#dion johnstone

[coolcatkerr]

Helen + Erik || Mended (Sweet Magnolias S4)

"What am I supposed to do? When most of me still belongs to you."

Helen and Erik deserve all their dreams coming true.

Now I love Annie and Ty, BUT Helen is my girl, she is my favourite in the show and the power of this women with the gentle guidance of the most thoughtful man.

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

In a town full of people who mean the world to me, you...you are quickly becoming the one I look forward to seeing the most. 

[bagheerita]

Miscellaneous screen shots I found when cleaning out my computer and decided to share: 2/5

Stargate SG-1: "The First Ones"

[discoverinshay]

Why Erik & Not Ryan For Helen?

So I am happy I waited to write this because I was able to read the Glamour Mag article that Heather (Helen) and Dion (Erik) regarding their characters and the love journey they are on. I also got to read a ton of thoughts by other fans, one that I may even cite to in this Love Story Dissertation I am writing. I also re-watched the first season to give Ryan a bit of second glance, really a third review,  up front warning Ryan still shouldn’t win her after multiple viewings.  

This is all just my opinion, I’m open to chatting about it.

I am going to start this with Ryan. So Ryan seems like a good guy and for the most part he is. I even believe he loves Helen…. Just not for the right reasons. First let’s look at what he says in season 1 when he first returned to Serenity. He makes the point that the first time he saw Helen he wanted “to fix the world for her.” Sadly I still think that’s how he sees her as a girl who needs him to fix the world for her and that is clearly not who she is anymore. Actually she is the one fixing the world for everyone else. Additionally, he left her holding the bag with the farm when they didn’t work out. He actually added to her load that is already piled too high. He only wants to marry her now because he has lost everything else and is now afraid to lose her. It won’t last. He won't be able to love her for who she is now. He could have turned his butt around and flew back to town and confess all these changes of heart. I also think he was selfish when he first came back and was pursing Helen again he should been like I still don’t want kids just so you know. That way the air was clear between the two of them. Instead he swooped in “I want you back. I love you.” But didn’t address anything. It the same thing he is doing now, love won’t be enough to sustain them for the a long haul. They have to address their issues and he just keeps being like I love you so we should be together. That is literally kid stuff, which i believe is their biggest problem because he still sees her as the 14 year old girl he want to fix the world for and not the grown woman with grown woman wants and needs and the ability to fix the world for her self. They were supposed to talk and instead he was on his knees when he clearly saw her holding hands with Erik. He is selfish; he really believes that Helen has been sitting around waiting for him to return instead of moving forward with someone who loves her though he saw her with another man. Though we don’t see it there is no way no one told him that Helen has been seeing Erik the town's too small for no gossip. Ryan means well but i don’t believe it will end well.

Now to Erik…. Erik is the right one (so far) for Helen. He has taken the time to study and learn her. 

Let’s put something in perspective: seasons 1 and 2 take place over the course of maybe 4 to 6 months, at the most, let's say mid-February to about mid-July. Think about it when season 1 starts the kids are in school but it's after Christmas. By the time season 2 starts the kids are out of school and it's the start of summer. At the end of season 2 it's not yet time for school to start again but you can sense the end of summer is nearing.

In that short time Erik has studied Helen like a college course (Go listen to Lyfe Jennings College) so that he can anticipate all her needs, wants, and thoughts. When season 1 started Erik and Helen couldn’t even really be called friends, he was just the pastry chef working in her best friend’s restaurant. But he wanted to flirt with her every step of the way.  Remember the scene where Helen came looking for Dana Sue and Erik didn’t say where Dana Sue was but Isaac told Helen. The rest of the conversation went like this Helen “See that’s all you had to say to get me out your hair.” Erik “Who said I wanted you out my hair.” Right there he was always hinting that he was flirting with her. Slowly through that season he kept moving the goal post with the two of them the only time he slightly backed off was when Ryan came back to town the second time clearly to be with Helen. After that Erik turned down his flirting but it didn’t stop he was still there still picking at her. Remember the scene in the café where she is texting Ryan who wants her to come to Chicago while Erik is there chatting with her and giving her pastry. 

Once Ryan left at the end of season 1, Erik was there and clearly was there for a reason. “Wooing with brownies”, lol. Even when he arrived at the hospital after the car accident he asked Helen how she was when really he should have asked anybody else Maddie, Annie, Dana Sue, anyone else but instead all eyes and all his attention was on Helen. “I want to lift you up a bit?- Erik to Helen. Then there is a small moment that I think most people miss, I know I did during my first views of the show. When the ladies are discussing the baby and they give her the onesie, Helen says “That she will be leaning on you two [Maddie and Dana Sue], Erik, heck maybe even Cal.” How did Erik become a part of that conversation? Like let’s think about it, we've seen Helen spend more time with Cal while they were doing the debate team with the kids but Erik is ranking higher on the friend charts. Really? That’s interesting. 

If you look at the moment or moments when he take cares of her during and after the miscarriage. He gave so much even though the situation was triggering for him. She didn’t know about his past loss but he did and he still took care of her. He could have left her at the hospital and made the girls come get her but he stayed and then returned to take care of her with food and to watch over her.

Now let’s take a moment to look at the very domestic and inmate scene with the pancakes. This scene is yet another moment when their relationship shifts. The conversation was deep and warm and then she decided to feed him pancakes off her fork. That moment…. Also that scene compared to the similar scene she had with Ryan. In the scene with Ryan it was much more formal they were both fully dressed and ready to head out but with Erik it was very homey. Her hair was tied up, she was in sweatshirt we see her in a couple times when she is home and there was very little makeup but he was also in very simple clothes, a t-shirt. Which only stood out more to me after Heather posted a behind the scene pic where it looks like they are preparing for that scene and Erik was in his chef jacket but in the final scene he was just in the t-shirt. Their, Erik and Helen, scene felt like the two of them woke up together where the scene with Ryan didn’t feel that way though we know Ryan and Helen had spent the night together.  During this scene Erik even makes the statement that he needs the pancake recipe as if to say he needs it to be able to make the pancakes for her.

Then there’s just all the food and cooking with these two, they both love food and cooking and they share that love with each other all the time. Between him bringing her lunch and offering dinner and her stopping by the restaurant many times in season 2 to see him not Dana Sue. (Isaac witnessed almost all of it but that’s another story.)

Now the let’s just be friends conversation I don’t understand why but for some reason Helen felt the need to hit the brakes as if she was afraid of what was happening. The moment out in front of the spa was sweet and she touched him first but she wanted to stop the car and he being him always following her lead took the hint and said it first. If you look at it closely though both looked sad at the end of the conversation and again he changes the mood by saying let’s go to Wharton’s somewhere she is comfortable. 

Karaoke anyone!!!! I love that many shows use karaoke to show interest between two characters and Heather got to pick the final song from a short list. They definitely gave them something to talk about. I wish we would have scene when Helen got home her face alone at the end of Dana Sue and Maddie picking with her told enough that she needed to walk in her truth that she wants to be more than friends. Now using the signature sheet as a cover to go see Erik, adorable…. Now it’s what she says “You have become someone I look forward to seeing… and with you I can be imperfect.”  That’s it, that’s why it's Erik. In one of my other favorite shows, Grey’s Anatomy, Richard tells Catherine before their wedding that he will be a soft place where she can land when the world gets to be too much. That’s what Erik has said to Helen without saying he has been a soft place where she can land when the world is too heavy. When she is tired of saving everybody else he will be there to save her, comfort her, hold her  as he has already done. 

There is also the touching of the beer bottle. In the law there is this concept that battery or assault can occur if the object touched or snatched is just in the hand or touching the person in question. Helen touching this beer bottle is so slightly inmate that you almost miss it. The entire moment is interesting even Helen messing with the tie on her dress like she is nervous while also giggling. She looked for him specifically when she walked into karaoke she wanted to see him and to be with him.

What he has lost conversation… He laid so much on the table in that moment he was so honest and she also held his secrets. We didn’t see her tell the girls what he told her she kept that between them. Jazz anyone they love jazz and it took many views to pickup on it but they dance in the exact way she described her parents dancing in her memory. The rest of the conversation empathy, swirling around each other… isn’t that love or something close to it. And then the dancing and making out, chef kiss perfection. 

He goes to the doctor with her and pushes her to be honest with him not just give the general “I’m okay.” Especially because he knew she wasn’t okay so he pushed and she responded with the truth and allowed him to comfort her. Date by the water, making out by the water. Slow burn revealed to be passion. Though he put the brakes on I really believe it is to protect the two of them so they can pursue both paths with clear heads.  He noticed the tensions in her around Ryan and will make and allow her to address her past with Ryan and make a decision about what she wants. It reminds me of a story arc from the soap opera All My Children with Tom, Livia, and Lucas. Livia made the right decision in that arc hopefully Helen will too. 

I want to take one last second to talk about Pure Natural Joy… A lot of people have talked about how sad Helen’s season 2 was and how her and Erik deal with a lot of sadness and crying. But what people are missing is the Joy the two share. All the scenes where they end up giggling. From the kitchen scenes, karaoke, pancakes, jazz, and conversations in front of the spa and at the water there's a lot of joy and laughter between the two. Their lives have been heavy and they share that but they also share picking with each other and stolen glances, giggles and light touches.  Their relationship isn’t surface level, they are deep, deeply falling for each other, and in my opinion meant to be. I may write fanfic next. They need a cute ship name. 

[spockvarietyhour]

Chaka....

[spncastdaily]

lisaberrylive: This child will be our greatest teacher, and we look forward to everything we will learn from him.⁣ 📸 credit: my big brother @black_knight_1717 🙏🏾❤️⁣ #anydaynow ⁣(x)

[thirstaidkitpodcast]

Hey Bim and Nichole! Love the podcast. Nichole, I saw your tweets about Sweet Magnolias and it pushed me to finally give it a shot and I'm so glad I did. Although Erik is SEVERAL years too old for me I'm nursing a huge crush. So thanks for the new thirst object

Hey, chillinglikeashilling!

Erik, man. Swoon.

🥰🥰🥰

[alicekwans]

Erik Whitley in Sweet Magnolias