#bechloe canon perhaps??????

[totallycorrectpitchperfect]

WAIT A MINUTE-

[beca-mitchell]

What do you think other ships between Beca/Chloe and the rest of the group would be like? Or how well would each relationship pan out? As in Beca+Aubrey, Beca+Emily, Beca+Stacie… and Chloe+Aubrey, Chloe+Cynthia, etc…

posting under read more because this got lengthy!!

Chloe’s Ships

Chloe/Aubrey: This is my favourite secondary ship. It’s such a good foundation for Bechloe in my opinion, especially in the angsty way. I love imagining that Chloe and Aubrey had some kind of relationship going on in the BBM (”before beca mitchell”) times. I think Chloe and Aubrey’s dynamic would have been stressful, but they cared for each other deeply. And they still do! I think Chloe loved Aubrey hard and loved her fast, while Aubrey’s love kind of built up over time, making the relationship feel very one-sided and eventually Chloe moved on when Aubrey finally figured out her feelings.

Chloe/Stacie: I envision this ship being primarily physical—something that starts off as FWB with the potential to be something more. I think Chloe and Stacie in fanon are typically written very similarly (both very physical and affectionate and forward). In canon, I think Chloe is more passionate and headstrong than Stacie. Stacie has a very laid-back personality (different from Beca’s personality) and I think that’s probably where Chloe and Stacie would clash a little in a relationship. I don’t see this being more than a fling if anything, especially during the Barden Years.

Chloe/Cynthia-Rose: I think there would definitely be mutual attraction. Chloe seems like she’s attracted to good energies and I think C-R would be good for Chloe in the sense that C-R probably wants a stable relationship. If she weren’t canonically married (???), I think I would explore Chloe/CR more because I think it would be interesting. And obviously CR thinks Chloe is hot because she’s a wlw with eyes. In fanon I love that CR might be a confidante for Chloe because I can see her doing that. I think most people think Chloe would talk to CR about any doubts she might have about her sexuality but I think CR seems to have had clear goals/directions in life (see PP2 and PP3) which is good for Chloe. If they actually dated though, I don’t think they’d necessarily last.

Chloe/Emily: I weirdly ship this a lot?? I know, it seems out of the blue, especially for me. It really does feel like cheating on Bechloe though lmao. But I think Chloe/Emily could be cute. It would never happen during Barden, but maybe years down the line. Even past PP3. Chloe working in NY and Emily finishing her MBA or PhD. I think they could use an opportunity to reconnect and maybe discover some attraction there. I think they’re both very optimistic and eager-to-please people so I think their honeymoon phase of a relationship would last a long time. 

Chloe/Flo: Interesting, but I’ve never really considered this. I think Chloe would find Flo cute and would be curious about learning more about her. I don’t know if any attraction would move in both directions though. Flo seems more concerned with getting through school, then building her business. 

Chloe/Lilly: I am sure it happened once in a dream. Both of them dreamt it at the same time.

Chloe/Jessica: I’ve seen a surprising amount of support for this on Twitter?? Like surprising being more than one person shipping this. Which probably has to do with Britt/Kelley if anything. I think Chloe probably showed Jessica affection once and Jessica had a crush for about three seconds.

Chloe/Ashley: Chloe remembered her name and her role in the Bellas a few times, but Ashley doesn’t delude herself into thinking that she has a shot with Chloe.

Beca’s Ships

Beca/Aubrey: This is such a classic UST ship. Like I absolutely understand why people ship this. There’s just so much tension and the sheer angst of breaking Chloe’s heart while we’re it...which leads me to my next point: I think Beca and Aubrey is a ship with a shelf life—it inevitably ends with Beca/Chloe getting together (perhaps similar to Chaubrey). I do think Beca and Aubrey won’t always see eye-to-eye, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad ship. It would make for a super interesting dynamic. They both do some growing up between PP1 and PP2 and I suppose even between PP2 and PP3. We see that Aubrey mellows out somewhat but barely, but Beca is doing her best to be chill. So if they did start dating beyond a drunken hook-up, they would still have a lot of work to do on nurturing their relationship. And no matter what AU, I still hc that Beca and Aubrey, at some point, harbored feelings for Chloe. So we’d have to deal with that too.

Beca/Stacie: I love how Beca and Stacie are typically written in fic, especially their dynamic. So I base a lot of my characterization of Stacie on fanon. I can see them being a hook-up, likely instigated by Beca. While Stacie flirts with pretty much everything, I think she’s more careful about letting it go further when it comes to her friends, but if Beca pushed I think Stacie would accept. This of course does not mean I think Beca would be a top in any way, I think she would find a reason to want to hook up with Stacie. Maybe frustration from work, her family life, Chloe, etc. In terms of this dynamic evolving into a relationship, I’m still unsure where I stand. I think I’ve read too many side Staubrey to really read Stacie as being compatible with anybody but Aubrey (which is unfortunate because the movies and the fandom did such a disservice to CR/Stacie).

Beca/Emily: Okay, I like Bemily to a certain extent, but I don’t actively ship them. I think a lot of the groundwork for this ship comes from Emily’s admiration of Beca and her cheerful, good-natured personality. This is typically seen as a good contrast to Beca’s serious, awkward nature. In terms how well this relationship would pan out if it happened, I think it could work. I think this relationship is a good base for angst, especially if you combine both Beca and Emily’s insecurities—both of them seem to stem from not feeling like they’re good enough. They a pairing that works because they have potential and room to grow, I think. And they’d be a pretty good musical super duo!

Beca/Cynthia-Rose: You know? I think this would be really stable? Like CR, apart from her gambling problem in PP1 and her literal wife in PP2, seems like she’s one of the calmer members of the group. And Beca needs that stability in her life. I feel like Beca would be nervous around CR though, especially if it came to a relationship between them.

Beca/Flo:  I don’t recall them interacting much or at all, so I’m working with close to nothing here. I don’t think Beca and Flo would ever date.

Beca/Lilly: I think Beca likes the quiet she gets with Lilly. She’s seen as fairly affectionate towards Lilly in the movies (though that might be Anna Kendrick/Hana Mae Lee), and Beca is rarely affectionate. It’s hard to fully imagine a romantic dynamic between them but I think they’d both be really into bringing each other food and lil shoulder massages while studying. All without talking much.

Beca/Jessica (or Ashley): Beca could not tell them apart. I don’t think this works out.

[ladygayfeels]

Anne lister, Eliza Priestley and Halifax :)

anne lister: talk about the girl who made you realize you liked girls.

Two girls come to mind specifically, and both became my best friend at different stages of my teenage-life. Neither knew the other. Both were vastly different and yet still had the same core traits that I hopelessly fell for. Major crush. (I genuinely just thought I really liked them platonically, it’s only looking back now that I realise I was ridiculously infatuated.) Both were the type who were far too cool to be seen around me, but they didn’t care. Both were always so funny and kind and sweet. One extremely girly-girl and the other, the perfect mix of both tom-boy and girly-girl. Both incredibly attractive and painfully straight, although I heard rumours that the tom-boy/girly-girl perhaps bi? But, then she started using drugs and I hightailed outta there. (Not judging, it’s just not my thing and I’d rather not be around them.) Plus, people used to tease me in front of her, saying that I had a crush on her, and I think - looking back now - she manipulated me because I guess she knew I did like her.

eliza priestly: what’s your gaydar like?

I have zero gaydar. I’m more oblivious than *insert something super oblivious here*

halifax: what’s your favorite lesbian/wlw movie?

I haven’t seen many wlw films. The Netflix (AU) LGBT sub-genre is poor, and those that I have seen haven’t wowed me, to be honest. I haven’t been knocked off my feet by one. But I guess ‘Imagine Me & You’ is good. It feeds into all the tropes which is no surprise, but I love Lena Heady, so... yeah.

I do think tv shows have the longevity that allows a wlw romance to be fully explored over a longer period of time, rather than a 2hr film does. So, I’d rather watch that or read fics of characters I’m already attached to, than watch a film.

(If Universal hadn’t been dicks and actually made Bechloe canon in PP3, rather than just queer-baiting us all throughout the promo tour, then I’d have said Pitch Perfect 3.)

[firesong-writes69]

writing for a different fandom after getting used to one for so long is such a hard switch I never thought I'd struggle with. I have an emotional attachment to Carmilla and Laura, as all of you know; the broody vampire and her adorable cupcake of a girlfriend taught me what love was and that I am worthy of receiving it. I used Sky Full of Stars as a vessel to convey my emotions into writing, so that way the audience can know what I'm feeling through those characters. 

Carmilla is pessimistic, broody, nonchalant--she carries emotion in her voice and feels so much for everyone. Laura is perky, easily excited, and ready to tackle life with a “can-do” attitude. 

Beca and Chloe, from the Pitch Perfect movies, I have a different attachment to. I'm honestly determined to give them the happy ending they deserve, after being so blinded by their chemistry for so long. (and writing what could have been a better ending for the final film). they’re similar characters to Laura and Carmilla, but their relationship is different--and much more sacred, I feel (because of course we know they’re in love, but in canon their relationship is strictly platonic). Beca is shy, alternative, but a trailblazer. She wants to change the world around her and make a difference. she’s ruled by her love for music but expresses it only for herself, and it isn’t until later in the films she’s brave enough to show the world her talents. Chloe is the opposite--she loves singing--and wants to make the world a better place every chance she gets. She’s sunshine, like Laura, and her eyes sparkle and they light up the whole room. But another quirk I love about Chloe is that she’s got no understanding of personal boundaries--and enjoys physical contact. 

the reason why so many people ship characters like these together because the possibilities for writing aus are endless--but the results are always the same. They’re endgame. In any universe, Beca and Chloe love each other. So do Carmilla and Laura. 

perhaps that’s why I feel so close and jumped aboard the bechloe ship, because like those two, I didn’t realize how beautiful it could have been until it was too late.  

regardless, I'm working on a fanfic right now, and I'm fighting back the urge to have beca call chloe things like “cupcake” or “cutie” after getting used to the muscle memory. 

[i-am-bechloe-trash]

do u think they'll give fat amy a girlfriend and not have beca and chloe end up together? im not caught up on the leaked script, but from that article it sounds like ruby rose's character is with fat amy. idk i feel like if they're worried that they wont make as much money if they have gay characters, then why would they have amy be with a girl and not beca and chloe?

hey anon.  Giving Fat Amy a girlfriend, and not making Bechloe canon, seems like too much of a big pitch-slap in the face to the Bechloe fandom. So, I don’t think that’s the route they are going.  I firmly believe that if Amy is going to go gay, then there must be some hint of Bechloe.

But why choose Amy? At first I thought she was the worst possible choice, because Amy is probably the straightest Bella there.  Then again, maybe she’s the right choice because she is arguably the most popular character (at least to the general public) and we know she is already into some pretty unconventional stuff (dingo wrestling, mermaid dancing).  So, if she goes gay, then perhaps mainstream audiences will more easily accept when Beca and Chloe start doing the nasty. LOL.  Amy will be Gateway Gay, so to speak. 😉

But I don’t really know. I’m just making shit up at this point, because it’s the only thing that makes sense to me now.

[beca-mitchell]

I don’t think this is real hot steamy kiss Rebel & Shelley was talking about Bechloe kiss its just for gag reel they was just fooling around but I’m pretty sure they really seamy romantic kiss hidden by universe stood I bet 🤷‍♀️🤔🤦🏽‍♀️

right, i think this is the kind of content that straddles the line between three forms of content: text, paratext, and context (borrowed from Eve Ng's fantastic article Between text, paratext, and context).

i think with something like this, the fans have more control over interpretation of the source media solely because of the context we’ve been given over the years. or so we’d like to think! which is all part of the joy of fandom. Bloopers and gag reel stuff tends to fall within “paratext” in the same way that “interviews” kind of fall within paratext and context.

I just think that this is probably the one (1) kiss and perhaps it was meant to be included as a blooper or a deleted scene. But I agree in that what we saw doesn’t really fit within what we would consider a “canon” scene because they broke character(ish) at the end. I do think, however, that they didn’t need to do any of what they did at all. Like why film this at all? Why keep it? Keep in mind that the context of this all is primarily the horrible queerbaiting materials that Universal put out for PP3. As well as Kendrick saying a bunch of pro-Bechloe things. So I don’t...think there was another take. This falls in line with what Chrissie said about Kendrick/Beca being the one to pull Snow/Chloe in for a kiss. It is quite steamy! It was much longer than I anticipated it being.

All that being said, I think I’m falling within the section of the fans that does consider this kiss rather steamy and rather romantic. I am taking this primarily as Bechloe but I understand and respect people’s take that this is more Kendrick/Snow above all.

[beca-mitchell]

hiiii do you have any pp2 fic recs :ppp

hi! so I do and this list ended up being a lot longer than i expected. i apologize for the length of this but there are just so many amazing fics that i felt fit the bill. i was debating going to fanfiction.net as well to try and find more, but i would rather not make an overwhelming list. the fics i included are all written around the PP2 era—post PP2 movie release in 2015. Most of them are based on movie canon and set during the movie canon. Some go beyond movie canon.

Forgive Me These November Days

by @obstinate-questionings​ (12 chapters, 78k words, complete)

Summary: Why Chloe Beale didn’t graduate—and why she finally did—as told through yearly celebrations of Thanksgiving.

can’t hurry love

@backtobasicbellas (5.9k words, complete)

Summary: Every time they win, Chloe celebrates with Beca. Too bad they don’t talk about it, ever.

you will see me come undone

by @paintedviolet (12k words, complete)

Summary: Seeing Chloe’s face drop when she plays the mix at the next official practice is honestly the best reaction Beca could have hoped for. Beca has floored her; she’s totally exposed, having to listen to what is most definitely one of her lady jams and discuss the parts each person is going to sing. All the while pretending it doesn’t have an effect on her at all.

Beca and Chloe incorporate their flirting game into their Bellas practices. One of them has to crack sooner or later.

let’s finish the race (while our hearts are young)

by @chloebeale​ (5.8k words, complete, written in second person)

Summary: Chloe stands next to you, like she always does, and you try not to smile too much, but Chloe has her arm wrapped around your waist, and she turns to look at you, and she doesn’t really say anything. You’re used to being this close to her, and you noticed how blue her eyes were a long time ago, but each time she looks at you like this, it’s like your stomach is learning to do back-flips for the very first time. And you give your biggest smile to the camera as you all shout ‘Bellas for life!’ You may have made the picture your lock screen, but that’s no big deal.

eliminate the distance between us

by @maladyofthequotidian​ (7.9k words, complete)

Summary: Senior year isn’t really going the way Beca thought it would.

notes: established bechloe

When I Think of You (My Best Friend)

by RavenclawGenius (3.8k words, complete)

Summary: This DSM chick is really messing with Beca’s head.

this is not a party (it’s a hurricane)

by tinyheadspace (8.8k words, complete)

Summary: When Beca finally accepts her feelings for Chloe, she learns the hard way that Chloe has been hooking up with Stacie. For months.

(i get by) with a little help from my friends

by @piratekane​ (3.5k words, complete)

Summary: The Bellas are a sisterhood, for now and forever. Her mom told her that she would be connected to these incredible women for the rest of her life. So when they talk, she listens.

or, three times Emily takes advice from the Bellas when she isn’t sure she should (and one time she takes advice when It isn’t given).

when gravity’s pulling (you’re still holding my heart) 

by @piratekane​ (5.3k words, complete)

Summary: Beca isn’t sure how she got here.

Well, she knows how she got here, in this house, with these girls. She knows all about the real estate process too. But she isn’t sure how she got here: Laying on her bed with her laptop in her lap and her legs bent at the knee, feet flat so Chloe can paint her toenails while she goes over the Bellas history with Legacy and answer every question about the Beca-and-Chloe (fake) dating thing.

It’s this part of her life she isn’t so sure about.

i’m a little unsteady (hold onto me)

by @piratekane​ (4.5k words, complete)

Summary: Beca always wanted a pet growing up. There was just too much work involved. But Chloe texts her and tells her there’s a Legacy, a freshman, joining them. Beca can’t take care of a freshman. She just can’t. Most days she can’t even take care of herself.

aka, Five Times Beca and Chloe ‘Mom’ the Legacy.

Mocha

by @asweetmelodytrickling (23k words, 24 chapters, complete)

Summary: Set during The Barden Years: In which Beca randomly kisses Chloe because Chloe jokingly told her to, the aftermath of which is complicated and confusing for both the young women, and for their unfortunate housemates.

You Still Make Sense to Me (Your Mess is Mine)

by @emilyjunk​ (31k words, complete)

Summary: "Chloe fills up all of the spaces inside her that she didn’t even know existed until Chloe was there.“

or the one where it takes a fake-engagement and being domestic as hell for these two idiots to realize they’re in love. Set two years after PP2 and mostly canon compliant. 

Blow a Kiss, Fire a Gun (We All Need Someone to Lean On)

by @emilyjunk (24k words, complete)

Summary: Emily knew that she’d enter a sisterhood when she joined the Bellas, she just didn’t realize she’d gain an aca-mom and an aca-dad too! At least, that’s if Stacie has anything to do with it.

Or the closest thing you’ll ever get to canon lovechild!Emily.Emily’s POV through Pitch Perfect 2. Side Bechloe.

Finding Harmony

by @aliciameade (381k words, 90 chapters, complete, Rated E)

Summary: A confessed regret. A rejection. A conversation that was meant to be private - overheard by the one person Chloe never wanted to hear it. But perhaps - perhaps - it was for the best. Where will the future lead Beca and Chloe? Only time will tell.

Just the Way You Are

by Galpalkru (4.7k words, complete)

Summary: Beca Mitchell definitely doesn’t have feelings for Chloe Beale. Not even a little bit. Best friends sing love songs to each other and cuddle all the time. Right? 

Or the one where Beca says what she should have said to Chloe on the retreat.

It All Started With A Tent

by @rejection-isnt-failure (9.7k words, complete, Rated E)

Summary: So we all know about Beca and Chloe’s unresolved sexual tension… but how much do we really know? It all started with a tent… didn’t it?

aannnnd that’s it for now!

I hope you enjoy! i have so many more i’m sure, but these were ones that stuck out to me. I also had the joy of re-reading them as I was creating this fic rec and it’s amazing what kinds of things people accepted as canon (aka fanon) and what tropes really stood out the most to people. What a time.

[beca-mitchell]

Since you are on a fic rec high and you have good taste -- any good AUs?

oof, that’s a really good inquiry bc there are so many different kinds of AUs here—are you looking for simple canon divergence, or are you looking for different-first-meeting AU, or perhaps a high school AU? Zombie AU? Again, different people consider “AUs” to be a variety of thing, so I tried to think of some good ones that I’ve read recently or that I’ve read repeatedly.

— — — —

reality is a sliding door

by @piratekane​ (7,929 words)

Summary: There is a theory: every person has a moment in their life where they make a choice to go left or right. From those possibilities, two parallel lines form, running alongside each other; two concurrent realities.

Parallel lines never cross; they run forever next to each other without ever meeting.

In one world, Beca Mitchell joins the Barden Bellas.In another world, she wasn’t supposed to.

In every world, Beca Mitchell underestimates Chloe Beale.

Additional notes: one of my all-time faves…such a classique AU concept and so well done.

This is Not a Kia Commercial (But It Sure Feels Like It)

by @emilyjunk (4,090 words)

Summary: Beca signs up as to be a test subject for an experiment so she can make some extra money. There is an accident and her consciousness is temporarily switched with a hamster. Now Chloe has to look after Becahamster for three days while the machine is prepared. 

Additional notes: I have no words. Just read this.

Maybe In Another Life

by @not-so-average-fangirl (40,181 words, good for spooky szn)

Summary: Moving into a new house turns out to be a better experience for Chloe Beale than she thought it would. Perhaps it’s because of the friendly, little brunette she finds hiding in the basement one night. An unforeseen friendship sparks between them, but as more complicated emotions begin to arise, a shocking truth is revealed, and Chloe’s world gets turned upside down.

In My Blood

by @starlightscape​ (207,241 words, 13 chapters, incomplete, RP-style)

Summary: Bechloe // Zombie Apocalypse AU — In the summer of 2007, an outbreak of a mutated fungus ravaged the United States, transforming its human hosts into aggressive, sound-sensitive creatures known as clickers. Five years into the zombie apocalypse, Chloe Beale, a medic-in-training from the Barden settlement, has a chance run-in with nomadic weapons expert Beca Mitchell and her companions.

Additional notes: one of the most detailed zombie aus I’ve ever read, honestly.

Volutus

by Care (1,652 words, Rated M)

Summary: Around and around and around. An immortality/reincarnation AU.

the timing is right, the stars are aligned

by @chloebeale​ (6,589 words, immortality/reincarnation)

Summary: You’d think being immortal would be fun. The living forever part. That sounds fun. The everybody else dying in front of your eyes part? That’s not so fun.

love tastes like spring and blood

by @pan-de-queer​ (15,713 words, soulmate au—the one about the flowers)

Summary: The Bella captain was curled up against her co-captain, eyes on her dimmed phone instead of the television screen. Slim, tan fingers combed gently through her hair as Chloe’s focus stayed glued to the film and it felt much like any other movie night in the Bella house.

And then Emily yelled.“Hanahaki!”

Beca tensed at the word as Amy yawned a half-hearted, “Gesundheit, Legacy.”

Or: Beca’s dying and she’s not being dramatic, Chloe is confused, and lots of flower language is used.

Do Not Remove Cover

by @perpetuallyfive​ (23,564 words, 6 chapters + there are sequels, marvel AU)

Summary: A timeline of Beca Stark’s malfunctioning heart. Manufacturer’s warranty not guaranteed past ten years.

Additional notes: very Beca-centric, but a really good character study of Beca as Tony Stark’s kid.

The Bridge 

by @suituuup​ and @starlightscape​ (55,847 words, RP style, different first meeting, unplanned pregnancy)

Summary: “In popular music, the bridge is a device used to break up the repetitive pattern of the song; it’s where words and music change.”

In the bustling borough of Brooklyn, Beca’s a struggling musician working as a waitress to make ends meet. At an open mic night, she meets Chloe–a successful local photographer–and sparks fly. As they grow close, Beca learns she left a one night stand the night before she met Chloe with much more than she bargained for…

life during wartime

by @cleareyesfullbeers​ (4,793 words, 2 fics, Edge of Tomorrow AU)

Summary: Beca figures out how to save the world, told in two parts.

Head-First

by @aliciameade​ (25,585 words, 4 chapters, Rated M/E)

Summary: They’re lifeguards.

— — — —

enjoy! there were a few more fics that i thought about adding…but maybe that’s a fic rec for another time :)

[beca-mitchell]

Pitch Perfect 3: Beca Mitchell is in love with Chloe Beale

...and there’s nothing Universal wanted to do more than to remind us that we’ll never get canon confirmation of this fact.

Hey, it’s me, your extra AF academic giving you an analysis on the three Pitch Perfect movies (see 1 here and 2 here) and which one provided the best shippy Bechloe content. Thus far, I ranked them from highest to lowest as: 1, 2, 3, though I do flip between 1 and 2.

In a departure from the first two movies, PP3 falls short in bringing super obvious and shippy Bechloe content, but reminds us why we stuck around since 2012...and why we’ll likely continue to do so. It is in no way a terrible movie and has its funny moments, great musical numbers, and fine performances from this talented group of actresses.

It allowed fans to grovel on the ground for the scraps of little things thrown in here and there by way of the director and the actresses feeding us outside of the frame of the movie. The reason this is painful is because of the departure from what was verging on plain, old text right back into the sub-basement of subtext.

Aside: I’m interested in what’s confined to the boundaries of this movie because as we know, there’s a lot to be said about how this movie was promoted/marketed. None of that matters because the team already made these exec decisions about how the movie was going to come out 1) while they were filming and; 2) before the marketing really took off.

As a reminder, anon asked me how I’d rank the three movies in terms of shippy content/value for Bechloe shippers. I rank this last, but not because it’s so terrible, but because it’s angsty as fuck and you really walk away from it feeling kind of sad about the whole thing. 

While PP 1 and 2 are hopeful, there’s something about the shippy moments in 3 that seem contrived so much so that they’re not odes to the fans, but rather a final nail in the coffin and that’s why I’m sad about it overall.

There are two points that I want to make here: 

Beca does essentially everything in this movie because of Chloe.

Beca harbours some deep feelings for Chloe.

Something I will not address because addressing it would be as pointless as its inclusion in the PP3 story (but feel free to ask me about that separately):

the Chicago storyline (which is the unfortunate reason why this movie ranks below 1 & 2 for me)

Let’s go!

**all gifs in this post made by me

1. Beca completes her major plot points/does essentially everything in this movie because of Chloe.

To Preface: Chloe and Beca (and Fat Amy) chose to live together in New York. I’m sad that we’ll never get extended group dynamics here, but the fact is, they do and they live together pretty closely as far as we’re aware (the close confines of the apartment, the shared bed, etc.).

Chloe saying “because it reminds me I was special once” in response to Beca asking why she’s wearing her Bellas’ uniform is a lot more emotional than the scene initially leads you to believe. I found this pretty important because I consider it a huge starting point for the movie’s events, particularly in the way Beca goes about doing things.

Beca shuts up pretty quickly after that. Beca agrees to go to the reunion pretty quickly after that, citing that she needs a “distraction”.

Also, Chloe’s genuine concern for Beca is really cute.

Beca agrees to go on the USO tour, but only after she sees Chloe agreeing to go.

I found this interesting because it does seem like Beca’s partially interested. It’s not to say that she doesn’t kind of want to go for herself since we see her genuinely enjoying herself throughout the movie when she’s performing again,  but she really commits to going once she notices Chloe agreeing to go; when she sees Chloe’s renewed enthusiasm.

There’s some great technical stuff throughout the movie, like these cut-aways and isolated shots.

The movie leaves a lot of gaps to fill in here, which struck me as interesting at first, then I was just grateful. There are so many headcanons available to shippers at this point. How close are Beca and Chloe at this point? How much do they share with each other? Their fears, their dreams, their goals?

And Chloe?

Chloe looks so grateful that Beca agrees to go that it makes me want to die.

There’s a genuine relationship between Beca and Chloe that is never fully addressed, but the movie kind of says that it’s there...but as scraps.

Beca is thinking about ‘Freedom’ (the song) throughout the movie...then sings it straight to Chloe at the end.

The one good thing that she’s got.

Beca mixes and layers the intro to her “Freedom” performance in the hotel suite, which means it’s the first thing that kinda popped into her mind. How long has she been thinking about this song over the course of the movie? Beyond the boundaries of the movie? What does this song mean to Beca? You get some implicit answers here and there, obviously. It’s not hard to glean the meaning of the song. 

Then this happens:

And finally, just when you think it’s enough that Chloe’s gaze is the first one she seeks out, when she’s done and high off the adrenaline of performing solo for the first time...

She runs straight into Chloe’s arms. She spins on her heel, without a doubt, and knows who she’s looking for before her eyes even land on her.

There are moments in between that made me think of Bechloe too.

...Like how Beca has the Bellas at heart and wants to cling on to her family because she’s kinda afraid to take that final step into the spotlight as an individual artist. It almost directly parallels Chloe’s dilemma in the second movie, unable to let go completely.

The shipper part of me that wants to believe that it’s entirely due to Beca and Chloe clinging on to each other despite it all. I don’t think it’s too much of a reach, all things considered. It’s not too much of a reach to think that Beca and Chloe are holding on to each other all these years because they’ve grown so attached to each other. Beca cares about Chloe’s interests, just like Chloe displayed the same care for Beca’s interests all those years ago.

2. Beca harbours some Deep Feelings for/Attraction to Chloe, but she doesn’t address it explicitly and we will never see her address it. 

As I mentioned above, this movie kicks off with Beca taking into account how Chloe feels. Chloe is kinda down about vet school and perhaps feeling directionless. Beca is going through something similar, but hers is more on the creative side and what she wants to do with her future as a musician/independent artist.

Beyond the points I mention above re: Beca doing things for Chloe and because of Chloe, Beca exhibits some attraction to Chloe. They’re all moments worth nothing.

Chloe talking passionately and enthusiastically (much like her old self) about the riff-off makes Beca smile.

That’s it, that’s the point. There’s almost nothing more to be said here because Beca’s smile says it all.

This scene - a significant cut-away - makes me so mushy because of how smitten Beca is here.

It’s an homage to the first two movies where we see Beca easing her way into the Bellas with hesitation, but we understand Chloe to be enthusiastic and passionate about almost everything she does. The way she tackles her problems, well, it’s something that Beca seems to love or at least feels very strongly about, likely after so many years being by Chloe’s side.

Beca looking to Chloe for affirmation/validation.

Again, with the side conversations and general validation that Beca looks for in Chloe. That “special bond” as Trish Sie calls it. There’s a degree of ‘friendship’ here that exceeds Beca’s friendship with Fat Amy. There’s an unspoken closeness between them that really makes you want to know about their history. The years we didn’t get to see.

The two times (of many) she looks to Chloe for support.

And the one time she looks to Chloe to offer support.

Beca allows the boob-grabbing to happen with detached interest.

She’s gay.

“Dude. What is...What is this about?”

And once again, we’re left on the edge of something more, but yet, not quite. Beca, in a departure from her awkward shower encounter with Chloe, isn’t fazed anymore. In fact, the curiosity in her voice is there. It’s the curiosity that Chloe employs in the second movie - the same that Beca ignores and pushes away.

Good question, Beca. What is this about? Is it about the unspoken tension? Is it about the attraction? Who’s to say?

We will never know because Aubrey interrupts them.

It’s “nothing”, in the grand scheme of things, which is absurdly painful. More painful than I thought possible for a movie about a cappella.

Bonus: Beca Mitchell is not a heterosexual.

Her general disdain for Theo can be seen from space. Not that she thinks he’s a terrible person (she says so), but that she is 100% not attracted to him on any level.

What I love more, however, is when we’re introduced to Chicago and Zeke. All the ladies - except two - are basically swooning over them. The two that aren’t? Cynthia Rose (for obvious reasons) and Beca.

Beca is just...riding this wave of not being attracted to men at all in this movie and I’m here for it.

She looks so unimpressed...and that is the Mood for this movie, folks.

Also, if this scene doesn’t remind you of PP2...you’re watching this wrong.

And that’s it! I can’t believe I made it. In total, over the three posts, I clocked in at around 4.3k words. What the fuck??

Thanks for reading!

If you want, reply, reblog w/ comments, or like this post! I’m interested in what people have to say. Tell me what you thought! Tell me what you’re still thinking about!