#The blame game

[renegadesstuff]

“But I'm not letting you stay here alone.” 🥹

S8E12, “The Blame Game” aired 8 years ago (February 22, 2016) ❤️

[shallowseeker]

It's my fault. I let my guard down. But it's your fault, too. It's on US. And it...it's more your fault than the others, because--

///

I kinda lost my big Dean farewell tour meta, but I still stand by the fact that Dean's decision not to go into the Mal'ak box was very much based on multiple people's support (Sam, Mary, Cas, Jack). That said, it was so so so conspicuous that he actively avoided Cas and Jack the most.

When Cas cornered him in Prophet and Loss things got, "an awkward beat / So this is goodbye?"...weird fast.

via @spnscripthunt

///

In Ouroboros, all Cas has to do is catch Dean's eyes, and he just...falls right open. It's very clear that Cas's opinion on the matter is a quiet, powerful unsaid-thing.

Cas's hope is important here. More important than perhaps ANYONE is willing to admit. When he reassures Dean, Dean feels more at ease. More hopeful. And with most hopeful things, it feels a long way down when you fall from it.

///

(Aside///Love how Dean throws Cas this cheeky little smile and Cas glares at him btw.)

///

Later, when Dean wakes up after his injury, yes he's talking to all of TFW, of course he is. (He's talking to his brother, his best friend, his foster son.)

Here we have Dean lamenting that, like the chicken in Noah's story, he let his guard down, and now the snake is loose in the bunker.

///

And here, we have such a subtle thing. The first of many cracks. Cas jumps in to talk to him, and Dean immediately fires back. He's reacting to Cas.

The camera focuses on Sam, gets Sam's reaction. But Dean? Dean's squared up to Cas. He's invoking his fresh conversation with Cas in the diner.

Cas is holding Dean's gaze evenly, and they're assuming their usual battle positions. Sam holds up his hands like he's getting between them, de-escalating the thing between them on gut instinct.

(it reminds me of this one)

Already, there's an insidious, human emotion seeming to take hold. Or at least, the seeds of it.

Somewhere deep is the burgeoning blame Dean's going to eventually put on Cas -> putting on him "the things he can't take," expecting him to protect everyone from everything, to be safe and keep them all safe.

("It's your fault I stayed. Because I stayed, [OMITTED, people I loved died]. It's more your fault than the others.")

But why is it more Cas's fault? Why is the reaction so outsized in Dean?

He doesn't just blame Cas for Mary, for the loss of Jack's soul that lead up to it. (Cas was supposed to succeed where John failed.)

He blames Cas for being a big part of why Dean wanted to stay in the first place. Cas made Dean want things.

And Dean's historic willingness to sacrifice himself is built on not wanting things for himself.

///

Heroes die.

JOHN E. WINCHESTER 1954-2006 LOVING HUSBAND & FATHER REMEMBERED FOREVER DEAN: It's like my old life is, is coming after me or something. Like it like it doesn't want me to be happy. Course I know what you'd say.,,, So go hunt the Djinn. He put you here, it can put you back. Your happiness for all those people's lives, no contest. Right?" But why? Why is it my job to save these people? Why do I have to be some kind of hero? (begins to cry while talking) What about us, huh? What, Mom's not supposed to live her life, Sammy's not supposed to get married? Why do we have to sacrifice everything, Dad? (pause) It's... (Dean's lips tremble. Silence. We hear the sky rumbling. Tears begins to falls on DEAN's cheek.)

2x20

When Dean was willing to blow himself up in season 11, he was rewarded with his Mom coming back. When he wasn't willing to do it in season 14, his son stepped in to do it for him, losing his soul in the process and leading directly to the death of Mary. How horrible.

[soulinkpoetry]

We can only blame our parents for so long for the way we are until we take responsibility for the choices we make in our lives, once we are old enough to take care of ourselves. We’re not responsible for where we came from, only for where we are going.

.

.

[ashleybenlove]

This is like, the... multiple time that Nate or someone else has been mind controlled.

Not sure why I’m surprised, considering that’s basically Power Rangers’ bread and butter literally going back to the first season.

Plus, Nate’s a good whumpee considering how blorbo shaped he is.

[the-fall-of-armie-hammer]

Saw this comment on The Daily Mail just now: "Narcissists will downplay their abusive behavior and exaggerate their own injuries for sympathy. Anything to avoid accountability. Gaslight and blame their victims. Classic."

Bang on the money! He wants back into the Hollywood game and knows he has to admit some of what he's accused of. He only committed "emotional abuse" which isn't so bad as physical abuse! (I'd NEVER hit a woman, you can just hear him protest.) Has it not occurred to anyone that he cannot admit to rape because he'd be admitting to criminal behavior? Prosecutable behavior.

So the game is -- blame Effie for wanting it, setting it up, and engaging with him. He only smashed her head against the wall, choked her unconscious, stood over her screaming on the floor, dragged her back by hair and continued to brutalize her for FIVE.LONG.HOURS. That's okay because she asked him nicely.

What a joke. He's disgusting. A rapist coward POS.

💯x💯

[wearevillaneve]

As we navigate the various Killing Eve Stages of Grief we seem to have moved past the "It's Sandra Oh Fault" part and yes, it's about damn time if you ask me. At least until the next time when Sandra opens her mouth and says something that pisses off the fandom again. Recommending Buzzfeed for anything always makes me feel like I'm on the wrong side of the discussion, but have an interesting article on actors talking about how tough it is when the parts aren't coming and the phone calls and text messages aren't being returned. The last hot blonde Sandra Oh performed with on television was Katherine Heigel, and over the years to say she's learned some hard lessons about what happens when you piss off the wrong people in the business with your unwanted and unasked for hot takes.

Hollywood loves its "liberal" image, but an image is all it is. It's a business and like most businesses it doesn't like women who speak up, speak out, ask questions, take a stance and make life difficult.

Executives do not like difficult employees and especially not difficult female employees. Those women are considered "uppity" and frankly, not worth the trouble, so they get rid of them and they don't work anymore. If they break off Kathleen Heigel, who enjoyed the Jodie Comer Rocket to Stardom with feature film deals and high expectations after she parted ways from Grey's Anatomy. But it didn't happen for Heigel. Earned or unearned, she got saddled with a bad reputation and Hollywood stopped casting her for movies first and television next. Sandra Oh is not about to end her career by being branded a troublemaker. There were probably a few that were unpleasantly surprised when she took a public position on #Stop Asian Hate. Even being on the right side of an issue can count as a strike against you when you make the commitment before the mainstream even agrees there's a problem. It's like being the first guy to put a Black Lives Matter sign on the front lawn; you're right but still nervous. Heigel will probably find some work in the business, but she's aged out of her prime viability in Hollywood. Oh is older than Heigel and far less convincing as a blonde. An appeal to youth and blondeness is not a pivot available to an Asian woman with amazing talent.

The inconvenient truth is White women like Heigel will enjoy advantages that are never graciously extended to an Asian woman like Oh. She has to be "the first" in more than a few ways that Heigel or Comer never have to. But Sandra's the one who's supposed to roast her career by speaking the words from someone's script as if she's supposed to repeat them with the same conviction and passion as the author. Did you forget Oh is a professional actor and doesn't repeat lines for free? Step out of line the way Heigel was accused of doing and Oh will never work again in anything but small indy projects and animation for the rest of her life. Well, that's okay, so long as the woman of color is bullied into carrying the flag of her White boss ladies. Let's pretend an Asian woman on the wrong side of 40 has all the baked-in advantages Heigel had. Pretending things are true ain't making it true. Maybe some of you who think you know Sandra better than she does should work on your side of the street and the causes that are important to you and stay off of hers. Oh has been on the activist side of the business for a while now. Maybe she just hasn't gotten around to your cause yet.

[samuraiko]

I love a good prison break, could you write one for the vignette

Sometimes I see a prompt and I just have to turn it on its head. Just because I think it's funnier that way. This is actually the unlikely sequel to the vignette I just wrote ("The Not-So-Best Laid Plans of Fauns, Halflings, and Air Genasi").

"The Blame Game"

Silence.

"This is your fault, you know."

"Don't blame me, Dorian. You should know by now that Mister is very temperamental."

"Oh, 'temperamental,' is that what we're calling it now?"

"YOU LOT, KEEP QUIET!"

A soft, half-stifled exasperated sigh from nearby.

Silence.

"Sooooo... how long do you think they're going to keep us locked up in here, anyway?"

"Probably forever."

"Thanks, Fearne, your sense of optimism is as keen as always."

"Well, you asked."

"I SAID KEEP QUIET!"

Clink-clink-clink-ka-clink.

Silence.

"I'm hungry."

"I don't think we're going to get a meal for a while yet. After all, it's... I think about three in the morning?"

"But I'm hungry now."

"I'm sure you must have something edible on you."

"They took my satchel."

"Fearne, this is me you're talking to. I'm quite sure you probably have food on your person SOMEWHERE."

"Oh, you're right. Oooh, a muffin."

"FOR THE LOVE OF... WILL YOU SHUT UP?!"

Clink-ka-clink-clink.

Silence.

Creeeeeeeaaaaaaaak.

"Orym?!"

"Shhhhhhhh."

Clink-clink-ka-clink-clink-clink.

Creeeeeaaaaak.

"Thanks."

"Shhh."

Clink-clink-clink-ka-clink-

"Oooh, Orym, I didn't know you could pick locks!"

"Keep it down, Fearne, for gods' sakes-"

"HEY!"

CLANG.

CLANG.

Silence.

"This is also your fault, Fearne."

[nunesbytko]

Netflix- Dahmer- Monster- The Jeff Dahmer Story- Episode Eight- “LIONEL”

Episode Eight-  Lionel

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  Trigger warning [Suicide mention]

  Back to Lionel crying at the station.

  He asks to see his son, they permit it.

  Jeff apologises, his dad as you can imagine is in bits. He tells him that he needs help. He believes his son can get better.

  Lionels trying to pick his brain, asking him why. He doesn't know.

  Jeff tries to tell him about the roadkill and Lionel gets triggered and completely takes it the wrong way. He's clearly blaming himself.

  Joyce Jeff's mother is getting hounded by the press.

  She's working with LGBT men, introduces herself as "Joyce Flint" gets emotional at work.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Lionel can't sleep. He hasn't slept in 5 days. He's blaming Joyce for all the pills that ruined Jeff. He's raging, blaming Joyce for everything. Shari comforts him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

The police have closed off Jeff's Grandma's house. She has dementia now and Lionel has to go to help her. Police and press are outside and inside.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Reverend Jackson does a march of solidarity with the victims families.

The Reverend is preaching the truth. But I used he's being coached by the police as well? He knows how to get a crowd going.

  The Konerack cops, Balzerack and Gabrish are both put on paid leave. They complain and say they are going to fight this [ Really, they should have been FIRED, FIRED, but hey what do I know?]

  Victims are going on TV,

  A blacked out guest makes an accusation that Jeff was abused by Lionel.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Lionel meets up with Jeff and his lawyer to try to convince Jeff to put through an insanity plea. Jeff said that he knew what he was doing, that he wasn't crazy. But his dad pushes for this change, telling him about the Ed Gein case. He's already read about Gein in a comic book.

  Lionel is blaming comic book culture now

  The Judge turns down the insanity plea.

  Outside of the courtroom Joyce and Lionel have a shouting match.,

  Joyce goes to the Grandmother of one of his victims [Curtis Straughter] to ask them to put in a good word for Jeff???

  Whaaaaaatttttt???????

----------------------------------------------------------------

Victims impact statement are read out.

  I feel for Glenda

Lionel meets Jeff and breaks down finally blaming himself in part for what happened.

  Joyce tries to kill herself.

  Lionel gets the news, but he's not too bothered. But he'll call David soon. but right now he's busy typing his book on everything he's been going through.

  The Konerack officers get re promoted and repaid.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Notes

Acting off the charts as usual

  Joyce is Self centred AF!!! How dare she go to the families  of the victims!!!!

Even in jail, Lionel doesn't really listen to Jeff

The Konerack police officers getting reinstated did make me sick! This did happen in real life. These officers ruined lives and nothing really happens. They get their jobs back. BACKPAY. They just go back to the force like nothing has happened. They should have been BANNED AND I mean BANNED from any type of umbrella term  Law work.

  It's just so disturbing to me!

  As always Richard Jenkins makes me cry lol. This actor is frigging amazeballs. Every scene!!!

My favourite scenes.........

[renegadesstuff]

Captain Beckett 🔥

[vizthedatum]

I was potentially exposed to Covid over the weekend (and well, most likely was exposed out in the world since I’ve been going out more the past year or so) and informed all my birthday party guests.

None of the people I informed responded with anger or resentment. They also came to the event knowing (to the best of their ability) the risks.

And while the condition may be disabling and contagious, I do feel safer with vaccinations. Widespread vaccinations protect people, including the unvaccinated.

I do think there should be more surveillance efforts and public masking strategies that make more sense, now that we have better treatments, vaccinations, and awareness. And the burden of that is on institutions of power.

There is both a personal and public health burden on this issue.

With the presence of vaccinations and treatments, putting the moral burden on just individuals does not make a whole lot of sense. Our individual responsibilities are as only as good as the information we receive/comprehend and our human needs.

Information is power and helps us make choices.

I don’t regret having my party. I prepped by testing and masking a week beforehand. I mask everytime I go to the clinic/hospital. I even told my guests that before the party. I told people to stay home if they had any respiratory symptoms.

Socialization is important for me, and I don’t regret spending time with the people I love.

I don’t regret informing people right away. And I don’t want to or deserve to feel shame about any of it.

—

I understand the very real effects of contracting covid. (I’m an epidemiologist who has worked on covid clinical trials, analyzed covid datasets, and used to deep dive into how things have evolved the past couple years. (Side note: I am still traumatized by my ex’s use of fear and control during the beginning of the pandemic - their views, values, and opinions were not well-informed, ethical, or practical.))

I understand what it’s like to have disabilities or have abilities taken away from you beyond your control. (And most people, as they age, in this current world will become disabled in one way or another.)

While no one has blamed me or anything, I’m writing this for myself:

I’m not intentionally causing harm, and I should not be demonized for having a birthday party in my home during 2024 in a part of the world where infection rates are low, health resources are accessible, and vaccination rates are high (context matters!!) - I do not have to accept moral judgement when I am influenced by the information I have received/comprehended and my human needs (and not having the luxury of isolating long-term, where institutions/governments with power have WAY MORE influence to mitigate infections, reduce climate change, fund research on other very prescient pandemic-inducing pathogens, and support healthcare workers (just to name a few)).

—

I think disabling conditions and environment are really hard to talk about, especially when there are MANY disabling conditions, environments, and circumstances that can cause mass disability.

People suffer when disabilities occur. Their lives change. That is real and should not be trivialized. This post is not to undermine these truths.

(And no, I’m not going to compare the relative effects of all these conditions, environments, and circumstances to each other. Mainly because it can be hard to quantify and understand in one blog post (there are whole networks of research teams on this). But as an example, the presence of various plastics has completely changed the state of human biology… impacting people’s health in a way that it hasn’t been before.)

[filosofablogger]

Da Mind -- It Bounces!!!

I’m working on a couple of different targeted posts, but my mind doesn’t seem to want to settle into just one thing at the moment.  I think sometimes all the news stories swirl around in our heads like a mini-tornado and won’t let us concentrate until we dump the detritus!  I generally call this condition ‘mind bounce’.  So, just a few thoughts for tonight as I let the mind off the leash to…

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

Westminster needs to quit blaming ‘Inspector Spacetime’ for knife crime.

For one thing, the Inspector’s optic pocketknife has no blade, so one cannot stab anyone with it.

[korrolrezni]

.

[thefantastician]

Legends Arceus comics

[justinempire]

The Blame Game