SDR:A 7/8 Rambling, thoughts, and spoilers
Ep. 7 and 8 was literally amazing. I have a notebook that I scribble and rant in while watching LoA because none of my friends watch and I used 6 PAGES yesterday because holy shit.
The dreams were very cool and we learned a lot about Pyke from them: his crew died, he doesn't know how the whole phoenix thing works either (idk he said he didn't understand how he survived), and just general backstory stuff that I need more of I am EATING IT UP.
Pyke going to Rett was so cute and Rett comforting him from his nightmares in a way that implied he had done so before was so, so perfect. I love them. Rett was so soft and concerned about how shaken up Pyke was. Also, someone literally called it on Rett fixing the flower sculpture thing that Quibly and Glup destroyed? (Everyone go read D.S. Al Coda by marshmallowsweetheart, it's an amazing Ko-centric fic that really goes into her thoughts and feelings and it's just gorgeous and wonderful). And they Pyke going to work on the Sparrow because it's comforting and familiar adjlaskahajfhawjrg
LOVED seeing what everyone is like in the morning. Ziggy with his Sword Body Spray, Pixel's footie pajamas, Pixel giving Ko a facemask after she worked out (Kopix my beloved), Howdy Bunny, Ziggy with his burrito made of molten lava with an ice brick in the center, Ziggy with his Martial the Scattering cards (when he said about the Rex card "the alt art kinda looks like Pyke, but more fuckable" wtf, Derek, I literally cackled), everyone giving Hank food and Rett feeding him WD40, it was all so perfect. Also Rett gentle parenting about the ships "there are no bad ideas, just some that are better than others" LOL.
Rex was so silly and fun the whole episode, calling them Jake and Shlumbo and signing body pillows and having a body double in a porno and being engaged to Pyke's ex and Mace realizing that bugging things is going to be a problem and immediately having Rex shred the MtS card was golden. Drunk Rex was so fun, too. Like, why would you bet 1 MILLION CREDITS on one number? WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN.
KELSEY! SHE RETURNS! I was so excited to see her! Ophelia is such a badass. (I got genuinely kinda outraged when Rex introduced her to the woman he was having an affair with jfc man, get some self-respect and subtlety ). The moment she went into the bathroom and changed into her spy suit and WENT INVISIBLE I-
The Pyke/Ophelia was very cool and they portrayed it so well. And it was kinda cool to see Kelsey and Andy next to each other and do a lot off heavier RP scenes because that hasn't really happened before in what I've watched so far, and she was just playing with his hair the whole time, which was very cute. The Pyke and Ophelia meeting after her memories returned was just *chef's kiss*. Brings up more questions than answers though. Who is the Society? Why would Ophelia's mother wipe her memory? I loved Ophelia's judge-y 'wtf, a bounty hunter, really?' and then turns out she's been conning Rex Maxim for a year to pull off a casino heist, like girl, you aren't any better. The rest of the Crew of the Rhapsody watching this interaction peering around a corner like cartoon characters was so fucking funny.
The moment Ophelia showed up though, I was like 'oh, there goes any chance of Pykerett out the window'. Not that I thought that it would happen, but it was kinda up to interpretation. I think it's difficult for me, as and aro ace person in fandom, to really ship people unless I really see it. I want to see more strong, reliant friendships where they spend their lives together platonically, so getting me to ship canonical besties is kinda hard. Pykerett, Shepnax, and Coalecroux (though they are canonically in love) have my whole heart, but I firmly believe in platonic Grimmorning and other best friend pairs in LoA. So seeing one of the few times I've really agreed with and been obsessed with a ship (I literally wrote my first fic in 3 years about them) shattered to pieces by canon was kinda sad (not that canon is the end all be all (see my post about the first episode of Anthem), but I kind of saw Pykerett as a looser, easier type of romance that's a little less defined, a little closer to a QPR. Though Pyke being hung up on Ophelia for a decade does reinforce my aspec Pyke headcannon, so that's fun at least. Representation!
Lots more fun cute moments I wrote down, though my notes slowed down a bit in Ep. 8 because it was like 2 am. All of them badly wingmanning Pyke (moslty Ko, let's be honest) was really fun and funny and wholesome. Pixel tucking Ziggy in! The little trash uniform Rett made Hank!
Something about Ophelia seeing the familiar sight of the sparrow hit me like a punch to the gut, idk why. Something about people you used to know so well and seeing them years later. Pyke telling Ophelia "We're all gonna hit our marks, I promise" before the heist makes me really think that he messed something big up to lead to their old crew's death. The guards that Pixel charmed were also very fun. The bit where just Rett and Ko were left had me WORRIED, and then Pyke was hit by THREE GRENADES.
The final Pyke/Ophelia moment was so perfect, even down to Andy's facial expressions when they heard Ophelia's final message. I had to go back and re-watch to get what Pyke said "No, NO! I'm goin to the Sparrow, I'm going after her." and then he just SPRINTS away to find only a poker chip with a lipstick stain was so poetic and perfect.
I really hope Kelsey is coming back. Like, there's a lot of unresolved stuff, with her and Pyke, so I cant' imagine she's gone forever but adjjahglasj;hguowrgkvsbnfgkgoh she left. WHAT DO YOU MEAN "Pyke, now we're even". He didn't mean to abandon you Ophelia
ANYWAY this was way longer than I anticipated but very fun, lmk if this is fun to read or way too much. I love SDR:A with all my heart and they all make me insane.
