And we made it. The epilogue. You did finish in a year :plead: im so proud of you for all that you put into this fic and how well it came out. Your first fic over 200k! A brilliant epilogue that honestly hurt so much, and yet so much of it makes sense for your lore. i dont think i like it but i like it, if you know what I'm saying.

The format was great. I know you were debating this a lil bit but I really like how we move from minutes to hours to days to weeks to months. It gives us such a clear sense of the year after his Victory, of all the bits and pieces that come with it. All the foggy days and the painful time in treatment? hurts. The fact that he can't paint? hurts. and I am *very* :eyes: about our new """""friends""""" on the treatment team. I am assuming we will see more of them in some capacity and I don't think I like it. I know you mentioned another subplot character in DMs and I'm not sure who but all 3 of them are hella sus. Though that is kinda productions goal so. makes sense.

I think what hurts the most is something that we see coming up time and time again in ss too, which is that they're not interested in the kids being OK, just seeming OK. And Matty's already too good at that. I think the return to treatment really solidified that fact for him, even if you didn't state it openly there (also i could be reading into things given that we've talked about that theme and that ive read SS already). And then it ending with Matty saying he's ok? it's painful but it's perfect. That sense of eerie calm from the finale that I so love.

To the shock of probably no one my fav parts were probably those with the Victors. Did I pick up on the single, bare mention of G? Absolutely you bet I did and it made me grin from ear to ear. I am easy to please: I get the smallest crumb of information about my daughter and I am :D :D :D. But the rest of it was also. so. good. Alexis and Raj as the people to meet Matty were a great choice, and I feel like it's such a right choice for Raj to (I assume) have to go right back to treatment. The Mina scenes were absolute gold; it's so clear how well you get Mina (and Momo) because they hit the perfect balance between a good heart and the roughest exterior. The way she goes out of her way to give Matty the chance to go home early is so lovely of her and so perfect for momo. That moment where he gets to see his family again was so lovely and so sweet and i cri i love wholesome reunions and I'm so glad he got that because it's what he and Cora both deserve. Z-Chat might be my favorite thing to come out of your verse. I adore Zoe and I have basically not met Zoe; her chaos is just perfect in my eyes and I have more fun thinking about her antics than almost anything. And Calvin in his role as the Victor dad almost was :gentlyholds: tbh I'm not *entirely* sure what his aim was there but I still really loved it and him. Matty finding his place with the other 7 is such a lovely process to watch and I can't wait to see more.

A perfect ending to a perfect fic. I promised not to be too sappy because I'm saving my sappy for g's ss chapter. But I'm so, so proud of you for finishing this fic after the crazy spring/summer you had and all the hard work you put into it. Everything about it was a pleasure to be a part of and I can't wait to have my heart broken by you so many more times before we're done. :goldieblob:

finale time! tbt to when i got confused and thought this was chapter 32 and caused you a heart attack. anyway.

I'm not gonna touch on every section, idt, just because this was a Very Long Chapter. but I'm gonna try to hit as much as I can because this was a masterful finale. Yes, it was crazy long. but every single word was *so perfectly placed* and contributed perfectly to the atmosphere of the finale. I cannot express enough how much I loved reading this finale and how lucky i am that i get to give you two more kids to write this well with.

first off, the parent povs. oh my god em these Hit Different. I think it was such a great way to give insight into these kids' home lives and what might be waiting for them when they go back. Alonzo reminded me of a soccer mom in the worst way, just so desperate for his kid to be ok. Cora made my heart hurt so much with how she cares for her son and how much she wants him back. And Marli also made my heart hurt by the way that she pushes Rylan away. As you said on discord, don't think about Marli when Rylan says he doesn't want to go home. except i did. and ouch. these sections set the tone so perfectly but also they mega hurt.

OK so let's talk this finale. First off i really liked the water that led them to the kitchen i thought that was a nice touch. also the kitchen being the location of finale was *chefs kiss* perfection. I think the person we need to thank most for the Victor is one Lior Rivkin because an Alex at full capacity would probably have won. But she wasn't - she was very much hurt. And that gave the other two a HUGE advantage. I really think that if the two of them had worked together this could have been over quick for Alex - but the thought of them taking a while to kill her because both are reluctant fits so much better. The plates and the intentional misses vs the not trying to miss was so good. and that little shard in alex's neck - even reading this back im not quite sure how it got there but the way she knew was just ouch. Also. the appliances. scary. Anyway, you should be incredibly proud of Alex's arc. you changed pretty much all of our minds on her by the end and really made her into such a great character. Her choosing not to fight back at the end is such an interesting full circle moment from when she chose to fight so hard for herself at the beginning when we all decided we hated her. It just fit so well. Really great job wth her and rip ;-;

And then the last moment. This might be one of my favorite final moments of a fic ever. I think we put so much effort into making like big finales that are climactic and come to this big final moment... but here it wasnt. it was just calm. the eye of a storm. Bad stuff is behind matt and there's bad stuff yet to calm, but in this moment, there's just that sense of eerie nothingness. it was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. Rylan choosing to give up felt *perfect* to me for his character, a fantastic little act of rebellion at the end and also it just makes sense that he doesn't want to leave the Arena. And again, the return of the choice motif for Matt. He makes the choice to kill Rylan, even when he didn't have to. And it just. It feels *right*. I can't express how much i adore this moment for both of them, and how happy i am with this ending. Well, not *happy*. but like you know what I mean.

Of course, a huge congrats to momo! a very well deserved first Victor after a long time. I adore matty so much and I can't wait to start making all the g/matty headcanons i can. Em, you should feel so so proud of yourself for this finale. it was. so. good.

review day? review day.

The little bit we got at the beginning from Alma there was really helpful for her motivations. I think we're obviously supposed to dislike Alma but there is a small amount of logic to her decisions. She just... took it really far. Like, really far. And yet, she feels a lot like some Capitol officials in later HG stories - the whole "the Games are a necessary evil" thing. You've said to me a few times in DMs that ITC is the Games in the age of media and... yeah. that's this.

Vanessa being ready to move on was so good ;-; i really adored this section because it was like, Vanessa couldnt do the one thing she really wanted to and yet she keeps going. its hard to look at it now knowing what happens later but... im so proud of her for still trying and it's so nice that the public still believes in her :plead:

This Lior-Alex fight was really great. I love how it feels like its barely even been 2 seconds since Vanya died that they go at it (i didnt check timestamps lmaooo idk how long its been). Lior really put up a great fight here but I do think it was his time to go - as much as I love him he never struck me as a winner. But he did his damndest to make Alex's life harder, that's for sure. That bleach is not gonna do her any favors and she has quite the injury now. RIP Lior ;-; idk if we would have gotten along in real life but i loved getting to know you through text.

Rylan here! the fact that he's brave enough to give up is almost powerful? like he's doing what he wants to do regardless of what the show wants him to do. THE FOLLOWING IS SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE IF YOU'RE READING REVIEWS BEFORE THE FINALE GO READ THAT FIRST THEN COME BACK. I almost feel like this makes his choice next chapter even more powerful? He's going to do what he wants to do regardless of what anybody else says. And I wonder if the fact that he (a) woke up and (b) woke up where he fell asleep egged him on to make that final choice. Rylan having autonomy in this fic has been a great arc 10/10

Well this bodes poorly for Simon. I hope he is not at Toronto Gen because that would hurt. I definitely dislike that there is no more "good guy" on the production team. It really sets up the binary between the rebels and production, and also shows just how overreaching they are. But I've said to you before that I don't know if The Cut is going to end at the end of this verse. And I think that this is the reason why - Production is really good at keeping rebels out because they're not afraid to have people rat out their coworkers. And that is a really scary reality for the kids of Canada.

Matt and Vanessa ;-; this was so sad I'm so sad that matt had to kill here. I think he's killed a few more people but this one hurt! The theme of choice is such a good one for Matt - i feel like it's spanned from his intro all the way to here and it's so good. We talked about it in DMs - or maybe linds brought it up in your channel - but the aftermath of this choice is so poignant for Matt here OH NO IT WAS OPTI that really hit me the way she explained it. such a brilliant way to go out. And a good way for Vanessa to go down too because this is going to stay with Matt for a long while. I am sad to see Vanessa die tho bc she could have been a baller Victor but...

Now we have a final 3! With one last night to rest before they fight for their lives. I don't know if I could have predicted any of these guys making the finale - not soft Matty or disliked Alex or fade-to-black Rylan, but here they are, and you've justified each of their presence so well. I'd say I can't wait to see what happens, but I've already read, so...

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.

And so, we’ve reached the epic conclusion.

This was a wild ride. Whilst you’ve dabbled in some au before - All Eyes and The Art of War immediately comes to mind - In The Cut was something vastly different. It introduced us to a whole new world from the one we’re used to in the Hunger Games fandom, and it was a joy to read a story that you can completely and utterly call your own.

As expected, Matty’s epilogue was heartbreakingly sad. His time at the Toronto General Hospital created a bubble of struggle and hurt; it was written in a way that truly made the reader feel the pain Matt was going through. Every meeting with Dr Liu, every session with Dinah, every forced interaction with Teo - you can really understand why the winners of The Cut always carry with them their time in the show with how much the network force upon them even after they’ve won. I’m glad Matty got some sort of support through the other winners though, especially Mina.

Speaking of Mina: Winner lore in this verse is fascinating. It makes sense that the network would want to spin it in some way where a talent is enhanced, whether the winner wants that to be their angle or not. It’s almost as if they’re saying, "we cured them through the show, look how well they are doing now!" They are pawns even more than victors are in the Hunger Games, in that they’re constantly watched, having even their modes of communications watched at all times.

I’m glad they have Zoe, with her hidden chats and scramblers. At least that gives them a sense of privacy, however fleeting. Oh, and seeing Rajan was really sweet. Matty describing him as calm was hilarious to me, but that he managed to put up a comforting front was very :plead: I look forward to seeing more of him, even though it’s gonna hurt me.

Thank you for writing Emile! I miss him every day.

Excited to see what comes next.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.

It’s here! The end of Season 8!

This wa E. So much was going on right from the get-go; I truly had no idea what would happen next at any given moment. There were so many ups and downs, which kept the suspense up from start to finish. I think showing the families’ reactions did a lot as well - whilst the contestants provided some really exciting action, seeing their loves ones watching gave the fighting an emotional undertone that made the stakes seem even higher than before.

In the end, we have Matty as our lone survivor. He was not the victor I had expected, but I’m certainly not complaining. He’s been a favorite since we first met him, paint cans in his school bag as he cycled to work. With his triumph comes the downfall of two others, however. I will miss Rylan a lot. I found what you said about him in the a/n interesting, because he was very much a background character to me at the start. But then I got to know him better, and he became someone I could so easily root for. Him choosing to die at the end was excruciatingly sad, but equally powerful.

Then we have Alex. You know my journey with her, and I guess now that she’s gone, I can admit that she wasn’t as horrible as I made her out to be. I still don’t like her, but I respect her development and growth. She’ll be missed, I guess.

And so comes the end to a brilliant story. I’m excited to see Matty in the epilogue, and of course to see what you do with Celene in ITC2. Wait, did I say Celene? Did I say ITC2? Nah, must have been typos.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.

Alma backstory?! It was nice hearing a little bit about her motives. Question is, can you really do the ‘good thing’ when you’re killing children for entertainment? The calmness to everything she does is so unnerving, as well, especially with how Simon described it. He seems to be in big trouble now. I got the impression that he never successfully managed to reach out to the poster people, but I guess trying is enough to face consequences? Help. The subplot is popping OFF.

Onto the kids. There were two really intense fight scenes throughout the chapter, both of which had different outcomes than I expected. Firstly, there’s Lior and Alex. From the events of last chapter, I would have thought that Lior had the edge for sure, especially considering Alex’s mental state. But then again, Alex has had one of the best arcs in ITC, so it makes sense for her to advance to the finale. Secondly, there’s Matty and Vanessa. I think what did the latter in was what I said was her strength in my previous review? She was so eager to get it all over with that she might have ran into things too quickly. Giving Matt a kill here did a lot for him, I think. He’s got major victor vibes now.

Lastly, we have Rylan. Can he just hide away and chill? Maybe let him out? Ugh, he deserves only good things.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all of us command.

I read this chapter a few days ago now so details are a little fuzzy. I do remember loving what you did with the subplot, though, in the way that Simon and Alma almost got their own little arc. An arc that is incredibly suspicious - what the hell is going on? Simon’s first part just made me go :eyes: and then Alma’s talk with the show executives made me even more curious about what exactly her role is. Also, Mahira is back? Nice to see you again bb, it’s been so long!

As for the kids: Vanessa had the most compelling storyline to me. The tweets seem to have reinvigorated her fighting spirit, and gave her that extra boost needed to keep going in the wake of losing Gio. The absolute highlight of the chapter was Vanya’s death tho! Good on you Lior - He should be given an automatic spot in the finale for doing that alone. Matty’s and Rylan’s conflictedness over basically everything continues to make me intrigued about what’s going to happen with them next, and Alex is slowly but surely infesting my brain with the sad plotpoints you keep giving her.

You won’t break me, Em. I refuse to give in dammit.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

rEYElan ... haha get it

no but seriously... i'm bad at reviews as of late my head has been empty because college took away my ability to discuss literature BUT I WANTED TO SAY! I WANTED TO SAY! that this finale... fucking brilliant? good god... love matt so much and just so many bits of this gave me actual chills. like the part with the parents and the "is he coming home?" ouch what the actual fuck? and then the ending w him and rylan was just... so so sad. god he is going to be so broken after all of this, i'm legitimately afraid for the epilogue.

but i just wanted to say em, this story truly has been brilliant. i'm so glad i got to read one of your stories to the (almost) end as an active participant, and this has been such a magical experience to be a part of. i'm so excited for ITC2 already, but of course this will always have a special place in my heart. i feel like i say this whenever you post anything but you truly are a master at what you do. like genuinely, it's incredible the way you've woven together all these arcs and created something so cohesive and engaging and immersive and i'm lucky to have partaken.

congrats to momo and matt, even if i'm not ready for how sad he's about to be (watch me vlog it oops) he really was the perfect victor for this miserable, miserable story

can't wait for the next season of hell's kitchen

i love both you and mr matty b more than words can express

(also i may have just almost cried like 2.5 hours later as a sort of delayed reaction but ignore that)

welp, i'm here. here with my doc open, ready to record my thoughts as they happen. this will not be a day for long paragraphs commemorating this story. i am too tired to do any of that you my liveblog reaction will have to suffice

uh. ig i should make predictions? among rylan, matt, and alex...
I'm not sure if rylan has the oomph to carry the story to a satisfying end? or maybe i'm just trying to protect myself from pain? so i don't think he'll win.
i'm doubting alex because she feels like such an obvious victor and idk if you would do that. or maybe you're banking on us doubting that and so she's the victor. idk. but she seems more likely than rylan.
that leaves matt as my victor prediction. simply by process of elimination

my only hesitation of matt being victor is that he's momo's and that is giving me a weird vibe reading but idk

thunder bay...
ok is this alex's father? there was some kind of falling out between alex and her dad right? idk what else to say i gotta keep reading
kitchen...
oh my gosh alex is so torn up. that's right, she's the most hurt of the three. she makes me sad but at this point everyone does

abbotsford...
matt family! OH MY GOSH THIS IS SO SAD GAH I HATE THIS. this fic is doing so good with exploring the impact of the show on the families and GAH it breaks my heart. and his mom is in denial and just
well, if my predictions are right, then cora will be very relieved
gym...
oh my gosh he's still seeing vanessa but i don't blame him. with what he just experienced i'm 100% not surprised to see him like this. tho i'm wondering now if he's going to snap and not win bc of psycho reasons. idk man. i'm just sad.

calgary... omg rylan's mom i'm not ready for this
gosh she's going through it too. and just. in the entire cast rylan was one of the least bad and just gosh could you stop making me sad? usually i'm excited for finales but i'm not. that. excited. mostly because i'm too sad to be excited.
a...
RYLAN'S THINKING OF HOME PLS BBY BOY GO HOME i'm not expecting it but I WOULD LOVE FOR IT TO HAPPEN
oh no the area is still closed in an instant i have gone from just sad to terrified for his life.
and gosh he's still trying to resist. but it's not working. and he gives in eventually anyway and i don't blame him one bit. i'm just proud of him for trying :pleading_face:

west wing...
ok so the liquid came for matt too. and oh my goodness he's found alex. i expect rylan to show up soon but this is already fear bc i love both these characters
GAH I LOVE ALL THREE OF THEM AND TWO ARE GOING TO DIE. WHY.
good (?) to see alex still has her wits. but it's so. empty. and hollow. and full of pain. IT JUST ALL MAKES ME SAD OKAY
thunder bay...
oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh

kitchen...
oh my gosh he's now telling himself he doesn't have a choice that in itself is tragic enough JUST MATT AHHHHH :sob:
oh no he hesitates and alex will take advantage of it where's rylan i don't think things will go /that/ far before he arrives right? idek at this point i'm scared and sad and just
abbotsford...
CORA WATCHING HER SON TRYING TO KILL SOMEONE AHHHHHH :sob: :sob: :sob:

kitchen...
RYLAN'S HERE I KNEW HE'D ARRIVE SOON it must be so weird for him bc he's mostly spent the entire game avoiding people and now he cannot avoid them any longer
calgary...
her distant way of coping hurts

kitchen...
oh gosh alex didn't know about the liquid she thought she could escape. but she can't. and rylan's still watching bc that's what rylan do. and matt's still struggling with if he's okay with killing her and just
what's going on with rylan is this about to be a death scene
calgary...
THIS IS SCARING ME HE'S DEAD ISN'T HE

kitchen...
ok he's just fighting alex now and suddenly i'm okay with alex dying. and oh my gosh alex is too skilled for him and MATT COMING IN WITH THE DISHES AHHHHH BUT HE'S STILL TRYING TO MISS? THIS BOY IS TOO GOOD MY HEART
and alex is going crazy too
every time rylan gets hurt i'm like "is he dying now" i'm that paranoid. now he's getting ready to kill...
abbotsford...
oh my gosh these cora povs kill me ahhhhhhh

kitchen...
WHAT'S THIS SOUND. THE BLENDER. AHHHHHH. AND THERE'S CERAMIC IN ALEX'S NECK? IS IT OVER FOR HER?
thunder bay...
oh no she's dead isn't she. alonzo is going insane oh no she's gotta be dead. or is there gonna be a twist I DON'T KNOW THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH REVIEWING WHILE I READ I'M TOO PANICKED TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN REPEAT THE SAME FEW LINES VOER AND OVER AGAIN

kitchen...
oh my gosh this moment between alex and matt slays me. bc there's been this tension this whole time and finally they can't avoid it anymore. and alex knows she's going to die and just.
and rylan ends it. because he wants to live. and every answer is a wrong answer. so might as well pick the one where he lives.
calgary...
MARLI AHHHHHH JUST AHHHHHH
rip alex. i hated you, then i loved you. now i'll miss you.

kitchen...
the way that the two last ones are the soft boys. how the turn tables. and it's just numb and it kinda hurts to see the way matt's viewing rylan but i don't blame him one bit.
neither of them wants to fight. i hate it here.
YOU WIN WHAT IS HAPPENING.
OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH. RYLAN DOESN'T WANT TO WIN.
idk what i want to happen. if matt dies and rylan wins as a twist it'll be heartbreaking bc rylan doesn't want to. if rylan dies and matt wins it'll also be heartbreaking bc matt is completely broken

and matt kills rylan.

but matt's not the same person anymore. he's made a choice that he never thought he would.

it hurts. i'm numb. i'm sad.

but it's over.

this chapter absolutely kale-d me

well this was a fucked up game of russian roulette

gosh oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh i'm terrified em ahhhhhhhhh
it doesn't help that it's very cold here so my internal shaking is exacerbated by my physical shivering GOSH

ffn...
hi alma i do not like you you work for the bad guys and you are stinky and gross
ok i am glad that vanya is gone tho so here's a begrudging thank you
and we get some backstory? twisted but ig i'm glad you're an actual character now?

*steps away to start heating pasta water*

b...
and oh my gosh this is so sad. vanessa is so sad. and i am so sad. that anticipation of relief that doesn't come and just GAH. she wanted vanya to suffer. and i don't blame her. but now it's out of her grasp. all she wanted was to avenge gio and now... :sob:
and woah this is such a cool moment as she reads the people cheering for her. but now i'm scared of her bc she is def not backing down one bit if she runs into anyone

*steps away to chop garlic*

kitchen... hey i'm in a kitchen right now too. glad it's not the one with alex and lior... they ain't about to have a good time
lol he thinks he did it when really it wasn't him at all.
and of course alex goes right for him. i don't blame her. it's close to the end. she just wants it to be all over. LOL SHE'S SCARED OF HIM BC SHE THINKS HE KILLED VANYA something about that is so scary to me
*steps away to sautee garlic and start cooking pasta*
the way lior did very little for like most of the games and now he's finally been awakened. who knew he could do this much?
*woah the pasta's boiling over*
OH NO LIOR. HIS RUNAWAY MINDSET REALLY SCREWED HIM OVER RIGHT NOW
AND OH MY GOSH COMMERCIAL DRAIN CLEANER OH NO
ALEX AHHHHHHH PLS DON'T DIE the way i love alex now? and oh my gosh she's about to open the door ahhhhh
AND THE DRAIN CLEANER OH NO
IS SHE GOING BLIND OH NO
(i interrupt my freak out to say that this gives me flashbacks to the premonition finale lol)
*steps away to bring the final pasta dish together*
*ok i did a little more than that but now i have dinner :D*
it's hitting me that regardless of who gets out of this fight... their odds of winning the whole thing are Not Good
this is just brutal. neither of them can really see and. just. gah.
WOAH. GOSH. THIS HURTS. THE WAY SHE KILLED LIOR. THAT HURTS GAH. It always hurts the most when someone's humanity/goodness gets them killed GAH THIS IS SO SAD WHY ALEX GOSH
and gosh. the eye washing. the crying. the blood.
this is so sad

*steps away to comfort myself with pasta*

a...
omg rylan hi it's you. (wait: who are the four? rylan, alex, vanessa... matt! ah! there we go!) pls tell me you're not gonna die
help the way he's thinking about ellie and bronte is absolutely depressing because HE IS TOO GOOD FOR THIS WHY DID I SEND HIM HERE HE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS :SOB:
OH MY GOSH HE ISN'T LISTENING RYLAN GET UP GET UP GET UP AHHHH
AND HE REFUSES TO LEAVE. DOES HE DIE RIGHT HERE?
HIS VISION GOES DARK WHAT THE HECK AHHH

ffn... fear
oh? so he was supposed to move rylan. and rylan just didn't move. ig i should be glad it was simon there and not someone else.
DEAN I FEAR YOU GET AWAY
woah simon was the one doing all the underground work? or is this all a false accusation?
yep he did it.
WHAT THE HECK ALMA I HATE YOU YOU'RE DISGUSTING AND TERRIBLE DIE PLEASE

gym...
matt! HI! but oh dear he is Not doing well. then again, is anyone?
(lol there's a Xxx here. line break, i presume?*
oh no vanessa vs matt i don't like this. tho i suppose i'd support matt victory here bc he is such a good boy.
wth how have two good boys made it to the finale four. i'm not complaining. just. surprised.
that contrast between vanessa and matt hurts. and this isn't gonna end well for matt...
is this how you finally break vanessa?
she's so desperately trying to believe that matt's just like the rest of them, even though he really isn't. he's too good for this :sob:
he won't fight back :sob:
BUT WAIT HE DOES. WOAH. IT JUST HAPPENS ON INSTINCT AND HE DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN EITHER WHAT THE HECK OH NO OH NO OH NO
VANESSA DIES HERE? WHAT? OH MY GOSH I WAS SO SURE SHE WAS A GOOD PICK FOR VICTOR AHHH AND I JUST AHHH
:sob:

*more p-pasta*

a... IS THIS RYLAN IS HE OKAY?
oh my gosh. he's. okay? a little bit? for now? and now he's in the top three? HOW?
i'm proud of you, rylan. your act of rebellion worked, even if it's small. it worked.
VANESSA NOOO AHHHHHH I HATE THIS

gym...
oh my gosh matt oh no he KILLED and he wanted so much NOT TO KILL and he said there's always a choice but it's like there was NO CHOICE when he killed vanessa and jUST AHHHHHHHHHH I HATE IT HERE
rest, huh. more time for poor matt to go off the deep end. pls don't go off the deep end.

kitchen...
oh my gosh it's alex. she's wounded the most out of all three, but she also has the most determination out of the three? this is so interesting.

also how rylan wants to kill the least but he's also the least beat up

how the heck is rylan still alive. this entire time i've expected him to die but. he's still here? rylan i love you and i'm so proud of you and just woah

OK this is gonna be a slightly different review format than my last few I think but I think it’ll be the best way for me to express my thots.

First off – the premise for this chapter is brilliant. The way you framed the issue on Alma’s part as an issue of good/bad TV, even if that isn’t the case? So smart. The way production got around it? Also brilliant. Because it makes sense – you’re showing the kids what will give them the most motivation. It just… happens to be mostly because of Vanya that everyone the others’ love is dead. I love how the subplot was woven in here – was not expecting to see more Mahina but I ain’t complaining, and I’m very :eyes: about what’s going on with Simon and Dean. This looks bad for Dean. And that last bit where they had to kinda nerf Vanya? Brilliant premise. I don’t understand why there was still red under her skin there – couldn’t they have like. Done it colorlessly? So it was less obvious? Anyway im very curious to see if people noticed what production did there. My instinct is to say yes. Because why would you have added the detail of the red light? But who knows. You do. And we will soon ig.

OK some notes on the kids in this chapter. Vanessa avoiding the kitchen bc that’s where Gio died? That shit hurted. Man. Big ouch. Rylan and Lior had an interesting arc here. I didn’t think that they would find their way to each other again after the cell blocks thing but it almost makes sense – theyre kind of like magnets to each other. Now that Vanya is gone I have a hunch Lior is gonna go for Rylan bc he was there and he lied. But we’ll see if that happens and how. Lior is with alex right now and I feel like that could lead to a confrontation and if Lior dies then obviously he can’t go for Rylan. Matty makes me ;-; all the time but like. At this point that’s kinda to be expected. From something in our dms I wonder if the fact that he’s in the gym so much will come to backfire later on. And I cannot say enough about what you’ve done with Alex. The fact that you’ve basically turned all of us around for her speaks volumes to what youre able to do with these kids’ arcs. Its really remarkable. I think my earliest reviews were “I appreciate her as a character but don’t like her as a person” and I feel like she’s grown so much here. I cannot wait to see how her arc comes to an end bc its really been so good.

Also rip Vanya we hardly miss ya. Have fun in hell with eden it’s the only place u deserve to be.

As always a really fantastic chapter! I can’t believe how close we are to the end. Such such great work and I can’t wait for more!

oh gosh i am fear. i am always fear here and this is no exception. gah i always have the feeling that i won’t like what i’m about to read bc it will always bring pain

production office…
what’s wrong. other than everything we already know is wrong—what is wrong with the cut if they’re on edge then i’m definitely on edge too. is it something about ending the cut? pls let it be that i would love for the cut to end.
WHO’S CALLING HIM I’M SCARED
ALSO WHAT IS UP WITH DEAN. ARE THEY ABOUT TO HURT SIMON PLS NO DON’T

infirmary…
omg rylan hi i’m not expecting great things for you but i want to bc you’re good boi. and oh my gosh bronte’s death has traumatized him I FORGOT BRONTE WAS DEAD NOW I REMEMBER IT ALL AND I’M SAD AGAIN. I’M WITH YOU BRO I’M ANGRY TOO

windsor… wHAT
wait what’s going on is this subplot. ok so she was rooting for bronte. me too. but she’s so cold and it’s honestly chilling how nonchalant they are about deaths. so vanessa is a frontrunner right now? interesante.

supply closet…
omg it’s alex again and it’s gonna be sad, isn’t it. alex stuff is always sad. she hasn’t lost that drive to live but she’s so… hollow. that initial fire has burned away and it’s so empty. she’s just trying to deny everything and it’s not working and everything she once believe is and has deconstructing and gosh she makes me so sad. i wouldn’t hate alex victor lowkey. not my first pick, but i wouldn’t hate it.

prison yard…
oh hi lior. i feel like i’m like that with every new pov but that’s probably i always block out mentally what happens here irl bc it’s so depressing. which means every time i come back i’m like, oh wait, you exist.
yeah, you were gonna die. i kinda wish renny were the one here. i liked him. nvr mind i take that back that was mean to lior. i make fun of him a lot (partially bc he’s z’s kid) but honestly he’s being sad and i can’t hate him either.
omg someone is here. and lior is just sobbing this is so sad

AND IT’S RYLAN AGAIN this could go so many ways i am fear bc of unknown tho i don’t think it’ll be terrible?
oh my gosh they’re both grieving and broken and now they’re sitting together outside in the cold THIS IS SO SAD. AND HE’S THINKS HE’S A MONSTER RYLAN YOU COULD NEVER
“I’m glad you’re here.” omg was that lior. like. that’s so sweet but the context is so sad and just. rylan wants to return the words but he can’t. and.

production office… WHAT IS HAPPENING IS BIG SUBPLOT TODAY? AHHH
woah what is happening with alma. is it. wait omg are they not going to let vanya win? i support this. or. what is happening? and DEAN IS COMMUNICATING WITH ALMA WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO TO SIMON AHHH

utilities…
vanessaaaaaaaaa gosh poor girl’s in denial too she’s got repressed guilt eating at her and this is just sad.
wait the door’s locked. what’s happening. and there’s an interruption? WHAT DO THEY WANT?
ok they want to turn her against vanya which i support but THIS IS SO TWISTED. LIKE. GOSH WHAT THE HECK. THIS IS SO CRUEL.

kitchen…
oh hi vanya i feel like your life is about to get even worse. so she searched for rylan. good riddance. there is so much angst right now i wonder whom this is supposed to target. cuz it isn’t me. tho it def is sad. and oh my gosh she’s watching eden die over and over and this is just cruel.
oh my gosh. she cries. i’m depressed too. uh

prison yard…
OH NO NOW LIOR KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO MOE. PLEASE DON’T ATTACK RYLAN. BUT HE’S SO SAD TOO. THIS WHOLE CHAPTER HAS JUST BEEN EFFIN DEPRESSING
ok thank you lior for not attacking rylan. thank you so much for going after vanya.
rylan you’re too precious. he’s trying so hard to play it safe and everything.
welp and they split up. though i wonder if there’s gonna be a callback later

gym…
who’s talking to matt. this is fear. omg it’s vanessa. and he’s still traumatized by bear and just GAH THIS IS SAD. and vanessa is consumed by rage.
y’know, with everyone targeting vanya, i can’t help but feel like vanya will die but not before she kills a whole bunch of them
tho it seems like rylan won’t be going with them? which i am very curious about

school room…
omg lior you’ll get yourself killed at this rate. AND ALEX IS GOING AFTER VANYA TOO ARE THEY GONNA TEAM UP?
wait NO LIOR IS ATTACKING ALEX HE HASN’T SEEN HER GROWTH/COLLASE ARC
AND SHE’S NOT TRYING TO KILL HIM OMG HER DEVELOPMENT IS SO SPICY
pls lior listen to alex
omg they’re going after vanya. could y’all get together with vanessa and matt and do some violence tings

security…
ok back to vanessa. and she sees the popular support for her! this is such a cool moment.
GOSH SHE’S THINKING ABOUT GIOOOO AND HOW KIND HE WAS I MISS HIM THIS HURTS
AND SHE REFUSES TO GO BACK TO THE KITCHEN OH MY HEART THIS HURTS SO BAD

kitchen…
WAIT THAT’S WHERE VANYA IS I FORGOT BAHAHAHAHA no this isn’t funny stop laughing but the IRONY
OH MY GOSH THEY’RE COMING FOR HER SOMEONE’S BOUTTA DIE
i’m so thankful at this moment that rylan isn’t there

GOOD JOB ALEX AND LIOR SURROUNDING VANYA. GOOD JOB. knowing how syot fights go i feel like it’s about to be not good…
vanya doesn’t have a weapon? this is all too hopeful i’m not hopeful anymore

OH MY GOSH LIOR YOU LET HER TAKE THE KNIFE YOU ERGH
he throws the frying pan.
it doesn’t hit vanya.
she reaches him anyway.
does it hit alex? oh no oh no oh no not the way i constantly think of terrible possibilities and freak out over them before you’ve made anything certain

ALEX YES GO BACK ON THAT PROMISE SLIDE LIOR THAT KNIFE YAY
oh my gosh lior is so dead now BUT YES ALEX GO IN

OH MY GOSH VANYA’S FALLING APART IS ALSO SO SAD LIKE SHE’S LOST IT AND NO LONGER KNOWS ANYTHING AND JUST GAH
oh my gosh did vanya just cut off alex’s fingers
and vanya loses her strength and drive
OH MY GOSH THE GAMEMAKERS IMMOBILIZED HER AND NOW SHE’S DEAD
WOAH INTERFERENCE WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH
OH MY GOSH JUST WOAH

rip. now that you rest, the others have more peace.

ok omg we’re in the top five. alex, lior, vanessa, matt, and rylan. hhhhhhhh i feel like lior’s about to die next chapter. i could honestly see alex or matt or vanessa as victor, though vanessa being the frontrunner makes me worried for her. i feel like rylan’s a little disconnected from everything that’s happened? which leaves me with alex or matt as my victor predictions but
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH