Thoughts on TBB 3x14: Flash Strike

SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

Penultimate episode, people! 😨 This better not be too traumatising, I have a flight to catch later...

"Odds are against the Batch..." THANKS FOR THE REMINDER, EPISODE DESCRIPTION. I ALREADY KNOW THAT THERE'S A CHANCE THIS ISN'T GOING TO GO WELL AND I DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT THANK YOU VERY MUCH

"How's Echo going to get off that ship?" I'm with Wrecker on this one! I need to know how my boy is going to stay safe!!!

Well this is already going tits up

Crosshair, I think everything is failing, let alone the shields

THIS IS BATSHIT WTF

Rampart's screams are sending me 😭 he hates life so much rn

Echo's little head tilt when he got the idea for the disguise 🥺

THE END OF THE SCOMP POKING OUT OF HIS SLEEVE I'M DYING

Echo's content may be limited this season but it is absolutely top tier

Poor Crosshair. Having to go back to Tantiss was not something he ever needed to be put through again, but the respect I have for him putting himself through this to rescue Omega is immense. Crosshair was never cold and heartless and he just continues to prove that. 🫶

"Unfortunately, yes" The way they all shit on Rampart is incredible

The Kiners are absolutely killing it with the soundtrack as per usual 🔥

"Thanks for the hand" THIS MAN ISTG

Echo actually reminds me so much of Fives rn and it makes me both very happy and very sad

THE DROID CHUTE AGAIN?! Ffs, Echo

OMEGA, BE CAREFUL I DO NOT NEED YOU LOSING YOUR HEAD

"Depends on who's giving them" The evolution of Crosshair is so personal to me. Being a good soldier was never bout blindly following orders, it was about helping people, which meant knowing whose orders you should be listening to. Watching Crosshair grow to understand that he doesn't need to blindly follow whoever is in charge is heartwarming. This man has come so far.

"Deadweight" 😭 The nicknames for rampart continue to pile on

Well, the giant furry thing coming back isn't ideal

Omega, bestie, you are really stressing me out rn

ECHO THE HAND IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AWAY

...what did I just say?

"Not just her. We're here for all the prisoners you've been experimenting on" Truly Echo being Echo

THIS SHOW IS TOO STRESSFUL I CAN'T COPE

There's so much to wrap up her. What happened to CX-2? What are they gonna do with Rampart? Where did Wolffe go? What ever happened to Cody? What happens if the Batch do get off Tantiss? What then?

Like last week, I really enjoyed this episode, but I'm still worried about how this is all going to get wrapped up. I wouldn't;t be surprised if SW announced more shows that end up going back to some of these story points, but without confirmation of future projects, I feel like they really need to wrap up the loose threads in this show as much as possible.

✨ manifesting a 1hr finale ✨

dear diary, today hosies acted like the sky was falling and hizzies were to blame because a set pic of jenny & danielle was leaked even though any and all spoilers this season have all came from the hosie camp. lots of fun hypocrisy to enjoy

THEY CAN'T BE FR?? DJSKDJSKD

YAS give me more jess/rory analysis PLEASE ❤

I ended up expanding on my season 3 thoughts in another post, so I’ll just ramble on about something different if we’re all good with that!

Let’s discuss how “You could do more.” is, in some ways, the thesis of the whole Rory and Jess dynamic.

When Rory is not amused by his magic trick during one of their very first interactions (what a sentence lmao), it shows that she isn’t going to put up with the facade he puts on in Stars Hollow. She doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind and pushes him to take responsibility for his actions:

“All [Luke] does is stick up for you, and all you do is make his life harder. I guess that's what you have to do when you're trying to be Holden Caulfield, but I think it stinks. (...) Funny, I never pegged you as clueless, my mistake.”

Again, Rory points out the act Jess puts on but this also shows how she isn’t going to just passively allow him to act in such ways because she doesn’t see him as the nuisance/lost cause that much of the town sees him as. Instead, she holds him to a higher standard because she knows he isn’t clueless.

After a well-intentioned suggestion on Rory’s part, we see her at odds with the expectations placed on her by the town as she becomes “the poster girl for censorship” and she can openly discuss this with Jess as someone who would understand where she’s coming from, because he is one person who is not charmed by Stars Hollow’s small town antics. Her future isn’t bound to this place, so when Jess questions what Rory and Dean talk about, saying that ‘he doesn’t seem like her kind of guy’ it adds another layer to that conversation; let’s be real, Jess is not coming from a place of entirely pure intentions but after season 1, Dean is basically the town’s golden boy (despite previously being the new kid in town) and thus is the embodiment of one of the two worlds Rory is caught between throughout the series: Stars Hollow. But right from the Pilot, we know that Rory is set to “do more” than Stars Hollow. That whole sidestory in 2x12 and its relation to Rory could be an analysis of its own, which I don’t think I am equipped to offer at this time...

By 2x13, Rory is pushing against and growing frustrated with Lorelai’s view of Jess. Rory recognises that Jess should not need a tutor, after trying to explain his margin-writing to Lorelai in the previous episode, and it’s clear that Rory believes in Jess in a way that he himself does not at this point. He meets her words of encouragement and “you could do more” with cynicism but Rory remains unconvinced. Schooling should not be a measure of success – and by season 6 it ends up being beside the point anyway – but it is interesting that Jess’ reasoning for not going to college has nothing to do with himself and everything to do with what others have to say about him.

And why aren’t you going to college? (...)

Ask my mother, she could give you a couple reasons. Oh, and I’m sure Principal Mertin can chime in with a few good ones. In fact, ask your mother. She doesn’t know me all that well but I’m sure she could improvise a few things.

Do not give me that whole ‘I’m so misunderstood, Kurt Cobainy’ thing. You are way stronger than that and I don’t even wanna hear it.

That whole conversation in the car really is The Goods. The paths they have planned for themselves could not be more different but still, they offer each other the same unwavering support and encouragement.

I wont go into detail because I think I’ve already addressed this in my previous posts today but “you could do more” comes into play even during their relationship in that Jess, as we know, does not generate the most positive views from the people of Stars Hollow, perhaps believing that Rory could do more, so to speak, than him. If nothing else, the town definitely thinks so.

Jess shows support for Rory’s Harvard-and then-Yale dreams, which is one of many reasons his reappearance in 6x08 works so well. He assumes she graduated early before considering she wasn’t in school; when Rory keeps commenting on how her circumstances are “all temporary” Jess is visibly... I don’t know that I’d say concerned at this point but he is definitely taken aback.

I know it's good. Jess, you've got such a great brain. I knew that if you could just sit down and stop shaking it around, you could do something like this. I knew it. I knew it.

I know you did. (...) So, I just basically wanted to show you that. Uh, tell you... tell you that I couldn't have done it without you.

Obviously Jess is confirming her “you could do more” sentiments when he explicitly credits the role she played in helping him find success for himself. In doing so, this reassures Rory that she was right about something after feeling the defeat of Mitchum’s words for however many months by this point, and also reminds her of the ambitions she once had for herself.

Neither of them do or say these sort things for “I want to be with you” reasons but for “I want good things for you” reasons. It doesn’t come from a romantic place – they sincerely want the other to succeed, even if that means being apart. Even after everything that happened, Rory is saying “I hope you're good. I want you to be good.” in that 3x22 phone call, and then this in 6x08:

You know that section toward the front, the staff recommendations? I'm gonna grab a copy of your book and put it in that section, and then I'm going to write my own little recommendation on a card and attach it so people see it and buy it.

Please, that’s just cute :(

Of course it ends up ending in absolute MESS but she goes all the way to Philadelphia to see his open house. Imagine if she hadn’t checked the mail that day lmao

I just got the flier, and I don't know. I just wanted to see your place, but then this...

In AYITL, Jess hears Rory out as she divulges the state her life is in then reassures her that she’s in a rut that she is fully capable of getting out of. “Where is this coming from? What inspired you?” indeed. The implications, y’know??

Now I’m going to circle back to what I said about Dean representing Stars Hollow for a moment here. Logan very overtly represents the world of wealth and like I said, Rory is between these two worlds. Rory is a balance of the world of her grandparents and her mother; what’s interesting about Jess is that he doesn’t belong to either world, really. He can exist in the world of Stars Hollow because of his familial connections and history there and that brings us some little moments that are not at all deep, but I absolutely love anyway:

Can't wait to hear how you bagged the job.

It was the usual thing; I submitted my resume, plus samples of my work, I was thoroughly vetted, there were several lengthy interviews, plus complex negotiations over salary, benefits, parking–

You asked Taylor.

Pretty much.

And then when he asks Rory over the phone to fill him in on the ‘showbiz spat’ in 3x14. Stars Hollow has an important role in Rory’s life, and Jess is able to understand that world in a way that Logan simply can’t – if I recall, he is actually quite endeared by the town when he makes his first official visit there in season 7.

Season 5 makes Dean’s place in Rory’s life very clear, first with “What am I doing here, Rory? I don't belong here. Not anymore.” in 5x08 and then in 5x18, when Dean is used as a direct parallel to Luke:

They want more than this. Don’t you see that? And all you are is this. (...) This town, it’s all you are, and it’s not enough. She’s going to get bored, and you can’t take her anywhere. You’re here forever.

It’s... kind of an odd comparison to make in that Lorelai is quite happy with her Stars Hollow life and hasn’t indicated that she wants “more” than this. For Rory, though, it does reiterate that she wants more than Stars Hollow can offer her. I’ve discussed this before but the world of wealth and Logan, while initially intriguing to Rory, loses its shine during season 6 and she ultimately rejects it in that she doesn’t want to be bound by it. It offers temporary thrills and escapism, but she ends up having to enter the real world.

In Summer, Rory talks about looking at places in Queens so that might be the best, most recent indicator of where Rory wants to be in terms of geography. Just like Rory, Jess isn’t bound to any particular world – bouncing around from place-to-place in the original series, not unlike Rory in the revival – and together... they can do more. And that is that on soulmate-ism!

All in all, they hold each other to high standards not because they idealise one another or put each other on pedestals but because they genuinely believe in each other’s capabilities. They actively push each other to do more and important to note is that they hear each other in these moments; maybe not always immediately but they get there eventually because by the end, it’s clear they have a certain respect and fondness for each other. I like that they don’t passively roll along with whatever the other chooses to do, which may be the very reason some people don’t like them. As much as their dynamic evolves with time, there are just some things that remain a constant...

I stopped enjoying Donna's character near the Promise Ring story-line. She was so frustrating to watch & I have no idea why she would lead Eric on the way she did. She didn't explain her feelings when she should have. Honestly, I don't think she needed to end up with him anyway. She ALWAYS seemed to be more independent. Idk if they were even meant to last cause they're very stereotypical 'first love'. Hell, their song is 'Thirteen' & that couple is broken up in the lyrics.

I’m beginning to feel like Donna’s on trial … and I’m her main character witness. 😅

She doesn’t lead Eric on. She genuinely wants her relationship with Eric to last. We see plenty of proof of that during season 2. By the time of “The Promise Ring” (3x25), however, Donna has experienced months of Eric trying to control her and limit her. Feeling unsure that this is the kind of relationship she wants makes total sense at this point.

If Eric hadn’t stormed WFPP in “Radio Daze” (3x14) to confront Donna’s boss out of insecurity / Donna not having enough Eric-time

If his version of their future in “Baby Fever” (3x07) hadn’t been her sacrificing a career to raise their children

If he hadn’t dismissed her POV as invalid while writing their joint essay in “Who Wants It More” (3x11)

If he hadn’t tried to take advantage of her being drunk in “Romantic Weekend” (3x16)

If he hadn’t tried a new sex move on her without discussing it with her first in “Eric’s Naughty No-No” (3x19)

If he hadn’t tried to make her jealous in “Eric’s Panties” (3x06)

If he hadn’t read her diary without her permission in “Eric’s Drunken Tattoo” (3x22) …

Then maybe her attitude about their relationship would’ve been far more positive in “The Promise Ring”.

She didn’t explain her feelings when she should have.

She does explain them, in fact, before “The Promise Ring” (more on that after the cut). But her ambivalence toward her relationship with Eric doesn’t pop out of thin air, nor does it exist from the beginning. It develops over time. The more controlling Eric gets, the more he pushes Donna away, and Eric’s ultimatum in “The Promise Ring” culminates in her becoming aware of that ambivalence. She does love him, but she has to love herself first. So, as Jackie says about herself in “Celebration Day” (5x25), Donna chooses Donna.

After the cut, I’ll analyze their breakup scene in “The Promise Ring,” but I think the song “Independent Together” from Steven Universe: The Movie captures how Donna would ideally like to be in any romantic relationship. 

Donna: I wanted to talk to you. Oh, this is gonna be hard. Eric, I love you. A lot. But I have to give you your ring back.

From the start of the scene, Donna tries to reassure Eric how much she loves him. Not accepting his promise ring isn’t the same as rejecting his love. It’s rejecting his attempts to shape her life according to his will.

Eric: What? Why?

Donna: Okay, how do you see the next twenty years?

Eric: I don’t know. I guess I always figured we’d go to college together and come home …

Donna: Yeah, but Eric, you know that’s not what I want. I mean, I’ve told you that.

This exchange refutes the assertion that “[s]he didn’t explain her feelings when she should have.” Clearly, before the time of this episode, she expresses her wishes, interests, and hopes for her life after high school.

Donna: And who knows? I may wanna go to school back east or maybe in Paris.

Eric:  Ok, well, you know what, Donna? Whatever, ok? The important thing is that when you see yourself in Paris or wherever, I’m there, right? [Donna doesn’t answer.] Right?

Donna: I don’t know. Not always. I mean, it’s not like there’s anyone else, but sometimes I’m … by myself.

Again, this isn’t Donna rejecting Eric or their relationship. It’s rejecting a lack of independence and lack of choice while in their relationship. Life, if a person is lucky, will present positive opportunities. If she takes a semester abroad to study French, she should be able to do that without worrying it’ll put her relationship with Eric in jeopardy. If she wants to go to the Sorbonne in Paris all four years of college, and Eric doesn’t get in, she shouldn’t have to choose not to go because of his insecurity.

As she says in her next line:

Donna: All I mean is, I don’t know! Neither of us does! And this ring is just a stupid high school promise. If we’re meant to be together, then we’ll end up together!

Relationships take work to maintain, whether partners live in the same town or not. When Eric went to sleepaway camp with Kelso for however many summers, his friendships with Donna and Hyde didn’t end. They continued. Eric probably sent them post cards, too. If Donna goes to a different college than Eric, she’d surely miss him and do whatever she could to keep in consistent – not constant – contact with him.

Eric: No! The way we end up together is by saying we’ll be together and then … being together!

Donna: Eric, come on! We’re together now! Isn’t that enough?

Eric: No!

As I wrote here, Eric wants a guarantee Donna can’t give him. Even if she were to keep his promise ring and never take it off, their relationship could erode slowly. She could be hit by a bus, and Eric would lose her anyway. Instead of owning and dealing with his anxiety about his future, he tries to force Donna to give up dreams about her own.

Eric: I mean, damn, Donna! If you can see a future for yourself without me, and that doesn’t, like, break your heart, then –  I – we’re not doing what I thought we were doing here.

Eric totally misinterprets what Donna’s been telling him. She doesn’t see a future for herself without him. She sees a future for herself where she has time without him.  She has passions in life beyond a romantic relationship. He doesn’t – which she’s not responsible for (the writers are, but that’s a subject for a different meta).

If he decides to run a comic book store, she shouldn’t have to work there, too. If he wants to spend a weekend at a sci-fi convention, she shouldn’t have to go with him. She might want to, but she shouldn’t be obligated to. If she becomes a rock journalist, which might require a lot of traveling, he’ll have to decide if he can accept that.

But she might decide that, after spending X-amount of time apart from Eric during their college years, that she doesn’t want their relationship to be long-distance part-time. At seventeen-years-old, Donna can’t know these things yet. She hasn’t had the experiences, and Eric is too afraid to “let” her have them.

Eric: And you know what? Maybe we shouldn’t be together at all.

Donna: Wait a minute. … Are you breaking up with me?

Eric: Well, are you giving back that ring?

Donna: Yes.

Eric: Then … yes.

Eric threatens to end their relationship if she doesn’t commit to having Eric-time all the time. He – and their relationship – has to be the priority in her life. But what about her? Him making her the priority in his life would look a lot different. It would mean giving her the freedom she wants to pursue her non-romantic passions without worrying he’ll do exactly what he does here: end their relationship.

Eric’s heartbreak in this episode is of his own design. He’s known of Donna’s desires for herself a long time, probably before they ever kissed. They grew up as best friends, after all. But he’s thinking only of himself.

Donna, on the other hand, doesn’t want to break up with him. She loves him, as she says. She wants to be in a relationship with him, but she also refuses – at seventeen-years-old – to limit her life because of that relationship. But he’s trusts her love for her so little that no less than complete and utter sublimation of her will to his is what he’ll accept.

That’s what the promise ring represents to her: complete and utter sublimation of her will to his. Not commitment. He’s not self-aware enough to recognize that, and the show really should’ve explored just what made him so scared. Instead, we have Eric and Donna rushing into an engagement and a happily ever after … which they’re ultimately deprived of by bad writing.

y’all know i love beth & randall and i’m really happy they got over the season 3 angst but it seemed weird to me. they built it up and it lasted all season, more so in the last couple episodes, just to end it like they were fighting over what toilet paper to buy. i thought beth had a strong case so i’ve compiled a list of most, if not all, of randall’s sins.

i watched the whole damn series after the finale (bruh it was so much damn fast forwarding and they actually got me to watch 3x04 only to realize that it was a reason i stopped watching after the first 5 mins the first time 😫) and it was so hard to stay on task even with this list. this is kinda long but kinda funny, more commentary after

1x01- moved william in

1x05- moved kevin in; had a whole charleston dream nobody knew about

1x17- quit his job with no conversation before or after

1x18- I want to adopt a baby instead of asking if THEY could

2x01- “this isn’t going away for me beth. you need to get your head around it. if i can’t adjust you then i have to figure out a different way to do this” again with the “I” as if he’s in a relationship with himself

2x02- beth proposes a compromise & he doesn’t like her idea; he wants a brand spanking new kid. calls her reckless for wanting to foster

2x04- admittedly not that big a deal but deja’s hair situation; calls beth the lead parent and in the end, he still had her talk to deja just because his plan didn’t work

2x06- trifling about everything; i understand he just had an anxiety attack recently but still. pregnant beth has to comfort him; sidenote, beth looks amazing this episode

2x12- beth had to beg him to go to work; decided to follow some random mural instead of seeing through to his interview; decides to buy a building

2x13- didn’t listen to or consult his wife & partner about building renovations even though that’s her job

2x16- “vegas baby!” talmbout she’s detached & the head while he’s the heart because she needs a break; were they gonna hop on a plane in the middle of the night? sidenote, kate was so annoying like how did this become about you

2x17- no sins committed but i really liked deja’s mom at the end with the whole fam. i thought beth was finna have a friend FINALLY but shauna ain’t wanna sit there and eat her food

3x03- running for city councilman

3x05- not a sin but just for future sake; when he told her he’d drop out if she wasn’t feeling it after 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 weeks

3x08- basically said he let her do whatever because she’s his wife, not because her ideas were legit but we been knew it was a pity job; sidenote, i just think it’s funny how rebecca didn’t want miguel at thanksgiving because she felt like she was betraying her best friend yet she had no qualms about marrying him

3x09- beth wanted him to drop out because life was a lot and he refused; talmbout he made promises to a community.. what about your home sir?

3x10- thinks an audiobook will help parent his child. demands that beth & the girls show up to prop up his family man façade; talmbout she’s just upset because she has nothing she’s passionate about while he does 💆🏾‍♀️

3x13- no sins but damn, when she walked in that house and they embraced, my heart 😍🥰 and in the car lawd 😍

3x14- shoulda known it was all gonna go downhill when they started the ep all spicy and whatnot. randall tells beth to quit. i know you sacrificed a lot during my campaign but why don’t you sacrifice some more so i don’t have to head ass

3x15- how he gon ask who calling her at 4am then say he needs his phone for work at 4am. sir. still on that you should quit bs. “because i want you to see it the way i’m hearing it” whew chile. sidenote, madison really said toothpaste then gum 💀i had to watch this whole damn ep cuz they were all together the whole time 🤦🏾‍♀️ my mute button was put to good use tho 🙃

3x16- wanted her to drop her thing to be there for him because his job is more important than hers apparently.. what else is new? that voicemail just 🤦🏾‍♀️ sidenote, the montage of him doing the bare minimum was so contrive

3x17- left the voicemail to intentionally hurt her. said he won’t admit his job is more important because it will hurt her feelings, not because it isn’t true. heard none of what she said. it was so much bs in this i just can’t write it all. he was on one the whole episode; sidenote, sterling be swallowing susan’s whole face like relax sir 🥰 i love that for them tho. it took me like 3 hours to watch this one cuz them vows had me in a chokehold 😍😭

3x18- he ain’t do nun this episode but they both were making moves without each other.. deja’s speech was nice but randall ain’t have to do nun so 🤷🏾‍♀️

can we talk about how he said “i’ve never asked you to” in regards to her giving shit up for him. but like, he’s never said hey what do you want or get out of this? he just accepted it. anyway, i’ve already wrote a post about this so 🙄 when they’re good, they’re soooooooo good and i’m in love with them and i’m glad they get to live happily ever after but that resolution didn’t sit well with me.

the fact that it ended by them simply moving with no further conversation leads me to believe that this is not the end of their problems. this has been a clear problem their entire lives together. in the end, randall still got what he wanted because beth made it possible like she always does. she decided to move to philly and open a studio & teach there. randall didn’t have to give up anything.. except the big house which i’m kinda mad about because i like their house.

Rizal’s episode takes us back to S3, furthering Keenler baby. 

When you look at the order of conversations, you can see it. 

The Vehm, 3x12 -

Red: I assume Tom is the father.  Liz: I haven’t told him. Uh. He’s still figuring his life out.

If Red assumes Tom is the father, then he assumes Tom is the father. That’s why his following conversations are questionable, and upon closer look, thread into Rizal’s episode. 

Lady Ambrosia, 3x14 -

Red: What? Liz: You and Tom agree on something. Red: He wants you to keep the baby?

Why wouldn’t the father of the baby want to keep the baby?  Threaded into Rizal’s episode -

Cooper: If this case taught us anything, it’s that it doesn’t. Family isn’t about bloodlines. It’s about commitment and love and a whole lot of faith. The parents of Rizal’s children. No one would blame them for walking away from those kids.

He’d have a problem with Liz keeping the baby if it wasn’t HIS baby.  Back to Lady Ambrosia, 3x14 -

Ressler: I’m not saying it’s easy, but I’d never give up my kid for adoption.

The Caretaker, 3x16 -

Red: How are you feeling? Liz: We’ve decided to keep the baby. Red: We?

“We” would be obvious if he assumes Tom is the father. Or is he?

Liz: I’ve accepted Tom’s proposal. We’re gonna get married. Red: Right.

Notice his half laugh - half smile when she said this. It’s the repeat of history. His own history with Constantin and Raymond.  Threaded into Rizal’s episode -

Liz: Before “we” had Agnes, I thought Tom and I were gonna adopt, that family had nothing to do with biology.

Adding in The Careataker abducting Rose from her biological father, and Cooper’s dialogue for Rederina and Keenler baby endgame. 

Cooper: For generations, you and your ancestors kept other people’s secrets. But it was your secret - her - that put an end to it all. 

Her will be Agnes. Ilya is somehow a danger to her. Not to Liz, but to Agnes specifically. That’s why Red wanted this done before she came home, and why imposter Katarina injected him. I suspect Ilya is somehow connected to Tom’s side of the family, and Red’s afraid because he knows Tom isn’t the father of Agnes. Topping it off with Tom’s adoption agency interview. Because it’s absent the father.

Tom: In that moment, I just ... I don’t think I’ve ever loved her more. She’s gonna be a great mom. I mean, she really is.

More dialogues. 

3x13 -

Samar: Speaking of registries, Aram, do you want to go in on a baby gift for Liz? Ressler: She register for common sense? ‘Cause if she’s down for having Tom’s kid, she needs some. Aram: I think it’s romantic to forgive someone you love even if they had an insane error in judgment, which gives you night sweats and causes you to lose nine pounds in a month. I mean, it could anyway, [in - in theory].

Liz already had an insane error in judgment. Night sweats. Nightmares of Tom. 

Red: There is one thing that I can’t seem to wrap my head around. Liz: What? Red: Tom. After all the lies, all the deception and humiliation, how you can just forgive and forget. Liz: I haven’t forgotten. Forgiveness can’t change the past, but I believe it can change the future. Red: That’s a charming sentiment. But as far as I’m concerned, some things are unforgivable.

She forgave him, which will affect Agnes’ future ... so she was right. 

3x15 -

Ressler: Look, I’m just saying, in the end, women want babies. Samar: A lot of women give up their children for adoption. Ressler: Almost always under extraordinary circumstances, which I completely understand. Samar: Is that a fact? Ressler: It’s how women are wired. Keen’s gonna keep that kid.

Let's do some favorite What are your top three WA moments? And what are top three Spallen moments (I thought they were cute too, just not my OTP!) ? I hope you are feeling better today!

Oh, WOW. Top three SPALLEN moments too?!? I’ve never even thought of these tbh. Lmao. No one has ever asked. 😂 I’ll see if I can even remember far back enough to give you my top moments for them, but okay, here we go!

WESTALLEN:

1) 1x15 - Iris’s confession + kiss-like I could watch this scene on repeat for days (the whole episode rly). Everything from the music to the dialogue to the kiss (obvs) & both their facial expressions throughout it all are LIFE. 😍 Plus HE reveals to her he’s the Flash. More than I could’ve ever dreamed. Def a top 3 moment of theirs for me. ❤️

2) 2x23 - “I love you, Barry”-this whole scene was life & the best first kiss/ILYs we deserved. We see even in 3x21, it’s a huge moment for Barry b/c it’s one of the biggest memories he loses & then gets back. Just…Iris reaching out to Barry, using the potential of a romantic relationship as a way to help him cope, then understanding that for him even that’s not enough. Her willingness to wait for him b/c he waited so long for her. And then that ILY in that soft, choked up voice (that I did not see coming at ALL), followed by the sweetest, most perfect, most climactic kiss ever, I… And then Barry reciprocates her feelings too, which I had been waiting for since 2x16 I’m pretty sure. We got little nuggets in 2x20-2x22, but none of them were as clear cut as I wanted them to be (though 2x22 came pretty close), so that made my life as well. Aaaand we’ll just ignore everything that came next. Lol. Def DEF a top WA scene for me. Lol.

3) 3x09 - “I love you, Barry Allen” / “I love you, Iris West” + 3x14 opening scene & 3x14 proposal & 3x17 proposal…-basically all their big, super romantic moments in s3. Lol. I just can’t narrow it down to one out of all the incredibly gushworthy ones we got. Firsts are obvs a big thing for me. Asking Iris to move w/ him on Christmas + ILYs? That scene was so pure. I can’t help but ‘awwww’ over it every time I see it. The 3x14 opening scene was EVERYTHING. It was so domestic & Barry being so extra & Iris being shook & ILYs w/ the most adorable little kisses imaginable & the very clear implication of morning sex, I… It was life. I want many MANY more scenes like that in the show’s future (so we can all see it). The 3x14 proposal - *sigh* its tainted now & I know that. But if you ignore what came after (lol)…it was SO ROMANTIC. Candles EVERYWHERE, Iris’s favorite dish (& since he didn’t tell Joe abt the proposal, it means HE MADE IT HIMSELF), her fav ice cream, that super romantic backstory. I mean, I just… For a proposal w/ ulterior motives, that was pretty damn impressive. And Iris’s facial expressions throughout. She was so shook & touched &…that scene was GREAT. 😍 And ofc the 3x17 proposal. What can I say? He SANG for her. He wrote up a song & sang it & he put his whole heart into her. It was rly about just how much he loved her this time & it was so, SO beautiful. He doesn’t like to show off his singing talent if he doesn’t have to, but he did this. They freaking slow danced during it (which was def on my list of WA wishes to see) & the way he just so tenderly caressed her cheeks & held her hand…and he proposes to her in the exact same place he broke up w/ her, so he’s basically replacing a heartbreaking moment w/ the best moment of their lives. So when Iris looks at that spot on their windowsill, she’ll think of him proposing genuinely, not breaking her heart & I just… such a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL moment. The proposal at the end of the scene was just the cherry on top. Bless.

…

SPALLEN:

1) 2x05 - “I don’t want to wait anymore.”-Okay, so this whole episode was so adorable for them in general, what w/ the blind date & first kiss & all, but this line in particular just sold it for me. These two had been flirting non-stop for the past three eps at least (& only once was it too cheesy for me to go ‘RLY, guys?’ Lol). Barry ofc was in denial bc he’s not over Iris & doesn’t want to move on in case there’s the possibility Iris will suddenly want to be w/ him, but Joe tells him on more than one occasion that he’s into Patty, which he eventually has to admit to. Lol. And I love when he does & he makes a very determined effort to put her & their potential romantic relationship first. He corners her on the stairs & lays it all out, makes it obvs that there’s a connection there for him & he wants to explore it. Now that the blinders have been peeled away from his eyes, there’s no going back for him, & I just rly, rly love that line. And the whole episode. :P

2) 2x06 - “I might need a reminder soon.”-This ep had some great, swoonworthy scenes for them too (including the last one - “getting to know you makes me happy” 😭😩😍). But, as corny as it was, them recalling their first kiss & Patty being all ‘oh, I’m forgetting about it suddenly…you better kiss me again, so I remember.’ Lol. Too cute. I adore it. ❤️

3) 2x10 - “You need to figure out what it is that you want, and do it fast.”-Maybe it doesn’t make sense that this scene is in my top 3, but the angst was SO GOOD. He hadn’t told her yet & she was worried about him & had given him so many opportunities to tell her & she wants to go deeper w/ him. She wants the relationship to move past fun to serious, but there’s no way it can if he can’t meet her halfway. And I just…I was holding my breath, on the edge of my seat…I just wanted him to TELL HER. And then at the end of the ep I was hopeful & then that got squashed & 2x11 just hurt, but that scene in 2x10…MAN. It was so good. They could’ve come back from that & I’m so pissed that they didn’t, but it rly was just SO… like, he was finally rly listening to her & it was just emotionally top notch. Such a solid scene, even as it was breaking my heart. 😢

Aaaaand that’s a wrap!! As of rn, I’m not totally feeling better. But I appreciate your concern, Anon, & thanks for sending me such a fun ask! I felt the same way about spallen as you, so it was cool to actually get into that w/ somebody. 😁

I was gonna add pics for every scene, but I didn’t know when I’d get around to making those & I wanted to respond to this right away. Lol. Maybe later, but you’ll prob have to just settle for text. ;)

Thanks again!

My thoughts about what Cory said and Ed’s feelings

"Do you feel that Edward actually does love Oswald?" "Love? No. I think he admires him."-CMS This upsets me because I thought 3x15 was going to be about Ed realizing his feelings for Oswald, and Cory saying this after they shot the episode means I was wrong and it fades away my hopes for Nygmobblepot happening. I'm not mad at anyone for this, I know the show isn't just about Nygmobblepot and even if I grew an obsession for this ship, I'm finally starting to focus on the other aspects of the show again. I've also psychologically prepared myself for Nygmobblepot not happening on screen (because if it doesn't I will imagine it happening off screen) but still, I want it to see it happen and it always hurts to see my hopes fading away. Although, Cory saying this doesn't mean that Ed doesn't love Oswald. He said "think", which means that's his own interpretation. The truth belongs to the writers, which isn't even really true because they can still change their mind in the meantime (per example they didn't plan on turning Barbara crazy at the beginning). Everyone is entitled to their own interpretation and none is gonna change mine. I'm going to share it in case some people need some positivity after that. You can believe me or not, but to me Ed loves Oswald and here's what convinced me into it: -Ed has acted with Oswald and Kristen a very similar way: he stalked them both, gave them weird gifts, forced them to stay in his appartment, confessed his murders, planned a dinner for them at 8 o'clock, served them a beverage when they were in his bed, sat on his bed with them to listen to their problems, made a love riddle for them, risked his life for the other one's... -Oswald and Ed have acted pretty much the same way toward each other: they both saved each other's life, they both visited the other after they've been arrested, both host the other one, they admire each other, dress each other then compliment each other about their looks, amaze each other, learn from each other, take care of the other one when he's recovering from injuries, they're both really tactile, they've both been willing to die for each other... They still loved each other a different way. Ed's love was repressed but shown with his devotion (from ? to 3x11), while Oswald's love was expressed but shown with possessiveness (from 3x06 to 3x14). To me, it makes Ed's love more genuine than Oswald's (until 3x14). -Ed shooting Oswald doesn't have to mean he doesn't love him. In fact, he probably loved him more and shot him because the betrayal made it more hurtful, also maybe because he didn't want to deal with all of the feelings it caused and prefered to deal with one big painful feeling (grief) than dizains of big conflicted feelings. He also shot him because Oswald didn't love him the right way, if he hadn't kill Isabella or if he had been good at comforting Ed, this would have never happened. I also believe that Ed has loved Isabella and was blinded by rage when he found out Oswald was the one who killed her, I don't want to be in bad faith. -Oswald said he loved Ed in 3x06 but then realized he was wrong back then in 3x14. Why Ed wouldn't be wrong too, when he said he didn't love Oswald? Oswald and Ed both grew up in a loveless environnement and know little about love. The only person who has loved Oswald during his childhood was his mother, who was also possessive towards him. I love Gertrude and the relationship she had with Oswald, but I recognize it was pretty unhealthy and a bad reference for his future relationships. I'm pretty sure that's what made him so possesive at first. Ed, on his side, knows even less about love since he's probably been abused and unloved by his parents in addition of his classmates and colleagues. Ed has probably never been loved by anyone until Oswald. It's even harder for him to know what love is and how to act with it (the second part being proven with the way he has acted with Oswald and Kristen at first). He does know something though: "love is about sacrifice"=>he almost died for Oswald, "it's about putting someone's needs and happiness before your own"=>for a while Ed's only purpose was to make Oswald a great and happy mayor. I think this quote is the real proof that Ed loves Oswald without realizing it. It doesn't matter if Nygmobblepot happens on screen or not (well... actually it matters for my feelings but not for my belief) Because of all this, I will never stop believing that Ed loves, or at least has loved Oswald.

It’s finally time...to talk about Clarke + Manipulation: Part 1

Part 2: Bellarke

The “finally” in the title is in honor of @wellsjahasghost, who almost literally has been waiting for this meta for years.

So, over the course of my time in the 100 fandom, I’ve had many Thoughts about Clarke’s use of manipulation in the narrative and, just as important, fandom’s responses to this character trait/these instances of manipulation. So I wanted to take some time to discuss what I think are some misconceptions about Clarke’s use manipulation in the narrative, what it means for her character development, AND what it means for Bellarke (which will be in a separate part 2 post). 

Disclaimer: As usual, this meta was written entirely for my own (and Jade’s) benefit, and isn’t a response to anything in particular or an automatic dismissal of rival perspectives or even a guarantee that this is the interpretation I will stick with in the future. It’s just a fun discussion I (and Jade) felt like having about Clarke and Bellarke before s4, so feel free to take it or leave it!

Disclaimer 2: I am NOT talking about manipulation in this meta as an inherently bad thing or as something I think the narrative /should/ condemn! I think that’s kind of a limited perspective, and I’m more interested in the details of how this trait actually manifests in Clarke and her relationships than how it /should/ manifest or if it’s capital-R “Right.” I’m gonna mention this a couple of times throughout this meta, but truly it can’t be said enough. When it’s okay to manipulate (for the greater good v. for personal gain? for your people’s good v. all people’s good?) is outside the scope of this meta. I’m more interested in how the narrative treats Clarke’s manipulation (in part 1) and how this trait plays in Bellarke’s relationship (in part 2).

To start, a couple helpful definitions of (interpersonal) manipulation:

1. to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage 

2.  to manage skillfully and especially with intent to deceive

*you’ll notice that these definitions imply the inclusion of intent/motivation, which is an inherently subjective thing to identify in a character so that’s definitely something I’m keeping in mind!

I think Clarke’s penchant for manipulation is a really fascinating part of her character. It gives her so much power - it has since day 1 - and it has both been an unapologetic part of Clarke’s political repertoire but also, at the same time, a power she never really asked for. Clarke has, over the course of the seasons, become more comfortable with manipulation as a tool and ostensibly has learned to use this power she has for good - to protect her people. By the end of s3, however, I do think the narrative is challenging us to ask ourselves whether Clarke has come to stretch this power and take it too far in violating people’s ability to fully consent to a situation. This progression, whether it’s purposeful, whether it matters, and what I think about it are what I’m gonna talk about in this section through looking at several scenes (Note: These are not the *only* scenes where Clarke uses her powers of manipulation, just the ones I had something to say about.).

Classic Clarke: Getting What She Needs

1x02 “they’re thinking only one of us is afraid”: In this scene, Clarke plays Bellamy like a fiddle and immediately alters the power dynamic in their relationship. It is one of the first and best examples of Clarke’s intuition when it comes to getting people on her side. She’s already using the source of the legitimacy of Bellamy’s power against him: the mob. The mob only follows him because he is “less afraid” (lol they have no idea) than them and gives them what they want - so she threatens to undercut that legitimacy to ensure she has a gun on her team when she goes to find Jasper. It’s a brilliant scene for Clarke’s character and also establishes the pattern of Clarke and Bellamy constantly re-evaluating their impressions of each other each time one of them does something the other doesn’t expect.

1x10: This is a tiny scene but I wanted to include it for a couple of reasons. One is that this is one of the last times Clarke manipulates Bellamy in their partnership. The thing is though, I’m not even sure how successful Clarke’s “manipulation” is in this scene. She convinces Bellamy to let Clarke keep Octavia in quarantine ostensibly by saying “think of it as another way to keep her from sneaking out.” That sentence is deceitful because Clarke plans on having Octavia do just that - sneak out - but it is manipulative because Clarke is playing into Bellamy’s (rather problematic) s1a wish to keep tabs on Octavia to get him to agree to have her in quarantine. 

But the thing is, Bellamy has basically already agreed to Clarke’s reasoning before she says this line; Clarke would have gotten her way (Octavia in quarantine - her sneaking out was never gonna be ok) whether she’d tried to “manipulate” him or not because they’re coming to the point in their relationship where they trust each other’s motives and judgments enough to let themselves be swayed by the other. I suppose the halfheartedness of Clarke’s manipulation attempt here could be brushed off as her exhaustion from sickness, but I really think it’s a key indication that both she and Bellamy are weary of playing that game and that Clarke is starting to see Bellamy as someone to depend on, not someone she has to manipulate to her side. More on bellarke + manipulation in part 2.

(source)

Okay I’m covering these all together because I think they’re representative of many instances over the course of s1-s3 where Clarke uses manipulation to try and achieve a particular end, and the narrative doesn’t really question or challenge her methods. I think up until some scenes in s3b that I’ll talk about, the narrative treats Clarke’s ability and willingness to bend people to her way of thinking through manipulation - ranging from deceit to lies of omission to strategic selection of context - pretty neutrally. The show has historically been good (barring some glaring examples) at presenting character’s actions (especially Clarke’s) in a morally-neutral light that allows the audience to engage with the narrative and decide right/wrong/what they would do in Clarke’s shoes for themselves. 

I myself have never had an issue with Clarke’s penchant for using manipulation because I see it as a kind of morally-neutral trait and she is always using it for the betterment of her people and not for individual gain. I’ve also never agreed with members of the fandom who believe people “romanticize” this trait of Clarke’s. Tbh, I think Clarke’s manipulation IS a praiseworthy character trait to the extent that it’s a gutsy trait to give a main female character that you want your audience to root for. Traditionally, femininity + manipulation = the boogeyman of the patriarchy, and so it seems like every female villain ever is manipulative, and most female “heroines” we’re supposed to root for are naive/honest/earnest (often to a ridiculous extent) or otherwise nonthreatening when it comes to manipulation. 

Clarke + Consent: A Lesson to Learn? 

But of course it wouldn’t be the 100 if they didn’t ever challenge assumptions about what is right and wrong, and which side of that line the main characters are falling on (obvi they do not always execute this balance well, but I still want to talk about what’s going on with Clarke in 3b).

So there are a couple scenes in 3b where Clarke is called tf out by the narrative through characters like Niylah and Luna (who the audience is supposed to Trust) about how her manipulation can border on coercion and rob the people she interacts with of the ability to consent. Let’s take a look at two of these instances.

3x11:

(x)

*note: Clarke actually says “YOU wouldn’t have helped” in screencap #1

So basically all of us know that 3x11 is the Episode of Clarke (and everyone tbh) Getting Called Out. But I think a particularly interesting moment (one that @metastation podcast also talked about in their 3x11 podcast, if I remember correctly) is at the end of the ep, when Niylah admonishes Clarke after she finds out that Bellamy was involved in the Trikru massacre.

Niylah basically says to Clarke here: you robbed both Bellamy and I a chance to decide on this issue for ourselves, the opportunity to maybe rise above it or deal with it in another way because you didn’t want to risk me not helping you. And I think Niylah’s point is interesting for 2 reasons: (1) She basically articulates the risk/reward calculation Clarke makes every time she manipulates someone. Which is: what is the risk they won’t do what I want/agree with me if just give them the bald-faced truth? And (2) the fact that the narrative points this out through Niylah signals to me that we the audience should question whether Clarke’s gauging system for the risk/reward calculation has become a bit too skewed towards “the end justifies the means.”

3x13/14: 

Okay so Clarke’s interactions with Luna are great imo because they truly span the gamut of Clarke + manipulation. This first scene at the end of 3x13 is what I like to call Manipulation Lite™ when Clarke basically just whitewashes the journey she and the chip have been through to get to Luna, as well as glosses over the details of the state of the Commandership itself.

Except Luna knows what the fuck she’s about and it’s definitely not being warlord to a culture that made her kill her brother, so Clarke’s attempts fail. And so we move to 3x14, where I think things get both interesting and confusing as far as Clarke’s moral/manipulation “arc.”

In 3x14, specifically the scene where Clarke tries to force the chip on Luna, it’s really the first time I can remember that Clarke’s willingness to twist situations to her advantage full on graduates into physical coercion. Clarke can see that there is no way to convince or manipulate Luna into taking the chip and, desperate as she is to save humanity, she bypasses any semblance of allowing Luna free will.

I think this is really interesting because the narrative definitely isn’t supporting Clarke whole-heartedly in this moment: the scene becomes an ode to how badass Luna is, how mentally strong her pacifist ideology makes her, and the considerable lethal skill that lurks beneath her peaceful beliefs. When Luna puts Clarke on her back, the audience is like “damn, get her girl!! sorry Clarke you deserved that!” Luna isn’t framed as selfish or mean or inordinately violent for putting Clarke on her ass; in a sense the narrative sees that she’s justified for resisting this coercion.

But here’s where things get confusing. The narrative doesn’t defend Clarke’s decision in 3x14 but in 3x15 and 3x16 it doesn’t really follow up on it. In other words, the narrative doesn’t really address the implication it makes in 3x14 that Clarke went too far. I thought the moments with Niylah and Luna were meant to contribute to an arc about Clarke learning that she needs to respect free will more than ALIE does in order to beat her. But as far as I can remember, there’s not another instance where Clarke can choose between manipulation/coercion and free will and she chooses the latter, which would have been a fitting closure to the arc. 

So am I crazy for thinking that this arc is something that exists? Maybe, but I don’t think so. I mean, as much as I don’t love the show framing its moral arcs in the mouth of Octavia, especially after 3x10, she articulates the Free Will Problem in 3x14:

“Even ALIE gives people a choice.” Basically all of 3x14 is implying that the Sky People in general, and Clarke in particular, have some work to do where free will is concerned. And so one would think that this “work” would come before our protagonists ultimately prevail in the finale. But it really doesn’t seem to. I have a couple possible explanations for this. I tend to think the answer is a little of both. (1) is lazy writing (possible with so much other stuff they wanted to fit into the finale). I think (1) has merit because the writing makes a couple weak passes at the Clarke x free will arc in 3x16 during these two moments:

#1

#2

These are two moments in the finale where Clarke gives some impassioned lines on free will. And clearly free will is something Clarke values, but these scenes are interesting in juxtaposition with the lengths Clarke was willing to go to to get Luna to take the chip. Does she regret that decision now? If she could go back would she make the same choice? The answers to these questions are unclear. As much as the writing on this show tries to get us to questions characters’ decisions, I think there is a tendency towards hypocrisy sometimes, and I’m wondering if this is one of those instances.

Clarke only goes “too far” (as defined by the narrative) with her manipulation-turned-coercion  when she feels like there is no other choice. Is the narrative suggesting that Clarke’s desperation excuses the coercion in 3x14? If so, why did the narrative frame that scene as Clarke “going too far?” 

(2) The more satisfying and, I think, convincing conclusion about the poor landing of Clarke’s Free Will arc in s3 is because it is a theme that will feature in s4.

Right after the second scene screenshotted above, where Clarke asks ALIE to give people a choice about whether or not to leave the COL, Becca answers Clarke’s plea by telling her that ALIE literally cannot offer the people in the COL. “Her core command is to make life better,” Becca says. And allowing the residents of the COL to choose for themselves would contravene that core command. Is it just me, or does this draw a parallel to Clarke’s, like, entire storyline? 

Clarke only ever does morally questionable things for the good of her people, and barring that, the good of all humanity. But at what point does working towards the greater good matter if it involves robbing people of their free choice? This seems like the fundamental reason ALIE as a concept doesn’t work: she doesn’t allow people to choose their own destruction, to opt out of “salvation,” and so she is forced into perverse instantiation to save humanity. To me, this is an extraordinarily interesting theme to introduce before season 4. To what extent will Clarke (and Bellamy) choose to let people opt out of salvation in s4? How far is Clarke willing to go to coerce people into making the “right” decision? And far can she go until she, like ALIE, commits an unacceptably inhumane level of perverse instantiation? The idea that s4 might be a lot about free will in the face of the apocalypse is a very real (and very exciting!) prospect to me. I think it would set the stage for some truly wonderful character moments, for Clarke and for everyone else.

Part 1 Conclusion

I love Clarke Griffin. I think Clarke’s manipulation makes her interesting, and it makes her CLARKE. It’s the other side of the coin from her ability to empathize so deeply with people, so deeply that she knows what to say to get them on her side. I’m really glad I wrote this meta because, even though it might bore some of you Bellarke diehards out there (part 2 is for you I PROMISE), it helped me work out some of my thoughts and feelings about Clarke in 3b going into season 4. And ultimately I’m excited at the prospect of seeing the growth of a possible Free Will Arc, both through Clarke as a character but also as a larger theme of the show.