It truly doesn't click how fucking obvious Frank was about his lack of empathy for everything but Mel until you rewatch season one and realise that he leaves literally everyone hanging (going so far as to wanting to leave the hospice patient that had a DNR and commenting about loss of time and money) and is constantly jumpy and twitchy unless he's talking to her
He gives her his full attention and dedication and stops their conversations only when both or either of them are dragged away by a new patient ( he literally STOPS jumping and swaying when Mel approaches him and HE asks her about the VA and then keeps the conversation going staying fully STILL and stopping the conversation when Santos comes up to him and talks about her patient)
Also???? After the first hour where there was the good samaritan and nepali woman they have almost every case together (sleeping boy, the crike, the stemi, captain scurvy, the cockroach, ect ect), and while every other resident seems to be thrown around and made to work with other people they deadass go LOOKING for each other
Romantic or platonic, there is no one else in that hospital who gets Mel the way Langdon does and no one else Mel feels THAT comfortable with.
She's friends with everyone else and they care about her, especially Robby, but Langdon is the only one that literally makes her light up like a ray of sunshine and cling to his arm like a monkey.
Don't even get me started on the fact that Mel is the first person who Langdon sees is actually excited to have him back. And the only one who reassures him that he didn't let them down.
"I let you down."
"You've never let me down."
Mel is the one person who he knows isn't looking down on him or looking at him differently after what happened. Everyone else looks at him a little different and maybe even treats him different. But not Mel.
Langdon was the first person to actually take the time to understand Mel and how things effect her. He learned from her and consistently supported her and made her feel understood, even with something as simple as knowing she would LOVE to pick 1000 pieces of gravel out of a man's leg. Most people don't really get her. But not Langdon.
Is this Applebee's because we're eatin' good in this neighborhood
We're only a few days away from s2 and kingdon has been on my mind since I first watched the show last month. Like it's been years since I've read this much fic, and god is this ship blessed with amazing writers.
I haven't dug in deep with cast interviews (I've only seen the one of them recapping s1), but from what I've gathered the writers/actors didn't really intend on kingdon being a thing. Regardless I wanted to document the moments/parallels that stand out to me as a good foundation for the ship before s2 comes and shakes things up.
Rollins parallels - I've seen a number of posts on this so not much new to say here. We've got the scene of Robby looking to Collins after seeing kingdon first real interaction and then of course the "You ok?" parallels. Bonus is the scene of rollins discussing adamson only to be interrupted by kingdon (and Donnie) dealing with cockroach lady.
Garsantos parallels - There's not too much here, but obviously both Garcia and Langdon have a favorite new resident. There is also the fact that both pairings have a "good first impression" scene. Having parallels to ships canon/heavily implied ships could mean nothing...
Kingdon's First Case - Another moment I'm sure has been discussed ad nauseum. From a narrative perspective, this case foreshadows Langdon's own drug/marital problems, and it sets up Mel's strong emotions towards the topic of autism. BUT the other possible implications of having this be the first case kingdon work on together makes it a loadbearing cornplate to me.
Langdon/Abby vs Kingdon parallels - On the topic of marital problems, this is another parallel that has been thoroughly pointed out by the fandom and rightfully so. Langdon being so attuned to Mel's needs and reactions within a couple hours of meeting her vs being unable to understand his partner of at 4+ years is lowkey wild. And okay, if I think about it functionally, Langdon's interactions with mel are a major if not main instrument of showing his redeeming qualities and establishing him as a sympathetic character, hinting at the kind of mentorship he wants from Robby, etc, etc. But then I remember the damn dog and there is just no good explanation for that. On its own, the dog addition could just be a tool to break the tension and to be relatable moment #548 but looking at it as a whole it feels too on the nose.
Becca's Boyfriend Scene - Pretty self explanatory. The scene could be taken as boiler plate, typical dialogue between sisters but also could be a quick and easy set up for something else down the line (say s3 or s4?). The writers feel intentional in most things so I don't see why this wouldn't also be the case here. Honestly if Langdon wasn't married I think the general public would have thought of him in that moment. Also take into account that in the next episode we have the "You get along well with Langdon" scene.
đ§żđ𧿠- Patrick could be the victim of editing but it definitely feels like he played Langdon with a staring problem lol. When Mel's introducing herself he's doing a double take, the crazy lingering stare during Milton's eulogy, the stare during the entirety of the Terrance case, etc. Not quite a stare, but the quick solo shot of Langdon while Mel's doing the crike is always an interesting one to me cause I'm still not sure what that shot is supposed to mean (filler? beauty shot? love at first crike? idk)
Mel's attachment - Mel is set up from the get-go as a character searching for connection. Langdon is obviously the one that sticks, so it's not too much of surprise how disappointed she is when she finds he's gone followed by the excitement during the MCI. But I do think sometimes it leaned more towards feeling like a crush then general excitement. Especially Mel's reactions when Langdon praises her.
Langdon makes time for Mel - For defining traits, I think Langdon is also set up early as a guy who is in a rush/doesn't want to waste time. He's efficient, albeit a lil abrasive about it, also setting up a contrast with Mohan. We see it a couple times in the ep 1, his attitude after finishing up with Minu and the rush with the LUCAS patient. He tells Mel he can see 3 other patients after giving her Terrance, only to come back shortly after and stare at her for the rest of her diagnosis with Terrance which probably took some time. Then the same man deliberately goes to find her outside the ER just to heap praise on her? He also drops everything he's doing during the MCI to rush over to her and check in? And also makes sure to take a moment to praise her (and Whitaker)?? It makes me a little insane ngl.
All this word salad to say, the building blocks for canon kingdon are 100% there whether the writers/actors meant to do so or not (why does it feel like they did...). We just have to see if they capitalize on it. If anyone else actually read this mess, I hope you have a very happy new year!
the concept of langdon treating injured mel is straight out of an ao3 fic uh huh i see what you did the pitt. pulling an old switcharoo on us by pushing the âkingdon is not realâ agenda to try and fake us out.
i need to read more christmas book with mystery plot like âthe most wonderful crime of the yearâ cause rereading it isnât enough (sadly. ive tried. this oneâs my second reread)
the only time of the year where being from the southern hemisphere pisses me off is now. not because i hate summer, or bc i would like to enjoy the fall drinks. no. i am pissed because yall from the nh (especially the us or europe) have a upcoming book releases in which the setting is during the fall and winter time. in all fairness it isnât anyoneâs fault. i just want to spend a december where im not sweating my ass off. and would probably enjoy the snow too.
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