#dylan gardner imagine

[livvyofthelake]

there’s been a development. a major major huge massive development in ao3 world. for me. this is huge. i need to talk about it oh my god can someone log on so i can talk about it who wants to talk about it. i can’t post about it it would require nouns. oh my god it’s sso huge this could be the biggest thing to happen for ******* since. well ever. wait i don’t need nouns i can post about it. BEAUTIFUL DISASTER AU. THE MOVIE BEAUTIFUL DISASTER. THE HIT 2023 FILM BEAUTIFUL DISASTER STARRING VIRGINIA GARDNER AND DYLAN SPROUSE. FANFICTION WITH THE SAME PLOT AS BEAUTIFUL DISASTER 2023. ok they didn’t say that explicitly and it’s probably not actually a “beautiful disaster au” in any formal sense but. if you’re gonna tell me they’re in college and one is in an underground boxing ring. and there’s fake dating enemies to lovers. i’m gonna call it beautiful disaster come on. oh my god this is massive this could make me a ******* girl for real. can you imagine if this is what got me. ok i have to go back to trying to sleep. losing the falling asleep war again btw. anyway. that was crazy.

[nude-malecelebrities]

Dylan Sprouse Caught Shirtless for Gorgeous Nuptials

Dylan Sprouse and Virginia Gardner share a compelling moment as they headline the exhilarating new teaser for the much-anticipated film, ‘Gorgeous Nuptials’! Resuming their roles as Travis and Abby, the 31-year-old actor and 28-year-old actress take the forefront in the follow-up to the renowned movie ‘Exquisite Catastrophe.’ Crafted by the imaginative minds responsible for the After film series,…

[crazyintheeast]

I posted 16,005 times in 2022

219 posts created (1%)

15,786 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@agentsweetdreams

@fluent-in-lesbianism

@ukulelekatie

@fuck-yeah-dylan

@whentherestrouble

I tagged 1,001 of my posts in 2022

#warrior nun - 189 posts

#avatrice - 171 posts

#scylla ramshorn - 37 posts

#sister beatrice - 35 posts

#virginia gardner - 33 posts

#the wilds - 32 posts

#ava silva - 31 posts

#raylla - 30 posts

#motherland fort salem - 30 posts

#bobbie draper - 29 posts

Longest Tag: 107 characters

#congratulations. it took you nearly ten years to see what anyone with common sense could see from the start

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

1,072 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

#4

Imagine Ava proposing to Beatrice with an engagement ring that has a divinuim stone in it so it glows every time Ava is near. Both Beatrice and Ava think it's super romantic and nobody has the heart to tell them that to people not familiar with divnium this looks as if Ava put a cheap LED light on a ring. And then one day Beatrice's mother sees it and for the first time in her life she finds something even more offensive then her daughter's homosexuality. Tacky jewelry!?!? Completely unacceptable

1,306 notes - Posted November 12, 2022

#3

So here is the idea. A Xena reboot but there is a twist. The pilot starts and it's Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor having a cute lunch date in present time. Suddenly they start reminiscing about the good old days and bham. The entire first episode of Xena starts airing. And that's the entire concept of the the reboot. Every episode opens up with an immortal married Xena and Gabrielle in present time doing cute couple things for two minutes as an excuse to remember something and we just go straight to airing an old Xena episode. Completely unchanged except for one thing. Kevin Sorbo is digitally removed from all episodes and replaced with Charlize Theron

2,735 notes - Posted June 9, 2022

#2

I feel like we don't talk enough about just how amazing Ava and Beatrice story line has been. Ava is a deeply deeply traumatized person. She has spent her whole life being essentially a prisoner who suffered daily abuse. She had no agency, no freedom just a vile old woman telling her all the time how she is broken, how she is a burden. The only friend she had was a child himself. The squatters she had were nice but that's just what they were nice. And the boy was hot but it was blatantly obvious that as far as Ava was concerned it was just about sex and adventure But then came Beatrice and the first thing she did was call Ava out in her bullshit but it was not done in a malicious way and I feel that Ava could feel the enormous difference between Beatrice calling her out and the vile nun who abused her her entire life. And then this fucking scene, Ava was having a full on breakdown and instantly sought comfort and Beatrice was there. Quite likely the only person who has hugged Ava and offered her real comfort for more then a decade. And then it just got more and more intense as Beatrice just kept caring, kept supporting Ava. And also kept her calling her out which I think is something Ava really appreciates because she can she that Beatrice is doing it because she believes in Ava not because she wants to hurt her But the effect is not just one sided. Look at Beatrice reaction in this gif. How stunned she is that someone is seeking comfort in her. We don't know much about her past but we know enough to form a reasonable theory. Look at the very first episode and how Mary treated Beatrice, generally how Beatrice acts with her Sister Nuns. She is friendly but you can feel the distance and based on her breakdown it's clear that her parents were deeply homophobic and knowing how cruel kids can be it's quite likely that she was shunned not only at home but in school as well making her closed, always keeping her distance so she won't get hurt again. And then comes this adorable idiot who pretty much burst through her walls, who sees her for what she is and still calls her beautiful instead of shunning her How could they not fall for each other?

3,379 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Supergirl writers: A surprising amount of people ship Kara and Lena . I suppose we could give them some more scenes together. Strictly friendship of course but still enough to keep those shippers on the hook

Pitch Perfect writers : A crazy amount of people ship Beca and Chloe . Let’s put a few comedic scenes of them to keep them on the hook

Warrior Nun writers : A lot of people ship Ava and Beatrice so we are thinking … let’s go hard for it in season 2 . I am thinking …. . Ava and Beatrice are roommates working in a bar together . We will start with them pining for each other and being insanely jealous whenever they see someone else speaking with them . Also of course we will have them just be happy and dancing together and being so lost in each other’s eyes you could clearly see the unspoken love . Now for episode two …..

3,817 notes - Posted November 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[storiesforallfandoms]

surprise date ~ dylan gardner

word count: 2222

request: yes!

@bitweird1​ “Could you maybe do one where the reader is part of the squad and after Shane and the others see the reader and Dylan meet for the first time they see that they both like eachother and they set up a date for them (Like the one they did for Andrew and Megan in the video "BLIND DATE FOR MY CAMERAMAN!") and maybe Shane or one of the others sees them kiss while they're out side like that part near the end of the video?”

description: in which your friend group sets you up on a date with a guy you have a crush on...without telling you

pairing: dylan gardner x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist

The first hint I had that something was going on was when I stepped into Shane’s house and was immediately met with Andrew holding the camera.

“What’s going on?” I asked him, noting that Shane was missing as well.

“Shane has a surprise for you,” Andrew responded.

I cringed. Shane’s surprises can be super crazy or super sweet, or both. Usually I was in on these surprises, so I didn’t have to worry, but today I wasn’t sure what to expect. I didn't know what Shane could even surprise me with.

Andrew led me over to the couch and told me to sit down and close my eyes. I rolled my eyes but did as he said. I felt my anxiety increasing as I waited for whatever the surprise was.

“Is she here?” I heard Shane call.

“She’s here!” Shane confirmed!

I heard footsteps approaching, two sets of them. I wasn’t sure if that was part of my surprise or if it was just Shane and Ryland, or Shane and Garrett.

The couch dipped next to me, indicating someone had sat next to me. I heard Shane’s voice in front of me, which told me that it wasn’t him next to me, saying, “Okay...open your eyes!”

Shane was stood in front of me wearing a button up shirt and a tie, matching what Andre w was wearing. I looked to see that the person sat next to me was Dylan Gardener, a friend of Shane’s.

I had to stop myself from jumping off the couch right at that moment, but I couldn’t stop the blush creeping up on my face. I had met Dylan about a week ago when the Squad filmed a video where we made a squad song as a joke for Garrett’s channel. I found myself developing feelings for Dylan, which of course Shane noticed cause Shane notices everything. He promised he’d keep it a secret. If he broke that promise...

“Welcome to your surprise date!” Shane announced. “An accidental series on my channel, apparently.”

…I’m gonna kill him.

I wasn’t sure what to say. Dylan had a small smile on his face but I could tell he was also feeling as awkward as I was. I stood suddenly, addressing Shane as I said, “Can I talk to you...alone?”

Before he could respond, I took his hand and led him somewhere more private.

“I thought we were keeping this between us,” I whispered.

“He doesn’t know you like him,” Shane responded. “I mean...not entirely. I told him I wanted to set you guys up because I think you’d be cute together and you’ve both been single for a while and you know how I like to exploit that.” I couldn’t help but smile a little at that. “I’m serious though, (Y/N), you two would be so cute together. Just give this a chance. Please?”

Shane smiled at me, expectantly. I sighed. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to go ahead with this surprise date. I definitely was too awkward to ask Dylan out on my own.

“Okay, fine,” I sighed. “Let’s do this.”

Shane clapped excitedly and I tried to roll my eyes but I couldn’t help but smile as I did.

~~~~~~

Moments later, I was sat at Shane’s dinner table with Dylan sat next to me. Shane and Andrew were in Shane’s kitchen getting our “meal” ready for our “date.”

Things were awkwardly quiet. Neither of us really knew what to talk about. What do you say to someone you had a date with sprung upon you out of nowhere?

“This is awkward, isn’t it?” Dylan asked after our prolonged silence.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Very awkward. I’m sorry Shane put you up to this.”

“He didn’t put me up to anything. He asked me if I wanted to come over and do a surprise date video, but he said it’s also not just for the video that it could be a real thing. I thought you were pretty cool, so how could I pass up that opportunity?”

I felt my face heat up again. He thought I was "pretty cool”? What did that mean? Was that a good thing? It must’ve been if he was here on a date with me.

“I would’ve liked to get to know you more before being set up on a date,” I told him. “No offense or anything obviously. You’re really nice, and you’re pretty cool too. But I’m not really a person who meets someone and immediately plans to go on a date, you know? I prefer to get to know someone first and make that decision. I don’t even go to clubs to meet people. That scares me, actually.”

I was rambling. I needed to stop rambling.

But Dylan was laughing. He didn’t mind my rambling! “I understand that. Too many people are okay with jumping into relationships right away and I also prefer to get to know someone before I go on a date. It’s like what if you go on a date and they really like you but you don’t feel the spark and then it’s this awkward thing where you have to tell them you don’t see them like that?”

“That’s exactly what I say!” I told him.

“At least we have that going for us,” he said with a laugh. I laughed as well. I was starting to feel a bit more comfortable.

“The food is served!” Shane announced as he entered holding two plates.

The food actually looked pretty good. Judging on the food from the last two times Shane did this, I was expecting something like a plate of Cheez-Its and some Diet Cola. “This looks edible, wow.”

“Hurtful!” Shane exclaimed. “But that’s because it’s Hello Fresh, not spon but Ryland is so we have a lot.”

I shrugged and decided to start digging in. Dylan did as well, so there was no awkward silence in between us as we ate. Shane sat down across the table from us and Andrew stood beside him, filming everything. I looked up at the two of them, curious as to what they were to do next.

“Have you guys been talking? Getting to know one another?” Shane asked, leaning forward was near excitement.

“We were talking before you came in,” I confirmed. “About first dates and stuff.”

“Good start, good start,” Shane said, looking at Andrew and nodding as if they were both agreeing. “You should talk about something you’re both passionate about.”

“Like what?” Dylan asked.

“Music?” Andrew suggested.

“Yes!” Shane exclaimed. “I mean obviously Dylan has a passion for music, but what you may not know is (Y/N), too. She’s an amazing singer.”

I shook my head. “No way, singing is not my passion. Singing is something I do in the car or the shower when I’m joking around.”

“No, you are a really good singer,” Dylan said. “When we did that song last week I was honestly blown away with how good your voice was. Like you should sing more often, make a cover channel or something.”

I shoved another fork full of food into my mouth, not sure what else to say. Sure, the Squad was always telling me that my singing was good, but I never really believed them. To hear it coming from Dylan, who was an actual musician, and who I had a sort of crush on, was a whole other thing.

“I feel like this could be like a bad thing to talk about on a date,” Andrew started, “but maybe you could talk about like past relationships or past dates or something. You know, swap dating horror stories.”

Dylan chuckled. “Unfortunately my stories aren’t all that scary. The longest relationship I had was maybe six months long and we broke up because we just weren’t right for each other. After that I went on a lot of Tinder dates but nothing that really stuck.”

“I have plenty of dating horror stories,” I admitted. “Most my exes have been absolute nightmares; manipulative, mentally and verbally abusive, just all around toxic. I somehow have a type of guys who start out nice and turn out to be awful. It’s really scared me away from dating as of late because I’m afraid of how things will go with the next person.”

Dylan reached out and took hold of my hand. “That’s awful. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through that. You deserve someone who’s going to treat you like the queen that you are, and give you the world and then some.”

I had never been told that before. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. That would be real romantic on a first date. I smiled at Dylan and he smiled back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shane exchange a look with Andrew.

~~~~~~

After an awkward date that was mainly that way because we both knew we were being filmed, Dylan told Shane he wanted to talk to me in private. I started to feel anxious again as he took me outside.

“I really am sorry about this,” I told him. “I know tonight was super awkward. I really didn’t know that Shane was doing this.”

“I know, Shane told me the everything,” Dylan admitted.

I raised an eyebrow at him. “How much is everything?”

“He told me that he figured you had some feelings for me, and he wanted to help you act on those because he knew you wouldn’t do it on your own.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Shane did tell Dylan about my feeling for him. I was definitely going to kill him when Dylan left.

“I’m so sorry,” I said again, pinching my nose in slight frustration. “God, that’s so awkward! I’m so sorry, Dylan.”

Dylan was laughing. “No, don’t be sorry. Really, you have no reason to be. I mean, I agreed to this, and I did that because...well...I like you, too.”

I wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. It was like my entire brain shut down when he said it to me. How do I respond to that? What do I say?

I looked down at my feet, trying to find the words. “Do you really?”

He chuckled again. His laugh was so pretty, I liked it a lot. “I do. I meant what I said earlier, you’re pretty cool. You’re really nice. When Shane asked about going on the date tonight I was actually very excited. Like you said, I would’ve liked getting to know you first and then see where things take us, but if I’m being honest I’m glad to get the awkward first date out of the way now so the next one isn’t as awkward.”

I looked up at him quickly. “The next one?”

Dylan shrugged. “If you want I’d like to go on another date.”

If I wanted to? Of course I wanted to! I wanted nothing more than to go on a second date with Dylan, more than a second date. Many, many, dates! But I didn’t want to seem too forward just yet.

When I didn’t say anything, Dylan cupped my face in his hands and tilted my head back to look up at him. “I know you said you’ve had troubles in the past with boyfriends and you’re afraid to date, and I understand that with what you’ve gone through. You’ve probably heard this multiple times before, but I promise you I won’t be like that. I meant what I said, you deserve the world and more. If you’ll let me, I’d like to give you the world.”

Unable to voice a response, I leaned forward and kissed Dylan instead. I felt the smile against his lips as he kissed me back.

When this night started, I definitely did not expect it to go this far. I didn’t expect us to be talking about future dates, a future relationship, and I definitely did not expect us to be kissing. But I’m glad it was exceeding expectations. The kiss was definitely exceeding expectations, it was probably the best kiss I had ever had in my life.

He pulled away and I couldn’t help the wide smile on my face. Dylan’s smile mirrored mine. We stood like that for a while, just smiling, not wanting the moment to pass.

“I wish I could stay longer,” he told me, “but I have a full day of editing tomorrow and should probably get some sleep. But...can I maybe have you r number and we’ll plan a less awkward, more private second date?”

I nodded excitedly, taking Dylan’s phone and adding my number. As he took his phone back, he quickly dipped to place another kiss on my lips before walking to his car. I watched him go, up until his car pulled out of the driveway and drove away.

I took a deep breath, still a wide smile on my face, and turned to walk back into Shane’s house. When I stepped in, I was met with Andrew still filming and Shane with a wide smile on his face.

“Shut the fuck up,” I told them, but was still smiling. I didn’t think I’d stop smiling anytime soon.

[zodiyack]

Live Theif

Requested by @bitweird1: Hey! Would you be willing to take a request for Dylan Gardner?❤ He's been in some of Shane Dawson's videos❤ I completely understand if not!❤

Pairing: Dylan Gardner x reader

Warnings: Swearing, some spoilers to this video if you have yet to see it, fluff, me not proofreading and probably overusing words

Note: I couldn’t find a gif of Dylan so I made one on my own using the fastest gif thingy I could ack, so please credit me if you use the gif of him This was supposed to be out the day I finished the Midari request I’m so sorry 1) I couldn’t think of a tittle and 2) The ending was unnecessary and random, but I enjoyed writing it so hush

Taglist:

masterlist

Shane started his video with Dylan, or at least the section that Dylan first showed up in. Y/n waited in the background, joining in once Portillo was introduced. 

“His name is Portillo. I named him after a hot dog restaurant, and he is our son.” Dylan picked up the small but cute doggo. Y/n sneaked over, smiling at her boys and rubbing Portillo’s head.

“Aaaaaaaand, he’s blind.” Shane added.

“And he’s blind.”

Shane reached over and held his hand in front of the small dog, “He literally probably thinks I’m just one big burrito.”

The group chuckled and allowed Shane to explore their bedroom, which Dylan showed him the way too. Y/n pet Portillo one last time before following her boyfriend and their guests. Shane introduced his camera to the room as it’s second name, the recording studio, with his voice showing his awe.

He turned the camera to the pool, revealing the pink flamingo floaty. “That’s so fucking me-”

“I feel like we’re in a Ke$ha music video.” Ryland pointed out. The four laughed and Shane did his infamous wheeze, causing them to laugh a tad bit more.

Y/n walked over to Dylan as Shane continued with his video. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cuddled into him and he put his arms around her waist in response. She mumbled softly into his neck, “Are you gonna need any help?”

He shrugged and kissed her forehead. “Possibly. Do you wanna stay or do you wanna do something else?”

Shane and Ryland were still gushing about the music, giving the other couple a small amount of time to chat. Y/n turned her head as little as possible, viewing the queens youtube couple talk before turning back to Dylan. “I think I can stay for a while.”

Dylan nodded and rubbed her back. The conversation coming from their right stopped, the room filling with silence. Shane was the first to speak up, switching from his gush with the room and music to his awe over the young lovers. “Shit, you guys are so cute! Ryland doesn’t hug me like that.”

Ryland scoffed with a smile, “I do too! You just don’t stop moving enough for me to hug you that long.”

An awkward silence broke just as quick as it was built. Y/n broke into laughter and separated from Dylan, walking over and hugging Ryland while they both laughed. Shane raised his eyebrows and burst into laughter himself. They all took a second to cool down before saying anything else.

Dylan walked over to his computer and sat down. He rested his chin on the backside of his hand which was being supported by his elbow on his desk. Y/n excused herself to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water for the group. Drinking water before singing was sometimes a large help for her and Dylan, so she made sure to grab four glasses.

When she returned, Dylan was sitting on the chair with his guitar and was responding to something Shane said, “I feel like ‘Ass Picking’ needs finger picking,” he snickered.

Y/n raised an eyebrow at the awkward timing. Shane chuckled to Dylan’s reply, “Me!” The guys turned their head s a bit, catching sight of Y/n and laughing even harder at her confused expression.

They calmed a bit, allowing Dylan to find a tune that could work. “Let’s see, uh-” He played a few cords but stopped when a question popped into his head. “What are your guys’ ranges? I mean we can wor-”

Shane turned the camera to Ryland when he laughed and moved his arms around. Ryland, making a joke but still being serious, admitted quickly, “Nothing! Zero!”

“What vibe are we feeling? Are we feeling bop, hiphop?”

The camera turned around to Shane, "I mean I’m always feeling bop, but that’s just how I was born.” He turned the camera to Ryland, indicating that it was his turn to speak.

“I mean, I can’t do anything, so whatever’s easiest,” he confessed, chuckling nervously.

Shane turned the camera very very close to his face and made an purposely awkward smile. He put his hand on the side of his head, “That’s why I’m with you.” He got up and moved to the front of the bed, saying hello to Y/n and continuing with his video, “Okay so, I think we need to test our ranges?”

Dylan smiled and held his guitar, “Ah let’s do it.”

The reply made Shane laugh slightly, “So we have your microphone set up,” he turned the camera to the microphone against the wall, extending his arm to gesture to it. He moved his arm back and put his hand on his chin. “We’re one by one gonna get in front of it-” He nervously wheezed at himself, Dylan and Y/n following thanks to Shane’s unintentional humor. “There’s a lot of glass I’m gonna break.”

“Wait!” The boys turned to Y/n as she hopped of the bed and grabbed the studio headphones. She stood by Dylan and waited, “Okay you can go to the mic now, let me untangle these real quick.”

Shane nodded and put his face in front of the microphone, “Hellur-” He pulled away from it and gasped, “Ooo!”

Everyone laughed at his surprise, even himself. They took a few seconds to regain themselves before they would continue with the video. Y/n handed Dylan the headphones and rested her chin on his shoulder, moving out of the way for the guitar. “Want some honorary headphones?” He passed them to Shane when he gasped again and answered yes.

The man put the headphones on. “Oh my god, I’m a pop-star!” Another gasp.

Y/n giggled and checked her phone, deciding she’d let the guys have some time together for the video. Dylan had already moved back to his chair, so she leaned down and kissed him softly. When she pulled away, she informed him that she would be outside for a bit and to text her if she needed anything. The guys said goodbye and resumed what they were previously doing.

The next thing she knew, some time had passed and the four of them were taking a walk. Unknown to Shane’s viewers, the walk wasn’t just for their “creative juices”, but for lunch too. Packed in the studio all day, they were starting to get hungry. Y/n agreed to go with them, excited to finally hang out for a while without feeling like she was interrupting anything.

Shane turned the camera to himself, “Alright guys, we’re taking a walk to get our ‘creative juices flowing’!” He moved his arm back, allowing the camera to catch Y/n and Dylan walking side by side and hand by hand in it’s frame. Dylan smiled at the camera, smiling even wider when Y/n blushed and hid her face in his shoulder as much as she could while walking. “My song is pretty much d-”

Ryland sneezed loudly. It caught Shane off guard and he widened his eyes. "Shit.” Shane turned the camera to Ryland, who just kept walking after he cursed at his sneeze.

Dylan and Y/n started giggling when Shane quickly pointed the camera at himself and aggressively joked, “I should’ve added that in the diss track! You interrupting me with your sneeze! I know.” Sighing, still jokingly, he shook his head and returned to his calmer persona, saying what he was originally going to say. “So my song is pretty much done, yours,” he moved the camera to Ryland and pointed at him, then switching it back to himself, “we haven’t even really started yet, so we have to go back and do that.” The camera, once again, was moved to face Ryland.

“I have some ideas.” He smiled, closed his eyes, and walked a bit faster to get in front of Shane/out of the frame.

Dylan spoke up and Shane moved the camera to view Dylan and Y/n. “We set the bar very high with this last song. It’s- it’s gonna be pretty fun.” Y/n smiled, proud of her boyfriend and their friends. She gripped his hand a bit tighter, to which he smiled back and lifted their hands, kissing her’s lightly.

“Yeah I don’t know how you’re gonna top this...you bottom.” Y/n and Dylan broke into laughter with Shane and Ryland, both their cute moment and the moment of pride for Shane ruined in a good way. Shane decided it was time to stop recording and get lunch like they originally planned.

They stopped by a taco bell. Oops how’d that get there? Shane offered to pay, asking everyone what they wanted and then going to order. Y/n and Dylan found a booth and sat next to each other. Y/n got out her phone and an idea found it’s way into her head. It wasn’t often that she went live on instagram, but this just seemed like the perfect moment.

She took a photo of Dylan being distracted, then of her kissing Dylan’s hand, and finally, one of Ryland scrolling through his phone. She posted all three with the caption, “Going live!” After it had been successfully posted, she did as she promised and went live.

“Hello everybody! We’re in taco bell, of course, and we’re taking a break from a video that we’re recording. Well Shane’s recording, but still.” She moved the phone so it leaned against the wall, allowing the viewers to see all three of them. Y/n, out of habit, set her hand on the table and leaned in to Dylan when he slipped his hand into hers. The chat went wild and Ryland pointed it out.

“Wow, people really like you guys, don’t they.” The couple giggled and Y/n leaned over to see the chat. She nodded and flushed red. Comments poured in ever so quickly. It was hard to read them due to how many there were at a time.

Some said, “Wow you guys are so cute!” Others, “I SHIP I SHIP I SHIP” and so many more. It spread a warm feeling to Y/n’s heart as well as a blush on her and Dylan’s faces.

The comments started to switch from them, to “SHANE DAWSON!!”, etcetera. All three of them moved their heads and laughed their asses off at Shane’s confused yet proud moment.

“Did I like- interrupt something?”

Y/n giggled and shook her head, taking her food and thanking Shane. “No, I just went live and ya know...did what I would normally do with Dylan...”

“You just normally blush so hard you look like a tomato?”

The four cracked up again, Dylan nodded at Ryland’s observation. “Yep, every time.” Y/n opened her mouth and scoffed, feigning offence. “But a cute tomato.” Dylan smiled. It made her smile too, but that smile was replaced with the same fake offence when he reached over and bit into her food.

“Shane! Make him stop!”

“Oh honey, he’s not the right person to make Dylan stop.” Ryland continued eating his food, acting as if he didn’t say anything.

“What do you mean?”

Ryland looked up from his food. “I leave food in the fridge so I can eat it later, and someone, cough cough Shane, eats it.” He paused, eating another bite, “Just take his food. An eye for an eye.”

Y/n smiled mischievously and looked over to Dylan’s food. A different idea seemed more exciting. “Nah, it’s okay.”

“You sure babe?” Dylan looked over to her.

“Yeah, it’s totally fine.” She cuddled back into him and held his hand, bringing it up as if she were about to kiss it, then licking from his wrist to his hand. Shane, Ryland and her laughed as Dylan groaned and wiped the saliva onto his shirt.

“I guess next time, don’t steal her food.”

“What Ryland said.”

[yourlocalsmutwriter]

Bedroom recordings or the 4 times Dylan annoyed you with the studio in the bedroom and the one time he didn't - Dylan Gardner x reader

This was a request from @bitweird1

Having a famous musician as a boyfriend should be a dream come true. And almost all of the time it is. You loved Dylan and everything he made - it was a miracle for someone to be so talented and to be able to write, produce and record all their music in their bedroom. And that where your problem laid, well literally.

Your boyfriend’s creativity had no curfew, and you found that out the hard way one night when he shot out of bed and started working. “Dylan, it’s one AM.” you said sleepily “I know, but I was sleeping and this really good idea came to me in a dream. So now I have to record it.” he replied, his voice full of enthusiasm “Dylan I have things to do in the morning.” you protested “And I have things to do now.” You just got up, kissed his cheek, grabbed some earplugs and slept on the couch that night, somehow unbothered by the sounds.

You wish that it was the only time that happened. But that was sadly not the case. One day you were about to go and spend some quality time with Dylan, but to your surprise the door to your bedroom was locked. You knocked to hear a muffled “I’m working on something, will be done soon.”. You decide to leave your boyfriend be and started doing some of your own work. But 3 hours later you were getting annoyed. Normally Dylan wouldn’t mind that you spent some time while he was writing or singing, but he was awfully peculiar that he needed his space today. So you decided to try for the next best thing and just put on his album, that way you’d still feel like he was singing to you. You must have drifted off, because at some point you were awoken by your boyfriend gently tapping you on the shoulder. “Babe, I’m done for today. I’m sorry, I took so long, it’s just that this project is special.” You fake pouted and turned your face to the other side, so he couldn’t see your smile and said in your most convincing angry voice “I’m still mad at you.” “Is that why you’re listening to my music ?” He teased “Dylan, you’re not helping your case. Just hold me and I’ll think about forgiving you.”. He wrapped his arms around you and placed you in his lap, giving you a quick peck on the forehead. “Love you too babe.”. And finally you were at peace.

Or so you thought. Little did you know Dylan was far from done with the recording. He tried out various things with his guitar, repeating chords over and over again, slowly driving you insane. “How many times are you going to try that?” You asked as he strumed the same time yet again, playing it in the exact same way as he did the last 5 times. “Until it’s perfect.” He absentmindedly tried it again. You wondered why he was being so hard on himself and so meticulous about this project. You were going to find out sooner or later.

You had just woken up from the incessant doorbell noise. “Babe, can you get that , it’s just a friend.” Dylan asked from his computer. You grumbled a yeah sure in your sleepy voice and went to open the door, not caring about your pajamas or your embarrassing house slippers. But nothing prepared you to come face to face with one of your favorite youtubers - Shane Dawson. So you did whatever any rational person would do in your situation - you slammed the door shut as fast as you could and screamed. Scared by all the commotion, Dylan rushed over to you and said in a panicked voice “Babe are you okay, what’s wrong, are you hurt?” “You didn’t tell me Shane Dawson was coming.” You managed to say. Dylan seemed to remember the colab they were supposed to film and opened the door for the other YouTuber. “What a lovely welcome. I mean I know that lately I haven’t looked my best, but I didn’t expect to be so hideous that a girl just slams the door in my face when she sees me. Not that it’s the first time.” Shane joked as he filmed. “I’m so sorry.” You said under your breath, as Dylan introduced you and gave Ryland and Shane a tour of the house. “The recording studio is in the bedroom . Well that must be fun, huh?” Shane said, suggestively “We would never” and “ We haven’t thought about that” overlapped into a nonsensical sentence spoken by both you and Dylan, though the camera only focused on your blushing face. “I’m gonna take Portobello out for a walk and let you boys have your fun.” you said, not wanting to embarrass yourself more on video. You even took the daschund to the pet store to kill some time. When you got back to your house Shane and Ryland were just leaving.

Dylan was done with the songs in a few days. He played them both for you and you were honestly impressed with how he managed to make them sound so good, despite his clients not being professional artists . But then he played another song and you fell in love , the lyrics, the melody, everything was perfect. “Do you like it?” Dylan asked shyly “Babe, I love it.” You said “Good, because I wrote it about you. That’s the song I was working so hard, because it had to be as wonderful as you.”. At this point you were standing next to him, peppering kisses all over his face, and somehow you ended up on the bed with you under him. When he pulled away from the kiss, flushed, he said “You know, I’ve been thinking about what Shane said. Do you wanna do a little bedroom recording?” he raised his eyebrows at the end to make sure you weren’t missing the obvious intention behind his words. “Dylan, no.”

[gravcyards]

resposting this bc really really need some distractions lately. looking for 1x1s (or mumus) on discord with long term partners so we can have multiple ships. im super lax about activity, just if ur gonna be gone longer than like 4+ days or have lost muse, pls lmk! i rp exclusively on discord and i’m really into rapid fire smut (or any) threads rn, but really just anything. port with plot, porn without plot, plot without porn, whatevaaaaa. i do f/f (pls i will marry u), m/m, and m/f. i do play guys but im very selective with who i play them with considering there have been a lot of people only sliding into my dms for my guys. if it helps at all, you would not be getting some alpha dom male. my guys are subbiest sweetest idiots u can imagine. i love all kinds of plots but my faves are smutty and angsy (also ummmm omegaverse, anyone??) so please lmk ahead of time if smut isn’t for you. ANYWAY. please see below for potential ships i’ve been wanting just bc they would look cute af. bolded the ones i’d like to play:

daniel sharman & danielle rose russell

kaylee bryant & danielle rose russell

madelyn cline & madison bailey

ross lynch & ginny gardner

sabrina carpenter & jacob elordi (or just quite anyone with a height difference like that) 

erana james & mia healey

erana james & sarah pidgeon

alycia debnam carey against literally anyone

maika monroe & dylan o’brien

sabrina carpenter & megan fox

madison iseman & dylan o’brien

madison iseman & daniel sharman

madelyn cline & dylan o’brien

danielle rose russell & dylan o’brien

brandon flynn & anyone really tbh

sabrina carpenter & tom holland

madison bailey & rudy pankow

(also pls anyone give me joseph morgan i will marry u on the spot)

this isn’t a set list, i’m very very open to suggestions so pls hmu and we can discuss more!! if u wanna like this, just straight up dm me (ily if u do that) or just add me on discord it’s adi#1217

[joeyjoeylee]

What do you imagine Gretchin , Courtney etc to look like do you imagine a certain actor. Or is it just random? Love the fic by the way!! Its so good.

I’ve been thinking about this ask since I got it Anon, so THANK you for the thought puzzle.  Putting this under a read more as I think perhaps only you and I care about this.

So let me preface by saying that when you write “what do I imagine” - I can’t literally picture any of the characters or settings in my head (b/c of the whole aphantasia thing).  All I can “picture” (metaphorically only) is their vibe, their characteristics, so to speak.  This includes the characters actually on the show!  (Literally, when I think about Beth/Rio, I think “criminally hot” rather than their faces - both a blessing and a curse tbh).  I’m coming to realize this is a flaw in my writing btw b/c I just naturally assume everyone is like me so I don’t describe people or settings that much.  I am trying to work on this!

But to answer your question - all the characters actually on the show (Beth, Rio, Ruby, Annie, Stan, Dean, Dylan, Gretchen) would look how they look in canon, albeit in their 20s and 30s.  For Beth and Rio, I was struck dumb by the pics here by the amazing @anxiety-is-the-wooooorst (as well as the general vibe of the law school) so that’s what I’d picture if I could.

I then began to google (and what interesting google searches they were!) what I think the characteristics of the main side characters were and picked images that lined up:

Gardner Warrington IV - sweet, awk Garden Number 5 is a tall blonde Ken doll who looks like what you’d think a rich prep school son of a federal judge would look like and then you’d irrationally hate him at first for trying to be “friends” with YOUR Elizabeth:

Courtney:  smart and hot and opinionated supposed 3rd-wave feminist (but with a 2nd-wave feminist’s somewhat disdain for women who choose to stay at home) still insecure despite all that because her equally hot fuck buddy is inexplicably obsessed with the annoying “old” gunner in the class:

Professor Katz:  some say he is a lunatic, some say he is a genius - he’s a solo practitioner with 30 years of litigation experience who’s also taught half the bar practicing in Detroit and he literally gives no esses:

Professor Kelly:  Pervy, maybe secret alcoholic middle-aged white male professor making the moves on female students?  This one is just a softball b/c his archtype is already well-represented in Legally Blonde.

Michael Chang:  an earnest pumpkin just desperately wanting to win ONE! SINGLE! SBA election and NOT like SOME people out of either spite or in a mad quest for power but just because he genuinely believes in public service and Thanksgiving Can Drives and repairing broken vending machines on campus (and will go on to head the Detroit Legal Aid office in 20 years and have a Public Servant award named in his honor when he retires):

Hopefully this is helpful and I will try to describe things/people better in the future!!  (And thank you - this was fun!)

[thecoleopterawithana]

The next night Elliot [Mintz] took us out with a friend of his, Sal Mineo, and we all went to a gay cabaret/discotheque. John was oblivious to the gay ambience. He was curious about everyone's sexuality and liked to gossip about who was sleeping with whom, whether they were gay or straight. John made no judgements about homosexuality but was really curious about who was and who wasn't gay.   He knew that his appearance at a gay club might start rumors about his own sexuality, and it made him laugh. He told me that there had been rumors about him and his first manager, Brian Epstein, and that he usually didn't deny them. He liked the fact that people could be titillated by having suspicions about his masculinity. Then I was the one who was laughing. "How could anyone believe a man who likes women as much as you do is gay?" I told him.   After the show we went back to Mineo's apartment. I was thirsty, and Mineo told me to look in the refrigerator. There was nothing in it but one big bottle of amyl nitrite.   Mineo told John that he knew Ava Gardner. "I'm a real fan of hers. I love Ava," John replied excitedly.   Mineo went to the phone, called London, woke Gardner up, and told her that John wanted to speak to her. John took the phone. "Ava, is that you? Ava, I think you're beautiful. I've seen all your movies. Christ, is it really you?" They spoke for five minutes, then a thrilled John handed the phone back to Mineo.

In May Pang’s Loving John (1983).

-

[Once again, a million thanks to @eppysboys for sending over passages of interest.]

-

Elliot Mintz (born February 16, 1945) is an American consultant. In the 1960s and early 1970s Mintz was an underground radio DJ and host. In the 1970s he became a spokesperson for John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and took on other musicians and actors as clients as a publicist, including Bob Dylan. [...] 

Though not in a professional capacity, since the death of Lennon, Mintz has acted as a spokesperson for the Lennon estate. In addition, while sifting through Lennon's belongings, he discovered hundreds of unreleased tape recordings including half-finished new songs, early versions of famous hits, and idle thoughts. Beginning in 1988, he hosted a weekly syndicated radio series based upon these recordings called The Lost Lennon Tapes, which was broadcast for about four years. After the show came to an end, Mintz began hosting the spinoff radio program The Beatle Years. Mintz has appeared in feature documentaries about Lennon and Yoko Ono, including The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Imagine: John Lennon and The Real Yoko Ono. In 1985 he was a technical advisor on the television film John and Yoko: A Love Story. He also authored an essay about his relationship with them published in 2005 in a book entitled Memories of John Lennon. [Source]

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Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer and director. Mineo is best known for his Academy Award-nominated performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Mineo also received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Exodus (1960). A 1950s teen idol, Mineo's acting career declined in his adult years. He was murdered in 1976. [...]

By the early 1960s, Mineo was becoming too old to play the type of role that had made him famous, and his rumoured homosexuality led to his being considered inappropriate for leading roles. [...] In 1969, Mineo returned to the stage to direct a Los Angeles production of the LGBT-themed play Fortune and Men's Eyes (1967), featuring then-unknown Don Johnson as Smitty and himself as Rocky. The production received positive reviews, although its expanded prison rape scene was criticized as excessive and gratuitous. [...] By 1976, Mineo's career had begun to turn around. While playing the role of a bisexual burglar in a series of stage performances of the comedy P.S. Your Cat Is Dead in San Francisco, Mineo received substantial publicity from many positive reviews; he moved to Los Angeles along with the play.

Mineo met English-born actress Jill Haworth on the set of the film Exodus in 1960, in which they portrayed young lovers. Mineo and Haworth were together on-and-off for many years. They were engaged to be married at one point. According to Mineo biographer Michael Gregg Michaud, Haworth cancelled the engagement after she caught Mineo engaging in sexual relations with another man. The two did remain very close friends until Mineo's death. [...] While some have described Haworth as being nothing but a close friend and a "beard" to Mineo to conceal his same-sex partners, Michaud casts doubt upon this claim; he asserts that Mineo and Haworth's relationship was genuine, that Mineo fell in love with Haworth, and that Mineo regarded her as one of the important people in his life. [Source]

“Portrait of a Marriage really disturbed [John]. The book was an account of the fifty-year marriage of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson, both of whom were bisexual and continually unfaithful to each other, yet were able to evolve a relationship of great depth and longevity despite the incompleteness of their marriage. John was very distressed by the theme of sexual incompatibility in the midst of great emotional attraction and the fact that no matter how hard one tries, a marriage may always remain incomplete.”

In a 1972 interview with Boze Hadleigh, Mineo discussed his bisexuality. At the time of his death, he was in a six-year relationship with male actor Courtney Burr III. [Source]

BH: Who are those two girls you mentioned, for a double date?

SM: (Laughs.) Are you kidding? I got a girl in every port- and a couple of guys in every port, too.

BH: Do you think rumors about being bi have hurt you in your career?

SM: Maybe. . . Nah, I doubt it. Everyone's got those rumors following him around, whether it's true or not. Everyone's supposed to be bi, starting way back with Gary Cooper and on through Brando and Clift and Dean and Newman and . . . you want me to stop?

BH: Did you resent the rumors?

SM: Well, no. Because what's wrong with being bi? Maybe most people are, deep down.

BH: Shirley MacLaine has publicly said that.

SM: I think she's right- got a good noodle, Shirl does. But anyhow, the rumor about me, from what I hear, was usually that I'm gay. Where, like, with Monty Clift or Brando, the rumor was that they're bi. [Brando later publicly admitted to bisexuality.]

— Boze Hadleigh’s interview with Sal Mineo (1972).

-

“John and I had a big talk about it, saying, basically, all of us must be bisexual. And we were sort of in a situation of thinking that we’re not [bisexual] because of society. So we are hiding the other side of ourselves, which is less acceptable. But I don’t have a strong sexual desire towards another woman.”

Have you ever? “Not really, not sexually.”

One online satire imagined an affair between Ono and Hillary Clinton.

“It’s great,” Ono laughs. “I mean, both John and I thought it was good that people think we were bisexual, or homosexual.” She laughs again.

What about that old rumor that Lennon had sex with Beatles manager Brian Epstein (which was also the subject of the 1991 film, The Hours and The Times)?

Lennon himself said: “Well, it was almost a love affair, but not quite. It was never consummated. But it was a pretty intense relationship.” Later, Lennon’s friend Pete Shotton said Lennon had told him that he had allowed Epstein to “toss [wank] him off.”

“Uh, well, the story I was told was a very explicit story, and from that I think they didn’t have it [sex],” Ono tells me. 

— in Yoko Ono: I Still Fear John’s Killer by Tim Teeman for the Daily Beast (13 October 2015).

-

Q. Have you ever fucked a guy?

A. Not yet, I thought I’d save it til I was 40, life begins at 40 you know, tho I never noticed it.

Q. It is trendy to be bisexual and you’re usually ‘keeping up with the Jones’, haven’t you ever… there was talk about you and PAUL…

A. Oh, I thought it was about me and Brian Epstein… anyway, I’m saving all the juice for my own version of THE REAL FAB FOUR BEATLES STORY etc.. etc..

Q. It seems like you’re saving quite a lot for when you’re 40…

A. Yes, there might be nothing better to do, tho I don’t believe it.

— John Lennon, interview conducted by/on John Lennon, and/or Dr Winston O’boogie, for Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine (November 1974).

-

John: [...] I was trying to put it 'round that I was gay, you know– I thought that would throw them off… dancing at all the gay clubs in Los Angeles, flirting with the boys… but it never got off the ground.

Q: I think I’ve only heard that lately about Paul.

John: Oh, I’ve had him, he’s no good. [Laughter]

— John Lennon, interviewed by Lisa Robinson for Hit Parader: A conversation with John Lennon (December 1975).

-

Like other alkyl nitrites, amyl nitrite is bioactive in mammals, being a vasodilator, which is the basis of its use as a prescription medicine. As an inhalant, it also has a psychoactive effect, which has led to its recreational use with its smell being described as that of old socks or dirty feet. It is also referred to as banapple gas. [Source]

Popper is a slang term given broadly to drugs of the chemical class called alkyl nitrites that are inhaled. [...] Popper use has a relaxation effect on involuntary smooth muscles, such as those in the throat and anus. It is used for practical purposes to facilitate anal sex by increasing blood flow and relaxing sphincter muscles, initially within the gay community.

"If you trace the bottle of amyl (a type of alkyl nitrite) through late 20th century history, you trace the legacies of gay culture on popular culture in the 20th century”

The drug is also used or for recreational drug purposes, typically for the "high" or "rush" that the drug can create.

Poppers were part of club culture from the mid-1970s disco scene and returned to popularity in the 1980s and 1990s rave scene. [Source]

“A cable had arrived for him that very morning stating the obvious: ‘Come too quickly. Stop. Try again. Stop. Am waiting in Paris. Stop me if you’ve heard it. Stop. Stuff yourself with artichokes and live. Stop. Don’t stop. Stop.’ He knew it was from Amie L'Nitrate.”

— in John Lennon’s unfinished story about a sudden rendezvous in Paris. Published in “Skywriting By Word Of Mouth”.

-

Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress and singer. [...] Gardner appeared in several high-profile films from the 1940s to 1970s [...] She is listed 25th among the American Film Institute's 25 Greatest Female Stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

-

Answered asks about:

John’s sexuality

Yoko and his sister Julia’s public statements about John’s sexuality

John "trying to put it ‘round that” he was gay

The Bob Wooler Episode

The Tony Manero Story

[Disclaimer: The answer to these asks represent my personal opinion at the time, which is liable to have evolved since then.]

[cinema-tv-etc]

25 Reasons 'The Good Wife' Had the Best Guest Cast Ever

Mandi Bierly - Deputy Editor, Yahoo TV Yahoo TV Staff  May 4, 2016

When The Good Wife ends its seven-season run on May 8, the CBS drama will be remembered for many things: the empowering evolution of Alicia (Julianna Margulies), the continuous delight that was watching Christine Baranski in a role that has earned her an Emmy nomination for every season to date, and some of TV’s best writing. Of course it’s that last one that is truly responsible for the show being revered for its great guest stars. But here are 25 more reasons why that roster is the best ever.

The Good Wife series finale airs May 8 at 9 p.m. on CBS.

1. The writers knew that when you have a great character, you keep him (or her) in your world.

Dylan Baker has earned three Emmy nominations for playing Colin Sweeney, an accused wife killer who first appeared in Season 1′s thirteenth episode, “Bad,” and returned often enough to be dubbed Alicia’s creepiest client (“I like you, Mrs. Florrick,” he once told her. “You feed my Mary Poppins obsession”). When the audience knows a recurring character well enough to find a cutaway shot to him scowling in a courtroom funny, you’ve done your job. (Credit: John Paul Filo/CBS)

2. They created a role worthy of Michael J. Fox.

How do you make opposing lawyers quickly feel like three-dimensional characters? You have them exploit whatever they can about themselves in the courtroom. For Fox’s Louis Canning, that’s his illness (cue the eyeroll from Alicia). Over the years, as Fox has earned four Emmy nominations for the role he first played in Season 2, we’ve seen many sides of Canning (and even his alleged deathbed). But like all great recurring characters, he continues to bring out the best — and worst — in Alicia, including that awesome fake cry Julianna Margulies performed in the series’ penultimate episode when Alicia imagined what Canning expected to see when he told her Peter was accused of having a longtime affair. (Credit: Michael Parmelee/CBS)

3. They acknowledged that judges have personalities and personal views — and how they remain fair (unless they’re being bribed or just want to move their day along, of course).

On most shows that take us inside the courtroom, you don’t even know the judge’s name, let alone that she prefers you always use the phrase “in my opinion” (Ana Gasteyer’s Judge Patrice Lessner) or his position on gun control (Denis O’Hare’s Charles Abernathy). Because they’re truly characters, we can find them punishing the lawyers either amusing (David Paymer’s Judge Richard Cuesta keeping score in Peter’s current trial) or infuriating (pretty much every interaction Christopher McDonald’s Judge Don Schakowsky has ever had with Alicia). (Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/CBS)

4. They recognized another truth: Just because you have young kids doesn’t mean you’re soft.

It turns out you can still be fierce (Martha Plimpton’s Emmy-winning role, attorney Patti Nyholm) and extremely competent (Tim Guinee’s Mr. Mom investigator, Wiley) even when you have to bring your baby to an emergency hearing or take a call from the State’s Attorney through a talking lion toy. (Credit: John Paul Filo/CBS)

5. They weren’t afraid to go quirky. Like really, really quirky.

You can also be as eccentric as attorney Elsbeth Tascioni (Emmy winner Carrie Preston) and extremely respected. She carries ridiculously large bags and has made some ridiculous entrances, but her brilliance is never questioned (even after she’s busted singing along to “Call My Maybe” while falling for Kyle MacLachlan’s Josh Perotti). (Credit: Jeff Neumann/CBS)

6. They wouldn’t let you judge a book by its cover.

Nancy Crozier (Mamie Gummer) was one of Alicia’s greatest adversaries. Young, bright, and deceptively naive, she was actually a cobra whose bite made even the audience sit up a little higher in their chairs.

7. They knew a face you would want to slap — but wouldn’t want to stop watching.

State’s Attorney Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver) was the original foe we loved to hate. His legacy has lived on, though, in that office, in the high-ranking members of the Democratic party who’ve screwed Alicia and Diane, and most recently, in AUSA Connor Fox (Matthew Morrison), who’s taking the last crack at Peter.

8. They knew opposites attract.

Christine Baranski’s Diane didn’t need a man in her life to be a great character, but we’re sure glad she found Kurt McVeigh, Gary Cole’s ballistics expert. Their flirtatious cross-aisle verbal sparring grew into a still passionate relationship befitting a man who’s willing to sacrifice his most valuable commodity — his word — for the love of his life, and a woman who means it when she vows to make him happy every day of his life if he’ll forgive her. If we were told only one romance could survive the finale — Diane’s or Alicia’s — we’d pick this one.

9. They knew people with opposing views could be civil.

It was fascinating to see R.D. (Oliver Platt), an approachable and politically conservative businessman who loved a civilized argument with a worthy opponent, in scenes with Diane. He respected her, and used her as the devil’s advocate — eventually making her question whether his retainer was worth the sale of her soul.

10. They knew how to keep us guessing.

Were we supposed to like David Hyde Pierce’s Frank Prady, a political commentator-turned-State’s Attorney candidate who insisted to opponent Alicia that he wanted to run a campaign? We wanted to trust him (he’s played by David Hyde Pierce after all), but in the world of ‘Good Wife’ politics, you could never be sure.

11. They knew how to make feminists think.

Caitlin (Anna Camp) was a promising young lawyer who wanted to leave her burgeoning career to focus on her fiancée and their planned family. For some viewers, that’s as divisive a decision as Alicia standing by Peter at the start of the series. Alicia tried to talk Caitlin out of it — you can have it all — but Caitlin said she wasn’t sacrificing anything; she was choosing what she wanted. Her generation has nothing to prove, Caitlin said. Of course, years later we learned that Caitlin is now a single mom, back at work, and wondering if she ever should have left. Is the moral that nothing can guarantee a happily ever after, or that she’ll be fine, just like Alicia was?

12. They introduced us to Mike Colter.

Though he came to the show with credits, it’s his portrayal of the stoic, imposing Lemond Bishop that was Colter’s big break. “Mike Colter is such an amazing actor, and everybody’s catching on now and stealing him from us, which we take as a personal affront,” ‘Good Wife’ co-creator Robert King joked to Yahoo TV last year. (Colter’s ‘Jessica Jones’ character, Luke Cage, get his own Marvel series debuting Sept. 30 on Netflix.) “While this guy can play the very grim drug kingpin, it’s always fun to see how there’s a real human side underneath that because he’s a dad. Being a dad myself, I shovel some of my issues into [Bishop]. It’s just like you got a guy who’s split right down the middle. And obviously, Kalinda’s got front row seats for that.”

13. They made us wish Matthew Perry could have stuck around.

The actor’s slap-me dry delivery was way more palatable as Mike Kresteva, Peter’s political rival, than it is as Oscar on The Odd Couple. Damn you, Go On!

14. They took advantage of filming in NYC.

New York is not just the home of Law & Order franchise guest stars, it’s the home of Broadway stars, and many have had memorable turns on The Good Wife, including Renée Elise Goldsberry (ASA Geneva Pine), who just received a Tony nomination for her role in Hamilton, and Laura Benanti (Sweeney’s latest wife, Renata), who just earned her fifth career Tony nomination for She Loves Me.

15. They wrote sexy, accomplished women over 40.

On a show with Alicia and Diane, you’d expect nothing less, but let’s appreciate the juicy roles for women such as Rita Wilson (Diane’s old attorney friend Viola Walsh) and Vanessa Williams (the businesswoman/donor who broke Eli’s heart).

16. They built a believable family.

We all know where Alicia gets her love of wine — from her mother, Veronica (Stockard Channing) — and why she turned out okay (she had her brother, Owen, played by Dallas Roberts, to commiserate with). It was nice to see them return recently when, for at least a moment, there was a lightness to Alicia that matched theirs.

17. They gave us a millennial we didn’t hate!

Another welcome return: Eli’s daughter, Marissa, who is the only person we like to see outwit Eli and is second only to Gary on ‘Veep’ when it comes to our favorite body man (or woman). We still wish she was working for Alicia.

18. They always found new and different foils for Eli (Alan Cumming).

Eli was always at his best when he was maneuvering against someone. It didn’t matter whether it was a savvy teen mean girl (Dreama Walker’s wicked Becca), Peter’s manipulative mother (Mary Beth Peil’s delicious Jackie Florrick), or a more accomplished peer (Margo Martindale’s imposing Ruth Eastman).

19. They made us fall in love again.

After the shocking death of Will Gardner (Josh Charles), much of the audience, like Alicia, felt hollow. But Matthew Goode’s Finn Polmar, the ASA who’d been opposite Will when he was shot dead in court, filled us up again with a simmering promise of sexual tension. Even though Goode was ultimately billed as a series regular, you sensed he was just passing through (on his way to Downton Abbey). He left because he knew he couldn’t work closely with Alicia and not have things get “sloppy” between them. He left us wanting more (i.e. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Jason).

20. They weren’t ageist, really.

Could it be the series’ happiest ending is reserved for Jackie and nap-loving firm relic Howard Lyman (Jerry Adler)?

21. They went with the unexpected.

Who wasn’t surprised to see Linda Lavin as Joy Grubick, Cary’s pretrial services officer? She was by the book, but even when she wouldn’t cut him a break for going half a mile over the state line, there was something calming in her slow-talking voice that made it difficult to get angry with her.

22. They warmed our hearts.

Clarke Hayden (played by Nathan Lane, who was nominated for an Emmy for his guest turn) was a court-appointed trustee whose job was to trim the fat at Lockhart/Gardner. He eventually grew close to Cary (Matt Czuchry) — who, in the backstory Lane created for the character in his own mind, reminded Clarke of his son who’d died of an overdose — and got to put David Lee (Zach Grenier) in his place. With the rat race tearing so many characters down, it’s nice to see the firm build someone up.

23. They created their own version of Snowden.

Some people loved the NSA story arc, some people thought it dragged on a bit too long, but everyone can agree how fun it was to see Silicon Valley’s Zach Woods recur as Jeff Dellinger. And let’s not forget about his former cubemates, led by Ugly Betty’s Michael Urie.

24. They even knew how to cast the right dog.

Just when you thought you’d seen every quirk on ‘The Good Wife,’ we were introduced to Elsbeth’s ex-husband, Mike Tascioni (Will Patton), who shares custody of their absurdly chill Chihuahua mix (played by a one-and-a-half-year-old rescue dog named Louie). “We’ve been interested in the idea of emotional support dogs, and it made sense to us, as we built the Mike character, that he might benefit from one,” ‘Good Wife’ executive producer Craig Turk told Yahoo TV. “Then it felt like high-strung Elsbeth might benefit, too. And if you begin to imagine what the dog in that situation would feel like… you get Tom. I named him Tom because, when writing the Mike character for the first time, I described him as hero-worshipping Atticus Finch — so, the ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ connection.”

25. And finally, on the rare occasion they made a misstep, the role (read: Kalinda’s ex) was cast with someone who’d make it easy to forget.

Sorry, Marc Warren.

https://www.yahoo.com/tv/25-reasons-good-wife-had-223854699/photo-5-they-weren-t-afraid-to-1462401610717.html

[tipsoctopus]

"Would prefer Gary Doherty" - Lots of Spurs fans discuss £27m-rated ace who "turns like a bus"

After playing as a centre-back for the first time under Jose Mourinho on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier has reiterated his desire to commit to the role long-term, which has left plenty of Spurs fans in a discussion.

The north Londoners succumbed to a third straight defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers who came out on top in the five-goal thriller on Sunday afternoon.

Dier started the match in defence alongside Davinson Sanchez and the young Japhet Tanganga but the trio were powerless in stopping Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez running riot while wing-back Matt Doherty even got on the scoresheet.

Following the match, the Englishman said: “That’s the position I see myself playing. That’s where I see my future. I was happy to be able to play today, obviously very nice of the manager speaking that way about me. I have always been very politically correct on the subject because of many different reasons.”

Here’s what fans have been saying…

For which Championship club?

— COYS 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇮🇱🇵🇹 (@COYS_Shelfside) March 2, 2020

Slow and can't pass, no.

— Kanser🇮🇹 (@kanspurs) March 2, 2020

Not fast enough or mobile enough you might aswell play verts if your playing him at centre back.

— Gary Cooney. (@cooneygary) March 2, 2020

He is too slow to be an effective central defender, was at fault for two goals Sunday in my opinion

— devsharan dhillon (@spursman_foreve) March 2, 2020

Mid-table player at best

— Dylan (@dillzcoys) March 3, 2020

Maybe in Stoke or Burnley.

— ⚪ (@SondayDelight) March 2, 2020

Play centre back for someone else please Eric.

— Greg (@gregnut1) March 2, 2020

Cause the legs have gone!! Ship him out

— Shelf ish (@CoulsdonTHFC) March 2, 2020

He’ll be better off in a slower paced league like Serie A. Not up to the pace of the premier league anymore

— Terry david (@Terryda98843481) March 2, 2020

For Barnet perhaps

— SWSPURS (@swspurs) March 2, 2020

Turns like a bus . One for the sale list . No time for sentiment

— Sy (@SyClarke16) March 2, 2020

There were plenty against the idea with many hoping that he would be playing centre-back for another team come next season – suggestions ranged from the Serie A where he would be better off because of it’s slower pace to non-league side Barnet.

One supporter believed his legs had gone while another blasted him for being a “mid-table” player at best.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

His speed and mobility were criticised frequently with him being blamed for a couple of the goals on Sunday.

Despite all of the negatives, a few members of the Spurs faithful were behind Dier, who is now rated at £27m by Transfermarkt.

Always said top centre back

— danny gardner (@danny0x0) March 2, 2020

This isn’t a surprise even from his good season in holding mid everyone always said he will end up being a centre half. Give him game time and will come good

— Adam (@adamhotspurs) March 2, 2020

Been saying it for years. Thought he did well yesterday all considering there was zero midfield protection

— DC (@Yidneys) March 2, 2020

Have more respect. This is the guy that single handedly beat up the whole Chelsea team a few years ago and showed that Spurs had fight and backbone.

— Neil Dhot (@neil_dhot) March 2, 2020

Shame so many people are slating him. If you watched the game, he was actually one of our few decent player’s.

— Adam Gold (@Adamhomer) March 2, 2020

One fan demanded that the 26-year-old earned more respect, especially as he was the man to tear up Chelsea a couple of seasons ago while others believed he did a fine job in a back three against Wolves even without help from his midfield teammates.

Dier was even labelled as a “top centre-back.”

There were also comparisons made to players past and present, even if they were tongue in cheek and a tad sarcastic.

Hopefully just not for us… would prefer Gary Doherty

— Edward Desbois (@edesbois) March 2, 2020

Dier > Van dijk. Sorry I really don’t make the rules.

— 😈 / Dier Propaganda (@sacramentoszn) March 2, 2020

Dier > Maldini #THFC #COYS

— Pops20 (@Pops2016739539) March 2, 2020

A further member of the Spurs fanbase claimed Dier was better than Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk while another said he was greater than Paolo Maldini – a little far-fetched, you’d imagine.

While one supporter didn’t want to see him play as a centre-back for Tottenham, stating that he would prefer former defender Gary Doherty.

From Jay-Z to Tom Hanks: Do you know which clubs these famous celebrities support?

And in other news, talkSPORT pundit slams key figures for Spurs “mess”…

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[briangroth27]

Halloween (2018) Review

This was great! They accomplished an awesome, iconic fall/Halloween feel to Haddonfield in the look and tone of the movie and I couldn’t ask for more on that front. This was scary, just the right amount of funny, very well-acted, and overall an absolute blast. This was the first Halloween that I saw in theatres and it did not disappoint! I can’t wait to watch this again when it comes out on blu-ray this week!

Full Spoilers…

A while back I read a comment online stating that Halloween had accidentally become the Choose Your Own Adventure of horror franchises, and that’s very true and pretty cool. Don’t like where one storyline has taken you? Go back and pick a new thread (there are five so far: Halloween 1978, 2, & 4-6, Halloween 78, 2, H20 & Resurrection, Halloween 3, Rob Zombie’s Halloween 1-2, and now Halloween 78 & Halloween 2018. Before seeing this, my preferred continuity was Halloween 78, Halloween 2, & H20—those three make for a really solid Laurie arc—but I think Halloween 78 & 18 has become my favorite. We lost nothing by making Michael (James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle) and Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) unrelated with the exclusion of Halloween 2 from the new canon IMO. It’s more mythical if he's only fixated on her because she happened to come by his house one day, as if dropping off the keys to the Myers house was her being sent into a dragon’s lair. Laurie happening to invade his territory, thereby incurring his wrath, is more in line with the neighborhood kids’ tales about the house being haunted and Michael being the boogeyman too.  Also, "he needs to kill the women in his family" is a motive begging for explanation, and I’d rather not know why he does what he does. Michael just being evil without any rhyme or reason is much better and scarier.

This installment takes the best parts of H2 (Michael stalking the streets on Halloween in classic fashion) and combines them with Laurie becoming a fighter like in H20, which were exactly the elements I wanted out of this. Jamie Lee Curtis was fantastic! I do wish we'd gotten more about Laurie herself rather than just how her choices affected her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak)—H20 may’ve been slightly better about getting her to open up on that front—but I was satisfied with what we saw. I was sad Laurie’s life was so consumed by her fear of Michael (the moment where she has a nightmare of the Shape returning was a perfect encapsulation of that), but after watching H20 again it’s apparent she was never going to have a rosy life after what she went through in the original. Still, I'm glad this one showed her at least trying to have happiness and you could tell she did find some with Allyson whenever she could get into her life. I also feel like if you were to watch H20 you’d get a glimpse at how Laurie raised Karen before losing custody. It was also so cool to see Laurie truly ready for Michael’s return! I loved how Laurie's plans and preparation come together and watching the Strode women fend off Michael as a family was perfect.

I liked Karen, even though she was so against Laurie (and therefore automatically wrong, given the genre and franchise). It was nice to see Judy Greer get more to do than just be the mom, and her big moment at the end of the movie did not disappoint at all. What a cool way to prove that she was still her mother’s daughter! Her husband Ray (Toby Huss) was also very entertaining and very ‘dad.’ Both of them played off of Curtis and Matichak really well.

Allyson was very likable as well and a great lead for the younger cast. I liked that she was capable and level-headed, though I think it might have been better if the podcast investigation into Michael had been her project: an attempt to bring Michael out of the shadows to explain him, thus freeing Laurie from her fear of unknowable evil while simultaneously getting to know her grandmother’s most guarded side better. That would've continued the theme of the Strode women protecting each other nicely, and would’ve made sense with the much warmer relationship Allyson and Laurie had vs. Karen and Laurie’s more standoffish one.

I liked most of Allyson’s friends and they all felt like real teens. Vicky (Virginia Gardner) working as a babysitter was a nice tie back to the first movie and she was truly likable despite only being in a few scenes; I was sorry to see her go. Dave (Miles Robbins) brought an entirely different vibe to his character than anyone else and it worked really well. Oscar (Drew Scheid), was the classic "nice guy" (with all associated negatives attached) and got some funny lines. I’m glad they had Allyson ditch him when it became clear he wasn’t just being her friend. Cameron (Dylan Arnold) turning out to be a jerk like the rest of his family really surprised me and I wondered why they needed that at first. I think it's supposed to create the idea that you are your family, paralleling Allyson being a fighter in the end, just like Karen and Jamie. On that level, the seemingly dropped plotline of Allyson’s love life works really well. No review of the young cast would be complete without mentioning Julian (Jibrail Nantambu), who was absolutely hilarious and played off of Vicky perfectly. My whole theater was cracking up at him!

The podcast journalists (Jefferson Hall, Rhian Rees) were likeable in their short roles (mainly serving to get us up to speed on Michael), but the movie might’ve been tighter without them. It’s not hurt for their presence at all, but like I said above maybe their podcast would’ve been a stronger element as Allyson’s project. I did like that their goal of understanding Michael was scoffed at by almost everyone. I’m with Laurie: there isn’t anything deeper to understand about him (that’s what’s so scary!). Will Patton was good as Haddonfield’s Sheriff and I liked how they wove him into the events of the first movie. His attempt to just kill Michael and not arrest him here made all the sense in the world. Dr. Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), the "new Loomis," didn't seem necessary at first, but he didn't hurt the movie for me. I liked him as an example of how warped you could get by staring into the eyes of evil for too long and trying to understand it rather than eliminate it. I didn’t expect him to be so crazy at all, but the twist that he wanted to help Michael worked for me. There’s a classic horror vibe to Sartain: the Lovecraftian idea that if you stare true unknowable evil in the face you’ll lose your mind (or you’ll die, like the podcasters), and I liked that he added to Michael’s Boogeyman mythos in that way.

Michael himself was an extremely intimidating force, even stripped of (most) of his supernatural trappings (he still appears stronger than a normal human). I liked that the movie brought up how unimpressive Michael's kill count was now that none of the sequels are in continuity. Letting us see that most people didn’t think much of him as a boogeyman anymore was a great way not only to make it so people would underestimate him, but so that Laurie’s fears would seem even more unfounded. Still, they definitely made up for the loss of all his victims here and having only killed a few people in the first one didn't make him any less scary! I always like Michael's moments of creatively arranging the bodies (someone online referred to it as Michael’s ‘crafting’ and I love that). I do wish there’d been more of that, but what we got was good: the jack o’ lantern was really clever and the ghost was a nice call back to the original. When this was first announced, I wanted them to really dive into the Samhain connection, but now I much prefer not knowing anything about Michael or why he does what he does.

The movie does have a lot of elements of the first, fourth, and seventh movies, but it never felt like a retread and always felt fresh. Shout-outs to the rest of the franchise felt like bonuses, not moments that derailed everything to stop and look back. The tone is perfectly tense and scary, and the genuinely funny moments are great tension breakers rather than tension-shattering missteps. The updated score was great: it was different enough to feel modern and new, but similar enough to feel like coming home.

I think the biggest drawback here is the lack of a definite ending. Don’t get me wrong, I was absolutely satisfied with this movie, but I wish we’d gotten confirmation that Michael had indeed been killed instead of another missing body and hearing his breathing over the credits. I don’t really have any interest in Michael continuing from this point and I wanted to see Laurie win for real. I hope they don't make a sequel with Myers; more Laurie aside, the one thing I really wanted was to see their battle and get true closure to his character. I wish they’d the courage to really end him in this film instead of leaving the door open for a sequel, box office be damned. If the next movie just features Myers returning again (and likely killing Laurie again), that’s about the least exciting thing I can think of for these films. However, if they want to pull the trigger on making someone related to Laurie evil like Michael—which they almost did in 4/5 but backed out—I'd be interested. After all, Allyson still gripping the knife at the end was certainly foreboding (and would’ve been even moreso if she’d been the one trying to understand Michael through the podcast, just like Sartain lost his mind doing the same). If there’s a virulent element to Michael’s purest evil, I’d be down for it. As much as I loved the Strode women taking on Michael, it would be awesome if the next Halloween was about Laurie fighting for Allyson’s soul as she started to go down an evil path.

Watching this, I couldn’t help but imagine what Blumhouse could do to revitalize another classic slasher franchise. I’d love to see them reunite Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp for a new Nightmare on Elm Street, following the original series of films. Nancy did die, but what if she became a Dream being too and returned to look out for the next generation? She is a fighter who’s “into survival” after all, and she was able to drag so many things in and out of dreams in the first movie that it’s a fairly short path to letting her achieve the same semi-immortal status Freddy has. I feel like an arc of her leaving Heaven (or however they want to characterize the afterlife) to fight her way into the dream realm to defend Elm Street’s current kids and finally face off against Freddy on equal footing would be a fantastic hook and just as satisfying as Laurie and Michael’s face-off. It would be sad to lose Dream Warriors, but what if the gotcha! ending of the first film was Nancy and Co. being trapped in the Dream Realm, but she fought her way out? That’d be an easy way to rewrite anything you wanted in the sequels.

Anyway, Halloween is an exceptional slasher and easily the second-best entry into the franchise; I’d say it might even rival the first film given how active and awesome it lets Laurie be. Even though I didn’t get everything I wanted out of the Michael/Laurie face-off and I think the podcast subplot could’ve been more tightly bonded to the Strodes, I loved this movie and I’m excited to see it again. If you’re a Halloween fan you’ll love this and even if you aren’t familiar with this particular franchise, you should definitely check this out!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!  

[storiesforallfandoms]

Masterlist!

Here’s the masterlist of all my imagines and preferences! Imagines marked as * are smutty imagines! Imagines marked as ` are requests!

IMAGINES

CRIMINAL MINDS the runner ~ aaron hotchner` punishment ~ aaron hotchner`

LUCIFER make you a believer ~ ella lopez silence ~ lucifer morningstar

HEMLOCK GROVE get away ~ roman godfrey (part one) midnight drive ~ roman godfrey (part two)

AMERICAN HORROR STORY freak ~ xavier plympton (part one) protecting you ~ xavier plympton (part two)` a surprise by the lake ~ xavier Plympton` taken care of ~ michael langdon don’t worry ~ michael langdon` loopholes ~ michael langdon*` change in plans ~ michael langdon` revenge ~ montana duke

RIVERDALE grief ~ archie andrews the new queen ~ fp jones (part one) seducing the queen ~ fp jones (part two) the list ~ jason blossom something more than just points ~ jason blossom’ no one will hurt you` ~ sweet pea

THE BODYGUARD new assignment ~ david budd (part one) nightmares ~ david budd (part two) the photoshoot ~ david budd (part three) take away and beer ~ david budd (part four) art ~ david budd (part five) threats ~ david budd (part six) getting her things ~ david budd (part seven)

PEAKY BLINDERS not part of the deal ~ thomas shelby private ceremony ~ thomas shelby superstar ~ thomas shelby` too good ~ thomas shelby` can’t lose you ~ thomas shelby crossfire ~ john shelby an accidental addition ~ thomas shelby family ~ shelby family the enemy’s sister ~ thomas shelby (part one)` a dangerous love affair ~ alfie solomons a woman leader ~ john shelby disapprove ~ thomas shelby (part two) no one’s whore ~ thomas shelby* daddy’s girl ~ thomas shelby take a break ~ thomas shelby

THE WITCHER dance partner ~ geralt of rivia (part one) company ~ geralt of rivia (part two)* stay the night ~ geralt of rivia*` some sort of miracle ~ geralt of rivia same problem ~ yennefer of vengerberg my lady ~ geralt of rivia*` imperfections ~ geralt of rivia`

DOCTOR WHO always loved you ~ thirteen

GAME OF THRONES betrothed ~ robb stark (part one) riding alone ~ robb stark (part two)

Z NATION facing it alone ~ 10k’ let me go ~ 10k what are we gonna do? ~ 10k

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY love and drugs ~ klaus hargreeves the horror~ ben hargreeves’ no one helps but you ~ klaus hargreeves` and they were roommates ~ klaus hargreeves` lock the door ~ ben hargreeves*`

VICTORIOUS a little too good at acting ~ beck oliver faint ~ beck oliver`

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES living dead ~ damon salvatore eternity ~ damon salvatore*`

HANNIBAL are you going to hurt me? ~ hannibal lecter his type ~ hannibal lecter

BARRY what they do in the movies ~ barry berkman

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY i have no one ~ freddie mercury

K-12 don’t send me home ~ leo` jealousy ~ angelita`

BREAKING BAD/EL CAMINO hideaway ~ jesse pinkman* project partner ~ jesse pinkman

DCEU the new intern ~ clark kent rescue mission ~ harley quinn man’s world ~ harley quinn

SCREAM scary movies ~ billy loomis talk me down ~ stu macher`

HARRY POTTER tutor ~ draco malfoy stood up ~ draco malfoy

MCU see you again ~ loki my hero ~ mysterio delivery boy ~ peter parker locked up ~ clint barton`

KINGSMAN not a damn damsel ~ eggsy

A QUIET PLACE keep quiet ~ emmett no time for love ~ emmett’

MIDSOMMAR get out of here ~ mark` may queen ~ mark` little sister ~ mark*` secret thrills ~ mark*` don’t go ~ mark’ sacred ~ mark’ seven minutes in heaven ~ mark*` friendship necklace ~ mark` it meant nothing ~ mark` awful ~ dani ardor` something’s wrong ~ mark` whoops ~ mark` enemies to lovers ~ mark`

1917 not the same ~ will schofield

DIVERGENT recruit ~ eric coulter’ rookie ~ eric coulter (part two) don’t belong ~ eric coulter`

8 MILE embarrassed ~ jimmy smith jr.

TWILIGHT soulmates ~ paul lahote`

THE DIRT glorified groupie ~ tommy lee maybe i should ~ tommy lee` be like daddy ~ nikki sixx` normal family christmas ~ nikki sixx`

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID done pretending ~ rodrick heffley the girl next door ~ rodrick heffley`

IT: CHAPTER TWO picking up the kids ~ richie tozier

LES MIS for the revolution ~ enjolras

CHRIS EVANS set ups

BEN HARDY doing him proud

MACHINE GUN KELLY not so bad (part one) remember me` secret meeting (part two) surprise` awkward family dinner (part three) staying the night (part four) out on the town (part five) a very special meeting (part six) feeling used` christmas in cleveland (part seven) lady killer*` we’ll be okay (part eight) the one` getting caught* sweet revenge` get off my girl` can’t do it anymore seeing it all` hear your voice*` do you love me?` one and only (part nine) photographs` why are you here?` happiest i've been` trying` i believe` welcome home*` killshot (part ten) i think i’m okay` it’s not over (part eleven) mistake` drunk fun (w/yungblud)*` reunited (part two of photograph)` bad girl*` fixed` meeting the family (part twelve) good enough` the question (part thirteen) kissing lessons` the wedding (part fourteen) too rough*` teach me` sneaking you out` red carpet` on beat` what if i can’t` role reversal*` massage*` secrets` celebrating*` almost caught` back off*` first time*` trying something new*` missing` not yours` hurting mommy` sweet disaster` loved you first` running lines’

DANIEL WEBBER nothing happened` misunderstanding` advice` loving father` beach day`

TARON EGERTON take me to the pilot*

RICHARD MADDEN lost`

YUNGBLUD not a rebound (part one) a great team` no hope (au)` cuffed, literally (part two)` sick baby` coming home` kisses` drunk fun*` (w/machine gun kelly) lessons` struggling` father to be` coachella` the song’ front row` love you as you are’ cliche`

HARRY STYLES saved (au part one) always a winner` exploring eroda (au part two) picnic (au part three) awkward

KENDALL SCHMIT just us`

CODY FERN distance`

ANDREW SIWICKI secret first date a regular guy` beautiful to me wear my hoodie`

DAVID DOBRIK only yours science experiment bon appetit`

DYLAN GARDNER surprise date`

JEFF WITTEK busy my oh my! passing the time* in trouble a fun game six feet apart you won’t be able to`

EMINEM surprise performance age gap’ private` chains`

ROOK pretty picture` love on tour` protective` toxic love` why are you like this?’ keep it down*` taking care` sick` you’re cute when you’re jealous`*

CILLIAN MURPHY proud`

GEORGE MACKAY medic (au)’

ARIANA GRANDE done with boys

SCOTTY SIRE stuck together

SEBASTIAN STAN the boss’ girl (au)

G-EAZY unimaginable pain` bad reputation` hate*` i do`

CORPSE proposition (part one) caught feelings (part two) actually excited

ZAC EFRON fatherhood`

HENRY CAVILL you deserve better`

AARON TVEIT i thought it’d be happy` a baby next christmas

PREFERENCES

tiktok trends that they participate in with you ~ the vlog squad who walks in on the two of you ~ the umbrella academy

[ambitionsource]

AMBITION Season 2 ♫ “We’ll Be the Stars” [ 2.11 ]

CREATED BY Esther (rapunzles) & Maggie (quincywillows) || S2 Tag || Official Page

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER – Tensions are set aside in honor of a promenade, and some students opt for a change of pace. A clever ruse forces Eric and Jack to team up. Unfortunate circumstances make for odd couples, but stars always know where they’re supposed to go in the end.

66 Minutes (18K words) || No content warnings apply.

[ ← Rarely Pure and Never Simple ] [ S2 Synopsis ] [ Final Run → ]

( Follow along with the music on Spotify here! )

INT. AAA - DAY

A series of shots guide us into the episode, displaying the school in the midst of preparing for promenade. Banners are hung, student council members work the ticket booth. The halls are decorated according to the theme, “We’ll Be the Stars,” small stars seemingly glittering on every visible surface. A promposal wraps up in the hall outside the auditorium, senior students applauding and cheering as the girl says yes and the other girl wraps her in a tight hug.

Yes, it’s prom time at Adams Academy for the Arts. Let the insanity commence!

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

FARKLE MINKUS opens his locker. We’re looking at him from the inside, giving us a look at it as he rearranges some things. Its decor has been updated after a long detour of being trapped in sophomore year -- there are fewer photos, but they are newer and more representative of the way things actually are now. A couple photos of him and Maya are the focal point, but there’s a few scattered notable mentions. A photograph of the full Junior A Class; a picture of his whole family; a rare capture of him and Isadora.

From outside the confines of the locker, we hear RILEY MATTHEWS speak.

Riley: And you’re sure you can handle it? I’m sure if you wanted, we could work out something else --

Perspective shifts back to its usual framing, showing the two of them hanging by his locker. Farkle stems her worrying from the start, holding up a hand.

Farkle: I’m going to stop you right there, Riley. Do you know what you’re doing to me right now?

Riley: … demonstrating concern as a good friend?

Farkle: You’re neuro-splaining me. [ off Riley’s expression ] I get it, you’re concerned about my health. Mentally, above all else.

Riley makes a face, obviously not sold on the concept of “neuro-splaining.” As if she hasn’t had her own mental health experiences… but she figures it’s not worth the argument.

Farkle: But trust me, as much as I appreciate it, I will be fine. [ a beat ] I don’t want to miss out on anything else essential to my junior year experience, and prom is one of those things. Not to mention, I certainly won’t be able to graciously receive my prom king crown if I’m not there to accept it.

It’s clear he’s joking, although with his dry delivery… either way, he’s made up his mind. Farkle will be in attendance at the upcoming event, come hell or high water.

Farkle: Besides, it’s bold of you to assume I could avoid it anyway.

Riley: How come?

Farkle: Prom isn’t just an event around here. [ pointedly ] It’s a contagion.

As he closes his locker --

INT. AAA - CLASSROOM - DAY

For how alight with excitement the halls seem to be, classes are still in session and there’s still work to be done. The energy is tamped down in Cory’s classroom, where everyone is completing silent reading for the last few minutes of class.

Still, Farkle was right, and the junior class has been bitten by the prom bug. Everyone is jittery as they sit at their desks, unable to keep still. Under the desk, ZAY BABINEAUX taps his foot to an unheard rhythm. MAYA HART flips her pencil in her fingers, adding to the rhythm against her desk.

CHARLIE GARDNER glances up at the clock, impatiently watching the seconds go by. Tick, tick, tick… as the percussions slowly evolve into an actual beat...

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “You Should Be Dancing” as performed by Glee Cast || Performed by AAA Juniors

The bell rings about 7 seconds in, releasing the class from their academic torture. CORY MATTHEWS cringes as the energy in the room skyrockets, papers flying as the energetic juniors are free to succumb back into the groove.

Zay kicks off the vocals, the number staying in the classroom for the first verse as he volleys lyrics back and forth with Maya. As they escape into the halls…

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Charlie takes over, leading the charge into the rest of the school. The three of them are the front of the pack, but they pick up other junior students as they go. The whole atmosphere of the halls has changed, feeling groovier in the midst of the twinkling stars and amped up music.

Around a minute and a half in, they pass by Riley and Farkle and pull them into the dance. The movements become less chaotic and more choreographed at that point, truly a spectacle only AAA could pull off.

As they pass by the techies hanging out on the stairs outside the auditorium, it seems even they aren’t immune to the allure of prom fever. They jump up and join in the parade, JEFF MONROE in particular worth spotlighting due to his breakdancing ability.

And away they go again…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

By the time they make it into the auditorium and onto the stage, the vibe of their collective imagination has completely succumbed to fantasy. The stage is basically a disco floor as they dance their way up there, the only thing still remaining commonplace their outfits.

And by this point, they’ve paired off. Farkle and Zay stay front and center -- a fun little duo to witness tolerating each other again, if nothing else -- with Maya and ISADORA DE LA CRUZ to their left and Charlie and YINDRA AMINO to their right. In the back, ASHER GARCIA and DYLAN ORLANDO are grooving together, while Riley Matthews gets LUCAS JAMES FRIAR to at least do something.

As they finish out the jam, Farkle and Zay theatrically toss their heads back and raise a hand to the sky. Declarative, with a flourish, what a dynamite finish. One thing is essentially guaranteed on this prom week, that’s for sure.

There will be no shortage of drama.

Cue title sequence.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Zay is at his locker, swapping out his dance duffle for his classwork. When Maya practically jumps him and surprises him at his locker, he’s not fazed -- he might be the only student at AAA who she doesn’t strike instant fear into in one capacity or another.

Zay: What do you want, mini Britney?

Maya touches her hand to her chest, faux flattered.

Maya: You’re so sweet. I was just thinking that you and I have a real opportunity on our hands this week.

Zay: Must everything be about an “opportunity?”

Maya: Ugh, would you stop being such a damp toilette? Your mood has been totally subbasement the last couple of weeks and it’s really harshing the vibes.

Well, Maya, he did just break up with his boyfriend. But people not knowing about them was kind of sort of the whole problem, so he says nothing as he allows Maya the floor again.

Maya: Chin up, Zayby. It’s promenade. And you and I are going to come out of it as royalty.

Maya makes her grand pitch: they should go to prom together. Not out of any romantic interest -- although, as she admits, Zay is by far the most eligible male in the walls of AAA -- but because the two of them would be a shoo-in for junior prom king and queen if they team up.

And like everything else at Adams, there is an opportunity attached. Every year, the duos crowned as prom king and queen in both grades get to perform at graduation. It’s a time honored tradition, one that Maya believes they should not pass up.

Zay: I don’t really see what the big deal is.

Maya: Oh, Zay. Isaiah! Wake up! Snap out of whatever quarter-life crisis funk you’ve succumbed yourself into and smell the potential right in front of you! [ matter-of-factly ] You know that there are always college representatives at Triple A graduation. Of course, it’s to honor the students they’ll be bringing into their ranks, and to hopefully snag some quality time with a celebrity family member or two -- I mean, think how many people are going to be swarming our graduation next year when Valerie comes to support Isadora --

Zay, flatly: Yeah, I’m sure she’s so excited about that.

Maya: But it’s also to scout the next crop of graduates. That’s us. It’s almost cosmic that every junior prom king and queen end up going to amazing schools for the arts -- there was even that junior prom queen in ‘96 who got a straight up recording contract.

Zay: How the hell do you know this stuff?

Maya: Because I do my research, Zay. And I know you do, too. Which is why once you’ve shaken off the ennui and have your head back on straight -- or, bi, whatever -- you’ll realize we have prime real estate in front of us. And it’s ours to take… if we step up to the plate. [ backing away ] You know where to find me.

Well, that’s certainly a proposition. Maya floats away as Zay contemplates it, slinging his bag over his shoulder. It’s a good point, he can’t argue with that, and yet…

He glances to the photo of him and Charlie, still taped up in his locker innocuously amongst the rest. In some ways, it seems, it’s just hard to let go of the way you hoped things would be.

Zay closes his locker, heading on his way to rehearsal.

Dylan, pre-lap: We’ll boycott.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Dylan and Asher are following Lucas into the booth, obviously in a heated discussion. Dylan continues to make bold declarations.

Dylan: We’ll stage a full-on protest. You know, when I was in middle school, I was renowned for my poster-making skills in environmental club. They usually lasted like, nine days longer than usual before people tore them down. And Cory is always saying how loud and annoying I am -- that has to be helpful for a protest, yeah?

Asher: He said that to you?

Lucas: Guys --

Dylan: Or even better --

Asher: I swear, I’m going to report him. Like, sorry Riley --

Dylan: Let’s stage a riot. That’ll really show ‘em! They think they can bar Lucas James Friar from prom? Not when we’re there to literally blow the roof off this place. I bet we can get Isadora to sing “Bad Reputation” -- I think we’d need music to be taken seriously here, so --

Lucas: Hey. Hello. Earth to Asher and Dylan. [ clapping ] Let’s cool it, alright?

Lucas waves off their concerns about his ban from prom. He doesn’t want them wasting energy on him when it hardly matters. All things considered, being barred from stuff like this for the rest of the year seems like the best he could’ve asked for given all the bullshit he’s done this year. He slouches into his rolling chair, shrugging.

Lucas: I mean, it’s not like I was really psyched to go anyway. I think I’m more lucky I didn’t get expelled.

Dylan, under his breath: Would’ve boycotted that too.

Lucas: You guys have been looking forward to this for the last three years. It would be stupid for you to blow it just for me. Especially when we consider everything else you’ve already sacrificed for me. Like your sanity. And your clean legal record.

Dylan: I wasn’t mad.

Lucas, bluntly: You should have been. Asher was, but then, he’s always been the smartest out of the three of us.

A beat of quiet as that truth lingers between them. Lucas reiterates the point -- that he doesn’t want them to give up something they care about just because of him. They do enough of that already. Asher and Dylan exchange a look.

Dylan, softer: … well, we love you, man.

Lucas: I know. [ looking at them, then slowly ] And I love you guys, too.

Well, there’s a breakthrough! Dylan beams, looking to Asher in excitement. Asher is smiling too, although a bit more bashful. Lucas elects to move past the vulnerability quickly -- he can give it, but only so much at a time.

Lucas: Which is why I’m not letting you do this. You’re going to prom, and you’ll have a great time without me. Besides, someone has to give whatever posh performers are gunning for prom court a run for their money.

True enough. In fact...

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

That’s exactly what the rest of the techies are discussing as they start doing end of year inventory. It’s a long process, so they have to start early. Rather, they’re complaining as Jeff and DAVE WILLIAMS pick their way through the furniture and wood supplies under the prop loft. NATE MARTINEZ is supposed to be taking notes, but he’s not doing a great job.

JADE BEAMON is seated on a stack of wood pieces, nodding along as she feverishly works on the finishing touches to a wardrobe piece. It doesn’t look like a costume for any sort of production, however…

Nate: It’s rigged, anyway. Every year the most popular performers win so it’s not like the institution means anything.

Jeff: Does prom court mean anything… anywhere? Ever?

Dave: My parents were prom queen and king when they were seniors. They got a free dinner at Waffle House.

Jade: [ tearing a thread with her teeth ] Sounds like a better prize than performing at graduation.

Inspired by their complaints, Nate lights up with an idea. He claims that they should start a new tradition to go with their holiday party, and should throw a techie pre-prom bash. That way they can celebrate their year together and have real fun before they have to go deal with the performers all night.

Jade: You know, I think that’s the first idea of yours I’ve liked in months.

Nate bows, then enthusiastically gives Dave a high-five.

Their tomfoolery is interrupted by Isadora entering, all of them growing uncertainly quiet. She hesitates but then marches onward anyway, greeting them with the best attitude she can muster. She just came by to drop off some paperwork for them -- she already went ahead and inventoried the wood and set building supplies. This is good, because Nate definitely wasn’t doing it.

Jeff accepts her record, looking it over.

Dave: When did you do that?

Isadora: Oh, I just skipped Matthews’ class. [ offhandedly ] I could ace that class with my eyes closed, so. And probably brain damage.

It’s a nice gesture, and they’re not going to refuse it. Jeff awkwardly thanks her, silence settling over them once again. Isadora clears her throat, clasping her hands together. She expresses that she knows she messed up with them, and she is going to put in the effort to get back in their good graces.

She spins and escorts herself out without waiting for a response, leaving the four of them to contemplate her promise. Interesting development…

Dave: So… we don’t have to count the wood?

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

Charlie is having lunch with HALEY FISHER and CLARISSA CRUZ, although he doesn’t seem nearly as enthused about prom as they are. On the other side of the cafeteria, applause erupts again as another promposal between seniors gains public attention. So happy, so romantic!

Clarissa: I swear, nowhere in this school is safe right now.

Haley nudges Clarissa, claiming that she should be less cynical. It takes a lot of bravery to ask someone to prom in front of everyone else.

Clarissa: Yes, well, then they could just have a conversation about it. Or make a big deal about it, but like, between the two of you.

Haley: I think it’s romantic.

Clarissa: You think everything is romantic. You’re the most hopeless romantic I’ve ever met.

Haley: Charlie is too -- you agree with me, don’t you, Charlie?

In all honesty, Charlie was not listening. He blinks himself out of his daze, blankly agreeing with whatever Haley said. Clarissa rolls her eyes.

Haley goes to explain how much courage it takes to do such a public proposal. It demonstrates what you’re willing to go through for the other person, how much you like them. Charlie admits that it’s not exactly an act of bravery to ask someone who you know will say yes -- especially when there’s no stakes involved for either of you.

Haley: Well, there’s always stakes. You know, even if you think you know someone, they could always say no. And there’s a lot at stake with a rejection… you know, especially if it’s… [ looking at Charlie intently ] between good friends…

Whatever hint Haley is trying to lay down, it’s going right over Charlie’s head. He shrugs, claiming he might not even go to prom. He’s just... not feeling it this year. Haley is mortified, Clarissa looking between the two of them apprehensively. This seems like a recipe for disaster.

Meanwhile, the techies are enjoying lunch at their usual indoor table when NIGEL CHEY approaches. He greets them before turning his focus to Jade.

Nigel: … hey, Jade.

Jade, shy: … um, hi.

Nigel: I, uh… I just had a quick question. I was wondering if, uh --

All of the techie eyes are on him, making this whole situation a lot more intense. Dylan is watching with wide eyes, wondering if what he thinks is going to happen is about to happen. Jade might be holding her breath. Nigel pushes up his sleeves nervously, clearing his throat.

Jade: … yes?

Nigel: I was just… [ quickly ] I had a question about the costume you made for that number last week. It’s actually… it’s nothing, I’ll just ask you about it in class. Sorry, ha ha. Didn’t mean to interrupt.

Jade: … oh. Okay.

Clearly not what he actually intended to ask. Nigel backs off awkwardly, making a quick escape. Jade tries to hide her disappointment. Asher and Dylan exchange a look across the table, shaking their heads. Pathetic!

All of the missed prom-portunities are forgotten, however, as soon as Maya and Zay arrive to kick off their pronouncement of going together. Evidently Zay agreed, because here they go…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Greedy” as performed by Ariana Grande || Performed by Maya Hart & Zay Babineaux

It’s been a while since we’ve endured a good old disruption in the cafeteria during lunch hour, and this time Lucas is less likely to pull the fire alarm than ever. So Maya and Zay take full advantage of it, bringing up the energy with their talent and an undeniable bop.

They make a point of pulling other people into it at their tables, and of course, Maya is going to climb up onto the tables in her heeled boots. It’s not quite the same full-blown jam session as “Looking At Me” from earlier in the season, but people seem to be into it and in the general prom mood. Spirits are high!

Well, mostly. There is one pointed shot of Charlie forcing a smile as everyone else grooves along, likely wishing he could be anywhere else.

It’s not so much a promposal as it is… a spectacle, but boy, do they know how to put on a show… once they wrap, Maya makes the official statement that they’re campaigning for prom royalty, and if people have any taste, they sure know who to vote for come prom night.

Given how naturally glamorous the two of them are, up high on the table top and looking fresh as ever, it’s hard to argue with that!

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Riley is hanging up her dress for prom, a classic and simple lavender floor-length number. She’s fretting over it as she vents to Maya, expressing that she’s still debating the whole upstate move thing Topanga has saddled her with.

Maya: Well, do you want to move?

Riley: I… it’s not that simple.

Maya: It should be. Either you want to go, or you don’t.

Riley: Yes, but… I mean… there’s lots to think about.

Maya: She said it was your choice.

Riley: Yeah, well, my mom says a lot of things she doesn’t mean, so…

Maya: Have you talked to Cory about it? He might have some insight. Or like, Eric?

Riley chews her lip, avoiding the question. Maya straightens up, asking if anybody knows about this potential move other than the two of them. Riley has plenty of excuses ready as to why she hasn’t mentioned it to anyone else, but Maya isn’t interested in hearing them. She claims she at least, at least, needs to tell Cory. He deserves to know, lest another life-changing thing get sprung on him with no warning.

Maya: Believe me, as the girl with no parents because of sudden life-altering moves, you owe him that decency.

Youch. Well, that’s tough to debate. Riley absorbs it, focusing back on her dress and smoothing it out nervously.

INT. GARDNER HOME - ROSIE’S ROOM - NIGHT

ROSIE GARDNER is chilling on her bed with her laptop, listening to pop music and humming to herself. Charlie comes and knocks on her door, pointedly until she takes out her earbuds.

Rosie: Ugh, yes? Can I help you?

Charlie: You’re so nice. How about, hey, Charlie? How was your day?

Rosie: I’m fourteen, I have the right to be obnoxious.

Charlie: I wouldn’t say it’s a right so much as an active choice.

Rosie groans, asking him what he even came in here for in the first place. He asks if she has anything going on this weekend -- perhaps they could go do something together. It’s been a minute since they did some brother-sister bonding.

Rosie: I dunno. I guess we could go see that new Chris Evans movie. I think it’s coming out next weekend, and I’m probably free Saturday --

Charlie: … well, I was thinking more this weekend. Specifically. Like not next weekend. This weekend.

Rosie: I know what this weekend means, weirdo. [ looking up movies ] Why are you so set on that? Isn’t it prom this weekend?

Charlie: … well, you know, it’s not a big deal. I was thinking I probably wouldn’t even go anyway, so.

Rosie, offended: Charlie! Ew, no, you can’t not go to prom. Don’t be lame, you’re embarrassing me.

Charlie, scoffing: This has nothing to do with you! You don’t even know anybody I go to school with.

Rosie: Yes, but by Gardner law, I’m associated. Just go with your friends! It does not have to be that deep.

Okay… fair point. Charlie questions if her blatant disgust means they’re not going to the movies, and she claims next week… after he doesn’t embarrass their family name by going to prom like everyone else. So much for finding a clever way out.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Speaking of clever escapes, JACK HUNTER is still struggling to find a way out of the Bradford debacle. So much to the point that he’s now elected to share the issue with Lucas, sitting opposite him with ERIC MATTHEWS as they get him up to speed.

It’s obviously not the kind of thing you want to hear. Lucas is hiding his head in his hands, cursing to himself before turning back to Jack.

Lucas: How long have you known about this?

Jack: … a couple months --

Lucas: Months?

Eric tries to keep stress levels at a manageable level, taking over for Jack in explaining exactly what the suit entails and what the Bradfords are hoping to gain from it. Essentially, they’re hoping that publicly printing Jack’s “questionable” enrollment processes will force his hand. Either he’ll cave and let her enroll regardless, or public dissent will push him to oust Lucas, making room for her in his vacant spot.

Jack, reassuringly: Which will not happen.

But for it to gain any traction, it needs to smell somewhat of a scandal (even if it isn’t) -- which is why they’ve targeted Lucas as their student to blame. They’ve obviously done their research. And between Lucas’s unique situation for enrollment, his lack of participation in the more showcased elements of the school, and his behavioral record…

Lucas, exasperated: I’m guessing stealing a car didn’t help!

Jack frowns. It’s clear he didn’t want to get Lucas involved if he could help it, and seeing this stressed reaction from him is exactly why. But Eric placates them both, reminding them that the fight isn’t over until it’s over. They will be able to brainstorm a way to fix this -- it’s just going to take a concerted effort.

Eric: We will be able to make this work. But it’s going to take a team effort, and total cooperation. You have to trust us, Lucas, and you have to be willing to cooperate. Can you do that? Can you work with us?

What a question, and posed to the notorious school troublemaker at that. But Lucas doesn’t want to leave AAA -- let alone be forced out. He sighs, tilting his head back and swallowing his pride before nodding.

Lucas: Okay. Yeah. [ serious ] Just tell me what to do.

He looks to Jack, meeting his eyes. Ready to do whatever it takes.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Charlie is at his locker, relaying the rejection by his own sister to Riley. She’s leaned back against the lockers, listening sympathetically as he points out another crappy addition to what has been a crappy last couple of weeks.

Along those lines, Riley questions if Charlie still thinks he might transfer to a different school. He hasn’t heard back from Haverford yet, but is he still seriously considering the notion?

Charlie, diplomatically: Given that Zay and I were able to lay everything out there and at least confront the reality of our situation, I don’t think it’s really a necessary maneuver anymore. I mean, the situation is far from ideal, but that I can deal with. I’ve been living in far from ideal my whole life.

Riley: Sad, but sort of inspiring, I guess.

Charlie: I will admit though… it was kind of nice, going through that whole process. Just going out there, you know, proving that I could do things. That I was capable. [ smiling to himself ] If anything, at least I came away with that.

Riley mirrors his smile. Then they’re back on the subject of prom, Charlie lamenting that he doesn’t see what the point is of going if he can’t be there with the person he would actually want to spend it with.

Riley: Considering my ideal date has literally been banned from all school activities and therefore can go nowhere near it, I think I can say I relate.

Charlie: Tragic.

Charlie mentions what his sister said about not making it that deep and just going with friends, and this seems to strike something in Riley. A smile drifts onto her face.

Charlie: Oh no. I know that look. What are you thinking?

Riley: Just that dear Rosamund might have a point. If we are going to be miserable and repressed all night long, then we should at least be miserable in good company.

Charlie: … I don’t know if I like where this is going…

Riley turns to face him, a mischievous smile on her face. She leans in conspiratorially -- her delivery would be more convincing though if she wasn’t so inherently cute.

Riley: Charlie Gardner! [ in a whisper ] Will you go to prom with me?

Charlie stares at her, expression betraying nothing. She matches his gaze, wiggling her eyebrows. Then he can’t help but crack a smile.

Charlie: Well when you look at me like that, how could I say no…

Riley grins, bouncing on her feet and lightly punching him on the shoulder.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

The first step to putting Lucas in less jeopardy -- actually participating in class. He’s meeting with HARPER BURGESS to discuss how to make his optics better in that regard. Unfortunately, there’s really only one thing he can do…

Harper: If you do even one performance, then at least you’d have something to point to if the case attempts to jump down your throat.

True. Although he looks like he’d rather die, Lucas reluctantly accepts that point. So it’s official -- he’ll be performing a number this week!

Harper: It’s for the best, actually. Everyone else is so consumed with prom fever, they won’t even remember it happened.

Zay: Are you kidding? It’s Lucas James Friar. No one is ever going to forget this.

Lucas: Yeah, um, [ pointing to Zay ] what is he doing here again?

Harper gestures Zay forward to join them. She explains that considering Lucas is literally starting from scratch, he’s going to need help when it comes to choreography. And singing. And well… basically all of it. She figured Zay is one of their best performers and far more willing to lend a hand than, say, Maya. If Lucas wants a chance of pulling off a decent performance, having his help would be his best bet.

Harper: That is, of course, if you’re up for it, Zay.

Zay: Honestly, I would welcome the distraction. It’s been… an interesting few weeks.

So that’s that. We’ve got the team, we’ve got the plan -- time to make shit happen! Even if it kills Lucas in the process. As the backbeat floats in…

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “I Think He Knows” as performed by Taylor Swift || Performed by Dylan Orlando (feat. Asher Garcia)

Two AMBITION firsts in one, as Dylan kicks off his first mostly solo performance by bringing Taylor Swift into the song catalogue. He starts off at his locker, giving us a glimpse into the interior which despite the mess is basically as bursting with love as he is -- full of photos of his friends, his family, and Asher.

Of course, there’s Asher.

And that’s what he’s focused on as he slides into the pre-chorus (“He’s got that boyish look that I like in a man, I am an architect I’m drawing up the plans”). When he sings “It’s like I’m seventeen nobody understands,” he sure means it, because he is seventeen, and nobody does understand. Whew, Taylor really just knows how to write ‘em!

Then he launches into dance, strutting his way down the halls with a definite spring in his step. It’s nowhere near as elaborate as performer choreography would be, but it’s charming and just sharp enough that it’s clear Dylan’s got some real talent.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Dylan takes the number into the auditorium, making his way over to the prop loft where he’s guaranteed to find Asher. There’s a brief sequence he basically serenades Asher from down below, scaling the fence around the set pieces until he convinces him to come down. The whole thing is dynamic and fun and a little bit theatrical, humoring their classmates as they watch from the stage before class.

On the bridge, Asher takes over the vocals, taking Dylan’s hand and leading him through the backstage areas. Dylan follows along happily, waiting until they’ve reached the other side of the stage to pull him back towards him. Asher presses their foreheads together (“Where we gonna go… I whisper in the dark… where we gonna go…”), then drifts away as Dylan belts out the note that throws us back into the chorus.

The final swell of the song takes place center stage, surrounded by classmates and with nothing but good energy. The techies are laughing along, cheering, and even the performers are enjoying the rendition. Dylan and Asher sway together in a circle with the beat, doing a final spin under Dylan’s arm before falling back together and breaking into laughter to take it home. The A class breaks into applause, Asher pulling Dylan down into a quick kiss.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you prom-pose!

In the high energy after the performance, Nigel casts another glance towards Jade across the stage. It seems like he really might do something, and she definitely acknowledged his eye contact… but then nothing.

Isadora also notices the exchange, curiosity piqued. She raises her eyebrows, Sherlock brain turning before Maya pulls her into a conversation about how the twink performance was clearly not better than hers and Zay’s… right? Right?

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Isadora brings up the notion while hanging out with Maya and Riley, the three of them spending an evening together to map out prom logistics. She questions if either of them noticed it too, or whether Nigel has ever even shown interest in their classmates before. Maya claims he’s never dated anyone in their class, and Riley states that maybe he’s just shy.

Maya scoffs, focused on painting her toenails a shiny silver.

Maya: Look, Nigel is lean meat. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s talented, but the boy has no moxy. He has let Farkle walk all over him for three years, when if he just put like, a crumb of effort in he may have already had a lead by this point.

Riley: You know, it could be that he just… doesn’t care that much.

Maya: Well that was his first mistake.

The point is, if Nigel does have interest in Jade -- which Maya doesn’t get, because she forgets who Jade is half the time -- then it’s more than likely he will do absolutely nothing about it.

Isadora: That’s too bad.

Maya: I mean… I guess.

Riley: Maybe they just want to go with their friends. Prom doesn’t have to be inherently romantic, you know. [ off Isadora’s nod ] I mean, I’m going with Charlie, and --

Maya: Wait. [ sitting up ] You and Charlie are going together?

Riley: Yeah. But, like, just as friends.

Maya: Oh… oh. That’s… interesting.

There’s a plot twist. If Riley’s unnerved by Maya’s tone, she has the right to be. It’s an odd moment, and it’s only subdued by Cory calling for the girls from the living room. There’s a surprise here for them!

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - NIGHT

And what a surprise it is. Maya practically screams when she finds KATY HART in the living area, having just arrived with VALERIE DE LA CRUZ. She runs over and launches into her arms, the two of them hugging tightly.

Maya: Oh my God, what are you doing here?

Katy: Val helped me. Paid my way, so that I could be here for prom.

Isadora: No way?

Valerie: Oh, it was nothing. Hardly a penny out of my pocket. I know how much it meant to me to be here for this weekend -- figured the least I could do would be to allow a good friend the same opportunity.

Certainly no arguments here. Maya and Katy hug again, elated. Cory and Riley exchange smiles, Cory pulling her to his side and into a hug.

Valerie pulls Isadora aside, greeting her and stating that she wants to do something special after prom. Like a girls night, deglam and rejuvenate and catch up. Deglam being key, because Valerie knows Isadora is going to look stunning. She can’t wait!

Isadora is totally open to the idea. She nods, matching her enthusiasm.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Jack is at his desk, going through the Bradford paperwork. He’s flagging and highlighting every potential point he might have to refute in an argument, emails open on his desktop of pitches he’s going to send to school board members for support if the complaint breaks.

Eric pokes his head in and knocks on the door pointedly.

Eric: Knock knock.

Jack: Who’s there?

Eric: Stop obsessing.

Jack: Okay, we’re done with the bit --

Eric smiles, leaning against the doorframe. He knows Jack is concerned, but he’s already thought so extensively about this problem. He needs to take a mental break from it, before he burns himself out. Besides, there’s always the chance that it won’t even ever go public.

Yes, a chance… but a chance isn’t a guarantee. Jack claims he just wants to be prepared for the worst, which Eric can’t exactly argue against.

What he can do is change the subject. He states he wanted to double check that they’re both still on for chaperoning the dance on Saturday. Jack confirms, wondering why plans would have changed.

Eric: Well… you know, given your own personal circumstances, I just figured you might not want to --

Jack: Eric, I’m fine. [ with a shrug ] After all, what better distraction is there from the shambles of your personal life than watching out for a bunch of rowdy, dramatic teenagers all night long? Can’t think of anything better.

Eric: At least your humor is still intact.

Jack makes a face, accenting the point.

Zay, pre-lap: Okay, literally, what the hell is the matter with you?

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Zay is attempting to teach Lucas choreography, but it’s clearly far from easy. Not that that’s surprising, but it’s evident that Lucas was not meant to be a dancer. It’s a challenge unlike anything Zay has ever confronted before, regardless of how hard Lucas is trying.

Zay: I don’t -- like, is your brain connected to your limbs? How is this not clicking?

Riley enters, brightening when she finds them both. She asks how everything is going, and the look that both of them give her basically answers her question for them.

Riley: I hope I’m not interrupting.

Zay: No, you know what? It’s good. I need a break. Rome wasn’t built in a God damn free period. [ pointing to Lucas ] Don’t go anywhere with your two left feet, Fry Pan.

Lucas holds out his arms. What do you want from me? As Zay marches off, Riley tries to hold back her smile as she joins Lucas at center stage.

Riley: So seems like it’s going good, then.

Lucas: Oh, haha. [ making a face ] You know -- and this may shock you -- I’m not a dancer.

Riley, gasping: No. You’re kidding?

Lucas: I know, I know. Brand new information.

Riley smiles, asking to take a look at Zay’s choreography sheets. Lucas hands them over, Riley hopping onto the stacked acting blocks and reading them over for herself. He watches her as she reads, only shifting his gaze to his feet when she glances up to look at him.

She says that all things considered, the choreography isn’t so bad. He just has to keep working at it, and the whole thing is pretty low stakes anyway.

Riley: What even made you decide to do a performance? I have to admit, I never thought I would see the day.

Lucas: … well, with everything I did this year, figure it’s the least I can do. Just putting the karmic cycle back in balance.

Riley: You believe in karma?

Lucas: Could be. Either way, mine is shit. Objectively speaking.

Riley gives him a look. She glances back down at the papers and then states she’s sure he’ll be fine, and she for one is looking forward to the show. He rolls his eyes.

Lucas: You know, they have words for people who demonstrate ridiculous belief in unreliable things. It’s called blind faith. Usually it’s reserved for important things though. Gods, governments. Conventional belief systems.

Riley: Well, I’m nothing if not unconventional.

Lucas, quietly: Yeah.

The tension between them is palpable, even with the fair amount of space between them. They hold each other’s gaze, another one of those moments where they can’t seem to look away from one another. If it were possible, they might just stand there and look at each other forever.

Fortunately -- or maybe unfortunately, depending on your perspective -- Zay keeps that from happening. He reenters and tells Lucas to get ready to run it again, totally oblivious to their lingering moment. Riley hops off the acting blocks as Lucas clears his throat, directing his attention back to Zay.

Riley: I’ll get out of your way. Good luck. [ smiling ] Both of you.

Zay waves her off, sending her on her way. Once she’s gone, he turns back to Lucas and lets out a grand sigh.

Lucas: Now you’re just being a bitch.

INT. AAA - COSTUME LOFT - DAY

Jade is in the costume department, ignoring the task of organizing the leftover fabrics from this year and painstakingly attempting to fix the project she’s been working on all week. When someone enters she jumps and tries to hide the garment, straightening up and nervously looking towards the doors.

It’s not who she was expecting. Isadora enters, pushing a costume rack.

Isadora: Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.

Jade: No, it’s okay. I’m just um… it’s fine.

Isadora nods, bringing the rack all the way in. She explains that she got a head start on the inventorying of the costumes, and all the ones on the rack here are finished. She intends to put them back after theatre lab, if that’s alright.

Jade, surprised: Um… sure. Yeah, that would be helpful.

Isadora: Great. [ a beat ] I really am sorry, Jade. It wasn’t intentional, but I know I dropped the ball when it comes to pulling my weight on our team. [ hesitant ] And our friendship.

Well, Jade isn’t going to tell her otherwise. She shrugs lightly, acknowledging the apology but not necessarily accepting it quite yet. It’ll take time, and Isadora gets that. But she’s said her piece, and now all she can do is keep working to make reparations.

As she’s heading out, though, she decides there’s one more thing she wants to say.

Isadora: About Nigel.

Jade: Huh?

Isadora: Nigel. If you want to go to prom with him… then you should just ask him yourself. Don’t wait around for some boy to do the job right when you’re perfectly capable of doing it -- and probably better. He’s chicken, but the way he’s been looking at you… I’m pretty sure he would say yes.

Something to think about, at least. Jade considers it as Isadora exits, leaving her alone with the costumes.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

Riley has joined Charlie, Clarissa, and Haley for lunch. As they chat the notion of Charlie and Riley going to prom together comes back up, Haley visibly taken aback by the reveal. She starts to question how that came to be, obviously struggling to accept it, when their conversation is totally derailed by Maya paying a visit to their table.

Although she’s all bright smiles, the tone is mildly threatening as Maya confronts Riley and Charlie. She also is questioning their union for promenade, wondering if their admittedly perfect cookie-cutter image is intent on also campaigning for prom court. Because it would sure be a shame for them to have to go head to head…

Maya might be built like a pixie, but the threat behind her words resonates loud and clear. Charlie shakes his head, stammering to correct her thinking.

Charlie: Oh, we’re not --

Riley: We weren’t planning to --

Yeah, no. It’s a no. This seems to appease Maya, who relaxes and turns back on the charm. Still, her friendly laughter still feels ominous as she wishes them the best, and reminds them not to forget to vote for her and Zay for prom king and queen come Saturday evening.

Clarissa shakes her head, reiterating her former stance.

Clarissa: Nowhere and nothing is safe.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

Eric is putting on his most encouraging counselor smile, sitting across from Isadora and Farkle. He’s just wrapping up a pitch, stating that considering they’ve become such good friends in the last few months, he thought maybe it would be a good idea for them to go to prom as a duo. Just as friends. Pals, looking out for one another! Good, old, promenade buddies.

Farkle seems entertained by the mere suggestion. Isadora looks unamused.

Isadora: So you want me to babysit him.

Eric: That’s -- that’s not what I said.

Farkle: That’s basically what you said.

Eric tries to save face, but he forgot he’s dealing with the two most intuitive (and judgmental) students in the junior class. They see right through his facade, recognizing this tactic for exactly what it is.

Isadora: Also, what makes you assume I don’t already have a date?

Eric: … well do you?

[ Farkle looks to Isadora, raising his eyebrows. When she huffs, he cracks a smirk. ]

Isadora: No, but that’s not the point.

Eric relents, talking to them straight. Yes, they want Farkle to have company at the dance due to his history over the last few months. Ideally, this would be a small ask, considering they are friends and would likely be hanging out at the event anyway.

Eric: You are friends, yes?

Isadora: Request pending.

Farkle: I think of it more as intellectual sparring partners.

There’s really no good way to respond to that. Eric requests that they consider the option, as it would be a favor to him if nothing else. Give him a little peace of mind.

That’s just the selling point he needed to flex. Isadora glances between them, then sighs, claiming Farkle will pick her up when she decides he will.

Eric is thrilled, and Farkle doesn’t look all that opposed either. This, he claims, is a good thing. They’re thwarting problems before they even arise. No problems for junior prom this year!

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Clarissa runs into Charlie, concerned. She takes his arm.

Clarissa: Problem. Big problem.

When Charlie asks her what the heck is going on, she states that Haley has finally broken down. She’s up in the costume loft and is refusing to talk, and she’s effectively decided she is not going to prom. Whatever crazy plague is running through their class, it’s finally hit her.

Charlie sighs, nodding and telling Clarissa he’ll handle it. He takes off at a jog towards the auditorium.

INT. AAA - COSTUME LOFT - DAY

Haley is sitting amongst the costumes, wiping tears from her cheeks. When Charlie pulls himself into the loft it almost makes it worse, Haley shaking her head and telling him to go away.

Haley: As if this could not get any more humiliating.

Charlie: Hey, don’t worry, I have had… my fair share of breakdowns up here.

He settles down next to her, in the exact spot he was crying just an episode ago. He waits patiently for her to acknowledge him again, asking her why she’s so upset. Clarissa told him she wasn’t going to prom -- what’s that all about?

Haley shrugs, huffing and avoiding eye contact with him. She shakily admits that some part of her always thought… maybe it was stupid, but he really doesn’t get it. They can be friends for years, spend all this time together, and he still has no idea. And she just… she feels like such an idiot. All of this is just so stupid.

Charlie pauses, searching for how to tread cautiously.

Charlie: If we’re being honest with each other… I know.

Haley: You -- you know. You know that I --

Charlie: Yeah. I have for a while.

Haley: Oh God. [ hiding her head in her knees ] That’s even worse.

Charlie: It’s not, Hales. You can’t help who you like. [ a beat ] Although, still being honest… I don’t really think you do.

Haley lifts her head, frowning at him. She asks what he means, and Charlie tries to figure out the best way to articulate what he’s thinking.

Charlie: Believe me, I speak from experience here, but I think it’s… really easy to become in love with the idea of something. Things that seem easy, and perfect, if they could just work out a certain way. So we fall in love with those ideals, rather than the way things actually are.

Haley: So, what? You think I’m just making everything up?

Charlie: No, I believe some of it is real. I believe you love me -- and that makes sense, because I love you, too. We’ve been friends for years, like you said, and I can’t imagine what my time at Triple A would be like without you. I don’t want to.

[ Haley wipes her eyes. ]

Charlie: But I think, realistically, that’s all we’re ever going to be. And I think you know that, too -- it’s just safer to keep things the way they are now. Where you never get what you think you want, but then you never get hurt, either.

Haley: … okay, you’re kind of freaking me out here. Get out of my head.

Charlie, laughing: Like I said, talking from experience.

A quiet moment passes between them. Charlie goes on to state that Haley shouldn’t give up her junior prom, especially not over him. They’ll both be there, and they’ll still get to spend the evening together with Clarissa and Riley and the rest of their friends. It’ll be fun, even if it’s not the fantasy they imagine in their heads.

Charlie: And as for the rest of it… I guess you and I will both just have to see what the future holds. Rather than hiding behind expectations we know we’re never gonna meet.

A tough pill to swallow, but important. Haley exhales and then nods, giving up. Trading out the fantasy, but perhaps for the better. She gives him a smile.

Haley: I do love you, Charlie Gardner. That much is true.

Charlie returns the beam, accepting the hug she gives him.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Jade is standing outside the black box, watching Nigel chat with Yindra and NICK YOGI. Dylan and Asher stand behind her, hyping her up as she gears up to do the impossible.

Asher: Just be yourself. Be straight-forward.

Dylan: Go in there and get what you came for.

Jade: Right. Sure. [ a beat ] What if he says no?

Dylan: Sock him.

Asher glares at him, Dylan shrugging before smiling to himself. Asher takes the more serious approach, bracing Jade’s shoulders from behind.

Asher: If he says no, then it’s his loss. You’re Jade Beamon --

Dylan: Jade motherfucking Beamon!

Asher: And he would be lucky to get even an evening of your time. [ patting her shoulders ] Go get him, queen.

Dylan lightly nudges her forward, Jade taking a deep breath. Then she marches into the classroom, approaching Nigel and tapping him on the shoulder.

When he turns around and meets her eyes, for a second it seems like she’s going to run. But she squares her shoulders, clears her throat, and speaks as confidently as she can.

Jade: Nigel.

Nigel, surprised: Jade?

Jade: We should go to prom together. If you want to. I mean -- you should want to go with me. But only if you do. The point is -- will you go to prom with me? Maybe?

The back and forth between assertive and timid is jarring, but also quite charming. Nigel takes a moment to fully absorb what’s happening, but the smile that blooms across his face is near instantaneous.

Nigel: Yes. Yeah, I’d -- I’d like that a lot.

Jade: Great! I mean, um, great. Good. I’ll text you with details.

Nigel: Okay. Great.

Jade: Great. Okay… great.

Jade spins on her heel and marches back out, Yindra and Yogi exchanging wild looks. But Nigel is fully endeared, obviously not at all opposed to this turn of events.

As Jade escapes back into the hall, Dylan and Asher mob her with congratulatory hugs and pats on the back! She did it! Jade Beamon is going to prom with Nigel Chey, baby!

In tone with the celebratory mood, the bold brass opening floats in…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “I’ve Gotta Be Me” as performed by Glee Cast || Performed by Lucas James Friar (feat. Zay Babineaux)

Another AMBITION first for the bucket list, Lucas gives his first almost solo performance, with a Broadway number, and that isn’t fueled by pure rage. Zay is on stage with him to help with the choreography, but in some ways that’s a nice way to help take the pressure off. It’s sort of like a dress rehearsal rather than an actual performance.

And look… it’s not great. Lucas is not a performer, and he was never pretending to be. But it’s passable, and honestly the vocals aren’t half bad. There are even a couple of rare, fleeting moments where it seems like he might actually be having fun.

The real fun is for the audience though. His classmates are near entranced by the spectacle, having watched Lucas do nothing but grump and roll his eyes for three years straight -- and especially the majority of this year. Farkle is watching with his jaw dropped open, blankly stunned. Riley is hiding her fond grin behind her hands, shaking her head. Isadora is openly laughing, but with him rather than at him. Even Jack and Eric came to watch, thoroughly amused, and maybe a little bit proud.

The techies are cheering along the entire time, and when Lucas gets through that last note and hits those last steps with Zay, they leap to their feet and give him a standing ovation. Given the year he’s had, the uproarious applause sort of feel well-deserved.

He survived, God damn it, he survived!

INT. AAA - COSTUME LOFT - DAY

Jade is leading Asher into the floor level of the costume department by both hands, the latter having been instructed to keep his eyes closed. He’s playing along, but nervously, reminding Jade that he hates surprises and also hates not being able to see.

Asher: You know going blind is one of my anxieties.

Jade: Everything is one of your anxieties. But hold on, we’re almost there.

She gets him right in front of where she’s hung up her latest project, pulling back and instructing him to open his eyes. He does, seeing the surprise and expression growing shocked.

It’s a pair of suit jackets, custom-made for junior prom. They align with the theme in terms of the subtle allusions to stars and shimmering elements factored into the design, but they’re inverse in terms of colors -- one mainly creme-colored with darker accents, and the other dark with lighter accents. Matching, but unique. And clear labors of love, from a seamstress who knows her craft.

Jade explains how she got the idea to make them, how she wanted to make sure they were clearly a matching set like Asher and Dylan, but also distinct from one another.

Jade: We just used to talk all the time about how fun it would be to have custom stuff for prom, when we got there one day. And you used to always talk about what you and Dylan could wear, but then would get all embarrassed, as if that was silly. Like it would never happen, that you couldn’t last that long. [ a beat ] Well, we got here, and I just figured after the hell year we’ve had…

Asher is staring at them, speechless. He’s tearing up, at a loss for what to do. Jade takes the impending waterworks as a bad sign, searching for a way to recover.

Jade: I mean, if there’s something you’d like better, you can just tell me. Or if you already picked out tuxes, that’s totally fine too, you don’t have to wear them --

Asher interrupts her nervous rambles, barreling her with a hug. The embrace is tight, and although there are tears the tone in his voice conveys that they’re happy.

Asher: I love you so much.

Jade beams, getting choked up too. She hugs him back.

Jade, teary but laughing: I love you, too.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - NIGHT

Prom night is upon us! There’s a flurry of activity at the Matthews apartment, making it more lively than its been in months.

AUGGIE MATTHEWS is there to help Riley get ready and spend the weekend with Cory. Riley is obviously happy that he’s there, grinning when she emerges from the hall in her gorgeous lavender gown and he jumps up in excitement. She questions where their dad is and Auggie nods towards the fire escape, Cory visible through the window.

EXT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - FIRE ESCAPE - NIGHT

Riley delicately climbs her way out onto the balcony, Cory going to help her through when he notices she’s trying. Once they’ve got her upright, he gets a good look at her and goes soft with fatherly pride.

Cory, softly: You look lovely.

Riley smiles, both of them adjusting further out onto the fire escape. They take a moment to look at the scenery of their street, throwing a couple of jokes back and forth about how she’s going to prom with Charlie and whether or not Cory should be worried (he should not at all).

After a moment of quiet, Riley pecks up the courage to speak on what she really needs to say.

Riley: When mom called a couple weeks back, it wasn’t just to check in. She, um… [ off his wary expression ] She wants me to come upstate, too. For senior year.

Cory: … oh. [ swallowing hard ] Oh.

Riley: I’m not telling you because I’ve made any sort of decision, yet, or anything like that. I’m going to take the time to really… really think about it, and make sure I make the right choice for me. [ a beat ] But I just… wanted you to know what was going on. And also that no matter what happens, I’m still with you. I’m not going to leave you alone.

Cory nods, trying his best to accept it. Riley hesitates, deciding if she wants to continue.

Riley: Regardless of what I choose though… I need to be clear that I can’t be in the middle anymore. I love you both, but I am tearing myself apart trying to keep up with the constant back and forth. Trying to keep things civil in this family when I don’t think that’s supposed to be my job.

Cory: It’s not… Riley, I never meant for --

Riley: I know. And part of it is me -- feels like I’m always looking for other things to focus on and fix rather than myself. [ with a deep breath ] But I can’t keep living like that. I need to start focusing on myself… and that comes with setting boundaries. I love you, dad, but I can’t carry your baggage with mom anymore. It’s your fight, not mine.

Cory hesitates, obviously feeling guilty. Then he nods, assuring her that he’ll try his best to remember that. He doesn’t want to make this any harder for her than it already is. And if she’s trying to get him to hear her, then he’s listening. He really is going to try.

Riley smiles lightly, leaning forward to pull him into a hug. He returns the embrace, stating that he’s grateful he gets to be here with her on this important night. They pull apart, Cory fixing a piece of her hair.

Cory: Absolutely beautiful.

She smiles again.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Katy and Maya are sharing a similar bonding moment. Katy has taken over eyeliner duties, adjusting Maya’s makeup with her expert hand. She claims Maya has a tendency for overdoing it, which makes her laugh.

Maya: Tell me something I don’t know.

When she’s all finished, Katy looks at her daughter lovingly. She looks stunning, in a beautiful silver and white dress and blonde hair glossy as ever.

Katy: Like bona fide royalty. [ touching her chin ] No matter what the votes say.

Maya grins. She pulls her into an embrace.

INT. MINKUS HOME - NIGHT

JENNIFER MINKUS is nitpicking at Farkle, brushing off the shoulders of his navy suit jacket. He tells her to stop fussing, but she requests just one more second. She reaches up on instinct to fix his hair then remembers there’s not as much there as there used to be. Then she smiles, bracing his shoulders.

Jennifer: Beautiful boy. Perfect.

The housekeeper claims that the driver is downstairs, so Farkle should start heading out. STUART MINKUS shares an exchange with him as he’s in the entryway, offering him a Minkus good luck charm. It’s a silver lapel pin, a little crest shape related to their family coat of arms.

Stuart carefully pins it to Farkle’s lapel.

Stuart: You know, I wore this when I went on my first date with your mother -- and look where we are now.

Farkle, scoffing: It’s not -- this isn’t that kind of…

He doesn’t finish the sentence, letting it trail off. Stuart’s expression is amused, claiming he doesn’t quite buy it, but relenting for now.

When he finishes and smooths the lapel to crisp perfection, he takes a moment to really take in his son. Still with him, still standing in spite of everything that’s unfolded. It’s clear that there’s something he wants to say to him, heavy with the same weight that him sleeping at his hospital bedside all through his recovery held.

Yet, the words still don’t exist. Emotional expression has never been paramount in the Minkus household, and old habits die hard.

Instead, he pats his shoulder bracingly and wishes him luck. Jennifer comes to join Stuart as Farkle steps out, both of them wishing him a good time. Have some fun! This is your night of freedom, soak it up for all it’s worth!

Isadora, pre-lap: I don’t see how much fun it could be when we’re being watched by faculty all night long.

INT. ERIC’S APARTMENT - ISADORA’S ROOM - NIGHT

Isadora is seated at the vanity in Eric’s guest room, the space she’s taken over while staying with him. It seems that per their last conversation, Eric is keeping to his word with Valerie and is giving Isadora an actual legitimate place to stay in the mean time rather than Blue’s couch.

She’s sitting impatiently as Lucas stands behind her, braiding pieces of her hair to complete her prom look. A hidden talent, perhaps? It looks pretty, to say the least. He plainly states that she’ll be having more fun than him no matter what, there’s little doubt about that.

As he wraps up the last braid, Isadora pulls on her Converse and carefully gets to her feet.

Lucas: What, no heels?

Isadora: Are you kidding me? I think I’d break my ankles.

Lucas: Very “I’m not like other girls” of you.

Isadora: This is not about faux-originality, this is about my comfort and safety. As well as the safety of others.

The shoes hardly put a dent in the overall ensemble anyway. She’s in a gorgeous dark blue number, accented with a sheer layer of star patterns and custom designed by one of Valerie’s designer friends. It’s certainly not her typical ensemble, but she makes it work. Beautiful, but still a force to be reckoned with.

Lucas smiles, lightly punching her shoulder. He tells her she looks good, and she nudges him back before saying thanks.

Lucas, more serious: Sorry I can’t be there. To be there for you.

Isadora: It’s whatever. Be sad for your own sake, not mine.

Eric calls for Isadora from the hall, the two of them heading towards the door.

INT. ERIC’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Eric is adjusting his suit and tie in the hall mirror when there’s a curt knock at the door. He goes to open it, delighted to greet Farkle on the other side. He gestures him inside, Farkle awkwardly making his way in and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Both of them soften when Isadora emerges from the hall, obviously exceeding expectations. Eric tells her that she looks great -- Farkle says nothing, because he has no words. How are you supposed to react when your intellectual sparring partner shows up looking like that?

For a moment, all of them just hang awkwardly in the living area. Lucas clears his throat, scratching at his neck. That’s as good a cue as any, and Eric claims they should get going if they’re going to get there early to help set up. The price they pay, carpooling with a chaperone.

Eric ushers them out, giving Lucas a pat on the shoulder and telling him he’ll drop him off at his destination for the first half of the evening. And away they go! As their door closes…

INT. GARDNER HOME - NIGHT

Another opens, Riley standing bright and smiling on the doorstep of the Gardner home. AMBROSE GARDNER takes care to greet her cheerfully and help her inside, asking if there’s anything he can get her.

She should be grateful that the sanest member of the family met her first. ELEANOR GARDNER excitedly comes in from the kitchen moments later, greeting her enthusiastically and wanting to know a million things about her. Of course, they’ve heard so much about her already -- feels like Charlie is always talking about her!

From the living room, Rosie and DAISY GARDNER watch curiously.

Daisy: She’s pretty.

Rosie: Yeah.

Daisy: How did Charlie manage to get that?

Rosie: Shh.

As if summoned, Charlie rushes down the stairs. He looks charming in his relatively simple tuxedo, the touches of purple in his tie and pocket square perfectly accenting Riley’s dress. She gives him a hug as he reaches the bottom of the stairs, all of the Gardners eyeing them as they interact in front of them for the first time.

And to be fair, they look lovely. They seem near classic, the picture of prom perfection… but it’s so… boring. Whatever spark of flirtation Eleanor thinks she’s seeing between them, it’s absolutely nothing.

Still, she insists on getting some photos before they go. Charlie is embarrassed, but he allows it. As they’re assembling against the wall by the door, he leans over to whisper to her.

Charlie: Sorry about this. You look great, by the way.

Riley: Thanks. You too. And it’s fine. These’ll be great pictures to show my kids someday.

The choice of “my” rather than “our” is very pointed. Charlie gives her a look, elbowing her and earning a giggle out of her. Eleanor captures the moment, claiming that’s the perfect one.

Then Charlie tries to plot their escape, claiming they really should get going. Ambrose thanks Riley for driving -- Eleanor jokingly warns them not to stay out too late! A-wink!

Charlie looks like he’d rather be dead. Riley holds back her laughter as they escape into the night, the whole family sending them off cheerfully.

Once they’re gone, Ambrose and Eleanor exchange thoughtful looks.

Ambrose: She seems nice.

Eleanor, “knowingly:” Mhm… pretty…

Yeah, she really thinks this is something else. As she saunters back towards the kitchen…

INT. ORLANDO HOME - NIGHT

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “That’s What I Like” as performed by Bruno Mars || Instrumental

The techie pre-prom gathering is in full swing, the techie jams playlist on shuffle as they get ready together and mingle. Some of their parents are also in attendance (and likely to have a party of their own once they get them the hell out of there), namely LEVI GARCIA, EMILY GARCIA, and of course RANDALL ORLANDO.

Randall subtly interrupts a conversation between Lucas and Jade, where she’s just finished commenting on how nice it is for this gathering to be snapback free. It’s true that Lucas does stick out like a sore thumb, in his plain old blue flannel and jeans rather than dressed up like the rest of them.

The two of them exchange a bit of small talk before Randall gets to the point, asking Lucas about how things are going. Considering the last he heard about everything was literally picking up Dylan from the police precinct because of the joy ride, it stands to reason that he would be interested in knowing since he’s let Lucas back in his home since then.

To his credit, Randall has also been more of a dad to Lucas than his own, in spite of how avoidant Lucas can be. So he tells him the truth, stating that it’s been better but it’s also definitely been worse. He apologizes for what happened with the joy ride, and assures him that he’s banking on that sort of thing never happening again. Randall gives him a nod and a pat on the shoulder, approving.

The moment is interrupted as Nate gets their attention, using a cooking spoon as a faux microphone as he plays MC. He thanks them all for coming (which Dave and Jeff jeer at) before claiming he has the distinct pleasure of introducing their host and his paramour for the evening, showing off their custom-made, never before seen Jade Beamon originals.

Nate: First up -- you know may know him as Dyl Pickle, vlogger extraordinaire, the deviant who once stuck a whopping thirty-two sticky notes to Shawn Hunter’s back in one class period. He’s as gay as they come, in every sense of the word. Host of the evening and renowned “kissing expert” --

Asher, from upstairs: NATE!

Nate: What? He told me to say it! Anyway, let’s give it up for the one-of-a-kind Dylan Blake Orlando.

All of them cheer theatrically as Dylan comes downstairs, sliding down the banister and hopping onto the bottom step. He shows off the suit jacket Jade made, looking even fresher and fun actually on him than just hanging in the costume loft. He spins and hams it up for a moment, then backs off so Nate can continue.

Nate: Equally as effervescent, our other star of the evening is not to be discounted. He’s smart, he’s sharp, he’s the scariest person you will ever meet if you piss him off or forget to organize the paints in alphabetical order. King of production design, prop mix master, puts the Ash in Ash Cash Money --

Dylan, taking the spoon: The love of my life --

Nate, taking it back: Hey, this is my gig! I didn’t ask for ad-libs.

Jeff: Drunk on power…

Nate: Anyway, let’s give it up ladies and gentlemen for the only one of us with any class, Asher L. Garcia!

Asher jogs down the stairs, looking equally as iconic in his custom suit jacket. He does a small spin as well to give the item it’s due moment, Dylan cheering the loudest of all of them.

Randall: Very nice, very good. Now, could I get a moment with my “gay vlogger sticky note” son?

The techies all cheer and laugh at his take, Dylan sliding across the hardwood to meet him. Jade and Asher link up, the former taking his hands and practically bouncing as she proclaims how good the suits turned out. They look amazing!

Lucas looks around at all of his friends, glammed up and excited. Distinctly left out of the excitement, only this time not by his own choice. Somehow, that’s worse.

He’s pulled out of it as Nate declares they still have one order of business, the seven of them regrouping. Dylan slips back into the circle between Asher and Lucas.

Nate: Now, as with any good tradition, we have some firsts to establish. And this shit is important -- it may be the most important thing we do in our lives at Triple A.

Jade: Speak for yourself.

Nate: As we know, the prom court institution at Adams is royally corrupt. It’s the same shit every single year.

Dave: Nothing new.

Jeff: Same old shit.

Nate: And to that, the techie tots say no more. We will be crowning our own reigning royalty this year, and that honor happens tonight. Without further ado --

For what it’s worth, the only two that don’t seem to know what’s happening are Asher and Dylan. They watch in confusion as Dave retrieves two pin cases from his interior pocket, handing them to Jade and Lucas respectively. Then they turn to face them, grinning wide at the stunned expressions on Dylan and Asher’s faces.

Nate: Congratulations, Pickle and Bird Bones. You’re fucking royalty.

Jade and Lucas move forward, pinning the brand new charms to Asher and Dylan’s lapels, respectively. The pins are small medals, the band being monochrome like techie uniforms and the metal piece a small crown.

The true kings have been crowned. Whatever happens next hardly matters.

Jade: Okay, we have to get out of here before Asher cries again.

Randall and the parents swoop in, insisting on one group photo before they all head out to wreak havoc. At first Lucas steps out of the photo, allowing them their classy group photo, but then all of them shout for him to get in the picture as well.

EXT. ORLANDO HOME - NIGHT

Dave leads the charge down the steps to the “party van,” i.e. their techie van they use for Home Depot runs. On the steps, Dylan and Asher hang back and check in with Lucas one last time.

Asher: You sure you don’t want to come?

Dylan, sing-song: We could sneak you in...

Lucas knows they damn well mean it. But he waves them off, assuring them that he’ll be fine. They need to go have fun and not worry about him for a night.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Good Love (Feel Like This)” as performed by Sir, Please || Performed by Nigel Chey (feat. Dave Williams, Nick Yogi, and AAA Juniors)

And so it is. Asher gives him a pat on the arm and then they’re off, leaving Lucas on the steps alone. He watches his friends head out without him, bittersweet smile on his face.

As the groovy rock hit floats in…

INT. PROM VENUE - NIGHT

Prom roll up! The event is hopping, the large ballroom space beautifully decorated towards the stars theme and everyone’s appropriately matched outfits shimmering under the low lighting. The brightest lights are geared towards the DJ stage, which alternates between a sound system and live performances.

At present, Nigel is giving a riveting vocal performance while the junior and senior class parties on the dance floor. Dave is backing on guitar, Yogi on the keyboard, and other B Class students filling out the rest of the band.

Jade, Dylan, and Asher are right by the stage, Jade watching him perform with a mix of shyness and excitement. Every once in a while, he’ll look over at her and crack a smile.

Dylan and Asher are distracted when Isadora wanders over to join them, all of them immediately complimenting one another on their one-of-a-kind outfits. Dylan gives her a hug. Asher asks how it is being accompanied by Farkle Minkus, which Isadora claims isn’t terrible -- but it’s not particularly enchanting either.

Meanwhile, Farkle has just met up with Riley and Maya. They ask him how his evening is going so far -- is he having fun? It’s not too overwhelming, is it?

Farkle: Oh, yeah. Sweaty room, loud music, constant surveillance, date who didn’t even want to go with me. Time of my life, girls. Undoubtedly.

On the opposite side of the room, Charlie has just made his way over to the refreshments. He reaches for the ladle for the punch just at the same time as Zay, their hands brushing before they look up and lock eyes.

For a moment, neither of them say anything. They just take one another in -- well-groomed, nice tuxedos, the most they’ve even really seen of each other since the break-up -- before Zay manages to say something.

Zay: You look… classic.

Innocent enough. Charlie laughs nervously, nodding.

Charlie: And you look…

He can’t finish the sentence. What’s he going to say? No word is good enough. And where they are right now doesn’t allow for him to say what he’s actually thinking.

Thankfully, Maya swoops in and unwittingly throws him a life preserver. She interrupts their conversation, claiming that she needs for Zay to come dance with her lest people get the impression she can’t hold her own on the dance floor. She pays Charlie the same compliment in that he looks nice, before reminding him to vote Zay and Maya for prom king and queen!

Charlie: Okay, if you keep saying that, someone is going to murder you by the end of the night.

Maya: Attempted assassinations are just part of the job description.

Farkle regroups with Isadora, finding her amidst the crowd. The two of them stand in silence for a moment, absorbing the chaotic scene around them. Farkle eyes Jack and Eric across the room, talking to one another and not paying any attention to them, then leans down to whisper in Isadora’s ear.

Farkle: You wanna get out of here?

Isadora looks around at her classmates and teachers before her gaze lands on Farkle. She smiles, somewhere between a smirk and genuinely sweet.

EXT. COURTHOUSE - NIGHT

Valerie emerges from the courthouse, seemingly in much better spirits than the last time she was there. She inhales a deep breath of fresh air, blithe smile on her face.

INT. HOTEL SUITE - NIGHT

Katy opens the door to her hotel room, surprised to find Val standing on the other side. She’s carrying a bottle of champagne and doesn’t wait for an invitation to march inside. She tells Katy to grab a couple of glasses, they are celebrating!

Katy, uncertainly: Good news, I’m guessing?

Valerie: You know, in this industry, they tell you the most important thing is to hang on. Hang on by the skin of your teeth, dig your fingernails in, and never let go. Who would’ve known that applied to the rest of this crazy, mixed up world too?

Valerie pops the champagne and pours a glass for her and Katy, raising her glass.

Valerie: I persevered, and only good things have come from it. [ sublime ] Isadora is going to be mine. We’re going to be a real family.

Katy happily cheers to that, both of them taking a drink from their glasses. They settle down on the couch in the suite, Valerie absolutely giddy with the news. She can’t wait to tell Isadora. Katy can imagine -- she knows how important it is, having time with her baby girl.

An idea seems to strike Valerie in that moment, eyes widening. She reaches out and touches Katy’s arm, excited.

Valerie: You’ll come stay with us.

Katy: Wh -- what?

Valerie: Yes, yes, you’ll come back to New York and you’ll stay with us! You, me, Maya, and Isadora. The four of us will live together, four rough and tough, talented women surviving the concrete jungle as a team.

Katy: Oh, I don’t… I couldn’t --

Valerie: Katy, you belong here. In this city, with your daughter and your dreams. If I have proven anything in this endeavor, it’s that it’s never too late to change course and achieve something you never thought possible. [ a beat ] You belong in Manhattan, with Maya. Talent like yours shouldn’t be wasted in the farmland of Vermont.

Katy processes that, taking another sip of her champagne. If a Hollywood starlet is telling her she’s meant to be here, then who is she to refuse it?

Katy: Alright. Alright, then!

Valerie claps excitedly, already abuzz with so many new ideas.

Valerie: Oh, this is so exciting. This is amazing! Isadora and Maya are going to be over the moon. This is a bigger deal than when my good friend and mentee Lizzo basically single-handedly saved the R&B industry.

She raises her glass again for another toast. Katy grants it, their glasses clinking together.

INT. PROM VENUE - NIGHT

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Dance Again” as performed by Selena Gomez || Instrumental

The lighting is more aesthetic and dimmer as the prom goes on, the junior class out grooving on the dance floor. We get shots of different combinations of them dancing -- Charlie is with Haley and Clarissa, Jade and Nigel are giggly as they get comfortable with one another, Dylan and Asher are upholding their reigning title as cutest couple.

In the midst of the festivities, Eric grows concerned as he realizes he can’t find Isadora. Farkle is nowhere to be found either -- and that’s because they’re not there. They’re long gone, someone having disappeared right under his nose.

Eric grabs Riley from the edge of the dance floor, asking if she’s seen either of them. She claims not since they first got here… is everything okay? Eric doesn’t respond, pushing through the crowd to try and get a better look.

He’s surrounded by teenagers, and yet none are the two he’s specifically supposed to be keeping an eye on. Just as he’s on the verge of panic, Jack comes to his side and asks what’s going on. What’s with the look on his face?

Eric, breathless: Isadora -- and Farkle -- they’re not -- I can’t find --

Jack: Okay, relax, alright?

Eric: Relax? I lost two children!

Jack: Okay, we’ll find them. Alright?

Jack drags Eric out of the center of the room, passing by HARPER BURGESS as they go. He tells her she’s in charge, guiding Eric out of the venue.

INT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - LIVING AREA - NIGHT

Lucas emerges from his room with a box, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and clearly down to business. He and GRACE FRIAR are operating with relative ease, indicating that their third household member isn’t home at present.

He places the box on the table in front of her, claiming that he’s gone through it and he needs her to go through it too so they can decide whether or not to donate it. Grace seems intrigued, but not opposed to the idea.

Grace: Spring cleaning?

Lucas: Something in my life might as well be in order.

She chuckles a bit at that, although the joke is admittedly somewhat dark. She starts going through the contents, hesitating before telling Lucas she’s sorry that he didn’t get to go to prom. He shrugs it off, but his aloof facade has worn thin over the week.

Grace gives him a warm smile, stating that he’ll be able to go next year.

Lucas: Yeah, let’s see if I make it through this year first.

Valid point. Lucas leaves her to keep going through the stuff, agreeing they should get rid of it either way before Kenneth gets back.

INT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - LUCAS’S ROOM - NIGHT

Lucas steps back into his closet of a bedroom, sighing at all the junk there still is to go through. He frowns when his phone vibrates in his pocket, growing even more confused when he sees who is calling. He answers.

Lucas: Hello?

Jack is on the other end of the line, already on the road with Eric.

Jack: What are you doing right now?

Lucas, flatly: Crystal meth.

Jack: Okay, you jest, but you’re really not in the position to be making those kind of jokes right now.

Lucas asks what’s going on, and Jack explains the situation. He asks if Lucas has seen or heard from Isadora, and he says no. When Jack requests that he go search that side of town, just drive around and take a look, Lucas seems skeptical.

Lucas: Aren’t you forgetting? My license is suspended.

Jack, unimpressed: Am I really supposed to believe that makes a difference?

Lucas: … fair enough. I’ll do whatever.

Jack assures him if he gets into any trouble, he’ll help him out of it. They just need to get a trace on them so Eric can breathe again. Lucas grabs his denim jacket, heading out.

INT. DINER - NIGHT

Isadora and Farkle, thankfully, are not engaged in anything remotely nefarious. They’re just making an evening out of it all their own, having escaped prom to seek refuge at a non-descript diner across town.

Farkle is way more enthused by the prospect than Isadora. He’s practically jittery, tapping his fingers on the table and unable to stop grinning. He claims this is the most fun, the most freedom, he’s had in months.

Isadora: Okay, calm down, edgelord. It’s not that deep.

Oh, but perhaps it is, Isadora. Farkle leans further into the theatricality, dramatically stating that he doesn’t think there’s ever been a night quite like this. Full of this… energy, and mystery, and potential. Can’t she feel it? In homage to the number that’s just about to come into play, Farkle sits up so that he’s sitting on the booth seat, rather than in it.

Isadora: Okay, what are you doing? Sit down.

Farkle: Can’t you just feel it? And how… how we start thinking --

Isadora: Start thinking what?

Farkle: How wonderful it all is.

Isadora: How wonderful what all is?

Farkle: Everything.

Isadora: Now you’re just talking nonsense. Did you take too much medication this morning? What are you on?

He, Isadora, is on life. The freedom of tonight, how good it feels to just be out and adventuring and… alive. In fact, he thinks, it might need some expressing…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “A Lovely Night” as performed by Cinderella Original Television Cast Recording || Performed by Farkle Minkus (feat. Isadora De La Cruz) [ starting at 4:20 ]

Farkle pushes his way out of the booth and starts sauntering through the diner, Isadora leaning out after him and whispering for him to come back. But he’s already on his way as the instrumental comes in, meaning there’s no hope. This singing train has left the station!

So he kicks off the first verse, singing the fantastical lyrics about how absolutely perfect the evening is. Somehow, it actually works, brightening up the drab, everyday diner and adding a splash of something special and unique.

It helps that Farkle is crazy and completely unapologetic as he takes over the space, the other patrons hesitant at first but then endeared by the performance. Farkle sings the first line about a “charming prince” to a gaggle of middle school girls, who all collectively lose their shit when he turns away from them. To them, for all intents and purposes, all suave in his prom suit and singing so elegantly, he is a prince charming.

Isadora might be starting to figure that out too, as she watches in disbelief while Farkle pulls other diners and workers into brief stints of choreography. By the time he makes it back over to her table in the second verse, he leans forward on the table and sings the lines “darling, I love you” while looking right into her eyes.

Part of the whole act? It’s impossible to tell.

Then he pulls her up from the booth, into dancing with him through the diner as the dance break commences. Although she’s hesitant at first, Isadora is more surprised by how not averse to the experience she is. Farkle is a good dancer, at least this kind of dancing, and it’s not long before she finds herself grinning and laughing along.

They spin their way towards the front, right out the doors…

EXT. DINER - NIGHT

And out into the city, the world aglow with nightlife and even more emphasized by the unreal quality of the dance. It feels very La La Land. They continue the pas de deux through to the end, Farkle picking up the lyrics again for the final rendition of the chorus.

They end it spinning in a circle in the parking lot, Isadora laughing and Farkle truly free as they round out the performance. If there’s going to be any true spectacle this prom season, then Icarus and the fallen Techie Queen dancing together in what may as well be a fantasy sure takes the cake.

INT. JACK’S CAR - MOVING - NIGHT

Eric is not feeling the fantasy, a nervous wreck as they drive through the streets looking for signs of Isadora and Farkle. He relays that she has not responded to any of his texts, and Jack states that’s it. He pulls over, allowing him to give his focus to Eric as he parks on the side of the road.

Jack takes Eric’s phone, out of his grasp.

Jack: Enough. You’re driving yourself crazy.

Eric: Yeah, you’re one to talk. [ trying to snatch it back ] Mister obsessive civil suit --

Jack: Oh, I’m not saying I’m innocent. But you have got to give yourself a break. It was their choice to sneak out and go wild, not yours. You can only do so much. If they choose to be idiotic, that’s on them. Regardless of how much we care.

Eric knows that Jack is speaking from experience. He sighs, slouching back in the passenger seat. Jack tries to comfort him, reminding him that Isadora and Farkle are two of the smartest students at AAA. They’re not going to get into trouble. Besides, if they are, then at least they have their best troublemaker on the case.

Jack: He’s like a heat-seeking missile. If there’s mischief afoot, trust me, I believe he’ll find it.

EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - NIGHT

Maybe so, Jack. Maybe so. Somehow, Lucas manages to catch up to Isadora and Farkle as they’re walking along the streets, slowing down in Grace’s car and coming up next to them. He honks, startling them both.

Lucas: Hey! Lunatics!

Isadora: Lucas? What the hell are you doing here?

Lucas: I could ask you the same question.

Farkle: Isn’t your license suspended?

Lucas holds up a finger to silence Farkle, not acknowledging his question. He keeps his focus on Isadora, who is similarly confused.

Isadora: Isn’t your license suspended?

Lucas: You tell me. You tell me what the hell you’re doing walking around like freaks and sending Eric so postal Jack had to send me out here risking future legal penalty to come find you.

Farkle: Hey, I mean, we snuck out of prom. [ holding his arms out ] Don’t I get a little credit for that, Lucas James Friar?

Lucas glares at him, unimpressed.

Lucas, sharply: Don’t talk to me like you know me.

Farkle raises his hands in surrender, turning away. Lucas turns his focus back to Isadora.

Lucas: Tell Eric where the hell you are and that you’re not dead. At least pay him that decency.

Isadora: Alright! Alright, I will. Sorry you got dragged into it.

Lucas: You’re so lucky I have no life.

Lucky, indeed… Lucas drives off, leaving the two of them alone again. Isadora shifts awkwardly, Farkle hesitating before giving her an unbothered smirk. Woo, reckless freedom!

INT. JACK’S CAR - NIGHT

Jack gets the text from Isadora on Eric’s phone. He smiles and then passes it back to him, telling him that now he can breathe again.

And so he can. Eric lets out a huge sigh of relief, falling back against the seat and rubbing his face. These kids, are they ever gonna let them live? Once he’s pulled himself off the ledge, Eric drops his hands and asks what they’re supposed to do now.

Now that they’re already out? Well… Jack shrugs.

Jack: You like bowling?

INT. PROM VENUE - NIGHT

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Magic” as performed by Gabrielle Aplin || Performed by Yindra Amino

Things slow down back at the prom, allowing the students to shift into a slow dance. Before Riley and Charlie can make any decisions, Zay swoops over to them to cut in. For a second it seems as though he might ask Charlie, in front of everyone… but he simply requests a dance with his favorite girl at AAA. Charlie relents without an argument, allowing him to steal Riley.

Riley: Sweet of you to say all that. And…

Zay: And I will give anything not to slow dance with Maya, yes.

Charlie shifts his sights to Haley, offering a hand to her. With their former conversation having cleared the air, the two of them are able to simply enjoy a dance together rather than twisting themselves up over what it might mean.

Yindra’s vocals truly help set the mood. The types of slow dancers are all across the spectrum. The soft familiarity of Dylan and Asher, whispering in each other’s ears and smiling and tilting their heads against one another; the timid beginnings of Nigel and Jade, more distance between them but equally as happy to be sharing the dance. Then there’s Maya, not bothering to slow dance at all and continuing her campaign amongst the other single prom-goers.

While Zay and Riley dance, they softly discuss how the evening is going. Riley subtly makes it clear that she is no way moving in on Charlie -- they should both be well aware how unlikely that would be. Zay holds no such suspicions. After all…

Zay: Think you and I are both here while our hearts are somewhere else.

Couldn’t have said it better, Isaiah. Tellingly, while Haley and Charlie are having a swell enough time dancing together, he cannot seem to keep his gaze from drifting towards Zay over her shoulder…

Yindra brings the number home, delivering yet another dazzling performance.

INT. BOWLING ALLEY - NIGHT

Pow! A bowling ball knocks over a volley of pins, shattering the dreamy melancholy of prom.

Jack and Eric have already played one game, crashed in one of the tables by the lanes and sharing some cheap bowling alley snacks. They’re also drinking and… okay, they might be a tad tipsy. They’re laughing as they chat about the evening, more relaxed than we’ve ever seen them. They could almost be teenagers themselves, just wasting away prom night at a bowling alley and blowing off expectations.

Eric complains about Isadora and Farkle’s actions, still not over the sleight. Like he gets it, they’re teenagers, but really? Jack chuckles, shrugging and claiming it’s just that kind of night. He can remember how he used to be -- Lucas really isn’t that far off from how he was at that age, although the kid is way more ballsy than he was.

Besides… there’s something about prom night, man. It makes people do crazy things.

Jack: I was never super into it, but… ha. I remember senior year, me and the guy I was going with --

Eric nearly chokes on his drink. Jack raises his eyebrows, handing him a napkin in concern.

Jack: You okay?

Eric: Yeah. Yeah, I just -- [ clearing his throat ] Guy? You went with a guy?

Jack: Oh, yeah. Administrators weren’t thrilled about it at the time though. [ off his stunned expression ] Oh, come on. You know I’m bisexual. We’ve totally discussed this.

Eric: Um. No. No we have not.

Jack: We definitely have.

Eric: Jack, I would not have forgotten that. Believe me.

Jack shrugs, smiling to himself and taking another drink. Eric just stares at him, trying to reconcile this new understanding he has of his friend and co-worker in his head. He starts to say something, then thinks better of it. Lost for words.

The music on the sound system of the bowling alley saves him from having to speak. As soon as the song starts playing, both of them react with joyful acknowledgement.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Bye Bye Bye” as performed by *NSYNC || Performed by Jack Hunter & Eric Matthews

At first the two of them just reminiscence, talking about how classic this song is. Speaking of hits of their youth, this was it in the college days. But as they casually start singing along in their seats, just like their students (and maybe thanks to the alcohol), the groove overtakes them.

Eric jumps to his feet first, crouching on his seat and launching into the second verse. Jack cracks up and claps, encouraging the dramatic performance. Eric manages to pull him into it as well, the two of them delivering the rendition with the same gusto as their overdramatic students.

INT. BYE BYE BYE DREAMSCAPE - NIGHT

In their folly, it would only be fair to give them the same imaginative scape as their students. Part of the performance is a fantasy tribute to the “Bye Bye Bye” music video, Jack and Eric dressed as if they’re back in the early 2000s and dancing around a tilting room.

INT. BOWLING ALLEY - NIGHT

We cut back and forth between that and them wreaking mild havoc in the bowling alley, and gosh dang is it a fun performance.

That’s one way to cut loose for a night. Let’s go principal and counselor!

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

Farkle walks Isadora to the front stoop of the fancy hotel Valerie is staying at, although she tells him that he didn’t have to. He claims as her date it was his duty -- even if their arrangement wasn’t exactly by choice.

Isadora: Well, impressively, I did actually have fun.

Farkle: Oh?

Isadora: Yes. I don’t expect the enchantment to last past midnight, but it was fun while it lasted. [ a beat ] I suppose I’m glad that I had to babysit tonight.

Farkle rolls his eyes. Isadora looks at him for a long moment, and then stands on her tip-toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

He blinks, obviously not expecting it. After a moment he kind of smiles, caught between a confused frown and a pleasantly surprised smile. He looks at her, narrowing his eyes.

She gives him no explanation. She just tilts her head in a nod and marches through the revolving door, leaving him on the sidewalk. He glances up at the building, smile widening as he spins on his heel and saunters down the street.

INT. PROM VENUE - NIGHT

Clarissa and Haley are just wrapping up a performance, dismounting the stage as Harper heads up to the microphone. She warms up the crowd by asking how everyone is enjoying prom, which is met with resounding cheers. The time has come, she announces, for the crowning of their junior and senior prom court!

Amidst the cheers, Charlie shifts his focus to Riley next to him. She’s zoned out, glancing over her shoulder and not paying any attention. Looking for someone who isn’t going to be there, no matter how many times she looks.

After a moment, he elbows her lightly.

Charlie: You should go.

Riley: What? What do you mean?

Charlie: I appreciate what you did for me tonight. But we both know… you don’t want to be here. Not really. [ nodding towards the door ] So you should go. Don’t waste the rest of your night on me.

Riley examines him, thoughtful. Then she smiles, taking his arm and leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. She squeezes his arm.

Riley: Never a waste.

Then she’s gone, weaving her way through the crowd and on a mission. Charlie watches her go, and when he turns back to the crowd and the excitement of the senior prom court being announced he suddenly feels very detached. Like he’s a fish out of water, as if he shouldn’t even be there at all.

It’s claustrophobic. Charlie starts to push his way through the crowd as well, searching for an exit. Needing to get out of there.

From where he’s waiting with Maya, Zay notices Charlie’s frantic escape. He frowns, hesitating for only a moment before darting out after him. Only Maya notices him go, looking after him in confusion.

Maya, in a whisper: Zay. Zay!

He’s already gone. And her attention is stolen anyway, as Harper gets a drum roll going for the announcement of junior prom queen and king. It goes, unsurprisingly… to Maya and Zay!

Only Zay is nowhere to be found. Lucky for him, Maya is an expert showman and covers as if it’s nothing. She hops up onto stage and happily accepts, claiming her king had to dip out for a moment and she’ll be accepting both on his behalf.

Once she’s found a way to balance both crowns on her little blonde head, she takes to the microphone and gives a small speech about what an honor it is to be selected. And in return, tonight, she’ll give them a prom slow dance really worth remembering. As the track cues up --

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “At Last” as performed by Beyoncé || Performed by Maya Hart

As obnoxious as she is, there is no doubt about the fact that Maya Hart can sing. Her vocals are damn good on the romantic classic, truly creating a perfect final slow dance for the evening. And she’s milking every second of it, glamorous as ever in her elegant gown and dual crown glory.

EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Charlie has made his way to a mostly vacant section of the parking lot, inhaling as much fresh air as he can. He holds his breath, then lets it out, fighting off whatever strange panic was prickling at him.

It doesn’t truly fade until Zay joins him, approaching casually and claiming that he’s missing Maya’s big performance. Isn’t that what he came all the way out to prom for anyway? Charlie can’t help but laugh, even though the vibe between them is still uncertain.

Charlie: Oh, naturally. Everything’s about Maya Hart, after all.

Zay: Absolutely everything, yeah.

Charlie: [ just looking at him ] … shouldn’t you be in there too, then? Far as I recall, you were her running mate.

Zay, with a shrug: I didn’t really care much about it.

Zay is stepping closer with every word that passes between them.

Charlie: … no?

Zay: Nah. I mean, can’t blame Maya though. She knows how to pick a winning candidate.

Charlie: Well, no arguments here. Sure you don’t want to get your crown, though? Think that would be a nice prize regardless.

They’re standing right in front of each other. Zay swallows, meeting his eyes.

Zay: I can think of something better.

Charlie lets that sink in, not sure how to respond. Knowing that they’re the way they are for a reason… but then there he is, right there in front of him…

Zay doesn’t ask for much. He gently takes Charlie’s hands, pulling him towards him and into a slow dance. There in the parking lot, alone, where nobody else is going to bother them.

Charlie is stiff at first, then slowly he relaxes into it. The familiarity, the ease, the way they seem to just naturally fit together... especially when it comes to dancing.

Still, something in his expression is conflicted. It’s obvious he loves it -- being so close to Zay, sharing anything with him regardless of what their status is -- but then that’s the problem, isn’t it? As long as Charlie is around him, he’s never going to be able to let it go. They’re going to keep drifting back to each other like this, and Zay is never going to be able to move forward.

Charlie realizes all of that… and yet.

For now, he chooses to live in the moment. He tilts his head against Zay’s shoulder and chooses to soak it up for all it’s worth, the dance and the closeness and the way he continues to choose him, even when he pushes him away.

Everything else, he can deal with another day.

INT. VALERIE’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Isadora has changed back into more comfortable clothes, Valerie hanging her dress up so that it stays nice and unruffled. After all the hard work Stella McCartney put into it, she would hate for it to only survive one use!

Then Valerie settles on the bed with Isadora, telling her the good news. The paperwork went through -- they’re on their way. She just has some things she needs to go wrap up last minute in Los Angeles, and then they’re going to do it. They’re going to be a proper mother and daughter, she’ll move to the city, and everything is going to change. For the better, she’s sure.

Isadora is stunned just to hear it said -- she can’t begin to wrap her head around it in reality. But she manages action, leaning forward to initiate a hug with Valerie.

She hugs her back, tight, so excited about the next steps they’ll be taking together.

INT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - LUCAS’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Well, for only a night’s work, Lucas has made substantial progress on organizing his hell bedroom. You can actually see the floor now in most places, which is a step up. Maybe one solution to not having horrible mental health is to not feel like you’re living in an abandoned storage closet. Music is playing from his phone, shuffling the playlist Riley made him last year.

He finishes clearing the floor by the actual closet door, finding Riley’s gala shawl. He holds it in his hands, delicately, trying to decide what to do with it. It’s survived this long, in spite of all the times he’s thought about destroying it -- to get rid of it now would almost be a disservice.

He’s distracted from the decision for now, his phone buzzing. He settles onto his bed, putting the shawl to the side towards his pillow and opening the message.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Ebony Eyes” as performed by Jamie Scott || Instrumental

It’s from Dylan, a group picture of the techie crew in the midst of the glitz of prom. The caption underneath it is simple and to the point -- “We miss you!!!!!!!”

Lucas can’t help but smile, but after a moment it shifts to something more muted. The disappointment is clear on his face now, fully realizing how much he might be missing out on. How much he’s missed out on for the entire year, while he was busy fighting to survive his own personal hurricane. And there’s no way to get that back -- there’s no way to know if it’ll ever stop hurricaning, given how up in the air everything feels.

He’s distracted once again from his own internal musing, this time by creaking from outside his window. At first he glances towards his door, worried it might be someone coming home, but an additional creaking confirms it’s coming from outside. It’s coming from the fire escape.

Cautiously, Lucas gets to his feet, edging towards his window. He nearly jumps out of his skin when Riley appears from the ladder below, scrappily climbing her way up to his level.

EXT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - LUCAS’S FIRE ESCAPE - NIGHT

Lucas scrambles out the window to meet her, eyes wide in disbelief. She smiles at him as he emerges and she manages to pull herself fully onto the fire escape. There’s barely room for them both to stand, Lucas taking her arm and pulling her as far from the window -- and his apartment -- as possible.

Lucas: What the hell are you doing here?

Riley blinks at him, trying to catch up with her own choice of actions. She’s changed out of her fancy gown, hair and makeup still done up but having opted for a pair of high-waisted jeans and a thrifted tee. Better attire for building scaling, at least.

She explains that she couldn’t stop thinking about him and how he was missing out, so she decided to bring some of the fun to him. She shrugs off her backpack, unzipping it and showing off some of the snacks and movies and junk she threw in there along with her laptop. She didn’t have a lot of specific ideas, or anything, she just thought… who knows. She just knew she wanted to be here.

Lucas is in shock. He can’t believe any person would ditch prom without some other grand plan, and definitely not for him.

Lucas: That’s… that’s nice, but you shouldn’t have to do this. You should be at prom, having fun. Least of all worrying about me.

Riley, shaking her head: Wasn’t the same without you.

Oh. Well then. Riley glances towards his room, recognizing the music playing and smiling to herself. She comments that at least he has good tunes to get him through the night, and the slower, rustic song playing now is better than about half of the songs they played at the dance.

In fact… she did say she was going to bring the evening to him…

Dropping her backpack by the window, Riley cautiously takes Lucas’s hands. When he doesn’t complain, she gently guides him into a dance of their own -- a promenade on six square feet of metal with a shitty outdated iPhone speaker acting as the DJ.

Even still, it might be the most authentically romantic duet of the night. The music quality shifts and improves to be more encompassing as they settle into the dance, once again supplemented by that fantastical quality of the evening. Secluded enough for Lucas to ease into it, more intimate than a room full of their peers would allow.

After a minute or so, Riley adjusts their posture and presses their foreheads together. For how soft the moment is, the energy between them may as well be electric. They’re inches apart, one or two breaths and a bold choice away from another kiss. And maybe they could…

But not tonight. Not yet.

Riley shifts and rests her head against his shoulder, Lucas closing his eyes and tilting his head against hers.

For now, what they have in this moment together is enough.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - DAY

Crazy how in the aftermath of such a whimsical weekend, life is expected to proceed as normal. Jack is in good spirits as he jogs his way into the school building later than usual, pushing through the doors at the same time as Lucas. Lucas comments on his late showing.

Jack: You know, for all the times you’ve shown up to class tardy with no good excuse, I think you can zip it on this one.

Touché. Jack does remember to thank Lucas for his help with Farkle and Isadora though, expressing that it was a big help. He asks how he spent the rest of his evening -- aside from the crystal meth.

Lucas, nonchalantly: Nothing much. And you?

Jack: Got kicked out of a bowling alley.

Lucas: … fun. Respect.

Jack grins, nodding him on his way. He makes his way back into the office…

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Where the real world is waiting for him. Jack is surprised by the gift-wrapped item on his desk -- until reality slams into him like a freight train. He drops his briefcase and jogs towards it, lifting the ribbon-bound local newspaper into his hands.

There it is. The Bradford case, front page Monday morning news. Likely paid a fortune to make it front page news, if he knows his adversaries.

It’s officially gone public. The fantasy is over. Another day has arrived, and now it’s time to deal with all of the challenges ahead.

Now, it’s time to take action. For better or for worse.

END OF EPISODE.

[ambitionsource]

S1 Rewatch - Maddi's Take [1.07]

favourite scene: I meeeeean… can anyone argue with any scene from this ep? Levels of iconic thus far unreached perhaps… The paint balloon fight scene, I can just imagine being incredible. Then again, we also have the scene where Lucas and Isa stage the techie walk out which is legendary. Plus there is the scenes where we get to see some of Farkle and Zay’s struggles! I mean, in an episode that is meant to kind of villainise the performers, we actually get to see some real complexities to those two which is amazing.

favourite performance:  Yorktown! I have never seen or listened to Hamilton, but I love my boy Zay and this song is a masterpiece! so I would happily watch this performance, with everyone together. That said, I have to shout out to Zay and Charlie in the paint fight, plus the techies singing Fall Out Boy… beautiful

favourite character (within the context of the episode):  This is out of Zay and Lucas. Zay had some deep moments and iconic lines here plus he is so passionate about performing and being true to his wants and hopes. Then Lucas… I can’t resist that cute smirky face ugh in his cool black boots tryna be all rebellious like that….slouching smugly in Jack’s office and o m l scooping up Riley and carrying her off stage I’m sORRY excuse u sir, excuse u? how dare you be this endearing

favourite line:  Zay’s speech to Farkle would be a good answer, but we also have one of the greatest lines of the season spoken by Isadora: Don’t patronize me, Minkus, you don’t want to see what this “little” director is capable of.

WOW. This is also the ep where we get “That’s certainly not nothing.” liek okayyyy we get it u love himmm Rilessss

an underrated moment:  MULTIPLE HUGS one of which will be the answer to the next question. For right here we will have the moment where Dave hug-tackles Lucas and cries out that they’re dying.

something i missed the first time around:  ZARLIE HUG. THAT’S ALL. actually I don’t even know if I missed it but it certainly wasn’t something I remembered. 10/10 would pay to see and/or have burned into my memory.

first impression vs your reread impression:  We start to get very into the AAAC in this one which of course we know a lot more about now! By this time I’m sure I had theories of who was the mastermind but now I find myself more focused on little moments like Riley seeing Lucas and Isa as a couple before later in the episode gaining clarification from Isa. Mostly, Riley is obsessed with Lucas. That’s the vibe fam! as Lucas would say - (:

--

“we get it u love himmm Rilessss” NFDSKLGLDSG ME. maybe so... points were made, but I love what you said about how this ep villainizes the performers but then also allows them the same humanity as usual. that’s such an interesting point! but yeah, dave and lucas hug, lucas carrying riley, dylan getting paint out of asher’s hair, zay and charlie hugging... there’s certainly MUCH coming together going on in this ep under the surface... god rest in peace charles jp gardner, he probably disintegrated the moment zay pulled him in for that embrace. pour one out, legends only,

riley is obsessed with lucas......... as the kids say, maybe so...

[ambitionsource]

AMBITION Season 1 ♫ “Under Pressure” [ 1.03 ]

CREATED BY Esther (rapunzles) & Maggie (quincywillows)

TALENT-FOR-BRAINS – Maya struggles to keep up with her academic requirements, but being given Farkle as a tutor is far worse. Charlie volunteers to tutor Zay. Riley fights to keep up after her introduction to a harsher feature of AAA.

44 Minutes (7K words) || No warnings apply.

[ ← The Phantom of AAA ] [ S1 Synopsis ] [ Special Snowflakes → ]

( Follow along with the music on Spotify here! )

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Pump It” as performed by The Black Eyed Peas || Instrumental

No easy introduction into this episode, as we open in the midst of an intense rehearsal for the performers. They’re up on the stage, working through a fast-paced and high-energy dance routine. MAYA HART, ZAY BABINEAUX, and CHARLIE GARDNER take front and center, breezing through the moves like it’s in their blood. They are clearly the star dancers of the class.

In the second row, RILEY MATTHEWS is working her ass off to keep up. It’s evident she is putting her all into it, but as she’s been struggling to accept since she arrived at Adams, she just hasn’t had the training or sole focus of her peers. Even FARKLE MINKUS is performing it more confidently than her, although dancing definitely isn’t his strong suit.

In the seats outside the technician’s booth and along the stairs, the techies are lazing around and clearly not as strained as the performers. They’re enjoying the fact that they don’t have to put out so much physical exertion as their classmates, doing homework and generally not paying attention. ASHER GARCIA, DYLAN ORLANDO, and NATE MARTINEZ play cards.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

JEFF MONROE is working the lighting board, ISADORA DE LA CRUZ cramped in a rolling chair behind him and working on a homework assignment. They are numb to the intensity of the performing at this point, zoning out.

Behind the soundboard is LUCAS FRIAR, also working on an assignment and hardly paying attention. Still, he a little less zoned out than usual. He keeps glancing back out towards the stage, watching the dance routine unfold. His expression is tinted with disdain like usual, but a little more difficult to read…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The song is nearing its conclusion. Riley is having more and more trouble keeping up, one misstep snowballing into another and trapping her in her own head. She bumps into DARBY WINTERS, who helps her back upright but at that point it’s too late. Their whole row is a couple steps behind.

SARAH CARLSON bumps her back, sending her off-balance. Notoriously klutzy, Riley takes the hit and tumbles to the floor just as the song ends. A few classmates break into laughter or chuckles, Zay and Charlie dashing forward to offer her a hand. She takes the help from Zay but shies away from Charlie, but he doesn’t seem to take it personally.

ANGELA MOORE gives them reassurance that they’re doing great, and mishaps are natural in the rehearsal process. Farkle scoffs, drinking from his water. Riley elects to ignore him, avoiding the eyes of everyone else. As they’re dismissed, Angela comes forward to check in with Riley and make sure she feels okay. She assures her that she’s fine, just still working on getting the steps.

Angela: Well, you know, Riley, everyone has their strengths. And everyone learns at a different pace. It could just be that you need a little more time or practice –

Riley: I’m working on it, Miss Moore. I’m fine. I promise.

Riley’s smile is tight. Angela accepts this, patting her shoulder and leaving her be. Riley chews her lip, stomaching her frustration and spinning towards the dressing rooms.

INT. AAA - GIRLS DRESSING ROOM - DAY

Riley saunters into the dressing room, sweaty and exhausted, only to find all eyes on her. The girls are giggling, phones out and clearly all in on the same inside joke. Riley makes a face, shrugging her shoulders as she heads over to her spot by the mirror.

Riley: I get it. I fell, ha ha ha. I don’t see how it’s that funny.

Yindra: Oh, honey… you don’t know about the Insta, do you?

Riley blinks at her, obviously lost. YINDRA AMINO gestures for CLARISSA CRUZ to hand over her phone, passing it towards Riley. She takes it, looking at the open page on the Instagram app.

It’s AAA Confessions, a gossip and meme page created anonymously for the AAA student body. I.E., a staple of every American high school experience, and with a bunch of dramatic, type-A personalities crammed into one school you can imagine that the page gets a lot of traction and following. It allows students to private message the account and submit photos and videos – often unflattering – of their classmates, with a rumor or often unkind comment as the caption. It’s completely anonymous, allowing people to say shit without facing the consequences.

And the latest post? Riley’s tumble during rehearsal. The caption is less than flattering as well, basically commenting about how it’s almost the end of first semester and she still doesn’t seem to have caught up… so what is she still doing here? Yindra tries to say something comforting about how the page is stupid and never means anything, but Riley isn’t listening. She keeps watching herself fall down over and over, lost in the humiliation of it…

Cue title sequence.

INT. AAA - GIRLS BATHROOM - DAY

Riley is hidden away in a stall, covering her mouth to stifle her sobs. She’s determined to prove them all wrong, but she is going to need that crying session first. She continues to cry to herself until she hears the bathroom door swing open, immediately trying to get quieter and hiding her feet up on the toilet seat.

She watches underneath the stall as the new bathroom patron approaches, dreading seeing the designer boots or flats of her less-than-welcoming classmates. Instead, a pair of ratty Converse make their way towards the sinks. They also don’t let her get off scot-free.

Isadora: No use getting your shoes dirty when I already know you’re in there.

Riley exhales, glancing down at her awkward posture crunched up attempting to hide. She gives up, exiting the stall and sauntering up to the sinks. She avoids Isadora’s inquisitive expression as she wipes at her eyes, splashing water on her face and hoping to reduce how flushed her cheeks are. Isadora continues to examine her, neither one of them saying anything.

Then, Isadora reaches up and grabs a paper towel from the dispenser. She folds it carefully, looking at it rather than Riley.

Isadora: The people here suck.

She holds out the towel to Riley, offering it. Riley glances at it, then her, before exhaling half a laugh and accepting it. She nods and manages a smile, using the towel to dab at her eyes and cheeks. Isadora doesn’t say any more, heading out of the room. Riley watches her go, genuinely grateful for the momentary extension of kindness. Especially from somewhere so unexpected.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

CORY MATTHEWS is meeting with Angela and SHAWN HUNTER. Both of them look surprised, obviously displeased with whatever message Cory has come to convey. He doesn’t exactly look thrilled to be having this conversation either.

As it stands, a handful of sophomore students are failing some of their core curriculum classes. As their academic teacher, it is Cory’s responsibility to inform Angela and Shawn of this problem and, under duress from Principal Hunter, insist that if they do not bring up their grades that they be barred from all creative activities.

Cory hands over the list of students to Shawn, Angela leaning over his shoulder to take a look. The students on probation are Dave Williams, Dylan Orlando, Haley Fisher, Nick Yogi, Zay Babineaux, and Maya Hart.

Angela is particularly stressed over this, as she cannot afford to bar Maya from the creative side of her schooling. They have the fall showcase coming up in which representatives from each school in the district go to show off their strongest performers and vye for more funding, and she was counting on Maya to be that star. Shawn fires back, claiming she could hold auditions rather than picking her favorite like every other stereotypical theater teacher in the history of the arts.

Cory says it’s as simple as each of the students on probation passing their next round of exams. They all can make it, they’re just going to need a little push. And all three of them agree on one thing – it should not be shared which students are on academic probation.

INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

As it turns out, not all of the students on probation are going to be as easy to uplift academically. Maya is blowing off her homework at the tiny kitchen table, humming to herself and distracted. Academics simply aren’t her thing, and if she could have it her way she wouldn’t be doing them at all. What she truly cares about is performing – which is a problem when you’re there specifically on scholarship.

KATY HART (late 30s) breaks her from her daze, entering the apartment in a huff and carrying groceries. Maya jumps up and helps her unload, starting to help restock their small kitchen. Katy broaches the question of how school is going, mentioning that she saw in the mail that there was a letter from Principal Hunter. Maya brushes it off, assuring her not to worry about it, even though she has a feeling it probably has to do with her grades.

Katy warns Maya not to get too comfortable. The scholarship she has that allows her be at the school is crucial to her attendance, and she doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. Maya agrees, but she doesn’t seem wholly confident in her ability to promise that nothing will change. She glances at her unfinished homework, before continuing to help her mother with groceries.

INT. BABINEAUX HOME - DINING ROOM - NIGHT

The Babineaux family has received the same letter, only there’s no mystery as to what it contains. DONNA BABINEAUX (40s) is grilling Zay as she prepares dinner, OMAR BABINEAUX (40s) working on the crossword and listening along. Zay claims he doesn’t see why he has to bust his ass in history class when all he is there to do is dance, but Donna points out that he’s still there to be a student.

Donna: You don’t give those teachers any excuse to be harder on you than they need to. You know you have to work three times as hard as everyone else.

Zay: I know. Believe me, I am.

Donna: And that goes double for academics. I know how difficult it can be for you, which is why we need to work even harder. You hear me?

Zay: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Omar meets Zay’s eyes over the paper, nodding along to everything Donna is saying. Clearly agreeing. But then he makes a face, just to brighten the mood a bit. Zay can’t help but smirk, his mother continuing to ramble on about the next thing.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

The class is assembled, obviously restless in the smaller classroom setting and desks rather than the auditorium. Cory is there as a guest that day, causing Riley to slouch even further than usual in her seat. Still, classmates toss silly glances at her.

Angela introduces Cory even though they all already know him, before he steps forward and explains his presence.

He is going to be holding “Academic Boot Camp” for those students who may be experiencing grade issues and need a little extra help. They know who they are. The meeting will be completely confidential to those who attend, and it will be beneficial to all who attend. While this announcement avoids the embarrassment of calling out those students on probation, it does alert the students to the fact that there are classmates under the academic gun. Interesting…

Maya looks particularly uncomfortable, trying her best to remain neutral but knowing this is directed at her. Shawn and Cory exchange a look, pre-lapping into the next scene…

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

Shawn is in Eric’s office, lounging in the chair across from the desk and tossing around one of his stress balls as Eric organizes his papers. They’re discussing the academic boot camp idea, Shawn lamenting the fact that it puts the pressure on the students struggling to come forward and put themselves out there.

Shawn: I mean, I remember being in high school and hating every second of it. Knowing I wasn’t smart, having to face that day by day and grade by grade. You could not have paid me to willingly attend an academic boot camp.

Eric: Well, I don’t know. The students here are a lot more dedicated to their studies than you were – no offense. [ Off Shawn’s shrug. ] For those who really want their time here to mean something, they’ll put the effort in.

Shawn: You should’ve seen the look on Maya Hart’s face. And it’s even worse for her, considering she’s on scholarship. I mean, if she doesn’t get those grades up –

Eric: What?

Shawn is surprised by Eric’s naivety. Doesn’t he get it? If Maya’s grades continue to suffer, there’s no way they’re going to keep her as a student on scholarship. It goes against the entire concept of “scholarship.” Eric is in a tizzy, stating they can’t possibly do that to her. Shawn’s like don’t get all hissy with me, take it up with my brother. Eric’s like don’t think I won’t, gathering his things and storming out. Shawn sighs, tossing the stress ball and catching it.

Shawn: Lovely chat, then.

INT. AAA - CORY’S CLASSROOM - DAY

Maya uneasily makes her way into the classroom after school, greeted by Cory at his desk. Angela and Shawn are also present, as well as the other five probation students. Maya and Zay size each other up, somewhat shocked to see the other present. Maya slides into her seat.

Dave and Dylan aren’t surprised to be there considering they share a collective brain cell, but everyone else is a bit of a shock. As Cory gets up to start the meeting, Maya interrupts when she expresses that there’s no way no one else is coming. Pointedly, Zay says that Lucas isn’t there.

Zay: Is he really bold enough to skip out on academic boot camp?

Shawn: Actually, Lucas has excellent grades.

The entire group is collectively shook. But Lucas isn’t the focus of this gathering, as Cory points out to get them back on track. He instructs them to crack open their textbooks, Maya and Zay exchanging another look before doing so begrudgingly. Swimmingly, this whole thing seems to be going. Cory gives an encouraging smile to Angela.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Eric storms into Jack’s office, not waiting for a greeting and immediately questioning how he could be heartless. Jack rolls his eyes, closing his work and already with thin patience.

Jack: Oh, how I love how you barge into my work space without warning. Hello, Eric. How are you this afternoon? Could I get you anything? Any water or perhaps a coffee before you gesticulate all over my office?

Eric ignores his sarcasm, launching into a tirade about how he could possibly consider removing Miss Hart from the school because of something as small as academics. She’s some of the most talent they have to offer, and he would just oust her? Knowing that she can’t pay on her own?

Jack fires back with offense at the notion that academics are small, pointing out that there are plenty of students here just as talented as her and taking their academics seriously. And Maya’s grades are abysmal, he can’t in good conscience keep supporting her if nothing changes. He knows she’s a great girl, she’s got talent. Of course, he doesn’t want to take away her funding, but it’s not fair to the other students earning their scholarships.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Teacher’s Argument” as performed by FAME! Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Eric Matthews & Jack Hunter

Eric launches into the opening verse, advocating for the artistic integrity of a student and how academics shouldn’t bar them from pursuing their dreams. Jack is coming from the alternative angle, claiming that artists are people just like everyone else and have to earn the respect of their peers and their place at the table.

The song serves to highlight the two very different backgrounds that Eric and Jack are coming from. Eric was a performing arts student in his youth just like the teenagers at AAA, and so encouraging their dreams is the most important thing to him. He had the support of his parents and the means to flounder around a bit until he figured out who he wanted to be. Sure, he didn’t accomplish his grand dreams, but he believes in every single one of them. He doesn’t want any of them to get ignored and brushed off the same way he did.

Jack, on the other hand, had no room for floundering. He grew up trailer park trash in Philadelphia with his father and Shawn and then with his mother in Virginia, and the only thing that allowed him to gain the respect of others was through academics (“Put your faith in books / that will protect you / put your faith in books / and a mind of your own / neither charm nor looks will make them respect you / you must learn to stand alone”).

They are evidently deeply torn on this argument, and neither is going to back down when it comes to Maya Hart. Thus, it’s imperative that she get those grades up. Perhaps, Cory’s boot camp will avoid all of the potential drama before it starts.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - NIGHT

However, AAAC has other plans. As Riley as eating dinner with her parents and Auggie – Cory and Topanga not speaking much at all currently – she gets a notification on her phone. It claims that AAA Confessions has made a new post, indicating that Riley sure followed the page after she showed up on it.

When she goes to look at the post, it’s a momentary relief to see that she is not the victim of the latest update. But she realizes the trouble that this post is going to spread a second later. Maya’s SCREAM preluding the following scene speaks enough for it –

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Maya and Zay are in Angela’s classroom, freaking out over the latest post. It’s a hastily taken photo of Cory’s classroom during boot camp, snapped from the hall outside. Although it’s blurry, all six of the probation students are visible, so their secret is effectively blown. Angela has a lot of questions about this Instagram they all seem to be following, but Zay and Maya are way more concerned about the fact that the entire school now knows they’re stupid.

Angela: You are not stupid. Everyone learns at their own pace.

Maya: Yeah, okay, you can say that to Sunshine Matthews to make her feel better about her two left feet, but that does nothing for me.

Angela assures both of them that everything is going to be fine, and for now they are going to handle this the way any professional would handle a scandal breaking. They are going to confront it head on and accept it for what it is.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

This involves publicly discussing the events in class, where Cory has joined them again. Now that they are no longer keeping things a secret, it seems that the best way to go about things is to match each struggling student with a tutor. That’s what all this is about, anyway, helping those falling behind get back on track.

Wyatt: Who’s going to give Matthews a dance tutor?

Riley ignores this commentary, crossing her arms and pushing her hair behind her ear. Her mood is changed when Angela also explains that the fall district showcase is coming up, and she’s going to need a female representative to go for AAA so she’ll be holding auditions over the remainder of the week. Riley perks up, figuring with Maya on academic probation this may be her chance to show off her stuff.

Cory and Shawn launch into matching students with their tutors. For some, the process is relatively simple.

Asher: I’ll tutor Dylan.

Dylan: LOVE OF MY LIFE! [ running and tackling him with a hug that almost knocks him over ]

Isadora volunteers to tutor Dave, claiming she’ll enjoy the challenge. NIGEL CHEY volunteers for Yogi; Clarissa for Haley.

When Zay is offered up, Charlie jumps at the chance. Cory argues that he needs to be focused on rehearsals (as he’s representing AAA at some other event… there’s a lot of schmoozing and showing off going on at these arts schools), but Charlie insists that he can do both. What better way can he represent what AAA stands for then by improving the circumstances of a fellow student. Zay makes a face at this, obviously a bit miffed at the insinuation that he’s in such dire need of improvement.

As Charlie is pleading his case to Shawn and Cory, Dave interrupts suddenly.

Dave: [ staring at Shawn and Charlie standing next to one another ] Mr. Shawn, is Charlie your son?!

[ A beat as everyone scrutinizes them – they do look very similar. Charlie beams. ]

Shawn: This goody-two-shoes? Please.

Angela, warningly: Shawn…

Out of arguments and figuring it’s not really worth the fight, Cory grants Charlie the right to tutor Zay. He seems far more enthused about it than the latter. This leaves Maya, and only one eligible student tutor left to match with her – Farkle.

Both of them are like absolutely NOT happening, but they really don’t have many other options. Farkle needs the hours to maintain his status as a student tutor, and Maya needs the academic help. In some ways, there’s no better match since Farkle is their top student academically. But Maya still has her objections.

Maya: I refuse. I refuse, I’m not taking anything from him. Except maybe my rightful place in the spotlight.

Farkle: Oh, wouldn’t you like to try.

Maya: I’m not doing it. I’m not.

Shawn: Then fail, Hart! Fail, and forfeit your chance to go the fall showcase. Or, you know, graduate. See if I care!

Tough love, but a valid point. After a tense silence, Maya begrudgingly agrees. Farkle does too, but only with the knowledge that at least he’s getting paid to be a student tutor and having Maya owe him something is a tempting prospect. Maya groans, storming away from the situation while she can still avoid it.

Riley immediately begins prepping her audition piece in her head. She’s not going to let this chance slip away so easily. She chases Shawn out after class.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Riley catches up to an exhausted Uncle Shawn, asking him if he thinks she should audition for the fall showcase. She knows she’s still got a reputation as a new kid, but she really does want to prove that she belongs here and she’s willing to put in the effort to represent them well. Shawn is only half-listening, but he encourages her regardless.

Filled with anticipation at finally having her shot, Riley heads the other way.

INT. AAA - LIBRARY - DAY

Maya and Farkle meet on neutral ground for their first round of tutoring. In the background, Asher attempts to tutor Dylan, who continually distracts them both or starts poking at his boyfriend and derailing their studying. Still, they’re better off than the divas.

Maya is reluctant to take any advice or help from Farkle, which sort of makes tutoring… impossible. Farkle, on the other hand, has little patience and is frustrated that she doesn’t immediately understand something when he explains it, exacerbated by their already inherent disdain towards each other. Their tension escalates into a full-on shouting match in the library, startling the assembled students and forcing the librarian to force them both out. It also earns them both a lunch detention.

Dylan: You thought I was bad? That could’ve been us. Aren’t you happy?

Asher: Please just complete the proof. We’ve been working on this for forty minutes.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Maya and Farkle are assembled for lunch detention, seated with about five seats between them and refusing to look at each other. Eric is organizing lunch detention, essentially begging them to stop making this process so difficult and to just realize they have a lot they could learn from one another. They might even be friends, to which both of them scoff. Neither student budges, so Eric moves forward with his assignment.

They will be writing letters to their parents, explaining exactly what happened and why they’re in detention. They won’t send them, obviously, but it’s an exercise to make them think about how it might feel to have to say such a dumb reason for ending up in detention to people who would be disappointed to hear it.

He finishes handing them the papers, before we pan to Lucas seated in the back of the room. He’s comfortably slouched in one of the back desks, feet up, and it’s clear – he’s spent plenty a lunch period in this room. Eric doesn’t bother handing him a sheet.

Eric: Lucas… just, don’t break anything.

Lucas: (:

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “What Is This Feeling?” as performed by Wicked Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Farkle Minkus & Maya Hart (feat. AAA Sophomores)

The letter writing prompts the opening speeches of this classic rival number, Farkle taking on his self-proclaimed rightful role of Elphaba while Maya takes the Glinda parts. The number begins in the classroom, the two of them escalating into song as they get overwhelmed with how much they resent one another.

From the background, Lucas’s expression is basically like “really? Even in DETENTION?” As they really get into singing, he rolls his eyes and slams his head down on the desk.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

As the other classmates jump into the song, lunch ending allows Maya and Farkle to be released back into the school. Maya clearly has the favor of the rest of the students on her side, and it’s clear that she’s the school favorite. Farkle truly is the Elphaba in this case.

As the song comes to a close, the “boo!” at the end actually belongs to Lucas. He’s passing Farkle at his locker, but takes the moment to double back and freak out the spastic diva just because it’s fun and he’s an easy target. Farkle, miffed, slams his locker door shut.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Over the Rainbow” as performed by Judy Garland || Performed by Riley Matthews

Riley performs her audition for the showcase spot, a sweet and soft rendition of “Over the Rainbow.” No grand fanfare, just her seated on a stool and singing like she did with her song in the pilot. It’s beautiful as always, but again, doesn’t seem to quite capture the full power and potential that Riley has inside her. Inoffensive, but… where’s the feeling?

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Lucas, for example, is up in the booth working the lights and he’s lowkey falling asleep. Like, she’s got a beautiful voice and he’s like okay she’s pretty this I know… but would she… do something? Great question, Lucas. This is what happens when you stomp down all your emotions to constantly placate other people.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Riley finishes, Angela thanking her for a lovely performance. After the class disperses, Angela checks in with Maya to see how tutoring is going. Maya admits it sucks, and she isn’t going to go to it anymore. Angela pushes back, pointing out that she’s forfeiting her chance to go to the fall showcase and her very presence at the school is at risk.

Pressured, Maya snaps and is like well you have sweet little Honey Riley now, don’t you? She slinks away before Angela can formulate a response.

INT. MINKUS HOME - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Over the Rainbow” as performed by Bjarne E. Nelson || Performed by Farkle Minkus

Maya and Farkle have abandoned their tutoring, so Farkle is left alone. He’s playing “Over the Rainbow” on piano, clearly demonstrating and passion and skill for the instrument. There’s something very moving about the performance, the emotion with which Farkle plays. It’s more vulnerable, real perhaps, than any other performance he’s given so far. Than he lets anyone else ever see up close at school.

His peace is interrupted when his mother returns home with his two younger brothers, disrupting the practice time. He’s bombarded by his littlest brother, EZRA MINKUS, who asks for help on his math homework. It’s clear that Ezra idolizes Farkle, even if he doesn’t recognize it. He agrees to help, gesturing for Ezra to go grab his things and get set up in the living room.

In the conversation that ensues between Farkle and JENNIFER MINKUS, the sense is clear that Farkle does not really have a creative outlet at home. Everything is very academia and intellectual and not about that performing arts life. Somehow, he works to keep those two very separate for the sake of making his parents’ lives easier… even if it’s not so fulfilling for him.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Charlie and Zay have reign of the black box, seated at desks across from one another while they have their tutoring session. The session is relatively calm and quiet, the two of them keeping things very surface-level and professional. It’s clear that Charlie wants to say something more, but can’t find the right moment or even the right words.

Zay finally convinces him that they’ve earned a snack break. After Charlie comments that he’s clearly very smart and hardly needs his tutelage, really, Zay reveals that he has dyslexia. Charlie claims he had no idea, and Zay goes on to explain that it makes dancing more difficult too. It’s a lot to share with just an acquaintance, and Charlie is humbled by the honesty. It provokes him to say what’s been on his mind this whole time.

Charlie: I really admire you. You know that?

Zay, scoffing: Perfect Prince Charming Charlie Gardner, admiring me? Yeah, right.

Charlie: I mean it. You’ve got killer pipes, for starters. And you dance circles around all of us. [ in total awe ] But more so it’s just like… you are so exactly who you are.

Zay: Thanks?

Charlie: I just mean that… you know who you are. And the way that you just… do things. Unapologetically. Because you want to. That’s so cool, man. I have no idea how to do that.

Zay finds this notion sort of silly, but it’s clear that Charlie is 100% serious. He ventures the topic further, intrigued by his seemingly bland existence.

Zay: When was the last time you did something just because you wanted to?

Charlie: I don’t know… I don’t go looking for trouble.

Zay: Who taught you that having fun was trouble?

Seeing that Charlie maybe has something to learn from him, too, Zay blows off studying for the rest of the afternoon. No, they’re done studying. It’s time to take a lesson in another facet of life. It’s time to have a little fun.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Schoolin’ Life” as performed by Beyonce || Performed by Zay Babineaux & Charlie Gardner

Zay kicks off the bopping duet, managing to pull Charlie into it halfway through as far as dancing. The two of them dance around the classroom, jumping onto desks and goofing off. Just totally letting go, forgoing responsibilities, and doing what they’re good at. It’s loose, fun.

It’s clear that Charlie is having the time of his life.

INT. AAA - SHAWN’S OFFICE - DAY

A cramped and disorganized crawl space of an office. Angela drops by unexpectedly, causing Shawn to pour coffee on himself in surprise. She immediately goes to help him, grabbing some tissues and starting to reach over and dab his shirt himself… before remembering they aren’t like that anymore and handing them to him instead.

As he cleans himself and questions what she’s doing deeming him worthy of her presence. She ignores his sarcasm, claiming that she needs help with Maya. She wants to help her, and is genuinely worried about her prospects, but can’t seem to get a word in edgewise and doesn’t know how to handle her bouts of anger. She never has been great with that.

Shawn, on the other hand, deals with troubled kids all the time and happened to be one himself. Is still one, if Angela’s comments to him last episode are any indication. Shawn actually empathizes with the situation, commenting that the amount of genuine care Angela has towards Maya is a great first step, but she probably isn’t accustomed to accepting it.

Unfortunately, there’s not much she can do but be there if needed and let Maya come to her own choices on her own time. With stubborn personalities like that, sometimes that’s all you can do. This insight seems to serve Angela’s perception of both Maya and Shawn, and the tension between them softens a little bit. Even if they disagree, it’s evident they both genuinely care about the students in their care.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Maya is officially meeting with Principal Hunter to discuss her academics. He warns her that if she doesn’t turn it around, she will be put on serious probation and may lose her scholarship. Maya cracks and begs him not to, and that she can’t tell her mother this because it would break her heart. Jack’s hands are tied, though, and he looks to Maya to take the situation more seriously or else pay the price. Maya, wounded, absorbs this ultimatum.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

Farkle approaches Eric’s classroom in pursuit of formally cutting ties with his tutoring arrangement with Maya, but he stops when he overhears his conversation. Eric is talking with Cory, discussing what is going to happen with Maya. This is the first that Farkle has heard of her being on scholarship, and the first moment he’s had to face the reality that if she doesn’t get her shit together, she may actually leave the school.

He’s shell-shocked. In a rush of adrenaline, he reaches out to Maya again and gives her a location for tutoring. Putting the ball back in her court, if she opts to show up.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - NIGHT

Riley is helping Topanga cook dinner, sort of lost in her own head. When Topanga prompts her, she admits that she took the leap and auditioned for this opportunity at AAA, and given the current climate of her competition she thinks she may actually get it. Topanga is happy for her, giving her a hug and commending her for taking the bull by the horns and making a bold choice.

When Riley attempts to get more of a read on what’s going on with her parents, Topanga changes the subject. When she tries to push it again, Topanga takes on a warning tone and Riley reverts back into her usual submissive, placating role. It’s clear where she takes on that persona, having learned it early in life. The subject is dropped for now.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The techies are up in their usual seats, Isadora painstakingly attempting to tutor Dave.

Isadora: This is elementary level stuff we’re talking about here. How did you get to 10th grade. I don’t understand.

Dave: I don’t know, they tell me where to go and I go there. It’s amazing I got to school this morning. Sometimes you just gotta go with it.

Isadora: Did you stick a fork in the toaster when you were little, or what?

Lucas smirks, enjoying listening in on their tutoring session. Dylan and Asher arrive, asking the group of them if they’ve seen the AAAC this morning. The techies typically don’t follow it except for Dave and Asher, but Dave’s been banned from social media while Isadora attempts to save his remaining brain cells.

Dylan shares that they posted some vaguely interesting post about how well Charlie and Zay’s tutoring has been going, with a picture of the two of them sitting close while studying. No one seems particularly moved by this, but as for the subject of the post himself…

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Charlie is looking more frazzled than usual, keeping his head down. He nearly jumps out of his skin when Zay appears next to him, holding up a test with a “B-” written in red ink on the front.

Zay: I mean, I think I deserve an A for effort, but no use in fighting the system.

Charlie, distantly: Ha ha, yeah.

Charlie is already walking away from him, Zay surprised by the curt dismissal. Wasn’t he just all over their whole little tutoring session. When he tries to catch up to him, Charlie brushes him off and claims he really just has to get to class. Although they weren’t exactly close to begin with, Zay is thrown by how abrupt the shift in their dynamic was. He backs off, heading down the hall on his own again.

INT. AAA - PRACTICE ROOM - DAY

Farkle is in the room he sent Maya, waiting around to see if she’s going to show up. He’s attempting to sound out a song by ear, playing tentative notes on the piano. He hums them to himself, trying to find the right starting note. As she enters, Maya finds it for him.

Maya: No, that one. The one you just played. Do that one again.

Farkle goes along with it, playing the note he just pressed. Maya hums along with it, both of them finding the right notes.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Don’t Stop Me Now” as performed by Queen || Performed by Maya Hart & Farkle Minkus

The two launch into an upbeat and jaunty duet of the classic rocker, Maya putting her all into the song as in some ways she fears it might be her last. It’s unpolished, not as glitzy as either of them usually operate in, but there’s something distinctly refreshing about it.

It’s clear that this is the most fun Farkle has had in weeks. This is where he gets his creative outlet, even in the spats with his greatest rival. In fact, especially with her. She may drive him crazy and she may be obnoxious, but she pushes him to be better. He’s not sure he’s ready to know what AAA would be like without her yet.

Maya awkwardly thanks for Farkle for reaching out, and he’s like don’t thank me yet. We still have to actually fix your grades. They reach a temporary truce, getting down to business.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Riley jogs into school with vigor that Friday, excited to hear about who will be going to the fall showcase. She runs into Angela and Shawn just as they are emerging from the black box with Maya, clutching a new report card in her hands. As Riley catches up to their conversation, she quickly learns that Maya managed to get her grades back up and is out of the red.

Thusly, even though Riley actually auditioned and went through the effort, Maya will be the one attending the fall showcase perform and representing AAA. Theater teachers always have their favorites, after all.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Rose’s Turn” as performed by Glee Cast || Performed by Riley Matthews

Stunned, Riley watches as Maya heads down the hall between Shawn and Angela, leaving her in the dust. Like she never auditioned, like she wasn’t ever there. And was she, really? Finding it harder and harder to hold back her emotions, Riley begins a march down the hall until she’s jogging through the other students, making a mad dash for the auditorium.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Riley continues her angered performance on the stage, seemingly alone. All of the unfairness and struggle she’s had since the beginning of the school year is spilling out of her, translating into the most impassioned and impressive performance we’ve seen from her yet. She rails into it, and it’s like YES! THIS is the talent Miss Matthews has been hiding away the entire time.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

That’s exactly what Lucas thinks, who happens to be in the booth at the time (because, honestly, he always is). As she’s performing he pops his head up from behind the lighting board, obviously shocked to hear someone else singing that isn’t one of the divas.

As he squints out the window towards the stage and watches her pop the fuck off, he’s lowkey entranced. Like, yeah. That’s a performance, alright.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

As Riley finishes the number, out of breath and overwhelmed emotionally, she’s scared out of her wits when someone starts applauding out in the audience. She jumps, whipping around and squinting through the stage lights to see who was eavesdropping.

Lucas is making his way down the steps from the booth, still clapping. The applause is somewhat sarcastic, because well, he’s Lucas, but they’re also genuine. It was a good performance. Riley just seems to be stuck on the fact that someone was listening to her belt like that at all.

Lucas: Bra – [ hopping down the last step ] vo.

Riley, defensive: Are you like, ALWAYS up there, or what?

Lucas approaches the edge of the stage, commentating on how that’s the most impressive thing she’s done since she got to this school. Forget keeping up, that’s what he’s been waiting to see this entire time. She finally actually brought it.

Riley, too frazzled to be scared of him, actually listens to this. She spoke freely, sung freely, and no one hated it. No one told her to drop it. In fact, someone – a hard-to-please someone, at that – seems to have actually enjoyed it. That’s a lot to absorb all at once.

Lucas: Whoever it was that was singing just now, up there? That sounds like the real you. That sounds like someone worth knowing.

Lucas walks away, leaving Riley to hang on that sentiment and ponder everything that’s happened in the last few months since she got to AAA. Maybe it’s not enough just to keep up. Maybe it’s time for her to make bolder choices.

Maybe this is the moment where things really start to change.

END OF EPISODE.