#also Oliver is a great actor and can really pull of the awful things that happen to him

[himbo-buckley]

Why do you think the show treats bucks past/mistakes as SOOO much worse then everyone else’s when in reality most of the characters on the show(Bobby, Eddie, Shannon,Doug, Abby,Hen, Athena and to a lesser extent Chimney) have done objectively worse shit then he did

Hello, friend!

Okay, first of all, thank you for the question, you really made me think there! I had to like put on my Evan Buckley playlist and take a shower to think about it (it’s a process okay?)

Now, while I wholeheartedly agree with you that anything that Buck 1.0 did was no where near as bad as the stuff everyone else pulled, I *do* suing your friend and by extension your whole friend group because you are mad at one of them - not matter if it was justified or not - *is* definitely up there with cheating on your wife or lying to a woman to get laid.

(Also the fact that you omitted Maddie from the above list is very valid, friend!)

I think generally it comes down to three factors, which are the characters who point out Buck’s mistakes for us, his age and this being a TV show.

I would argue that while we see Hen, Athena and Chimney point out some of Buck’s mistakes, aside from Athena in the pilot were she was more than justified in her yelling, it’s usually about making fun of him. Buck, Hen and Chimney especially have a sibling relationship and in such a relationship you do make fun of each other, while Athena in general likes to point out every one else’s mistakes.

Though I do have to say that Athena, next to Buck, has had to endure the most consequences for her actions what with being suspended several times in the course of the show - it’s just that due to her character it doesn’t stick as much as it does with Buck. Also, due to her not being a firefighter like the others her storylines are far more separate from the rest of the main cast, meaning there is less screen time available to do anything about her mistakes.

Which is the first factor that plays into why Buck’s mistakes get pointed out so much more, because they always tie into the main story and are connected to most of the other main characters - because Hen cheating on her wife, Chimney lying to Tatiana or even Eddie doing his best fight club impression were all bad things but generally had hardly any influence on the lives of everyone else. Buck suing them - or even just stealing the firetruck to have sex with a girl - did.

Also due to this there is a lot more available screen time to be dedicated to discussing the things because it affects and involves the others as well.

The other characters we generally (and mostly) see pointing out Buck’s mistakes are Maddie, Eddie, Bobby and Buck himself.

Maddie of course is Buck’s sister and she is older by a few years and feels responsible for him and for taking care of him, so her pointing out when Buck does things wrong comes from a place of concern and trying to keep him from making any worse mistakes.

With Eddie, I think, there is this thing where in my opinion Eddie thought Buck couldn’t really do any wrong until the lawsuit happened. Buck is after all his most trusted person and I do think Eddie has the highest opinion of him - which is why when Buck did let him down it hit way harder than it would have with any one else, because with them Eddie expected it. Also nearly all scenes where Eddie points out Buck’s mistakes, aside from the grocery store fight and the first apology scene, are either him teasing Buck or deflecting because of his own feelings, like in the second apology.

Now Bobby actually ties in with the third factor which is age:

Buck is the only one who begins the series new to the job and unfinished - of course Eddie is new to firefighting as well but the show does put a lot of effort into showing *and* telling us that he already knows his shit in 2.01 and is not an actual probie due to being an army badass. Buck on the other hand side is seen at times struggling with his job and the challenges it presents in Season 1, like in 1.02 or when he tells Abby about his shaking hands in 1.05.

And Buck when we meet him is only 26, has probably never had a real job before (and by real I mean one that actually means something to him and he wants to built a career on because bartending IS a real job) and is in general a little immature, while the other characters have all been at the jobs a while and know what they are doing and how to deal with it, which is why Bobby isn’t as worried about them.

Because no matter what I think about Bobby’s relationship with Buck, I *do* think he feels more responsible for him than he feels for Chimney and Hen and Eddie, because Buck *his* probie and it’s Bobby’s job to teach him and form him. Also Buck really looks up to him. The others all have prior experience they can draw from to make their decisions while Buck at least in Season 1 still needs someone to guide him because he doesn’t have that (which is by the way the source of all the conflict in Season 3 because by now Buck *does* have the experience and *can* make the choice himself but Bobby doesn’t see that).

And because of this Bobby is more inclined to point out Buck’s mistakes as he is less his equal so to speak as the other firefighters / characters who are considered proper adults and firefighters from the get go.

It’s also why Bobby gets involved in his private life way more than he does with the others because he does have somewhat fatherly feelings for him and because Buck, who is always looking for guidance, lets him.

The last and maybe most important point is Buck himself pointing out past mistakes, I’m thinking for example of him referencing to Buck 1.0 in 2.08 or apologising several times to Eddie. You see, friend, sadly our Buck does not see the amazing person he is but does in fact have horrible self esteem and abandonment issues leading to him being a little codependent and far more willing to buy into anything that someone else has to say about him and every and all critic hitting him way harder than it would anyone else and not trusting his judgement sometimes - think of Athena who does suffer consequences as well but just brushes them off because she considered herself to be in the right, while Buck, even when he thinks he is in the right as seen with the lawsuit, lets others opinions of his actions colour that (THE GROCERY STORE! THE GROCERY STORE! THE GROCERY STORE!).

(sidenote: I’m a little mad we never got to see and hear Maddie’s opinion on the lawsuit as she was the only impartial character. It could have been interesting)

Now, a few more things before I let you go:

Bobby obviously hasn’t suffered a consequence since Season 1, which is why I dislike him so much and also am waiting patiently on @chimbuckleys who is currently writing a meta on this exact thing, much like Abby who due to being played by Connie Britton is in the right even when she clearly is in the wrong because the showrunners love the actress.

Doug, since you mentioned him, I would say suffered some pretty dire consequences what with being killed and all - which is also why we might not see anyone point out how bad his actions were. (Also a wife beater is objectively bad and we don’t need the show to keep telling us this, so they give us a ‚the best revenge is to move on’-storyline with Maddie instead.)


Shannon is sort of the same problem what with her being dead. Also I do think the show points out several times how bad her actions were, specifically through Eddie *not* trusting her with Christopher until his hand is sort of forced - which can be contrasted to him letting Buck see Christopher almost immediately after they made up because Eddie does understand by 3.09 why Buck did what he did and he has forgiven him. (Also Eddie isn’t the most verbal person at the best of times and anytime feelings are involved isn’t his best of times which is why we don’t hear him point out her mistakes all the time to her or anyone else.) (Also the whole trying to be a family again thing.) (Plus we should mention his parents who *do* point out her mistakes every episode we see them in.)

And to round this up: The elephant in the room which is Hen and that fucking surgery in the ambulance which I didn’t mind to much on the first watch because I bought into the show just brushing it off but has since become a source of rage and anger for me which is why I am putting it in the same box as the therapist scene in 1.02 which is labeled: Shit the writers wrote because they needed the characters to realise something but didn’t really think about the implications. (The lawsuit keeps getting put in and taken out as well)

ANYWAYS, I hope this „short“ ramble is a satisfying answer, friend and you’ll come back! It is a very layered question and I’m sure if you ask another meta writer they will give you a very different answer

(also I am expecting some hijacking as I think this is a topic a lot of people have feelings on so please, feel free!)

[betelgeusessonajblog]

Carlos’ Story

So I’m not doing the “FULL LIFE.” of Carlos but from when he was about 17-30ish. Carlos’ Childhood was pretty much normal. Loving parents, did well in school, had some bullies here and there but nothing awful. Anyways Enjoy

A young 17 year old Carlos sits with four of his friends, watching TV. It was the weekend for them and they were trying to find something fun to do.

One of the monsters sighs, he was a grey monster with a pair of horns on his head and was on a bit on the chubby side, turns to his friends and says “Alright fuck this I’m bored, TV sucks ass. You guys up for doing Truth or Dare?”

The others looked at Each other before shrugging “Couldn’t hurt.” was the general consensuses. It beat sitting around being bored all day.

So they all went upstairs to the grey monster’s bedroom, Carlos folds his arms a little “I think we should agree on one thing: Nothing extreme that could get us in hospital or in trouble, Sammy.”

The grey monster, Sammy, nodded in agreement “Sounds good to me. Last thing I need is my parents biting my head off.”

“Doesn’t that kinda defeat the purpose of Truth or Dare?” Another monster asked, this one was a monster that had tentacles for legs and spikes on his head.

“Dan, don’t you remember the fucking BITCH fit my mom had when she saw those broken boards when we broke them for fun? they weren’t even being used for anything, just sitting around.”  Sammy said as he shook his head.

“Didn’t one of those boards also fly up and smack you in the junk?” Carlos asked as Sammy winced

“Yeah....Alright so her anger wasn’t unwarranted....” Sammy said before muttering under his breath “washopingyouguyswouldn’trememberthat.”

The others chuckled before they sat on the floor and began playing Truth or Dare. Some of the dares were dumb like letting the darer to send a nonsense text to a random contact in their phone or do laps around the house backwards which usually ended up with someone falling flat on their ass. 

They knew if they do anything stupid they would end up in MASSIVE trouble so they had to keep it as tame as possible. They didn’t care though, they were joking around and having fun, laughing like idiots.

At one point on one of Carlos’ turn, Sammy asked him ‘Truth or Dare’ and up until now, he had been trying to avoid dares as much as possible so deciding to try something different Carlos answered “Alright...Dare me.”

Sammy folds his arms as he thought for a few moments before smirking “Alright....I dare you to...Kiss Mike.”

Mike, whom was drinking his soda, did a spit take hearing that and began coughing “Wh-What?!” they exclaimed in unison

“You heard me. I dare you and, Mike to kiss.” Sammy smirked as he leans backwards, Dan snickers a little at their reaction.

Mike looks at Carlos, both of them sighed heavily, they were reluctant to do it but decided “Fine, can’t ruin the fun.”

Mike moved closer to Carlos and they both took a moment before sharing a brief kiss on the lips before Mike quickly pulled away, wiping his mouth “Ugh why’d you dare that?”

Sammy chuckled “Cause it’s funny seeing you guys freak.”

Carlos was silent for a few moments before looking at the time “Alright, I gotta head off. Mom and, Dad’ll kill me if I’m out too late.”

“Aw you aren’t staying longer? Was Mike that bad of a kisser~?” Sammy snickered.

Carlos shook his head “Goodbye, you dorks.” he said before heading back to his house and greeted his mom and, dad. They told him they would order dinner tonight so Carlos smiled before heading upstairs.

He grabbed a quick shower before changing into his pyjamas then sat down on the bed. He sighs a little as he begins to think over that...kiss It felt...oddly nice...he lays down and begins thinking it over.

The last few weeks he’d found himself checking out his classmates or staring at an actor in a movie he was watching. He blushes lightly as he starts to realise he was interested in guys. This was the first time he had ever thought about it but....yeah he couldn’t deny it, he liked guys.

Over the next few days, Carlos had kept quiet to himself thinking if he should come out to anyone or not. When in class, he’d occasionally glance at another guy.

One evening, Carlos was browsing the web, looking at websites for advice about this kinda thing. He’d got his homework done for the night so he had time to kill. 

There were some horror stories about someone being disowned for coming out to his family so that started to freak him out, what if his parents reacted the same way? What if they disowned him and kicked him out? No...they wouldn’t do that...would they? They loved him....right?

Soon his Mom came to the bottom of the stairs and called up to him that the dinner they had ordered had arrived.

He got out of his seat then headed downstairs and sat at the table then began to eat his dinner. 

He was silent as he ate which his parents noticed, Carlos’ dad looked at his wife then to Carlos “Carlos? are you alright, son?” he asked, concerned that something happened to him.

Carlos paused for a few moments before putting his fork down “...I um...” he sighs heavily “I...I realised something about myself recently...”

HIs parents looked confused before Carlos continued “...Over the last few weeks....I started....checking out other guys....and I’ve realised I...I really like them...w-we were playing Truth or Dare the other day and I was dared to kiss Mike and we did and...it...the kiss felt nice...I’m not into him in that romantically but I honestly...I liked how it felt....” 

Neither of them said anything until Carlos was finished speaking to which his mom said “Oh honey we love you no matter what.”

His dad nodded in agreement “Yeah, son. We’ve always told you that we’d love you no matter what. You’re still our son, you’re still Carlos.” they were both smiling, all that worrying....for nothing.

Carlos couldn’t help but begin to cry, feeling relieved that he’d came out to his parents, that he was able to talk to them. His parents got up and gave Carlos a long hug, this was more than enough to reassure his mind that it was real, he was accepted.

The following year after graduating from high school, Carlos came out to Sammy, Mike and, Dan. They said they were cool with him, he was still the same ‘dork’ they’d always known.

Carlos had decided to attend the local community college with Sammy whilst Mike and, Dan had gone to different ones. The first day at college was uneventful and rather boring. 

Carlos and, Sammy got the full tour of their campus and had managed to get their ID’s sorted out and their dorm room keys. They weren’t in the same dorm but were neighbours which they were both happy about, long as they could still hang out.

Carlos checked his dorm key number then the door before he unlocked it then walked inside. On the bed, reading a book, was a dog-like monster had two small horns on his head, he had a pretty muscular body from what Carlos could see.

The dog-like monster looked up from his book,  his eyes were a light blue colour, He smiled a little “oh hey, you my roomie?” he asked

Carlos nodded “Yep, I am.” he walks over with a smile as he put his bag down on the free bed “I’m Carlos Garcia.” he said as he held his hand out to shake the dog-like monster’s hand.

He smiles before shaking Carlos’ hand “I’m Oliver Sanders. You can call me Ollie. It’s nice to meet you, Carlos.”

“Likewise.” Carlos said with a smile as he sat down. The two began to chat, and get to know each other. They laughed about how long the tour took, bonded over video games they’d played or movies they’d seen.

Over the next few months Carlos and, Ollie had began hanging out a lot. Playing games in their down time when not studying, they'd watch movies together. Slowly but surely Carlos started to fall for Ollie, the two of them were enjoying each other’s company but, Carlos didn’t say anything at first.

One evening whilst the two were watching a movie, Ollie snuggled into Carlos which caused the lizard to blush heavily. He slowly wraps an arm around Ollie whom smiled a little before looking up “Finally making a move, huh?” he asked 

Carlos looked down “Wh-What...?” he blushed deeper before Ollie snickered then sat up “Carlos....for the last month  I’ve had feelings for you....”

"Y-You do...?” Carlos asked as Ollie nodded smiling “...I...I like you too...a lot....”

Ollie smiles before leaning in a little, Carlos did the same. And soon the two were kissing each other deeply and passionately, they moaned softly as they made out before eventually pulling away.

Ollie smirked a little “God you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do that.”

Carlos panted a little as he pressed his forehead against Ollie’s “I’ve...never kissed anyone like that....”

“Yeah...? Well I’m so happy we got to do that, handsome.” Ollie said still smiling.

The two spent the remainder of the night, talking about when they realised they were into guys. Carlos told Ollie about the dare and how he was panicked. Ollie told Carlos about how he and his best friend made out when they were seventeen but nothing ever came from it, relationship wise. It was just two friends experimenting. 

Ollie admitted that he had never came out to his family, he was too afraid to do so. Carlos understood and told him he’d support him no matter what.

Eventually summer came so Carlos and, Ollie decided to hangout together at Ollie’s home a lot. Luckily for them they were only half an hour away from each other so when they got home for the summer, things went well at first.

They met each others friends and everyone ended up getting along together rather well and hung out constantly. They’d chill out at the arcades or go see a movie. Things were going great.

That is until Ollie decided to come out to his family, he knew that he and Carlos’ relationship couldn’t remain hidden forever. Especially considering they could be seen by Ollie’s older brothers.

This...didn’t go well for poor Ollie, unfortunately. His family were instantly furious hearing their son was “a faggot.” called him all kinds of names not just faggot but all sorts of nasty things. He was ultimately kicked out of his house and ended up spending the night at Carlos’ place

Carlos spent the night holding Ollie, kissing him and telling him that they weren’t worthy of having him in their life.

A few days passed and, Carlos got some of his and, Ollie’s friends together and told them what happened. They decided they’d pull together what money they had to get Ollie an apartment for a while.

Ollie was absolutely touched by their gesture and so grateful for his friends and, boyfriend. They had got him some furniture and, Carlos’ parents chipped in a little so Ollie would have some groceries.

Ollie and, Carlos sat together on the couch that night, Ollie was laying with his head on Carlos’ lap, the lizard was stroking his boyfriend’s head gently.

“You....you’re an incredible boyfriend, Carlos..” Ollie said as he teared up again “S-Sorry I just can’t believe you’d do that for me.”

Carlos kisses Ollie’s forehead gently “Of course I would, Oll...you mean the world to me....”

"....I...I love you, Carlos...” Ollie said as he took Carlos’ hand “I mean that....”

Carlos smiled a little before kissing Ollie on the lips “I love you too, honey....”

That night, the two had sex together for the first time. Up until that point, they were both too nervous to do it but this time, it felt right. Showing how much they loved each other. It was gentle but passionate.

A couple days later, Ollie got himself a job at a retail place. He couldn’t rely on everyone else paying for his apartment for ever. The job wasn’t the best but to Ollie, it was better than nothing

A few weeks pass, Carlos had walked Oliver to work due to him having to do some errands for his mom and Dad. So when they got to the front door, Carlos gave Ollie a small kiss on the lips before Carlos walked off to do what he needed to do.

As soon as Ollie walked in, his boss began to yell at him for ‘indecent display’  with Carlos. Calling them vile, sinners and that they should be ashamed of themselves and soon the boss fired Ollie, despite Ollie trying to defend himself.

Things unfortunately spiralled out of control for Ollie rather quickly after that. Despite trying his hardest to get a job, he failed to find one that would either give him decent pay or one that was hiring.

Eventually, Ollie lost his apartment and ended up being homeless. Some nights he’d sleep at a homeless shelter. So when he hung out with his friends and, Carlos he would act as though everything was okay.

When he’d stay at Carlos’ home for the night, Ollie would use Carlos’ bathroom to shower and wash his fur. Carlos didn’t think anything was wrong cause Ollie kept acting like his usual, happy go lucky self.

That is until Carlos found out about Ollie being fired which lead to them having their first ever fight. Ollie still never admitted to his friends or Carlos that he was homeless, just that he lost his job because his boss was a douche.

They started fighting more often when their friends found out about Ollie losing his job due to his sexuality. Eventually they smoothed things out and apologised to each other.

One night, two months after losing his job and ending up homeless, Ollie was sat with Carlos eating dinner together in Carlos when Ollie looked at his partner “So um...I’ve been thinking......maybe we should...move in together?”

Carlos, whom was in the middle of drinking a soda, began coughing and sputtering “W-What??”

“I said, I think we should move in together.” Ollie repeated himself, a serious look on his face.

Carlos coughed a couple times “A...Are we ready for that??” he asked after he stopped coughing

“What? are you saying you don’t want to move in with me??” Ollie asked, feeling upset at the thought of not living with his boyfriend.

“H-Hon we’ve only been together a few months. W-We’re still in college. S-Shouldn’t we think about that after we graduate?”

Ollie didn’t say anything, he was hoping Carlos would jump at the chance to move in together...they loved each other so much, right? He sighed but nodded a little “Y-Yeah I’m sorry hon.” he got up and grabbed his coat “I’m gonna head home for the night.”

“You don’t wanna stay over?” Carlos asked to which Ollie shook his head

“Nah...I’m...I’m gonna try and get an early night then see if I can find a job. Gotta keep at it. I’m okay, hon.” he smiled before heading out the door. Carlos walked to the door “...I love you, Ollie....”

Ollie turned his head to Carlos and gave, what looked like, a genuine smile “I love you too, Carlos.”

After that night, no one saw Ollie for a few days. Carlos began to get more and, more worried. He tried Ollie’s apartment at first but quickly found out his boyfriend had been lying to him for a while about still living there when a new tenant opened the door.

Carlos called Sammy and their friends to help him find Ollie which everyone agreed to. They spent the next two days trying to hunt him down, checking all of Ollie’s favourite spots.

There was one last spot that Carlos hadn’t checked, it was a spot that Ollie had told him about that he used to hide out in when Ollie was a kid.

Carlos decided to check out that area, he looked around remembering the small details Ollie told him. Eventually Carlos gets to where Ollie told him about where he would hide.

Upon arriving there....Carlos saw Ollie hanging on a tree, a noose tied around his neck...lifeless. He dropped to his knees and begins sobbing uncontrollably, he had lost his partner in a matter of seconds. 

He spots a note attached to Ollie’s body so Carlos shakily stands up and and takes the note off Ollie’s torso then begins to read the note

‘My dearest Carlos...I’m so sorry for not telling you sooner but I’ve been dealing with depression for quite some time now. I hadn’t told you this but I had lost not only my job, but I also lost my home. That’s why I asked you about moving in together. But please understand that this was NOT your fault, not at all. I just...I can’t handle this any more. So...I decided to end my life. I will never stop loving you, Carlos. I will always be watching over you. You were the greatest part of my life for the last few months or so. I’m so glad that I got to spend time with you. I love you always....Ollie.”

Carlos wailed and sobbed uncontrollably, he felt so guilty over losing his partner. He begins going over everything in his head, thinking had he just noticed sooner, maybe he could’ve helped Ollie.

Those next few weeks were the darkest of Carlos’ life, he found himself fighting depression, There was a small funeral for Oliver that Carlos’ family raised money for. They loved Ollie as if he were their own so this was the least they could do.

Carlos went there and was very...numb during the funeral....but eventually broke down watching Ollie’s coffin being lowered into the ground. His parents hugged Carlos tightly, this was something they never wanted their son to go through.

Many years later, Carlos had been in therapy for a year after Ollie’s death and it was still something that haunted him every now and then. Things had changed quite significantly since then.

During his time in college, Carlos decided to get a job to after everything that had happened, he wanted to be independent from his parents and not rely on them for money any more.

So he found himself working in a strip club as a waiter until three years later at 21, he was asked to cover a co-worker’s shift due to them being sick.. He was reluctant to do so due not feeling confident in his ability to dance but he agreed to do it, thinking it’d help him.

And so, Carlos found his passion for dancing after his performance was well received.

One night lead to Carlos’ life changing in the best way ever. Whilst heading home from work, a young lizard attempted to pick his pocket and Carlos caught him in the act and chased him to an alleyway.

When he caught the young lizard, he paused and took note of the lizard’s appearance....he was homeless....just like Ollie was. After introducing themselves to each other and hearing AJ’s story, Carlos decided to take him in. 

He didn’t want someone living on the streets, not if he could do something about it...maybe this was his attempt at helping the guilt he still felt to this day over Ollie’s death.

[skycruise]

Jared virtual panel Sunday 22 Nov 2020

As with Misha, tried to type as he talked as much as possible. I did get interrupted by a couple of brief phone calls & I’m sure someone will post a video later today, but for now--

--Just got out of the shower. Didn’t do his hair lol. It is SHORT Y’ALL.

--Been a hell of a week, we all know why. Series finale. Shed some tears, watched it at his house, everything came flooding back, was really emotional. Wishes he could see our faces. He feels the love.

--Top 3 episodes and why? Series finale is his favorite, he is a fan of storytelling & looking at SPN as a whole the finale wrapped up things in a way that were meaningful and poignant and “wonderfully frustrating”. #2, Sacrifice. Another moment of seeing deeply inside the boys but they were flipped Sam thinking he was dying vs Dean dying. #3 French Mistake, doesn’t know if any other TV show could have done that.

--Was pie in Dean’s face scripted? Yes and he got to do it a few times! When Sam throws the pie in Dean’s face there is a passerby looking on, that is Bob Singer. It being scripted didn’t make it any less fun.

--How were the first days on the set of Walker? Thank you for asking, it’s been awesome. Strange but incredible. Feels lucky and fortunate to be able to see his kids in the morning and and at night, proud of what SPN was and hoping to recreate some of that with Walker. Learned so much from Sam and wants to do that with another character.

--Bad hair days? Puts on a beanie. Never learned how to do anything with his hair. 

--Crossover between SPN and Walker, would Cordell and Sam be friends? Absolutely. Both trying to do their best in a weird world to make it a better place and hopefully ease other people’s pain. Sam and Dean found themselves in situations where there’s no perfect answer and Cordell deals with the same type of things.

--Fave Harry Potter book & movie & spell? Book--Deathly Hallows, Sorry, missed the rest! Oh Expecto Patronus lol

--Craziest/funniest bts moment? 2 moments, one where he was awaiting birth of first son Tom, scene where Sam is chasing Kevin around. Same situation where Jensen was waiting for twins--Jensen getting that call. Just a weird situation where something huge is going on personally while trying to act. Talks about Jensen not having his passport and it had to be all hands on deck to find Jensen’s passport and get him back in the states for the birth.

--If SPN all over again as a different character, who & why? Biggest part of him says he has to be Sam. He would be Sam again. But if he HAD to change he would be Lucifer. Mark made it seem like such a fun character to play. Also possibly Chuck, Rob was phenomenal. 

--Would love to do/have reaction videos for cast reaction to reaction videos. (Me too, Jared)

--Had a hard time thinking about who he was going to be without SPN 

--How did you start your acting career? Acted in middle/high school. Won a contest to be trophy presenter (pulls out surfboard award thing) at Teen Choice awards, met an agent & auditioned over tape. Was supposed to be premed in school but got Gilmore Girls.

--What is always on your Thanksgiving table? Turkey, as much as possible. Stuffing, pumpkin pie. Big Dallas Cowboys fan so would always watch Cowboys game and make awful turkey nachos (tortilla chips with Thanksgiving leftovers) that night

--How would Sam spend his time in quarantine? Giant library at bunker doing a lot of reading. Would probably use a pedometer to make sure he got his steps in for the day. Sam is an introvert.

--What country would Sam and Dean like to visit on vacation? Puerto Rico. Wishes Sam and Dean got their beach vacation that they had talked about. Not sure if the car could have gotten there. Maybe they could have found some floaties for it lol.

--Were any lines adlibbed or added by him and Jensen (finale)? Yes. In the barn scene when Dean tells Sam to keep going, it was written Sam said he couldn’t do it without you (Dean), Sam thought he should say it more similar to the pilot, which is what they did. First thing Dean said to Say was Heya Sammy and Sam was Dean? Sam thought those should also be their last words on the bridge. J2 tried to convey how they thought the characters felt in that barn scene especially. When Sam says It’s okay, you can go now, Jared thought Sam’s son should say the same to him at his death.

--Sam wearing Dean’s watch in the finale? Jared happy fan caught that. Jared thought it was something Sam would have kept and worn.

--Jared doesn’t catch the reference SamLicker81 lol. 

--Jared had a lot of time to think about Sam’s ending, at first he thought it was jarring but how do you feel about anyone’s ending? Would you ever be ok with your own ending? There was a finality to it that no matter what happened it would be difficult to wrap his head around. Once he digested it, he felt it was the best way to tell Sam’s story. Sam tried to live his life the way Dean would have wanted him to life his life. He tried to do what Dean would have wanted. If Dean had come back 20 years later and saw Sam hunting he wouldn’t have liked that, he wanted Sam to live his life. That’s what they all fought for, for whoever was left to live as normal a life as possible.

--Any other props end up at Jared’s house? Yeah he has some stuff. His stand-in Jason had got 2 picture frames for Jared and Jensen, got copies of the last call sheet along with their marks (red tape for Jared, blue for Jensen), and framed them. 

--Super excited about producing and acting on Walker, felt like he and Jensen were pseudo-producers on SPN but will be different on Walker, hopefully he can help guide the story in a way that’s best for the show

--Acting advice? Everybody is different. Acting is trying to be somebody you’re not...but don’t try to be somebody you’re not. Don’t try to be like another actor. Just be you and figure out what story you want to tell, remember you’re there to tell a story, commit to who you are and who you have been. There are things you’ve been through no one else has, so don’t discredit that.

--Fave song that reminds you of Sam? Carry on Wayward Son, especially having just watched the finale, it’s such a powerful song. 

--Pre and post COVID scripts? They can’t fire me now! Biggest deal with post COVID script was the mandatory 2 week quarantine. There were going to be a lot of beloved characters in Heaven with us but it was just a scene or 2 so they couldn’t really ask Rob, Richard, Samantha Smith, Jeffrey Dean to come sit in a hotel room for 2 weeks for one scene. The Heaven Dean deserved was filled with people but because COVID it ended up being just Sam and Dean.

--One thing he will miss the most? The crew/family. Life long friends made over 15 years. He grew up a lot on SPN, been through so much and so much history with those people. It’s so different shooting Walker right now because with COVID there’s less human contact. Misses human contact (with fans too).

--How did you prepare to shoot Dean’s death? How could you possible prepare to shoot Dean’s death? We shot it in September, I had known about since June or July 2019, had been reading the script since February. Lot of time spent on set was trying not to cry. Massive massive fight scene, shot for 3 days but 30 seconds on screen. One day for after Dean’s been impaled so they wouldn’t have to fight all day then get emotional. Was emotional about that scene, didn’t want Jared to get in the way of Sam’s story.

--Did Sam tell his kid about all the hunting stuff? Yeah of course, told him all about uncle Dean, why he was named after him, and the importance of taking care of himself and not spending his life saying goodbye to friends and family and then his son just wanted to get a tattoo.

--There are tons of shows Jared wishes SPN could have crossed over with. Would have been funny to cross over with Walking Dead, for them to see John and he doesn’t know who they are.

--First people Sam would want to see in Heaven? Obviously Dean. Bobby. Mom. Sully. Sam’s Heaven is mostly Dean. He wanted Sam’s wardrobe from the pilot because that was Sam’s happiest moment, going on the road with his brother. 

--If he had the chance to work with Jensen again (and he WILL he says, hopefully sooner than later)...Jensen has a standing invitation to come to Walker, but they will find something somewhere and it will be great.

--What weird or gross food do you enjoy? Jared eats everything and a lot of it. Except olives. Doesn’t really like chocolate despite his sweet tooth. Doesn’t like black licorice. Will try anything once. Loves spicy food.

--Advice for people with anxiety? One thing that’s worked for him is just accepting that it’s not going anywhere. If you’re trying to get rid of anxiety you’ll frustrate yourself. Talks about Eddie Vedder saying he sees his demons as somebody who’s riding in the car with him. Take care of yourself. You got this.

--Grateful for you guys, hope to see you soon.

[afictionaladventure16]

k so what about an rdj x teen daughter or something along those lines, and she doesn’t want/is self conscious about him coming to her school play bc he’s so good, and what if i let him down or something like that?? i love your writing and i just thought you would do great with this prompt

I’m Trying To Make You Proud (Robert Downey Jr x Daughter!Reader)

A/N: I may have changed it up a bit… anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic! Sorry, it took so long! 

Actors Masterlist

Character Taglist 

Warnings: fluff

Word Count: 1,920

Robert had was notified through a letter about your grades, he was concerned about it and even though Susan said she’d go for him, he refused to just sit at home about this. So, there he was. Sitting at the principal’s office, feeling as if he was a teen again, waiting to be scolded for no reason. Okay, maybe for some particular reason, but this time it felt like for no reason. He tried his best to remind himself that he wasn’t there for himself but for you and no matter the outcome of the meeting he was going to try his hardest to help you through whatever you were struggling with at school. 

“Mr. Downey!” He heard your principal say. 

Robert quickly stood up, shaking your principal’s hand, “please call me, Robert.” 

The principal smiled before taking a seat behind his desk, “Robert,” he repeated, Robert regretted having the principal call him by his first name because now it sure did feel like he was going to get in trouble. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I asked you to come to speak with me today.” 

Robert chuckled, “yes, and all this waiting has made me feel like I am a teen again, I hope I’m not getting detention for the spitballs I did in class,” Robert said causing the principal to laugh. 

“No, no, as a matter of fact, I think this meeting is quite pointless. I could’ve just told you over the phone that your daughter is exceeding in her classes. Especially with all her after-school programs,” the principal said as he viewed your transcripts, “she’s an amazing student, Robert.” 

Robert smiled proudly, “well, she does tend to take after me… in some ways.” 

“That she does! You must have been so proud when you heard she got the leading role in the school play,” 

Robert looked at the principal confused, “I’m sorry?” 

“Y/N, you’re daughter, you must’ve been proud when you heard she got the leading role in the school play, were you not?” 

Robert didn’t know what was going on but he put on a face, smiling at the principal, “extremely proud!” 

The principal smiled, “I’ll expect to you see you on opening night tomorrow?” 

Robert chuckled, “you know it! And every other night they will be performing too!” 

The principal laughed, “now that’s the kind of support I love to see from a parent, again I am so deeply sorry that you had to come all this way for something that could’ve been done over the phone.” 

“It’s fine,” Robert said as he got up from his seat. “I’ll see you tomorrow at opening night then,” he said as he shook the man’s hand before leaving the room. 

~ 

Robert walked into his house, quite expecting his two youngest kids to come running up to him but once he was greeted with nothing he remembered that they were at a friends house for the afternoon. His mind wandered back to what the principal had mentioned. 

“Robert? Is that you?” He heard his wife, Susan, call out from the living room. 

“Yeah,” he said softly as he walked into the living room. 

“How’d it go?” she asked as she watched Robert sit down on the couch beside her. She closed the book she had been reading to give Robert her full attention. 

“Did you know that Y/N got the lead role in a play?” 

“What?” She asked in awe, “well, that’s amazing!” 

“Opening night is tomorrow.” 

“Wait, what?” 

“Exactly,” Robert said softly, “she didn’t tell us about it.” 

“Well, maybe there was a good reason?” 

Robert shook his head, “what good reason could there be to not tell your own parents about getting the lead in a play?” Susan stayed silent, “exactly, there’s not.” Robert got up from the couch, “is she home?” 

“She’s in her room,” Susan said softly, “go easy on her, Robert.” 

Robert sighed before leaving the living room, he made his way down the hall. He softly knocked on your door, “come in!” he heard you say from the other side of the door. 

He slowly opened the door, taking in the view of you sitting at your desk, doing your homework. His mind couldn’t wrap around the idea that you wouldn’t tell him about the play. He wondered why you would do such a thing, was he not supportive enough? Were you afraid of his reaction? “Hey!” You said as you noticed your dad standing in your room, “what’s up?” you placed your pen down to give your full attention to him. 

“Uh- I-I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow night,” Robert lied, “maybe we can have a father-daughter date. We can go to Olive Garden?” He asked with a suggestive wink. 

You immediately froze at the mention of tomorrow night, “uh- I c-can’t,” your mind raced to find something to lie about, “study group! I have a study group tomorrow night! I was gonna ask you today if it was okay with you if I went to a friends house for a study group.” 

Robert’s heart shattered, you were lying to him straight to his face, “Why not have it here? Our house is pretty spacious.” 

“Uh- because my friend’s parents are very conservative and they don’t really let them go over friends houses,” you were pretty impressed with your lie. 

Robert hummed in response, “well, next time, right?” he said with a small smile. 

You nod, “yeah!”

 Robert walked over and placed a small kiss on your forehead, “I’m proud of you, hon,” he said softly, Robert was proud of you. Not just because you were doing so well in school but also because you were doing so well in the arts. In something that he had been so worried, you might feel pressured to achieve because of his status. He never wanted you to do something just because of him, he always wanted you to just follow your dreams even if it meant taking a different route than he did. 

Before you could even respond your dad was already gone, you had felt so bad for lying to him and you so wanted to tell him about the play but you just couldn’t. You weren’t as good as him and you felt like you would only be a disappointment if he saw the play. 

Robert walked back into the living room, “how’d it go?” Susan asked as he sat back down beside her. 

“She lied to me,” he said in a surprised manner, he let out a dry chuckle, “straight to my face. She lied to me straight to my face when I asked her if she wanted to hang out tomorrow night, Susan.” 

Susan placed a comforting hand on her husband’s shoulder, “maybe you should surprise her by going to the play,” she suggested, “just yourself.” 

“Just me?”

She nods, “it’s obvious you need to go by yourself, babe, we’ll go all together as a family the next day, but you need to go and show your support.” Robert was right, if he was going to do this he had to do this by himself. So that way you could feel liberated to speak to him. 

The scene of the opening night made you feel jitters. Your drama teacher was running around trying to make some final adjustments, but the sounds of everyone talking so loudly made you feel so overwhelmed. You fumbled with your thumbs as you recited your lines to yourself. Regret started to settle in your stomach, all you wanted to do was to run to your father’s arms for comfort. You wanted him there beside you to ease the nerves that were going through your mind. 

“Curtains up in five minutes!” Someone yelled. 

“Are you ready, Y/N?” Your drama teacher asked as she looked over your costume one more time. Your scene wasn’t until a couple of scenes in. You were cast as Cosette so that meant you had to wear a blonde wig. You gave your drama teacher a nod before they wandered off to make sure other students costumes were correct. 

Robert sat where he knew you couldn’t see him, he watched in amazement throughout the whole show. Amazed by the amount of talent your fellow students had. When you showed up for your scene, Robert smiled, but it wasn’t until you started singing In My Life that Robert began to feel moved to tears. He sat there watching as you put emotion to the words you sang, he heard sniffling around him. You had brought others to tears. 

Once the show was finished, Robert made his way backstage, trying his best not to get recognized. He noticed a paper on one of the dressing rooms, with your name on it. He knocked softly, “come in!” he heard your voice say. He sighed as he opened the door, you hadn’t taken notice of him as you were too busy trying to take the makeup off your skin. 

“That was a pretty amazing performance, kiddo.” 

The sound of your dads’ voice startled you, you quickly stopped everything you were doing to turn around to face him, “dad.” 

“I was pretty hurt that you didn’t tell me about the play,” he said as he closed the door behind him.

“I wanted to tell you,” you said softly. 

“Then why didn’t you?” 

You sighed as you finished taking off your makeup, discarding the wipe, “because I was afraid of what you might say because I’m not as good as you.” 

“Not as good,” He scoffed, “Y/N, honey,” he walked over to you, pulling you into an embrace, “I never want you to feel afraid to tell me these sorts of things, I’m sorry if I ever did something to make you feel that way.” He let go of the embrace, placing his hands on your face so you would look at him, “I was so impressed by your performance if anything I think you’re better at acting than I am.” 

“So, you don’t think I’m a horrible actress?” 

He chuckled, “you’re an amazing actress, Y/N.” he sighed, “I just want to support you in everything you do and I can’t do that if you’re keeping secrets from me, honey.” He couldn’t help but smile at the memory of your performance, “ugh, I am so fucking proud of you!” 

You smiled and hugged him again, “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you.” 

He kissed the top of your head, “it’s okay,” he sighed. 

“I wish mom was here to see it,” you mumbled. 

“What are you talking about? We’re all going to come tomorrow to see the play.” 

“Wait, you wouldn’t mind seeing it again?” 

He smirked, “I bought tickets for all showings,” he said, “I also may or may have not told some friends who are now set on coming to see you perform.” 

Your eyes widen, “who?!” 

“Scarlett, Chris, Sebastian, Other Chris, Mark… Hey, you hungry?” He asked trying to change the subject. 

“Dad! That’s too much pressure!” you exclaimed.

“You’ll do great! I believe in you!” He placed an arm around you, “but seriously, I’m starving.” You rolled your eyes as you followed your dad out of your dressing room. You felt bad for not telling him sooner, but now you were dead set on telling him about all your acting choices. Your dad is Robert Downey Jr. for christ sakes, of course, you were going to have amazing theatre skills, you took after him after all.

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[waywardnerd67]

Writing Your Story: Chap. 1 - Took You Long Enough

Summary: When Raelyn Nichols was approached to continue writing the Supernatural series she never knew how her world would one-day flip completely upside down when she meets the characters from her books the famous Winchester Brothers. Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel and Raelyn Nichols (OFC) Pairing: Dean X Raelyn (OFC) Warnings: All the fluff. Word Count: 2621 A/N: Alright ladies and gents, here is the first chapter of my first ever series! I’m incredibly excited and scared pantless. If you find any mistakes please let me know, since I edited this chapter roughly around 2AM EST. I will be updating this series weekly probably on Saturday. Let me any thoughts and opinions you have on this including constructive criticism (all hate can be deposited into your local trash can). Above all, thank you for reading what I write and for all the support. Tagging A Few Lovelies Who Inspire Me To Keep Writing: @waywardbaby @rosethesupernaturalhunter @carryonmywaywardcaptain @anotherwaywardsister @ladywinchester1967

Raelyn Nichols smiled as a mom took a picture of her daughter with her. “Thank you, Miss Nichols.” The little girl said. Raelyn smiled sweetly at her, “You’re welcome.” Raelyn sighed as she sat back down behind her booth. Raelyn’s rise to stardom was unusual and no one knew the true story except for Raelyn, a special angel friend and Chuck Shirley, as known as, God. Chuck was a fan of Raelyn’s novels and asked her to continue writing his series Supernatural. At first, Raelyn, thought it was a joke but once Chuck revealed his true identity who could say no to God. The last three years, she had been cranking out books every six to eight months. Now she did book events along with comic conventions taking pictures and signing autographs.

“Raelyn Nichols?” Raelyn looked up from her phone into the stunning olive-green eyes of the gorgeous man from her dreams. She smiled at him, “Dean Winchester, took you long enough to find me.” He looked at her dumbfounded as his younger brother came up behind him. “Ah, Sam Winchester. Well, now that the Scooby gang is all here I’m assuming you found out that I am writing Supernatural. Can this conversation wait until after the convention? I am kind of working here.” Sam looked to Dean just as dumbfounded. “How do you know about us? Our lives?” Dean’s voice was stern and husky. His voice was just as Raelyn had dreamed it would be.

“Look, I promise I will explain everything to you pretty boy. I’m not running or going anywhere. Here,” Raelyn handed them all access passes, that had been meant for her best friend and her boyfriend, to the convention, “you can go anywhere within the convention. There is quite the spread of food back in reception if you both are hungry.” Dean perked up a bit as Sam looked over to him rolling his eyes. “You will meet us in the reception area as soon as you’re done.” Sam said as Raelyn looked behind the taller Winchester. A line was forming behind them, “Yes, I’m not going anywhere. Chuck told me one day you would find me. That day is today. Now go before my line gets any longer.” The brothers looked behind them seeing quite a few people dressed as them and with Supernatural books in their hands.

Sam and Dean stepped to the side and watched Raelyn as she talked with fans, signed books and took pictures. Sam decided to go walk around the convention since he had never been to one before and saw a few Star Wars actors he would love to meet. Dean couldn’t bring himself to move from Raelyn’s booth. There was something about her that instantly drew him into her. She was beautiful which is obviously what caught his attention first. She had long wavy chocolate brown hair, tall curvy body and porcelain skin. The two features that made Dean weak in the knees were her brilliant forest green eyes that bore into him like no one ever had before and her soft full rosy lips just begging to be kissed.

He watched her interact with fans as she would smile for pictures and even posing ridiculously with some of them. She glanced over to him and motioned for him to come over behind the booth. She pulled out a stool from under her table and patted it. “Sit. I’d rather you sit here and chat than stand there and stare.” He chuckled as he sat next to her. Another fan came up, “Wow he looks just like Dean in the books. That is exactly how I pictured him.” Raelyn laughed as Dean shifted uncomfortably. “I know, me too, that is why I picked him as the winner of a local contest. He won the chance to be with me all day. He’s one of my biggest fans.” Dean gave her a pointed looked as the teenage girl looked to him with admiration. “Wow, you’re so lucky. Would it be okay to get a picture with the both of you?” Dean started to shake his head but Raelyn tugged on his jacket. “Of course, you can, Robert here would be honored to take a picture with you.” Raelyn dragged him in front of the table and the fan stood in between them. Emma, convention worker assigned to Raelyn, took the picture and the fan hugged them both before walking away. Dean was chuckling as they sat back down and no one was at Raelyn’s booth. “So, how long are you usually here at these conventions?” Raelyn looked at her phone, “I’m usually here for three days, Friday thru Sunday, all day. I’ve got another hour or so before I can pack up. A lot of fans are starting to leave now so I may be able to leave early. Why? You got a hot date?” Dean smirked, “Yeah, I do. I have a date with a good-looking author who knows more about me than I do her.”

Raelyn felt her cheeks burning. “Why Dean Winchester are you flirting with me?” She looked at him above her black rimmed glasses. She watched as a devious smirk came across his handsome face. Seeing Dean Winchester in her dreams or visions was one thing but him in person was a whole another story. His sandy brown hair looked soft and his broad muscular body was hidden under layers of denim, cotton and flannel. She watched as he ran his large hands over his muscular thighs driving her crazy. However, it was his eyes, his olive-green steal your soul eyes, that made her lose all train of thought. He noticed her sizing him up and his smirked turned into a smile. She was staring at his lips now as he ran his tongue over the bottom one trapping it under his teeth. Her eyes got wide and he saw her breath hitch. “What if I am, Raelyn? Is that okay with you?” he asked as she fidgeted with her hair twirling it between her fingers. “I wouldn’t hate it, but I’m not really your type.” Dean looked down at his hands nervously quickly being reminded why he was there next to her in the first place. “You really do know everything about us, huh? Every thought or feeling we have?” Raelyn sighed, “I can’t read your mind if that is what you’re asking. But yeah, I know pretty much everything about you two. Including that you tend to go after ladies who a few sizes smaller than I am and wear more provocative clothing.” Dean’s smile faded as he ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m not really a great guy when it comes to having something more than a one-night stand.” Raelyn looked at him about to say something when he spoke again, “Probably best if you just stayed away from me, Raelyn.” He got up walking away from her table. Raelyn sighed as another fan approached her. Raelyn finished up the last few autographs and pictures then she packed up her personal items walking towards reception.

Raelyn found the brothers sitting at a table waiting for her. Sam was holding a few pictures that were autographed as Dean was giving him a disapproving look. She walked up to them, “Come on. We can go back to my place and talk. It’s warded against… well everything so it’s safe there.” Sam and Dean followed her outside where it had started to rain. “Well, where’s your beautiful Impala at? I don’t feel like walking in the rain even if it is only a few blocks.” Dean pointed across the street and she smiled seeing the car. “Oh Baby, you are more than I could have ever dreamed.” She said admiring the car. Dean could not help the smile on his face as she admired his pride and joy. “She’s unlocked.” He stated simply as they all got in. As he drove down the street, Raelyn was humming her praises to his Baby. Her humming was driving him crazy. Sam turned to her, “Do you need a moment alone with the Impala?” Raelyn looked up at Dean through the rearview mirror, “Sure, just park it and leave it running. I’ll be done in ten minutes.” She laughed as she watched both men’s shocked expressions and subtly smile on Dean’s face. She directed them to her condo and lead them up to it. She sat down her bag and curiously watched Sam and Dean look around her home. “You have quite the collection of comics and memorabilia.” Sam said in awe as he looked over her collectables. “Thank you, I am quite the nerd. So, please make yourselves comfort.” Raelyn went into her kitchen to grab a couple beers from her fridge for Sam and Dean. She also grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass for herself. She walked back into her living room seeing the boys had taken off their jackets and were sitting on her couch. She handed them the beers and then sat in her favorite chair pouring herself a drink.

“Before we get this started we need one more person to join us.” She picked up her phone and sent a text message. A couple of minutes later, there was a knock on her door. “Come on in!” Raelyn shouted. A tall man came walking in with dark brown hair and blue eyes like the ocean wearing a trench coat. “Cas?!” The brothers said at the same time as Raelyn chuckled loving it when they spoke in unison. The beautiful angel nodded as he sat on the couch next to Dean. “You two know each other?” Dean asked looking pointedly at Cas. “Yes, Dean I was asked to watch over her when Chuck left. How did you two find out about Raelyn?” he asked as Dean scoffed. “Claire found her books online and then passed it along to us. Better question is why didn’t you tell us about this?” Sam asked. Raelyn poured herself another drink as Dean whispered over to her, “You got another glass?” She snickered getting up and getting him one.

In the kitchen she could still hear all of them talking. As she walked back out she poured Dean a drink and then shut them all up, “Alright! Let’s just get this over with.” The three men looked up at her and nodded. Dean downed his drink and quickly refilled it. “Start from the beginning, Raelyn.” Sam stated as she settled into her chair. “I knew Carver Edlund or Chuck Shirley from different conventions and our agents were from the same company. Anytime we would talk he would mention how he loved my novels and I equally loved his.” She paused for a moment taking a drink. “A few years ago, he showed up here and asked if we could talk. He explained he was leaving for a while and would love it if I would continue writing Supernatural. Of course, being a huge fan, I agreed and he had all the rights transferred to me. That is when he told me the truth about the books.” Raelyn poured another drink for Dean when he finished the second one. “He was God, the books were real life events, Sam and Dean Winchester were real brothers saving people and hunting things.”

Sam scoffed, “What made you believe him?” Raelyn chuckled thinking back on the day that changed her life forever. “He touched my forehead and suddenly I saw everything that had happened in the books. I saw your lives from the day you were born. He showed me his true face bright light and all. He told me that I would have dreams of what I needed to write. Kind of like Sam’s premonitions but not as painful and no psychic powers.” She noticed Sam flinch and Dean gave him a weary look. “Look, I didn’t ask to have all of this. I thought I would just be writing a series of books based off his notes not the real-life tales of ghostbusting. I know I wouldn’t want someone knowing my entire life story and airing it out to the world.” Dean turned towards her, “Then why do you continue to write the books?” She sighed finishing her drink and setting the glass down. “The main reason is because God… literal God told me too. I think it’s important to follow what he says, don’t you think? Also, your story brings a lot of hope and inspiration into millions of lives who believe they are hopeless and meaningless to this world. I believe if my books or your story can impact one person’s life then it is worth continuing to tell the story.”

“How did you meet Cas then?” Castiel smirked slightly as she chuckled, “It was a rough start. At conventions I have some enthusiastic fans which Cas thought were trying to harm me. First time, I ever saw him, he ran off a bunch of fans that were cosplaying as demons.” Castiel shrugged slightly, “I followed Raelyn for weeks before then. I believed she was in danger and did not know humans would dress up for fun as demons.” Sam and Dean started laughing. Raelyn loved seeing them laugh since most of the time she only witnessed them fighting or hurt in her dreams. “Are you working on a new book now?” Sam asked as he finished his beer. Raelyn looked from one brother to the next and shook her head, “Not currently. I am just promoting the current book ‘Tombstone’ which was a bitch to get titled since there’s a movie titled that as well.” Raelyn nervously looked up at the three men to see if they bought her lie. Castiel was the only one looking at her curiously but Sam and Dean took her word for it. “So, now what?” she asked. Dean stood up stretching his tall, muscular body. Raelyn bit her bottom lip admiring the way his muscles contracted as he moved his arms above his head.

“Now, we leave our numbers for you and if you have any more dreams then you call us.” Dean took out a piece of paper from a journal he kept in his jacket pocket. He wrote his and Sam’s numbers down handing it to her. Briefly, their fingers touched and she felt an electric current run up her arm. A wonderful chill ran down her back and looking up she could see he had felt it as well. His eyes wide and darken as he gazed down at her. He opened his mouth to say something but simply trapped his tongue between his teeth driving Raelyn crazy. She shook her head slightly as Sam cleared his throat, “Alright, well we should get going.” Raelyn followed the brothers to her door waving goodbye and closing it once they were down the hall. She took a deep breath in and slowly released it as she leaned up against the door. “Raelyn, why did you not tell them about writing a new book?” Castiel asked as she cleaned up the boys’ bottles and glass. “No one should know too much about their own future especially the Winchesters.” She looked sternly at her angel friend, “You won’t tell them about it as well. You know how they will react and there is no need to add fuel to the fire.” Castiel nodded apprehensively. “Good, now pop out here so I can take a shower, write and go to bed.” With a whooshing sounding Castiel was gone and Raelyn settled herself at her desk. She powered on her laptop and pulled up her newest manuscript entitled, “Wayward Sisters”.

[trashkweeen-blog]

Drinking and Dating - Brandi Glanville

As I was gearing up to read this book, and gathering my deeply intellectual thoughts on the 17 chihuahuas in a human suit that is Brandi Glanville, I was like, oh good, I love Brandi. Sweet pizza-throwing Brandi. She spills the tea, this should be good in a trainwreck sort of way. 

I mean, I have to say that I was squarely in the Brandi camp for a moment in time - a Dream Team fan, if you will. She really won me over at Game Night. You know, that desperate attempt by Dana to be part of the show. Ugh, Dana. Dana was like The Silence from Doctor Who. Not because she was silent - oh no, if she was within shouting distance you’d hear about her sunglasses and how much they cost. No, because the second you turn around, your memory of her is completely wiped. I had to google both her actual name and the name Kim kept calling her because she couldn’t remember Dana’s name either (it was Pam). 

Anyways. Game Night at Pam’s was not a cute look for Kim and Kyle Richards, or as I like to think of them, Baby Jane and Blanche Hudson in the lead up to the accident that will eventually leave Kyle bound in a chair while Kim feeds her rats and writes letters to daddy. You may remember Game Night as the night when Kim hobbled in super late, took her trenta coffee cup filled with mashed up pills into the bathroom, and proceeded to do her hair and makeup, with Kyle intermittently popping in to both tell her she’s being weird, and to be weird. 

You may also remember Game Night as the night when Brandi accused Kim of doing crystal meth in the bathroom, and then Kim and Kyle hid Brandi’s crutches so she couldn’t stand up or walk. I’m citing this as exhibit 1 in Kim’s latent Baby Jane persona, just waiting in the wings. 

Point is, Kim and Kyle were pacing the room like lunatics, pointing their withered fingers at Brandi, and calling her such chill things as “slut pig”. Poor Brandi, NEW TO THIS GROUP, and being called a pig by the witch character from that Nightmare VHS board game from the 90s:

(shit, do you guys remember that?)

Brandi, with the fearlessness of an Amazon warrior queen, looked up, unblinking, unflinching, and calmly said, “Bring it, bitch, color me slut”. And Kim and Kyle were shook. I live for anyone who shakes Kyle. 

I also really loved when Lisa Vanderpump demanded an olive branch from her, and Brandi legit yanked a branch off of one of LVP’s trees, handed it to her, and then said, “what do you want me to do, eat your pussy?” Iconic. 

Admittedly, Brandi lost me a little by Season 5, when she developed a super co-dependent relationship with Kim, where they each made it a fun hobby to enable the other’s worst behaviour. Brandi decided she was gonna replace Kyle, which like, unless you’ve endured years of Big Kathy pushing you into show biz and gold digging bad marriages, then no, you can’t. You don’t have the range. 

But i was intrigued nonetheless, eager enough to dig into Brandi’s second book, which I read out of chronological order for the very academic reason that it was available first at the library. 

And it started off pretty strong. Brandi lovingly told us about the HPV her cheating trash ass ex husband gave her, called Leann Rimes a cunt, shaded her album sales, blamed Adrienne Maloof for her own shitty marriage, and called bullshit on the concept of scorned ex wives. Overall, great shit. Loved it. I was like yesssssss preach through a lot of it. 

Then Brandi delved into her dating advice, and girl, she was feeling her Carrie Bradshaw oats at every turn. I could basically picture her, smoking at her window, wearing a tutu, and gazing forlornly at the Chair that Aiden Made™. Which, like, all the Aiden apologists in the world need to get over. Aiden was trash. He tried to force Carrie into a boring ass engagement, pulling her away from interesting parties with porn producers, so she could like, watch him eat fried chicken in his gross underwear at 10pm???? 

The only good thing Aiden ever did was keep Carrie home when she could have been out making comments like this to her friends. A real service to her friends, who had to pretend to laugh at her idiotic jokes because she always got them tickets to cool stuff. 

Aaaaanyways. Brandi Glanville is no Carrie Bradshaw, and if she were, I’d really prefer if she’d been the Carrie Bradshaw whose computer crashes before she learns how to backup her writing. 

Drinking and Dating is a combination of bad dating advice, very personal child custody beef with her ex husband (yeah, I know his name, I just don’t care enough to type it, he sucks), and blind items about the “celebrities” she’s banged. 

Apparently, she wanted to list these celebrities by name, and her publishers wouldn’t let her, for fear of being sued. And honestly, Brandi being sued is not a saga I want to watch. She was personally outraged enough when her Celebrity Big Brother alliance member Keshia Knight wanted to leave the house in order to BREASTFEED HER INFANT, so I don’t wanna know how ugly Brandi gets when she’s got, like, actual problems. 

So, first things first, here’s some bad dating advice from Brandi Glanville:

pick up guys at Home Depot! Apparently, it is filled with “manly men” who want to turn women into housewives. If you roam the electrical aisle, you can “have your pick of Home Depot’s most eligible bachelors”. I hate this so much, I can’t even fully articulate it. This is by far the worst dating advice I have ever heard, and I read Class with the Countess. 

If a guy has a criminal record, but also a private jet, only the latter fact is important. Like, if the assault charges and restraining order have been dropped, and he tells you his ex girlfriend was batshit crazy, it’s safe to assume everything’s kosher here, and you can proceed to fly around on his jet, where no one can hear you scream.

dump a guy if his idea of an epic party is at Brendan Fraser’s condo. I AM SORRY BUT if I had the chance to party at Brendan Fraser’s condo, I would skip my own father’s funeral. Like, yeah he’s kinda fat and weird now, but if you close your eyes, imagine him at his peak, and make him say “George love Ursula”, you could probably still come while he lazily rails you. And you owe it to your thirsty 1997 self.

But, I guess if you’re at a point in your life where relationship advice from Brandi Glanville seems appealing, it’s too late for me to reach you. Have fun at Home Depot. 

I’m skipping the parts about whether Brandi’s trash ass ex husband is boycotting her relationship with her children by not letting them bring nice clothes to her house and whatever else. Cause it’s too dark, and I’m not here to contribute to the psychotic breaks any real housewives children may have when they start comprehending their parents’ exploits. 

What I will talk about is the series of dating stories Brandi “coyly” relates, using cute little pseudonyms for her bang buddies. Yeah, you could comb through the 2010-2011 NBA season team roster stats to figure out who the 6′11″ suitor was, but like, who cares honestly? If it wasn’t even interesting enough for the paps, it’s not interesting enough to sleuth for. 

The only one that caught my attention really, was the mid 90s TV star who was out with his more conventionally attractive co-star at the time. I do believe this to be David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc, so do with that what you will. (But I will say that if I had to fuck anyone from the core Friends group, it would be Ross. If we’re going outside the core group, it’s gotta be Paolo for some of that patented “meaningless animal sex”.)

Overall, this book was a fucking labor to get through; it was rough. I downloaded the audiobook so that I could listen to it while walking to work and on the treadmill, and yeah, that kinda made it easier to digest, but it also meant I had to listen to Brandi’s dog whistle of a voice for several hours. 

I can’t decide what was more irritating about this book, the 7,000 hashtags used throughout, or the mind-numbing minutia of things like what grocery store Brandi prefers and why. (PS, remember when Ramona Singer thought minutia was a Yiddish word, and was probably visualizing it spelled “menusha”? Bless.)

Given the choice, I’d rather go to the Van Kempens’ housewarming party, where they didn’t serve food even though it was at 8pm, than read another chapter of Brandi’s tales. 

Quick Stats:

Pages: 242

Did it need to be that many pages?: Ugh, absolutely not. There were times I zoned out during the audiobook, or just got up to pee and stopped listening for a few minutes, and I feel I did not miss anything. 

Did it change my mind about the housewife?: Honestly, it made me hate her more, but that could be because listening to Brandi Glanville’s voice for several hours straight is a form of torture used at Guantanamo. 

Real-ass book rating: 📖/5. This book was awful. It was so terrible. It had no structure, and was just a series of long, unedited, pointless stories, punctuated with bad hashtags.

Junk food book rating: 💎/5. Idk, like if you wanna hear about how Brandi banged an unnamed NBA player in a car in an alley, or how she had to sleep off her wine at some unnamed actor’s house because she couldn’t get her breathalyzer ignition to start in her car after she banged him, I guess the book is like somewhat amusing. But if you’ve ever listened to a middle aged woman complain about her kids’ stepmom for any length of time, you know it’s not worth it. 

[the-mere-queer]

Color Me Shakespeare

Tragedy on Stage, Romance in Life. Olivarry Week Day 3. Read it on AO3 also.

Part 1: Hamlet

Barry followed Iris to their seats. He was already sweating through his suit jacket and the show didn’t start for another ten minutes. Iris had begged him to be her plus one to the show so that she would be able to bounce her thoughts off him when she wrote a review for CCPN. Even though Eddie was her first choice, being that he was her soulmate, Barry could help Iris articulate what she wanted to say on a more analytical level.

So here he was, sitting in a cushy seat looking around at his black, white, and grey world while his best friend sat beside him looking at the world in full technicolor.

He looked down at the program in his hand.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Fucking great. Not even a good tragedy like Macbeth or even Romeo and Juliet would be better.

Under the play’s name, a man’s figure was shown partially obscured in shadow. However, enough could be seen to know, that he was shirtless and certainly looked good like that. Strong jaw with stubble artfully cut along it, cropped hair, and broad expanse of muscle. If the actor came out onto stage like that, maybe the night would at least be bearable. A nice face might make up for the awful show.

“I can’t believe we’ll get to see Oliver Queen on stage,” Iris gushed. “I’ve read other reviews during the tour and everyone agrees that his performance is the highlight of the whole thing.”

“It better be good,” Barry mumbled. “Otherwise we’ll have wasted a night we could have gone to see Wonder Woman.”

“You, Eddie, and I can always see it tomorrow,” Iris assured, smirking down at her program.

“And be an awkward third wheel? Nah, I’ll take Cisco and Caitlin instead.”

Iris slapped his right arm in mock betrayal. He laughed at her pouting face that didn’t last long before it dissolved into laughter. They pulled themselves together when they noticed some older patrons glaring at them.

“At least we got good seats,” Iris offered.

True. They sat in the middle of the third row. Close enough that they’ll be able to see the actors sweat. If Oliver Queen did indeed perform shirtless, they would see everything.

They quietly perused the program, waiting for the show to start. Barry looked at Iris from the corner of his eye. This was the first show she was seeing and reviewing since she had met Eddie and had finally seen what color actually looked like. Her gaze would jump from the program to theater and the stage currently cloaked by a curtain. Her left leg bounced slightly from nerves.

Barry leaned closer to her asked, “So what color is the curtain?”

She looked at the thick fabric hiding the stage and thought for a moment before saying, “Red. A gorgeous red.”

The smile on her face was wondrous, and her leg had stopped bouncing. Barry nodded and pulled back to his previous position.

The lights dimmed, and the last of the patrons took their seats before the theater went completely black.

The show started with Bernardo, Marcellus, and Horatio interacting with the ghost in front of the curtain. They spoke the lines well, if a bit slow, but Barry used the slowness to wrap his mind around the language so that he didn’t have to think so hard later in the show.

The curtain parts at the end of the scene, revealing an amazing castle set. The king and queen talk with the people of the court, while Hamlet sulked in the back in the shadow of the castle wall.

Barry was enraptured by Oliver Queen. He was so subtle compared to the rest of the actors and maybe that had been a director’s choice. Everyone is large and over the top while Hamlet is subtle and calculating. It made him stand out. Ophelia was the only other character that seemed to match the subtle acting and it just made sense.

He was so convincing in all his scenes. Even when he played a fool (where he was quite shirtless during the scene) he didn’t seem like a brooding man pretending. He really did seem like a fool.

As the show went on Barry couldn’t wait to see Oliver perform the famous “To be or not to be…” speech. He could only imagine how entrancing it would be. As Claudius and Polonius hid and Oliver came onto the stage, Barry was at the edge of his seat, staring intently at the man.

Oliver looked around the stage, then out to the audience seeming to consider each audience member. It was as he slowly scanned the dark seats that he made eye contact with Barry and the world burst into color.

Barry could barely contain his gasp as he watched Oliver’s eyes turn from a light and bright grey to… he didn’t even know the name of the color. They were so fair they seemed to glow under the stage lights.

He looked around the stage and took in the colors he could now see, even though he couldn’t name them.

It was gorgeous, spectacular, and a little overwhelming.

He looked back to Oliver and saw the man struggling to stay in character. The shock was plain on his face as he gazed at Barry. Those beautiful eyes closed and he took a deep breath. His eyes opened again and looked again to Barry, this time though with determination.

“To be, or not to be- that is the question:

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep-

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish’d. To die- to sleep.

To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub!

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause. There’s the respect

That makes calamity of so long life.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,

The pangs of despis’d love, the law’s delay,

The insolence of office, and the spurns

That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death-

The undiscover’d country, from whose bourn

No traveller returns- puzzles the will,

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pith and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry

And lose the name of action.”

There was a ferocity behind the calm spoken words. It hinted at the turmoil inside his mind, and Barry recognized it was his gaze never wavered from those fair eyes.

Ophelia entered and the spell that seemed to hold Oliver and Barry snapped, and the show resumed.

As Barry leaned back into his seat, he couldn’t help but marvel at the feeling inside him. He had never realized he was missing something, but now he felt whole. He couldn’t ever remember feeling the empty space, but as the joy and contentment settled inside him, he wondered how he had ever lived without the space filled.

For the rest of the act, the Barry would catch the actor looking at him, trying to be inconspicuous. Barry couldn’t take his eyes from him, even when he was just standing in the shadows. Barry didn’t care what was happening in the story anymore. Intermission came after Claudius interrupts the players in their story, proving to Hamlet that he did indeed kill his father.

The curtains closed and the house lights brightened allowing the audience to stand and move about before the rest of the show continued.

“That was amazing,” Iris breathed, pulling her notepad from her purse and hastily took notes. “I have to bring Eddie to one of the nights, because there is no way he wouldn’t appreciate it, and this is just the first half.”

“Iris,” Barry breathed, barely even a whisper.

“And the costumes are beautiful, I wish I take pictures.”

“Iris,” he tried again.

“And Oliver Queen is just killing it at Hamlet. I can’t believe this is his acting debut-”

“Iris,” Barry finally managed at a normal tone.

Her head snapped up looking at his with her dark eyes. No longer a grey that was almost black, but a rich color, full of light and shadows that matched the color of her skin. Without color, he hadn’t noticed.

“What, Bar?”

He took a deep breath before he said, “I can see colors.”

Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She scanned his face for any trace of lying.

“Really?” she questioned.

Barry slowly nodded, starting to look at the warmly lit theater. Everywhere he looked, the room just seem warm and inviting.

“Oh my God, Bar. How? Was it one of the actors? That would be so cool. Maybe they could give me an exclusive interview. Who is it?”

Barry looked down at the program in her lap and pointed at the man on the cover. It took a moment for her to register what he was trying to say without words, but her gasp made it obvious when it clicked.

“Oh my God,” she looked back up at him. “Oliver Queen is your soulmate?”

“Apparently,” Barry managed to say.

“When?”

“Just before the ‘to be or not to be’ speech.”

The realization painted her face. “Was that why he looked so shocked? I thought it was some weird acting choice.”

“Nope,” Barry stuttered. “That was all because of me.”

However badly he had been sweating before the show, it surely had doubled since. Barry loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, not caring what it’ll look like to the snooty old people next to him. He had just found his soulmate and he was jittery as can be.

“Do you need to go outside for a second?” Iris asked, placing a hand on his back. “Or the bathroom?”

As tempting as that sounded, Barry knew that if he left now, he would be too nervous to come back. He shook his head and tried to calm down.

It worked for a moment, then the lights went down and the show started up again, and Barry’s nerves were practically screaming. The rest of the show was a great big blur, except for Oliver. He was a clear image in a nonsensical plot. Fighting, monologuing, a skull, and a lot of death. And Barry’s eyes never left Oliver, who continued to sneak glances. Sometimes there would even be a happy smirk during those looks, but it would disappear as he looked away.

Soon enough, the show ended and the cast was met with rapturous applause before the curtain closed.

Barry could hardly move. What if Oliver didn’t want to meet him? What if Oliver didn’t like him? What if he didn’t like Oliver? What was going to happen?

“Do you need a minute, Bar?” Iris asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Barry nodded and closed his eyes.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

A few more deep breaths, and he was calm enough to stand and make his way to the aisle. Iris slipped her arm through his and gave him a small smile as they followed the crowd out the doors to the lobby.

When they finally stepped into the lobby, Barry’s heart beat sped up. He was happy his hands were tucked into his jacket pockets, because they were sweating so much, his pockets were becoming lakes.

Iris pulled him to the side out of the flow of people leaving. He tried looking for a possible way backstage, but then realized that it would probably be useless. People probably tried using the “I’m their soulmate” card before, trying to do whatever. It would probably be best to wait for Oliver to come find him. If he came.

Iris didn’t try talking to him and he was grateful for that. She just pulled her notepad from her purse and wrote down some more notes. They just stood there, out of the way and quiet.

It took some time but the crowd finally left. The employees of the theater were running around making sure everything was clean and ready to lock up. A couple of them glanced curiously their way but didn’t question them.

A supervisor of sorts did approach them a little bit after the lobby had been cleared of audience.

“Is there something I can help you with?” she inquired politely.

“Yes,” Iris responded, knowing the Barry was in no condition to speak. “My friend here made eye contact with one of the actors and discovered they were soulmates. Understandably, he’s a little nervous and we didn’t want to cause a fuss, but is there any way you can tell the actor we’re waiting?”

The woman looked skeptical, but did seem convinced by the look on Barry’s face, whatever it was. She nodded and asked if they knew the name.

“Oliver Queen,” Iris answered, straight faced, no-nonsense tone.

The incredulous look on the woman’s face confirmed Barry’s earlier thoughts. Just a couple of fans trying to get close enough to do something weird to the star of the show because he’s hot.

The woman opened her mouth to respond – probably to not-so-kindly remove their asses from her lobby – when a male voice called, “It’s you.”

The group turned to a door that lead into the theater where Oliver Queen – fully clothed in jeans, a colored shirt, and a leather jacket – was walking out of toward them.

Barry stared as the man moved toward him. He wished he knew the words to describe the beauty of the man. Was his hair blond, brown, red? Was his skin pale, tan, sunburned? And those eyes. What was the word to describe them?

Soon enough Oliver was standing in front of him. The woman politely excused herself trying to hide the flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. The trio just stood there seeming to wait for something but unsure what. Barry and Oliver just stared at each other, studying each other’s faces, bodies, clothes. Looking down, Barry became self-conscious about his lanky, lean form where Oliver’s was all broad shoulders, rippling muscles, and – if memory served him – hard, defined power in each one.

Iris was the one who finally broke the trance the men had seem to fall into. “Alright, well, Eddie’s waiting outside to take me home, so we should probably get out so these nice people can lock up and go home.”

The trio walked outside and stepped up to where Eddie’s cruiser was parked, windows dark. Iris hugged Barry, whispering encouraging words that he didn’t really hear. Then she turned to Oliver with her patented reporter “don’t bullshit me” glare.

“If you hurt him, you’ll regret it.”

Oliver’s eyebrow lifted but otherwise didn’t react or respond. Iris smiled at him and opened the passenger door. She waved one last time at Barry before ducking in and closing the door. The men watched the car pull away and join the late-night traffic.

Barry looked back to Oliver who was staring at him. They just studied each other for a moment, both too nervous to break the silence.

Finally, Oliver asked, “Do you live nearby?”

Barry jumped a little at the question, probably looking like a deer in headlights.

“Sorry,” Oliver hurriedly continued, “I was just wondering if I could maybe walk you home.”

“Oh,” Barry intelligently responded. Taking a deep breath, he listed his address a few streets over. Oliver nodded, then gestured for Barry to lead the way. Barry tucked his hands in his pockets and started a slow pace toward his apartment, Oliver stepped up beside him, hands also tucked into the leather jacket.

They walked along the dim streets looking at the stores that were still open or quiet residential buildings. They tried and failed to avoid eye contact, their eyes seeming to always find each other.

“So, acting,” Barry nervously tried. “What got you started in that?”

“A dare,” Oliver chuckled at the thought. “My friend, Tommy, dared me to audition as a joke and I took it. We didn’t think I would actually get a part let alone the lead.”

Barry found himself laughing along with Oliver, feeling the tension in his shoulders slowly ease.

“I showed up to the first rehearsal, ready to quit, but during the read through, I found out I liked it. So, I stayed on and now here I am.”

“Here you are,” Barry echoed.

“What about you?” Oliver questioned. “What do you do to make a living?”

“Well, right now I’m in med school.”

“Med school?”

“Yeah,” Barry smiled. “My dad’s a doctor and I’ve always been fascinated by it. I would always ask him questions and he didn’t hold back any details. At all.”

Oliver laughed. He looked really handsome when he laughed.

They kept talking the whole way to Barry’s apartment. Oliver talked about his parents and their business empire he didn’t want to be a part of. He talked about his sister, Thea, and how she actually wanted to be the one in charge of their parents’ empire. Barry talked about his mom and her love of teaching elementary kids. He talked about how he and Iris had been best friends for basically all their lives. By the time they reached the door to his building, they had some basic understanding of each other.

“Well, this is me,” Barry sighed, turning to face the other man.

Oliver looked at the building seeing the decent condition it was in.

“I liked the show,” Barry complimented, bringing Oliver’s attention back to him.

Oliver smiled, “I’m glad. I was a little nervous after… you know. After intermission, I just wanted to the best I could in the rest of the show.”

“I’m not going to lie,” Barry admitted, “I was so nervous and distracted, I didn’t really pay attention in the second half.”

Oliver laughed and shook his head.

“Well, then I guess you’ll have to come see it again.”

“I guess I will.”

They just stared at each other but far more relaxed than they had been before. Barry stared into Oliver’s eyes that still seemed to shine in the street lamp light.

“What color are your eyes?” Barry asked before even think about it.

The small smile on Oliver’s face made Barry’s stomach flutter.

“My parents tell me they’re blue,” he answered almost reverently, stepping closer to Barry. “What about yours?”

“I’ve been told they’re a nice green,” Barry answered, stepping up into Oliver’s space.

“Green,” Oliver echoed. “They are a nice green.”

“Yours are a really pretty blue,” Barry countered.

“Pretty?” Oliver questioned, leaning forward.

“Very,” Barry mumbled before he was kissing Oliver.

All the colors in the world would never compare to the feeling of kissing his soulmate. Of kissing Oliver. Oliver’s hands found their way to his hips and Barry placed his on Oliver’s shoulders. The scruff on Oliver’s face tickled Barry’s face but he didn’t care. He’s seen colors, found his soulmate, and now all he wanted was to be with him forever.

When they separated, Oliver connected their foreheads and they caught their breaths.

“I don’t want to go,” Oliver whispered, gripping Barry’s hips.

“Then don’t,” Barry urged, his hands sliding up to the back of Oliver’s neck.

“Are you sure?” Oliver checked, blue eyes searching for any sign he should.

“Yes,” Barry confirmed, and pulled Oliver back in for another kiss.

They eventually made their way into Barry’s apartment and fell asleep, just talking on his couch.

~

When Diggle followed the GPS to the apartment building in the morning, he couldn’t hide his smirk at the sight in front of him.

Oliver clutching the brown-haired man and whispering in his ear. When the blond man pulled away, the lanky man’s face was as red as a tomato. Oliver kissed him and reluctantly pulled away. He walked backward never looking away from the man until his back hit the car. The other man laughed and Oliver sheepishly opened the door and slid into the car.

The man waved as Diggle pulled the car away.

“Good night?” he asked when they turned a corner and Oliver finally turned away from the window.

“Yeah,” Oliver murmured.

“Seeing colors, man?” Diggle wondered.

“Every single one,” Oliver answered.

“He coming to see the show again?” Diggle questioned.

“He’s coming tonight, then he’s going to visit when we’re in Metropolis.”

Diggle nodded as he pulled into the hotel’s parking building, finding a spot near the entrance.

As they stepped into the lobby, Oliver’s phone started vibrating. The look on his face told Diggle exactly who it was.

“I’ll meet you upstairs,” Diggle said. Oliver nodded and stepped away to answer it.

Diggle watched his face light up when he answered. He smiled at the actor then stepped into the elevator.

~

“I missed you,” Barry said.

“We just saw each other,” Oliver teased.

“I know, but I just felt like I needed to hear your voice. Is that a soulmate thing?”

“I don’t know, you’re the doctor.”

“Med student,” Barry corrected, “and the biology of soulmates not my strongest area of expertise.”

“But you could cut someone open and give someone a new heart?”

“Well, not really,” Barry tried to counter but just ended up laughing.

Oliver joined in quietly, noticing a few people lounging in the lobby.

“So, what are your plans for the day?”

“Well, call time is 6 but before that? Nothing really. You?”

“I have class until 3, then I’m meeting Iris at Jitters to help her with her article about the play, though I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”

Oliver chuckled at the thought of Barry just staring at him the whole show. “Maybe I could help,” Oliver offered.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Oliver answered. “Help her get a good article, show her I’m not someone to worry about, and on the plus side, I get to spend more time with you.”

Oliver could practically hear the blush over the phone. “Is that okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, yes, of course it’s okay,” Barry stuttered. “We’re meeting at 3:30. It’s actually down the street from the theater. If you get lost, you can just call me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Well, I better get going, otherwise I’ll be late to class.”

“Didn’t you say you’re chronically late?”

“That’s beside the point.”

“Okay,” Oliver concede, laughing under his breath. “I’ll see you at Jitters then.”

“Jitters.”

They stayed on the phone for a minute just listening to the quiet breaths.

“Barry,”

“I’m going,” Barry insisted. “I’ll see you later.”

“Later,” Oliver replied then he reluctantly hung up, trying to help Barry in not being late. He went up to his room to shower and change.

~

Hamlet: Tragedy on Stage, Romance in Life

By Iris West

“To be or not to be,” one of the best productions of Hamlet you will have the honor of seeing. The National Shakespeare Theater began their tour of Hamlet two weeks ago in Star City and have made their way here to Central City. Directed by, the incomparable, Cat Grant, this staging combines the classic text with Arthurian level medieval style. It stars Walter Steele as King Cordelius, Kara Danvers as Ophelia, and Oliver Queen as the titular Hamlet.

From the moment the show starts, to the final applause, audience members will be swept up into the intrigue, romance, and tragedy of Prince Hamlet’s court.

I myself was lucky enough to sit down with Mr. Queen over a cup of coffee hours before he would return to the stage.

So, this production was your first time ever acting, correct?

Queen: Well, acting on stage, yes. When your family is as well-known as mine, you tend to learn how to act for cameras early on in your life.

Is that skill why you decided to audition for the show?

Q: I guess that is one way to look at it. My best friend convinced me to try it, but I never thought I would actually get in the show. Now here I am, playing one of Shakespeare’s most infamous tragic heroes for one of the nation’s most renowned companies. It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?

Indeed. Now that you’ve had a taste of the theater, are you planning on staying on the stage?

Q: I’ve already been in touch with some agents in National City who I’m planning on meeting with when the tour stops there. That’s all there is to say on the subject at the moment.

That’s all? Well, at least we’ll still have the chance to see your handsome face in hopefully a more positive light from now on.

Q: Hopefully.

What’s it like working with big names like Walter Steele or Cat Grant?

Q: It was little intimidating because I was sure the casting was a joke but they welcomed me. Walter was so patient with me when we first started rehearsals. He taught me techniques and ways of looking at a character that helped me make my Hamlet stand out. And Cat is just amazing. She’s focused on her vision and she knows how to get it. She definitely believes in tough love. She’s truly a visionary.

She is. She’s an inspiration for a lot of people, especially girls. She always makes the best possible content she can, and she’ll only take the best.

Q: I guess that’s a compliment, then.

Oh definitely. Now let’s get into the fluffy side of the interview. What’s your current music obsession?

Q: Forever and always will be Styx’s Come Sail Away.

Favorite movie?

Q: Skyfall. I always wanted to be James Bond when I was younger. Skyfall was seriously the best of Craig’s run.

Best first date idea?

Q: A walk through the city at night. Just taking in the quiet night and being with someone is probably the best way to get to know a person.

Romantic. Favorite color?

Q: Green.

So, you can see colors?

Q: As of recently yes, I can.

Such a shame. I mean congratulations of course, but I know there are probably a lot of people who will be a little disappointed by the news.

Q: I’m sure there will be. But I’m happy, and that’s all I can really share on the topic. It’s still a little new.

Of course. Wouldn’t want to scare you into the shadows so soon after you found a spotlight that compliments you so well.

Q: Thank you.

Is there anything else you want to share with the readers?

Q: Come see the show, not just for me, but for Walter who is an especially subtle antagonist, for Kara who is so sweet and brings a tragic joy to poor Ophelia. Come for everyone who helped make this show what it is. Come for yourself because you’ll never know you may discover in a theater. I sure as hell wasn’t expecting some of the revelations I’ve discovered on this tour.

Thank you

Hamlet runs to the end of the month in Central City’s Heritage Theater at 7:30pm with matinees on Saturdays at 2pm. -IW

~

“‘12 People Who Might Be Oliver Queen’s Soulmate,’” Barry read off his phone.

Oliver huffed as he listened while Kendra applied his make-up, clearly trying to hold back her laughs and focus on her job.

“‘Number 1: His current co-star, Kara Danvers is the most likely candidate. Oliver stated that he met his soulmate recently. Considering that they hadn’t met until they started rehearsals, it’s likely that was how they found that. Not to mention their chemistry on stage is indescribable.’”

“I think Lena would take offence to that,” Kendra interjected, “but they’ve been able to keep the secret for a while now.”

“Not to mention,” Oliver continued, “that Kara and I try really hard not to be seen in public without other cast members.”

“So definitely not Kara,” Barry joked, “Number 2-”

“If there’s anyone more ridiculous than Kara, then don’t read them,” Oliver interrupted.

Barry scrolled through the list, occasionally chuckling. Finally, he just closed the article and put his phone down.

“Oh my God,” Oliver moaned while Kendra and Barry just laughed. “Gossip writers need to get lives and more creativity.”

“There were creative choices,” Barry said. “They just kept getting more and more ridiculous.”

“Trust me, Oliver,” Kara walked in through the door and took the empty space on by Barry on the couch. “You don’t want to know who else was on that list.”

Barry and Kendra laugh again while Oliver just scowled at his reflection.

Kendra had him close his eyes. Oliver listened to Barry and Kara talk about some movie coming out. Barry had been coming every night while they were in Central City. Everyone in the cast and crew had fallen in love with him immediately (after they’d been sworn into secrecy), Even Cat had taken one look at him and given a cluck of approval then turned to give notes to one of the stage crew.

Oliver was so happy to have Barry here. Most of the time, the student would study and do homework while Oliver was on stage or changing. When there was a break, he and Oliver would just talk and hold hands or hug or kiss, or just find some way to be connected.

Tonight was the last night in Central City, and Oliver was already feeling separation anxiety. He’d tried researching, and had found a lot of articles, journals, and so much about soulmates, but everything he’d found on separation anxiety was still theoretical or really “needs more research done.” No one could know if the anxiety was a part of soulmate science or was just a mind trick based on the idea that “once you find your soulmate, you’ll never want to leave their side.” Researchers couldn’t decide if it was a biological consequence or just a mindset perpetuated by millennia of finding soulmate searching.

Barry had voiced concern earlier that day and they’d tried talking about it and coming up with solutions, but that hadn’t alleviated their concerns.

They were successful in distracting themselves by learning colors together. Oliver still stands by his opinion that green is his favorite, and Barry insists his favorite is red.

“All done,” Kendra announced, starting to clean up her materials. Oliver opened his eyes and smiled at the woman, thanking her.

Barry and Kara were deep in discussion about an actor’s portrayal of a character.

“He just didn’t have enough emotion driving him,” Kara complained. “Sure, it was in the script but he missed in his acting.”

“Fair, but I think he made up for it in the third act,” Barry countered.

“Barely,” Kara snorted.

The stage manager called ten minutes over the speaker system. Kara stood up to go change into costume, informing Barry that they were not finished. Barry just laughed and turned to his bag to pull a text book out.

Kendra left, and before Barry could open the book, Oliver put his hand on it and was kissing Barry.

Barry hummed contently before pulling away.

“Don’t you have to get ready?” Barry inquired.

“I wanted to be distracted,” Oliver offered and leaned in for another kiss. Barry pushed him away and pointed to the costume rack.

“Costume. Now.”

Oliver sighed but stood and quickly got changed. He sat by Barry and started running his fingers through the soft brown locks. Barry leaned into the touch but still studied the pages with ardent focus.

This had become a sort of a ritual over the last few days. Just being connected and relaxing. Oliver running through his lines in his mind and reminding himself of the meter and rhythm.

When the places call came, Barry pulled out of his textbook, and looked up at Oliver with a small smile. Oliver’s hand paused its ministrations to pull Barry closer. He connected their foreheads for a moment and just breathed together before connecting their lips quickly then standing to leave.

“Break legs, not your own,” Barry called diving back into his textbook.

“Don’t think too hard,” Oliver called back.

Oliver ran through his lines as he walked upstairs and stood backstage. He joined Walter and Donna and ran lines with them quietly while the first scene started.

Soon enough they were on stage, keeping pace and working together to make the spectacular show. The first half flew by and the curtain closed for intermission. Oliver made his way down to his dressing room to get everything prepared for the rest of the show.

Barry breezing through flash cards when Oliver entered, barely stopping acknowledge him. Kendra came in to make sure make up was still in place and fix any that wasn’t. Moments after she leaves, Barry seems to reach the end of his flashcards as he puts them away. Oliver sat down by him and Barry curled into his side.

“Finish everything?” Oliver asked.

“Almost, need to review lab notes from today, then it will all be done.”

Oliver hummed into Barry’s brown hair, before kissing the crown of his head. He was content here, but the anxiety still hovered in the back of his mind waiting to drown him in worry. But here, it stayed back, letting him enjoy being close to Barry.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Barry mumbled sleepily, turning his face into Oliver’s neck and kissing it.

“And you’re falling asleep,” Oliver teased, sliding his fingers along Barry’s side. Barry just curled away from the touch which meant closer to Oliver’s body.

“No, I’m not,” Barry argued, though not strongly.

Oliver just laughed softly, running his hand up and down Barry’s arm.

“Five minutes until the top of Act 2. Five minutes.”

Oliver smiled when Barry groaned. The lanky man pulled away from the actor and reached into his bag to pull his lab notes out. Oliver stood and stretched, jumped, and shook away the fog of complacency. He started muttering his lines, watching Barry pull his legs up under him onto the couch. Watching the tall man become so small just made Oliver smile and he stopped his exercises.

Barry looked up then and saw the smiling man. “What?” he questioned.

“You’re just so adorable,” Oliver answered leaning down and kissing the man.

“I am not adorable,” Barry asserted. “I’m impressive and intimidating.”

“Impressively adorable, and as intimidating as a puppy dog.”

Barry opened his mouth to argue, but was stopped when the call for places came. Oliver kissed him one more time before leaving the room.

“Break legs,” Barry called.

The rest of the play went by smoothly and the applause for the curtain call roared louder than a hurricane. The curtain closed and Oliver found himself buried in hugs from all sides. They still had weeks before the tour finished but the bittersweet feeling of leaving a city still permeated the air.

They made their way to the dressing rooms ready to celebrate at a bar down the street.

Oliver opened his dressing room door and found Barry curled on the couch, fast asleep. Smiling, Oliver changed quietly, hanging his costume and removing his makeup.

Finally dressed, he kneeled in front of Barry.

“Barry,” he breathed, then leaned forward to peck a kiss. “Barry, wake up,” again kissing the sleeping man. A few more calls and kisses finally roused the sleeping man awake.

“Oliver,” Barry slurred though his sleep.

“The show’s over, Bar,” Oliver whispered, watching the man blink slowly, gaining his wits.

“Really?” Barry asked, pushing himself up to sitting and rubbing his eyes. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“I can tell,” Oliver responded, placing his hands upon Barry’s knees. “When did you fall asleep?”

“I remember ‘Alas poor Yorick,” and then the rest is a blur.”

“Did you finish studying?” Oliver stood and started packing his bag and grabbing his jacket.

“I finished by the time you killed Polonius,” Barry answered, also gathering his things.

They followed the cast out the door but left them and walked to where Diggle waited with the car. They’d been cautious when leaving the theater ever since the article had been printed. Iris had insisted she could easily cut out the soulmate talk but Oliver told her to just keep Barry out of the interview and publish the reveal.

The soulmates held hands the for the short ride, while Diggle talked with Barry about their days.

When they pulled up to the curb, Barry turned to Oliver.

“I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch?” Oliver asked.

Barry nodded, looked disappointed at the thought.

“We’ll talk then,” Oliver promised.

Barry looked at him for a moment, before nodding and kissing Oliver.

“See you tomorrow,” he said. He pulled opened the door and quickly exited and walked up to the door. Oliver watched him until the man was out of sight.

“It’s going to be alright, man,” Diggle offered.

“I know,” Oliver replied. “That doesn’t make it any easier.”

~

Oliver met Barry at Jitters. Most of the cast was also there grabbing something to eat before they made the long trip to Blüdhaven.

When Barry sat across from Oliver, the actor grabbed the other’s hand immediately, soaking up the contact while he still could. Barry just smiled and turned his hand so they could intertwine their fingers.

“It’s going to be okay,” Barry whispered.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I won’t be able to touch you for nearly two months.”

“I know,” Barry comforted, “but we’ll get through this. We just found each other. Let’s keep finding each other.”

Oliver couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful man. How did he get so lucky in the soulmate department? How did he get have this amazing person for the rest of his life?

“I love you,” he said, raising their joined hands to kiss Barry’s knuckles.

“I love you too,” Barry said.

~

“You know I’ll be seeing you in thirty minutes, right?” Barry asked, standing in the foyer to the amazing Metropolis Theater Center. Everything about the building screamed expensive.

“Yeah, but I don’t know if I’ll be seeing you during the show,” Oliver complained. “Besides, you didn’t get the chance to call earlier and I wanted hear your voice before I went on.”

Barry couldn’t stop the blush rising up his cheeks. “How can you say cheesy things without a trace of irony?”

“Because I mean them, Bar,” Oliver replied, unimpressed. “I mean every word.”

“God, I love you,” Barry mumbled.

“Love you too,” Oliver chuckled.

“Gotta go,” Barry said. “Doors are opening. See you soon.

“Not soon enough,” Oliver replied, and with the flush deepening, Barry hung up the phone.

He made his way through the crowd as they surged into the huge and gorgeous theater. Barry still didn’t have all the words to describe the room even after studying colors for two months.

He was in the middle, more center than forward. He tripped over a guy trying to get to the empty seat next to him.

“Sorry,” Barry stumbled to standing and sitting down in his seat.

“It’s alright,” the man said. He had black hair styled back and wore large glasses thought the man was anything but nerdy. His suit fit snuggly around large muscles. The woman next to him was very pretty. The blue dress accented her skin tone and dark hair beautifully.

“You here alone?” the man asked.

“Technically,” Barry cautiously answered. “My soulmate is in the show.”

“Oh,” the man smiled. “Do you know Kara then?”

“Yeah, she’s great. How do you know her?”

“I’m her cousin,” the man answered, reaching his hand forward. Barry took it and shook it in greeting. “Clark Kent and this is my wife, Lois.”

“Lois?” Barry asked. “As in Lois Lane?”

“The very same,” Lois replied. “What’s your name?”

“Barry Allen,” he answered. “I loved your review of the show. Oliver and I spent hours raving about it.”

“Thank you,” Lois accepted the praise. She tilted her head to Clark, “This lug did help a little bit.”

“Oh please,” Clark rebutted, smiling at the woman. “I’ve never helped you write anything.”

Lois just laughed and Clark smiled at her like she was his world. Barry felt a slight pang of sadness. He wanted to see Oliver so badly. He wanted to laugh with him right beside him. He wanted to tease the actor and kiss him. He missed the man.

The three talked about their favorite parts of the show and talking about Kara and Oliver and the whole cast’s performance.

Not long after the lights dimmed and the show started.

Barry loved every minute of it. He was still shocked and awed by everything that happened. Oliver stood out among the amazing actors and the audience’s applause at the end was deafening.

Barry followed Clark and Lois out to the foyer to await the cast and join them at the closing night celebration.

When the cast started coming out, Barry started getting more anxious. Toes tapping, heels bouncing. He was ready to launch across room the moment Oliver appeared. He didn’t care if everyone saw, he just needed to hold his man.

Clark and Lois pushed forward when Kara came out. Barry followed them hoping that Oliver wouldn’t be too far behind. Kara hugged her cousin and Lois, then pulled Barry into a quick hug.

“I’ve missed you,” she said pulling away. “I could always tell when you’d called, because Oliver was all smiley for hours.”

Barry laughed. He could picture the smile she was talking about. Small and shy but genuine all the same.

The smile he saw when Oliver came out and caught Barry’s eye was that but tenfold. Barry brushed past the group and practically leapt into Oliver’s open arms. Talking on the phone and skyping had been fine, but holding, touching, kissing his soulmate was fulfilling in a way that he could never describe. He was home.

~

The party lasted well into the night, and the sense of relief and joy was palpable. Oliver and Barry were inseparable the entire night and no one dared try to separate them. Photographers did snap pictures and Barry was sure his face would be all over the internet in the morning, but in truth it didn’t matter. He’d gotten to know Oliver in a way people don’t normally do out of necessity, but that didn’t change how much he loved the man. So, he let the photographers flash and he just smiled and enjoyed the night.

The couple did leave a little early and walked down the street to the hotel. Barry praising Oliver’s performance, and Oliver recounting every time he’d seen Barry from on stage.

They slept so well that night, holding each other close and just being there in that moment. The morning brought lazy kisses, not-so-lazy activities in bed, and breakfast brought up, compliments of Cat Grant.

“She’s trying to butter me up,” Oliver said taking a bite of sausage. “She wants me to be in the summer show she’s directing.”

“What show?” Barry smothered his fifth pancake in maple syrup. Oliver made a face at the sea of the golden liquid nearly overflowing Barry’s plate. Fast metabolism does have its perks.

“Romeo and Juliet,” Oliver answered pointedly grabbing a few orange slices off the tray.

“Oh, you should definitely do it,” Barry said, half teasing but also half serious.

“But I wanted to spend the summer with you,” Oliver complained, holding a slice out for Barry who took it with his mouth and licked excess juice from Oliver’s fingers. “And you’re taking classes this summer, aren’t you?”

“Just two online classes,” Barry answered, cutting into his drenched pancake. “It wanted an easy summer, because next I’ll start my residency and there’s not really going to be summer after that. I could come with you on tour. Watch the show get put together, meet new people. Spend more time with you.”

He looked up and saw pure joy bursting from Oliver’s face. “Really?” the blond man asked.

“Really,” Barry assured.

Breakfast was forgotten in favor of more pleasurable activities after that.

[epitomy-of-venegance-blog]

Best Tv Shows All Time

'The Daily Show' 1996-Present

The fa-Ke information display that became mo-Re credible as opposed to news that is real. Comedy Central started The Everyday Show in 1996, but it hit its stride when Jon Stewart took over in 1999. The Everyday Present got more politically abrasive as the the headlines got worse. Stewart had the rage of a man who'd signed on in the conclusion of the Bill Clinton years, only to finish up with an America much more scary and more ugly for, as well as the anger showed. "It's a comic box lined with unhappiness," he informed Rolling Stone in 2006. While the franchise struggles on without him, Samantha Bee and Daily alumni John Oliver keep that hard-hitting spirit alive on their shows.

'The Office (U.K.)' 2001 03

Ricky Gervais created one of TV's most agonizing comic tyrants in David Brent – a bitter, awkward, pompous ball of vanities terrorizing his workers at a London paper company. He fidgets, fondles his tie, cracks awful jokes, plays guitar ("Free Love Freeway"!), invisible to anyone except the longsuffering office drones who need to put up with him. This mockumentary raised the cringe level of sitcoms everywhere, spawning the surprisingly fantastic U.S. version (also on this checklist) while paving the way for the glories of Parks & Re-Creation and Peepshow.

'Sesame Street' 1969-Present

No kiddie present has ever been as fiercely beloved as this urban utopian fantasy, emerge a brownstone neighborhood populated by a multi racial cast of smiling adults, a gigantic yellow chicken, a grouch in a garbage can, and z/n-loving vampires, plus many talking letters and figures. It's great songs, but most important, Sesame h-AS soul, which can be why the air h-AS stayed sweet for 40 years – or as the Count would say, 4-5! 46! 47 years!

'The Sopranos' 1999 2007

The crime saga that slice the the history of TV kicking off a golden age when abruptly something seemed possible. With all The Sopranos, David Chase smashed all the rules about just how much you could get away with on the little screen. And he created an immortal American antihero in James Gandolfini's Nj Mob boss, Tony Soprano over a crew of gangsters who double as damaged husbands and dads, men seeking to live using their murderous secrets and dark memories. As the late, great Gandolfini told Rolling Stone in 2001, "I noticed David Chase say one time that it is about people who lie to themselves, as we all do. Lying to ourselves on a daily basis as well as the mess it creates." What an inspiring mess it is. This particular poll was run away with by the Sopranos as the planet was altered by it. Chase showed how much story telling ambition tv could be brought to by you, and it didn't take long for everybody else to to go up to his problem. The breakthroughs of the next few years – The Wire, Mad Guys, Breaking Bad – could not have happened without The Sopranos kicking the door down. But Chase had a tough time convincing any community to take on a story of a guilt- while his mom plots to destroy him, gangster who goes to therapy. "We'd no idea this show would appeal to folks," he told Rolling Stone. "The show really unexpectedly made this type of splash that it screwed all of US up." The Sopranos stored heading having a wild mix of humor and blood shed for the long bomb over six masterful seasons on HBO. When FBI agents tell Uncle Junior which mobsters they want him to finger, he says using a shrug, "I want to fuck Angie Dickinson – let us see who gets lucky first." The Sopranos is full of damaged characters who linger on in the long term parking of our national imagination – Edie Falco's Carmela, Dominic Chianese's Junior, Michael Imperioli's Christopher, Tony Sirico's Paulie Walnuts. E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt became Tony's lieutenant Silvio – Chase spotted him on early Bruce Springsteen album addresses. (As Chase told Rolling Stone, "There was something about the E Street Band that looked the same as a crew.") It might not have been possible without Gandolfini's slow-burning intensity – he was the only actor who could deliver Tony's angst to life. But the writing, directing and acting went locations Television had never attained before. The Sopranos arguably hit its imaginative peak with all the well-known Pine Barrens episode, where Christopher and Paulie Walnuts wander away in the woods, realizing the gangster they tried to whack is still out there-in the darkness. They shiver in the cold. ("It is the the fuckin' Yukon out there!") They wait. And worry. The Sopranos never solved this mystery – for all we know, the Russian is nonetheless atlarge, however another key these guys can't shake off. In the streets, family loyalties flip, both on The Sopranos and a-T home. Beloved characters can get whacked at any given moment. It stored that perception of risk alive proper up to the ultimate seconds. And not quite a decade after it faded to black in a Jersey diner together with the juke-box playing "Do Not Cease Believin'," The Sopranos stays the standard all ambitious TV aspires to meet.

'Friday Night Lights' 200611

"Obvious eyes, total hearts, cannot drop" is the golden-rule in a dusty Texas town where everybody else lives and dies for the large college football team. But Friday Night Lights isn't truly about football s O much as family, perform, class, the bitter flavor of dashed goals, with Kyle Chandler as Coach Taylor, Connie Britton as wife Tami and Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins – the most most notable of the many vulnerable kids who go through the Panthers' locker room. Riggins' tale becomes particularly moving after his grid iron glory fades and genuine existence beats him down.

'Star Trek' 196669

The Starship Business took off using a five-year mission: "To explore unusual new worlds, to to locate new life and new civilizations," and it succeeded in making the most beloved of sci fi franchises, maybe not just inspiring numerous spin-offs but also codifying fan fiction as a creative art form. Gene Roddenberry's original sequence stays the the inspiration, with William Shatner's awesomely pulpy Capt. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy's logical Mr. Spock, Bones, Sulu, Uhura and Scotty. They make contact with strange and inexplicable lifeforms – Romulans, Gorns, Joan Collins. During its three years, Star Trek suffered from low ratings till NBC pulled the plug, but thanks to the most doggedly faithful of Television cults (re-member when "Trekkie" was an insult?), Roddenberry's vision lives long and prospers to this day.

'Mad Men' 200715

The American desire and how exactly to sell it – aside from Don Draper as well as the hustlers of Sterling Cooper, selling is the American dream. Mad Men became a sensation as soon as it appeared, partly due to the glam surface – a New York advert agency in the JFK period, all sex and money and liquor and cigarettes – but mostly as it was an audaciously adult drama which wasn't about cops or robbers (or medical practioners or lawyers), staking out new story-telling territory. Jon Hamm's womanizing ad man, Don, is a genius a-T shaping other people's goals and fantasies, but he can not e-Scape his own loneliness – he's a con-man who stole the identification of a lifeless Korean War officer and constructed a new life out of lies. "A good marketing individual is like an artist, channeling the lifestyle," creator Matthew Weiner told Rolling Stone. "They're supporting a mirror saying, 'This is the way you desire you were. That is the thing you're scared of.'" A room can be reduced by Don to tears although the content family memories he is attempting to sell are a fraud. There was nothing on TV as seductive as Mad Men before – and years later, there still isn't.

'Deadwood' 200406

Al Swearengen's moral philosophy: "you-can't cut the throat of every cock-sucker whose character it would improve." Spoken just like a Founding Father that is true. He is the villain of David Milch's epic Western set in the mud and slime of an 1870s South Dakota gold-mining c AMP. In the middle of it all (i.e., the saloon), Ian McShane's Al glowers, pours drinks, counts money and slices jugulars, in a frontier hell-hole total of prospectors, whores, drunks and dropped freaks looking for one last fatal battle to get in to (and often discovering it a T Al's place). It was like McCabe & Mrs. Miller with mo Re depressing sex scenes. The first two seasons are solid gold, the third, flimsier, but Deadwood is about how communities get built – and every one of the dirty work that requires.

Third Watch TV Show

'Cheers' 1982 93

You require a spot where everyone knows your title – even if it's just a dive bar in Boston full of regulars with no place else to go. Cheers started with a focus on the mismatched romantic banter between Ted Danson's washedup Red-Sox pitcher Sam and Shelley Long's up-tight book-worm Diane. ("Over my dead body!" "Hey, don't b-ring last evening in to this.") By attracting new blood like Kelsey Grammar, Kirstie Alley and Woody Harrelson, but it regularly renewed it self. Cheers was to the purpose where you could tune in to see which regulars would hang tonight.