#for instance nancy is absolutely bi

[thenonbinarydetective]

Hi! I saw your post about your favorite ridiculous moments in the Hardy Boys books and you mentioned how one of them was how they describe Ned Nickerson and I'd absolutely love to know more about how they describe Ned/your opinion/reaction of that if you don't mind?

Ok I realized Ned is only in three of the books I have, so if you want a part 2...give me money you're gonna have to wait until I can. It was pretty much a joke, but also entirely serious.

I don't have the Captain America reference that I specifically made a joke about, but I know that it's on Tumblr.

Overall, sometimes in the way that Ned is described is supposed to be like a jealous thing (When it's the Hardy Boys narrating), but it's really easy to not see it that way. Like they do like Ned and they are friends with him. Just wanna preface that because these can be read as either platonic or romantic. But also I'm slightly giving it the same treatment they give Nancy and the Hardy Boys, cause why should it be different? You know?

Also that personally I believe all of them are bi (I'm not projecting). Ignoring the sexist versions of the Hardy Boys (primarily Joe), they're way too good to be straight men. Also Ned specifically does not have that many Straight Man Traits™ and that he's entirely willing to be a damsel-in-distress. Ned's technically gender-nonconformative role is not really an important part of this conversation, but I think it should be talked about more.

Anyway I'm rambling. Here's what I'm calling evidence.

Shock Waves

First thing is actually sort of on Ned's side. Joe has a melted set of Iola's keys (remember in this spin-off she was fridged via terrorist bombing) that goes missing. Ned immediately starts looking for them when he sees how upset Joe is about losing them.

The (flirty) banter. It's written the same way banter between Nancy and Frank, Nancy and Ned, or even Nancy or Joe is written. Minus blushing. And the only reason I'm calling this significant because they write banter that's 100% meant to be platonic with a different tone (and adjectives). The Cousins interaction with the Brothers and the Alliteratives have a noticeably different tone (sometimes).

In Chapter Five, Joe found a gold coin and assumes treasure. Nancy and Frank doubt it. Joe tries to defend himself. Ned seemingly comes to his defense. "'I'm not so sure,' Ned piped up. Joe smiled "I knew somebody would have to be on my side'" Ned's response is kinda long but he jokes that Long John Silver was returning the coin to Davy Jones. Joe does not appreciate the joke, but jokingly warns them that if they aren't nice, they won't get a cut.

In Chapter Eight, Frank wants to drive the Oldsmobile. "'Good luck starting it,' Ned said. Frank smiled confidently. 'You just don't have the knack, Nickerson.'"

I should note, the last name thing is usually used in Files (sometimes Mystery Stories too) when couples are flirting with each other. I think like there's a few instances in sport settings where it's probably platonic. Here, questionable. There isn't much use of Marvin or Fayne. Drew and Nickerson on the other hand...

In Chapter Eleven, this may not be the best example. Frank gives Ned a "Thanks a lot buddy" when he and Nancy got separated from the group.

I only mention it because Ned returns the buddy later on when Frank "saves" them all from an explosion. "'We owe our lives to you, buddy,' he said with an admiring grin." If we're really deeply examining the words to find the slightest bit of homoerotic intent in an excessively heteronormative book, Ned's admiring grins don't go to many people other than Nancy. I would know.

While investigating a sunken ship, they all end up apart from each other. There's an explosion in the area where Ned is. The Hardy Boys (specifically Frank) forced Nancy to stay in the water in hopes that Ned wasn't caught in the blast. Nancy assumes Ned is dead, it's three explosions. Probably wouldn't survive if he was there. The Hardy Boys immediately search for Ned, once it's safe, in the hope that he was alive. He was obviously.

Throughout the entire book, I don't even think it's an exaggeration to say that the Hardy Boys spent more time with Ned than they did Nancy. Like a lot of the time they (intentionally) split up, Ned is always with them. Even without Nancy once or twice.

Which I find funny, because it feels like Frank is trying to get Ned's attention and not hers. Nancy's like I hope I don't make jealous because of the tension between me and Frank" and Frank is putting himself with Ned and like any opportunity. That may not be limited to this book, which is why it's last.

Dangerous Games

There really isn't much interaction between them in the book until the end

The Hardy Boys, primarily Joe, direct all the praise for saving the girls to Ned even though they all technically saved them because he was the one who discovered they were in trouble.

Seriously Joe does not waste the opportunity to praise Ned for his quick action. First there was, "If it hadn't been for Ned..." Followed by a "Good thing Ned was around" when Frank and Joe find out how the girls where locked in a burning building.

Again simple, but effective. People have claimed more with less, if we're being fair.

This last one is sort of on Ned's side, and I don't know why but the way he sort of like hypes on Frank a little bit when he and Nancy are talking about her mistaking him for Frank when he saves her from the fire. It just hits different.

"Frank Hardy's a detective. I'm not. Naturally, you thought he was the one who'd rescue you...You and Frank work so well together-it's like you're practically one person. He's a part of your detective life that sometimes take you away from me. I think maybe I resent that a little"

I know that looks like a pretty Francy heavy bit (and it is), but the second part of that speech makes me think a bit deeper. "Look, I can't change the way I feel any more than you can stop being a detective. Without that, you wouldn't be the Nancy Drew I know and love." Like that's a sweet sentiment and all, but English Major here I'm reading further into it. The way he compares Nancy and Frank as being so similar they are practically the same person, and then going on to say the qualities they share are one of the reasons he's attracted to and loves Nancy.

All I'm saying, is that if he finds detectives hot, what's stopping him from finding Frank attractive...Right? lmao

The Last Resort

Again there's not much interaction with the three of them because Ned only appear in the final chapters.

On the cover Frank is wearing an ugly snowsuit with yellow, pink, and blue on it. I normally wouldn't think twice about it, but considering it's so ugly it entirely matches the vibes of your bi (in this case pan) friend buying the ugliest oversized Hawaiian shirt and the thrift store and calling it the cutest thing they've ever brought.

I should mention that Nancy is also wearing a snowsuit featuring blue, pink, and yellow. However, her suit is not that ugly and therefore less noteworthy.

I'm not even sure if I'm counting that as a point or if I just wanted an excuse to talk about the ugly snowsuit and how I honestly want it for myself.

When Ned finally does arrive, after a little bit of an awkward exchange, The first thing Frank says after explaining that why he and Joe were there is, "Your being here is a real boost, Ned...This one has us all stumped" This could be seen as like a thing just to break the awkward tension, but I like to think there is some truth in that Frank does appreciate Ned's intelligence and his input on mysteries.

And if he didn't before, he would after this case because Ned kinda solves the entire mystery- or at least the important part they were missing.

The entire exchange of when Nancy suggests bluffing the villain, there's just something I love about it. May I suggest polyamory?

Ned: Nancy, bluffing can be dangerous. What happens if he doesn't fall for it?

Frank (grinning): But Ned, Nancy's a very convincing person.

Ned: I don't want her to get into trouble, that's all.

Frank: Me neither, but I think [REDACTED] will fall for a bluff. He's ready. Look at him, he's wound up like a coil

Nancy (touching Ned's arm): Ned, I don't see any other way. Do you?

I just like the two of them (mostly Frank) convincing Ned to go through with a dangerous plan. Also the way Frank is talking about Nancy to Ned, it's just like a vibe you know?

Moving on, I love any moment the three of boys work together to do something. Like combining their strengths to bust down a locked door and chase a bad guy in perfect unison with no prior planning. That doesn't have to be gay either, I just love them working together.

After a snowmobile crash, Frank does make it a priority to see if Ned's okay. Over a bad guy who was the only other person involved, but priority nonetheless.

Technically he tells Nancy to do it, while he sees if the bad guy is alive. But hear me out, Nancy (Ned's girlfriend) struggles to choose between seeing if Ned is okay or getting the bad guy. Frank (who is meant to be a love rival) thinks about Ned's well-being more decisively than Ned's girlfriend.

Que the "Nancy's a bad girlfriend" joke, I never really expected the punchline to be "Frank is a better boyfriend to Ned". I like it though.

This one is sort of a joke (as if all of this wasn't), but everyone either at breakfast or accounted for if they aren't besides Ned and Frank. They appear second to last (Joe is on the phone) together. I'm going to imagine they were alone together. Maybe that's why they seem to be in such a good mood.

That's all the moments that I'm calling evidence. Is it insane? Possibly. Do I care? No, this was mostly for fun. Also I kinda ship Ned with Frank. Like I've said, his entire character design was to specifically be the love interest to a detective. That accidentally makes him pretty compatible to multiple detectives.

Also a commentary on how somethings age to be somewhat gayer than intended. But it really isn't surprising for a queer like myself to find the slimmest of gayness in extreme heteronormative conditions.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this!

[wecankillpeoplenav]

representation matters

On last week’s 99th episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the precinct’s resident terrifying(ly awesome) Detective Rosa Diaz came out as bisexual.

A handful of words in a scene less than a minute long, a scene thrown in among all the other wonderful scenes that made this landmark 22-minute masterpiece of an episode. It was not a *GASP* cliffhanger moment, and there was no indication that the scene was all that significant - it did not precede a commercial break, which is often indicative of “oh wait- there’s more!” it was simply a moment between two friends, not an epiphany nor a revelation. it was simply a moment of honesty, a few sentences to the backdrop of the Texas Boyles’s cow-orgy soundtrack.

It was two sentences. 

“I’m dating a woman. I’m bi.”

It was classic Rosa Diaz - brief, direct, to the point. And it was so much more.

Rosa Diaz knows she’s a cop. She is the kind of woman who does own an axe. She knows everything about bikes and is highly (frighteningly) proprietary of her own. She oozes swagger and knows she’s a badass. She’s very aware that she scares people, and she likes it that way.

Of course, if people are scared of you, they won’t push against your boundaries. That, too, is classic Diaz. She’s erected a barbed wire fence around the human part of her and is all cop.

In the first two seasons, Rosa’s running gag was the fact that no one knew where she lived, or ‘any details about my life.’ 

She wasn’t a standoffish character nor was she a passive observer; she definitely involved herself and joined in the fun and games the precinct is famous for (”Jimmy Jabs! Jimmy Jabs!”). She was always daring, rebellious, and famously has blood on all but one of her vast collection of leather jackets. She’s always been funny in a deadpan sort of way - ‘RoboCop. I love that movie. It has everything I like. Gratuitous violence.’ She is very matter-of-fact and practical, two attributes that work well to cover any possible show of softness.

From the start, Diaz believed in and loved the squad as a whole, although it could be argued that if she did venture so far as to name any of them a friend, it would be her Police Academy buddy Jake Peralta of the thousand push-ups. We did watch as she developed a reluctant but obvious affection for fellow detective Amy Santiago’s Amy-ness. Her Sergeant, the amazing Terry Jeffords, was always determined to get closer to the real Rosa Diaz. Colleague Charles Boyle, whose initial over-the-top, never-to-be-requited love for Rosa somehow went from creepy fanatic wannabe lover to someone who is now one of Rosa’s closest friends on the show, with Charles all sweetness, Diaz all snark. Gina makes her laugh, Hitchcock and Scully make her threaten them with myriad sharp implements, and Captain Raymond Holt inspired great respect, from a distance. She was never the eager-to-build-closeness kind of character. She appreciated the rest of her squad, but never seemed to actively encourage a depth of friendship beyond serving and protecting together. 

We knew she lived close enough to the station to squeeze in a shower when, in 48 Hours, Jake screwed up everyone’s weekend by jumping the proverbial gun on an arrest with no evidence. We knew, based on a brief flashback and offhand comment, that she chose Amy’s Thanksgiving celebration over her own sister’s because she had zero desire to attend the latter, which appeared fairly torturous and uncomfortable. We learned about her deep dark past as a ballet dancer - but only because Terry refused to let the topic go, and eventually found out that it was, unsurprisingly, that charming Diaz brand of threat and intimidation that derailed her dance career.

We knew Dias was and is viciously loyal, the cop you’d want at your back. She was always the scary-as-hell Detective Diaz, but it has only been over the course of the show that we’ve come to get an understanding of who Rosa is.

In the second season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine we are given two disparate views of Detective Diaz, as a cop and as a girlfriend. First is in ‘The Return of the Pontiac Bandit,’ in which Jake ultimately gives up his dream of catching the devious Doug Judy to help revitalize Rosa’s stagnant task force investigation. What results is a ‘major win’ for her task force, and the squad duly celebrates that win with a drink at their bar of choice, Shaw’s. Here, post-win, she is straight up giddy. Her last scene with Jake features a giggly, smiley Rosa we’d never seen. Jake had never seen this Rosa either - when she says she can’t stop smiling, his face telegraphs his thoughts, which are pretty much ‘What. Is. Happening.’

The squad is aware that Rosa, circa season two, is dating none other than her CO’s nephew Marcus, much to her chagrin (or, more accurately, uncomfortable loathing). Here we get the joy of watching her relationship with that CO as it develops. Rosa is deeply discomfited at the thought of her work life and personal life colliding, but she finds the perfect match in her equally taciturn captain. With Holt, Rosa finds a confidant who will listen to the occasional thoughts and worries she barely manages to discuss. You can see that it physically pains her to address her emotions, and none but Captain Holt can offer her what she needs: someone to talk to who would understand the underlying feelings she so hates acknowledging, but would never presume (or want!) to poke and prod and try making her actually talk about those feelings.

Later in the season, with Boyle’s encouragement, Rosa’s romance with Marcus gradually becomes more serious. By the late season two Boyle-Linetti wedding, Rosa admits to Charles that inviting her boyfriend as a plus-one seemed too... big. But she does it anyway, mid-reception, and upon Marcus’s arrival, she verbalizes her growing feelings by telling him those three magic words.

But she isn’t glowing. She is awkward, unsure, uneasy - the opposite of everything Detective Diaz is known for. She is not celebrating finding love, not like she did the night she celebrated her Giggle Pig Task Force. She is, if anything, scared. Because Rosa Diaz doesn’t say ‘I love you.’ Rosa Diaz doesn’t do emotional bonding. Rosa Diaz doesn’t smile giddily. 

And yet, task force win? Infectiously grinning Diaz. But “I love you”? Terrified, anxious, why-did-I-say-this-emotions-are-stupid Rosa.

When the Rosa-Marcus relationship ends, part of the reason is precisely because of “I love yous” and all that emotional connecting. Hilariously, and sweetly, she and Holt practice acting out the big breakup, and as always, Holt is by her side in his uniquely Holt way. His squad is as much his family as his nephew.

In season three, Jake reveals feeling put-out and hurt that his partnership with Rosa is nothing like that of their Scotland Yard equivalent, the detestable Swedes, who know every horrifying detail about each other. By the episode’s end, Rosa, recognizing Jake’s hurt and wanting, but not exactly knowing how, to ease it, chooses to tell Jake she’s dating someone. 

She has to down approximately five thousand shots of liquor before she’s able to actually tell Jake her new boyfriend’s name, though. 

Later in season three, Rosa experiences a hormone-fueled bout of madness with the brilliantly weird appearance of Adrien Pimento, former undercover agent, current borderline psycho. It’s made clear that Rosa has no problem talking about sex, or about sharing public displays of aggressive affection. The Pimento-Diaz relationship is a sex-charged whirlwind, shocking to the squad (and not a little traumatizing for Terry) as it goes from heated public indecency to full-on relationship, whatever that means in the world of Adrian Pimento. 

At this point, we’ve started seeing more of the layers that make Rosa a person, not just Detective Diaz, but those layers are still coated in teflon. Yes, she will admit that the claim to Robocop being her favorite movie was a lie. In fact, Rosa’s real love is director Nancy Myers’s work. She will also threaten bodily harm if you tease her about her real cinematic love.

Then Pimento is forced to fake his own death, and we see Rosa emoting (albeit in a stilted manner) in front of a crowd of strangers at his ‘funeral.’ She confides in Amy about how worried she is for Adrian, wonders why he hasn’t come back to her, and nearly causes a panic attack for Amy when Rosa looks at her friend and colleague with tears in her eyes.

Season four brings the joyous and creepily-sex-charged return of Pimento. Rosa does love him,  in an entirely dysfunctional way. I personally think his absolute insane (probably PTSD-driven) antics are the appealing factor. After all, he doesn’t know the difference between being hungry and being horny. Pimento is a pedal-to-the-metal type who brings out Rosa’s fun, spontaneous, crazy side. She’s intoxicated by it all, but when Jake and Amy separately confront the couple about not being ready for marriage, Rosa recognizes the truth in Amy’s words. She doesn’t say get aggressive and curse them out or tell Amy to stay out of her life. Instead, she considers what she’s hearing and realizes that (per usual) Amy is dead-on.

So now we have a Rosa who isn’t quite so violent when it comes to other people trying to connect with her, a Rosa who has proven that she is capable of romantic love and is working on navigating its treacherous depths with Adrian. We have a Rosa whose relationship with Holt has strengthened to the point that he asks her for advice, a Rosa who advocates for Amy as union rep, a Rosa who’s memorized an entire monologue from her favorite tv show - and is willing to recite it word for word with Jake at her side.

We also have a Rosa who reaches out a little more. When she becomes convinced that Pimento is cheating on her, she goes to Terry and Amy and willingly shares her fears. She reaches out for help in figuring out the mystery that is pimento. Ultimately, she tells them enough to make her realize she’s concocted a fictional love affair in what’s really an act of self-sabotage. At some point she’s realized that Pimento is passion and paranoia and psychotic hilarity. But none of that is in any way healthy. She doesn’t want this man, but she is unsure of her moves and wants to force his hand rather than reveal her own, thereby creating his imaginary affair.

This is a Rosa who’s discovering what is right for her and what she wants in herself and from others. This is a Rosa discovering that having friends might just be on the “pro” side of life, and that to show emotion isn’t showing weakness. This is a Rosa who recognizes that she gets to make her own life decisions, which includes making the decision to share herself with those closest to her.

And then of course, we have Big House, season five Rosa in prison. It is acknowledged that she spent time in solitary, given ample silence and isolation in which to reflect on who she is. And this self-reflective Rosa, who is, more than anything, lonely, slowly started letting the people who love her get a tiny glimpse of the emotions she’s always been too scared to express.

She showed vulnerability to Terry and Holt while in jail; she showed insecurity over her conflicting feelings for Pimento and actively sought advice from her friends. She rebonded with her family. She actually chose to unzip that leather jacket, revealing the custom family t-shirt and the fact that the shirts were her idea.

As a character, Rosa is at a major turning point. Once no one knew where she lived; now she’s bringing Jake to dinner. Once she answered Kevin’s question about her family with something along the lines of, ‘I have one.’ Now she’s celebrating holidays with that family, and we’re meeting her parents. Once she enjoyed talking about casual sex - never emotional attachment, pure physicality - like when in the very beginning of the show her advice to help Jake get over his slump was flying to Montreal and getting laid. 

And now... now she is WILLINGLY, happily chatting on the phone with her significant other - where once she hated that Marcus always wanted to talk about things. She is easily, naturally saying things like, “I’d much rather be hanging out with you.” TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN HER OWN REFLECTION. She is discovering herself in bits and pieces, and part of the discovery is that (and here I’m leaning on Stephanie Beatriz and her comments about Rosa’s sexuality) she doesn’t have to deny the part of herself that is attracted to both genders. Steph said Rosa’s bisexuality was always kind of there; she plays the character and knows Rosa better than any of us, and she recognized the deep emotional imbalance in her character as Rosa consistently rejected an intrinsic part of herself. Because sexuality is intrinsic. Even for someone who is asexual, sexuality is part of their very identity, albeit in a way different from heteronormative standards. 

Some people are born with crappy vision, some people are born without a sex drive. Some people are born with prodigy-level talent, some people are born ready to love anyone, regardless of something so menial as gender. We’re all born people, though.

Rosa Diaz is gay, and she’s finally ready to let people know. She is finding the courage to acknowledge who she is to a family that (based on the little we know) is very traditional. The character is finding that courage so that she can be her true self without feeling the need to keep any pieces hidden in a security deposit box. Rosa may never be the type to talk about her feelings or to delve, vocally, into her sexual identity, but she is the type to claim it and make it her own. She is pinpointing personal attributes that she perhaps considered shameful and embarrassing and she’s saying - maybe in a whisper, right now, because nothing is overnight - fuck you, world, this is me. I am strong and brave and beautiful for it, and I’m not hiding in the shadows your bigotry casts for another second. I’m embracing every aspect of myself, because there is only one me, and that me has a voice, and even if it’s shaky now, it will grow louder, it will grow harder, I will be a force to be reckoned with.

Rosa Diaz is finding her voice, finding her identity, exploring the depths of what makes her uniquely her.

And that’s exactly what we, as viewers, should be doing.

For those of you out there who are already “over” the Rosa Revelation, who want the LGBTQ+ community to stop shouting pride from the rooftops already... maybe you need a little time in solitary. Start reflecting. Stop getting irritated with the deserved celebration of a bisexual woman of color claiming herself for herself. And maybe think about why you’re bothered in the slightest by the celebrators and the celebration. About why you’re annoyed or feel defensive. Find your mental security deposit lockbox, where your hidden pieces lie. Find the courage of those like Rosa Diaz, like Stephanie Beatriz, and look at all the parts of you. Bring them into the light. You just might see something wonderful.