move forward and be moved

middle earth isn’t saved because no one faltered or came close to despairing or who sank to their knees in weary defeat. it’s not saved by pride or conviction or even strength. it’s saved because enough people do what they have to do even if they have to do it in the darkness. in the dust. with the ashes of hopelessness and bitterness in their mouths. because enough people took another step. Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Aragorn, Theoden, Boromir, Faramir, Merry, Pippin. And many don’t. For every hero there is someone who gives into the “reasonableness” of despair—Saruman, Denethor, Grima, even Gollum—but enough. Enough people said “it doesn’t matter if we lose, I will keep fighting” and then they do.

And that GETS me. It is the most hopeful thing about the lord of the rings to me. There is so much that sums up its spirit, so many beautiful quotes and moments, but to me it’s never been the most famous of the quotes about hope and love that hit me hardest but a line from the films. Before the battle for Minas Tirith, one of the soldiers says “we cannot defeat the armies of Mordor” and Theoden answers “no. but we will meet them in battle nonetheless.”

Let me rant about why that little detail, Eddie popping up his shirt collar, gets to me!

Btw. I don't know how many people here are old enough to have been fans of Sherlock BBC when it first came out, but I am ancient so let me enlighten you on why that detail of Eddie popping up his shirt collar makes me FEEL STUFF!!

Here's the first part of the puzzle. Eddie seems to be a fan of Sherlock Holmes, too. Here he is, at a party, posing with a pipe - an item that I imagine many people would associate with Sherlock Holmes.

He is also holding up his pinkie finger, like he is hinting at queerness. Or! And! Being british, like he's being posh, holding a tea cup. Also, season 6 of 9-1-1 starts with an episode called "Let the games begin" which feels like another Sherlock reference. (Sherlock canonically sees his cases to be games, like he is playing cat and mouse with the criminal. So whenever he finds a fascinating case, he'll get excited and yell something like "The game is on!" and run off to solve it.)

And on to an explanation for why I associate Sherlock (the BBC series), with that shirt collar Eddie pops up. Have you guys heard about that whole mania which Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock caused, wearing that long black coat, with a prominent collar he'd sometimes turn up?

Benedict Cumberbatch wearing that coat lingered on people's minds. Seriously. Just about everyone wanted a coat like that!! There were news articles about the phenomenon, about desperate customers on the lookout for a coat like that one.

And the general conclusion was that perhaps all these men eager to buy that coat somehow thought that if they only had a coat like that...

Then they'd suddenly catch everyone's attention, like Benedict Cumberbatch had.

I mean... Here's the thing about Benedict Cumberbatch (whom I btw personally think is attractive as hell)...

Apparently the general conclusion is that his looks are a bit strange. I've heard it over and over again. And yes, especially in that role, with the pale skin and pale eye color, combined with the lithe figure and black hair, wearing dark clothes... The end result is a bit vampirish, isn't it?

So despite the fact that he does for example have bloody ridiculously defined cheek bones and a strong jaw - features which people tend to find attractive... Many people simply did not understand why he'd become this practically overnight sex symbol.

So the general idea indeed often was that the sex appeal was all about the bloody dramatic coat he was wearing in the show.

And now. Let's jump to a scene from the show.

First of all; absolutely everyone is surely aware that many people in the audience shipped Sherlock and John.

So the fans, including me, would obsess over their interactions. And here's one scene... That pretty much screams that John was actually one of the many people struck by Sherlock in that black coat.

Sure, he is ridiculing the way Sherlock turns up his collar "to look cool"...

But notice how he also comments on Sherlock's cheek bones, when he goes on that rant?

...Revealing that John has noticed those cheek bones. Yep, kinda looks like he's protesting a bit too much, seeing Sherlock pop up his collar. In fact it kinda looks like John is practically having a meltdown because he does in fact think Sherlock looks cool and mysterious.

He's practically affected to the point of being stressed about his own reaction to Sherlock. Cue a bloody tantrum about Sherlock once again popping up that damn coat collar! Really, John could have just yelled "Stop catching my eye, you bloody sex demon!", but that would have maybe been a bit embarrassing.

So let's return to Eddie, our hypothetical Sherlock fan. Here's my head canon;

After an era of Eddie hating himself and punishing himself for the pain he has caused, Eddie is told that he has already punished himself plenty, and should allow himself happiness. So Eddie feels liberated, hopeful.

And then Buck shows up at his door. And Eddie must realise it's Buck. Who else would it be, really?

So what does Eddie do? He tries to shoot for that happiness;

He tries to catch Buck's eye.

He does not put on pants!

He checks his hair!

He pops up his collar, like bloody Sherlock in that coat, to maximize his sex appeal!

He checks that it's Buck at the door before he answers it!

He opens the door, and pauses for a nochalant pose, like Joey freaking Tribbiani going for that patented pick-up line; How you doing?"

And then once Buck has sat down, he jumps on the couch, over the back rest. Which is btw another very bbc Sherlock-like move, that man was always leaping.

Also, a move like that would also ensure that Buck would get a good eyeful of Eddie's body! If he only dared to look...