#colorful-alien

[pynkhues]

Not gonna lie when Phoebe said she was gonna use her chest in the interrogation with Rio, I wanted so badly to see THAT awkward interaction! Just for the funnies xD

Agreed! I actually would’ve killed for a Phoebe-Rio interrogation! Phoebe awkwardly trying to play it sexily while Rio inevitably realises she heard him fingering Beth just feels like it could be so much fun, hahaha.

[felifeltfrog]

@colorful-alien and I at Pride today, representing the fucking lollipop guild 🏳️‍🌈🍭

[pynkhues]

So sorry for the rant. <3 I love that we get to see how slightly different Rio acts when he's alone with Nick (the bodyguard don't count). Be it in the car after bail or the gym. There's still recognizable Rio but I feel he gives off suddenly a more young brother ish vibe that we saw in the flash backs, who's presenting confident isn't as strong. Like that person is still there inside. Suddenly he appears less strong, less threatning and less 'King'. (Part 1)

Which just shows off the power dynamics, shows Nick converting Rio back to that person. Like the car scene, Rio reminded me of a scolded kid picked up from school by a disaproving parent figure, all pressed against the door and staring out the window. The gym, playful in a teasing brotherly fashion and then like a sibling in trouble tries but failing at dismissing his unreported actions by acting cool and then self-satisfied regarding ''She know'. (part 2)

It's very telling, especially when Rio seems more secure in himself against Nick, who did have probing questions but couldn't have as much control at the dinner with family and Beth present. And we saw at the gym Nick not liking being physically bested, especially when he clearly pre-planned to put Rio in his place by having the money ready and his bodyguard wordlessly giving him an advantage. I can't wait for Rio to overcome him after so many years!(End)

I totally agree! I’m loving the way Nick is really bringing more texture to Rio as a character overall, and I think a compelling exploration of how complex longterm relationship dynamics are? It’s sort of like how last season really focused on Annie chafing under Beth because their relationship has always been Beth as a quasi-mother figure on top of being a sister and Annie’s had to do a lot of work to really figure out what her relationship with Beth looks like now that they’re both adults.

What we’ve seen of Rio and Nick so far feels so complex, and we’ve only just skimmed the surface at this stage. The power dynamic there is interesting to me too, because like I’ve mentioned a few times now, Nick might be ‘in control’ to an extent, but this season so far has made it extremely clear  that Nick is far from all-knowing and that Rio doesn’t really report to him. The fact that Nick had no idea about either Beth or Lucy is pretty firm evidence of that, particularly given they were both pretty fundamental parts of Rio’s new money operation last season.

It’s going to be really interesting to see where the arc goes, because I don’t think we’ve had a character quite like Nick before on the show, and how that plays out could go in so many different ways! I can’t wait to see how!

[pynkhues]

So far looks like hitman's gonna be in love triangle bt gotta be honest if that's the case then for me feels less like love triangle & more: Rio/Beth & Fitzpatrick who makes her uncomfortable. Like it'll be hard for me to see her get interested in that man. I don't wear heart tinted glasses, am aware that Rio ain't innocent, crime & so on. Bt SUPER hard seeing him beat up a chef over food. Like Rio ain't giving off Murder Karen vibes that Fitzpatrick does, that ain't attractive. Dark triangle?

Oh, I definitely agree that if (emphasis on if! I’m still not convinced, haha) the love triangle is between Rio, Beth and Fitzpatrick it’ll be less a ‘love’ triangle than a dark and blurry obsession triangle. 

I don’t see Beth becoming interested in Fitzpatrick at all – even before the scene at dinner in 4.02, the show hadn’t teased any interest in him on Beth’s part outside of the job that needed doing, and I can’t see that changing, especially after Fitzpatrick assaulted the chef. Beth’s a lot of things, but even when she’s been established as being attracted to Rio being violent, it’s never when that violence is aimed at a person.

She got off to Rio smashing the car windows at the end of 2.04/start of 2.05, a scene that’s also tied to Rio re-entering her business, and, importantly, still respecting her wishes when she asked him not to tell Dean about the affair when he clearly wanted to. That, to me, is as clear an indication as any about the sort of grey area that Beth and Rio exist in together – she likes his violence only when it’s symbolic – the corvette being Dean’s ego, her bedroom decor her old life – and likes it best of all when it’s tied up with basic respect as well as their powerplays and games.

It feels different with Rio, because on the whole, it is different. Rio, for all his faults – which are many – has only been depicted as behaving badly when the stakes are high, and that violence has had a purpose. I broke down the different types of male violence on the show here if you’re interested, but I’d add to that that in some ways, Fitzpatrick represents the antithesis of Rio.

His violence is meaningless, frivolous, and purchasable, and he can’t even respect Beth enough to do the job she’s paying him for, or her taste with not wanting to eat the radish.

It’s potentially an interesting area to explore given it could really force a bigger distinction in Beth’s head as to her relationship not just with Rio, but crime and violence in general, something I think we already saw in 4.02 with Beth calling Mick off Dave.

[pynkhues]

I gotta see if anyone else noticed: I know Rio wears thin black bracelets (also nose piercing is back!) but only now do I notice (thanks to gifs of Rio touching Beth) that in these later seasons, he's wearing rings? Or has he always been wearing them since season 1?

Hahaha, he’s always worn them actually, although they mix up in style and fingers a lot! I actually went to take you some screenshots too, and funnily enough, I think we actually just didn’t get that many close shots of his hands in s1, which could be a part of the reason why it was less obvious?

But yes! I think 1.03 and 1.08 are the clearest shots of his rings in s1!

Interestingly, I think Rio’s the character on the show who wears the most (and widest variety of!) jewellery. His ring collection in particular is pretty amazing though – except the black bandaid one which I Do Not Like, hahaha.

[pynkhues]

Promotional pictures 4 x 06! Pumped for Rio's mom, kinda wondering how that interaction will go!! Not so much Annie's therapist, plz stop! Bruh! Leave! She needs something more healthy!

Yes! Agreed on both counts! It’s interesting that it seems like we’re going to have such an expansion of Rio’s world in 4.06 followed by the Rio flashbacks in 4.07 or 4.08! It feels like there’s going to be a real shift in what we know about him, and I’m excited to have that character background finally put on-screen. I’m really hoping that we might get a Ruby and Stan and an Annie and Greg one later in the season too though.

And yeahhh, I actually am curious to see how the Annie and Josh storyline plays out now, particularly given she’s no longer his patient, but I also don’t want the show to be depicting it as something good for either of them, because errr, it’s not. I really want Annie to have the opportunity to reject him too, so fingers crossed we might get that?

What do you guys think?

[pynkhues]

You can't do that to me! Beth + Ruby fight fic sneak peek killed me and I need it aaaaaallll!! So good! Plus Rio and Stan in the same room?! Sign me up!!

(x)

Eeee, thank you so much! And yes! One of the big set-ups of it is Ruby and Stan and Beth and Rio on a double date, haha, which has been extremely fun to write. ;-)

[pynkhues]

Not gonna lie, got SUPER nervous towards the end cause I didn't want it to end and sprinted to the top after Mary kissed him. My neighbors might have hear my joy shout at seeing its a 2 chapter story. CAN'T WAIT!! Loved it so much!

Ahhh, this was such a nice ask to wake up to!! Thank you so much and I’m so happy you liked it! I think it might be the most self-indulgent fic I’ve ever written, haha, and I’m so delighted and touched that people have been willing to come onboard the Mick x Mary Pat ship with me and give it a chance! 

The second part is half-written already which is delightful, and really focuses on the fallout of that kiss. Things to look forward to include! Beth confronting Mick on him seeing Mary Pat! Rio trying to call Mick out and Mick somehow not completely losing his mind! Mary Pat and Mick tentatively building something like a life together! More Boomer x Pain! Annie having a moment of running commentary / interrogation on Mick and Mary Pat’s relationship! Crime shenanigans! Annndd you’ll find out what happened in Alaska. ;-)