#lucy and lockwood

[fall-a-little-harder]

I don’t understand why tumblr isn’t absolutely drooling over lockwood and co it’s everything that tumblr should love?????? it’s got ghosts and swords??? cozy British vibes?? ANGST THROUGH THE ROOF???? the best slowburn since pride and prejudice?? the “you can kill me just don’t touch her” trope is EVERYWHERE???

PLEASE I am beGGING YOU go binge it!!!

[desos-records]

The part I appreciate the most in the Lockwood and Co show is how it handles depression and suicidal thoughts in teenagers. As a theme, it’s not often (ever) done well. Lockwood and Co is the only story I can think of that depicts it in a nuanced, realistic, non-romanticized way

but first, before I get into it: [if you’re in crisis or need someone to talk to and don’t want to/can’t use your national hotline, highly recommend Samaritans, genuinely saved my life] okay, let’s go

Lockwood is the most obvious, with his general disregard for his own life and admitted suicidal ideation. Lucy struggles with her self-worth and the intensity of the emotions she’s subjected to. George worries that he doesn’t belong, that there’s something useless or wrong about him. The show depicts these thoughts and feelings in a way that isn’t overblown or dramatized, it’s all but casual. Which is how it happens. Depression or suicidal thoughts don’t crash into you all at once, they creep into your life without you noticing

But more importantly (and again, something I’ve never seen anywhere else), the show also offers counterpoints to those thoughts and feelings. It shows that there is a way out, even though you may feel trapped and hopeless. This is crucial for the show’s target demographic. Bad media depictions of depression or suicide get internalized, contribute to the stigma, and make it harder for people to ask for help. This show doesn’t do that. This show tells its audience that, yes, things are scary and painful and it fucking sucks, but it’s not hopeless. And it says it so well

In the second episode, when Lucy wants to quit, she admits something that I’m almost certain she’s never told anyone

“sometimes I just think I’d be better off dead”

And when I watched this the first time, I expected Lockwood to react the way I’ve seen people react in my own life; with silence or panic or downright dismissal. But he didn’t. He stays calm and he says something that is so so important to hear when you’re struggling under the weight of feelings like this

“I understand that”

Saying this tells someone several things: that you’re on their side, they aren’t strange or monstrous for feeling like this, and that you’re not going to attack or abandon them because of it. And you can see the impact it has on Lucy, the way her face clears. She went from struggling to breathe and near tears to calm and steady. It’s no mistake that in this moment we hear his and Lucy’s theme for the first time (those simple, beautiful guitar strings)

The next thing he says is also important

“and it’s not true”

Simple, to the point, directly addressing her feelings, and (the most common mistake) doesn’t make it about him. Telling someone that you love them or that they’d be upset to lose you might sound nice, and it can be later on in the conversation, but in a moment like this, it’s infinitely more helpful to confront the thought itself

A similar moment in the first book stuck with me too, when they’re underneath Combe Carey Hall and Lucy almost steps into the well. What she’s hearing in her head (and the general phenomenon of malaise that ghosts produce) is very similar to depressive or suicidal thoughts. Before she can fall, Lockwood pulls her back

“no, Lucy, that’s not the way it’s going to be”

Depressive and suicidal thoughts deal in absolutes, so sometimes it takes an absolute to counter it

In the last episode, George has that heart-breaking moment where he says all the awful things he thinks about himself, partly because of the influence of the boneglass and Bickerstaff, but it’s also been building up, there in the background. Increasingly, it’s Lockwood and Lucy working together and George working on his own, which picks at old wounds (engineer, engineer, engineer, weirdo). He bonds with Joplin because he feels like she understands him in a way the others don’t

“it’s nice to have someone to show off to”

But Lucy pushes back against all that because she sees herself in all the ugly things George is saying, because she’s felt that way too. She understands that. She’s so surprised and horrified to hear him saying those things, resigning himself to dying down there, she’s not going to let him go on believing them

“you’re not a third wheel or an oddball or whatever it is that you think you are”

“you’re the best of us”

“we are not losing you, Georgie”

Flo called him that earlier too, but Lucy wasn’t there for that and coming unprompted from her it sounds so much like something you might call your slightly annoying younger brother. She’s so absolute about it all, with no opening for doubt, and you can see something like surprise on George’s face (but also pain because now Lucy’s in danger too)

For all Lucy knows, the boneglass will kill her. I don’t think for a second she genuinely believes her talent will protect her; she told Joplin that to protect George. It’s unclear when exactly she came up with the plan to use the skull, but she was willing to risk it anyway. And she knows, she knows, George will blame himself for this (because she would too, if it were the other way around), but even then, she’s very clear

“this isn’t your fault”

Their whole scene down in the catacombs is two kids trying to keep each other alive, physically obviously, but on the inside as well. And, oh god, George almost crashing down next to Lucy after he’s knocked over the boneglass, trying to wake her up. His voice

“Lucy, Lucy, it’s me, it’s me, say something, speak to me”

I think it’s down in those catacombs that George and Lucy really understand each other for the first time. In their own ways, they’re both curious and suspicious about the Problem and what causes it, trying to learn more about it (and stressing Lockwood out in the process). They both left their families; they both struggle with feeling strange and different than everyone around them. That connection pulls them both back from the edge

Lockwood, for all his confidence, is practically in crisis or was fairly recently (I suspect living with George helped). It’s fairly common, actually, for someone suicidal to overcompensate with an exterior shell to hide it, which can manifest in different ways depending on the person (they may not even realize they’re doing it, I didn’t)

And I love how the show handles it. He’s not made into this dark, tragic figure. He’s so full of life it hurts. He jokes around with George and Flo, fights with Kipps, admires Fairfax. He has dreams (plans) for the future. He’s struggling with trauma, they all are, but he’s not Broken™ in the way similar leading characters are often made out to be, in the way we often fear we are

And, of course, there’s Lucy, a wreaking ball through the precarious balance of Lockwood’s life. It’s not so much that she gives him a reason to live (although she definitely helps), but she holds him accountable in a way no one else does. This is the difficult part of recovery that no one talks about. Having people care for you (George) and sympathize with you (Flo) is great and necessary, especially early on. But at some point, you have to take responsibility for yourself and the noise in your head (you have to open your door on the landing)

What that looks like is complicated and messy and different for every person, but seeing it played out in a story is remarkable. I’ve never seen anything like it. This is a difficult thing for anyone to learn (many adults never even try)

That shot of George, Lucy, Lockwood (and Kipps) rising up on the catafalque sums it all up for me. Each of them fell into darkness alone and rose out of it together. They inspired each other to fight and win their individual battles, even when they couldn’t be there to help

[daydreamxr17]

These two scenes are the same thing except Kaz planned the revenge of his life and Lockwood just started frog war with Kipps

We stan our favorite drama queen

[wellgoslowly]

THB SPOILERS

thinking of how little lockwood must’ve slept during the black winter… bro is an insomniac already but how much do you want to bet he started waking up early so he could get the newspaper right as it was being delivered every morning & flip through to a column in the back where the names of all the agents who died the day before are printed… every morning he scours that column and the obituaries at least 5 times making sure that lucy’s name isn’t printed

[darklinaforever]

Lockwood who offers his childhood bedroom to Lucy.

Lockwood who offers Lucy to call him whatever she wants, as long as it's Lockwood or Anthony, knowing that only his parents called him by his first name.

Lockwood refusing to get medical treatment / care from the ambulance until he made sure Lucy was okay, when he got hit by a ghost and could have died within an hour.

Lockwood giving his sister's necklace to Lucy.

Lockwood holding Lucy's hand as he jumps off the roof into the Thames.

Lockwood who, thanks to Lucy, manages to be more comfortable and friendly with people.

Lockwood doing an unlikely jump to stop a ghost from hitting Lucy.

Lockwood telling Lucy he would die for her.

Lockwood who says no one comes close to Lucy in terms of ability.

Lockwood whose suicidal impulses worsened after Lucy left for 4 months.

Lockwood telling Lucy that he missed her.

Lockwood who searched for 4 months for a way / an excuse to bring Lucy home.

The Belle Dame who attracts Lockwood by taking on Lucy's appearance.

Lockwood who gives Lucy her mother's necklace that her father gave her as an undying devotion.

Me :

And again, I must have forgotten things ! Feel free to add them !

[i-was-a-well-kid-once]

Percabeth 🤝 Locklyle

having matching grey streaks in their hair

[staynayo]

Are you normal or are you Lucy Carlyle describing Lockwood's smile in all possible ways that you can describe the sun shining

[changeinthehouseof1000corpses]

I feel like nobody is talking about the fact that Lockwood literally tries to BREAK THROUGH THE TRAP DOOR at Bickerstaffs house to get Lucy out.... like boy was desperate.

[vangoghsmissingearr]

if locklyle has millions of fans i am one of them. if locklyle has ten fans i am one of them. if locklyle has only one fan that is me. if locklyle has no fans, that means i am no longer on earth. if the world is against locklyle, i am against the world.

[strawberrycowgirly]

COMING BACK WITH A SPECIAL LOCKLYLE EDITION TO (PART 18!! what?!?) OF MY LOCKWOOD AND CO INCORRECT SERIES!!!! LOVE ALL YOU GUYS FR!! 🥹💕💓 credit to @chosetobethisway for the meme from the 5th image!! thank you and love you lots and lots!! 🥰🫶

[thatskullinajar]

Lockwood: Has anyone ever told you they love you? Lucy: Does my mom count? Lockwood: Yes? Lucy: Oh, okay Lucy: Still no.

[ghost-touch-kills]

This is officially one of my favorite scenes. It’s just so pretty.

(season 1 episode 2, about 39 minutes in)

[desos-records]

Lucy fell first, but Lockwood fell first and hit every branch on the way down.

[daydreamxr17]

I just know that if the show got it's proper ending with all seasons

This would become THE kiss scene

Like Lockwood would kiss Lucy after "SAVE YOURSELF FOR ME" (imagine Cameron saying this, with all that puppy eyes, desperate, bloodied, dirty, hot look, leaning to Lucy, their foreheads touching, we would just melt)

I won't shut up about this just imagine Cameron acting all Lockwood way stressed, kind off angry saying with that his voice "do what you're told FOR ONCE" and then lean down to Lucy, all soft, sad puppy look, whispering "Please, save yourself for me." And then the kiss

I HAVE THE VISION

And Lucy would kiss him again before "I'LL STAY WITH YOU"

[wellgoslowly]

i feel like we as a fandom don’t talk enough about the look that lockwood and lucy give each other during the elevator ride up to fairfax’s office and it sickens me a little bit tbh. THE TENSION IS OFF THE CHARTS AND FOR WHAT?!?!?!??

LIKE?!?!?!?!? WHY DO THEY LOOK LIKE THEYRE ABOUT TO START KISSING THEYRE LITERALLY IN A CROWDED ASS ELEVATOR JESUS CHRIST GET A FUCKING ROOM

[darklinaforever]

Lockwood and Co had very good viewing. So Netflix's excuse doesn't work. And if they wanted the show to be more visionary, all they had to do was promote it properly. Also, they really should stop canceling new shows after just one season. It creates a living circle, pushing people not to invest in watching new series, so it won't lead to a lot of viewing and a cancellation. It's like 1899, I didn't have time to watch it, but I was really looking forward to it, and when I was finally going to start it, it was cancelled. I had seen a lot of people talking about it and she hyped me crazy. Unfortunately, now that I know it was cancelled, I will never watch it. Which is very stupid, because, although Dark is very good, I hadn't really suspended, but there, I was sure to love 1899. Netflix is ​​really stupid with its cancellations...