#especially knowing how they do 6x08

[bronx-bomber87]

First off thank you much for the lovely response to my last thoughts. I was very nervous about posting and got a lot of good replies, notes and reblogs. This fandom is the best. I think it's important to see both sides and I wanted Tim's to be represented in a way that gave insight without condoning what he'd done. (Cause our boy done messed up.) So giving a little of myself achieved that I believe.

I didn't know a ton about this ep cause I’m a square who stays away from spoilers haha So let’s get started.

6x08 Punch Card

Ugh my heart Tim got a reminder for Lucy’s Bday. Instant heart stomping already….I love that he had a reminder set up though. Making sure he would't forget. I’m crying already. Even though I'm so very sad. I love that he had this setup. When the elevator opens the amount of tension is palpable. Something felt very wrong. Good thing Tim was lost in his Lucy moment or he would've picked up on this sooner.

Poor Tim just wants to explain himself to Mad Dog. To explain what happened. The man is not in a place to receive it and we see later why. That look said it all though when Mad Dog departs. When Dr. London said she just took the wrong elevator my red flag gut was going off.

Now that I've see the episode as a whole I can see Dr. London's play here. She seems to use flirting as a defense mechanism all her own. To protect herself and manipulate those around her. I mean they brought her flirt fest with Aaron in the recap back for a reason I think. She's worried Tim read into something about her interaction with Mad Dog. I mean Tim is clearly upset about seeing him and she uses that to deflect attention off herself. My off meter definitely was kicking on with her. Especially with how flirty she was being I didn't like it.

Now some may see Tim's response as him flirting back but I think he's investigating her. Also he's being a little sassy because he's not comfortable with her doing therapy outside the office. I mean his face when he leaves that elevator is not of a man who just flirted. It's one who is one still hurting and two his cop gut is going off but he isn't sure why....He seems conflicted by what just went down in that elevator. Just like us he was feeling off about her.

This scene was very cute with Grey. I loved him anointing her to be a T.O. LOL Also once again showing the faith he has in Lucy. To train Celina and know she would do a good job. I was excited for this opportunity for her. For her to tap into leadership. Honestly it shouldn't have taken this long for Lucy to get to show her chops with this.

Tim is so busy trying to delete his Lucy reminder he runs into the physical version of it without realizing. Andddddd it’s still awkward af between them. How could It not be? No communication between them so naturally it is. Stilted awkwardness. Lucy got out of there so fast. Even with Tim making the all powerful joke. Trying to make it less awkward. Ow. Couldn't get away fast enough. The way he watches her go. *sigh* Like he's watching his entire heart depart the room.

This hurts you guys. No matter how much I know it’ll be ok at some point this hurts to watch. Grey not pulling any punches noting how very awkward that was. Tim telling him that's actually better than it's been....Makes me wonder how much time has passed between 6x07 and now. Wade not caring that's progress to Tim. He is not messing around....

Just wants Tim to fix is ASAP cause of the team dynamic. He's not wrong. Man isn't wrong. Rarely if ever is. Saying if Tim can't there’s gonna be a transfer and it won’t be Lucy….I mean I LOVE Grey siding with Lucy on this one. Not a doubt in his mind if it shakes out that way it'll be Tim. That being said just hearing that. Ugh. Deep anxiety pit of my stomach. And of course it would be friggin North Hollywood. That damn station been haunting them since S2. Looming over them ready to take one of them away.

Lucy being Celina’s T.O .for the day I love it. She is so excited to be her leader even if it's just for this shift. Just wants to 'Invest in her success.' You know Lucy's leadership is pretty damn identical to how I am with my team. While I am mostly Tim there are pieces of Lucy in me as well. I related to her style of leadership quite a bit.

Aaron and Tim in the surveillance van is hilarious. Their dynamic has always entertained me. I truly adore these two goobers together. Tim is trying so hard to keep his shit together. Aaron dying of ask him if he finds it hard to surveil his old team for an OP? Tim of course gives him the company line. Doing what he is told without complaint. Pulling out some S1 Tim with that reply my love.

Tim then telling him he needs a stronger deodorant LOL It's too funny. What a boring assignment for them both. Tim went from running that entire team. Doing ops and making decisions on the fly to this….Also Aaron being too distracted by his deodorant comment to pay attention is the most Aaron thing ever haha

What I love the most about Lucy with Celina is her correcting without crushing her confidence. Once again reminding me of myself when I'm correcting my work kids on stuff. She is kind but confident in her assessment of what she did wrong in this moment. Celina receiving it well because she handles it this way. Lucy out here crushing it already with zero T.O. training. Just going off instinct and what she would want if she was a newbie still. Once again her and I very alike.

Oh Tim getting that reminder again. *heart clutch.* Sigh my boy. Aaron offering to turn it off for him. I love that he was gonna have it remind him through out the day. Pre-breakup Tim clearly didn't want to forget. Wanted to make sure he not only knew it was but to make sure to make a big deal of it. That's just an assumption on my part but man would've wanted to do that. it's the way he has 'TOMORROW.' Wanting to make sure he didn't forget such an important day. *screams into a pillow.* Aaron asking if he’s gonna get her anything? I’m sure he had stuff in mind. But yeah bad form indeed…

Tim’s sweet smile when he finds out what Aaron got her. Knowing how perfect of a gift that would be for her. That sweet knowing smile makes me wanna weep a bit. He knows his girl so well. Lot of sadness attached to the smile though. 'Can I ask why ya’ll split up?' 'No.' LMAO Took it too far Aaron....You're lucky you got that much good sir.

This scene with Mad Dog hurt my heart for Tim. No matter how wrong he was for what he did I still hate seeing this. This was what I was worried about with him working with Metro. Picking at the wounds he hasn’t even begun to heal about how he left. I knew him making notes on the OP was going to come back and bite him in the ass. Watching all his repercussions is painful to see I have to say. Knowing what we know about Mad Dog later I think that's part of why he goes off on Tim. Doesn't make it any easier to watch though...

Friggin Love Lucy being a BAMF in this episode. Especially in this moment. When she once again corrects but doesn't crush Celina about her gun. It's the way she guides Celina and has control over every situation they encounter in this ep. Proving herself a worthy teacher and leader. Also she was a better teacher to Celina in one episode than Nolan has been her entire career. Dude is a stinker of a T.O. It shows in how Celina makes basic mistakes Lucy had down pat long before this time in her rookie year.

Too bad Lucy can't finish out her training and Nolan is booted. But that'll never happen nothing sticks to that man. Not since S3 premiere. The rules and repercussions are rubber and he's glue. What doesn't stick to him does to everyone else... Grey should really evaluate his teaching skills. But that'll never happen. But she deserves a better teacher than him.

From the minute Tim entered the room something seemed very wrong. From the way Mad Dog was just expecting Tim to flog him. Like he wanted Tim to ream him out for how the OP went down. Also how Mad Dog seemed nervous af to see Dr London. I mean look at that man above. He is scared shitless she is there to see him. The way he watches her though out the scene. Especially when she leaves.

Tim's cop gut is going off like crazy when she enters the room. Wondering how the hell she even know about this? He seems to take her answer at face value because honestly its pretty good considering it's a bold faced lie. Tim once again feeling like something is very off but isn't sure why.

First let me say once again I feel personally attacked by the choice in song once again. lol I couldn't find the song to save my life. The lyrics are *chef kiss.* They're painfully accurate for them both. Think they've been very intentional with their ending music and just in general this season. These lyrics filled me with some hope as well. Jotted down the lyrics since couldn't find the song.

‘When the sun won’t shine and the words don’t rhyme. And there’s mountains you can’t move. Somethings on your mind and it’s been some time-since you felt like you were you. When it all caves in feeling paper thin. And the pain might cut right through.

Oh child, Lift up your head. All this trouble's only gonna last for awhile.’ Yeah we’re gonna be all right oh child. Lift up your head. And the light's gonna find you. When you feel like you ain’t got a friend. And you’re wondering if you ever gonna smile again. Every little thing gonna be ok. I know that you gonna see better days.’ *heart clutch.*

Damn smart of Tim saying happy birthday from Kojo and not him. I’m not crying you are. This was so so sweet. Lucy's reaction to Kojo got me all in my feels. She's so excited to see him. Then that excitement melts into sadness. Because he's an extension of Tim. The way she pet's him and says how much she misses him ugh.

Seems there is a double meaning going on there. We all know despite the hurt how much she misses her person. Tim just standing there only imagining her reaction when Kojo makes his way back. What a way to bring that sweet boy back in. I'm so happy about it. Tim is respecting her space but couldn’t let her bday go without doing something. Had to let her know her was thinking of her still. The fact that it’s happening in the hallway where so many seminal moments have played out for them.... I wanna cry.

I LOVE that Tim got Kojo to put his little paw in ink for the card. It is so sweet. Their fur baby. He put serious thought and effort into this. This was so well done. Only Melissa and Eric could have chemistry without even seeing each other. This is the first time we've really seen Lucy cry about them. 6x06 she was in complete shock. 6x07 was her processing her thoughts/emotions. She was on the verge of tears but we didn't see her cry. This was first time we've seen her shed tears on screen at least since the break up. Wanna hug her so much. She deserved this card and more. Like a real conversation with him but this is a good start.

She knows this is Tim reaching out without physically doing so. Showing her he still cares. I mean he clearly very much does. You don't put thought and effort in like this if you don't. It's a huge thing for him to do right now. Lucy recognizes the effort in this adorable act. Tim's face after she reads the card. Ripping my damn heart out. The absolute regret splayed all over it. Like it’s finally hitting him what he’s done to her. What he’s lost in the process. He gave up his favorite person. His happy place and just it’s hitting him square in his chest.

Like a freight train that’s run him over. It's the way he shakes his head. Kicking himself. Knowing he hastily threw them away. What a mistake he’s made in his irrational decision making. It’s written all over his beautiful face. He may not fully understand yet why he did it but the regret is evident. Eric be killing me. His face screams all that. Knowing he should’ve been with Lucy for her birthday. Hell probably sharing that bath bomb she brought up with her. Killing me softly. Hurts so good. Damnit writers... This is being handled so well though. So hats off to them. They both needed this moment more than either of them knew.

Mad dog killing himself....jesus H Christ. Poor Tim the last thing he needs is this. It explains why he was extra nasty to Tim though. Tim saw the flaw in his play and freaked the hell out. Also for Tim to see someone he once trusted with his life compromise themselves. Compromise the safety of their own men. Gut punch. And for what? Money? Power? We won't know till more of this unravels. Whatever it is won't be for a good reason. I know Tim hates himself for his mistakes. But those mistakes always had some form of honor attached to them.

He may not see that but I do. Now the op where he got his men killed no but what he did after was honorable. What he did for Mitch came from a honorable place. I just wonder how seeing Mad Dog doing something so very un-honorable is gonna affect him moving forward...Oh my lord I’m so mad about Dr London not because I liked her. But because I didn’t want it to derail Tim’s therapy in any way. The man needs it. Here’s hoping he continues in s7 with someone better.

Everyone was right she’s a dirty birdy. I was just hoping she wouldn’t be. But my ick and uncomfortable factor went WAY up in this ep with her. I knew it was inevitable. It's not that I didn't want to be wrong about her. It's the fact I didn't want this to hurt Aaron and I definitely I didn’t want her to be dirty for Tim that was it. For his therapy and the progress he's made. I hope this doesn’t affect his therapy journey and he can find someone not compromised in S7.

That promo for next week oh my lord….the hug! The hug! "This doesn't change anything." Then pulls him right in like nothing's changed. I will be living there from now on. Or until next week lol Love the Finale being a 2 parter as well. Phew this is gonna be an intense ending to this season. Gonna be chomping at the bit for S7 once it's done I know it. Like the song stated we're gonna see better days. I truly believe that. We got this my lovely fandom. Thank you for always being so wonderfully receptive of these reviews. Appreciate any likes, comments or reblogs that come my way.

~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

Angela shooting Monica down with Wesley. She's an Epic Queen and I adore her.

Dr London is in alliance with Monica. That's super great….cool cool cool……I have a feeling and D and I discussed this earlier. Reminds us of Armstrong. This feels more like a she's been forced into it a situation. Because its obvious she's good at her job.

But the way she freaked out about the cops being hurt clearly shook her. She looked on the verge of tears in Mad Dog's room. So do I think she's a bad person? Unsure at the moment. Do I think she was once a good person who was manipulated into whatever this alliance is? I do. Be interesting to see how her SL unfolds.

[fritoley]

The Dragon Prince Thoughts 6x08 - We All Fall Down

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Omgg i’m so scared—

AHH

And it starts

Omg sol regem banging into the towers and stuff too this is wild

OH NO THEY’RE TRAPPED

Shit—

OH SHIT

SOREN NO—

Plsbeokayplsbeokayplsbeokayplsbeokay—

HE’S ALIVE WHOO

Omg babeee ur bleeding—

Now he’s really gonna have a scar like corvus

“Get everyone out”

See he learned from the pyrrah incident in s2 he’s prioritizing the people now that he’s not in the whole “xadia is evil” mindset

Hey wait where’s he going—

“Take good care of Hat.”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??

SOREN—honey—wHaT aRe YoU dOiNg—

WHAT

AARAVOS IS CONTROLLING PHAROS—

Is this cuz the dark magic infection thingy

Omg viren’s been in there for a long time lmao—

“You have your other way! Dark magic!”

Notice how soren said “your other way” as if he still doesn’t condone it, but he knows it’s the only way to save everyone

Dark magic is so nuanced in situations like these like yeah it’s last resort but if you’re someone who hates it with a passion and then you end up needing it what are you supposed to do

Do you give up your ideals for the greater good or stand your ground and risk disaster

That’s why i love this show so much there’s no clear bad guy

“Take my heart.”

SOREN N O

S T O P

NO

I mean what else is he supposed to do yeah but STILL—

N O O O O O O o o O omg pls—

No not soren

Omg i’m so scared not soren PLEASE—

I’m actually gonna cry if he dies please no—

OH MY GOSH IS VIREN USING HIS OWN HEART—

GAHHH I CAN’T TAKE IT

Just as i forgave him too—

GAHH NO it’s the way he’s ACTIVELY DYING while doing the spell to the point he can barely say the incantation 😭😭😭😭😭😭

“I am a… servant.”

This scene pretty much speaks for itself idrk what to say

This shit is sad like fuck—

“My dad! I need to find my dad!”

CLAUDIA NO

Oooomg she’s gonna lose it if she finds him

Full azula mode

“What happened to your beloved mate who disappeared?”

Is he says he ate her imma pop off—

Who even is aithne solaire? Was she mentionedin something?

“In your fury, you buried her.. Alive.”

WHAT THE FUCK—

Like actually???

Not the way aaravos just dies laughing after dropping the darkest most depressing truth bomb ever—

OMG HE ATE PHAROS

“Choke on your own pride.”

HOW THE FUCK IS HE CHOKING ON A TINY LITTLE ELF

Oh my gosh—

This is just brutal

i'm terrified of choking too so it's that much worse

AND HE CATCHES ON FIRE—

“I don’t think you should see him like this.”

Ugh i love terry for being so considerate after everything she’s done

Like yes save the last of her sanity while she still has it

This episode is hard to watch—

The voice acting is impeccable tho like give claudia’s va a raise

OH SHIT SHE FOUND THE PEARL—

Lujanne giving no fucks about the crown is the funniest thing

But wtf is she talking about the diamond don’t tell me it’s fake—

“Her dad just died. Can’t she just take a moment to grieve?”

FINALLY Terry’s talking sense like shit aaravos at least give her a minute—

I KNEW IT

I FUCKIN KNEW IT

VIREN’S STAFF HAS A QUASAR DIAMOND

I literally said it like 2-3 episodes ago too

WAIT THAT MEANS—

“I can only save two of them.”

Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me—

Alright y’all it’s a wrap. Katolis is gone, viren is dead, aaravos is getting out, it’s a whole ass shit show. Ooooooomg i’m scaredddddd. Especially when callum finds out the real pearl was in katolis all along, i guarantee you he’s gonna spiral like he did in kosmo’s vision. This episode was really hard to watch, I was surprised, but in a good way. One more episode to go, then season sevennnnnnnnn whoooo

Time to cry :D

[whollyjoly]

okay with that first promo i am ON the murder hornet theory for s8 so hard

here me out:

the thing with murder hornets are that the stings are SUPER painful, and getting multiple stings could potentially be lethal even if you aren't allergic

(also apparently, there's some reports of them being able to spray their venom?? in people's eyes??? what the actual FUCK)

anyways, thinking about one of the 118 being allergic to bee stings, and gerard ordering them to go out on a call anyways. gerard doing the whole "it's just a bee sting, don't be such a wimp" (or, more likely, insert some derogatory statement) thing

like i could just SEE him refusing to take it seriously and endangering the team!! especially if one of them got stung, even if whoever it is isnt allergic, i feel like he would refuse to let them go to the hospital, going on about how "this is all a bunch of nonsense, they're just a bunch of bugs what are they going to do?" or even "afraid of a little sting? if you cant handle that, maybe you can't handle being a firefighter"

(bonus points if someone makes a "sure, you know all about little pricks joke", cause i would lose my goddamn shit)

im not convinced gerard is only going to be there for the opening emergency - i have a feeling he'll be around til the mid season finale at least - BUT it still could be a great way to show his blatant reckless endangerment for the 118

...also can you imagine the shenanigans of them freaking out if a single bee made it into the station?? it'd be maurice the chicken and the alpaca on hollywood boulevard all over again 🤣🤣

plus, we could see more of them in their bee outfits from 6x08!!! why are they so adorable!!!!

anyways, apparently im ✨manifesting✨ murder hornets for s8 2k24??? lets go!!!!!!

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

chamomile, chapter three

A/N: the gif in the moodboard is by @fightingdragonswithwho

summary:  the age-old tale of I like you, here, have a muffin

warnings: references to 6x08, tw food, flirting via baked goods, rain, mild embarrassment, dream analysis, kinda like that recurring dream where you show up to school or work naked?

word count: 1188

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Why had you thought that the journey to work would be okay with just an umbrella? It was pouring down rain, borderline a storm, why had you thought that you didn’t need the whole shablam in order to not get soaked? 

Stopping at a bakery, making your walk that much longer, didn’t help matters either. But you’d wanted to do something nice for Reid, you were almost convinced that the doctor survived purely on coffee, so you bought him a muffin. Of course, you weren’t gonna tell him that you’d gone all the way to that colourful little bakery that Garcia had recommended to you just for him. No, you’d bought yourself one as well, then it would just look like a simple act of kindness and not make you out to be some silly little girl with a crush. 

Standing in the elevator, you felt the cold water drip from your hair and onto your already wet collarbone. You probably looked like you’d just taken a shower fully clothed. Shrugging your bag back into place on your shoulder, you hoped and prayed that the baked goods were still safe and dry inside it. 

With a low ding, the elevator doors opened. It was still fairly early so there weren’t that many people here yet. Walking down the hall, you saw a dark cardigan round the corner. Perking up as he saw you, Reid greeted, “hi Y/l/n, good morning!”

“Reid, hey! Just the man I was looking for.”

Taken aback, he smiled softly, “you were looking for me?”

Opening your bag, you fished out one of the thankfully still dry paper bags. “I really wanted a muffin this morning, but then I thought about you and how I don’t think in the time that I’ve known you I’ve ever seen you consume something other than coffee, so I got you one as well.”

His eyebrow shot up in surprise and his smile grew wider, “oh.”

“It’s blueberry if that makes a difference…” you handed him the small crinkly bag.

“Thank you, really, this is so sweet of you.”

Regaining a bit of warmth now that you’d been indoors for a minute, you peeled off your soaked jacket, “you’re welcome. Thought it wouldn’t be the worst tactic to attempt to become more a part of this family you have here.”

“Well, I don’t know about the others, but if you bribe Garcia with baked goods, she might ask you to marry her.”

“And what about you? Should I expect to see you get down on one knee anytime soon?” you joked, draping your dripping jacket over your forearm. 

“Uhm…” he blushed, eyes widening, “I, um, what?”

“I was just kidding, don’t worry. Giving you a muffin isn’t my way of professing my undying love for you or anything,” you rambled, giggling nervously. 

“Oh, okay,” he breathed out, seeming rather distracted, his eyes kept flickering from your face to your chest, then at anywhere but your person. 

Furrowing your brows, you glanced down at yourself, gasping slightly at the sight. Your jacket truly hadn’t protected you from the rain. Your white blouse was drenched enough for you to clearly see the black lacy bra you had on underneath. Swiftly lifting your dripping jacket up to cover yourself, you cursed, “oh fuck,” squeezing your eyes shut, you tried not to panic, “okay, alright, you know what, I have some dry clothes in my go-bag.”

Then a voice behind you made your eyes shoot open and catch the doctor’s wandering vision. 

“-Prentiss and Morgan are already in Georgetown taking a look at the new body. As soon as Y/l/n gets here, the rest of us will gather to get familiar with the case,” you heard Hotch say behind you.

Your body reacted before your mind could do anything, practically sprinting to the nearest door to hide. Almost tripping over a broom, you realised that your hiding spot was a supply closet. You struggled for a moment to find the light switch, but when you did, you let out a huge sigh and slumped against the door.

After maybe a minute you heard a soft knock behind you and then Reid’s quiet voice, “Y/n? Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to go get your go-bag?”

“Yes!” you squeaked, “in my office! It’s in my office!”

It didn’t take long for you to hear the muffled footsteps return and yet another knock. Cautiously creaking the door open, you saw him standing there, partially turned all the way around to avert his gaze, your familiar black duffel bag stretched out towards you. 

“Reid, you’re a lifesaver!” you snatched it out of his hands and closed the door most of the way, still leaving it ajar so that you could continue the convocation. Ripping the zipper open, you grabbed the first top you could find within it and started unbuttoning the one you were wearing. “Really, you have saved me from the real-life manifestation of that classic nightmare where you show up naked at work or school or whatever.”

“If you believe in dream analysis it could mean that you’re feeling vulnerable and exposed, or that you’re concerned about how others perceive you here at work,” he rambled nervously through the cracked door, as you now stood in only your bra, shoving the damp white fabric down into the dark bag, “does any of that ring true for you?”

Were you feeling vulnerable and exposed? Your new job was both relatively dangerous, but also you were in a way the new public figure for the BAU team, so talking to lots of reporters and journalists properly did make you feel a bit exposed… 

And the thing about being concerned about how others perceive you here at work? Of course, you could be general and say that you were still new here, so you wanted everyone to like and accept you, but you could also swing in the direction of the very co-worker that was standing on the other side of this door… you certainly did spend too much time thinking about him and whether or not he liked you and to what degree. 

God, what were you, 16? 

Attempting to clear your head with a small shudder, you brushed him off, “nope, I feel completely comfortable here,” and did up the last few buttons on the new dry shirt. 

Tugging the bottom into your pants, you opened the door again completely, and asked with a sigh, “do I look okay?”

Inhaling sharply as his eyes finally fell upon you once more, he muttered slowly, “yeah… you, um… you look great.”

“Cool,” bending down to gather up your things, “thanks again.”

“Y/n, don’t thank me, it’s really nothing.”

“Still…” you walked out, coming dangerously close as you slowly slid passed him. Letting your eyes flutter shut just for a moment as his calming sent hit your senses, but only for a second, then glancing over your shoulder to force yourself back into the responsibilities of the day, “anyway, Hotch and the others are waiting for us, so we should properly…”

“Yeah, we should…”

next chapter

© 2022 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[stagefoureddiediaz]

What do you think it might mean to have Eddie wearing Buck's blue henley (or a copy of it at least) from 2x01 in the upcoming episode?

Hey Nonnie

I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about seeing Eddie in that blue Henley!! For starters it is definitely the same blue Henley Buck wears in 2x01! Eddie just doesn't wear blue all that often (18 times out of 140+ non uniform costumes!) so the fact that we have him wearing blue and not only blue but a blue Henley we've seen before on Buck is an interesting choice and hints at a couple of things. We of course need to remember we have no idea which scene/scenes this Henley is appearing in and who those scenes will be with and that may have an impact on why this particular Henley was chosen.

Firstly we have the scene we saw Buck wearing this blue Henley - in season 2 - he gets home to find Maddie in his shower having mistaken her for Abby, we have Buck cooking for Maddie and having a conversation about lying low/ hiding out before Buck shows her a picture of Abby.

The most interesting and probably important part of the conversation is the 'Eat, Pray, Love'  section. The idea that Abby is out exploring the world, but actually exploring herself and getting in touch with herself on a sexual level. Its especially interesting when we think about Buck comparing himself to Ana in season 5 because; Abby had a serious relationship which didn't end on her terms, she then dated Buck (having been pushed into it by Carla) to get herself back out there before leaving to escape and find herself. its implied that Abby slept around a bit before meeting Sam and finding her happily ever after with him.

Its interesting how that concept kind of ties in pretty well with Eddie's own dating trajectory - his relationship with Shannon didn't end on his terms, he dates Ana to get himself back out there (having been pushed into it by Bobby) and now we've got him going on a few dates as he figures himself and what he wants out, before in theory finding his version of Sam (cough Buck cough) and getting his own happily ever after.

Eddie dating around and actually discovering himself in a romantic and possibly sexual sense - something we've been give enough clues in canon to know hasn't really happened before now. Whatever his dating life is going to look like in the next couple of episodes (cough Marisol cough) its going to be about him exploring rather than settling down in a serious relationship - the settling down comes after the exploring in the same way it did for Abby.

The other side of the coin is the Eddie wearing blue. Like I said, its not a colour we see him in often, In fact we only see him wearing blue (other than his uniform obviously) a few ties - I'm including denim shirts in this 

2x04 - dark denim shirt -Eddie is with Abeula in hospital - Carla comes in with Chris 2x07 - Navy blue suit - touring Durrand School - light blue denim shirt - Shannon comes round to discuss Christophers new school 2x10 - light blue marl tee - Eddie and Shannon have sex and Chris comes home 3x03 - light blue denim shirt - Eddie drops Chris back off at Bucks post tsunami 'Theres no one I trust more with my son than you' scene 3x04 - (more teal than blue but I'm including it) Chris wakes from a nightmare 3x09 - navy blue tee - Therapy with Frank - post fight club 3x12 - dark blue waffle sweater -Eddie gets called to Christophers school - meets Ana 3x18 - light blue button up shirt - Mays graduation party 4x08 - mid blue denim shirt - Eddie introduces Ana to Chris as his girlfriend 4x14 - navy blue tee - Hospital - the Will scene 5x10 - navy blue shirt with dot pattern - Chris wakes from a nightmare 5x14 - light blue/lavender long sleeve tee - dream sequence in kitchen with Chris 5x17 - white henley with a blue shirt over the top - Christophers bedroom - conversation with Buck and then in Texas seeing family 5x18 - navy blue shirt with dot pattern, blue blazer -HenRen vow renewal 6x08 - dark blue distressed tee - Eddie helping Chris get ready for his school dance 6x09 - dark blue shirt - Eddie asleep on his couch 6x13 - Blue check suit for the Poker game

The thing I hope you're picking up from these occurrences is how much they are tied to family. every single one of the scenes when Eddie is wearing blue represents a key moment in Eddie and Christophers family life and how it is developing. Central to it all is Chris as all of the scenes are connected to him in some way even when he isn't present (perhaps especially when he is not present) even the scene in Franks office in season 3 is about Eddie not wanting Chris to end up like him, while the shirt and blazer worn to HenRens vow renewal is very much focused on strong family dynamics - especially his dynamic with Chris as we see in the flash forward/back scene.

However, in season 6 we have started to see the blue break away from being quite so tied to Chris and family dynamics and be a bit more focused on Eddie from 6x09 - its interesting that we see this split happen when Bobbys voiceover is talking about the Santa Anas coming to an end and the city resting before the cycle starts again. Eddies arc in that episode is about Eddie 'separating' himself from Chris - becoming more than just a father (and firefighter) and because the editing ties that scene to Buck and the blue check suit worn to the poker date connecting so heavily to Buck seeing where this next blue shirt is worn is going to be interesting.

Its because of this use of blue on Eddie that I'm inclined to think that the reuse of this Henley is more to do with it being blue and therefore about some key moment in the Diaz family dynamic/ the Buck and Eddie dynamic than it being connected to potential eat pray love experiences, although its entirely possible that both concepts are valid and correct in this case as we do have Eddie wearing Blue in connection with Ana (and with Shannon although she was less of an eat pray love thing!).

Until we know more about which episode its is definitely for and who else is in the scene its impossible for me to parse out meaning as I haven't seen the script and so much of what I glean from the costumes the wardrobe team put the cast in is derived from the text - which is the same way the Costume designer would make the decisions they have about the costumes we see on screen. Without that text for context, I really am only guessing as to the meaning of a costume and I'll always lean more into colour theory than I would anything else which is why if pressed I'm more inclined to think that they are reusing the Henley for the simple reason that its a Henley in blue. Eddie wears a lot of Henley's - its a key part of his wardrobe - and if they needed a blue one, why spend more money when you already have one in stock (I would have different feelings if it was Buck rewearing it rather than Eddie being seen in it for the first time, then it would definitely be about connecting the scenes) especially when Buck doesn't wear Henleys any more, so I am more inclined to lean towards it being worn in a key moment for the Diaz family/ Eddie and Buck's dynamic in some way over the eat pray love connection because of the Eddie in blue of it all.

Sorry I can't really give you a more focused answer than that, I just really have so little context to go on because even the bts gives us no vague context to work with!!!

[raeflora]

I’ve got some quick spicy questions about chuck and blair for you!!

Do you think Elenaor or Dorota heard them on that piano in 4x07 also how quickly they ended up in Blair’s bedroom? Also do you think in season 3 they were misbehaving in Blair’s penthouse often or they preferred doing that in Chuck’s or in a dorm? We are definitely seeing them together sleeping in Palace or Empire rather in blair’s house but i am curious of your thoughts about this!!

In 6x08 when blair shows up in Empire they kinda suggested like they were gonna have sex and i was fully convinced they did for years. But when i read in some fic that they fully reunited on their wedding night i was like..omg that would make actually sense. Cuz even tho they were struggled to keep their hands away from each other..especially blair haha ( pool girl she was so horny all the time) and chuck was very obligated to their pact which i think included that they cant kiss themselves. I would really want to know what you think about it even though that question is so silly

I wanted to add last question here but the the first 2 ended up much longer that I planned so i will ask it later.

hi!! these are such good spicy questions tysm 💖💖 so I think eleanor and dorota were definitely aware of what was going on but they probably didn't hear anything, and if they did they just pretended it wasn't happening sksfhjsk like they're both used to how blair and chuck are so they know how to avoid them. I think they probably had sex on the piano once and then went to her bedroom bc they were so full of "hate" they needed to keep getting it out of their systems (I don't think they necessarily had a conversation about it rather they instinctively knew where it was going) ooh in terms of s3 that's such a good point!! I think they definitely did have sex in the waldorf apartment but more during the summer, as once she starts at nyu she spends more time in her dorm so he goes to see her there instead of her apartment. for 6x08 I thought the same when I first saw it!! but then from the way she says kiss me chuck bass in 6x09 I feel like if they'd had sex a week before she wouldn't be so desperate for it (but as u said she spends most of s6 being horny for chuck so maybe it's possible) thematically I think the idea of them finally having sex again after their pact for the first time being on their wedding night is so beautiful, but there's some room for interpretation. personally I think they definitely showered together in 6x08 and maaaybe there was some intimate touching (without kissing to honour the pact) but they actually had full intercourse again on their wedding night. also I think if lily and bart hadn't been at dan and serena's thanksgiving and everything had been ok they would've definitely had pocahontas roleplay sex afterwards like chuck was so down for it 😌😌

[kmze]

I think it was you who said Dries wrote s7 out of spite & I never paid much attention since I stopped watching after a few episodes that infuriated me.But this is exactly what my friend who by the way is a KC shipper, LMAO ,said to me that whoever wrote this must be intentionally doing it and they are not even subtle about it.I mean Stefan lying isn't new but like with elena after he got exposed & called out there was some level of resolution but here it seemed like they were going out of their way to cut out all forms of communication.I never hoped more for Katherine to come out of wherever she was & rip out the throat of that discount version-skank like she did in the Stefan Diaries.

Yep that was me! The vitriol I have against that woman will never go away I felt immense joy when Ruby Rose came out publicly and said she created a hostile and toxic work environment because it gave me sweet sweet vindication. I will never forgive her for what she did in S7 (here is my meta on it) and honestly not surprised your KC friend noticed it because it wouldn't surprise me if she (Dries) was aware of the spoiler leaks that fandom was getting to make SC fans even more miserable during that season. I HATE HER SO MUCH! I'll also forever hate her because what she did took away so much momentum from Steroline, because in S6 where they were AMAZING and she was so petty and spiteful that her toys had been taken away from her she wrote that whole season with hate in heart and it wasn't even well written!

Perfect example with the lying because that is what always bothered me the most about the beginning of that season, Stefan was always a lying liar who lies but there was always resolution with it. Instead we had 7x06 where Stefan kind of dismissively tells Caroline to just trust him and then Val is throwing it in her face how loyal he is like the flames on the side of my face! Then she made sure the next episode they didn't even interact (and had the two biggest SC fanboys Chad and Joe write that episode of course) and then she CUT THE RESOLUTION SCENE! Compare that to early S6 when Stefan was being an extra jerk to Caroline as opposed to the others and SC shippers were like yeah he's doing that because she can break down his walls. Then 6x08 aired and he said he had to push her away THE MOST and we all had a great "I told you so" moment, because the writers CARED about them that season and gave them conflicts with the intention there'd be resolution.

Another thing that was definitely driven by spite was how Stefan and Caroline had a million phone calls that season instead of face to face conversations because touch was always one of Steroline's love languages. She wanted to sabotage that aspect of them, it's why 7x11 felt like such a breath of fresh air for them because Caroline grabbed his face and told him he's okay and he said no I'm not because he can't pretend with her. They always had a way that they could just look at each other and the other would know what was happening, even as early as 2x03 Stefan was telling Caroline the truth about how he knows being with Elena isn't safe for her. Just absolute intentional sabotage.

Okay so I don't completely get that reference lol was that from the books? I read them but my memory of them is so foggy but I agree with the sentiment lol. I'm just glad we got S8 because we got a lot of whining from other fandoms because of all the good stuff SC was getting (especially in the first half) and it was absolutely needed after that bullshit Dries put us through.

[enobariasdistrict2]

the thing is while literati and rogan shippers may be divided on rory's situation in s6 and the way both boys responded to it, i see the merit of both sides (although i could be biased since i very obviously ship both). and in the context of this episode specifically, 6x08 when looking at writing and characterization, i'm a big fan of how things play out.

because jess really does know rory as he claims to even if he obviously has made terrible choices with her in the past and hurt her badly (and let's keep in mind that while his actions were horrible and inexcusable, he was an immature TEEN at the time of their relationship and has clearly learned from his mistakes and matured a lot since then, to the point where rory is actually happy to see him and reconnect in a platonic capacity). because they are friends and he cares about her, because they have the type of relationship where they cheer for the other's successes, she supports the actions that he's taken to make something better for his life. and he chooses to support rory too, calling her out on her stagnant life that she's living at the moment and encouraging her to reclaim what she worked so hard for. he knows that she's lost and dejected, not following her passions/goals, not taking her ambitions seriously. and yes, i do agree that it's a bit unfair for him to have approached the situation that way and claimed to know what's best for her/yell at her especially as he hasn't had consistent presence in her life recently, but it does lead rory to a pivotal breakthrough and helps her turn things around for herself and pursue what she feels is the correct path, at last momentarily.

but that's not where the story ends either. when she confronts logan about her recent lifestyle, how it compares to his opportunities/privilege and the struggles he faces when dealing with that, and how they spend their time together drinking and partying (all of which are great themes to explore on their own), they get into what is a very important fight for them. logan reminds her that she has as much privilege and opportunity as him, that she's the one making the choices she does, and that he respects and supports those choices. he also heatedly reminds her that she has as much power to reclaim what she's lost, that she can choose to live whichever life she wants and he isn't preventing her from doing that. instead, he's simply being supportive and respecting her decisions, not coercing or being a "bad influence" on her.

while both men were making poor decisions this episode (logan being an excessive drunk and unnecessarily antagonizing jess in an immature display of jealousy, jess presuming to know what is best for rory), they were also really important to not only enriching rory's storyline but understanding all three of them as characters, imo. both sides of the rogan versus literati fandoms can argue against the other man's behavior this episode (and both sides would make a convincing point) but it's meaningless to debate who is the better love interest because that's not the point here, at least in the context of this episode and how it drives the plot. the point is that both relationship dynamics and both characters, romance drama aside, were integral to rory realizing what she wanted and proactively making decisions to drive her own success. and in the end, it was rory who regained agency, rory who took charge of her life, which neither love interests deserve credit for. however, i do appreciate that they both did play their part in helping her get there.

[outrunningthedark]

When you point out to people what olivers been trying to say this season, his 6a premiere interviews often are also forgotten. The first time he was asked about eddie and chris for s6 he acknowledged they have been important to buck's journey but was also pretty clear in saying they won't be a huge denominator for his s6 journey. He literally said they will always be a part of his life *but* that buck needs to figure stuff out himself and not always through people around him. This was pre sperm donor knowledge coming out for fandom. He made a distinct separation.

To me at that point I knew whatever story was to play out would not intertwine buck with the diaz boys as they have in the past (which was upsetting to know but it was clear people were not picking up what he was blatantly putting down - they chose to focus on the coparenting comment from the same interview instead) (I can't find the video link - not sure if you know which one I am referring to).

It's frustrating to see people claim storylines were changed completely because they were "facing potential cancellation". I wish everyone could just acknowledge the more likely truth that simply, this isn't what kristen envisaged at this point of the story - she's always blatantly said, currently, she sees them as very good friends (of course, these things are always subject to changing at any point, but she never lied to us, it's just falling on deaf ears because they ascertain this notion that they'd throw us red herrings over buddie in any attempt not to spoil canon buddie - kind of funny considering the history of this show being incredibly loose with spoiling huge developments but okay).

I love buddie spec, I love buddie, but the loops people are jumping to justify what happened or excuse it, is becoming harmful for everybody.

Ugh, nonnie. I love you. (I love you regardless, but THANK YOU for bringing this back.) First of all, gotta acknowledge everyone (including yourself) who started thinking differently about the season off the bat (where as it took me four weeks, I know) because of that interview - I absolutely remember reading the takes about Oliver separating Buck's journey from the Diaz boys and then when the sperm donor arc dropped it was like "Oh. So that's what he meant." The actual quote because I bring receipts when possible: "I think one of the things moving into season six, and you're right that [the dynamic between Buck and Eddie and Chris] will absolutely continue, is that Buck also needs to learn to take steps and make these strides forward for himself rather than always doing it through other people. So, they're always gonna be an important part of his journey, but I think it is also important that he learn to do it for and by himself." While I loved the borderline co-parent role comment because I am forever here waving my #ChristopherDiazHasTwoDads flag, YOU are right in saying that he fired a very, very early "warning shot" with the (paraphrasing) "They'll always be important, but Buck has to start living his own life."

At the time of the interview, the cast would have been working on 6x07 (the episode where Buck goes through with the sperm donation) and possibly reading an early draft of 6x08 (the title was changed the next week). So he was seven or eight scripts in, well aware of just how few Buddie scenes there would be. He knew people were gonna be PISSED, didn't he? And the rest of your ask is spot on as well. Things can change, we aren't capable of predicting the future, especially a future on a new network, but if it's left up to Kristen to tell the story...we just gotta accept her viewpoint for what it is, and that putting her in charge was/is (if things stay the way they are behind the scenes) Tim's way of shutting the potential of Buddie down without being directly involved. (Coward!)

[mayasdeluca]

Wow! That was some episode. Leah should be the head writer, job 1 fire Zavier. Both the episodes that I know she wrote have been stellar. I mean I still think they pulled this Maya/mental illness storyline out of their asses this season (much like they did with Bailey's OCD coming out of left field) but she worked with what she had. I also think it's a bit silly to relate this to Maya being demoted when they could've confronted these issues with her dad 2 seasons ago when they happened.

It was great! I really wish Leah could write more episodes. I know some people were a little against her after the 516 fiasco but part of me still gave her the benefit of the doubt because that episode was written with someone else and 5x07 was just so good for Marina that it just felt off to me that she would have such a big part in the mess that was 5x16 after giving us that. I mean technically we still don't know how much input she really had in it but when you look at her two stand alone episodes now, they were both incredible pieces of TV and written really well, especially in regards to Maya/Marina.

And if when you look at it from a broader view, she is probably the only writer currently who does a really good job at balancing storylines and screentime across all characters on the show. It happened so naturally in both 5x07 and 6x08. Everyone had their part and by the end of the episode they had reached some growth/development and it was done so beautifully. I wish other writers would take notes and do the same because that's what this show is missing on a week to week basis.

I think we all agree that this arc with Maya is long overdue but at this point I'm just glad they're doing it. For whatever reason they decided not to do it after the plot with her dad in Season 3 (Maybe Covid in Season 4 had something to do with it) but I think tying in her demotion actually worked well because that was a big deal to Maya and was a huge turning point in her life and started affecting everything around her in a negative way like her relationship for example. She is finally starting to realize that winning isn't everything and that work isn't everything and getting her priorities in tact and I can't wait to see more of it.

[theghostofashton]

.

[singingninja4]

6x08: Point and Shoot Tribeca Q&A

watching the episode on a huge screen with surround sound with an audience with great energy and some of the actors and creators themselves was an incredible experience. I want to share as much of that experience with you as a I can 💖 so here's a few highlights from the Q&A

when asked about the cold open, gordon stated that since 6x07 ended with such trauma they wanted to start 6x08 with the stark contrast of the calm beach scene. then we're dropped straight back into jimmy and kim's apartment, which for me was super jarring, so thanks for that gordon

the audience busted out laughing when jimmy first tried to convince lalo that kim should be the one who goes to kill (unbeknownst to them) gus fring. I think it was just his delivery of it, but in the q&a bob mentioned that he thought that it was hilarious that everyone laughed at that scene and that he loved it lmao. But I think this is maybe why that reddit user came up with that god awful cold take that jimmy was doing that to save himself. I don’t know how it could even be interpreted that way, especially after the interviewer asked him that exact question, “was jimmy doing it to save himself or to save kim” and bob was like ???? he definitely did it to save kim. Anyway I don’t know what that reddit user was on about.

the audience also laughed when gus said, "lalo talked him out of it" when talking to kim, and bob said he thought that was fucking hilarious that we laughed at that too 😂

The interviewer at one point asked rhea about how “kim was straight up ready to shoot someone” and rhea was like ???? she wasn’t??? and then she went on to talk about how she imagined that kim had never shot a gun before and about kim’s internal struggle on the drive over to fring’s house. she had opportunities to leave, to even report it to the cops, but she resolved to do whatever she needed to do to save jimmy even if she was terrified. 

When mike asks kim “why are you here, Ms. Wexler?” and she points a gus’s double and says, “to kill him.” the audience bust out laughing at the double’s reaction lmao it was just so fucking funny. bob also stated that he thought this was hilarious so I’m curious if we all laughed because of the energy in the room or if it read that way for everyone else. y’all will have to let me know!!

tony, peter, and gordon were asked several questions about lalo’s death scene and show down with gus. I can’t remember all of them, but I do remember the interviewer asking about the set up for the show down in 6x05. either Gordon or peter…or maybe both mentioned the principal of “chekhov’s gun” which is “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired.Otherwise don't put it there.” Tony was also asked if that was really him and Patrick lying in the grave in the superlab and he said it was. They had to lay down there for a few hours lmao

they also said that they decided to have mike be vague when telling jimmy what happened with lalo because they wanted lalo to always be a ghost in the back of jimmy's mind. a kind of boogeyman that he always feared would come around the corner. so thanks for that peter and gordon 🙂

I know I didn’t cover everything in the q&a, but this post is getting too long as is lol I still really wish I had been smart enough to write down all my thoughts sooner than a week after the showing though…but since I met rhea after the event I was on a high from that for days and that experience occupied too much head space lmao actually let’s be real, it’s still occupying all my head space

[littlespoonevan]

Hiii Ciara my most beloved source of buddie brainrot and general weewoo madness 😍

I need to know all your thoughts/hopes/dreams/theories regarding the episode titles immediately (if it's not too much to ask obv 😇)

I myself have been freaking out all day and i need to know i'm not alone😭

Anyways love you, hope you're having a great day 💜

oh anon, i am SO excited!!!!! all of the titles have so much potential???????? i’m literally 👀👀👀👀👀 at every single one of them lmao. i haven’t thought through them much yet but let’s go down the line and see what we can come up with:

6x01: Let The Games Begin - i am still Agog over this i can’t decide where it’s gonna go??????? i do think it’ll be bobby/athena heavy and i’m also convinced it’ll be fun but in the kind of chaotic way that leads into the opening disaster

6x02: Crash and Learn - Very intriguing, likely related to the opening disaster in some way so the “crash” part is especially curious if we are going down the cruise route where something happens during the honeymoon. it feels a little like “sink or swim” to me in the sense there’s obviously a double meaning since they’ve reworked the phrase but also that it's gonna be somewhat literal as well

6x03: Animal Instincts - this one is just????????? whAT DOES THAT MEAN?????? if we’re still in the middle of the opening disaster i have no idea where we go with this or how it ties in???????? if we’re not then it’s????? calls about animals??????? but also related to the characters somehow?????? i have no idea lmfao

6x04: Evil - i mean this could literally be anything this is so vague sdkjfhs what i will say is that some of my favourite eps have single word titles and 911 has never written a bad episode 4 so i am Excited

6x05: Home Invasion - definitely henren heavy and likely ending on a cliffhanger to lead into 6x06. i’m assuming there will be a literal home invasion of some sort but they could definitely do a play on words with this too to relate it to a more lighthearted storyline (*cough*buddieroommates*cough*)

6x06: Henren Begins - I. CAN’T. WAIT. this is all i’ve wanted and asked for for literal MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!! i want to see their first date and them adopting denny and their first wedding and also, per a post i made 3 months ago, i need girl on the moon to play by foreigner to play during their first date scene bc karen is a rocket scientist and hen is falling in love w her

6x07: Cursed - i know it’s airing in november but i really hope it’s a proper halloween ep!!!!! if we’re not getting a christmas ep we dESERVE a halloween ep. let it be fun and full of shenanigans please!!!!!

6x08: Pilgrimage - very, very interested in this. i think it’s likely going to have something to do with bobby but possibly also eddie???? also i just feel like it’s going to hurt but in a good way (i think) skadjfhsa

6x09: Warning Signs - i’m scared of this one lmfao. that is a Very Stressful title for a midseason finale ep sakdjfha i do think it’s gonna hint at a character breakdown, be that bobby or buck or hen (as i saw someone theorise earlier) and perhaps the other characters’ not realising (or finally realising) something is wrong. i think there’s a lot of potential here and tbh i wouldn’t be surprised if we’re left with a midseason cliffhanger

all of these are subject to change obviously as info gets revealed to us but these are my initial reactions/impressions just based on the titles and the 15 minutes i’ve looked at them asdkjfhs thanks for ur message, my love!! 💖

[imreallyloveleee]

any theories for rivervale/ riverdale? How do you think the show will continue after 6x05?

hmmmm well i shared my theory about tabitha killing betty, that's the main one! other random thoughts:

- i think we will probably get an extremely boring explanation for why they're in Rivervale. like, "the bomb went off and pushed everyone into this alternate timeline!! crazy!!" with no explanation for why a homemade bomb under someone's bed would do such a thing

- i think whatever triggers Jughead into realizing something's ~wrong will have something to do with Betty. like - his "best friend" being sacrificed in a cult ritual wasn't enough to do it lol. so, what would? probably something related to the person he cares about most. either her dying, or maybe her killing someone herself.

- i think in 6x06 we'll be back with these miserable ships. and the physical effects of Rivervale (like people being dead) will no longer be relevant, but a lot of the emotional resonance will remain - so i think we're going to see the same emotional issues play out (ie betty and archie don't actually want the same things; veronica does not respect reggie; tabitha and jughead have zero romantic connection and she's insecure about betty; fangs and toni are....uh, whatever they are). i think we're basically going to see these relationships fall apart. which is EXTREMELY ANNOYING, because we already are seeing them fail once in Rivervale, why do we have to watch them fail again.

- i don't expect b*rchie to last for very long. RAS made a comment about there being more of them "in a way" and didn't really seem to be trying to play them up the way he has in the past. same for v*ggie.

- j*bitha may last longer, especially since we know they're together as of 6x08. seems like they continue to have relationship issues, though, so i'm hopeful it's also not for much longer than that. i have a hard time imagining they will drag that out over the entire season because...there's just so little to it? they have no chemistry, they look actively uncomfortable onscreen together, and they don't seem to have much in common other than a love for Pop Tate.

- sorry this is all so negative! ultimately i do think Bughead will be back on track by the end of the season, but it's anyone's guess how long that takes. <3

[dylanlila]

"They see each other with absolutely no filter." Ooh YES! You said you're "going to stop now," but don't stop! Tell me more! Tell me EVERYTHING. *settles in with a comfy blanket and a cup of tea* (This is about that gifset of Rory and Jess feeling nervous, by the way. Haha)

AAAAAAAAH, YOU ARE MAKING ME SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!!!! Okay, here I go. First of all I really really love that gifset and both of those scenes because (this may sound a bit contradictory) them acknowledging the fact that they're both nervous takes away from the awkwardness of the situation? People usually work too hard on making the circumstances less uncomfortable which almost always leads to everything being even more uncomfortable for everybody involved. Jess and Rory are like: okay, I'm nervous, you're nervous and that's completely alright. None of them denies it. Rory could have denied it out of politeness, especially in 6x08. They haven't seen each other for quite some time, they could have easily fallen out of their pattern. It would have been natural for Rory to say something like: nooooo, this is not awkward at all and Jess could have easily taken the conversation to another place but he doesn't. Instead he confirms it by saying: "I'm a little nervous too". Neither of them had to do that which leads me to the whole "they see each other with absolutely no filter" theory and that is my favourite thing about them. And both of them are the kind of people who would rather keep their emotions to themselves and deal with them in quiet, admitting or mentioning the sentiment such as nervousness that easily wouldn't be something that comes naturally. But despite all of that, both the scene in 3x08 and the one in 6x08 feel insanely real to me. Something else I think is important is how Rory instinctively feels comfortable with Jess in the sense that she doesn't need to be this perfect version of herself around him. Even in Lorelai's eyes she's the perfect kid. In the earlier seasons, Rory would worry about school or grades and Lorelai would be like: "you're the smartest kid alive, you can do no wrong". Even when Rory points out how Jess wasn't the only one responsible for the car accident in season two, Lorelai doesn't seem to comprehend it. I think she assigns it to Rory having a crush on Jess, but for Rory that conversation wasn't that much about Jess as much as it was about the way that she's perceived. I don't blame Lorelai or Richard or Emily for treating Rory like that but coming from someone who finds that particular part of Rory's life and personality extremely relatable: it can get unbearable because you want your flaws, struggles and failures to be acknowledged. And Jess does that for her. He never puts the accent on the improbability of her not succeeding at something. He only ever helps her overcome the already existing problem (when he implies how she graduated early he already knows how that's not the case, but he gives her the chance to say it herself and that, in my opinion, is very important and tells a lot about the mutual understanding they have going on), the problem being her own self sometimes too, because he knows who she is. Yes, he's aware that's she capable of great things, nobody ever doubted that. But Jess also knows what it takes for a person to get there and he knows how crucial having somebody who really understands or is willing to understand you, with no set expectations or prejudice (even if it's of the positive kind), actually is. And the best thing about this: it's mutual. They both inspire each other to do and be better and all of that because they are not only aware of the other's flaws, but also willing to point them out to one another in order to grow and learn. I just love them so so so much.

[menacing-anon]

As promised, here I am going through some of Fatou and Kieu My’s argument at the end of 6x08... 🤔

I already wrote a whole separate post about this idea, which can be summarized as... Kieu My isn’t doing anything new, so if Fatou doesn’t know her now, did she ever know her?

With no disrespect to Fatou, I wonder when Kieu My played games or put on a fake smile that night.

My response is “sometimes?”, because I would say that it’s an understatement; Constantin’s mistreatment of the Cash Queens is pretty consistent. He was only nice to Fatou one (1) time: tonight, and even then, his behaviour was less than ideal. And Fatou reacts in a way I love - through being teared up and tense, she chuckles, briefly and almost silently, then gives a little nod.

Wait, what? So Kieu My wanted to explain this to Fatou, but decided against it because Fatou didn’t pay attention to what Kieu My was saying on one (1) occasion, after which she apologized and said that she was tired?

This whole bit isn’t an issue with the way this conversation was written, but with the existence of this subplot. As other viewers have written, it portrays a bisexual character as an infidel, which is a stereotype. And in terms of the story, it a) isn’t necessary, because Kieu My and Fatou clearly have lots of other reasons to argue, and b) is never brought up again. It’s what prompted Fatou to leave the party, but it’s not as if she needed to leave that party at that moment to have an argument with Kieu My.

Not only is this a pretty appropriate response, but I also love how Nhung delivers the line. She says it quietly and sadly, sort of like to herself, like it’s a realization spoken aloud rather than a question or an accusation. It seems like Kieu My should be the one saying “I don’t know you anymore” 😶 Totally unrelated, but her eyeliner is really visible in this shot and I like it 😅

Mmmgggmgmm... this one’s a reach. I just checked, and it lay screen down when Kieu My got a notification. The text didn’t catch Fatou’s eye - she took the phone and read it, and the next ones as they appeared.

Oh, okay; let me maybe cross out and replace my notes on what “it” is about, because... y’all are parkouring from topic to topic. *talk about things* *talk about other things* “Here’s what this really about: [an unrelated thing].” And anyway, I didn’t think Fatou had a problem with this? Kieu My left because Fatou was kind of rude in response to her respectfully trying to help Fatou and asking about her problems, and Fatou understood this and apologized. Kieu My said that it’s okay between them, and that maybe they could talk some other time, the last part being the reason I don’t react the same way to her next few lines about not being Fatou’s distraction. Kieu My said they could talk later, and now that they are, she makes her points, but Fatou making this accusation in the first place takes me by surprise.

A Recap of The Topics So Far:

Kieu My’s friends, games, and fake smile; Fatou not listening; Kieu My’s chat with Maya; Kieu My leaving Fatou on Tuesday; and now Kieu My opening up. In any case, I don’t know what she means... when did Fatou leave her “standing there”? Almost every time Kieu My talked about herself, Fatou paid attention and responded appropriately.

Streaming this clip live must’ve been like,

Topic 6 has entered the chat, and it’s... this? What is Fatou even referring to? The fact that she liked Kieu My before Kieu My made any moves? I don’t think so, because it’s strange to accuse a person of not knowing somebody was interested in them, especially since for a time in season five, Fatou didn’t want Kieu My to find out how Fatou felt. I guess Fatou is talking about 6x04, when she kept trying to get in touch with Kieu My to no avail, and, at that rate, maybe also her ignored table tennis invitation. This all happened weeks ago, though, and Kieu My has been opening up to Fatou ever since. Why is Fatou bringing it up now? It’s not great that I can’t really tell what they’ve been talking about for the past few lines 😐

Topic 7 - yeah, a great point, and it’s frustrating that it took Kieu My and Fatou so long to arrive at it, but I would be pretty fine with that in the end if they actually acted on it from then on. Instead, though, they basically don’t resolve any of their issues - even with Kieu My saying this and Fatou mentioning it again later - and that’s even more frustrating! Here’s a short post about that, and this relevant meme from after the Aquarius reunion clip 😐 Also, Fatou has actually tried to talk about their issues and take resposibility for her actions more than Kieu My, which I write about in this post (though it also includes events that take place after this clip).

What does this mean now? That in Fatou’s world, problems are resolved without communicating? That Kieu My and Fatou don’t talk about their problems, so Fatou isn’t part of the world where Kieu My does communicate? That Kieu My isn’t letting Fatou into her life in general?... Me @ the folks who live in the world where everyone understands this:

This season has space references throughout, and that’s cool, but this comes off pretty melodramatic to me 😅

Long story short, I don’t like this conversation because its content is difficult to follow, and kind of inconsequential in the story, especially for an argument that is so intense and takes so long to move past. Ideally, this would have been clearer, and built up and resolved much better.

(The screenshots are from drucktranslations 🙂)