#svu predictions

[justgotpunched]

well this hits different in the year of our lord 2024

[karihighman]

I know these are only Deadlines predictions but I’m crossing my fingers for The Rookie universe & it makes me happier for Law & Order / One Chicago too! (Full article linked below 👇)

[bonelesssboiz]

Does anyone have that fucking post or tweet or something that’s like “actor who seems too famous to be playing that minor role turns out to be the villain” because that’s every other episode of svu

[mindibindi]

Sometimes Things Just Work Out

Re-watching season 24 of SVU and some shippy themes emerged post-"Blood Out" that I haven't seen commented on, at least on here. So as we all know, Blood Out (24.12) gives us this telling moment:

The VERY NEXT EPISODE, "Intersection" (24.13) opens with a pretty extended proposal scene for what is just the teaser. The couple is played by two very appealing actors who get to establish their history and exchange cute banter, and there are some definite Bensler undertones:

New York is also Elliot and Olivia's city, bringing them together the first time around to fight crime and reuniting them more recently. Their entire relationship has taken place within the city limits. Without it, Elliot might still be back in Italy (or Queens) with Kathy and Olivia would be a single mom with a solid career and 5-star therapy routine. You might think the comparison is a stretch....UNTIL Josh with the cute topknot turns to his wisecracking gf and says she taught him the most important lesson of his life, which is:

Josh proposes, Emma joyfully accepts. But in the car ride home, there is a touch of sadness to their happy moment as Emma invokes her recently deceased sister. In EO terms, this loss could be said to reflect the shadow of Serena Benson, who never got to watch her daughter marry, settle down and have a family with the love of her life. Emma also worries about losing her engagement ring, which she of course does, when disaster quite literally hits them.

I won't go into the crime, which is horrific, but Emma and Josh's reactions are also reflective of Olivia and Elliot. Olivia meets with Emma a couple of times, noting that they seem to love each other very much and assuring Emma that she and Josh will get through this trauma. At their second meet, they discuss the fact that Josh has ghosted Emma and SVU, which...I dunno about anyone else, but that sounds pretty fucking Elliot Stabler to me. Speaking about the loss of Emma's sister, Olivia fills in the blanks with this:

...which is interesting. It implies that Olivia has used that enormous, unhealed wound of Elliot's departure to dwarf and diminish subsequent traumas and, in particular, her assault at the hands of William Lewis. Much like she used her mother's neglect and ultimate abandonment to shield her from feeling the impact of the many professional and personal wounds she experienced during her tenure as Elliot's partner. By using these deep personal wounds, inflicted by the two people most important to her, most loved and formative, she can shield herself from incoming hurts that are less personal, less predictable and less familiar. If so, if holding onto those familiar, formative wounds acts for Olivia as some kind of strange protection, that simultaneously honours those she loves most, then that would explain her resistance to letting go of the hurt Elliot caused when he walked away. Hence, her not being ready for a relationship after two plus decades.

While Emma refuses to give in to the trauma of her attack, Josh, much like Elliot falls into self-pity and self-blame, distancing himself from his fiance:

This whole ep gives "Paternity" vibes, since the couple are hit in much the same way that Olivia and Kathy were, triggering Elliot's chronic catholic guilt. And as the case continues, there's a whole web of marital affairs, because we're working on a theme here. Another EO parallel emerges with Bruno's marriage breakup. After visiting his ex, it's revealed that he drunk-dialled her, only not really cos he wasn't drunk. You know, kind of like Elliot showing up drugged to Olivia's apartment to spill his long withheld, deeply smitten guts. Bruno knows the fault is his and holds out hope for a reconciliation, to which, Liv gives a qualified maybe:

So...Olivia believes in love when it's new and fresh, even believes love can survive massive trauma. Buuuuut she isn't quite so sure of how to change directions on a love that has been heading in one direction for a long time.

The case concludes with a tense confrontation between a cheating wife and her rapist husband: bitter accusations and droll comments ensue. But the happy couple from the beginning survive their trauma and vow to protect one another from then on. The lost engagement ring is returned to Emma (analogous perhaps to the compass necklace that will no doubt return to Olivia at some meaningful point in time). It is at this point that Liv tells them:

Well. That's quite the pivot.

Oh, but wait, Benson ain't done being hopeful about mending fractured relationships yet. Because then she turns to Bruno, who admits that (like Elliot) he wasn't unfaithful (to Olivia). He was just unreachable, unavailable, avoidant. It wasn't a lack of feeling. It was just a lack of action, a lack of courage. Olivia's reply echoes the hope Bruno expressed earlier:

All of this is highly suggestive of Liv either consciously or unconsciously working through what happened at the end of "Blood Out" with Elliot, her questioning her words to him and mulling over his reply. It reflects EO's recent history of fracture and hesitant attempts at mending, despite their counter-productive coping strategies. That last line certainly suggests that she wants to be won back by the love of her life, even if she isn't too sure how to let go of the hurt she's used as a shield for ten plus years. Her changing comments throughout the episode suggest she does believe in love, she believes it can survive the worst traumas imaginable. She has absolute conviction in the possibility, the right even, of victims, survivors and even detectives she barely knows to pursue love and healing, reconciliation and fulfillment. The question is whether she believes in that possibility as strongly for herself and Elliot Stabler.

[x-bluefire-heart-x]

Server

So I am not entirely sure what this time. I had a dream like this the other night and decided to write it.

Rafael Barba/Gender neutral reader. An age difference again, I do tend to write the readers as being roughly my age when just writing things for me. So late twenties.

There are no warnings for this. Other than it is probably a little odd and random. But I thought a little cute.

Master List

Rafael slumped down in the booth at the Petal, papers scattered across the top of the table as he tried to organise a strategy for the latest case SVU had brought to him. A glass of scotch sat to the side and a menu was currently covering a medical report. His stomach had started to protest the lack of food he had had all day, other than the various snacks he had consumed, and the insane amount of coffee.

“Mr Barba, welcome back,” the sweetest sound filled his ears, his eyes moved away from the menu as a smile pulled at his lips. And there you were. One of the main reasons this place had become his favourite restaurant, especially after a tough day.

“Thank you, and please call me Rafael,” he said, eyes taking in your hair tied back with a few strands having fallen loose, your eyes scanning his face before a frown replaced the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

“You haven’t been sleeping again?” you asked head tilted to the side and concern replacing the happy tone you greeted him with. “Are your migraines bad again? Or is it just work related? Also how much coffee have you been drinking? And this better not be your first proper meal again.” Your hands had found their way to your hips as you fired question after question at him, before settling on scolding him.

“My migraines aren’t too bad at the moment, the case at the moment is tough so sleep hasn’t been as good, I may have had too much coffee again today and it may be my first proper meal but I have eaten,” Rafael happily answered all of your question, it had been a while since someone had shown as much concern as you.

He leant forward, placing his elbow on the table and resting his cheek on his fist a soft smile impossible to stop taking over his normal cheeky grin. It had taken almost a week of Rafael showing up at the restaurant with his case work, hunger reaching the point where he would become irritated before you started dropping the customer service voice and smile. You had insisted that if he wanted to continue eating here that he doesn’t show up ready to bite someone’s head off, and from that moment Rafael had been fascinated by you, and eventually the conversation between the two of you had developed to what it was now. With you showing so much concern for him but also not afraid to scold him, Rafael couldn’t stop himself from gaining a little crush on you that developed beyond what he hoped would fizzle out but no, instead it grew and grew.

“Well, that is both good and bad, at least you have been eating something, wish you would cut back on the coffee,” you sighed. “But at least I know you will be eating something proper here. Now, since you have papers everywhere and you already have a scotch I’m going to guess you’ll be wanting…the seafood platter?”

“Am I that predictable?” Rafael laughed.

“Maybe a little,” you giggled leaning closer with a wink. “But you are my favourite regular so I may make it a point to remember certain things.” You blinked suddenly, leaning back and lowering your eyes a flare of red blooming along your cheeks.

“The seafood platter would be great, and maybe another glass of scotch?” Rafael nodded, hoping to get your eyes back on him, though he found your fluster adorable.

“I’ll get that started right away and be back with your scotch and some water,” you said pointedly. “I doubt you have been drinking enough of that.”

Rafael rolled his eyes as you walked away, he felt his eyes lower before he caught himself and looked away. He did not want to be that kind of customer who leered and made you uncomfortable, he just couldn’t help the occasional look. He gathered some of his papers to make a spot for you to put his food when it arrived, making sure the crime scene photos were hidden not wanting you to see anything like that.

“Alright, another scotch and some water,” you came back placing down the glass, a bottle of water and another glass from under your arm. “Now I had better see some of that gone by the time I get back with your food.”

“Yes Ma’am,” Rafael mocked saluted you causing you to huff and roll your eyes.

“Promise you will drink some water, Rafael,” you insisted hands once again your hips.

“I promise,” he smiled, you nodded and went to walk away the next words felt pulled out of his chest. “I appreciate all this. How you ask after me and scold me when I don’t look after myself.”

You turned back around your eyes soft as you glanced at him, noticing the slightly shocked look on his face as if he hadn’t quite meant to say any of that. It was the first time he wasn’t looking you in the eye since you met him. Your cheeks flared up again, and you reached up to lightly tug on one of the loose strands of your hair. You couldn’t help but start to care about this man in the fancy suits, who always had case files scattered around him. Almost jittery with caffeine. You recognised him from some news articles, and you couldn’t help but admire the lengths he went to for his cases but you were concerned as he always looked stressed when he would come in for dinner, and borderline hangry. The concern quickly turned into a little crush, he was an incredibly handsome man, probably at least ten years older than you. He was a snarky sarcastic man who was incredibly intelligent and kind.

“Oh, good,” you smiled. “I was worried that maybe I was overstepping.”

“No, not at all,” Rafael smiled, eyes back on you the momentary shock gone replaced by his normal smugness. “It’s sweet, and you have a terrible habit of making my day.”

“Well, how dare I,” you giggled, reaching out and pouring some water, you were sure the flush was a permanent feature on your cheeks. “Drink. And I do mean the water.”

Rafael reached for the water, took a sip and smirked as you gave one sharp nod before leaving to take the orders of some other customers. He bit his lip, wondering if he should take a chance or just leave this to be all that happened between the two of you.

--

You glanced at the clock once more, nibbling on your lip when you saw it was close to closing and Rafael still hadn’t shown up. He always comes in for dinner on Wednesday but today he hadn’t turned up. The case he had been working on had finished today and from what you read on the net he had won. You were looking forward to seeing him, he was always brighter after a case had ended, especially if he had won. The rest of the night went by slowly, until you were waving the last of the customers out the door. You were just finishing up your jobs for closing when you heard the door open.

“We’ve closed for the night!” You called not looking up.

“You closing on your own?” his voice caused you to stand up straight, it sent a bolt of lightning down your spine.

“Rafael!” you smiled turning to see him standing a little away from you. “Congratulations on winning your case.” Rafael had loosened his tie, his suit jacket folded over one arm the look of triumph on his face made him look all the more handsome.

“Thank you, I was out for drinks with the detectives,” he explained, without prompting.

“Ah, I was wondering a little if you had found a new place to have dinner on Wednesday night,” you teased. “And yes, I’m the only one still here. The other waitress had a family emergency told her I would finish it all up.”

“That’s sweet of you,” he smiled walking closer, he eyes alight. “Can I help with anything?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” you smiled. “Besides, I haven’t got much left to do.”

Rafael walked closer stopping when he was right in-front of you. You looked up at him, before looking away suddenly nervous to be around him, alone. You fiddled with the cleaning cloth that was in your hand. Rafael reached a hand up and tucked some of your hair behind your ear, you had let it down from the messy bun it had been in all night, allowing it to flow down your back in loose waves. Rafael was entranced with it. You giggled, which Rafael thought was just adorable as your cheeks went pink.

“Would it be alright if I waited for you?” he asked. “I was thinking maybe I could take you out for a drink?”

“A drink?” you bit your lip.

“Hmm, could throw some food in there as well to sweeten the deal?” Rafael grinned.

“A lawyer through and through,” you shook your head. “Would this just be a drink or a date?”

“If you were okay with it, I was hoping it could be a date,” Rafael answered, his voice no longer quite so confident, a hint of nerves filling it.

“I would love it to be a date,” you smiled reaching out and trailing your fingers down his arm. “I won’t be too much longer promise, maybe ten minutes?”

“I would wait hours for you if needed,” Rafael grinned, as you gasped softly at his response cheeks flaming and the softest smile on your face he had ever seen and it was directed solely on him.

“Rafael,” your voice was soft and eyes looking down at the ground. Rafael took a breath before taking one more step closer and leaning down, placing a kiss on your cheek.

“I’ll be sitting down in my normal booth when you’re done,” he smiled as you just nodded a hand raising up to touch the spot he had just kissed.

You completed the last few jobs the fastest you had ever done before, the thought of what could happen tonight spurring you on. You could still feel the press of his lips on your cheek, a giddy feeling was bubbling away in your stomach. You kept glancing at where he was sitting, his eyes had never left you, watching as you completed your tasks. You couldn’t believe how you had never noticed the way he looked at you before. His green eyes so soft, and warm, the smile on his face almost adoring.

You grabbed your jacket and bag from the back, stopping in-front of the mirror to check how you looked and add a little bit more makeup, and lip balm. You took a deep breathe before heading back to the front of the restaurant. Rafael was still sitting in his booth looking down at his phone but at hearing your footsteps looked up.

“Ready?” he asked standing up.

“Yep, um, so were are we heading?” you asked leading Rafael out of the Petal, setting the alarm and locking it all up. You turned around and Rafael offered you his arm, causing you to smile and blush. You hooked your arm through his and let him lead you down the street.

“Well, there’s this lovely cocktail bar not far from here and they do food late,” Rafael answered. “Does that sound alright?”

“Of course, sounds perfect.”

[cleoselene]

my prediction on the outcome of the Trump trial, based on zero expertise aside from what I have gleaned from watching Law & Order: SVU for like 25 years is:

the jury will convict on some counts and acquit on others. there are 34 in this case. this feels like your classic SVU episode where the jury does the "split the baby" ending and convicts on some but not all charges

again, I am not here to start discourse, this is only how I would write if if I were on the SVU writing staff, and the episode would end RIGHT after the reading of the verdict with Benson and Carisi exchanging looks as if they don't know what this means for the FUTURE, but at least there was some justice

too bad Carisi can't be the real lawyer

anyway thanks for your time while I make this dumb stoned post

[peanut-butter-and-theatre]

I love when television is PREDICTABLE It makes me feel SMART like YES LAW AND ORDER SVU, REVEAL THE PLOT TWIST THAT I MADE A JOKE ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES AGO YESSS

[hadesismybaby]

No one asked, but I made a comprehensive list of Ryan Corr’s movies/shows and if they are worth watching.

Here is how they will be graded: 1 to 5 Strong Bastards: The movie/show on it’s on 1 to 5 Perfect Curls: How much Ryan is in it

I’ll also add a little description about my general opinion on each.

Note to Ryan Corr and any associate: Please ignore. Thank you.

I divided between TV Shows and Movies, the list is long. I'm sorry.

PS¹: This is the list of stuff I watched, not everything he did PS²: I won’t talk about his acting, the dude can act, and it'd be redundant to say the same thing all the time

Ok! Let’s go and do this

TV Shows

In Limbo Banished

House of the Dragon (S1):

Show: 4.5 Strong bastards I’m guessing everybody that is here saw it. So you know

Ryan Factor: 1 Perfect Curls It’s only one curl, but when he appears on the screen he is perfect

Wakefield:

Show: 4 Strong bastards It’s a good show about mental health and general struggles, and how people deal with problems, from patients to staff. It's very heavy, and you need to be in the mood to watch it. There are too many characters and the episodes are divided with their story and how they interact between them.

Ryan factor: 2 Perfect Curls He is kind of too good for his own good. There is a sad sex scene that shouldn’t happen, but you can’t blame him for it. Appears heavily in a few episodes, but once his story ends, don’t expect much of him on screen.

The Secrets She Keeps:

Show: 4 Strong Bastards If you like thriller/suspense, watch it. It has some left and turns that are predictable, but still enjoyable, some infuriating characters (I got frustrated multiple times) but good acting all around.

Ryan factor: 3.5 Perfect Curls He doesn’t appear a lot on the first season, but he is there (looking sad and confused), second season he is way more on-screen, and he looks so good (understatement). And we have dork dance, interaction with kids (all your Modern Harwin AU fantasies). Just peek dad vibes.

Hungry Ghosts:

Show: 3 Strong Bastards This show starts so strong and ends kind of meh. The resolution and relationships seem rushed and dragging at the same time. BUT it is fascinating to see aspects of a different culture and as per my (very shallow) research Hungry ghost is a real thing in Buddhism, and they even have a festival.

Ryan factor: 2 Perfect Curls He is the skeptical white guy in the show, even after seeing some crazy shit. He shows up here and there, but not too much. He looks good but he always looks good, is a doctor, some people like that.

The Commons:

Show: 4.5 Strong Bastards I love the concept of this show, in the very near future the world went to shit (even more) because of global warming, it’s not difficult to see the reality they live in. My only main problem is with the main character, she always wants her cake and eat it too.

Ryan factor: 4 Perfect Curls Just my favorite Ryan character. Very smart, but very unserious scientist that looks like (in my humble opinion) the total package. His interactions with his goddaughter are perfect and I’d kill for them.

My Life Is Murder (S1E06):

Show: 3.5 Strong Bastards Murder of the week type of show. I like because even with murders it has a sort of light heart vibe to it, it’s not like Law and Order: SVU (or any of that kind) that everything looks sad and wet all the time. Also, Xena the Warrior Princess is the detective.

Ryan Factor: 3.5 Perfect Curls Family man who just lost his brother, very sad. His wife is super pregs, so yay for family and Dad Ryan.

Bloom (S1):

Show: 4.5 Strong Bastards About youth and regret. Most of the cast is older and when they eat this little fruit, they become young again and kind a new lease in life. I don’t want to say much because of spoilers. It’s a really well made show, you can feel the desperation on their actions.

Ryan Factor: 3.5 Perfect Curls It starts with Ryan taking his clothes off and running on the street, a great beginning. We see a lot of him, he’s one of the people who is older and eats the fruit. Ryan was more of the antagonist. He’s interacting with a kid, but more of the older brother vibes.

Cleverman (S1):

Show: 2 Strong Bastards CW level entertainment. There is a good message behind, if you skint and look from afar they did a good job with the message. The main is also a problem, he’s very passive and doesn’t want to do anything.

Ryan Factor: 2.5 Perfect Curls He’s the protagonist's BFF, when he shows the character is fun. But he doesn’t show much, he is not involved with the main plot in the first 4 episodes.

Wanted (S1E01-02):

Show: IDK how many Strong Bastards Two very different ladies become friends after they are kidnapped, also police corruption. I only watched the first 3 episodes, so I can really say much about the show.

Ryan Factor: 3 Perfect Curls (only 2 first episodes) Maybe the worst kidnapper ever? He looks good in a bulletproof vest, and way over his head.

Blue Water High (S2):

Show: 3.5 Strong Bastards (For a kids show) I’ll never shut up about this show. It was what made me fell in love with AUS teen dramas. It's about a bunch of teens competing to see who wins a sponsor and a place in an international surf comp. (Spoiler: Ryan’s character wins it) They all live together, they are friends and fight, all that. As a kids show I think it is good and it passes a very good message, the kids make mistakes, they are punished by it but never villainized.

Ryan Factor: 4.5 Perfect Curls (The show doesn’t have a lead) He was 16/17 when this was filmed, his hair is a disaster (but very mid 2000s) and I can’t even explain how this is the same person as Harwin Strong. Looks like he’s having a lot of fun.

Movies

High Ground:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards Very good movie about how colonizers think they’re better than anyone else and justice doesn’t apply to them. I think it’s based on a real story about a massacre in northern Australia.

Ryan factor: 0.5 Perfect Curls Glorified extra. I think he has 2 lines in the whole movie, he’s a priest.

Ladies in Black:

Movie: 3.5 Strong Bastards It’s a cute movie, heavy subject but they manage to make it cute and light. It’s about immigration and sexism, but they don’t go too deep into either and everything is solved with the power of love.

Ryan factor: 3 Perfect Curls He’s a Hungarian immigrant in Australia looking for a wife, he has an accent, he falls in love. He is adorable in it.

Outlaws/1%:

Movie: 2 Strong Bastards Outlaw Motorcycle club, they ride bikes and do outlaw stuff. Look, the movie isn’t good and there are a couple of SA scenes. I hate every character (except Ryan’s and his brother). The actors and direction are good, but the lack of depth and character development kills the movie.

Ryan Factor: 5 Perfect Curls He’s the lead (YAY!) and the only reason to watch the movie*. Exasperated, loving and sexy are the words I can use to describe his character.

*or any other actor if you like them.

Below:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards I don’t even know where to start with this one. It’s crazy and violent, also about a very important subject (I sense a theme here) about refugee detention centre and how desperate people do anything.

Ryan factor: 5 Perfect Curls He’s the main, and embodies the unhinged nature of the movie very well. He is a grifter who would do anything for money, but you can see deep down he's a good man and cares about people.

A Few Less Men:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards This movie is all comedy. The 3 main guys have to take their dead friend's body back to England, but they have 2 brain cells between the 3 of them. A lot of shenanigans.

Ryan factor: 2.5 Perfect Curls Ryan’s character is back in England and he screams with the mains via phone a lot. Looks like he’s having a lot of fun with the part. Looks great in pastels.

Ali's Wedding:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards If you like romantic comedies, watch it. It’s a real story about a muslin guy falling in love in a community they can’t really date, plus he feels a lot of pressure to be the perfect son.

Ryan factor: 0.5 Perfect Curls White guy in the movie, he’s in it to throw in a few funny lines, but the story isn’t about him, and he’s just another glorified extra.

Hacksaw Ridge:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards Another true story, Andrew Garfield is a super religious guy who wants to be a medic in war but doesn’t want to hold a gun because god doesn’t like guns. It loses 0.5 point because the beginning drags a bit. But it is a very good movie once we’re in the war zone.

Ryan factor: 1 Perfect Curl He shows up mid movie, dies and that is it. But he looks very good all bloody.

Holding the Man:

Movie: 4.5 Strong Bastards True story (another theme), about a gay couple in the 80s - 90s during the AIDS epidemic. The movie kind of rushes in some parts, but you can feel they really love each other. It’s sad, but not one of those movies where people don’t know how to laugh.

Ryan factor: 5 Perfect Curl Main character, we see him in most scenes and there is a lot of skin. It’s hard to thirst over him when the subject is AIDS, but he’s so good in this movie. it’s just a little weird to see him in HS age with a 30 y/o face and body.

The Water Diviner:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards I think it is a true story, if not, it looks like one. Russel Crowe loses his sons and goes to the place they died to try to find their bodies. It’s a very loving and sad movie. It’s been a while since I watched, I don’t remember a lot about it, I just remember I liked it.

Ryan factor: 1 Perfect Curl He’s one of the Russel’s kids, he only shows up in the beginning and has a lovely moment with Russel Crowe. But hey, Jai Courtney is in the movie and he’s very hot.

Wolf Creek 2:

Movie: 4 Strong Bastards Slasher!!! Brutal slasher, the kind of movie you feel anxious watching. The killer is HORRIBLE, a disgusting human being. It’s also loosely based on true stories from the 90s - early 2000s about the murders of turists in the Australian outback. I hate the couple in the beginning, too many dumb decisions.

Ryan Factor: 4 Perfect Curls He is not in the beginning, but he shows up and the killer hunts him. We see him suffer A LOT. He’s not dumb, which is good.

The end

[theshejen]

[bensonnstabler]

season 4 episode 22 is a blueprint for the lewis talk change my mind

i don't know if anyone has made this comparison before, but michael gardner of 4 x 22 is william lewis Lite™️. he is innocuously charming, psychologically manipulative, acts in his own defence to intimidate witnesses, has an affair with his lawyer and quote cragen "has a hard-on for olivia".

there are some very common hallmarks of 1.0 bensler in this ep, including protective!elliot (after gardner lays one on liv and we get possibly one of my most favourite tropes in drama [bad guy gets roughed up and they blame it on "accidental" trips and falls. yes i am referencing that scene in a scandal in belgravia and i'm sorry]) but also Big Emotions and liv driving an hour to sit sullenly on elliot's doorstep not knowing exactly was his plans were but knowingly inserting herself into his "one night as a bachelor".

if elliot came back sooner after lewis (like say in season 18/19) then i reckon that the convo they had on his doorstep in this ep could be a good indicator. it has liv being self deprecating/serving, elliot's idea of comforting her with the job (he's the job) and could easily translate or lend itself to a deeper place we'd expect them to go during such a chat

now obviously it's almost too little too late (i just wanna talk @warren leight) and if you want to read what in my opinion IS the frontrunner in the lewis chat prediction fics then head to svu-oc-obsessed's masterpiece here x

but i really want to see elliot get mad and protective and exasperated over liv's self sacrificial tendencies because god damnit if they're gonna take the next step she has to actually be in one piece to do it (it being whatever it is you fancy in this context)

tldr; this ep is a good one and set the foundation for an extended villain arc and therefore any subsequent Chat™️ between our favourite two idiots in love about such an event

full disclosure i really liked the lewis arc when i first watched it, and even learning abouts WL's exploits hasn't necessarily soured it beyond reproach. i am nervous as hell for this chat but if they keep this sort of formula as basis i believe it will come out half decent

✨️ this incoherent rambling is brought to you by holiday retail work induced delerium ✨️

[ceethewriter]

I had a lot of fun with this idea of a Rafael Barba/Harvey Specter crack ship. So here we have past Harvey/Rafael, present day Harvey & Rafael. Predictably, there’s a little bit of pre-barisi in there.

[singofsolace]

I’m curious what you think about Rebecca’s storyline in the Ted Lasso finale. I felt they resolved her story with Rupert decently enough but the stuff with Ted and Boat Guy just felt off. I’d love to know your thoughts.

I think there were a lot of scenarios I would've been okay with for the end of Rebecca's storyline, and yet, the one they landed on was so outside of what I wanted or expected, I couldn't help but be shocked.

Like you, I thought her storyline was resolved with Rupert well enough (though I would've liked to have seen how, exactly, Rebecca helped Bex and Rupert's former assistant decide what to do? like, obviously, they decided to divorce and sue him respectively, but I still would've liked to have seen how Rebecca helped get them there, and what, precisely, they needed to ask her, since I'm sure they were already halfway to those decisions without Rebecca's help).

As for Dutch Boat Guy, I've been pretty vocal about how Rebecca's storyline in the Amsterdam episode made me incredibly nervous and upset. There were so many other ways they could've written Rebecca having an unexpected romance in Amsterdam without putting her in such a dangerous situation? And people have tried to tell me that Ted Lasso would never do a sexual assault storyline, to which I would argue... ummm.... a show doesn't have to be SVU to "go there"? Keeley's nudes got leaked, Jamie revealed his dad orchestrated the losing of his virginity in Amsterdam when he was still a child, etc. They literally made multiple jokes over the course of the episode that highlighted the fact that Rebecca was completely at the mercy of this Dutch stranger on his boat, with no way to call for help, and nowhere really to run, should things go badly. They made jokes that called attention to the fact that this man could very easily harm or even kill her, and so I spent the whole episode terrified about what could happen, and thinking there's no way most women wouldn't be hearing alarm bells the moment they looked at a cup of tea that said "it's not drugged (I promise)."

But putting aside the Amsterdam episode and how uncomfortable it made me, I still just don't think that from a story arc perspective for the lead female character that it makes sense to make her "endgame" relationship with a character whose name we don't even know. We got no build up to that being Rebecca's happy ending. We spent the whole season being misdirected with fake-outs and psychic predictions, looking for signs that would eventually lead us to her "lightning." Where was the lightning with Boat Guy? Did I miss it? And where was the green matchbook for him? What was the point of the psychic reading if it was only meant to misdirect us? I think Rebecca as a character deserved a lot better than a relationship with a stranger that was rushed to its conclusion in the last fifteen minutes.

As for Ted's ending, that was the most surprising and disappointing to me of all. I didn't need him to be with Rebecca (really, I didn't. I've been prepared since the beginning for Tedbecca never to happen), I just needed him to be happy and surrounded by his chosen family. So why did Jason play Ted as if he was deep in the depths of a depression? Why did he show practically no emotion the whole episode? Why did they decide his "happy ending" should be coaching little league soccer, when Rebecca literally offered him a solution where he would be able to stay in England and bring both Henry and Michelle to London to live a good life? I just don't understand why Ted didn't even consider that as an option??? Like having Rebecca say "you've already made your decision, haven't you?" keeps us from ever hearing or understanding what Ted's reasons were, and as an audience member, that really upsets me. And don't even get me started on Ted not attending Beard's wedding! (A wedding I never wanted to see in the first place, and honestly makes me sick to my stomach, because why set up the idea that multiple people are aware that the relationship is toxic and abusive, only for Beard to end up with her in the end?)

Anyway, those are probably more thoughts than you wanted, but there you are!

[nedlittle]

top five short series

okay this is interesting because i am not a big short story reader (why? who knows) so i don't know if i will be able to give you 5 but you will get at least three! however i would love to read more short stories that either feel like being killed with a hammer or remain in the back of my psyche forever, so i would love recommendations :)))

i read brokeback mountain (and watched the movie for the first time!) over the summer and it very slowly peeled me like an orange. i made a post on the matter

lamb to the slaughter by roald dahl. a classic "good for her" story. my grade 12 writers craft teacher read this one aloud and made us write our own endings however i had been called out of class for some reason that i do not remember, so i missed the beginning of the story but still had to do the worksheet and i was so confused. and then he read us the ending and everyone went bananas! i still have not read the first 95% of this story but what a fun experience that class was

especially heinous: 272 views of law & order svu by carmen maria machado. my general view of her body and other parties is that it is wonderfully written and very smart but absolutely not for me. i have only ever experienced svu as background noise that i occasionally look over at while i am eating dinner. and yet this was my favourite of the collection! it's a wonderful example of a transformative work, very night vale-y!

a border-line case by daphne du maurier. (i can't find a link to this one rn but it's featured in the collection don't look now/not after midnight depending on publishing and editions) a story by, for, and about sickos. i love daphne du maurier's insistence on putting Very Weird psychosexuality in all the works of hers i've read. horrifying plot twist, absolutely no way of predicting what the plot is going to be.

the veldt by ray bradbury. more english class nightmare fuel. i hope this happens to mark zuckerberg <3

bonus points to THEE archetypal fucked up english class short story the lottery by shirley j (iirc my mean grade 7 teacher read this one aloud. it was definitely in elementary school), cottonmouth by joelle wellington, guts by chuck palahinuk (i have read this one twice against my best judgment and refuse to link it so i cannot be held responsible for people reading it), and avi cantor has six months to live by sacha lamb, which is genuinely nice and not nightmare-inducing like most of these

[daydreamslikewaves]

Re: EO predictions (ahead of SVU x OC Crossover but also in general)

Don’t know if anyone else feels this way but I’m almost 100% certain that when they film the EO kiss it will be a) indoors (away from people snapping pics outside) and b) totally unexpected aka no hints will be given that it’ll happen. No insinuating promos, no nothing. As with any crossover, I keep my fingers crossed, but if it doesn’t happen in this one then I’d go the extra mile and say that they might not even announce Chris/Mariska as a guest star on the other show so that it’s a complete surprise (though not sure how transparent they have to be about this, or how easy it is to sneak that info out).

With the whole bait and switch promo, when I saw it, I did think that they were riling us up for something that ultimately wasn’t going to happen (kiss). I genuinely think when the time comes it will catch everyone off guard.

Part of me feels like we might not even get to see the actual ‘getting together’ part of it; what we’ll get is a sudden view of an established relationship (i.e domestic, Olivia getting home late and opening the door of her bedroom, having a conversation with someone who turns out to be Elliot reading in bed or something).

I’ve gone back and forth over this and have come to the conclusion that it would be a massive cop-out if it happened like that. We deserve to see how these two people finally collide together, after so much pain and pining. I’d go as far as to say it would be a massive disservice to Olivia and Elliot as complex characters with an even more complex relationship to just suddenly jump to them in a relationship with no idea how it came to be.

[softsnzstuff]

You Season Three KB Commentary

Hey y’all, I’m watching season three now. I’ve been told this is the best season? As per usual here’s commentary that no one asked for. ((I think I’m gonna cut the headcanons bc I don’t like Joe but pls do enjoy this commentary. -KB

Henry Forty Quinn Goldberg is the next Albus Severus Potter ☠️ I will not take that back.

I’m sorry I just really really REALLY don’t like Love. Like I cannot stand her

So far I like Natalie - I’m biased though because the actress was in SVU and that’s like my favorite show sooooo

Joe and Love are both so toxic. This relationship is never gonna work out.

Joe with a fever oh my god. In the hoodie with the old school thermometer fuckkkkk 👀 ((This fits the headcanons I had from seasons 1 and 2.))

Noah Fence but Joe is the UGLIEST crier?? Men crying is supposed to be hot god dammit 😩

LOVE IS A FUCKING NONCE OH MY GOD NO NO NO NO NO

Oh my good lord is he gonna fall on the sword for Marianne and go to jail? Bc this is like. My prediction rn

Omg the swingers scene launched me 🤣🤣

I lowkey don’t have finale commentary but. On to season four

[valenshawke]

I tend to post this on the All Things Law & Order fansite. But since there's like two of you that watch the show, figure I'd crosspost it here slightly edited.

Below the cut so as not to clog people's dashes.

Cosgrove & Shaw carry the show. I was relieved to see no chase scene this time. A step forward!

I have no complaints of the investigative side. I even complimented the writers by bringing up Cosgrove's daughter in a relevant manner! Again, progress!

There were a couple of lines that I thought of that could have been used in the investigative side if the show wanted to have one of the characters make a snide comment here and there that were missed opportunities,

However, I feel like there was big missed opportunity: If there was ever a case where Special Victims Unit was needed and necessary, I feel like this was the case. Especially when we got to the real leader. This would have been a much less contrived and more logical crossover than the season premiere crossover event. Wouldn't even needed to be an event or anything. Though, really, you could have had this story carryover to SVU.

The legal side…

There were so many weird things here and I just don't get where the writers are going with Price and Maroun.

Maroun came off as very Hang'em High McCoy, like season 5 and 6 Jack who would go after anyone if a law was broken. I'm not even sure he would have considered pleading her out and probably would have demanded further investigation so they could build a case without her. So there's that, but… it seems very contradictory to how she's been presented at times. But who am I to ask for character consistency right now. But Maroun is making a stronger case that she should be EADA over Price.

Price. So, my friend and I made a mistake and did NOT predict the trade-up as we do almost every episode. We are ashamed, obviously. But this trade-up seemed different in that he took the role of the sympathetic lawyer where perhaps justice wasn't about retribution or punishment. Like, this trade-up was definitely to soften the blow to Jocelyn. On one hand, this makes sense given the whole former defense attorney. But this is the same guy who said he was the best among all the prosecutors in the Homicide Bureau.

Also, the way they wrote cult leader's fate? Just… lame.

Going back to the SVU Crossover needed for this episode, can you imagine Carisi in the same room with Price? That'd be so fun to watch.

And, again, we end with a courtroom scene with Price and Maroun in stark contrast on what they believe justice is. I don't believe both return next year. There's just too much conflict between the two lately and of the two, I hope Price is the one that leaves (why the writers are doing this to Hugh Dancy, I don't know).

Not the worst of the season, that was last week. But just standard for how the revival has gone. Cosgrove & Shaw doing good work and Price and Maroun doing whatever it is they're supposed to be doing very badly.

I think each of the three former EADAs would have been far more compelling prosecuting this case. Jack is Jack, got that ex-Catholicism and disdain towards the corruption of institutions. Mike would have been far more creative with the charges and case. I'm actually most interested in how Ben Stone would have done given he did prosecute a cult leader (maybe Jack did as well I just don't remember) and how that episode ended was just a punch in the gut.