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hazelroses1 · 1 year

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Nurse Ochako Isn’t Taking Surgeon Katsuki’s Shit

Dr. Bakugou is an orthopedic surgeon none of the nurses want to deal with because he's such an asshole. Yelling at them for things that are out of their control and cursing at them when they call him about concerns for his patients. Ochako is a night shift nurse who has one of his post-operation patients. The poor guy is writhing in pain, with clear signs that their pain management regimen is not working.

She knows she's going to have to call Dr. Bakugou for additional pain medications, and she's dreading it, but she has to do what's best for her patient. So, Ochako takes a deep breath, looks at the clock to see it's 2 A.M., and dials his number.

Dr. Bakugou answers on the fourth ring.

"What?"

Ochako blinks. "Um, this is Ochako, a nurse at U.A Regional. Is this Dr. Bakugou?"

"Did you not look at the number when you called?" he snaps. "What do you want?"

Ochako frowns.

"Your post-op patient, Mr. Kishimura, is still in a nine out of ten pain. I've given him—"

"Give him the meds I ordered," he interrupts. "That's what they're there for."

Ochako feels her irritation rising. "I did give him those medications if you would have let me finish. I gave him both narcotics and his scheduled acetaminophen, the last dose being an hour ago, and he's still sobbing and clearly uncomfortable. I need something else."

"What do you suggest he have then?" Dr. Bakugou responds in the most condescending tone she'd ever heard.

Ochako gives her charge nurse, Mina, who's standing over her shoulder to hear the conversation, a bewildered look. She looks just as shocked. If he wants to play this game, Ochako will play it. Her end goal is to ensure her patient's comfort, and she won't let this jerk ruin that.

"How about tramadol?" Ochako suggests. "The patient said with his previous surgeries that medication controlled his pain better."

"Tch, the patient is fucking allergic to that medication. Are you a fucking idiot? Did you even read his chart?!"

Ochako's adrenaline rushes through her body. She has pulled up the patient's chart, and tramadol is not listed on his allergies. She's even reviewed his previous surgical visits for his knee and shoulder surgery and saw that tramadol was prescribed both times.

"Dr. Bakugou," Ochako begins, struggling to keep her voice from rising. "The patient doesn't have tramadol listed on their allergies, and he got it for his last two surgeries. Prescribe it, please."

"I'm the fucking surgeon!" he yells, making Ochako hold the phone out. "Give him the meds I ordered, and don't call me again!"

Then the line goes dead. Ochako, Mina, and the rest of the staff who has been at the nurse's station sat there in awe. She's never been spoken to that way by a doctor and refuses to let that kind of behavior fly. Ochako writes a memorandum of their encounter and gives it to the house supervisor, puts in a patient safety report, and stays after her shift to speak to the chief of surgical services. Dr. Aizawa, a doctor known not to let other doctors act terribly toward staff, gives her a solemn look and says he'll handle it. Ochako had no doubt he will; she just wishes she'd be there to see it.

A week passes, and Ochako is on day shift. It's a busy day; she's drowning, and of course, she's handed a new same-day surgery patient. Ochako sighs when she sees the surgeon is Dr. Bakugou. Fuck this guy entirely, but she prepares for her patient and gets report from the post-anesthesia unit. She finds an issue with the orders and pages him, dreading the callback. Instead of a call, as she's exiting her patient's room, she sees Dr. Bakugou walking down the hall. He moves with purpose and pride, a scrub cap with grenades on it visible from a distance. It's ironic that someone with an explosive personality wears that cap. Ochako squares her shoulders and steps in his path. His piercing crimson eyes stare her down, but she won't look frightened.

"You nurse Ochako?" he asks.

"That's correct," she answers. "I paged you."

"Let's talk for a minute."

Ochako swallows and crosses her arms over her chest. "Are you just going to scream at me again because you can do that here."

Dr. Bakugou's cheeks flush. She would say it makes him more handsome, but she's not going to because he's Satan incarnate.

"I'm not gonna yell at you, alright?" he says. "Where's somewhere private?"

Ochako walks them past the nurse's station and tells the charge what she's doing. Izuku's gaze flickers over Dr. Bakugou before turning his attention back to her.

"Let me know if you need anything," he says, and Ochako understands that he'll gladly go to bat for her.

She notices Dr. Bakugou stiffen, but he says nothing, and Ochako leads him to an empty room. She closes the door with a resounding click, turning to him, ready to argue.

"I yelled at you when you called me about one of my patients," he begins. "Aizawa reamed my ass for it. That was unprofessional and uncalled for, and you were right about his allergies. I wanna apologize."

Ochako places her hands on her hips.

"You were an absolute asshole, and it's not the first time with other nurses you've belittled them and questioned their intelligence. You need to get it through your surgeon brain that we are on the same team. I hear your apology and appreciate it, but what would mean the most is a change in behavior."

Dr. Bakugou's blond eyebrows shoot up, eyes wide. Maybe his bafflement comes from no one who he deems a lesser position talking to him with such authority. Good. Ochako is happy to be the first. The silence ticks on for a few moments before he does something surprising. He grins, and Ochako's heart flutters because, wow, he is gorgeous when he smiles.

"Won't happen again, Ochako. Fucking promise."

Ochako nods and reaches out to pat his shoulder. Lightning flutters through her chest when he places his hand over hers, holding it there longer than necessary. Ochako freezes as he drops his hand and turns to exit the room.

"Lemme see whatever order you were paging me about," he says over his shoulder.

Ochako tucks that encounter in her mind to scream at Mina about later before following him out of the room. From then on, Dr. Bakugou's attitude does a 180. No more name-calling and yelling. He's got sarcastic humor that Ochako likes, and instead of dreading caring for his patients, she looks forward to it. Dr. Bakugou buys food for her unit once a month, different types, from typical pizza to Thai and Indian. He times it whenever Ochako is working. Today, they eat together in the break room, and because of him, Ochako finds she loves Indian food.

"Why have I never eaten this before?!" she whines, taking another bite of chicken tikka masala and savoring the rich flavors. "It's so good!"

"Maybe you should slow down and enjoy it instead of inhaling it," Dr. Bakugou teases in between bites of tandoori fish.��

"It's hard!" Ochako laughs. "Dr. Bakugou, who knew you were a food connoisseur?"

"Call me Katsuki."

Ochako pauses, her heart fluttering. Okay, so she may have developed a crush on U.A. Regional's former resident jerk, and she hates herself for it, but their encounters have left thoughts of him in her head longer than she wants to admit. His asking her to call him by his first name is putting scenarios in her head. Scenarios of going on dates to unique restaurants and watching medical dramas to point out all the inaccuracies in them.

“Sure, Katsuki," she replies, unable to hide her beaming smile.

Dr. Bakugou, now Katsuki, puts his elbows on the table, studying her. "Ever had Jamaican food?"

"I haven't," Ochako admits, waiting for his next words.

"You off Friday?"

"Yep."

"Let me cook for you," he says, redness creeping up his neck. "You need to be more cultured to other types of food. There's so much good shit out there."

Ochako wants to float off into the stratosphere. She pinches her arm to bring her back to Earth and stop the internal screaming rattling her brain.

"I'll think about it."

[END]

#kacchako #hazel headcanons #bnha headcanons #bnha fanfiction #hazelkacchako

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ordinaryschmuck · 2 years

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Why do I love Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?

Aside from the fact that it's about my favorite superhero of all time? Let me count the ways...

The animation. I already know I'm not blowing any minds here, but good word, the animation is SPECTACULAR! By blending CGI models with hand-drawn elements, this is the only experience in a superhero movie that made me feel like a comic book has been brought to life. You might say that "it's not live-action," but that's beside the point. 90% of most MCU movies are practically animated, aside from the 10% that have actual humans on screen. So you should have no qualms when this beautiful masterpiece of a film manages to make you feel like you're watching a comic in motion, to the point where you could pause any frame of animation and turn it into a comic panel. Sidenote, if they make this movie into a graphic novel, I would absolutely buy it. I don't care if it's pointless when I could just watch the movie. Give me that graphic novel version of this gorgeous film.

The opening logos are unironically jaw-dropping. They flash through the many variations each insignia could have/has gone through, giving you a taste of the insanity of what this movie will bring. It also plays into what happens to the characters, meaning that while the story hasn't started yet, we're still given a heavy dose of foreshadowing.

The CCA stamp doesn't get enough credit. For those who don't know, back in the day, comics had to adhere to the Comics Code Authority's regulations, sticking their CCA stamp onto every cover to ensure parents that what was inside was kid friendly. It got to the point where no one took it seriously anymore, and the stamp became an irrelevant system that almost always failed to point out the age demographic for comics. The fact that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is rated PG makes the callback even funnier.

The opening narration. It introduces us to this universe's version of Peter Parker, who's basically the every-man in the Spider-Man universe (The every-Spider-Man?). He features the highest highs and lowest lows of Spider-Man, showcasing his history and origins in a way that fans will adore while making something entertaining for the 1% of people who somehow never heard of Spider-Man.

Miles' introduction is close to perfection. Making him an artist already earns some relatability points from yours truly but having him jam out to music while doing it turns him into one of my favorite characters that I see myself in. I can't count the number of times I'm drawing something, and I get lost in the music playing in my headphones. I've known this character for less than a minute, and I already see a lot of myself in him. The fact that he procrastinated getting ready and did it all in a rush is just the cherry on top. And given how I look whiter than the snow on a Christmas day and Miles looks...very much not that, I already feel like the writers are doing something right if I see myself in someone like him. Most writers go the route of making a character's race or ethnicity their only character trait. There are some good intentions in that somewhere, but writers forget that without things like personalities, interests, and desires, the character's race does not matter. They're still going to be boring. Give me more Miles Morales, less of the hollowed shells called human beings that you find on the CW.

The one-take of Miles walking through his neighborhood mirroring/contrasting with his walk through school does well to visually explain the disconnect he feels about being in a new school and an unfamiliar environment.

I love Miles' dad. I'll get more to the emotional stuff later, but Jefferson Davis starts out great as someone strict but still trying hard to connect with Miles. It's genuinely heartwarming to see. Plus, that "I love you, Dad" scene…I mean, come on!

The montage of Miles' first day does well in showcasing the pressure the character is feeling. Maybe I'm still relating so much to Miles, but I felt how hard his day was for him.

The video of Olivia Octavius is some solid foreshadowing of the multiversal madness ahead and even better foreshadowing of who Olivia is, considering that Miles JUST blocks her last name. This scene also introduces us to Gwen while subtly hinting at who she is by Miles briefly saying, "I've never seen you around here before.”

Community is playing on Uncle Aaron's TV...That's it. I watched all of Community last year and grew to appreciate seeing a reference or two about it showing up.

Miles' moment with Uncle Aaron is sweet. It shows how things are easy between them, and Miles can rant about anything to the laid-back person his uncle is, in contrast to the eggshells Miles seems to dance around when dealing with his dad. Plus, Aaron showing off the shoulder touch pays off for two great scenes in the future. Not to mention his "hey" sends this bisexual a little...haywire.

Miles spray painting the wall is touching for two reasons. For one, it proves how much sweeter this universe's Aaron is. In other iterations, he manipulates Miles, searching for ulterior motives, primarily for Aaron's selfish gain. Here, it's clear he genuinely cares about his nephew, wanting to share this moment with Miles and have fun in a way the two should. It's also touching to see Miles express himself. We got a taste of his phenomenal talent near the beginning, but to see him make that masterpiece that he made proves how much of an artist he really is. It really is the best way to make this Miles not only unique but also engaging.

The spray paint getting sprayed on the corner of the screen is also a nice touch. They didn’t have to do it, but they did, and I love it.

The Spider bite. The thing that fundamentally changes Miles' life, and the lives of other Spider-People before him, for now, and forever...and he swats it like it was nothing. That's...incredible.

Miles reacting to his spider bite, however, leads to a collection of great moments that are awkward as they are hilarious.

By the way, have I mentioned that this movie is funny? And not in your face with it like other Marvel movies. I mean that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is naturally funny, having great jokes that work well within the situation while never stealing away from the moment. I won't go over all the humorous moments, but I'll definitely talk about my favorites.

Like Miles' interaction with Gwen post-spider bite. It's awkward in all the right ways, and his facial expression as he stiffly places his hand on her shoulder cracks me up every time.

The "Who's Morales?" bit is iconic. I told you, this movie is just naturally funny!

Using the Amazing Fantasy comic cover as a reference is great. It's the comic that gave us the best superhero ever made, so it's nice of the animators to throw that in as a callback, honoring the contribution it made to humanity.

By the way, it used to bother me how Peter Parker allowed a comic to detail his backstory, but it just now occurred to me that the Peter Parker in the comic looks vastly different from the one in that universe. That, coupled with the knowledge that he has licensed merch, proves that he allowed this comic as long as the artists made sure his identity remained secret. Just another little detail that makes this movie amazing.

Speaking of small details, I love that Miles has a lot of contacts on his phone. Both his contacts and that one-take in the beginning show that he's a social kid instead of an outcast like Peter, which is nice. It’s for the best that this movie shows that Miles is his own person than a mixed-race Spider-Man

Another fact is that his comic creators are in there too. That's a cute thing to include.

The visual explanation for Miles' spider sense is remarkable. I always get chills with the words "LOOK OUT," illustrating that it's silently screaming in his brain. Gah, such a good scene! Can you marry a scene? Because I want to marry this scene. It's easily my favorite in anything Spider-Man-related.

Peter's fight with Green Goblin is INSANE! Admittingly, when I first watched this movie, it was a little hard to tell what was going on due to so much happening all at once. But, after seeing it for the fiftieth time, I can certainly say that I appreciate how off-the-wall Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse gets with its action, especially with this first fight scene. It's only a taste of what's to come, and I'm glad the film slowly eases you into the more insane scenes by prepping you with a moment like this.

Peter Parker’s introduction to Miles is perfect. The writers do everything right, starting with Peter breaking the ice with a joke, attempting to cool Miles off from his first near-death experience, only to get serious once Peter realizes what Miles is exactly. And I adore how Peter calmly approaches the situation, reassuring Miles that while things will change whether he likes it or not, Peter will be there to help him. Peter doesn't even hesitate when he volunteers to mentor Miles. You get the sense that Peter's excited about it, and, gosh dang it, these writers really did a great job in making him the Every-Spider-Man.

Miles recording Peter's fight with Prowler...Because of f**king course, he does. Wouldn't you?

Kingpin's the villain! This is cool because, while he's mostly remembered as a Daredevil villain nowadays, it's great that this movie recognizes that he started off as a member of Spider-Man's rouge's gallery. And, sure, he lacks the depth that Vincent D'Onofrio had in Daredevil. But he's still pretty threatening and even terrifying, being the character that allows this movie to earn its PG rating.

Plus, his motivation is...good enough. It's not the best thing in the world, but it works just enough to be believable for this character, all while explaining why he's working hard to, you know, break the universe. So, yeah, a solid villain for one of the best superhero movies of all time.

The fact that it's Peter Parker that technically caused the other Spider-People to show up is amazing to me. It proves that without meaning to, he still manages to find a way to save the day. Even if that means pulling other Spider-People from their dimensions...which is ultimately killing them. Yeah, isn't that just classic Peter Parker bad luck for ya?

Also, heh, you can see Peter B. Parker and the others fly away from the explosion. That's funny.

Peter's last words to Miles...Wow. It's one of those moments you know that he knows that he's not going to make it out this time. So, in his last moments, Peter offers as much advice as he can to Miles, telling him what needs to be done and how to do it. What I love most is the fact that he still cracks jokes and still gives Miles the false hope that he'll "catch up," showing that, above all else, Peter cares about making people feel safe and secure. Again, he really is the Every-Spider-Man...Or was, at least.

Peter's eye-roll at Prowler. Even at death, he's still making us laugh.

Miles is a coward...It feels weird to say that's something I love about this film, but it's true. Miles starting off as someone who runs and hides instead of trying to help Peter Parker does the job to make it even more satisfying when Miles eventually does find courage and confidence in being a Spider-Man.

Also, his guilt seems more reasonable here than it does in the comics. Miles' guilt in the comics stems from not being there to help Ultimate Peter Parker, even though there's not really anything Miles could have done to help, and Peter was already as good as dead before Miles knew he could help. Here, while it's a lot more likely Miles could die, I do understand his guilt as he's right there and able to do something rather than nothing. So not only does Miles' cowardice set up a great character arc, but it also does its job in making him feel better guilt than his comic counterpart. So, nice job all around.

This version of The Prowler is amazing. His motif, his outfit, his silent badassery. It’s just so perfect.

Miles runs home to his family and not to the school...because his family is where he feels the safest. That just hit me--GAH, THIS MOVIE'S GREAT!

Miles' mom is so sweet. She's mostly remembered for one line, reassuring Miles that their family doesn't run away from things, but that one line proves to you all what you need to know: She's there to tell Miles what he needs to hear, even though she doesn't entirely know how much he needed to hear it. Such a great mom.

New York's reaction to Spider-Man's death. You feel it in everybody, literally everybody. Just the number of people showing up to his funeral proves how much he earned the title of "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."

Best. Stan Lee cameo. Ever. This movie came out a month after Stan Lee passed away, and I feel like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did the best job of honoring him. Spider-Man really is Stan's greatest co-creation (with help from Steve Ditko, of course), and the best Spider-Man movie being one of the last he made an appearance in really hits hard. RIP, Stan. Thank you and Steve Ditko for the hero that is loved by all.

It's also neat that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has a better reason why Miles is wearing a Halloween costume when dressing up as Spider-Man. It was done in the comics to make him easily hide his identity, but it's also in poor taste, to the point where even the characters in the comics point out how it's poor taste. Here, Miles buys the costume in tribute to Spider-Man when going to Peter Parker's funeral, like a lot of people have done. And, well, he already has it, so he might as well continue to use it. Man, this movie really is trying to make Miles' origin story better than it was in the comics, huh?

This movie manages to do the "Jump/Pussy" scene from Venom, and not only is it funnier, but it's also done better. At first, you're laughing at Miles giving up despite the music epically building up about how he's about to jump. But then, after he gives up the first time, he tries again, using a smaller building because he thinks it'll be easier. This movie took a funny scene, then twisted it to visually tell us how determined Miles is to do the right thing! You see, Venom? This is how you actually make a good movie!

Peter B. Parker's narration does a great job of underlining the contrast between him and Peter Parker (also, for consistency, I'll be calling him Peter B. for the rest of the review. It's simpler). While Peter's narration reveals to us his success and zeal for the life he has, Peter B.'s is all about his failures and how much he's given up on life. Already, it's a quick and easy way of proving how different both Peters are, and I don't mind it. Primarily because each narration works well for the film's main running joke and because Peter B.'s is the funniest because what he says clashing with what is shown. I still laugh at that hard cut of him crying in the shower, as mean as that sounds.

The seahorse bit. I mean, come on. The fact that he gets choked up about seahorses mating for life always gets to me.

While Peter B. is getting sucked into the portal, knowing there's no stopping it, his first priority is to get his mask. That tells me that despite how far life beat him with the bad luck stick, he still knows the number one rule of being Spider-Man: Always bring your mask.

Also, he tries to save the pizza...which makes me chuckle. I won't lie.

Peter B. and Miles getting pulled/dragged through the city is the best type of chaos. It's great knowing that while the animation is perfect for some epic fight scenes, it also has some impeccable slapstick.

Peter B. is the Spider-Man that rejects the code: With great power comes great responsibility. That part of Peter B. always intrigues me, and it makes sense. He was beaten down because of great responsibility, so even though it was the last words of his Uncle Ben, he'd rather live without them. Yet that doesn't mean he's done with being a good person. He's tired and burnt out, sure. But he still helps Miles once realizing that he can't just walk away from someone that needs him. It presents an interesting dynamic, for while Peter B. has to teach Miles how to be Spider-Man, Miles is there to help Peter B. remember how to be Spider-Man. Not a lot of people bring that up, and it's what I admire about their relationship.

I don't know about you all, but the diner scene always makes me want burgers and fries, without fail. It just makes the food look so good! Too bad it comes from a restaurant with a C-grade health code...Oh, so that's why it closed down six years ago in Peter B.'s universe.

Aside from their narrations, Peter B.'s advice also clashes with Peter's. Peter B. always offers more practical stuff, telling Miles what to do so he won't lose his mind while being Spider-Man. It works with Peter B.'s character and, once again, proves how he couldn't be further different from Peter Parker. With that said, Peter B. still offers great advice from time to time. Granted, it's when things are actually serious and during danger, but, hey, at least he tries.

Peter B. and Miles thinking is perfect and earned being a meme.

Peter B. coming up with the plan. It proves that he's both intuitive for coming up with it so quickly and simple-minded in thinking it would be that easy. Plus, Miles' interjections offer great humor.

Peter B. saying teenagers are the worst always gets a chuckle out of me because of the fact that Spider-Man is the superhero widely remembered for being a teenager.

Olivia Octavius. GOOD! GOLLY! MISS MOLLY, what a twist! Now, there are a few minuscule hints making it more obvious in hindsight, like the octagon decorating surrounding her and what looks like an arm prototype behind Peter B. With that said, however, I WAS SHOCKED IN THEATERS! This kooky lady who, at first, seems ecstatic to see Peter B. turns out to be an alternate version of one of his worst enemies and was actually fascinated by how he got there and how to kill him. Such a good scene that never fails to give me chills!

And the fight that comes after it is equally intense, fun, and epic.

The funniest moment in the movie is the monitor gag. That is all.

BAGEL! By the way, someone actually cosplayed as that scientist who got BAGELED! Not really a fun fact about the movie, but it is a fun fact about life.

Gwen's narration is probably the most beneficial. Nearly everybody knows about Peter Parker, and I think enough people know about Miles, but I'm not sure how well-known Spider-Gwen was before the movie (and, yes, I know she's called Spider-Woman or Ghost Spider. It's just that Spider-Gwen's more fun to say. Leave me alone). People might know of her but not so much about her whole deal and origins. So, it helps that the movie flies by her origins, telling newcomers what they need to know and leaving them to learn the rest from her comics.

Also, Gwen, come on. Miles is the reason you got that dope haircut in the first place. Let him compliment it.

ALSO also, Gwen's a pretty fun character. I have some problems with how she's in the story, but I do love her punk-rock personality and how she's basically the only Spider-Person with a functioning brain cell...Except for that Gwanda bit, but we don't talk about that. Despite some flaws, Gwen's a character with a lot of humor and solid character interactions, especially with Miles.

Gwen and Miles are adorable together. Have I mentioned that? Because it's true. They don't have much time to develop their relationship (that's for future movies to do), but the time they do have is still pretty darn cute.

Kingpin's flashback is beautifully animated while also paying homage to the art style of the comic his design is based on. It's pretty cool that this already brilliantly animated movie still manages to find different ways to look gorgeous.

This movie has the best Aunt May. Don't argue, Raimi nerds! You know it's true! She kicks ass, accepting of Peter's secret, looks old, and has some pretty snappy one-liners. You see this woman and understand how Peter Parker came to be the man he is--Er, was. If you have a problem with this Aunt May, you can take it up with the baseball bat she used to beat Tombstone. Tombstone! How can you hate an old woman who can do that?!

As for May's interaction with Peter B., it's--Say it with me now--perfect. They're both basically meeting ghosts of people they loved, and May and Peter B. interact the same as if it was the version of each other they've always known. There is genuine heartbreak and love in each of their voices, and you feel every bit of it. Even the jokes about Peter B. being fat and wearing sweatpants doesn't spoil the moment but add to it, showing May's distaste over a version of her nephew letting himself go. It's snark, but snark from the love of a woman who's basically his mother. What did you expect?

The Spider-Cave is awesome! Little weird that Peter Parker, a character known for being as poor as dirt in the comics, has this, but then you remember something: The merchandise. This was a Peter who whored himself out with cereal, Christmas albums, and so-so popsicles. Heck, even the Spider-Buggy, also from the comics, was promotional material. This means that Peter Parker made BANK on the stuff he made, so much so that he was able to afford a cave that would make Batman jealous. It might not be one-for-one the exact explanation for how he has it, but the movie offers enough information to make it a reasonable conclusion anyway.

I want a Spider-Noir movie. I don't care if it's animated or not. I want a gosh dang Spider-Noir movie. And it has to be played by Nicholas Cage. It wouldn't be right if it wasn't because he’s the reason that Spider-Noir is the funniest character in the movie.

I love that every single Spider-Person is totally on board with staying behind and leaving their homes forever if it's the only way to get the others back to where they belong. They're definitely Spider-People, alright. Nobel sacrifices like that are all a part of the DNA.

The scene where the others put a lot of pressure on Miles results in complicated feelings. On the one hand, it's not cool for them to do this. On the other, you understand why. This isn't the typical stopping a mugger or fighting a c-lister. This is a fight to save the multiverse with dozens of people who will make the mission all the more dangerous. The pressure they're making Miles feel is close to what they'll be dealing with in the fight with Kingpin, so what they're doing is somewhat validated through the current circumstances. I may not like it, but I do understand it.

And I've got to give Peter B. credit for being both Miles' hype man and telling the other Spider-People to cool it with the pressure. Out of all of them, he understands Miles a little better and wants to keep the poor boy sane. It's pretty sweet.

Jefferson reaching out to Aaron is also pretty dang heartwarming. You can tell there's some definite tension between the two, but they're still brothers. Family loves family, no matter the mistakes (unless your family is reasonably toxic, in which case, you cut them out yesterday). Jefferson reaching out is a testament to that...Even if Aaron might not have deserved it--Yeah, let's get into that.

The reveal of Aaron being the Prowler...Where do I even begin? Fellow comic nerds already knew this was coming, but that doesn't stop this reveal from hurting. The part that gets me is the score. It expertly portrays the amount of fear and betrayal Miles is feeling at this moment, to the point where you don't even need to see what's happening to understand something tragic is going down.

The chase scene that follows is also pretty intense, added with the red sky and the several moments where Miles barely gets away. It's...You know what it is. It's f**king perfect.

Scorpion looks cool. A little weird, sure, but still pretty badass and intimidating.

My favorite fight in the movie might just be the Spider-People battling the...Fearsome Fivesome? Alright, whatever they're called, they're part of a fun and chaotic fight scene, with playing keep away with the Goober being what adds much-needed tension.

Uncle Aaron's death. I love that they let Aaron die a good man, willing to back down so Miles could go free. It's definitive proof that he actually cared for his nephew, to the point where the first thing Aaron felt upon realizing it was Miles was pure fear. Like, "Oh, crap! Not only did I almost kill my brother's son, but this boy is now in some deep s**t! I gotta help him!" And I appreciate that the writers made Aaron a decent human being rather than a diabolical scumbag who wanted to take advantage of Miles or a coward who tried to kill him because he was too scared to fail Kingpin. Even when Aaron's dying, the first thing he does is apologize for letting Miles down, a sentiment that's as sweet as it is tragic. Aaron may not have been a perfect man, but he died wanting to protect Miles, the love for his nephew overshadowing his greed. And I think that redemption is worth everything.

And, MAN, is his death a gut punch! The writers certainly succeeded in giving Miles his Uncle Ben Moment, with Aaron's last words being motivational in telling Miles to "keep going" and how he's the best of them. It's a bittersweet moment, and Miles' dad mistaking Miles to be Aaron's killer doesn't make things any better.

What is sweet, though, is how all the Spider-People are there for Miles, sharing the tragedy they all went through and confirming that the hardest part about being Spider-Man is losing the people you love. And the biggest miracle is that THE CARTOON PIG DOESN'T RUIN THIS MOMENT! Seriously, what does it say about this movie where the character who's practically a Looney Tune manages to keep the emotional weight of the scene going?

Peter B. being tough with Miles...Ouch. It was necessary. Peter B. was doing it as one final test, giving Miles one last chance that he could come through when it matters. The others were even right outside his window, ready and hoping to let Miles join them. But it wasn't meant to be, and it stings to see Miles at this low point. Thankfully, he has someone to pull him out of this funk.

Jefferson's talk with Miles...Told you I'd get to the emotional stuff. But joking aside, this scene...left my eyes a little steamy this time around. Jefferson visually meets Miles halfway and pours his heart out, sharing the feelings Jefferson usually kept guarded except for a moment when it mattered. Sure, Jefferson doesn't know all the facts about the current tragedy he and Miles are going through, but the words he provides give Miles the spark he needs. The spark that Jefferson has always seen in Miles. And the spark that Miles uses to free himself to take that one last step to being Spider-Man. Or, rather, one last leap.

The "What's Up Danger" scene. Do I really need to explain what makes this scene incredible? I know I keep saying the word perfect a lot with this review, but that's really the best way to describe so much of this movie, especially with this moment. The visuals of Miles rising instead of falling and swinging through the city in succession are awe-inspiring. The score mixing in Miles' hero motif with "What's Up Danger," resulting in a moment that's as pleasant on the ears as it is on the eyes. All of it culminates together for a scene that delivers all of the hype, creating a moment where Miles is no longer Miles Morales. He's f**king Spider-Man. And he earned that title.

Also, a small thing, I love that Miles' suit is one of Peter Parker's, but spray-painted black with Miles' interpretation of the Spider-Man logo. It shows Miles stepping into Peter Parker's shoes but doing it in his own style. It's just a great little detail that not a lot of people mention.

Did Kingpin seriously throw a memorial service for the guy he killed? What a filthy, disgusting man...I love him!

The bread scene is hilarious. It involves a pointless character, but I can't help but crack up at how Peter B.'s attempt to find closure with MJ is through him apologizing about not getting her table bread. Peter B. saying, "I want to fill this room up with bread," is just the cherry on top this hilarious sundae.

I really dig Olivia saying, "Goodbye, Peter Parker." You can tell by the way she said it that she wanted to be the one to kill Spider-Man.

Miles coming in to deliver that punch at Doc Ock is a laptop background in the making.

I love how in a situation where the universe is crumbling apart around them, and bad guys are shooting at them all, THAT is the moment when Peter B. realizes that he wants kids. I'm telling you, most of the time, this movie is just naturally funny.

As for the situation they're in, the collider fight is, without a doubt, the most insane final battle in a Spider-Man movie. All the universes merging and tearing the place apart forces the characters to fight as the environment morphs and forms around them, making it a battle where anything could go down. It results in a pretty fun climax, and I love how the colors match the light tone this fight is going for...remember that. It's gonna come back later.

Spider-Ham DESTROYING Scorpion after he dissed cartoons is an exact representation of what the animation community wants to do when someone calls animation kids' stuff or silly. Let it be known that we'd wreck your shop too if we could.

I love how Miles swinging up to the top of the collider incorporates lessons from both Peter Parkers. Obviously, there's the way Miles copied his universe's Peter moves to get up there, but stealing away the Goober by throwing back Peter B.'s "don't watch the mouth, watch the hands" motto adds a little extra that I appreciate.

Miles' goodbye to Peter B. is a culmination of their arcs, where Miles, the student, finally becomes the master, being the one to trip up Peter B. (with the same move he used on Miles, no less) and tells him to get his s**t together and go home. Peter B. taught Miles a lot, letting him see the importance of Spider-Man, the pressure he has to go through, and the faith he must have. And here comes Miles spitting all that back at Peter B., adding more to how they teach each other how to be their better selves. And I relish that!

Remember how I said the colors were bright in the collider, matching the fun of the climax? Well, the second it's just Miles and Kingpin, the colors become darker and more intense, matching the tone of this final battle between good and evil. It makes things way more cinematic and visually pleasing, so kudos...to whoever I give kudos to in this case. There are SO MANY people responsible for animating a single second--Literally, a single second of animation that it's hard to tell who deserves more credit half the time.

As for the fight itself, IT'S AS INTENSE AS THE COLORS IMPLY IT IS! You feel the beating Kingpin gives Miles, but despite how violent it is, there were always these small glimmers of hope that Miles might get the upper hand. That hope gets beaten down by Kingpin's cartoonishly big fist, but there is still hope nonetheless. And it would grow through the most unexpected places.

Is it a little ludicrous that Jefferson is right there to give the most essential words any Spider-Man needs to learn? Oh, absolutely. Without a doubt. But is it still heartwarming that Jefferson still tells Spider-Man to get up despite thinking he killed Aaron, further proofing how Jefferson's always there to tell Miles what he needs to hear when it's important? You'd better gosh dang believe it.

Miles using the shoulder touch on Kingpin is the best. In a way, that lets Miles and Aaron get revenge.

Seeing into the Spider-verse (ha!) is a gorgeous sight to behold, both for the audience and for Miles.

DID THEY HAND DRAW THAT EXPLOSION?! Gosh DANG IT, this movie is insane!

Dang, Jefferson allowing Miles to throw up his art on the wall warms the heart to the fullest it's ever been when watching this movie. He really wants to do better in reaching out to Miles, even if Jefferson still lays down the ground rules for how Miles should express himself.

And Spider-Man hugging Jefferson is equal parts touching and hilarious.

I'm noticing a pattern. My favorite Spider-Man movies are ones where Spidey webs up the big bad for the police to pick up. Instead of, you know...killing them. I loved it in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and I especially adore it here.

The one-take of Miles walking through the streets as Spider-Man mirrors how he did it at the beginning of the movie and contrasts the one-take at his school. It illustrates that he regained his confidence because how could he not after all the s**t he went through. I'd feel pretty big about myself too.

Miles' final narration does well in tying everything together, recapping events, showing how everyone else is doing, and stating the big lesson of the movie. A lesson that Stan Lee himself believed in, as he always thought that what makes Spider-Man amazing is that anyone, anyone at all, could be under that mask. No matter who they are or what they look like, anybody has the potential to represent the ideals of Spider-Man. And while I'm not a fan of movies spelling out their messages to the audience...It's a Spider-Man movie. Narrating to the audience is as essential for the ending as the final swing is, and this one has both! All around, a good ending...with a tease for more.

Though I will admit, it's not every day when I say that a movie's credits are as visually pleasing as the rest of the film.

And while Stan Lee's cameo is a great final tribute to him, ending the movie with one of his quotes is just as spectacular. Again, rest in peace, Stan.

By the way, I adore "Spider-Bells." Not only does it crack me up that Peter has a mental breakdown halfway through singing it, but it also means this movie is a Christmas movie...Because if people can call Die Hard a Christmas movie, then I can call Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a Christmas movie too. Leave me alone.

As for final teasers, Spider-Man 2099 looks dope and I cannot wait to see him tear Miles apart in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse...That felt weird to say, but let the record show that I said with love!

And they got the pointing meme in. Yup, I adore this movie!

So, a pretty flawless film, right?

…Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell–

Ok, I want to make it clear that while there are problems to be had, they don't spoil the movie. Most of them are just nitpicks that always bothered me personally, so don't take them too seriously. With that said...

Where did the spider come from? It's the thing that fundamentally changes Miles' life, and we never really got an answer for that.

Why did Gwen double back on revealing her name? Gwen's a pretty common name to have. And, odds are, the one in this universe looks vastly different to her. We already know Peter B. Parker is different from Miles' Peter Parker, so it's not too much of a stretch. Plus, even if Gwen looks the same, the Gwen we know within this movie is already risking a lot by being out as herself, so why change the name? I know it's a small thing, but like I said, it always bothered me.

And while we're on the topic of Gwen, I'm not a fan of her backstory. Not her origin story, that's fine. But the fact that she was in Miles' universe for a whole week and her spider-sense told her to go to his school is...confusing? If being in Miles' universe is literally killing her, how is she not dead already? And how does spider-sense tell her to go to a new school? As far as I can tell, spider-sense is an alarm system that gives a Spider-Person total awareness of everything around them. Not to act as an instruction manual of what to do in life. I take it that this is an excuse to get her and Miles to interact more and form more of a romantic bond, which I'm fine with because they're adorable together. It's just that I wish this was done in a way that made more sense because, as is, it's making my brain hurt.

Kingpin's design...is laughable. Apparently, it's paying homage to a Daredevil comic's artist interpretation of the character, which I guess it's cool...but he looks ridiculous. And don't get me wrong, I love it when superhero animation goes for a more stylistic approach with heroes and villains instead of a realistic one. It's why Spectacular Spider-Man is my favorite Spider-Man show as opposed to others, because every character looks unique from one another, especially the villains. And while Kingpin certainly looks unique...it's a little too much, and it's the one thing I never take seriously with this film.

Green Goblin! One of the most important and influential villains in Spider-Man's line-up...is wasted as canon fodder, dying just as fast as he's introduced. Kind of disappointing.

Spider-Noir, Peni Parker, and Spider-Ham are great characters. They're each animated in great styles that perfectly convey they're from another universe, have some great jokes, and are overall a good time. The problem? They're...not necessary. You can cut these three out of the movie, and nothing will change. I wouldn't mind if they were characters who were there to add fluff and nothing else, but they're there to also add emotional weight to the story. Take Peni's sadness about SP/dr getting destroyed or the characters all saying goodbye to Miles. I can tell that they're all meant to be heart wrenching moments, but we hardly spend time with these characters to feel like it's earned. Miles barely got time to spend with them, so that, right there, takes the punch out of their sad farewells. Again, they're great characters, and I do love that they're a part of this movie. The only problem is that they're in too short of a film to really deserve the emotional beats.

The Spider-People hiding from Miles' roommate might be the ONE joke that fits the more "In your face" style like other Marvel movies. It spoiled the serious momentum before it, and I feel like they kept it in for the sake of a trailer clip.

Hey! Mary Jane Watson is the worst part of a Spider-Man movie! Yeah, go figure. She's an essential part of Peter's life, but there's no personality to either version of the character we see in this movie. Calling her an over-glorified plot device would be generous. Sorry, MJ, but a Spider-Man movie has, once again, done you dirty. But at least you're pretty good in the MCU...Don't give me that look. You know it's true.

I don't mind Kingpin failing to kill Miles. Villains will stupidly allow the heroes to gain the second wind, and you just need to accept that in superhero media...BUT HOW THE ACTUAL HELL DID MILES, HIS DAD AND ALL THE OTHER NORMAL LIVING PEOPLE SURVIVE THAT EXPLOSION! Look at it! It was massive!

But, seriously, that’s all I have.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie. Nerds and losers debate about which of the live-action films are better but note how rarely anyone denies Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse being on top. Can you blame them? With game-changing animation, amazing characters, and a story showcasing everything that's to love about Spider-Man, you cannot get better than this. I look forward to the rest of this trilogy, but I have already accepted that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will forever remain at the best that there is, and it'll take actual flawless perfection to change my mind.

#spider-man into the spider-verse #spider man #miles morales #peter parker #peter b parker #gwen stacy #spider gwen #spider noir #spider ham #peni parker #kingpin #aaron davis #jefferson davis #what i thought about

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canonicallyobserving911 · 2 years

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Buck & Eddie: Timeline of Couches – META

A timeline of Buck’s and Eddie’s couches from seasons 2-6 (Bonus sections about keys and chairs).

[Repost since the original that was posted on 10/4/22 didn’t appear in the tags.]

Couches have been used as metaphors with regards to Buck and Eddie’s relationships since season 2 and Eddie’s blue couch that appeared in his house during season 3 was meant to foreshadow Eddie and Buck’s journey towards becoming a CANON couple along with them continuing to build The Buckley-Diaz Family. If the narrative continues then Buck will eventually move out of the loft and move in with Eddie and Christopher (related post: “Buck said, “This is Eddie’s house, I’m not really a guest”).

Season 2

2x1 “Under Pressure”

Abby’s couch from season 1 was still in her apartment while Buck continued to live there and her couch represented two things: (1) it illustrated how Buck and Abby’s relationship was only meant to be temporary, hence her abandoning him in 1x10 “A Whole New You” and (2) the color was white to illustrate the nature of their relationship. White couches look good but they can be easily damaged which means they have to be replaced often. Just like her couch, Abby thought Buck was good looking so she contacted him but her intentions were only for them to be a temporary fling until she was ready to move on with her life. The essence of their relationship was temporary for her but long-term for him.

After Eddie and Buck met and started trusting each other in 2x1, it marked the start of their journey to becoming a CANON couple. When Buck invited Eddie to Abby’s apartment in 2x4 “Stuck”, Eddie never sat on Abby’s couch, he just walked past it a couple of times. If Eddie had sat on the couch while he was there, then his and Buck’s relationship would have ended quickly the same way Buck and Abby’s and Eddie and Ana’s relationships did (see Ana and Eddie for proof in the season 4 section of this META).

It’s not a coincidence that Eddie was never shown to have sat on Abby’s couch while he was there because Carla and Buck did sit on it in 2x7 “Haunted” when Buck talked to her about ending things with Abby. Buck told Carla that he felt like he was the ghost and he was being haunted by the memory of her.

2x6 “Dosed”

Buck and Eddie helped Maddie move her brand new white couch into her apartment. Buck sat pizzas on top of it but since it was covered with plastic there was no way it could have gotten damaged. Her couch was used as a metaphor for Buck and Eddie’s future romantic relationship because they worked together to get it inside of her apartment. Also Maddie was never meant to be seen as Eddie’s love interest because the show wanted Eddie to be seen as Buck’s love interest. To confirm that Maddie was not interested in Eddie but that she was actually interested in Chimney; Maddie told Buck, “He is so cute” but when Buck assumed she was talking about Eddie, he said, “Yeah, he gets that a lot. You should see his kid though”. 9-1-1 was clearly establishing that Eddie was there to be Buck’s love interest and not Maddie’s which was a callback to 2x1 when Maddie asked Buck if his boy crush on Eddie meant he was finally ready to move on from Abby and Buck responded with “That’s cute” (related post: “Maddie and Pepa knew instantly that Buck & Eddie had feelings for each other”). The issue Buck and Eddie had with trying to fit the couch through the front door was also foreshadowing for the difficulties they would have once they’re ready to confess their love for one another during a future season (i.e., season 6- Buck’s self-help journey and Eddie waiting for Buck to realize that he’s already waiting for him). They had only been partners for a few weeks when they helped Maddie move but that was after Buck had already stepped in with Eddie in 2x4 “Stuck” to help him co-parent Christopher and it was after they had started building The Buckley-Diaz Family.

2x7 “Haunted” & 2x10 “Merry X-Mas”

Eddie contacted Shannon so that she could interview at The Durand School for Christopher’s admittance. When she showed up at his home to learn more about the school, the couch she sat on was dark grey (not navy blue) and it was the same couch that Christopher and Isabel sat on in 2x10. After season 2, Eddie had a new couch (the blue one) that’s still inside of his home during season 6 which means he got rid of the grey couch after Shannon died in 2x17 “Careful What You Wish For” but before Buck’s first CANON visit to his house in 3x10 “Christmas Spirit”. The grey couch had to go because his new blue couch was intended for the family he chose to build with Buck (it’s been proven throughout seasons 3-6).

2x18 “This Life We Choose”

Right after he signed the lease for the loft, the ladder truck exploded, crushed his leg and he was in the hospital for several weeks. After he was discharged, Ali sat on the couch for a few seconds with him while she waited for him to tell her what his plans were regarding his job. When he didn’t say that he was going to quit, she broke up with him. While he was getting dressed to attend Eddie’s induction ceremony, the loft was filmed at an angle to show the lack of furniture but the couch was in full view which illustrates how Buck was trying to build a new life with her but it wasn’t meant to be because he was already in the process of building a life and family with Eddie. Buck’s couch was for the family he was building with Eddie.

Season 3

3x1 “Kids Today”

Eddie entered Buck’s loft with his own key and he sat Christopher on the couch while he went upstairs to Buck’s bedroom to wake him up. There was a lot of domesticity shown when Eddie hugged Christopher before he left for work and when he gave Buck a pep talk, the same way spouses do when they encourage each other. Their actions illustrated the way Eddie and Christopher felt at home in Buck’s loft just like Buck doesn’t consider himself to be a guest at Eddie’s house. They were already being shown as a family whenever they were in Buck’s loft even though they weren’t living together.

3x3 “The Searchers”

After the Tsunami, Eddie took Christopher back to Buck’s loft but he knocked on the door instead of using his key so that Buck could let them in. The couch was shown right before Eddie walked to the island to illustrate where they were in their relationship. Due to the way things had ended between them the day before, they were both unsure about everything since Buck thought Eddie was mad at him for losing Christopher while Eddie just wanted to move forward and act like nothing happened. After Christopher walked in, Eddie told him, “Sit right there, Buddy” and Christopher sat on Buck’s coffee table instead of his couch. After Eddie reassured Buck that he still trusted him with Christopher, Eddie told him, “There’s nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you”, then he hugged Christopher and left for work but not before he thanked Buck for not giving up. Buck went and sat next to Christopher on the coffee table and them sitting on the coffee table together perfectly depicted their relationship as co-parent and son since the two of them ended up on a solid surface together after they had been separated during the Tsunami. After 2x18, Buck’s couch would only be used by his family, i.e., Maddie, Eddie, Christopher, Chimney, Albert and Hen until he’s forced to get rid of it in 5x13 “Fear-O-Phobia”.

3x9 “Fallout”

Christopher was already sitting on Buck’s couch when Buck and Eddie entered the kitchen to have a conversation. After their conversation ended, all three of them sat on Buck’s couch and played video games together. The three of them sitting together illustrated the way they were still a family even after they had been separated for several weeks and couldn’t communicate with each other. The chair Buck moved to the empty space where his couch once sat in 6x1 “Let the Games Begin” was already there in his living room but no one ever sat on it (related post: “Eddie already told Christopher that he wants to be with Buck!”).

3x10 “Christmas Spirit”

Buck and Christopher sat on the floor at Eddie’s house with Denny making gingerbread houses while Eddie sat at the dining room table with Hen. Christopher sat directly in front of Eddie’s new blue couch (different from the grey one he had in season 2) while Buck sat beside him. After Eddie looked at Buck with huge heart eyes, Christopher asked Buck if he could spend Christmas with him in the same manner a child would use to ask one of their parents for something. Buck looked to Eddie for the answer and Eddie slightly shook his head no. Since they weren’t sitting on the couch, Christopher’s question to Buck was clearly enough to establish Buck as his other parent. Eddie was sitting at the head of the dining room table and Buck is going to sit on that same chair (underneath the grey bordered mirror) while he and Christopher eat breakfast in 4x14 after Eddie gets shot by a sniper.

3x11 “Seize the Day”

Christopher and Buck were sitting on Eddie’s couch together horseplaying while Eddie talked with Chimney in the dining room. Eddie told Chimney about the family he chose and right after that, Buck entered the kitchen and told Maddie, “This is Eddie’s house I’m not really a guest”. Both of their comments were meant to show them as a family and it was foreshadowing for when Buck will move in with Eddie and Christopher during a future season. It also showed how Buck feels about his place inside of Eddie’s house. He already had a key (he won’t use it in CANON until 5x13) and he’s always welcomed at Eddie’s house.

Season 4

4x3 “Future Tense”

Buck and Christopher sat on Eddie’s couch while they played video games but Eddie was walking around collecting electronics. His couch was for his family, Buck and Christopher; therefore it will be seen a lot in future episodes since it’s the metaphor for Buck’s romantic relationship with Eddie. Buck’s sweater was the same color as Eddie’s couch and Christopher asked Buck if they could go to his house and play video games the same way he asked if he could spend Christmas with him in 3x10. Buck was already seen as Christopher’s co-parent.

4x4 “9-1-1 What’s Your Grievance?”

Maddie sat with Buck on his couch while she told him that their parents were coming to L.A. Buck’s couch was there for all of his family, Maddie, Eddie, Christopher, Chimney, Hen and Albert so that they could feel at home whenever they visited. Maddie was pregnant at the time so she didn’t sit on the two steps that lead to the balcony during that visit like she did in 3x16 “The One That Got Away”.

4x8 “Breaking Point”

Eddie sat on Ana’s white couch in her apartment the same way Buck used to sit on Abby’s white couch; therefore Eddie’s and Ana’s relationship was headed for the same fate as Buck and Abby’s which meant it was temporary and it was only meant to look good to people who were on the outside looking in. They were both pretending to be all in but that’s what they wanted people to see, a good-looking couple with a cute family. If the relationship was meant to be long term, her couch would have been a different color and it wouldn’t have included those two big red throw pillows. Eddie was uncomfortable while he sat on her couch and he flinched the first few times she touched him (related post: “Eddie flinches when women touch him but he doesn’t with Buck”). When they were preparing to kiss, his phone rang and it was his family, Buck and Christopher on the other end, therefore he had to leave and go home to be with them. Eddie’s family was already at his house with his couch.

After Eddie told Christopher he was dating Ana, Christopher ran away to Buck’s loft and he sat on Buck’s couch the entire time he was there. Buck’s couch was for his family and even though Buck didn’t know about the legal guardianship at the time, Christopher was already being seen as his son (related post: “Legal Guardianship Timeline”). Buck told Christopher he wasn’t going anywhere during their conversation and he hasn’t.

Christopher kept his hand on the couch while Eddie prepared to open the door for Ana. Eddie’s couch represents the family he chose (Buck and Christopher) and that’s why he looked uncomfortable with Ana’s presence before he even opened the door. She looked uncomfortable too with her fake smile as she sat on the couch and her face was slightly blurred to illustrate the way she didn’t belong there while Eddie and Christopher talked in the dining room. She could barely be seen and she looked far away as Eddie and Christopher walked towards the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

4x10 “Parenthood”

Christopher had to invite himself to sit on Eddie’s couch with him and Ana but he never had to do that with Buck and Eddie. He was always welcomed to sit on Buck’s couch without asking and since Eddie’s couch is in their home, he shouldn’t have had to ask if he could watch a movie with them. This is the same episode where Buck and Eddie answered Chimney’s question with “No” about both parents being good cops (related post: “Good Cop vs. Bad Cop Parenting”). Ana was dating Eddie but she was never meant to take Buck’s place as Eddie’s future spouse and Christopher’s co-parent.

4x13 “Suspicion”

Eddie fluffed the throw pillows on his couch and asked, “That looks better, right?” but Ana replied, “I think it looks exactly the same”. Her comment illustrated how Eddie’s new blue couch looked just like his old grey couch from season 2. Both couches were metaphors of his relationship with Shannon and the one he was in with Ana. Both relationships looked the same no matter how pretty Eddie tried to make it look from the outside and just like he did with Shannon, he dated Ana for Christopher’s sake and not his own. The metaphor would be proven later during Carla’s discussion with Eddie.

After Carla arrived, she quickly realized that Eddie was doing the same thing again that he did with Shannon, dating Ana for Christopher’s sake instead of for himself, she called him out on it and told him to make sure he was following his heart (Buck) not Christopher’s and that’s the reason why Buck will be the next and the last person besides Eddie and Christopher to sit or sleep on Eddie’s couch after 4x14.

4x14 “Survivors”

Buck slept on Eddie’s couch while Eddie was in the hospital so that he could take care of Christopher. Christopher woke him up and asked him if he could talk to Eddie.

While Buck and Christopher sat at the dining room table eating breakfast, the couch was in full view from the chair Buck sat on. He had the same viewpoint Eddie had in 3x10 when Christopher asked Buck if he could spend Christmas with him. Therefore Buck was sitting in Eddie’s spot while he was in the hospital because Buck is Christopher’s second dad (related post: “Christopher Diaz has 2 dads”). Also Buck sitting on the same chair Eddie sat on established them as equals in their relationship.

Eddie’s couch is barely visible after he returned home from the hospital because Taylor was standing in front of it. The reason for it was his family (Buck and Christopher) wouldn’t be together inside of his home again until after Eddie broke up with Ana but before Buck broke up with Taylor.

Season 5

5x3 “Desperate Measures”

Eddie’s body blocked the view of his couch when he walked into the kitchen and only a small portion of it could be seen just before he closed the door. He was preparing to breakup with Ana because she was never meant to be there and his couch was purchased for the family he and Buck built. Eddie thought he was doing the right thing by dating her even though he said it was for Christopher’s sake. He was finally starting to follow his heart several months after Carla told him to do it.

5x9 “Past is Prologue”

Buck and Taylor sat on his couch while she told him about her “Arrested Development” of a childhood. He was comforting her but the look on his face was not pleasant. Not long after that, she moved in and forced him to get rid of his couch. Once she sat on it with him in CANON, his couch would no longer be suitable for his family.

5x10 “Wrapped in Red”

Eddie’s couch was covered in Christmas decorations even when he and Christopher sat on it while they decorated the Christmas tree. But when Christopher broke the gingerbread house, he wasn’t sitting on the couch, he was sitting on a chair. Every time Eddie’s couch was shown after they put the decorations on the tree, it was empty which represented part of their family, Buck being absent even though he had spent Christmas with the Diaz boys in 2x10 “Merry X-Mas” and 3x10 “Christmas Spirit” (there was no Christmas episode in season 4).

5x11 “Outside Looking In”

Eddie’s couch could be seen through the open kitchen door while he and Christopher ate breakfast before he left for work but as time continued, the couch couldn’t be seen through the open kitchen door anymore. Since the couch could no longer be seen, it showed how Eddie was trying to move on from Buck but he couldn’t.

Eddie’s couch is in the initial shot of them sitting at the dining room table but it’s in the dark. Buck’s shirt was the same color as Eddie’s couch again just like the sweater he wore in 4x3 which illustrates that Eddie’s house is Buck’s home. After Eddie asked Taylor if her food was ok, she was blocking the view of Eddie’s couch again while they all sat at his dining room table eating dinner just like she blocked it when he returned home from the hospital in 4x14. She didn’t eat any of his food because she wasn’t welcomed there and she was blocking Buck from being with the family he chose. That’s why Eddie told him to “move on” during their conversation in the kitchen because Buck was still with her and her presence was blocking their family from being together.

When Christopher walked into the kitchen to check on Eddie, the couch can be seen in the living room but it’s in the dark with only one lamp illuminating the entire room which was similar to the way it had been earlier in the episode during their dinner with Buck and Taylor. Eddie was in a dark place and he was isolating himself just like his couch was isolated and empty. Buck wasn’t there and wouldn’t be again until after Eddie’s breakdown in 5x13.

The look on Buck’s face proved he already knew it was a mistake to ask Taylor to move in with him but he did it anyway. The look on his face resembled the look Eddie had on his face in 4x8 when Ana went to his house so that he could introduce her to Christopher as his girlfriend. Buck’s couch was in view but it could only be seen through the spaces in between the stairs that lead up to the loft. When he asked her to move in, he was inadvertently preparing to remove all traces of his family from physically being inside of his loft because once she moved in, she would bring her own couch that was not comfortable for anyone but her.

5x13 “Fear-O-Phobia”

Even though Taylor’s couch is the same color blue as Eddie’s, it’s pretentious, ugly and uncomfortable; therefore it was never meant to be in Buck’s loft long term since it represented the nature of their relationship the same way Abby’s couch did. Buck and Taylor’s relationship was uncomfortable for both of them and even though it looked functional, it wasn’t and it would be used as a barrier throughout the remainder of their relationship to keep his family away. Taylor forced Buck to get rid of his couch when she moved in and she didn’t give him a choice to keep his own. He didn’t say anything because he was still trying to make it work even after he admitted to Maddie that he’d done two dumb things. His couch represented his life with his family, Maddie, Eddie, Christopher, Chimney, Jee-Yun, Albert and Hen. Eddie, Chimney and Hen lived with Buck during the lockdown and Albert slept on Buck’s couch for months during the pandemic. Taylor’s couch was uncomfortable and it made the people who sat on it uncomfortable too. It was ugly and looked embarrassing which parallels with the way she tried to embarrass Buck’s found family in 2x6 “Dosed” and how she almost got Chimney and Hen killed in 5x17 “Hero Complex”. Every time Maddie and Eddie visited Buck in season 5, they were never shown to be sitting on Buck’s couch or Taylor’s couch. In 5x4 “Home and Away” Eddie and Buck talked to each other while they were outside on the balcony and after Maddie returned in 5x13, Taylor’s couch was blocking the balcony steps which is where Maddie sat in 3x16 “The One That Got Away”. Maddie talked with Buck on his balcony too in 5x18 “Starting Over” instead of sitting inside.

After Buck returned to the loft, he wasn’t expecting for Taylor to be there. She was sitting on her couch, not his which meant she was still trying to push his family away and she was successful at it for a while. The important thing to remember is her couch was still sitting off to the side even after Buck received a panicked call from Christopher about Eddie. When Buck left the loft in a panic, he ran away from her couch to Eddie’s house so that he could check on his family (Eddie and Christopher). Taylor’s couch was still sitting next to the brick wall in his loft.

5x14 “Dumb Luck”

Eddie woke up from a nightmare while he was laying on his couch. He hadn’t been sleeping but after Buck rushed over in 5x13 after Eddie’s breakdown, Buck took care of everything and was practically living in the Diaz house full-time. He called Bobby to watch Eddie so that he wouldn’t wake up alone and he took Christopher to school. Since Buck was already at Eddie’s house early in the morning, it can be assumed that he spent several nights sleeping on the couch because there would not have been enough time for him to leave the loft, call Bobby so that he could come over to Eddie’s while Buck made sure Christopher ate breakfast and got prepared for school and still returned to be there after Eddie’s therapy session. Based on how the clothes they wore kept changing, all of those things happened over the course of several days and Buck only returned to the loft once while he was in-between shifts at the firehouse and that was so that he could do a quid pro quo transaction with Taylor so that Buck could help Eddie. It was obvious that Buck didn’t leave the Diaz house until he believed that Eddie felt better. When Eddie returned home following one of his therapy sessions, Buck was there waiting for him so that Eddie could talk if he needed to while Christopher was in his room doing his homework. Eddie’s couch was visible behind him as he sat at the dining room table and it was partially illuminated by the daylight peeking through the window from outside. Buck was effectively Eddie’s HUSBAND after Eddie’s breakdown and Buck gave Eddie his heart and then said he misunderstood the assignment (related post: “Evan “Buck” Buckley: HUSBAND vs. HIMBO”).

5x17 “Hero Complex”

Chimney and Hen sat on Taylor’s couch with her but they didn’t look comfortable because they weren’t relaxed and they sat towards the end of her couch instead of leaning into the back cushions. It was like they knew her couch wasn’t supposed to be there. Eddie, Hen and Chimney lived with Buck during the lockdown so the only thing that changed was Taylor and her presence made them uncomfortable just like her couch did. Buck sat on a chair in his living room (not the one he eventually moved to the empty couch space in 6x1) but he didn’t sit on the couch with her and them. He tried to get them to trust her but they didn’t and it’s probably a good thing since she didn’t keep her word about keeping their discussion “off the record”.

5x18 “Starting Over”

Taylor’s couch remained in the dark while Buck talked with Maddie about love as they sat on his balcony (related post: “That’s love!”). Also when Taylor returned to the loft and Buck was sitting on the stairs, her couch could only be seen through the spaces in between the steps. After he broke up with her, the space where her couch sat was empty and it has remained that way in season 6.

Season 6

6x1 “Let the Games Begin”

Christopher teased Buck when he said, “Buck, you don’t even have a couch!” but Buck didn’t understand why him not having a couch was an issue since he’s single now and they were talking about him not being considered for the interim captain spot. Christopher told him “It’s weird!” and then Eddie explained how he could have replaced his couch by now since it had been four months since he broke up with Taylor. Buck said, “Well uh, maybe I don’t want to pick the wrong couch again” which illustrated how he wants to be sure his next relationship will permanent. Buck’s lack of having a couch and the lasagna he cooked were both metaphors regarding Buck’s previous relationships with his ex-girlfriends and his future relationship with Eddie. Eddie’s comment about it having been four months since he broke up with his girlfriend was a hint for Buck that he’s waiting for him but Buck missed it. Eddie was trying to tell him that he’s an option that’s been in front of Buck’s face for years just like Buck’s chair but Buck didn’t understand it (related posts: “A family with or without a couch”; “3 Suits, 2 Couches & 3 Lasagnas-Parallels”; “Buck has to create his own lasagna recipe”; and “Eddie and Christopher are Buck’s secret to happiness”).

Bonus: Chairs

Eddie

Eddie sat in the same chair in Frank’s office every time he went to therapy in 3x9, 5x13 and 5x14. The chair symbolized a couple of things for Eddie. First, it symbolized how Eddie had been avoiding talking about his past which he illustrated when he wouldn’t cooperate with Frank in 3x9 or 5x13 whenever he was asked a question. Both times he didn’t open up until Frank asked him about Christopher. His attitude was nonchalant and he wasn’t being 100% truthful during the first two sessions. Secondly, the chair symbolized how Eddie didn’t want to talk about his future but after he had a mental breakdown that scared Christopher and Buck, he returned to therapy in 5x14 with a different attitude. Even though he sat in the same chair, his posture was different because he leaned over with his hands clasped together signifying his decision to do the work. Eddie talked freely with Frank because he wanted to be better for himself so that he could be better for his family. Now that he’s been working on himself, he’s preparing to confess his love to Buck so that they can enter a romantic relationship. The chair in Frank’s office is helping Eddie to be at ease with himself.

Buck

Buck’s chair had been sitting in the same spot inside of his loft since 2x18. No one ever sat on it and he kept looking past it even though he didn’t have anywhere else to sit in his living room. After his conversation with Bobby, he had to face it because Bobby told him that he needed to take inventory of his life so that he could be at ease with everything around him. He moved the chair from the corner of his living room to the empty spot where his couch previously sat. He breathed easily after he moved the chair and sat in it. His chair symbolized that everything he wants from a relationship is an option that is currently available to him and it’s been right in front of him just like the chair had always been. He doesn’t have to worry about making a mistake again because he and Eddie have already done the work that’s necessary to build a life and a family together. All Buck has to do is accept it and then he will be at ease too.

Bonus: Keys

Buck’s loft

Besides Buck, only two people were shown in CANON to have a key to his loft, Eddie and Taylor. Eddie’s had a key since before season 3 because he let himself and Christopher into Buck’s loft in 3x1 “Kids Today”.

It’s unclear when Buck gave Taylor a key but she gave it back to him before she left right after she moved out in 5x18 “Starting Over”. As she’s walking out, the empty space where his couch once sat can be seen through the spaces between the steps that lead to his loft.

Eddie’s house

Besides Eddie, there are only a few people who have a key to his house, i.e., Buck, Carla and Isabel. Buck and Isabel are the only two who’ve been shown in CANON using their keys but Carla talked about going back to Eddie’s house to get Christopher a change of clothes in 3x12 “Fools”; therefore it’s obvious that she has a key too. Isabel let herself and Christopher into the house in 2x10 “Merry X-Mas” and Buck let himself into the house in 5x13 “Fear-O-Phobia”. Christopher is Eddie’s son and he lives in the house with Eddie; since he’s older now it’s likely that he has his own key too which means Ana probably used Christopher’s key during the blackout because Eddie didn’t give her one. If he had given her a key, she would have returned it after he broke up with her in 5x3 “Desperate Measures” but she just left after she told Christopher goodbye. Shannon didn’t have a key to Eddie’s house either.

If the narrative continues with couches, chairs and keys being used as metaphors, the timeline above regarding Eddie’s and Buck’s couches clearly illustrates the way that Buck will eventually move into Eddie’s house to be a family with Eddie and Christopher. He already has a key to Eddie’s house so the only thing left is for him to officially move in. Could the narrative still change, YES! Will it? Who knows! Only the showrunners, writers and producers know the answer to that question.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #911 fox #911 on fox #911onfox #911 meta #911 s6 #911 season 6 #911

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katieskarlette · 11 months

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I watched the trailers and read the Blizzcon '23 stuff on WoWhead.

Meh. Not the spark I was looking for to rekindle my passion for the game.

(Morose lack of enthusiasm for 11.0, and Shadowlands postmortem below.)

Instead of getting hyped for upcoming content, it just makes me feel bad about how little I care anymore.

I used to be on the edge of my seat, palms sweating, happily freaking out about new cinematics and new expansion releases. I would plan ahead and take time off to watch the Blizzcon livestream, and stock up on food I could eat while glued to the screen. Today I got home from work and turned on my computer...and only then remembered that Blizzcon was today. After seeing the trailers and stuff I'm like, "Okay. I guess that's fine. Whatever." [Garrosh voice] Times change. [/Garrosh voice]

I didn't expect the news about upcoming expansions to knock my socks off, though. If Dragonflight, an expansion that was practically custom-made to focus on my favorite lore, didn't rekindle my love for WoW, nothing was going to.

That said, I'm still underwhelmed. I can't say that Alleria, Thrall, and Magni are characters I'd be super excited to hang out with. (It was a nice touch to have Thrall going gray, though.)

Xal'atath (sp?) is pretty cool but forgive me for being wary considering the track record for female villains in this franchise.

Anduin...very mixed feelings there. I'm glad he's back, and it was nice to hear Josh Keaton's voice again. I don't recognize him physically anymore, except those baby blue eyes, which is probably why the cinematic spent so much time zoomed in uncomfortably close on his face. I get that that's the point, that he's grown up and gotten grizzled, but he looks and feels like a completely different person.

I think part of the problem is that we didn't get to see him changing. He went from dropping his sword to resurrect an army and being stubbornly optimistic in BFA, to weary but still full of the Light in the cutscenes with Sylvanas in Torghast, to completely blank (save one glimmer) while under Zovaal's domination, to this broken, unstable, self-loathing shell of a man in the 11.0 cinematic. Even if we're generous and count the tiny conversation with Sylvanas at the end of her novel, we have to just imagine what happened to him in between then and now. It's okay to ask the audience to fill in some implied developments, but this is jarring. (I suppose it's possible we'll see more characterization in-game between now and then. I'm not optimistic, though.)

I imagine Anduin will go through an arc where the Light comes back to him, or he finds some kind of peace again and reclaims his throne, but I don't have the patience to wait around for it to happen, or the confidence that it would be done well.

I also can't separate the character's angst with the real-world consequences of Shadowlands sucking as hard as it did. Yeah, Anduin, you've been through absolute hell--so have we. You haven't recovered--and neither have I.

When they had him do the "Arthas pointing Frostmourne just left of the camera lens" pose, instead of going "Ooh, I recognize that! That was cool!" it just reminded me of all the times they did fanservice callbacks to the Lich King in Shadowlands, only to shit all over that part of lore. That's the last thing I want to be reminded of.

It was a bold move to reveal the names and story hooks of the next two expansions, but rather than whet my appetite it just removed the hope that "maybe the next expansion will be better." Nope, it'll be more of the cosmic bullshit that I don't care about: Light, Void, Titans, etc. It's okay in small doses, but it's not the kind of story that pulled me in and made me fall in love with the world.

I hate to say it, but this might be the nail in the coffin for me. I definitely miss the glory days of WoW when it was a huge part of my life and I got so much enjoyment out of it, but I'm beginning to realize that those days aren't coming back. When I think of all the hours and dollars I invested in the franchise it makes me want to cry--not that I regret any of it. I just wish the spark hadn't gone out for me.

I had been so immersed for so many years that maybe it was just time for it to run its course. The social climate has also changed a lot for me, from a thriving guild during MoP, to sporadic bursts of people logging on in Legion and early BFA, to a ghost town in mid-to-late BFA and SL. Strangers can be rude and elitist, making pugging more stressful than fun. I've also been concentrating a lot on my own original writing in the last year.

Those are factors, to be sure, but I do have to lay a lot of the blame on Shadowlands. I had gotten past so-so expansions before. Cataclysm wasn't the best, but all the Firelands stuff was fun, and some of my favorite dragons got screen time. MOP was freaking fantastic. WoD was a dud expansion for me, but there was enough to keep me busy and playing right up to the end. Legion was awesome. BFA wasn't great, and the loss of Teldrassil left a very sour taste, but it had good leveling content, some fun characters, and generally enough stuff going on to tide me over. It was going in a pattern of great expansion, not-so-good expansion, great expansion, not-so-good expansion, and that was okay.

Then Shadowlands came, and it was grimdark, overly serious, cosmic-scale stuff, headed by the most aggressively boring villain the series had ever had. There were a ton of new characters, and, except for Denathrius, Renathal, and Theotar (and Merileth and his slimes, in small doses), none of them interested me. The game systems somehow became even more fiddly, complicated and confusing time sinks than they were in BFA. The afterlife setup barely made sense, conflicted with past lore, complicated future lore, and was ultimately depressing as hell--you probably won't spend eternity with your loved ones, and even if you do, you'll probably end up as a blip of red energy that gets consumed and then cease to exist at all. That's just how I want to imagine all my favorite Warcraft characters ending up! (We probably didn't see Tirion Fordring because some blue guy in a toga needed his anima to grow better grapes. FFS.)

But the worst aspect of Shadowlands, IMO, was the way the pre-existing characters were done dirty--every single one of them.

I don't know you manage to take one of the greatest paladins of all time, then turn him into fiery overlord of the undead, and have him be boring, but there's Bolvar. Get that man a throat lozenge and some personality. Taelia got cameos in which they mentioned their relationship, but nothing ever came of it. He was a father figure to Anduin in the king's youth, but you wouldn't know it by what they did/said in SL. Going by BFA and SL, freaking Saurfang was more of a father figure to Anduin than Bolvar, who literally raised him for several years of his childhood.

Nathanos got an epic sendoff courtesy of Tyrande in the prepatch, then got teased a few times without ever appearing or mattering again.

Sylvanas was a mess. I don't need to get into details; we all know the trainwreck of a story. The concept of making her soul complete again so she had to come to terms with what she had done was a promising one, but it was handled so clumsily and briefly that it was ultimately frustrating.

The less said about the Jailer, the better. I wanted so badly to like Zovaal, but he was the most flat, boring, paint-by-numbers Saturday morning cartoon villain in the franchise's history. Not interesting, not sympathetic, not fleshed out, not funny, not charismatic, not sexy, not scary--none of the things past Blizzard villains had going for them.

Uther's story was one of the better ones, but because of how closely tied it was to Arthas' story, and the unforgivably bad way that was handled, it ultimately fizzled.

Thrall was...fine? The bits with his mom were neat, but I couldn't stop thinking about what a crappy afterlife it would be to constantly fight, spy, scheme, and play politics, all while the supposed love of her life is nowhere to be seen. Poor Durotan.

Baine famously, frustratingly, amusingly in an if-you-don't-laugh-you'll-cry kind of way, did jack squat in the entire expansion. I know his arc got cut for time, but regardless of the reason he was yet another character whose involvement in SL was disappointing.

Jaina was wasted. Her history with Arthas (and, to a lesser extent, Anduin) could have made for some memorable, heart-wrenching story, but instead she was just a generic sorceress. That was especially disappointing given the respectful, deep treatment her character got in BFA. I know not every character can have the spotlight in every story arc, but the complete lack of personality she had in SL was especially jarring in contrast.

Anduin's arc should have been interesting, but we never got into his head enough to really feel what he was feeling. We had that glimpse of his horror after stabbing the Archon, and he left his father's compass as a clue, but those were fleeting moments open to interpretation and not enough to offset the blank slate we got the rest of the time. Even that would have been forgivable, given the limits of storytelling in a game, but the thing that sticks in my craw the most is that constant, blatant Arthas parallels led to...nothing. Anduin would have been just as devastated to be mind-controlled into doing evil stuff even if Arthas had never existed. Arthas meant nothing to Anduin. The only time he met the man was as an infant. They weren't related. Nobody in-universe was comparing them. Garrosh compared himself to Arthas in the War Crimes novel, and Anduin fleetingly thought about Arthas when he befriended Calia in Before the Storm, but that's it. Even as hokey as it would have been to make Anduin secretly Jaina and Arthas' son, at least that would have explained two expansions' worth of in-your-face parallels between the two characters. But no. It all came across as fanservice--or fan teasing--and had no payoff.

Speaking of Arthas, arguably the most famous and recognizable character in the franchise (competing with Illidan and Scantily-Clad Female Night Elf #17 for the top spot)...

After being teased about his possible involvement or whereabouts all expansion long, after they milked every possible drop of nostalgia out of his story in an attempt to make SL palatable, after all the flashing red arrows calling our attention to parallels between him and Anduin, despite his importance to three prominent characters (Uther, Sylvanas, and Jaina), Arthas never did anything (boss mechanics don't count), never had a line of dialogue, never appeared in a form we recognized, got insulted and belittled by Sylvanas one last time, and disappeared in a flicker of blue plasma that was less impressive than a drunk frat boy lighting his farts with a match.

So yeah. Toss Shadowlands in the trash heap (except Sire Denathrius). It was so bad it tainted the entire franchise for me, so that I couldn't even enjoy the long-awaited dragonpalooza that followed.

Phew, that was a long rant, and the first time I've written about WoW in ages. I guess it just goes to show that I have deep roots in the franchise that come along with strong feelings--which makes it all the harder to accept that I may not even buy the next expansion. I suppose I'll weaken when the time comes, but I'm certainly not shelling out for the collector's edition or other bells and whistles.

But then the Li'l Wrathion in-game pet stares at me from another browser tab, and I think about the new Wrathion plushie, and I'm like...DAMN IT, why couldn't you have done this years ago? :(

Anyway, sorry to be a downer, but I'm kind of in mourning, in a weird way, as I come to terms with the way I feel--or more importantly, don't feel--about Warcraft now.

#negativity ahoy #rambling about wow

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