I Was Thinking About Midge And Lenny While Working On A New Chapter Of “Very Blue Lives” (it’s

Absolutely (Not) the Same Man

Regeneration and Identity

I really l like way Christmas Invasion presents regeneration and how Rose and Ten in-universe seem to understand.

Harriet Jones says that Ten is “absolutely the same man”. Rose does not agree despite being in the scene.

She agrees that 10 is the Doctor, but…not the same. She still loves him and sees the fundamental values being retained but she sees them as different.

She unequivocally says “you’re so different”. She’s beaming when she says it, clearly not missing Nine but rather mystified by Ten. It’s so subtle, (and a lot comes from Billie’s delivery) but even after accepting it, there is something alien about the process lingering.

It’s why I don’t fault her for being upset by the potential regeneration in Journey’s End, it’s the same reason we all are sad to see a Doctor go.

Because the fundamental character traits that we love will be there (you know…hopefully) but everything else will change. Their personalities and the ways they interact with the universe and the way they see themselves all changes. All the quirks and eccentricities that make up the characterization specific to one incarnation of the Doctor as a character, which are what we latch onto change.

We may like who gets tagged, whoever is now ‘it’. But there’s still a friend we’ll miss.

This Doctor wears pinstripes and trainers, instead of leather and combat boots. He willingly wears a paper crown.

He is domestic in a way Nine would never be. He doesn’t tempt Rose from a family dinner, he joins her at one of his own volition, then relishes in it while wearing a paper crown.

I do think this works particularly well here, because it feels like a character arc. It helps Ten feel like an actual extension of Nine. I think this why that it works for them to have the same TARDIS and first companion. It makes the change easier.

Nine was reminded of the beauty of living through Rose and humanity, and reminded ordinary humans that there was no such thing. I love the moment he has with the couple in Father’s Day for this reason.

Ten, in concept and practice, takes this love for humanity and runs with it. (Sometimes way too far depending on the writer. But that’s another meta). He’s more open with his feelings while still being deeply, deeply repressed.

Arguably, I think there’s a moment he tries to learn from his mistakes with Rose. He tries to relay the happy memory of Christmas dinner to Donna before it becomes something else he’s lost. All of her other attempts at connection are shut down.

Later, he’s able to find some respite with Donna in series 4. He’s able to live with his grief and heal for a bit. And he gives Donna a chance to realize that there’s no such thing as an ordinary human.

Then he has to take it all away. All of the edges Donna had softened out, the self-confidence she built up so she didn’t need to scream at the world to feel heard. Gone.

His best friend, just like the love of his life. Gone. And this time it’s like never happened at all.

It’s the last important arc before Time Lord Victorious for a reason.

(it’s honestly more thematically satisfying to go straight to Waters of Mars after series 4)

It’s why he comes to see regeneration as dying.

It’s how we get from “All I did was change” in Born Again, to “It’s like dying.” in the of End of Time

He just watched the identity of his best friend be ripped from her. Plus he feels emotions with more humanity than any incarnation. He feels the fear of identity loss like a human fears mortality.

(This was also before the Doctor had been given more regenerations, and post-war he was burning through them, and was over half through them, so there’s an added layer there)

I never for a second felt he was “throwing a tantrum” in Journey’s End.

I hate when people, including the in universe 11th doctor, say that Ten is vain.

I mean he is. Sometimes it’s done for laughs, but he is arrogant too. Usually it’s well-meaning. He does have more knowledge than anyone and wants to use that to help.

He might be a genius, but he doesn’t understand every intricate detail of human experience. And to be fair, 11 is talking about the metacrisis, but even before Donna’s fate, Ten has begun to project the human fear of death he’s adopted along with all the other emotions onto regeneration.

Journey’s End is the end of a vanity trip. He is stripped down and deeply, deeply scared. And he is allowed to be. And he can react in an intense, emotional way.

There is no hesitation between the knocks and the resignation falling across his face.

There is no doubt what he’s going to sacrifice for Wilf no matter how afraid he is.

Because as intensely as Ten feels fear, it is nothing to how much he loves.

Why is Season Abe 1 here?

Poor Ethan.

And…Susie’s gambling. Damn.

Oh good. We’re still hating on Shy Baldwin.

I like Mike though.

Midge’s career stuff is pretty interesting this episode.

Why don’t we get to see her do her set? Ugh.

Susie is amazing and it’s great to see Midge do something nice for James.

Aw! Midge is doing something so nice for her mother.

Wait, that’s the whole episode? That was mostly filler.

Also, why are the Weissmans stupid now? I literally saw Rose get a match to light the oven last season.

Did…did Joel just use his wife as a napkin? Like, he drags his hand down her shoulder after touching food. But ASP wants me to think this guy is Midge’s one true love? Okay.

“They only used AI for like, two minutes in The Brutalist 🙄”

I DON’T FUCKING CARE THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE USED IT AT ALL

AI is never necessary, ESPECIALLY not in creative spaces, and what you lot aren’t getting is that this sets a precedent, if The Brutalist can get away with it, what’s to stop other films using it and in larger ways

What’s to stop films from using AI for writing and reciting lines, for generating background characters, for creating music and animation

Stop defending AI, I don’t care if they used it for two seconds or two hours, I don’t want it in media at all

Incorrect Good Omens Quotes Part 2:

I know a lot of these have been done but this is partly just for me.

Crowley: My crush isn’t picking up on my hints.

Anathema: What hints have you given them?

Crowley: Well, I think about them a lot.

Crowley: And sometimes I even think about talking to them.

*

Aziraphale: Okay, but what if we went to dinner not as friends this time?

Crowley: AS ENEMIES?!

Aziraphale:

*

Crowley: *angrily presses Aziraphale against a wall* WHERE'S THE MONEY?!

Aziraphale: ...

Aziraphale: Are we about to kiss-

*

Crowley, throwing their head into Aziraphale's lap: Tell me I'm pretty!

Aziraphale, lovingly stroking their hair: You're pretty f***ing annoying, that's what you are.

*

Crowley: Aziraphale is playing hard to get.

Crowley: Little do they know, I'm a master at playing hard to get rid of.

*

Crowley: This date is boring!

Aziraphale: This isn't a date. I said I was going to the store.

Crowley: Then why did you invite me?

Aziraphale: I didn’t, I specifically said "don't come with me," then you said, "f*** you Aziraphale I'll do whatever I want!

*

Crowley: Aziraphale and I are no longer dating.

Aziraphale: Crowley, that’s a horrible way of telling people we’re married.

*

Aziraphale: I owe you one.

Crowley: That’s ok. You can just date me and we’ll call it even.

*

Aziraphale: Come to dinner tonight. I can’t cook, but I’ll bring plenty of free wine.

Crowley: Marry me.

*

Crowley: I’ve been dropping them the most insanely obvious hints for millennia now. No response.

Aziraphale: Wow. They sound stupid.

Crowley: But they’re not. They’re really smart actually. Just dense.

Aziraphale: Maybe you need to be more obvious? Like, I don’t know… “Hey! I love you!”

Crowley: I guess you’re right. Hey Aziraphale, I love you.

Aziraphale: See! Just say that!

Crowley: Holy f***ing s***.

Aziraphale: If that flies over their head then, sorry Crowley, but they're too dumb for you.

Crowley: Aziraphale.

*

Gabriel : Enough! How dare you mock me in such a manner!?

Crowley : Well. How would you like me to mock you? I take requests.

*

Aziraphale : There's nothing worse than people using big words they don't understand.

Crowley : I photosynthesize with this.

*

Aziraphale : Do you want to explain the text you sent me last night?

Crowley : It was autocorrect.

Aziraphale : Autocorrect wrote "You're so hot. Please step on me."?

Crowley : Yes.

*

Aziraphale and Crowley, to the angels/demons: I'm allergic to death.

*

Crowley : I was born for politics. I have great hair and I love lying.

*

Crowley : Don’t worry, I have a permit.

Aziraphale : ...This just says “I can do what I want”.

*

Aziraphale : You know, Crowley , when you generalize, you tell general... lies.

Crowley : ...

Crowley : Are you trying to teach me moral lessons through puns.

*

Crowley and Aziraphale : What’s up? I’m back.

Shadwell or Heaven/Hell : I literally saw you die. You died. You were dead

Crowley and Aziraphale : Death is a social construct.

Hey writers!

As of January 16, 2025, Microsoft has decided to automatically enable their AI service, CoPilot, on Word - even if you've previously turned off the service. They've also changed the process to disable it.

If you want to disable it again, go to:

Options -> CoPilot -> Uncheck "Enable CoPilot"

Hope this helps!

"content creator" is a corporate word.

we are artists.

On Crowley in the Book of Job

Season 2 Spoilers below:

I just…I’m having a hard time with Crowley tempting Aziraphale to eat.

Like, we just established that Crowley is not capable of true evil.

And he and Aziraphale clearly know each other enough to have a dynamic. Aziraphale clearly knows Crowley enough to have faith in his fundamental hidden goodness. And despite all of his pretense, that faith means something to Crowley.

So…why tempt Aziraphale? It feels so…uncharacteristically sinister.

Is he trying to get Aziraphale to fall too? But why? Some part of him obviously likes Aziraphale.

Maybe he’s trying to prove a point? But what is he going to do if Aziraphale falls over this? How will he carry that for eternity?

Maybe he knows Aziraphale won’t fall, and that’s the point? But how would he know that?

What’s the point?

HELP MY BOSS IS TELLING US TO USE CHATGPT

FOR STUFF THAT IS GOOGLEABLE

SHE SAID AI IS A TOOL WE CAN USE IN OUR CLASSROOMS

EXCUSE ME WHAT

"It would make my heart happy if yall used ChatGPT" - boss

KILL ME

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Explained: Generative AI’s environmental impact

MIT News explores the environmental and sustainability implications of generative AI technologies and applications.

Joel: Zones out while Midge is talking.

Joel: Remember when you met my parents?

Midge: Remember when we fought in the back of a cab because I was doing something for you because you didn’t properly communicate your needs?

Joel: Remember when I cheated on you while you were pregnant?…anyway, want to get a drink?

Midge: Sure

————————

Okay, the reunion was cute but it felt like a season 2 plot. Plus, it didn’t really go anywhere. Also, what happened to Marcie and Janie, the friends Midge specifically mentioned in S3E5? Eh, I guess ASP just forgot.

……………………….

Awwww Abe! I love this man. Recognizing his mistakes.

————————

Oh, I guess this is a way to use your lesbian characters? It’s not…a great one…but it is one.

……………………….

Oh. Oh no. Oh no. Is the cliffhanger about Abe? Is he not going to be able to see Miriam…I really hope I’m wrong but…wait, Esther says that she and Abe were close so…