#while we’re on the topic of things characters would like: i fear quinn would be an ldr fan

[boltgunkiller-archive]

santana canonically surfing lesbian subtext blogs is so funny. and okay she had her own blog too so. i honestly see her being a my bloody valentine + alanis fan along with the lesbianposting she does. i know she went crazy about those bands (and relating them to her ships).

[organabanana]

Bloom || Harley/Ivy

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: DCU (Comics)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Pamela Isley & Harleen Quinzel

Characters: Pamela Isley, Harleen Quinzel

Additional Tags: Femslash February, Femslash February 2020, Femslash, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot

Series: Part 2 of Femslash February 2020

Summary: Harley wants to try her hand at being a plant parent. Pamela helps. Feels are had. Warnings: implied Joker/Harley abuse. Light mention of needles in a medical context.

[ao3 link]

"Look what I got ya, Red!"

Harley climbed into the greenhouse through the window, as was her custom, even if she'd had a key for a while. Pamela figured it'd become a sort of tradition at this point and chose not to fight it.

"I stopped by that banker's place. Remember the banker I was telling you about? With the--"

"The jewelry collection?"

"Right!" Harley grinned, clearly delighted with Pamela's memory. "So I stopped by his place to... y'know. Get acquainted with it."

"And you got me...?" Pamela tried to steer Harley back to the topic at hand, but even she knew it was mostly a lost cause. Harley would meander for as long as she needed to, and she'd arrive at the actual message when she felt like it and not a second before that. That was tradition, too.

"Well, I wasn't gonna take anything on the first visit! I'm way smarter than that," Harley tapped her temple and winked at Pamela, "but when I was walkin' past this guy's office I saw this! And I knew it belonged with you."

Harley's triumphant smile contrasted sharply with what she held in her hands as if it was the shiniest trinket she could've possibly brought Pamela. Her face looked like she was hearing a rousing drum roll in her head. Her hands held... a clay pot with some dirt inside?

"I uh..." Pamela struggled to find the right words. She knew a little gratefulness could go a long way, but she was a bit too stunned to engage the polite area of her brain. She'd been friends with Harley for long enough that she was pretty sure she actually understood the beautiful mess that was the shorter woman's mind. But sometimes Harley still caught her completely off guard.

Bringing her a dirty pot as a present was one of those times.

"Thank you. For such a... well-crafted pot? Looks... sturdy."

"What?" Harley frowned, looking at Pamela like she'd grown a second head and then down at the pot as if she was worried she might have shown Pamela the wrong one by accident. "Oh! No, no, no, Red, look!" She took a couple steps forward, officially invading Pamela's personal space as she held the pot up so the taller woman could take a closer look. "See?" Harley pointed at a particular spot inside the pot. "There's someone in there!"

Green eyes narrowed as Pamela looked in, and the line of her jaw hardened when she saw what Harley was pointing to. A sad-looking, nearly dead little stick that had probably been a healthy green stem at some point, pitifully poking out of the dirt.

"Bastard," Pamela said simply, nearly spitting out the word as she gently took the clay pot from Harley. People let plants die as if they didn't matter at all. They weren't much better to animals, but at least most people were on board with seeing animal abuse as a crime. Plants, though? Nobody cared about plants. She figured it had a lot to do with them not crying out in pain. If they could feel their pain like she did...

She placed the pot on a nearby table, in a spot where it'd get all the sunlight it'd need. The plant looked more dead than alive at this point, but Pamela knew it was nothing she couldn't fix. She'd just breathe a bit of life into it, and--

"Hey, Pammy. Red? Hi. Remember me?" Harley flashed her a goofy smile that never failed to charm Pamela and take the edge off whatever was currently making her see red.

"Sorry. Got a little carried away, didn't I? Thank you for bringing it to me. Most people wouldn't even have noticed it."

Harley shrugged. There was something about the look on her face that made Pamela think if Harley was capable of blushing, she would've been doing just that. "Eh, no biggie. Greenery's kinda been on my mind lately, y'know? What with spendin' time here in the jungle with you."

She motioned around the greenhouse, which was of course full of the vegetation Pamela loved so much. Plants and flowers everywhere, claiming every inch of the space. Just the way Pamela liked it. Just the way it was meant to be.

"Still. Thank you, Harley."

"Aw, c'mon, stop it! Gonna give me a big head and mess up my balance."

Pamela let out a quiet chuckle at the mental imagery and focused on the plant - what was left of it, anyway - instead. She could fix its sad state in no time flat. She just had to touch it and--

"Uh... Pammy?"

"Yes, Harley," her tone was drier now. She was grateful, but her patience had a limit and Harley's constant interruptions were getting very close to it.

"Can I keep it?"

What?

Pamela turned around, forgetting the plant for now to stare at the shorter woman and try to make sense of whatever she was trying to say. "Can you keep what?"

"The plant!"

Green eyes blinked, slowly, just once. She would never fully understand Harley Quinn, would she?

Harley sighed, as if she couldn't believe she had to clarify what she meant because it was so obvious already. "Can it be my plant?"

"You want to... take it home with you?"

"No! No way!" Harley shook her head emphatically. "It'll live here, with you and its buddies. But I'll take care of it! It'll be my plant."

Pamela couldn't find the word to say exactly how Harley's request made her feel. It was... strangely charming. Endearing, almost. Something else.

"I'd be fine with that. You come over all the time anyway."

"YAY!" Harley bounced on her feet in a way that made Pamela fear a hug was incoming, but it ended up as a false alarm. "I'm gonna call it Cupcake."

"Cupcake", Pamela echoed, making no effort to hide just how ridiculous she found it.

"Right! Gonna be good to Pammy, ain't ya, Cupcake?" Harley ever-so-gently tapped the little dry stick, "Red, you can't do your green... thing with it, okay?"

"Come again?"

"Y'know, the thing! Where you'll make plants grow with magic."

"It's not magic, Harley, it's--"

"Oh, I know, I know," Harley said, waving her hand dismissively, "but you can't do it. Not to Cupcake, all right? Cupcake's my plant. I wanna take care of it myself."

Pamela hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, she figured there was no reason she couldn't let Harley give it a shot. She could always intervene if she absolutely had to.

"All right. Your plant. I promise."

***

"Ugh. Do I have to?"

Harley eyed the needle with a mixture of dread and disgust in her eyes. Pamela pointedly ignored the way Harley's bottom lip stuck out in a pitiful pout. Cute. But not cute enough to change her mind.

"Yes, you have to. It's for your own safety." Pamela filled up the syringe with a light green serum and tapped it with one of her fingertips to make sure there were no air bubbles within.

"But Pammy," Harley had a way of saying Pamela's name that made something tighten in a very peculiar way in Pamela's chest, "I'm immune to toxins. To yours, to Mistah J's... No need to get pokey with that thing, y'know? I'm fine!"

Pamela felt her jaw tense. It was an involuntary reaction, she swore. A sort of Pavlovian response to hearing his name coming from Harley.

"I've explained this, remember?" Pamela said, gently nudging Harley's elbow until she relented and held out her arm so Pamela could dab at a spot with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball, "it's not for my toxins, it's for my--"

"Pheromones. I know, I know," Harley rolled her eyes, "but hear me out: I trust ya, Red. All right? I know ya wouldn't do your mind-control love potion thing to me."

Pamela couldn't help but smile. "Not a potion, Harls," and she didn't bother explaining because the way Harley winked at her let her know she'd been joking all along, "but still. We're partners. Think of this as a... partnership contract. Something more solid than trust."

Harley took a moment to consider Pamela's words. There was a slight frown on her face, and then she opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again before any words came out. And then, finally, she made up her mind.

"All right, fine," she said with a dramatic sigh, looking away from her arm and the needle and focusing her gaze on her mallet that rested against a nearby chair instead, "do your thing, Red."

Pamela nodded once. Even if it'd been her idea all along, she hesitated for just a couple of seconds before injecting the serum into Harley's arm. She still thought it was the right thing to do. She hadn't lied when she told Harley it was a sort of contract. A partnership couldn't be equal when one of them had the means to control the other's mind, could it? And yet... maybe she hadn't told Harley the true reason she was receiving this shot.

"All done," Pamela said, placing a small band-aid over the barely-there spot where the needle had been.

"Really?" Harley looked from the band-aid to the discarded syringe and then into Pamela's eyes, amazement written all over her face.

"Wasn't so terrible, was it?"

"Barely even felt it. Ya got some skills, Red!" Harley grinned and hopped down from the table where she'd been sitting, immediately walking over to the small clay pot where her plant was struggling to recover.

"How's it looking?" Pamela asked as she disposed of the needle and tidied up the space around her.

"Sad," Harley said, her own tone as downcast as the little plant in the pot.

Pamela nodded. She knew the plant - Cupcake - wasn't doing great. She cared a great deal about that plant and its recovery. And at some point in the last couple of weeks, she'd had an epiphany and realized her concern wasn't just for the plant's well-being. No. She wanted the plant to thrive because she knew any other outcome would break Harley's heart.

And that. That was what kept her up at night thinking about the plant and its progress.

Which brought her back to the true reason she'd insisted on making Harley immune to her pheromones. It wasn't just about trust and an equal partnership, even if those were very real and logical points to make. What Pamela truly wanted, if she forced herself to be perfectly honest, was to know this was real. This... friendship they shared. She wanted to know without a shadow of a doubt that Harley's smiles were real. The way she looked at Pamela, the way she invaded Pamela's personal space, the way she wanted to spend seemingly all her time with Pamela. Pamela wanted to know it was all real.

"Pammy?" Harley's concerned voice made Pamela turn around to look at her, and the look in the blonde's face made something twist uncomfortably in Pamela's chest. "Is Cupcake gonna be all right?"

There was something deeply moving in seeing a woman with plenty of blood on her hands look like she was on the verge of tears over a dry little plant's well-being.

"Of course, Harl," Pamela walked over and looked into the pot, "you're doing great. It just needs some time."

And maybe the serum wasn't the only thing Pamela Isley hadn't been completely honest about. Because if she had truly honored her promise and stayed away from Cupcake - oh, that name - it would very much have been dead by now. But a little help wasn't a big deal. It counted as a white lie, right?

A green lie.

"Wait. Look. Red, look!" Harley pointed at the spot where Cupcake's stem met the dirt. And right there, if you squinted and looked very closely, you could almost see the tiniest hint of a new leaf pushing through. "Cupcake's alive!"

Harley grinned, bouncing on her feet for just a second before she turned around and threw her arms around Pamela's neck, pulling her into a tight hug that nearly threw the taller woman off-balance.

A real smile, and a real hug. Who cared about a little green lie or two?

***

"Ain't she a beauty?"

Harley proudly held up the brand new pot where Cupcake now lived and thrived. Harley had painted the clay pot herself, a mishmash of poorly drawn green vines and diamonds painted black and red. It toed the line between beauty and ugliness in a way that made Pamela think it may very well have been a work of art. It certainly made her feel things, didn't it?

"So Cupcake's a she?"

"Yep," Harley nodded confidently, placing Cupcake and its pot on the perfect spot where the sun hit just right, "one of us, Red. A survivor."

Harley wasn't looking at her, but Pamela didn't need to see her face to imagine the look in Harley's eyes. A survivor, indeed. And maybe that's why she let her guard down for just a moment, because she was too busy thinking about Harley and her life outside the safe haven of Pamela's greenhouse to fully engage the walls she always kept around herself.

Maybe that's why her hand moved without her permission, hovering right next to Harley's for a split second before Pamela came to her senses and put it back in her pocket, where it belonged. Not on - or in - Harley's hand.

"Hey, Red?" Something in the tone that echoed right under the surface of Harley's question let Pamela know she'd noticed exactly what had almost happened between them.

"Yes, Harl?"

Harley's pinky finger lightly brushed against the fabric of Pamela's shirt, right above the waistband of her pants.

Pamela's breath caught in her throat.

"What happens if I touch ya?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I touch ya. Skin to skin." Harley's voice sounded different all of a sudden. Just a little lower than normal. Her eyes looked slightly darker, too, when they looked up into Pamela's. "What happens then?"

"Nothing," Pamela said, pretending they were only talking about her toxins, "you're immune, Harl. Remember?"

Harley nodded. Pamela watched her worry at her bottom lip with her teeth. She watched her eyes roam down Pamela's body until they settled on the hand in her pocket. She watched Harley's own hand move towards Pamela's, fingers hesitating mid-air for a second before gently wrapping around Pamela's wrist.

"Can I?"

Now it was Pamela's turn to nod as she let Harley pull her hand out of her pocket and hold it in her own. Harley looked at it for a moment, almost as if she was seeing it for the very first time. As if they hadn't been partners in crime for so long now each other's hands should've been more than old news.

Harley started by tracing Pamela's fingers, and then the vines on the back of her hand. She followed the swirly lines with her own fingertips, across Pamela's hand and past her wrist, into the sensitive, soft skin of her forearm.

"Pammy?" It was barely above a whisper. Pamela couldn't remember the last time she'd breathed.

"Yeah, Harley?"

"What happens if someone else touches ya?"

Pamela smirked, even if her heartbeat was still very much all over the place. What would happen if someone else - anyone else - tried to do what Harley was doing right then?

"They die," Pamela said matter-of-factly, with maybe a hint of poorly hidden amusement in her voice. She wouldn't have been able to explain why the thought of someone dropping dead after touching her was funny, but it was.

And of course, Harley let out a quiet giggle that reminded Pamela of the fact that she didn't need to explain. Harley got it. Of course she did.

"And what if ya touch me, Red?" Harley's eyes found Pamela's again. "What then?"

Pamela could've said something. She could've said nothing would happen. But instead, she found herself reaching up to tuck a few flyaway hairs behind Harley's ear, letting her fingers brush against the soft skin of Harley's cheek on their way back down towards her neck. And then-

Then an obnoxious horn seemed to shatter the air between and around them, its festive fanfare making Harley drop Pamela's hand and take a step back.

"Shit," wide eyes looked around the room in search of a clock until they landed on the watch on her own wrist, "I forgot I told Puddin' I'd meet him ten minutes ago."

Pamela wanted to say something - do something - but she was rooted in place, her heart still struggling to recover from their moment and its abrupt end.

"I'll see ya soon, Pammy," Harley said, a twinge of sadness dimming her otherwise wide smile, "keep Cupcake company for me!"

***

"I don't wanna talk, Red. Don't make me talk."

Pamela pressed her lips together and took in the sight in front of her. The bruises, the dried tears, the scrapes, the spot of blood on a swollen lip. The cut right above Harley's right eyebrow, red and angry and still bleeding.

She looked until she couldn't do it anymore, and then she clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to breathe. She wanted to kill him. She wanted him dead more than she wanted anything else in the world. But she knew Harley needed her here, with her. Revenge would have to wait.

"Is she getting a flower?"

"What?"

Pamela opened her eyes and saw Harley looking at Cupcake in her homemade pot. The little plant kept growing, with a little help from Harley's well-intentioned care and a lot of help from Pamela and the Green. And yes - she had a little bud which looked about ready to bloom.

"Sit down, Harl," Pamela sighed, shaking her head, "let's take care of you first. Then we can look into the flower, all right?"

Harley didn't seem too convinced, but she hopped onto the nearby table anyway, one fingertip gently tapping the still closed bud as if she wanted to reassure the little plant that she was going to be all right.

Pamela gathered her first aid supplies and arranged them on the table next to Harley, focusing on the task at hand instead of the many slow and painful ways she wanted to end that bastard's life. Harley needed her here, now. And that's where she had to stay.

"Let me see that cut," she said, one hand gently cupping Harley's jaw to turn her face so the light would hit the small gash on her forehead. Pamela frowned at the sight.

"That bad, huh?" Harley tried to sound like she was teasing, but for once it fell flat. There was nothing funny about the situation, and even Harley Quinn could tell.

"The lip's not too bad," Pamela said, "but that cut's going to need at least a couple of stitches."

Harley winced in anticipation, and the thought of hurting her was enough to make something twist in Pamela's chest. She'd seen Harley get far worse injuries than these a million times before. She'd seen her laugh it all off like she was made of rubber and nothing could ever hurt her. But this was different. He'd done this.

"Hey," Pamela said, covering Harley's hand with her own and giving it a gentle squeeze, "I'm here. You're safe."

Harley just nodded and looked down at the plant on the table next to her. And in that moment, Pamela would've given anything to be able to breathe life into her, just like she did with that little plant. But that wasn't how things worked.

"Don't worry about the pain," Pamela said as she walked towards a nearby cabinet and started going through the vials it contained, "I'll give you a shot of the really good stuff. You won't feel a thing."

Light pink vial in hand, Pamela winked at Harley and hoped that'd be enough to lighten up the mood just a little bit.

It wasn't.

"Here," she said, opening the vial and offering it to her friend, "drink up. It'll stop hurting right away."

Harley took the vial from Pamela and studied it for a moment, holding it up in the light. But instead of drinking it, she placed it on the table next to the other medical supplies.

"Where'd ya get that, Pammy?"

Pamela's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. "What do you mean? I didn't get it anywhere. I made it."

Slowly, Harley's gaze moved from the vial to Pamela's hand, and then up, up, up, until she was looking straight into green eyes.

"Ya made it?" Harley tapped a spot in the middle of Pamela's chest, and Pamela knew exactly what she meant. Did she make it in the lab, or did she make it?

Pamela nodded.

"Why'd ya give me that lil' bottle then?"

"What do y-"

"Ya don't give Bats and the others their poison in lil pink bottles, do ya, Red?"

Oh.

Pamela licked her lips, her eyes subconsciously glancing down at Harley's mouth.

"Right," Harley said, a smirk slowly appearing on her lips, "that's what I mean."

"You know your lip's hurt, right?"

"I'll live, Pammy."

So after a moment of pause - more to savor the moment than anything else - Pamela leaned in and kissed Harley, gently, letting the blonde set the pace until the anesthetic kicked in.

And once it did... well. By then they were both a little too distracted to think about stitches or injuries or anything that wasn't each other and their kiss. Harley's fingers slid into red hair, greedily pulling Pamela closer and closer until they were pressed flush against each other, and even that didn't feel like they were close enough. And then, just as Pamela's hand started its trek up Harley's thigh...

"Look!" It took Pamela a couple of seconds to focus blown pupils enough to see what Harley was excitedly pointing out, "Cupcake got her flower!"

"Good for her," Pamela said with a grin as she captured Harley's lips with her own once again. For once, a plant didn't seem like the most important thing in the world.

***

"I've left him."

Pamela looked up from her microscope and stared at the woman on the other side of the greenhouse. They'd been sharing one of their comfortable silences for the better part of an hour, and Pamela hadn't been expecting Harley to speak at all. Let alone to say... that.

"What?"

"I've left him, Red."

Pamela sighed as she stood up and walked closer to her friend. As much as she wanted to believe her, they'd been through this before. Harley got hurt, she left him, Pamela helped her heal, and then she inevitably went back to him. It was a destructive, toxic cycle Pamela had no idea how to break without losing Harley's friendship in the process.

"Harl..."

"No. I mean it. I've left him. For good." Harley held Pamela's gaze, and Pamela saw something in her eyes that she'd never seen before when talking about him. Something like... confidence. "I told him right before Bats got him."

Pamela narrowed her eyes just so. There was something in Harley's tone and demeanor that made her think Batman had had a bit of help from the inside when it came to getting that bastard this time.

"He's in Arkham?"

Harley nodded.

"And you...?"

"I wanna stay here, Pammy. With you."

Pamela stood where she was, unable to make up her mind. She wanted to believe what she was hearing. She wanted Harley. Hell, she loved Harley. She'd loved her for so long, in fact, that a part of her refused to believe this was real.

"No rush, Red," Harley reached for Pamela's hand and tugged lightly, encouraging her to come closer, "Bats said he's gonna be locked up for a real long time."

"And when he gets out?"

Harley shrugged. There was a hint of embarrassment in the way she smiled, like she knew Pamela had every reason to doubt things would truly be as easy as they seemed this time.

"I dunno. Maybe we'll be off in a tropical island by then."

Pamela chuckled. "A tropical island?"

"Wherever ya want," Harley said, and in the silence that followed Pamela could hear her own heartbeat telling her how real this whole thing truly was, "I love ya, Pammy. I really do."

Pamela's eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she let the words wash over her. Harley loved her. Harley wanted to be with her. Harley--

"Have you been lyin' to me?"

"What?" Pamela opened her eyes to see Harley looking at Cupcake and the very nearly radiant flower she'd just sprouted. Crap.

"Have you been keepin' her alive all this time?"

Pamela kept her best poker face on, but she felt her cheeks warm up with guilt.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Harley."

The blonde tilted her head to one side, eyeing Pamela as if she was trying to read the truth in her eyes. And then, without saying a word, she leaned in and kissed her - soft and sweet, and keeping an eye on the plant next to them. And as if on cue, the second Harley deepened the kiss, a second flower bloomed next to the first.

"Oh, Pammy," she sighed, and Pamela didn't know if it was the tone of Harley's voice or the look in Harley's eye that was making her knees feel weak, "ya better buckle up, baby, because I'm about to turn this place into even more of a jungle."

[livingwithashipname-blog]

Ermanda’s Inner Sanctum: Scorpion 4.09 “It’s Raining Men (of War)”

Happy Thanksgiving to my US peeps!  Yet, let us not forget the Natives who view this holiday very differently!  Anyways, this episode was awesome!  We learned about a pivotal moment that shaped Cabe’s life.  Robert Patrick and Eddie Kaye Thomas’ acting was superb!  I have enjoyed Cabe and Toby’s time together in this arc.  I also liked the mission because it talked about NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), garbage patches in the oceans, and techniques implemented to remove them.  It tied well with Scorpion’s plight to book jobs where their inventions and solutions can be used long-term and fix their financial deficit.  I applaud the art department for the look of the trash mound and the VFX team for the aerial view of it in proximity to the team’s rented boat! 👏🏾👏🏾  I have some interesting topics for this review, so let’s get started!  

Learning More about Florence Tipton

The writers are making a very quaint distinction with Florence Tipton.  She is a chemist, but she is not a genius.  She can relate, but she is not exactly like the members of Team Scorpion.  However, her personality is very similar to Mr. 197, which is why Toby makes that pot & kettle pun in response to Walter’s description of her.  During the mission, we learn what motivates her independent work.  She’s trying to redeem herself from failure and rejection.  She is so eager to prove herself once again that she doesn’t take kindly to distractions of any kind.  It is also why she presents her binding agent to the team when it hasn’t been properly vetted for practical efficiency.  It is commonly said that pride comes before a fall and Florence falls HARD when she projects onto Paige.  But Paige, acting as the skilled communicator she is, finds a way to get through to Florence in the same way she does for her geniuses!  She has exposed an emotional opening that I think will become significant in upcoming episodes!  

Papa Cabe 

“I’ve realized recently that I’ve been messing a bit with my memories… been rewriting them over the years. I’m not gonna do that anymore. It’s okay ‘cause I got a great girl and I’ve got great friends. No matter what the future holds for me, I want to remember this moment right now exactly as it is. ‘Cause to have you all in my life… I am truly thankful.”

Cabe’s speech is so touching because of the truth it possesses and what it represents!  This process has been hard for Cabe because he feels like he is failing himself and Scorpion in the same way he feels he failed his father.  He completely constructs a new memory in order to cover his shame over his father’s death.  It explains a lot more about why he is who he is.  This is why it’s no surprise he fears old age as we saw in 3.17 Dirty Seeds, Done Dirt Cheap.  His whole life is his way of subconsciously overcompensating for his perceived lack of bravery and a means to honor his father’s legacy as a lawman.  The idea that his humanity while on the job could land him in prison and strip this identity is really hard for him to fathom.  He is convinced that a hardened exterior keeps him objective for the purposes of his job.  The most important thing he needs is support from his loved ones.  The support he receives from his children and Allie give him the strength he needs to endure this legal battle.  I truly appreciate this reality expressed on screen in this manner!  

Walter’s Legacy: The Influence of Ralph, Happy Quinn, and Baby Quintis

Walter may not have considered fatherhood in the past, but he has always taken great pride in the development of young minds and making his mark for the next generation of geniuses.  We see this when he meets Ralph for the first time in the pilot and recognizes his genius.  This reality becomes more apparent in his interactions with Ralph throughout season 1.  He acts as a father figure and mentor to Ralph, sometimes overstepping his boundaries out of passion over Ralph’s potential (1.21 Cliffhanger).  

Walter: Do you see what you're sacrificing by leaving, by taking Ralph away from us? Paige: I have to think of his safety. W: Earlier today, you invoked the greater good so that I would team up with Cabe. But do you just throw that term around? P: My son nearly died because he wants to be you. W: Is it so awful being me? Being around me? P: I just don't want him to become you! W: What is your solution? Keep him in a cocoon? Have him watch you move to Maine to follow some guy who's already abandoned you? That's idiotic! P: That guy is his father, Walter. You are not. I... I have to go. Good-bye, guys.

He encourages Ralph’s academic pursuits and respects his intelligence, reminding him to never diminish himself for the sake of others (2.22 Hard Knox).  

Walter: I couldn't understand the details in your incredibly complex code. I used to think that I-I had the fourth highest IQ in the world, but now I realized that you have dropped me down to number five. Ralph: That's what got you upset? W: (laughing) No. No, what upset me is that you were willing to slow down for me to-to let me go down the wrong road, when that would've hindered you, because I couldn't grasp your work. Never hobble your intelligence for anyone... because if you do that in this garage, imagine what you'll have to do out there... for humans. The world needs to catch up to you... because if-if it can, just a little, imagine what a... a beautiful place it could be.

However, Ralph is not the only person in this series used as a means to future possibilities.  Happy Quinn's individual growth and her relationship with Toby repeatedly serve as examples of life goals Walter can achieve.  Happy Quinn is his closest friend.  He trusts and admires her and has a lot of respect for her intelligence and abilities (3.05 Plight at the Museum).  Plus, they are alike in many ways.  

Walter: I know Toby believes that I only think about myself, but I will do what is necessary to protect your family. Even if that means that I have to go back home to Ireland. Happy: You are home. We're not losing you, and we're not breaking up Scorpion. We'll do whatever it takes. You talk nonsense like that again, I'll punch you in the neck. W: Toby's a fortunate guy. You know, I know ours isn't a real marriage, but since the day I met you, you've been a faithful friend, you've come through for me when I needed it, you've helped me build Scorpion from nothing. That's loyalty, selflessness, collaboration. If those are the traits that one looks for in a spouse, then you've been a... You've been a great wife. Thank you.

At first, he rejected the notion of romantic love.  He had a no-fraternization rule for his employees because he thought romance would make his employees less efficient and possibly as a means to conceal his own fraudulent green card marriage to Happy.  Now he believes he is capable and worthy of love and seeks to understand it in his own way.  He roots for Melvester, Quintis, Callie, and Ralph x Patty!  He never thought he would have children because he didn’t think he would be a great father.  But Happy’s evolution, Quintis’ parenthood quest, and his own familial bond with Paige and Ralph are slowly convincing him that he can succeed in these pursuits as well.  

W: But you and Toby… I hired you. You would’t know each other if it wasn’t for me. So if you had a child, if would just be something I take a lot of pride in. H: Fine, you’ve touched my heart. Walter is on the list. Just don’t tell Toby.

I think it is by design that Toby (seasons 1 & 2), Happy (season 2), and Ralph (season 3) are the three people so far who have encountered Walter just before he makes MAJOR moves in his personal life.  He may be egotistical, but he strongly desires to leave a mark on the next generation in the hopes that the hub he created for his team will continue to flourish in his absence.  This is why he is so eager to be an important figure in Baby Quintis’ life.  He brought Toby and Happy together by hiring them, which planted the seed.  He wants a little credit, which is not surprising for a man who focuses on research, not athletics. 😂  If not by name, then maybe he could be a godparent.  Yet, I have a feeling choosing godparents will turn into a competition like the one for Quintis’ Best Man & Maid of Honor!  We all know how that turned out!  #dejavu 😉😂😂😂😂😂  

It’s Official! Toby & Amy Reunite! 😱 

I don’t usually address spoilers in my reviews, but this one is EPIC!  As you’ve likely heard by now, Toby’s ex-fiancee, Amy Berkstead, wife of his nemesis, Quincy, will be introduced on screen in episode 4.13 Apocalypse Nerd, which premieres after winter break (premiere date unknown right now)!  The actress, Shantel VanSanten, is slated to recur this season.  Given the current arcs, her occupation as a geneticist doesn’t seem like a coincidence!  This news is very exciting because we are finally meeting a character who has been mentioned in the series and has a history with a member of the team.  It’s logical to assume that she knows Toby in ways Happy and the others do not.  Although it might not always seems as such, Toby hasn’t talked extensively about his past, except for the few quips here and there about his parents and gambling experiences.  (Here’s looking at you, writers! 👀)  Therefore, this development opens possibility to get more Toby backstory the fandom has craved for a while through Amy.  The Baby Quintis storyline also gets interesting in the wake of this news.  If Happy isn’t pregnant before Amy’s arrival, then the events of this episode in relation to this arc will provide more clues to the eventual direction of Baby Quintis’ introduction to the series (biology or foster; end of S4 or during S5).  Is it possible that Toby, Happy, or both of them reach out to Amy for fertility and conception guidance?  As a geneticist, she can provide a unique perspective on fertility even if that is not her specific scope of practice.  All I know is things just became interesting!!!  So excited!  

Drabbles…

Toby smells a fish! He knows there’s more to Cabe’s story! Time for experimentation!

I love that Paige and Happy went grocery shopping together and discussed baby things! This is what I want for my ladies at this point in the series! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

Really Walter? Walina? The looks from Happy and Paige… 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀💀

I know the fandom has really advocated for a girl named Grace after Happy’s mother given all the promptings surrounding that theory for Baby Quintis. But what significant names would you choose if Baby Quintis is a boy? My first thought is Marcus after the middle name Toby wished he had instead of Meriwether. 👶🍼

Chair of Blades… have I heard this before?! 😉😉😂😂😂

A fish-based protein shake inspired by Walter’s brain food regimen? Sounds like 2.23 Chernobyl Intentions all over again! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Wardrobe mention: What is up with Paige and these blue blouses?! Still wondering if this connects to something significant. It’s a nice color on her! This is why I keep throwing blue hearts on all my Waige mentions. 💙💙💙 Hehehehe!

Ralph was trying to prevent a problem and only created a bigger one! Oh pobrecito! Florence wasn’t having it! Insert Mama Paige!

Walter comes to Paige’s defense on her parenting skills! 😍💙🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

Florence and Walter are having an ego-filled IQ scuffle! Something about this exchange feels like deja vu. Maybe Toby has something to say… W (to Paige about Florence): She’s arrogant… and condescending. T: Hi pot! I see you’ve met kettle. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀💀 #likeforeal

The formula on the board is nice, but I am shocked at how neat it is on that board. Who wrote it down? It had to be Paige! 😂😂😂

Happy with the launch gun… 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

S: I’m having a little bit of trouble dropping the anchor. H: Have you tried a high fiber diet? W: That kind of humor is Toby’s influence. (Happy smiles) S: Guys, seriously, I’m jammed up! H: I’ll let that one lie. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀 Happy Quinn, wife of Toby Curtis, everyone! This is the content for which I live!  More Quintis playing with their little brother, Sly! 

H: Since when does Toby force my hand on anything? W: He got you to marry him. H: Touché. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀💀💀

W: I’m just saying that history has had its share of exemplary Walters. F: Milwaukee North Side Strangler, Walter Ellis; Sir Walter Raleigh, founder of the doomed colony of Roanoke; and, of course, Walter Mondale. W: What wrong with Mondale? F: He lost 49 out of 50 states. (looks to Happy) So if you want your kid to grow up to be a loser, that’s your choice. W: Just spread your worms. F: Heh, my buckets are empty. H (smirking): Yeah, me too. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀💀 Anyone else think that “spread your worms” sounds like a funny innuendo? 😉😂😂😂

Sly and the harpoon gun… 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

W: I focus my time on research, not athletics. F: (looks Walter up and down) Yes. 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Looks like Florence’s focus on Tae Bo is helping her out today, Walter, while you’re stuck to figure things out on a quickly disintegrating island of trash! 👀😂😂😂

I was thinking about what Toby would’ve said if he was there or listening via comms the whole time Happy climbed across that rope. You know he would say SOMETHING about the possibility of Happy being a goner if she entered that water with the jellyfishes!

S: We have extra plastic balls from when we launched the binding agent. We can fill them with my protein shake. H: Paige, I will talk you through modifying the launcher so it can properly toss Sly’s lunch. F: Really? Could you people be any less mature? P: …we could be infinitely less mature. Happy could’ve easily said it was time to launch Sly’s balls, but she didn’t. S (to Florence): Hmph! Me: Tell her Paige!!! 👊🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

It’s so funny how Walter automatically listens to Happy just like Toby does with her. And yet, he doesn’t know how Toby does it. Um, hello pot! Meet kettle! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀

PAIGE LAID THE SMACKDOWN ON FLORENCE!!! FLO TRIED IT, BUT PAIGE SAID, “NOT TODAY, SWEETIE!” Paige is great at her job! She’s working well with Florence.

Anyone else see that smile from Florence when Paige accepted her apology? I think we have found an emotional point of entry! 😉

Florence might have failed with her binding agent, but she came through with the sealant!

Well, well, well, 👀 who decides to save Florence and acknowledges her future scientific contributions are a part of the greater good! We see you, Walter! Someone has developed a sense of respect in the midst of a small moment of redemption. 😱👀😉😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

How many zippos has Happy surrendered at this point in the series?! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

W: Oh Happy, if I ignite, will you tell Baby Walina I was a hero? H: That’s never gonna happen. W: What? Me igniting or you naming the baby after me? H: Don’t make me choose. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀

Jadyn Wong is so flippin’ gorgeous!!! That shot of her taking off that apron with her hair tossed to the side… 😍😍😍😍 I’ve got a girl crush!

Y’all… neither Toby and Happy really cook for themselves. So what are they gonna do when they have kids?! That will change real quick when the food bills for that kid start racking up! 👀😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

It’s so funny how the team has decided to say “Flo” instead of “Florence” and Florence keeps correcting them each time! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

T: Cabe, you did not fail your father. And you’re not failing us. You’ve taken care of us for a long time. Now it’s time to let us take care of you. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I sense this will come back again later down the road… 🤔😉

I get really giddy when I see Allie with Cabe! CALLIE!!!!!!! *insert fangirl scream* ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[moviesbarelyreviewed]

The Best of 2017

So it’s been two years since my last post on this here blog. There are may and varied reasons for this, but I won’t bore you by getting into them. What’s important is that I’ve still been seeing movies, still been thinking about them, and still been telling everyone I know to see the ones I love. And so I hope that this post will get this blog back in business, though I hesitate to make any promises, given that I am now a first-year law student, meaning that a) There’s a very good chance I won’t have the time to keep up with this blog and b) I’ve learned that making promises can sometimes inadvertently bind you in an irrevocable contract, which could prove very costly for me down the road (don’t ask me how, I still don’t understand contracts). 

Nevertheless, it’s the end of the year, so I’ve made my list of the year’s best films, and I want to share it with you all. As always, I couldn’t see every movie that came out this year. I used to say that I was only an amateur film critic of dubious reputation and professionalism, but I’m not sure I can claim even that title at this point (see: it’s been two years since my last post). So before you all start banging down my doors, complaining that I left your favorite film off my list (this has never happened, but I like to imagine that I’m important enough to where it would), I’ll note up front that I have not seen The Last Jedi, I, Tonya, The Shape of Water, Call Me By Your Name, and whatever film you’re thinking of right now, probably. But with that being said, I’ve seen many of the year’s big contenders (shoutout to a/perture Cinema in Winston-Salem, NC, for allowing me the opportunity to see some smaller films that I couldn’t catch in any other theater) and I feel comfortable in saying that this is a fairly comprehensive list. Like in the past, I start the list with number 11, because there was just one film I couldn’t leave out.

11. Raw (Julia Ducournau). I really think that we’re living in a golden age for horror films, and if you don’t believe me, well, note that the first three films on my list are all horror movies. The first is Raw, an ice-cool, coming-of-age shocker from French director Julia DuCournau. I feel confident in recommending most of the other films on my list to just about any moviegoer out there, but I can’t say the same for Raw. This is, quite simply, not a film for everyone, which is completely fine. The story follows teenage vegan Justine (Garance Marillier), who goes away to veterinary school and is forced to eat meat as part of a hazing ritual during her first week. The new taste opens Justine up to some other... new tastes, though I hesitate to say more for fear of spoilers. Suffice it to say, this movie has at least three of the most memorable scenes of the year. You can probably guess from this description alone that squeamish viewers need not apply. But those who can stomach the story’s taboo twists will find an intelligent, sensitive, and provocative tale, solidified by a killer soundtrack and a fearless central performance from Marillier.

10. Happy Death Day (Christopher Landon). There’s something to be said for a movie that is impeccably crafted, brilliantly acted, and profoundly impactful. But there’s also something to be said for a movie that isn’t any of those things, but is still fun as heck. Happy Death Day, the horror-thriller from director Christopher Landon, certainly falls into the latter category, but I think it more than deserves a spot on this list. Making a great genre film is often harder than making a great original film, because most everyone who sees genre films is familiar with their tropes and not looking for something they’ve already seen before. Happy Death Day manages to rise above those genre pitfalls, however, primarily due to its central gimmick which, albeit, it apes from films like Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, and even this year’s Before I Fall. Newcomer Jessica Rothe stars as Tree, who begins the movie as an obnoxious, stuck-up mean girl. We know, of course, that she is about to learn some important lessons. Unfortunately for Tree, though, she has to learn those lessons by, well, being murdered.... a lot, until she is able to uncover the identity of her masked killer. Like the aforementioned Edge of Tomorrow, Happy Death Day wisely doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a lot of fun with its circular time structure. Indeed, I found myself laughing throughout this movie, because it’s just such a blast to watch. Even though some of its third-act twists are utterly ridiculous, it doesn’t matter because the movie has already strapped you into its roller coaster ride long before. And as far as roller coasters go, this movie is as breathless as they come.

9. Get Out (Jordan Peele). Get Out is unquestionably one of the defining movies of 2017. Even though it came out in the first quarter of the year, it has stayed in the minds of moviegoers and critics alike, which alone is a tremendous accomplishment for director Jordan Peele. If you still haven’t seen Peele’s twisted tale of a black man (Daniel Kaluuya) who finds himself enduring figurative (and possibly literal) hell while spending a weekend with the parents (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams), you’re in for a truly original, unforgettable experience. Sure, the shocks and twists are effective, but what takes this movie beyond the level of a traditional genre film is its button-pushing topicality. Chances are it’ll make you squirm long before its supernatural scares come. It’s no wonder that it’s the movie everyone has been talking about for months on end.

8. Wind River (Taylor Sheridan). Director Taylor Sheridan made a huge splash just last year with his screenplay for the unlikely Best Picture nominee, Hell or High Water, and with Wind River, his directorial debut, he deserves to make an even bigger one. Like Hell or High Water, Wind River is a neo-western, though not a conventional one. It’s set on an Indian reservation in Wyoming, where wildlife tracker Corey Lambert (Jeremy Renner) is the only white man for miles, a fact which plays both a provocative and potentially problematic role in the movie’s plot. When a young Indian girl from the area is brutally murdered, Corey is called upon by FBI agent Jane Banner (the excellent Elizabeth Olsen), a city-slicker who is out of place on the reservation, to say the least, to help her navigate the community and investigate the crime, a task which eventually forces Corey to exercise some painful demons from his past. Although there is a hint of white saviorism in how the plot unravels, the movie’s lasting message is a poignant and pressing one about the current state of Native Americans in our country. Sheridan deserves a lot of credit for telling a little-told story with grit and honesty, and the actors certainly do their part as well, particularly the great Native American actor Gil Birmingham (who was brilliant as Jeff Bridges’ partner in Hell or High Water) as the father of the murdered girl.

7. The Lego Batman Movie (Chris McKay). I honestly didn’t think I could love 2015′s The Lego Movie any more... and then I saw the Lego Batman Movie. Despite a new director and the element of surprise having worn off, Chris McKay’s follow-up to The Lego Movie somehow reaches the impossibly high bar set by its predecessor. It does so mainly by not deviating from what made the first movie so successful: quirky characters, fast-paced humor, and beautifully detailed Lego environments. Will Arnett reprises his role from the original as a particularly narcissistic Batman, trying to protect Gotham from the likes of the Joker (Zach Galifianakis), Harley Quinn (Jenny Slate), Bane (Doug Benson), and many more, all while trying to deal with Dick Grayson (Michael Cera), the teenage orphan that he has accidentally adopted. As in the first film, there are as many jokes for adults as there for kids, and as in the first film, the movie has a heartfelt message at the core of its kicky and occasionally silly goings-on. There may come a point when these Lego movies wear out there welcome... but we’re not there yet. 

6. Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan). So apparently some people thought Dunkirk was boring? I must confess, I am in the exact opposite camp. I was completely riveted by Christopher Nolan’s often unbearably intense war epic. Like most of Nolan’s movies, Dunkirk doesn’t spoon-feed its audience by dumbing things down. Instead, we’re expected to sift through the movie’s huge cast of characters and occasionally confusing time structure with little help from the filmmakers, which I, for one appreciated. But even if you can’t get your mind around everything going on in the film, it’s hard not to surrender to its incredibly immersive effect. I’ve rarely felt so embroiled in the goings-on of a movie as I did when watching Dunkirk. It proves that there are still many great war stories to be told, and many great directors willing to breathe new life into history.

5. Baby Driver (Edgar Wright). Like the Simon and Garfunkel song from which it takes its title, Baby Driver is as slick, cool, and effortless as movies come. Director Edgar Wright has yet to make a bad movie and, in Baby Driver, he borrows much of the visual panache and witty dialogue displayed in his great 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but this time targets it at... those of you who probably thought you were too cool to see a movie like Scott Pilgrim. Cool is something this movie certainly doesn’t lack. For those who haven’t seen it, Baby Driver is the story of a teenager named Baby (Ansel Elgort), who supports himself and the old man (CJ Jones) he shares an apartment with by working as a getaway driver for a band of bank robbers (Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Eiza Gonzalez are the robbers, Kevin Spacey is their leader). But when Baby falls for a good-hearted waitress (Lily James), he’s forced to choose between her or his wayward lifestyle.... which of course isn’t as simple as it sounds. As you might expect, Baby Driver has some truly epic action sequences, but what really gives it added style points is its brilliant use of music. Baby syncs all of his getaway drives up to classic rock songs and, as a result, the movie is a sort of musical-action hybrid rarely seen on the big screen. It needs no saying that the songs, from Queen’s “Brighton Rock” to Focus’s “Hocus Pocus”, are all perfectly chosen for their particular moments. No one else today is making movies like Edgar Wright. But they should be.

4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh). If you’ve ever seen one of Martin McDonagh’s films (or plays for that matter), you’ll know that the man likes his humor as black as coal. Three Billboards, his latest, certainly doesn’t deviate from this trend, but it also has an emotional heft and modern-day relevance that perhaps In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths lacked. The rather clumsily titled film is set in a small Missouri town where Mildred (Frances McDormand) has recently lost her daughter to a brutal rape and murder that has left the community shaken. Frustrated by the perceived lack of effort in investigating the crime on the part of the local police, Mildred buys three large billboards on the edge of town and arranges for three different, but all damning messages to be painted on each (the most pointed of all reads “How come, Chief Willoughby”). But Mildred’s bold act doesn’t win the favor from the townsfolk that one might expect. That’s because the chief of police (Woody Harrelson) is a universally-admired family man, who is seen as the misplaced object of Mildred’s ire. Complicating matters even further is racist, firebrand cop Jason Dixon (the always incredible Sam Rockwell), who threatens to send Mildred over the edge with his untamed aggression. For my money, this is the best acted movie of the year. No one in the rich ensemble, which also includes John Hawkes, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, and Peter Dinklage, gives anything but their best. Even more impressive is McDonagh’s screenplay which is both brutally funny and brutally sad. His characters are some of the most believably complex I’ve seen in a long time. The moral ambiguity that all of their actions are subject to is not unlike real life itself. As much as I’ve enjoyed McDonagh’s films in the best, Three Billboards is an exciting step forward for a director already near the top of his game.

3. Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig). Come on, you guys new this would be on here. I mean, seriously, it’s a coming-of-age dramedy directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan. I don’t think I could write a better sentence than that if I tried. Now sure, I’m a sucker for these types of movies, but I think the overwhelming critical acclaim for Lady Bird (peep that Rotten Tomatoes score) proves that, at least this time, my hype for this movie is justified. To be fair, I think Lady Bird does lack the intense emotional impact of a film like The Perks of Being a Wallflower or The Spectacular Now, which keeps it from being a complete home run for me, but that’s probably by design. Yes, the movie is profound and often moving, but it’s also funny and whimsical in ways that those movies aren’t. Indeed, it has a lot of the quirky, shaggydog charm we’ve seen in recent films starring Gerwig, like Frances Ha or Mistress America. This time, though, it’s Ronan who stands in for Gerwig and, if there was any doubt beforehand, she proves that she’s the finest actress of this generation. And yeah, she’s only 23. Her performance here as Lady Bird, a strong-willed teen clashing with her parents (beautifully played by Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts), while experiencing her first relationships (Lucas Hedges and, later, Timothee Chalamet play her suitors), is yet another peerless turn in a career already chock full of them. Although I think Frances McDormand, in the above mentioned Three Billboards, gives arguably a better performance than Ronan, I’m rooting for Ronan to get the Oscar, because it’s long overdue. And that’s really all there is to say about Lady Bird. This wise, funny film hits basically no wrong notes and, though it’s hard to imagine how Gerwig will top this one, I can’t wait to see her try in the future. 

2. The Disaster Artist (James Franco). The Disaster Artist is my favorite film of the year, but, for reasons I will explain shortly, I went with a different film at the top of this list. As for James Franco’s hilarious and inspiring film, however, I simply couldn’t have enjoyed it more. The Disaster Artist, based on the book by Greg Sestero, is the scarcely believable, but undeniably true story of Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), a bizarre man from some unknown Eastern European country (though he swears he was born in New Orleans), who sounds like Dracula and looks like the lead singer of a death metal band, and his 2003 film “The Room” which has become a cult classic of Rocky Horror proportions, primarily because it may well be the single worst film ever made (though don’t tell Wiseau). The Disaster Artist also tells us the story of Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), Tommy’s friend and roommate who starred alongside Wiseau in The Room. Like Tommy, Greg is an aspiring actor, but unlike Wiseau, he’s a clean-cut, all-American guy that seems to have at least a little bit of acting talent. The Franco brothers strike a great dynamic in their scenes together, but the real highlight of this movie is its depiction of the filming of “The Room.” If you’ve seen “The Room,” which I had, I think you can appreciate these scenes even more, but even if you haven’t, there’s much to laugh, gasp, and marvel at. The real achievement of The Disaster Artist, though, is the way it rewrites this narrative. Though there are a lot of laughs at his expense, Wiseau is an oddly inspiring figure, a man who, despite what everyone told him, had a dream and achieved that dream with nothing but a lot of passion (and, ok, a lot of cash that we still aren’t really sure of the source of). That’s a story we can all relate to.

1. The Florida Project (Sean Baker). The Disaster Artist, like I said, is my favorite film of 2017. The Florida Project, at least at this point, falls just short of that title because I’m still on the fence about the ending of Sean Baker’s film. I’ve gone back and forth on how I feel about it, but I think I need to see it again to truly decide. Nevertheless, I think the fact that I’m still thinking about this film, which I saw months ago, speaks to its power, and that’s why I’m choosing it as the best movie of 2017. The tale of Moonee (the delightful Brooklynne Prince), a mischievous 6 year old, and her mother Hailee (newcomer Bria Vinaite, in a stunningly brilliant performance) is an uncompromising look at poverty in America that still brims with vitality in every shot. Much is owed as well to the work of director Sean Baker, who brings the kitschy motel where Hailee and Moonee live, to life, in eye-popping color. And let’s not forget Willem Defoe’s lovely, warm-hearted performance as Bobby, who runs the motel and gives Moonee and Hailee break after break, despite his best instincts. The Florida Project will put you through the emotional ringer, especially in its climax, but the thing which struck me the most is how true this film is. It’s as essential as it is gripping, giving a voice to a group of people who are rarely heard from in today’s political landscape. And despite its unflinching realism, the movie is ultimately hopeful, and fully invested in the very premise that explains why movies endure into 2017: a little imagination can make anything seem possible. In 2017, I think that’s a lesson we all can all take heart in.

-PSH