RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) Dir. Matthew Lopez

8 Funny Brendan Moments (Noah Edition)

So we joke about Mile paying to have the opportunity to lay hands on Apo, uh, a lot? But I have not seen this on tumblr ANYWHERE and it is fucking EXTRAORDINARY that he let this be filmed? And then he lite it be distributed fucking internationally. Because through the whole thing Apo is just chat chat chatting away. He's making jokes, hes giving his sincere commentary, he's full of opinions, and he is, very seriously, trying to get Mile to engage with him in conversation about the scene.

And Mile? The most Mile manages in terms of responding is "Mhm" and nodding, one echo of basically "yes it is beautiful" and literally one comment on "Yeah it is about emotion." THATS IT. EVERYTHING else is Mile struggling not to jump out of his skin and it is fucking CRAZY to watch The body language is some of the most stressed out, uncomfortable and moved body language I have ever seen and I sit in an office all day and watch people's body language for a living. And it is also completely MILE because I do not remember one fucking time, as a character, we see Kinn do the ear thing or the tongue in his lower lip thing. Especially when the scene is over and the boys switch into interview mode - when you know what you're looking at it's obvious. Mile does this thing where he twirls his tongue in his cheek and lower lip and rolls his eyes and coughs and is like "Okay come the fuck back. You can't stay there any more, you have to be On Again." and literally two seconds later, he's talking with Apo about the shooting and acting of it all? It happens in a BLINK but after that cough, that frozen person is gone and he is back to being the Mile we all know from all the interviews. But once you know what to look for? It's obvious and once you see it? You can't unsee it.

As someone in a job with an extreme a mount of performative emotional labor, I recognize that moment. I do a different thing. Mine tends to be tied to the act of closing objects, picking up note pads and putting on a "hey I'm happy to see you" smile (because I am, I love my clients) but there are on/off switches from private experiences and You Are At Work Engagements. But oh man. Man it's a fucking knock out and it's basically never captured in reality. Reality TV tries but Reality TV is fake too. This? This is REAL and it's honestly kind of humbling. The emotional labor on screen here is something so many of us have to perform and it's just, ugh, sir, I know you didnt do it on purpose but I appreciate you giving us the opportunity to capture it so that we can use it as a teaching tool if nothing else.

Because on the other hand? There's the part where he watched the pool scene and goddamn the way Mile just Let himself Feel All Those Feelings In Public. Whether it's about his partnership with Apo and remembering what executing that felt like or ya know closeted queer thoughts about seeing himself in that situation and realizing "oh god I really could have that if I just let myself" or it's professional pride doing shit to him because yeah it is that beautiful and

I don't know. I don't actually give a fuck. What I do care about is that it's feeling. That is profound emotion. That is "fuck I'm having emotions about this and I am trying to process" and it's on film and we get to see it. And that is wild to me. It's wild how much this man has shown the entire PLANET of his heart. I know he's a rich boy and I know he's in a different world but that is such vulnerability and I respect it so much. So you know, thanks for this 5 minutes sir. Wish the world could be more like this all the time.

May we all one day build our own temples as safe as yours to do art and live our experiences.

a scene™: on rage, regret & yes- joy

I already wrote a tag novel on this but I can't get this scene out of my mind & it deserves a deep-dive, so- buckle up, kids.

the heartwrench started in earnest when Vegas stormed out of the bathroom and Kinn turned to- or on to- Porsche. look at the small but striking journey Porsche's expressions go through here:

I'm praying to the BL gods that we get some BTS commentary on this moment in particular because there's so much that could be happening with Porsche here.

maybe in his tipsiness he was just happy to have Kinn there before the reality of Kinn's rage hit him. maybe it was some of that gleeful sass in response to Kinn's jealousy that we saw earlier in the ep.

or it could have a darker meaning: is that little smile a knowing one? a confirmation of the doubts about Kinn's sincerity/intentions that have been brewing in Porsche since he found out about Tawan?

regardless, all are loaded/potentially devastating possibilities.

Kinn and Porsche then exchange slaps and verbal barbs, but it's much more than the sum of its parts. they both have so many fears, insecurities and lack of trust in each other (and themselves, too) that they've been carrying around since this intoxicating, terrifying thing between them started.

the powder keg was already loaded & ready to explode- the altercation with Vegas was just the spark that lit it.

I'm glazing over the rest of the argument to the aftermath because that's where things really get narratively delicious. I've always been a sucker for a good chase- the idea that someone not just wants but needs you to the extent that they'd pursue you- and Kinn's desperate need for Porsche to stay with him is on full, aggressive display here.

he moves so quickly after Porsche that it comes off as an instinct, not an intentional choice- a magnet chasing its opposite polarity.

12AM (ET) on May 21

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