PAIN

I’m rewatching rn and this is very accurate

seriously though, something i love about the sarah jane adventures is just how poorly sarah jane manages to be a functional adult. start of the series, she has no friends except an alien computer and a robot dog. she’s fumbling her way through parenting every step of the way. she cannot interact with maria’s dad normally in any way. she takes this bunch of kids and goes, “yeah, you’re about as qualified as i was to start dealing with aliens, how do you feel about being in mortal danger?” the minute she feels like she’s about to lose anyone, she shuts down emotionally and pushes them away. she’s in her late 50s and she’s still figuring her shit out, and i love that for her.

Eliot Spencer, Parker, and Hardison- all skittish children/teenagers that Nate finds on the street.

Nate finding them in an alley in Boston. Eliot protecting Parker and Hardison- the meanest glare on his face. Snarling at Nate and using his body to shield them from this strange man. All three of the children look haggard and starving- Parker and Hardison holding onto each other with one hand- while the other is gripping Eliot's dirty torn shirt. Eliot whose blue eyes are hard as a stone- challenging Nate to come closer.

Nate, who has no qualms about three dirty, grimy, and... is that blood? Children in an alleyway. With placated hands in the air- looking directly at Eliot. Honesty on his face- "Come home with me."

They don't. Nate leaves.

The next day- Nate comes back. Asks the same thing. Same response. He leaves after leaving a bag of food behind.

Their wild animals and to get them to trust him- he needs to be gentle. So he continues to do this every time he passes the alley.

Something changes, when one day the girl- Parker- comes to the opening. She's gnawing on her bottom lip fear in her eyes.

"Please!" She begs, "Their hurt!"

Then she it's like a waterfall of words. Parker is explaining how Hardison tried to get food- but was caught and Eli fought the shopkeeper off- but had gotten shot and it's infected and Hardison tried to go for the gun and- and- and...

Nate follows Parker to the end of the alleyway and Eliot looks sick. Hardison isn't looking any better. Parker is crying. She's begging Nate to help.

He does. He convinces the EMT's that they are his adopted kids that ran away for three days. Somehow they don't question him. They take Hardison and Eliot in. Nate tells the doctors to keep them in the same room. He knows how protective Eliot is.

Somehow- they survive.

...Okay. That's all I got. 🙃

I am vaguely trying to make gif sets dlfkgjfdlkg I think it’s okay??? (insp)

Eliot: I stay close to protect Hardison and Parker. I suppose I’m third wheeling but if that’s what it takes to keep them safe then so be it

Hardison: Eliot is our boyfriend. We take him on dates all the time

Parker: he hasn’t figured it out yet

Hardison: I suggested we tell him

Parker: but this is more fun

Hardison: yeah it is

Okay but think of the comedic potential of the Leverage OT3 having been together for years by the time of Redemption, and at one point the others find out.

Breanna would be like "oh my god how did I not see that". Sophie would go "oh that explains a lot of things". (And yeah, it would also be on board for her to know, but one, it's been established that unconventional relationships are kind of a blind spot for her, and two, Parker is weird enough and Eliot's act is good enough that it would help throw her off the scent.)

(Harry wouldn't care much probably.)

And the possibilities of how it could happen. Like. Hardison is up in space, Eliot and Parker are doing something for a con, they see someone coming, Parker is like "quick, let's make out", and throws herself on Eliot. Eliot is like "no, not the lips", but he goes along with it, and then when they're in the clear, he's like "why do you always bite my lips? you didn't have to bite my lips", to which Parker replies "I was playing a character. Clara is a lip biter", and Eliot goes on an angry rant about the whole thing, but also the others overhear it, and Breanna checks in like "Eliot always says it? how often do you guys make out on cons?" and Parker goes "Eliot's not talking about the cons."

OR Parker is upset by something, and leaves the room, and Eliot goes after her, and when he doesn't resurface for a while Breanna goes after him, and they're kissing, and Eliot shouts at her to get out, but she's like "Okay. This is not cool. Eliot, you're super scary and I can see you're pissed at me right now, but I gotta call Hardison," and they're both like no, you don't have to do that, but he's already on call, and Breanna tells him everything. Eliot is facepalming and sighing the whole time. Parker is just like "what? they had to find out eventually." And then Breanna finishes, everyone is dead silent, waiting for his reaction, and Hardison is like "So y'all wasted my time with this? [five-minute rant about how busy he is]" Breanna is flabbergasted. "So Eliot makes out with your girlfriend and that's your reaction?" So Hardison just goes "Damn sis I better damn hope that when my girlfriend is upset our boyfriend would go and comfort him. Get yo act together." He hangs up, camera cuts to Breana, her face frozen while trying to process the information. Then she just goes "HOLY SH-" [commercial break]

I think it's a sign of good media when you have to reread or rewatch it to get the full experience. First time is for getting your brain blasted by the story and being confused second time is for knowing who's who and what's what and willingly getting your brain blasted again.

Hardison's; "He should be shot."

And Eliot's; "I mean- yeah- I-I can."

Is probably my favorite two lines of the boys wanting to protect Parker. She was hurt and in pain- and they wanted to make her feel better. The boy's at this point probably have learned some of her history. But they know her well enough to know she's not allowed to get hurt.

I still can't get over how Eliot and Hardison do their "secret" handshake- even though Eliot is miffed that Hardison ate his sandwhich.

I still can't get over how Parker calls Eliot "Sparky," and he's scared enough to rip open his apple- because he actually thinks Parker somehow got a razor blade in it.

I still can't get over how Eliot tells Hardison that he won't help him if he goes to far with "Ice Man," and when Hardison calls him out on it- Eliot blames Parker.

I still can't get over how Hardison comes to Eliot when he needs help brushing up on wine.

I still can't get over how Parker goes to Eliot when she's looking for something to love and he teaches her to love food.

I still can't get over how Parker is allowed to poke and push Eliot.

I still can't get over how Hardison riles Eliot up and it's just reflex for Eliot to say; "DAMNIT Hardison."

I can't get over how they became a little family all on their own.

the vague sexuality of YD

I was thinking about Young Dracula and things I could talk about... so I took a look at the episodes and was once again reminded of how it really toed that line between being a children's show and something more. As a kid, you're not really noticing it, but as an adult... it makes you sad they couldn't openly do more stuff like:

I mean, it's seemingly apparent that Vlad and Ingrid are aware and unfazed by their parents' sex life. He walks in on this and is mildly annoyed because of the failed plan, and she's not bothered by having to photograph them (for blackmail purposes). Plus:

If this was a teen show, I wouldn't have batted an eye but the fact that I was in primary school watching these two casually discuss their parents having sex and then Vlad suggesting Magda had sex with Patrick and that's his baby, not their father's... it's a lot lmao.

It's not even that. There are moments throughout the entire show, like the Count pinching Mina's ass when he's in Eric's body, OR the "lock up your daughters" about Boris. There are so many, I'd be here all day. It's why I get ahead of myself, like in Season 3, I always expect Ingrid and Bertrand to just GO AT IT.

Like, what the fuck is this, CBBC? They have better tension than some couples in adult shows and I'm just supposed to forget about them? Without even one kiss scene? I was truly robbed. They kinda disintegrated in Season 4, but the enemies-who-fuck thing they had going on in Season 3 is unmatched. After losing Will, the love of her life, Ingrid deserved to have a hot thing with Bertrand, dammit!

I even read too much into scenes like this:

I can't have been the only one who thought (as wrong as it is because it's her father saying it) that Adze was going to enter the show and straight up seduce Vlad. How else is she supposed to "persuade" a blood-free, already-in-love guy to do whatever she wants? There's even a scene later that season where Ramanga encourages her to "play" with Vlad on the wedding night before killing him. What does that mean? Other than what I'm imagining? Torture? Because the implications kinda overpower that.

Vlad and Erin, after he bit her, was a trip too. They became a lot more... charged. Their exchange and back and forth when he calls her out on biting breathers and catches her with Bertrand...

It obviously doesn't scream "sexual tension". I don't think their relationship does in general, but with the extra vampirism involved and the possessiveness that comes with Vlad biting Erin and making her a vampire, and the "hatred" festering... it does create some, shall I say, questionable moments like the one above, where I'm like "am I supposed to be feeling like they'll start violently making out, where in the midst of it, Vlad is saying she is his and Erin is saying that she hates him".

Like, half of these two interactions was, yeah, about him being paranoid and pressured because of the peace treaty. But like I pointed out in that other scene, Vlad seems to grow even more irritated by finding her stood close to Bertrand, tucked away in Malik's room, all alone together. Hence why he's used the choice words of "cosy little chats" here, like an overly jealous, paranoid husband. It gave off the same vibes as him saying "I know you're into Malik, maybe you're with Bertrand too, since you hate me so much".

This scene also. It intrigued me because Vlad was showing that possessiveness for the first time. We've seen him get possessive over his title and status as the Chosen One and as the Count's favourite child, but never over a person, never over Erin. And I just loved it.

It showed the darkness and the sexuality of vampires, and how far Vlad is pushed into that when it came to the idea of losing Erin. I think, before, when he hadn't absorbed the evil reflections, he would have maybe scoffed at the idea of a macho showdown for a girl. But he's dead serious, taking in Bertrand's advice, like "yeah, if I kill Malik, it'll turn her on and she'll be all over me and I'll win her back".

It's all interesting, is all. I feel as though the vagueness of sexuality in YD served its purpose enough, but it would've been cool to have seen a more adult portrayal (like I always say) because of the lack of blood and gore, and the lack of open sexuality that naturally comes with being an immortal, supposedly evil supernatural creature. I always picture Ingrid and Bertrand getting hot and steamy, or Bad Vlad being caught in the bathroom with piles of bodies (which the Count and Renfield have to dispose of and come up with a cover story). Stuff to really make me believe they're adults and vampires.