not to bring sadness into kingdon but something that would honestly be dog shit ass writing is if they give Mel a one-sided crush with Langdon.
not only people have been insisting that seeing a neurodivergent woman fall in love, or at least, gain her independence through love and for the first time feel taken care of (because she has been selfless all her life and missing out on experiences) is important, it’s also just like…let the outcast and awkward girl get THE guy you know? It also just feels mean as hell to repeat what is usually seen as a story used for mockery when women fall in love with the popular and conventionally attractive dude. LET ER KEN GET HER ER BARBIE!!!
realism is when first week intern whitaker goes through his day teaching others with confidence, not making any big mistakes, having a huge amount of responsibility without crumbling under it at all, giving career advice, and being displayed as far wiser than an intern should be. while senior resident samira mohan makes a fatal mistake, messes up constantly, is barely at any important trauma’s or cases, and consistently doubts herself to the point where she thinks she doesn’t belong and is pushed to leave emergency medicine.
okay got it! you guys really worked hard to replicate the real life disadvantages women(of colour) have in medicine, but managed to do so without commenting on it or condemning it in any way! and then you say that there is no such thing as misogyny or unconscious bias going on. great job guys!
do these dumbasses realize that isa, shabana, and supriya were also not nominated last season, orrr..?
"leaving little room" for only the actresses of colour, weird.
isa being left out is genuinely such a slap in the face, when both patrick and gerran were nominated. out of all the actors i assumed would be snubbed, hers definitely seems the most egregious. supriya had some tof the most difficult days of her acting career, having to portray that panic attack accurately. shabana made me tear up with her acting after roxy's death. but sure, it's just a kooky coincidence that EVERY SINGLE WHITE CAST MEMBER WAS NOMINATED.
and the irony isn’t lost on me that the show all about highlighting the various ways society—more specifically systems meant to aid, help, and protect—has failed and overlooked marginalized communities and minorities has predominantly white people being awarded and praised for their work/performances.
and the irony isn’t lost on me that the show all about highlighting the various ways society—more specifically systems meant to aid, help, and protect—has failed and overlooked marginalized communities and minorities has predominantly white people being awarded and praised for their work/performances.
“Those people with perfect houses are simply obsessed with death. A house that is so well maintained, furnished with good-looking furniture of high quality, decorated tastefully, everything in its place, becomes a living tomb. People truly engaged in life have messy houses.”
I think an interesting difference in fanon vs canon when it comes to Mel King is that a popular headcanon has her nicknamed ER Barbie and canon has her nicknamed Sadness from Inside Out
In a classic literature phase, and just finished reading Little Women. Such a fan of the interpretation of Laurie proposing to Jo in Greta Gerwig's 2019 film adaptation, so I wrote an AU using the scene as inspiration, with Mel and Langdon, because I love hurting my own feelings. (under the read more)
I commissioned the fan art from the wonderful, amazing, and incredibly talented @rosenfinchzz! It's so gorgeous, and I can't thank you enough!
Mel and Langdon are taking their daily stroll through the woods near her family home together, as they have many times over the years. They walk side by side, and Mel confides in him about her growing restlessness at home and impending loneliness, as he and Becca prepare to depart on different adventures. Becca had an upcoming wedding, and Langdon would be moving to the city after graduating from university. Thus, both of them are leaving Mel behind.
"You don't need to remain here," Langdon reminds her gently.
"What do you suggest I do then? Run away and join a traveling circus?" Mel teases.
At her question, Langdon comes to a standstill. He stares at Mel and inhales, preparing to speak. Noticing he's no longer walking next to her, she freezes in place and faces him. She immediately can place the intention behind the look he's giving her. Their friendship spans seven years, since they were fifteen.
She knows him almost as well as she knows herself. Despite past attempts to avoid this conversation, it has been looming over them like a storm cloud. Still, Mel finds herself utterly unprepared for the question unspoken between them.
She lifts an imploring hand. "Frankie, please don't do this," she whispers.
Langdon approaches, and she turns on her heel. "I must, Mel."
"No, you mustn't!" she exclaims, marching towards the clearing at the edge of the woods and putting distance between them. Langdon follows close behind, trying to intercept her.
Mel comes to a stop once the picturesque countryside that awaits them on the other side of the woods comes into view. Langdon steps in front of her, meeting her gaze once he catches up. "I can't help that I've loved you since I've known you," Langdon says with desperation. He sounds frantic, almost as though he can't get the words out quick enough. "You've never let me show you. But, please let me ask you because I can't go on like this-"
"-I wanted to spare you from this-" Mel quietly pleads.
"-Mel, I need an answer!" His voice quivers. "I've spent all this time trying to be worthy of you, I know I'll never be good enough for you-"
"You are too good for me," she interrupts. "Better than I deserve." She continues. "You have no idea how deeply I care for you. But that doesn't change the fact that I can't love you the way you need me to." She releases a shaky breath. "And I truly don't know why."
At this, Langdon's unable to meet her eyes, his expression pained. "You can't?" he asks in a small voice.
"I can't," Mel reiterates, voice breaking, "Though I've tried. And I will not lie to you and say that I do when I don't." Her voice lowers to a whisper, "I'm so sorry, Frankie. I'm so sorry."
Langdon looks as though he's been physically struck by her words.
"I can't love anyone else, Mel," he declares dejectedly. "It's just you."
"Frankie, we would be miserable together if we married!" Mel exclaims, exasperated. "Our constant spats would surely make our marriage a disaster."
"That's not true. It wouldn't be a disaster," Langdon says. "We can be happy together if you were to say yes!"
"I cannot provide you with an honest 'yes,' so I will not say it." Langdon closes the distance between them and lowers his head to hers, foreheads almost touching. She places her hands on his shoulders. "You will thank me one day when you come to see that I am right," she declares, meeting his eyes.
Langdon tears away and proceeds further into the clearing. Mel stalks after him. "Frankie, you will find someone else who is better than me and fall madly in love with her. And she will be the woman of your dreams."
She grabs him by the arm, and he shakes free of her grip. They walk a few more paces before pausing, standing face to face once again. "But, can't you see that wouldn't be me?" Mel demands, raising her voice in frustration, "I'm plain and awkward-" She gestures to herself.
"-I love you, Mel," Langdon states in desperation.
She continues, not responding to his interjection. "- And you'd be ashamed to have me as a wife-"
Once more, he repeats, "-I love you, Mel."
"Just look at us! We're quarreling now! Don't you see we would be unhappy and find ourselves one day regretting what we've done?" She pauses for a moment. "I cannot bear the thought of you resenting me like that."
Langdon remains frozen in place, taking in her words, and nods in resignation. "Anything else?"
"No," Mel states curtly, "That is all."
Just as Langdon turns on his heel to leave, she calls out to him. "Only that," she sees a glimmer of hope appear on his face as he glances at her once more when he hears her voice, "I'm certain I will never be married."
Mel's heart nearly splits in two as she witnesses how devastated he looks, standing before her, processing her admission. "Because I'm not eager to forsake my freedom for marriage," she says earnestly.
Langdon shakes his head. "No, Mel, you will find someone you love one day, and you will accept his proposal to marry."
Mel furrows her eyebrows, an indication that she's being stubborn. "I will not."
"You will," he asserts. "I truly believe so. You will live and die for him. And I will watch."
Langdon departs and disappears into the woods, leaving Mel alone. She steadies herself as she sits in the soft grass, unable to contain the tears that begin to well once he's gone.
no it actually really bothers me how much i see kingdon used to shoehorn mel right back into a caregiver role? when in season 2 mel’s story is largely about caregivers fatigue and not knowing who she is outside of being a carer?
the whole kingdon endgame (usually) seems to be them married w mel pregnant… like frank doesn’t already have 2 kids and a dog? we know abby is the primary parent by far and i’m sorry but nothing in canon has me convinced frank is a super hands on dad
so what, mel goes from being becca’s carer to 3+ kids and a dog? like sure they’d share custody of the 2 oldest with abby but even one kid is a full time job when they’re small
you know, like the full time job mel already has? as an er doctor?? where she’s CARING for patients 12+ hours a day???
I’m not even anti-kingdon and I like them in fic but I’m shocked at the lack of criticism of just throwing Mel into a stepmom role. She’s a 27 year old who has likely never had a serious boyfriend and now she’s going to be a stepmom to 2 kids and date a recently divorced Langdon. That’s a lot more baggage for her to take on.
I know as a society we just expect women to take on domestic labor and she should be grateful because she has a man who loves her. It feels kinda icky to me. Especially since she’s already having caregiver burnout. It would be more labor for her while it would make Frank’s life easier.
the thing about dennis/amy thats interesting to me is that it reminds me of s1 langdon/mel in a specific way where it’s not that the men don’t like the women in these dynamics (they do! a lot!) but what they like more is the way these women make them feel as they validate certain aspects of their character that get diminished elsewhere. with langdon its clearly to do with his insecurity as a doctor as mel looks to him as a mentor and makes him realise he is more than capable and worthy of doing this job. but with whitaker it’s more so to do with the emasculation he faces by his peers within the pitt (expanded on here); when he’s with amy he is fulfilling all of the societal ‘male’ roles of husband/father/breadwinner and even the physical labour aspect of his being a farmhand. amy allows him to feel masculine without him having to ask; note the way she gets out of the drivers seat into the passenger seat without question allowing whitaker to take control in a way the head of the household typical would. this isn’t his car and this isn’t his wife or kid or pond. he knows this. but he suppresses any doubts and deflects any criticisms because the way it makes him feel about himself is greater than any moral predicament he’s aware of. the reason he comes across so confident this season is because of amy, she’s the one feeding that confidence outside the hospital because he’s not getting any of it INSIDE the hospital, even when it’s from people who care about him. with santos he’s the younger brother. with robby he’s the inferior protege. with javadi he’s ‘one of the girlies’. with langdon he’s the inept ‘little buddy’. but with amy he’s the labourer. he’s the protector. he’s the father. he’s the husband. he’s the MAN. and that is why he can’t stay away.
langdon emotionally cheating on his wife with mel tho
he's dismissive of the labour involved in motherhood and outright says he has it harder than her and the way he talks to her on the phone is strained plus feeling betrayed and attacked by everyone for his addiction
everyone except for mel who looks at him like a god which feeds into his narcissism and desperate need for validation
she's the only one who doesn't question him, the only one who hasn't betrayed him. i can easily see him opening up to her bc he can control the narrative
he can tell her that there's been a misunderstanding, that everyone has overreacted and turned on him for no reason, he can make himself the sympathetic victim he tried to paint himself as with robby and she would believe him bc why would he lie to her?
even the ownership of mel being his intern, his to teach and mould and that power would absolutely go to his head
by all rights, mel is his
robby - his mentor - gave her to him
langdon going to mel when his marriage starts dissolving, going to her for sympathy instead of working it out with his wife bc he needs to be told he's in the right, that she is wrong and should just listen to him. and bc mel only knows - and can only know - his side of the story, she would give him exactly that
when mel tells becca that something happened at work to make her stay late and becca asks if it was her boss she has an almost abrasive reaction; she almost goes rigid and wavers back like a blow before saying no
you know she wasn't thinking of robby as her boss
mel has such a sense of loneliness and isolation, being an adult orphan, the primary carer of her sister; she tries hard to connect with the other interns and repeatedly mentions wanting to be friends (implying she doesn't have any)
langdon giving her any attention at all is attention she wouldn't get anywhere else. she's isolated and emotionally starved of people she doesn't have to take care of; it'd be so easy for her to latch onto langdon's attention and excuse certain things if it means keeping
even it being purely platonic and langdon having no conscious intention of manipulating her or even being toxic; he just sees someone who's finally on his side
bc robby? dana? santos? must have never been on his side to begin with
Remember when Dana told Langdon that Abby didn’t need a new dog, she needed a vacation.
And then Langdon volunteered to work a 12 hour shift on the Fourth of July, leaving Abby to take care of their two young kids during a holiday that is notorious for overstimulating children.
And while he is at work, Frank goes out of his way to prove to Mel that he remembers everything about the first and only time that they worked together 10 months ago by being extra attentive to her needs when she is stressed out.
While at the same time, the show makes absolutely no attempt to even suggest that Frank has contacted Abby to let her know that he will be home 3+ hours late from a shift that he wasn’t even required to work.
my general opinion on what people should be "allowed" to portray and what topics they should be "allowed" to explore in fiction is that you can make whatever art with whatever themes you want but i'm also allowed to think the way you handled it was tasteless and should've been done differently. my negative opinion on your handling of sensitive topics is the price of admission for publicly showcasing your work. this is not a pro-censorship stance because i am not The Government
Such a good essay about gender, non-whiteness and the impact of British colonialism by Supriya Ganesh
Growing up in India, I never questioned my gender. When I moved to the U.S. at 18, I began to feel increasingly disconnected from my body.
Especially loved these two quotes:
If womanhood was the virtue as to why white women need to be protected, it followed that non-white women would be masculinized so that racism could be meted out upon us.
I eventually (and thankfully) found community with other queer people my sophomore year, and my women’s-studies courses introduced me to intersectional modes of thinking. I owe a lot to Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider, in which she outlined her dissatisfaction with feminist thinkers who excluded women of color, particularly Black women, in their goals and rhetoric. Once this was pointed out to me, it became hard to ignore. Finding queer community also meant I was surrounded by bodies that encouraged gender fluidity and nonconformity. It was healing to express attraction to my own features on other bodies and to be among people who saw beauty in expressions of masculinity in women, femininity in men, and everything in between. We talked openly about experiencing gender dysphoria, how we perform our genders to the world around us, and where the performance fails. I grew more lax with my body hair, played around with my natural texture, dropped the barre classes for weight lifting, and started experimenting with menswear. I was starting to understand what I had been experiencing since immigrating, but the labels available to me (nonbinary, genderqueer) weren’t really right. I still felt like a woman, but I didn’t always feel comfortable performing womanhood in the way the West had deemed appropriate.
Also, as Supriya highlighted in their story,
Much of this [in context of gender fluidity and queerness in precolonial India] was pruned away by the British as they colonized South Asia. Victorian mores determined that brown men were too feminine and brown women too masculine, and the group as a whole was oversexed and in need of population control. Hijras, some of whom held high positions in Mughal courts, were categorized as a criminal tribe, surveilled, and forced to register.
I don’t want to paint precolonial South Asia as some sort of utopia that was free of any stigma toward sexual or gender fluidity — this is untrue and dangerous rhetoric that absolves my culture of problems that continue to this date. But it is inarguable that what did exist was less binary than what the British sought to box us into. There is a tense contradiction between claims that LGBTQ+ rights are a western import and historical records that show more progressive, or even indifferent, societal norms in India.
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