#she’s in season 6 ep 14
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can’t believe i’m pirating an episode of drunk history so i can see more jess mckenna content
#jessica mckenna#jess mckenna#off book#drunk history#she’s in season 6 ep 14#definitely don’t look at levidia.ch#it definitely won’t have the episode
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first moments drive to survive | se4 r.2022
pairings: formula 1 grid x fem driver!oc
warnings: a bit of swearing | This is quite a long one
a/n: lines in bold and italics are the lines of journalists or the show’s narrator, and indents are radio moments or interview clips.
Ep1 : Clash of The Titans
Four rookies entering Formula 1 this year.
Valentina who was sitting in her team’s uniform waves to the camera.
It was cut short when it shows Yuki with his clapper. “My name is Yuki Tsunoda.”
Haas’ Mick, “Mick Schumacher” and Nikita, “Nikita Mazepin, Haas Formula 1 Team” It then cuts to Val just staring, “Is it rolling?” she inquires after the prolonged silence. The crew laughs before beckoning her to introduce herself, “Yeah, go on”
She clears her throat, “Hi, I’m Valentina Corbyn and I drive for Alfa Romeo.” Closing the clapper board a little bit too hard as she visibly flinches, “Oh!”
The people behind the cameras laugh before it cuts to a different set-up.
Pictorial on the track
7:21
“Eye contact with the cameras,” the photographer calls out to get every drivers’ attention. The video however zoom in on Valentina who was leaning on the car.
Spotting the camera she tries to send a disapproving look, pointing to the camera man as she shakes her head. The camera shakes in response.
7:34
There’s a lot of male pride and ego flying around…
Val’s laugh is the first thing heard, “and I’m here to balance it!!” Exaggerating her actions as she points to herself.
"Ooo, I just gave myself an ick, with what I've done there."
7:58
Showing a thumbs up, “You guys are good. Everyone’s all good,” the photographer ends their session as he walks away.
In the background, however, the well-known chaotic pair are at it again. This time Lando is seen fist-bumping her, walking side by side back to the garage. Val stopped in her tracks after he whispered something to her, and her expression showed faint shock at whatever that was. She completely faces him before playfully hitting his abdomen.
The action pushed Lando back and bumped into Carlos, who was behind them. Like a fed-up older brother, he just shakes his head and wraps an arm around Val’s shoulder, urging her to rush forward.
BAHRAIN
Are you happy?
Her look of confusion’s evident on her face, “Like the with the results of the race?” She makes sure with the person interviewing her. In which she gets an approving nod on her end.
“From starting in 9th then to p5? Of course, very. It isn’t what we expected for my first race but it’s something that I’m happy this early on”
Do you plan on placing higher?
Quirking up a brow, “Yeah, I hope so. No driver is ever satisfied in their position unless they’re at the top. But I’ll take my time before I show the world more of what I got… at least, that’s what Kimi told me.” Val finishes with a refreshing smile directed at the camera.
Ep 2: Ace in the Hole aka a look into Lando and Val’s friendship
5:25
Lando and Valentina’s friendship started way back before their karting days. This year despite being rivals on the track, you can say that they’re quite the opposite off-track, in some way or another.
Panning the view to Val, hiding in the shade, she scrunches her face as she looks at Lando, about to swing the golf club for the nth time that day. Max, a mutual friend of theirs, motions her to come closer.
Pushing herself off the cart, Lando takes his chance to swing. After taking a couple steps closer, a groan erupts from him, earning him a chuckle from his friends.
“That’s quite a bad hit right there, innit?” Val teases him as soon as she’s stood next to Max.
Moving to get his turn, Max agrees with her while getting in position, “Yeah, you’ve had a shocker there, mate.”
“Shut up, the both of you,” Lando grumbles before jokingly kicking some dirt towards Val’s direction, causing her to shriek in displeasure.
6:14
Walking back near the cart, Max brings up Lando’s new teammate, Daniel Ricciardo. “So how are you feeling about Danny Ric this season, mate?… Confident?” Val, who is seen sitting on the grass, turned to look at Lando's expression.
Shrugging, “He’s obviously a good driver. Seven-time… Seven-time winner?” He said before looking at Val who is nodding at him.
“I got faith in you, buddy,” Max finishes as he takes a swing for his turn. Seconds later, it was Valentina’s turn to swing. Clearing her throat, she points at Lando before imitating Max’s tone, “I’ve got faith in you too, mate.” Swings the club… and intentionally misses the ball.
Lando stood there looking at her in faint disbelief, “You didn’t even hit the ball”, gesturing to the still intact golf ball and tee.
“Yeah, 'cause I also need to have faith and win myself.” She told him, as a matter of fact, before making a proper swing.
What is it about your and the Alfa Romeo rookie's relationship?
Chuckling at the question, “Val? We’ve known each other for quite a while, probably half my life, more so hers. She’s like an itch that you can’t get rid of… but in a good way. Vali’s been one of the constants since before karting, as am I to her, so I’ll say we have a good ass relationship.” He ends his statement with a fond smile.
What does it feel like to see her joining formula one and being rivals on track?
Sucking in a breath, he wears a cheeky smile as he answers, “Seeing her come up on here and race us, makes me feel accomplished. Just 'cause I’ve seen where she’s started… And we’ve experienced a lot of things together with the others, so to get a chance in Formula 1, it’s more of like a win for the both of us, really.”
“To being rivals it- we’re both really competitive people, too competitive as I might say so. But a race is a race, a win is a win, at the end of the day- or a race really, we’re still friends, nothing's about to change.”
Raising his eyebrows teasingly, “We’ll just have to prove who’s going to one-up the other this time.”
Ep 3: Tipping Point
MONACO
In the last five races, you’ve started up in p5 and then p3 in Portugal. In this race however, not only did you manage to outsmart the Max Verstappen in that last corner, but you have also won your very first Grand Prix, this early on in your career. How do you feel about that?
Val, who was sitting back on the chair, smiled widely when asked about her unexpected win. “Honestly, it still hasn’t sunk in. It’s been like 2 or 3 weeks. But I feel great as a whole, makes me feel good about myself, like an unexplainable tingling sensation that happens throughout my body.” She said, wiggling in her seat to show the feeling.
You have also celebrated with McLaren’s Lando Norris, who we’ve just known is a very close friend of yours.
Taken aback, “Really? You’ve just known… isn’t that like common knowledge for you guys at this point?” She questions with a light voice before continuing.
“Jokes aside. It’s amazing, it feels amazing to actually stand on a podium with one of your closest friends. Cause after all that daydreaming as kids you never would’ve thought you would reach the top this early on in your career..”
And since then you’ve never dropped out of the top 5.
“Yeah, that’s what keeps me awake at night. It’s become a “wow” factor for me as the season progresses. Never really thought I’ll be with the people I looked up to growing up, but now that I’ve stood- is standing, rather, next to them I feel like I’ve reached the next step or like phase of my life and that, along with this Grand Prix win, would help me become a better driver and a person as time passes.”
Ep 4: A Mountain to Climb
You’ve entered this season with two rookies and reports are already saying that you’re offering Alfa Romeo’s Corbyn a seat in Haas this early on in the season. What has Haas' Guenther have to say about all this?
“I- uh, she’s good despite being a rookie, even better than some…” he looks around, giving them "the look" that says everything about what he means, “but I have a reason to believe our... negotiations will be on hold. Like how she did with her team in the last two years.. she uhm-”
With McLaren’s shoot on hold, Guenther takes his chance to walk right behind the team to have a small chat with Val who was once again wandering around the paddock.
The rookie still chatting up her closest companion, Lando, looks off to the side when her name was called. Lando, taking his chance, shoots her arm. Receiving a groan from her.
Guenther who was now closer to them call back her attention, “Hey, you. Answer my call yeah?”
She laughs knowing the meaning behind his words, but being the cheeky person that she is, tilts her head before innocently saying, “My phone isn’t on me. I’m sorry, I guess?”
Back to the interview, Haas’ team principal can only drag a hand down his face while letting out a breath, “That would be true if she’s been in contact with us, but she isn’t, so no.”
Ep 5: Staying Alive
Zooming in on Val congratulating Lando and Danny on their 1-2 Monza Win
The camera zooms past all the McLaren employees to show Valentina rushing inside towards Lando who’s still in the team’s garage after the podium.
Her voice, barely audible is heard over that chatting in the room, “Norris!!” she reaches up to take him into a hug, which Lando reciprocated. Letting go, Val pats his shoulder a wide smile on her face, “Well done, mate! McLaren be getting that 1-2 win, yes?”
Giving the younger one a never-changing appreciative smile, he pats her hand on his shoulder in return, “Yeah…” Their conversation fades out as Lando walks her out of the garage to where the rest of the drivers are.
Finally seeing the other McLaren winner, Val quickens her steps offering her hand out for a fist bump with Daniel, “Well done to you too, Ricciardo!”
He pushes her sideways by his hip, “Aww, isn’t that sweet. But don’t push it, kid. You’re just saying that, so I’ll congratulate you on your next win.”
Releasing an exaggerated gasp, she looks at the other two drivers, Carlos and Lando, “I am not... but you did say next so...” Fading out the conversation, she tries to kick his shin, which he did evade.
Ep 6: A Point to Prove
A driver and their engineer's radio moments are one of the most awaited when it comes to Formula 1. And to say that Val and her engineer Alejandro's radio moments are entertaining is an understatement.
HUNGARY The whole Turn 1 drama but in Val’s POV
It’s lights out and away we go
Corbyn-Alfa Romeo
oh... my... gosh... Alejandro...
Keep position, multiple crashes in turn 1
Yep.. so early in the race, guys. Too early
Corbyn trying to take advantage of the chaos and- OH NO! Being pushed on the rear by the McLaren...
The Aston Martin into the Ferrari, the McLaren and the Alfa Romeo
Corbyn-Alfa Romeo
Holy shit, that did not just fucking happen
Language
Sorry sorry
Copy, Val. Red flag then Lap 3. Box please, Box
Okie
Ep 7: Growing Pains
So far, the fellow has been the only one to raise Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda’s spirits after a temper tantrum. And to say that isn’t a shock actually, with both drivers having fits on track you can say that the other actually handles themselves better.
Standing by the door, Val currently has a clear view of the paddock’s entrance. Seeing Yuki’s familiar stature walking towards the building, she races both her arms up, as he enters, to get his attention.
Clearing her throat, she lets out the phrase she’s been practicing all night just to race Yuki’s spirits. It sort of became a thing between the two young rookies.
“Hey, Yuki-san!! Kyō no rēsu no junbi wa dekite imasu ka?” She said laughing at her broken Japanese. In response, Yuki laughed at her attempt and gave her a high five before responding and walking further away from the camera. (Are you ready for today's race?)
Ep 8: Dances with Wolff
Belgian Grand Prix - Qualifying
Corbyn-Alfa Romeo
Val, red flag ahead, slow down. Vettel’s still half a second behind.
What’s happened?
….
Ale?
…Norris has had a bit of shunt in Eau Rouge
exhaling loudly Fucking hell should’ve called this off earlier.
Seeing the wreckage, the rookie is seen stopping a close few feet away, before getting up from her seat. Norris shook his head at her actions.
Corbyn-Alfa Romeo
No, Val, the race is still a go. Continue on, he’s fine
The hell he is... shitting, FUCK!
Calm down, he’s fine safety’s on the way
she waves her hand, asking if he’s ok You guys are fucking kidding me, should’ve prevented this earlier
Copy, copy. Vettel had shared the same thought. who’s now directly behind you and Val, language, please.
ok... ducking bum heads they are.
Ep 9: Gloves are Off
QATAR
We’re in the desert. We’re in Qatar for this year’s brand-new circuits in the Middle East
The few-second clips has shown Mercedes’ Toto Wolff arriving, Checo and his team on the track, Carlos and- rather Carlos’ team can be seen scurrying around the place, trying to find their missing driver.
A few minutes in and the drivers and their are getting ready for today’s practice. Buxton's voice in the background is heard as the hunt for Carlos Sainz is starting,
Valentina has clearly been a fan and paddock favourite ever since her debut. The way she fits in with the other 19 drivers who clearly dominate the area is surprising. Throughout the season Val has shown how capable she is as a rookie driver deserving of her seat, her confidence and attitude on track are what keeps her in the positions she’s currently at. And with the outstanding results she’s been getting, there’s no doubt she’ll be getting some contracts on her desk. But what these people forget is that this astonishing driver is the youngest on the grid at only eighteen...
Zooming in, a very peculiar situation can be seen inside the Ferrari motor home. A driver who clearly isn’t supposed to be there is currently on the couch, sleeping with Ferrari’s missing driver.
Valentina is seen still wrapped up in her team’s jacket, leaning toward her fellow Spaniard who lets her, despite being called by his team a couple times. Seeing the camera recording them, Carlos places a finger towards his mouth gesturing for them to keep quiet as he points it to Valentina.
This is a sight that the whole Formula 1 community has come to cherish.
For the second time in the series, Will Buxton, a known F1 journalist talks about another possible driver change, now for Red Bull Racing.
Other than the fight for the championship, Alfa Romeo has had a massive comeback, currently running for fourth place verse McLaren. Points have been increasing, the majority coming from the rookie, Valentina Corbyn, who has scored the most points than the other three…
Adding to her tremendous starting career as an f1 driver, Valentina not only has had Haas coming after her, but Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner has also been a frequent guest at Alfa Romeo’s motorhome. With Red Bull only having signed Sergio Perez as their driver this season, is he ready to lose his seat to the 18-year-old that fast?
“Bonjour”
“Bonjour” Red Bull’s Christian Horner greets the journalist in front of him.
“There seems to be a high level of tension between the drivers, the team principals, and now the newly signed and rookie drivers. Is it good for Formula 1 or is it a bit—“
Cutting him off Christian answers, “It’s a competition, you know? It’s not a kids club. And you know, we operate in different ways. Toto will shout and scream at the camera. Maybe I’m a little bit more, calm.”
“Other than that, rumours have been circulating that you’re in the process of having Alfa Romeo’s Corbyn sign in with Red Bull for next year’s season. What does that mean for Perez?”
With a neutral stare, the Red Bull team principal crosses his arms to his chest, “Contracts are what keep a driver’s career running aside from their skills. Valentina’s a very skilled driver so if she does end up with us, the media isn’t going to be announcing it to the world.”
Ep 10: Hard Racing
Interview cameos can be fun from time to time. But when two youngsters are in the same room, the fun comes first before you can even start something.
0:21
"Right!"
"Testing, three, four. Nutsack, five, six," Daniel started as soon as he sat down.
Lando, who has his foot in the air, can be seen trying to swat something, or rather someone, with his other slipper.
Pointing to Val, who was by the door, "Oi get her out. What the hell you’re doing here, anyway?"
Shrugging, she just raises her hands in surrender, "Don’t worry Lando, I've seen weirder stuff that you do."
Throwing his slipper at her response, the video pans as she's seen exiting the room.
Sighing at her antics, "Ok… Action!"
2:59
Who’s your money on?
Smiling, Daniel shakes his head, "I’ve gone back and forth. At this rate, it’s a flip of a coin," he said, voice filled with hesitance.
George, contrary to Daniel, went with a straight answer, "I think Lewis is gonna get it."
Along with Lando, who was quite happy with his response, "I think it all points to one person… Max Verstappen"
Pierre, with confidence, "Lewis and Max won’t see the second corner."
Valentina, however, didn't give a clear answer when asked. She's caught off guard by the question as she stopped tying her hair up mid-way.
"That is a dangerous question. If I want my dad to kill me, I’ll have to answer Max… But if I want Hor- a certain someone to get mad at me, I’ll say Lewis... You know what, let’s just wait and see." She concludes with that know loved smile of hers.
Welcome along to the final round of this 2021 season.
The clips show a range of drivers getting ready in their own garages, all went by smoothly before it ended with Alfa Romeo's final driver.
Val, having a hard time zipping her suit up, points to the camera mouthing, “See you soon on the podium!” Winking, after she's zipped up with the balaclava on her head before securing her helmet in place.
#f1#f1 fandom#f1 fanfic#f1 x oc#f1 x reader#f1 imagine#f1 fic#f1 x you#f1 series#formula 1 x oc#formula 1 x you#formula 1 x reader#formula one#formula 1#f1 x female driver#formula 1 x driver!reader#lando norris x reader#carlos sainz x reader#daniel riccardo x reader#yuki tsunoda x reader#lando norris x oc#carlos sainz x oc#daniel ricciardo x oc#yuki tsunoda x oc
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Milagro Fic Recommendations
These are good for any time of year, of course, not just February 14. But here are my favorite fics related to the season 6 episode Milagro, a long time favorite. (And @sisterspooky1013's favorite episode of all time: happy VD, girl!) I’ve been reading and sifting through these for some time, and I have tried to include some from all eras: newer AO3 fics, some written right after the ep aired, etc. But I'm sure I've missed some, so hit me with your own faves, please.
Because of Milagro's ending, this entire genre of fic tends to be heavy on the hurt/comfort and angst (which is fiiiiine by me), but that’s not all that’s here. Many of these are smutty, but not all.
Adagio - Terma99
A meditative, peaceful take on the aftermath of Milagro by a veteran author that includes both agents realizing something they had learned. Lovely.
Alma - 6hoursgirl (@sixhours)
A lovely hurt/comfort Milagro piece. This one is Mulder POV, which is a little less common for post-Milagro, I think, and I like this characterization of Mulder as desperately wanting to help Scully, desperately wanting to protect her, but also a tiny bit scared of the intimacy and relationship he feels they’re on the cusp of. He’s so good-hearted and also a little dysfunctional here, and I love it.
Bated Breath - dreamingofscully (@dreamingofscully)
This one has an original take on Scully's experience; it leaves Scully with clarity and new direction in her relationship with Mulder. DreamingofScully tends to write a more confident, in-charge Scully in the MSR than some do, and I appreciate it.
Beyond the Strokes of a Typewriter - storybycorey (@storybycorey)
When Scully is stricken and ashamed that it’s been so long since anyone has seen her as a woman as Padgett did, Mulder is pushed to revelations. Mulder 3rd person POV. Very good smut build up. And nobody does a gorgeous feelings reveal from Mulder like storeybycorey, man.
I Believe - Diana Battis
There are a lot of lovely, heartfelt hurt/comfort fics about the aftermath of Milagro (for obvious reasons), but this one is especially well done. Viewed from Scully’s third person point of view, it focuses on Mulder’s capacity for tenderness and guilt. Plus some smut.
Don’t Look Up - ArtemisX5
After Padgett's hallway revelation, Scully is horrified that she has no secrets left. But you know, Mulder is much slower on the draw than she gives him credit for. There is also such moving hurt/comfort in this.
Intimacies with Strangers -mldrgrl (@mldrgrl)
This mid- and post- Milagro piece has Mulder and Scully simmering in tension and then boiling over. Their relationship is complex and painfully entangled, and I love how it plays out. There is also excellent Scully characterization. This one helps me to get more fully why she might have been drawn to Padgett initially, something I struggle with in the episode.
La Madrugada - h0ldthiscat
A carefully told tale of RST that takes both characters seriously and is sincerely moving. Excellent.
Lacuna - Aloysia_Virgata (@aloysiavirgata)
This is a longer work, not really a classic post ep per se. But I love this moody, angsty casefile set right after Milagro. This Scully has not come to terms with her emotions, is thoroughly freaked by how she reacted to Padgett, and hasn't even entirely worked out how she feels about Mulder. There is Scully/other here, but the ship is steering home. The end of this is so moving, but cw: dark themes in the casefile, extreme violence against children, traumatized agents.
Still Life - Seek_Its_Opposite (@seek-its-opposite)
Ah, this is such a thoughtful and exquisitely written Scully character piece — and it contains some truly beautiful insights about Mulder, too. It suggests the heartbreaking idea that Mulder’s way of showing Scully respect (giving her distance) is continually hurting her. So tragic (and consistent with canon, e.g. Never Again.) One memorable line: “Every one of their fights is about how to care for one another, every last one.”
Alma Gemela - matchingfabric (@matchingfabric)
After the events of Milagro, Scully (and Mulder) get accustomed to platonically sharing a bed for comfort. This is a slightly different take on post-Milagro. Exceptionally, irresistibly sweet. Oh, and smutty.
What did I miss? Tell me. And yes, I'm working on my own short Milagro fic that will be coming soon-ish.
#x files fanfic#xfiles fanfic#xf fanfic#fox mulder#dana scully#msr#milagro#fic recs#fic rec list#love fic recs#season 6#xf valentines day#valentines day
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Best QL of 2023: Favorite Lines
Okay so I am slightly over my one year mark in the BL Fandom, and have watched over the past like...12-14 months a little under 100 shows, so I am forcing myself to stick to the shows that aired in 2023 or else I would never be able to finish this. But I saw @abstractelysium do this so I had to climb aboard:
Top Five Lines that Lived Rent-Free In My Brain This Year:
"Have you been well? Without me?" - Shin Ki Tae, Our Dating Sim, Ep 4
Y'ALL THIS FUCKING LINE. KNIFE. CHEST. EVERY TIME! This line sits on the same level of absolute and total emotional devastation for me as the "I just want things to be nice for him" link in Big Eden.
"Are you tired, Uncle Jim?" - Li Ming, Moonlight Chicken, Ep 8
Jim and Li Ming's relationship just makes me absolutely so fucking emotional. I love them individually, I love them together, and I love how much Jim does for his community. But no one ever asks him this. And it is so striking to me that Li Ming is finally the one to demonstrate how much he understands and appreciates everything Jim does not only for him but for the entire community when he ass him that question.
"My family is old fashioned. I kept everything in my heart and didn't want to tell anyone until I was 15. My family went to Europe with Wa's family. We saw two women kissing on the street. I saw her and wanted to talk to her. I want to know how she did it. I want to release it like them. But Wa's mother and I...You can probably imagine. A pair of old-fashioned women who think same-sex love is wrong...That's when I realized I wasn't the only one feeling terrible. When we got back that night she broke down and cried. No one knew why. I asked her if it was about the afternoon incident. She asked me if a kiss between two women was wrong. I said no. It's just like two men kissing. It's not wrong. On that night a 15 year old boy and a 13 year old girl held each other and cried." -Sailom, Wedding Plan, Ep. 6
Okay this isn't a line, it's a monologue but holy fucking shit this was such a beautiful speech, and I will quote @bengiyo here and say "I CAN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE HATED THIS MAN." He has spent so much of his life in the closet protecting not only himself but especially Yiwa. Sailom was going to go through with the wedding just to ensure that Yiwa and Marine could be together without anyone prying.
"This is as tender as I can be. Someone like me." -Mhok, Last Twilight, Ep. 4
Honestly you could replace the first sentence with whatever you want, the part that sticks in my brain the most is "someone like me" because I know that Mhok must have heard shit like that his entire life, and Day is here saying it in a way that I don't think Mhok takes as an actual insult or passing of judgement. I like that the line is used whenever Mhok does show who he truly is and how much tenderness or warmth he is actually capable of in a subversion of the expectations placed upon him.
"But you know, I already knew your preferences so well. When I go shopping with Kakei-san, he talks about you all the time...He says it with a smile" -Kayoko, What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Season 2 Episode 11
THE WEEP I WEPT WHEN KAYOKO TOLD KENJI HOW MUCH SHIRO TALKS ABOUT HIM. This entire second season of WDYEY Shiro has just continuously shown so much beautiful beautiful growth and my heart twists with pride every single time I see him looking more relaxed and smiley. WDYEY is the most perfect show to ever exist.
#our dating sim#moonlight chicken#last twilight the series#wedding plan the series#what did you eat yesterday?#best ql 2023
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If you guys know my blog by now you’ll know that I will latch onto random shows/movies like a leech and will sometimes connect them for funsies in my brain
So
I still don’t know what bones/booths ship name is so ignore that but I’ve just (I’m on like last ep of season 2 ) started watching bones and I can’t stop with the buddie parallels in my brain
1. Ex soldier (Eddie for 911 and booth for bones)
2.with a complicated relationship with his ex
3. who at one point slept with her repeatedly after they’d broke up
4. who he also shares a kid with
5. Not confirmed in canon outright but definitely implied neurodivergent character (buck, who definitely has ADHD and Temperance Brennan who’s definitely autistic)
6. Neither of whom understand most pop culture references
7. Both of which are constantly given lectures by friends about how they run head first into danger
8. Both of which also know a lot of random facts (granted with bones it’s more purpose serving😭😭)
9. Also both were lied to by their parents their entire lives and said parents forced an older sibling who at the time was still only a child to promise not to tell them anything about this secret
10. Both have abandonment issues as a result of that
11. This parallel I pointed out before in their respective hospital scenes and them wishing it was them instead
12. Booth digging Bones out with his bare hands when she was buried alive and buck trying to dig Eddie out of the mud when he was buried alive
13. Both Bones and Buck having a love interest leave to travel the world
14. Both ships are like workplace romance, slightly enemies- mostly a spat- to friends to lovers (for one at least is canon), also the same vibes of both are coworkers and “partners” who act not how normal work partners or friends act (and get called on it by outsiders)
There are probably more but I’m tired and can’t think but yeah so many parallels and yet only one is canon😔 collecting this as evidence that if one side of buddie were female making the ship heterosexual then they’d have been canon ages ago
#if I had a nickel for everytime an ex soldier with a kid and a complicated ex fell in love with their coworker and pretended they’re just#friends for a long time then I’d have two nickels (actually the rookie too so 3 nickels but don’t distract me) which isn’t a lot but it’s#weird that it happened twice#(thrice)#evan buckley#eddie diaz#evan buck buckley#911onfox#911 abc#buddie#buckley diaz family#911#bones x booth#bones tv#911 fox#temperance brennan#seeley booth#booth x bones#bb and buddie parallels that make my brain rot
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Fictober 2023
All the stories in one place. A huge thank you to everyone for their support this month.
Day 1: Secret Spots - This is cotton candy-flavored fluff set after "Millennium": Mulder and Scully go to Mrs. Scully's house and find themselves all alone for a moment...
Day 2: Just in Case - This is angst/hurt/comfort with a dash of hopeful cheesiness. Starts off in Dod Kalm (yes, you read that right). Mulder decides to be brave in what he believes to be his last moments on earth.
Day 3: The Deepest Cut - Diana/IVF angst (with a soft ending): Scully is already upset about a colleague's pregnancy and then Diana shows up and makes things worse.
Day 4: Always Expect The Unexpected - Some soft, fluffy silliness today: Scully and Mulder see her mother out on a date with... A.D. Skinner?
Day 5: If I Were The King of The World - Fluffy-fluff set in Detour: We get to see a bit more of Scully singing to Mulder...
Day 6: In The Blink Of An Eye - Angst/Mulder in peril: Mulder happens to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time...
Day 7: Glimpses of October - Post-IWTB/Pre-Revival vignette: Mulder watches his son play in the fallen leaves. Or is he?
Day 8: A Very Queequeg Morning - Hurt/comfort AND humor after "Pusher": Mulder doesn't mind Scully showing up at his apartment after the case at all. Only problem: she's not alone.
Day 9: Talk Vanilla to Me - Rated M/banter/humor(?): Mulder can't sleep, but luckily, Scully is there to listen… and maybe more.
Day 10: Wishes - Fluff(?) post "Je Souhaite": Mulder wants to know what Scully's wishes would have been.
Day 11: Always Partners - Set in season 6, hurt/comfort, some angst: Kersh puts Scully on another case without Mulder and once again she gets hurt.
Day 12: The Easiest Choice - Fluff, rewrite of the last scene in "Existence": Mulder asks Scully what she's going to name the baby.
Day 13: Don't Forget The Cake - Fluff-ish, season 6: Diana throws Mulder a surprise birthday party. Chaos ensues.
Day 14: Preparation is Everything - Fluff, set after "Alone": With Mulder being unemployed, and Scully on maternity leave, they spend their time thinking about furniture, baby names, and all the ways their lives will change.
Day 15: Temporary Insanity - Angsty first kiss fill-in for "Paper Clip": What happened on that elevator ride?
Day 16: Mothers Always Know - Post-ep (sort of) for "Chimera", fluff: It's the Sunday morning after Mulder stayed over at Scully's and he has a somewhat awkward run-in with her mother.
Day 17: In Sickness And in Health - Hurt/comfort post-"Arcadia": They're on their way back home from The Falls at Arcadia when Scully gets sick.
Day 18: Beautiful In My Eyes - UST-filled post-ep fic: Mulder thinks Scully is the most beautiful person wherever she goes. She doesn't believe him so he tries to make her see it his way.
Day 19: It's Us Against The World - Angst, canon divergence for "Nothing Important Happened Today": No matter what Kersh said, Scully doesn't want Mulder to leave her and the baby. But what choice do they have?
Day 20: Shooting Stars - Mulder and Scully sharing a bed during two nights in The Rain King. After a first awkard night, what happens during the second one after the party ?
Day 21: No Longer Stuck In The Past - A different kind of post-episode fic for "The Unnatural": After his and Scully's baseball date, Mulder runs into Diana.
Day 22: Cookie Theft and Other Crimes - How the Ghosts Stole Christmas post-ep, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff - all the fixings: Bill Jr. runs into Mulder in the middle of the night and it goes as well as you might expect.
Day 23: You're Not Welcome Here - AU in which Diana didn't die and Mulder didn't leave after "Existence": Scully and William are waiting for Mulder when no other than Diana Fowley walks into the basement office.
Day 24: Rules Are Rules - Set in season 7, fluff: They're not supposed to share a room while on assignment. But aren't rules meant to be broken anyway?
Day 25: Another Banner Year - Set after "Our Town", before "Anasazi": Melissa shows up at her sister's apartment, demanding a few answers.
Day 26: I Saw Your Face In A Dream - AU where Mulder and Scully meet on karaoke night at a bar.
Day 27: Christmas With You By My Side - Sequel to day 22 "Cookie Theft And Other Crimes" but can be read as a stand-alone: What happens when Mulder wakes up with Scully in his arms?
Day 28: The Truth Is (Not) Found In A Glass of Whiskey - All Mulder wanted to do was drop off a report. Now he has to deal with a drunk Skinner.
Day 29: Glass Half Full - Sequel to "The Truth Is (Not) Found In A Glass of Whiskey": It's the morning after and Skinner wakes up with a hangover - and remembers way too much from the previous night.
Day 30: Feelings You Can't Hide - A post-ep for "Bad Blood" obviously. A jealous Mulder, an attempt at humor and the hint of angst may be found here.
Day 31: Trick or Treat - IVF arc, angsty fluff: They're supposed to go to the Gunmen's Halloween party, but there's something they need to make sure of first.
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Charting the Course of B&B : How It Began
For nobody's sake but mine, I have decided to chart out the progress of the B&B relationship through the seasons.
Seasons 1 to 3: Keyword - 'Trust'
The foundational seasons, where the ever simmering physical attraction kept smashing up against the wall of 'I just don't understand this guy/girl'. But more importantly, the seasons where both of them, much to their shock, find that their partnership bears immediate fruit. And that the walls they keep around everyone else somehow don't seem to hold up in front of each other.
The graph below charts their attraction and trust levels over the 3 seasons through pivotal points where their partnership either grew or retreated significantly. It's my opinion that fledgling romantic feelings were present during this phase, but neither of them were aware of it.
Representation:
Milestones considered:
S1 - Point 1: "I knew you wouldn't make me a liar" (S1E5)
S1 - Point 2: Rescue from Kenton/"Why are you so nice to me?" (S1E15/E19)
S1 - Point 3: "With each shot we all die a little bit, Bones"/"I know who you are" (S1E21/E22)
S2 - Point 1: "Tony and Roxie" (S2E8)
S2 - Point 2: "I knew you wouldn't give up" (S2E9)
S2 - Point 3: "Everything happens eventually"/Rescue from Gallagher (S2E16/E18)
S2 - Point 4: Zack leaves for the Army/Max gets arrested/Aborted Hodgela wedding (S2E21)
S3 - Point 1: "Making love vs crappy sex" (S3E3)
S3 - Point 2: Smurfette/"I love my gift Booth"/"You are a fully developed man" (S3E7/E9/E11)
S3 - Point 3: Baby Andy/Max's trial/Checkerbox pre-shooting (S3E12/E13/E14)
S3 - Point 4: Booth's 'death'/Zack as Gormogon apprentice (S3E15)
Season 4: Keyword - 'Emotional Intimacy'
This where things start getting COMPLICATED. They start off rough, with Brennan having her walls up again after the deception of Booth's death. But when the last of the walls fall by the end of Con Man in the Meth Lab, the emotional enmeshment is cemented. The UST is also off the charts.
By the time this season ends, the trust between them has reached it's zenith. The attraction has never wavered, but this season is where the romantic feelings start to make their presence seriously felt. It's quite obvious that Dr. Wyatt was referring to Brennan when he posited that one of them was clearly aware of their feelings and struggled with it daily. Booth was deeper in denial even though he had brought Brennan completely into his life, his family and his history. Writing the story at Booth's bedside was Brennan's way of coping with the strength of her feelings which she didn't have the courage to examine or name. Perhaps she felt that putting a label to how she felt for Booth in a fictional world would exorcise the turmoil in the real world. Perhaps it was the only way she had to admit to herself.
Representation:
Milestones considered:
Ep 3: "There's someone for everyone, Bones, you just have to be open to see it."/"What's wrong with a surrogate relationship?"
Ep. 5: "You know the reviews to my books Booth, but do you read them?" "Every single word."
Ep. 9: "My father drank."
Ep. 11: 'Look at my little boy there, with your dad."
Ep. 14: Gravedigger rescue. Needs no explanation.
Ep. 21: Sharing of metaphorical scars, adopting their baby duck. There is no going back for either of them now.
Ep. 25: Brennan's baby, Booth's sperm. "Something is wrong Booth, trust me!"
Ep. 26: "You love someone, you open yourself up to suffering, that's the sad truth. Maybe they'll break your heart, maybe you'll break their heart and never be able to look at yourself in the same way. Those are the risks. That's the burden."
In the next instalment:
Season 5: Keyword - 'Devotion'
Season 6: Keyword - 'Inner Demons'
#bones tv#bonestv#booth x brennan#seeley booth#temperance brennan#i cant even to begin to explain why i wanted to do this
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My Lovely Liar (소용없어 거짓말) - Whump List
Whumpee : Kim Do Ha played by Hwang Min Hyun
Synopsis : Mok Sol Hee is a young woman with an extraordinary and supernatural ability: she is able to “hear” other people’s lies, no matter how hard they try to obfuscate the truth. She meets a successful music producer named Kim Do Ha. Kim Do Ha has become embroiled in a murder case, and has gone into hiding…in the residence next door to Mok Sol Hee. (MDL)
Genres : Mystery, Comedy, Romance, Supernatural
Warning! Possible spoilers below!
Kim Do Ha
Ep 1 : Grabbed by the collar, punched three times —Anxious, leaning on his car, breathing heavily — Wakes up from a nightmare, has a bottle of anxiety pills next to him — Someone takes a picture of him, remembers bad memories, heavy breathing — Hand slightly shaking — Grabbed, chased, restrained, wrongly accused
Ep 2 : Scar on his back shown — Cola sprayed at his face on purpose — Sitting on the ground drunk
Ep 3 : Unsteady, concern for him — Half-panicked after being around many paparazzis flashing their cameras, covering his eyes
Ep 4 : (Flashback) Punched in the face, tripped, falls to the ground, beaten — (Present) Worried for someone, remembering traumatic memories, panic attack, collapses on one knee, concern for him, hyperventilating — Pale, weak, sweating, concern for him, remembering traumatic memories, worried for someone — Still pale, looking sick, falls asleep, blanket put over him (Gif Set) — Still asleep, having a nightmare
Ep 5 : (Flashback) Interrogated, anxious — (Present) Having a nightmare, wakes up, weak, exhausted, feverish, concern for him — Found passed out/sleeping at the side of his bed (he took sleeping pills), whimpering, put to bed, feverish, looked after (Gif Set) — Hands shaking — Distancing himself from others
Ep 6 : Lightly slapped (comedic)
Ep 7 : None
Ep 8 : Hot tea spilled on his hand, ice put on his hand— (Flashback) Grabbed by the collar, threatened with a knife, stabbed in the shoulder
Ep 9 : (Flashback) Arrested, handcuffed, interrogated — (Present) Crying, hugged — Punched, falls to the ground, grabbed by the collar, almost stabbed, saved
Ep 10 : Face bruised, treated
Ep 11 : Startled (Comedic) — Interrogated at the police station
Ep 12 : Attacked with a knife, struggling, punched, choked — Blaming himself — Past exposed to the public — Water thrown at him
Ep 13 : None
Ep 14 : Crying — Learns a shocking truth, teary-eyed — Shocked, heavy breathing, worried for someone
Ep 15-16 : None
If you want another whumpy show with Hwang Min Hyun, I suggest Alchemy of Souls! There are great Whump Lists for season 1 and 2 done by @thewhumpyrabbit
>> More Whump List
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Because we are moving, I've been rewatching Supernatural while packing and I've decided i want to make a list of the episodes that i actually like (meaning that I actually like what I'm watching).
Season 1:
Episode 1 'Pilot' - Minus the intro, i usually skip that
Episode 2 'Wendigo' - That last bit, where Dean has the bandage on his throat... *insert debby ryan meme here*
Episode 3 'Dead in the Water' - Enough said, i mean come on..
Episode 5 'Bloody Mary' - I used to be terrified of this ep. But the way the boys are so soft and comforting towards the girls. (and Mary is pretty)
Episode 7 'Hook Man' - Love me some hook man. and the black shirt and brown jacket combo on Dean *chefs kiss*
Episode 12 'Faith' - Dean is just really attractive to me i this ep, he's so sick and pathetic looking and i love it... THE HOODIE
Episode 17 'Hell House' - AHDHGDGDHGDHBGDGDCVGDCB PRANK WARS!!!!!!
Episode 19 'Provenance' - Idk why "HOLY, BLONDE, CHEERLEADER, BATMAN" < I quote that so so much
Season 2:
Episode 2 'Everybody Loves A Clown' -
I want to say Bloodlust because of Benny but I hate that other shitbird
Episode 4 'Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things' - Its just a fun ep
Episode 5 'Simon Said' - ASH MY LOVE!!!!!
Episode 6 'No Exit' - America's first known serial killer
Episode 11 'Playthings' - "Of course, the most troubling question is: Why do these people assume we're gay?" "Well, you are kinda butch, but I just think you're overcompensating."
Episode 15 'Tall Tales' - GABE MY LOVE!!!!!!
Episode 17 'Heart' - uhhh werewolves, need I say more?
Episode 18 'Hollywood Babylon' - another idk why
Episode 19 'Folsom Prison Blues' - two words, Blue. Steel.
Season 3:
Episode 3 'Bad Day At Black Rock' - Bela *Insert debby ryan meme*
Episode 5 'Bedtime Stories' - another fun one
Episode 6 'Red Sky at Morning' - Bela, my love!'
Episode 8 'A Very Supernatural Christmas' - Protective Dean, "You fudging touch me again, I'll fudging kill ya!"
Episode 11 'Mystery Spot' - GABE MY LOVE!!!!!!
Episode 13 'Ghostfacers' - GHOST- GHOSTFACERS, I also love that we see a whole different version of the Winchesters. (sweary)
Season 4:
Episode 1 'Lazarus Rising' - The beginning of the longest queerbaiting relationship ever
Episode 4 'Monster Movie' - do I really need to explain?
Episode 6 'Yellow Fever' - "I'll man the flashlight!"
Episode 7 ' It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester' - ngl the title makes no sense, and there is a reason, i just can't think of it.
Episode 8 'Wishful Thinking' - another fun episode, this is the episode that, that kid that killed his mum and set out to take the Canadian prime minster out is in.
Episode 12 'Criss Angel Is a Douche Bag' - *shrugs*
Episode 13 'After School Special' - BABY SAM, younger Dean 😏
Episode 14 'Sex and Violence' - BI DEAD BI DEAN BI DEAN BI DEAN
Episode 18 'The Monster at the End of This Book' - also *shrug*
Episode 19 'Jump the Shark' - ADAM!!!! Adam ☹️😢
Season 5:
Episode 5 'Fallen Idols' - another fun episode
Episode 6 'I Believe the Children Are Out Future' - JESSE!!!!! There was so much potential in this kid, we could have the greatest duo with Jesse and Jack.
Episode 7 'The Curious Case of Dean Winchester' - BI DEAD BI DEAN BI DEAN BI DEAN
Episode 8 'Changing Channels' - GABE MY LOVE!!!!!!!!
Episode 9 'The Real Ghostbusters' - fair enough
Episode 11 'Sam, Interrupted' - ✨therapy✨
Episode 12 'Swap Meat' - fun episode
Episode 14 'My Bloody Valentine' - "I don't like it!" "No one likes it."
Episode 17 '99 Problems' - "Not you. Or me. Sam of course is an abomination. We'll have to find someone else." & "Well, what is she, exactly?" "The whore." "Wow, Cas, tell us what you really think."
Episode 18 'Point of No Return' - ADAM!!!! Adam... ☹️😢
Episode 19 'Hammer of the Gods' - GABE!!!!! Gabe.... ☹️😢
Episode 21 'Two Minutes to Midnight' - OH, DEATH, OH, DEATH, OH, DEATH,
Episode 22 'Swan Song' - THE BEGINNIG OF MIADAM!!!! funny story, when i had an iPhone i had "Hey, Assbutt" as my text tone and it was almost as scary as when I had Obi-Wan's "Hello there"
Season 6:
Episode 3 'The Third Man' - BALTHAZAR MY LOVE!!!!!!!!
Episode 9 'Clap Your Hands If You Believe' - Souless!Sam is a dick but I kinda love him.
Episode 17 'My Heart Will Go On' - BALTHAZAR!!!!!!!! "Sorry, you have me confused with the other angel. You know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you."
Episode 18 'Frontierland' - Why is Elias kinda hot...?
Episode 19 'Mommy Dearest' - I just like the bar scene
Season 7:
Episode 1 'Meet the New Boss' - "And who says you speak for God? You're wrong. I am utterly indifferent to sexual orientation. On the other hand, I cannot abide hypocrites like you, Reverend." "Okay, fun's over, friend" "Tell your flock where your genitals have been before you speak for Me." "And who the heck are you?" "I'm God.", basically the whole church scene
Episode 5 'Shut Up, Dr. Phil' - It's just a funny episode
Episode 9 'How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters' - "I think you pissed off my sandwich."
Episode 14 'Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie' - "Ha! I'm sorry, you look like you got attacked by some PCP-crazed strippers."
Episode 20 'The Girl with the Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo' -CHARLIE BABY!!!!!!
Episode 21 'Reading is Fundamental' - KEVIN MY LOVE!!!!!!
Season 8:
Episode 1 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' - That whole first scene, BENNY MY LOVE!!!!!!
Episode 2 'What's Up, Tiger Mommy?' - ALFIE!!!!!!!!! BENNY!!!!!!!
Episode 4 'Bitten' - outside perspectives are always funny
Episode 5 'Blood Brother' - BENNNY!!!! Vampirates.
Episode 6 'Southern Comfort' - GARTH!!!!!
Episode 7 'A Little Slice of Kevin' - KEVIN!!!! Dean isn't even trying to hide his gay.
Episode 8 'Hunteri Heroici' - I'll introgate the cat."
Episode 9 'Citizen Fang' - I hate this episode but yeah
Episode 11 'LARP and the Real Girl' - CHARLIE, MY LOVE!!!!!!
Episode 12 'As Time Goes By' - HENRY, MY LOVE!!!!!!
Episode 13 'Everybody Hates Hitler' - Adam Rose is in it, do i need to continue?
Episode 15 'Man's Best Friend with Benefits' - I hate witches but this ep is good.
Episode 20 'Pac-Man Fever' -
Episode 23 'Sacrifice' - The last scene and speech that Dean says to Sam.
Season 9:
Episode 1 'I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here' - GADDY!!!!!! MY BABY!!!!!!
Episode 4 'Slumber Party' - CHARLIE!!!!! TIIO!!!!!!
Episode 5 'Dog Dean Afternoon' - just a fun one, the pigeon is the best character in this episode.
Episode 7 'Bad Boys' - BABY DEAN BABY DEAN BABY DEAN
Episode 8 'Rock and a Hard Place' - "But when you get down to it, what's the big deal? Sure, there's the touching and the feeling all of each other, my hands everywhere, tracing every inch of her body. The two of us moving together, pressing, pulling, grinding, and then you hit that sweet spot and everything just builds, builds and builds until it all just... [Makes explosion noise] ...But the whole thing was just a little too sticky."
Episode 13 'The Purge' - Out of all of the creatures in this show the Pishtacos are my favourite.
Episode 15 '#thinman' - the return of the Ghostfacers, they're so gay for eachother.
Episode 16 'Blade Runners' - sexy
Episode 19 'Alex Annie Alexis Ann' - ALEX!!!!!!!
Season 10:
Episode 1 'Black' - DEMON!DEAN FOR THE WIN!!!!
Episode 2 'Reichenbach' - Demon Dean...
Episode 3 'Soul Survivor' - Demon Dean.
Episode 4 'Paper Moon' - KATE!!!!
Episode 5 'Fan Fiction' - Do I really need to explain why I like this one? 🎶"JOHN AND MARY, HUSBAND AND WIFE, BRINGING HOME A BRAND NEW LIFE, HIS NAME IS SAMMY, I'M BIG BROTHER DEAN"🎶
Episode 6 'Ask Jeeves' - the interactions are just really funny.
Episode 7 'Girls, Girls, Girls' - ROWENA!!!!!! the only witch I can stand.
Episode 8 'Hibbing 911' - JODIY AND DONNA SUPREMACY!!!!
Episode 12 'About a Boy' - Just a fun episode
Episode 13 'Halt & Catch Fire' - ghosts are always fun episodes
Episode 14 'The Executioner's Song' - the end of Cain
Episode 15 'The Things They Carried' - probably my favourite Cole episode.
Episode 16 'Paint It Black' - I just like this ep
Episode 19 'The Werther Project' - BENNY!!!!!!
Season 11:
Episode 4 'Baby' - self explained, i'd say.
Episode 5 'Thin Lizzie' - idk why
Episode 7 'Plush' - its just funny
Episode 8 'Just My Imagination' - 'She's got sparkle on her face!'
Episode 11 'Into the Mystic' -
Episode 12 'Don't You Forget About Me' - DAD DEAN DAD DEAN DAD DEAN DAD DEAN
Season 12:
Episode 6 'Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox' - It's just funny watching people react the way they do towards the boys.
Episode 8 'LOTUS' - ARTHUR!!!!!!
Episode 11 'Regarding Dean' - Considering that he was going to die this and the Zanna episode are my all time favourites.
Season 13:
Episode 1 'Lost and Found' - JACK!!!!!!! MY BABY!!!!!!!
Episode 2 'The Rising Son' - Jack means a lot to me.
Episode 4 'The Big Empty' - ✨therapy✨
Episode 6 'Tombstone' - GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY
Episode 10 'Wayward Sisters' - GIRLFRIENDS GIRLFRIENDS GIRLFRIENDS GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY
Episode 16 'Scoobynatural' - I like it when they give us a break from the on-going trauma filled story lines.
Season 14:
Episode 4 'Mint Condition' - fun episode
Episode 6 'Optimism' - fun episode
have you guys seen this yet? this is such a cool picture.
Season 15:
Episode 1 'Back and to the Future' - BELPHEGOR!!!!! (i only like Alex's version)
Episode 2 'Raising Hell' - a trip down memory lane
Episode 3 'The Rapture' - *shrugs*
Episode 7 'Last Call' - I just think its funny how Dean faked being able to sing for all those years, I assume to make Sam laugh.
Episode 8 'Our Father, Who Aren't In Heaven' - ADAM!!!!!!! MIDAM!!!!!!! THATS A RELATIONSHIP I WANNA JOIN!!! Oh and its a win for Destial too i guess.
Episode 15 'Gimme Shelter' - Jack & Dean bonding experience.
#supernatural#spn#dean winchester#sam winchester#jack kline#gabriel#gabriel spn#jesse turner#gadreel#jody mills#claire novak#kevin tran#henry winchester#adam milligan#michael spn#midam#arthur ketch#benny lafitte#rowena spn#demon dean
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times they call/insinuate angel is gay/“too feminine for a man”/is attractive to men, in ats - Season 1
ep 1 A manager says to Angel he is a very beautiful man, and he wants to represent him. "Call me, this isn't a come-on"
ep 2 In the club, Angel has to "search for someone that's in trouble" and everyone thinks he is just flirting, including a man, Angel tells him "seriously I wasn't hitting on you"
ep 3 Spike, while watching him from afar, makes a LONG hilarious joke about him being gay, and caring too much about his hair and using “nancy boy hair gel”.
Later while fighting, Spike says to Angel "What’s next ? Vampire cowboy ? Vampire fireman ? Oh, vampire ballerina?" to which Angel responds "I do like to work with my legs" and kicks him
ep 4 Doyle legit admits he is attracted to him
ep 5 Cordy: "do you have (hair)mousse?... of course you do"
ep 6 Mafia boss calls him “nancy boy”. Angel hits him with a chair.
Also, there's a joke where Cordy nags Angel for not noticing her new shoes, Angel is about to say that "men don't notice that staff" when Doyle enters and says to her "Nice shoes!". This is a 'Doyle =gay' joke but it also shows Angel has funny ideas of what makes you a man, and it's funny that the entire plot of the ep is about repressing emotions, and unwinding when you touch a magic stick.
ep 7 Angel and Doyle going to fight a vamp nest is paralleled with Cordy going on a romantic date. Doyle: “everyone has dinner plans”.
The first thing the new husband of Doyle’s ex does when he comes in, is insist on how handsome Angel is. (Doyle’s ex had also just met him, didn’t say a thing, neither did other women this ep)
ep 8, 9, 10 and 11 I didn’t catch any
ep 12 friends of Cordelia meet Wesley and Angel for the first time, the way they act and respond to their flirting and invitations to a party makes them think they are gay “the good ones are always gay” one says. Angel is not bothered about it, Wesley a little. Later they have this conversation in which Angel seems to have noticed that insecurity, and he says to Wesley that the girls liked him, that his clumsiness was charming, and that the fact they think they are gay adds mystery
(also why does angel quickly bit his lip, looks him up and down, and smiles to him like that??? asdfasdfasd)
ep 13 (refer to this post bc it needs context) in short yeah a guy is definitely attracted to him
ep 14 nothing again I guess
ep15 Kate’s dad asks her if Angel is gay, she laughs and says "no, he is just not my type, or I'm not his type".
Also, it felt like the dialogs were specially 'supernatural=queer' this episode, and he WAS getting homophobia by Kate lmao
"you don't get to kill a demon in front of me and then act like we are going to have a cappuccino together"
"No offense, I know you are probably a decent guy for, you know, what you are..."
"If you insist on talking about this, can you pls not call it that? It makes me uncomfortable.(don't say demon) say evil thing"
"What? they are evil things that are not evil? - well yeah(me) - OH right, sorry"
Then the scenes of his father calling him a disappointment make it even more uuughhh, and then he says "It was a son I wished for, a man! Instead, god gave me you".
All scenes from his past as human point to him being a fuck boy, meaning that, even if not queer, in a way, he also didn't follow the conventional norms of romance or sexuality. But it's also funny to point out the first thing he does as a vampire is feed from a man, to which Darla says "now you can have anyone you want"
ep 16 Cordelia ends up saying “if anyone is wearing a push-up bra here its-- Angel!” when Angel surprises her entering the room, (Also, Wesley describes a type of demon that howls when they are preparing to fight or mate, next scene angel is fighting them while they howl(they appear male), I know this one is a reach, but I’m putting it here bc it made me laugh).
ep 17 so he reads girl-celebs magazines and remembers this rumor about an actor? sure
also this ep Cordy(known fashion lover) compliment's Angelus fashion sense "Angelus would never wear those pants".
In the buffyverse they say everything is the same without the soul except there's no guilt, meaning no repression about what he would like to wear. So if it hadn't been obvious from before, Angel is also a fashion lover, except repressed about it.
ep 18 there was nothing much here except if you count that Darla asks him "have you met someone else?" no gender-specific.
And/or this interaction with Linsdey cuz come on the tension, the banter, the 'was it necessary getting this close?'
ep 19 Again nothing textual unless you count that Wesley risks his life and goes against the Watchers council for him, even if it means helping someone he hates(Faith), and his loyalty to Angel is called a perversion(also how does angel look so small here??asdfsas)
ep 20 two little things, first, does this joke "you show me yours, I'll show you mine" Angel says to intimidate a guy count? lol
Second, in this ep they get paid to search for blackmail pictures of a guy who went to a demon script club, after Angel takes them back Wesley looks at them, and he seems weirded out. Angel is besides him and only with a quick look he is able to tell the pictures are upside down, Wesley turns them and looks at them again, he says "oh, I can't imagine it was pleasant" to which angel makes this face like uhm???
In any case I put it here cuz even if its not an "angel=gay" moment it certainly shows he has experience with Unconventional sex staff
eps 21 and 22 I didn't catch anything, but in the last ep the "supernatural= other(queer/disabled/etc)" thing is easier to see. Because there's Kate again with the irrational hate like "I'll rid the city of your kind" etc just after Angel saves someone.
And the last scene shows the way your friends don't mind the "weird" parts of you even if you or most people do
a super endearing moment that happens just before the show promises Angel that he will "as a reward" be normal eventually, which weird, cuz then, Is the message of the story that you can find peace by finding a mission and loved ones who accept you as you are? or is it you can find peace only as long as you are useful to the normal 'innocent' people around you, and you work toward being normal? idk
#I think I started this after I saw a lot of comments on yt in a random vid calling angel straight#like how dare you insult him like that#sadfasdfsadfsdf#but I kept the bit going cuz it was funny#ats#angel ats#angel btvs#btvs#also disclaimer cuz I've seen lot of rotten staff out there#I'm not including things like: this character acts like a mother this character is saved by others a lot#or this character likes pink or cooks or is shirtless a lot#cuz those are just gender stereotypes that actually are just human things not femenine or masculine#not inherent in men or women#so I don't believe a male character having or doing staff society considers feminine means they ARE gay or feminine#lol thats so backwards#those staff only get in the list if another character or the show somehow explicitly classifies them#as a sign of being 'too feminine for a man' or gay#this attempts to be from the show's perspective
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Couple things I found out whilst rewatching II:
1. Knife can RIP OUT METAL LIKE ITS NOTHING
2. Bot actually has the same colours as the Egg from S2
3. Silver Spoons green aura must’ve been because of his mood, (like green = jealously)
4. The first episode (before Taylor Grodin voiced PB) Paintbrush had a different voice actor, and nobody knows where they went, they just vanished.
5. In the original storyboard for Ep 14 of S2, (Cakebrunch) originally Suitcase was gonna have a lil aroace flag inside her, but it was scraped (THANKS ADAM)
6. Taco and (i think) MePad will no longer be around for the rest of season 2, because Taco teleported away after Microphone left
7. Suitcase and the The Floor have the same VA (Sam Thornberry)
8. Since MePhone was gone for over 4 years, the final Four must’ve had something to eat (Maybe LB cookie pizza or smth)
9. Adam’s whole family (his mum, sister, dad and possibly brother???) voiced in II, his mum voiced a phone and Tea Kettle, his dad voiced MePhone4, and I think his sister voiced Taco.
10. Pickle, Bomb, Taco and Paper have not competed since Season 1, and don’t say Taco was a contestant in season 2. She wasn’t, im talking about Season 1 characters who DEFINITELY competed and were eliminated in season 1.
Hope this shocked you <3
WE COULD'VE HAD AROACE SUITCASE???
these are interesting though omga
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Summer 2023 Ep 2 - The Eighth Sense
AND WE'RE BACK!
It seems like every season we're going to have a single show dominate the conversation and the zeitgeist so much that we have to dedicate an entire episode to it! This season it was the Korean-German team-up about a boy so sprung that he joined a surfing club even though he couldn't swim. Strap in for a long discussion!
Nini and Ben dive deep into The Eighth Sense to discuss the international nature of BL, the way film history plays into our stories, the role of forgiveness in our lives, and the role of community in queer development.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
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Timestamps
The timestamps will now correspond to chapters on Spotify for easier navigation.
0:00 - Welcome
1:04 - The Eighth Sense
18:00 - The Relationship Between the Seniors and Juniors
27:45 - The Hedwig Incident
36:32 - Ae Ri
42:50 - Ji Hyun and Jae Won
50:38 - Joon Pyo and Boss Lady
56:28 - Let's Talk About the Kissing (and Episode 6)
1:06:21 - The Party Scene and Forgiveness
1:17:14 - On a Possible Second Season
1:24:10 - Checking in Two Months Later
The Conversation: Now With Transcripts!
We received an accessibility request to include transcripts for the podcast. We are working with @ginnymoonbeam on providing the transcripts and @lurkingshan as an editor and proofreader.
We will endeavor to make the transcripts available when the episodes launch, and it is our goal to make them available for past episodes. When transcripts are available, we will attach them to the episode post (like this one) and put the transcript behind a Read More cut to cut down on scrolling.
Please send our volunteers your thanks!
1:04 - The Eighth Sense
Ben
Welcome to The Eighth Sense episode! Nini and I had so much to say about this that we decided to give it its own episode, separate from our overall consternation from whatever is going on in the land of K-BL, because this felt distinct. This was a piece of work from a German and a Korean filmmaking team, and it created unique results. So we're going to speak to you all for the next hour and a half? [laughs] about it, and then we'll come back at the end with some reactions to the show and how we're feeling about it a few months later.
Nini
Let's go.
Nini
We are here today to talk about The Eighth Sense, and only The Eighth Sense. Benjamin. What is The Eighth Sense about?
Ben
See I had her a little bit annoyed before we started talking. She gives my full name because she's still mad at me for being obnoxious. The Eighth Sense —
Nini
[laughs]
Ben
The Eighth Sense is an age gap college romance between a new freshman from the Korean countryside and a very wealthy Korean man, who is the heir of his family, who's recently back from military service and trying to finish school. They kind of meet by happenstance at the freshman's job and instantly have a connection between them which they both find themselves drawn to and pulling on.
And over the course of the show the freshman, Ji Hyun, ends up joining the surfing club to hang out with Jae Won, the senior, and a romance blossoms between them… but we hit a lot of very familiar western queer storytelling drama beats. It blends fairly well with the Korean storytelling beats, as these two eventually choose each other as they're trying to move forward with their lives. Much drama ensues because of the older boy’s deep mental health issues. It's a really simple plot. It's just incredibly well executed.
Nini
Well, let's talk a little bit about that execution. So this is a… it's a Korean production but it's co-directed by a Korean director, Baek Inu, and a German director, Werner du Plessis. And I think that that interplay between the two filmmaking styles, between some of the hallmarks of Korean filmmaking and then some of the hallmarks of like classic German bildungsroman… They interplay really interestingly I think, in terms of the way that it's executed. A lot of people are saying that The Eighth Sense made them think of Skam? I have not watched Skam so I can't really speak to that, but in terms of certain aspects of the techniques of the filmmaking that I've seen, in terms of lighting and color and all of those things, I could see the comparisons that they're making.
But I feel like this show… it's something all its own? We've talked on this show about how K-BL was starting to get a little repetitive and feel like it wasn't, you know, using its time well and all those other things. And I think that those are criticisms that you can't level at The Eighth Sense. It does use its time well. I feel like it is well thought through, I feel like it uses its budget well, I feel like it… really engages me, like I'm not going to forget these characters. I'm not going to forget Ji Hyun, Eun Ji, Tae Hyung, Jae Won, Joon Pyo, Yoon Won, [laughs] I'm not going to forget these characters. You know what I mean? These characters have sort of touched something inside of me, particularly Jae Won.
I feel like it came along at just the right time for me to not write off K-BL. [laughs]
Ben
I mean, is it really K-BL, though?
Nini
Well, that's the question isn't it? Because a lot of people are like, ‘oh this isn't, this isn’t BL.’ I think it's very firmly BL, but I don't know how much it feels like K-BL.
Ben
It is not relying on… the tropes or beats of traditional yaoi, as evolved by Thailand's fiddling with the formula, and what's recently been happening in Korea over the last three years-ish. When you called it like a German coming of age thing, I can feel some of those influences here. In terms of the pacing, and the knowing.
So one of the things that BL is not very good at doing that I don't always enjoy is… BL doesn't know how to make characters always gay. Like their queerness activates when it's relevant, because they're thinking about it now. It isn't… built really into the way the character is functioning. But when you're writing queer cinema, a queer character is always queer. It is always complicating their life in some way, and that feels present here with Ji Hyun and Jae Won. Particularly when it comes to the ways that two of them engage with each other.
Ji Hyun gets clocked constantly by everyone, because he's obvious to them. Jae Won and he bump into each other at the restaurant and recognize each other, flirt outside of the restaurant. Ae Ri recognizes these things in him very quickly and she starts covering for him; Eun Ji sees this in him right away, and beefs with him immediately over Jae Won. Yoon Won I think picks up on it right away, which is why she's always calling him cutie. And I think the boss picks up on it too, which is why she's kind of protective of him.
This works for me because he's so clearly different, and I like how he clearly had these big dreams about ‘I'm going to move to the city and I'm going to live my best gay life.’ Then he moved to the city and got scared, because it's such a big place, all these strangers, and it's confusing because he's not used to dealing with urban systems… And so like, he immediately retreated a little bit. He just picked up a job, so he would only have to deal with one person, because it's like a one woman operation and like the freshman temp worker she's relying on? [laughs] And I think that's one of the big things that separates it for me with most of the BL we've experienced, like Ji Hyun always feels gay for me, in the way that Ji Hyun is very… protective of himself but very honest in general. Like Ji Hyun doesn't offer himself up easily to other people, but he's consistently honest and forthright with them. And like, after his big ol’ incident — where he almost dies, and I’m calling it ‘the incident’ [laughs] — he turns really sassy, but he's still being honest, he's just not tempering that. And also he's a little bit pissy, because he has a right to be.
So like that's the biggest, I think, line between like, BL per se, and what we might call queer cinema, when I'm watching them. Like their queerness is not active only when they're flirting, like other BL characters often feel for me.
Nini
Hmmm. That's something to ponder… It is clear that Ji Hyun does get clocked pretty regularly. You know I always have a soft spot for the ones who can't hide, and… so, I can get like why the boss is protective of him, why Joon Pyo is protective of him — like, even though Joon Pyo doesn't really know? He knows something, but he doesn't really know that Ji Hyun is queer, and it's this really funny scene when he finds out in the end, and he's just really upset that, you know, Ji Hyun didn’t tell him that he had a boyfriend.
Ji Hyun feels recognizably queer, in some intangible way? Like I think about my gay friends and my gay family, and… that thing that you said about a person who is gay being gay all the time and not just when they're flirting with somebody? [laughs] That really resonated [both laugh] Thaaaat really resonated, and I think is also a little bit of shots fired for some of BL.
Ben
I don't know that I want to fire shots at the other dramas in this regard, because… it's not fair. Because some of these things are intangible, you can't really always do them really well or correctly. It's not like I have obvious guidance, like ‘hey, here are the five tips to make your character seem authentically queer when you're writing your little stories!’ [both laugh] And like, that's not fair.
What I can do as a amateur critic, is point out that this character reads queer to me: from the little gay rainbow lamp he has, to the way he had big dreams for the city then feels a little bit disappointed about it, to the way he sees a really hot boy and immediately decides to do — to join a dangerous club just to get some dick. Like that's the kind of dumb shit that baby gays do! Like can you swim? No. So you joined the surfing club? Was — was the dick even that good? Yeahhh. All right, well, shit! [both laugh]
Nini
The man said that, before he nearly died, he was the happiest he had ever been in his life. He literally said that. [laughs]
Ben
This poor boy's whole brain got rearranged by some good dick! God damn.
Nini
Our other protagonist is Jae Won. Jae Won is a poor little rich boy, he's a tragic figure with a tragic past.
Ben
He's a sad little meow meow.
Nini
He really is the saddest little meow meow. It’s up in the air whether he's closeted or not. I don't feel like he is? But I also feel like he doesn't advertise. Because it doesn't feel like any of his angst about Ji Hyun is about the idea of him dating a guy. It doesn't feel that way.
Ben
Jae Won feels therapized. He… definitely is aware of his queerness, and seems mostly inconvenienced by it. His father is described as aggressive, and there's all of these pressures on him to be a certain kind of man, and a certain kind of son. Like they get mad about how emotional he is, they get mad that he's out drinking with his friends… so he's definitely been forced to be closeted about it? So I think he is definitely aware of it, and the reason why I think he's aware of it is, Ji Hyun calls him out on it in the last episode, when he's like, ‘You had a lighter in your pocket, the first night you met me.’
Nini
It's not that I feel like he doesn't know himself, like he knows himself, I think that much is clearly obvious in the story, he knows himself. The question is whether the people around him know. I feel like Eun Ji definitely knows, that's why she's so im— one of the reasons she's so immediately hostile to Ji Hyun, because she knows.
Ben
She knows, but I don't think he's told her. He just feels really modern about it, like, yes he's gay, if you ask him directly he'd probably just shrug and be like yeah, sure, whatever, but people aren't going to ask him that. They don't want to cross that line, because they want to use him, and trying to embarrass him about that is just gonna get you iced out of his life. Again, like we know that the surfing dudes hadn't really considered it, because they're like no, Jae Won's not that way. That's also like the men, though. Like every single girl in the story clocked every single gay boy the whole time. The boss, Eun Ji, Ae Ri, Yoon Won, all clocked Jae Won and Ji Hyun. And Jae Won didn't even know about it, because Yoon Won was like ‘you better do right by that boy,’ he's like ‘what are you talking about?’ and she was like ‘girl!’ and he was like ‘all right, shit.’ [laughs]
Nini
Jae Won is not closeted but he's not out either. Let's put it that way.
Ben
I think he was closeted by default, but he had already worked through the, ‘if I really connect with someone, I will step out for them.’ And you can feel that, with the way he tries to casually say to the boss, ‘yeah I have feelings about my boyfriend,’ and the way he's forthright about it with Ji Hyun. Because I feel like he had emotionally prepared for the moment? And once he decided to commit to it, all of that work came out right away.
Nini
Well, even before he says it to the boss or to Ji Hyun, he says it to the guy at the, at the rest stop, when they're heading off to that fateful trip. It's not even a big deal for him to say that. And that's why I was wondering like, well is he closeted or is, has just nobody just ever asked him about it? And I think I'm going to land on your side of things here with, probably nobody ever asked him about it, and he didn't feel the need to announce it.
Ben
Right, and I think that's where — that's, that's mostly how he reads to me.
Nini
Do you think that Tae Hyung knew?
Ben
Yes, because he kisses him all the time. But, he knows it in the way that stupid-ass straight boys know. Where they know, and they want the attention, and they kind of want it, but they would have to be gay and they can't actually do that. Which is why he gets so… bothered about Jae Won caring about other stuff. It's the same thing we see all the time, he gets mad that he's not being paid attention to, or that Jae Won doesn't care about the things he wants him to care about. Or isn't being as miserable as they want him to be.
Nini
You know what I think is actually a subtle hint? In the first few episodes of the show, the way that Tae Hyung keeps pushing Jae Won and Eun Ji together, keeps pushing them towards each other, keeps bringing Eun Ji into the spaces. Now that I'm thinking about it, at the beginning I just never quite figured out why it mattered so much to him? But now, it makes like a strange kind of sense, if he knew or if he at least suspected… why he would keep shoving Eun Ji at him.
Ben
Right, because if she — he chooses Eun Ji, it's at least, like, the woman that he was okay with, I guess. And like it gives him some sort of weird control or investment in whatever they have going on. I feel like at some level Tae Hyung knows. But again like that's part of why this show feels more queer for me than some other stuff, because we're having this really complex conversation about who knows, doesn't know, at what level do they know, what does their knowing imply about the way they perceive Jae Won — like that's the world real queer people exist in. Where it isn't just who knows, it's what do they do with the knowledge.
Nini
I'm really recasting, like, my initial reactions of the whole Tae Hyung, Jae Won thing.
Ben
I mean if you, I don't know if you remember, I hated that motherfucker from the very first time we saw him! [both laugh]
Nini
Ben could not stand his ass from jump.
Ben
Like, the very first episode I was like, ‘oh I hate this boy so much Nini!’ [laughs] and she was like ‘damn bro, they just had like one fight!’ and I'm like, ‘oh no, it was not just one fight.’
18:00 - The Relationships Between the Seniors and Juniors
Nini
Speaking of fights between Jae Won and Tae Hyung, perfect segue.
Ben
Let's talk about him tagging that ass though.
Nini
We're kinda jumping around here, and one of the reasons that we're jumping around is I feel like, talking about The Eighth Sense, like it doesn't really, it's not really useful to talk about it in some kind of chronology, or in terms of the plot. The plot's there and the plot is good…
Ben
The plot is… a country boy snags a chaebol. It's very good.
Nini
Yeah, the plot is very simple, I feel like The Eighth Sense, the, the real meat of the discussion is in the relationships — in all the different interactions that these characters have bouncing off of each other, in some of the ways that they interact with society? I feel like that's more of where the meat of talking about the story comes from. There's going to be a lot of jumping around in this discussion I think because of that.
Ben
We’ll talk about Tae Hyung, but more specifically we'll talk about how strong the characterization is for all of these characters. Like the biggest thing that's interesting about this show is, all the seniors are miserable horrible people.
Nini
Terrible. [laughs]
Ben
All of the freshmen are not — but some of them could be. I think that's Bit Na's role in the story. Yoon Won, Eun Ji, and Jae Won are all seniors who probably should have graduated already, but because of the funding model of school and how you need to get a job, they're all stuck and they hate it. They're having the millennial problem of, we were told that if we were really good at school and we went to college and checked all the boxes, we would get decent jobs, marry wives, live in the suburbs, have a van, and have two point three kids. And uh… we didn't! And we've lived through crisis after crisis for… literally 22 years, and it sucks!
And so like I get why Yoon Won, Eun Ji, Jae Won, and Tae Hyung are so frustrated and so pissed about all of it. And like they can't even be happy about any of it, like Tae Hyung wasn't drafted, but it's not like it worked out for him, it's not like he got to do anything useful with school, and like get ahead and go work somewhere, which is why like he's glomping back on to Jae Won. Because he's his last hope, that maybe somehow Jae Won getting control of his dad's company will get him a useful job, and maybe he won't be such a piece of shit. But he's such a selfish prick that he can't do anything with it.
Eun Ji is clearly a status chaser, and she really wants to be the wife of a chaebol. And that's why she's trying to lock Jae Won down.
Yoon Won is the only person that Jae Won ends up having a real connection with, because she's frustrated, but she's trying to do something positive, like ‘hey I'm gonna be stuck in school for a while but I'm [gonna] try and keep the surfing club afloat while I'm here. I hope you can get a chance to relax and I'm really glad that you came back and helped us out because — you’re really good at it, and I'm really glad that you're here.’ Like, she's the only person who's thankful for Jae Won's presence because he offered it. And she asks for literally nothing else beyond him except, ‘so hey you feel like getting a pizza and a beer with me? I really want to go to this place but the guy only speaks English even though he lives in fucking Korea.’
Nini
[laughs] That was bizarre.
Ben
And he's gonna be such a dick about it! That felt like a dig at foreigners moving to Korea.
[both laugh]
Nini
I completely agree that Yoon Won feels like the only person who is interested in Jae Won and not in what Jae Won can do for them, in terms of the seniors. And that's why their… thing works. And Jae Won says it when they're drinking in that foreigner's bar. He's like, ‘you know, when we started school I really didn't like you. But now you're kind of the only person who—’ [laughs] Basically he tells her that she's the only person he doesn't hate, so.
Ben
Right? And he call — she calls him out, like ‘I know you hated me, you piece of shit. But it's fine. We're cool now.’ [laughs] But again like, in terms of like, early episodes… she's the only person in the series [who] respects what he wants. She's like ‘Okay, I'll take the new kid because he clearly can't swim. You take the two girls, because you gay, you ain't gonna do nothing with them girls. Teach them girls how to swim right.’ He's like ‘No. I wanna go with the boy.’ She's like ‘Girl. Are you sure?’ and he's like ‘Nah nah nah, I really wanna go hang out with this boy.’ ‘Allll right.’ [laughs]
But again, everyone else disrespects him — ignores his stated desires, constantly. Yoon Won is the only person in the show who, when he says he wants something, she lets him have it. And then she's like ‘Hey the cute boy drew a picture of you… wanna see it?’
[both laugh]
Nini
She gives him so much shit in like her own way, I love it. You know I’m all about besties who give you shit, you know that's my favorite, [laughs] that's my favorite trope. Besties givin’ you shit.
But yeah, so you've got all the seniors who are stuck and miserable because, I mean, other than Jae Won — if they all came in at the same time, other than Jae Won because of his military service — they should have all graduated already. And the fact that they haven't, and they're all there just kind of, you know, sitting there miserable staring at each other, is a big commentary on everything.
So compare them to all the freshmen. Now, the freshmen are… still young and hopeful and they have all this energy and all that stuff, and it’s such a contrast to the seniors who’re all fucking miserable. Even though there's fear there, particularly, like sort of shown up in the person of Ji Hyun, there's still this kind of enthusiasm? And then there's this brightness that comes off of them? And you kind of understand why Yoon Won and Jae Won gravitate, kind of, towards the freshman. And they feel protective of them, and they, they want them to have a good experience? That's one of the things that I really enjoyed about, for example, the surfing trip. They really invest in making sure that the freshmen have a good experience, like they keep the skeevy senior guys away from them…. they tell them they don't have to drink, they tell Tae Hyung, like, stop being a creep.
Ben
Right? They keep telling him to fuck off, they're like, ‘None of these rituals or things you're supposed to do that we did did anything for us. It didn't move us forward, it didn't make us closer to our seniors, it didn't help us succeed at school. We just got bullied by people who are older than us. And you hated it too, so chill the fuck out.’
Nini
Yeah! I like how invested they are, Jae Won and Yoon Won, in making sure that the freshmen have a good time, and that they're taken care of and protected. I really did like that. Like, it's almost like they want to help them preserve their innocence for a little bit longer, which I found was a great commentary to be quite frank… [laughs] I did love that. And then you also see, like you were mentioning in the character Bit Na, you're seeing somebody who could go along that trajectory towards misery, that landed Eun Ji and Tae Hyung where they are now.
Ben
Exactly, it's implied that she's doing all the things, like, you're Expected To Do(™), but there's a little bit of her being like ‘No I'm not gonna drink all that stuff from you’ and like at the end, like, she's furious with Tae Hyung. She's like, ‘No! I know that you've been causing problems for me, because you have a possessive crush on me. Fuck you. Get out of here.’
Nini
Scram! Beat it! [laughs]
Ben
Pulls out her little spray bottle: sks sks sks Move! [both laugh] Go on now, get!
Nini
So, she's sort of the antagonistic force that's pushing back against that stuff, while Ji Hyun and Ae Ri are more like that force that's laughing at that stuff. One is like, dismissive, and the other is… antagonistic. And it's two ways of dealing with the same thing.
Ben
I love how when the two of them start to bond, they just turn into like the meanest little catty duo. They're like ‘Oh well she hasn’t mentioned you at all” and “Oh has she really not? If I had a crush and had a best friend I know that I would be talking to my best friend about the crush, so… it's really embarrassing for you that she really hasn't mentioned you at all to her, right? Oh geez.’
Nini
[laughs] And he says that and then he doesn't tell Joon Pyo about his crush. Terrible.
Ben
And that's why Joon Pyo was pissed.
27:45 - The Hedwig Incident
Nini
Let’s talk about Ji Hyun and Ae Ri being catty for a second. So, we've already seen Ji Hyun and Ae Ri in class making fun of, like people giving their presentations… for this class on, I guess some kind of film studies course or whatever, because they're doing these presentations about films that they've watched or whatever. So we've seen them doing their little mean girl duo act in class already, where they, you know, kind of quietly snicker at whoever is in front of the class at the point in time — which I mean, come on, who hasn't done that with your friend in class? [laughs]
When Ji Hyun comes back from his accident, the one that they're making fun of — and this is the part that I wasn't quite sure what they were trying to say, because I didn't recognize the character. So at first I didn't know if it was a character we had already met or if it was just a character that we hadn't seen before. And I think not knowing that also made things a little more difficult to parse? Because you get the sense from the way that this character talks to them that this is a character we're supposed to know who it is. That we have seen before or something. But I don't recognize him. Anyway. So this character is doing their presentation on Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which is a… queer classic?
Ben
I have not commented on this particular moment on Tumblr, because I didn't feel like getting flamed? But this is The Conversation! So I will say what needs to be said. So a big part of this film critic class that they're taking is that most of these presentations people are giving are only doing surface level reads of the source material. And this guy's read is not that deep either, but he dresses as Hedwig and thinks like he should be getting a lot of points for that. Whereas, they give a really solid read that understands the themes being explored in the Park Chan-wook film…
Nini
I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay?
Ben
They give a really solid presentation, they clearly understood the themes involved, but their presentation didn't have a lot of pizzazz, and they barely passed the class team. But they don't really care, because they took what they needed from the course: they engaged with the source material, they understood it, and they moved on, whereas he's cosplaying as Hedwig, a gay character. Does he appreciate the life of this gay character?
Which for me felt like this show taking shots at performative queerness happening with BL in particular. A lot of these boys are cosplaying as gay: do they understand gay people? Do they understand the lives we live? Like you're sitting here beefing with me, an actual gay, and my hag over our presentation. But do you have any appreciation for who we are? Why don't you go ahead and scamper your ass down a little gay district off here and figure out what gay people actually live through? Like people didn't like that because they thought it read as transphobic, which it probably did, and I'm not going to begrudge people what they took from it. But for me I read it as you can cosplay as us, but you ain't us.
Nini
Hm. So I have never watched Hedwig, so… I couldn't really get a read on what they were trying to do with this? Because I didn't know if what the guy was saying had any weight of understanding to it.
Ben
It didn't… like even just knowing the film by reputation alone, and knowing older gay men who loved it, his read on it was weak. And it's, that's what, that's what I got, like — I don't want to drag anybody who is like ‘this is transphobic, and gay people should be better’ — it's also a surface level read on what's going on there. You're reacting to the fact that they diss a guy in drag, but not why they dissed a guy in drag — who started beef with them! I come from the school of talk shit get hit. So. [laughs]
Nini
[laughs] My main reaction to it, like I said because I, I don't have the… the context. Right? So my reaction to it was just kind of confused? I think that's what my overwhelming reaction was. I was confused by what was happening, I wasn't sure. I'm seeing all the takes, you know saying this is transmisogyny, this is transphobic, this is this that and the other, but the only thing that didn't read right to me about those takes — again, acknowledging that I didn't have the context — was that I don't know that this guy is part of queerness.
Ben
You know he ain't one of us because he couldn't walk in heels! You don't cosplay as Hedwig and not walk in heels.
Nini
Fair.
Ben
It's fine… The reason why I let everybody have it is, it was a deep cut and it wasn't for everybody. And that's kind of why I love The Eighth Sense because, the people who don't do their homework, who don't do the research on the genre history, who don't watch this stuff, who don't really engage in complex interactions with queerness — they kind of miss these sort of things. And I think that's okay, like, does the interaction read a little transphobic? It does. Do gay men's interactions with drag queens and other trans people often read transphobic? Hell yeah, they do! But I got it.
Like, is it a great interaction? No, but… you ain't gonna last long in queer spaces if you can't handle a botched interaction.
Nini
I feel like it was probably the only really clunky part of the show, in that it wasn't clear. I feel like everything else that happened in the show was, it was very clear — it was abundantly clear what the show was saying, what the characters were saying and feeling, what they were trying to do. But I feel like this moment, this particular interaction, was the only time I felt like the show got a little… got a little clumsy.
Ben
It's the only indulgent thing that the show really does. It's the German director's favorite film, and he was taking a dig at people who get caught up in the fact that there's… gender performance stuff in Hedwig, and the wearing of the wig and dressing as a woman stuff, but they're missing, maybe the meat of the story. They focus on the wigs and the makeup, but not the person and the story.
I have this particular beef too, like — I had an interaction with a colleague about what parts of queer cinema that they should maybe check out. And they really just wanted me to validate the things they wanted to watch. And that's kind of how this guy reads to me… like, the gay boy in the room is laughing at his performance. ‘How dare you laugh at my performance, I know I did my fucking research, I know gay people!’ [both laugh] That's — that's how that felt for me. Like, bro, why are you in my face? Like, go drink your juice Shelby, shit!
Nini
When you just said it like that, it made me think about white gays appropriating the language of the ballroom.
Ben
Well yeah, exactly, that's exactly what it feels like! Like… you aren't us, but you're wearing us. And it's fine, like you can get your little grade, you can make your little coins. But like, the rest of us are still here, trying to create queer lives that have meaning and comfort to them. Are you going to be with us there? That’s, like, if we're going to beef with this show for being rude to a guy in drag… what have you done for us lately? Like you might be queer too, and I don't mean to make you feel bad… but also if you're queer and all you do is watch BL, there's way more work to be done sweetie!
Let go of your beef about the Hedwig scene, go watch Hedwig. Go watch I'm a Cyborg, But That's Okay. Then go watch the fucking sequences where these kids gave weak-ass takes about these really classic films, and then understand why they were getting laughed at by the teacher too. Like sure you dressed as Hedwig, but do you appreciate her? No? Okay, you get a B plus, I guess. Thank you for wearing drag.
It's not the most elegant moment in the thing? But it's one of those moments that it's like: who knows and who doesn't know?
36:32 - Ae Ri
Ben
Let's just talk about some fun gay shit. Let’s talk about Ae Ri! [laughs]
Nini
Ae Ri’s an interesting character. Ae Ri is a Seoul kid, so she's not like a country mouse innocent like Ji Hyun. She's with it, she knows what's going on, she, she understands the haps, you know what I mean? She's savvy. And she becomes Ji Hyun’s…
Ben
She becomes a hag. Let's call her what she is. Let's give her the term of endearment that we used to hand out to the best of the ladies.
Nini
She becomes the hag, yes, she becomes his fairy godmother. The way that she just kind of scoops Ji Hyun up? And is just like, ‘oh you poor little baby, come, let me help you because you very clearly need help’ [laughs] I just think that's delightful. I think that the way that their friendship develops — because at first Ji Hyun is convinced that she has a crush on him. And honestly, I'm not sure that he was wrong.
Ben
Elaborate.
Nini
I think that she clocked him when she had actually like, spent time with him?
Ben
I don't think she was paying attention to him until he drank the — until he drank the liquor for them, and then she's like, ‘Why would he do that, because all he does is look at Jae Won — Ohhh.’ [laughs]
Nini
Yeah, I feel like that's, that's where we go with this, it’s like ‘Aww! He's nice! Let me go scoop him up because he clearly needs help! Because he is not going to make it like this.’
Ben
He did though, like he needed somebody to be like ‘Bro. If you're trying to be closeted, because it seems like you are, let me just be clear: you’re doing a terrible job sweetie. Also? Them fits is busted. We need to buy you some clothes, like immediately. We're going shopping right now.’
Nini
It's like, ‘You’re trying to get Jae Won's attention? This is not how you do it. Okay, we're gonna need to accentuate those eyes darling. Ok?’ [laughs]
She's the best girl. She ends up being protective of Ji Hyun, and because she's protective of Ji Hyun she also becomes protective of the people that Ji Hyun cares about, and Ji Hyun cares about Jae Won. So she becomes protective of Jae Won [laughs]. And she has claws! And she will use them. We talked about it earlier, but that scene where she just very neatly — she and Ji Hyun very neatly take Tae Hyung apart. The reason that they take him apart is because he goes for Jae Won, and Jae Won just looks really sad about it, and they're like ‘Not to-fuckin-day! We are going to end your entire career.’
She's the best girl. She's the best girl. I want her to have everything that she wants. I don't know what she wants, because it's not really clear, but I want her to have whatever she wants. She just seems to be vibin’, and I always love a character who's vibin’.
Ben
The reason why I like Ae Ri is, in a room of seniors being awful to her friend, she stood up and challenged them — and that was scary for her. Like she broke down in tears after that confrontation with the other seniors and Eun Ji. If you read that a certain way you're like, well is she weak or whatever? Like no, it's, it's scary to stand up in front of a bunch of people who are being awful and tell them like no, you guys are mean and this is not right.
Nini
That confrontation among the surf club after Ji Hyun has his accident is so ugly. You really see how self-centered these people are, these seniors. They do not care that this kid nearly died.
Like yeah ok, they're upset about their club getting canceled because it's not technically fair. It's not like, you know, this was a club activity that he got hurt at. So yeah, ok, it's not technically fair, but the claws that they have out! And the way that they completely dismiss that at this point Ji Hyun is still in the hospital! It's not like he's back. He's still in the hospital, and they are so catty and vicious.
Ben
I don't even know if he was conscious at that point.
Nini
Yeah! He's — like he's, they're all so vicious about it. It's like they don't care whether he lives or dies? They don't care about anything other than the fact that this is inconveniencing them. And… that, Ae Ri takes that in, she like feels that, she internalizes that, and she realizes: y'all don't give a fuck about us.
Which, which we’re dealing with like intergenerational relationships, and you're in a situation where you are the low man on the totem pole. You expect a certain amount of care and consideration to be taken with regards to you, because you're, you're the low man on the totem pole, you can't protect yourself necessarily. You need these people to care for and protect you. And… realizing, quite clearly and unambiguously, that these people will not protect her. They will not protect any of them. They don't care. Like I can understand why she breaks down.
Ben
Exactly. Like it's terrifying to realize that the people you're asked to respect do not give a shit about you. They'll demand abasement all the time, but when some shit popped off, did they care about Jae Won? Did they care about Ji Hyun? No, they're like: wow this is awfully inconvenient for us isn't it.
Nini
It was so ugly. I just remember being shocked, like you — I felt that one, you know what I mean? It wasn't just like, the intellectualization of what was happening on screen, I felt that deep somewhere inside of me.
42:50 - Ji Hyun and Jae Won
Ben
My appreciation for The Eighth Sense is more intellectual than it is emotional. I think it's very excellent: I gave it a 9.5 when I rated it? But I'm not… obsessed with the romance of this the way I might have been in another show. I like the way this one unfolds; I really like the way these two talk to each other. I like the way they see each other, I like that they totally misunderstood each other after the near-death crisis moment, and I like that other people pulled their heads out of their asses for them, so that they could be together, and then they followed through on that.
But because this is just a very ‘boy likes boy’ sort of story, there isn't really a whole lot to say about the romance, but I do think we should take some time to unpack how we see Jae Won and Ji Hyun engaging with each other.
Nini
Yeah, so let's do that. These two are, as you would have said before, drawn to each other from the start, like Jae Won clocks Ji Hyun in the restaurant, Ji Hyun clocks Jae Won… I haven't rewatched the first couple of episodes as yet, but I think I remember that when Jae Won goes outside to smoke, Ji Hyun follows him?
Ben
Ji Hyun is outside, maybe on like a break or whatever? Just decompressing after a stressful moment, and all of Jae Won and his friends are maybe thinking about leaving. And then Jae Won asks for a lighter so he can light a cigarette.
Nini
He asks for the cigarette first, because he doesn't have a cigarette. He asks for a cigarette and he asks for a lighter, which is why I thought I remembered Ji Hyun following him outside, because the lighter that he gives him is the gas match for the restaurant, not like a, a standard bic. It's the big… gas match that he uses so — to light the cigarette for him, and he gives him two cigarettes. One for now and one one for later.
Ben
Jae Won was definitely flirting in a subtle way, and then Ji Hyun responds in a way that's like, I see you, but it both gave them the chance to back off of it and just write it off. Which is where I started to really appreciate the show, because… BL flirting is too overt sometimes.
Nini
It’s a dance that I've seen before, this kind of, I think you are but are you? And there's like these little subtle signals, and all these other things… I mean I don't need to tell: you're gay, you know.
Ben
[laughs] No no Nini! Go on!
Nini
Hilarious. [both laugh] Fine, read me.
Ben
Nah, it's, it's legitimately fun for me to see what other people are picking up on.
Nini
The thing is that it's so easy to dismiss, and it has to be. So these two, they clock each other, they do the dance, you know — ‘are you? I think you are, but are you? I think you are’ kind of dance.
Ben
What's so fun about them dancing is, like it could have been a one off moment. But then Ji Hyun joins the surfing club. And Ji Hyun forces Jae Won to see him. Like ‘No, my name is Ji Hyun, what's yours? You said you wanted to be friends. Were you just bullshitting me, or were you just flirting?’
Nini
Yeah, Ji Hyun is actually pretty…
Ben
He's so brave! I love him!
Nini
He is pretty forward for a baby gay, I will say that.
Ben
He knows who he is. And he sees a boy in pain — who's very pretty — and he's like, ‘I can help him.’ Not ‘I can fix him.’ ‘I can help him’ — Ji Hyun doesn't really demand anything of Jae Won really. He just won't let Jae Won fully push him away, and continues to offer him emotional support. He's incredibly patient, in a way that maybe city folk aren't used to.
Nini
Being city folk myself I can't, like, speak to city versus country in that regard, because I simply don't have the country experience.
Ben
I'm from Louisiana! [laughs]
Nini
The extra shot in that daiquiri gettin to ya, huh?
Ben
It really is. We are two-thirds of the way through this 32 ounces? That's a lot. [laughs]
Nini
There is something to be said for like, the way that Ji Hyun is… he's brave, he's forward, but he does it in this kind of quiet still way. He's pushing, there's definitely no doubt that he's pushing. But he's also not pushy?
Ben
When I was really on Twitter a lot, there’s this writer I used to follow, his name is Anthony Oliveira? He's queer, and he used to say like once or twice a day on his Twitter, he would say: Be brave enough to be kind. And that's where Ji Hyun fits for me. Even when he's being catty with people, it's only with people who came at him sideways. It's… the Hedwig boy coming at him for no reason, it's Eun Ji beefing with him for no reason, it's Joon Pyo picking on him a little bit, and him being like nah, fuck you bro. Other than that, he treats people really well. He gives people back the energy they give him. Like when they drag Tae Hyung, we mentioned this earlier, he was being shitty about Bit Na when she wasn't even there. And it's like bro, she don’t owe you nothin’.
That's kind of what I love about Ji Hyun, because that's what he gives Jae Won. Jae Won flirted with him a little bit, he flirted back. He won't let Jae Won run away after starting that with him, like ‘Hm! You made a mistake — you should not have started this!’ And like, he's so confident at the end, like he's singing a song, like, ‘I won, ha ha!’
Nini
It's like ‘Jae Won’s miiiiiine, Jae Won’s miiiiiine’ [laughs] I love that so much!
Ben
And Eun Ji’s like, ‘What’s it like to win?’ and he’s like ‘Hm, I’ll tell you later tonight!’ [laughs] And let's talk about that boy later that night, because he pinned that boy down… he's like oh no, we've been here for four hours of this TV show? It's time to get mine.
Nini
Ahhh, he literally said — what's the line that he said? ‘Don't laugh, you don't know what's coming next.’
Ben
Right? I was like, baby boy!
Nini
I loved that, I loved that!
Ben
I was in my — I was like yeeeeees bitch, yeeeeeees!
[both laugh]
Ben
Get! It! In!
Nini
He's like, I — he's like, I may look, I may look innocent but I ain't that innocent, you know, kind of…
Ben
He said I am suited, tooted, and booted!
Nini
He’s like, I have the internet, I know how these things go… [laughs]
Ben
It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake.
[both laugh]
Nini
God I hate you. [both laugh] Oh god…
50:38 - Joon Pyo and Boss Lady
Ben
Speaking of getting it in… let's talk about my boy Joon Pyo.
Nini
Hello! Hello. I said it in the clown server and I'm gonna repeat it on this podcast and I don't care how filthy it is okay? You just know — I'm sorry he might be a virgin, but I know that dick game bomb. I know it!
Ben
Look, we've been here a while; anybody who's still listening wants to be here. Let's talk about this for a second. Both Yoon Won and Joon Pyo are fat characters, who are seen enjoying food repeatedly in this show, and I am so glad that the two of them get to have what was clearly a very enjoyable makeout session with each other. And got to vibe for the rest of the night, and are confirmed to dip — off to wherever they're going on their own, so we got time to do our little gay thing we need to next to my rain! bow! lamp! in this room.
My boy! He's been there for his homie the whole time, because he knows his friend gets lonely, he tries to make sure he does social things with him. Maybe he's a little overbearing, maybe he's a little codependent, but he had his boy’s back, and when his boy was down for the count? He starts working at his job, treating the boss with respect — because the boss seems like she might be picky about who she lets work with her. And she seemed to like Joon Pyo too! He brought that man his school supplies to make sure that he didn't have to lose a semester. And when he found out that his homie was gay, and the reason he almost died was for some dick? He was like, ‘shit was it worth it? Yes? We need to secure that bag, don't we? What we doing next?’
Nini
He was for it!
Ben
He stumbled briefly, he's like ‘Wait, Ae Ri knew before me?’ ‘Yeah, but she's from Seoul, she clocked me, I don't know.’ ‘All right, so she's just smart. Is she cool? Are we friends now, does that mean I get to hang out with cool people?’ My man is always looking at the best way to proceed forward. Ain't nobody doing it like my man Joon Pyo.
Nini
Not just that — when, after all this shit when Ji Hyun and Jae Won finally get back together, Joon Pyo clears out of the room that first night, he's like, ‘clearly y'all got some stuff to be doing and I don't want to be here while y'all do it.’
Ben
Right? Jae Won, he's like where'd you, like I felt — I felt it for Ji Hyun, like he wakes up in the morning and Jae Won's gone and like, that boy is not well. We knew that boy almost hurt himself in the show. Ji Hyun’s, ah, understandably worried, he goes out and he's just vibing with with Joon Pyo and he's like ‘well what's going on here?’ He's like ‘well Joon Pyo hung out outside all night for us, so. He brought us coffee, I'm honoring the man's commitment to us.’ And Joon Pyo’s like, ‘you're very pretty and popular, like… would you please take me clubbing?’ He's like ‘hell yeah, let's go clubbing. Let's get you some, son!’
Nini
[laughs] I love that!
Ben
And he's like ‘how do I need to dress, how do I need to be?’ He’s like ‘man you just need to be yourself’ … says the rich boy with all the nice clothes. [laughs]
Nini
You just know that Jae Won gonna make it rain on Joon Pyo at the club. He's going to make sure that he has everything.
Ben
I love Joon Pyo. I liked how there were kind people even in Seoul, like… like these are two freshmen clearly not used to Seoul who want to try specialty drinks for the first time. And I like how that bartender only teased them briefly, and then gave them the kind of popular drinks people their age might want to enjoy. Like that felt so gentle to me in a way, and it really stuck out when I watched it.
Nini
I feel like one of the things that the show gets right, that I really enjoyed, was that the businesses around a university are really accustomed to having students — particularly new students who don't know what the fuck they're doing. The people who work and who own and work in businesses around a university can really be quite nice like that.
Ben
That's how I feel about the boss character. She clearly loves young people, in a genuine way, and like Eun Ji thought she was really doing some stuff, ‘Oh I'm about to post a negative review on you on Yelp.’ And I like how she's like ‘Business improved as a result of your negative review, you insufferable waste of human flesh.’ [laughs] People were like, ‘So this mean catty person got chewed out by, by a business owner for being rude to the support staff? Yeah, we should go to that place.’
I like how the boss doesn't have a name, because it doesn't really matter if she has a name or not, because she's a temporary component of their lives. They're not going to really remember her name in a way that it matters, they're going to remember the things she said to them. They're going to remember how she treated them. They're going to remember like, how she helped them grow, how she pushed them to choose the things in their lives that they wanted. And like that's what matters about her character. Like, that's why they don't give her a name, because it doesn't matter what her name is, because she's so much older than them that we don't have to distinguish her. She is the positive older mentor figure in their lives.
Nini
I just think of her as such a, I mean, [laughs] Because you’re right, she doesn’t get a name, but she is so important to… not just having the story unfold, but she's important to the characters.
56:28 - Let’s Talk About The Kissing (And Episode 6)
Ben
Let's talk about the kissing?
Nini
You go first.
Ben
Oh absolutely not. [Nini laughs] You of the… you of the, ‘all of the kissing is bad and I have notes?’ [laughs]
No, it's fine, I'm gonna go first cause, I have more fun than you sometimes with these terrible kiss scenes. I will say that overall I enjoyed the execution of intimacy in this because everyone is very earnest, and I never feel like I'm not observing the character. This is shored up by the fact that Im Ji Sub gives absolutely terrible kisses with Eun Ji’s actress, on purpose. Straight actors will win me over so much in queer cinema when, when they're forced to kiss women, they look like they hate it. [laughs]
Nini
From a character standpoint I found it very believable.
Ben
Okay.
Nini
I found it extremely believable from a character standpoint. It wasn't pretty, but it's not supposed to be pretty? Jae Won is definitely more experienced than Ji Hyun, and that shows? It works for me, because I don't feel like Ji Hyun is supposed to be good at it. I feel like he's new to the whole thing, and because of that, the enthusiasm carries more for me than the technique. He's new to it but he's going for it in a particular kind of way. There's some little acting choices that Oh Jun Taek does, like he opens his mouth, like really wide when —
Ben
I loved it! The first time I thought, I was like, go — I was like go in baby boy!
Nini
I loved that, because — that's the kind of thing you do when you're learning to kiss, you overcompensate.
Ben
I love it.
Nini
You overcompensate when you're learning to kiss, it’s one of the things that you do, so I actually really like that detail? He looks like he wants to swallow Jae Won whole, and I really [laughs] really like that —
Ben
I fucking love it, I loved it so much —
Nini
I really love that and that's, that's the kissing at the end, but then the kissing sort of in between as well, is really… good, because those kisses — those kisses like towards the end… like they're together at that point, you know what I mean, it's a whole different thing. But the way that he kisses him before that, there is a little bit of tentativeness to it, some — in some parts? When they're surfing when they're on their trip, and he kisses them in the sea? Like, in terms of pretty? Those are the pretty, those are the prettiest kisses, like you know what I mean? Those, those aesthetically pleasing, all that good stuff, and you feel the sense of euphoria that's coming out of it? They are having this whole moment, there is so much joy in those kisses, which I truly love.
And that's the other thing, like every — all the kisses have different moods. And you know I like to follow the trajectory of a relationship through the… to the intimacy and how it's being portrayed. So watching all the kisses and the, all the intimacy have different moods to it? Fantastic. I can't complain about it. Is it pretty? In a lot of instances, no. Does it feel real? Absolutely a hundred percent, all the time.
See? See?
Ben
I'm so relieved y'all, because normally I'm like ‘I really enjoyed that!’ and Nini's like ‘Hmmm… it was terrible’ and I'm like, ‘Awww.’ [laughs]
Nini
You know, I'm out here being Beyonce, ‘look at my technique,’ you know kinda thing [laughs] And Ben's like ‘No!’
[both laugh]
Ben
Leave them alone! They're doing their best, shit.
Nini
No… No but I really, I did, I did like it here. It's also maybe something to do with the style, because the style is so vérité? When you get an ugly kiss — quote unquote ugly kiss — in a vérité style, it feels different…
Nini
…than when you get a quote unquote ugly kiss in a style that's very polished.
Ben
I know what you mean. Like a —
Nini
You know?
Ben
Right, right. When it feels very fanciful and like ‘this is the best kiss that's ever happened,’ and you're like ‘oh but it wasn't.’
Nini
Yeah, exactly. [laughs] Precisely.
Ben
All right, so, while we're talking about the intimacy and stuff, I think we should talk about episode 6 reactions. First, I'm going to say that I loved episode 6, and I particularly enjoyed the way they handled the intimacy of episode 6? I think that was very appropriate for… the newness of the actors, the lack of an intimacy coordinator…
I want to talk about the reaction. I don't know if you were on Tumblr for this, but there was a lot of discussion at the end of episode 6 where people were saying that episode 6 was not real. That it was fake — and I have written on Tumblr on record about how much I hated that take, and I want to unpack it here.
Nini
I did see the reactions on Tumblr, I mostly stayed out of it… I didn't really delve too much into The Eighth Sense discussion? I did do, like a little thing about Eun Ji, but I didn't really delve into The Eighth Sense discussion because I wanted it to play out. I felt like The Eighth Sense is one of those shows that… the episodic discussion wasn't going to give much. I felt like it's one of those shows where I needed to see the full, the full thing, to really… understand. Because it's not — as, as we said earlier in the show, it's not really one of those… episode by episode kind of things where the plot is what's driving it or whatever, it's really about the interactions that these characters are having, the way that they're interacting with their surroundings.
It's why we've been jumping back and forth in discussion, and like it's how I felt about it while it was airing, so I really kinda, didn't really delve too much into the whole episode 6 discussion. I saw it, but… I wasn't getting into it.
Ben
I guess I'm just gonna deliver a little read while we're here then.
Nini
Okay!
Ben
[laughs] Here we go!
Nini
Here we go.
Ben
I don't want to disrespect anyone before we get into this. Let me be clear. Like, I do believe people were relying on very fair reads of traditional filming techniques, for why they believed that some parts of… episode 6 might have not been real, or that Jae Won would— became an unreliable narrator for it? But I think it's very important to talk about this.
Just because it's unpleasant to consider does not mean it's not real. This is not meant to be read as disrespect to those of you trying to make sense of what's going on because you were nervous and concerned for Ji Hyun. That is valid. But, please understand, that for me — this is just me! As a queer person in these streets with y'all — whenever you all seemingly get squicked out because one of us isn't being entertaining or sexy? It makes me feel a little bit unwelcome. That's all I'm going to say about that, because you know who was right as of episode 7? Me! It was real!
[both laugh]
Ben
I was insufferable that week, I feel sorry for everybody who had to talk to me.
Nini
[laughs] I didn't think you were insufferable.
Ben
I felt insufferable. I was smug! My crops were watered.
Nini
The field in which you grew your fucks was barren.
[both laugh]
Ben
I don't want anyone to feel embarrassed if you just — felt called out by what I just said. But I would like you to approach these shows with just a little more kindness. The goal of watching TV is not to be right. It's about finding connection — with fictional people, and the real people who are also finding that connection with you. It can bring you closer to other people. It can help you understand other people. It can bring you just a little bit of peace and joy in an otherwise difficult time. There are no points to be awarded, you are not taking a test when you watch these shows. So please… be kinder to yourselves. Be kind to the people making these stories, and be kind to the people who are also watching them alongside you.
Nini
[singing] Message!
Ben
I'm a little drunk but that's all I'm going to say on that!
1:06:21 - The Party Scene and Forgiveness
Nini
Let's talk about that end scene, the party.
Ben
Okay, let's talk about forgiveness for the next thirty minutes. [laughs]
Nini
I think that's a good segue from what you just said: let's talk a little bit about forgiveness.
Ben
I'm gonna let Nini talk, because I just made you guys feel bad for like, probably 10 minutes of this edit.
Here's the thing: Nini and I… came down on the side of forgiveness for this. But Nini and I are a little bit older than some of the viewers, so… I'll let you talk about the final scene and particularly how there were mixed reactions to Jae Won’s and Ji Hyun’s decision to reconcile, at a party, with Tae Hyung and Eun Ji: the two worst offenders of this particular story. Nini?
Nini
See here's the thing: I didn't read it as a reconciliation? And that's probably why I have a, like a different view of it. So the way that I read that is, when you're stonkingly giddy happy… when you are at a celebratory event, when you are… drinking, let's just be real about it… It is so easy to just be like, ‘You know what? I don't want to fight, I don't want to argue. I just want to let all this go… like, there's so much love in this club, I'm just gonna…’ [laughs]
Ben
And there is love in this club tonight! Some of you don't even know.
Nini
That's part of it. That's definitely part of it. But also, you have to understand what's happening with Tae Hyung, and with Eun Ji in here as well.
Tae Hyung is a dick. That doesn't change throughout the show. He was a dick at the start of the show, at the end of the show he's still a dick… nothing about him changes. But you get to understand the value that Jae Won finds in Tae Hyung. Because he… outright asks him, Tae Hyung asks him ‘Why are you still friends with me?’ because Tae Hyung doesn't even understand why Jae Won keeps him around. And what Jae Won says about that, he’s just like… Basically he tells him, ‘I keep you around because you don't mask and I find that really refreshing.’ That's basically what he tells him.
And that makes so much sense to me. And it also makes me understand why he would just let the shit go, at this point. Because Tae Hyung's not going to change. We see that at the same party. He continues to try to hit on Bit Na. He has to get read to the ground by Bit Na for his bullshit. Tae Hyung is never going to change.
Ben
That's true. He's the most bitchless motherfucker in the whole show.
[both laugh]
Nini
Completely! A hundred percent. He's never going to change, and Jae Won finds that comforting. Also, I have seen men forgive each other for all kinds of shit? So that just read a hundred percent true to me. I have seen dudes fight, box, wrestle, nearly kill each other… and then two days later they're out together hanging out.
Ben
Dude I've seen them after the fight bloody, like crying, hugging each other like I love you bro! [laughs] And I'm like, the hell just happened?
Nini
That rang a hundred percent true to me… I think that if Tae Hyung and Jae Won stay in contact — because there's no guarantee that that's going to happen either, because they're coming to the end of things now. The fact that they're having this party because Yoon Won got a job means that things are starting to move. Where all the seniors were stuck before, things are now starting to move for them. They're coming to the end of this period of their lives anyway, so they've also got like a hefty whiff of nostalgia permeating the whole thing, and also? They don't know if they're gonna see each other really, after this. They don't know if they're going to stay friends. It's easy in that situation to just let the shit go, and I've seen the situation happen so many times before and I'm just kind of like, you know what? That rang true for me, I wasn't worried about that.
Ben
I’m with Nini. As a boy, I have friends like that. Where… you know who this person is: kind of a sad sack, kind of a shit heel, and you get it. But they're weirdly there? And so, you just accept these losses, like yeah he tried to get me kicked out of school but he failed, because he sucks, so… whatever. Was that annoying? Yes. Is he going to apologize for it? No. But he wouldn't be himself if he apologized. And like that's not great, but this is again a reflection of the current state of social… politics.
Nini
It's more of a question of, is this realistic? And to me, yes it is.
Ben
Nini and I are both from cultures that have carnival. And so like, I've seen this happen at Mardi Gras, where blood feuds have ended because, like, we ran into each other at a parade. And like, the right thing was said at the right moment, and people just let go of decades worth of beef. Like it can happen! And like, the question is like, does holding on to this anger at Tae Hyung help Jae Won take care of Ji Hyun? So let it go.
Nini
The way I can best describe it is: whatever, I'm over it. It's not like he's gonna, like make him like godparent to his first born or anything like that, I don't think that's where their relationship is going. I'd be surprised if they're speaking to each other in two years. For now, at a party? Everybody's happy, everybody's drinking. You're gonna go home with your boyfriend later and have a great time, like… [laughs]
Ben
Right? The music is good, the drinks are flowing, there's love in this club tonight.
Nini
The other one that everybody’s upset about is Ji Hyun forgiving Eun Ji. Now I also found that incredibly believable. Not just for party reasons but also for career reasons? Eun Ji is still his senior. The first thing he does, like when he walks up to her, is he apologizes for being snarky with her. In the moment and like the heat of battle so to speak, he might have popped off at the mouth, but he's gonna feel bad about it later. And I can see him, like, apologizing to her about it. And I can genuinely see her, having lost so comprehensively? Licking her wounds, taking a step back, and reassessing her entire life.
Ben
Here's the thing about the way she lost to Ji Hyun. What she realized from Jae Won handing her her entire ass was, Ji Hyun was never her enemy. She lost way before this boy showed up. And so all the beef she had with him in this whole competition for Jae Won? Was nil, because he said, ‘I saw you.’ And so all of the presumption she had about, like, what was at stake, is this a battle for Jae Won’s booty or whatever… Like none of that works out. He had already dismissed her. And he was adamant: he did not want to be with her, the whole time. So she feels like an asshole, because she's been in the wrong the whole time.
And maybe like a part of her was true about this. Maybe she was just bitter that Jae Won was gone. She's mad about him being gone, but she didn't do right by him and she lied. That's the big thing, like she's been caught lying. There's no coming back from that. Whatever her goals were for Jae Won, she had to eat that bowl of shit, and set it aside. And like there's no value for her in beefing with Ji Hyun anymore, because it just further exacerbates how much of an asshole she is. This boy did literally nothing to her, and they are not equals in a struggle for the heart of a bisexual boy. She lost her chance before this boy showed up. And so it's actually good to see her becoming the senior she's supposed to be, now that she has some experience to maybe pass on and grow from.
Nini
I agree with that read, I really think that she's reassessing and reevaluating her entire life at this point? She's feeling a little vulnerable, she's feeling a little… raw. She’s feeling a little humbled, and so… when you're feeling that way, just what do you do? You sit quietly and you try not to do too much. I don't know if this feels the way that it feels to me because I am an old bitch? But… [laughs] The first and hopefully last time you ever find yourself beefing with a fetus? Like… [laughs]
Ben
BEEFING WITH A FETUS! AAAAH! [laughs]
Nini
You know I'm right. You know I'm right.
Ben
I know what you mean! I mean there’re times, I'm like, oh lord I almost threw hands with a 12 year old today.
[both laugh]
Nini
You literally like, when somebody slaps into you like, what are you doing? Like this is a child! Hopefully it only ever happens to you once. And hopefully you very quickly realize that you are, in fact… you're in an antagonistic situation with a child.
Ben
It's really hard to realize sometimes that you are wrong. And to accept that and try to, like, move on from it properly. Like, I think she does okay. And like, she's still an asshole… just like Tae Hyung’s still an asshole. But I think she does okay.
Nini
To me it feels right, that the end is not… a comeuppance in that sense or a vengeance, but it's more like everybody being like, ‘Look okay, we all been through it. Let's just hug that shit out. Maybe I'll see you again, maybe I won't, but for right now, we’re here, it's a party, let's just have a good time, and not like do all this shit.’
1:17:14 - On a Possible Second Season
Ben
Speaking of ‘maybe we'll see each other again’ how do you feel about returning to these characters?
Nini
As you always say: Dick is not magical, it does not fix you.
Ben
It does not!
Nini
And there's still a lot, particularly on Jae Won’s side, like there's stuff with Ji Hyun too, but especially with Jae Won, there's still a lot there… in terms of his mental health, in terms of his family, in terms of all that stuff. So… there is room there? For something else, that could be interesting, but… I feel like if this was all there was, I would be good with it.
How do you feel? What, what are your thoughts on a potential sequel?
Ben
So we talked about sequels in the spring season and I was really amped about sequels! I don't… feel the pull for one here yet. I'm not opposed, because… these characters are so strong, like we're gonna remember these characters, we're gonna remember Ji Hyun, Jae Won, Joon Pyo, Yoon Won, Eun Ji, Tae Hyung, the boss… Ae Ri! Don't forget my girl, I'm sorry boo boo. We're going to remember these characters, and their characterizations are fairly strong. So I am confident that the voice of the characters is strong enough to carry them into whatever new situations they want to put these characters through.
However… I believe that this particular outing had a lot of very specific things they wanted to say, about queerness, about being Korean, about being young in Korea… and I hope that if they really want to continue the story, that they have more things that they think are worth saying, and they do that in a way that's legible. I am just concerned that they aren't prepared for… a domestic story where one of them is still in school? And the other one is trying to survive their homophobic family? And abusive dad. And I'm not entirely certain that I am… eager to explore that?
I'm not opposed to a sequel, I'm not yearning for one, but I do hope that we get more melodrama out of these guys. I enjoyed this production a lot! Even if we don't get more of The Eighth Sense, I hope that this team continues to make cool stuff. I really loved the way Oh Jun Taek played Ji Hyun this whole time. I loved the way he moved, I loved the way he spoke, I loved his smile. And like, I like how in the final episodes when Jae Won has, almost the Japanese running-to-the-boy moment, I just love the way that… Ji Hyun is just so ecstatic to finally get what he's been hoping for. And he's clingy for the final parts of this show, and he's having a good time! He's literally radiant for the rest of the show! Oh Jun Taek plays the relief and joy of that character so well.
Like you see, even Jae Won, like you can see his old bones creaking. That's, he's like ‘I can experience joy again?’ as he quickly wakes up for this, and like — I feel like some of the… final bits were a little bit rushed? But I'm not going to complain, because like… I like the therapy bit with Jae Won, like it allows me to be forgiving about a character — who's had a lot of emotional struggles for the whole fucking show — to very quickly adapt to the situation, and like ‘no, we're boyfriends now.’ Like you can see the work of somebody who spent a great deal of time working with a professional about how he's feeling and how to manage them… expressing them properly, now that the hugest block is out of his way. And that lands really well for me in the final moments, like in another show it might have felt like this got resolved too quickly.
Nini
I don't feel like it did get resolved too quickly. If I have to do like, one more ding for the show: I think that the passage of time, particularly in this last two episodes, wasn't really clear?
Ben
It is not.
Nini
There's a sequence where Ji Hyun is in a classroom and he's sitting in different positions in the classroom and wearing different clothes, and we're meant to understand that that is time passing. So there is a bunch of time that passes, in episode 9 in particular, that I don't think it’s very clear to the audience that there is a lot of time passing. We're seeing Jae Won becoming stronger and stronger and happier and happier. But because it all happens in a montage where it's not clear that time is passing, it feels rushed. I don't know how much time there is? But it feels like they go through a season, because you see his clothes change. At one point he's just wearing a t-shirt, and then the next time when they meet each other up, they're back into like maybe something heavier, like more like fall clothes? So I feel like they at least went through the summer.
Ben
Though I did love this show, this is not a show that's going to be, like, part of my personal canon.
Nini
For me, it's like… I can appreciate it as being objectively good. I can feel the emotions that it was going for?... Watching it is kind of… ticking something off a film syllabus.
Ben
That's the exact feeling… that like, I think it is!
Nini
That makes it sound bad in a way, but I don't mean for it to sound bad.
Ben
It goes on the must-watch list, but you're like, ehhh.
Nini
It's all the things: it's good, it's worthy, it's enjoyable, it's emotional… It's all of the things that you want a drama to be. I will recommend it for sure, I think it's important work. I… don't really see myself rewatching it? It touches me but it doesn't give me the visceral feelings.
Ben
This is not calling the show bad!
Nini
Objectively, this is a 10 show for me.
Ben
Don't let our mid commentary at the end of this two and a half hour recording deter you. We loved this show! And like we said in the beginning, we will remember every single one of these characters, because they're so vivid, and they're so expertly crafted. Do we recommend The Eighth Sense? Wholeheartedly yes! Please! You should experience this. Go watch this.
1:24:10 - Checking in Two Months Later
Ben
Okay, Nini… it's been about two months I think since The Eighth Sense ended at this point? How are you feeling about it two months later?
Nini
As I predicted I have not rewatched it. I have not felt the need to rewatch it. When I was doing the edit I was listening to us talk about it and everything just came flooding back. Like I could remember distinctly how I felt watching it, the things that we were talking about, but I still don't feel compelled to rewatch it.
I feel like it's one of those things where… it has stuck? Somewhere deep inside? And because it stuck I don't need to go back to it and reinterpret it and review it and look at it again, I feel like it was so clear. It was so legible. It spoke for itself really, and so I don't feel the need to go over and over and over it. It's very different from how I normally consume media because if I'm really into something I will go over and over and over and over it. This is… very different for me, a very different experience of taking in media.
What about you Ben, how do you feel about it a few months down the line?
Ben
I feel a bit weird about it, and I think a big part of it is the way that the team behind it is continuing to release behind the scenes content in a way that I wasn't expecting — like I was hoping it’d feel more akin to… the gravitas with which Boss and them released the I Told Sunset About You documentaries. But it's been a little bit on the silly side?
There's talk about them doing a second season. And I'm not opposed, but I feel like it's left me in a liminal space with the show, like I feel like I'm sitting on a, like a train station waiting for the next train to come.
What has stuck with me, and I was thinking about this when I listened to the edit, is: I'm so glad that we had that whole conversation on forgiveness. Because let me tell you, the amount of peace I have had over this show because I'm not sitting here hating on Tae Hyung or Eun Ji all these months later? Because they just don't matter. I really like that the show left us with these two driving down a tunnel together and saying, ‘Whatever is coming next, we'll do this together.’ That's so lovely.
Like I feel like where I was with the show at the end of it, like it is one of those things that goes… in my cataloging of, this is a really good piece that I am going to remember and recommend to the youths, when they ask me about things that are worth watching from certain places or from certain angles. But I don't necessarily find myself yearning for Jae Won or Ji Hyun the way I have for other people. It was fun though, revisiting our absolutely unhinged love for Joon Pyo when I went back through this. [laughs] I still love that boy so much.
Nini
Joon Pyo the MVP! Everybody needs a friend like him. Everybody.
Ben
He was a really good friend.
I think what stands out for me really about The Eighth Sense is that the field itself is just so much more crowded now. So much good stuff was airing when this show aired, more good stuff has aired since this show aired. It's not a knock on The Eighth Sense, it's just that… we have such a wide variety of excellent offerings to choose from, that I find that you're going to be able to find shows that hit your specific emotional resonances more consistently. Regardless of how good The Eighth Sense is, it didn't fully resonate with the exact weird queer sensibilities I have, that would make me put it into one of my heart shows.
Nini
You know what it is I think, Ben? I think we're getting older. [Ben laughs] I think this is an intensely youthful show. I watch these coming of age dramas all the time I mean, you spoke about ITSAY and that still like hits me like a ton of bricks. But that's because it feels like my youth?
Whereas, I feel oddly… both connected and disconnected from The Eighth Sense. It feels like a youth that I'm familiar with? But not one that I have experienced? We talked about the millennial thing when we were talking about the show, and how this feels like that. But it still feels distant from my experience of being a millennial somehow? I think maybe I'm just too old for the show. Like, I can appreciate it for what it is, but I'm too old for it and it doesn't hit the nostalgia buttons that I Told Sunset About You and I Promised You the Moon and shows like that hit. I think this is one for the kids, Ben.
Ben
I don't think that's bad! What I'll say is, I'm really glad that there is room for that now. We've been talking in other spaces about how fandom feels like it's bifurcating too many times now, that it feels thinner than it used to be? Like it feels like there used to be a lot more of us around. But I just feel like a big thing at this point is, we're not all trying to get some sort of energy from the exact same shows anymore.
Right now I'm yelling on Tumblr about a whole show that Nini is just not watching. And I think that's okay, because Nini and I are still screaming at each other about at least two or three other shows, and so like I'm not feeling despondent because Nini, who's one of my best friends in fandom, isn't watching one of the shows that I'm really enjoying right now. It's okay that The Eighth Sense is the type of coming of age experience that maybe is more suited for the Gen Z types than the millennials.
Nini
So now that we have fully memento mori’d ourselves, I think that's that's a wrap for us. [laughs]
Ben
It's a really good show guys. Don't, don't get us wrong like we're, we're being a little bit wistful at the end of this, but — I really liked this show. Like I still, I stand by everything we said in the original recording.
I really like the performances here, I really like the gumption of this entire production. I really like the casting choices. I like the way Oh Jun Taek and Im Ji Sub really worked together. And… sincerely, if they want to do more work with these two guys and reprising these characters, I will be there, seated, to see what they do next.
Nini
All right! And with that, we out! Say bye to the people, Ben.
Ben
Peace!
#the eighth sense#korean bl#podcast#lgbtq#the conversation#ben and nini's conversations#spring series#season 3#summer 2023#on art#summer series#Spotify
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Hirogaru Sky! Precure Watch Guide
A list of episodes that let you know which episodes are less interesting and skippable.
Note that this season had very uneven pacing and tone. Most episodes are largely slice of life, but occasionally it would dip into extreme drama territory, most notably episodes 14-15 and 22-23. The villain situation is not explained for 90% of the show.
Plot is bolded. Recommended filler (character development or background -oriented) is italicized. Skippable episodes grouped in block quote.
1 — Cure Sky
2 — Settling into Human Realm
3 — Some Lore Stuff
4 — Cure Prism
5 — New Finisher
6 — Gearing up to get Sora to school (watch if you like Sora/Mashiro)
7 — Sora goes to school
8 — Cure Wing leadup
9 — Cure Wing
10 — Cure Wing welcome party (Tsubasa & Mashiro focus)
11 — Ageha meets Tsubasa (Ageha & Tsubasa focus)
12 — Sky v. Kabaton
13 — Potentially Parting Ways
14 — Back at Skyland
15 — Skyland part 2
16 — New Mirror Pad Function
17 — Sora & Mashiro relay (Mashiro focus)
18 — Cure Butterfly
19 — Wing & Butterfly finisher
20 — Finding a dream (Mashiro focus)
21 — No knowledge is wasted (Tsubasa focus)
22 — Captain Shalala update
23 — Hero Crisis
24 — Princess Elle background
25 — New Villain (not that notable, you can see him in a future ep)
26 — More propaganda for our airline sponsors
27 — More propaganda for our mirror pad toy
28 — Ageha’s fashion show
29 — An abandoned cat stuffie
30 — Beach episode
31 — Cure Majesty Part 1
32 — Cure Majesty Part 2
33 — New Finisher
34 — Mashiro deals with rejection (Mashiro & Battamonda focus)
35 — Sora does baseball
36 — Why Ageha wants to be a teacher (Ageha & Tsubasa focus)
37 — Ageha & Mashiro backstory
38 — Tsubasa to the rescue
39 — Halloween
40 — Elle and Tsubasa Play Wedding
41 — Mashiro counsels Battamonda
42 — Sora decides on the type of hero she wants to be
43 — Mashiro purifies Battamonda
44~45 — Empress backstory
46 — Christmas
Only relevant part is that Tsubasa sets up the barrier. There’s also a nice Sora/Mashiro segment but the rest is skippable.
47~50 — Finale
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The Newsreader S2 Ep 6 (Finale)
A well-written, well-acted, and well-produced season. Anna and Sam showed their range. The whole cast is such a treat to see when they're all working together for a bulletin. Love how they wrote other characters/relationships to be a foil to Helen, Dale or their relationship, especially Rob/Noellene. The set and the fashion are impeccable. My only criticisms are I wish we could see more of how Charlie/Helen crash and burn in more than a montage and a scene and the score, which could have been better imo. Anyway, this should sweep AACTA idc idc
My unnecessary note on the episode under the cut
Sam is such a great actor, because we see Dale's acting like he's okay all smiley etc but you know he's breaking inside
Geoff looks sincere with his speech about Kay, but I bet it's Evelyn's idea to put that on the news. Idk I'm still sceptical about those two
GOD DALE he's really doing everything he's been dreaming of as if that would make him feel better about himself
that montage of Helen and Charlie doing drugs is insane. Especially when you remember their relationship started right after she covered a drug addict news
ugh yes Rob we know you're homophobic thanks
"He's turning into Helen" well more like Geoff
Oh fuck you Lindsey. he's the one without any principles at all and alway takes/turns anything into personal. He and Evelyn are my big villains UGH
Okay, Rob proposing her in Korean is sweet. A sign he's willing to learn
Don't forget Rob is someone who refuses his promotion even when he gets it because he's too comfortable in his place. OF COURSE he won't understand Noelene's ambition to develop her career. I'm so sorry Noelene. i wish you didn't fall in love with a loser
At least The Walters know when they have to pay back a favor
Helen really said don't talk about my bisexual almost-husband! She's so real for that. But I do wish we saw how the relationship with Charlie crashed and burnt in more than just two scenes.
"Just do your work" also "Do nothing" in the previous episode. Insanity
Poor Dale, no one can back him up. It hurts that Tim won't help him but it's very understandable after how Dale has been using him after all this time. Plus Tim is in a different relationship with his sexuality than Dale. He's not out, but he has embraced it and doesn't want to hide it anymore. Meanwhile that's impossible for Dale if he still wants a career in front of the camera with a good pay in that era. Which is why I don't see them get back together anymore. In my eyes, it's more like infatuation than love between them, with/without the internalized homophobia. And Tim does deserve to live free from all this drama
14 hours plus on the desk? it's insane. Dale is turning into a robot wtf
Dale Jennings disappointing the whole queer community. Where did that come from? Yes, season 1! Upon reflection, I don't think Gerry did it, but it's definitely someone from the gay club. Someone who saw he's dancing with Tim before. Could be that stranger he slept with. There's no way he didn't know who Dale was. Anyway, Dale feels like the community has betrayed him, so now like a naive child he's getting back at them. (He's still my baby though ❤️)
Oh Noelene was definitely going to say no even without Helen's problem. Of course she was. 💔
Could we unalive Lindsey pls? Like he's the epitome of a white man who only knows how to scream and take advantage of any situation. A lot of people's temper would be improved
Okay, maybe Rob does deserve some rights. The fact he has achieved his peak in sport really helps. I guess that's why he's so chill about his news career
I guess the only person Lindsey really appreciates is Dennis cos who would manage everyone if not him? Lindsey can only scream and scream. He'd really be nothing without Denis and Noelene
Dale has definitely been looking up to Geoff. So it's insane when Geoff, who has sacrificed his career for his daughter, is now congratulating Dale, who has sacrificed all of his relationships for his career. It's like the passing of the news desk trap
Why is it with this couple and believing marriage will just solve all your problems? No, I understand they know that they're the life raft to each other, so when they're in a dire moment, they want to make sure they'll have each other always. Forever. And it's insane. And it's so heartbreaking that the moment Helen realizes that Dale has always been fully committed to her and fully supported her is the moment Dale got a confirmation that he really has It to be the king of news, and he won't sacrifice that. Not right now when he's finally had it in his hand
You know, when you think about it, Dale's rejection protects Helen's principle. Because here she's about to use their potential engagement to placate the gossip writer to not publish Dale's story, which would lead to them having to feed her stories on their relationship forever. Which Helen has said before that her private life is not something she would trade. In the end, Donna only gets Dale's life.
It's insane how this episode starts just like Ep 1 and ends just like how season 1 ends.
Also, this is very unnecessary, but please know I worship Sam's and Anna's acting. They're insane throughout this season.
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Okay so due to major boredom, waiting for the Miraculous World Special, absolutely emotionally dead over the fact that Miraculous season 6 won't be out for who knows how long and my dumbass thinking it was a good idea to rewatch the final ep of Supergirl and absolutely falling back into Supercorp, have a crossover of The Love Square and Supercorp. As incorrect quotes of course, I haven't written an actual crossover au.
...
Yet.
~~~~~
(Let's pretend that all this is post reveal for MLB yeah?)
Supergirl: I can fly high enough that If I drop a rock in from the stratosphere it could break the ground.
Chat Noir: *gasp* I wanna see that!
Supergirl: Or you could try it! You have that suit power up that makes you fly!
Chat Noir: *more gasping* YEAH! I COULD-
Ladybug: NO!
Lena: NO!
Ladybug: Fuck no!
Lena: Absolutely not!
Supergirl and Chat Noir: But-
Lena and Ladybug: no
~~~~~~
Kara: So this boy, who would literally follow you to the end of the universe, had called you "just a friend" more than you can count?
Marinette: Yep. It drove our friends nuts.
Marinette: And me too, so...yeah.
Adrien: You're not gonna let that go are you?
Marinette: Nope.
Adrien: Didn't you partner zone me?
Marinette:
Marinette: I did, didn't I?
Lena: So...
Lena: So basically, you two rejected each other...for each other? When even was your first kiss?
Marinette: During Adrien's flight to London-
Adrien, at the same time: Our date as Marinette and Chat Noir-
Adrien and Marinette: What???
Marinette: Wait, wasn't it during Oblivio?
Adrien: We don't remember that at all.
Marinette: Okay then-...Dark Cupid?
Adrien: I don't remember that!
Marinette: Then when was it-
Adrien: I don't know-
Lena:
Kara:
Lena:
Kara:
Kara: Oh that is complicated...
~~~~~~
Adrien: How is it like dating an alien?
Adrien: Because like, she appears human but she isn't. So how does that work?
Lena: Adrien...
Lena: Aren't you made from a feather?
Kara: I feel like it's more he is a feather.
Lena: Ah, right. And you appear human, but you aren't.
Kara: Yeah, how does that work?
Adrien:
Marinette: Yeah so spending time with you two was a bad choice.
~~~~~~
(Fighting a villain)
Supergirl: Crap, we have to get there but the path is blocked.
Lena: We need to distract them.
Ladybug: *glances at her Lucky Charm that is a bottle of perfume* Oh I know! Chat, can you-
Chat Noir, already putting opening Spotify and playing Careless Whisper: *jumps in the middle of the warzone*
Supergirl:
Lena:
Ladybug: Perfect. Now I need you two to drop that pilar on them and-
Lena: Is this how you two normally operate?
Ladybug: Well yeah and then there's me using whatever I get from the Lucky Charm to win with the laws of physics and Chat Noir's cataclysm.
Supergirl: And you win?
Ladybug: Yeah.
Lena:
Supergirl: How-
~~~~~~~
Kara: Hey! What did you think of Marinette and Adrien?
Alex: Those two...
Alex: Are the jumpiest most traumatized pair of 14 year olds I've ever fucking seen. It's like they're war veterans.
Lena: They kind of are war veterans.
(Meanwhile)
Marinette: Alya, how'd meeting Kara and Lena go?
Adrien: What did you think of them?
Alya: They are literally just you two except they're adults, both women, use technology, have siblings and only one of them had a secret identity.
Alya: Seriously, a smart human who has access to magical shit and a non human blonde who both saved the world, almost lost each other, dated other people before one another, make a great team and severely traumatized? It's literally you two in a different font.
~~~~~~~
Kara: Marinette, control your cat! He stole my food!
Adrien: I took one potsticker!
Kara: Still stealing!
Adrien: It is not!
Kara: Yes it is! What if I just took your pastries?!
Adrien: Hey! These are from my girlfriend!
Kara: Those potstickers were also from my girlfriend!
Marinette:
Lena:
Marinette: Wanna see how I made the contraption I used to hide Miracle Box among my things?
Lena: Oh absolutely.
~~~~~~
Lena: Oh, Nia. I see you've met Marinette and Adrien.
Nia: I have.
Kara: So what did you th-
Nia: Can we keep them? Please?
Supercorp: What-
Nia: I seriously vibe with Adrien's puns and Marinette is so fricking creative and I relate to her awkwardness.
Nia: Please can we keep them?
~~~~~
Lena: You...attempted to cataclysm your classmate for hurting Marinette? I mean, get mad and yell sure, but cataclysm?
Adrien: Yes. I do not regret that one bit.
Adrien: Besides, cataclysm doesn't kill, it just gives you excruciating pain that you'd wish you were dead.
Lena: What the fuck-
(Meanwhile)
Marinette: So you just dropped the plane with the toxic chemicals, not even bothering to check if you were flying over a population or not, and just took your fucking chances so you could save Lena?
Kara: Yeah. I'd do it again.
Marinette: But what if she hadn't made the jump?
Kara: I'd drop the plane and catch her.
Marinette: What if you were flying over a population?
Kara: Still dropping the plane.
Marinette: Okay then-
#miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir#miraculous#adrien agreste#marinette dupain cheng#adrienette#ladynoir#marichat#ladrien#ladybug#chat noir#alya cesaire#supergirl#supercorp#kara x lena#kara danvers#kara zor el#lena luthor#alex danvers#nia nal
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20 questions for fic writers
I was tagged by my dear, talented friend @mihrsuri Thanks, friend! 💜💜💜💜
1. How many works do you have on Ao3?
13 at the moment 😅
2. What's your total Ao3 word count?
28,823
3. What fandoms do you write for?
The West Wing.
4. What are your top five fics by kudos?
The First Lady - my ongoing fic where I answer the most important question in the world: what was Abbey Bartlet doing during the episodes she didn't appear in?
Josh and the Jackass - what happened right before Governor Bartlet decided to follow Josh to the airport in In the Shadow of Two Gunmen.
Breathe - a post-ep for Dead Irish Writers. Her birthday party is over, and Abbey Bartlet must face the New Hampshire Medical Board.
A Bit Desperate - part three of a series of three-sentence fics about Abbey and Jed in the aftermath of Zoey's kidnapping.
Anything Else I Need to Know - Five times the staff of Bartlet for America interrupted a barbecuing session and one time CJ interrupted a different kind of session. Takes place during the First Bartlet Campaign.
5. Do you respond to comments?
Yes, I do. I do my best to respond to every comment I get, as fast as I can. It's a two-way street, we, as fic authors, often complain (and rightly so) about the lack of feedback, the lack of comments and kudos, but we don't respond to comments. As a reader, I am more likely to comment on a fic from an author who's replied to my comments earlier. But I guess I get so few comments that I can easily respond to all of them 🤷♀️ and since there are like 7 people who care about what I write, the least I can do is respond to their very kind comments 💜💜
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
I guess it's Anything Else I Need to Know. The ending isn't too angsty by itself, but if you put it into context and you know the overarching plot of first few seasons of TWW, it's definitely angsty. Honorable mentions: With Pomp and Parade & And the Silence Haunts our Bedchamber - they both deal with the aftermath of Zoey's kidnapping.
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
White Christmas. And Something for Us to Remember too also qualifies. You have to read them to know why 😊😉
8. Do you get hate on fics?
Luckily, I'm not popular or interesting enough for that 😅
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
Yes! Oh, all kinds! The worst thing I've ever written came before I started my fanfic writing career (I used to be involved in forum RP, I'm less active there now) and... nope, I'm not going to write about it here. Too cursed. 🙈🙈 If you want to see some sane smut I've written, check out Game On, Boyfriend! I hope I'll write another barbecuing fic soon, so stay tuned.
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
I don't. But I'd love to see a TWW/NCIS crossover.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
I hope not.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
No, but if anyone's interested, go ahead.
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
No, I haven't. The closest thing to co-writing fics was RP-ing which is sort of similar, but not really lol. It might be fun, so if anyone's interested in writing with me, let me know.
14. What's your all time favorite ship?
Abbey/Jed! There are many ships I love, but I have to go with my horny nerds.
15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
There was a WIP I started last year, the first fic I posted, but I ended up deleting it, so it's not very likely that I'll ever finish it.
16. What are your writing strengths?
I'm really, really good at research lol! If I'm writing a fic set in the 1960s, I'll make sure that they're eating food, wearing clothes, listening to music etc. that was popular in that period. You won't catch any of my characters wearing historically inaccurate shoes. I'm also really good at digging up random canon details and writing thousands of words around them.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
Plot lmao. I write fics about nothing, it's just banter and nerdiness, with the characters and/or the author showing off 🤣🤣
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
Hmmm... I don't know, don't think I've ever needed to do it, but I guess it depends on what I want to achieve, I might write it in English and add a dialogue tag like "she said in French" or something.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
The first fandom I published a fic for was The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, but the first fandom I wrote for was Harry Potter.
20. Favorite fic you've written?
Can't choose only one, so have a few of them:
Breathe: Once again, Abbey is reminded how cruel the world can be towards women.
No one asked Jed what he was wearing when he took the censure.
Anything Else I Need to Know: Josh finally opens the door to his room and slumps on his unmade bed.
Next time, he’s going to pay attention. He’s going to pay attention to Mrs. Landingham’s notes on the Governor's schedule. And he’s going to pay attention to Mrs. Landingham’s instructions, so he’ll know what her notes on the Governor’s schedule actually mean. Next time, he’s going to pay attention.
Had Josh been paying attention, he would’ve noticed when the Governor dashed across the hall and up the stairs right after lunch. Had he been paying attention, he would’ve noticed Leo’s smirk that followed the Governor’s departure. Had he been paying attention, perhaps he would’ve noticed the soft, rhythmic squeaking of the bed and muffled gasps and groans coming from the Bartlets’ suite right before he opened the door.
Well, too bad that Josh wasn’t paying attention.
And Something for Us to Remember too: “I take it your conversation with Doug didn’t go well?”
“I spoke slowly and I didn’t use big words, but I couldn’t talk him out of marrying Liz. Maybe I should’ve taken him on a hike. A six-hour hike through Vermont wilderness in the dead of winter would’ve changed his mind.”
“It wasn’t a six-hour anything! I was there, Jed, you were only gone for two hours.”
“You weren’t there, Abigail, you were baking with your mother, while I was fighting for dear life, braving the cold and wolves and bears.” He sighs and adds, “Guess it’s too late to take Doug hiking now and leave him for the bears.”
White Christmas: “’She – New Hampshire – is one of the two best states in the Union. Vermont’s the other’, said Robert Frost, your favorite poet, who also happened to be the poet laureate of Vermont.” Abbey made a dramatic pause and gave Jed a pointed look.
“She’s one of the two best states in the Union. Vermont’s the other.” She continued her performance. “And the two… the two lie like wedges, thick end to thin end and thin end to thick end.”
Jed chuckled.
“Sweet Knees, we’ll lie like wedges, thick end to thin end and thin end to thick end any time you want,” he leered at her, “on our bed, in front of the fireplace, on the kitchen table…” his smirk grew when Abbey’s lips curved into a little smile and her cheeks flushed, “but Robert Frost named his poetry collection New Hampshire, not Vermont.”
“Well, I’m going to write the words ‘Freedom and Unity’ on the pie and you’re going to eat them!”
The First Lady: “Mrs. Landingham withholds food from me,” he complained.
“Because I asked her to.”
“Yeah, cause you don’t want me eating real food like steaks or hamburgers. She won’t let me have a banana.”
“I’m sure you did something to piss her off.” Abbey shrugged.
“Do you two enjoy torturing me?”
“Yes,” she said innocently.
Tagging (no pressure!): @claudiajcregg @onekisstotakewithme @hondagirll @miabicicletta @librarianmouse @holy-ships-x-red-lips
💜💜💜💜💜💜
#20 questions for fic writers#my fic#the west wing#abbey bartlet#mrs doctor abbey first lady doctor#abbey x jed
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