Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2012-03-29 09:15 am
rionaleonhart) wrote2012-03-29 09:15 am
Entry tags:
You'll Have To Pay The Toll.
I seem to be posting about every episode in Waterloo Road's current run. I suppose that's what happens when there's a prominent Josh storyline. By the end of the series, you'll feel like you all watched it along with me, although obviously what you're watching is an edited version of Waterloo Road with particular emphasis on Josh and the episode's ratio of hugs required:hugs received. Today we are watching episode 7.26!
Josh has now received hugs in two consecutive Waterloo Road episodes! I strongly approve of this and hope it keeps up. He just needs a lot of hugs.
Although, while I love Lauren for hugging him, I do not love her for subsequently persuading him to make a terrible decision. It's like someone saying to me, 'Well, you seem able to see fine when you're wearing your glasses; why do you bother with the glasses at all?' That's really not how it works, Lauren. Now the trailer for the next episode looks really distressing and it's all your fault. (Well, I suppose it's Josh's fault to some extent for following your terrible advice.)
noooo Josh please be okay :(
Jez has never really interested me - I find him incredibly bland - but I actually cared about him a bit in this episode, which was a surprise. Possibly because he did a Chris Mead by putting himself in a ridiculously compromising position with a pupil out of naïve concern. (Bless Chris. I miss him and his habit of going so far out of his way to help pupils that everyone assumed he was shagging all of them. 'One of the pupils is working as a stripper to make ends meet? Better go to the bar where she's stripping to have a chat with her; I'm almost certain that's within the bounds of appropriate teacher-pupil behaviour.')
I still love Tariq, even though he needs a good whack on the head sometimes. His relationship with Emily is adorable. Although he really needs to drop the 'BETTER MOCK YOU WHEN PEOPLE ARE AROUND SO NOBODY KNOWS I ACTUALLY LIKE YOU' act. Forget the gang stuff, Tariq; just run away with Emily. You can become reporters together. I know you're a good guy at heart.
Finn's little meow when Madi was complaining about Mercedes absolutely cracked me up. Somebody put it on YouTube immediately.
Something from earlier episodes I failed to mention: I find it really interesting that Matt and a friend of his decided to have a child by means of sperm donation and raise it as friends. I've wondered for years why it's not socially acceptable to raise a child with someone you're not romantically involved with.
(If Waterloo Road is to be believed, it's not socially acceptable because of the risk that the mother will fall in love with the doctor who delivered the baby, but that's Waterloo Road for you.)
(THIS PROGRAMME IS RIDICULOUS, WHY DO I LOVE IT SO MUCH)
Josh has now received hugs in two consecutive Waterloo Road episodes! I strongly approve of this and hope it keeps up. He just needs a lot of hugs.
Although, while I love Lauren for hugging him, I do not love her for subsequently persuading him to make a terrible decision. It's like someone saying to me, 'Well, you seem able to see fine when you're wearing your glasses; why do you bother with the glasses at all?' That's really not how it works, Lauren. Now the trailer for the next episode looks really distressing and it's all your fault. (Well, I suppose it's Josh's fault to some extent for following your terrible advice.)
noooo Josh please be okay :(
Jez has never really interested me - I find him incredibly bland - but I actually cared about him a bit in this episode, which was a surprise. Possibly because he did a Chris Mead by putting himself in a ridiculously compromising position with a pupil out of naïve concern. (Bless Chris. I miss him and his habit of going so far out of his way to help pupils that everyone assumed he was shagging all of them. 'One of the pupils is working as a stripper to make ends meet? Better go to the bar where she's stripping to have a chat with her; I'm almost certain that's within the bounds of appropriate teacher-pupil behaviour.')
I still love Tariq, even though he needs a good whack on the head sometimes. His relationship with Emily is adorable. Although he really needs to drop the 'BETTER MOCK YOU WHEN PEOPLE ARE AROUND SO NOBODY KNOWS I ACTUALLY LIKE YOU' act. Forget the gang stuff, Tariq; just run away with Emily. You can become reporters together. I know you're a good guy at heart.
Finn's little meow when Madi was complaining about Mercedes absolutely cracked me up. Somebody put it on YouTube immediately.
Something from earlier episodes I failed to mention: I find it really interesting that Matt and a friend of his decided to have a child by means of sperm donation and raise it as friends. I've wondered for years why it's not socially acceptable to raise a child with someone you're not romantically involved with.
(If Waterloo Road is to be believed, it's not socially acceptable because of the risk that the mother will fall in love with the doctor who delivered the baby, but that's Waterloo Road for you.)
(THIS PROGRAMME IS RIDICULOUS, WHY DO I LOVE IT SO MUCH)
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and i am seriously distressed for next week because... Josh ;~~; (Also, Janeece is so getting scammed somehow - I hope this guy isn't interested in her kid, though. That would be awful ;~~;)
Also, I really like The Waterloo Road Hunger Games from the last entry! Though, in my mind, it would be more like 'the entire community has had enough of Waterloo Road so they put them all (including the teachers) in the games' and they all find a way to break out together (because I couldn't bear for any of them to be killed).
and you love this programme because it's ridiculous? At least, that's why I love itno subject
I'm going to be making such distressed noises during next week's episode, I can tell. (I've been wondering what the guy is up to with Janeece! It's obvious there's something sinister going on. He seems to be interested in money, but he can't be marrying her for her money, surely; I don't imagine a single mother who works as a school secretary would be rolling in it. The possibility that Cheryl might be a factor hadn't occurred to me, and now I'm quite worried.)
'the entire community has had enough of Waterloo Road so they put them all (including the teachers) in the games' and they all find a way to break out together (because I couldn't bear for any of them to be killed).
...I really want to read this now. Everyone has to set their feuds aside and try not to kill each other, despite all the tempting weapons lying around.
That may well be it.Credit where credit's due, though: Waterloo Road may be absurd, but I do think it's genuinely good at creating engaging characters.no subject
And yes, Waterloo Road does make some pretty good characters. And, if I ever get around to writing anything about the Waterloo Road Hunger Games (because I want to write this), I shall let you know first. I will make sure there's a Tom+Josh hug as well. For you.
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A Tom-Josh hug in a Hunger Games situation would absolutely break my heart, and I beg you to write it because apparently I'm a masochist.
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Also, I read ths comment, and did a little dance of my own - excitement - it's contageous.The Waterloo Games - Part One
Within two days of the Games being announced, the corridors of Waterloo Road had turned into a warzone; some students grouping up with others to annihalate the competition, others finding the smallest corner they could and hiding for safety and desperately hoping they could live long enough for someone-anyone-to come up with a plan, the dinner ladies - along with a few of the other pupils - closing up the caffeteria and any other weaponry that was usable, and the teachers barracading themselves into the staff room trying desperately to come up with a plan to just end all this chaos (Grantly sat in his usual chair, drinking tea from his usual mug, muttering about how 'it was about bloody time the government decided to do something about these bloody layabouts, but did they have to start this while we were here? The Union'll be hearing about this! We don't get paid enough, I swear!' seemingly ignorant of the eyerolls and sighs that flittered through the room).
Tom was the first to volunteer for the first scout of the corridors (Michael insisted it was just to assess the damages occurred to the school, and to find another safehaven incase those blasted gang kids came charging through, but Tom didn't care for the reason behind it - didn't care to know because it was the last thing on his mind, trying to think of any sort of strategy beyond f-). Nicki gave him a quick brief of the plan - and you cuold tell she was in the army at one point, especially now, her arms folded behind her back, stood up straight, and showing him each little nook and cranny that could be used for defence using a crude hand-drawn map made with scraps of paper and a variety of coloured pens.
"Here," Chalky nudged Tom before he could even get a chance to go through the door. Good old Chalky, with his cheery smile and colourful ties, with a knife in his hand, "Figure this might come in handy if the kids start anythin'."
Tom nodded and smiled - his sign of gratitude - and tightly gripped the knife in his hand. He didn't know what the kids were going to be like out there. He didn't know just how badly they had changed (he secretly hoped that he didn't have to even consider using the knife once - that this was all just one horrible nightmare from one too many cans of beer and take-out curries after watching that bloody Hunger Games film; Josh seemed to enjoy himself that night, it wasn't often that they did things together but...). Maybe they hadn't changed, and he'd find them all knockin' about outside, their phones and mp3 players in hand.
He took a deep breath before opening the door, and sneeking outside of the confines of the staff room. Now that he was outside, he felt unsafe. Now that he could see the tip everyone had turned the school into, he felt unsafe. He glanced at the walls and the floor as he went along, tip-toing quiety past the classrooms, past the hallways and the stairs, 'No blood, so far, so good,' He thought, and now time was of the essence; he had a mission.
The Waterloo Games - Part Two
"Scout!" Tom rushed over to them, "Scout, have you seen Josh?"
Scout looked worse for wear, her uniform ripped, the sleaves hanging barely hanging on, and her hair pulled and messy, small splatterings of blood across her face. She was on edge, and Tom moved back,
"Please. I just want to know where Josh is-"
"Oh, so you can keep him hidden away with the rest of you precious teachers, is that it?!" Scout was angry, gripping onto Phoenix's arm as she tried to steady him upright, "'S not fair - the rest of us don't have teachers as parents. Why can't you help all of us? Why do the rest of us have to fight like animals while you lot live it up?" Scout started marching off, practically dragging Phoenix with her.
"And we're workin' on gettin' everyone out of here before anyone is killed. But right now, I need to get Josh out of here - he's..." Tom had to be careful of what words he used now, Josh's schitzophrenia wasn't something he wanted spreading around, "He's not well, and he needs some medication, Scout. I need to find him."
She stopped, not looking at Tom, but taking in what he said. Tom had almost given up and was about to walk off when he heard her quiet voice, "Try the cupboard near the gym room. It were the last place I saw 'im, anyhow."
Without a second to spare, Tom started back up into, what Josh had affectionally called his 'teacher sprint'. But, when he got there, all he found was Finn Sharkey.
"Sir! Thank God you're 'ere, sir, I dunno what happened, but Josh-"
"Josh, is he ok? Where is he? If you did any-" The words all tumbled out of Tom's mouth, and it was only when he took a moment to think about what Finn -once-trouble-maker-now-turned-Head-Boy - actually said, he stopped, "What happened?"
"I dunno, Sir! We were hiding from the DSC when he... He just lashed out, and ran. I... I don't know where he went, a..." Finn looked at the bag on the ground, "Is it my fault, Sir?"
Tom shook his head, "It's not your fault, you tried your best. Look, do you know what direction he ran off?"
Finn took a moment of thinking before he gave Tom an answer - "Left."
And Tom ran. He ran through the science corridors, busting open every door he could think of. He ran through the technology rooms, the English rooms, even the maths rooms. The only place he hadn't been was-
His office.
When he got there, he felt the air in his lungs try and force its way out of his body. He gripped the walls and tried to suck in as much air as he could, he felt like he was drowning, all he needed to do was find Josh and everything would feel better. And then he found Josh. Or, at least, Josh's leg, the rest of him remainded huddled underneath his desk, rocking backwards and forwards.
"Josh?"
The Waterloo Games - Part Three
And Tom dragged his son over to him and they hugged, Tom trying to comfort him as best as he could, "Don't worry Josh. I'm here now. Everything'll be alright. I promise." Tom tried his best to comfort Josh, but even Tom could hear his voice breaking as he tried to fight the tears that were forcing their way through.
The next day, father and son walked out of the staff room, hand in hand, and headed back out to war.
Re: The Waterloo Games - Part Three
Grantly sat in his usual chair, drinking tea from his usual mug, muttering about how 'it was about bloody time the government decided to do something about these bloody layabouts, but did they have to start this while we were here? The Union'll be hearing about this! We don't get paid enough, I swear!'
This is one hundred per cent what his reaction would be. Oh, Grantly.
The idea of Chalky handing Tom the knife is a bit heartbreaking. And of course Tom doesn't even want to have to consider using it. And I really like the small ways Josh plays on Tom's mind: the film, the 'teacher sprint' (hee!).
"'S not fair - the rest of us don't have teachers as parents. Why can't you help all of us? Why do the rest of us have to fight like animals while you lot live it up?"
Scout is pretty awesome! I think you've characterised her really well; I could see and hear her perfectly throughout that entire scene.
And then he found Josh. Or, at least, Josh's leg, the rest of him remainded huddled underneath his desk, rocking backwards and forwards.
I thought for an alarming moment here that Josh's leg had actually been severed.
Oh, Josh. It didn't occur to me until Tom saw him under the desk that this situation, apart from being inherently horrible, is probably pretty much the least helpful situation possible for sufferers of schizophrenia.
And they hug, and Tom makes a promise that he obviously has no way of keeping because it's what Josh needs to hear, oh my heart. And that last line.
Thank you so much for writing this!
Re: The Waterloo Games - Part Three
And yes. Yes, I love the 'teacher sprint' - Tom so has a teacher sprint :D
next up - My Little Hunger Ponies! ... Ok, maybe not - I don't think I could realistically put those ponies in that situation; it would break my heart too muchno subject
Yeah, that was some shitty advice from Lauren. I was watching with my head at an angle and still... nope... no sense made there!
I never used to like Jez, I thought he was a bit of a thuggy shit. BUT when he found out about his wife and Michael and now this and omg my heart bleeds for him. I'm 99% sure this is because someone pointed out that he looks like the guy I'm crushing on but we'll IGNORE that. XD
I'm really looking forward to next weeks episode... I'm sure it'll make me cry. Like Fleur dying made me cry. What is it with this program?
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I suppose maybe Lauren's in denial that Josh is unwell at all? It makes slightly more sense than 'Well, you don't seem to be displaying symptoms when you're taking the medication; from this I conclude that you don't need medication.' But what's Josh's excuse, in that case?
I wasn't a big fan of the 7.11-20 stretch of episodes in the autumn, and I think part of that was because I didn't care about Jez (or Michael, when he wasn't angrily shoving teenagers against walls in a strangely attractive way). I should probably rewatch them at some point and see whether I like them more now that Jez has grown on me a little. For now, though, I'm too busy happily rolling around in the current storyline, even though it's breaking my heart. SO MUCH JOSH.
Fleur's death made me cry, too. So did Harley reciting his poem for his nan in this episode, actually. Waterloo Road, is it really necessary to be so rough with my heart?
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I'm glad Matt's back! Him crying about his baby broke my heart too. Why, program, why??
They were a bit weak. Yeah. I guess they struggled a bit with the loss of so many characters. And Karen Fisher was a bit of a fandom darling like Rachel Mason and I don't think Michael has the same appeal. I do like the accent though. The accent I approve of.