now nearly done with The Fires of Heaven and do you guys REMEMBER this scene where Rand plays up his madness just to make Selande back off?? so so funny, this guy is nuts i love him

currently reading through the Wheel of Time (and loving it) and this dynamic in The Shadow Rising is so funny to me, Rand get HELP!!!

gwennyyyyy things are getting weeeeiiiirrrrdddd watch ooouuuuttt!!

Category Analysis 3

AKA putting my data-keeping to good(?) use

i'll start with the obvious: the new episode, Well Run (episode 15) is under category 1-B, the category dealing with Externals (as far as i have gleaned).

The Matriarch is the External in this case, which we can also be sure of since earlier it was said that Gwen was to meet with another External, and now here she is meeting with Gwen. no big surprises there. my 1-B theory holds.

what i am more CURIOUS about is what is going on with the case scores lately.

gwen and sam start consolidating information and spend more time talking in the office, and alice doesn't know who to be jealous of!

Category Analysis 1 cont.

imagine my EXCITEMENT when i saw that Episode 14 "Pet Project" was in category 1-B hmmmm !!

my post about Cat 1-B theorizes that this category has to do with Externals, and I will not say that this episode refutes that. I think any case we hear is relevant, so for all we know, this could be related to the next external Gwen is going to have to encounter soon.

(also, how come this episode doesn't have a [medium] in brackets like normal case details? does it mean anything? am i having a great time reading into it? yes)

Category Analysis 2

ok here i go again with category number BUTS episodes 9 and 13 share a category, category 3-B (3RB in complete scores).

Episode 9 "Rolling With It" - dice (bone) -/- fate [Magnus Statement]

CAT3RB3354-12101998-08032024

Episode 13 "Futures" - gambling (application) -/- self-destruction [voicemail]

CAT3RB4622-17092023-14032024

the common thread between these two seems to be sacrificing oneself for good fortune, whether that be luck or riches.

in Episode 9, the statement giver rolls the dice with the knowledge that it can either be a good roll or a bad roll, and the result will affect them. bad rolls result in bodily harm sometimes.

in Episode 13, Darrien Laurel bets against himself to make money, purposefully putting himself in harm's way for profit. though Darrien never technically loses a bet, this is STILL gambling, as with every bet, Darrien is still accepting that the unwanted outcome could occur. his knowledge of how the bet would turn out (i.e. him being in control of his own body) is why the app accused him of "insider trading."

both of these cases essentially share the theme of gambling with some third-part item (dice and app) to potentially make it big. both cases involve a swift rise to higher classes of society and a swift downfall/awakening when the item backfires. this is a VERY specific genre of category, but any time i see matching categories, little lights go off in my head!

as of now, this may mean nothing other than when we start to learn of the classification system in the TMAGP universe, this idea of gambling with your health may come back.

NOTE: for a moment i thought my idea was weakened by the fact that episode 4 (the episode involving what seems like an early Grifter's Bone) is not categorized in 3-B, but is instead in category 3-C. in the episode, players of the instrument harm themselves to attain this beautiful sound. it follows the theme of harming oneself for your own benefit (as does episode 2 "Making Adjustments"), but what I think sets it aside is that these people aren't gambling or betting; there is no possible outcome besides the desired one - in the cases of episodes 4 and 2: making good music or changing one's own body to fit an ideal.

as always, i am excited to get a new episode next week and check categories! now that our library is building, similarities are more common :D

Category Analysis 1

i'd like to point out that episodes 6 (Needles ep), 10 (first Bonzo appearance) and 12 (second Bonzo appearance) are all placed in category 1-B.

obviously, episode 10 and 12 share a primary subject: Mascot (kids). Besides the category designation, episode 6 shares nothing in the score with episode 10 and 12. Here's a summary:

Episode 6 "Introductions" - Injury (needles) -/- intimidation [999 call]

CAT1RB4824-09022024-12022024

Episode 10 "Saturday Night" - Mascot (kids) -/- murder [TV interview]

CAT1RB2275-06082021-009032024

Episode 12 "Getting Off" - Mascot (kids) -/- frenzy [insurance claim]

CAT1RB4728-09032024-13032024

my running theory is that category 1-B (or 1RB in full scores) will pertain to Externals. i think knowing what we know about Bonzo, Needles may be an External that will appear at least one more time.

Episode 6 "Introductions" is when Celia is introduced to the OIAR staff, but the title could also have the double meaning of introducing the staff and the audience to the Externals before we knew what those were.

(( this theory does raise the problem of ink5oul not being categorized as an External, as their episode is scored as category 3-BC if i'm reading the scores correctly. this could mean that my theory is nonsense, or it means ink5oul is some other sort of entity in the universe. maybe the Externals are more inhuman, while other things like ink5oul are more like TMA avatars. this also assumes that a lot of thought went into categories, which could be completely untrue lol ))

every week i keep track of score details and am on the lookout for matches or discrepancies, so i look forward to this week's episode to see what else we get! more data is good :)

plunged into the deep end

GWENDOLYN BOUCHARD GUARD YOURSELF

inspired by a post by @witchinatree regarding Gwen's roots growing out that i haaaaad to draw!!!

[alt version with flipped hair colors under the cut, i liked them both too much to not include both]

Gwen can't bring herself to come to work the day after her first field assignment, but when she does return, she cannot help but see all her cases in a new light. They scare her. They could be real.

lil jason i love him i love him i love him i love him i love him

gwen and sam designs + late night investigation session!! it's time for them to consolidate information please and thank you :)

those eyes. they know.

gwen bouchard and alice dyer designs from my noggin!! it is so exciting having a whole new cast to think about :)

half asleep