One word: Southland

[hackthis_archive]

So. The thing in the place at that one time with that other thing. And then that thing happened and I was like whoa. And then Ben said that thing. And then John did that other thing. And then Ben did THAT thing, and I was like wow. And then I was like that's more than I get in like a month. And would you believe that's my coherent response to last night's episode?



Okay. Like. I should point out that I am not coherent now. I may not be coherent ever again. As I told lazlet I'll need to watch this about half-dozen times just to have a goddamn clue. Ten minutes into last night's episode I got up from the sofa and stumbled away b/c I was dazed like somebody had laced my drink with a horse tranquilizer. And then another ten minutes happened and they probably could have ended it there b/c I was wiped the fuck out and there was more character development and exposition than you get in most series ever.

Things wot I need to address:

JOHN JAMES COOPER. No, that's not his middle name, but I made it that anyway. Yes, it will now be my fanon. Suck it, bitches. Anyroad. So, Cooper's awesome, plus the pain he is obviously in, cannot currently be processed altogether in my head, and which I must now divide into:

a) Shirtless Cooper [insert high pitched noise here]
b) Detoxing! Cooper
c) Shirtless COOPER! Holy baby Jesus. You know I'd had hopes there, but talk about exceeding expectations. Goodness gracious me. [/C3-P0]
d) Cooper with that back restraint you only see on men at DIY stores.
e) Cooper is in PAIN. Cooper in pain makes the baby hackthis super sad. Like really. Very sad.
f) Ben KNOWING Cooper was jonesing. Michael Cudlitz you played that beautifully. You are like the Donald Draper of network TV at this point.
g) Ben finding Cooper pinching drugs from the Rich Bastards on the Hill. Didn't he tell your ass to stay at the door? Ben, you suck with instructions. Note to self: address in fic.
h) I'm sorry I have to take a break from the recap to breathe.
i) Okay I'm back.
j) Cooper!
k) Cooper restraining Ben fighting! That was kind of super hot. I may need a minute or six. I wonder how Cooper feels about that. Wank material!
l) Ben kind of wanting Cooper to meet his mom, but not in his current Jonesing condition
m) Did I mention the part where Cooper tried to give Ben shit and Ben was like YOU NEED HELP KNOCK IT OFF. I AM WORRIED ABOUT YOU.
n) Cooper's ex-wife is named Laura. Hi, Laura. I like you.
o) My head is going wobbly again. Jesus FUCK was last night awesome.
p) Cooper at the gay bar not to meet men but to get drugs. *heads desk* Oh, Cooper.
q) Cooper and that sleazy guy and Cooper pouring his beer in that dude's hand.
r) Cooper makes NINTY GRAND A YEAR?! This explains the car. I was wondering about that salary thing.
s) Oh, God I need a lie down. I got shirtless!Cooper, detoxing!Cooper, Cooper meeting the family and Ben being concerned all in one episode. In conclusion: COOPER FUCKING OWNS ALL. He's going to detox with the help of Ben's Woodstock mommy, and then he and Ben shall get together and it'll be *like* he was adopted into the family.

Speaking of which. Under the heading of BENJAMIN EDWARD SHERMAN let us discuss:

a) Ben knows Cooper's on something
b) He caught him knicking drugs
c) He's concerned
d) Ben grew up in a fucking TREEHOUSE
e) Ben really HATES his dad
f) His dad is a dick
g) Ben's mom obviously has money, because I highly doubt Ben would take his dad's money to buy himself a house
h) That house was so minimalist it would make a monk complain.
i) That says A LOT about Ben
j) Ben's mom's house is the motherfucking BOMB.
k) I like Ben's mom a lot
l) Finally a show where I really like all the women (except for Tammy, but whatever cakes to her)
m) Speaking of women? HOW MUCH DOES LYDIA ROCK? Okay, I'm digressing, we'll get to Lydia in a minute
n) Ben. I assume you were expecting Cooper at one point, so when Daisy showed up you rang him and said, uh, tonight's not really good for me,
o) Ben reading at home!
p) Ben knocking the hell out of his dad, to protect his mommy. Ben loves his mommy. Go team Ben!
q) Of course, Ben's mommy is a hippie. Bless.
r) Holy shit, Ben's a hard man. Who trained him? It had to be Special Ops.
s) Ben... I'm sorry, my brain can't process anymore.
t) Oh, and his relationship with him mom when she tells him to lighten up!
u) Ben had a vapid ex-girlfriend, but he was too loyal to ditch her. He will totally stay with Cooper while he gets his shit together.
u) I wonder what Ben wanted to be when he was little, he never said.
v) Daisy has enough money to be living in the Hills and she couldn’t afford a hotel for a few days? No, not even buying it a little bit.
w) In conclusion: Ben, if you are sitting alone at night in your Spartan house, reading a book, just hoping and praying that the doorbell is going to be Cooper and it's not? The answer is not to make out with whomever IS there. I have decided that after the fade to black that Ben was like "No! I can't do it. You're not the one I want. Even though your ears are strangely fascinating."

The rest of it can be divided into:

1. Lydia is the motherfucking man
2. Thank fuck Russell and his wife finally made a goddamn move. I was tired of yelling, "JUST LEAVE ALREADY!' at the TV
3. I kind of like the relationship with Lydia and Russell. He's an asshole, she knows it, she keeps him in line and ignores him. He's totally unworthy of her, but there's nothing new there.
4. That dude sleeping with Lydia and THEN telling her "Oh, my pastor said..." BITCH PLEASE. A man using god to excuse his skeezy behaviour. I won't even start.
5. I got to see inside everybody's houses! This is a writers motherfucking DREAM.
6. Ben has to live in the hills somewhere, that's the only place you get that kind of space and privacy. He totally has a pool in his backyard. This will be addressed in fic.

So. In conclusion. Ben/Cooper. Forever. And ever. Amen. Yes. I plan to write this. But not anytime soon, b/c I have some RL to contend with and won't even be around to conduct discussions next week. But know that I will be having them with you. PSYCHICALLY.

Please feel free to stop by and say 'hi', bring me your porn (Southland and GK preferred), your babble, your links, and I will catch up when I get back ♥

Comments

[mandaspeaks.livejournal.com]

Ok. OK!!! I just have to say first off that this whole episode made me think of the fic you wrote about Ben going to Cooper's place and taking care of his back because I just TOTALLY FEEL THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE FADE TO BLACK.

Last night was SO amazing. I mean, the other episodes have been good, yes, but this on just...YES! I LOVE the Lydia got some, and I hate that that idiot guy just blew her off like she wasn't worth it. Um, HELLO GUY. You are TOTALLY missing out on one amazing woman, do you realize that?

I did not find Daisy to be attractive, like, at all, but I would watch Ben make out with a doorknob and enjoy it, so...I like that scene. All the heavy breathing was a plus. Ha!

[lazulus]

Yep. That's pretty much what my reactions were during the episode.

Also, yet another ep where I ended up muttering. 'Oh, Lydia!' at the telly. Someone slap that arsehole around a bit, plz. I hate people who use religion to act like fuckwits.

I could hardly watch at times. They did the whole atmosphere of impending doom really well and all the way through I was expecting something truly terrible to happen. When the credits came up and no-one had died I was all, 'Oh, thank fuck for that!'

Of course, they may be leading me into a false sense of security, which would seriously displease me.

In conclusion, Cooper/Sherman FTW!

[serialkarma.livejournal.com]

So, Ben's adolescent rebellion is clearly to be a stick-straight officer of the law. I kind of love that.

[sparky77.livejournal.com]

Your bullet points are adorable.

Also:

Ben, you suck with instructions. Note to self: address in fic.


Please tell me I was supposed to go to a porny place with that.

[egretplume.livejournal.com]

I also thought about your fic during the back brace scene.
I am disappointed that we are already up to the season finale. There should be more!
Also, I thought Ben was just making out with the high school friend in a vain effort to distract himself from Cooper. It's his "must try to be professional at work" last line of defense.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

As I keep saying to everybody who will hold still long enough to listen (seriously. I even said it to the girl behind the register at the coffee place this afternoon. She agreed), Did you SEE that? All of that? Because that? Was made of motherfucking WIN. And also, Ben needs to stop it. You know he wants Cooper. I know he wants Cooper. He knows he wants Cooper. Please.

[wolkendunst.livejournal.com]

Ben. I assume you were expecting Cooper at one point

I am so lame, but every time Ben's door bell rang, I fervently hoped that it would be John showing up at Ben's.

[skyenapped.livejournal.com]

m) Did I mention the part where Cooper tried to give Ben shit and Ben was like YOU NEED HELP KNOCK IT OFF. I AM WORRIED ABOUT YOU.

OMG LMAO.

I was just as incoherent after this ep! Ben/Cooper FTMFW!

Also, yes, Lydia freaking rocks.

[mardia.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, please let this show forever be this awesome. It was like the show was all, "oh, mardia has been going through the hell of finals, let's give her and all the other fangirls some stuff to squee over." AND THEN THEY DID, THEY REALLY DID.

First, until we get proof otherwise, Ben totally hooked up with that girl because he was so distracted about Cooper. I mean, whatevs, she wasn't awful, but STILL.

And God, John having to pull Ben off his dad like that. Ben CURSING. That's the first time we've seen him drop the f-bomb and of COURSE it's his dad who pushes him to that point. Side note, his dad? MAJOR douche. Like, hi, I am sorry there is one person in the world who calls you on your shit and refuses to give you a free pass, but your son is about a thousand times more awesome than you, so SUCK IT.

God, all the backstory we got on Ben in general was fabulous. Like how Ben's too loyal to give up on people easily--hee, when it comes to Cooper this is going to be fabulously awesome, I can't wait, and his relationship with his mom and everything was just...augh, I can't even handle it.

[chasethesun.livejournal.com]

After Cooper took his shirt off I pretty much blacked out for a bit but I concur with all your well thought out bullets. Particularly those containing the words 'Cooper' and 'shirtless'.
I also came across new fic pertaining to the episode: http://community.livejournal.com/_readingroom/31170.html?view=300482#t300482

I love everything about this show and teeny tiny fandom. If NBC end up cancelling after the 13 episodes I will be heartbroken.

[wolfrim.livejournal.com]

I was like, 'Oh no, Show. There's no way you could be going there.'
And show said, 'Oh really? *Shirtless Cooper* *All-knowing Ben* I already did.'
And I was left with the coherency of a pearl-clutching housewife, worshiping these gods of fanservice.

I have already expelled Daisy and her whimpering BS from my mind, though the hotness of Ben's heavy breathing will stay in the happy Cooper/Ben part of my brain forever.

[ariadne83]

Cooper at the gay bar not to meet men but to get drugs.

Now you're just messing with me. Really? Really really?

[ruidoso.livejournal.com]

ahhh mahhh gaahhhh

there was a lot of sweating. and heavy breathing. and did you see ben's JAW in the squad car, when they were having the talk? HIS JAW OMG.

yeah.

[teffy.livejournal.com]

I just love watching Southland cause I know that there will be much squee had in your journal afterwords.

But but but YES. shirtless!Cooper could happen in every single episode and it still wouldn't be enough. Never enough. And the jonesing and the desperation. GOD. And I swear every time there was someone at Ben's freaking door I was chanting LET IT BE COOPERCOOPERCOOPER. But no. That would have been too awesome.

[kismeteve.livejournal.com]

You are like the Donald Draper of network TV at this point.

YES. THIS.

(How is Cudlitz so attractive? How does he do it?)

Ben had a vapid ex-girlfriend, but he was too loyal to ditch her. He will totally stay with Cooper while he gets his shit together.

That was totally my line of thinking as well.

(In my head, your latest fic followed the fade to black. Just so you know.)

[hypertwink.livejournal.com]

Me wants hot angry shameful secret sex between Cooper and the pusher. Yum.

[shaney.livejournal.com]

When Cooper removed his shirt in the episode, I totally thought of you! Hee.

I agree with your bullet points except for Ben's mother. I don't really like her much :/ But it could be because I am totally TeamBen when it comes to his asshole father and not uptight mother issues.

I would like to contribute more to the discussion but my brains can hardly process this episode enough. I need to watch it many more times.

Ohh this I can say though: Lydia King KICKS ASS. Russell should count his blessings that he has her as his partner.