#cienna talks

[castingpods]

read today’s monthly missive while at a working lunch between me and my colleague. I started giggling uncontrollably, leading my coworker to ask what I was doing. At which point I realized just how difficult it is to explain the format of New Year’s Day.

Me: ok so it’s an audio drama, a new episode comes out every year on New Years Day, and it’s about immortal guys in love and also they’re in the 1800s— well ok now they’re in the mid 20th century but it started in the 1800s, that doesn’t matter— but in between episodes every month a piece of in universe writing from the characters is published so sometimes it’s a letter or a telegram or a diary entry. but each months missive represents a year in canon time because— wait I forgot to mention the podcast episodes take place once every 13 years in universe because they’re immortal and so time is passing for them.

my coworker: ?????

me: basically there’s one episode of a podcast released a year and once a month there’s an online written component posted. And it’s gay. that’s what’s important.

[castingpods]

Lauren’s not awake yet, last chance for theories I think Charles is taken prisoner of war by the Russian gulag or gets amnesia and goes missing send tweet

[castingpods]

Jacobi 🤝 Gordon Porlock

Canonically queer guys in codependent relationships with their coworkers who end up getting shot by their crazy boss attempting to make a point.

[castingpods]

my TBS crack ship is Chloe x Aaron, who is Roses brother and is only really a character in the book Some Faraway Place. Also he never interacts with Chloe they are not ever even in proximity to each other. They’re just both telepaths. And about the same age.

Anyway my ship name for them is Chlaron

[castingpods]

I swear to god if I see another TBS post about how Joan Bright is irredeemable or Sam Barnes is annoying I’m going to throw a fit. These posts ALWAYS come from Damien apologists and Damiark shippers and it’s so clear to me that these people are only able to deal with morally complex and flawed mentally ill characters if those characters are male.

Damien is objectively a much worse person than any of the women in The Bright Sessions. and yet Damien is constantly treated like a pathetic little meow meow while Dr. Bright is treated like she killed your dog because she made some ethically gray decisions and Sam is treated as whiny and entitled because she has panic attacks.

I’m not even saying you can’t sympathize with Damien or like him as a character. I think he’s a great character! I like his nuances! But if you are justifying his behaviors while vilifying the women I need you to take a close look at ur biases and how you engage with media.

…

anyway I’m once again thanking Atypical Artists and Ms. Shippen for continuing to write such complex and morally nuanced female characters into her shows despite the constant criticism and rampant misogyny they seem to provoke from the fans.

[castingpods]

Made a New Year’s Day podcast for my beloved @chambersandfogg because this years episode made me go crazy!!!!!!!

songs about being immortal, unrequited love, and magicians. song list and explanations below

This Song by Conan Gray — a song about not being able to say you’re in love with your good friend. “You know that I love you… and I have a feeling that you love me back” ITS THEM

Help Me by rainbow frog biscuit — all around not knowing if a relationship is platonic or romantic.

Friend to Lovers by PEGGY — name is self explanatory

No Time to Explain by Good Kid — Inspired by the most recent eps discussion about loneliness, and also the lyrics “I thought it’d change when I got older but the same year came over and over”

Live Like This from the Tuck Everlasting Musical — revolves around the pros and cons of living forever

Immortal by Marina — again, name is pretty self explanatory

A Night to Remember by Girl in Red — TO ME THIS SONG IS ABOUT THE NIGHT THAT CHAMBERS AND FOGG FIRST MADE THEIR BET AND BEGAN THEIR STORY

Suffice by mxmtoon — “I have only loved without confession. I’d rather settle for a never ending stream of self questioning” if that’s not Charles Chambers. I don’t know what is.

All I Wanted by Paramore — The vibe I get whenever one of the immortal gays goes off to war and leaves the other worried and waiting for them to return

Oh GOD by Orla Gartland — complicated feelings about queerness, confusion about how the other person feels and intense denial of the whole situation.

Truth or Dare by Ricky Montgomery — Once again inspired by specifically the most recent ep. Chambers asks John to dare him to do something. But also the line “nothings really changed I feel the same, same as I ever was”

Best of Wives and Best of Women from Hamilton — John asking Charles to come to bed in this years episode reminded me sooo much of this song

Good Magicians by Sidney Gish — it’s about magicians metaphorically but the song just screams Chambers and Fogg’s dynamic

[castingpods]

ah yes. just like the bright sessions. abstract algebra and a textbook on topology

[castingpods]

Did Howl somehow acquire and set the Bear loose on Irene’s party to make the Teens looks good and be allowed to train again?

The sherif says that the bear had collar marks on it and seemed pretty comfortable with people. how did a bear from captivity end up in the woods at the O’Connors New Year’s party?