#queen-culper

I really don’t know, to be honest. No matter what I convince myself of based on my best analysis of the characters, the narrative, the history, etc., everything comes down to the showrunners in the end, and they have their own priorities and their own interpretations of the characters — and can sometimes be guilty of weak writing, besides.

There is some love for Hewlett and Annlett among the writers, for however much that’s worth. Or seems to be love, at least. Bless LaToya for all her #AnnlettForever tweets last season (she apparently coined the term Annlett in the writers’ room as well, though I think we evolved it independently in the fandom lmao), and I believe Alex Rose tweeted at one point that Hewlett was one of his favorite characters to write for. But Alex and LaToya are just two writers in a larger creative team. I don’t know if Craig Silverstein has any particular feelings about our babes, and they’ve got a lot to do in this season in order to wrap up the war in just ten episodes. So, even if everyone on the creative team had tons of sympathy for Annlett, they’d have to ask themselves: Is there time for this? Could we make it happen organically in a way that serves the plot, or would we have to twist the narrative out of shape to let Anna and Hewlett reunite?

Ultimately, the show is concerned with The War, and without knowing what the creators see as The Point of Anna’s and Hewlett’s roles in the grand scheme of things, it’s hard to say whether they see Annlett as something that could help push the plot / each character in the desired direction or as a plot arc that provided character development but is now closed. I think their arc still has power and a role to play in the narrative, but alas, I ain’t on the creative team. And, of course, we must remember that when it comes to TURN, reality itself warps around Abraham Woodhull in order to prioritize him above all other characters … Which, given that Hewlett apparently allies a bit with Abe again, could be very interesting, very heartening, or a cause for great concern.

So, from a Doylist perspective, my prognosis is rather obscure and a bit dim.

If I ignore the existence of the creative team, though, and take a Watsonian perspective on the question? From that angle, my forecast would be much brighter. Because despite the anguish of their parting and the bitterness Hewlett probably feels now, I think they both cared too much about one another to simply stop caring, and I cannot see how Hewlett could possibly return to America without being keenly conscious of the fact that he’s once again on the same shore as Anna Strong. I can’t see how Anna could hear of his return and not be stricken with emotion about it – fear, yes, because she did so much to ensure his safety by making him leave, but also regret and yearning. And there’s that lingering question between them, the question that Anna could not seem to find an answer for before. Perhaps now she’s had enough time to come to terms with whether she loved him or not.

By Anna Strong* 

Film hugs: Lilo and Stitch, Austenland, Private Romeo. Happy music: Reel Big Fish is super happy and upbeat.

I

LOVE

AUSTENLAND

I watched the fuck out of my local PBS stations when I was in high school, and they show a lot of period pieces, including Jane Austen stuff. My mom and I would watch that kind of thing together. So they played Austenland and Lost in Austen, so I love it. And, fun fact: Bret from the Flight of the Conchords is in it, and he was also in The Return of the King (for, like, ten seconds). 

But yeah omg Austenland. JJ Feild is delightful in it. I also like that a big part of it is the main character refusing to be manipulated anymore, even though it would be so nice to just pretend and let herself be fooled.

My mother literally yelled at me and my husband and said we were "out of touch with reality" and "needed to get educated." Both of us have master's degrees. Fuck what they think. You're incredibly intelligent and they're threatened. Doesn't make it better, but maybe it'll boost your spirits if you know that someone knows that.

It’s no problem at all!!! 

Here is my tag for piebald’s!! (you’re my first piebald mare, but the representation and meaning is the same so no worries there)