#I will always love rebecca but yikes

[evendumbo]

Okay but why did Ted’s past wife and future wife both make terrible ethical decisions in their respective love lives after and before, respectively, they were with Ted? I mean, Rebecca gets a bit of a pass re Sam bc she’s trying to figure out her shit after a traumatic relationship. But one dating her 21-year-old employee and the other dating her past individual and then couples therapist are just weirdly coincidental hot messes.

[bladesandstars]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out

Stolen (politely) from @pterawaters - thanks!

Number of books you’ve read so far in 2024: 24! Haha

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: I have to pick one? Sheesh. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by Victoria Schwab AND Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, tie.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: Crooked Kingdom, also by Leigh Bardugo. I'm in love with the whole cast, and it continued the story perfectly.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland (in progress and it's great).

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao.

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): S.T. Gibson, because An Education in Malice delighted me. I wasn't a fan of her first (A Dowry of Blood) - which is definitely down to my being incredibly picky about my vampires in annoying ways rather than anything on Gibson's part, my entire book club loved it - but an author redemption is always such a delight for me and I'm here to grab her next book.

Newest fictional crush: I have to pick one? Yikes yikes yikes. I usually have one per book unless I hated the book 😂 this only counts as "newest" because I just did a reread, but Evemer Hoskadem from A Taste of Gold and Iron is the devoted, competent type with some delightful hidden flavors and that did make my heart flutter.

Book that made you cry: Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. This book is a masterpiece and also a front-runner for my favorite book of the year so far. It's dystopian and upsetting, and it executes and delivers on multiple levels with such a high level of skill, it's incredible. I was in awe of the prose, the themes, the characterization, and the way it was a scarily believable extension of where we're going in US politics.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): The cover of Seven Devils by L.R. Lam and Elizabeth May is so neat and I always see something new looking at it. Also a beloved read this year.

Book that made you happy: Hamlet, Prince of Robots by M. Darusha Wehm. It's funny and smart and I love a retelling. This one does it perfectly.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year? Seven Mercies by L.R. Lam and Elizabeth May; Curse of the Divine by Kim Smejkal; The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken; Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake; Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan; The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian; 100 Queer Poems; Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin; Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros; One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston; Fine Print by Stjepan Sejic; The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon; The Power Broker by Robert Caro; and all the Kushiel's sequels I bought when they were on sale! There's more but that's enough for now. Thanks for reading, hope you got some fun new titles or enjoyed remembering good reads yourself!

Next up: periodic fanfic rec post!

[lunar-years]

I think that's a stupid direction to take if that's how the writers decide to bring roy and keeley back together. They don't need to show how a different relationship is worse for her, why not make her realize she just wasn't ready for something new so soon. Why demonize jack. I know the pairing is beloved, but their circumstances didn't change, just shoving them back together, because another relationship was horrible is boring. I hope they are more creative than that

& I think those are totally valid opinions to have!

For me several things are true (and sorry in advance because I know this is going to be a long one):

Narratively, Jack was always set up as Keeley's rebound. To be 100% honest I never once expected this relationship--which started with a kiss .5 seconds after Keeley admitted her last breakup was both really hard and that she isn't over it, and oh by the way, she also has complicated feelings now about her breakup BEFORE that--was going to end in forever.

I also don't think Keeley was rushing into something she wasn't ready for! Keeley was looking to have fun and see where it could take her with a cool and really fit woman. Good for her!

I know a lot of people are preaching the "why can't a woman ever be single on these shows" discourse and I think that's another topic where it's complicated and it's always going to come down to the personal opinions and experiences of the viewer. For me (& for what it’s worth, I am a very single woman who is completely content to be very single) Keeley having three separate relationships in 3 seasons doesn't bother me a lick. Reason being: Keeley has never felt like a caricature portrayal of a woman; she's just a complex character who makes mistakes and good & bad choices and also happens to enjoy being in relationships and having sex!

I do not think the show is demonizing Jack. Now, the fandom may be; these "Jack is Keeley's Rupert" takes are frankly ridiculous, but that was not the argument the show was making. Rebecca was respectfully noting red flags according to her experiences, not saying "Jack is exactly like my piece of shit ex-husband" (the two are incomparable, because Jack and Keeley have been dating for what, a couple months? Rebecca was emotionally abused for years in a marriage. These are very different experiences, people.)

a person can have "red flag" traits and make manipulative choices (possibly without even realizing it) without automatically be a horrible abuser. it means the relationship likely isn't going to work out, and the person (in this case Jack) certainly has some things to work through, but it doesn't mean they're setting her up to be a Rupert-type villain.

If we want to talk seriously about female characters the show has butchered by needlessly demonizing, let's go back to Shandy, because yikes.

It's too early to know what they are doing with it, but I do not think the point of Jack was just to prompt Keeley to run right back to Roy. If it turns out that way, anon, I'll bite my words.

I don't think the writers are making jack/keeley a terrible toxic relationship, either. They worked through the love-bombing thing with solid communication, and next episode it seems like it will be an outside force who wrecks havoc on them, not Jack's actions (or at least not her actions alone).

The narrative point of Jack/Keeley (to me) was as a way of portraying Keeley making messy decisions to deal with her emotions and how it is only turning her life messier instead of allowing her to heal. It's about how she isn't letting herself process her feelings, while also demonstrating that she's still allowed to have fun and try to move on with someone new.

There isn't really any indication that they are going to throw Roy/Keeley back together? I agree that would be a weird angle, as they haven't (yet. I do fully believe the reckoning is coming) addressed any of their problems or the actual reason they broke it off (and I LOVE that they broke up, by the way. I'm so so glad it happened! Those two needed time to grow separately.)

What I will say is that Roy's arc this season has definitely been written better than Keeley's. I think the writers have made many more questionable choices with Keeley's storyline than anyone else's this season, and I wish several things had been better about it. There have been good concepts there, but unfortunately wavering execution. However, the Jack/Keeley part has been one of the elements to it that I haven't minded at all.

If this is truly the final season, at this point I am expecting Roy & Keeley (& Jamie) to all reconcile and end single as friends (personal preference-wise I'd be thrived with this. I do ship Roy/Keeley, but very specifically in the Roy/Keeley/Jamie way, lol). If this is not the final season, then it opens them up to a lot more re: putting Keeley & Roy back together in future. The season will still end with them all single, but as more of a setup for next season. I'm cool with it either way!

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 3x3

Good lord. This episode was like being on the Scrambler at the fair. You know the one, you sit in the little seat at the end of a big arm like a spoke of a wheel, and the central machine spins steadily, but because of the position of the arms, and I don’t know, physics, you kind of get flung from point A to B, then B to C, then C to A again, but it’s a slightly different A than before, a slightly different spot, and it goes fast and your surroundings are blurry but then there are little moments when you land at each point where the movement pauses and you can see clearly, just in time to propel someplace new again. 

The Scrambler was always my favorite ride. I’m too chickenshit for huge rollercoasters, I get irrationally angry (terrified) if upside down, I don’t want to be splashed with water, etc., but also I’m not a baby. I liked being disoriented. And I think I really liked this episode. 3x1 and 3x2 were both awesome and I was cruising along feeling very aware of what show I was watching, and tonight I was absolutely watching the same show but the fucking great needle drops and the whole weird energy of the thing left me—to overdo the stupid metaphor—scrambled.

I can’t believe my last pre-s3 fic included Ted having bad feelings about Precious Moments figurines in a rental house and then it turns out actual Ted’s actual mom collects them!

(Weird bullet to start with? Well, I feel weird!)

The boys (adult men who coach AFC Richmond) just want Julie Andrews to boss them around and punish them. I get it. 😌

Ola’s! I’m so excited for Sam and I love the vibe of his restaurant and I love that he’s getting to do this communal, home-oriented endeavor that connects him to so many things about both Nigeria and the UK right as his football club is becoming a cult of personality. 

Everything with Tish was so unsettling. I love that Rebecca was trying desperately to play the whole thing for laughs, but then it was genuinely chilling. I have so many (strong) feelings about Rebecca and motherhood, and I’ve felt this whole time like it was incredibly important to her character’s journey that she is never going to be a mother, exactly, even though I’m just a human girl and I would love to see her stepmommin’. But tbh I am HERE for seeing what happens precisely because she was angry about the premonition, she didn’t bite back her feelings, she called the vision cruel. I’m going to need to rewatch and listen to every word that Tish says but I am! Losing! It! 

Zava is great as a device and I’m loving that Jamie isn’t having tantrums but is instead using his words (to great effect!). He’s standoffish but he isn’t being a total prick. And I’m very :eyesemoji: about these early morning trainings with Roy, and, you know, what purpose Roy is going to find there beyond helping to mold Jamie. I really like that most everyone else is very much not immune to Zava, and I like that there’s a logic to that—they’re winning, they’re thriving, they’re a surprise success story. 

I am obsessed with Ted’s obsession with Dr. Jacob and how he’s continuing to call him Dr. Jacob. I completely get why it’s so upsetting and bewildering. I would be a basket case. Also I think there’s something incredibly perfect about the terrible foot they start off on (restart, anyway), with Dr. Jacob doing the stupid Trump impersonation and just really putting his foot in it. I guess there could have been worse ways to choose to answer the phone, but it’s difficult to think of one! And Dr. Jacob might not get much screentime, but we get so much—the cringiness of the realization it’s Ted on the line. The cozy homey Kansas kitchen. The busy lived-in domesticity, interrupted. And then he’s in this fugue state for weeks, obsessing, and there’s Sassy. I kinda love that he tells her up front about Michelle and their ex-therapist; they clearly haven’t seen each other in a long time, and that’s the first and only news he thinks to tell her!? Yikes. 

Shandy! Yes. (And Roy wanting to do the interview. HELP.)

I have every feeling in the world about Colin and his boyfriend. I absolutely love—I mean, I hate it for him, but I love it for this story—that he’s seemingly secure in his sexuality in terms of understanding who he is, and is closeted because of the world he lives in. Colin and his absurdly noticeable car and hiding in plain sight among the casual gay jokes of the world he lives in. My heart was in my throat over Trent seeing them. My hope is that we’re going to get confirmation that Trent is also queer, and that all this is going to have something to do with the book he’s writing (hopefully in a good way rather than a horrific way!), especially since the audience hasn’t heard Trent pitch his book project and we really don’t know much of anything about the kind of story he’s looking for. TIME WILL TELL, I GUESS. 

I’m sure there are a million other things, but to be entirely honest my entire brain is just the words “shite in nining armor” over and over and over again. Maybe my brain will come back online tomorrow, or maybe it won’t come back until May 31, or never! Goodnight!

[i-like-to-analyze-stuff]

Ok I have never posted on Tumblr before, but have a LOT of thoughts about Taylor’s curated playlists corresponding to the 5 stages of grief, so I’m jumping in!

My first impression was of course sadness about all the Joe love songs in here. I mean, she literally put the song “Lover” in “Denial!” Yikes. But when I did a deeper dive and tabulated which song subjects were in which lists, some interesting patterns emerged. If you don’t care about all the details, just jump to the end for the totals. Interesting, huh?

I have to tag @taylor-on-your-dash because they are my hero! Most of my opinions on who each song is about come from their incredible data on when each song was written, which I’ve cross-referenced with who Taylor was dating at that time. Obviously these are just opinions, but they are based on a lot of research!

OK here we go:

Denial:

Lavender Haze—Joe

Snow on the Beach—Joe

Sweet Nothing—Joe

Glitch—Joe

Betty—fictional, but written with Joe

Willow—Joe

Cruel Summer—Tom

Lover—Joe (ouch!)

Miss Americana—not romantic (2016 election)

False God—Joe

Style—Harry

Wildest Dreams—possibly Alex Skarsgard?

Treacherous—Harry

Untouchable—she didn’t write it

That’s When—non-famous person

Ours—John

Superman—John

Bejeweled—Calvin, but she also wore a “bejeweled” dress when she did a surprise appearance at a 1975 show a few months before her breakup with Joe was announced, so this could refer to being in denial about Matty being able to be a decent human being lol

Anger:

Vigilante Shit—not romantic (scooter)

High Infidelity—Calvin (positive about Joe though, at least he gets a break here!)

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve—John

Exile—I think fictional, but written with Joe

Illicit Affairs—I think fictional but who knows?

Mad Woman—not romantic (Scooter)

Tolerate It—fictional (plot of the book Rebecca)

Bad Blood—not romantic (Katy feud)

Is It Over Now?—Harry

I Knew You Were Trouble—Harry (yes I know there’s debate about this, but I remain firmly convinced that, even if she didn’t start this about him, in the end it was definitely about him)

We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together—Jake

The Last Time—Jake

The Moment I Knew—Jake

Babe—Jake

I Bet You Think About Me—Jake

Dear John—John

Better Than Revenge—Joe Jonas/girl he left Taylor for

Tell Me Why—non-famous person

You’re Not Sorry—non-famous person

Forever & Always—Joe Jonas

Mr Perfectly Fine--Joe Jonas

Bargaining:

The Great War—Joe

This is Me Trying—I think fictional

Peace—Joe

The Archer—Joe

Cornelia Street—Joe (oh, this one hurts!)

Death by a Thousand Cuts—fictional (inspired by a movie but the movie writer was inspired by 1989 so I guess semi Harry?)

Soon You’ll Get Better—not romantic (her mom’s cancer 😢)

Afterglow—Joe

I Wish You Would—Harry

Say Don’t Go—Harry

Come Back Be Here—Harry (I know there’s debate about this too but I’m in the Harry camp)

Better Man—Jake

The Story of Us—John

Haunted—Joe Jonas

Come In With the Rain—non-famous person

The Other Side of the Door—non-famous person

If This Was a Movie—Joe Jonas

Renegade—Joe

Depression:

Bigger Than the Whole Sky—non-romantic (miscarriage?)

Dear Reader—non-romantic (self-doubt)

Maroon—Jake? I think? Honestly I still can’t figure this one out for sure.

You’re Losing Me—Joe

My Tears Ricochet—non-romantic (Scott Borchetta)

Epiphany—non-romantic (war/pandemic)

Hoax—I think Scott Borchetta, so non-romantic? But possibly also Joe? I think she said in this one she was writing about multiple things.

Champagne Problems—I think fictional, but written with Joe

Coney Island—I think fictional, but written with Joe

Right Where You Left Me—I think fictional

Nothing New—non-romantic (self-doubt)

All Too Well—Jake

Forever Winter—non-romantic (friend with mental health issues)

We Were Happy—non-famous person

Last Kiss—Joe Jonas

Castles Crumbling—non-romantic (self-doubt)

Carolina—fictional (for a movie)

White Horse—non-famous person

Acceptance:

You’re On Your Own Kid—non-romantic (self confidence)

Midnight Rain--non-famous person

Labyrinth—Joe

The 1—I think fictional

August—fictional

Invisible String—Joe (finally, a happy song about Joe! This one is touching. Like I guess she’s accepting that they were fated to be together but not end up together?)

Happiness—I think not personal—supposedly about Abigail’s divorce

Long Story Short—another happy song about Joe! Wow!

Closure—nonromantic (Karlie friendship breakup)

Evermore—possibly fictional, but written with Joe

It’s Time to go—nonromantic (Karlie friendship breakup)

I Forgot That You Existed—Calvin

Daylight—another happy song about Joe!

This Love—Harry

Clean—Harry

Now That We Don’t Talk—Harry

Begin Again—supposedly Will Anderson (lead singer of Parachute)

Innocent—non-romantic (Kanye)

Breathe—non-romantic (close friend/fiddle player in her band left the band)

Totals (romantic only, not including fictional)—this really says it all!

Denial: 7 Joe, 2 Harry, 2 John, 1 each Calvin, Tom, possible Alex

Anger: 5 Jake, 3 Joe Jonas, 2 John, 2 Harry, 1 Calvin

Bargaining: 6 Joe, 3 Harry, 2 Joe Jonas, 1 each Jake & John

Depression: 2 Jake, 1 each Joe Alwyn and Jonas

Acceptance: 4 Joe, 3 Harry, 1 each Calvin and Will Anderson

So, basically, with Joe, and to a lesser degree Harry, the main feelings were denial, bargaining, and acceptance. Whereas with Jake and Joe Jonas it’s about anger, plus a lot of depression about Jake. And John gets a healthy dose of denial and anger. Sounds about right!

But also, to all the people ready to attack Joe when TTPD comes out, I think it’s important to point out that he’s not even ON the “Anger” list at all. Yes, things ended. Yes, it’s sad. She was sad. But that doesn’t mean he’s a terrible guy.

Oh, and Taylor L. is nowhere on the list! Yes, he is definitely the best ex lol.

[shadowqueen402]

Lora Learns Everything (A Prim And Proper Problems fic)

This is another Prim And Proper Problems fic! But Lora is going to make her debut appearance in it! Anyways, enjoy! This takes place after Prim is arrested. Lora also learns of my oc's history.

"Yikes," Lora said as she sat with Aria, Kaylo, Trisha Jane, Rebecca, and Mei at the Sweet Shoppe. She had recently learned about the existence of Madame Prim as well as all of the things that she had done. "I honestly had no idea that such a horrible woman exists! Brainwashing a bunch of innocent girls and even go so far as to brainwash her own daughter!?"

"She wasn't just going to brainwash girls into becoming perfect," Trisha Jane said. "She planned on turning everyone perfect."

"She used her students to frame me and Yuri so that way, she would take us to her school," Kaylo said, scowling at the memory. "It was terrible. The rules were so strict as well the dress code. A month later, we were released. But we no longer acted the same."

"When I heard that Kaylo and Yuri had been sent to a boarding school that nobody knew about, it brought back…terrible memories," Aria said, looking at her vanilla milkshake with a frown.

"What happened?" Lora asked.

Aria sighed. "I wasn't always a resident in Timeville. I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. My parents met Madame Prim when they were both in high school as she and her family had moved from Paris. Prim immediately became obsessed with my father to the point that she wanted to marry him. She would even view any girl that developed a crush on him as "pests" that were in the way of hers and my father's "fated love", according to my mother."

"And I thought she couldn't get anymore creepy than she is," Rebecca said, upon hearing this.

"Well, one Friday afternoon, Prim discovered that my father had entered a committed relationship with my mother after accepting her confession," Aria continued. "She did not take this well at all and became so enraged that she went too far. One of the drastic measures that Prim took involved kidnapping my parents and holding them hostage into her basement. They both managed to escape from that madwoman, despite how terrified they were. And on the day they got married, Prim crashed their wedding."

"That's awful," Mei said. "How…How did Prim find out about your existence?" She looked at Aria with genuine concern.

"I-I think I'm better off not knowing." Aria shivered. "What I do know was that, three days after I was born, my parents came home with me from the hospital only to discover that their mailbox was stuffed with lots of mail. Inside were love letters addressed to my father, nasty threats addressed to my mother, and flyers that advertised a boarding school that was dedicated for girls to learn how to be perfect."

"That woman is nothing but a psycho who can't take no for answer!" Lora declared.

"Psycho is an understatement," Aria agreed. "Once I entered childhood, I took notice of how my mother would stiffen whenever the mailman came to deliver mail. I would even take notice of my father ripping up papers and discarding them. But back then, I had no clue on what was actually going on."

"Considering that Prim was constantly sending those flyers and letters to your parents, can you blame them?" Kaylo asked. "She was basically harassing them!"

Aria sipped her vanilla milkshake. "It doesn't stop there. When I turned twelve years old, my mother and I were welcoming our father home after he returned from Afghanistan. The reunion was interrupted by loud banging on the door. When my mother answered it, that was when I first met her; Madame Prim. She allowed herself into the house I grew up in and then revealed what her intentions were. It turned out that she wanted me to go to her school. My parents immediately refused to send me there as they did not trust Prim one bit. But when she tried to bribe my parents a large sum of money, they kicked her out."

"She's also tracked down "imperfect" girls around the world," Trisha Jane explained to Lora. "We even found a bunch of restraining orders into her office."

"Did your parents file a restraining order, Aria?" Lora asked. "I hope they did…"

"Thankfully, they did," Aria said. "The day after Prim was kicked out of our home, my mother pulled me aside to tell me that I must avoid Prim at all costs. If I were to see her and neither of my parents were home, I'd have to get inside the house immediately, lock the doors, and hide out of sight from Prim. For one whole year, that was what I did. I would stay absolutely silent whenever I heard loud knocking and Prim's voice in a faux-polite tone trying to lure me out. After I graduated from Edinburgh Junior Academy, my parents and I left the house and never returned. For a while, we stayed at a hotel until my parents could find another house for us to live in. A month later, my parents bought a nice house in Timeville, got a restraining order against Prim, and we soon moved in. Up until what had happened to Kaylo and Yuri, we were finally safe and sound."

"Wow, thank god that you and your parents were able to get out of there," Mei said. "Just out of curiosity, did you happen to know what happened to Prim after you moved here?"

"Up until the day that Prim came here? Not much, I'm afraid." Aria said. "The most I've ever heard was that she either went back to France or moved to Ireland. According to my father, none of his friends that he went to high school with ever heard from her again." She sipped the last bit of her milkshake. "I've faced such tragedy in my life such as losing my husband. But nobody has ever made me look over my shoulder constantly the same way that Prim did…"

Lora remained silent, taking this all in. Odds are, Prim either went back to France or moved to Ireland in order to search for "imperfect" girls…

…But what did Prim plan to do to Aria if she had succeeded in taking her to that boarding school?

Kaylo belongs to @kayssweetdreams

Trisha Jane belongs to @lovelyteng

Rebecca belongs to @thehyperrequiem

Mei belongs to @sundove88

Lora belongs to @alex-frostwalker

Aria belongs to me.

[sy5starplaty]

My 3.07 “Strings That Bind Us” liveblog...

Cranberries’ "Dreams” to start us off? Okay.

Why does Jamie pulling Roy's bike along (in a pink sweatshirt & shorts no less) feel like the most obvious next step in their dynamic after "Sunflowers"?

More Jade-Nate stuff...

And Jack is totally being Keeley's "sugar daddy"... so it won't last.

I love Chef Simi. Still can't tell if this is a shipping situation or not... but obviously not siblings.

Barbecue sauce induced hallucination... okay. I'll accept that.

ASH! I always forget his name. I shall now refer to him as Cool Hat Guy.

They're still calling him Van Damme?

Nate got Siri to call him Wunderkind? lol

EVERYONE CONNECTED TO EPSTEIN? GET AWAY FROM HER NOW KEELEY! NOW!

Okay... needed a warning for that puke-a-thon.

They are NOT going to last. Those are NOT green flags, Keeley.

Rebecca talking about Rupert lovebombing her with a CAR... exact thing he did with Nate.

Beard Kitman is... actually kinda accurate. And Coach Will Beard is FANTASTIC.

"This is yummy. What is this?" "Water."

lol... I'm gonna need a spinoff with Will Beard.

Oh, K/J are so over.

OF COURSE IT'S ROY'S IDEA. Boy needs some joy in his life right now. I gotta say... We need this technique in ALL FOOTBALL CODES.

Hm... Not sure if that'll work Nate. But it's the thought that counts.

J: "It better be amazing!" (what you do for me, compared to all the lavishness I've bestowed upon you... and if it sucks... well, you know who has all the POWER in this relationship don't you?) RED FLAG RED FLAG

And... okay, yeah. Thoughts count. Words do too.

Yikes. Sorry Sam. I mean, you were right to call him a bigot, but that was playing with fire. Let's just be thankful it wasn't a fire, yeah? :|

Oh, that working/marching song thing... I know it, but I can't remember where it's from.

Sam rightfully swearing! And then crying in his HUGE daddy's arms.

"Big whoop"? Sam's dad is Ted! And they get on very well... brilliant.

But they were all coordinated and stuff in the locker room!

Heh... love that the 3 pub guys are so so calm about the team’s performance.

Poor Roy... making puns while Ted talks.

ASS-SQUATCH "Make it stop" ... No, it's awesome.

Lol... pre-emptive bird flips.

JAMIE! YOU'RE BECOMING THE BEST YOU CAN BE! YOU'RE BETTER THAN ZAVA, BOY. Damn, I can't believe I'm proud of him (again - I was proud of him in 2.03 but that wasn't as a footballer).

Arlo: "That was bloody gorgeous!" Yes, it was.

Yeah, knew they wouldn't win. But they didn't let Arsenal get anymore goals, so there's that.

And... TRENT! He's excited about football again! Well, about The Lasso Way.

"Yeah, but he's our dork." :D

Aw, they're not over yet? Damn. But it still feels likely. If she doesn't have Epstein connections, SHE JOKED ABOUT HAVING EPSTEIN CONNECTIONS. That's not a good thing! Unless her Epstein is not that Epstein... in which case, who's the other famous Epstein?

THE TEAM CAME TOGETHER TO HELP OUT SAM & HIS RESTAURANT.

Keep the mirrors as they are? I get the idea, Sam, but you gotta at least cover those shards with something. IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD.

And since... Ted & Rebecca did not share a scene AT ALL... I guess I'm just shipping Sam with Simi?

Yeah, not looking positive re: tedbecca here, so I’ll wait till 3.08 to either resurrect my shipper-self or bury it.  This episode was more about the team - with added Nate & Keeley’s storylines - so I get there wasn’t really any room for tedbecca stuff. They didn’t even focus that much on Ted. But now the team is kinda working like a well-oiled machine again... I think they’ll be able to return to the main ships & their individual journeys to find their way [back] to each other. 

Hopefully. 

[bookqueen101]

Initial thoughts on the Ted Lasso finale:

- Really enjoyed watching it - the general tone and all of the callbacks to previous episodes were perfect (especially Ted finally learning the offside rule)

- Rebecca’s ending was perfect, especially setting her up as the “matriarch of Richmond”

- Could have done without the Roy & Jamie macho fighting-over-Keeley thing but it makes a good springboard for “what happens next” fanfics

- Was Colin kissing his fella overly idealistic? Yes. Did I love it anyway? Also yes. Another good candidate for “what happens next” fanfics

- I liked that Beard stayed (the Jane stuff is kind of yikes but because I could tell previously that they weren’t going to address that, I could separate it in my head so it didn’t bother me too much)

- In general, I loved 95% of the Richmond side of things and where those plot strands ended up.

- I don’t like that Ted went back to Kansas. But I get why he did and I’m glad that the show told the story it wanted to tell with Ted as a Mary Poppins figure. The ending of Mary Poppins is one that I’ve always found dissatisfying so the same applies here.

For me there’s a bittersweet element of being able to visualise how the AFC Richmond side of things will continue but with Ted not being part of it.

But that does have a parallel with Ted’s whole “It’s not about me. It never was.” note to Trent & the change to the book title. That not how I hoped Trent’s book would be significant but it does fit. I do like the “Ted removing himself from the narrative” element to it. There’s something fitting there with Trent’s role as an observer/narrator through the series.

But for me (as with Mary Poppins), although Ted doesn’t think he’s the main character, he actually is. And I want him to be happy at the end. Or… happy in a way I can visualise. I can’t picture his life in Kansas in the same way that I can picture the Richmond side of things.

(You’ll notice I haven’t talked much about Trent. I’ve glommed onto him so much as my favourite character that it will take a while to separate canon and fanon. He lives more in the latter for me.)

[jvstheworld]

My Ted Lasso Re-watch: S1E4 (part 2)

For The Children

Isaac and Colin actually listened to Roy, under threat of violence. But it's good that they listened.

Eww, that guy who took Nate's drink is just going to be drinking backwash. Ewww.

Okay, I'm not loving the older woman hitting on Jamie. And with his history in Amsterdam, yikes. This actually reminds me of the episode in season 3 of Supernatural where Sam got hit on by an older woman, and the entire time he was so uncomfortable because of her unwanted advances. This type of thing always makes me uncomfortable.

Ted is occasionally wise, and sometimes it's just his natural folksy charm.

Ted meets Rupert for the first time and sees through his persona. Most people don't see past the persona of a manipulator, believe me, I've had my own Rupert in my life. They present a good front to the public, but behind closed doors they are brutal, cruel, and controlling. They find your weaknesses and exploit them for their advantage to tear you down. It's been 9 years since I got away from my Rupert, and I'm still dealing with what he did. Rebecca has a long way to go before she is properly free from him. She deserved better.

It's for charity Rupert, why does it matter if Keeley is spending her money to go on a date with Jamie? £25k is a huge amount for charity, be happy.

The bidder in the green dress is Keeley Hazell, who co-wrote an episode in season 3. She plays Rupert's new girlfriend who he cheated on Rebecca with.

Rebecca is sort of warming up to Ted, or is at least grateful for him comforting her when she is vulnerable. The difference between Ted and Rupert is night and day.

I glad Ted knows who Robert Smith is. Shows he has listened to The Cure at some point. If you haven't seen Robert Smith's tirade against Ticketmaster, you're missing out.

Roy is at least trying to do better with Jamie. And Jamie does reciprocate. Their relationship is season 3 was one of the highlights of that season. Especially in Amsterdam.

Ted knows Rupert tried to sabotage Rebecca, that's why he made a surprise appearance at the gala. He wanted to take pleasure in her pain and misery for leaving him, for not being under his control anymore.

Ted is just a nice enough person not to accuse Rupert in public, because he knows that he can deny it, turn it around, and deflect the attention back on to Ted.

[nancypullen]

Middle of May

It’s been a pleasant blur of days around here. Yard work, Mother’s Day ( I was spoiled because I have the BEST family), puttering, and then yesterday my sister came for the day.  What fun!  She is in the middle of a big move.  They’ve sold the home where they’ve lived for nearly thirty years, raised kids, and had to maintain about 3 acres.. They’re downsizing and have purchased a home on a smaller lot and will basically gut it and make it new.  Yikes. That’s a lot.  Emptying the old home, storing what will be kept, tackling the new home from the studs up...it doesn’t happen as quickly as they show it on HGTV.  Anywho, she allowed herself a break from the madness and came for a day.  The true purpose of the visit was to give me some of our Grandma Ethel’s iris before the new owners take over the house.  I know spring is not the time to divide them, but sometimes you gotta’ do what you gotta’ do. Better than letting those treasured bulbs fall into hands that might not love them. If you’ve followed this blog for any amount of time you’ve probably heard me talk about my grandma.  She was simply the best.  She had every grandchild convinced that they were her favorite and she had a sense of fun that was unrivaled by any other adults I knew. She also had the greenest thumb of all time. Her irises  were legendary. When she died, my sister came into possession of some of her bulbs. Those bulbs have thrived and bloomed for years in my sister’s yard and are always in their glory right around Ethel’s May birthday.  Now that I’m nearby she’s sharing the bounty with me.  I am thrilled.  Generations of irises have made their way from Weiser, Idaho to my yard on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Here’s my adorable sister with some of the flowers we cut.  Thanks, Ethel.

After we dabbled in horticulture, we hopped in the car and drove to Easton.  We had lunch, raided Target, ransacked Ulta, tried on dresses in Marshall’s, and laughed ourselves silly all day.  It was perfect.  I really feel awful for any woman who doesn’t have a sister. Who understands your verbal shorthand? Who knows your history from birth and gets you? Who would help you get rid of a body?  Sister, therapist, accomplice...it’s all the same person. I’m grateful for mine. Other than that, we just poke along doing the daily tasks that make it a life. I’m way overdue for a day at my desk making things - jewelry, cards, art, something needs to happen soon. Maybe I can get creative tomorrow. I’m caught up in the yard and mostly around the house.  The mister mowed today and everything looks so pretty.  I’ve got a zillion baby zinnias up and some mighty fine looking sunflowers as well.  I was surprised to see a bunny in the yard a couple of nights ago - better not eat my sunflowers!

Oh well, it’s time for me to shower off the yard dirt and make some dinner.  Yesterday was salmon and roasted broccoli.  Tonight it’s barbecued chicken thighs and roasted green beans - I’m feeling crazy, I think I’ll add wild rice.  Tomorrow will probably be taco bowls with cauliflower rice.  Or maybe just a big salad with chicken.  I’ve gotten into a rut with our meals and I tend to make the same simple meals over and over. Mickey doesn’t complain, and most of it is healthy and easy - so I shouldn’t complain either.  I just get bored. What a great problem to have, right?  I already feel guilty for complaining. I’ll throw some dinner together and then we’ll watch Ted Lasso.  This is the last season and I’m savoring every minute. I hate to see it end.

Is it just me or is Rebecca especially magnificent this season?  I so hope that she gets her happily ever after. I’m off. Sorry about the boring post.  I’m a granny in a small town. News is scarce.  We had a jailbreak in Denton last week but it only lasted about 45 minutes.  The guy was nabbed over on Cattail Commons, probably didn’t even get to do anything fun.   Oh well, don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.

I hope that May is treating you well.  It’s a truly lovely month and before we know it the heat of summer will be upon us.  Ugh.  Love the color, hate the temps.  Get out and do fun stuff before the sun tries to kill you.  I’ll be spreading mulch tomorrow because my baby plants are finally big enough.  Not fun, but I’ll be happy when it’s done.  My friends farther south are way ahead of me, and I followed that schedule for decades.  I feel like I’m learning to garden from scratch -different soil, different zone, different issues.  Still a pleasure though, I love the results. Okay, really stopping this time.  Sending you love, wishing you all good things, and hoping that you stay safe and stay well. XOXO- Nancy

[damelucyjo]

I think I'm gonna come on here and spew my thoughts and feelings about each episode rather than on Twitter. I think I'll also say more about each episode here than over there...

Anyway! I'll keep everything under a cut just in case. Although it's been a while since the episode dropped, I just wanna be safe!

Episode 1 - Smells Like Mean Spirit

Here we go!

Oo scruffy Ted!! 😍

Why is she in his phone as 'Michelle Lasso'? I don't have anyone I really know in my phone with their full name. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILD!!!

Still with the 'Ted has feelings for his ex' thing I see...

Henry's cute

Henry's been in London for 6 weeks and we saw none of it?! RUDE!

He still talks to Sharon! I love that

LEGO NELSON ROAD!!

OMG these Lego characters are brilliant!! And Ted & Rebecca next to each other 👀

It looks like they had fun whilst he was there...

EXCUSE ME why the same shower scene from season 1?!

So this season is going to be about Ted thinking about where he belongs then?

BRENDAN HUNT'S PARTNER AND SON!!! He is one cute baby!!

Earl Greyhound Training Facility. Nice.

Sharon Fieldstone! You cheeky bitch!! I love her

YYEEEAAAAHHH!!!!

Angry Rebecca is back. I'm in love

Hannah, looking delicious as ever 🥵

Something's wrong because he didn't rhyme? So true haha

I'm so fucking excited to see more Rupert this season!!

Ooo she's struggling with this, huh

She swears ALL THE TIME! Why did that one shock Higgins so much!?

Howdy & Yo. And then she nearly walked into the door frame. Amazing.

I need Dani's optimism

And Jamie's confidence haha

Roy & Beard's friendship is my favourite

FIFA reference, of course

His tiny car with those super cars is a great visual

Hello West Ham's Higgins

KEELEY!!!

'Fuck you, Joe Rogan' Exactly.

'Angel, Mentor, Guru Rebecca' How fucking cute are they!! 🥰

It's Katy Wix!! Love her!

Keeley's office looks like a fun place... 🫣

Their friendship is gorgeous. I love this gossip dynamic

Rebecca's reaction to Keeley just throwing her coat 😂 Amazing.

Yikes?! Where did she pick that up, I wonder...

Don't cry Keeley!!

Aww, mumma Rebecca to the rescue 🥹 She's so maternal

We must protect Dani at all costs!!

I love spotting Will in the background, he's always doing something fun

Of course their driver was a cult leader

EVERYONE RUN EXCEPT ROY!!

'Like an orgasm for the soul' You sure have a way with words, Rebecca

Gotta let Ted be Ted. Too right!

I KNEW that 'legend' bit was edited in the preview clip!

Loving uncomfortable, awkward Rebecca

And of course Keeley sees no problem is spending £200 on flowers because they look and smell nice

SHE SEEMS FUN!! Great Beard call back! 😂

Corporate Flying Object. Please never change Keeley!

She's eating meat again...👀 Hmm, okay

I can't wait for more Keeley & Rebecca bonding. It's my favourite

Fucking dumb-dumb line. Nathan is vile. Nick is brillaint.

They named him Disco purely for that line. Tell me I'm wrong

RUPERT! In his cartoon villain lair! Complete contrast to Rebecca's office

I fucking LOVE Anthony Head. He plays slimy so well

We're getting to see how Rupert charms his way onto people, interesting.

'Roy Kent, that you?' 'Get fucked' I just love him, guys!

'Why are you dressed like an umlaut?' Why ask if you have a matching one, Leslie??

MY GOD does Hannah looking FUCKING FIT in this episode. Only thought in my head every time she's on screen

Field trip to a fucking sewer! Let's go, boys!

Of course Henry asked to tour the sewer system because he watched IT and got scared. It is fucking smart, well said Roy!

'Twat' Well said Rebecca

Rupert is going to keep saying 'Wonder Kid' isn't he, because he knows it gets to Nate 👀

West Ham's press room isn't as fun as Richmond's

Oooo a King & I reference... okay, okay

I really wish spitting wasn't his 'thing'. It's gross. I know it makes sense, I still hate it.

LESLIE HIGGINS IS EATING HER BISCUIT AND SHE'S SO FOCUSED SHE DIDN'T REALISE!!! wow

Of course Jamie says poopy and not shit

I love how these boys trust Ted so much that they just went into a sewer, then asked why when they were down there

She's gonna break that laptop one day

Jamie being the one to reiterate the lesson they just learnt? Boys growing up!! AND HE'S RHYMING!!

Oooo she's angry 🥵

Rupert is laughing at me, Ted 🥺 ouch

And I am begging you, please, fight back OMFG 😭😭

I love how they highlight how different the press rooms are. They're all friends at Richmond, press included

And the contrast between Nate saying vile stuff and Ted saying encouraging stuff. Beautiful.

I'm kinda surprised though that Rebecca looks worried and doesn't trust him

But of course she's the only one who catches his baseball reference

Did Brett get in a Twin Peaks reference? Good for him!!

They're really highlighting the fact that kindness & comedy win, huh?

Ooo Rupert buying Nathan fancy gifts... so it begins!

Roy & Keeley not saying the same thing is very telling, I think

Firstly, why did it take them 6 weeks to tell Phoebe? And secondly, did they not actually discuss it themselves?Nobody knows what's going on!

Phoebe is so grown up! Asking the important questions

'Can I say a bad word? I think you're being stupid' I love her

Another conversation about why he's still in London? This really is going to be the theme of this season, I guess

Is moving that Lego Nate foreshadowing him coming back???

'Mommy's friend' 👀 uh oh

And that's episode 1 done!! Yes, I probably will be watching it on repeat until next Wednesday, thanks for asking.

[blackbird-brewster]

what are the chances we'll see Tara and Rebecca get back together in s17 or is the relationship forever broken cause god forbid Messer and the show let's Tara be happy in a healthy and stable wlw relationship and have more to do than be a background extra

So, I am ALWAYS thinking about Tara/Rebecca. (Ask my partner and @gaelic-symphony the two of them get most of my rants about this.) I seriously don't think we're going to get them back together in S2. Which is SUCH BULLSHIT. I have so many thoughts about *how* Tara's queerness was established and *why* it was established in the context of CME.

First off, I HATE that once her queerness served it's purpose (having her related to the dude in prison that Rebecca helped convict) -- it was totally discarded. (The show didn't even TRY to hide the fact her being confirmed queer was only for this plot point, it's disgusting IMO) And I know I've already ranted about this 1000 times, but you asked and I'm going to yell a bit more.

For anyone who wasn't around for my rants during the run of CME, or who hasn't watched it -- Basically, one episode after Tara was confirmed to be in a relationship with Rebecca, the BAU reopens the case that launched Rebecca's career (she's a lawyer for the DOJ). Now, in doing so, Tara figures out the guy on death row -who confessed at the time of the trial, 20 years ago- is actually innocent. He only confessed because he and his boyfriend were being blackmailed. Tara gets him to finally admit he is, in fact, protecting this other guy (who the BAU later talks to and he provides exonerating evidence) -- by talking about her own queer identity. Basically, her queerness is used to force this guy into admitting his innocence by admitting he's trying to protect the man he loves. Great, hate that. But sure. IN THAT SAME EPISODE, Rebecca gets furious that Tara went behind her back to look into this case that was the foundation of ehr career (TOTALLY valid reaction) and basically, when it all comes out that Silvio is innocent -- Rebecca just, refuses to talk about it with Tara. And goes 'no, we can't talk about this at home. I'm not going home' AND THAT'S JUST -- IT???? That's their break up?!!?!? Are you fucking kidding me? They have one 'fight' and they just call it quits, even though Tara has referred to Rebecca as the woman she wants to spend her life with (same episode btw) and they LIVE together -- but the showrunners clearly decided, once Tara's queerness plot point was ticked, then she no longer needed to be in a relationship. So to answer your question -- no. I really doubt we'll see Rebecca in S17. Since she talked about being under review and even the possibility of moving to CA, I think it's unlikely we'll get her in S2 at all.

I will never be okay with how this show did Tara and Rebecca wrong like this. Our FIRST canon queer relationship in 18 years of this show, and it was ONLY done so that Tara's identity could be used to connect to a prisoner. Fucking yikes all round.

As soon as I'm finished with my current WIP (FA Pt 3), I've already planned a S16 fix-it fic focusing on Tara/Rebecca and their relationship. And BY GOD, I will give them a happy ending.

[tedturneriscrazy]

Here we are with part 2 of what I'm calling the Rebecca Rose Trilogy: Them's the Breaks, Kid!

RIP Beefy Boy (I did mean to type Bob, but I was so amused by the typo I decided to keep it)

That arm seems familiar...

NO (so true bestie)

I'd be hesitant to trust anything in that journal anymore, but some lead is better than nothing, I suppose

Oh, Luz...

King be all like "Do something, new mom!"

Eda said the magic word

Thought this was a cute shot

My mind really was primed for Eda to start rapping the Fresh Prince theme lmao

(Please no jokes about the Oscars, I'm so sick of that discourse)

Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart! Go Planet!

(Most of y'all won't get that reference. Fuck, I'm old)

Seems like Eda can afford to goof off, considering how well she has things down

Well isn't that interesting

This Faust fellow seems...intense

Young Bump!

Significant that Eda would push Lilith along so she avoided getting caught

Faust seems like the epitome of a D&D devil

A good face

Even detention pits need a treat every once in a while, I guess

(Also seems like Eda got in good with the pit to avoid some of the more...dire consequences)

I guess you'd call this a...Faustian bargain

This guy's a real piece of work, huh?

"That was a fun day" lmao

I guess Amity's not the only one with super grip strength

Huh, that seems...underwhelming

Oh, this bitch (affectionate/derogatory)

"Welcome to Heck" very clever

Terra is Dio levels of bastard and I love it

Huh, you'd think Belos wouldn't stand for hippies in the Boiling Isles /j

Ah, scarring people for life, classic

Ayyyy baby Raine!

(I'm 34, I'm allowed to say that because all 14 year olds might as well be babies to me)

I love how everyone was all like "OMG Eda's totally gonna punch Raine when they first meet!" and it's this

(Not that I'm complaining, it's quite cute)

Using sound waves to change the chemistry of the liquid? As someone with a degree in chemistry who minored in physics:

Between Illusions and Bard magic, seems the more liberal artsy schools of magic aren't given much respect

Teamwork montage!

No high fives, but apparently they did have fist bumps in the Demon Realm before Luz

I'd be remiss if I didn't include that screenshot

Also, Eda confirmed for catching feelings first

Okay yeah these two are cute together

Terra's gonna Terra, I guess

"Covens vs Wilds" really giving me a "Cowboys vs Indians" vibe (at least here the Yikes seems to be on purpose)

Eda and Raine being put on opposite sides was basically inevitable

"We're in HECK, people! Let's have some fun!"

No, Miss Snapdragon, you would not be a "good mum"

Ah, survival of the fittest and ideological indoctrination! Truly abhorrent!

This episode really highlighting the flaws of the American education system

"Somehow, they always have the best juice! And they don't share it with anyone!" This tickled me more than it should have

A valiant attempt, Bumpykins, but I don't know why you thought that would work

One on one showdown time?

Nah, complex impromptu choreography! (Where have we seen that before?)

"I especially like you, sprout!" NOPE DON'T CARE FOR THAT

Instead of "everyone's a winner," no one is!

I imagine even Faust won't fuck with Terra

And there's Raine transferred to Hexside! Glad their parents weren't too bothered

(The music is Eda's Requiem, btw)

Family shot❤

Lmao Luz's drawings are the best

Oh shit that whistle...

OH FUCK

Raine, you magnificent bastard!

And Darius is in on it, too?! I knew Keston John wouldn't let me down!

Draining spell? Everyone already figured that one out, but good to see confirmation

All this time Raine was protecting Eda...🥺

Now that was quite a twist! Seems like Raine had their wits about them this whole time! That was a genuinely brilliant turn.

The flashback stuff was nice and fluffy, too. Which was nice, because I'm honestly still not over Reaching Out. A breather is just what I needed.

I will say, though, I don't think I'm quite as into this one as everyone else seems to be? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, and it was definitely good, I just couldn't connect with it as much for whatever reason. Perhaps I'll change my mind later, who knows.

Next up is Hollow Mind, which I imagine will have some revelations.

[academicdisasterfic]

Ask game! Share 10 different favorite characters from 10 different pieces of media in no particular order. Then send this to 10 people (anon or not, your choice). Have fun!

i was also tagged by @wolfpants and @moony-saraneth - sorry it's taken me so long yikes. king of procrastination

elliot schafer (in other lands). the most obnoxious know-it-all to ever tread my pages. i would die for him. bisexual icon.

baz pitch (carry on). sweet baby gay. my darling. most patient good boyfriend. only wants love and revenge. give the man what he deserves

anne elliot (persuasion). twenty-something filled with regret and sad girl vibes. clever and kind. heart of gold. deserves the world.

dante quintana (aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe). gay as fuck little creative boy who can't control his feelings and needs to say everything that comes into his head? lol couldn't be relatable

gansey (the raven cycle). a hyperfixated nerd with no filter and a complex about loving too much is also definitely not relatable at all

lazlo strange (strange the dreamer). he's genuinely one of the most wonderful characters i've ever read. bookish and odd and so full of love and joy. an absolute treasure.

beth harmon (the queen's gambit). she's just everything, okay? complex and flawed and traumatised and clever and loving and aloof and sexual but not over-sexualised and one of the best characters ever on television. ever.

arthur less (less). one of the most compelling and heartbreaking narrative voices i've ever read. also just a bit of a duffer. bless

neville longbottom (harry potter). boy is my favourite canon character. honestly i don't know how he couldn't be. sweet nature nerd. so brave. always trying so damn hard.

rebecca bunch (crazy ex girlfriend). i have a thing for problematic women with severe mental illness i guess. but also. if you haven't watched this show - or you started watching it and couldn't get into the first few episodes - please, please, give it a go. it'll make sense soon enough i promise. it is a masterpiece. and rebecca is everything i want in a protagonist; deeply flawed with a good heart, complex motivations, and extraordinary character growth.

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

Top 5 non-canon ships!

Rory/Paris (Gilmore Girls) - Duh. My #1 lovebugs.

Grace/Frankie (... Grace and Frankie) - OTHER DUH! Don't ask me how I'm feeling about the impending end of this series, because the answer is I CAN'T HANDLE IT! (And I'm really nervous about how the episode quality is going to be after the first four of s7 that were released, because yikes! If nothing else, please just let Grace and Frankie love on each other a lot. As platonic besties, of course.)

Oscar/Andy (The Office) - I will always think this is the most perfect ship that never sailed. Just conceptually exquisite, with a Canadian business trip romcom episode they can never take away from us. I would do anything to travel to the alternate universe where Oscar/Andy is the latter-half-of-the-series slowburn ship instead of that distressing attempt at Andy/Erin (and, to a lesser extent, Oscar/Angela's Husband).

DeWitt/Dominic (Dollhouse) - I'm at a point where I currently barely remember most of the details of Dollhouse, but 2009-2010 was hands-down the most fun I have ever had in a fandom passionately shipping two people who stood next to each other a lot in the first season and then maybe once in the second season. It was truly the purest and giddiest spirit of what non-canon shipping is all about! DEWITT/DOMINIC NATION I LOVE YOU FOREVER!

Ted/Rebecca (Ted Lasso) - I wish I didn't care much but instead I CARE SO MUCH!!!!!!! Season one has left me with an everlasting yearning pain. A hole in my soul, if you will, that will only be filled by Theodore Lasso and Rebecca Welton kissing in front of my eyeballs.

[alexis-medina]

Dissecting: Edens Zero Ch. 130-134

Kleene/Jinn

I was reading Ch. 83 and found this.

See, I don’t know if Mashima plans his story out or if he develops certain plots on the spot because everything is connecting. “Oh, I could use this later...” Brilliant. Amazing. For real though, I was like damn it’s the Mildian/Sun Jewel arc again (Xiaomei’s battles foreshadowing).

Shura vs Ziggy

It was interesting to read that Shura isn't the biological son of Nero. This leads me to think...what if Shura and Shiki are related? I mean they both have gravity ether and they both were taught by Ziggy. They both are also strong in their own right. We also have the theme from Fairy Tail of Good vs Evil (Zeref and Natsu) but in this instance it would be Shura and Shiki. We also don't know where they came from - their origins. Plus, Nero says that his power was incompatible with Shura but he was able to match with Ziggy's gravity powers.

Later, when the crew of Edens Zero find another relic (Robo Cola cap), they infer that Mother could be a place and a person. I was also thinking that because in FT: 100 years quest, Aldoron was a dragon god but his body was home to 5 cities.

So, if I'm right then, Shiki and Shura maybe are from a city on Mother...and maybe even Rebecca.

I'm noting that Shiki is younger than Shura. When Ziggy was training Shura, that was 15 years ago but, that's also the same time Ziggy found Shiki as a baby....unless Ziggy is lying and he has false memories. 👀👀👀 Is Ziggy truly good or bad? Does Shiki have additional powers like Rebecca?

What is the all-link system? Looks like Shura and Ziggy have the same idea. I think if Shura and Ziggy battle - Ziggy will win. What did you guys think?

Xenolith and the Crew of Edens Zero

I wonder why Xenolith's maintenance is lasting longer. Perhaps it may be revealed in the future. I would laugh if he moved his consciousness/personality data into a younger robot body.

Weisz stays being a perv lol with the bondage training.

Did Xenolith teach Shiki 'Black Sky?' For me, I feel like in the next arc, when Shiki is facing a really tough opponent we will get flashbacks of his training with Xenolith and him learning Black Sky. Then, he'll perform it against the enemy...which could be Ziggy. So, yes, I think Xenolith did teach him. Could be wrong but we'll have to wait and see!

Both Xenolith and Xiaomei have stated that Rebecca's power will change/save the world/universe.

- Xiaomei (Ch. 64): "She has only just begun to unlock the secrets of Leap’s real power. This power may truly save the universe one day."

- Xenolith (Ch. 132): "Her power is weak…but it is the most special. Special enough to change the world."

Witch calling Rebecca a 'Chrono Witch' is giving me Scarlet Witch vibes...

Math for Dummies lol

Stronger heart = Stronger gravity Strength + Tranquility = Strong Heart = Rise from darkness Strength - Tranquility = Weak Heart Weak heart = Weak gravity = Fall to darkness

Fan service with the bath scenes but, at least it is keeping the story going, in that, she has to train in the bath in order to get stronger. Sister makes me geek, "You better get out of those ropes before this turns x-rated." When I read that scene, it gave me Virgo vibes from FT.

I also want to see how Xenolith met Ziggy. So, I'm wishing for a flashback.

I don't know if I put this on a post before or not but, my thoughts are that Ziggy did reach Mother and found Shiki there. He erased the Four Shining Stars memories because something bad would happen if he didn't (like they would get infected the way he is now). So, he did it to save them.

UGHHHH BUT THAT CLIFFHANGER...WHYYYYY - It'll probably blow my mind when it gets revealed.

Also, WOOHOOO! Jinn and Kleene joined the crew. That cute ass smile!!! OOOMG his face when he isn't able to untie Kleene. 🥺🥺🥺

The Oceans

So cool to see the winners of the Edens Zero character competition featured as the Oceans 6! I'm a fan of all of them and don't you worry...we won't forget Shura's assistant even though she's not part of the 6. However, she might be since Shura killed off Cyca. Yikes.... RIP Cyca

Their designs are so clean!! (Sorry if the images look blurry Tumblr only allows 10 photos per post so I tried stitching them together in Illustrator but I think the file size is too big for Tumblr so that's why it may be blurry but, I hope you get the gist of their designs.)

Holy

I wonder what she means by that...I feel like this will be important later. We also don't know much about the other members of the Oración Seis Interstellar. I'm excited to see what their ether gear is...especially Eraser. 👀👀👀 Does his ether have something to do with erasing things? Are they corrupt or good guys? I guess we'll found out soon...

B-Cube

Rebecca has carved 'Edens Zero' onto her B-Cube. Did you guys notice in Ch. 134 that Rebecca's ingrained B-Cube is the same one we see in Ch. 4? That's the scene where there are two robots 20,000 years in the future who find two bodies (a man and a woman) and a B-Cube which we can now confirm is Rebecca's.

The Ships + Other Notable Mentions

LOL I feel like if I was a B-Cuber, I would be an entertainment/fashion channel....basically like Sorcerer Weekly but make it Space Weekly or a cool name like Into the Void. Maybe a play off of 'Cosmopolitan' but shorten it to 'Cosmos.' So many options.

Anyways lets get into the ships. I talked about this first ship in a recent post.

#1 Homura and Creed

I'll say it again...I SHIP IT! I am hoping for some more scenes with them together. He always looks so cute when he blushes <3 He's a Homura stan too hahah. 🥺🥺🥺

Predictions: - Creed and Homura will fight - Creed will protect Homura again - Homura will save Creed - Creed will join the Edens Zero crew

Now, I was reading on a few discord channels that people are comparing Creed to Mest (Fairy Tail). Now, I am really trying to understand this comparison because frankly, I don't see it. Creed has a crush on Homura. That's valid. Also, Creed doesn't just have pictures of just Homura, he has Weisz, Rebecca, and Shiki. He's not creepy like Mest.

Mest was a weird guy when we first met him laying in the pool or eating flowers. Their personalities are totally different IMO. We could talk ages about the age gap stuff but I'm not really gonna go into that.

Do you see the comparison?

#2 Rebecca and Shiki

Shiki escaping from his restraints to save 'Rebecca' made me happy lol. It makes me think what he would do if it was Homura or Weisz in that situation. What would Shiki do? Plus, after the simulation was over...we can see Rebecca in awe and blushing.

Then, Shiki is hugging Rebecca and they're both blushing 💕 That's a cute moment ngl.

"I'm not THAT into Shiki." - So, you don't deny that you like him 😉

#3 Hermit

I don't know if I mentioned this but I fucking love Hermit's name. It's such a cool name.

#4 Justice

Ch. 130 he was looking gooooood with his bandages. 🥵🥵🥵

Ps. Did you get a chance to view Edens Zero PV 2?!?

Did you notice the homage to Fairy Tail in Ch. 134? "Why are your ideas so Fairy Tale?"