The Hotchners In Into The Gotchaverse! ( Minus Jack). Inspired By A Prompt For Hotch’s Birthday Week,

Criminal Minds Season 15

Figured out the first episode unsub almost immediately. The JJ and Reid storyline was beyond stupid/ridiculous!  Looking at pics from earlier episodes, Emily’s hair looks atrocious. I think I remember hearing she had a wig in later seasons, and I think that might just be the case!  The Chameleon arc is interesting, hope they catch him soon.

I am enjoying Penelope in this episode, taking charge of an investigation!  I hope Spencer’s mum doesn’t die, but I have a feeling she might.

Mons in Belgium also has a statue of a monkey, I believe, whose head you can rub for luck before exams!

Via @korvys​ (Twitter)

SVU Further post Season 9 AU ideas

After having watched Season 16 to 22 of SVU after stopping at the end of Season 12, and seeing Elliot back, Kathy dying and bits of OC, I just keep thinking about what if Kathy and Elliot weren’t together shortly after Eli’s birth. I always felt they ultimately would have ended up divorcing at some point after Eli came along, as they only got back together because of Kathy’s pregnancy, and Elliot was still working all hours in Season 10/11/12 and Kathy nearly left him again! 

So my brain went to what if she died following complications from the accident, so in the Season 9 finale or early Season 10. She could have had to have an operation for some side effect/condition she developed after the accident, so she goes in for surgery in the Season 9 finale, we see her go into surgery, with one or several of the big kids/his mum/Liv waiting with him, the doctor comes out and calls for Mr Stabler and Dun Dun, cut to black. Season 10 finale, we see the doctor talking to Stabler and whoever is with him. There are tears and hugs. Then we have the funeral, Liv  and the team are there. Elliot ends up becoming a stay at home dad ( something he seemed interested in doing in at least one episode) while Olivia navigates training a new partner and moving up the ranks, eventually becoming Captain. 

There could still be all the drama with Kathleen and Dickie, plus some from Lizzie as she was criminally underutilised. 

Maybe Elliot works as a private consultant so can still help out with cases, and Olivia is over at the house more and more. They eventually get together romantically and have at least one kid together ( either biologically, or they can adopt Calvin and/or Noah, kind of following the show). 

So that leaves room for the new team members to come along as they do in canon, there can be some adoption/fostering drama… 

El and Liv would definitely be friends with Carisi and Rollins. He has very similar values to Carisi, so I can see them being buddies. And it would mean Billie and Jesse would have another strong male presence in their lives, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. 

Obviously it would impact some of the storylines, like William Lewis wouldn’t happen fully. I haven’t seen Seasons 13-15 so not sure how I could rewrite that, but I’d like to try! 

I have so many other missing scenes of family life ( Stabler and his kids, Liv and the young Stablers, Carisi and the Rollins girls…) that would be easier and more fun/less traumatic!

I have been able to purchase Season 16, on Apple TV, but, unfortunately, it is in French, even though the episode summaries are in English.

I am not really a big fan of the dubbing, but I can just about live with it.

So far, I don’t really know any of the characters except for Fin and Olivia, and we don’t get much info about them/their home lives, though stuff is implied through characters’ looks or reactions when talking to suspects or victims.

Amaro is a major hothead, but doesn’t seem to have any particular trigger. At least he’s working on controlling it, unlike Stabler. He reminds me a bit of Chester Lake, who was just kind of there sometimes and I didn’t miss him if he wasn’t!

Amanda seems like she’s very unassuming/submissive, but is as tough as old boots. In the ep with the young incel guy she was incredibly brave and tough, and I loved her description of good guys who are kind, gentle and hold doors open for ladies- was she thinking of Carisi? I like to think so.

I have gathered that she is from a small, gossipy city and doesn’t have a great relationship with her mother or men in general. It seems like something happened with her and Amaro, which I cannot see as being healthy or happy at all! 

Carisi I adore! He’s good at listening quietly, observing and taking everything in when he needs to, and heeds warnings/instructions well too. However, he can take initiative when he needs to. He’s always watching his colleagues and the victims, absorbing info and silently taking everything in. I love how he brings food to the team and is full of surprises ( goat’s cheese and sundried tomato rather than pepperoni, but that shows how considerate he is, as there may be vegetarians on the team, so he got something that they can eat too). Was not loving the moustache, so glad that disappeared pretty quickly. I also love that he knows celeb gossip/the latest trends/fashion/music which shows he listens to and spends time with his niece. 

Peter Gallagher in what I assume was Ed Tucker’s role makes Ed look like a declawed kitten. He’s very tough and demanding, but it seems to be pushing Olivia towards being Captain, which is a good thing.

Barba I find a bit cold and slightly shark like. He’s very much a straight to the point/direct kind of guy who is all business and nothing else. He also really doesn’t like to lose! Makes for a great lawyer, but not a very interesting character. He’s no Casey Novak, that’s for sure! 

I hope all the William Lewis stuff is done and dusted as I do not see myself coping well with that storyline at all! 

Great to see Liv being a mum to Noah, but it really makes me miss Stabler! If he’d been there, I’m sure he would have given her loads of Eli’s old clothes/toys/paraphernalia as well as advice. I’m sure he’d have volunteered to call Noah if he’s crying, but hopefully Carisi ( does anyone ever call him Sonny apart from his family?) can step up and be the Baby Whisperer ™ if Olivia needs that.

The episodes are quite interesting, nothing with a big twist or a super big name yet, but am looking forward to seeing what episode 6 and beyond have in store. 

That one scene in 10x5 where Hotch goes to get the Darth Vadar helmet for Jack from Garcia’s friend and Garcia’s friend (Madam Bouvier) hitting on Hotch always makes me cackle. Madam Bouvier calling Hotch “child” and the “mmhm G-man”, Hotch’s nervousness and blushing when he realizes Madam Bouvier’s intentions. That whole scene was 👌 *chefs kiss*.

I’d just like to know what Garcia said to Madam Bouvier beforehand. The way that you kind of warn your friends about meeting your other friends. At first, Madam Bouvier being like “he an asshole? Do you need me to teach him a lesson, baby? Does he treat you dirty? I know how boss’ can be--”

and Garcia’s like “no, no, not like that!” and going into this really long and weird warning because Hotch is attractive (which is a weird thought now that she’s considering it) and he’s kind of cranky sometimes but also painfully shy so Garcia is just trying to tell her that Hotch might be a little shy and not to take it personally.

so imagine Madam Bouvier’s surprise when SSA Big Dick Aaron Hotchner walks in?? All cute and albeit shy but a handsome gentleman. You know Garcia got a call about that

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)

I love these scenes, I adore how Stabler is physically affectionate towards his children, especially when they are crying/upset. 

Knowing what we know about his upbringing/childhood, I think it’s apparent that he is actively trying to parent differently from the way he was raised.

His mother was erratic, unreliable and unpredictable ( in Season 10, Swing, he mentions her trying to take him to Paris in the middle of the night, as she had decided she wanted to become a painter, as well as how she tried to shoot him and his dad during a manic episode, as well as driving too fast in ice and snow, which crashed the car and broke Elliot’s arm) and his father was physically and verbally abusive ( Season 7, episode 4, Ripped).

Stabler also mentions in another episode that his parents, like most Irish parents at the time, didn’t say I love you to him or give him praise.

So I think it is very telling that Stabler often apologises to his children when he overreacts, handles a situation badly which causes them pain. 

Once Maureen has apologised in Sophomore Jinx in Season 1, he says he is sorry too, he also apologises to her later in Season 1 when he reads her e-mails in Chat Room, then he also says sorry to Dickie in Season 11, when his interactions with Shane’s mum mean that Dickie can’t attend his best friend’s funeral, and I am sure there are more instances. 

Stabler is also very quick to hug his children when they show signs of emotional distress, even when they are older. Kathleen, who is late teens or early 20’s in the Season 12 episode Gray, gets upset thinking her dad would be angry with her for leaving her friend for 10 minutes at a party, who she was supposed to be a sober buddy for, and he notices her voice crack, and pulls her in for a hug, reassuring her that she didn’t screw up. 

Maureen gets upset in Sophomore Jinx when he tells her he doesn't want to pick up her body parts in Jersey, she lets out a shocked « Daddy! » and he opens his arms to provide her with physical affection, and he repeatedly hugs Kathleen after her various mishaps too.

I appreciate how freely he says « I love you » to his children. In Season 1, when Wanderlust, it seems like it is a tradition for him to kiss his kids goodbye and exchange I love yous before he leaves for work, as Kathy talks about knowing the drill, which makes sense, seeing as he could be injured or die on the job. 

 I was listening to a podcast about the show, which had Allison Siko ( who plays Kathleen from Season 3 onwards) on as a guest star, and she said Chris Meloni is an excellent hugger and she always looks forward to their scenes where they do so.

She also told the listeners an anecdote about being at a writers’ strike/protest recently, and she spotted Chris Meloni from some way away, and instead of calling out his name, she said « Hi Dad! », to which he responded and came over to talk to her. I just thought that was very sweet and shows the great rapport between the cast. 

I got five kids. If it were me, I’d let the world burn to protect any one of ‘em.

Modern Languages ( French and Spanish with Italian), Capricorn, Spring

rb with your major/degree, your sign and your favorite season

Law and Order OC Seasons 1 and 2 thoughts

I have just watched the first two seasons of  SVU OC, as I wanted to see the episode when Eli runs away. 

Unfortunately I can only watch the episodes in French, so have to put up with the dubbing, which is not the worst but it could be a lot better.

I don’t really follow the actual crimes part, I mainly watch for the Stabler family interactions, dynamics and development.

 I like Stabler’s new team. Ayanna is great, Jet is super cool ( she seems to be on the autistic spectrum, as she sometimes takes things literally, isn’t very comfortable with touch/affection and goes into hyper focus mode when it comes to work). I love the bond she has with Stabler, he’s very fatherly and protective of her. There’s an episode when he goes to pick Eli up from school and he gives him a fistbump when he tells him he’s made the soccer team, then, either before or after, Jet helps him out with some tech issue or finds out some useful info through cyber digging, and he does the same to her. There’s also a sweet moment when he is talking to Ayanna about protecting his family as they are at risk, and she just sidles over silently and puts her arms around him. Elliot is surprised but pats/rubs her arm in response, then they talk about her fears and he reassures her. 

It reminded me a bit of the Season 1 episode, Nocturne, where he is reading to Lizzie and Dickie, who are about 7. They are climbing all over him and giving him hugs and kisses, and he’s just so patient with them, answering their questions about why it can’t be Christmas every day and being used as a human climbing frame.

He’s definitely more relaxed as a dad with Eli, though he is trying to be a mother and a father to him. He’s much more patient with teen Eli than he was with  Maureen, Dickie and Kathleen when they were teens. He listens before jumping to conclusions when he finds Eli in New Jersey, whereas with the other three, he let his fear and protective side take over, which manifested in anger. 

Like in Swing, Olivia is there to help, which is a neat parallel, and I only just realised that Stabler must be worried that Eli could be bipolar too and that’s why he’s run away because he is in a manic state. 

I really like how he shows his affection for Eli in small ways, like he’ll fix his son’s collar or give him a pat on the shoulder, when he’d really like to hug his son but doesn’t want to demand a hug. He can also be quite playful with him, as after giving him a hug, they tease each other affectionately and Elliot pushes at his face with his hand. 

I also think it’s normal that Eli wants to know more about his grandparents/his roots, as the only grandparent he knows is Bernie, and even then, he doesn’t know her extremely well. Having just lost his mum, he’s trying to figure out who he is, where he is from and where he is going, with lots of changes going on around him, having moved to a new country, a new home, a new school and school system, having to make new friends and also going from having a dad who was around a lot to one who is absent a lot. Eli is also trying to look after Elliot, which he should not be having to do, but he won’t leave to stay with one of his sisters as he doesn’t want to lose his dad as well. 

In Season 6, when Kathy leaves Elliot, she goes to stay with her mom, so we can assume her dad is not in the picture, and, presumably being Catholic too, he’s probably dead, rather than divorced from Kathy’s mum.

Elliot is still super closed off about his past and his relationship with his father, and his feelings are intensified as he investigates the story behind his father’s bravery medal.

Finding out he really did want to be an architect ( he tells Frank about it when they are on a stake-out) but his father knocked the idea out of his head ( probably literally as well as verbally) broke my heart. 

In Season 10, Swing, he outright denies Bernie’s claim that that is what he wanted to be, claiming he’s always wanted to be a cop. 

It shows that Bernie really understood him, she tried to encourage him as best she could and clearly loves him very much. 

They are so much closer in OC, which is lovely to see. They even share a laugh, when she asks him if he’s a phone salesman now as he has a few phones for all the different undercover jobs he’s doing, and he says no, he stole them. They both sarcastically “ha ha” at the other person’s quip, but it is a moment full of affection and understanding.

They also start talking properly, which is a very good thing, and Elliot’s love for his mom and family are very touching. 

The episode where Elliot gets the reels of the recordings of his childhood and watches them with Bernie at the end made me cry, and has lodged itself in my brain. While it was lovely to see Elliot have some sweet moments with his dad, it’s heartbreaking that they couldn’t always have had that, and there must always have been that fear that he’d flip and become physically abusive, like he did in the diorama incident referenced in Season 7 that Elliot tells Dr Hendricks about. Hearing about that left me in tears. Destroying your kid’s project in a fit of rage because they changed one minute detail is just awful, but then beating them for crying too is just unforgivable! 

The dinner scene when Bernie tells Eli about Joe boxing Elliot’s ears, slapping him upside the head and putting soap in his mouth for attitude/disrespect leave Eli absolutely stunned, like he’s seen, heard or read about such punishments in books or films but didn’t think actually happened in real life, as Elliot has never physically disciplined any of his kids like that, and was probably more relaxed/lenient with Eli than he was with the other four children. The only time he comes somewhat close to getting physically aggressive with one of his children is with Dickie in Turmoil ( Season 11), when Stabler asks him if he’s lost his mind and Dickie sasses back that he wouldn’t be the first Stabler to do so, referencing both Bernie and Kathleen’s manic episodes. Elliot shoves Dickie up against the wall, but he quickly lets go and holds then pats or squeezes his shoulder, as if he wants to pull his son in for a hug. 

I like seeing how hard Elliot has worked on not being like his father was, trying so hard to give his children a home life that is predictable and safe, with  boundaries, consistency, encouragement ( when Maureen wants to get into Columbia and is disappointed by a B+, he is so supportive of her and says she’s done/doing great) and he tells his kids he is proud of them and that he loves them regularly. 

His difficulties with technology are very endearing, he usually has to ask Jet for a non technical translation, and his kids have been helping him since Season 1 with computer/phone issues, with Maureen in Season 1 bypassing the parental security lock on the computer and, in Season 8 he mentions that his kids had to help him put the numbers he wanted on speed dial. 

One annoying thing about the show is how the flashbacks at the start of the episode sometimes show an SVU scene, which I haven’t seen, like Kathy’s funeral, for example. It was cool to see Carisi in an episode though, and Olivia is a pretty regular recurring character too. 

Seeing Stabler’s complicated relationship with Liv is so interesting.

Because I am watching in French, there is no ambiguity about who he is saying “I love you” to during the intervention scene, as he uses the singular/informal/friendly you form, then, 20-something seconds later, he says “I love all of you”, using the plural you form this time. 

It was so interesting to see Eli try first, then Kathleen ( the kids he is closest to and the ones he talks to/confides in the most), but they both fail, so Olivia steps in. She actually stands in front of the children, as if to protect them from Elliot’s potentially angry outburst.

Her chat at the diner with Kathleen was really moving, it reminded me of when Liv talks to Bernie in Swing.

I’m looking forward to watching the next three seasons to see how everything plays out. 

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