#and a lot of them happen like. things that happen in s2 are mirrored in s4

[reikunrei]

i just need. i just NEED. scott to be the key that solves everything. i need him to be there with henry. and i need the party to come back to him. i need them to remember/realize that scott was there when they were kids. mr scott clarke who solves all of their specific theoretical hypothetical questions so they can solve their problems and figure out what’s going on. i need him to be there to tell them about henry and make them realize they are Not Dealing With Henry. i need scott to clear henry’s name!!!

[hattersarts]

gomens s2 thoughts, all spoilers!

I spent 10 hours talking to my housemate about the season after we binged the whole thing in the morning but here are the highlights and the biggest takeaways from the season.

okay i did love the ending, i love that we get the conformation of love AND going into the divorce arc next season (if they're not properly together by the end of season 3 however, i am rioting) they're slow burn and a whole season of them getting to the final 10mins was tasty.

HOWEVER. it was an extremely clunky season when it comes to writing, lots of either set ups missed OR set ups repeated 4 times that they're drilled into out heads. there was also lots of dialogue that really needed to be tightened up. the lesbians were so poorly written i thought they might have needed to be cut BUT they just needed to have more bearing on the rest of the plot AND say things like real people would say things and LITERALLY SHOW ONE SINGLE REASON WHY THEY WOULD LIKE EACH OTHER WITHIN THE FIRST EPISODE.

gabe/bulz romance was the one that should have been cut, have them do more of a oh-my-god-my-boss-sucks kind of thing, lean into them complaining about having to avert a civil war after armageddon stopped and touch on the "structural problems" the angels mention later. Have gabe/bulz be super punished for working together which puts huge fear into az and crowley about what happens if you try to team up as an angel/demon pair (but an extra reason why az takes the job at the end so he and crowley can be the same)

imo it works more if the only mirror of their romance is the HUMANS which should lean into themes to season 3 of how they need to team up with humans (re:"us vs them" line at the end of season 1) to actually achieve their happy ending.

Nina and maggies best scene was their last one telling crowley he needed to talk to az but i think that was one that needed to be cut, it would have been far more satisfying to have crowely work out it out himself that he loves az and wants to tell him (still via maggie and nina but more subtle rather than them telling him to his face AND via spending more time with az in the season)

flashbacks were all pretty good, loved the jobe one and that final "lonely" scene. the nazi one needed some trimming the most (why did all three come back to earth, it made scenes too crowed, have them fight to be a zombie)

shax was disappointing, she was kind of just incompetent the whole way through which didnt make the stakes very exciting, (that whole scene of her talking to the legion was unfunny and pointless) i wanted crowley to mentor her more like when he gave her advice in the first few meetings we saw (kind of in a very non-demonic way, not expecting anything in return) and her to then meet him on equal footing in the finale. would have been a little accidental taste for Crowley to have his good deeds come back to haunt him while showing he's different to demons.

speaking of the finale fight, that halo had NO set up, it was sick as hell but ??? the fuck did that come from. the fight should have been won by az and crowley performing another HUGE miracle together, discorporating the demons (which then would alert heaven and hell something was up in the bookshop and the final scene can happen)

az taking the job from metatron was very good, its consistent with his character where he still hasn't let go of his faith in good/god, he's only been upset by the angels running heaven and still has faith in the system while crowley has realised none of it works and it's only them together that matters. it was nice to show he still hasn't truly accepted crowley for who he is now (tho imo he knows he loves him, he just hasn't quite unrepressed himself) and him not turning down the job after crowley confesses to him shows he still thinks he can fix it. Crowley on the other hand thinks he's now lost him, az has broken he the trust he had in him, he's going to be in big depression mode

few thoughts of good directions for S3:

finally delivering on what crowley said at the end of S1 I think is the most satisfying. the final showdown should be humans Vs heaven/hell with Crowley and az on the human side, helping them win the conflict. there would be suggestions that this is actually god's ineffable plan, this is a conflict she wants to happen and the things that Crowley and az went through are what make them perfect ambassadors to help the humans.

the set up for az in S3 to finally work out he and Crowley can't work out within the unfair rules of the system and for him to abandon heaven (tho not I think, becoming a demon) is good. a sucky ending imo for season 3 is if az somehow "fixes" heaven and via bureaucracy and not via blowing it all up.

growth moments for Crowley in S3 might be having more contact with humans since he's already abandoned hell and it would put az & crowley on similar footing (as az very much loves humans already) when they decided to side with humans for a humans Vs heaven/hell conflict.

anyway, gay people

[negrowhat]

Eboni!! I was reading your tags under that daddy gifset post for phayurain and how you said that it is your favorite out of all thai bl love scenes and it got me thinking. What are your top 10 favorite love making scene from another bl series.

Tyler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gawd let me go do some research and compile my data!

TharnType's shower scene in TharnType 2: 7 Years of Love. Since their shower scene was cut from s1 we were rewarded in s2 and when Tharn LIFTED Type I damn near ascended (we won't ponder on how Tharn was able to keep a tight grip when they were both covered in suds).

Tharn lifted Type a lot, I noticed, and it's one of my absolute favorite things. I'd also like to go on record and say that TT2 had some of THE best love scenes in all Thai BL.

The Green Bathroom Scene in KinnPorsche The Series. It's no secret I was OBSESSED with that scene. OBSESSED! It was literally perfection. Who knew a hand job could be so...personal...so intense...so erotic? Also it was filmed beautifully! The use of the mirror was *chef's kiss*

The Kitty Play scene in Bed Friend. Oh mah gah! That scene was epic! Everything from the request to the consent to Uea being in total control? King being at Uea's feet practically the whole time? Also the tongue????????????? It was superb.

Can I just go back on record and say that NetJames have NO business serving me everything. All their love scenes HIT!

Cai and Gav's first time in Gameboys 2/Gameboys the Movie. I was not expecting for that scene to be so GOOD! I wasn't expecting a love scene at all tbh. It was sweet and passionate and they practiced safe sex AND confirmed they were vers! 10/10. CaiReel actually own my whole heart.

I really hope EliKoy get their flowers for Gameboys one day.

Yu Zhen and Shi Lei's first time in Be Loved in House: I Do. You ever read in a romance novel about how the couple reaches their boiling point? Like the tension is too much to ignore? That's what their first time was like. It was an explosion of passion and relief. Like if they hadn't done it then they would've combusted. Also...more lifting...

The love scene in Check Out Ep 0...not to be confused with Check Out the Series. Anyways before Nine and Daonuea were ruined they had an amazing and blissful encounter after a fun resort party. They were freshly single strangers who happened to connect on their own solo trips to the same resort.

When I say Chahub and Best DELIVERED on the lust and passion???? THE CHEMISTRY?? They really had me excited for the series...which is why I was so bummed when it flopped. I do encourage EVERYONE to go watch Check Out Ep 0 tho...if it's still on YouTube.

The locker room scene in Between Us. Where do I even begin????? Moving from the pool to the locker rooms to escape the cameras? Win reminding Team he could back out at any time. The damn near visible SPARKS between them??? The way Win looked like he wanted to eat Team up with a spoon?? I was gagged.

The Couch scene in Manner of Death. Between Teacher Tan's hair pulling and Dr. Bun's slutty faces, I couldn't stop screaming. They really smashed in front of the evidence computer and their cactus. That adrenaline rush kicked in and had them going at it like it was their last night on Earth.

Fighter and Tutor's first time in Why R U the Series. I was obsessed with that scene. Loved that Tutor was complaining about Fighter turning him on and then trying to back out. I love that Fighter started at Tutor's feet. I love that Fighter's neck was bared for Tutor. I loved watching them fight for dominance. I loved seeing how absolutely breathless Tutor left Fighter.

Jim and Wen's "one night stand" in Moonlight Chicken. That was the most passionate and intimate one night stand I've ever seen. Uncle Jim covering Wen's face in kisses and lacing their fingers together? Wen kissing Jim all over????? For that to be EarthMix's first love scene they really delivered.

[slytherinshua]

BY YOUR SIDE

genre. hurt/comfort. warnings. takes place in between s1 and s2. yul is still in seoho fortress. stupid worm 👎 yul has to think about how much longer he has until he dies.... a lot. pairing. fiancé!yul x fem!reader. wc. 811. request. no. a/n. yul being in pain w the worm gives me such brainrot cause nursing trope is my fav trope and it doesn't quite count as nursing trope but ITS CLOSE ENOUGH HEHE.

“Shit— It’s happening again!?” You stood up from your seat with haste, rushing to the other side of the table where your lover sat. Yul doubled over in pain, breath irregular and aching. It happened often— ever since the day he had gotten trapped in the training center by the ice stone, he had never fully recovered. Though he tried to conceal his condition so you would not worry, he couldn’t keep it up for long. 

You were one of the few people that Seo Yul trusted without a doubt, and the only person he had ever told about his condition. He wanted to make sure that if the condition killed him, at least you knew. You spent every moment with him preciously, wanting to make use of however long you were given with him. Whether it was 50 days or 50 years, you wanted to make Yul as happy as you could. 

In front of others, Yul was forced to conceal his pain. You had watched as he kept a straight face in front of his father, mother, uncle, and household servants. It had taken quite a bit of coaxing from you to even get him to not conceal his pain from you. 

Your heart shattered into a million pieces seeing him like that; in pure agony, sweat building on his forehead, jaw clenched and eyes shut tightly as he tried to endure it. It was hard to even imagine how painful it must be— Yul barely even flinched from a stab wound. How much more painful must it be that he could barely stand?

You wrapped your arms around him tightly, your left hand finding his, “Squeeze it as hard as you need to.” You told him softly. Thankfully he complied, squeezing your hand tightly, breathing out in short cut-off gasps.

You knew you couldn’t do much— you felt helpless every time it happened. You could hold him tightly and soothe him with your words, and you hoped at least that much was enough.

You watched his breathing steady a little, and you let out a relieved sigh, knowing that the pain was subsiding. You pressed kisses to his temple until he stopped squeezing your hand. He held it gently, his strength completely exhausted.

“You’re okay. It’s okay.” The words were more of a reassurance than a fact. You knew he was not okay, nor would the pain ever stop unless there was some way to get the wretched worm out of his body. You longed to be able to take over his pain, if only for one day. Anything to let him rest.

“Thank you.” Yul uttered once he had caught his breath, letting his head fall until it rested on your bosom. You sunk your fingers into his hair, gently threading them through to relax him.

“I hate to see you in pain… I wish I could take it away from you.” You told him quietly. The moments after were always filled with a voiceless longing for things to change, from both Yul and you.

Yul straightened, shaking his head, “No. Never. It is far too painful for me to even think of you experiencing it too.” He met your gaze. You had rarely seen him look so scared and determined at the same time. “Seeing you in pain would be far worse than the pain I experience now.” You sighed, knowing you could not fight him on this. 

“You understand how I feel then…” You swallowed uncomfortably and forced a smile back on your face. Fighting with him over this, even if it was just a small disagreement, was not worth it to you. 

He reached for your hands, “I am fine now, my love. Do not trouble yourself over it too much.” He smiled at you, and you could not help but mirror it. Cupping his cheek, you leaned down until your lips connected. Hearing Yul’s contented sigh at the feeling of your soft lips, you smiled into the kiss.

Despite the agonising pain Yul experienced daily, as long as he was still able to hold you close and kiss you like this, he would do it all again without thinking. He could not lie to you and promise to be able to spend decades more by your side. He could wish for that amount of time to stay next to you— to call you his wife— but he’d be dumb to believe that he was going to live for that much longer. All he could do was vow to stay by your side for the rest of his life. Hundreds of years would still never feel like enough when it was all over. He had learned to cherish what he had while he had it. He wouldn’t let you go until he was at death’s door. That way he could die without any regret. 

↳ k-drama taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @wolfmoonmusic,, @cha3w0n-hearts,, @tempobaekh,, @candewlsy,,

@cosmicwintr,, @blossominghunnie,, @parkjennykim,, @seunghancore,, @emmylksblog,,

@bananabubble

[inevitably-ineffable-husbands]

Crowley's Bentley = Crowley's Heart?

Putting on them clown damned shoes again, y'all. Had a thought last night while typing out today's additions to my GO S2 Meta...

Is Crowley's Bentley supposed to be a metaphor for his heart?

THINK ABOUT IT:

In Season 1:

The Bentley survives the fire because Crowley believes with all his heart that he and the car will make it to save Aziraphale.

Crowley drives fast because his love for Azzie makes his heart race.

Speaking of driving too fast, when Aziraphale say's "you drive too fast for me Crowley", subtextually he means "your heart moves too fast for me, I'm not ready for you".

In Season 2:

Crowley's houseplants (the only things he supposedly loves) are in his Bentley (home is where the heart is??). He didn't have the heart to throw them away, so... he put them in his heart where they will be loved.

Crowley sends Aziraphale away from the bookshop to protect him from the threat of Heaven, and the safest place he knows is (his heart) The Bentley, which will take care of Azzie. He literally locks Azzie away in his heart to keep Azzie safe and sheltered away from everyone.

Crowley can feel everything happening in and around the Bentley. He knows when his heart slowed down because he wasn't worried about Aziraphale anymore; his heart desires to please Aziraphale and make him happy by driving slow, playing music Aziraphale loves, offering him sweets, and being painted yellow like Crowley's eyes. Crowley only threatens because he's worried Aziraphale will find out that he loves him if the Bentley keeps up with being adoring to Aziraphale. GUYS I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET A DOTING-HUSBAND-CROWLEY is what I'm getting at, here.

That said, the Bentley ADORES Aziraphale, trying to follow him and keep him safe. And immediately does what Aziraphale asks, just like Crowley usually does.

At the end of S2E6, the Bentley plays the music Crowley is thinking about immediately after their spat and his failed confession, then shuts it off angrily because he’s heart broken... so he “breaks the (love) song” by shutting it off and out of his heart.

BASICALLY what I'm saying is that in the 90 or so years he's owned the Bentley is when he truly realized he was IN LOVE with Aziraphale and poured all that love into the Bentley instead to compensate.

Shax even says to Aziraphale in S2E4:

"Sometime, in the last 80 or 90 years, I remember hearing that you and Crowley were an item."

Very specific numbers, mentioned TO the love interest inside of the damned Heart itself, isn't it? And we know Shax can read into people's hearts (she does it numerous times in the season, specifically with the Crowley mirror, Maggie, in S2E5 and again to Aziraphale in S2E6, revealing more about Crowley and Azzie).

I reckon there's a LOT more, but like... DAMN this feels like Phones and Hearts all over again. I'm not sure if this makes the Bookshop Azzie's heart (right now I'm thinking MAYBE??), but that's something else to explore after another rewatch. That would mean, if the Bookshop was Azzie's heart, that he realized a LOT longer ago than Crowley he loved him. Hmm.

Let me know what y'all think! <3

[onceuponapuffin]

My Good Omens Season 3 Predictions

Based on the Amazon Playlist and Established Patterns in S1 and S2

I’ve been listening to the songs on the official playlist that Amazon released in December, and I’ve been thinking about it non-stop. It’s been long enough, and now I feel like I have a solid enough footing to have ideas about season 3 based on the information given to us by the playlist (especially the songs Neil provided). Keep in mind that this is my speculation only. I may be entirely wrong, this post may age poorly, but I am okay with that. At the end of the day, I know for absolute fact that I will be THRILLED with whatever season 3 actually brings (But please – for my sanity – let there be a happy ending for Crowley and Aziraphale).

First of all, we know the season was outlined back in 2005, and I would assume (for the sake of this post if nothing else) that by the time the s3 announcement came, Prime had the general outline. And so, in the spirit of how this show does things, the playlist is full of Clues.

GIF by fuckyeahgoodomens

I’ll put the songs in parenthesis as I go.

Between “Before the Beginning” and “In the Beginning,” i.e. Flashback 1:

We’re going to start the season with Crowley’s Fall (Midnight Rain). Neil has said that he’s not going to ever tell us Starmaker’s name, so I’m not expecting that. But we know that each season starts with a prologue, and we also know that these flashback mirror the current events. Crowley’s Fall makes a lot of sense to start with because it is the first thing that pulls him and Aziraphale apart. And where are we starting from in present day? The Divorce.

How Are Crowley and Aziraphale Doing?

Bad (I’m a Mess). Crowley presents fine to the world, but we, who know him, can see he is struggling. I don’t know if he’ll actually go to therapy, but I would adore it if we got a glimpse of Crowley trying it and being like “NOPE” when it got too hard. He keeps expecting Aziraphale to walk around every corner, and keeps replaying the divorce in his mind (Just My Imagination).

Aziraphale isn’t doing well either. The Kiss, and by extension his last conversation with Crowley plays on his mind all the time (Could’ve Been).

Very soon after the playlist was released, one of my Good Omens friends on Discord (I forget who it was, I am so sorry), suggested that maybe Aziraphale is communicating with Crowley through his dreams. Honestly, I am so on board with this. With the number of songs that mention dreams and daydreams in this playlist, there is no way that Crowley’s dreams and/or imagination won’t play some kind of role in this season (In Dreams, Just My Imagination).

Minisodes

The Titanic

I think the most interesting thing is that we’re going to have at least one minisode about them alone through time. It’s something that we haven’t seen before, and it parallels their current journey.

That being said, I think one of these will be the Titanic (My Heart Will Go On). Here’s how I see it happening:

Crowley is the one on the ship. He’s not there to sink it, he’s just there to enjoy himself. Maybe he plays around with the kids a bit, maybe he makes friends. Point is, the humans have built this supposedly-unsinkable ship of dreams and he just has to see it. He’s there when it sinks. Maybe he even tries to save people or get the other ships to come faster, but he can’t save everyone.

Heartbroken, he returns home to his dark flat. He doesn’t turn on any lights. There are two envelopes waiting for him. He sits at the table to read them in the dark. The first is a commendation from Hell:

“Great job sinking the Titanic! Downstairs are Very Impressed with your work, as always!” He scoffs and tosses it aside. The second one is from Aziraphale.

Oh great, he thinks, Just what I need, a little ‘oh how dare you drown all those people you evil demon you.’ when I’m already feeling like shit. He opens it anyway. The first lines read:

“My Dear Crowley,

I heard that you were aboard the Titanic when it sank. Are you alright?”

Crowley breaks down and cries. ~End Scene~

1941

The playlist has Heart and Soul on it, but not a recent version – it’s specifically one that was recorded in 1939. So we’re almost definitely getting 1941 Part 3.

GIF by mimisempai

We’re going to find out what happened to cause their huge shift in dynamics from Date Night to 1967, and I think it’s a kiss. Maybe a kiss on the cheek? I’m not entirely sure. I do hope they get to slow dance to A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square though.

The Reunion

My friends, it will not go well. This is one of the songs that Neil chose – Cry Me a River. It just reeks of Aziraphale coming back and Crowley being (understandably, and rightly) being bitter towards him. Aziraphale will, eventually, I’m sure, get back in his good books, but he’s gonna need more than an I Was Wrong Dance to do it.

(Actually?) Saving the World

Okay so being perfectly honest, the only reason either of them are the lead characters in this series is because they’re so freaking loveable. They are very bad at their jobs. Anathema, Newt, and Adam saved the world in S1, and although the Husbands gave Adam a little pep-talk, I think he’s smart enough that he could have managed it on his own if he had to.

So, this time they actually need to save the world and have an actual plan. This is where I think a second body swap will happen – hear me out! First of all, remember that no one aside from Gabriel (who is Someone Knows Where), none of the angels or demons have figured out their trick from the first time. So I don’t think it is the plan, but I do think it will be part of the plan. Where am I pulling this idea from? The Show Must Go On, another one of Neil’s choices. It sounds like it’s from Aziraphale’s perspective, but Queen songs are usually associated with Crowley. Seems odd, right? Maybe because it is. Maybe because they swap.

The Book of Life

I think we’re going to see The Book of Life, and I think it’s going to basically be The Book of Love. I think this is where we’re going to get the Main Thesis. The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, if you will. Love. It’s supposed to be Love.

The Book of Love – another of Neil’s choices.

Epilogue

I predict they get their South Downs cottage (Neil said “not yet,” which implies it’s coming). And there’s also a wedding, though I’m not sure whose it will be (The Book of Love). I REALLY hope that it’s Crowley and Aziraphale, because they deserve that kind of happy ending, and Neil is too much of an Ally not to realize how important it is that they get to Live Happily Ever After.

One Last Thought

I still have no idea what to make of I’d Rather Go Blind. That’s it. That’s the last thought I wanted to share that doesn’t really fit in anywhere else.

Thanks for going on this journey with me. Let’s make our Bingo cards and see if I managed to get anything right in 3-4 years.

[raayllum]

Full Circle: Season 6 and Through the Moon

Because I love patterns and chiastic structure and watched Prince of Egypt again earlier tonight, I was thinking a lot about the utilization of repeating plot beats in TDP, as I'm wont to do. If you want more detailed examples for what I mean, check out this old meta about the Dragon Quartet in arc 1, or this meta about Karim walking Viren's previous political path.

Now on a basic level, parallels make sense. Characters making similar choices in parallel situations helps build their characterization; characters making slightly or completely different decisions in parallel / similar situations provides character growth (positive or negative / both), progression, and contrast.

However, sometimes you'll get episodes or plot structures that are effectively growing in tandem with each other. I'm going to provide an episode example first, and then a seasonal example.

Episode: In 1x06 and 3x04, Rayla is keeping a secret regarding her emotional pain. Callum tries to get her to open up / support her three times, but she refuses each time. Finally when Callum reaches out to her, she can't keep it all under wraps anymore and has a big emotional spiel / breakdown because she doesn't feel worthy of that support. While understandable and accidental, these poorly timed outbursts leads to something awful happening to Zym (egg in the ice, and stolen by Nyx).

Season: In 2x01, both Callum and Viren are denied something they want (an arcanum and a seal) because of their current lack of status (magical, political). In 2x04 they are tempted by a more self destructive path (the lightning rod and blood deal with Aaravos) but ultimately step away. In 2x07, they go back on this more positive decision, and tether themselves to Aaravos/dark magic (Callum uses it for the first time, and Viren does the blood ritual). 2x08 sees them face their mirrored reflections (dark magic Callum and Aaravos in the mirror). At the end of the season, they both achieve higher magical prowess, but for Callum it's internal (primal magic) and for Viren it's external (little bug pal) and more forcefully enters his body (through the ear). Callum is 'free' (sky magic) and Viren ends the season in chains.

What these examples mean, then, is that I think there's good grounds for a lot of Through the Moon's plot beats to work their way into Season 6, but with reversed roles than we see in the graphic novel. And here's why!

[ Warning: Spoilers for 6x01 due to con notes! If you want to go in without knowing anything, don't read this! ]

Paranoia, Nightmares, and Partnership

Back when season 4 aired, it was noted by many (myself included) that Callum and Rayla had taken on a fair few of each other's more arc 1 personality traits. Callum was more prone to paranoia and more closed off; Rayla was more open and wanting to talk about things. Callum asked her to kill him (because he's 'already dead') displaying more of her overt self sacrificial tendencies, and Rayla left the drake in the wood much the same way Callum (and Ezran) were willing to leave the dragon back in S2.

While we see a bit of a return to form in S5 — Callum is more optimistic, sunnier, and intensely supportive; Rayla is more secretive, unsure, and struggling with water — it doesn't erase their continuing parallels. Callum, much like Rayla leaving in TTM, goes to a dark place to try to protect her and then doesn't tell her about doing dark magic afterwards. They both agree on hunting down information about killing Aaravos. Rayla learns how to open up and ask for help more readily, which is something Callum was always quite willing to do ("Look, Rayla [...] I just think this cube thing might help me").

And it seems going into 6x01 that we're seeing the parallels come out even more blatantly with Callum's behaviour compared to Rayla's behaviour in TTM. The first episode indicates this in a few ways:

Rayla having nightmares about Viren and her family + Callum → Callum having nightmares about Aaravos using him

These nightmares inspire more fear and paranoia in each of them, while their partner tries to be supportive but ultimately isn't as worried

What they're worried about is something that shouldn't be a massive threat, given that Viren was 'dead' and Aaravos is trapped, and yet it persists anyway

Like in TTM, they're in close proximity, as it seems Rayla has permanently moved into Ezran's old bedroom connected to Callum's by a door, and she and Callum shared a room in TTM as well (at the Nexus and at the Castle)

Conversations about said worries do happen on beds, though

We do see some differences though. In TTM, Rayla never mentions her nightmares to Callum, or to anyone, whereas in 6x01, Callum runs right to Rayla to tell her even in the middle of the night and never tries to keep them a secret. While Rayla was scared of her family and Callum being trapped and immobilized by Viren, Callum is worried about accidentally freeing Aaravos.

That being said, the escalating fear and worry, as well as the more skeptical partner still offering heartfelt support, feels familiar to say the least.

Onto the next:

Rayla's parents

Through the Moon and S5 had some of the biggest focuses on Rayla's family and her grief regarding her parents. They also have their similarities. While Rayla deeply wants to know what happened to her parents in both TTM and 5x01, she ultimately puts it on the backburner. In TTM, she goes through the portal primarily to find Viren, just as she puts the world first in S5.

Now, there's a few valid reasons that Callum doesn't likewise prioritize Viren in TTM (for starters, Rayla hasn't told him about any of her nightmares in which he heavily features), so he assumes the main problem is about her parents. It is worth mentioning, though, that S5 likewise reaffirms this dynamic of Callum being the one to prioritize her family and her by extension even when Rayla is telling him not to.

C: Sorry, Rayla. I just... hate you seeing like this [in pain]. / You know I'm always here for you, right? / Together. That's the most important thing. Together.

While whether the Moon fam will get out in S6 is yet to be determined, and I could see it going either way (we may get an attempt, but that doesn't mean it'll be successful, for example), the chance of freeing them and the opportunity to try has never been more present. We already see what is likely Rayla reminding Callum of the current state of affairs, citing "The fate of the entire world is at stake" and that she may be more inclined to prioritize the Nova Blade, whereas he prioritizes the coins and diamonds.

Their last attempt, after all, to seek out her family 1) didn't yield the results either were hoping and 2) ended in disaster of going to "a dark place" but more on that later.

Illusions

This is more of a tiny thing, but Through the Moon is also the place where we see Rayla and Callum engage in illusions most directly together. Although this is always an undercurrent in S1 and S2 regarding whatever Rayla is holding close to her chest, Callum's plan and Rayla's ultimate approval of lying to Lujanne to rebuild the Nexus shows characteristics we see again in s5 with sneaking off to the Great Bookery.

TTM also has to do with illusions of course overtly in the text, with Rayla and Callum's whole "white lies are illusions you build to protect the hearts of those you love" thing that they inherit from Lujanne, and Rayla eventually uses in her justification to leave. This is the main time thus far that the 'heroes' have used illusions in a negative way, as deception ingrained magic (false Viren, hiding corruption, Aaravos' general mystery) is typically more negative, whereas the two illusion spells the main trio have used (the fake princes and Zym's dog form) were short lived and not consistent.

It does make me think about how Callum apparently makes an illusion for the pearl, though, to be kept in the castle's dungeon. It would make the most sense to me if this eventually gets worked around into real harm happening because someone (like Claudia) thought it was real and wanted it back.

I also think that while there's precedent in most of arc 1 for Callum learning the moon arcanum, which I've detailed elsewhere, TTM feels like one of the biggest switches in regards to how much he understands Rayla. If Callum does connect to the moon arcanum individually and in the show itself, I think S6 is the most likely, and it'd tie well into TTM; that was the last time he believed in any kind of illusion, and now he's understanding that even more full circle in S6, potentially.

Seeking out Information

With all this in mind, though, I think S6 may parallel TTM the most precisely because it's Rayla and Callum seeking out information, together, regarding 1) her family and 2) a threat to the whole world. While we almost saw this combination of events elsewhere — 3x08 gets close with Callum and her parents, and 5x04 gets close with the worldly threat and Callum seeking answers about her family — those ended up being more... happen stance-y.

I also feel like going to the Starscraper with the twofold intent — save her parents, stop the threat — is more adjacent to TTM because it's intentionally two folded there, too. The kids weren't trying to figure out the threat by finding more about her parents in 3x08, and they also weren't trying to find out more about her parents by going to the Bookery in 5x04.

That said, the following two sections are why I actually think S6 is going to wrap up the bulk of the Rayllum development from TTM beyond them just having their talk, and that's because of

The Underworld / The Ascent

In their quest for the information, Rayla (and Callum) go through the portal, and Callum (and Rayla) go to the Starscraper. We know thanks to the S6 teaser trailer that Callum is going to have a personalized trial of some sort with his wings and the blindfold; this could be similar in theory to Rayla having to face her fear with water in TTM, if Callum develops hesitance towards Star magic because of Aaravos... or just having to pass some kind of obstacle in order to get information they seek.

This may seem like the opposite, given that the portal is a very unambiguous Underworld. It's a mirrored reflection of our living world, and it's a literal descent into water. The Starscraper means literally going up to the heavens, and presumably no massive brushes with death. At least at first.

However, I think both places are going to pose similar problems, at least in a character-theme sense. For Rayla, going into the portal was a massive risk, with Lujanne citing, "If you pull her out now, she'll just be a mindless husk. We have to wait and hope that Rayla will be back by morning, before she's lost forever."

Since it's likely that Callum will either be 1) outright possessed at the Starscraper, or 2) whatever happens there will snowball into his possession, I think you can see where I'm going with this. Callum fears a similar loss of identity (which has also been set up, i.e. "I'm not a dark mage, I will never help you" + "I was his puppet" + "you completely lost yourself"). Aaravos' possession is like the most extreme version of the snake-bird soul transfer spell, Aaravos' soul inhabiting and hiding in Callum's body to make him do terrible things / things against his will, and Callum will be the person taking the fall for it. The fact that dark magic, and the possession subsequently, are symbolic of death only enhance these parallels further.

But at the same time, this comparison isn't all bad:

Rayllum and the Retrieval

Because they're going to get each other out.

Callum goes into the Nexus Portal — into death — to get Rayla out before she can die, and lose herself. He retrieves her. They have to work together in order to successfully reach the surface, Rayla grasping the moon phoenix feather as a tether to guide them the rest of the way.

Likewise, there's been seasons of buildup that Rayla is 1) tied to Callum's sense of identity, as he is to hers and 2) that she will ultimately save him from the possession.

This is reinforced by Elmer and Soren's assertion of compassion, names, breaking cycles, freedom, and identity: "I win, cause this hunk of wood obeys me no matter what! [...] I own you, I control you!" "That's not my name."

Callum, like Rayla, is going to meet his metaphorical death due to the search for knowledge (possibly even over her parents and a threat to the world yet again). Rayla, like Callum did for her, is going to be instrumental in getting him out, and reaffirming his identity — finding him, ensuring that he's not a lost, empty husk. Callum will likewise be helping her do so, perhaps even with another Moon (arcanum) tether, and they'll ultimately escape together.

Cause you know — Through the Moon and S6 are like poetry. They rhyme.

And what initially split them apart is now what's going to bring them fully back together. Chiastic structure my beloved.

[inconsistentlywrittensoul]

I’m way behind on posting about my rewatch - there’s plenty I do want to say about S2, and there’s a whole essay about gender and Phases that I’m probably never going to write - but I’m into Season 3 and I really want to note how much early S3 establishes the issues that are going to drive Buffy’s long breakdown in seasons 6 and 7.

Firstly, Buffy's tendency to pull away from her friends, feeling she has to take care of everything for herself and protect them from her problems and her feelings rather than sharing them. It’s a consistent pattern, and we see it in her running away at the end of Season 2, and continually refusing to talk about what happened with Angel with both the Scoobies and Faith. When she eventually does try to talk to her assigned school counsellor about Angel, she explicitly says she can’t talk to anyone else about what’s happening (only to find him dead, which I’m sure didn’t help).

Of course, this isn’t just a flaw of Buffy’s - her friends have a pretty big role to play, especially Xander. His sanctimonious, judgemental whining about Buffy leaving, as well as anything to do with Angel, does a lot to push Buffy away. (Not to mention the first thing he does when he finds out Angel is back is try to manipulate Faith into murdering him.) It’s also hard not to suspect that Xander’s lie back in Becoming did a lot of damage - because of that, Buffy thinks even Willow hates Angel and wouldn’t understand her continued feelings for him. ‘Kick his ass’ made Buffy feel like literally no-one is on her side.

Regardless of the reason, here we see the beginning of the split that will make Buffy feel increasingly isolated and unable to trust or rely on anyone as the series continues into the depression years, especially Season 6. But we also see the start of a pattern that will become a central flaw in Season 7 - her inability to express empathy or care for anyone who she sees as a reflection of herself.

I’m actually not talking about Faith here - that’s related, but it’s also a whole can of lesbian worms I don’t want to get into right now. But aside from Faith, in the first few episodes of Season 3 there are two girls who mirror Buffy, specifically in her relationship with Angel. In Anne, we have Lily/Anne, who’s wants to spend the rest of her life with her older boyfriend, who has a criminal past and seems a little crappy but also genuinely loves her and is trying to be good to her, and who ends up being sent to hell. Then in Beauty and the Beasts, we see Abby, who started dating a guy who seemed nice at first, but who turned out to be an abusive monster. Both are very obvious parallels to Buffy in her relationship with Angel (in soul-having and soulless forms), and serve as ways for her reflect on that relationship.

But what I want to focus on is the fact that, while Buffy does try to help both girls, she’s also unusually harsh and unempathetic towards them. Her attitude is ‘This is how things are, and you need to set aside your emotions and just deal with it immediately and without emotional support’; it reflects how she treats herself, but it’s also a pattern in how she treats people whose challenges reflect hers. Which will come to a head in how she treats the Potential slayers in season 7, and the way she alienates everyone around her in part through her treatment of them (and therefore also her treatment of herself).

It’s just interesting to see these issues that will dominate the last couple of seasons come across so strongly in this early part of Season 3.

[snek-eyes]

Hi Vee! 🤗 I hope you had a wonderful few days! I'm back with more meta questions 🤭 I hope that's okay, if not, just ignore me pls 😅 I've seen some people say Aziraphale isn't empathetic, some say Crowley isn't empathetic, but I think both of them have a LOT of empathy. They just show it very differently, and I think the perfect example is the Edinburgh minisode. Azi is caught in his Heavenly indoctrination a lot of times, like when he thinks body snatching is bad before actually thinking about it in a more complex matter instead of just black and white and as soon as ge does, he's suddenly all in favour of it and what made him change his mind is his empathy. With Crowley, he seems very cool and suave on the surface but he always acts and helps and protects, like with Elspeth; he didn't just save her from suic*de but he actively changed her situation as much as he could (he couldn't bring Wee Morag back for her because it wasn't in his power so he chose the next best thing he could change which was her poverty) to give her a reason to live, too. Or when he talks to Job and Sitis - you wrote an amazing meta about that already but I think the gist of it was that he sees the big picture which is that he needs to find the kids in order to save them and knows he will save them and that they'll all be fine. I think they both possess a great deal of empathy but express it in different ways which I think actually mirror their love languages: Crowley acts on his empathy, he does what he can to help people but isn't vocal about it, and Azi is vocal about it but he sometimes needs a nudge from Crowley to see the big, complex picture for that. Whats's your view on the matter? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 😁🤍

- 💫

Aziraphale (and Crowley) vs Empathy

Hey there! This was really interesting to think about!

So from my understanding (and if you're someone that has a better one, please feel free to chime in!), empathy is the ability to understand someone else's emotions, whether intellectually or by sympathetically feeling them yourself. But lacking empathy doesn't necessarily mean that you can't care about people, it just means that you don't exactly understand their emotions.

I'm saying this because after thinking about it, I actually don't think Aziraphale is very empathetic. Despite the fact that he does care a whole lot! Aziraphale is a protector, from Adam & Eve to Job's kids to that one nameless child Dalrymple couldn't save to Wee Morag, etc etc, we see him acting against what he Should be doing because he cares so damn much. But it seems to be because he has a strong moral code and believes that the alternative to acting is an injustice, more than he is putting himself in anyone's shoes and thinking about how they might be feeling. It's the difference between "I care that this sad thing is happening to you" and "I care because I can tell you are sad."

Like in the Edinburgh flashback, when he realizes what happened to the child, he's devastated because it's a tragedy that a child died, horrifically, and that all that's left of them on this earth can be contained in a bottle. His previous moral rule that digging up bodies is a sin because it's just wrong is overwritten because he's been shown an actual tangible consequence.

It would explain a lot about the number of times, especially in s2, when he either does not recognize how upset Crowley is, or if he does, he doesn't get why or take it seriously.

Saying things like "Still a demon?" or "I haven't seen you since, the flood?" without realizing why Crowley might find those upsetting and not friendly banter material.

While he doesn't seem to pick up on Crowley's bad mood in Uz, by Rome it seems like he has learned to at least see it, if not understand it. Regardless, he's still making a go at cheering Crowley up.

Aziraphale doesn't get why changing the Bentley is personally upsetting to Crowley, until Crowley connects it to something equally relevant for Aziraphale: Selling his books.

This also made something click for me wrt his scene with Maggie when she suddenly starts crying about striking out with Nina. He is completely at a loss as to why all these details are upsetting her, right up until she mentions being in love. He understands love, aww! But, crucially, his initial reaction is more "Oh, being in love is wonderful!" than "Oh, I see that must be hard for you." And he responds by wanting to solve her problem, he doesn't get that she's probably just looking for advice from an older queer to help her feel better about it, more than an actual solution.

The scene that kicks off the modern day where Maggie is upset about not being able to pay her rent. Aziraphale doesn't really engage with the fact that she's breaking down in front of him, he's doing whatever he can to placate her so he can just leave with his records.

Alright, let's get to the final fifteen because this would explain something that's always caught me. During Crowley's confession, Aziraphale looks SO confused as to why Crowley is getting upset. Aziraphale is coming at this from what he sees as a logical perspective, and Crowley is making an emotional plea. Aziraphale straight up does not understand how the two halves of this argument are connected.

When Crowley says he understands better than Aziraphale, it's like he's saying he has the intellectual high ground, and that's why Aziraphale decides they've reached an impasse.

Again, this isn't a knock on Aziraphale at all, it's just how he sees the world.

Meanwhile Crowley... I'm honestly not sure how to read Crowley on this.

He'll either project his own trauma onto other people or possibly recognize shades of it in their circumstances at the drop of a hat (the goats, the plants, lonely Muriel in heaven, the scene in S1 when he's hanging off his throne and goes from lamenting about how his fall was unfair right into to calling out God because testing the humans to destruction is unfair)

He is pretty good at knowing how people are going to react when he does his demonic mischief, although that might just be a logical extrapolation from experience.

On the other hand, he seems very confused when people go against his expectations (Jane Austen, Maggie and Nina not wanting help).

He seems to have a good handle on how Aziraphale feels in most situations, although Aziraphale's need to protect people is a huge blind spot he does not understand. So maybe that's just years and years of studying him and trying to understand. "Just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing," after all.

While he understands Elspeth's circumstances, he's not exactly, comforting? to her? When Morag is like "tell me that's not what I think it is" he immediately throws her under the bus in favor of chaos ("8D oh it most certainly is"). And when Aziraphale melts the body, he doesn't even look at Elspeth who's freaking out, his eyes are entirely on Aziraphale.

What do other people think?

[b3achysurfur]

If we notice in the webtoon, Taylor and Ben are the only ones who have not been seriously injured...

Aiden was crushed

Tyler was impaled

Ashlyn had a concussion

Logan ended up with a big cut on his side

Do you think something worse could happen to Taylor and Ben?

I think eventually all of them will face some sort of serious injury, so I highly doubt Ben and Taylor will be safe. I think ashlyn and Logan will also get more deadly wounds soon (hope Logan is first in line 🙏)

But I do find it interesting that they are the only two unharmed. Especially since they had a mini romance going on in S1. awwww I miss them 😢

Whats also interesting is how impulsive, destructive, and agressive Taylor has been lately as well as her increased screentime 😈

We’ve also unfortunately seen Logan get a lot of panels lately as well. And idk if u guys remember S1 but Tyler, ashlyn, and Aiden were the ones who got a lot of attention. But now that Tyler and Aiden are out , the attention has shifted to Taylor and Logan. But not Ben!!!!! (I want more Ben screentime, fuck Logan no body gaf what’s going on with him 😒 tell me ab Benny boy NOOOWWWW!!!!!!)

my point is Taylor or Logan may be the next to experience a major event. They’ve also been the ones exhibiting the most “phantom traits” , MOSTLY Taylor tho. also there’s a few other things that point to Taylor being in harms way very soon.

but basically the signs are telling me Taylor is gonna go through smth much worse than what’s happening rn. Back to Taylor and Ben’s relationship tho. Ben always tries to give back to things that treat him well, idrk how to word it. In S1 Taylor is very considerate of the whole group, but there are a few instances where she focuses on him.

in S2, ben mirrors this act by physically protecting her and attempting to comfort her to the best of his abilities

taylor leans into this comfort and support, even if it’s only by a little. taylor needs people, and ben can easily become her person. they both value their family and friends a lot and are willing to put their lives on the line/distance themselves if it means protecting them. they both have lost someone who has guided them out of a dark time in their life to the phantom dimension. they both are kind hearted people who are gentle. they are both a pea to someone’s pod (Aiden and Ben, Taylor and Tyler). they understand each other better than anyone else.

Ben cares about Taylor a lot. we don’t get scenes of them like we do with aidlyn anymore, but we do get little snippets. he is willing to protect her , even if it puts himself at risk. HE COVERED HER COMPLETELY WITH HIMSELF!!! HE DIDNT EVEN COVER HIS HEAD OR ANYTHINGG IGHWHEHA!!??? He had been holding her in place ever since the phantom had started chasing them. HE CARES SM IT HURTS ME.

ben has been such a neglected character, but I don’t think this was for no reason. I believe Ben’s time will come. I was honestly expecting a reaction out of him when Aiden ‘died’ but we got aidlyn so idrc 😈🙏. anyways a lot of people want to see Ben tweak AND I DO TOO!!! but you also have to remember, him not getting mad and bearing with the situation shows how much he has grown from his past. Ben has intense anger issues that he’s HEAVILY ashamed of. keeping himself in check is already hard enough with day to day triggers, but add his new phantom situation onto that? mans is STRUGGLING, but since it’s in silence no one ever talks ab it 🙁 we’ve seen Tyler crack under this pressure, Logan getting madder, and taylor has gotten angrier too! ashlyn is more stressed and tired than angry, and Aiden is having fun most of the time. but Ben? he’s been trying his absolute hardest to not flip out.

so that combined with his affection for tay, if something bad really does happen to her, I do believe it will be his final straw. There’s only so much self control a 14 year old has (even though most adults would’ve went insane by now). Whether Taylor turns into a phantom or she gets injuries/dies, it will hit Ben HARD. Tyler will also be affected, but I really hope it doesn’t overshadow Ben. Losing Taylor would mean Ben wasn’t able to protect her like he wanted to and after Aiden also got hurt, I don’t think he would be able to take it. I think it’ll also extremely upset him when he finds out his family got caught in the crossfire of the kidnapping.

I was thinking about it, and we might actually see ben use his voice out of desperation. I really hope we don’t, bc I think ben not being verbal is nice representation, it’s so important to his character, and I love seeing how ben expresses himself without words. but I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he used it to call out to someone. The way this scene (⬇️⬇️) is worded is like, “he CAN (might even) talk, he just doesn’t WANT (have a reason) too”. i really hope he doesn’t, but it’s definitely a possibility 😢 especially if we get a ben centered arc that’s caused by his anger and the loss he’s experienced.

All in all, I don’t think Ben be the next one to be injuried really, but I do think Taylor will. And Taylor getting hurt will finally open up a arc centered around/that includes ben 🙏

hope red gives us the craziest angst we've ever seen for them two and then kills Logan 😛

(sorry for rambling sm 😓 I tried to shorten it but now i feel like some parts don’t make sense. UGH WTV!!! I’m very passionate about Ben and the affects Taylor has had on him 😒)

[trutrustories]

STUDY IN LOKI ROMANCE

Part 3: 1893

Since we're only a few days away from the last episode, I decided to COUNT DOWN everything we´ve got so far ( that can be interpreted very easily as romantic ) and discuss what the actual fuck is going on with second season. Because even though I shipped lokius practically from S1E2, I absolutely did NOT expect this kind of development. (Not that I´m complaining)

Warning: This is gonna be LONG post, lots of screenshots, lots of SPOILERS, lot of "oh-my-god-they-so-cute" language, and little bit of meta.

I originally thought that this post would be everything at once, but since I have just too many screenshots this time around, I´ll have to split it. so every post will be one episode. Color coding means:

IIIIIIIIII = anything, that coud potentialy be just acting choice.

IIIIIIIIII = everything else (tzn.: whatever was written, and/or carefully prepared by filmmakers. )

side note: I already wrote, about how amazing it is, that Mobius is unable to fight but fights anyway and how beautifuly, and ridiculously brave he is HERE. But this is about Loki/Mobius interactions, so I´ll try my best not to talk about THAT. (Even when I´m really happy, that s2 continues with this formula and Mobius is still his completely defenseless while aggressively brave self. I love him, btw.)

EPISODE 1 HERE EPISODE 2 HERE

Episode 3, here we go:

22) matching suits part 2 anyone, who work on those costumes: I want to kiss you all!

23) Another exhibition of touches:

the challange name is: "how close we can get, before we sink into each other"

24) "And they lived happily ever after..." They had some lokius fan in the editing room, I´m telling ya! This retro movie style transition... THAT is my roman empire...

like seriously? what is the purpose of this? I can´t wrap my head around it. someone just thought that it is really crucial to end this scene with two of them in a circle. OK.

but WHY?

It was LITTERALY used only once! (I´m sorry, but as someone, who works as an editor, this just driving me crazy 🤒🫠)

25) Loki and Mobius enjoying popcorn:

I have several things to say here:

ever heard about when one person is "forced" to have fun for the first time, and to try new things by the other person, and he´s protesting and is all about work and serious matters, but secretly loves it and is visibly relaxed and happy? - Because I´m sure this is some bloody romantic comedy trope, that everyone have seen about hundred times!

"Oh look, you have a piece of food on the chin, let me just…"

I know I already said this somewhere, but, this is the moment, where in my language suddenly (completely randomly) switched from formal way of speaking to each other to intimate way of speaking to each other. (I´m Czech, btw, and I have no idea, what happened in that recording studio but it had to be interesting)

26) Also... Bickering like married couple (part 3)

27) "You know sometimes I forget, that you are one of them... Blows my mind!"

Mobius being Loki´s fan.

Also yeas. Loki is one of them. God. And Mobius is a small, normal dude. JUST A HUMAN. Analyst, even! And they´re eating popcorn together.... also Loki will do whatever Mobius wishes

28) another "let´s be as close as we physically can" challange

Loki can´t keep only eye on him. he needs hands, because reasons

29) Mobius supporting Loki in using magic...

... or I should say Loki using Magic, whenever Mobius wishes, because...

"Will you handle this please?" "Gently!"

And on top of that... not him, explaining, what just happened, to the public, by: "The amazing Loki, everyone! He´ll be here all week! 🥳🥳🥳"

who the heck asked, Mobius? stop showing off with your magical boyfriend

30) Victor/Ravonna - the most transparent mirror ever:

THIS scene? Are you kidding? Ravonna running towards Victor: "Mr Timley! are you okay? And Mobius running practicly at the same time towards Loki with: You allright?" and both helping their man up on their feet?! IN SYNC! this is too much.

WTF

31) THE BIKE THIS. this is the most GREENLY green point, I can think of. Someone had to have this vision. This idea. And put it in to screenplay. Someone had to find the bike. Someone was shooting this. Camera is moving around them. And they were all like GREAT idea, let´s have them riding tandem bike while chasing Ravonna and Timely, that makes complete sense! (even when we have Loki chasing Brad USING MAGIC one episode back) anyway... ever heard about "let´s do this crazy stupid thing - absolutely not - and then they do the thing" trope?

32) Loki going with Mobius, not even thinking about it anymore.

And to think, that I was expecting something like S01E03 (Lamentis episode)! Once again, I wasn´t prepared for amount of Lokius content I was actually served. What a surprise! 🤯

[deliciouskeys]

So I liked what we have of season 4 a lot?! I don't know if I set my expectations really low, maybe didn't expect to get that fandom feeling back, but I think I can say with certainty that I've enjoyed e1-3 of s4 more than e1-3 of s3, and mayyyyyybe even more than e1-3 of s2. Some of the storylines don't interest me, but that was true of prior seasons too.

Things I am loving so far...

(under cut because there may be teensy weensy spoiler references)

Sister Sage! Yes, she says the lines that are in the trailer, but they are so misleading about the type of character she is. I LOVE her so far.

Homelander's frustration with being adored no matter what he does and his ennui about being surrounded with sycophants (which tbf, he engineered). I am SO glad they're walking that back to some degree. Related to point 1 above, I am delighted by the way he goes about solving this problem.

Every single scene with Ryan is so fucking good?? Like, Cameron Crovetti is the ideal Ryan of my mind's eye when I write fic. I feel SO bad for him. But I am loving the divorced plot and them jockeying to be his dad. Some of it reads like fucking fic, in a good way too. Like I can't believe the conversation between HL and Ryan after he comes back from Butcher's place actually happened on TV and not in my head.

I am actually SO SO happy they decided to outsource Billy Butcher's shitty tendencies to his Tyler Durden. I did not expect him to fucking apologize to Ryan for the S3 debacle. Even ~I~ felt apologized to for that "necessary for the plot but makes zero sense outburst".

I am loling every time Noir speaks. I don't know why, but I'm finding it hilarious.

I think they're actually doing a good job with A-Train's storyline, or a better job than I expected to justify how he becomes their new double agent.

I'm enjoying Chace Crawford's work in season 4. I like that he's sincere about the comic relief role.

Hughie is so charismatic, and for the first time in 4 seasons I think he elicited tears in me (in the scene right before his mom shows up when he's listening to his dad's messages).

I like Ashley's dialogue more this season than season 3. Part of that may have to do with me enjoying her character when she's angry rather than scared shitless or "trying to imitate HL"

I welcome the larger Victoria Neumann presence, and can't wait to see more about her past.

I enjoyed BIlly Butcher using a crowbar in a fight

I enjoyed seeing Antony Starr playing a mommy and a daddy and a.... secret third thing in the mirror.

What I'm meh about...

I hate to say this but the Boys' storylines are mostly dragging and feel disconnected. I'm already tired of Frenchie and Kimiko refusing to talk to each other and attempting to drink/drug their problems away. The mystery about why Frenchie is distraught was mostly solved right away, and Kimiko's mystery is still some derivative of her backstory in S2. It just doesn't feel connected.

Mother's Milk is fine, but I do think his character took a turn toward the unreasonable in season 3, and it has sort of continued. It's not clear to me why he's kicking Butcher out of the team multiple times, especially when Butcher saves them, and clearly has nothing better to do with his time. It feels especially cruel to kick him out when he tells him about the terminal illness.

Annie's storyline is.... fine, I guess. Maybe it will develop into something more interesting, but it feels like the writers don't exactly know what to do with her now that she's out of the Seven. I don't know why Firecracker had to have a personal vendetta against Starlight beyond being a symbol of 'wokeness'. I guess I'll wait to see if Annie's meangirl past becomes relevant as the season goes on.

Firecracker is okay. I'm amused that Homelander seems bored and annoyed by her, so I take it it's fine if we feel the same way too. It's certainly an interesting addition to the Seven to have someone so underpowered.

Hughie's mom frustrates me so much I wanted HL to come and laser her instead of Hughie after that chase. Her explanation made it worse for me, not better. I await to be proven wrong, but so far I think Hughie is being a really kind person to her. "Your father didn't want me to talk to you". But you were allegedly talking to him for years? And you son is in his 20s, I think you could have contacted without his daddy's say-so. UGH.

I don't really care about this so much, because I don't like character deaths, but it is pretty funny when Vicky doesn't kill Hughie or Butcher, and when Homelander is nerfed beyond all belief and is unable to laser Hughie in a closed space. I'll chalk it up to him losing a step or fifty with the enlargement of his prostate.

[wolfclaire]

How would you think the story would've played out if a different Gem got transported into the games, and I'm not limiting it to just the Afterlife Gems. Like if either Empires Season Gems met Pearl instead of Spider, especially Season 2 Esmp Gem, considering she's essentially the opposite of Pearl in a way?? Sun imagery with butterfly wings and the pointed ears on her skin implies she'd look/be something like a sun elf yet also unlike Pearl she's in almost complete control of her own fate and what 'games' she plays by hopping different universes and LARPing as whatever character she wants. Season one Gem can also be interesting, especially if it's near the end of the season or after the end of the season. Season one Gem getting transported into a death game where her people who look like her friends who are either missing or dead in her eyes messed up in ways they weren't before and one of your closest friends aka Pearl seems so sad and gone from the cheerful queen you knew her as. Also I choose to believe that S1!Gem is at least passively or actively aware of differing timelines cause of her reaction from when she met S2!Sausage and I think she was aware that she basically just three Evil Sausage into a little mirror of her own universe which would be like an alternate ones, I'm kinda reaching, especially since I haven't rewatched Empires S1 yet, but still I can't resist the angst of Gem knowing that these aren't her friends but still desperately trying to hold onto them like they are because the rapture happened so suddenly and abruptly when things were finally looking better and she doesn't wanna accept things. I also can't resist what would be the DL cast's reaction to these two, especially Pearl and maybe Grian

Ngl I really wonder what would be Pearl's and Grian's opinion/impression of them if it were either of them transferred and not Spider Gem

Sorry for rambling I've just been thinking about this a lot and sorry if it doesn't make sense or if it's even in character-

-Sun anon, still happy birthday also <3

Okay...let me just put this into seperated questions...cause this got potential. So ES1 and ES2 Gems would be probably totally different with the reaction to Pearl and everything happening.

ES1 Gem, post rapture (or during rapture), has basically nothing left. No kingdom, no friends, she only has her magic, Violet and fWhip. She didn't "roleplay", she isn't "LARPing", everything happening to her is real, and hurtful. If she was the one transported into the games, she would find familiarity with Pearl, but she would know something is wrong. She is The Headmistres of Crystal Cliffs, she is The Grand Wizard, she would notice Pearl's acting strange (Red stuff) and her and others memories being off.

ES2 Gem, however, wouldn't think of this "transportation" as a big deal at first. I don't think she would take it seriously at the start, as "it's just a game" or "it's just LARPing". She couldn't understand in canon why nobody else (except Pixlriffs and Oli) didn't think of anything as a big deal...she only thought they were good actors in a way. It would take Pearl's death for her to realize that this "game" is not as innocent as she might have thought...

As for Grians and Pearl's reaction? Well...

Grian wouldn't mind ES2 Gem, she looks like a guilable little princess that he can wrap around his finger... But ES1 Gem? Oh, that would be dissaster. He can tell this one is smart, he can tell she has powers on her side... He would try to get rid of her asap, even going as far as killing her himself.

Pearl, on the other hand, would feel a little weirded out by any of those two. ES1 Gem is nice....strangely overly nice, for some reason... And ES2 Gem doesn't seem to take anything seriously...she is very carefree for someone who shouldn't have unlimited lives (Grey names don't work with the same rules as those in from the specific world)

There is a lot of Angst potential, just in a different favour than what my version with Spider Gem has to offer :)

[nalyra-dreaming]

Nalyra,I would like to know if you have ''advices'' for us non book fans?

Is there things we have to keep in mind before entering the 2nd season? The writers are obviously following the books with some adaptions and there is a good probability of chances that some of the show only won't understand some directions.

I just want to be ready and open to what would happen.

Thank you.

Hey!

So... it's good to remember that while they're following the second half of the book, they are also incorporating things from other books as well. Rolin is taking from TVL, QotD, TVA and at least Prince Lestat as well. I would also say he is taking from Merrick (the adaptions you mentioned).

That means that, base-story-line-level we are following the second half of the book. BUT - and here it gets (a bit more) difficult ^^- the "Devil's Minion's" parts in both past and Dubai will be interwoven, as well as more things from the "Prince Lestat" era in modern Dubai.

For non-book fans... a lot of these references will fly over your heads. That's not necessarily a bad thing!

But... if you want to know the big whoppers that will happen? (I'm putting this under the cut, so SPOILERS AHEAD!)

Armand and Daniel bitching at each other is part of their relationship, as will likely be explained in episode 5 and (likely?) 8

Claudia and Madeleine will die, tried ostensibly for Claudia's murder attempt against Lestat and Louis making Madeleine, but actually they are simply in the way of Armand: "I could not prevent it" (yes, he could)

Louis will stay with Armand though he knows he killed her

Armand (book canonically) influences and mind-controls Louis

Claudia's diaries contain a very heavy twist, which will likely be put into the trial scene

if it's not clear by now, not all we saw in s1 was the truth (and s2 won't be either in parts at the very least), and we know they will revisit episode 5. Whatever they will do there, that will be heavy.

Armand (book canonically) chops Claudia's head off to sew it onto a grown vampire's body, and when the result is grotesque, he puts her into the sun

Louis tries to commit suicide in Merrick, I believe that will happen at the end of s2

That event will somehow be mirrored with something happen to Daniel, imho

S3 is "The Vampire Lestat" so we have to get there somehow, meaning Lestat will show up somehow

These are the main things.

There are... a lot more details, obviously. I have speculated a lot :)

This season will leave the "family" setting behind, and fully dip into the world of the VC vampires, and the old covens are not cute. Them taking from the other books opens for a LOT of possibilities.

But these... are the main events that I think will happen.

Please feel free to ask if you want more details or have further questions!

So soon now!

[putnamcapital]

s1 ep 6 rewatch notes

[yeah i am still doing these essays, everyone copes differently OKAY]

I wish i had the words to convey my love for the Simon-Rosh-Ayub dynamic when they’re sitting on his bed trying to talk about his video, not the Kim K. video. it’s an instance of one of the things i ADORE about YR, namely, the importance of the love and support of friends - “the gang is back together”. contra a lot of the teenage and adult movies that put romantic love on a pedestal and everything else goes to the dogs.

That shot of Wille set against the sky when the Queen leaves = is it the apocalypse or is it heartbreak and i'm not the only one seeing the religious imagery right?

“we haven’t done anything wrong.” Simon’s moral clarity, his unbreakable backbone - it’s a moment where it’s obvious the Court has no idea who they are dealing with. I’m not sure Wille even knows then.

Frida doesn’t get enough praise for her acting. that side eye of August as they cross in front of him loafing on the picnic table: sublime.

Another parallel I hadn’t seen before: Sara dresses up before dinner; she likes the image she sees of herself in the mirror. She is “someone she is not”, according to Simon (later that night), but she wants that false countenance. In S2, that same move will devastate Wille. But we have another Sara-mirror scene, in S2. Leaning on the Wille-Sara parallel, there’s something being done here about becoming who you are through artifice (dressing up ‘in costume’) or through love (revealing your true self). August (as opposed to Simon, i think …) ends up being a false or traitorous ‘coming into self through love’ for Sara.

Related … when Sara went to see August to confront him about the video, i have retrospectively imagined her as having planned what happened. But if you look at the scene as it happens, both Sara and August seem to just be playing the situation as it arises. Sara starts off by not even intending to tell August, I think that was honest. When she then confronted him about the video, she first asks why did you do this to Wille and then, how do you have the right, you destroyed Simon? none of it is about her. it’s when August asks her ‘what do you want’ - that i think the idea comes to her. And i think that explains her face after she kisses August - her revulsion at herself. it seems like a situation that spiralled out of control very fast.

i can’t really talk about the Sara-Simon fight scene because it’s my Point of No Return in terms of “This is a nice program to watch of an evening” and “These characters have become my entire waking and sleeping existence, is there treatment for this.”

in the scene that starts with them sitting on the floor in Wille’s room, there is that tender moment by the door, and one of the top two kisses and hugs in the whole of season 1 and 2 combined, punctuated with the forehead tap. and i’ve always thought it so lovely until this time i saw the “red flag” - the towel hanging on the hook - and it reminded me of the red ‘flag’ we see in the locker room every other time things go south.

the scene with kristina and wille in the car starts simply with him saying, “WHAT?” which a) comes straight out of fanfic; b) is hyper-realistic adolescent approach to dialogue but also c) actually shows that they are really close. as in, Wille might loathe his mother by the end of this episode, but also he knows exactly what she’s thinking and they can just skip all the usual staging aspects of conversation. it links, i now see, to the book scene, where wille admits that he can’t just throw out everything he’s been taught, b/c he’s internalized it so well

when K is lecturing W about all the public attention he’s going to get now, and how it will be even worse, it’s the same shot of him looking out the car window wishing he could be literally anyone else as in the first few minutes of s1ep1, after the club fight. and we see his reflection in the window, so we get him 'in double' - who he is IRL, and who he is seen to be by the viewer. very clever. very clever.

[princesimonsblog]

Regarding the lake scene

I've seen a lot of people being nervous about this scene, first by thinking it might be the last scene of the season, then by thinking it might be a break-up scene.

I've already talked about how it wouldn't make sense it's the last scene because they wouldn't spoil it in a trailer.

But not I want to give my reasoning behind why I don't think it's a break up scene.

From what we see in the trailer, there will be some tension between Wilhelm and Simon at some point, but this was predictable. With Simon being openly anti-monarchy, it was bound that he would have a problem with it. But tension doesn't mean break up.

There was tension between them in season 1 and season 2 and guess what, they got back together. They can make it work. Let's remind ourselves that season 2 was all about them finding out that there's just no one else for them.

Also, the lake scene, from all the images we saw, seems like it would be very emotional. But to me, it seems like it will also be sweet and a moment for Wille and Simon to just reconnect after said tension.

Just look:

Also, the line "Is everything okay between us?", if it's indeed during the lake scene, doesn't seem like a break-up line to me. In fact, it sounds more like a make-up line. Like "I know we had a disagreement, but now that we've talked about it, things are okay now".

And outside of the story line, I get why people are speculating a lot about this scene, since it's the one that Netflix showed more in the trailer, and because it looks like it would be an emotional scene. But they used it that much for marketing. They want to make us speculate, makes us scared, makes us want to watch this episode as soon as possible. My bet it's that this scene takes place at the end of episode 5, to mirror s2 episode 5, when Wille and Simon come to an understanding, they don't know what will happen next, but they still found happiness together for a little while before the climax that was episode 6. That scene in episode 5 was also very emotional.

Oh and by the way, let's remember that we were also very anxious about the ball scene in season 2 when the trailer came out, but see how it turned out in the end. Young Royals trailers have always led us in the wrong direction, even the trailer for season 1. So let's enjoy this last ride together. And if those talks about Wilmon being endgame or not makes you very nervous, block the tags or block people if you have to, you can always unblock after.