#also that fucking moment in the 2x18 flashback

[gainesha]

BSG rewatch notes, cont'd and ended (spoilers, obviously):

it was so nice to watch the whole thing again, once again being reminded why I fell in love with these characters

the second half of Season 4 is much stronger overall as the first one, but the Tigh-Six baby plotline is awful. dumb and ludicrous. gave lots of fantastic acting moments for Hogan and Helfer, at least

Michael Nankin was the GOAT for directing Sometimes a Great Notion

I had loved the piano man story from Someone to Watch Over Me, so I was looking forward to rewatch that, but I completely forgot that the other main plot of the episode is going to be Boomer kidnapping Hera, and jfc, the locker room sequence with Helo and Boomer as Athena and Athena watching them is probably the most horrifying scene of the whole show, genuinely disturbing

I really like the finale. the flashback structure works very well for showing us how far all these characters came, and also crystallizing their story arcs, the stakes of their present-day choices. the last mission is intense and satisfying. the big showdown between Cavil and the Final Five / colonials and the Opera House reveal is a bit bumpy, but I still love the anticlimax of Cavil just saying ah fuck this shit. the ending always made emotional sense for me, and because the emotional farewell was the more important expectation for me (rather than getting a wholly satisfying mythology and precisely worked out plot machinery), and I feel good about the exodus part, too, I can more easily let go of my quibbles of explaining how the people of the fleet actually went along with throwing all their technology into the sun and going into the wild which would realistically mean quite a low life expectancy for them - like, I would not last outside modern civilization at all, but considering the rate with which we have been destroying our planet in the years since the show ended, their choice to have a clean slate is all the more wishful and heartfelt. (also a nice sentiment to forego colonizing the natives of Earth). Kara's "poof" is jarring, but I find her narrative arc complete and wonderful. I don't need to know exactly what she was after she returned from Earth-1. I even didn't mind the epilogue! like, the dancing robots would probably be AI if they remade the show today, but otherwise, the all of this has happened before... message of the show, with all its cheesy directness, still stands. except maybe it's more difficult to share HeadSix's optimistic prognosis

"You know, I know about farming" is the best line reading of the whole show

I wish we got at least one more Leoben-Kara scene after the one in Sometimes a Great Notion. that was a huge turning point in their relationship, but it should have been followed up, and I am sure it would have if not for the unavailability of Callum Keith Rennie. that is the only part of the show that feels incomplete.

I was ranking all the episodes for myself alongside the rewatch, so here's my bottom 5 and my top 10. I still need to rewatch The Plan, which in my memory is barely more than a glorified clipshow with some nice acting, so that could possibly be in the bottom five as well. and yes, that is a 7-parter in the second place, sue me.

Black Market (2x14)

The Woman King (3x14)

Hero (3x08)

Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down (1x09)

Deadlock (4x16)

10. The Passage (3x10) 9. Someone to Watch Over Me (4x17) 8. Downloaded (2x18) 7. Pegasus (2x10) 6. The Oath / Blood on the Scales (4x13-14) 5. 33 (1x01) 4. Scar (2x15) 3. Unfinished Business (3x09) - non-extended version 2. New Caprica arc: Lay Your Burdens Down 1-2., Occupation, Precipice, Exodus 1-2., Collaborators (2x19-3x05) 1. Maelstrom (3x17)

[kmze]

2x12 - 2x22 Alright I did something different this time, I put my thoughts down while watching (usually after I finished the episode) instead of doing it after I finished all the episodes. So I have way more thoughts this time lol, my short term memory was struggling before. All this is to say this is much longer than my last recap thoughts, also this is one of the best seasons of the show so it made the rewatch more enjoyable.

Poor Rose and very dumb on Damon’s part to leave Elena with her having absolutely no idea what the werewolf bite was going to do. The dream sequence he gives Rose is one of the best Damon scenes ever IMO. RIP Rose and that awful wig.

Elena told Damon to be the better man and the groan I let out... I wish you an eternity of misery Kevin Williamson!

I could not stop laughing at Stefan's brilliant idea of talking to Tyler involved him sneaking into his house and then slamming him against the wall LMFAO!! Genius idea Stefan that definitely made him want to help you and be friends, truly a mystery that you two never get along.

The Lexi flashbacks made me sad I was 100% with Stefan glaring at Damon like BTW you’re awful in case you forgot.

Is Alaric wearing eyeliner sometimes or am I seeing things?

The Damon/Andie scenes just make me so mad and uncomfortable, there's moral ambiguity that always exists in this show and then there's this disturbing storyline, fuck the writers.

Ok I admit Matt and Caroline have one good scene (though Caroline does the heavy lifting here) when she sings to him at the grill and they kissed. I clapped, a moment of weakness. Matt ruined the good feelings by the end of the episode though so balance has been restored.

Unintentional Intentional Foreshadowing? At the 60s dance Stefan and Elena are dancing and then Caroline and Matt come in. Stefan leaves Elena to go dance with Caroline and spins Elena into Damon’s arms. While this is happening the song playing is Last Kiss, which is a song about a guy who lost his girl in a car crash. I don't think it was intentional but if I were the writers I would totally take credit and say it was.

I'm sure this is part of the Delener manifesto (which I will never read) but the line "I don't mind being a bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions, while you're busy worrying about collateral damage" had me like DAMNNNNNN. Maybe I don't give Damon enough credit because that was a pretty great summarization of why Stefan eventually lets Elena die in 3x22 by "respecting her choices".

I am so tired of the suicide missions this season, choose life!

At least Caroline chooses life! This is when I really started seeing how Caroline is climbing up in the narrative and especially how her love life is gaining more depth and importance. The porch and door scenes in particular because lovers and potential lovers on the porch was something Elena got in S1. For Caroline the doorway represents her heart. We got Tyler inside while Matt is outside in 2x10 because that's when she was helping Tyler and started falling for him, meanwhile she broke up with Matt to protect him. Then Tyler fucks up and he gets the door slammed in his face. Stefan says he can come in if she wants him to in 2x13 but she's not ready to let Stefan in yet, and he realizes that so he brings back-up. Then you've got Matt back inside her heart but really her Mom put him there to spy on her. I really like the shot of Matt at the door looking at Liz in 2x18 before the dance.

IMO most of this season Elena has a relationship with both brothers; she has a physical one with Stefan and an emotional one with Damon and she does that so they are both all about her. And I think this current version of the triangle was the only way she could have both. Because Stefan doesn't care that Damon is also in love with Elena because it means he'll protect Elena (re: quote above) and he'll be in Stefan's life which is all he ever wanted. And Damon because he's so obsessed and consumed by Elena will stay there pining and flirting and acting out when he feels ignored because Stefan will be there to "clean up it up." Everyone wins in a very fucked up way. The problem is she couldn't keep Damon at just an "hopelessly pining" distance and once Elena chose Damon, Stefan wasn't interested in being the one in an emotional relationship.

Klaus knowing all the Mystic Falls gossip already lol.

Tyler saying who’s Klaus my poor boy I wish you never found out. Really loved the Tyler and Caroline scenes the last few episodes (I mean the heart eyes he gives her in the tomb *melts*), they'll always hold a place in my heart.

I'm sorry Liz but you were a terrible sheriff, my god. In fact MFPD is up there with GCPD as the most inept police department in all of fiction. How the hell could they not take down one vampire who was weakened by werewolf venom?

The Stefan and Elena goodbye in 2x20 was so heartbreaking damn, they absolutely have moments where I totally ship them and that's one of them.

2x21 is the best episode of this half and overall the storytelling in this season is really solid. Everything with the sacrifice ritual was well done and even though I knew exactly what was going to happen I was intrigued the whole time, the best was Bonnie coming in with the wind and the fire and the magic. I feel like the show often has a problem where one half of a season will be good than the other meh, this season was solid throughout. Loved the twist that the sun and moon curse was made up.

Some of the acting choices Joseph makes while Klaus is watching Stefan drink the blood bags are… sir I see you and I appreciate you.

Lines that made me laugh:

Damon: Don't mistake the fact that we haven't set you on fire in your sleep for trust. (this made me laugh so hard I had to pause LMFAO his jabs at her were so good)

Caroline: Everyone just needs to stop kissing me! (a classic! Caroline's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard)

Not a line but Alaric having to write “The dagger will kill you…” on a piece of paper and then their mad faces was hilarious! They are just so dumb.

[haomnyangz]

gab’s neverending 2022 shadowhunters renaissance gifs: never forget how tall dark and handsome bewitched mike from glee 

[stormyoceansmain]

An incomplete list of things that hurt more after Buck Begins:

-Maddie freaking out post-embolism because “if this happened while you were alone you could have died”

-the whole Red episode/ Buck talking about everyone leaving him behind

-Abby and Ali leaving

-OKAY WHEN WE MEET BUCK! He steals the truck to have sex which is obviously not professional BUT after they hook up? He asks for her number? And she says no? And he does his whole chest-puff/ “we’re living in a golden age” thing BUT!!! I feel like this was Buck still looking for someone who loves him enough to stay and being used to people just wanting him for his body (something something they just had me for parts)

-Buck and kids! He knows how he wanted to be loved as a kid, and he’s determined to give that to every child he encounters and BUCK! AND! KIDS!

-Buck talking about what a good dad Eddie is! Because he never got that!

-every time Buck puts himself at risk to save someone, because being hurt was the only way for him to feel like his parents cared

-the lawsuit arc

-every time Buck has talked about how being a firefighter is the only thing he’s done that’s worthwhile

-buck being fired in the pilot

There’s a billion more I’m forgetting but! I had to share at least some of my pain

MORGAN THIS WAS SO UNNECESSARYGFJKSGDKSGDJSG

honestly i can't stop thinking about how way back in 1x02 buck said 'im sure they're just turned on by the uniform, i don't know if they would feel that way if they saw me out of it', and then how in 2x18 he said 'being a firefighter is my life, it is the only thing i have ever done that was important and that mattered', and how in 3x06 he said 'i guess it's like the uniform is my costume, i put it on and suddenly im brave, and im strong, i make a difference. feels like without it im not much of anything', and now in 4x05 how he said to maddie in one of the flashbacks 'mom and dad think im a total loser, and im not. im gonna be something', AND I LITERALLY!!!!!!!!!! FUCKING WISH THERE WAS ONE OF THOSE RAGE ROOMS AROUND HERE WHERE I COULD JUST GO SCREAM AND BREAK SOMETHING

i also wish i could write anything somewhat coherent about buck and how so many things about him make so much sense now and how he is growing and how grateful i am that he has the 118 now, but if i think too much about all of it IM GONNA START WAILING

though im glad im not the only one who thinks that buck saying 'we're living in a golden age' in the pilot was just another way for him to hide how he really feels, and if you think about it the whole 'having casual meaningless sex with a lot of women' he was doing before abby and that he slipped back into for a moment in season 2, it's really like.. buck looking for any kind of connection with someone and thinking 'better to be wanted for my body than not be wanted at all'..... AND NOW IM GONNA GO BACK TO THE WAILING

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

Okay I have to talk about this scene for a moment because it just makes me want to pull at my hair nonstop:

Firstly, Buck's expressions kill me. Oliver does an amazing job but holy shit, you can see the sadness at being left behind again. Whoever keeps trying to say that Oliver can't act, you're really missing each facet of his performance inside this character. He nails it every single time and this scene, even from the first season, is no different. This isn't Buck who is sad, this is Evan. And the reason I know that besides the expressions is Buck's responses: "I'm excited for you. Almost as much as I am, um, sad for me." "I'm gonna miss you, too." - they're said in a way that's him obviously trying to tell her what he thinks she wants to hear, that he's trying to do what he thinks is the right thing and be happy for her, be supportive, even though it's hurting him to do so. And we saw similar responses in this scene:

"Um, I'm sorry about Daniel. I can't imagine what that must have felt like to not be able to save someone you love." "Well, I still wish I could have done more."

Tbf, he is Buck most of this scene (and even asserts himself as such) but when Phillip says that they never blamed him and it was never his fault, we see Evan slightly but still mostly Buck:

and then when Margaret reaches out to him to tell him that he was born to save someone and that's what he does every day and they're proud of him, Evan comes out fully, not quite sure what to make of this and being slightly vulnerable:

Maddie always gives Buck affectionate touches (like they made sure to show us in 4x04) whether that be hugs, pinky promises, hand on the knee as she crouches down to talk to him (like in 2x18), that kind of thing. We never really saw that from Margaret at all. In the flashback, when Evan was hurt from the bike, she stayed back, also being shocked by seeing the bike was Daniel's. She clapped his leg after delivering him cereal after the skateboard incident. In the two episodes we saw Margaret, she never reached out to touch Buck at all. No hug, no touch on the arm or shoulder, no handshake even. Only Phillip reached out to Buck to clap him on the arm when they first saw each other in 4x04, a very father son type greeting (if there aren't any hugs). Maddie has been the one to give him all of the motherly touches all of these years. So when Margaret does this, it brings Evan completely to the surface and he's unsure, not really sure if he can trust it. Which is why the shot of Maddie holding onto Buck in the ending scene after giving him her equivalent of memories in a baby box I think is such a beautiful contrast. Evan knows who has really given him the love his parents should have been giving him all along:

But back to the Abby scene above. It makes me want to chomp on bricks for a few reasons:

1) "You've been so amazing and these last few months, I think you've gotten me at least halfway to the person I want to be."' -> how is this line not a fuck you to Buck? If you need to find yourself, fine, do it. Do what you gotta do. But don't you dare say something like that. It only makes you sound like you used him. Look, I was all for Abby and Buck (before Eddie showed up) but when she said that line and then did what she did, yeah not so much Team Abby anymore to be honest. Like the man is in love with you, is more invested in the relationship than you are (which is completely obvious), a dating relationship you pursued, and you say that as your goodbye when you're leaving without ending things between you? Knowing he's going to be waiting for you? Nope. Fuck you very much.

2) I find it very interesting that Abby got upset with the ghosted girls and in the very same scene Buck is apologizing to her and explaining the mix-up, she's getting ready to ghost him. And then does. (we knew Connie was leaving after the end of season 1, but damn that was cruel to do Buck, Tim)

3) While I understand Abby wants to find herself and needs some space, girl, you're in a relationship and you're planning on leaving for a few months. So, #1, did you not think to maybe invite him for a week to go with you and then he could come back and have your space? Or at least give him the option even if he couldn't go due to work or whatever? #2, alright, if you wanted to go solo, that's totally fine, but did you think to discuss it with him first? Not that you need his permission, you're a grown woman and you do you, but did you ever think to discuss the state of your relationship before you decided to jet off, bought your ticket, and started packing your bags? This is why I keep saying Abby absolutely knew she wasn't coming back, not to Buck anyway. Personally, I think she was waiting him out (while doing her own thing), thinking he would eventually get sick of waiting and move on, and she was trying to avoid the uncomfortable conversation. Shitty. Thing. To. Do.

And this is why Evan deserves so much better.

I mean, can you imagine Taylor or Eddie or even Maddie thanking Buck for getting them halfway to the person they want to be after everything? I just...I kind of wish Eddie or Maddie or Athena or Hen or Bobby or even Taylor had been able to have a word with Abby before she skipped town again.

[stahlop]

Once Upon a Time 2x19 “Lacey” Review

Reviews 1x01 1x02 1x03 1x04 1x05 1x06 1x07 1x08 1x09 1x10 1x11 1x12 1x13 1x14 1x15 1x16 1x17 1x18 1x19 1x20 1x21 1x22 2x01 2x02 2x03 2x04 2x05 2x06 2x07 2x08 2x09 2x10 2x11 2x12 2x13 2x14 2x15 2x16 2x17 2x18

Ok, so, I’m now remembering why I felt season two wasn’t so great originally. Greg and Tamara. I love both the actors (I mean, Ethan Embry as Greg was brilliant in Empire Records and Sonequa Martin-Green as Tamara I loved on The Walking Dead (RIP Sasha). But now that Cora is gone I feel like the rest of this season is almost being tacked on unless something big is about to happen. Both Regina and Gold are struggling between being good and evil, neither of whom are trying to be good for themselves but for other people. We also got another fairy tale character in a flashback who I hope becomes more significant in the future.

Summary: Belle ‘regains’ her memories as a barfly named, Lacey, and Gold tries to win her heart. Regina discovers that Neal is Henry’s father and suspects that Emma is hiding something from her. In the EF, Robin Hood tries to steal a wand from Rumplestiltskin and gets tortured for his actions, but Belle frees him, despite what consequences it may bring.

Opening: Robin Hood shooting an arrow.

New Characters:

Robin Hood: I know we technically don’t find out his name until almost the end of the episode, but it’s pretty obvious from the moment we meet him who he is, so let’s not pretend we don’t know who he is. He breaks into Rumplestiltskin’s castle to steal a wand. First off, he’s cocky as hell if he thinks he can break into the Dark One’s castle without him finding out. True that it’s the middle of the night, but Robin Hood has got some balls. He’s also dumb as hell if he thinks an arrow to the chest will kill him. Did he not do any research about Rumplestiltskin and the fact that he’s immortal? Robin seems very surprised that the arrow from his magic bow that can hit any target didn’t kill Rumplestiltskin. I’m very surprised that Rumplestiltskin decides to torture Robin instead of kill him right on the spot. Gaston came to fight for Belle and Rumplestiltskin turned him into a rose which killed him right on the spot, yet Robin is just getting tortured (ok, it’s still bad, but killing him outright would have seemed the more obvious choice)? Belle goes in to rescue him. He’s strung up by his wrists, and for the amount of blood Rumplestiltskin had on him (and the apparently other aprons that needed washed), Robin has very little blood on him. I expected him to be disemboweled or cut to shreds at least. Robin is afraid that Belle will get punished for letting him out, but Belle won’t leave because she’s afraid of going back on her deal with him. Robin is waiting for a Marian who is sick. He heals her with the wand he stole, and she’s pregnant. They run off when Rumplestiltskin fires an arrow at them but ‘misses’. I’m assuming we’re going to see Robin and Marian again and that’s why Robin didn’t die in this episode.

Sheriff of Nottingham/Keith: In the EF he seems to be a drunk (as evidenced from him having a hard time getting off his horse and his flask). He’s delighted that Rumplestiltskin has a beef with Robin Hood, but he also knows that Rumplestiltskin likes to make deals, so he has one for him. Idiot. Don’t go making deals with him when you don’t have to. He tries to get Belle for the night, but Rumplestiltskin says she’s not for sale. He attempts an hour, then twenty minutes. You’re not doing much to help your cause here Nottingham. Rumplestiltskin pretends to think about it, but then steals Nottingham’s tongue and tells him he tells him what he wants to know and he’ll get his tongue back. Nottingham agrees. We learn that Robin Hood ruined Nottingham, stole his woman, and made him the laughing stock of Nottingham (and this is where we learn he’s the Sheriff of Nottingham, also, I’m thinking making him a laughing stock wasn’t very hard). He also tells us that the thief is in Sherwood Forest. And if you still aren’t sure who our thief is, he tells us his name is Robin Hood.

I don’t think we ever get Nottingham’s SB name, but the credits list him as Keith, so that will be easier than calling him Nottingham here as well. We first see Keith hitting on Lacey in the bar and he is an A number one creep. He tells her he’s had his eye on her for a while. Now that we know that he wanted to make a deal for her back in the EF, this is even more creepy. She blows him off pretty quickly though. But apparently she kept in touch with him or got his number because she leaves her date with Gold to go make out with him behind Granny’s. Ew. When Gold grabs him off of Lacey he snivels that he didn’t know she was here with Gold and runs off. Keith later goes to apologize again to Gold, because he didn’t realize they were still together. Gold informs him that they aren’t together, so Keith assumes everything is okay between them then, and tries to shake Gold’s hand. Of course, this is when Gold decides that he’s tired of doing the right thing and takes Keith’s tongue again so no one can hear him scream while he beats the crap out of him.

Character Observations:

Belle/Lacey: We are back to right after Belle is taken to Rumplestiltskin’s castle after agreeing to be his maid in Skin Deep. It might be one or two days after she went to work for him, and the chipped cup scene should have happened at some point here, because she was still in her gold dress, and Rumplestiltskin gave her the list of what she had to do in the castle. She is crying because he’s locked her in a dungeon. Rumplestiltskin complains about the noise and gives her a pillow. Belle thinks she can finally sleep because she’ll be more comfortable, but he really gave it to her to muffle her crying.  Then Robin Hood breaks in and is captured and tortured by Rumplestiltskin. Belle is horrified at what Rumplestiltskin is doing, especially because all he tried to steal is a wand. Rumplestiltskin says the thief tried to steal from him. And you get skinned alive if you steal from the Dark One. Belle says no one knows that. Rumplestiltskin says they will now and leaves. Really, no one knows that bad things would happen if you steal from the Dark One? I’d think that was just common knowledge. So Rumplestiltskin leaves and Belle takes the opportunity to free Robin. He wants her to come with him, but she made a deal with Rumplestiltskin and won’t go back on it. She’s putting her kingdom before herself. She’s not afraid that Rumplestiltskin will kill her for freeing the prisoner? She’s known him for about two days at this point. Belle is reading a book when Rumplestiltskin goes to torture Robin Hood again and finds him missing. Belle admits to letting him go because she doesn’t think he deserves to die. Rumplestiltskin tells her she reads too many books (where’s the lie?). She talks about seeing the good in him and he only wanted to escape with his life, but Rumplestiltskin shows her the empty wand holder. Belle, always thinking the best, says he must have needed the wand for something. Rumplestiltskin says that people who steal magic never have good intentions. Belle still doesn’t like that answer so she counters with you never know what’s in a person’s heart until you get to know them. Rumplestiltskin is going to find Robin, kill him with his own bow, make Belle watch, and make her clean it up. Belle finally looks frightened. In the carriage to find Robin Hood, Rumplestiltskin is worried because he’s losing track of the thief, Belle suggests giving up and going home, but Rumplestiltskin can’t let him get away because of his reputation. Belle thinks letting people know he’s not such a beast is a good thing. She asks him why he didn’t kill her for letting the prisoner go. He claims it’s because good help is hard to find. She tries to convince him that he’s a good man underneath and not so dark and yada yada yada, all the things we always hear her say about him and he’s never going to change Belle! Honestly, I wonder if Emilie DeRavin just stopped looking at her scripts because she just says the same thing in every single episode. Ugh! There’s a difference between finding the man behind the beast and just being a fucking psychopath who likes power and killing people. But I digress. Eventually she agrees that he’s dark, because Rumplestiltskin won’t even give her an inch about being a better person. They come across the Sheriff of Nottingham who wants a night with Belle in exchange for information. Belle looks shocked but doesn’t seem worried that Rumplestiltskin will sell her for information. Walking in the forest, Belle tells Rumplestiltskin she won’t stand by and watch him kill a man. Rumplestiltskin reminds her that’s the whole point of him bringing her with him. They find Robin and he’s healing a woman who is sick with the wand. Belle is truly happy that he didn’t use it for power or evil, and that she was right about not knowing what’s in someone’s heart. Rumplestiltskin pushes Belle into the ground so she can’t get away? I’m not sure why he does this, because it doesn’t stop Belle from continuing to talk or from seeing that the woman is pregnant. Belle doesn’t think he’s the type of man to leave a child fatherless. Oh plot contrivance, just the one thing that will make Rumplestiltskin not kill Robin Hood. He fires a warning shot instead. Belle asks what happened and he claims to have missed, but she knows she got to him because any arrow fired from that bow always hits its target.  Belle’s delivery of the line about the bow is the best. It’s the only time I’ve seen her be sarcastic. Be more sarcastic Belle. She hugs him for sparing Robin’s life. When they return to the castle, Rumplestiltskin shows Belle the library. He claims it’s just another room for her to clean, but she sees through his facade. She tells him he’s not who she thought he was, and she’s glad.

We don’t really know much about Belle’s Lacey persona. We know she is the complete opposite of Belle. She’s loud, a flirt, and boasts a wardrobe similar to cursed Ruby’s. She likes her alcohol and she’s an expert pool player. She also likes hair bands (as evidenced by her knowledge of Van Halen). She agrees to go out on a date with Gold, but apparently she only does it to be nice, and had hoped that he was a little more like the rumors about him (that he wasn’t a good guy). She doesn’t even feel bad that she caught him making out with Nottingham while they were on a date together. But she’s much more into him once she catches him beating the crap out of Nottingham. They go through the same dialogue they went through as Belle, where he’s not who he thought she was, but she’s glad. And he tells her he is darker.

Rumplestiltskin/Gold: So Rumplestiltskin is pretty much an ass through most of this episode. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but he’s just taken in Belle and he’s already annoyed with her crying and she’s already having to clean up blood soaked aprons. He leaves the castle in the middle of torturing Robin Hood for some reason, and when he gets back, Belle has freed the prisoner. Now, from what we’ve seen of Rumplestiltskin in the past, this is not usually his MO. Usually he just kills the person forthright. So why the show? Is it so Belle knows exactly who she is dealing with? Or does he really want to send a message through Robin? I honestly doubt that anyone would steal from Rumplestiltskin without a good reason. Belle makes it seem like no one knows what he would do if someone stole from him, but considering he’s the DARK ONE, I think they’d get the picture. So Rumplestiltskin decides to hunt down Robin Hood, kill him with his own bow, and make Belle watch since she’s the reason he escaped. Belle keeps trying to wear him down the whole trip, talking about how there’s good in him and he can change, but Rumplestiltskin has been evil for so long that he’s not buying what she’s selling. I’m honestly surprised he didn’t pull out her tongue just to shut her up and I don’t feel that he has any particular feelings for her at this point. He honestly just wants the company. At least he was smart enough not to make a deal with Nottingham for Belle. When they finally do catch up with Robin Hood, Belle convinces him not to kill him because his wife is pregnant, and he couldn’t leave a father childless. Oh look, it’s the one thing that will make Rumplestiltskin have feelings. He shoots the arrow and ‘misses’. Belle is surprised when he decides not to go after Robin Hood, but Rumplestiltskin decides he’s not worth the effort. Belle sarcastically reminds him about the bow but Rumplestiltskin pushes it off as the bow losing his magic and suddenly Belle is right there in his space and he’s a little lovestruck. Belle hugs him and he seems really confused. Probably also that he’s not used to human contact, it’s been awhile since Cora. And as Belle turns away he looks at her with this school boy longing, as if he can’t quite believe what just happened. Belle asks if he’s coming and he gives a shy little smile while picking up his quiver and it would be so cute if it wasn’t Rumplestiltskin and we didn’t already know he’s an asshole and he’s never going to change. Rumplestiltskin ends up showing Belle the library. She thinks it’s a sweet gesture, he tells her that it’s just another room to clean. She takes his hand, he’s shocked by the touching again, and she tells him that she was wrong about him. No, she really wasn’t. He still tortured a man just that morning!

Gold, on the other hand, is having feelings of guilt. He has a dream that it’s Henry’s birthday and he essentially kills him in front of his family because of the prophecy. He startles awake about that. Gold is watching Neal and Henry pretend sword fight at the park. Regina comes by and wonders why Gold’s son is playing with Henry. Gold gleefully informs her that Neal is Henry’s father. Regina thinks Gold planned this, but Gold chalks it up to fate. Regina plays on his fears by telling Gold that none of them will accept him as a doting grandfather. Gold thinks he can do it, but Regina reminds him that darkness always wins out for him. If his own son couldn’t bring out the good in him, who will? And that would be Belle, but Belle still doesn’t know who she is yet. He goes to visit her in the hospital. She’s surprised to see him because the last time they spoke in The Miller’s Daughter he was about to die. She’s glad he’s okay though. She’s finally come to terms that they may have been together in the past. Gold is happy that she’s accepted that. She tells him she remembers him healing her, and it sounds like he’s going to pass it off as meds and what not, but he does tell her it will make sense when her memories come back. Belle wants Gold to help her regain her memories. He agrees as long as she helps him bring out the best in him again. He goes to get her discharged. By the time he comes back, Belle is gone and there is just a matchbook for The Rabbit Hole left behind. He heads to the bar and finds Belle there, except she is no longer Belle, she now thinks her name is Lacey, and she’s essentially a barfly. Gold is very confused as to how Belle turned into Lacey. He goes to see Regina who he accuses of giving Belle false memories, but Regina reminds him that she crossed the town line, so she just jump started Belle’s cursed memories. Regina mocks Gold by saying he won’t kill her to get real Belle’s memories, because he’s on his best behavior for his son. They discuss true love’s kiss as a way to break Belle’s cursed memories, but Regina doesn’t think Lacey will go for Gold. Regina is incredibly calm through this whole exchange, while Gold is getting more and more enraged. So Gold does something that no one expected, he goes to David for help. He wants to know how under the curse David Nolan won Mary Margaret’s heart. David doesn’t want to help because of the whole Gold getting Mary Margaret to help kill Cora thing. But Gold reminds them it was basically a kill or be killed situation. Gold is fine with David not helping, but he let’s David know he’ll owe him a favor if he helps him win Belle/Lacey. David tells Gold that there was still a sliver of Snow and Charming inside their cursed personas, so Gold needs to remind Lacey of the man she fell in love with. Gold goes back to The Rabbit Hole with David as his wingman (the whole situation is hilarious) to try and woo Lacey. He immediately tries to go after Keith for flirting with Lacey, but David stops him. He goes to talk to Lacey but she starts talking about Van Halen and Gold has no idea what to do. He complains to David that they have nothing in common but David tells him he just needs to find a way in. He asks her out and she mentions that she’s heard rumors about him. People are scared of him, he tells her not to let that deter her. They make a date for Granny’s. On the date, Gold is extremely nervous. He orders burgers and iced tea for both of them (Belle’s favorites), but Lacey would rather have chicken parmesan and a bottle of wine. She thinks Gold is a classy guy despite everything she’s heard about him (being ruthless and sometimes people get hurt). Gold says he’s a simple shop owner and procurer of hard to find objects. He says people believe the worst in him but he wants her to believe the best in him. Lacey says she doesn’t see the man that the rumors depict. Gold takes that as a compliment. Lacey says the line about not knowing what’s truly in someone’s heart and Gold gets so flustered that he spills his iced tea on her. She goes to clean herself up and Gold’s practically patting himself on the back. The food arrives and Lacey still isn’t back. Gold catches her making out with Keith behind the diner. Lacey pretty much tells him that she only went out with him to be nice, but she’s not nice, Gold is nice (ha!). Gold tries to get things back on track by saying that’s what she always loved about him, and Lacey gets pissed off because she is not Belle. Gold finally realizes that he can’t get Belle back. Gold runs into Keith again, who apologizes, but Gold’s done. He has no one to be good for anymore (um, are we not even trying to redeem ourselves for Neal anymore?), so he starts beating the crap out of Keith. Lacey sees this and is enthralled. She likes the bad side of Gold, the one everyone talks about. She wants to date this Gold, and Gold is just happy to be with someone who looks like Belle, but lets his dark side out to play. Because that’s not creepy or anything.

Emma: She is shown the bean fields by her parents and doesn’t know if she wants to go back to the Enchanted Forest with everyone. Mary Margaret apparently has changed her mind and wants to go so she can put the whole Cora debacle behind her. Also, I love the whole exchange between Anton and Emma, that they’re actual friends. I’d forgotten that she didn’t even know he was in town because she was in New York. Emma realizes that David and Mary Margaret didn’t tell her about the beans because they want to go back. They tell her they want her and Henry to come too, but Emma insists that this realm is her home. David tells her it’s been nothing but cruel to her and she could get her happy ending in the EF. Emma’s not so sure. Emma’s at the docks looking at the storybook when Regina interrupts her. She’s upset that Emma didn’t tell her about Gold being Henry’s grandfather. Emma reminds her that she was too busy trying to keep Regina and Cora from killing her whole family. Regina continues to insult Neal and Emma until Emma tells her to stop worrying about everyone else and start focusing on being the person Henry wants her to be before he’s gone for good. Regina wants to know what Emma means by that. Emma tries to play it off as just a figure of speech and that there’s not a scheme out to get Regina, but she doesn’t believe her. Emma is not a good liar at all. Later on Neal brings a sleeping Henry home. She asks Neal if he ever considered going back to the EF. He’s not interested. Emma and Neal discuss who Storybrooke might not be safe from since August doesn’t remember anything as Pinocchio. Neal tells her she’ll figure it out because she doesn’t stop until she finds what she’s looking for.

Regina: She’s all about doling out the insults to Gold and feeling sorry for herself in this episode. She’s shocked and angered to find out Neal is Henry’s father. She insists that Gold had to know as he procured Henry for her. She doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence. Gold informs her that it’s just fate. Regina’s probably just thinking that now she has another rival for her affections for Henry. Regina tells Gold they’ll never accept him because he covets darkness over everything else. Gold tells Regina she doesn’t know him. She knows him well enough. She ends with the scathing insult that if he couldn’t change for his son, who will he change for. Hey pot, meet kettle. Regina goes to visit Belle. I have no idea why she does this, just to mess with Gold apparently. Because she knows Belle is the only person who can make Gold a better person? Whatever. She picks up a matchbook off the floor and tells Belle she must have dropped it. It causes Belle to get somewhat hypnotized and ‘regain’ her memories. Gold confronts Regina in her office about Belle’s memories. Regina tries to blame it on him since he gave her the curse in the first place, she just jogged the cursed memories out. Gold wants her to fix it, but she can’t because she crossed the town line. Regina mocks him about not killing her because Neal is in town. She continues to mock him about ways to win Lacey over. She is overly calm in this scene whereas Gold keeps getting angrier and angrier. She wishes him luck as he storms out. Regina confronts Emma about Neal being Henry’s father and Emma not telling her. Emma reminds her that she and Cora were trying to kill her family. So I see we’re back to selfish Regina and it’s all about her again. She’s upset about Neal still being in town. Emma says he wants to spend time with Henry. Regina says neither Emma nor Neal wanted to be with Henry the first 10 years of his life. Again, Regina seems to have no compunction about the fact that because of her curse, Emma had no choice but to give up Henry because of how she’d been raised. But sure, let’s just blame Emma and Neal for their circumstances. Emma makes a comment about Regina becoming the person Henry wants her to be before it’s too late. Regina realizes this might mean something, despite Emma blowing it off and trying to placate Regina. She vows to figure it out. Regina later notices the Charming’s bringing all the dwarves back from somewhere and uses magic to find the bean fields. She has a mix of anger and joy on her face when she finds them and realizes what they are.

Tamara/Greg: Greg has made a map of all the places he’s seen magic in SB (do they not realize the whole town is magic?). Tamara asks Greg if he’s had any luck with finding his dad. Greg says no, but he’s sure he’s in town somewhere. He asks Tamara about the package. She says it was too big so it’s just outside the town line. They’ll get it at night. That night Tamara pulls into town with a moving trailer hitched to a car. They finally reveal that the package is a person, and oh look, there’s Hook, foiled again. How many times has he been bested now? Maybe I should keep a running list.

Questions:

Why is Belle still in the hospital? Could her father not bring her home while she was recovering? Or couldn’t someone just bring her to her apartment behind the library that she’s been living in?

Why is Belle always in full makeup? Did she bring her makeup kit over with her to be Rumplestiltskin’s maid? 

How does Robin Hood not know the Dark One is immortal?

What is up with Emma and Mary Margaret’s matching hats? That hat seems way out of character for Emma.

They were able to grow a whole vineyard of beans from one clipping? Do we just have amazing soil in this realm considering it’s been maybe a week since they got back from New York and the beans are almost ready?

Why are Tamara and Greg referring to Hook as the package when they are alone? Do they think someone is listening in on them?

Where did Belle get a book from when she didn’t know about the library yet? Did she bring her own books with her? I’m pretty sure she didn’t get to bring anything with her.

How did Belle not notice the wand was missing? She was sitting right next to it!

Where did Lacey get her ‘Lacey’ clothes? They wouldn’t have been in Belle’s wardrobe. Does Lacey have an apartment somewhere that was waiting for her if Regina had ever freed her during the curse?

What is up with Rumplestiltskin’s accent in this episode? It is all over the place.

Why is Regina still mayor? Wasn’t she asked to leave during Lady of the Lake? Did she just resume office again when she was being evil with her mother?

Where did the Lacey persona come from? Lacey didn’t exist during the curse. Belle didn’t have any memories of anything during the curse except being in the mental ward. So was her cursed persona just waiting to be activated like David’s in The Shepherd just in case Regina decided to let her go free?

Why does Gold say for the first time ever he’ll owe David a favor? Does he mean for the first time ever he’ll specifically owe David a favor? Because in Welcome to Storybrooke he did Mary Margaret a favor for saving his life, so it’s not the first time he owes anyone a favor. The wording of it just sounds off.

Since when does Granny’s table have tablecloths? Is this the night dining decor for dates? Do a lot of people come out for dates to Granny’s? Are there no other restaurants in town?

When did Lacey contact Keith? Did she randomly run into him at Granny’s when she was in the restroom, or was she running off and just ran into him outside?

Who does Lacey think Belle is? Does she realize that she was Belle and she just thinks her real memories came back? Or does she think Belle is someone else entirely? Shouldn’t she be a little more freaked out that everyone thinks she’s someone named Belle and she can’t remember that part of her life?

Neal mentions that Pinocchio is cooler than August because he steals less of his money. Did he tell Emma that August stole the $20,000 that was meant for her?

How was Tamara planning on getting the moving trailer inside the town if August was supposed to have left town with her car in Selfless, Brave, and True? And is Greg’s car fixed now?  It was in pretty bad shape after his accident.

Did Hook never have to pee or eat or drink water in the back of that moving trailer. That’s been there for at least two days since Tamara arrived in town.

Observations:

There are 11 candles on Henry’s birthday cake in Gold’s dream, even though Henry is already 11 and he’d be 12 on his next birthday.

Poor Belle, she’s always in a dungeon of some kind. In this episode that is where Rumplestiltskin has her, she was in Regina’s dungeon for years, and then she was in the basement during the entire curse.

The wand that Robin steals is the same wand in Gold’s dream that Henry picks out. It is also the same wand that he stole from Cinderella’s fairy godmother in The Price of Gold.

The bow that Robin Hood has, that always hits its target, is the same bow that Rumplestiltskin gives Snow in Heart of Darkness to go kill the Evil Queen.

Regina triggers Lacey’s memories the same way she triggered David’s in The Shepherd.

Lacey is playing pool with Mr. Clarke, the only other townsperson who has reverted back to their cursed persona.

I counted at least 3 times that the word beast was used to describe Rumplestiltskin: Rumple uses it when he gives Belle the pillow, Belle uses it when talking to Robin Hood, and she uses it again when Rumple questions what people would think of him if he let Robin Hood go.

Don Juan was nothing before he made a deal with Rumplestiltskin.

Emma is looking at a picture of her parents when they were pregnant with her in her nursery in the storybook.

Timeline Issues:

The wand that Robin Hood steals from Rumplestiltskin is the same wand that he killed Cinderella’s fairy godmother for in The Price of Gold, except that doesn’t happen until around the same time as Snow and Charming’s courtship. Snow and Charming are already married when they attend Cinderella’s wedding and we know she and Snow are also pregnant around the same time because in Storybrooke, Ashley was ready to pop out her baby. But we also know that after Belle left Rumplestiltskin’s castle, she was held captive for at least 2 ½ years because of the markings on the wall that we saw in Queen of Hearts. So I have to assume that he procured the wand, Robin Hood stole it,  Robin gave it back to the fairies, and then Rumplestiltskin killed the fairy godmother to get it back. Otherwise, it makes no sense why he had the wand at this point in time before he killed the fairy godmother.

So, Gold goes to get Belle discharged from the hospital. Regina comes in and ‘triggers’ Belle’s memories. By the time Gold comes back, Belle is gone. He picks up the matchbook and decides to go see if she’s there. So, let’s say this whole thing takes an hour from Gold going to get Belle discharged (because seriously, how long could it really take?) to Gold going to The Rabbit Hole to look for her. In that time, she’s managed to a) find clothes, b) find money to buy (several) drinks, c) introduce herself and get friendly with the bartender enough so that he recognizes her from Gold’s description, and d) has already started hustling Mr. Clarke at pool.

All in all, not a huge fan of this episode. Though I am glad to see Hook back. But having to take orders from Greg and Tamara seems beneath even him. So Gold is dark again because Belle is the only one who can make him good, even though Neal is there and probably willing to have a relationship if he’s seen his father change. What was the point of the curse if Gold was going to give up on Neal so easily?! And Regina has reverted to her backhanded comments. She was definitely more season one Regina than we’ve seen all season. Lacey doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. She’s just an excuse for Gold to be who he’s always been without the guilt. Hopefully, a cure will be found soon, although, will Gold want it is the question. And will somebody please tell me what Greg and Tamara are up too? So far all they’re doing is annoying me and I want them off my screen.

Please leave comments and reblog! Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future reviews.

@searchingwardrobes​ @thisonesatellite​ @justbecauseyoubelievesomething​ @laschatzi​ @profdanglaisstuff​ @mariakov81​​ @lfh1226-linda​

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 2X18 - Selfless, Brave, and True

Hey, reader! And WOOD-n’t you know, August is here too!!!!

So while we’re all here together, let’s talk about this episode! Under the cut we go!

Press Release While Mary Margaret goes off on her own in an attempt to come to grips with what she did to Cora and how her deed has affected her, she stumbles upon August, who has hidden himself away from the others and is completely made of wood – ashamed at the actions he has taken in life; and Emma is shocked when Neal invites his fiancée, Tamara, to come to Storybrooke. Meanwhile, before the curse was cast, August is introduced to a man of magic who may be able to prevent him from turning back into wood – but at a steep price. General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness This is one of those episodes where the events of it are good, but can’t really be picked apart and discussed in specific segments like I usually do (Besides, the “Insights” make up for it this time! XD ). I like both of the stories and their use of character. I’m admittedly a sucker for episodes where a character makes a decision in one part and then ends up on the opposite side of the proverbial equation in the other, and this one was done pretty well! It’s a simple type of character development, but it honestly gets the job done. August is built to be just selfish enough for the episode’s purposes, but his fear of dying was an appropriate choice as to make his cowardice and selfishness never take him over the line of detestability. Additionally, while I take issue with one aspect of it, I think August’s redemption works well through his sacrifice as death was something he feared so much and was capitalized on well enough in the flashback, and his reward is well deserved. In both segments, Tamara works as a twist character and while I get tired sometimes of those overly mysterious characters who dodge most every question like a banana peel in Smash Bros, I think they did a good job in making The Dragon likable enough. If I had to complain about something, I just feel like the twist that makes August change his mind about leaving should’ve been more character based and closer to the theme of being selfless, brave, and true. As it is, it’s just seeing a photograph, and that’s not really all that revolutionary to someone who was content enough to run away earlier despite knowing what Tamara could do. It exposes nothing about his morality. What I would’ve done is have Tamara also take the string from the Dragon. It would’ve tied (GET IT?! TIED XD ) back to who August was and his father. Insights - Stream of Consciousness -Phuket? More like “fuck it.” Aren’t I right August, ya beach bum? XD -”I’m turning into wood.” Given your previous position, I guess the wood that goes around comes around! ;) -David, you sure that snowbells are the best flowers to give Snow to cheer her up? Because she literally just buried her friend with them a few days ago. Maybe you oughta go with tulips or a nice rose, perhaps? -Also, David! You look hoooooot in that shirt! Fuck the sausage and eggs! I’d be content enough with that big slab of meat you call a bicep! ;) -Ooh! I love that bit of indirect tough love advice Emma gives David on Snow’s behalf! It’s a nice callback to their friendship! And it works! AND Snow relays that advice to August later on! -”None of it will matter?” I’m with Snow, David. Shit’s not that easy. -”Please. Give me time.” There might be some in that breakfast he cooked. Just saying. -”She should be here at any minute now.” Neal, give Emma some notice! A text, at least! -”This town is turning into a theme park.” I’m about 1,000,000% sure no one who runs a Disney park is reading my cute little web reviews, but if you are, PLEASE make Storybrooke a theme park or even just a street in Disney World (And then get me free tickets as a thank you for the idea!) -I can NEVER hear Jennifer say “where I’m/you’re from” again without thinking about that fucking blooper! XD -”She’s bringing bagels.” To be honest, I’d be sold here too. New York bagels are objectively the best and I pity every one of you who has never had one. You poor souls! -Mary Margaret: Keeper of the best coping mechanism EVER since 2013 (?) -*August shows up* I’ve heard of Woodsman in this series, but this is ridiculous! -*August fucking stabs himself with a scalpel and is chased* What the fuck did you expect to happen?! -*August gets pulled into the supply closet* August was ready to throw down! And look at his hands. Is that cultural appropriation or did he actually learn how to fight in Phuket? -August is so well sanded! Either Gepetto didn’t get paid NEARLY enough or August did some grooming! -August ships SwanFire! Who knew? ...Besides everyone who paid more attention than me during the original airing of the episode, that is? XD -Tamara brought the fucking goods! Your revealed villainy aside, you’re a fucking champ! No wonder I liked you! -Awww! Henry let Neal keep the book! <3 -Btw, WHERE THE FUCK IS RUMPLE? Unghh. One thing I wish we had more of this season was more Papa Fire moments. I mean, the guy just got his son back AND avoided death. I feel like he should be knocking on Neal’s door every day to talk to him and his absence at this point is really noticeable. I know we see them together in the next episode, but it’s not enough. Yes, Neal still holds a lot of resentment, but in the last scene they were together, they had a moment of kindness and Rumple’s the type to jump on that like a toddler on a trampoline! -Tamara, I know you’re acting, but you’re giving a 10 and you need to pull that back to a 6. Hell, precisely BECAUSE you’re acting, you should pull it back just a touch! -”I have a soft spot for little kids in trouble.” Awwww! </3 -”If I were you, I’d try the fish -- blackened soul.” That was a fucking good one liner! -Damn, Tamara! Give you some ominous music and a glare and suddenly, out goes the cuddly and in goes the scary! -Dragon, don’t dodge the question! Goddd, don’t be one of those annoying types of mysterious characters!! -”Because what he was is what he is.” Blue! THIS is why everyone thinks you’re shady! -Tamara. Do not pull out the giant envelope of cash in public, and then LEAVE it out! Look, I love August, but he’s about as shady as the underside of the branches he was carved out of! -”For someone who spent his entire life running, you should be in better shape.” XD Great quip, Dragon! -”Are you two trying to steal the magic from Storybrooke?” How did you reach that conclusion? I mean, I get that Tamara’s shadier right now than weeping willow by the equator at high noon, but there’s a jump in logic here that I’m missing. Like, as far as you know, she likes magic. She cured her cancer with it! It makes sense when August finds out the truth, but it would only work when he discovers it. -Regina, who the hockey sticks do you think you’re fooling by playing dumb?! -”Mary Margaret. What are you doing? He’s apologizing.” Emma, he literally just told your mother that the thing she’s spent so much time blaming herself for (Possibly from the moment you were born) was orchestrated by him. She’s allowed to be angry. I feel like both you and I would have a harsher reaction if we were in her shoes! -”That wasn’t me.” Jesus, people! YOU ARE ALLOWED TO BE ANGRY! YOUR LACK OF ANGER IS MAKING ME ANGRY! I mean, I get that Snow knows she would’ve done the same thing, but she didn’t. Marco did, and that condemnation for it was well warranted. -I DO like how responsible Marco’s being for his actions and the effect that it had on August. That was SO needed! -OMG! THE TASER!!! XD -Damn, I wish we saw what The Dragon’s real form was. -Tamara, you’re a sneaky little asshole, but damnit you have a nice car. -The CGI for this episode must’ve eaten the budget like a kid eats a happy meal. -How the fuck did the Blue Fairy get there so quickly! Hell, maybe you ARE shady! -I actually like that we see that selfish side of Neal in the last flashback. It shows both how the world has changed him AND how the Stiltskin’ cowardice curse has left some bits in him as well. -Tamara! I’m supposed to hate you! Stop being so snuggly! -”I promise I will never lie to you again.” ...I’m sorry, Emma. I’ve gotta do it. *deep breath* Suuuuuuuuuuure, Emma. -”It had started to blacken because of what I did.” ...I guess I’m supposed to believe that she redeemed herself after the Maleficent stuff. -”But it [redemption] cost him [August] everything.” Yeahhh...no. He seriously went from what was probably a pretty miserable life to a fresh start. -I kind of wish Greg and Tamara ended up being recurring villains. We’d get the villain ship I always wanted and they could be curb stomped all the time! XD Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing? Tamara - Tamara’s shown up! I actually love her first episode as a villain. Yeah, the taser is corny, but if that puts you over the top, then I have to ask just what show you’re watching! But onto the character herself, she’s incredibly intelligent with how she deals with people. Within ten seconds of seeing Neal, she knows how to play him like a fiddle and her time with August in the present shows the insight she’s gained about him in their one encounter. Hell, she sort of won the day, and all without using a hint of magic! Emma lying to Henry - Finally! This arc is over! I gotta say, this was a hard (Albeit well done) arc to watch. It’s never easy seeing your favorite character get antagonized, no matter how justly. That having been said, as there was no reference to the lie before Emma brought it up right before the final apology, I can’t help but wish that it was either brought up once more in this episode or done in the last episode where it had more thematic prominence. Favorite Dynamic Snow and Emma. As I pointed out in my “Insights,” Emma’s motivational speech to David and heard indirectly by Snow is the thing that bounces her back to life and that sentiment carries Snow throughout the rest of the episode. It’s such a small moment but it speaks so well of the bond that the two of them have built up over the seasons. I like the way that Emma inspires Snow, of ony for how funny it is to see her listen to “My Reputation” while shooting arrows for stress relief. And suddenly, the toaster scene makes so much sense... Writer Kalinda Vazquez and Robert Hull are here for their swan song of the season (Try saying THAT five times fast!) and they both do a pretty decent job here. The dialogue, story, and character choices fit well, and while there were some aspects I wish were handled better, they did an amicable job. Rating 8/10. Once again, I don’t find that there was a lot to say about this episode, but it was quite a good one! It was an entertaining watch with a nice new setting for the flashback, and characters that fit together to convey a great story! I found it to be pretty funny at times and it got me excited about what’s to come! And can you really ask for more out of an episode? ...Well, yeah, but it’s good enough! XD ()()()()()()()()() Thank you so much for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales. Sorry this wasn’t a super long or in-depth review, but I can only work with what I’m given. Anyway, if it’s not too much trouble before you go, I’d like to ask you for a little help! A couple of days ago, it was announced that the finale won’t be broken up for the final week of the Season 2 posts, and I want to know if you want me to do two separate reviews, or one mega-ultra-super-chocolatey-magical-sugar-spice-and-everything-nice review! It will be a LONG review, but if you think that these two episodes beLONG together, please let me know so I’ll know what to do when the time comes! You can leave a reply here or send me an ask or send me your thoughts by carrier pigeon. Really, it’s all good!

Next time...whoo. My cotton shirt is making me soooo hot! I’m going to change into something...lacey. ;)

See you all then.

Season 2 Tally (157/220) Writer Tally for Season 2: Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (39/60) Jane Espenson (35/50) Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (31/50) David Goodman (24/30)* Robert Hull (24/30)* Christine Boylan (17/30) Kalinda Vazquez (28/30)* Daniel Thomsen (18/20)* * Indicates that their work for the season is complete Operation Rewatch Archives

[tinysluttywizardwaist]

whats your favourite flash back scene from 2x18

Uuuugh, they were just all so good! I mean come on, themmaking out and the cat-eye revelation? That was brilliant acting and goodwriting, great music, light EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT! And the morning after scenewas also great, i especially loved it that Matt & Harry had improvised thebeginng, man they love their characters so much, it’s great.

But my favorite will be the flashback to the season 1episode. I love it so much. I love Matt’s acting, he recreates season 1 Alec perfectly.But the best part is also the reason why i fucking love the Malec relationship.Magnus letting his guard down and kinda wants to deepen their relationship, sohe does what any normal human would do when you want to get to know someonebetter, he asks Alec to stay for breakfast. I mean, a really innocent thing buti guess for Magnus it’s kinda huge because he wants to open up his heart but hestill is kinda wary (i guess, well i would be!) and Alec is like: uuhm nope anddoing his strong hand gesture „wah wah wah and when you let anyone know wah wahwah“ going into full agressive mode and THEN oh my god… and this was sobrilliant by Harry… Magnus is like: relax i didn’t mean it like this honey (iread somewhere that Magnus reputation among the warlocks was on the line tooand he was right to adress it but no i don’t believe Magnus for a second this atruthful statement, because come on he Magnus fucking Bane, what would he careif Warlocks would gossip behind this back), so he immediately pulls his wardsback up and this is such a great little dance between those two that resolvesin Magnus letting his guards again down a little by saying it’s somehting inthe air and also Alec is letting his guard down a little by almost smiling. Andi know in season 3 they get way more domestic and probably don’t have thosemoments again but i hope we sometimes see something like this!

[samcarter34]

Victims of Narrative: Mikael

There’s nothing to drum up motivation quite like avoiding schoolwork, so I’m doing another one. This time on the Original daddy: Mikael

Mikael; a villain, but not an antagonist.

 To start with, let’s talk about his backstory. The Mikael who kicks children and whips people half to death? A complete fabrication by TO that in no way reflects TVD.

 “But Nik was not born a killer – none of us were! You did this to us when you turned us into vampires! You destroyed our family. Not him.” – Rebekah TVD 3x09 Homecoming

 “My family was quite close, but Klaus and my father did not get along too well.” – Elijah TVD 2x18 Klaus

 The emphasis here being that it’s all wrapped up in them becoming vampires. Klaus’ fall, Mikael ruining their family all of it. Before, they were all content, a whole loving family. Yes, Klaus and Mikael had troubles, there will be people whose personalities don’t mesh.

 Now, is this to say that Mikael was actually an all loving father and Klaus is just a lying liar who lies? No (well, at least not in this specific instance), as I said, Mikael is a villain; a harsh man from a harsh time. His children loved him, but they also feared him, and that’s generally not something indicative of a father of the year award nominee. But the man who Elijah confessed he should have killed a thousand years ago, the man Rebekah tried to kill in his sleep, the man who hated Klaus just because (WE WILL GET TO THAT) didn’t come about until TO.

 So then, who is Mikael? We first see him as a mysterious figure whose presence scares Klaus into running, both in the flashback to the 1920s, and in modern day. The first real glimpse of him we get is in Ordinary People, when he grows angry at Klaus and Elijah’s play-fighting. This angers him, as he believes that combat should be taken seriously. When confronted, Elijah backs down; Klaus tries to defend it, and gets a swordfight in response. It goes on until Esther, who at first permits it, tells Mikael that he’s ‘made his point’ and to stop. Which he does.

 Mikael is a Viking, and though Plec and co. erroneously assume that Viking refers to the entirety of Norse culture, the fact that he is one means he’s a warrior. He was the guy that went out and fought and pillaged. Which informs a great deal about his worldview. How to treat combat, and how to respond to threats.

 Which in turn leads to his pride, dubbed by Rebekah to be his greatest weakness. Mikael ran once, when his eldest died, because a disease has no form you can fight, there’s no enemy to be beaten, but still it pained him to do it. And so, when Henrik dies, he decides he won’t run again. The werewolves are a physical opponent, they can be beaten, but suppose another child gets sick? Or another enemy comes, one who is beyond Mikael’s ability to fight. He’s been unable to protect two of children, has had to outlive two of his children, and he will not permit another. And so he and Esther come up with a plan. One to make it so that their family can’t lose anyone else; make them immortal. No more running, now they fight.

 Until everything went to hell, culminating in the revelation of Klaus’ true parentage, the casting of the hybrid curse, and Klaus murdering Esther in a fit of rage.

 And so Mikael lost basically everything, his son murdered his wife, and his other children believed that Mikael was responsible. And so he spent the next thousand years hunting. Seeking to avenge his wife, and to kill his son.

 And really, that was what he dedicated himself towards.  TO pretty much erases all of it in order to say that it was the fact that Klaus was a hybrid and not biologically his son that spurred him to hunt down his children -and it was all his children on TO- but that ignores a whole lot, as shown here:

 This scene is incredible, for starters, because it alone manages to give more depth to Mikael than an entire season of TO did. Mikael loves Rebekah, he loves all his children, and Klaus was his only target. In TO, Mikael seems incapable of anything but hatred. The show forgets that pride -not rage- was his defining trait, the pride that prevented him from apologizing to Rebekah, of acknowledging that no matter how justified he felt, he still caused harm to her. In TO, Mikael hates Klaus, hates hybrids, werewolves, vampires, his children, his wife. The only person he doesn’t hate is Freya, who’s a frigging retcon character.

 Speaking of retcons, on TO it’s repeatedly stated that Mikael burned down cities in his hunt for his children, hell we see him burn down an entire opera theatre. Remember this quote from Homecoming: “I had a hand in creating vampires, but bloodlust was never my intention. Over the centuries I learned to feed from the predator, not the innocent?” The bloodlust, described by Rebekah as being the darkest consequence of what they were because it drove them to kill, and Mikael trains himself to overcome it because he doesn’t want to kill innocent people. At least not needlessly, he is a vampire, an Original, he definitely has the will to kill, but a guy who spent god knows how long training himself to feed on vampires, a guy who refused human blood after being dessicated for a decade, destroys cities willy-nilly for the hell of it? That’s not even getting into the fact that TO shows him multiple times willingly feeding on living people. Again, this is the guy who refused human blood after going without any blood for a decade.

 Oh, and going back to Klaus:

Notice Klaus calls Mikael father in this scene. On TO, when Klaus did that in a flashback during 1x15 Le Grand Guignol, Mikael mocked him for it, derided him for “still clinging to that word.” On TVD? Nothing. Because Klaus is Mikael’s son. The narrative irony, that the child Mikael got along with the least would come to be the one most like him. After all, Klaus wants to be the biggest, baddest, strongest guy out there, and growing up, who was that if not Mikael?

 Mikael was a villain, but not an antagonist, his role in the story was an ‘enemy of my enemy’ type with the MFG. They both wanted Klaus dead. This narrative role allowed for a bit of nuance. Mikael and Klaus were mirrors of each other, and both had their own twisted senses of honour and love. And yes, I do fully believe that Mikael loved Klaus. In their meeting, he doesn’t deride Klaus’ biological parentage, he doesn’t insult him for calling Mikael his father, he chastises him for his “impulse” and calls out the fact that between compulsion, sirebonds and daggers, there isn’t a single person who’s loyal to Klaus who is so willingly.

 The entire meeting is of two family members calling each other out on their failings: Klaus calling out that Mikael always underestimated him, never gave Klaus’ own strength the respect it deserves, embodied through attempting to call Mikael’s bluff. But Mikael wasn’t bluffing, and as far as Mikael and Klaus were aware in that moment, Mikael killed Elena and Klaus’ access to more hybrids. And then Mikael dies, killed by his son, whose strength he never acknowledged. Is it really any wonder that the only response to this is cry, however briefly?

 Mikael’s relationship with Klaus was a focal point for his character, and TO’s complete derailment of it, therefore, had a huge impact on the character. On TVD, Klaus was a villain and an antagonist, but on TO he’s the protagonist (ostensibly anyway, in reality, the deuteragonist to Hayley’s protagonist), and Mikael the antagonist. Now there are two different ways that this could have gone.

 1)   Recognize the incredibly complex relationship between these two and build on it in order to help cement the relative moral nature of a show focused on the oldest serial murderers in the world

2)   Say ‘fuck relative morality and nuance’ and make the antagonist as evil as possible so that by comparison the guy you had choke a pregnant woman for trying have an abortion seem like a good guy

 Three guesses which option the show went with. First two don’t count. Yes, they eschewed any complexity by making Mikael out to be a sadistic psychopath who tried multiple times to murder Klaus BEFORE he ripped out Esther’s heart and blamed it on Mikael. Oh wait sorry, ~choked her to death~ and blamed it on Mikael. As opposed to the intense regret he felt upon seeing Rebekah on TVD, on TO Mikael shows nothing but anger when meeting Elijah, even when he’s ostensibly saying he’s proud of him. On TO, he can’t mention Klaus without saying the word bastard, on TVD it’s never uttered.  On TVD he explicitly states that Klaus is the only one he ever wanted dead, on TO he plans to help Finncent kill them all. On TVD, avenging Esther was what spurred him forward, on TO, upon meeting he screams at her and tries to hit her. Hell, their entire relationship is reduced to a Stockholm syndrome-fuelled abusive horror show.

 And it all culminates in that scene. Klaus has the white oak pointed at Mikael’s heart and asks ‘why?’ Why was he a kid kicking, Klaus whipping, no-good-awful-abusive-piece-of-shit? Why, for Klaus’ entire life did Mikael hate him?

   “I don’t know, I just did.”

 A character’s motivation: why they do what they do. Why they feel what they feel. It’s fundamental to them. Without that, a character could be replaced with an object. They stop being a character and become a macguffin. And TO cares so little for Mikael, the man who created vampires on their vampire show, that they didn’t even bother to give a motivation as to why he was an abusive ass. They retconned him into a complete psychopathic monster because they didn’t have the necessary skill to make us care about Klaus despite the fact that he’s a monster, so why not make Mikael irredeemably horrible because abuse survivor=relatable right? This despite the fact that Klaus was still an abuse survivor on TVD, and they still managed to make him likable without relying on the image of him being kicked as a child.

 On TO, Mikael could have been replaced with literal cancer and the result would have been the same. A source of pain and agony in Klaus’ past that made him feel weak, and he never wishes to re-experience. They didn’t just take away nuance and complexity from him, they took away the most basic aspects. The closest thing to characterization Mikael has on TO is his relationship with Freya, who is a retconned in character from the same season Mikael came back in. The ‘I love you/I hate you/I want you to die/please acknowledge me’ relationship with Klaus built up from TVD goes nowhere. There’s never any further expression of regret from when he met Rebekah again. Hell, the shadow he ostensibly cast over the Originals’ existence is kind of called into question when they can stay in one place for nearly three hundred years, openly referring to themselves as the Mikaelsons the entire time. Everything Mikael was on TVD was stripped away in favour of ‘stock antagonist’ such that his only real points of note are his fighting capability, which is nice to watch but doesn’t make a character, and his relationship with Freya, which isn’t part of the character that got people invested.

[bi-leigh-bi]

2x18 is filled with so much love between Magnus and Alec that I can’t handle it. Like that moment when Magnus shows his cat eyes is so pure and beautiful, and even the break up is so much about love that it was the first time in my entire life when I cried over fictional characters.

All of this, so much.

2x18 is really THE malec episode. Even more so than 1x12 which was given that title. Now I love 1x12, but still…

Not only did that episode take the time to correct the nonsense of 2x7, it also dove even farther back, to 1x6. It showed us the scene we’ve all been discussing, imagining, writing fic about since Alec walked into the Institute the next morning and said “I slept at Magnus’” to Isabelle.

It showed us the kind of pain both Alec and Magnus were in due to their fight. It showed that siding with the Seelie Queen was not an easy decision for Magnus, but a very painful one. It showed us that even when fighting its Alec’s instinct to seek out Magnus. For help. For comfort. For support. That episode really showed, in both the flashbacks and the present storyline, how much these two men love and trust and care for each other.

It was beautiful and it was heartbreaking.

The cat eyes moment was… that really hit me, that they Did That™. Had Magnus lose control, not when upset or angry, but because being touched by this man was too much. Too good. And to have Alec not even hesitate to touch him, to hold his face, and tell him flat out that his eyes are beautiful. To tell Magnus that heis beautiful. Like that’s almost too much. That’s legit the good kinda fic trope being executed to perfection.

That episode was practically a love letter to malec. And it’s my favorite episode so far.

Honestly, after that episode anyone who thinks Alec is in love with anyone other than Magnus is legit watching a totally different show. The fact that people try to claim Alec and/or Magnus was indifferent to the breakup… watching a totally different show. Those men are so fucking in love with each other and are both such good men, and make each other so much better… like I’m gonna go cry about this now. Fuck.

[anthony-kate]

What are your favourite moments in Sh?

Oh wow, that is a really hard question in general but also... I mostly remember all the Malec scenes since I mostly re-watched them for giffing purposes. I need to re-watch s1 and s2 again at one point. So yeah, sorry for so much Malec. Okay, I am not sorry but you know... lol

I am trying to keep this “short” even though there are a lot of other scenes I like and love but if I am naming them all, this would have no end so....

first the eye-squinting and then the proud smirk when Magnus calls Alec “pretty boy”

the shoot of Alec “hunting” in the backyard in 1x05 because fuck, that is so aesthetically pleasing although awful to color, I love it so much

the Lightwood siblings hug at the end of 1x10 because a) Lightwood siblings feels and b) beautiful shoot again

“I do you pro bono.” ICONIC I really missed these kinda light, sassy moments in s2, I hope they’ll make a return in s3. (Also Magnus mimicking that older Clave guy. ICONIC #2)

“Enough!” and the wedding kiss. Goodbye, y’all.

Magnus and Alec talking in the hallway in the end, two adults having a mature conversation is what I live for; same goes for 2x05

“Get off my docks!” + “It’s not about Clary!” --> badass alpha Luke is what I am here for

a disaster to color but the whole balcony scene in 2x01 (Magnus throwing a magic ball in Alec’s directions... ajsjashjahs)

the parabatai oath (when I thought they would finally go and fix that bond from there on....)

Magnus hustling Alec.... PRICELESS (Magnus pouted once and Alec is like... oh, shit. lmao)

bamf!Magnus (I am on the floor!) and figuring shit out in like 0.02 seconds while single-handedly saving 2x08

Malec forehead touch after saying the L-word 

2x13 in general because that ep is SO GOOD (minus the panning away from the Malec kiss tho.....)

Mr Lightwood / Mr Bane and Raphael teasing Magnus once again at the Cabinet meeting because he is “totally unbiased” lmao

Meliorn’s “They all look the same to me.” akjssakj ICONIC

Magnus telling Alec about his past, minus the panning away or like oops, there is the pillar again 

two petty boyfriends in 2x17, there faces and Alec hushing Magnus... I can’t lmao

2x18!!!! (flashback to 1x06, giggly boyfriends having their first time, cat eyes reveal, Magnus touching Alec’s cheek, the whole goodbye for now scene in general because fuck... SO BEAUTIFUL)

Magnus pretending he didn’t see Alec in 2x20, looool

battle!couple Malec, nuff said

“I don’t think I can live without you.”

[pameluke]

Ever since I reblogged this beautiful gifset by @madzie-bane I’ve been awash by feelings. I can't stop thinking about his conversation with Ragnor and how it pertains to 2x18.

I’ve always really loved that moment in S1 with Ragnor’s ghost/essence/magical residue/memory. It’s never really clear if that Ragnor is an actual ghost, or a magical essence memory similar to Harry Potters Paintings, or simply a figment of Magnus’ imagination saying what Magnus thought what Ragnor would say at that moment. Or what he wanted to say. 

And though I know you won't believe me, someday someone will come along who will tear down those walls you've built around your heart. And when that love comes back to you, you must do everything in your power to fight for it.

What is clear is that Magnus takes his advice to heart, and even believes enough in it to act on it and crash the wedding. And the thing is, Magnus, while occasionally a dreamer, is also a realist: he knows they’re not in love yet. No, he fights for the possibility of love, for the mere chance at it. Because he hopes, despite everything he’s been through and experienced, that Alec might be that someone who tears down his walls.

I’m forever amazed that Magnus did that, because it could have very well turned out completely different, and it was so fucking brave.

So Magnus thought the mere chance at love was worth fighting for. 

And then we have 2x18, with the ultimatum of the Seelie Queen hanging over his head, after their big fight about the Soul Sword. Magnus thinks back on all these moments, and they’re all about how Alec slowly but surely broke down Magnus’ walls.

It starts with the moment from S1, where Magnus tells Alec he has an open heart. (I love that moment so much, I think I have a whole other meta in me about how Magnus seems open and available but is actually very guarded, while Alec seems closed off but is actually very ready to love, and ARGH, an open heart, kill me now. Anyway)

I think this is the moment where Magnus’ attraction to Alec because he’s hot changes into attraction because Alec seems different. A closeted Shadowhunter who doesn’t hesitate to share his energy with a warlock to rescue a werewolf he doesn’t like... that’s pretty much unseen. This is where Alec becomes someone worth chasing, and where Magnus’ wall truly starts crumbling.

And while the season goes on, Alec keeps steadily chucking away at Magnus’ walls, with his stubborn insistence to be deemed a couple by his family, by his unbridled love and acceptance for everything Magnus is, warlock marks and ugly history included. With his pillow talk about Magnus’ fears and his little gifts of protection charms and his heartfelt conviction that Magnus well-being is now his responsibility. 

You can see Magnus’ walls go further down through the flashbacks... And you can see him building them back up through the episode, and it’s fucking heartbreaking.

Because, as Alec said, Magnus has lived through centuries of war, in which his people have suffered unjustly for centuries, and this is the first time he’s offered the opportunity to change that. Especially because at the same time, the Clave has done nothing but prove that they’re incapable at controlling their own and living up their side of the Accords.

I really think Magnus thought of Ragnor’s words throughout this, that he realized that he’d finally found someone who loved him heart and soul and was able to bring down his walls. Someone who loved him and who he loved in return.

Alec is worth fighting for, but his people are even more so, so Magnus walls himself up again and tells Alec goodbye. 

And it’s fucking heartbreaking.

[sapphicalexaandra]

okay it’s time to write my finale Opinions™, i think it’ll be long and full of Unpopularity™ but i need to say it

i’ll say that overall it was a nice episode, nicely paced, with a lot good scenes:

what i LOVED

clary, she was awesome! the entire middle part, with jace’s death, her versus valentine then bringing jace back, has to be the most well done part of the episode! all the kudos to kat, she kicked ass and truly gave an heartbreaking performance

MY SUPER ULTRA MEGA FAVORITE PART IS, OF COURSE, ALEC’S REACTION TO JACE’S DEATH THOUGH. MAN, THE FEELS. my expectations were on the ground even though i knew it would happen, so the fact that they put FLASHBACKS in, higlighting all alec’s best most precious memories of jace, truly surprised me in the best way!!! that they would give it so much care and focus even if only for a short while??? i legit teared up. and the reaction was exactly like i had imagined it to be, the initial sudden pain, falling on the ground, not being able to breathe, then when he realizes jace’s dead he says it with his face so void of all emotions cause he’s EMPTY inside, a part of him just died (seriously, i published this last week, even though it’s in a divergence where jalec got together after kissing at the seelie court, but it really amazes me of how many things i got right). and then when he reaches him and he’s alive, he’s looking at him like he can’t believe he’s real and is itching to get close to him but he’s so CONFUSED at wtf just happened, then they both gravitate towards each other, and while the hug was short and one armed, their faces?? alec still has his eyes so wide open like he’s still under shock, while jace closes his eyes and buries his face in him. LKDLSFDKJLL, MY HEART

what i LIKED

the demon hunting was also good at the start of the episode, the sneak peek scene is still very cool, that foursome should work together more often

the clizzy talk at the end was so sweet, and it’s just so hilarious that they ‘’sistered’’ them too, i guess i can’t have one ship that isn’t zoned like this, but #who cares, i love them, they look so good and they’d be perfect together

the luke clary hug at the end was so sweet, they’re so preciuos and important

have i said how much i enjoy sarah as the seelie queen? i prefer her more to the kid, cause while she was good, i still can’t picture the queen like that okay? sarah was creepy in the perfect way, the right look, and she really sold the part, i could see the queen and not the actress, so yeah i approve. also the seelie court set is very pretty and earie

what i’m meh about

so, i don’t ship cl@ce, their relationship does have at least a proper role in the show and their scenes were well done/sweet, the emotional part was good etc. it’s just that...i both want them with other people...and i can’t help resent the relationship a little cause it takes away from my otps...:/

i enjoyed simon and maia dynamic when it started in 2x06, and i thought i’d enjoy them both platonic anf romantic, but as i found out i can’t watch them be in a relationship, especially done so QUICKLY after climon while it’s very CLEAR that simon is not really really over clary, it’s been what? a WEEK? this show has HUGE problems with continuity and portraying a realistic (or at least that makes SENSE) development of things, so no i can’t buy it. i adore maia as usual tho and i like that she’ll be a regular next season. and i guess simon is now trapped with the queen as payment for getting maia out? yikes

i don’t dislike luke, he’s a nice character, but i can’t help but not be invested in his storylines, they could do much more with him. and the whole ollie thing? HOW WAS IT NECESSARY? it took away from a more clear and coherent development of MAIN things, so while i don’t dislike the character i can’t not roll my eyes at it.

NOW FOR THE DOOM AND DESTRUCTION, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK, IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT I SAY YOU CAN TURN THE OTHER WAY

okay first for the THEY COULD DO SO MUCH BETTER part: while i loved all the parabatai parts, they still have GREAT DIFFICUTLY in keeping a consistency, you can’t have alec be distraught in one scene and casual in the next one and then wide-eyed again in the next, it’s just, CONSISTENCY, if half of his soul just died he should be FRANTICALLY looking for him like in 2x01-02 not casually strolling...and i have a pretty clear idea why they did it, cause that bond can’t take precedence over the Ships, cl@ce and m#lec in this case, so there are good emotional SHORT moments, and apathy in the middle. this was so obvious in 2x19, they focused for 5 SECONDS on alec after jace was hurt, didn’t even show him react, so yeah they need to upp their game and bring more continuity and FOCUS for this bond. a SOULBOND FFS?? WHAT OTHER SHOW HAS IT?? THEY’RE PURPOSEFULLY WASTING IT

GAH GAH GAH GAH GAH. whoever knows me know that i have 999999 problems with m#lec, and this episode is only another nail in the coffin. listen, problems with their portrayal started lowkey in s1 around 1x09 for me, but throughout s2 they started growing and growing and GROWING, and now i’d need another complete essay to list them all, but let’s just focus on this episode. so we’re supposed to buy this ‘’perfect’’ reunion, all is well! it’s all in the past!!!! don’t need to apologize!!! while A. alec has had to apologize 1049 times while m#gnus was downright CRUEL about his ‘’mistake’’, he sided with a queen he knew was shady all for the ‘’good and protection of his people’’ while in this episode he was sitting around and almost didn’t go and try to save the world?? where his people live?? or even his friends??? he also didn’t warn alec about the shield so that he could’ve just casually DIED because of it...and all along he was shown to be very petty and immature towards alec and everyone else cause he was Hurt. the thing is, magnus isn’t PERFECT and he doesn’t NEED to be, but his actions, even if he has all the ‘’’right’’’ to feel and act however he wants, STILL NEED TO HAVE THE PROPER CONSEQUENCES LIKE THEY DO EVERY DAMN TIME FOR ALEC OR EVERYONE ELSE. so NO i don’t want to hear any excuse or double standards here, all the fucked up things he’s ever done, like stealing the cup from alec in 1x09, almost cheating in 2x13, WERE NEVER ADDRESSED OR EVEN AKNOWLEDGED and that is NOT good or healthy or fair in a relationship. ONE CAN’T BE A SAINT AND THE OTHER A SINNER. so after all this bs, instead we got such a void and superficial reunion that didn’t adress anything that happened at all, and it will continue this way for all eternity it’s what it seems. AND I DON’T WANNA HEAR ONE SINGLE THING ABOUT IT BEING GOOD OR HEALTHY, CAUSE THE ‘’I DON’T THINK I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU’’ (which was also bs, alec was living just fine and thinking very straight ever since...but sure, put words in his mouth while his ACTIONS don’t show them at all, such LOVE) IS NOT A HEALTHY THING WHEN YOU JUST MET SOMEONE TWO MONTHS AGO AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN ROCKY AT BEST AND YOU DON’T HAVE A FREAKING SOULBOND TO JUSTIFY IT. also on another note, how good is this relationship for alec’s character that he gets turned into an incompetent while he’s with m#gnus, re: the demon fighting, he could shoot one well enough with such a short distance a few hours before... 

FOR FUCK’S SAKE, IT ANNOYS ME SO MUCH HOW THEY USE IZZY’S CHARACTER TO PROP UP EVERY SHIP AND THEIR MOTHER. who was she this episode? A PROP. most of all with m#lec, they always have her do it, gash about m#gnus and have alec do something about it until he feels the need to do it. it happened in 2x15, 2x18, and now in 2x20...and she deserves so much better than to be a mouthpiece for the inability of relationship to stand on their own!! even at the end with cl!mon, like before with sa!a and cl@ce in other episodes etc. etc. the list is LONG. give her GOOD THINGS DAMNIT

[silvermalec]

2x18

I still can’t actually wrap my head around the fact we really got this episode ?? there are so many fantastic things in 2x18 regarding malec and I’m sorry but I gotta add ‘em all up because fUCk this really was amazing

- first off, we really got that scene. it so rarely ever happens that writers listen to their fanbase to such a degree, and it’s so wonderful to see that they actually tried to fix their mistakes by firstly giving us ten. t e n . minutes of malec content, and of course most importantly giving us the scene of malec’s first time. they did fuck up, but they’re fixing what they did and they’re doing that in the most amazing way, which personally I am very grateful for

- another thing concerning the writers is that after this episode I am one hundred percent convinced that they’re trying their hardest to truly be careful with magnus’ and alec’s relationship: skipping the extremely frustrating problems they had in the books and replacing that by an actually very beautiful and well thought out storyline. this is the best way they could go around giving malec a ‘break’ and I really think that they, just as much as we do, want them to be okay and from that I’m convinced that they’ll make sure that they come out of this, together and stronger 

-- so just a quick thank you to the writers for doing such a good job on this episode, listening to what their fans have to say and wanting to fix their wrongs from the past

- right, to the actual episode, I’m starting with the first flashback, which for some reason felt so light and soft ?? alec full on without hesitation denied magnus’ invite for breakfast, didn’t even want to sit next to him and most definitely didn’t want magnus to tell anyone that he slept over, but there was something about that little smile, the tiniest detail you could notice, that kind of set their story from there on, 

not forgetting the ‘I trust you’, the ‘trust makes you do strange things’ and the look they shared in between and after those moments. season one, even though filled with moments of hesitation, frustration and aggitation for the both of them, also has the most precious and soft moments. that in my opinion are such imporant things leading up to them actually getting together.

- and then THE scene, which fuck first off I gotta say was truthfully the most beautiful moment I have seen between them so far. in their relationship there have been so many iconic, groundbreaking moments that are all so amazing in their own way and contributed to the incredibly loving relationship they have, but this scene in particular was just amazing. from the start of this show I’ve loved matt and harry so incredibly much for bringing their characters to life and with that their relationship. I have always thought that they have the best chemistry, and honestly after this moment it’s set in stone for me. you could just without any effort at all recognise the sheer happiness on magnus’ and alec’s faces only from kissing each other and being able to give each other this experience, from the (might I add very amusing, but also extremely adorable) stumbling, all the way to the way they laughed into each other. 

and the cat eye moment ?? also such an amazing scene and so soft it actually left my insides aching. showing his eyes to alec wasn’t exactly a voluntary choice from magnus’ side and I bet he was extremely nervous to see alec’s reaction, but man what happened after that was just grossly adorable. alec, probably much to magnus’ surprise, was fucking mesmerised by those eyes and the second magnus saw that grin breaking out on alec’s face, he probably felt so relieved. on top of that, for alec to say his eyes are beautiful, that he is beautiful, is just another thing that shows how wonderful these two are together and fuck man if I wasn’t before, now I’m actually convinced these two are soulmates 

(not like I wasn’t before, because oh boy I definitely was, but you get my point)

- going on to the scene when magnus walks out from max’ room and after having seen how upset and scared alec got when he heard magnus couldn’t do anything to help, takes alec’s hands in an attempt to comfort him. such a simple moment that even without dialogue, speaks so many words.

and then the third flashback right after that, the morning after their first time. of course the sneak peek had already been released a few days before this episode, but seeing it again and this time the entire scene, held even more meaning because of everything that had come before that. the extremely soft good mornings, the fact that alexander lightwood cracked a joke, and after having seen his boyfriends upset face, quickly convinced him that he wasn’t going anywhere. (that’s a big jump from rejecting a ‘mean belgian waffle’ if you ask me). 

then the moment where magnus just tries to kinda beat around alec’s question and the fact that he does mention it again later and gives alec his answer. (that by the way wasn’t even a single answer, but I’ll get to that in a minute) even though maybe the ‘the key to having no fears, having nothing to lose’ wasn’t exactly the answer alec was expecting, the way he holds his hand out to magnus right after once again is such a soft moment and speaks hundreds of words. 

though it’s a bit upsetting to see alec pull away after that flashback, that small moment where he places his hand on magnus’ arm and keeps it there for just a moment, was so pure. alec and magnus know each other so incredibly well, even after having known each other for such a short period of time, and I think you can definitely see it in that moment. alec knows it’s for the best to give magnus the space that he probably at this point in time needs to think over things. even when not exactly happily together and with so many things going on, you simply can not deny that they love each other so much and really do try to be careful around each other and to make sure they’re okay. 

- then the last moment, which I’m already gonna say, they did not break up !! that wasn’t them breaking up: that was magnus acknowledging the fact that they both needed space to think about things and some time alone to make important decisions that could seriously affect their future and their relationships with not only each other, but the downworld and the world of the shadowhunters. they are going through a rough patch, they really are and that’s upsetting, but an important thing to remember is that it wasn’t because of them. the whole situtation around them, with valentine and sebastian, but also the clave and even the seelies, makes things uncertain. it’s something that requires time for decisions to be made and like magnus said, those imporant decisions cannot be made fairly and purely for his people, if he mixes that up in his relationship with alec, and as sad as it is, his own happiness. (that actually hurt to write fuck)

despite all of that, they will be okay: they’ll find their way back to each other and if not this season, they for sure will in season three. up until this point they’ve always been thrown into situations together that led to one of them taking an important step in their relationship that allowed space for growth. this most definitely won’t be any different and though I feel like this might come back to bite me in the ass in a few weeks, I do have the feeling they’ll once again be thrown into some dangerous or uncertain situation and resolve things, because some people may not agree with me, but they truly are better off with each other, rather than without each other. 

wrapping that last one up, I was absolutely sad during the last scene, but at the same time it was so incredibly beautiful, in a crushingly heartbreaking way. once again though they will be okay, because hey ! it’s alec and magnus and fuck man the way that the writers have written them and their development proves that things between them are gonna be fine, they really will be.

-- in conclusion, this episode has completely destroyed me and left me a shaking, crying mess in the corner of my room, but every. single. moment. between them was absolutely, undeniably beautiful. 

proving once again how fucking wonderful magnus and alec are, with and without each other and also showing another, deeper, side of their relationship that we finally got to see. so once again, I’m applauding matt and harry for their incredible, heartfelt performances and for really making this a reality in the best way possible. also bringing up the writers again and thanking them for this truly wonderful episode, @ sh writers, well fucking done

[bi-leigh-bi]

I am screaming right along with you. I am beginning to think this was deliberate on the writers part. I want to rewatch every single Malec season 1 and 2A scene. Malec emotional connection was focused on first then they started a very tentative relationship but tender, then 2B they love each other, and so close intimately. Do you think some things were done purposely so that they stood out from other couples? It seems like it. Malec is always written to be above jealousy, love triangles etc. tbc

I am not making sense. Sorry. Other couples (Climon/Clace etc) rushed into sleeping with each other and there was immature actions, jealousy etc. I know fans were pissed because 2x07 wasn't handled with care but there is 2x18 with flashbacks and I know everyone is the writers fixed things, and they did I applaud them but some things just look so blatant the way the build up started between them. The writers (and actors) had to know there would be backlash with an LGBT/Interracial pairing.

I am... okay so. Here’s what I think about how and when and why. 

I’m of two different minds in regards to s1 and s2. 

I think they were tentative with Magnus and Alec in s1 because they were feeling out the audience in a lot of ways. Would book fans overwhelm any new fans? Would malec be a big draw or something that would be in the background? Etc. So I think they laid a great groundwork. I think they had scenes that got written and maybe even filmed that got cut. I think they had an idea of what happened in the moments we didn’t see and I think they had an idea of where they were going with it. I also really don’t think they were sure they’d get a s2. So I’m not inclined to think they were saying to themselves “we won’t show these scenes because they’ll have an emotional impact if we see them in s2″. I think they were just hoping we would see where they were going with them.

I know people have issues with s1 malec but I really don’t. I wanted to see every moment they were together, yes, but I didn’t feel particularly cheated with two notable exceptions. One of those being the night they were together in 1x6. The other being whatever went on when they went to check the perimeter at Camille’s and came back captured. 

Over all I do think they always intended for us to see Alec and Magnus connecting on a deeper level. Their scenes in the beginning are somehow physically intimate even while not physical. We talk often about how Magnus never once touched Alec without his permission. And I think that’s important to malec’s growth and integrity, not because LGBTQ couples need to be pure or any such nonsense but because it fit who they are as characters. Even without the scene we knew that 1x6 changed a lot for Alec and for his and Magnus’ relationship. The fact that he talks so openly about what his family expects and what he wants is proof. All of it is a much more open Alec than we ever saw before.

I had no real issue with their growth in s2, I was in love with it to be honest. Until 2x7. And I can’t possibly think that they intended to do what they did. I think it was an error in judgment on everyone’s part. The fact that Matt did a live chat the very next day and essentially said that they had filmed more of that scene and he was sad to see it cut, is literally telling. Not to mention there are the continuity issues like Magnus having a coat on. Those scenes weren’t filmed and saved to be used. There wasn’t a plan to flashback to their first time.

I’m much more inclined to believe that the backlash- which was deserved- was actually heard and they adjusted their 2b writing with that in mind. I mean we’ll never really know, I know Todd- I think it was Todd or was it Darren?- tried to imply it was all purposeful, but... I side eye that implication. I don’t believe it. 

What they did do, and this was clever and wonderful, is give us flashbacks that truly tied together malec’s entire journey so far. And also fixed the massive misstep of 2x7. They gave us a scene wherein they had spent an entire night together. Drinking, talking, and finally fell asleep together, though physically separate. They literally say that for some reason they find it easy to trust one another, two people who are not inclined to trust. And then they showed us their first time, which was beautiful and sweet and fucking legit joyful. And the morning after. And every single flashback tied all of their relationship together. So that now, watching s1, you can see it. It’s a clear path, one I do believe existed even if only on the white board in a writers room. And I’ll give them all the credit in the world for finding a way to do that that didn’t feel like fan service or out of character or out of nowhere.

But over all I love that malec is entirely different from all the other ships. It’s absolutely an adult and healthy ship. Their fights are things interracial couples face, something people coming from two different worlds face. And now this big one, this taking a break they’re doing, is poignant and painful and bittersweet. It’s not jealousy or biphobia or a love triangle or thinking they’re siblings (jfc that I’m even writing that). It’s just the world they live in, the circumstances of their even ever meeting, what and who they are, forcing them to step away from their relationship. It’s fucking beautiful. The writers, I feel like, have really done well in listening to the actual concerns of their (lgbtq and non white) fans and not the inane whining that always comes with a tv show and a popular ship. 

[anthony-kate]

Ok, so I've been thinking. I saw that ask you answered about the interview with Todd where he said that the way the Malec scene turned out in 2x07 was planned from the start. So what I thought was, if that's indeed true, what if the intimate Malec scene we'll see in 2x18 was also planned from the very beginning? As a way to interconnect those two scenes later on? What if the writers team had this whole thing planned where they were gonna give us this big Malec moment in 2x18, but we, of course

Just didn’t know? I mean, think about it. Ever since 2x07, everyone started going blue in the face with calling Todd homophobic, the show homophobic, heck, even calling Harry and Matt homophobic, accusing them of being “too uncomfortable” with filming intimate scenes. When in reality, Todd and the writers knew that they were gonna give us this scene in 2x18. Lol, you’re probably gonna hate me for saying all this, but I’m just trying to think of all the scenarios, you know?

Why should I hate you for having an opinion, Gracie? I mean I disagree with you, true, but I don’t think this is a bad thing. ;)

The thing is, we will never know what really happened behind the scenes and/or what was planned or what wasn’t. But when I look at this, you can’t tell me that because of the backlash they didn’t change things. Of course you couldn’t see this immediately since some eps of 2b were already filmed when the backlash happened but you can’t ignore the “changes” in 2b when it comes to intimacy. I mean they still panned away a lot but it still was different than what happened in 2a. So there’s that. 

No, but even if you argue this was all planned, which could be true though I doubt it, it doesn’t explain the biggest mistake of 2x07. Like, the panning away/fade to black scene for their first time was one thing BUT brushing over Magnus’ feelings and not making it clear that he gave his consent after he wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do, THAT was the problem. Which you cannot explain or make better or whatever when now going … oh but we planned it to be like this, like to give the viewership the “solution” of the scene in 2x18. No. Just no. This doesn’t make it right because it is deadass wrong!

I am pretty sure that, even though they filmed 2a and 2b seperately, they know where to go with the overall story in the scripts. But “details” like that could always change in the way they film them in the end. And I am sorry but you cannot tell me that this scene was planned from the start. I don’t see it. In my eyes, if it is indeed a flashback it totally has this “damage control”-look, you know? If it is a new scene, like some making up sex or kinda, you are left wondering… so why didn’t they show something like that in 2x07? Or more like… I dunno, I just doubt that if this is in fact a new scene, would it be such a scene without the backlash? I doubt it.

Don’t get me wrong, this is difficult to “judge” kinda because it seems like whatever the writers or more like showrunners decide, they will lose. The good thing is that we are all so hungry for this proper representation scene that we might be more nicer now, you know? Especially since I really believe that they got the memo now to not fuck up like this again. Because yeah, I don’t think another backlash like that is what they have in mind. After all, they depend on the fandom and us to watch it and when people just don’t tune in anymore because of some fuckery like this…. not what they want.