Naughty Elephants Squirt Water!

Thoughts on SVU Season 7 finale and Season 9 premiere

Just watched this episode and there are so many parallels to Swing.

We have Jamie, a pretty blonde and blue eyed girl who seems to come from a loving and supportive family start becoming over sexualised, she gets into a car accident and isn’t doing well at school whenever/since she has been off her med for bipolar/schizophrenia, 

It’s also mentioned that she has sudden moodswings ( outbursts of anger that come out of nowhere).

Throughout the past season and the next two and a bit, we’ll see or have seen Kathleen demonstrate all of these traits/sumptoms.

The guru that Jamie is following, who is advocating for no more medication cannot be more than 50, and I think his parents sent him to the psychiatric hospital when he was 14/15, which would mean it took place in the late 70’s or maybe early 80’s. 

We know Bernie went to one of those when Elliot was young, probably when he was 8, when she threatened to shoot Elliot and Joe Sr at the beach and maybe again when Elliot was 10 and she wanted to run away to Paris. So that is what she was most likely subjected to, possibly even worse, as it would have been during the early to mid 70’s. I completely understand both the guru and Bernie’s aversion to drugs. Even Jamie mentions the meds left her feeling like a zombie, and this would be in the early 2000’s!

We also get Casey’s heart-breaking story about her fiançé. Her guilt is so palpable ( and kind of parallels Elliot’s, as neither of them saw it coming). Charlie’s fate could so easily have been Kathleen’s as it is implied that Charlie is probably dead from drug overdose. 

Munch is super critical of mental health medication, saying there is a pill for everything nowadays and whatever happened to just having a bad day, which Elliot basically agrees with. 

There is definitely a comment about sometimes the signs being hard to spot they show up in a loved one ( the exact quote references home, I think). 

Jamie is also forced to stay at the psych hospital to be medicated, just like Kathleen is. 

Even in the Season 9 premiere, we see Elliot really struggle to get his head around multiple personality disorder. 

hotchner or prentiss? Reid or Morgan? season 3 or season 6? garcia or jj? cruz or strauss? dad bod hotch or athletic hotch? season 1 reid or season 15 reid? profiler prentiss or unit chief prentiss? megan kane or the reaper? haleyor beth? profiler jj or liaison jj? jack or henry? sean hotchner or aaron hotchner? jotch or jemily ( neither)? Tara or Kate? matt or luke? domestic aaron or unit chief aaron? reid’s long hair or reid’s short hair? Gideon or Rossi? Suit Hotch or quarterzip Hotch? 

Thank you for tagging me @eldrai <3

hotchner or prentiss? reid or morgan? season 3 or season 6? garcia or jj? cruz or strauss? dad bod hotch or athletic hotch? season 1 reid or season 15 reid? profiler prentiss or unit chief prentiss? megan kane or the reaper? haley or beth? profiler jj or liaison jj? jack or henry? sean hotchner or aaron hotchner? jotch or jemily? tara or kate? matt or luke? domestic aaron or unit chief aaron? reid’s long hair or reid’s short hair? gideon or rossi? suit hotch or quarterzip hotch?

No pressure tags: @masterwords @olivinesea @louisaland @hotchner-clemmons @hotchgan

SVU Season 10 thoughts

The first few episodes of this Season are just excellent!

Swing is one of those episodes I could rewatch on a loop and not be bored of it and it’s great that it is followed by Lunacy, so we get to see Elliot as worried/concerned/angry dad and then his more fun, playful side with Kathleen and then Dickie. He is still super protective of them both!

We also get some info for the timeline, for those of you that are working on it (@ocstabler). Bernie says she was married to Joe Sr for 27 years, and, in OC, I figured out that Elliot is in his mid 20’s ( about 25) when he makes second detective and says he celebrated by bringing two beers and a sandwich to his father’s grave, so if he’d just died, Elliot was born after his parents had been married for 2 years or so, making him the first or second child, unless Joe and Bernie were forced to get married due to a teen pregnancy ( like Kathy and Elliot did). I think Randall is directly acknowledged as the eldest child/brother, though when he leaves home, aged 16,  he joins Shannon/Sharon and Dee who are already in Florida, which would suggest they are older.

Regarding Swing, I love that Bernie and Elliot’s similarities are showcased , as they both need to go outside to get some air when they get stressed/upset, and they both clearly love each other deeply. Elliot tells her he has always needed her and she tells Olivia that she tried to be a good mother.

Their differences are shown too, especially through wardrobe: she is wearing loose, comfortable clothes in fun colours ( a flowy yellow jacket and matching scarf/wrap and wide legged trousers) whereas he is in a shirt and tie, in plain, dark colours. Obviously, he’s dressed for work, but he could have taken 5 minutes to change into more casual clothes.

It’s also super interesting to see them both recount their version of the same event which differ so wildly. When Bernie is talking about running off to Paris when he was 10 or going to see Georgia O’Keefe, dressed in her nightgown, I think he is reminded of that when Kathleen runs up to him and wants him to swing with her. 

When Bernie is talking to Kathleen, she cups her face, just like Elliot often does when comforting/reassuring his kids. 

Bernie talking about how she was treated in hospital is just heart-breaking, I totally understand why she didn’t want to be on medication, but the fact that she was in a catatonic state for months at a time has definitely caused Elliot pain/resentment and made him go completely the other way with his kids.

Lunacy is such a great episode, as we get to learn some more about Elliot’s past and see his lovely relationship with Dickie. They’re very comfortable with each other and seem to have a very easy, teasing yet affectionate relationship. It’s a shame that Dickie’s namesake turns out to be a total douche canoe, but it’s a good episode with quite a few twists and turns/red herrings. 

Even episode 2 has the photo of Lizzie, so she kind of features in an episode, for once. It would have been lovely to somehow include her in the episode, maybe a scene with Elliot as he is trying to figure out how the guy found a picture of Lizzie online…

1) cherry 🍒: straight, possibly ace

2) lollipop 🍭: eyebrow mascara, mascara, eyeliner, concealer and maybe blush!

3) daydreams 💭: A writer, an illustrator or a translator of children’s/YA fiction

4) October: January ( New Year’s Day baby)

5) caress: yes, I’m a cuddler/very physically affectionate

6) ivory: flannel or fleecy, long sleeves and legs in winter, short bottoms and tees in summer

7) golden: writing paper with matching envelopes, and a really nice pen to write with! 

8) freckles: jeans, tracksuit bottoms, hoodies. My dark cherry 🍒 red Doc Marten’s that look almost black at first-on my third pair, I love them!

9) twilight: a friend from uni, an ex work colleague and a former neighbour. 

10) silk: haven’t actively listened to it.

11) poppy: lilac/lavender 

12) dimples: Eyes, followed by nose!  13)sunkissed: spring 

14) buttery: fajita-flavoured tortilla chips with guacamole 🥑 for savoury, plain M&M’s or Smarties for sweet.

15)whisper: not as much as I should, oops!

16) pencil ✏️: no, though I kept a diary in my teens

17) cupcake 🧁: I can follow a recipe and am good at being creative with leftovers, so not too bad!  18) honey 🍯: I call the children I look after darling, my angelfish, sausage... For me, my best friend calls me hon, my mum still calls me darling or love sometimes!

19) clouds ☁️: being with my cousins in a big mansion, we find a treasure chest after much exploring, I wake up just as it’s being opened-had that one several times throughout my childhood!

20) velvet: TV/film/animated crush: Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid ( I still like tall, dark-haired and blue-eyed guys who have a sense of humour and like animals). Real life: When I was 12/13, the short, funny guy in my class who dated all the girls in my year after turning me down.  21)paper: most of Roald Dahl’s books, Little Women and the sequels, Anne of Green Gables series, Babysitter’s Club, Nancy Drew...

22) peaches 🍑:facial wash and a scrub a few times a week, serum, Nivea moisturiser and eye serum. Night cream and Nuxe lipbalm before sleeping

23) mochi: My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service were both very sweet and charming

24) backyard: yes, she was my doll Jemima, if that counts

25) strawberry 🍓: bananas 🍌, followed by pineapple 🍍, mango 🥭 and raspberry

26) kiss 😘: on the cheek(s), top of the head, shoulder, yes.

27) nightlight: as a child, yes, always, couldn’t sleep otherwise. Nowadays, not always.

28) shampoo 🧴: no sense of smell, so nothing!

29) skin: my cousin Ruth. We’re only 9 months apart in age and were super close growing up.

30) aphrodite: I love Drew Barrymore, Meryl Streep and Jake Gyllenhall

31) cuddles: not at the moment. I have had a rabbit and guinea pig, then a cat, followed by a gerbil, growing up.

32) lace: the one I found on my birthday to wear to my youngest sibling’s wedding ( wrap style, in shades of purple with fluted/flouncy sleeves and hem) and the one I have purchased for my brother’s in August 2021 ( black, scoop neck with a leafy/floral pattern in shades of green)

33) sheets: sanrio is Hello Kitty and friends, right? If so, that one!

34) cream: chocolate, always chocolate!

35) watermelon 🍉: on a regular basis, even the ones I know really well!

36) sapphos: Carol Ann Duffy or Emily Dickinson

37) plush: I have a microwavable bean-bag fox that I like to cuddle, even if it’s not heated up

38) roses 🌹: I love sunflowers 🌻 and deep dark red roses ( almost black!) 

39) sweetheart: my big Friends Central Perk one, as it’s perfect for soup, oatmeal, hot chocolate...

40) sunset 🌅: she/her

soft asks:

cherry - what is your sexuality?

lollipop - favorite makeup products?

daydreams - if you could be anything or anyone, who would you be?

october - what month were you born in?

caress - do you like to snuggle?

ivory - describe your pajamas?

golden - favorite stationary product?

freckles - most-worn article of clothing?

twilight - best friend?

silk - do you like k-pop?

poppy - favorite pastel color?

dimples - most attractive features of a person’s face?

sunkissed - autumn or spring?

buttery - favorite snack?

whisper - how much sleep do you get?

pencil - do you own a journal?

cupcake - are you a good cook?

honey - favorite term of endearment?

clouds - describe one of your favorite dreams?

velvet - who was your first crush?

paper - favorite children’s book?

peaches - do you have a skincare routine?

mochi - favorite studio ghibli film?

backyard - did you ever have an imaginary friend?

strawberry - favorite fruit?

kiss - have you ever kissed a friend?,

nightlight - do you read before bed?

shampoo - favorite scent?

skin - what distant relative are you closest to?

aphrodite - favorite actress/actor?

cuddles - do you have any pets?

lace - if you own any dresses, which is your favorite?

sheets - sanrio or san-x characters?

cream - frozen yogurt flavor?

watermelon - do films ever make you cry?

sapphos - favorite poet?

plush - how many stuffed animals do you still own?

roses - what flower do you find most beautiful?

sweetheart - favorite mug/cup?

sunset - what are your pronouns?

Into the Gotchaverse

Halloween Season 9 additional scene

« Oh, Sir, you don’t have to do that! », Penelope exclaimed, seeing her boss pick up the now full trash bag and deftly closing it with the plastic tie.

« It’s fine, Penelope. You’ve just hosted a wonderful evening, so the least I can do is help you clean up. », he replied, donning the bright purple gloves with feathery trim used for doing the dishes.

He swiftly filled the sink, added dish soap to a sponge and began washing the plates, glasses and silverware that had been used over the course of the evening.

Penelope busied herself putting away leftovers and they worked in companiable silence, occasionally bumping shoulders as Penelope got containers out, opened the fridge and put away unused utensils.

Once she was satisfied that everything had been satisfactorily stored in its proper place, she came to join him at the sink, drying what had already been washed.

Hotch began humming quietly, earning him a surprised look from Penelope.

« Sorry, Penelope, I’ll stop if it’s bothering you. I always seem to sing or put music on when I’m doing chores, it makes them less boring somehow. » he apologised.

« No, please don’t stop, it’s lovely! I had no idea you were so musical! You also have great taste, Blackbird is such an underrated Beatles song! » , she trilled, grinning widely.

As the two of them finished tidying up the kitchen, they sang together, voices harmonising on ABBA, Queen and Beatles songs.

« Well, I think that’s everything. I’ll take the trash out for you on my way out. » said Hotch. « Thank you again  for a wonderful evening, Penelope. » he continued.

« Thank you, Sir. Please don’t leave yet, I’ve got something for you, for your birthday! » Penelope replied, rushing to her bedroom and rapidly opening and closing cupboards and drawers before returning.

« It’s not much, but I hope you like it » she announced, handing over a red gift bag with a flourish. «  And yes, I know you don’t want a big fuss made of you and your day at the office, but it and you should definitely be celebrated! » she uttered, gesturing wildly with her hands and smiling broadly.

Hotch blushed and smiled, activating his dimple.

« Thank you very much, Penelope. You’re so thoughtful, and I appreciate your discretion. If your presents for Jack are anything to go by, it will be perfect! » he replied, opening his arms for her to hug him.

She squeezed him tightly, reaching up impulsively to kiss his cheek and leaving a scarlet lipstick mark there.

«  You’re welcome, Sir. Now let’s get you home before the witching hour and I turn into a pumpkin! Drive safe! » she declared, releasing him from her embrace and guiding him to her front door, then ushering him into the hallway.

« Goodnight, Penelope, see you at work tomorrow », he replied, waiting until the door had shut behind him to touch his cheek and discovering the vibrant red makeup mark she had left on his cheek.

His technical analyst certainly was one of a kind, he mused.

Seriously feeling the desire to write some missing scenes between Hotch and Garcia!  Some ideas I have:

- Post Season 3 finale, the doctor tells Hotch he cannot fly due to his busted eardrum for a few weeks, so he ends up helping Garcia, staying in her office. They bring eachother breakfast in the morning, talk about the divorce/Jack/theatre/art/books and it totally makes up for the horrible time she had with Gideon in Season 1 ( the flowers and note that Hotch sends on Gideon’s behalf need to be acknowledged!)

-Post Season 9, Hotch comforting Penelope after shooting the unsub then teaching her to shoot. 

- Season 7 finale, their chat while they are dancing at the wedding, because he’s really managed to make her laugh and he is smiling, I think!

- Season 9, the Halloween episode, Hotch stays to help her clean up after her Day of the Dead party, she gives him his birthday card and present

- Post-performance after Garcia’s play in Reflections of Desire. Hotch gives her flowers in her dressing room, she invites him and the gang to come out for drinks with the rest of the cast! 

- Season 12 to 15 e-mails that are written but not sent between Garcia and Hotch ( they both chose the same codenames for eachother!) about their lives etc as they never got to say goodbye properly!

-Post Season 15, Hotch and Jack come back to Quantico, bump into Penelope, friendship is rekindled, they get super close, swapping horror stories about dates, spending lots of time together, and eventually get together romantically!  What would you like to see?  Other ideas gratefully received too!

One of the many reasons I cannot picture JJ and Reid together romantically! Even as a friend, I think that she is quite unkind in that scene. Love Emily’s dynamic with Spencer though, very supportive and like a big sister to him!

“I don’t know how to be anyone else.. I can’t help it” (insp)

rewatching old criminal minds and suddenly I wanted a 1940s noir AU

Happy 1st tumblr birthday 🎂🎁🎈🎉🥳🪅🎊🛍, Sumayyah! Could I have 💐 for Gotcha ( Hotch and Garcia), please? Love you and your writing so very much.

Thank you! That's the cutest ship name ever, petition to change it to that because it sounds prettier!! And also: Aww, I love you too <3

💐and a character/ship for a happy headcanon

platonic: Garcia is well-aware that Hotch's apartment can feel too quiet during the summer months when Jack has sleepovers, or summer camp, or is just out in the park, so she always has a reason to come over and keep him company.

Whether it's: here's a new craft I took up or: I made too much of this thing and it just so happens to be your favourite so you can you please take some? Hotch knows she's only doing it so he's not left alone, but he appreciates the thought, and always makes sure he's got something either on DVD or recorded that they can watch together.

romantic: because Hotch has been making packed lunches since he was a kid- both for himself, and for Sean, and then for Jack, he finds the whole process quite therapeutic and fun to carry out. So, when him and Garcia move in together- which was a very long and stressful process, filled with Jack opening every single box to see what was in there and Garcia being more than a little worried at Hotch's lack of possessions- he makes all three of them their lunches.

Garcia's always has a little love letter. It's usually just a compliment about how pretty her outfits always are, or how lovely the size of her heart is, or how much he's still in awe of the fact that she loves him.

Garcia's response is always to pin it in place on her corkboard- everyone deserves to know how much of a romantic Hotch really is- and then going up to the 6th floor to kiss him on the cheek (which almost always results in a mark he can't quite wipe away, that the higher ups find strangely endearing)

🌼 and i’ll hand letter either a word or your url for you

Which I know you didn't ask for, but you need to know how "radiant" you are, and I'm actually really enjoying calligraphy again!

i'm hosting a first anniversary sleepover!

Her smug/cat got the cream expression in the last picture is everything! I love super smart Penelope, they sometimes dumbed her down as she doesn’t know the word for vomit-causing ( emetic) or something like that ( haemo-somthing and it being blood-related, maybe?)  in one episode. I love that she is intelligent, really fashionable/dresses super well, is really good at her job, is nerdy and plus-sized! One of my favourite characters on TV ever!

bau’s resident genius, spencer reid penelope garcia.