#Webby can Do A Little Trolling too

[violetheart77]

Okay okay so we’ve all been talking lately about the Lords in Black’s sibling dynamics and there’s been quite a bit of joking really ever since Nightmare Time 2 about them fighting over specific Hatchetfield residents (Tinky vs. Pokey over Ted, Wiggly vs. Nibbly over Linda, etc.)

So what I wanna see is the Feast or Famine/President’s Cabinet-style five-way all out fucking brawl that must have happened in The Black & White post-Black Friday over which of them should get to make THEE General John MacNamara their bitch until Webby snuck in and stole him out from under their noses while they were distracted haha whoops ;Dc hashtag DealWithIt😎

[ducklooney]

Is ain't like they're trying to do Donald dirty since Frank said in SDCC 2019 that he wanted DuckTales to Donald to accomplish what A Goofy Movie did for Goofy. And if it makes ya feel better Frank has said Donald will be getting lots of interaction with Della and Scrooge later this season and will find out why he came to live with Scrooge. Why don't you read Ducktales rewritten by Super Saiyan 3 Odd? Quack Pack is one he rewrote with Gladstone and Fethry added.

The latter I did not understand, especially about Super Saiyan 3 Odd, what is it about, I do not understand? Is it a writer or something else? Can you please explain to me about that. Ducktales 2017 is not and cannot be like Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball is a great anime that I enjoyed as a child and it is a story unto itself. If references from that are used, fine, but not to exaggerate and be a rip-off, or a copy of that. If they did well regarding the references from the anime in DT17, then it’s a reference to Lupin III and Astro Boy (the Astro Boyd episode, which I consider one of the best episodes so far). Too bad I didn’t get to give my review around that episode, I hope to have time around that. For Gladstone and Fethry, I expected them to appear in that episode, given that it would be a comedy episode, but unfortunately they didn’t appear. And no, I don't like that episode for a lot of reasons, which I've already discussed. I'd rather Gladstone and Fethry appear in the Quack Pack series (cartoon show, not the Ducktales episode), but about that another time. And one more thing. No offense, but why do you take Frank Angones and his answers for granted? I know that one of the creators of Ducktales is a reboot and that he is one of the main writers, but he writes how it suits him and probably satisfies his fans in some way, in a way that the fandom likes. I don’t mind, which is good if someone’s wishes are granted, but not in a way to be like a fandom responder. In a way, we have a lot of toxic fandoms and fans around many modern shows, including Ducktales 2017. No offense, I love that series, and you love it too, but fandom has somehow gone a little too far, and I wouldn’t talk about it. To get back to the topic, Frank makes a series and writes episodes as he sees fit, so it doesn't have to be everything he literally means. It can also be in a figurative sense. Let him know that he jokes a lot, and that he trolls. No offense, but please don't take his answers for granted, some answers don't have to mean that they are correct and that they will be so. Goofy was great in Goofy Movie, with good and bad traits, and most of the film focused on him and his son. With Donald in DT17, this is unfortunately not the case, as the series unfortunately does not focus on him, nor on the relationship between him and his nephews. If you want to know where Donald really looked like Goofy in Goofy Movie (I mean traits, focus and parent-child relationships), then these are comics (especially Carl Barks comics, European comics and partly Brazilian comics), Quack Pack and Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas (great movie), that’s where he focuses on Donald the most, he has Donald both good and bad qualities and that’s where we have the relationship between him and his nephews. Ducktales 2017 was supposed to show it, which it showed in part, especially at the end of the first season (Shadow War), where Donald hugs his nephews, and he showed in part at the beginning of the series, in a pilot episode (Wo-hoo!), but in the rest and I don't really believe that Donald in DT17 will be like Goofy in Goofy Movie. I expected that, but unfortunately it didn't happen. Yes, I forgot to say, regarding your previous answer. Yes, I hope there will be a focus on the relationship between Scrooge, Donald and Della, but I doubt that will happen. There are too many characters and too many main characters in DT2017, and they mostly focus on Donald's nephews and Webby, and I doubt there will be a focus on Donald either. I simply expected something more there, but it didn’t happen. I certainly hope that some of the next episodes in Ducktales reboot will be more successful than the previous ones, but around Donald in DT2017, that he will have a better treatment and more focus on him, I doubt very much that this will happen. If that happens, it means that they started to correct the mistakes from the previous episodes, but I say again, we have to see if that will really happen. I would also add The Legend of the Three Caballeros, which I love about that series and which shows a great focus on Donald, but I can’t include that, because there weren’t Donald’s nephews there as well as their relationship between uncle and his nephews. There, so much, I apologize for this and I apologize if I insulted you with my answers, I apologize and I hope you are satisfied with my answers which again turned out to be longer than they should be. Sorry one more time, and if there are any doubts and questions, just go ahead. I respect your defense of that series and I'm glad you gave those counter-arguments, but you have to understand that the mistakes have to be corrected, if Ducktales reboot wants to win the fourth season. I say that for your own good. I respect your position and your opinion and thank you once again for your understanding.

[maydaygirl-save-our-ships]

The Worst of Messes

When the Duck triplets first met Gosalyn Mallard they weren’t sure what to think of her. The teachers called her a problem child, she was more than a little rough around the edges, and for a brief moment that day, they weren’t sure if she was going to help them or punch them. Her family was just as odd. Her father seemed constantly irritated at everyone, as if they weren’t worth his time, and the third member of her family was…

Wait a minute… Launchpad?!?!

A fanfic mashup of 2017 Ducktales and 1991 Darkwing.

AO3 Link

Chapter 2: Downhill From Here 

“I know I’ve said this already, but I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Huey said as he eyed the rusty contraption that Dewey called his bike.

Dewey had just pulled his “new” bike off the front of the bus while his brothers watch dubiously. Huey was certain it would fall apart any second.

“You worry too much, Hue. I just need it to get me through the race,” Dewey said as he patted the dusty bike seat. “It’ll hold up until then.”

The school bus had dropped them off in the parking lot at the back of St. Canard Middle school. The school was bigger than the triplets expected it to be. Banners and balloons were strung haphazardly on the school buildings; one of the signs said “Welcome Duckburg Middle” and another said “After School Jamboree”. The paint on the signs still looked wet, as if the welcome committee had rushed to get them done right before the event.

The triplet watched as their fellow classmates from Duckburg wandered to the front of the school where the St. Canard students were participating in carnival games and getting ready to start the various competitions.

Huey tore his eyes away from the festivities and examined his brother’s bike closer. They had found the bike in Uncle Scrooge’s garage and they were pretty sure it had been Uncle Donald’s old bike from when he was a kid. The bike chain was rusty and the front frame was bent. However, the brakes and tires were new. Launchpad had been helping Dewey fix up the old bike, but because Launchpad always went home before six unless he was needed for an adventure, there hadn’t been able to complete the project in time.

“Didn't Launchpad say that the bike wasn’t safe to ride yet?” Huey asked.

“So? Since when is Launchpad the expert on safety?” Dewey pointed out. “He wanted to give me crashing lessons as soon as the bike was fixed.”

“He has a point,” Louie said, getting out his cellphone and pointing the camera at his brother. “When you do crash, try and make it look good. If we get a viral video out of this, we can monetize it, and then we can all afford new bikes.”

Dewey glared at his brother. “I’m not going to crash. I’ll be the fastest, win the yeti, and be able to throw away this hunk of junk once and for all.” Dewey then turned to the ‘junk’ bike in panic and began stroking the seat. “Shhh, I was just kidding, baby, you’re not a piece of junk. You’re not, it’s okay.”

“Great… and now he’s talking to it,” Huey said with a frown. “That’s more than a little disturbing, I hope you know that.”

“All the other kids are going to have better bikes that don’t look like they pulled them out of a junkyard this morning” Louie said. “How are you going to compete with that?”

“It doesn’t matter how fancy their bikes are. I’ll win because I’m the best biker!”

Both his brothers gave him skeptic look.

“What?”

“You’re not a bad biker…” Heuy placated. “You’re better than us but-”

“Obviously,” Dewey interjected.

“BUT,” Huey stressed, annoyed. “Louie is right, you don’t really have an advantage. The only thing you have going for you is that you take risks and turn corners at speeds that most people with common sense wouldn’t. But everyone wants the Yeti. All the best bikers in our two schools will be competing and that includes eighth graders. They’re practically high schoolers!”

Dewey rolled his eyes. “The bigger they are the harder they fall. Besides, I would have thought that at least my brothers would be supportive of me.”

“I would be more supportive if that bike wasn’t a disaster waiting to happen,” Huey pointed out. “You’re going to get yourself hurt.”

“It would be pretty awesome if you did win the Yeti though,” Louie said wistfully.

Despite his reservations about this whole event, Huey couldn’t help but agree. They used to have bikes of their own, but they were destroyed in a magic troll attack last month that may or may not have been their fault. In their defense, they didn’t know that magic staff was cursed and that the guardian troll would chase them down to get it back as soon as they activated it. Their bikes hadn’t been fast enough, but thankfully, Webby had been, and she managed to deactivate the staff just in time.

As far fetched as it seemed, and as short-sighted as it was for Dewey to ride that deathtrap into the race, Huey had to admit it would be cool if his brother did win. Statistically, it was unlikely, but well, their family had a way of turning the impossible into just another Thursday afternoon.

“Don’t worry, bros. Once I win I’ll give you all a turn,” Dewey assured them. “I’ll obviously get priority, but I’m nothing if not generous.”

“So… we can count on what, five minutes tops before Dewey gets bored and insists on his bike back?” Louie joked.

“Wow, five whole minutes? That would be a record sharing time for him,” Huey added before he and Louie broke out into laughter.

Dewey crossed his arms. “Very funny. Just for that, I’ll be sharing my new bike with Webby first.”

After sitting through an hour of watching kids compete in the other games, such as ring toss, apple bobbing, and the three legged race, the final event, the big bike race, was announced.

“No one will blame you if you quit now,” Huey whispered as the triplets watched as the biggest kids in the entire school lead their polished racing bikes to the starting line.

There were fifteen kids competing in total, and they were all at least a head taller than Dewey. Dewey recognized a few eighth graders from his school, but the rest were obviously St. Canard students.

There was a reason why their uncle never moved them to St. Canard despite the cheaper rent. St. Canard was known for its gangs and high crime rates, and although most of the students in St. Canard Middle looked like regular kids, some of the St. Canard students participating in the race looked like they were auditioning as a member to said gangs, or at least, pretending like they were.

There were three St. Canard students that looked particularly nasty who claimed their place at the front of starting line. The largest was a german shepard who was elbowing anyone who dared stand too close to him. Next to him stood a smug looking falcon with a bike that was nearly as good as the Yeti. The third was goose who was definitely too old to be a Middle schooler. He must have been held back a year… or two. These three students seemed to be sizing up the competition and sneering at everyone except for each other.

Dewey had a feeling that these students didn’t usually participate in after school activities, and they were just there for the big prize, like he was. Some other students in the crowd had brought their bikes with the intent to participate in the race, but had now changed their mind after seeing the competition.

“I’m not quitting,” Dewey said through clenched teeth.

So what if these other kids had better bikes? So what if they were bigger and meaner? They weren't Dewey Duck.

“Well, it was nice knowing you,” Louie said as he patted him on the back.

“So they’re big? That just means their weight will slow them down,” Dewey tried to reason.

“Not necessarily. With their muscles and stronger legs-”

“Save the science, Hubert,” Dewey cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it.”

Dewey let out a breath and  began pushing his bike to the starting line. He paused when he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. A red-headed girl emerged from the crowd and wheeled her bike to an empty space at the front of the starting line, right next to the group of three mean-looking bikers. She was shorter than Dewey and perhaps even a little younger. Her red hair was pulled into messy pigtails, and although her clothes looked relatively clean, her legs were scuffed up with scabs and bruises.

She pulled her well-used, off-white bike up to a spot next to the german shepherd. The dog scowled down at her and looked ready to make a scathing comment, when he paused. He seemed to recognize her, and when the girl finally looked over in his direction, the dog gave her a curt nod.

She returned the gesture and fixed her eyes back on the road in front of her. She had a determined set to her beak and she looked completely unbothered standing next to the older bikers that towered over her.

Suddenly inspired by the younger girl’s confidence, Dewey started forward again.

“See, that girl has the right idea,” he called back to his brothers. “She’s not scared of going up against those bigger guys and neither am I! Come on Mildred, let’s go!”

“Great… and now he named it. Stop talking to it like a person! It’s just a bike!’” Huey called out after him.

As Dewey pushed his bike up to the starting line, he noticed he was getting far more nasty scowls than the red-headed girl had, especially from the three biggest bikers. He stops just behind the falcon, who sent him a scathing glare.

“You’re out of your league, shorty,” the falcon scoffed.

“That’s what you think!” Dewey shot back. He couldn’t wait to outrace all these jerks. Dewey might not be as big as these guys, and might be riding a bike that was almost complete garbage, but despite this, he knew he could Dew-it (it was never a bad time to turn his name into a pun, especially when he was trying to distract himself from how nervous he felt).

One of teachers gave the instructions for the race. It was once around the block and the finish line would be back where they started at the front of the school.

“Okay racers,’’ a teacher said, holding up a white rag that was supposed to symbolize a flag. “On your marks, get set, go!”

They were off in a flurry of movement. To his dismay, Dewey’s bike was slower to get started than the other kid’s bikes. Dewey fell into last place almost instantaneously, but he was determined to not let this dictate the rest of the race.

Dewey pushed his feet to pedal faster. The bike felt heavier than his old one and his hands hurt from how tight he was gripping the handle bars. This wasn’t enough, he needed to be faster! When they rounded the first corner, Dewey was still last, but not by much. He was quickly gaining on the group of boys in front of him. However, the boys weren’t his only problem.

He had no idea how she did it, but the small, red-headed girl was in the lead. Two of the larger boys were right behind her, but it was impressive how much speed she managed to gain in just a few short moments. Even if Dewey could get past the other guys, he would still have to deal with her.

Dewey turned the next corner as fast and as sharp as he could; his bike tires skidding across the gravel before he gained back control. It was a risky move, but it had allowed him to make up the distance needed to pass two kids.

Dewey didn't have a chance to celebrate his success. They were nearing the halfway mark soon and at this rate he was still going to lose. He needed some kind of advantage.

And then he saw it.

Orange construction signs loomed in the distance as he passed a “Road Work Ahead” sign to his left. Ahead of him, an arrow pointed down the street to the right with the word “Detour.” Orange cones blocked off the road ahead where a giant, yellow excavator had paused in it’s digging of a giant hole in the middle of the street. Signs directed pedestrians and cars to take a detour down the next street on the right.

This was it. This was his chance. The other racers would take the detour around the construction, while Dewey would continue straight through. The dirt pile in front of the hole made the perfect ramp as long as he had enough speed.

Yes it was dangerous, yes he could get hurt, but this was the only way he had a chance of winning the race, and it wasn’t technically against the rules.

Dewey’s determined grin grew as the bikers in front of him moved their bikes to the right in order to follow the detour sign.

However, his expression fell when he heard the bikers gasp and shout. One of the bikers seemed to have change her mind about taking the detour, and instead, she was heading straight for the construction site.

Dewey stared in disbelief as the red-headed girl picked up even more speed. She didn’t even hesitate as her wheels hit the dirt ramp, propelling her cleanly over the ditch. She landed on the road on the other side of the ditch, her back wheel first, hardly losing any speed as she continued down the road.

The other boys shouted in anger, some in amazement, as they were forced to take the longer detour down the second street.

Dewey clenched his beak and pedalled faster. He had to get up to her speed if he was going to make the jump. His wheels hit the dirt ramp, and for a short second, he was airborne. Only when he was at the apex of the jump did he realize that something was wrong.

He didn’t have enough height and the ground was coming up too fast. Dewey held his breath and braced for impact.

His back wheel hit the edge of the ditch and his heart clenched in his chest. Miraculously, his bike had enough momentum that his wheel propelled him forward. His front wheel hit next, and his feet almost slipped off the pedals. He let out a sharp intake of breath as he finally cleared the ditch.

He actually made it! If he had been going any slower he would have fallen back into the hole.

Pedalling as hard as he could to make up for the decrease in speed, his heart still in his throat, Dewey set his eyes on the biker in front of him. It was just him and the girl now. None of the boys behind him had dared try and make the jump.

Dewey’s breath became shorter as he pedalled his bike up a steady incline. Now that the girl thought she was far in the lead, she had decreased her speed in order to take the hill at a more manageable pace. This was Dewey’s chance to catch up with her. She didn’t notice he was behind her until they rounded the next corner. She must have heard him make the turn, because she looked over her shoulder in surprise.

“You made the jump?” she called back in astonishment.

“What? That little thing? It was easy!”

She grinned, her eyes gleaming, eager and mischievous. “Alright then, see if you can keep up with this!”

Dewey pedalled as hard as he could; the muscles in his legs burned and his feet felt heavy, but he wasn’t going to give up now! He was so close!

The incline began to flatten out at they came up on the last turn. He took the inside of the turn at top speed, nearly losing control of his bike as he did so.

She glanced over her shoulder at him as he came up on her left.

“Not bad, kid,” she commented.  She didn’t sound the least bit worried about losing, and that only made Dewey want to beat her more.

They were at the final stretch of the race, which was all downhill. Dewey could finally see the finish line at the bottom in front of the school. Dewey leaned forward, hoping to pick up as much speed as possible on the way down. He felt himself push ahead, and soon he was neck and neck with the girl.

“You really should slow down,” the girl called over to him. “At this rate, you’ll make it to the finish line, but you won’t be able to stop in time.” She glanced at wall of bushes and the crowd of people that were coming up fast just beyond the finish line.

“Sure thing, as long as you slow down first,” Dewey called back.

“Not going to happen!” the girl countered. “I guess we’re going to crash.”

“Eh, that’s nothing new!”

The girl chuckled and he thought he saw her nod in agreement. “You definitely got guts! Not just anyone can come in second place to me!”

“Funny! I was just going to say the same to you!”

And then it happened. Dewey heard something snap underneath him as the bike chain broke. His bike wobbled and swerved, first left and then right, getting dangerously close to the girl’s bike.

“Hey! Watch it!” she shouted. “You need to break! You’re bike is falling apart!”

Dewey gripped his bike handlebars tighter in an effort to steady the bike. “Not a chance! I’m winning this!”

His bike swerved towards her again, and to avoid getting hit, she veered off further into the street.

Dewey’s out-of-control bike followed hers. It all happened so fast. A car was coming straight towards them, he clenched the breaks, nothing happened, the car swerved-

He screamed.

The car barely missed his back tire. Their bikes crossed to the other side of the street, the girl’s bike went up the driveway and into a grassy front yard where she was heading full speed into a tree.

He saw her bail out a moment before his bike missed the driveway and plowed tire-first into the curb. The momentum flipped Dewey up and over the front of the bike where he landed with a whack!

Everything went black.

<previous        Next>

Wow the response to this fic has been amazing so far! Thank you so much for all your support in liking, reblogging and leaving comments!

This fic is about 80 percent planned out, so if you want to suggest that I put anything in it, now is your chance before I finalize everything.

[mangokiwitropicalswirl]

Gillovny and Buyer’s Remorse

I don’t know if this is necessary or even helpful. We probably don’t need anymore voices weighing in on the state of things in the fandom, so if you’re sick of things and want to look past this, please do. If you venture below the cut, please take this in the spirit you know I intend it -- as a longtime X Files fan with a sometimes-too-soft heart that was weaned on MSR yearning, but who is also striving for a clear-eyed grasp of reality. Here goes:

 Since the events of last October, we have had two stark options. 1. To believe that G and D were in a romantic relationship that had come to an abrupt end sometime in September (factoring in Chicago Con, Schmoopie shirts and kind comments about “new incarnation of friendship” uttered at cons early last fall).  Or, option 2. To accept that what we saw, read and observed between D and G over the preceding 2 (3?) years was literally nothing more than their typical handsy BFF behavior and a liberal dose of fandom trolling.

Many people were easily able to accept option #2 and move on. Others felt that option #1 might have been the case, and if so, well, earlier behavior on twitter was understandably coming to an end.

But Option #1 didn’t really bear out as we observed a few continued playful interactions between G and D on twitter and nothing but positives on Ds end when he spoke about her at a con in January. And then came the Webby’s, which put to rest any idea that there might have been an acrimonious breakup of any kind.

Which circles us all back to option #2. Which is where we are today.

I see a lot of posts claiming that Gillovny fans are “angry” at G for her trolling of fans throughout the past couple years, but I haven’t seen much of that anger. What has been hard to stomach for those of us who have been slow to accept Option #2, is the accusation that I am somehow “not happy for Gillian” because she isn’t “dating who I want.”

This is ridiculous.

Of course I am happy if G is happy. Who she dates is something I have absolutely no control over, nor would I want to. She obviously knows herself, knows what she needs from a relationship, and has her own history with men to work with. I -- and I dare say, none of the folks who shipped Gillovny -- would never suggest that I somehow know better for her than she knows for herself.

And yet, we’re stuck with feelings. Lots of feelings. And I have been trying to pin down the nature of those feelings a little more precisely. It’s not anger, because that would assume there was something to be angry about. And it’s not sadness, because again, why should I be sad if Gillian is happy?

No, the feeling I am feeling is a very serious and intense case of buyer’s remorse.

Because I. Fucking. Bought it.

I bought into the Gillovny ship big time. It honestly was part of what brought me back into the fandom because, lord knows, the narrative of two old sometimes-at-odds costars now blissfully happy to be together (in whatever form) was a damn better narrative than ANYTHING written in season 10. And here’s the crux:

I bought into the Gillovny ship because it was being sold to me. They sold the ever-loving shit out of it for several years.

Some people will say we should not have bought it, that Gillian always maintained it was a game, that David tried to sternly shut it down numerous times. But to say we shouldn’t have bought it is sort of like saying to a person during the subprime mortgage crisis that they shouldn't have taken the stupidly low mortgage rate on a beautiful house that’s sitting right in front of them. Gillovny was sitting right in front of us. It was set up for us to buy into.

And even though occasionally a realtor might pipe up and remind you, “Hey this house has kind of a shaky foundation, perhaps don't buy it,” we did anyway. I bought it. This gorgeous newly renovated Victorian with the wraparound porch and a pool in the back where you can swim all day in your red speedos.

Why did we do this? Mostly, because we LOVE watching them together. The intensity of their smiles at one another could power the fuel needs of a small country. It was the sight of them together that powered us through more than a few (cough *half* cough) lackluster seasons and films of a weird, incoherent show about aliens.

Don’t mishear me, either. I don’t mean to imply that there is NOTHING between D and G. There is obviously a shit ton of chemistry and a lot of affection. That is REAL. It always has been. What I’m talking about is the Gillovny narrative and how far it was teased and toyed with, which is something altogether different.

But now, we look back on this house that we bought, this narrative, and we realize there's never been a foundation. We bought the big beautiful house at the persuasion of the delightful realtors, and now we are left trying to figure out how to pay for it all emotionally.

And our friends down the street who (wisely) never made a down payment on the house, are laughing at us, telling us to grab our stuff and MOVE THE FUCK OUT when we are still enamored of the beauty of the place. We took out a 23-year mortgage and now we’re underwater. It’s hard to just pick up and move.

Not only that, from the moment of Gillian holding up the Duchovny jersey at the 2015 TCAs to the August 2016 Schmoopie shirt, it has been 100% in David and Gillian’s best interest for us to buy into Gillovny.  I’ll say that again. Despite repeated denials throughout that timeframe, AND some noteable non-denials (e.g. WHHL), it remained in their best financial interest to fuel the rumors and draw attention to themselves by any and all means. And I’ll add -- it is also in Orlando Jones’s and Bryan Fuller’s, and anybody else interested in harnessing the power of Gillovny to garner attention for their show or project. Gillovny sells, bitches.

Think of it like the realtor trying to sell you the house you can’t afford.  Sure, she may occasionally remind you that maybe you shouldn’t buy into this one, but in the end, she’s getting the commission, so why would she really try that hard to stop you?

If you:

bought the XF season 10 DVD,

subscribed to Netflix to watch X Files, Aquarius, or The Fall,

bought photo ops or VIP packages at any of the Comic Cons,

bought tickets to Streetcar,

donated to Lick-my-Face, Childreach Int’l or other DDGA charities,

tickets to David’s concerts,

David’s album,

Gillian’s novels,

Gillian’s WE book and its various causes and events,

David’s novels,

a magazine with their photos on the cover,

a photo sold by a photographer (hi Mark Mann),

started a Tumblr blog (hello there ad clicks),

followed them on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook (hello Q score)

Or any of the other numerous ways in which money can be generated by your interest in and devotion to them as interesting and noteworthy individuals, you have participated in this celebrity transactional relationship.

I am not pointing fingers because I certainly have done about 30% of the things on the above list. The nature of our relationship to celebrities is by necessity one of transaction. We buy what they are selling, and in this case, we were buying the narrative of Gillian and David together. Their chemistry is ceaselessly watchable, so much so that it spills over from the X-Files to fuel interest in their other projects. They have used it to marvelous success.

But remember that every time you spend money on a DVD or a concert ticket, a theater ticket or a book, you're engaging in a transaction between yourself and their brand. NOT between yourself and a real, actual individual.

Here are my own actual financial Gillovny-prompted expenditures:

Season 10 Revival DVD - $19.95 (free shipping, thanks Amazon prime)

David’s new novel on Kindle - $12

Donation to Gillian’s Skype call auction - $75

Purchase of two of Gillian’s shirts for SAYes charity - $125

Grand total = $231.95 

This might sound crass. Or it might sound obvious. But it bears remembering as we work through our disappointment that the romantic narrative we were sold had no basis in reality. Tweets and media mentions are all part of brand creation, and both David and Gillian have benefited from the idea of a relationship between them. It never made sense for them to shut things down entirely as long as there still remained projects and charities to bring attention to. Gillian’s charity t-shirt auctions were a marvelous way to monetize the Gillovny brand for good.

Where we’re stuck now, though, is that all of a sudden, we have been asked to buy something else. Back in the fall, Brand Gillovny went offline, very nearly taking X Files season 11 with it.  In its place, we have been offered, Brand The Crown, and Brand Serious Charity Work, Brand Feminism Book and Brand Rockstar.  Some folks have made the switch to these new brands easily, while others are still reeling a bit from the sudden change.

What saddens me is the attitude that if someone hasn’t been able to transfer their brand loyalty seemlessly, somehow that means we aren’t as genuine a fan of David or Gillian as we should be. Let’s just remember, none of us has a relationship with G or D. We only have a relationship with their image, and therefore, it is okay not to want to continue a relationship with an image that has changed in a way that we don’t like as much.  I don’t have to move into the house next door to the house I actually wanted just because it’s in the same neighborhood.

It’s pointless now to go back over the last couple years looking for clues or debating what was true and what wasn’t. It would be easy to pass all sorts of judgements on the appropriateness of certain branding choices (I’m looking at you WHHL and Schmoopie shirt), but no answers will satisfy everyone.

I hope that thinking about D & G in this way might help those of us who’re reeling from the death of our dream house, and also help those who have successfully moved on understand those of us who may not have done so yet.

Peace fandom. And hope for a great season 11. Because MSR is why we were here in the first place, and fiction is forever.