#valerileygreen

[inceptionpositivity]

@valerileygreen - I love reading your posts and takes on things, there’s so much kindness in there and they are a joy to read!

[darlingandmreames]

🌹

“Come on, darling, how many years have I known you? You always have a plan, and at least four contingencies beyond that. Hell, you have contingencies for your contingencies.” Eames laughed quietly, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach. “Just curious what your plan is from here.”

💜

[ramblingdisaster73]

The wedding planning sneak peak yesterday gave me lots of feelings! I'm super excited! I'm already sure I'm going to enjoy it a lot from beginning to end!

But as much as seeing Carlos all stressed out is gonna be fun, I'm a little concerned about it too. I need to see him be happy, at least for a bit, about this journey, and to see him actually together and 'a team' with TK, since we haven't actually SEEN that since before the kidnapping. I need a sweet moment between them and Carlos to smile for real at least once. I hope we're getting that either at the start of the episode or at the end when things with the parentzillas have calmed down and before shit hits the fan with Marjan (assuming they're gonna realize something's wrong with her in this episode).

I think the lunch scene may have some potential for at least some of what I'm looking for. I also hope we're getting the beginning of Carlos unravelling his need for control, even though I think this is not the right setting for it to be actually solved or at least delved into more.

One last thing, what is your opinion on the tuxes? What do you think would suit them?

When Nancy started downing her drink – I was like, you know what – not a bad idea. I will be joining her in drinking my way through tonight’s episode (and by drinking my way through it, I mean I will have a wine cooler since that is about all my tolerance can handle these days). Paul lived through a brief convo with Owen about the Tarlos wedding and said “I’m out, I will be over by myself reading at a safe distance from anything resembling a wedding – Mateo and Nancy were bribed with Champagne or sparkling cider (or at least Nancy was – Mateo lives for Owen’s antics).

I need to see Carlos look like he WANTS to get married. I know that wedding planning and getting divorced and recovering from a drugging/kidnapping is a ton of stress. But – at some point, you should look like you actually want to do what you are planning on. What you are subjecting yourself to so much additional anxiety for. It wouldn’t take much – just a genuine smile, one that isn’t tinged with unease. That’s all, I am pretty easy that way. I don’t doubt their love or relationship – I just want them to show us Carlos being happy for more than 2 seconds before or after a crisis or admission. They have shown us a lot of drama for them already this season – can we see them truly happy for 1 scene before their wedding? They make a good team – just show us that they are happy too. Even the stills in the loft when they are talking to Andrea look more like they are pitted against each other than on the same side, which I think is more of a blocking/staging thing than anything else because we know that TK says his father has gone insane – but still gives the illusion of them not being a team.

I would have loved for the wedding/wedding planning to be about the characters that are getting married, not their parents. Maybe we will get that after this episode – but I am keeping my expectations on the Tarlos wedding being truly about Tarlos very low as of this minute (this could easily change after seeing tonight’s episode).

Unfortunately, it happens all the time. I have had countless meetings with Brides and Grooms where they just need someone to vent to about how controlling and ‘helpful’ their parents are being. I always try to remind them that their wedding is about them, not their parents while knowing when to pick your battles.

Most parents (in my experience) do things out of love and wanting things to be perfect for their child’s ‘big day’ (Which is where I think both Owen and Andrea are at) and others want to make the wedding about themselves (which is super weird to me). But, they aren’t truly ‘helping’ if they are making the entire experience more miserable than necessary for their children. Most of the worst weddings that I have worked in any capacity have been with parentzillas – all but like 1.

I also think that Owen feels a little extra pressure (self-imposed, but extra all the same) to make TK’s wedding perfect because Gwyn can’t be there in person (I do think that they will find some way to incorporate her though – I wrote a fic about this exact thing with them reading a letter that Gwyn had sent to Andrea). I think being TK’s surviving parent is something that Owen does take seriously when it comes to the emotional stuff (not so much with work related stuff – but since they are first responders – it makes sense), or the ‘big moments’ that she will be missing. One thing that I have never doubted when it came to Owen & TK was that Owen loves his son deeply, he may not always make choices that show that clearly, but he does love and want the best for his son.

I think that wedding planning while mentally recovering from the kidnapping would be an excellent way/time to show Carlos that he doesn’t always have to be in control – that other people can take some of the load too (Which is kinda what Owen learned in 4x06) it is easier to share the load and be honest with what you need than to try to be the one to keep it all together. I am hoping that they go in that direction with Carlos – but not sure if they will go there yet.

This season has done a great job of showing us the saying “You marry your parent” is very true for TK. Not that Carlos and Owen are the same person, but at their cores, they have a lot of similarities, #1 being their total love for Tyler Kennedy Strand.

I hope that by the end of the episode tonight we get both parents realizing that their sons are perfectly capable of choosing their tuxes, centerpieces, etc. – but would welcome their input/assistance.

TK and Carlos would both absolutely want their parents to be involved in the planning of their weddings – this makes sense for both men. Carlos has always wanted a closer relationship with his parents, one where they were involved in all aspects of his life – not just the easy ones. TK literally became a firefighter to be closer to his father, so obviously he would want Owen involved. But at the end of the day, they know that it is still TK & CARLOS’ wedding. That is what I would absolutely love to see (while having a maybe 10% chance of it happening).

I am wondering how much of Marjan we will be seeing tonight. I originally thought it would be more at the end to set up 4x09, but I have been rethinking that she might be in a lot more than I thought. Which is weird since the article that came out after 4x05 said when we saw her again it was basically a whole mini Marj movie episode (which is why I had thought she would only minimally be in this ep & they like to be misleading).

I do think that there will be a lot of humor this episode (and potentially a death at a rescue – I am getting dad dies at the scene vibes, but would be happy to be wrong). I am sure that the cast will be killing us with their facial reactions – Ronen & Rafa are amazing with this. I wonder if the lunch scene will be before or after the tux scene – either way I can’t wait.

For their tuxes – I am a believer in wearing what fits you (your personality & body). My wedding dress was purple (I don’t mean it had purple accents – it was purple) which is my favorite color. I see TK in something a little less traditional, BUT – I do think that the romantic that TK is, would also love going traditional if that was what Carlos wanted. Carlos is very much more traditional than TK, and I think the black & white tux fit him & his character well – but I can also see him going with something a little bit less simple.

While TK still regularly wears his loud button downs, he wears more solid colors than he used to (kind of like he didn’t need to be so loud as he became settled in life) while Carlos has branched out to 30 snap button downs in every color. They have been embracing elements of each other’s styles over the course of the seasons, but I think that this season shows us this the most.

I do wonder if the tuxes we see in this ep are the final ones, because if so, why show them to us now? So, they may end up with something a little more modern / less classical. But then thinking that makes me think of this batshit timeline, which makes me think that they already bought or rented these tuxes. With rentals, you only get them a couple of days before the event – so in both cases it would seem like these tuxes are final.?!

[happygo-writing]

It's not the wedding strictly speaking, but I'd like to see Lou two again tomorrow. Like maybe TK proudly showing him off to his cousins and Carlos' niece and nephew at the rehearsal dinner. Or we could have him resting on top of Buttercup with matching bowties 😆

I fully believe Lou II will be in attendance, he has to be. TK can't leave his child at home or with a baby sitter, he has to come along with them.

Let's talk wedding!

[inceptionpositivity]

@valerileygreen - I love reading your posts and commentary, and adore the headcanon and scenarios you write!

[inceptionpositivity]

@valerileygreen - you bring positivity and smile and you are very kind! also you are very articulated and pretty awesome! you are a joy to be around. hope you have a lovely lovely day!

[inceptionpositivity]

@valerileygreen - Your writing is beautiful, whether it's meta or fic, your care for these characters and material shines through!

[inceptionpositivity]

@valerileygreen - You are such a lovely person!! I love seeing all your posts and your headcanons! We're so, so lucky to have you in this fandom.