The Untamed episode 13

[selenay]

News flash: monster hunting did not go well.

I'm impressed by the way Wen Chao makes himself more loathsome with every scene. Wow, he is an awful character.

At least they didn't make Nie Huaisang go monster hunting, this episode would have been so bad for my beautiful delicate boy.

Instead, we got the full range of everything that can possibly go wrong and also every way that WWX and LWJ can try to selflessly save everyone except themselves. Oh my gosh, why are you both like that? On the plus side, we got yet another chance to see how well they work together to solve problems and I love their whole battle couple dynamic. And it was nice to see Jiang Chen getting to do a bit of heroic sneaking and swimming.

On the other hand, WWX and LWJ got everyone out of that cave except themselves and the entire episode was VERY STRESSFUL.

And on the third hand, I loved those scenes at the end with just WWX and LWJ in their tiny monster-free cave. All the trapped in a cave tropes, plus some gorgeous hurt/comfort. LWJ is clearly hurting a lot now that his broken leg has also been mauled (meep!), but he still tries to make WWX use some of the healing grass on himself. And then there is the conversation about the Cloud Recesses being burned and LWJ's family being missing/hurt and WWX doesn't know how to make that hurt less, but gosh he tries.

I have some questions about why WWX thought that stripping would make LWJ throw up the clotted blood. Honey, my adorable labrador chaos goblin, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

And then the conversation about girls, and Mienmien, and why LWJ isn't interested in Mienmien and...

Wei Wuxian. You were four inches from his face. How did you not notice the feelings LWJ was broadcasting louder than I've seen him broadcast any feelings before? He couldn't have been louder with a tannoy and a neon sign. YOU FAILED TO NOTICE. HOW.

I see the theme of their relationship is very different from what I expected. I figured there might be some pining, but I didn't expect LWJ and his stoic pining. I thought it would be WWX very loudly pining in dramatic flops somewhere while LWJ gradually works out his feelings. This is somehow better than I imagined? And also, this got past the censors with that expression on LWJ's face?

So yes, this episode was both incredibly stressful and also had an ending that had me chewing my fingers for totally different reasons. I genuinely have no idea how this can possibly get worse, but I'm sure episode 14 will demonstrate.

At least I'll have that cave scene to remember as everything goes horribly wrong in even worse ways.