#yes this is also about malex because what ISN'T?

[nellie-elizabeth]

8, 10, and 15 for Malex for the OTP asks?

8. What were their first impressions of each other?

I feel like they probably knew of each other vaguely once Michael was back in Roswell and they were at the same school, but they don't have like... a specific memory of the First Time they saw each other. But Alex probably had this vague sense of Michael as an outsider, maybe even knew he was poor/didn't have parents, and didn't really think much about him more specifically than that at first. Then I picture one day people are giving presentations in class and Michael stands up and pulls something totally brilliant, and Alex suddenly notices how smart he is... and he's so cute, too...

And then Michael thinks of Alex as Liz Ortecho's friend, whatever, but then does a double-take and starts noticing Alex when he shows up to school with a septum piercing for the first time. And then he's like hmmm okay I've gotta get this guy's attention somehow...

10. Write a ~300 word argument scene for them

"It wasn't exactly your finest moment," Alex says with an eye-roll. "You were supposed to be my rescuer and you left me chained to the radiator."

"Oh, come on!" Michael says, indignant. "I accurately assessed the degree to which you were going to be an idiot and run straight for danger if you were free--"

"Says the guy who ran full-tilt towards my father holding a gun at Crash-Con."

"Yeah, after you confronted him first. I'm only stupid after you've been stupid. My stupidity is actually the inevitable consequence of your own bad decision-making."

Alex raises an unimpressed eyebrow. "Sure, yes, it's definitely all my fault."

“I didn’t exactly have any other choice. And besides, I’d done exactly what they wanted. I didn’t think they’d hurt you.”

“Mm,” Alex says, vague and quiet. He stares down at his hands, and Michael’s no longer sure the degree to which they’re joking about the ridiculous circumstances of the past, or if this is actually bothering his husband, all these years later.

"Hey. I really would have come back for you," Michael says, a little more gently. "You know that, right? Always.”

Alex looks up, a smile tugging up one corner of his mouth. “Yeah. I know.”

15. What are traits they dislike in one another?

I think an actual genuine trait that Michael dislikes in Alex is the way he shuts down and turns really cold and logical during an argument. Alex is getting better at it now that they're together, at actually accessing his feelings and expressing them, but for a long time he'd shut down and make it hard to get to the actual core of an issue, and that makes Michael feel rejected and like his own emotional reaction isn't being respected/taken seriously. He also wishes Alex would admit when he needs help more readily, although Michael has gotten better at giving him the space to feel comfortable being vulnerable.

And I think Alex probably finds some of Michael's frugal habits from his years of housing insecurity to be frustrating. Like, Michael always wants to keep doing things the way he's used to, because it's "fine" that way, and Alex doesn't like having to convince him again and again that they can afford something a little nicer and more convenient. Getting Michael to buy and use suitcases when they go on trips instead of just using garbage bags. Or spending extra money on a nicer item of clothing that will actually last longer.

I also think when they first start cohabitating they move each other's shit around a lot? Michael is trying to consolidate/make sure he knows where important things are located at all times, and Alex is trying to tidy up, and they're both constantly like "where tf did you put my shit" lmao. They get better at it after a while.

But in all the ways they clash, they both take their relationship super seriously and have learned to talk through and find solutions that work for both of them.

[female-overlord-3]

I want to add to this post because it is another big thing that others have mentioned too: does Echo even like each other and why? Like sure you can love someone but do you also like them you know as a person? 4x09 sorta did a good job of telling us this because it was pretty clear Echo don't actually like each other (yes I was petty and cackled at the negative back and forth that validates this). Again this isn't me being entirely negative just critical about what we've been given.

Even back in episode 4/5 Liz was just fine with whatever decision Max was making because he's going to make them anyway and that's just how he is... but that's not entirely healthy or shows actual trust just like resigned acceptance. Trust would be knowing that the decision includes the other person instead of some false idea of protecting or handling the issue alone. Time and time again we've seen they really don't trust each other and that's sad. They're supposed to be the main couple and I want the main couple to be untied!

And the thing about if a couple like and love each other: We already know Malex do! We've known since they were teens and actually got together (another telling difference) even after all the drama and them having opposite opinions on certain subjects, they have continued to vouch for each other. It's kinda why Malex works. From the start they've wanted to be together, to build a home together and felt that there was something there (they literally have a word for it) and have learned to trust each other AND work together.

Bottom line: Echo still don't trust each other even after everything when they should've been well passed this because aside from their own decade long longing, we've been shown that they don't even like each other.

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here my friend after a very, very long week. This is actually my 3rd attempt at sending you an ask. First, I finally had time and was excited to type up something for the latest episode and then the Buck LI stuff came out and the mood for that was killed. Next I had mostly typed up my salty thoughts only to have my internet go down (yes, I whined at home "what i was going to read??!!" and pointedly ignored my very much filled bookcase because my ships aren't in them). So here let's see if this one works out.

So how is it KR and the promo dept always manage to kill any joy we have when we get fed any kind of Buddie content (the follow-up to the Eddie getting shot, and the 5b and premier come to mind here)?? Seriously Buck and Eddie more or less went on a date and had family night together and almost immediately they came back with "look Buck and Eddie are going to go on dates!!". Its exhausting cause it seems like any time they put out a story that might even be slightly suggestive of them being more than platonic bros they insist on following it up with stories to "prove" they are, no matter how recycled those plots are.

And okay let's take a second here to ask WTF is KR doing with these characters? In 6b alone we've had Buck dying, a coma dream, PTSD, super powers, and now he's getting a crush, and we STILL haven't finished the accursed sperm donor storyline??!! Bobby and Athena investigated had the death of a beloved friend 🙄 plot, HenRen had the nonsensical Denny secretly seeing his Dad which was never an issue before plot, and Madney and Eddie are just kinda there?? The other characters have had at best one storyline where the audience has to either invent or rewrite the backstory for. But for Buck he's had like 50 plotlines, none of which have really gone anywhere? I love Buck but I'd rather have him have 1 good arc and resolution than whatever this bullshit is. I'd easily take that screentime and give it to any of the other characters if it meant we got 1 well thought out and executed storyline. Instead we're just recycling and redressing old plots for everyone else while KR uses a magnetic poetry set to plan what Buck's doing from episode to episode. We have 5 episodes left in the season, 4-5 guest characters that are going to be incorporated (including 2 much beloathed ones 🙄🙄🙄), and nothing really setup for our mains to do (even Eddie dating isn't setup, it literally hasn't come up after Ana and you'd think they could have in 6a while he was watching his son mature).

Anyway, I'll stop the rant here though there's definitely more I could say. I'll close off saying I hope you're feeling better today since this week looks like its been rough on you. Sending you virtual tea, soup, and hugs!!

Long week is RIGHT my friend! I'm so sorry you were foiled in your previous attempts! I am right there with you on the Buck LI stuff just...sucking a lot of the joy out of things for me. Because of course we're doing this again 🙄🙄🙄 I was even writing up notes on a possible fic and you KNOW I haven't written anything since Malex and even that was before s4 started. But alas. That sucks about the power going out! I hate when that happens especially if I was in the middle of something! (Also I am SO with you. I keep buying books and then just...not reading them because my brain says "it's not our blorbos so no.)

I am just...so tired at this point. Like yes these people *may* not stick around, but even so, I don't want to loose out on Buddie scenes and Buckley-Diaz family scenes! I don't want Buck to have 90% of his time and discussions with some new character I do not know or care about instead of Eddie and the firefam! They already tried to do that with BT and it was the woooooorst! I want Eddie to have screentime and arcs but again, I don't want the little time we DO get to be wasted on some random side character! And lets be honest, there is no person they can introduce at this point that can compare with the relationship Buck and Eddie have already built and the ways in which they are the perfect partners for what each other needs. So the options are to a) cut down on seeing that relationship so their new het ones don't look so shitty and lame in comparison, b) have these women be mostly just Blurry Girlfriends in the background with no personality or depth just to have the boys paired off so they don't have to do Buddie while still centering their relationship so people can't call them out for not committing to Buddie because their "friendship" looks basically the same, or c) give them LIs that are basically the other's personalities transplanted into a female body in order to have the relationship be anything close to what Buck and Eddie need in a life partner. These are all terrible options, and I hate them, more than I hate the idea of them ending up single even though it undercuts their own narrative set up for the characters but that's a cop-out too.

ANYWAY

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 to everything about Buck's 700 shitty arcs this season while everyone else is mostly twiddling their thumbs. KR is literally the worst at pacing and planning, and constructing a season with any kind of flow. On the bright side, Ravi is coming back and Chim is going to get to do something! I'm so excited! I was really hoping for more of him and Bobby teaming up last week because the little crumbs we got were GOLD.

I did have a very emotionally rollercoaster-y week and the show being Like This absolutely Did Not Help, but I am making it work. Mostly with loooots of fic. Cheers friend, lets see if we can make it through the finale intact, if Buddie dreams can make it through the finale intact, and if the SHOW can make it through the finale intact with how these renewal negotiations are going.

[gra-sonas]

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the malex scene if you don’t mind! I am completely obsessed with it and I have this thing where I love to read people and blog’s I respect opinions on stuff and sometimes I see different moments through a different lense and realize something I didn’t pick up on before. Did you have a favorite moment or facial expression or anything like that??

"Obsessed" is putting it mildly, IT'S SO GOOD!!!

Okay, lemme see. [this got LONG, sorry]

So, Michael is convinced that he's the one who's going to be killed, and since he's learned that he's likely the offspring of a "genocidal maniac", he's probably convinced himself that he actually deserves to die, bc his life's been a shit show most of the time anyway, and better get rid of him before he can hurt anyone, right? But since he's Michael, he has to make it a joke, and pretend like it doesn't actually bother him all that much. COWBOY SWAGGER

And instead of being devastated about the news, or confirming that yes, Michael is indeed an awful person and deserves to be murdered, Alex laughs!

He knows Michael so well, and he's like "dude, you're not even trying, that's not the Michael Guerin I know."

Oh, but two can play that game, right? "Well, you always did see the violence in me, didn't you," Michael throws at Alex. And while, yes, Alex struggled with Michael getting in fights all the time after the shed incident, I don't believe for a second that he ever thought of Michael as a violent person.

So, Alex is like "WTF are you talking about???"

Ohhhh, now Michael's firing (ha!) on all cylinders, he's serving Alex a double-whammy:

"I could never do the right thing" (i.e. 1x03 "Guess you're still the guy just looking for any excuse to walk away, huh?")

"Turns out neither could my father." THE DADDY CARD! Bc if anyone would know about having a shitty dad, it would be Alex.

Alex is mildly irritated about how Michael would know about his father, but Michael won't go into how he found out, all it matters is that Alex gets it. Fast. "He was a killer. Genocidal maniac, actually." That should do the trick of shocking Alex, right? It should make him stop being amused and so fucking nonchalant about Michael's struggles.

And what does Alex do? He laughs. Again! How does he not take Michael seriously? How dare he? Michael's so full of rage, and he wants to fight now, but Alex doesn't do what he's supposed to do, and Michael doesn't know how to handle it.

Alex sees right through Michael. And he's clapping back.

"Wow, you must've loved that." Hitting the bullseye with that one.

"You've been looking for proof that you were worthless your whole life." BAM, this one's also spot-on!

But Michael still has a lot of fight left in him. Self-deprecation FTW! "What can I say? I had a hunch."

Michael "I'VE BEEN TERRIBLE ALL ALONG" Guerin

Surely, now Alex has to understand what Michael's telling him, and show some goddamn compassion, or leave (which would give Michael the ultimate excuse to explode and be even more mad).

Alex is just setting up the ultimate trap tho. "Look, if you're your father, then I'm mine. Which means I have a lot of torturing to do before the end of the night, so excuse me."

Even a genius like Michael will get the ~logic of this argument.

And Michael's like

"It's not, it's not the same," Michael says, because, HELL NO, of course, Alex is NOT his father.

"No, it is. I hate to break it to you, Guerin, but there's not some special set of rules that applies just to you. You decide who you are. If you give up, it is on you." Alex beats Michael with logic (and also tells him to stop with the self-loathing and self-pity), and damn if that isn't the most beautiful thing.

🤯 << Michael's brain after this. All the anger that had been fueling him mere moments ago, seems to have left his body in that moment.

He looks at Alex, who's getting into his car to drive off while mulling over what Alex just said. He turns around to leave and...

Alex tells him to wait, and Michael's curls are getting whiplash from how fast Michael turns back around to Alex. He's ready and willing to let Alex continue with hammering home some truths to him.

A "Wait. In Maria's vision, I say that I am covering up a murder, right?" M "Yeah." A "It's not you." M "You can't know that."

Uhm, hello, have you met Alex Manes? He wouldn't say that it's not Michael if he wasn't sure of it. But Michael's certain that there's no way it isn't him, so really, what proof could Alex possibly have?

"Yes, I can. If it were you, I would not cover it up."

The face of a man who can't believe what Alex just said, trying to swallow around a huge lump in his throat. 🥺

And then.

And then.

AND THEN

"I would burn the entire world down first."

🥺😭🥺😭🥺😭🥺😭🥺😭

HE'S CRYING OMGGGGGG 😭😭😭😭 (Damn you, Vlamis for acting with your face like that 😭😭😭)

That's as close to Alex saying I LOVE YOU (present tense) as they've ever come [on screen], and Michael knows it. And fuck, if that doesn't hit him deep down, to the very core of him. (It's also a signal that there's probably still hope for them, and maybe, just maybe their time has finally come)

And the other thing is: Alex just made a point in telling him that A/ children are NOT their parents (unless they want to), and B/ there's actually a good chance that it's really not Michael getting murdered.

So, yeah. I want a gravestone that can play videos, and I want it to play this scene on repeat for all of eternity. Please and thank you!

[snowbits]

This is why I wish antis would stop answering the question of defining pro-shipping, lmao.

The fact that you immediately equated it with incest and pedophilia is a reflection of you and your own rhetoric, not the pro-ship community.

I'll give you a hint; the definition is literally aligned with the name.

Pro-shipping is the evolved term originating from statements such as 'ship and let ship' and 'freedom of fiction.'

The origin of pro-shipping came down to quite literally the belief that shipping was not competitive and did not rely on validation or peer input. A canon ship was no 'better' than a ship that was not canon, and you were not a bad person for shipping the antagonist with the protagonist, typically in terms of your average Spike and Buffy dynamic.

Its literally just the belief that you should be allowed the freedom to enjoy your fictional ship and shipping activity without being harassed or without having random people on the internet try to tell you its invalid and disgusting just because they don't like that ship.

(Which is also where the term 'anti' originated, by the way. 'Anti X ship.' Antis evolved from being against the concept of a specific ship to being against X, Y and Z fandom-relative topics. It all evolved from shipping.)

Supernatural is a pretty popular fandom, so let's use that, shall we?

Let's say that I ship Destiel. Let's also say that this is all happening before the finale and the pseudo-confession. Destiel is, at this point, not-canon.

You, the anti, do not like Destiel. You think Dean is 100% no-homo-hetero, and you don't like Castiel.

(This is a key component. Not liking one character involved in the pairing is and was a huge factor in why someone was an anti.)

You see me make a post about liking Destiel, and proceed to angrily reblog it with commentary on why I'm wrong, why the ship isn't valid, and why Dean is straight and Castiel sucks.

Now; the basis of pro-shipping means that you would see that post of mine, scrunch your nose in disgust, and either keep scrolling on or block me. You don't harass me and you don't try to assert that your view is correct and better. Because its not your place to, and because its okay for us to have differing opinions.

Now obviously, parts of the pro-ship community and definition have evolved themselves over the years. Yes, some people now consider pro-shipping to be an umbrella term that encompasses the belief that you don't have a right to dictate how and why a person creates or consumes X type of fiction.

But likewise; the anti community has evolved too. The anti community has created literal lists of people to dox and send death threats to. The anti community wastes real life resources on reporting fictional content; so much so that protective and federal services had to put out statements begging people to stop wasting their time and resources by reporting fanfiction and fanart. The anti community has gotten people fired by doctoring screenshots of their content and pretending like they were real pedophiles.

Every. Single. Community. Can be used for harm.

Every. Single. Community. Has people within it that will cause harm and use the community to benefit their own rhetoric.

If someone says they're 'pro-ship', try to ascertain what they mean by that before you immediately jump to calling them a pedophile or freak. Its highly likely they simply mean that they do not participate in or endorse harassing or policing other people over fictional content.

I am pro-ship, and I define that by meaning that I recognise that I am not the governing voice over what is and isn't okay to ship, and that me not liking X ship does not make X ship invalid.

If I don't like Malex, for example, but you do, guess what I'm going to do if I see you posting about Malex?

Mutter 'ew' to myself and keep on scrolling. Because I might not like them, but you do, and I have no right to tell you that you're wrong or invalid for that. Its a matter of preference and ours happen to be different on that particular ship.

Please, please; be more nuanced with your answers rather than acting like a child and going 'ew puke proship people like pedophilia and incest' because I fucking promise you, if someone answered an ask about antis with 'they dox people and waste federal resources and tell shippers to kill themselves' you'd be in the notes angrily clarifying that 'not all antis...'

(You can also research and validate every single point I've made above. CPS and the FBI both put out statements to clarify how many of their resources are wasted every year because people report fictional content as real abuse. There are multiple documentations of pro-shipping in fandom history, ones that also include its most recent adoptive use pertaining to subjects such as incest, and you can also verify that over the last 5 years multiple people across Tumblr, Twitter and DeviantArt were doxxed, suicide baited and fired because antis took such a disliking to their fictional creations that they took real life action.)

………

listen, i’m not reading all of that angry rant and i’m not going to subscribe to whatever your personal idea of proshipping is.

i’m not an ‘anti’, i don’t harass people about their ships unless they’re causing real life harm. you could call me moderate and actually, this is the first time we’ve talked about discourse on this blog in a while.

but the fact of the matter is that you came into my inbox and sent me, a person who doesn’t really care beyond my own orbit, an angry text wall about your stance on this irrelevant hellsite discourse that made me miserable for at least two years straight.

i’m not a public figure and my opinion doesn’t matter, unfollow me if it’s that hard for you to accept that i don’t like letting people that will support and defend other people’s’ beliefs like that (even if they personally find it distasteful) interact with my blog.

tl;d FUCKING r i really don’t give a shit if your PERSONAL definition of ‘proship’ is more palatable and reasonable than i explained it, if you doxx and threaten people over their beliefs OR support people who ship incest and pedophilia get off my blog

and i will not be answering any more questions on the matter. this is a for-fun blog, not a discussion board or a discourse server. good fucking day.

[ravens-words]

For whatever it's worth, Jeanine said we're getting Alex/Liz content this season (the BTS pic with her and Vlamburn is also an indication as well as the post-finale pic with Amber), which tracks because I think Alex's Deep Sky plot is primarily going to intersect with Liz's research plot. Eduardo is being introduced in 3x02, an episode Alex isn't in. Deep Sky isn't going to happen in a bubble. If it was, we would have gotten way more info on the storyline in the promos. Chris also talked about giving characters who've never interacted scenes together, singling out Max/Alex, so I would expect he comes into things both as an alien and someone who loves Liz. They should have interacted last season when Max was going to Jesse for info, honestly. And I'd much rather have bamf!Alex and dig more into his identity as a war vet than have him be involved in Maria's vision quest thing. I don't know what's in store for that dynamic, but I'm not looking for more of Alex having to do favours for her and putting himself in danger in the process anytime soon.

YES to all of this!!

Liz and Alex friendship is something I've been dying to see, same goes for Max and Alex. I think you're right, that could be a connection to bring all three together. Another one is Max being a deputy again.

I think I made it pretty clear how happy I am the Deep Sky storyline, lol, so I'll spare you except to say I agree with you and that it could be an opportunity to explore Alex's character and Malex- with the added bonus of not having him cater to M*aria's needs like you said.

[space-malex]

There's lots of back and forth on who Victor should be with, but all s1 and s2 showed me is that Victor isn't cut out to be anyone's partner at this point in his life. He did Mia dirty and couldn't even properly apologize for it in s2 and the Victor who actually prioritized Benji's happiness and tried to take all responsibility for their kiss with Derek so they can keep dating disappeared in s2. He couldn't even articulate that breaking Benji's trust was wrong with spilling his secret to Rahim, let alone understand him at any point during the season. I don't know if it's supposed to be an international character flaw to be worked on or if the writers think having everything from Victor's POV is a good excuse, but it bothers me a lot. I really thought Malex was the height of showrunner bias and uneven writing, but Venji is so much worse. Alex at least always had a POV and a well-defined personality I could easily empathize with. You can't pile a ton of trauma on a character and never explore it, especially if it's supposed to be half of your main ship. I don't know how reflective a Twitter poll is of the audience split (the one they did on Instagram was much more overwhelmingly in favour of Venji, but they also don't show how many people voted), but it's not surprising that a dynamic that was basically written to be pretty much perfect so far and a fun alternative for the main ship's drama is appealing to so many people. They could have easily sold Venji better this season as a couple. They can lay a better foundation for future romantic them if they spend real time together platonically in s3 and stop putting each other on pedestals. They can also ruin what's appealing about Vahim with drama in s3. It's anyone's guess how s3 is going to play out. All I know is if Venji is still the endgame, I don't want a redo of s1 with Victor trying to work harder at a relationship he ultimately doesn't want to be in than he ever tried to make it work with the guy he's supposedly in love with. That's a recipe for disaster. A lot of shows are guilty of never showing us an endgame ship actually working on screen before putting them back together at the end of the show. I really want better here.

A lot to unpack

Victor did apologize to Mia, said he loves her and never meant to hurt her. It’s a bit complicated because Victor never went into the relationship with bad intentions and it took him the majority of the season to come to terms with his sexuality. Yes, he should’ve ended it right away when he figured it out, and he shouldn’t have kissed Benji when he was still with her. But still, there is a fine line here because there’s only so much of an apology Victor can give without it feeling like he’s apologizing for who he is, for being gay, and that’s not something he needs to feel sorry for. I think we should also keep in mind that Mia had her little thing with Andrew at the same time and never told Victor about it. She didn’t cheat or anything (or when he kissed her she stopped it) but she had obvious feelings for Andrew that she hadn’t dealt with. Luckily they finally got resolved in s2 but they were definitely there when she was still with Victor.

Now, what is it with this Victor slander in my house? He and Benji were pretty much constantly arguing or making up, but I’ve rarely seen people apologize to someone else as many times as Victor did to Benji about things that weren’t even his fault. He spent all season apologizing for his mother, even though he has no control over what she thinks or does, but also assured Benji that she is trying and that she is getting better. And he would know that better than Benji because he knows his mother and Benji does not. Or apologizing for not being ready to come out to everyone. And then turned around and did it anyway, which was what he wanted to do, but it also felt a lot about Benji and something he was doing for him as well. Which, fine, it’s Victor’s decision and he didn’t regret doing it. But then when there were consequences that hurt him by his team being homophobic, Benji first shrugs them off and then encourages Victor to quit the team so that he’s not around homophobic people. Which okay, first of all homophobes exist everywhere but I digress. Victor was miserable after he quit the basketball team. It’s not actually what he wanted to do, and he loves basketball, and Benji had no respect for that either. He acted like basketball with some kind of leftover heteroness that needed to be expelled from Victor. And he talked shit about it with his friends right in front of Victor. In fact, every time Victor tried to express himself, he would be essentially shut down by Benji and end up apologizing. Until episode 6 with the birthday and episode 8 after Isabel caught them together.

So look, I don’t think Benji had to tell Victor anything about his alcoholism because it’s his personal business and it’s really difficult to talk about something like that and it was definitely up to him when he wanted to open up. But then he turned around and was basically pissed at Victor for knowing even though Victor found out by accident. And then he refused to talk about it. And then when Victor expressed his hurt that Benji didn’t want to talk to him, Benji responded by completely attacking Victor and straight up saying it was exhausting work being with him bc he’s got a religious homophobic mom and is newly gay. Like….what?? 

Benji judged Victor for 1) being a jock 2) his mother and 3) being a baby gay. Victor never once judged Benji for his alcohol problems, he was just hurt Benji didn’t share with him. He didn’t judge Benji for anything else for that matter. He definitely shouldn’t have told Rahim about Benji, even though I do understand he needed someone to open up to and he trusts Rahim, it was a violation of Benji’s trust and not okay. But that’s like…the only bad thing Victor has done all season.

As for the pov thing- it wouldn’t be such a big deal if they actually developed Benji as a character, which they have not. We get no moments of him where he’s not with Victor (except the one conversation with Isabel, which was about Victor). If you’re going to have a character not share about their life to the protagonist, you need to find another way to share it with the audience. It leads to a disconnect and lack of emotional investment in Benji for many people. The fact that I feel I know Rahim better after 5 episodes than I do Benji after 20 is saying something. But the writing has given Rahim development that it hasn’t given Benji. It’s not surprising a lot of people in the audience are feeling more connected to Rahim as a result. Polls are never the most reliable thing since it depends on who sees them and how many people (twitters was about 20k respondents iirc but no idea about ig). I see a lot of vahim shipping on twitter and ig, tumblr not so much. But I will say I’ve seen people coming around on vahim who are watching the season now, as opposed to the smaller number who immediately watched the moment it came out, went in shipping Victor and Benji and had a knee jerk reaction about the possibility of another romance for Victor.

This is not comparable to malex in any way so I have no clue why you’re bringing them up.

And personally, I was never invested in Victor and Benji’s relationship. Even in s1 I was like 🤷🏻‍♀️ And now, with or without vahim, I think Victor and Benji should break up. They’re just not a great couple and I feel like the show would do well to make it okay for your first relationship to not necessarily be right for you. Especially for a gay couple because that like…NEVER happens on tv. It doesn’t take anything away from what v*nji mean to each other. Sometimes people just aren’t compatible. I didn’t start shipping vahim bc of anything with v*nji directly, I just loved their dynamic. I love seeing Victor light up. I love seeing him comfortable instead of constantly feeling insecure and apologetic. To me, vahim connect in a way v*nji do not.

Victor did not develop feelings for Rahim just because he was having issues with Benji. Just like Benji did not develop feelings for Victor just because he was having issues with Derek. Implying that does a disservice to both relationships and kinda takes agency away from a character and their feelings. But I want him and Benji to end things for real before anything happens with Rahim. Which might mean trying to make it work for a while longer. 

We will see!!

[stydiaeverafter]

Can I just say, that Alex has the worst timing ever when it comes to Michael? Like the guy walks away constantly, and then he's always confessing how he feels at the worst possible times. In Caulfield and in the trailer. Michael literally said "Alex, this really isn't a good time," and Alex is like "Okay, here I go.... blah blah blah." How did he think Michael was going to react? Michael needs to runnnn far away!

First and foremost, I SUPPORT AND STAN ALEX MANES and I WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF THE ALEX MANES DEFENSE SQUAD… so you came to the wrong blog for this. 

But Malex is my life, so let’s do this. 

Yes, Alex’s timing isn’t always great, but neither is Michael’s. 

GUESS WHAT? 

LOVE IS MESSY. 

LOVE TAKES CONTROL.

LOVE EXPRESSES ITSELF EVEN IN THE MOST DIRE SITUATIONS.

That is the damn point. 

It’s true love and it’s something they have together. It is painful, but it’s also powerful. 

Alex has held in how he feels for SO long, that the moment he made that choice of walking back to Michael, which by the way wasn’t easy when he found out he slept with his best friend, he decided to start saying what he wanted to say. 

Maybe not the best timing in the trailer, but Alex was so worried about Michael after everything he’d been through. He was there to make sure he was okay, “I wanted to see you.” He was concerned. Protective. He felt guilty for hurting Michael, and the fact that they got a second chance at life (almost dying at Caulfield - which by the way he was trying to save his life so he poured out the truth, then was willing to die by his side - so I don’t want to hear anymore bashing on Alex, especially in Caulfield), it’s like… now is a better time than ever. Why waste one more moment? It’s been 10 years. He wants Michael to know him now. Know everything. How he feels, and that he does feel bad for hurting Michael. He wants Michael to know he’s an anchor who will be here when he needs him. 

He’s not going anywhere. 

Alex Manes has gone through so much growth over the course of this season. He stands up for himself, for others he cares about, speaks his truth, doesn’t take bullshit, owns up to his mistakes, forgives, and tries his best to move forward. I’m so tired of the whole, “he walks away,” yes he did. He doesn’t anymore. He was dealing with lifelong trauma and abuse - it’s called flight or fight mode. But he’s healing every single day. And he wants to stay.

So I repeat: ALEX MANES IS NOT WALKING AWAY - NOT ANYMORE.

And you got your wish in a way, because Michael is running away. TEMPORARILY. But what he feels for Alex, will never falter or go away. They’ll always come back to each other. They have no control whatsoever when it comes to loving each other. They are powerless. It brings them together over and over again. And while they aren’t on the same page and their timing is still not quite there, next season, they’ll find their way together and become stronger than ever. They faced adversity, and came out on top! Once they’re together, on the same page, they’ll never walk away ever again. 

[lovecolibri]

Do I think Bonnie's sweet? Sure. Do I think she's going to get flirty with Michael? Honestly, no. But is quite literally burying your one gay character for possibly half a season and immediately pairing Michael up with a woman for him to be protective over, "bond" with and play music for, a woman your heteronormative female audience can self-insert into, a choice the CW is very much aware of? Absolutely. Fandom can convince themselves that it's a "sibling" vibe, but that's never the impression your general audience gets when a man and a woman interacts, and everyone in that writers room knows it.

Okay but yes this! This is exactly what I'm getting out of both Michael and Bonnie and even more so out of m*ria and Dallas.

Do I think Bonnie might get a little crush on Michael? It's possible! Who wouldn't! Do I think he might flirt a bit if it gets him info to help his siblings and to find Alex? Absolutely. Do I think there's anything to actually worry about there? No, not at all, though mostly because it's the last season and they can't afford any more flack about Malex. Also I imagine at this point Tyler and Vlamis would just walk off set if they were told they were doing other love interests again 🤣🤣🤣. BUT. You're absolutely correct in that they are set up in such a way to keep people watching to see IF anything happens, and an easy set up if they want to go that route for Alex to come back and think something could happen as a way to create tension in the story and lead to a good talk with him and Michael about how much Michael loves him. I thought their interactions were cute (even if I wish they would let Michael talk to Alex about music in the present day half as much as he talked about it and played in front of other people), and I could easily see the mentor/mentee vibe starting, but I don't think I would put it at "siblings vibes" yet. It's not at the level his interactions with Isobel, Liz, and Rosa were at but it's still a very new dynamic AND he's trying to find an in with them. If flirting does the trick, I think he'll go for it, but it won't be anything serious on his end.

It's the same thing with m*ria and Dallas. Now, I've seen some people complaining that calling them a romantic set up is ridiculous because you wouldn't say that about her and another woman she interacts with, or about Michael and other men he interacts with HOWEVER, I think it's important to point out that a) the narrative has never specifically said m*ria is attracted to women so the GA wouldn't read interactions that way, but also that their are directed and acted in a distinctly different way their interactions with any other characters and it more closely matches her behavior with Greg last season and the other couples interactions far more than say, her interactions with Kyle, or his with Isobel. They are flirting. It's written, directed, and acted to be flirting. And nothing may come of it! (doubtful) And I'm not going to nitpick on if it's cheating or not since we don't even know if her and Greg were dating, exclusive, if they called it off when he left, nothing. And it doesn't matter because no matter what her current relationship status, her scenes with Dallas are meant to be read as flirting to keep the audience "hooked" and tuning in to see what happens when Greg comes back to town.

I know there are issues with men and women sharing scenes and everyone immediately assuming they HAVE to be flirting because of that, however we have seen in this show the difference between Michael's scenes with Liz and Rosa and Isobel vs his scenes with m*ria, with Liz's scenes with Michael and Kyle after season 2, and the once or twice she's been allowed to interact with Alex, and her scenes with Max and Heath. The show can do non-flirty male/female friendships. m*ria and Dallas just isn't one of them. And it's done on purpose to create tension in her story as well as his. It's not that complicated. I just also happen to absolutely hate the idea because Dallas deserves better and I would HATE to see him not get to have great scenes with more people like he did last season (my SOUL for a Dallas/Alex scene!) because he got the Greg treatment and has to spend all his time propping her up. He is a great character that deserves better treatment.

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here friend thinking I'll join in on the speculations about the latest episode. So I read the post you rebloged about Buck mirroring the feelings of those around him as a way to avoid his own/feel accepted around them, and thought about how this episode was originally supposed to air 5x08 an episode where an actual mirror led to so much confusion and angst for Eddie and it was only when he realized it was a reflection that the kids were saved, and how Buck was upset he hadn't realized.

Hi bestie! You're posting theory once again proves true, for the most part, though in my defense, I'm also at the whim of the gif makers and while this episode was delightful in every other aspect but the b*ckt*ylor one, the last 10-15 minutes really drug the whole episode down (but also provided some...inch resting insights) leading to the wall of text posts I'm sure you saw (with a healthy mix of petty memes because of course). Anyway, I'm trying to figure out if once they break up, I'll be able to watch this episode again and fully enjoy it knowing I don't have to suffer through them being a couple for much longer but honestly I just so deeply dislike her character that sitting through her "sob story" again feels impossible. Like, I have zero trouble sitting through scenes with any of the other love interests for the rest of the firefam, even a*a's scenes (though I might still cringe) and still enjoy the episode but I'm not sure I can do it with Tay Kay because she has been pushed so in our faces and she is just so deeply unlikable as a character for me (sound familier? 🙃🙃🙃). And it's such a shame because the rest of this episode? Solid. Gold. Absolutely back on the normal 911 bullshit we all know and love. Insane calls? Family drama? Absolutely hilarious scenes that literally had me in tears? Adorable couple moments? It was all SO GOOD so I'm hoping some time and space and the eventual break up will soften the automatic "NOPE! HARD PASS!" reaction I have when I see her face, but we'll see. 🤷‍♀️

Okay, so as much as the last part of that episode was painful to watch (and not in the "good angst" kind of way like this show is so good at (lookin at you fight or flight, tsunami arc, etc), but more in the cringe, "sexy math" scene kind of way), it's also got me DEEP in my Evan Buckley feels because there is SO much going on here. With his actions born out of a knee-jerk trauma response to being "abandoned", with him shoving down his feelings so he's not being "needy" or making it about him, with him only getting a "love" acknowledgement for things he did and not for who he actually is as a person, with the choices Oliver is making with his face and the lack of eye contact and the body language and everything. It's all just so much in this episode, especially given the awkwardness we've seen from them all season.

And that mirror parallel to Defend In Place sure is something! The way we could have gotten the direct follow up to Tay Kay's story from 5x07 and then had an episode where she wasn't even brought up? But Eddie looks on the verge of a breakdown? Eddie realizing him and Buck had been, totally on accident, given bad information on the direction they should be heading and it took looking into a mirror to figure out the right way to go? The way Eddie lit up like a Christmas tree when he figured it out, but Buck was standing there still confused? The way Buck needs to look into the mirror of his relationship with Abby and see the parallels to his current relationship, but while Eddie has had his epiphany, Buck is still confused and hasn't made the connection yet? Like???? I'm absolutely feral about all this actually?

Because just like with Abby, Buck's putting in all the work and making the gestures, but this time he's not doing it out of love but because it's what he's "supposed" to do so it all looks (and feels) so hollow. Buck respected Abby first (definitely not something he will ever be able to say about Miss Girlboss) and genuinely enjoyed talking to her and then started a relationship. He asked Bobby what to do to keep the relationship working because she was drowning and he's Mr. Fix-It but he couldn't fix her mom being sick and eventually dying. And Bobby's advice was good and Buck did all the things out of genuine love and respect, however (it's especially clear on the re-watch), he and Abby had fundamentally different ideas of what their relationship was and what they wanted out of it and that's why she left thinking he would move on after a short time and forget all about her. And now, Buck is following the same pattern of getting into the mess because that's what Bobby said to do and it worked with Abby until her struggle was gone/took a new shape, and it worked with repairing his relationship with Maddie and building his relationship with Eddie, and being there and being a good friend to the rest of the firefam. But the thing is, it's not because he loves her that he's trying to help or be there as support for things he can't fix. It's because that's what you're supposed to do. It's a checkbox on a list of How To Keep People From Leaving You (Kind Of) and when it's backed by sincere love it's an act of service, it's a fulfilling part of the relationship but when it's not? When it's just a Thing You Do To Not Get Left? It's draining. And good god Buck looks drained this season. He is once again trying so hard and getting nothing that he actually needs back. And when he realizes he's fallen back into old bad habits, what becomes of his relationship then?

Anywhoodles, it's is very late and this is very long and rambling and may no longer make as much since as it did when I was thinking it in my head so I'm going to shut up now. *i just have a lot of feelings gif* but I'm just going to say that I am very interested to see what Monday night has in store for us for this winter finale. They are usually more on the wholesome side and wrapping up open plotlines but with as different (derogatory) as this season has been, who knows what we're going to get!

(also, whatever you do, do NOT think about masking and hiding true feelings and Michael Guerin (season 2 especially) because it WILL ruin your day and have you in tears. Just let these traumatized, curly headed men desperately grasping at any scrap of something that could possibly be "love" thrown their way, realize they are already so deeply loved by dark haired, sarcastic/sassy former military men who others might think are "closed off" but are actually giant marshmallows, and are a little overly cautious with technology/personal security, but on opposite ends of the tech-savvy spectrum.)

[lovecolibri]

Carlos is the Alex Manes of Lonestar, and it's even more frustrating here because we know the 911 writers can deliver when they want. His scenes are almost always with/about TK. We get told he is friends with everyone but hardly ever see him interact with anyone else one on one. And it's insane that he's the main police connection, but his dad had as much plot relevance in 3 episodes than Carlos did in 3 seasons. I will say Lonestar is waaaaaay better at incorporating Tarlos into the group than RNM ever will be with Malex, but things could be so much better with so little. And giving the supporting characters more to do wouldn't make Owen less of a main character.

Nooooo, not RNM and Alex Manes! That's the thing I'm sensitive about!

No, but you're so right though. I think season three is so far MILES better than seasons 1 and 2 about this. We got him having his own scenes and doing rescues during the ice storm, and that kidnapping case (which is mixed bag for me because YES Carlos scenes, but BOOO hella creepy voice/criminal minds vibes), and we have him teaming up with Grace coming soon. But him being incorporated into the main group is still so hit or miss. Like we have a few scenes of them having game night, but otherwise he only shows up to deliver information. In the OG we get to see Hen and Athena being buddies and as much as I ADORE Tommy and I love that she's on the show, I do miss seeing Carlos having a friend of some kind outside of the TK of it all.

And I am cackling about Tarlos being more incorporated into the group than Malex because NOTHING has ever been more true. Can you even IMAGINE Malex regularly hosting game night? Can you even IMAGINE a single one of their friends and family fighting for Malex as hard as Nancy fought for Tarlos? (NOT you, Kyle. You're amazing and we are SO lucky to have you). Can you even IMAGINE one of them being in the hospital and everyone being there to be supportive even if they were broken up at the time?

Ooooooh bestie you got me fired up about the utterly wasted potential of RNM and how good it could be with the cast and chemistry they have of they only had better writers. (I also have a draft about the difference in RNM thinking it's an 'adult' show because they have 'controversial' sex scenes and raunchy jokes vs 911(og) ACTUALLY being an adult show because of how they treat complex characters and situations that will probably never see the light of day, but just so you all know, I'm having THOUGHTS about it).

And Lone Star definitely isn't perfect either but there are just some minor things that could be adjusted and I really feel like they are trying to work on those this season. And it is what it is with the Owen of it all (though not for nothing, Peter and Angela are also executive producers for their 911 show so that's not really an excuse 🤷🏻‍♀️), but the past two episodes were much more on track with season 1 Owen, and it looks like we have good stuff for other characters coming up which I'm excited to see.

[lovecolibri]

I was hoping Michael's recent growth would improve the next Malex interaction but we got two so far and both of them had him initially look all hopeful only to almost immediately try to bait Alex with some stupid line like 'I just want you to be a guy who gives damn' to push him to open up which of course won't work but will make Alex snap back at him defensively and this dynamic might as well have been copy-pasted from their very first scenes from the pilot. No wonder so many of us are frustrated. Kudos to Vlamis and his puppy dog heart eyes but I really need the show to let Michael use his words that he can apparently do now with everyone else except Alex. 'What are we doing, Alex?' is something that would have made sense for him to say in S1 but after 57 rejections in S2 it's honestly just weird. Alex telling him he would care a lot if Michael got hurt doesn't mean he's looking for something from him or doing the push/pull thing again. Malex has long been on Michael's terms now so suddenly reverting back to early S1 is confusing to me. I really thought the beginning of S3 would have Michael be able to talk about wanting Alex in his life even if he's with Forrest and the friendship/awkward tension of being possibly something more after Forrest's gone would follow but it's 3x07 now and there's no sign of that anywhere. It's getting to the point where them starting a relationship this season if the pacing remains wouldn't feel satisfying to me. But also I really don't think Vlamburn's excitement (especially from Tyler who's the only one who really understands how important good queer rep is no shade to Vlamis) means we're putting things off until S4. And they can't honestly expect to placate fans through another hiatus.

Yes to all of this! Reverting back to that season 1 dynamic where Michael looks hopeful, Alex says something mean, and Michael looks crushed is absolutely NOT IT after all this time, and especially after what went down in season 2. Malex is never going to feel satisfying if that isn't addressed between them, and trying to make the audience forget about Michael's behavior last year by making Alex be the mean one crushing Michael's hopes this season is a cycle I'm not interested in repeating. Mostly because Alex has every right to not think Michael wants anything more from him! Last season was all on Michael's terms like you said, so only giving us Michael's POV and making it look like Michael is hopeful and just waiting on Alex to make a move and putting it all on Alex to start things is ridiculous. But we also aren't getting Alex's POV, so there's not way to know what he's thinking or wants or where he stands with Michael. Is he still pissed about last season (but only at Michael, never at m*ria because we just can't have that. She's his "dream girl", haven't you heard? It's such a shame he's gay, because if he could, he'd pick her too. 🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🙄🙄🙄🙄)

Overall the lack of Malex interacting or talking about each other has been MORE than disappointing. Last season was a lot of misery porn for them, but at least they were in the same frame and we were getting to see them having feelings! Michael's may have had to disappear every time he wasn't in the Malex "bubble" because c*rina was The Worst, but still we got something. And I'm a little confused about the direction they are taking in season 3 because one of the big issues mentioned in reviews about season 2 was the absolute waste of that Vlamburn chemistry! Does this show even know how lucky they are?! As far as he has stated publicly, Vlamis is a straight man so they very easily could have ended up with lackluster chemistry or awkward physical contact scenes. But instead we got this absolute magic with Malex and they can't even be bothered to let them be in scenes together? And we've gotten the Vlamis glassy eyes a few times about Alex, but none of Alex's sad face so we are left speculating about what's even going on in Alex's head.

It's just really frustrating after that looooong hiatus during which they had plenty of time to go over the reviews from season 2 and address what didn't work and while they are doing good in some areas, the fact that they decided to put Malex back at the starting line of season 1 so they didn't have to address the m*luca mess is ridiculous. And on that note, this is NOT the m*ria d*luca show. I am SO BEYOND uninterested in seeing her take on Jones. There's zero indication she could handle what Isobel, Max, and Michael couldn't, especially since her mind is supposed to be deteriorating when she uses her "powers". Oh right, I forgot. She's "not like other girls". 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

[lovecolibri]

I fully agree with your take on how Michael keeps getting hurt frequently around Alex and how that drives Alex's decision to try to keep him out of whatever he's going to do in 3x06. I just wish the show could push it out of subtext and verbalize it. Yes, Michael is very competent, but he also has a history of being impulsive and reckless and being willing to throw his life away for everyone else, which Alex is well aware of. He's not a strategist. His heart often overrules his head. Alex can't trust him to prioritize his own safety in a dangerous situation. Not to mention, Alex still thinks he's expandable to Michael, so he will 100% go off and risk his own safety because he doesn't think he matters until Michael mans up and tells him he wants a future with him. It's exactly the kind of thing Malex should be fighting about. It would be the best kind of angst, honestly. Fingers crossed, 3x06 will address at least some of this, and Michael can showcase some of his recent growth to get Alex to talk to him.

This is in response to this ask, and I'm glad you liked my take on it! And thanks to that Tyler interview today, we know that Alex went into Deep Sky with a level head and he knows what he's doing, but also that different characters bring out different things in him, and Michael and his worry for Michael's safety brings out that trauma response that can cloud his brain, so him wanting to keep Michael away isn't just for Michael's safety, it's for his own safety as well. He needs to be able to focus and he has a harder time doing that when he's worried about Michael's self-sacrificial tendencies. I somehow forgot to mention it in the other post, but Michael built a bomb that would literally destroy him and anyone with alien DNA on the promise that he would get to see Alex. Like???? Alex is kinda right to be worried! And you're right that Alex ALSO thinks he's expendable and that sacrificing himself is "worth it" so Michael's fears aren't unfounded either!

But it all comes down to actually communicating that in a healthy way, and the two of them moving away from those trauma responses and learning to trust each other, and doing the internal work for themselves to believe in their inherent value and not just in what they can do/be for other people. And I'm really hoping that this storyline is going to push them to do just that!

NGL I'm kinda hoping for them to have a blowout fight because usually they toss out barbs and retreat to lick their wounds but I'd love for them to be stuck somewhere and they can't leave so they have to hash things out. I am an absolute sucker for two people yelling and getting closer and closer until one of them breaks out the "Because I LOVE you, okay?!" and then their voices get soft and broken and their eyes get glassy and the other one is just *shocked pikachu* about it and they offer a "why didn't you tell me" and the other gives a wet laugh and says "I didn't think you'd care" or something. Just *chef's kiss* love it. I will also accept yelling that ends in a kiss. Or Michael tailing Alex and Alex has to come up with a cover story and they kiss but can't talk about it right then but they have that *moment* where they both feel things.

Ahhhhh there are SO many good options and I'm so excited to see what happens. Manifesting another Malex scene after the clip we got because I need more Vlamburn/Malex

[lovecolibri]

I'm honestly so tired of this "breath of fresh air" talk. We had that with M&M after S1 and look what happened, now we have the same conversations about A&F. If people think Alex and Michael need other people to make them happy and they are not good for each other why do they ship Malex at all? I've seen some posts about how Alex needs to have a fun happy relationship with Forrest for a while before he settles for Michael? Do they think the random guy Alex barely knows is his only chance to be truly happy before he is stuck being miserable with Michael for the rest of his life? Because that's how all of these "breath of fresh air", "easy breezy fun relationship" posts sound to me.

Uuuuuuugh YES! It's literally no different than saying m*ria would be something easy-breezy for Michael to help him "heal" from all his trauma. It's a little different in the execution because of the history between m*ria and Alex and her knowing how Alex felt, that isn't present with Forrest but it's the same idea that these two characters who are desperately in love with each other and have been unable to move on in 10 years are now FINALLY in the same town and suddenly want to date other people I guess. 🙄🙄🙄 It would have been different (still not great, still would have undercut the soulmate story set up to make anything compare to their love, but different from what we got) if m*liuca had been happening before, so there was any basis for it to be happening NOW as well when Alex is right there, putting in the emotional work. But still, the idea that Alex would have made that "world ends with a whimper" quip after he got rid of his main obstacle for keeping away from Michael (his dad), the idea that Alex would be showing time and time again that he's ready to stay and he's trying and Michael wouldn't be ALL over that, the idea that these two men, madly, desperately, cosmically in love need to date other people for their "character growth" is all frankly ridiculous, it doesn't track with the narrative set up we were given, and therefore it's deeply unsatisfying.

And I haaaaaate that people are going on and on about how Alex will FINALLY get to be happy with Forrest, as though either him or Michael will ever be truly happy without each other. And I get it, Alex had a shitty 2 seasons and deserves to be light and happy, and Tyler has a blindingly beautiful smile that we all deserve to see more of. But it doesn't fit with the narrative that this clamshell, keep everything so close to the vest that no one can ever get in, character we have in Alex is suddenly going to be carefree and easy-breezy with a veritable stranger, who made him feel bad about about being triggered by PDA. It's far more likely to get this Alex's idea of "light and breezy":

Also, lest we forget, Noah used Isobel to murder Forrest's cousin, and Alex KNOWS that. There is no way that isn't going to get uncovered and Alex is probably going to get the blowback so there's no amicable breakup for them either.

Just...

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here and I was planning at some point to talk about the things I liked about 3x03 or what my take on that Malex scene was (mostly positive, except absolutely agreeing with you that it came out of nowhere and the writers need to start actually giving Malex the same treatment as Echo, not just promising it) but honestly the next episode is almost here and I'd rather get back to talking about 911, which I've neglected. So I finished 2x07, or as I'm calling it "I Can't Stop Crying" TBC.

SaL anon continuing and yes, I cried the entire second half of the episode. It was ugly. So even I'll start with Eddie's part, actually the least I interesting for me. So while she's not as bad as Taylor, I'm not a huge Shannon fan, her whole "I abandoned my kid because I felt guilty about causing my kid's CP" isn't great. Way to make your kids condition about you. Anyway on to Athena and Hen (I know you've said it but the RNM writers need to watch this show to learn how to write a girlboss) So I love that Athena went out of her way and beyond her duty to find the hiker's identity as a way of keeping her childhood promise. I feel like that's solidly in character for her. And the scene when she told his wife? Uh, so much crying but it was so good. Not just the wife's relief but that she's been fighting for years against the idea he left her with her family and she finally has justice? 😭😭😭😭 Hen's story was the roughest but i loved seeing her indecision play out. (sorry this got long) Hen goes from just confusion about how to feel about her decision to seeing how her Dad kept track if her and you can SEE her hope and tilting toward letting him live in the hope he'll wake up. And how does the show counter this idea??!! By killing a horse, which started off my crying streak. Thank you show for being the first to cause a breakdown via horse. Anyway next scene Hen is similarly letting her Dad go next scene and it's too much. Obviously I loved it.

Oh man, yeah 2x07 is a rough but good one! I loved Eddie’s look in the interview for the new school and how concerned his is about making sure he gets something that will be the most helpful for Christopher, even if it means doing something he didn’t want to do like reach out to the woman who left him (and Christopher) to ask for help. And Eddie isn’t really big on asking for help, but for Christopher? He’ll do anything. And yeah, I also cry every time Athena goes to talk to the wife. She just finally gets the closure and knows that she was right all along, that he didn’t leave her, not willingly. (And yes, Athena is amazing, and so are Hen and Maddie, and Karen, and it really shows that there are different ways to be strong women) The thing with Hen’s dad was 😭 and yeah, during my re-watch I absolutely skipped the whole scene with the horse because I did not need to be emotionally scarred by it again. This show has made me tear up a lot, but that scene made me full on ugly cry. And I know you haven’t seen season 1 but this was also a great episode for Buck in that he stopped living in his ex’s house (not a place they got together, her place that he wasn’t even really officially moved in and living with her in, btw). I wonder why that is? Who could have come into his life to make him want to go out and start living again? 🤔🤔🤔 There are a lot of fun moments in this episode especially with the whole “ghost call” thing which I LOVE that they left open-ended. I can handle the occasional slightly spooky thing (like I LOVE Welcome to Night Vale, and my profile picture is very gory for someone who claims to hate horror and gore 🤣) but I usually hate Halloween episodes of shows because they are always TOO creepy, or use it as an excuse for some cult creepy murder fest or other thing I can’t watch or that deeply unsettles me, so I was leery about 911′s but I have really enjoyed all their Halloween episodes (Brooklynn 99 is the only other show that made me say that, because they understood that Halloween is supposed to be FUN, and overly dramatic and ridiculous) though I think season 3′s one is my favorite because of the Buck stuff and mostly because it’s a great Chimney episode. 

And as a bonus in this episode, those boys sure did look pretty repelling down that cliffside! One of my favorite shots in the show. And Eddie got introduced to Buck’s superstitious side and probably fell a little more in *something unnamed as of yet* with him.

I am so glad you’re enjoying the show and be prepared to buckle TF up because the next episode is a doozy! 

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here and since yesterday we did the painful past let's do hopeful future today (I say as if that isn't 80% of the songs we talk about) and talk about Six. This is another song that feels like it was made for Malex. The first two verses make me think of Michael's fear of abandonment followed by Alex's need for security, and how those fears effect their behavior. But the lyrics let those fears go, so they "choose to believe I was made to be a sanctuary". S3 let them be each other's home!

This song is so dreamy in an old-Hollywood sounding way. It's been awhile since I've listened to this song that I forgot how much I love it. And yes, the lyrics are so good for Malex!

i had the most vivid dream... my feet had left the ground,     i was floating to heaven but i could only look down. my mind was heavy, running ragged with worst case scenarios, emergency exits and the distance below. i woke up so worried that the angels let go. oh God i’m so tired of being afraid.

Okay, so this first verse gives me such big "Michael thinking about leaving Earth" vibes, and him still only being able to look down for Alex and thinking about all that could go wrong if he's not around, and then like you said, his fear of abandonment and what if he gets to this new planet and still doesn't find a home there? Because his "home" isn't a place, it's Alex. 😭 Plus, that line "oh God i’m so tired of being afraid" is so on point for both Michael and Alex 😭😭😭 It is time to move past the fear! Come on season 3, bring them some happiness!

what would it feel like to put this baggage down? if i’m being honest, i’m not sure i’d know how. i want to take shelter but i’m ready, ready to fight and somewhere in the middle i feel a little paralyzed- but maybe i’m stronger than i realize

Oof oof oof. This verse hits me hard in my Alex feels. How he has carried the weight of what his dad did to Michael (and to him, but ya know, what he wants doesn't matter) and the years of push and pull where he feels himself taking what he can get from Michael and knowing he can't stay. And "i want to take shelter but i’m ready, ready to fight" fits with him seeking Michael out, finding shelter with him but also the way they still couldn't communicate and ended up fighting, but it's also so true for how Alex has lived so much of his life. Wanting to have somewhere safe, a place to be allowed to have his feelings (something he found in making music), but because of his dad and the abuse he faced at home he was always on edge, always guarded, and prepared to fight. And I love the next line "and somewhere in the middle i feel a little paralyzed" which really hits me in my Pilot Kiss feels. The vibe there of being scared, and angry, and hurt, and also looking for safety, and confirmation that the other is still okay...uuuuugh. It hurts! And then, Ryan has the audacity to finish that sentence with "but maybe i'm stronger than i realize" and if that isn't Alex Manes, I don't know what is. This is already so long, but I have to say that this verse gives me a lot of Michael vibes too, because he's also carried the weight of what Isobel did, and hiding it from her AND from Alex, and hiding who (what) he is from Alex. I also think of baby Michael and Max and Isobel finding him at Foster Ranch and him being so ready to fight 😭😭😭 and how as teens Alex offered him shelter. Plus Alex leaning in to kiss him that first time and him feeling paralyzed but then realizing and going after what he wants. Uuuuugh, these two!!

i want to believe no, i choose to believe that i was made to become a sanctuary. fear won’t go away but i can keep it at bay and these invisible walls just might keep us safe. with a vigilant heart, i’ll push into the dark but i’ll learn to breathe deep and make peace with the stars. is it courage or faith to show up everyday? to trust that there will be light always waiting behind even the darkest of nights

The emotion in his voice in this bit kills me. And there are sooo many good lines here! I love the wanting, no choosing to believe, which is a good theme for Malex since they have both been victims of circumstances and other people's hatred and it is time for them to take back control of their lives and what they want. "i was made to become a sanctuary" is just another version of "home can be a person" and I love that for them, with the added imagery of safety conjured by the word "sanctuary". And the idea that the fear may never leave them (catch me side-eyeing Forrest and his "pissing off homophobes is fun!" rhetoric), but they can lean on each other and their sanctuary to keep it at bay. The imagery of "with a vigilant heart, i'll push into the dark but i'll learn to breathe deep and make peace with the stars" is so beautiful (especially because anything space-related is automatically giving me Michael feels) and then it just doesn't stop and Ryan hits you "is it courage or faith to show up everyday? to trust that there will be light always waiting behind even the darkest of nights" and it's just a punch right to the soul. What a beautiful sentiment! It makes me think of Alex and his belief that people can be good, even after all the horrors he's seen, and Michael and the soft, gentle way he is with the people he loves, even after all the things he's been through. This was supposed to be a hopeful song, and it is but it's also reduced me to tears.

and no matter what, somehow we’ll be okay. don’t be afraid.

Ryan bringing it all back around and ending with a message of hope which is such a good message for Malex. "somehow we'll be okay. don't be afraid". (also, if we don't get a moment where they are trapped and one of them is injured and there is a "we're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay. Don't worry about me/don't be afraid" then what is even the point of anything?)

You said it best, "S3 let them be each other's home!"