build on the TV show, so I honestly didn’t know if she was going to get a namecheck.

Ep 4. The best episode! Not a lot to say about this one really, other than I love a well made bring-down-the-corrupt-government Doctor Who story (See Stranded 3 for another recent really good one featuring Eight). This had a bit of a Christmas Carol style plot with a powerful message, and the emotions that Paul McGann and Meera Syal bring to the episode is a delight.

I’ve always thought that Big Finish should take more advantage of Paul McGann’s narrating voice, and when the Doctor sings his Venusian lullaby it made me think the same about his singing voice. Someone else must’ve had the same thought, because there’s a track at the end of the episode with just him singing it. Oh speaking of that lullaby, the way its incorporated into the Peladon set’s main theme and lots of incidental music is so much silly fun, I loved that.

Oh one more thing, on a barely-related personal note. I’ve been playing a she/they Ice Warrior in a Dr Who rpg game with friends recently. There’s never been a female Ice Warrior in Doctor Who that didn’t have some special armour and rank, but I wanted to just wear normal warrior-level armour. Obviously I didn’t need any canon to back me up for that, but now I feel vindicated. Because in the Peladon box set, if I count right, there are only 3 Martians; two of them are Lords, and the other is a woman. And on the cover, there’s pictured a Lord, and a normal Ice Warrior! Your honour, I rest my case.

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Hippohead Day 2

Author: @hippohead​

Share one of your strengths.

I've had people tell me that my writing can be a bit poetic sometimes, which is always a huge compliment to me as I write poetry as well. I do think I manage to make bits of my writing sound pretty occasionally so I would say that is one of my strengths!

Share one of your weaknesses.

TENSE. We don't have to talk about it but I... can't do it. It hurts my brain.

Which fic has been the hardest to write?

OKAY. "and I'll be yours for the weekend" is the answer to this question and I literally don't even have a reason why. It was just a battle. The song ('tis the damn season by tswift) was stuck in my head and the story was stuck in my head and I just wanted to GET IT OUT but it was such a struggle. I really genuinely fought that story to come out the way it did. Anyway I'm being dramatic but yes that one.

Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Definitely "I Have Guidelines." It was the first fic I wrote for the Klaine fandom and it truly just flowed out of me in about two days. I just wrote and wrote and wrote and didn't get stuck once. I love that fic with my whole entire heart, it's very special to me.

Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

It's definitely my passion, I just wish I had more time to do it.

Is there an episode or character or arc above all others that inspires you just a little bit more?

Kurt Hummel! I love him so much and I see so much of myself in him.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Tina Fey told me (not me specifically but also me specifically) that you have to let people see what you wrote. And I know that seems fairly self-explanatory but I really struggled with letting people see what I had written, so it's something I hold close to my heart and repeat over & over. ily tfey

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

I can't really think of any bad writing advice at the moment, which I suppose is a good thing!

If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

I think probably "I Have Guidelines" for the fake dating of it all!

What’s your process? Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines? What are the perfect writing conditions for you?

I write an excessively long outline when I first have the idea just to get it out of my head and onto paper, and I try to plot it out in order as much as I can. And then I sorta just write whatever scenes I can... sometimes that ends up being in order, and sometimes it ends up being all over the place. Perfect writing conditions for me are: being very comfy, blankets if poss, snacks nearby!, & my writing playlist on. All of that helps me to feel settled enough to write.

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Check out Hippohead’s Fics

and I'll be yours for the weekend -  Sleeping with Blaine Anderson is Kurt's favourite Christmas tradition.

Sunday to Sunday, and then After That -  Blaine is living & working at a pub in London; Kurt is in London on a week-long trip that his ex-boyfriend had booked for the two of them before they broke up. It's hard to see the magic of London when you're heartbroken, until it's not anymore because there's a devastatingly handsome and charming bartender trying to show it to you. Oh, and then after that.

were there clues i didn't see? -  Set during 'tying you to me' and afterwards, this is the story from Blaine's POV, and from his fans'.