#is this quote from narcos?? no

[reedrchards]

“I was going to be his friend, and I was going to show him possibilities. And he, in turn, would become someone I could trust more than myself.”

[dil-e-be-ikhtiyaar]

“The burden of debt and the reality of life crushed whatever sadness felt at the moment.”

– Kang Ingu

[thelightsandtheroses]

Secret Smile: Prodigal Son (Chapter One)

Secret Smile | Javier Peña x female reader

Summary: Before returning to Colombia to get things right this time, Javi’s childhood best friend asks him to to keep an eye out for his sister while they’re both stationed in the embassy. Only you don’t need Javier to keep an eye you her. Your role as a new legal advisor is all about keeping an eye on him after all. Sparks fly, lines will be drawn and broken and there’s everything to lose. Word Count: 2.4k Chapter Warnings: 18+ blog, language, Narcos season 3 spoilers, reminder - this is going to be a slow burn, unbeta’d

Series Masterlist | Chapter 2

Laredo, Tx

The gum’s not working. How people think this is a viable alternative to a cigarette, Javier doesn’t know. He pops another piece out of the blister pack. Maybe two will help?

It’s been a long evening; it feels like almost everyone at this wedding wants to speak to him. Some of them want to say how proud they are of him, others want to ghoulishly ask about Escobar and see if he will spill any grisly details and satisfy their curiosities.

It’s a marked contrast from the last time he was home; back when he was just the man who broke Lorraine’s heart, who shamed both his and her family by not even turning up to the church to explain himself. Back then, Javier was the black sheep who ran to the DEA and Mexico and Colombia to hide from his sins. Now he is a prodigal son returned, a slayer of demons and one who’s hiding from a whole new set of sins.

It’s exhausting. Javi’s exhausted.

He thought vacations were meant to make you feel less like this, but maybe that’s because most people leave their home rather than return to it as a vacation.

Seeing Lorraine with Randy and her children sits strangely. He left the hall, transfixed by the spectre of a life he could have had if he’d made different decisions. But is that Javi? Could that ever have been him? Could it ever be him? Lorraine didn’t seem to think. Clearly past him hadn’t thought so either because he ran away from it all for a reason, right?

This time away from work isn’t helping. He’s too in his head, too deep in his thoughts. Being back at home dredges up all the ghosts, all the questions and there’s too much time to think about what went down in Colombia, in who he became to get Escobar.

Javi gave years of his life, he gave everything to that single goal and he fumbled it. He wasn’t even there when they took him down; just consoling himself with cheap whiskey in a bar.

Not that the people of Laredo know this; no, to them he’s some sort of hero, all sins forgiven and forgotten.

He’s not a hero. Javi knows who the real heroes are.

He leans against the wall, listening to the sound of insects around him and the din of the wedding inside the hall, fingers itching for a cigarette rather than the unsatisfying gum in his mouth. 

He hasn’t told his dad everything yet, just that he has to go back, that he’s been offered a promotion to help bring down the next threat. He can’t tell him about it all; about how he thought he was walking into some sort of oversight or disciplinary committee to fight for his job, that he thought he would be held to account for everything that went down in Colombia, only it was a reprieve, an interview to ask him to go back.

It’s weighed on his mind ever since.

Saying yes was so easy in the moment. He fell at the last hurdle with Escobar, wasn’t even there the day it all ended. All of those years, all that work, faded to nothing against the mistakes and regrets and the scars the job left him.

Catching Escobar had been everything to Javier for so long. He was a symbol of everything that Javi was fighting against and he needed to be stopped. Since he got back from Bogota, he keeps coming back to an old Nietzsche quote he studied once in a Philosophy college class: “battle not with a monster, lest ye become a monster”

He doesn’t think he quite became a monster, but maybe he crossed some lines. Now he needs to fix it.

This time will be better though. It has to be.

He needs to do this whole thing the right way this time, help stop this war once and for all, or at least fix the messes he left behind.

Javi’s pulled out of his reverie by the crunching sound of footsteps on gravel next to him and turns around, instantly on alert.

“Javi?” a familiar voice asks.

“Rafa. Hey, it’s been a while,” Javi replies, relaxing as he faces Rafael. Rafael has been a steady presence in his life since they were kids, arguably he was one of Javi’s first friends. They’d been paired together in elementary school; an unlikely pair at first who’d quickly realised that they had more in common than they expected. They’ve stuck together through it all; Javi’s mother, the way their lives veered in different directions after college and all the way to the failed wedding to Lorraine. Hell, Rafael was going to be his best man and it was him along with Chucho helped pick up the pieces Javier left behind as he ran away under the false promise of being a hero.

Rafael’s holding a glass of whiskey in his hands, his tie is loosened and he looks stressed before he even says a word.

“I need to ask you a favour,” he says, taking another swig of his drink.

“Oh yeah?” Javi asks, dreading what’s next. It’s been an evening of unearned congratulations and fake smiles. He just wants to go home now, but he promised his tia, doesn’t want to let Danny down either.

“My sister’s been posted to Colombia.” That’s news to Javi.

He remembers flashes of you, a few years younger than the two of them, smart, annoyingly competitive and you had always seemed more focused than even Javi. That was something considering Javi worked towards the single goal of working his way out of Laredo and exploring the world more from the age of eight.  Sometimes he had resented Rafael’s family who always seemed to have it so easy, their money and presence looming over so much of their hometown. 

He hasn’t seen you in years. You left Laredo for college and then Javier had joined the DEA and gone wherever they wanted to send him: Mexico, Colombia. He’d just wanted out of his hometown.

“Colombia?” Javi repeats. He must have heard wrong surely.

“Yes. She’s at the embassy, some sort of fancy position - legal stuff, or something like that. I don’t know the details, I didn’t ask.. she’s not really shouted about it. She didn’t even tell me why she even wanted to leave DC in the first place. I mean, I thought she was happy there and if she wasn’t, I’d have thought she’d have gone back to Austin because I know she loved it there. Look, I’m rambling but she’s my sister, man. I know you don’t talk about what you did down in Colombia, whatever went down. You don’t need to, I can fucking see it on your face, Javi. I’ve known you since we were kids. That’s why I’ve got to ask, Javi, I’ve got to ask if you can you keep an eye on her? I heard Chucho say you’re going back down there to my mom earlier and -”

Javi exhales slowly, rubs between his shoulder and collar bone as he thinks about his friend’s words.

Javi doesn’t want anyone from his hometown in Colombia. He doesn’t want them see who he is at work, or to see the reality of his world down there. At the moment, he feels as though there are two Javier Peña’s; the one that Laredo remembers and is now currently projecting their thanks and heroism to, and then the Javier in Colombia. That Javier is the one who’s reputation in the embassy may not be what Laredo expects. These two sides should never mix, he has to keep them separate.

“The embassy is a big place, Rafa,”, Javi says after a moment, “I’m in one small part of it and the chances are -”

“I know,” Rafael says after a moment, “I know that the chances are you won’t see her much, perhaps even at all. It’s just I’ll feel better if I know someone out there has her back. Please?”

Rafael never asks for anything unless he needs it. He’s the sort of person who would rather try and change a busted tyre alone in the dark than ask someone for help. It’s one of things that drew Javi to him; they’re both stubborn and determined people.

So of course Javier says yes, because Rafael is his longest standing friend and there is no other answer.

The embassy is a big place, Rafael might not know what you do but Javi’s sure you don’t work for the DEA so you won’t be one of his agents. You’ll probably be cooped up with all the stuffy lawyers he actively tries to avoid.

If it helps his friend to know he’ll be there for you if you need him, well, that’s fine with Javier. He would be there too, he means it when he says yes.

He probably won’t even cross paths with you in the corridors.

Famous last words.

Javi’s conversation with his Pops creeps under his skin after Danny’s wedding. It was the way he stopped the car in the same place they’d argued about Colombia, about him running away, for the first time. There’s more than a decade between then and now but for a moment, Javi felt like he was in his twenties again, ready for the fight.

Only this time it was different. Javi was still adamant but his Pops was resigned.

Last night set a fire under him. What is the point of staying any longer in Laredo, what will it bring him that getting back to work won’t? He has a job to do and he’s ready for it.

He can make things right this time; he can properly atone.

“When’s your flight?” Chucho asks from the kitchen doorway.

Javi closes the manilla file of paperwork and looks up. A flash of guilt rises in his stomach as he takes in his Pop’s tired appearance; that weariness that a day of hard physical labour always leaves. He should have helped him today, while he’s still here.

  “Tomorrow, my flight’s tomorrow, Pops” he says, his throat constricting with each word. He doesn’t say he asked the DEA to arrange an earlier flight, to change his start date. He doesn’t need to.

“Okay, Javi.” His father’s voice is heavy, unreadable somehow. There’s no disappointment in his voice but he can’t detect any approval either. “Do you need a ride to the airport?”

Javi swallows. “Yeah, that would uh- that would be good if you don’t mind, Pop.”

“Of course I don’t mind, son. When is it?”

Javi tells him when he needs to be at the airport, pushes the folder away for the night and tries to ignore the way his father’s gaze sticks on the innocuous looking file.

“I saw you and Rafael talking last night.”

Javi looks up, surprised at the change in subject. “Yeah, it’s good to see him again. We haven’t had as much of a chance to catch up since I’ve been back.”

 “You two were almost inseparable when you were kids; he was always interested in seeing the ranch, you rememebr that? He’s a good man, does a lot to help in this town.”

Rafael wasn’t like Javi - in the end he had chosen to make his life in Laredo. After medical school and his residency, he became a doctor at the local family practice. From what Chucho and others have told Javi, he’s well respected around town too.

“Did he tell you about his sister being down in Colombia too?”

“Yeah, he did. I don’t reckon we’ll cross paths though, Pops, we’ll be in different departments and they don’t mix much.”

“Probably not. It’s funny though, don’t you think?  She’s always been like you though, hasn’t she? She’s always wanted to be out there in the world. ‘S a small world though, huh?”

What are the chances of two people from Laredo being assigned to the same embassy?”

Minuscule - the odds are almost obscenely minuscule. The fact this is even happening feels like it must be some sort of aberration or perhaps Javi is just cursed.

Javi can’t say that though, he’s not sure what to say so he just nods.

“He wanted me to keep an eye out for her, make sure she’s alright,” Javi says.

“That makes sense. Are you going to?”

“If I see her. Like I said, we’re in different departments, it’s a big old city. I doubt I’ll even pass her much in the corridors. But if I do, I promised Rafa I’d keep an eye out for her and I will.”

“That’s probably all he wanted to hear. Actually, it might be good for you, having someone you know there with you.  You didn’t say if Steve is coming back this time?”

“No, he’s back in Miami with his family. He’s still with the DEA but he wants to stay where he is for now, not do as much active duty. Olivia’s young, I guess he feels he’s missed enough already.”

Steve gave a lot in the fight to stop Escobar. He almost lost his wife, lost time with his daughter, Javi doesn’t blame him for being done with active duty. As much as Steve and him had clashed against each other, by the end, Steve was Javi’s friend. He’d expected Steve to be like the others, last a month or two and be utterly blind to what the reality of the job was, of what being ‘all in’ meant. Steve had surprised him though. You couldn’t spend all that time together in that fire of that battle, because it was a battle, without forming a lifelong bond, however reluctant that might be for either of them.

It would be strange this time, going back there without him. It is going to be different with the promotion anyway - Javi can barely remember Messina getting much of a chance to get out from beyond her desk and that worries him. He’s designed for outside the office, not confined within it. Javi’s not sure where she’s ended up either; Stechner indicated her career was marked. Thanks to him. There’s another debt he can’t pay.

After a moment, his Pops opens the fridge, gets two bottles of beer and they sit together in silence.

Javi knows he should say something before it’s too later, but all of the words are stuck in his throat.  He just drinks his beer, runs his hands over the Nicorette gum in his jeans pocket.

Maybe Javi will come home right this time.

Tag lists

Secret Smile - @pedgeitopascal @sullyosully @catsickyellow

All Pedro Characters - @harriedandharassed @pedrostories @hiroikegawa

If you want to be added to one of the tag lists, let me know or you can get notifications for @thelightsandtheroses-fics-if you prefer to be notified when I post fics. If you do not have an age or age range showing you are over 18, I will not add you to this list. I block ageless and blank blogs.

[byuljoonie]

Brooklyn Baby // Pedro Pascal

Yeah my boyfriend’s pretty cool, but he’s not as cool as me

pairing: dom!pedro x fem!reader

genre: small drabble, unedited

word count: 444

warnings: fluff, kissing, teasing, lil age gap

note: PLZ ik this is a kpop oriented acc, but I want to write about what comes to mind and rn what comes to mind is HIM. God forbid a woman have hobbies, lol maybe I should stop re-watching Narcos🕴🏾- dubu♡

“I am going to eat your soul, and shit it out LESNICKI,” the TV screamed loudly, your eyes widening in delight as you watched your favorite movie for the millionth time.

You were getting ready for a night out with your boyfriend, and the only thing comforting enough to fill the silence of your apartment was the sound of a horror film. Your obsession with horror movies stemmed from an early age, but it’s one of the many quips Pedro loves about you.

You could talk for hours about your favorite movies, quoting lines like a most prestigious dork award was to be given after your efforts. He could send you tumbling over in laughter one minute, but have you writhing under him the next.

He used his talent to his advantage, what could he say? Someone as beautiful as you decided to give him a chance. While you were questioning your luck the entire first date.

You heard the door to your apartment open, jumping slightly when the TV simultaneously emitted a loud noise. “Y/N?” You heard his voice call you from the living room, heavy footsteps making their way deeper into your place.

“Almost ready!” You stood up from your vanity, pulling up the zipper on the black skirt you wore.

You ran to your bedroom door swinging it open in excitement. You were met with the familiar smell of his cologne, wrapping your arms around his towering frame.

“Hey sugar,” his lips stretched into a smile, leaning over to kiss you smoothly. He felt cold, the faint taste of mint and cigarettes still on his breath. You melted into the kiss, content and moving your arms to drape over his neck.

Mmm, you hummed against his lips remembering the lip gloss you just applied, sheepishly pulling away to stare at his glossy lips.

“Thanks I needed that,” he said sarcastically, wiping the lipgloss from his lips with a swipe of his thumb. Winking at you as a finale, you laughed at his expression.

“You look so handsome,” you said tugging at his suit jacket, loving the tight fitting black shirt on him. “You look like money, baby.” He kissed your hand sweetly, asking you to give him a spin. You happily complied.

“Come on we should get going,” he said grabbing your coat from the bed, watching as you bent over to put on your heels. Taking the opportunity he aggressively grabbed your ass , contemplating if you should leave after all.

“You’re right, we don’t want to miss drinks.” You insist turning around, smirking at him knowingly. He shoves his hands in his pocket, titling his head suddenly.

“Let’s not stay long.”

[allamericansbitch]

Hi everyone! Here’s the newest addition to my Creator Shoutout Series (november 19 - november 26)!  I want to appreciate editors and their creations that i love from the past week. To track this series or look at previous shoutouts, please check out the tag on my blog *creatorshoutouts. Have a great week everyone!

the hunger games gifset by @alexstandall

taylor swift: suburban legends gifset by @antoniosvivaldi

stranger things: argyle + incorrect quotes gifset by @userlokis

narcos: 1x04 gifset by @pedrorascal

sabrina carpenter gifset by @zendadya

taylor swift: clean graphic by @cellphonehippie

the hunger games gifset by @nowadayz

severance gifset by @sheryl-lee

taylor swift: say don't go gifset by @rogerhealey

pride & prejudice (2005) gifset by @haniishu

the hunger games gifset by @starminsters

taylor swift: mirrorball x say don't go graphic by @hits-differently

the hunger games: catching fire gifset by @rachelzegler

succession gifset by @sdktrs12

taylor swift: mirrorball cat art by @mmemirrorball

the hunger games: catching fire gifset by @buffysummers

atonement gifset by @foldergif

stranger things: robin gifset by @kitconnor

yellowjackets: jackie taylor gifset by @natscatorrcio

sabrina carpenter: christmas icons by @iknowplaces-tv

the hunger games: peeta and katniss gifset by @jakeperalta

brooklyn nine nine: jake peralta gifset by @jakeyp

stranger things: max and lucas gifset by @loserboygator

scream 6: sam carpenter gifset by @tbosas

brooklyn nine nine gifset by @muldery

taylor swift icons by @internet-illusion

gilmore girls: jess and rory gifset by @emmafallsinlove

yellowjackets gifset by @wistfulwatcher

the hunger games: mockingjay part one gifset by @juliedelpy

priscilla graphic by @speakviolence

the hunger games: katniss everdeen gifset by @crowley-anthony

taylor swift: long story short graphic by @artelarium

the hunger games: catching fire gifset by @clairesbeauchamp

the bear: 1x04 gifset by @demarcoes

olivia rodrigo: all-american bitch graphic by @faultsline

[narcosfandomdiscord]

narcos october prompts

The Narcos Fandom Forever discord server is introducing a month-long challenge, the Narcos October Prompts, which is open to fan creators for both the OG Narcos and Narcos MX TV shows.

Creators of all kinds are encouraged to make all types of fanworks! Fic, art, gifs, vids, and other miscellaneous fanworks are all welcome. 

Each fanwork must be published on the day that corresponds to the prompt. There are two prompts for each day of the month, and you can choose which you prefer.

For example, you can post a fanwork inspired by the Day 7 prompt “Blackout” on October 7. If you create something late, you can publish it on the amnesty day, which is October 30. 

Please use the hashtag #narcoctober to submit your entries, so we can find them and reblog them! 

EDIT: the event is now over. To enjoy the things we've created, peruse masterlist i (days 1-10), masterlist ii (day 11-25), and masterlist iii (day 26-31).

🍰 Prompt List 🍰

October 1 — Day of Firsts

Create a fanwork about a canon character you’ve never written about/used before.

Create a fanwork of an alternate universe you’ve never tried to create before.

October 2 — “Porque No Los Dos?” Day

Create a crossover for the original Narcos show and the Narcos: Mexico show, featuring at least one character for each.

Anything involving polyamory, ex: a fic about somebody who has two or more partners (with their partners’ knowledge and consent, aka not infidelity. That’s a different prompt).

October 3 — Day of Music

Create and post a playlist for fic/wip of yours OR your favorite episode and explain why each song resonates for that fic/wip or episode.

Put your favorite playlist on shuffle and whatever song comes up first, that’s your prompt.

>>> more prompts below the cut

October 4 — Day of Conflict

Anything involving a fistfight or a gunfight.

Quote prompt: “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

October 5 — Day of Visual Art

Visual fanworks: post a screenshot, meme, gif, gifset, video, or other non-fic visual fanwork.

Create a fanwork about a character interacting with a piece of art (e.g. buying decoration for a new home, stealing a piece, hitting on a stranger at a gallery, creating art themselves, etc)

October 6 — Day of International Relations

Write non-English language fic.

Use a random country picker and utilize that country in your work in some way: a character is from that country, a food from that country shows up, there’s international politics, etc. You get two rerolls if you don’t like the first or second country you get. If you get the United States, reroll automatically.

October 7 — Day of Darkness

Make something centered around non-death dark topics (we have a specific death day already). Morally or emotionally dark topics/themes.

One-word prompt: Blackout.

October 8 — Day of Light

A day of pure fluff: anything insanely, unambiguously, self-indulgently, luxuriously enjoyable.

One-word prompt: Sunrise.

October 9 — Day of Gay

Create anything devoted to an LGBTQ+ character. This can be your headcanon, but if you want a canon gay character, Pacho and his boyfriends are canonically gay. Also, one of Pacho’s biker lady criminals is played by a trans actress.

Create anything with a queer and/or trans original character or reader insert.

October 10 — Day of Tough Shit

Write a fic whose exact wordcount is divisible by 500 (500, 1000, 1500, etc).

Make a fanwork in a medium you’ve never used before. If you make GIFs, write something. If you write, draw. Etc. As long as it’s uncharted territory for you!

October 11 — Day of Fun

Create a non-visual, non-fic fanwork: quiz, game, playlist, incorrect quotes.

Create a fanwork with at least one joke in it (that YOU think is funny, fuck everyone else if they don’t think it’s funny lmao).

October 12 — Day of Death

Kill a character who lives in canon.

Create something with a character who is mourning a dying thing rather than a person (their dying relationship, their dying career, their dying city, their dying memories, their dying friendship, their dying dreams, etc etc etc)

October 13 — Day of Life

Create a fanwork in which a character avoids their canonical death.

Create a fanwork about characters having kids (sex to have kids, pregnancy, the birth itself, the kids growing up) or choosing not to have kids. It's a free country (it’s sorta a free country) (it’s sorta kinda a free country) (depends on which country we’re talking about i suppose)

October 14 — Day of Support

Create a review, response, or analysis of a Narcos or Narcos Mexico fic, in the style of an Amazon review or a NYT book review or something like that. Please keep it constructive and positive, no roasts.

Quote prompt: “I got you.”

October 15 — Day of Absolute Filth

Create a smut fanwork that includes three different kinks and/or sex acts (basically you could tag it with at least three tags that are Pure Filth).

Create a fanwork about a character’s moral corruption.

October 16 — Day of Surprises

These prompts were revealed at the start of the day.

Create a fanwork that focuses on dreams, either literal or metaphorical.

Shrimp.

October 17 — Day of Rare Treasures

Create a fanwork about a character that only shows up in one (1) season of the show. the rarer the better honestly

“I laughed and said, Life is easy. What I meant was, Life is easy with you here, and when you leave, it will be hard again.”

October 18 — Day of History

Create a fanwork about characters experiencing, participating in, or witnessing a real life historical event (could have been depicted in canon or not) e.g. moon landing.

Create a fanwork about two exes meeting unexpectedly.

October 19 — Day of Hurt

Create a fanwork about a character so emotionally or physically hurt that they can’t help but start crying even though they don’t want to.

Make a spitework (that is, a fanwork addressing something in canon that pissed you off, whether it was a character or a plot point).

October 20 — Day of Comfort

Create a fanwork about a character getting exactly what they need from someone unexpected.

Create a fanwork inspired by your #1 narcos comfort episode (not necessarily “the best” but rather the episode you rewatch the most often because you love it so much).

October 21 — Day of Women Who Will Step On You For Free

Create a f/f-centric fanwork.

Create a fanwork focused on the character development of a woman from the show.

October 22 — Day of Cross-Fandom Pollination

Create a fanwork that includes at least one Narcos character and at least one character from another fandom.

Create a fanwork with the plot or setting stolen from another fandom (and cite which fandom it is). For example, a daisy jones and the six fic where món is a 60s singer.

October 23 — Day of Threes

Create a fanwork that includes three items you can currently see.

Create a fanwork including three canon characters. extra difficult version: three canon characters that have never met.

October 24 — Day of Monsters

Create a fanwork about a character turning into a supernatural creature.

Quote prompt: “The world isn’t made up of heroes and monsters. Just broken people balancing between the two.”

October 25 — Day of Wow, That Escalated Quickly

Create a fanwork that begins in a canon-compatible place, but ends up going somewhere more dramatic.

Quote prompt: “It’s surprising how much can change in just one hour.”

October 26 — Day of Echoes

Pick a quote from the show that you love and use it as inspiration for your fanwork. Then share what the quote is at the end of your post.

Create a fanwork inspired by any mythological story (Greek, Norse, Aztec, Celtic, etc. get weird with it. Bible counts as mythology, fuck it)

October 27 — People of Color Day

Create a fanwork about an original character or reader character who is explicitly a person of color.

Create a fanwork about a canon character of color (e.g. Truijllo, Enrique, Kiki, Rafa, Azul).

October 28 — Day of Friendship

Create a fanwork inspired by somebody else’s fanwork, or including a cameo of somebody else’s original character (fanvids, fanart, moodboard, etc included — just please ask for permission from the original creator to use inspo before you do it!)

Quote prompt: “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

October 29 — Day of Horror

Create a fanwork inspired by your favorite horror movie.

Prompt: came back wrong.

October 30 — (penultimate day, October 30) Day of Amnesty

Post a fanwork you started for any previous prompt but weren’t able to finish in time.

Quote prompt: “I forgive you.”

October 31 — (final day, October 31) Day of Legacy

Create a sequel or counterpart to a fanwork you posted previously this month.

Quote prompt: “This is [my/your/their] legacy.”

November 1 — Bonus — Day of Celebration

reblog a fanwork that is your favorite creation that you made in the month

[horrorlesbians]

Right, re: the sexism in TDS1, i think the season definitely engages with the sexism and violence of rust and marty in interesting ways. I forget the exact quote but early on rust says something like "I'm a bad man, we need bad men to keep other bad men from the door" which I've always found to be a pretty on the nose commentary on these themes. Marty & Rust justify their violence, sexism, and abuse of people's rights because they see themselves as good guys (in Marty's case), or in service of a greater good/lesser evil (in Rust's case). Which, they are the protagonists and sympathetic so I understand & in many ways agree with a reading that, like most cop shows, TD kind of ends up valorizing rust and marty. ANYWAY I've always thought it to be engaging with it the way you framed it in that other ask - the women and children in these men's lives are treated like shit, and I don't think the show justifies how they're treated like shit (tbh i don't even think the show paints women in a shitty way or blames them, it's that the protagonists do that which isn't the same), but MARTY justifies his behavior by believing that (1) its Not That Bad because it could be so much worse and (2) I'm A Hard Working Hero and I Deserve Slack. This ended up very rambling but i hope that makes sense

i think the most interesting thing about season one is that rust and marty are both not good people, as you mentioned rust views himself as a bad man but a correct bad man. he breaks laws and abuses his police power and uses violence to get what he wants but he does all of it because he knows/believes that it's the only way to get the badder man, the man abusing and killing women and children. his bad actions are correct and validated in his head because he has to catch his bad guy. obvi being undercover in narco for as long as he was changed him and how he views the law, like how he tells the woman he buys drugs from that "of course im dangerous, im police. i can do bad things with impunity". i can sympathize with rust far more than marty because you can see more/understand more why rust became who he is.

marty is a cheating controlling asshole who treats women like property and wants to impose his view of womanhood onto them. he gets mad when rust mows his lawn and talks to his wife when marty isn't home because marty is a cheater and most cheating men assume all other men are cheaters. but he feels it is warranted how he treats women, he tries every excuse in the book to write off his behavior to his wife but at his core he does what he wants and doesn't care much how it hurts others. he only cares because it affects him, he blames his mistress for ruining his family as if he didn't ruin it by sleeping with him.

rust is defined as a type of outlaw detective who does whatever he wants, regardless of using violence and police red tape, because he has convinced himself that he is right about his theory. he will put himself and marty in countless dangerous situations, attack and kill people (especially in the drug plot in the middle of the season) because he has convinced himself all of this has to happen. granted, at the end of the show rust Was right about everything so his actions seemed warranted but even he states that he was aware he might have been insane in his actions. he is so far gone into his desire for justice and to catch His killer nothing else matters, after he caught his killer the only thing he mentions about the case is how he didn't realize who it was when he first met him.

marty is interesting to me because he a womanizing cheating asshole who will hit his daughter without hesitation and cheat on his wife whenever he wants but will blow a suspect's head off because he was abusing children and finally quits because of a violent death of an infant. he claims being a family man is so important and wants rust to get a woman but breaks apart his own family because of what he wants.

anyways. i love when the main characters are bad people, far more interesting that way.

[proceduralpassion]

Narcos Incorrect Quotes

Day 11 of Narcoctober- Create a non-visual, non-fic fanwork: quiz, game, playlist, incorrect quotes.

[at Horacio's funeral] Javi: places his hand on the headstone and sobs Javi: How could you do this to me? We are so understaffed. Javi: On a scale from “damn Daniel” to “fre sha vaca do” how are you guys feeling? Trujillo: I’m in between “it’s an avocado, thanks” and “how did you defeat captain america” but as a solid answer I would say “I don’t need a degree to be a clothing hanger.” Murphy: Probably “road work ahead.” Carrillo: I speak multiple languages and this is none of them. Felix: You know, guys are kind of scared to talk to y– Maria: Good. Connie: Thanks to Steve, Olivia has taken up swearing. Connie: Yesterday, she referred to bedtime as a ‘fucking crisis.’ Pacho: I’m not interested in being polite or heterosexual Javier: I think you made them anxious. Steve: Oh yeah? Well that’s because they’re all a bunch of bitch ass white boys. Javier: I hate to break it to you, but you’re also a bitch ass white boy.

Maria: The term girlfriend implies the existence of of a girlfoe. This is a service I am willing to provide.

Rafa: People say “forgive but dont forget”, but I forget but dont forgive Rafa: I’ll be walking around town like I don't know your name but I know a BITCH when I see one

[gunshot] Amado: So sorry, new ringtone.

Javier: I sort of did something and I need some advice, but I don't want a lot of judgment and criticism. Carrillo: And you came to me?

[joelscruff]

a few people tagged me in this so i thought i'd give it a go 💕

Last song: willow - hover like a goddess (sooo good)

Favorite color: pink (preferably light/pastel)

Currently watching: narcos (i'm almost done season 2 but i'll be honest i haven't watched in a few months 😭 i need to get back to it), rewatching curb your enthusiasm sporadically, heartstopper season 2, started a lost rewatch and then fell off. i'm so bad at watching shows yall

Currently reading: 'the housekeeper & the professor' by yoko agawa (only about a chapter in so not sure what i think yet), & i'm also reading 'a year with rilke' which is basically just a different rainer maria rilke poem/quote every single day

Sweet/spicy/savory: i'd say sweet but lately i've actually been craving more savory things to snack on idk whats happening 2 me

Relationship status: single & slowlyyyy getting ready to put myself back out there again (scary)

Current obsession: i have a very unhealthy obsession with tiktok at the moment that i rly need to stamp out cause its getting BAD. like i'll fall asleep watching them at like 3am 😭 someone delete this app from my phone

Last thing I googled: tunefind cause i heard a song in heartstopper and was trying to figure out where i'd heard it before (it was bros by wolf alice and i heard it in life is strange before the storm rip)

Currently working on: feelings on fire joel's pov 🥳 this is the first time i've ever written from his pov so i wasn't sure how i'd feel or if i'd be able to do it right. i'm actually really enjoying it and the chapter is much longer than i anticipated it would be, woops.

as usual i'm always nervous abt tagging people so anyone who wants to do it can go ahead 💖

[cheesybadgers]

I suppose expecting nuance from conversations about Strange Way of Life was asking for too much lol.

Re: the upset at people questioning the lack of explicit sex in this, it might be worth noting Pedro Almodóvar’s comments from this interview back when this project was first announced:

Expectations of such scenes were probably largely brought on by quotes like these tbh.

Perhaps his vision for SWOL changed, or there wasn’t enough time in the end, or his comments were taken out of context/lost in translation, but it’s hardly surprising people went in with a certain idea of what they might see when it was touted as Almodóvar’s “answer to Brokeback Mountain” and he previously had turned down that film because he thought Hollywood would sanitise queer desire too much for his artistic freedom.

To immediately go from people discussing this to accusations of fetishisation is a bit of a leap to say the least. Not only because of the above interview but because you have no idea why someone might connect with a queer piece of media or a character. Sexuality and gender are hugely personal topics and unless someone chooses to tell you, you have no idea why it resonated with them.

Do some people have weirdly gendered stereotyped ideas of m/m relationships and say things that might be offensive to real life m/m people? Most likely. I’m not saying people should do and say what they want without any consideration for the LGBTQ+ community in their fandom.

But queer media is often people’s gateway into their own identities and the LGBTQ+ community, or becoming an ally, so to write off anyone who wants to explore themselves in relation to such media as some sort of sexual deviant is so reductive, offensive, and reads like outdated fandom arguments from about 15-20 years ago. And at this point, it feels like some people just don’t want there to be a space at all for queer people in the wider PP fandom.

Obviously, it’s completely valid if Almodóvar decided to go for more subtle eroticism this time compared to his older work (and for the record, it’s not a choice I personally had an issue with at all), but can we chill with all the moral judgement of anyone who talks about sex between two adult fictional men?

It’s especially hypocritical (and rather telling of how the community views m/m content in general, because it’s far from the first time I’ve noticed people being weirdly puritanical about this subject) coming from a fandom that reblogs the hell out of all the Javi related sex scenes from Narcos.

I wonder what could possibly be the difference between those sex scenes and these, er, non-existent sex scenes…

[punkshort]

Can you share how & when you became a fan of Pedro 💘

So I am very much late to the Pedro bandwagon and I am really sad I didn't know of him before The Last Of Us because I wish I could have been a fan back when he was on Twitter. I had heard his name before, but I had never seen anything he did prior to TLOU. I never watched Game of Thrones, Narcos, Mandalorian... none of it. Obviously I had heard of those shows, but for some reason never got into them.

I've been a huge fan of TLOU game since it was released. I actually remember my (now husband) bought be a PS4 and the game for Christmas one year and I cried like a baby because we had an Xbox, but the game is only on Playstation. I had heard so much about it and I really, really wanted to play it and he just fucking bought me a whole new gaming system just so I could play that one damn game. And let me tell you, I played that game SO MUCH... I don't think I could give you an honest answer, but if I had to guess I would say minimum of 50 times, all the way through. I could quote it (and I did while I was watching the show live, drove my husband nuts) I've played it that much. Absolutely obsessed, changed my life, no other game could compare. So when I heard they were making a show, I followed it extremely closely, saw the blurry set pics and all that and when I finally got to watch it last year I once again CRIED like a baby. I had to pause the damn thing because watching how perfectly they created that show from the game made me so emotional, I couldn't handle it. I still cry watching it sometimes because I felt like I waited 10 years for that damn show and when they finally made it, it was fucking perfect.

So anyway, that's when I first saw Pedro's work, and since then I have gone and watched The Mandalorian and Narcos (I watched Game of Thrones but only his scenes because I don't really like that show) and a handful of his movies, and he is just so awesome in everything. Then when I read up on his life, it just made me love him even more. He's been through so much and he deserves every single accolade he gets because he's an incredible actor and he seems like a genuinely sweet and kind person.

[drunktuesdays]

18 for the ask meme!

From And I, The Edge of a Cliff

Jim makes dinner and they finally finish Narcos, argue over the ending for a while, play a couple rounds of video games. When Jim falls asleep in the corner of the couch, Dustin covers him with a blanket and then watches old WCW matches on low until his eyes start to blur.

“C’mon,” he says, touching Jim’s shoulder. “Bedtime for sleepy boys.”

“Fuck off,” Jim says muffled. Then: “Carry me.”

“After you told me to fuck off?” Dustin says. “Absolutely not.”

Jim makes a bunch of pitiful noises, but hauls himself to his feet and heads upstairs, bonking into the wall every ten feet like a drunk in a bumper car. Dustin shuts off lights behind him, laughing.

The bitch of it is that a week or two ago, Dustin probably would have carried him to bed. Would have made a joke of it, complained about Jim being heavy, threatened to drop him a few times, but he would have done it. Would have slung Jim onto his bed and tucked him in, dropped a showy kiss on Jim’s forehead for the laughs.

Embarrassing shit. Dustin shuts the door of his bedroom and lays face down in bed until his heart stops feeling like it’s gonna beat out of his chest.

This comes at the tail end of a section where Dustin has gotten really self conches about the ways he interacts with Jim. The thoughtless way he touches Jim, orbits around him, tries to smooth out minor inconveniences. And once he becomes conscious of it, it's like he got too conscious of how to ride a bicycle while he was mid-ride and ended up almost crashing into a tree.

I like this scene I've quoted because he's suddenly feeling mortified about the ways that he plays along with Jim's bits, the ways he eagerly leans into their little jokes, the way he likes being around Jim. but he hasn't yet thought about the other side of this which is that there's never been a step he's taken that Jim hasn't been in lockstep with. That he might have carried Jim to bed but only because Jim asked him to. And in that section where he's backing off from touching Jim because he's so self-conscious, Jim hates it. Jim's furious about it. Jim LIKES the way Dustin treats him and he doesn't WANT Dustin to change.

[calkestis]

CREATION FOR EVERY MONTH OF 2022

post your favorite or most popular post from each month this year (it’s okay to skip months)

i was tagged by one of my siblings in disaster @grogus-dad 💜 (who also happens to be one of the most talented people i met here, who inspires me to become a better creator)

it feels a bit surreal that i actually have enough sets to choose from, since i only started giffing in march (so i’m gonna skip january and february - hell, i only started this blog in february what is time). anyways it’s been great to feel less alone in my hyperfixations and i’m so grateful to every single one of you who reblogged my stuff, you mean the world to me 💛

MARCH

favourite: steven grant in the first episode of moon knight

most popular: cal kestis in the jedi: fallen order trailer

APRIL

favourite: cal kestis + prauf quote

most popular: a very in love steven and layla

MAY

favourite: moon knight comics and show parallels and favourite arc from the clone wars

most popular: mr. knight fighting in the moon knight finale

JUNE

favourite: obi wan kenobi in mandalorian armor

most popular: obi wan kenobi and young leia in the show finale

JULY

favourite: the mandalorian - comics and show

most popular: jedi and their bonds with animals

AUGUST

favourite: pedro’s outfits in narcos s03

most popular: din’s very broad shoulders

SEPTEMBER

favourite: hbo’s the last of us teaser + quotes from the game

most popular: ewan and vivien behing the scenes of obi wan kenobi series

OCTOBER

favourite: din djarin outsmarting his enemies

most popular: oscar isaac calling pedro pascal a slut

NOVEMBER

favourite: the planets from andor

most popular: kino loy + “i can’t swim”

DECEMBER

favourite: cal kestis being the empire’s most wanted

most popular: bella ramsey being the perfect ellie williams

i’m tagging (no pressure though) @pcrtgasdace, @pedrorascal, @dasakuryo, @agentplant, @alexturner, @eggdrawsthings and @dickgraaysons 🥰

[cregan-starks]

9, 20, 24, 25, 32

have a good morning, luv ❣

Hello, my love! 💜Good morning to you, too, and tysm for asking! 💐

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know. No, I don't believe in ghosts lmao.

20. If a witch offered you the choice between eternal happiness with your one true love and the ability to finally finish, perfect, and publish your dearest, darlingest, most precious WIP in exactly the way you've always imagined it — which would you choose? You can’t have both sorry, life’s a bitch. I'm choosing to publish my WIPs, 'cause I believe neither in eternal happiness, nor in the concept of one true love. Keeping it realistic. Life has both ups and downs, and we gotta live.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it? I do tons of research, and a lot of preparation goes into my work. First and foremost, I must be familiar with the source material (watch the show/movie, read the book, etc.), as I consider my work to be a love letter to canon, and I want it to be as close to canon as possible. For Beholden, I watched Narcos: Mexico a dozen times, and researched the War on Drugs, as well as Mexico's history, culture, and geopolitics. Reveries was the easiest, 'cause I just had to rewatch Stranger Things. For Flames of Deceit, I read Fire & Blood twice, read A World of Ice and Fire, read The Rise of the Dragon, and watched House of the Dragon several times. I enjoy researching and prep work immensely.

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story? Magnussen hates the way toenails smell. Visenya can recognize and distinguish the sound of her family's footsteps (her parents, all of her siblings, Aegon, Aemond, Helaena, Daeron. Viserys, Alicent, Laenor, Laena, and Harwin are honorable mentions.)

32. What is a line from a poem/novel/fanfic etc. that you return to from time and time again? How did you find it? What does it mean to you? My mind went instantly blank lmao. I should start writing shit down. I've always loved Tolkien's "Not all those who wander are lost." It speaks to me on a deep, personal level. It's incredibly validating, as if he put into words something that I feel, that I couldn't express myself. Another Tolkien quote I like is "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us", because it's so true, and it serves as a valuable reminder to all of us. I also love George R.R. Martin's “What is honor compared to a woman’s love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms… or the memory of a brother’s smile? Wind and words. Wind and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.” This one speaks for itself, I think. Love is a double-edged sword, but we can't deny its power.

weird asks

[narcosfandomdiscord]

narcos october masterlist i

This masterlist is for days 1-10 of the @narcosfandomdiscord's october prompt event, which you can read about here and join in!

For days 11 onwards, check out the second masterlist and the third masterlist.

(Note: character x character indicates a romantic/sexual relationship; character & character indicates a platonic one.)

October 1 — Day of Firsts

Create a fanwork about a canon character you’ve never written about/used before.

↳ fanart by @tofuwildcard — Javi smoking, digital art

↳ Claro Que No by @drabbles-mc — Chepe x gn!Reader, 462

↳ Waiting Red by @narcolini — Isabelle x Chepe vampire AU, 600

↳ Depth Over Distance by @proceduralpassion — Mika & OC sibling backstory, 2.2k

↳ For Old Time's Sake by @garbinge — Carrillo x Reader, Steve and Javi & Reader, angst, 3.5k

↳ In the morning by @artemiseamoon — Marta x Amado established relationship, 2.8k

↳ Vengeance For Me by @kesskirata — Gustavo & Tata angst, ficlet

↳ what we do now by @ashlingnarcos — Feistl x Van Ness post-canon, 1k

↳ Tu cómplice by @hausofmamadas — Mayo x Benjamín pining, 2.8k

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October 2 — “Porque No Los Dos?” Day

Create a crossover for the original Narcos show and the Narcos: Mexico show, featuring at least one character for each.

↳ Looking On by @drabbles-mc — season 3 og DEA & season 2 mx DEA, unite! 3.5k

↳ How Do You Do This Shit For Fun? by @proceduralpassion — Walt & Javi crossover, 1k

↳ Late nights, early mornings by @artemiseamoon — Javi & OFC, Mayo x OFC, 1.8k

↳ two tests by @ashlingnarcos — Carrillo & Trujillo & Calderoni ficlet

Anything involving polyamory, ex: a fic about somebody who has two or more partners.

↳ Aggressive Negotiations by @kesskirata — Javi x Steve x Connie, 1.1k

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October 3 — Day of Music

Create and post a playlist for fic/wip of yours OR your favorite episode and explain why each song resonates for that fic/wip or episode.

↳ Three playlists by @rerorero-my-cherry — for Ramon x OFC fic Sola con mi Soledad

↳ Playlist for episode 2.1, Salva El Tigre by @artemiseamoon

Put your favorite playlist on shuffle and whatever song comes up first, that’s your prompt.

↳ Tainted by @drabbles-mc — Carrillo & Steve angst, 3.1k

↳ I need you tonight by @artemiseamoon — Amado x OFC, 1.1k

↳ on your mind by @narcolini — Javi x gn!reader ficlet

↳ Amado fanart by @tofuwildcard

↳ Foldin' Clothes by @garbinge — Steve Murphy x F!Reader, 3.2k

↳ Promise by @proceduralpassion — Carrillo x OFC smut

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October 4 — Day of Conflict

Many people seemed to combine both prompts for this day! Ambitious day.

Anything involving a fistfight or a gunfight.

Quote prompt: “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

↳ Who You're Dealing With by @drabbles-mc — Steve & Javi & OFC, 3k

↳ Luna de Lobo by @artemiseamoon — Ramón x OFC, Barron x OFC

↳ Country Store Cherry Chocolate by @garbinge — Steve Murphy & Reader (his sister), 1.9k

↳ Unwritten by @proceduralpassion — Carrillo x OFC, 1.1k

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.

October 5 — Day of Visual Art

Visual fanworks: post a screenshot, meme, gif, gifset, video, or other non-fic visual fanwork.

↳ a glitchy Pachito by @tofuwildcard — fanart

↳ NUGGETS OF BENJAMAYO by @hausofmamadas — gifset + commentary

↳ If Narcos Had A Group Chat by @proceduralpassion — video of groupchat texts

↳ If Narcos Had A Group Chat pt ii by @proceduralpassion — video of groupchat texts

Create a fanwork about a character interacting with a piece of art (e.g. buying decoration for a new home, stealing a piece, hitting on a stranger at a gallery, creating art themselves, etc)

↳ Things I Should Have Said by @garbinge — Javi x F!Reader, 2k

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October 6 — Day of International Relations

Write non-English language fic.

↳ Dos Opciones by @proceduralpassion — language: Spanish, Maria Elvira x Miguel, Maria Elvira x OFC, ficlet

↳ ¿Qué? by @ashlingnarcos — language: Spanish, Eduardo x OFC, ficlet

Use a random country picker and utilize that country in your work in some way: a character is from that country, a food from that country shows up, there’s international politics, etc. You get two rerolls if you don’t like the first or second country you get. If you get the United States, reroll automatically.

↳ House Special by @drabbles-mc — county: Japan, Walt x F!Reader, 3k

↳ Lespwa fe viv by @artemiseamoon — country: Haiti, Chepe x OFC, 1.3k

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October 7 — Day of Darkness

Make something centered around non-death dark topics (we have a specific death day already). Morally or emotionally dark topics/themes.

↳ The Oil Has Run Thin by @proceduralpassion — Walt x OFC ficlet

↳ Twenty-Four Hours by @drabbles-mc — Carrillo & gn!Reader captivity 1.4k

One-word prompt: Blackout.

↳ Control pt 1 by @artemiseamoon — Verdin x OFC smut, 1.6k

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October 8 — Day of Light

A day of pure fluff: anything insanely, unambiguously, self-indulgently, luxuriously enjoyable.

↳ Moving Day by @drabbles-mc — Steve x Connie fluff, 1.1k

↳ Happiest I've Ever Been by @proceduralpassion — Steve x Connie fluff ficlet

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October 9 — Day of Gay

Create anything devoted to an LGBTQ+ character.

↳ Watching Time by @garbinge — Chepe x Pacho ficlet

↳ Bisexually-lit Dina by @tofuwildcard — fanart

Create anything with a queer and/or trans original character or reader insert.

↳ Down in the 305 by @drabbles-mc — Steve x M!Reader

↳ Would You Kill For Me, My Love? by @proceduralpassion — Pacho x OMC ficlet

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October 10 — Day of Tough Shit

Write a fic whose exact wordcount is divisible by 500 (500, 1000, 1500, etc).

↳ The distance between you & me by @artemiseamoon — Calderoni x OFC post-divorce 1.5k

↳ Four People You Meet by @drabbles-mc — Carrillo x Juliana, Carrillo & Martinez, 500

↳ Talking Heads by @ashlingnarcos — Arellano family humor, 500

↳ The Bungalow by @proceduralpassion — Amado x Reader, 500

Make a fanwork in a medium you’ve never used before. If you make GIFs, write something. If you write, draw. Etc. As long as it’s uncharted territory for you!

↳ Hi, I'm a Slut (Amado's Version) by @tofuwildcard — fanvid

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↳ narcos october masterlist ii with prompts from day 11 onwards

[filmnoirfoundation]

ASK EDDIE - February 16, 2023

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens. In this episode, we discuss this year’s plans for our NOIR CITY film festivals, Bob Dylan’s relationship with noir, foreign noir television shows, heist films, and more. We also comment on this quote from poet, April Bernard, “Noir is romanticism embittered. The life of feeling that has been betrayed leads to the attitude and genre of noir. No one who loves noir is a cynic. Cynics never believed in anything in the first place. People who love noir are disillusioned romantics.”  We wind things up with a discussion of classic era film noir posters and their creators. On the cat front, Emily and Charlotte have their post-breakfast 10-hour powernap. All this week’s questions are listed below the description. Want your question answered in a future episode?

We solicit questions via our monthly newsletters. Sign up for free at https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/signup.html

Everyone who signs up on our email list and contributes $20 or more to the Film Noir Foundation receives the digital version of NOIR CITY Magazine for a year. Donate here: https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/contribute.html

This week’s questions:   

1. Have you set dates and locations for future NOIR CITY events in 2023? —Multiple inquiries   

2. Who, would you say was the most creative director of noir during the classic period. Creative in the sense that they could have done much better if the times they were living in didn’t hold them back. —Steve from Exeter NH   

3. Could you please tell me why “77 Sunset Strip” is not available in English to purchase the DVD's? —Jannie   

4. Did the James M. Cain estate ever bring suit against Warner Brothers for plagiarizing “Double Indemnity” when they made “Body Heat”? And, if so, was it settled out of court? —Doug, Silver Spring, MD   

5. The Bob Dylan lexicon is full of film noir and other references. Dylan is both lauded and reviled for this sort of thing. In all of art, what some call theft others call influence. I stand on the side of celebrating influence and would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. —Joe from Suffolk County NY   

6. What has been a revelation to me have been the foreign noirs, whether it be “Narcos” from Colombia, “The Break” from Belgium, or the Nordic noirs like “The Bridge” and “Bordertown”. The most impressive TV show I have ever seen has been the 5 seasons of the Italian series, “Gomorrah. Any comments by either of you on whether you've watched any of these shows? —Bob, the Chicago area   

7. I’m currently reading Evan Puschak’s new book of essays, “Escape into Meaning”. He cites this definition of noir given by the poet April Bernard: “Noir is romanticism embittered. The life of feeling that has been betrayed leads to the attitude and genre of noir. No one who loves noir is a cynic. Cynics never believed in anything in the first place. People who love noir are disillusioned romantics.”  Would love to hear your comments about it. —Michael, Post Falls, Idaho   

8. Would you consider “Rififi” a film noir? What distinguishes a heist film from being noir or not? What would be some examples of heist films from the classic noir period that are not noir? Ryan from Studio City adjacent (aka Valley Village, CA)   

9. I have The Film Noir Foundation’s restoration of “Woman on the Run” is truly an astonishing story. I wonder, since Eddie has seen other prints, whether the movie always had climatic moments as they are in the restoration. —Rob   

10. I have just finished Jim Thompson’s novels, “The Grifters” and “After Dark, My Sweet” which I thought were great.  Described as roman noir it's a term I wasn’t familiar with but translates into black novels.  Can you give me any background on the use of this term, where it came from?   —Sharon   

11. Just watched "Cry of the City" and "The Naked Street" and wondered, how many noirs begin with a bridge under the titles? Seems to be a few... —Joe on Long Island   

12. Did the poster artists in the classic noir era work for the studios or were they freelancers? Which poster artists do each of you admire most?  Who are your favorite pulp fiction cover artists? Are there any other paintings or painters you associate with film noir? Thanks for the great show. The YouTube channel alone makes me feel that my donation is money well spent. —Joe from Suffolk County, NY