The Script,The Whole Script,Nothing But The Script

“Anole? Anole where!?!?”

“Dunno…but I thought… Anole! Anole!!!!! LOOK!”

“(Sigh) There’s no anole.”

“Yeah! YEAH! I saw an anole!”

“No. You were ASLEEP. Anole not real. There’s no anole.”

“Yes there WAS an anole! Pfft, whatta you know? You didn’t see that anole!”

“That’s right! I DIDN’T see the anole because there WAS no anole, you just IMAGINED there was an anole.”

“Stop saying Anole! Saying ‘Anole’ makes me think about Anoles! Ah-no-LEEEEE! Ah-no-LEEEEE!!!!!!!”

“Enough already with the anole. There’s no anole!”

“You’re still SAYING it! Anole! Ooo-ooo-ooo! I gotta ca-ca-catch the anole!”

You can totally hear it.

“Grrrrrrilled cheese?”

The one on the right has INFJ stare, but Frank (or anyone else) never let Tim drive unless he was exhausted.

She’s a she.

And can we send do something to help Democrat Bill Nelson?

He WILL lose his Senate seat. He will lose it to Rick Scott.

Rick Scott is the current governor. He’s the one who looks like Voldemort. He’s the one with an A rating from the NRA.

Rick Scott is the one who put Angela Corey in charge of sabotaging the case against guilty-as-sin George Zimmerman after he hunted down and murdered Trayvon Martin. Corey ruined Marissa Alexander’s life.

Bill Nelson is right on almost every issue but he’s the least effective campaigner EVER.

He’s not learning from the past. He’s trying to run a calm campaign AGAINST Rick Scott.

That doesn’t work.

I know. I worked for Charlie Crist.

Nelson MUST run a “you need to get to the voting booth and vote for me, Bill Nelson, because (any number of things here)”.

It’s a LIE that Florida is a purple state.

Florida is a BLUE state.

It’s full of registered Democrats WHO DON’T BOTHER TO VOTE.

This is not business as usual. Nelson has no name recognition and will be out spent. Bill Nelson will lose if he doesn’t aggressively sell himself (not trash Scott), start every sentence with “I have an F rating from the NRA”, AND there isn’t major intervention from celebrities, money, and celebrities WITH money.

Why? Because stupid (stream of swearing)ing people in Broward <b> STILL </b>don’t plan on voting.

I lived in Parkland for years, and I’m currently about 4 miles away. I know someone who had a heart attack from grief after the shooting. Maybe 50 years old. <b> <i>SHE HASN’T VOTED IN THE PAST AND SHE WAS SMUG A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT SHE STILL WON’T VOTE. </I> </b>

WE. ARE. IN. PARKLAND!!!!!!

I want to scream every time I have to see her.

She’s the receptionist at a business I frequent. I have to see her. I can’t talk about politics at her job and SHE RECENTLY HAD A HEART ATTACK.

Yesterday? After avoiding speaking to her for a second longer than necessary for months, I had to talk to her. I wound up hollering at her. I don’t even remember what I said. I just remember that after storming out my iPod wasn’t working in the car, so I started humming Carol of the Bells.

Carol of the Bells?

That was my subconscious telling my I have PTSD.

I called my mom’s shrink and asked for an appointment because she normally has a few hours open on Fridays for emergencies. I didn’t say PTSD. I was diagnosed with PTSD and other related things (epicenter of acute stress is still the 2016 election) and written an rx for a big ol’ bottle o’ Valium. She made a sort-of joke saying to take one when I have to see this woman next week because I certainly CAN tell her she needs to vote. (The doc’s reasoning is that since this woman shared that she had a heart attack after leaving her FOURTH funeral and also told me she doesn’t vote, that woman actively opened the door to personal conversations at work.)

Back to Bill Nelson.

Bill Nelson was angrily waving an assault rifle over his head in 1990 in outrage that one of his staffers had been able to buy it in less than 10 minutes.

But then Nelson still starts up with the “I’m not anti-gun...blah blah hunters...” bullshit. And all while so polite!

No. That won’t work.

Call his office? You get a long message. No one answers the phone.

I spoke to Senators from different states with no wait while the Al Franken travesty was exploding.

But Bill Nelson is running against Voldemort and has no one answering the phones???

He has failed to do something so basic that I don’t even want to type it lest Rick Scott get ideas.

I had to leave MESSAGES saying “I worked for Charlie Crist. These are the attacks that worked, these are the ones that didn’t.” Why? Because he is using the ones that DID NOT WORK!

The super pac for Nelson is using the attacks against Scott that DID NOT WORK.

If you look at Bill Nelson’s record alone it’s clear that this is a Democrat who deserves to be re-elected. He’s so well liked by people who have heard of him that he doesn’t and won’t have a primary challenger.

Charlie Crist was a household name who had a 70% approval rating among Democrats and Republicans. 70% approval from Democrats and Republicans. Really.

Charlie Crist lost!

And Bill Nelson will lose too if savvier people don’t intervene.

We’ve all been moved by recent events. The survivors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are using their voices to speak for those who cannot, to say “never again,” and demand change.

We are asking the Doctor Who community to follow their example and to shine a light on this urgent issue.

This March, representatives of all your favourite Doctor Who podcasts and some special guests will be coming together to do a podcast commentary of a beloved classic series story. (What that story is… that would be telling.)

But here’s the thing: we’re not putting out this podcast on any one show’s feed. We’re only releasing it to listeners who provide a donation to an organization committed to ending gun violence.

Click here to learn more about how to participate and get access to this exclusive podcast commentary.

The 12th Doctor asked us to be kind. I’ve been thinking a lot about what that means recently – and I think it means more than just being nice. I think it means fighting for justice. 

So this is how I will be kind. I’m stepping up and fighting back. I’m working to build a better, safer world for all of us. I’m speaking out so that we will never, ever have to face another mass shooting again.

I hope you will join us. Click here to learn more about how to support our efforts and spread the word.

"Anole? Anole where!?!?"

"Dunno...but I thought... Anole! Anole!!!!! LOOK!"

"(Sigh) There's no anole."

"Yeah! YEAH! I saw an anole!"

"No. You were ASLEEP. Anole not real. There's no anole."

"Yes there WAS an anole! Pfft, whatta you know? You didn't see that anole!"

"That's right! I DIDN'T see the anole because there WAS no anole, you just IMAGINED there was an anole."

"Stop saying Anole! Saying 'Anole' makes me think about Anoles! Ah-no-LEEEEE! Ah-no-LEEEEE!!!!!!!"

"Enough already with the anole. There's no anole!"

"You're still SAYING it! Anole! Ooo-ooo-ooo! I gotta ca-ca-catch the anole!"

Hermione Granger: *witnesses humans transfigure into animals*

Hermione Granger: *time-travels multiple times per day*

Professor Trelawney: “I can prophesize the future.”

There seems to be some interest in talking about Ashes to Ashes so I thought that I’d toss out some thinkie-thoughts and see if anyone wants to play.   @crinklybrownleaves​, @breakfast-at-bateses​, @mindibindi​ dared to mutter something along these lines.

I don’t do meta or anything that technical.  It’s more things that I’ve noticed.  I’ve watched the show…well, a lot…and yet each time that I rewatch, I see something more. This is one of the densest shows I’ve ever watched, with layers of meaning and symbolism, so surely I’m missing plenty of stuff.  Feel free to share your own thinkies or tell me I’m full of shit.

*SPOILERS BELOW CUT* (yeah, I’m that old to use that term)

^this. precisely this.

There seems to be some interest in talking about Ashes to Ashes so I thought that I’d toss out some thinkie-thoughts and see if anyone wants to play.   @crinklybrownleaves​, @breakfast-at-bateses​, @mindibindi​ dared to mutter something along these lines.

I don’t do meta or anything that technical.  It’s more things that I’ve noticed.  I’ve watched the show…well, a lot…and yet each time that I rewatch, I see something more. This is one of the densest shows I’ve ever watched, with layers of meaning and symbolism, so surely I’m missing plenty of stuff.  Feel free to share your own thinkies or tell me I’m full of shit.

*SPOILERS BELOW CUT* (yeah, I’m that old to use that term)

I would actually greatly appreciate some feedback from someone who has access to all the episodes of A2A. I know you said you don't do metas, but I do, and I'd like some feedback before I post mine.

I have all of LoM and find the same thing: no matter how many times I watch any of them, I notice something new.

But, there is currently no legal way in the US to watch A2A (I can't even find all of the eps on sketchy sites). I've seen them all at least once and have downloaded the scripts, but the sets, costume/hair, locations, and reactions are crucial. Indeed, I think it's actually impossible to "get" LoM completely if one couldn't SEE the HAIRCUTS in 2x08. (My blog is "SCRIPT 101", but costumes and haircuts are often the circumstantial evidence that seal an argument.)

I am finishing a deliberately-meta meta of LoM & A2A (explaining why there is no plot hole in either show, that A2A intentionally answered every question except one, and that the answer to that unasked question is why A2A is infinitely sadder than LoM). I would like to rewatch all of A2A first since I haven't seen anyone suggest what I'm hypothesizing, but that isn't possible.

If I have any specific questions re A2A, do you think you might be able to answer them?

[Excerpt from a longer piece]

Not that I cry every time. No! Don't be silly. Nope. Not me. (Sniffles) Hey, who's chopping onions? (Sniffles) I'm, uh...allergic to sideburns. Sideburns and, um, Dutch Angles. (Pretends to sneeze) It's just allergies.

I'm not crying you are!

SAM HATED BEING HELPLESS IN A COMA.

1973 was a constant reminder "I'm in a coma. I'm unconscious and someone might disconnect my life support and kill me at any second."

He hated being helpless and dependent on others while lying passively in a hospital bed in a coma, and he hated having no idea if he had suffered brain damage. It's a horrific and mortifying thought! (They mentioned catheters more than MSNBC used to...)

It's notable that Sam never even considered the fact that he would have suffered massive internal bleeding and organ damage. He would have had multiple broken bones and might have even lost a limb (left arm, anyone?). We can't believe Sam's perception of how he landed after that crash. He was unconscious.

[YMMV, but my head cannon is that Sam was starting to wake up in 2x01 but did NOT actually wake up because he was in excruciating pain from the accident. Gene said repeatedly that Sam could have left anytime he wanted but didn't because he liked it there (even if Sam thought Gene merely meant quitting his job and going hang out on coma-dream-beach until he woke up). There's a lot of truth to Gene's words if the alternative to 1973 was waking up in real 2006 to perhaps months of torturous rehabilitation and possibly a lifetime of excruciating pain). I think Sam imagined the craziness of episode 2x01 to make sense of the pain he was REALLY FEELING. He didn't realize it, but I think he refused to wake up. He also often woke up with a headache at the back of his head no matter how he slept: Occipital Lobe. He might really have been temporarily or even permanently blinded from a head injury; he was blind at one point in 2x01. I also think that he was rendered brain dead by the overdose and the attempt to correct it in 2x05. (Ya' know what ELSE is a box?...)That's why Sam was omniscient in 2x05; that's why he was calm and felt fine at the end; that's why Maya said goodbye to him in 2x06. He was dead, his mother just refused to accept it and refused to take him off of life support. Who could blame her since the doctors were wrong in 1x06!]

Sam was at the mercy of strangers who kept screwing up. Even his mom had been convinced that she should turn off his life support and let him go in 1x06. Of course he hated 1973. Not because of anything specific about it (and not even for the reason he was there) but because of what being in 1973 meant; who wouldn't? It meant he was still unconscious. Still in a coma. Still at the humiliating mercy of strangers. (O.K., he probably hated that apartment. That is the most hilariously ugly apartment in the history of ugly apartments. How many baby muppets were clubbed to death to make that hideous bedspread. I guess not too many since at least it was only a twin sized bedspread. A grown man, on a rickety, no-support, PoS, twin sized bed. Oh, that was just so wrong. So hilariously wrong. Moving on...)

It's not as though Sam was happy in 2006 either; he seemed clinically depressed in the office talking to Maya. He simply had AGENCY in the REAL 2006 before the car accident and resulting coma.

Sam was desperate to leave 1973 because he was desperate to have agency over his life and body again. Sam refused to listen to his intuition that 1973 was NOT a figment of his (strikingly non-existent) imagination, even though he was diligently following that intuition every morning when he got up and went to work to get smacked around by Gene.

Sam did have agency in 1973; he just didn't trust his intuition and allow himself believe that anything about 1973 was real. It was far more rational to insist that he was dreaming while in coma, and he kept saying it to convince himself that was what was happening. But...he kept going to work like his intuition told him to. He refused to trust his intuition and accept it, but he knew he was making a difference in some way. He wasn't saving lives, but he was saving souls. Even though he was only in Life on Mars, Sam Tyler was the missing piece in the "Drake" equation that set events in motion and allowed others to move on.

Sam didn't trust his intuition, and he wanted to leave 1973 and return to 2006, but he remembered Nelson's advice: if you can't feel, it's not real.

Once Sam thought he gotten what he had wanted, he almost immediately registered that things were not right (DCI Sam Tyler in 2006 is a decorated police officer, who had almost been killed in the line of duty, while trying to rescue his girlfriend, who was also a police officer and had just been kidnapped by the serial killer that they were both actively investigating...and this wasn't international news? And DCI Tyler, injured in the line of duty...had been assigned to a hospital barber who thought it would be funny to shave him with sideburns in 2006??? And no one objected??? And those sideburns looked exactly like the ones he had had in his coma-dream? Really????). Sam was suddenly obsessed with 1973 but he was deemed fit for work? Even though he couldn't remember his rank? Even though he was guilt ridden about abandoning... a figment of his imagination????? Dreams fade, always, but Sam's memory of his supposed coma-dream wasn't fading. On the contrary! All he could think about was Annie. Even though things seemed normal on the surface, Sam's intuition was registering that that NOTHING made sense. And now he was listening to his intuition. The last straw was when Sam FINALLY realized he LITERALLY couldn't feel anything. He then understood what he had REALLY needed to learn all along: he needed to trust his intuition. And so he did FINALLY trust his intuition, he accepted that the place Frank Morgan brought him was FAKE, and he got out. That's why he did what he did while triumphant music played. Sam didn't hurt himself; Sam was escaping the empty FAKE bullshit world where he couldn't feel anything and returning to where he now understood he belonged in order to save his friends. (And yes, that means another character was blissfully and innocently cluelessly "living in" that very same FAKE bullshit "world" for most of her "life" until "Sam's case file" wound up on her "desk"... If we were to take what we saw in LoM ep 2x08 and A2A ep 1x01 at face value, anyone who allowed Sam back to work without extensive therapy would be fired and possibly sued for gross negligence. And they would deserve it. Sam SAID he had wondered about his sanity. He SAID 1973 felt more real than 2006 now did. He was not fit for work. And psychologists don't traipse around "London" with private psychological case files in the back seat of their car for their "daughter" to peruse. That "life" was not "real".)

So yes, it seemed like Sam hated 1973, but that's because Sam thought 1973 was NOTHING MORE THAN A SYMPTOM of his coma. The truth is that he didn't hate 1973, he hated being in a helpless in coma. Sam would have hated waking up anywhere at anytime as long as he perceived that place/time as being nothing but a dream that he was having while lying helpless in a hospital bed in a coma. Who wouldn't be desperate to wake up?

Once Sam understood that there was no viable 2006 for him to return to, and that the people he had grown to care about and even LOVE were real, he wanted to be with them where ever and when ever they were, and they were in 1973.

~~~~~

And speaking of the craziness in 2x01, I get that Sam does things by the book, but I truly doubt that book was written by Lord Byron. Who on earth was sitting by his hospital bed reading that to him, lol?