What exactly happened between Rooster and Hangman? (The Exes, explained)
(or, I deliriously try to explain what the fuck went on between Hangman and Rooster because why the fuck were their scenes like that. why the fuck did they act like that. why the fuck did they say that.)
Top Gun: Maverick has taken over my brain. I have so many brain worms from this movie. I have this weird connection to the Top Gun movies… but that’s too long and this post isn’t for it.
To answer the essential question: we’ll never know. But, by piecing together information, and of course, over-analyzing their interactions to the death, we can figure out some of it. Obviously, through a shipping lens because… Sereshaw / Hangster / whatever you wanna call them, have taken over my mind.
I like to believe that they were exes — exes who had something really good, until it all crashed and burned and became unsalvageable in the end. Everything I say here happened in the movie; my analysis is just different and obviously I’m stretching and reaching LMFAO but you know what! It’s fun. I had fun. I giggled, I chortled, so… let’s unpack.
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For ease, I’ll go through everything chronologically. Amazingly enough, their first scene provides plenty of evidence towards the fact that they could be exes. It’s crazy 😭
We’re introduced to Hangman first through Phoenix. (OKAY gonna go on a tangent here, but just for fun: we can conclude that Phoenix and Hangman already knew each other — whether through the academy or flight school, and also a cool part of canon: the squadrons they’re canonically assigned to (Phoenix - Black Aces, Hangman - Vigilantes) are part of the same Air Wing (CVW-9). This means they’re also on the same aircraft carrier, have the same base, and home port. I don’t exactly know how much time they would spend with each other, but I still think they knew each other even before this! (She talks about how Hangman got his callsign and she was part of it, this most likely would have happened before they were assigned to their respective fleet squadrons.))
He’s… a douchebag! He’s annoying! He’s cocky! A stereotypical jock.
After a while, Rooster makes an appearance and greets Phoenix first. Through their interactions… it’s safe to assume that he’s friends with her, OR also has a bit of history with her, too. They’re close, and he doesn’t seem to do the same with everyone else. (During GBOF, Phoenix is the only one who notices Rooster at the piano — like she knows what he’s about to do.) They have their talk, then we hear Slow Ride, courtesy of Hangman.
The camera cuts to Rooster looking at Hangman like this… for what 😭. It’s not a look of smugness, no smirking, no smiling… he looks shy? He’s looking up at him like he’s holding something back. Like he’s remembering something and we just don’t know what. Why does he look so apologetic? What happened?
Then, we get to: “Bradshaw, as I live and breathe.”
No callsigns here… just… Bradshaw. And Hangman is looking at him with a smug look, smirking — all with the music playing? The music he picked out because he saw Rooster walking into the bar?
And… we’re here!
“Hangman, you look… good.”
“Well, I am good, Rooster.”
“I’m very good.”
(Rooster looks at Phoenix right after this. She knows, too.)
“In fact, I am too good to be true.”
I’m like being dead serious here 😭 what normal people… who DON’T have a deeper shared history with each other, after seeing each other after a long time apart, greet each other with, “You look good. / I am good.” WHAT.
This is something that’s echoed between them throughout the movie, TWO times, exactly, at very important parts during their interactions. The first one is this, the last time is after Hangman saves his and Maverick’s life… that’s for later.
I don’t know if I have to explain the looks… but seriously, why do they look at each other like that? Sure, Hangman is smirking and everything, but the two of them have these looks on their faces — like they’re remembering something that happened in the past. A… breakup? A relationship? Hangman acts like someone who got absolutely fucking jilted, and he’s putting this facade up to show that it never affected him. And it fits with his character too — with his pride and his arrogance. Rooster doesn’t act this way. It’s like he knows he did something to him, he just doesn’t want to bring it up. Not now, anyway.
What they say here is important, too. Hangman’s “I am too good to be true.” is just… odd. I firmly believe that no one would ever say this…? No matter how arrogant they are? It’s like it's an inside joke, something that only he and Rooster would no. (And why? Did Bradley call him that? Did he confess that? And he’s bringing that back, just to hurt him?) It’s also punctuated by the fact that as he’s saying this, it cuts to Phoenix and Payback, who are both looking at Rooster like they’re in on whatever is happening.
What can I even say about this like I feel like this moment is so self-explanatory 😭😭😭 WHY are they doing that? Why is Hangman so close? Why is Rooster looking at his lips? WHAT IS HAPPENING? What is Hangman saying? Why?
Those are just a few questions I have that I know will never be answered. If you like to think within the Sereshaw Exes Canon, though, all of what Hangman says could not only apply to Rooster’s flying, but to a previous relationship.
Through Hangman, we can learn about Rooster’s flying style. He’s more conservative, by the book (similar to the way Ice flies!), versus Hangman’s more Maverick flying style. He’s fast and quick and dangerous. Rooster punctuates that when he claims that following Hangman would just lead someone to an early grave.
Could this be… the remnants of a breakup gone badly? Hangman says that Rooster prefers to wait on his perch, waiting for a moment that’ll never come. That if you follow him, you’ll run out of fuel. Throughout this, Slow Ride is playing (Hangman loves this song…), with some of the lyrics to the song being, “Slow ride, take it easy / Slow ridin’ woman you’re so fine.” Putting the pieces together… Did Hangman just go too fast for Rooster? Or was Rooster, who was slow to love and very scared to, just never truly go for it? Did Hangman put all his chips in? Did Rooster hang back and wait for the right moment for it all to happen? Were they together, then separated, and Rooster never did anything about it (in canon: Rooster’s squadron is the Golden Warriors. He’s stationed at NAS Oceana — on the opposite side of the country, Virginia.)? There’s so much you can headcanon about this interaction right here. All I can say is that something definitely went on between the two of them — and Hangman just never got over it.
Finally, it ends with Phoenix and Rooster saying that he hasn’t changed. She knows, too.
(Also, it’s fun to headcanon that maybe… Slow Ride was their song. Maybe it had a special meaning for the two of them.)
And that’s just… their opening scene. To be honest, the next parts are a lot about the looks they share. They’re sitting, listening to their assignments and constantly looking back at each other — similar to the way Ice and Mav did. Nothing that really adds to The Exes backstory, so I won’t go into it here. Crazy looks though tbh 😭
Their next “semi” big scene is when they’re first flying with Maverick. Just the two of them. What’s important here, that we learn about the two of them, is that Hangman doesn’t know about Maverick and his relationship with Rooster. I guess, you could say, if Hangman doesn’t know about Maverick, then how close could he be with Rooster? To that, I say, I don’t think Rooster would’ve readily provided that information. He seems to be struggling to come to terms with it the entire movie, holding onto it too tightly. The only person he ends up telling about the papers is Phoenix.
Then… we get to their fight. (Which I can’t provide pictures of because I don’t have them… sorry go watch the movie. The visuals aren’t even that important anyway, but they’re looking at each other like they always do. 😭)
Hangman starts talking about the past. He tells Rooster that he needs to let go of the past. And Rooster… it’s like he already knows. Hangman brings Goose and Maverick up, and Rooster pushes him and they fight. He’s mean, he’s hurtful. It’s something that cuts deeper. It all happens so fast, like the two of them are so wound up from just being in the same room that they can’t take it anymore. This is like… their saddest interaction but it’s still important. (Because even if Hangman did this, it’s never brought up again.)
After that, there isn’t really anything until the mission. We get this:
AGAIN why are they looking at each other like this WHY.
Hangman is pretty much the last person Rooster sees before getting on the plane. And they stare at each other for a bit, and Rooster is moving around a little and it looks like he has so much to say to him. It’s like they have so much to say to each other… but how can you say it? Hangman doesn’t even know if Rooster will come back. And so, it’s silent. It’s quiet, which is different from all their interactions in the movie. They were explosive, always at each other’s necks — never being able to heal from a thing that broke the two of them.
In the end, Hangman tells him to give them hell. That’s it. And Rooster doesn’t respond. Then they part — is this when they realize that they should’ve done more? Should’ve worked harder at something they cherished? I don’t know. All I know is that they look like they had more to say.
As the mission continues on, the biggest part between them is that when Rooster’s plane goes down, they immediately cut to Hangman in his plane. It mirrors the exact same way couples are framed in movies — their loved one gets hurt, and the camera moves to the other one, showcasing their reaction. Even if it isn’t a loved one — it’s someone extremely important to the person who just got hurt. While they could’ve shown, say, Phoenix — they chose Hangman. Why?
He just looks… so concerned. Did he lose Rooster forever? No more chances for closure, no more time spent with him — he’s just gone. And at this point, there’s nothing that Hangman can do about it. (And I’ll ask it again… why else would they cut to him?)
So, the movie goes on… and Hangman saves Rooster and Mav. He goes on his spiel about tray tables, etc. etc… and then, Rooster uses their callback again: (Hangman, you look good. / I am good, Rooster. I’m very good.) But it’s different this time!
Obviously lmfao Rooster is happier. He’s smiling and he’s laughing at Hangman, and he uses their callback in a lighthearted way. It doesn’t hold the same weight as it did before. Mostly because… well he’s alive, but the line reprising itself towards the end is… good. It marks a before, and after. The first time — it marked the beginning of something that was happening between them. Exes meeting for the first time since the breakup that went wrong — weird and angry and hurtful towards each other. The second time, it's a relief — because Bradley’s life was just saved and of course, of course, Jake saved him. It ends their animosity towards each other. It’s something new that they can both start.
Bradley was just so close, and Jake was there at the best time — waiting for the right moment. Maybe, it’s how they decide to start it again. Properly. It’s different because they’re both older, maybe more mature, but it’s something familiar nonetheless.
They meet back on the carrier (where Hold my Hand is playing in the background… HELLO?) and they have their little handshake! (Which, if I digress for a second… should’ve been a hug. A hug not only would’ve been such a cool thing to compare to Ice and Mav’s, but it would’ve capped Rooster’s arc perfectly. Him making peace with his past and the people around him, letting go of his anger and trying to move on. I don’t care if Hangman/Rooster is a thing, they still should’ve hugged. A handshake doesn’t get that message across. Unless… maybe their story isn’t over? There’s something more? They’re building up to that hug?)
They share a look — and Rooster and Hangman look so happy. Hangman is genuinely so happy that Rooster’s alive, and he even taps him on his chest (his heart). It’s like, affirming to himself that yeah, Bradley is here and alive and breathing and he saved him. This time, they’ll get a second chance. Whatever the fuck happened back then — he would make sure it’d never happen again. And Bradley — who is now learning that it’s okay to just do, just do what he wants and learn from his consequences, will be different. Maybe he’ll go all in this time. Who the fuck knows.
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And… that’s the end. I just wanna say that this is all headcanon minus the actual things said from the movie 😭😭😭… No, Hangman and Rooster are never confirmed exes NOR will they ever will be. It’s just very impossible for that to happen I fear... the world wouldn't be able to handle it 😭. Which is fine! Things don’t need to be canon to be enjoyed! This “story” that you can create from this is just one of the many things that y’all could take away from their interactions… I just love the strangers to friends friends into lovers then strangers again trope Very Very much.
Go watch the movie. It gave me brain worms. And I’ll probably write Actual Sereshaw / Hangster in the future lol.
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For your fluff request.
Gale taking care of a sick Tara and/or Sam.
Everyone just chilling at the park.
Sleepover at Gale's ending in a cuddle pile.
There are a million other things that Gale would rather be doing than standing in a substandard kitchen, in an apartment far below her standards, making soup. She suggested take-out, soup if it must be soup. She can offer them anything from any restaurant in the city, and even some from out of the city, in a single phone call. But Sam was adamant that when Tara is sick, she gets homemade soup.
If Sam wasn't laid up in bed, curled around her sister, also sick, she would have done it herself. I mean, she tried. It didn't go well, she got banished to bed with her sister. Well, not with her sister. Tara had managed to crawl in there by herself at some point when Gale wasn't looking. It was weirdly hard to keep track of these two. You turn your back and they've wandered off somewhere else.
Gale thinks this must be what it's like having toddlers.
So here she is, Gale Weathers, cooking. The only one left to take care of these two.
The twins had been banned from the apartment the moment they began to show signs they were sick. Unfortunately, the damage was done. Within a day, Tara was wheezing into her pillow and into a coughing fit that wouldn't settle down, Sam just 12 hours behind. That useless boyfriend of Sam's was nowhere to be found, the coward. Oh, Sam had tried to give him excuses, he's visiting family she says. It's no excuse, Gale says.
She wonders when she became so protective, when these two girls had endeared themselves to her so much.
It was probably the punching, attempted and landed. Gale appreciates a good punch.
Gale makes their soup, and nudges them awake from their disgusting sweaty cuddle pile, and feels a sense of pride when Tara smiles wide after the first sip. Sam's response is less enthusiastic, a twitch of the lips, a tile of the head, a shrug of the shoulders, but Gale gets the impression it was for show. Her eyes meet Gale's as she rests her head on Tara's, and they glimmer with appreciation and thank you's.
She stays there for 3 days, ordering them about and sleeping in Tara's abandoned bed. She frantically calls Sidney that very first night, demanding her knowledge of sick children. Sidney was entirely unhelpful, too busy mocking her and falling into a laughing fit. Mark had to take the phone off her at one point. He at least gave her some hints. Sidney did text her later, but Gale didn't deign to respond.
She finds Tara's soft toy, a stuffed wolf that looks like it's seen better days (she makes a note to find someone to fix it), and pumps them full of medicine, carefully researched so as not to exacerbate Tara's asthma. She forces them to shower, and changes their sheets. (Dewey would be so proud of her, she thinks. For once, the thought of him doesn't hurt). She cooks for them all the while, and she's beginning to think it's not so bad after all.
The cooking, not the caring. The caring is a nightmare.
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What were the Lime and Mochi/Coco and Taffy “oh….. OH” moments for the both of them?
OH GOD!!!!!!!!!! mochi and limes are harder to pin down.....i will try to speculate how i see it right now:
mochi @ lime: happened when they were younger, middle school maybe? up until that point her and lime would occasionally talk and were forced to walk home together, but were nowhere NEAR best friends. at some point mochi started getting bullied since she was so weird and quiet, lime stood up for her and got into a physical fight with the other kid. anyway afterwards, after they both got sent home my the principal, mochi was like "maybe he isnt so bad?" and the crush developed and RAPIDLY grew since after this they actually became friends for real
lime @ mochi: THIS ONE IS HARDER TO PIN DOWN!!!! theres no single moment, its a BUNCH of "yeah shes cute but i dont like her." "yeah shes nice and cool but i dont like her." "yeah i mean if she wanted to kiss we could i guess but i dont like her." over years and years slowly descending into madness,,,,.....the thing that started tipping him over the edge is RIGHT before the witch thing started, theres a night where she was staying with his family (in the webtoon, its right where we left off), and fell asleep with him where thats the first time he stayed and cuddled with her for the night. it started as "yeah yeah comfort mochi while shes crying and sad" but they both fell asleep, and when lime wakes up in the middle of the night to mochi snuggling into him he CAVES!!!!!! his whole mindset, within the span of like 10 minutes, starts shifting to "maybe mochi as a girlfriend isnt a bad idea.............................". in the morning he tries to rationalize himself out of it with "no way, im just touch starved. no way, i just need a girlfriend and would feel like this for any girl. no way, if i was gonna like her at all i wouldve liked her by now" and from then on its a constant battle of "god DAMN i want her bad" and "FUCK no shes my best friend, the fuck?!"
taffy @ coco: this moment happens relatively fast. basically, theres a period of a day or two while she is currently kidnapped by taffy who is trying to lure mochi out, but he has no intentions of hurting her or anything else beyond holding her there until mochi arrives. at some point he hurts himself (humerously) like fucking cuts his arm by accident on something and its PROFUSELY bleeding and he sees nothing wrong with that, probably says something like "Its just blood." coco, who is absolutely about to vomit, rips a sleeve off her jacket and wraps his arm with it and taffy is instantaneously confused, shocked, and emotionally attached. this man does not experience kindness regularly. any time after this when he runs into her at random times he is NERVOUS. (he hold onto that ripped sleeve for like. forever. after he joins the guild coco is like "why do you still have that?!! did you at least get the blood out?????" and hes just silently protectively sentimental about it)
coco @ taffy: for coco, there is ALSO not a single moment, its a slow and growing process of learning who he is and what he is and how she can help him. its probably one of those things where you spend so much time with someone you care about so much emotionally, and then one day (during the timeskip when theyre living together, he just comes back from his day job and walks in the door and coco realizes shes in love with him (this is long after she already knows he loves her like crazy)
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