Going a little (a lot) insane because of the photos wdym “little fella” wdym “brother” wdym “keep pushing and being you” HE POSTED ONLY ONE STORY FOR HIS ANNIVERSARY WITH P AND NOW TWO FOR LANDOS BDAY and the way it’s even more heartfelt and endearing I CANT DO THIS
seriously i checked insta when he posted the first one, saved it, and went away dazed by the fondness of it, thought it was a banger bday post, one for the record books, and then max was like... no no, you don't get it, we are still that close!! closer than ever, closer than best friends, we are family!! i'm so proud of him, my little fella, all grown up and perfect as he is!! and also literally i complain all the time about how nortrell mostly hide their gentle or affectionate touches from us, usually only showing us roughhousing and play fighting if they're going to touch at all, and here they are holding each other close, pictures more than a decade apart in time, as boys and as men, physical affection showing off their old, close bond, like just fucking take me out back and shoot me please i cannot handle this
Time for some more tarot meta! Episode 3x04 of Queen of the South is titled "La Fuerza", or "Strength”, and in the context of the matching tarot card, we're talking about inner strength and perseverance in overcoming obstacles (rather than physical strength and banging heads together lol). Lots to dig into this ep, and this time I've split it up by character, since we have multiple threads going on that explore this theme.
Let's start with the card itself - the Strength card features a woman petting a lion, in control of herself and her environment. She has tamed or gentled the lion rather than subduing it by brute force (representing solving problems through inner fortitude and strength of character). The infinity sign floating overhead symbolizes infinite potential and a wealth of possibilities. Strength speaks to demonstrating patience and composure in overcoming the obstacles in your path as well as a steady commitment to realizing your goals.
Now on to what's going on with our favourite trio:
James:
This actually ties in quite well with the recent discussion about James and the subversion of male tropes (pssst Noelle!) The Strength card represents someone who quietly influences and persuades rather than trying to dominate and control others.
This person may be easily underestimated and overlooked, but it can be to their advantage to be "invisible" as they orchestrate things from the shadows. James has been the one setting up their base of operations, organizing the meet-up with La Comision, and organizing everything behind the scenes to make sure Teresa has every chance of success.
And as we've seen, and as @mymostimaginaryfriend so eloquently described in her post (which tumblr is not letting me link to, but go check it out!), James is often dismissed by other men who embody the more aggressive "alpha male" persona - in this ep notably by Pecas, who shuts him down in a totally condescending way when James tries to speak at the table as an equal party in their discussion. But James doesn't flip the table or start a fist fight. He knows his value and plays it cool, not letting ego or wounded pride disrupt the proceedings.
It's a nice contrast to another tarot card, the Chariot, which can symbolizes an outer manifestation of strength and maybe the more traditional "masculine" representation of power.
Teresa:
In a business context, this card is all about courage, persistence and determination. Teresa has decided to stay and pursue her plans in Phoenix, and she doesn't let fear (of Mayo or of La Comision) stop her. She carefully takes stock of the situation and the risks, and listens to advice from James, who knows the territory and players better than she does. In the meeting with La Comision, she remains calm and collected (despite all the stress!), and her "mail order cocaine" business plan is clever and minimizes the need for brute force or violence. If she continues on this path, the sky is the limit (as represented by the infinity symbol on the card).
The card also represents a positive relationship between the person in charge and those that work for/with them - you have their support because you've earned it and because you create a positive work dynamic (not because you threaten or otherwise subdue them). James and Pote follow Teresa because they want to, not because they have to.
Pote:
Poor Pote. He represents the card in its "reversed" or more negative context. When reversed, Strength symbolizes self-doubt, weakness and insecurity, especially in the context of a recent setback. Pote has lost the full function of his hand, which causes him to bungle their mission with Mayo. He tells Teresa that being a soldier is all he's ever known, and it's clear that his self-worth hinges on his ability to fulfill this role. If this card appeared in his reading, it would tell him to reconnect with his inner power and resilience, and we do see him in the next ep using one of those squishy physio balls to get back into form.
+ Camila:
Camila's also having a bad time this ep. Her weakness and insecurity stem from Teresa, who "took everything" from her. Camila is haunted by the "Death" tarot card she received in the previous ep and has a nightmare about Teresa, which she sees as an omen of her doom.
Obligatory love reading mention: apparently this card indicates that now is a great time to find love, as your confidence and inner strength are shining through! :) This one is more of a stretch, but I guess you could argue that Teresa's journey to becoming this stronger and more confident version of herself is allowing her to shake off her past and potentially find happiness with someone who appreciates and loves her for who she has become. And we all know what happens next ep!
Thanks everyone for reading! As always, would love to hear any thoughts you might have.
For a moment there, for one glorious delicious moment I thought there was going to be some serious happenings when Brendan was lurking dangerously behind Scott and Barney.
Because he looked like he was going to dish out some very serious and enjoyable violence for messing with his sweet beautiful sister, as he put it.
Then he decided instead to throw Scott onto a sofa (his number one never fail game plan just fyi) deciding that his tension of the day were too much to bear and something other than violence was called for.
Then of course Scottish foxy (because he is a dick) decided to misinterpret the situation and tried to break up the 'fight' because he's been making eyes at Brendan and Mitzeee because he's possessed by the fetished, crazed ghost of Foxy who's essence has been taken away from him because all he's had to warm the cockles for the past couple of months is Ethan and his masculinity had a break down because it misses the brendo magic, and had it all pumped into Scottish foxy as a way of getting close to them finally, and all he wants is a massive threesome so he wades in there and juts his chin about like a manic bottle nose dolphin.
So that makes Scottish foxy into some kind of demented mick take of his dad in an attempt to be the big gangster when really he's not go much of a leg to stand on, for some reason Brendan is going to let him pretend he's the hard man so he can knock him down when he fancies - because really when your Brendan Brady and you've taken down a warren fox, Scottish fox is not going to be a deterrent for long.
So yes, really I am disappointed Brendan wasn't going to beat any kids up. He did push Barney which for a stupid reason makes me believe they are still going to be super best friends at some point - because Barney and Cheryl are meant to be and I think if one day when Cheryl stands up to Brendan about it and tells him that she likes Barney a lot of if he can't deal with it he can push off that Barney is going to think he's somehow earnt some respect and just have embarrassing ‘so hey, I’m the same age as your son and I’m banging your sister’ conversations that Brendan does so well that he can’t do anything about because he values the love of his sister.
Then of course Scott on the sofa and that really could make the best couple in the world
and Scottish foxy's stupid giant chin and forehead face... oh my god it's like i could make a tonic and lime on that thing and have space enough for a decanter.
and these are thoughts... I do not know why I have told all of you this... especially when it's a Wednesday but there we go - off for a cup of tea and a clementine.
