#discovery 2x01

[wordsmith30]

A parallel I haven’t seen much talk about: how Lilith goes on the warpath for Mary the same way Mary went on the warpath for Shannon (and how they both fall into Vincent’s trap).

Season one Lilith was all about the OCS (or rather her ambition for the Halo). She told Mary not a day after Shannon’s murder that she needed to think about the mission, not her own personal agenda (which was not only hypocritical, but as Beatrice said, unfair). And in that same scene, she dismissed Mary as not being a true member of the team because she wasn’t a nun and didn’t take vows like the rest of them. She was a free agent who operated on her own terms.

But after their tearful reconciliation in the catacombs, Vincent’s betrayal, and Mary’s subsequent disappearance under an army of wraith demons, Lilith’s priorities shift significantly. The start of season two finds her as the new lone wolf as she hunts down Vincent herself. And while the OCS is just as interested in finding him to get to Adriel, Lilith’s only concern is Mary. She’s ready to tear him apart herself, just as Mary threatened that man in 1×02, and then later goes through a whole squadron with her bare hands.

The part that really gets me, though, is Lilith and Vincent’s scene in the car. She’s finally got a lead after two months, finally has a location on Mary. And despite being outnumbered, despite being about to walk into Adriel’s fortress without backup, there isn’t one shred of fear or hesitation. She just tells Vincent to signal the guards. “Put a foot out of place and I’ll –”

“You’ll kill me. I know,” Vincent says.

A small smile plays around Lilith’s mouth. “I won’t kill you,” she says easily. “I’d never take that pleasure away from Mary.”

She gives him a pointed look and Vincent just grimaces before they climb out of the car.

Vincent is jovial as he greets the guards and then gestures to Lilith with an outstretched arm. “I have brought home a friend.”

And Lilith, chuckling, slides right into the embrace like it’s nothing, even putting her head on his shoulder. They walk through the gates just like that, leaning against each other.

It’s such a cruel twist of the knife to think that that’s how they were before. We’ve only really seen Vincent’s one-on-one dynamic with Ava, Mary, and Beatrice, but this ease, this familiarity with Lilith is something completely different. Given her family’s history with the OCS and her claim that she’s trained harder than anyone else, she was probably one of the closest to him.

Their embrace is that of a father and daughter. This was someone she could laugh with, lean on, confide in. Someone she trusted to take care of her. Now it’s just a part she plays on paper so that she can get her real family back.

[thunderbirds-showdown]

Which Thunderbirds Are Go episode is better?

Vote on which episode you think is better. Episode synopses below the cut.

Signals Part 1: Through the use of archive footage, Brains informs the team of a discovery - but in order to gather more information, our heroes split into groups and search for an escape pod missing since Jeff Tracy's crash.

Earthbreaker: A geological survey team looking for Scandium ore gets trapped when a huge earth-breaking vehicle, controlled by a villain known only as the Mechanic, causes them to fall into a narrow crevice. As Thunderbirds 1, 2 and Shadow are dispatched the Mechanic takes out several GDF fliers. Thunderbird 2 is also attacked from the Earthbreaker and has no choice but to crashland back on Tracy Island. Meanwhile, Lady Penelope and Parker visit the Hood in Parkmoor Scrubs prison to find out more about this mysterious new villain.

[schmirius]

okay but what if... a different ofmd s2

I tried several times to make a less tl;dr version of this post, but it's not happening. BEHOLD: a season I just like better. It fixes things that I personally didn't like (and I have a strong Ed and Izzy bias). I wanted to do a few major things:

Keep 2x01-2x03, because I love them so damn much. this unfortunately sets the stakes *really high* for the rest of the season, so...

Rework the characters that canon s2 introduced, to be able to focus more tightly on the Revenge's response to the 2x01-2x03 atom bomb.

Give Ed and Stede more focused arcs (individually and as a couple). Ed and Stede were, emotionally, at completely opposite poles in 2x01-2x03, and in canon I think they didn't connect much after that. So in my version, they'll do basic work to understand why their s1 meet-cute failed and how they can move on to having a real relationship.

Address Ed's very vividly depicted violence from 2x01-2x02. I found the amends depicted in canon somewhere between "unsatisfying" and "horrifying." Jesus did I need to fuck around with that!

the three major acts in the season:

ACT 1 (2x01-2x03) – Trauma! These episodes remain largely the same as in canon.

ACT 2 (2x04-2x06) – Recovery I've edited these episodes so Ed + Stede are entirely separated from Izzy + the Crew. This gives the OTP space to work on themselves and their relationship. Likewise, Izzy has space away from Ed to go through his arc of self-discovery and consider if he wants to reconcile with Ed. Izzy and the Crew all get a chance to recover from The Trauma on their own, together as a community. ACT 3 (2x07-2x08) – Reconciliation Act 2 has given everybody time to process Act 1 and how they might come out of it as better versions of themselves and a stronger community. Now the OTP and the Crew reintegrate and, in the 2x08 climax, prove all their work has been worth it by fighting together against an external menace. (It's Hornigold. It's got to be Hornigold. This is so obvious to me.)

* * * THE CHARACTERS:

Each crew member is talented brilliant incredible showstopping spectacular, but in the interest of brevity, the characters in the imaginary episodes are going to be:

Ed and Stede → The OTP – Ed and Stede as a couple. Color-coded red so you can follow their arc.

Izzy

The Crew, who begin in Act 1 as three separate crews:  → the Castaways (everybody Ed marooned/tossed overboard at the end of s1) → the Breakup Boat (everybody from canon s2 on the Revenge with Truly Insane Ed → the Girls (introduced below)

THE BOATS:

Most episodes are going to have two plots running, taking place on two ships:

The Revenge

The Pearl Diver (again, below)

Last terminology note: I'm going to be comparing "canon episodes" vs. "imaginary episodes" or "new episodes" a bunch.

Ready? Alright, let's kick it.

* * *

ACT 1 – 2x01-2x03 – TRAUMAAA

Ed + the Breakup Boat: The action on the Revenge remains basically the same, with the torture and the murder-suicides and all the crimes. Stede + the Castaways: I'd cut the Republic of Pirates in 2x01. Instead, I'd start with everyone at sea on the ship that rescued them (which also creates an atmosphere of everyone still being trapped by the awful shit that happened in 1x10). What ship? I think introducing Zheng the historical pirate is a really cool idea, but I also think it's one idea too many. Zheng's objectively cooler and more successful ship is always, implausibly, overshadowed by the lovable misfits on the Revenge, since the Revenge is the workplace that the show is about. This is annoying to me (and probably Zheng). Instead I'd make the rescue ship one of equal goofiness: Mary and Anne's ship. I'll call it the Pearl Diver, just because I can. We can lift the formula from Ed's ship in s1:

s1: gay men // s2: lesbians!

s1 power couple on the ship is Ed+Izzy // s2 is Mary/Anne

s1 crew members who later join Revenge are The Boys, Fang+Ivan // s2 will have the Girls, a surgeon and her competent sailor girlfriend. one of them is a trans woman, I said so

the set is just the Revenge with different props on, lol

Okay, that's our lesbian ship set up. It'll last five episodes and be a very easy foil for the Revenge. Stede: His 2x01-2x02 bit seemed to be "I love Ed, I'll get back to him no matter." I'd push that harder. New s2 will open with Stede as a brave romantic adventurer sallying forth into true love (the same way he was a brave romantic adventurer sallying forth into piracy in s1). So: "I love Ed, I'll get back to him no matter, and the force of our newfound love will be what straightens this all out." The OTP:  Ed and Stede are both hopeless romantics, of course, but they're coming at it from opposing genres. Ed thinks he's the doomed villain in a big-R Romantic novel. Stede thinks he's the little-r romantic hero in a bodice-ripper. Their job in new s2 is to shift ideas of self & genre to meet somewhere in the middle.

ACT 2 – 2x04-2x06 – RECOVERY

I think a lot of what s2 tried in mid-season succeeded, but it didn't really add up to anything. In order to advance Ed and Stede's arc(s), I'd isolate them from the Crew. This gives everyone space to start clearing up the Act 1 wreckage.

(quick 2x03 note:) The major change I'd make here here would be moving the Breakup Boat crew off of the Revenge sometime mid-episode so they can recuperate on the Pearl Diver instead. They get to leave the trauma boat, which gives them and us the audience some breathing room as we transition out of the murder-suicide portion of the season. In the Pearl's infirmary they meet the Girls – surgeon and girlfriend – and reunite with the Castaways. There's a palpable sense of each group feeling isolated from the others.

2x04 – really intense cleanup

Time skip: The Breakup Boat crew have been declared physically recovered enough to start repairing the Revenge (and therefore prepared to grit their teeth and return to the scene of their trauma). The Castaways offer to help; the Girls come along in solidarity with their new friends. The Revenge: (this is also 2x04 in canon) Izzy never left the wrecked ship, is doing Bad. The three separate crews do ship repairs, but then come together as one Crew to declare Izzy their unicorn.

The Pearl Diver: (this story has no equivalent in canon)

Ed: never leaves the Pearl's infirmary, is doing Bad. He's trying to come to grips with the fact that he did all that shit, the kind that his dad and Hornigold used to. Stede: is focused on telling Ed about their true love rather than trying to understand how awful Ed feels, to the point that he's telling his newfound love~ story super loudly to avoid talking about Ed's pain.

The OTP: They have a moment where they stop talking past each other.

Ed hears Stede when he says that he really does love Ed. (Ed doesn't necessarily believe it, but he's willing to listen.)

Stede hears Ed when Ed says he feels trapped worse than ever (though he's weirded out Ed thinks he's a doomed villain). (Stede, our favorite Ed stan, literally doesn't care what Ed did except as far as how Ed feels about it.)

2x05 – letting loose

Time skip! Again, everyone looks slightly less haggard. The Revenge: (this is 2x06 in canon; I've moved it to 2x05) The Crew: have Calypso's birthday, paid for with the treasure they wouldn't throw overboard in 2x01 because it's their treasure and not Ed's, ffs. Joyful, queer, "we're surviving, we're getting through this together." Izzy+Ed: I'm aiming to untangle the shitty parts of their codependency and eliminate Ed's outright domestic abuse. I read canon s2 as Izzy fully untangling himself from Ed and then presenting Ed as a gift to Stede, and I did not like that for anyone. I'm aiming to conclude new s2 with Izzy+Ed acknowledging how bad it was at the end (with a little more emotional insight than they might have been able to do in s1 – maybe this huge event in their lives leads to self-reflection and growth!) and how they could move forward maybe as very complicated friends. Izzy's going to be taking the lead on this one, because the codependency very much ended in Ed doing violence to him. He gets to decide what the fuck happens. So: Izzy: is finally somewhere without Ed, first time in 30 years. Now that he's been unicorn'd (feels supported), he has room to unwind and start discovering what he might like to do. So he does drag. And also sings about his complicated feelings for Ed, come on, Izzy has love for him. In new s2, Izzy still gets to bloom, but he remains closer in personality to his grumpy cunty s1 self, not quite consciously understanding how he's changing. The Pearl Diver: (this is 2x04 in canon; I've moved it to 2x05) The OTP: have the bonkers Mary/Anne dinner party (their f/f co-captain counterparts). They do their awkward exes bit. In canon s2, they see Mary/Anne as "these guys are so weird, wtf"; in new s2, they're more like "these guys are so weird, omg. remember how weird we were last year? that was so fucking great." Conclusions:

Ed and Stede have more in common than they'd feared (since, like, 1x10)

They see they can be dramatic assholes in love like these bitches and that's great.

But also: maybe they need to be less self-centered than "burn down your ship which is your entire livelihood without considering that this might kill your crew." Maybe Mary/Anne rowing off cackling in a boat together (to, say, China) isn't the W they thought it was.

also also: caught up in the adrenaline of understanding they're mad lads, Ed/Stede do the impulsive "taking it too fast" (canon: 2x06) and BONE.

Lastly: The OTP ask to reboard the Revenge now that there's no Pearl Diver, mentioning hopefully that they've learned a lesson. The Crew are not convinced. They maroon Ed/Stede on land at close of ep.

2x06 – restucturing

The Revenge: (this plot is similar to Izzy+Stede's story in canon's 2x05)

Haven't thought of a frame story I like here, honestly. But the point of the episode is that Izzy helps Crew to be better pirates. This does two things:

Izzy's getting a chance to choose to manage people for himself, rather than as Ed's minder or Ed's goon.

Crew are getting competent advice from someone who genuinely gives a shit (Stede or Ed do not fit the bill). This allows them to keep running things in a fairly democratic structure where they do make decisions based on actually, for real, Talking Things Through.

Crew: consider what they're going to do about Ed and Stede – who maybe have had time to sort themselves out a bit? – replete with silly company restructuring metaphors.

Izzy: probably does shirtless swordplay considers how he wants to deal with Ed. Talking to Crew he decides that he, too, can try airing grievances with Ed in workplace metaphors. (It doesn't take much to convince him. Izzy will always love being a professional.)

On Land: (this episode has no equivalent in canon)

The OTP: in true OFMD style, they attend a modern couples retreat that has 18th c trappings. It is run by the straightest dude ever (Steve Carell levels of Kinsey 1 in 18th c khakis).

This dude is obnoxious, but he does remind them to strike a balance between demonstrating their love by talking through their needs (e.g. 2x04 infirmary, 2x05 dinner party) and by taking action (which will always be bonkers for them, like 1x09 act of grace, 2x05 impulsive boning). I'm thinking of it like: Ed/Stede realize they're whim-prone (as in canon 2x04), and also there's this tool nearby.

They're like, hey, actually I really love you, and make out sappily for a while then wonder, bemusedly, why they didn't do that before fucking a bunch. ("but the fucking was still good?" "oh yeah mate, we should definitely always be fucking")

Unfortunately: The retreat ends abruptly when they spot pirate hunters closing in on the B&B and have to make a run for it.

ACT 3 – 2x07-2x08 – RECONCILIATION

I really couldn't tell what canon was going for at season's end, starting from about "Stede kills Lowe" at the end of 2x06. I found a lot of it contradictory and kind of ass-pull-y. Major divergences to follow.

2x07 – reintegration

(this episode is similar to canon episode 2x05)

The Revenge: Having spent 2x06 thinking about what they want to do next, the Crew decide they can take on Stede + Ed on their flight from pirate hunters. Everyone's back on the boat. I'd probably make the frame story here something silly and light-hearted like the Cursed Red Suit. Everyone can mingle in groups that are different from the ones they started out in during Act 1 – permutations of people from the three distinct crews, Stede and Izzy and Ed thrown together with people they haven't seen in a while. These different groups can brainstorm deeply stupid solutions to this probably fake problem. I'd probably make the frame story here something silly and light-hearted like The Cursed Red Suit. Everybody can mingle in different groups and brainstorm deeply stupid solutions to this probably fake problem. Ed/Stede: Crucially, Stede and Ed aren't together in any of these groups. They separate and see everyone and understand that they're not, actually, in charge of Crew anymore. It's weird but okay. They both have to legitimately listen like they've been practicing all season. Ed doesn't apologize but he at least doesn't fuck with anyone, so that's... fine. Izzy+Ed: They haven't seen each other since the murder-suicide farrago in 2x02.

Izzy: "You can do the big gestures but you're a shit captain, Ed. You can't be there on the everyday stuff." (with subtext: you need to give a shit about me all the time, not just when I can be convenient to you.) It's not any kind of forgiveness, and Ed can't offer an apology because he still doesn't understand them. But this is Izzy saying he'll talk to Ed (with more pushback than canon's 2x06 "oh look it's scowly face").

Lastly: This has been a monster of the week ep where the first five minutes were like, there's a problem which will affect us in the future! and then the middle of the episode is, but it's not affecting us right now so let's do interpersonal stuff! Sadly, whoever they dump the Suit on at the end of the episode reminds them the problem still exists: the pirate hunters are worse than they thought. Hornigold is on their trail.

2x08 – IT'S REAL PERSONAL

(this episode has no equivalent in canon.) And here we reach the locus of all my frustrations!

Nose Guy doesn't exist in new s2, so we don't need to blow up the Republic with no foreshadowing as in canon 2x08

Zheng's awesome fleet doesn't exist in new s2. The foreshadowing that she was planning something incredible doesn't have to come to nothing like it did in canon 2x08, when her fleet also blew up with no foreshadowing. (what was that badass montage from canon 2x02 of her crew portaging ships thru the jungle even for ;_;)

Canon s2's sudden decision to make the stakes of the entire season "oh, uh, everyone wants to destroy piracy?" and completely ignore all the interpersonal problems set up in Act 1 – that doesn't happen!

Probably nothing in imaginary s2 will be as intense as 2x01-2x03 were. But new 2x08 will be a claustrophobic, high-pressure situation where everyone will have the resolutions they made in Act 2 tested, in a situation as dangerous as the worst of Act 1.

HERE WE GOOOOO Cold open on the Revenge:

A scene that looks about as bad as Ed's storm in 2x02: Izzy is dead from a headshot, Crew are panicking, Stede is alone and can only shout to Ed that he loves him from far away.

Ed is kitted out as Blackbeard at his worst – makeup and all – and seems ready to, again, blow the whole ship up. Viewer is perhaps worried that Ed has, again, lost it. We balance on the precipice!!

TITLE CARD!

Chronological start of ep:

Wind back the action!

Time skip from 2x07: The Revenge has been running from Hornigold for weeks, hiding themselves in ever smaller spaces as they get jumpier and jumpier about the pursuit. (Think on deck → main cabin → galley → the secret fucking deathbed under the galley.)

Ed, off by himself, is beside himself at the thought of meeting Hornigold for real once more. He failed to kill him all those years ago – what must he do now to solve the problem for good?

Intercut with Hornigold's ship:

Hornigold is chasing them, being a dick in his sumptious cabin. It's light on the action, heavy on letting us know who he is.

He's cruel and violent, like Act 1 Ed, except (a) he's less concerned about covering up his awfulness with charm and (b) he's perfectly open about "I hate this guy I used to own and I want to kill him" (about Ed) in contrast to Act 1 Ed not being able to say anything of the sort about Stede or Izzy.

We already know what kind of evil shit Hornigold used to pull because mostly-dead Ed told us in 2x03, so, you know, good enough.

Ed has to kill himself and also his dad again, lol, we get it

Climactic stuff on the Revenge!

Hornigold catches up to them; there's some fighting or whatever; it leads us up to the cold open. But then it pushes through to: it was all a fuckery!!

(do not ASK me what kind of fuckery. they are hard to write, they are both deeply psychological and incredibly goofy. This is just an outline of a fake season LEAVE ME ALONE)

Ed was a distraction, acting how Hornigold expected him to act! It works: Stede kills Hornigold!

The OTP: The murder addresses how each wants to deal with violence in their respective genres:

Ed, when he did patricide on behalf of someone he loved (mum) got caught up the cycle of dreadful murder and trauma he wanted to escape. And now he sees that he can – he's not the doomed Romantic villain!

Stede, in doing step-patricide on behalf of someone he loves (Ed), commits in a real way to ruthlessly murdering bullies. He's a swashbuckler! He definitely likes it! Finally, he's found a way to express romantic love in a grounded* way. (*by OFMD standards.)

It's a deranged pirate sitcom way of turning their tentative courtship into a healthy adult relationship.

Ed + Izzy:

During the fuckery: Izzy is playing murdered-by-Ed, so he's "dead" on deck (vulnerable) amidst the chaos.

Ed throws himself over Izzy to save him from getting shot.

This doesn't erase all the shitty things Ed did! It's a big gesture instead of an everyday thing, just like Izzy was complaining about! But it's definitely an indicator that Ed would prefer not to drive Izzy to suicide and Ed does, even, ask if Izzy's okay afterwards, checking him over, before someone else points out that Ed got shot.

Lastly:

With final approval from Izzy – after a lengthy pause where Izzy looks at Edward panting and bleeding on the deck – the Crew decide to journey forth to find Super Good Medicine to save Ed.

THERE ARE HINTS THAT s3 MIGHT SHOW US:

Blackbeard's historic raid on Charleston (who is playing Blackbeard at that point? who knows!)

Ed and Izzy working on being weird-ass friends again, but without so much murder-suicide

Stede and Ed finally talking about how they want to spend their life together: what's between retirement and piracy?

This is all pretty okay because new s2 ends in a hopeful place where nobody FUCKING DIED jfc where everyone's grown a bit but, as always, still has room to grow more.

the end!

[amuseoffyre]

It's been a while so time for an update of all my S2-based/inspired Our Flag Means Death fic:

First Breath - PG (1560 words) Blackbeard wanted for unlicensed midwifery [poster]

Finally - R (700) Introspection in the end of 2x01 [2x01]

Rather Strong Actually - PG (750) Izzy has a realisation about the man who saved his crew [2x03]

Ring My Bell - E (1060) Stede gets a rude awakening in the middle of the night ;) [2x05]

It Went Snap - E (1k) Mary falling headlong for an absolutely wild Anne Bonny [2x04]

Making It Nice - R (1610) Stede is in need of some sex ed so he can... sex Ed. [2x05]

Security - PG/R (1500) Stede puts on Ed's collar [2x05]

Quiet - R (1600) The captains are going slow [2x05]

Sensitive E (1080) Department of backstory for the original chaotic polycule, featuring Jack, Anne and Mary. [2x04]

Good E (1200) After the explosive events of Calypso's birthday, Ed came to Stede's cabin. [2x06]

Une part de bonheur E (2200) Jim and Izzy have a moment, still caught up in the euphoria of Calypso's birthday [2x06]

Undertow R (1k) After the flight to the Revenge, Izzy wakes up somewhere strange... but familiar. [2x08]

A Safe Space R (1500) Wracked with grief, Ed makes a decision. [2x08]

Regrets R (1400) In the quiet of the inn in the dead of night, some truth comes out [2x08]

Visitation R (1500) Ricky can't seem to shake his unwanted visitor [2x08]

Stark Revelations R (2k) Turns out sitting with himself means Ed can start to put together some pieces that he had missed in the Stede Bonnet puzzle. [2x08]

Was R (800) Blood cooling on his hands, Ed just... stopped [2x08]

The Right Vibe R (3k) Ed realises Stede is making his cabin a home again [2x04]

The Ex-Mrs-Captain PG (2k) When her ship is raided by pirates, Mary makes a surprising discovery. [2x08]

Shared Death Experience PG (600) Stede finds an unexpected guest at the inn

A Gentleman's Handy R (2700) Wherein Ed finds that hand-holding has awakened something in him [2x05]

The Calm R (1300) After the storm, Izzy says his farewells [2x03]

Coming Hame G (800) A study of Buttons - written in Scots [2x04]

Tooth and Claw R (43k - WIP) A re-write of S2 in the world of my Bark and Bite AU. We're in episode 4 territory at the moment.

Lady Luck R (10k - WIP) A re-write of S2 in the world of my Lady Trouble AU. Episodes 1 & 2 have been posted.

[raayllum]

Love how, in Callum's intro, his eyes are fixed on the Star symbol with the Sky symbol being opposite it on the cube. I doubt that means a lot or that its intentional, but idk I just thought it was neat.

Oh, it is absolutely intentional (and means a lot) - we just don't know precisely why yet! The rune cube placement has been intentional in the past, particularly with Ocean ("You found it?" overlaid in 1x04, which foreshadowed the discovery of the prison; the Ocean rune being prominent in Callum's dark magic dreams in 2x08, foreshadowing that he would use it again in S5) and Sky (mostly in S2 with Callum's mage journey in 2x01, 2x07, and 2x09).

There are also some possible ones with Moon (the Ocean-Star-Moon trifecta in the cube's first appearance in 1x04 and when Callum cannot bring himself to drop it in 4x07; Soren flipping the thing back and forth between Star and Moon in 4x01, which could foreshadow Rayla struggling to break Callum free of Aaravos' possession) but we'll have to wait and see if they come to fruition.

A lot of the foreshadowing regarding the cube has also come back around / been intentional, such as:

Callum: This is the game room. Cube should be in there. (1x04) → Viren, to Aaravos: What game are you playing? (2x08) → Callum (and Viren) being literal game pieces to Aaravos, including the cube

Callum: You wait here, however long it takes, I'll go find a key. (1x04) → we learn that the cube is called the Key of Aaravos (2x06)

Rayla: It's a glow toy! (1x05) → the cube in Callum's intro literally flashes a bright, white light (4x04)

Rayla: Are you practicing magic or are you losing to Bait at a game of rolly-cubes? (2x07) → Callum using both dark and primal magic to save Rayla, tied up as literal bait, even as the use of the pawn intro with him indicates that doing so means this is another step forward in losing the game Aaravos is playing (5x08)

In case you are interested may I present a decidedly more unhinged meta analyzing the rune placement in scenes with the cube 

Anyway!

Why is the Star rune in the intro important? For starters rather than being right side up (symbol of the star primal) it's upside down, which is Aaravos' symbol. Secondly, it looks like whatever is turning Callum to stone bears a striking resemblance to how star magic is coloured in show. Book 6: Stars is going to have a heavy overlap with Destiny as a theme (hence star associations) as well as likely see Callum play into Aaravos' plans ("and destined to play right into my hands") due to both that word association and the aforementioned game motif. If Sky represents freedom (and the freedom to choose your own destiny) then Star would - at least for now - represent the opposite, which I'm sure the Celestial elves being Skywing elves will only drive home more.

Which all just comes down to this more specific deciphering / prediction regarding the intro's meaning that you can read here if you'd like <3

[goodwhump-temp]

9-1-1 Lone Star Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) Whump

1x01 Pilot - Discovery of lung cancer, in shock, saves son from overdose 1x03 Texas Proud - Chemotherapy, feeling the side effects, weak, drunk, throws up, angry outburst 1x04 Act of God - Chemotherapy, feeling the side effects, pale, throws up, confronted about hidden cancer diagnosis, comforted 1x05 Studs - Chemotherapy side effects (its not puking <_<) 1x06 Friends Like These - Threatened by "nemesis," reveals cancer diagnosis, threatened with retirement/betrayed 1x07 Bum Steer - Collapses/passes out, sweating, exhausted 1x08 Monster Inside - Emotional 2x01 Back In The Saddle - Emotional talk, risks life 2x02 2100 - Bottling emotions, watches friend die, in shock 2x03 Hold The Line - Helicopter crash, trapped in abandoned mine, passes out from lack of oxygen, collapse, carried, IV 2x05 Difficult Conversations - Emotional (but this man does not cry), falling in love again 2x06 Everyone and Their Brother - Life in jeopardy saving someone in a minefield 2x07 Displaced - Emotional damage 2x08 Bad Call - Son kidnapped, emotional damage/breakup 2x10 A Little Help From My Friends - Drunk, severely depressed, relatable talk with lonely child, depression intervention, dog health scare 2x11 Slow Burn - Recovery, tight lungs/coughing, "unmoored" (bro wtf), knocked unconscious 2x12 The Big Heat - Wrongfully imprisoned, unnerved from talking to a psychopath, bandaged/blistered arm 2x13 One Day - Stapled, gunpoint 2x14 Dust to Dust - Caught in dust-storm, almost falls down elevator shaft, betrayed 3x02 Thin Ice - Falls, unconscious, bleeding, headache, taken hostage 3x03 Shock & Thaw - Taken hostage by cartel, hurts his head, tense standoff, taken hostage again, dangerous fight 3x04 Push - Emotional 3x05 Child Care - Emotional Pain 3x07 Red vs Blue - Patience tested (failed), gets in a fight, bruised face, bandaged wrist 3x08 In The Unlikely Event of an Emergency - Plane engine blows up 3x09 The Bird - Scratched by bird, reveals depression/PTSD after 9/11, emotional, guilt, emotional talk with The Bird (;-;) 3x11 Prince Albert in a Can - Hurt hand punch, emotional moments with girlfriend, life targeted 3x12 Negative Space - Life targeted, two scary encounters 3x13 Riddle of the Sphynx - Strange argument with girlfriend (anger management issues) 3x14 Impulse Control - Talks about anger management therapy 3x15 Down to Clown - Anger management therapy, clown induced panic attack 3x16 Shift-Less - Facing trauma, emotional pain 3x17 Spring Cleaning - Punched 3x18 A Bright and Cloudless Morning - 9/11 PTSD, cancer resurgence, caught in building explosion, trapped under rubble, serious head injury, bleeding, hallucinating, emotional, hospitalized, rescued, weak 4x01 The New Hotness - Coping with loneliness 4x02 The New Hot Mess - Tense, risking his life 4x03 Cry Wolf - Mysterious black eye, paranoia 4x04 Abandoned - In danger, threatened by the Honor Dogs 4x05 Human Resources - Life targeted 4x06 This is Not a Drill - Upset, paranoid, facing the Honor Dogs, in danger, knocked down from explosion, risking his life with a bomb, jumps out of moving vehicle, exposed to laughing gas

[eddiegettingshot]

no but eddie being in such a happy, relaxed place mentally and emotionally would make this the perfect time for him to have a carefree self-discovery arc. whereas (imo at least) buck had a lot of unresolved shit that he was trying to avoid via natalia catching up to him. idk this is the same way i felt when they tried to act like he and his parents had gotten somewhere new in s6 when they just played out the exact cycle of buck getting hurt-them paying attention that was introduced in buck begins. like buck attempting to outrun his issues by jumping into something new is him falling into the same pattern as always - that doesn't change just bc he's dating a guy now. all this to say that there was a better way to play out buck's bi arc.

yeah i know i’ve been super negative but like, i feel like I’ve been consistent about my thoughts for the last three days - i’m genuinely upset FOR buck as a character because from a storytelling perspective i think he deserved a better coming out arc than “i’m having too many emotions i can’t deal with and my self-discovery is going to come at the expense of my best friend’s feelings (and health!) and at the expense of what the last six seasons have said about me as a person.” i think the entire episode made him look childish in a way that did him a disservice because you’re right, now it looks like he’s on the same hamster wheel but WORSE because he acted like an idiot in a brand new way in the process (which i really really REALLY really really hope is addressed next episode, but honestly, even the apology won’t make up for what a terrible friend he was in the first place).

like i said gay people have problems too and unless they are actually planning on having buck eventually be like, oh shit, it WAS about eddie, it’s literally going to look like every other situation he’s ever been in (and tbh i’m not saying this as someone who wants buddie - i don’t think it would be satisfying rn BECAUSE of this episode. but if they didn’t want buddie then they wrote themselves into a corner again with this by using eddie and by extension chris as plot devices, rather than e.g. the 118 which would have been a great callback to 2x01).

i so wish we had seen buck’s acting out culminate in some kind of thoughtful self-reflection that still could have led him to tommy, instead of having tommy show up (because of eddie right?) to smooth things over, validate buck’s insanity, and then be the one to 100% drive things forward. but idk i guess we’ll see what happens next time 🤷🏾‍♀️

[lindstromm]

Some thoughts on Star Trek Strange New Worlds 2x01.

I liked Spock stealing the Enterprise. He didn't even have to agonize over the decision. La'an asked for help, Admiral said no, Spock steals Enterprise. He couldn't lie about it, either. I love how SNW is setting up the unhinged and logical TOS Spock, the one we know hijacks the Enterprise to help Captain Pike. Incidentally, I liked SNW 1x10 in which Pike finds out that if Pike avoids his fate, Spock dies. Spock knows that too. It really gives a good foundation as to why Spock would agree to do anything to get Pike back to Talos in TOS. This is a life debt he's got to pay.

I liked Chapel and M'Benga taking super-soldier serum so they could lay waste to a bunch of Klingons. Unexpected and funny. M'Benga is usually serious in contrast to Chapel's more unhinged personality and then it turns out he carries super-soldier serum with him all the time! Go crazy, my dude.

I did NOT like the reveal that there's going to be a war this season. The thing I disliked the most about Discovery was the war, the ongoing trauma, the way every episode was on the edge of total destruction and no one ever got to relax, not for a nanosecond. NO STOP DOING THAT. Star Trek is about going exploring because we don't have to fight wars anymore. Look at our favorite characters hang out with styrofoam rocks! Look at our favorite characters get stuck in zany situations! Look at everything reset with the next episode! That's what I'm here for. I loved season 1 episodes with the body swap, and the Elysian Kingdom. More of those, please. I don't want a war.

I'm looking forward to seeing Uhura's character develop. Last season, she seemed buttoned down and stand-offish. Her character arc was realizing she needed to let her guard down and make some connections. I saw glimpses of that in this episode, and I hope she dives in and fully integrates into the crew.

I don't care about Spirk shipping. I love Star Trek. TOS my beloved. I only passively ship Spirk, so I am not bothered by straight Spock. Ethan Peck's voice is divine and I could listen to him read train schedules. Pair him up with T'Pring. Pair him up with Chapel. Pair him up with Kirk. I'm fine with anything.

Also, i have extreme gender envy about Erica Ortegas's haircut and I am so happy Pike went to get Una back.

[ssaalexblake]

loved snw 2x01 but it did unfortunately unlock some of my discovery s1 salt from its hibernation 

[bussterj]

I'm watching Star Trek: Discovery 2x01 "Brother"

[trekkiehood]

Captain Dad really says "okey-doke" and I love him for that

[theadowsource]

You're the only one that makes sense in this place.

[noahreids]

A Discovery of Witches | S02E01

[the-commonplace-book]

first two episode of season 2: a summary

[terribletinkereroftaldorei]

“You are not going anywhere in that monstrosity, it’s over twenty years old and intended for court.” “Matthew De Clairmont were you keeping me indoors because you didn’t want to be seen with a fashion victim?” “Well, I mean, look at me.”

[elissastillstands]

A dangerous and groundbreaking endeavor with a low probability of success? Hell yeah.

Michael Burnham, seconds after she assigns herself to testing the landing pods, as she gleefully imagines flying at 9 G’s for eleven minutes.