#tv analysis

I hate to say it but no television show has had such an emotional impact on me as Bojack Horseman. I laughed, I cried, I got one of my friends to watch it and every once in a while he tells me something about the episode hes on and I say something vaguely spoiler-y like "ah yes, enjoy the time you have left with that character" or "oh yeah I forgot they existed" or "oh boy something big is coming tell me when you get to season 3 episode 11".

Link to Post Directory: https://www.tumblr.com/insomniac-english-teacher/824879191209246720/pinned-post-heated-rivalry-analysis

Episode 1: Gym Scene

Focus of Reheat: Lights/Camera Angles/Colour

Time codes are written in time remaining in show due to Crave.

Starting from 44:42 remaining

The use of colour or lack there of is fantastic here. The uses of black and white in the sheets and clothes gives us a glimpse of how he will use colour later on in the scene.

44:30 remaining:

The lighting of the door that Shane walks out of here is crucial. We see that the lighting is quite dark. This could be representing how Shane feels so uncomfortable and anxious.

44:28-44:27 remaining

Applause for the amazing fade here of the closing hotel room to open the gym door!

We also can see the dark go straight to light. For me, this is the dark anxiousness being lightened as he goes to a comforting place for him,the Gym. This is a safe and controllable environment for Shane

44:04 remaining

The use of focus is well planned. The camera blurs everything in the environment around us which can be seen as two ideas

1. Could be that Jacob wants us to focus on Shane and show us Shane’s level of focus

2. This could be Jacob trying to immerse us in Shane’s thoughts and brain where he is in his mind, there is nothing to focus on but pedaling and he ignores the environment around him.

(Pedalling away Shane Hollander…you WILL learn you can’t just pedal away from THE SEXY RUSSIAN “PROBLEM” in your life…)

43:41 Remaing

The clever use of blur here so is well designed. We see through Shane’s eyes that he acknowledges Ilya is there but tries to blur the thought.

We also see blur used to “track” the exhaustion and already show the rivalry here that they are in competition even in the most comfortable of a place for Shane.

44:22 remaining

Such a great lighting trick here. Shane is darkened here. Here we see the dark anxiety still building for Shane as he tries to hide his feelings (hide that he likes men and in particular the Russian man next to him?)

Then you have Ilya. His face is fully lit up. He is feeling the power and the energy of happiness. Could also elude to him feeling away from everyone and free from the gaze of his father or how happy he is to be in the same room as Shane perhaps 😉.

42:12 remaining

Shout out to costume department! Your use of white for the angelic Shane and black for the more dark and moody Ilya was not left unnoticed!!

41:49 remaining

We see the blur get more and more intense as the boys focus more and more on each other. Nothing else in the boys’ minds matters right now. They don’t give a shit that there are so many other draft picks in the hotel that could see them, they are focused on each other, no filter.

41:25 remaining

We notice that Shane loses eye contact and becomes unfocused as we are about to be put into Shane’s eyes…

41:20 remaining

We are put into Shane’s naughty naughty eyes as they pan the camera view down to simulate us being in Shane’s head and check out Ilya’s…..nice shoes right 😝. Ilya totally noticed and you can see him place his water bottle between his legs. This could have been a suggestive way to signal his intent and interest to Shane but naturally our dear darling Shane can’t read the subtle message.

40:58 remaining

The focus is not on the water bottle like it should be, it is on Ilya’s lips. Shane…you are hot and flustered. You find this boy attractive…don’t lie to yourself.

40:52 remaining

Our only focus is on their hands and it is in the dead center of the frame, particularly their fingers touching is in square middle of the frame.

40:44 remaining

We are again put into Shane’s eyes and his focus is on that hot upper chest and lips. ….naughty naughty Shane 😈.

Ilya obviously noticed as he is softly whispering more. (Naturally you would my dear Ilya.)

40:21 remaining

The wink Ilya…come on man! Shane is not going to be able to read that look without sheer gay panic! (Is getting inspired to do another reheat later of just eyes and facial reactions and reactions)

This was born out of friends getting irritated when we would watch the show. They wanted to keep watching but I would want to stop and geek out over film and analyse stuff.

There's a specific kind of good mood only certain shows can produce, and Ted Lasso has quietly mastered it. It happened again with episode two of the new season. Same warm, slightly disarming feeling I've gotten from earlier seasons too, more times than I can count.

I think it's the kindness. Not as a joke setup, not as a plot twist. Characters are just decent to each other, over and over, and nothing bad happens to them for it. Most shows treat niceness as naive, something a character has to grow out of. This one treats it as strength and never once winks at the audience about it.

The pacing helps too. The show doesn't rush to the warm moments. It sits in the awkward or tense parts long enough that when the payoff comes, it actually lands instead of feeling scheduled.

Maya goes from managing Tallulah to taking over her entire life. She progressively takes ownership of every problem Tallulah faces.

In ep. 1, Maya takes ownership of Tallulah's career.

I'm ep. 2, it's Tallulah's social and legal problems.

By Episode 3, She's managing Tallulah's reputation, PR strategy, and even her emotional stability.

Maya's need to solve every problem slowly transforms her from strategic partner to honorary big sister.

Did you pick up on this too? Follow for more I Love LA analysis!

These Episode Ideas Would Go INSANE on 9-1-1

So this isn’t really an episode breakdown.

It’s more like… a train of thought. A bit chaotic, a bit inspired by everything I’ve been seeing lately — especially the Reschioverse panels and the answers that have been coming out of those events.

I couldn’t attend (I’m in Italy, so… impossible 😭), and even Paris isn’t an option for me right now. So I’m just here, watching from afar and thinking:

what if 9-1-1 leaned more into something we used to have a lot of in 2000s TV?

Where Are the Themed Episodes?

Because here’s the thing.

If 9-1-1 had aired in the 2000s, we would’ve already had way more themed episodes.

And yes — we’ve had some: – Halloween episodes – big event episodes – even a few contained storylines

But I’m talking about that very specific 2000s vibe.

The kind of episodes that come back again and again across different shows.

The Ones I Don’t Love (But Still Think About)

Like bottle episodes.

They’re classics — characters stuck in one place, forced to interact.

Not my favorites… unless they’re used to push a relationship that wouldn’t otherwise exist.

For example?

If Eddie and May were trapped somewhere together and forced to talk, I’d take it. At this point I just want them to interact again like actual human beings 😭

Then there are loop episodes.

Also very 2000s. Also not my favorite — because everything that happens usually gets reset anyway.

The Ones I Actually Want

But there are other types of episodes that I love — and that I’ve actually been writing into my fanfic (Unscheduled, currently… way longer than I ever expected 💀).

These are the ones I wish the show would try.

Doppelgänger Episode

Not in a sci-fi way.

More like: same actor, different character.

A lookalike.

Someone who looks exactly like one of the characters but isn’t them — and slowly starts infiltrating their life.

At first, everyone assumes it’s the same person.

Then things don’t add up.

And suddenly you have tension, paranoia, and a completely new way to explore the character.

The “Dark Self” Episode

This one is so good for character work.

A character starts seeing a version of themselves — not real, more like a hallucination triggered by trauma.

But it’s their worst version.

Their shadow.

The one that tells them: “You’re not who you think you are.”

It forces them to confront everything they’ve been avoiding.

And from an acting perspective? It’s always incredible to watch.

Split Cast Episode (Girls Night vs Boys Night)

This is such a 2000s trope and I LOVE it.

You split the cast: – one group (girls night) – one group (boys night)

Two completely separate storylines that slowly start overlapping without them realizing it.

Everything goes wrong. Obviously.

And then it all connects at the end.

It’s chaotic, it’s fun, and it shows characters in a completely different dynamic.

Time Capsule Episode

This one would be perfect for 9-1-1.

Imagine they find a time capsule from the 1950s — back when the 118 existed in a completely different form.

Inside it?

Clues. Objects. A forgotten story.

And through that, we see the past.

Same actors — different characters.

Very much like those old-school episodes where the cast plays different roles (if you remember Roswell, you know exactly what I mean).

It would be emotional, nostalgic, and visually so interesting.

Undercover Episode

This one I NEED.

Imagine Buck being used as an undercover asset because he looks exactly like someone the police need.

He’s not a cop. He’s not trained for this.

And suddenly he’s in a completely different world.

It’s the perfect excuse to see a character we know in a totally new role.

The Karaoke Episode (But Make It Hurt)

Yes, we’ve had karaoke before.

But I want one where it’s not just fun.

Where the songs actually reveal things.

Confessions. Feelings. Truths that come out indirectly.

That’s when those episodes hit.

What 9-1-1 Is Missing (Maybe)

One thing I’ve been thinking about is how the show doesn’t really use long-term villains.

We get big events, sure.

But not many season-long antagonists.

And I think it could work.

Not all the time — but maybe once every few seasons.

Something that builds slowly, connects characters, and leads to a bigger payoff.

My Fanfic Took a Life of Its Own

The funny thing is — my fanfic started as a ship story.

Just Eddie and May.

And now?

It’s turned into a full ensemble story: – multiple arcs – themed “episodes” – long-term villains – character-driven storytelling

I didn’t even plan it that way.

It just… grew.

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80186596

Final Thought (aka: Let’s Spiral Together)

So yeah, this wasn’t an episode breakdown.

It’s more like a “what if.”

What if 9-1-1 experimented a bit more with these formats?

Some of them would probably feel out of place.

Some might not work at all.

But some?

Could be incredible.

Your Turn 👀

If we’re going full 2000s-style chaos:

What kind of episode would YOU want to see?

Bottle episode? Undercover? Time capsule? Something completely unhinged?

Why Do I Always Fall for the ‘Daughter Of’ Characters?

Today’s post was supposed to start as a classic character meltdown… and in a way, it still is.

But not about just one character.

It’s more like a meltdown over a type of character — a very specific one that keeps showing up across different shows without even trying.

We’re talking about: – usually under 30 – almost always female – and almost always introduced as “the child of” a main character

You know the type.

They start off as the “problematic kid.” The one who creates tension for the adult lead. The storyline complication.

But then something shifts.

They grow. They evolve. And slowly, they stop being just “the child of” and start becoming characters with their own narrative weight — to the point where they carve out space for themselves and end up feeling like co-leads rather than side characters.

The Girls I’m Talking About

If you’ve been on my page for a while, you already know them:

– May Grant (9-1-1) – Olive Stone (Manifest) – Stella Walker (Walker) – Samantha LaRusso (Cobra Kai) – Lauren Bridgman (Ransom Canyon)

And here’s the thing…

At some point I realized: if you put these five in the same city, you’d have an incredible show.

The “Daughter Of” → Co-Protagonist Evolution

What connects them isn’t just their age or their storylines.

It’s their origin.

They’re all daughters of characters who already carry narrative weight:

– May → Athena Grant – Samantha → Daniel LaRusso – Stella → Cordell Walker – Olive → Ben Stone – Lauren → the sheriff

They’re introduced as extensions of someone else’s story.

But then?

They build their own.

And that’s the part I love.

Because they don’t stay in the background — they grow into the story until they’re impossible to ignore.

The Show I Wish Existed

In my head, they’re all friends.

Five women. Different lives, different backgrounds, different cities — but somehow connected by the same emotional blueprint.

They’d find each other. They’d understand each other.

Because even if their lives are different, their journey is the same: figuring out who they are outside of who they come from.

And honestly?

I’d watch that show in a heartbeat.

And Yes… The Ships 👀

Let’s be honest — if this show existed, I’d want love stories too.

My love stories. My ships. My chaos.

Some are canon, some are not, and I don’t care.

– Samantha & Miguel → always been my endgame, always will be – Olive & TJ → I refuse to believe they didn’t find their way back to each other (in my mind, they reconnect in college — I don’t make the rules, my heart does)

And then we enter pure fantasy territory:

– May Grant & Eddie Diaz → yes, I said it, and no, I’m not arguing about it 😌 (my TUMBLR page, my rules) – Lauren & Kit → I know Lucas is canon, but I find Kit way more interesting – Stella Walker & Ryan Sharp → Nashville crossover energy, I’m obsessed, they’d eat

Why Do These Characters Hit So Hard?

Here’s the part that really made me think.

Technically, they’re all Gen Z.

But… they don’t feel like Gen Z characters.

Not fully.

There’s something in how they’re written — their emotional depth, their dialogue, their inner conflicts — that feels very millennial-coded.

And I think that’s why I connect with them so much.

Because even if they’re younger, they carry something familiar.

The Difference Between Them

Some of them got the space they deserved:

– Samantha → fully developed arc in Cobra Kai – Olive → basically a co-lead in Manifest

Others?

Not quite.

– May and Lauren → still growing, still being built – Stella → had potential, but the cancellation cut her arc short

And that leaves that bittersweet feeling of “there could’ve been more.”

Final Thought (aka my meltdown)

So yeah.

This isn’t just a character meltdown.

It’s a multi-character meltdown over a pattern — a red thread connecting characters who were never meant to be central, but became unforgettable anyway.

Different faces. Different stories. Different worlds.

And yet somehow… perfectly aligned.

To the point where I genuinely grouped them together in my head and built an entire imaginary show around them.

And honestly?