#roundup

dallas, texas 1977

round up midway, state fair

Master Post for my Season-3-to-TMP Spirk Breakup Meta Analysis Series

People complain all the time about the odd, out-of-character writing in Season 3 of Star Trek TOS. They also complain that there is no canon explanation for the reason why Spock left Kirk and Starfleet to attempt kolinahr by the start of TMP. Why are these two things both so weird?

But, consider this: What if these two weird things are related? What if the odd actions are not out of character at all? What if Season 3's subtext leads directly to Spock's abandonment of the life he built in Starfleet, and more specifically, to his separation from Kirk by the start of TMP?

What if we're actually watching a painful behind-the-scenes Spirk breakup unfold in real time?

A few months ago, before I had ever seen TMP, I watched "Requiem for Methuselah" for the first time and the vibes were so weird that I started to dissect the subtext by writing my way through it. And the subtext kept getting deeper, episode by episode. And so I kept writing about it. And then I finally saw TMP, and I suddenly realized that, not only was I right, these things are all connected. Season 3 and TMP are not actually doubly weird; they are two related weirds that cancel each other out. And, even better, the pain and angst of Season 3 eventually leads to a happy ending in TMP!

To create this series, I wrote over 20,000 words on the subject in the space of a few weeks. (Thank you, hyperfixation.) Recently, a couple of the posts are making the rounds again. People keep reblogging segments of the series, so apparently there is an audience larger than my weirdass self and the void I am shouting into.

So, for your pleasure and convenience, I have reassembled the full series here in chronological order. Some of them are short, silly posts, and others are lumbering behemoth posts with tons of subtext to comb through and mull over. Enjoy the journey with me.

Early December marks my second third year in this space (yay!). It's been an odd one, since there were very few shows that made me join the fandom craze. Still, it's interesting to observe how this space evolves; people come and go, engagement fluctuates, trends change, the world changes... Sometimes I feel like @absolutebl's weekly round-ups are the only stable thing hah.

Anyways, even during this quiet year, I tried to highlight 10 (well, more) texts that stuck with me. They're presented without any particular order.

-> If you missed it here are my 1st Year Reads, 2nd Year Reads

#1 Generative AI in Fic and Fandom by @lillupon

I've been struggling with AI on every front this year. At work, in daily life, in fandom spaces... It's honestly overwhelming. I have extremely mixed feelings about it, especially in its generative form, and especially in art. I came across OPs text through the AO3 fic, and it was honestly super heartbreaking to read quotes like this one:

When I returned to AO3 a month ago and saw the amount of AI-generated or assisted work, I literally thought, "What's the point of me even writing anymore? People can just use ChatGPT to bring their stories to life."

The author is offering thoughts on AI in the fanfiction world and how hard it is to see which works have been augmented using AI and which have not, and how it changes the fandom dynamics. It's a great opportunity to read a fic writer's point of view on the issue.

#2 Visual Analysis: Secrets Happened on the Litchi Island by @romchat

This was the most beautiful little series I watched this year. Maybe it was vibes only, but oh, what vibes! I want to live inside this series, inside that summer, and OPs post perfectly captures the essence of show's visual tricks.

#3 Why is Revenged Love So Compelling by @biochemjess & Queer Relationships in Revenged Love by @bronte-blues

I think those two posts sum up very well why I went insane about this show (honestly, I haven't left the fanfics rabbit hole yet). There's something about the dynamic between all the characters that just hit the right spot, messy as they all are. It might be the delicious tension and acts of care that @biochemjess points out or its take on relationships described by @bronte-blues but I was bought quite instantly.

#4 Integrating Real Space and Digital Space in Gelboys by @moutheyes

I still have to finish this one (the first episodes were a little too much for me at the time) but I admired gifs and read the discourse. It was definitely one of the most interesting series of the year on so many levels, but especially when it comes to the format and realistic way of presenting social media in teenage life. OPs post delves into the aspect of space that made that "realness" possible.

#5 On Apologies (via My Sweetheart Jom) - @befuddledcinnamonroll post with @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle and @dribs-and-drabbles responses

I have never really thought that much about how differently each culture approaches apologies. But this conversation made me look back on all the times I thought the characters are taking the blame for no reason. Maybe there is a very valid reason indeed, maybe they just don't see it as blame, and I should have looked at it from a different perspective.

#6 My Personal Weatherman Can Be a Comfort Show by @nabi-unveiled

I've been reading OP's takes throughout the year (and enjoying them a lot - Nabi, you are a powerhouse, my gosh), and this one is one of my favourites. It's such an elegant answer to the ask that half of the people wouldn't have the energy to counter. If anyone has any doubts about why people like Taikan Yoho, this is the post to read. It made me even want to rewatch some scenes.

#7 How slutty is his ponytail? (Rating men's ponytails in wuxia/xianxia I've seen.) PART 1 & PART 2 by @fiftysevenacademics

I need more unserious rankings on my dash. I LOVE these types of posts. I may have watched only 1.5 of these shows and seen the rest through my dash, but this is such a hilarious concept I must applaud. Made my day. And the year, probably.

#8 Grieving & Poverty in When Life Gives You Tangerines by @hoekhti

What can I say, WLGYT is my series of the year. There were many beautiful meta written about it (e.g. things that @lurkingshan wrote halfway through that fortunately stayed true to the end), but this post stuck with me cause it's about a loss, and grief under harsh circumstances - the theme that this series tackled extremely well which surprised me a lot (it's woven into the series until the very end).

#9 Khemjira Must Know companion posts by @hinmotion

Those posts were vital for me to get to know the landscape, so to say, especially at the beginning when I felt quite lost. They made me enjoy this show even more with all the neatly compiled cultural context!

#10 Pat Grows Up by @telomeke-bbs

@telomeke-bbs blog and @waitmyturtles posts were a great companion during my first Bad Buddy's watch. I am especially fond of episode 11, Pat's perspective, as it presents all the details that I missed but instinctively felt. Pat's realisation and coming to terms with reality is one of my favourite little twists in the series.

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Once again, to each creator of any kind of content that I reblogged or liked stuff from, and to people I shout at in asks and dms (@colourme-feral needs an honourable mention):

keep doing what you're doing, you are fantastic and you make this space awesome

Call sheet

Filming of emergency

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Oliver’s crew pictures

Synopsis

Eddie in a suit/ Abigail actress on set

Anirudh’s takeover was on the set for this episode too

Below you will find the first roundup of the best bird in each order. Prepare your propaganda as you get ready to cheer them on in the next rounds!

Here is a master list of my newest X-Files fic recs. You can find part 1 here. These and all my earlier recs can be found under my fic rec tag, where you can also read why I recced each story. I also newly posted the themed lists below. Enjoy!

Classic fics

Fics where Mulder says “that’s my girl” about Scully

Fics with Mulder and Scully at a Lone Gunmen party

Fics where Scully is a werewolf

Melissa Scully is heavily featured

Mulder being colorblind is featured

Pre-XF fics

Scully goes back in time to save Samantha

Season 7 fics