Keep Singing: A Bethyl Walking Dead Podcast

In which we work through the whole thing segment by segment, topics including Rick's grieving process, (not) dealing with trauma as a running theme in the entire show, a few things that I don't entirely dislike about Negan, the question of whether or not Negan actually has any real human emotions at all, speculation about writers' room dynamics, curious symbolism, and Zombie Apocalypse band names. Well. One. One band name. But it's a *great* band name, dammit. Music featured in this episode is by Ketsa - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/ Enjoying Keep Singing? Buy your fannish host a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/dynamicsymmetry Support Keep Singing on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dynamicsymmetry  

In which your intrepid host launches their series of audio episode recaps. I've been doing these in writing on my Tumblr blog for a while, and I felt like trying a new format. So herein I go on at some length about last night's mid-season premiere "Honor", including the rightness and wrongness of Carl's demise, how deaths on this show do and do not work in general, Rick's arc, the fascinating stuff going on with Carol and Morgan and Ezekiel, why Daryl is currently frustrating me, and the Big Questions this story is ultimately asking and has been since the beginning. 

In which we forge ahead with part 1 of chapter 8 of Burn by TheVampireCat (MEL DO YOUR CHAPTERS HAVE TO BE SO LONG), chapter 9 of Safe Up Here With You by yours truly, and seraphcelene's kiss me, and you will see how important I am. Links in show notes below. Be advised that there's some adult sexual content herein. Aw yeeeeeeeah. (Some of it is really disturbing but if you're me it's still aw yeeeeeeeeeah.) Music courtesy of Anima, Janneh, Ketsa, Deltamorphon, M.Nomized, and Kai Engel. Burn: http://archiveofourown.org/works/1750796/chapters/7724861 Safe Up Here With You: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4200327/chapters/10162139 kiss me, and you will see how important I am: http://archiveofourown.org/works/3464573 Enjoying Keep Singing? Buy your fannish host a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/dynamicsymmetry  

In which Keep Singing makes a triumphant return from the dead with a fabulous conversation with UltimateBethylFicList (Stacey). Discussed: What it's like to attempt to catalog all the fanfiction for an entire fandom, the joy of making authors feel special, maintaining enthusiastic commitment to a ship that may in fact be done (IT'S NOT, DAMMIT), and other delights. Check out the Ultimate Bethyl Fic List site here: https://ultimatebethylficlist.com/ Music courtesy of Ketsa.

In which we FINALLY continue with TheVampireCat's Burn, your host's Safe Up Here With You, and Ambrosia29 (tumblr: writerloverpsycho_pomp)'s sweet sad near-death experience tale The Moments Between (find them all on AO3). Please note: Thanks to Burn, this episode is so so so so so nsfw. So gloriously nsfw. It's awesome. Music courtesy of Ketsa, Ars Sonar, M.Nomized, and Julian A. Lacroix.

In which Mollie (sail-not-drift) and I finally hang out in our fleshy forms and discuss a number of different things, in particular Team Defiance and why we can't let go, and wine is drunk and we both do manage to remain pretty lucid. Guest appearance by dudes outside on obnoxiously loud motorcycles. Music courtesy of Broke for Free

In which there is important logistical news and then we continue with the reading series, consisting - as always - of chapter 6 (part 2) of TheVampireCat's Burn, chapter 7 (part 2) of your host's Safe Up Here With You, and Schwoozie's one-shot Hope is the Thing (all can be found on AO3). Warning: there's a hint of the beginnings of smut in Burn, some really messed up smut in Safe Up Here With You, and then Hope is the Thing requires no warning at all, because it's a complete tonal shift to finish up the episode and is very sweet and lovely. Music courtesy of Anima, Mystified, Scott Holmes, Shadows on the Snow, Kai Engel, and All Shall Be Well; all found at Freemusicarchive.org.

In which the Wisconstravaganza is completed, and we sit in on the second of two lengthy hotel room conversations featuring Amber (writerloverpsycho_pomp), Airey (breathoffreshair, who fell asleep almost immediately) and Jason the Best Roommate Ever. This one takes place in the wee hours, and there is alcohol, and like usual it kind of goes all over the place, and you get to hear what your prudent host sounds like when they're completely smashed. Featured topics include Daryl Dixon meta, yet more media criticism, drunk political science in the zombie apocalypse, The Dark Tower and a brief digression into the general oeuvre of Stephen King, and what it must be like to have your Stupid Zombie Show predict a presidency (it must be so damn weird you guys). Music courtesy of Dlay and Broke For Free.

In which we eavesdrop on exactly what it says on the tin: a (lengthy and very rambly) conversation in a hotel room from this past Wiscon 41, featuring Amber (writerloverpsycho-pomp), Airey (breathoffreshaire), your host, and your host's roommate Jason. It's a bit chaotic and at one point happy hour in a bar is going on in the background but hopefully it's at least kinda entertaining. Topics covered include: the awesomeness of Wiscon, why Beth is super duper alive or at least why her death continues to make no damn sense at all, general shipping stuff, and (I'm pretty sure it's in there) the story of how I tried and failed to assassinate Jason in his sleep. Music courtesy of Dlay and Ketsa.

In which we sit in on a panel from this last weekend's WisCon: How to Ship Without Being a Jerk, and Other Guidelines for Being Good Citizens of Fandom "Everybody hates shipper wars, but nobody trusts the cult of nice, and at some point many of us have been tempted to send a snarky postcard/email/tweet to the Author or Showrunner Who Ruined It All Because They Just Didn't Get It. But just because the Powers that Be are the worst doesn't mean we have to be. How do we have conversations about the fandoms we all love without ruining friendships? Are those even the right goals? If not, what is a better way to look at it?" Panelists: Ty Blauersouth (mod), Leigh Hellmann, KJ, and yours truly. Music courtesy of dustmotes and Ketsa

In which Nikita (nikitajobson on Tumblr) and I discuss all the reasons why Beth's death makes absolutely no sense to us and therefore we don't buy it, what about the show we're loving right now and what drives us up a wall, and making art/the creative process. It's pretty fantabulous. Music courtesy of Stellardrone and Broke For Free

In which our reading series continues with not terribly angsty (part 1 of) chapter 6 of TheVampireCat's Burn, extremely angsty (part 1 of) chapter 7 of your host's Safe Up Here With You, and a sweet little ASZ reunion scenario called Conflagration by headtripparadde. Slightly short episode because your host has been having A Week, but slightly short and late is better than not at all. Music by Stellardrone, Lee Rosevere, AVOIDANT, Transient, and Ketsa

In which Mollie (sail_not_drift) and I attempt to discuss multishipping and... Well, we do, we just also end up going pretty much everywhere else. Multishipping, the problematic particularities of Rick Grimes' psyche, and why people are such jerks about this in general, with a slice of broad fandom griping on the side. Guest appearances from my cat and the birds in my yard (all my windows were open). Enjoy. Music courtesy of Ketsa

In which our reading series keeps on a-rollin' along. Chapter 5 (second half, your host had to split it up) of TheVampireCat's Burn, chapter 6 of your host's Safe Up Here With You, and a lovely little one-shot by the name of And All Your Roads Lead To This, by moonwalkingdead (here at Keep Singing we love fics that begin with "and"). So that's angst with mild smut, straight-up super heavy angst, and sweetness. All bases covered. Music by Dlay, Ketsa, Kai Engel, Shadows on the Snow, and ykymr

In which we settle in for a conversation with Susan/inkinmytea that covers everything from Coda feelings and multishipping to... Well, what it says on the tin. Shoe-stealing foxes and muses in Hawaii. Yeah, you kind of just need to listen. Music courtesy of Ketsa

In which we continue two journeys into hearts of darkness - and pop back out on the other side with flower crowns and fluff. Chapters 5 of my Safe Up Here With You and thevampirecat's Burn, along with What You Think by Vlora. Because angst is nothing without daisies. Music courtesy of Ketsa, Kai Engel, Ars Sonar, and Lee Rosevere

What it says on the tin. I figuratively sit down with fic author and general fabulous person Abelina (abelinajt) to talk about her fic, her history with the fandom, all about how we both feel and think about these characters and this ship, and... yeah, really pretty much anything and everything. It's very cool. Take a listen. Music courtesy of Stellardrone

Last episode in the Reading Series was after the election. This one is after the inauguration. Are you sensing a trend? Regardless, in an upsetting time, here are two reasonably upsetting pieces of fanfic: chapters 4 of TheVampireCat's Burn and your intrepid host's Safe Up Here With You. I'm sorry/you're welcome. Music courtesy of Ketsa, Shadows on the Snow, Kai Engel, and Lee Rosevere

Lift Up Your Voice, Children, Rejoice - Abelina There’s no dog. No cars. No one returned to lay claim to the place. Nothing to keep them from stickin’ around, so they do. And it’s hard, sometimes, to look around this new home without thinking about the past. Link (AO3): http://archiveofourown.org/works/5971302

In which we're joined by Mollie (sail_not_drift/Schwoozie) for a lengthy discussion of... Well, a lot of things. You really have to just listen. Also included: a reading of "Tune My Heart to Sing Thy Grace" (by your intrepid host), which is Christmasy in nature. Note: The music referred to in the outro (Lee Rosevere) is not in fact the music being played DURING the outro but is instead the music that appears at the end of the fic. I know that's confusing. I'm sorry. Music courtesy of Broke For Free, Dustmotes, and Lee Rosevere