#but i still think it would be entertaining for Jon to run into The Hive and just be like

[jackdaw-and-hattrick]

Archivist Sasha AU but that's not even the point because one of her assistants is the strangest, spookiest little man she's met in her waning life. No one knows why Jon is working in the archives nor why he seems to know so much about the horrors haunting them, all they know is that Jon is looking for something, though he never says what. He wanders the aisles rifling through boxes for whatever it is. Sometimes he will find a statement he decides to keep. Once Martin caught Jon reading those statements and crying, but he wouldn't say why.

The mystery continues until Sasha ends up in America and finds Gerard Key’s page. She doesn't know how Jon came up, but as soon as he hears his name, Gerry does a 180. Suddenly, rather than wanting Sasha to burn his page right away, he wants her to bring it back to the archives; all he says is, “he needs to know it's over.” Jon cries when Sasha hands him Gerry’s page. Finally, he gives her his statement, the statement of Johnathan Sims regarding his late husband, Gerard Sims, and the years of searching that followed his death and dismemberment. Finally, he can bury him, and finally, Gerry can be laid to rest.

[lemonhemlock]

i don't understand got fans like how is tywin a genius strategist when the only thing the red wedding accomplishes in the long run is north independence with the starks on top of it probably forever 😭

there are a lot of things happening here, some driven by fandom discourse (reactions and counter-reactions) and some conflations of realpolitk with fantasy elements and book writing norms. enough ink has been spilled in every direction, as tywin has both detractors and fanboys, the latter of whom sometimes lean perilously in the redpill direction (you know the type). i have a divergent take from them but i'm not truly interested in the debate either, as it has been overdone to death by now.

the following is a little bit of a tumblr hive mind mentality, wherein people with a (justifiable) anti-patriarchal discourse want to discredit a character that so strongly symbolizes patriarchy to the point that they refuse to assign him any positive traits. so, if tywin is a bad father and a bad person, it must naturally follow that he is bad at everything - he is a shit general, he doesn't know a thing about politics or diplomacy or wealth management or any of the activities that fall within the purview of nobility.

which i just think is not authorial intention at all and neither did the execution truly suggest that to me. correct me if i'm wrong, but, so far, at least, all of the westerland POVs we have had on tywin have been positive (bar his children ofc). sure, we haven't had a whole lot, but the author also threw stannis in there for good measure, who is not an easily impressionable fellow. robert, as well, may not like tywin, but he sees him as a person he can do business with and tries not to step on his tail too much.

all of this to say that textual evidence points to the fact that tywin is a good administrator and a fearsome adversary. i don't think grrm is even interested in presenting us with a character that is devoid of savy and proficiency at this level, nor do i think that his expertise is unwarranted, as unlikeable as his personality is. even euron, who is arguably the most despicable character in the books, has his own specific skill set. at the end of book 3, the tyrell-lannister alliance is enough to secure the rule of joffrey/tommen and the north is under bolton rule.

now, of course that tywin doesn't plan for the white walkers, for jon's secret parentage reveal or for the existence of bloodraven luring bran. but who would? you can only plan according to the information you have at hand and, at the point in the books tywin operates, magic is a faraway dream to entertain children. as far as he knows, he just wiped out the stark line, bar sansa, who is married to his son. yes, she later escapes, which can become a problem. but my point is that, when people attempt to appraise tywin's efficiency, they bring the magical element into discussion, in that he is presiding over the calm before the storm and that there are many destabilizing factors at play against his status-quo, of which he is blissfully ignorant. but, the thing is that you can be otto von bismarck reborn, but your political ideology is not going to hold water against an alien invasion or fantasy beasts or weirwood CCTV. you can only plan and scheme according to the pre-established rules of your world, and if those rules change overnight, then of course your plans are going to prove "faulty" and you're going to have to adapt. but is this really a gotcha that directly targets your cunning or strategic thinking?

my final observation is on the norm-breaking red wedding. this is not the say that norm-violation doesn't carry consequences (there are already essays on this topic so i won't insist), but i'll interject that whether these consequences manifest always or only sometimes is still debated in the literature, as is the nature of those consequences. scholars remain divided, if you will. realists will tell you norm-adherence is subordinated to a state's cost-benefit analysis and the power they dispose of to achieve their goal. liberals (IR) will tell you that cooperation between actors is mutually-beneficial and thus respecting shared norms is the rational choice. in any case, in order for neoliberal institutionalism to function, you first need to have institutions - department in which westeros is sorely lacking. i'll remind you that westeros does not even have a parliamentary body.

coming back to the text, tywin pulled off this little tactic before - to great success as well. he eradicated the reynes and the tarbecks and, so far, we haven't heard one dissenting voice from the westerlands criticising his decision. you can argue that that's a worldbuilding flaw or an absence brought about by lack of space, but i think it's also fair to say he was allowed by divine providence (i.e. grrm) to have this victory without any visible consequences. and i will go as far as to say that, after the red wedding, tywin is not killed by a stark or a martell loyalist or a westerlands rebel, but by his own son, for reasons that have nothing to do with the reynes of castamere, the red wedding or elia martell. it's a common plotwriting technique - tywin is obviously punished for his deeds by the narrative in the metatextual sense, but it doesn't come as the result of his military enterprises or his political decisions. it's more of a crime of passion, driven by unfulfilled parental love.

this does not mean that the author is not trying to denounce tywin's style of ruling at the same time. that tywin is a deconstruction of machiavelli's prince is not a new or original remark. but if grrm agreed with tywin's ideology, then he would have lived out to "win" the so-called game of thrones. grrm is looking for a different type of kinghood and showing us a lot of different variants in the process. but i don't think he disqualifies tywin's version because it is not effective or because tywin was really actually secretly incompetent. are brutal tactics really not effective in the real world? i ask you: is that really an honest observation of the world around us?

no, i think grrm disqualifies brutality because it takes away one's humanity. because you shouldn't resort to it anyway, even if you can, even if it's so easy and tempting and effective. even if it means that, in its absence, you lose or die. because what kind of life is one impinged by cruelty and lived in the service of our base impulses?

[fedonciadale]

This is a genuine question don’t take it personally, But I’ve always seen your side of the fandom criticizing GRRM not To Say Others Dont Regarding Sansa. What’s makes y’all certain that’s he is going to reward her by making her QITN and will not end up as unimportant. Especially when he have other favorites female characters that are arya and dany ?

I'm tempted to just answer with

"Everything before the word but is horseshit."

Nevertheless, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and treat this as a genuine question.

I think you should really consider for a moment that the Jonsa fandom is not a hive mind. Occasionally some of us (including me) criticize GRRM but for various reasons, and only very rarely in regard to Sansa. Sansa is a well written character and I've rarely seen criticism on how he writes Sansa. I've seen criticism of some things he said about Sansa because they cement the general fandom idea that Sansa running to Cersei led to Ned's death (which is not true if you look at the text, because it was Joffrey who decided on his own [probably urged by Littlefinger] to kill Ned and Ned had shared his plans with Cersei). I also think that GRRM severely miscalculated how the PoV trap would work against Sansa even several books later (but this is more fandom critical than GRRM critical).

I think you should also try for a moment to entertain the idea that the end of a story arc is not about rewarding or punishing characters, it is about bringing them to a logical conclusion. Frodo in LotR is a likeable character, you could even say a hero. Is he rewarded? No. His ending is logical nevertheless, fitting. This is where it led all the time. And it's there all the time in the first book, from the first time Frodo is introduced.

So, Sansa as Queen is the logical conclusion to her arc. There is a ton of foreshadowing. Right now she retraced Ned's step towards Winterfell (and remember Ned was also not the apparent heir for a time). Sansa as Queen is not a reward, not for her, not for her fans. It's where her arc leads and that is why it is a satisfying ending. The character who is kind, who excels at soft power is the character who gets the responsibility in the end.

Once you understood that the end of characters in a good story is about what is fitting, that is develops organically from the character and what happened to the character you can also understand that being a fav character does not predestine survival or being raised to Queen. Villains can be fav characters, you know. Cersei is one of my fav characters and I have no illusion that she'll survive the series.

Take LotR again: Boromir dies, and as sad as it is, it is the logical conclusion to his arc. He falls to the temptation of the ring because of love for his people and he comes to himself again when he realizes that he must protect the hobbits who are in need right before his nose. He is protective and that's his failure and his success at the same time.

Ned is honourable (apart from lying for Jon's sake of course) and it looks like he fails, but in the long run we see that his legacy is the one that is going to prevail, but in a better way. Sansa is Ned 2.0. If you don't want circular story telling and still want the story to end where it began, this is how you do it. I don't make these rules. It's literary methods of good storytelling.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[shazyloren]

Little Lyanna

Summary:  Jon is out of his mind with worry, trying to busy himself as his wife labours their baby into the world... They've been trying so long, and they had once thought it would not happen.

Notes: As you know, I am taking part in a challenge on tumblr by user 'JonerysFic' and 'MhysaOfDragons' in which for seven days from Valentines day I am uploading a new one shot. The prompts have been provided and the stories have all been written and I gotta say you're in for a lot of Jonerys content. So Day 7, the last day, 20th February, which is when I'm uploading this, the prompt I chose was 'Free Choice'. So I got thinking and decided to expand on my glorious reign series and give you the birth of their first child, Lyanna.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17864576

----

Jon was going crazy.

Waiting for the arrival of his and Dany’s child had left him drinking with Tyrion in the hands quarter as a promise to Dany that he’d stay away while she laboured their baby. All of the dogs in King’s Landing were howling, due to the storm that had captured the city and by extension scared the inhabitants into staying inside. Lighting and rain, flashing and fierce. There had been four storms since he and Dany assumed the throne five years ago, but this had by far been the worse. Ironic that their child would also be known as Stormborn like it’s mother, but that also left deep rooted fear within Jon himself.

He wondered if she would survive, after all both of their mother’s had perished when giving birth to them, although Sam was dealing with her, the only person he trusted. But there was still this nagging feeling of fear within him that meant he was on edge and pacing the hands chambers all the while it was going on. He could stand on the Balcony and see their chambers from it, but he wouldn’t know what was happening.

They’d lost a babe already, after the first time they’d made love on the boat from dragonstone to White Harbour, Dany’s bleeding had not arrived. They didn’t count their chickens before they hatched, both of them knowing what happened to her last babe, but when her belly had began to swell with life they were joyous. Jon requested they not tell anyone, as only Missandei, Sam and themselves knew at that moment. But about ten weeks after the conception, Dany bled hard and the babe was lost.

She’d cried for weeks in private with him, they’d shared his chambers and it had been heart-wrenching to see her suffer. She put on a smile for the lords of Winterfell, and when they’d caught her crying she’d always played it off as the lose of her Dragon, which in a sense was also her child. So when her belly had become swollen once again six months ago, they’d been very joyous yet extremely cautious. Jon had not let her do anything, she was to relax for the first few months, must to her annoyance.

And now, she was in labour, a month early.

To make matters worse, Lord Baratheon and Lady Stark (Jon’s sister) had sprung upon them a surprise visit, which meant they too were in the hands chambers, drinking with him as the entertainment Tyrion had quickly thrown together for the visiting family got cut short. Daenerys was in the middle of giving a speech when she’d gushed on the floor and began to feel light headed.

She was early, and this was all the more reason Jon was worried. The chances of both of them surviving was very small, but he’d hoped that she had, they both had. If she was to go… Jon couldn’t even bare to think about it, he loved her so hopelessly that the even consideration that Daenerys Targaryen, his wife, his queen, would never see him again, would never look at him with those eyes, was completely consuming him

“Stop pacing, you idiot” Arya grumbled, fiddling with a knife, twisting it between her fingers. The Valyrian blade that Bran had bestowed upon her all those years ago, before he’s met his end… Jon shook his head and did as he was told. He may be the king, but when Ayra said to do something, he listened without question.

“It’s natural to be fearful, Your Grace” Tyrion countered, pouring red wine into his goblet and almost downing it instantly. “But I can assure you she’s in very good hands”

Jon knew she was, Sam had delivered several babies now including that of his sister, Sansa’s two children with her husband up in the north. He may be Lord of Horn Hill, but he also was their maester, and Jon trusted him more than anyone else besides Daenerys.

“Perhaps we can do something to take your mind off of everything, Your Grace?” Gendry offered. Nothing would take Jon’s mind off of it, he knew as such, but he took the bate and sat down at the table with the other three. “Are there any pressing issues that need resolving in the city?”

“We’ve been dealing with a speight of theft in flea bottom” Jon shrugs, reminding himself that flea bottom needs to be renamed as it wasn’t the hive of poverty it had once been in the era of the Lannisters rule. Jon and Dany had more than enough comforts here in the Red Keep that he’d make monthly donations of food and clothes that were worn by servants down to them and handed them out personally.

“Okay, let’s focus on that then”

It worked for maybe twenty minutes, until Jon swore he heard screaming all the way across the Red Keep. He knows he didn’t, it was more than likely his mind playing tricks on him, but still, it was enough to stop him from wanting to commit to the City’s issues and think about her instead.

He didn’t pray to the old gods, after all he’s seen in the world he doubted any god’s existence anymore, but he did pray to Sam’s ability that he’d keep her alive, both of them. He should’ve ignored Dany, stayed with her until the end, but it had been hours and she’d begged him to go until it was done. He wouldn’t if it was a case of not wanting to seem weak, or not wanting to see the birth, or perhaps if she did pass, she didn’t want him to see it in front of his eyes.

Whatever her reasons, it was a decision that was driving him crazy and fearful and almost alone.

“Sansa has birthed two children, both of which were successfully delivered by Sam, stop having a crisis you’ll look like you’re supposed to be celebrating your fiftieth name day” Arya was growing impatient and Jon did not blame her in the slightest, but had they known about the baby they lost, then perhaps she’d know why he was frightened for his Queen.

Sansa knew now, shortly after the war and her engagement and subsequent wedding to Gawen of House Glover, she’d come to Jon about bleeding heavily and unsure of anyone to turn too. She’d suffered a miscarriage and it had affected her mentally. Jon had offered comfort and told her the story of her and Dany losing one and from that moment, Sansa had dealt with the issue better.

“I’m her husband, she’s my Queen, let me worry” Jon sighs, thinking back to the times in which his worries were the living dead killing all of men-kind.

So much had changed and so much was still to change now that he and Daenerys were to become parents. The capital had been so happy at the news of their King and Queen welcoming a child soon, and thankfully, the other lords in the kingdom had too. Jon had struggled with it on some occasions. A child was something Jon had always wanted but never envisioned he would have when he was serving on the wall, but something that had come true and very shortly, he’d have to be a father.

Would he be a good one?

“Your Grace” Jon hears behind him and so he turns to note several guardsmen and Sam, the Maester and man he trusted amongst everyone else. He was covered in blood, as was to be expected after delivering a baby, but his appearance still filled him with dread.

“Is everything alright?” Tyrion is the first one to speak.

“Mother and babe are both alright” Sam nods and Jon almost wants to fall to his knees. The relief that over spills in his body is almost too much to handle. He doesn’t know whether to sit down, to run to Dany’s side, to kiss Sam even. “The Queen has lost a lot of blood however, so she needs to rest up for a few weeks, eat plenty and drink lots of water to get her up and running again” Sam takes a small pause. “It’s a girl”

Arya squeals piercingly into the air and yet Jon isn’t affected by it, he’s just shocked, his entire system falling apart as he imagines a small girl in his arms. A girl, a little daughter to call my own, our beautiful miracle, our beloved angel . Jon needs to see them both, he need to hold her in her arms and look at the beautiful life he and Dany created together.

“Can I seem them?” Jon ask, knowing that even if Sam said know he’d still go anyways. Sam just nods and that’s all Jon needs to start a quick pace towards his own bedchambers.

The halls are quiet when he leaves Tyrion’s chambers, only guardsmen with smiles on their faces as Jon feels glee and anticipation build in his chest. He follows the way to his chambers that he was so familiar with at this point, seeing servants cleaning and clearing stuff away, seeing cats up on the balcony, seeing the steps to their space. She was there, his little princess was waiting for him, and his queen too.

When he reached the door to his chambers, he was greeted by Missandei who was holding sheets covered in blood, she was smiling brightly when her eyes connected with Dany’s. Clearly happy both the Queen and the girl were okay. She gleefully grins before heading off in the direction Jon came from, leaving him to open the door.

The sound he was greeted with was like music to his eyes, a soft gurgling and a sweet song that melted away every fear in his body. He did not know the song, he thinks perhaps she made it up, but her voice is tunely and melodic and the happiness that was radiating from it was enough to send Jon wild. He sees them then, Dany, sat up in the bed with a small clothed babe in her arms. Jon, in an instant, is at her side.

“Stars above” Jon whispers as Dany kisses him on the cheek. “She’s absolutely perfect”

As he looked at her, he notices she has been born with a thick head full of hair, black hair like his own and a little bit all over the place. Her eyes however, magnificently violet and delightfully wild. Jon knows the babe can’t see them both yet, but she was content just being in her mother’s arm.

“I’m glad you’re here” Dany sighed, Jon knew she was tired. “She needs to hear her Father speak to her”

She passed him over and for what felt like hours, Jon just held her in his arms and looked at her. She was the most perfect creation that has ever been because of him. He loved her with every drop of blood in his veins, every breath in his lungs and ever word in his mouth. He whispered to her, promised her that he would protect her until his last breath, love her until he could not any longer and he even shed tears. He was sensitive in the moment but he did not care.

She was a dream.

“I want to call her Lyanna” He says out of nowhere, not having heard anything Dany had said, just cut off from it all as he stared at the perfect babe in his arms. “I think my mother deserves that” He stated. After everything his own mother went through, everything she and his real father gave up for him, and after wanting to know about her and finally finding out the truth, Jon felt sure that was the little babe in his arms name. “If that’s okay with you”

“Little Lyanna Targaryen” She sighs, sleep wanting to take his wife over. She was now laying down, hoping to get a moment of sleep. Jon did not mind, it meant he got to hold his babe for longer. Little Lyanna Targaryen, it was. “I like it, then if we have another one, we’ll call him Robb”

If we have another one, we’ll call him Robb.

Jon liked the idea, but they had everything they needed for now. Him, his queen and their beautiful Princess Lyanna. A life Jon never envisioned, but one he was grateful of nonetheless.

[centaurianthropology]

The Magnus Archives ‘Possessive’ (S03E04) Analysis

Maaaartiiiiiiinnn!!! Having him step into the role of the Archivist (even assistant archivist) feels like the culmination of a lot of buildup, and just like Ben Meredith really stepping up to the plate as the increasingly entertaining and threatening Elias this season, Alexander Newall really gets to shine this episode as Martin (and as a narrator!).  So without further ado, come on in to hear what I have to say about ‘Possessive’.

Well, it’s … disgusting to have some flavor of the Hive back.  And I even like earthworms, but these papier-mache people filled with earthworms and bug legs?  Yeah, sound disgustingly like a variant on the Hive, or at least a variant on John Amhurst.  I figure they’re aspects of the same gnarly entity.

Interesting that it also sounds like there were multiple attempts at crafting Gordon before there was one that would eventually take over for Maggie as the owner of the dump. It’s hard to tell if there was an original Gordon she was replacing, or if Gordon was always some sort of construct. The buried mask-Gordon seems to indicate that, even if there was an original Gordon, he was replaced perhaps even before Adrian ever met him, and the Gordon he knew the whole time was one or more constructs.  

If constructs or construct-replacements are a flavor of the Hive, could the Anglerfish be tied in with it? They don’t feel like they have thematic similarities, but they do in the sense that their victims become almost constructs of the original, pieced back together over something altogether other. Or perhaps that’s a theme amongst multiple Great Old Ones.

Beyond the story, I like how much more evidence we have that the statement seems to take over the archivist. Even Martin, standing in for Jon, has to take several seconds to recover after giving this statement.  He doesn’t mention it, but it’s clear that he’s horrified and trying to deal with this story having colonized his head for a bit. My question is, now that he’s started, can he stop?  Does he recognize what’s happening to him, or is he doing what Sims did, and is simply chalking it up to reading out a horrific story?  After last week, it’s quite clear that Sims is addicted to the statements.  He has to record them, has to seek them out.  The idea that he would give Georgie his tape recorder is utterly impossible to him. Martin is clearly having a strong reaction to recording them as well, though it seems much more like Sims’ early reactions.  Perhaps the compulsion to record is a slow build?  I hope it is, because if it’s not, I have to wonder what will happen when Sims comes back.  Will they both feel compelled to record?

And while Martin is sinking deeper and deeper into the role of the Archivist, it seems like Tim is more than willing to let him.  Martin doesn’t address it directly, but it sounds like Tim’s basically on strike.  He’s not helped Martin research the background of this case, and he’ll only be recording statements ‘if he feels like it’.  I’ve had a lot of sympathy for Tim over the past season, but his behavior is becoming increasingly shitty, even with Jon out of the picture.  He is likely furious and depressed, but lashing out at anyone within his blast radius isn’t helping anyone.   Maybe he thinks that if he simply refuses to do anything, the Institute will fire him, and he can leave?  That traps Martin into having to do all the work, but at this point I don’t think Tim cares about anything other than getting himself out of the Institute.  If that means screwing over Martin or helping Daisy catch Sims …

I think Tim may be getting set up as a (hopefully temporary) antagonist.  He’s so desperate to get out that he might be willing to do some genuinely nasty things.  This season already seems to be setting a new tone for the archival assistants, not only in that we seem to be getting a lot more of them, but that they’re taking a much more central role in the narrative.  And that means that the fallout of season 2 is going to echo in their actions and their decisions.  Martin is wholeheartedly throwing in his lot with Sims, and has clearly forgiven him for being so awful last season.  Tim isn’t willing to do that.  He’s taking all his anger about being trapped at the Institute, and he’s focused it on Sims.  Sims has become the symbol of everything he hates about his situation, and he is willing to believe terrible and frankly illogical things about his former boss.  

Would he be willing to really throw in his lot with Daisy, even if that meant that other people would be hurt?  Is he angry enough with Sims that he would be all right with Sims being killed?  Is he detached enough from the Institute that he would be all right putting Martin in the crosshairs, if Daisy wanted to use Martin to force Sims out of hiding (given that she thinks they’re close, I see this as a real and serious possibility)?  I get a bad feeling about where Tim is right now, and I think it might well spell danger for those around him in the archives.

Then again, it might also spell danger for Tim himself.  How will Elias react to Tim refusing to work?  Elias doesn’t seem the sort to take a kindly view to someone’s emotional breakdown interfering with work.  The reason he seemed so fine with Sims falling apart was that it seemed to drive him even further into the role of the Archivist.  The urge to record and to investigate only intensified with his paranoia. It didn’t create a good work environment, but it certainly increased productivity.

But Tim’s miniature strike, even if Martin is trying to cover up that it’s happening at all?  I don’t think Elias will take well to that. The Archivist, whether that’s Sims or Martin, needs assistants.  The Archivist needs people to go out and complete the stories, to make the information even more complete.  If one of the three (and it seems there must be three) refuses to work, how long will Elias wait until he replaces him in a very permanent and violent fashion?

I had wondered if assistants could be replaced.  After all, it seemed like once Gertrude lost hers, she never took on more.  But with Sasha gone, and with Not!Sasha out of the picture, Elias was more than willing to slot Melanie King into her place.  Outside the story, I’m thrilled, since Melanie has always been a personal favorite of mine.  The instant and intense loathing between her and Sims was a joy, and getting to hear that play out in a longer form—but hopefully never losing that edge of mutual contempt—is something I was hoping for since her introduction.  I had even gone so far as to predict that she might become Sasha’s replacement last season, but I hadn’t expected it to happen quite so soon or quite so suddenly.

Then again, it’s the perfect time as far as the Beholding is concerned, isn’t it?  If Tim is refusing to work, now is an opportune time to bring in a new and willing pair of eyes for the archive.  Had the Beholding claimed Melanie the second she walked through the door and into the archives the first time?  Certainly her job as an ex-Youtuber makes her perfect Institute fodder, and the fact that she’s now also without friends, money, or recourse?  And the fact that Elias walked in right then to find her waiting?  This was arranged, much to Elias’ satisfaction and Martin’s horror.

And ouch, Elias using a clear insinuation about Martin’s background to shut him up before he could tell Melanie to run.  Elias is horrifically good at knowing the weaknesses of those around him, and using them to devastating effect.  Martin was clearly almost frantic to warn Melanie off, but wasn’t able to face down Elias to do it.  To protect Sims he might, but not for this relative stranger?  Martin is still too meek for that (and lacks Sims’ suicidal courage).

And in some ways, I see Melanie’s recuritment as a potentially great thing.  She needed a recourse.  She has burned every bridge she ever had.  She was broke.  And the Archives could give her direction and purpose, as well as access to resources she never would have had otherwise.  And she herself will bring a needed outsider perspective to the team.  Right now, Martin needs an ally, or at least someone willing to help him dig through old cases.  Sims needs to be brought up short when he’s being an idiot, who dislikes him vehemently, but also has no desire to see him come to harm.  She thinks he’s a boring asshole, but not one remotely capable of murder.  Maybe she can act as a bridge point between Tim’s perspective and a reasonable interpretation of everything happening around them.  Tim certainly needs someone to help snap him out of his spiral before someone ends up dead.

Hopefully she’ll do what Sasha once did: act as the voice of reason.  And also act as someone with considerable technical acumen.  She did help run a Youtube series.  Even if she wasn’t in charge of the technical aspects, she probably picked up a lot simply working for a small production like that.  She won’t be able to illegally extract information like Sasha, but I would imagine that Melanie is likely capable of interviewing people well, and getting stories out quickly and efficiently.

I’m thrilled to have her on board, even as I—and Martin also—are terrified for her.  I feel for Martin’s furious reaction at the end.  Just as I feel for Melanie once she realizes what she’s stepped in.  How badly she’ll react may well depend on who breaks the situation to her.  Martin would do it gently, but Tim’s misery loves company, and he’ll get nasty about it.

No matter what, I think we’re in for an interesting ride seeing Melanie integrate with the team, and seeing how someone new reacts to realizing what being a member of the archival team actually means.

Conclusions

I like that we’re switching back and forth from the Sims’ story as he ventures out and gets to ‘work’ (whatever that ends up being) and the increasingly frayed Archival team back at the Institute.  Most of us were figuring that it would be Martin stepping into Sims’ role, but I’m still really fascinated to see what that new role, even if it is temporary, means for him as far as how the statements take over the Archivist.  I’m interested to see how his relationship with the statements, and with being the Archivist even temporarily, takes his character forward.

I’m also interested to see how Tim will play out.  He’s at such a crossroads.  He’s openly receptive to working with Daisy, he’s refusing to do any work in the Archives, and dumping both recording and research on Martin.  He’s in a very dark place, and that place could get even darker. It could be dangerous for everyone around him, and ultimately for him as well.

And finally, there are now three assistants once more.  Melanie King is officially hired on as the third archival assistant, much to Martin’s horror and Elias’ smug satisfaction.  I think she’ll add a fantastic and needed dynamic to the team. I can hope she’ll even act as a bridge and as a rough, blunt, and abrupt wakeup call for everyone involved.  If she’s stuck with this team, I hope she kicks all their asses until they start acting like a team.  The only way they even have a shot at surviving for any length of time is together.  Melanie could be the force that drives Jon to get help from the others, Martin to stand up for himself, and Tim to pull out of his spiral before someone dies.

Ad much as her life expectancy just got slashed by signing on with the team, I am thrilled that Melanie is now going to be gracing us with her acerbic presence more often.  I can’t wait to see what she brings to the table.