What does it take for Christian to actually shut up long enough for Ana to articulate a thought? Trigger him bad enough that he goes into sub mode, apparently. They do actually manage to have a bit of a conversation about all their many, many issues in this chapter...but of course, the result is far from ideal.

Content warnings for this chapter: Kinkshame, ableism, grooming mention, poor communication and consent-getting, trauma/physical abuse mention, "Mommy issues", major mischaracterizations of kink/kinksters, toxic romance tropes, toxic monogamy culture, purity culture.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

In classic 50 Shades fashion, this episode starts with a consent violation and ends with Ana's boss being full-on cartoon-villain creepy. He's leaving for New York without her, so he's damn well gonna take that out on her every chance he gets. And meanwhile Christian is...well, being Christian at her. This girl needs a vacation from men.

Content warnings for this chapter: consent violation/coercion, child abuse mention, pressuring into marriage, jealousy/controlling behavior, ableist language, workplace sexual harassment, sexual assault mention, discussion of abusive relationships, fundamentalist religion, patriarchal gender roles.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

Ana manages to escape Jack's clutches...and of course runs right into Christian's instead. This chapter takes quite a journey, from a near miss with Ana's creepy boss, to a bit of a sex ed lesson in Christian's playroom. Because of course, we can't linger on any non-sexy plot points for too long.

Content warnings for this chapter: threats of sexual assault, physical violence, verbal abuse, alcohol mention, controlling behavior, jealousy, kinkshame, unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

Oops, missed my mid-June posting date. But I'm back! In this chapter, Ana's Specialest Girl Powers™️ get her ahead at her job, and that evening they go to see Christian's therapist together. Dr. Flynn is not a great therapist, and Christian is his usual overly-controlling self throughout.

Content warnings for this chapter: control of eating habits, general controlling behavior, massive condescention, threat of interfering in a partner's career, pressure to marry, jealousy, terrible therapist, poor understanding of kink.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

Just gonna be a little sporadic with posting for a bit, thanks as always for staying with me through it! This chapter starts with Christian showing Ana the house that he's already decided he's going to buy for them to live in together, and ends with a cliffhanger that I'm sure will be resolved two pages into the next chapter. In between, Christian leads Ana through a semi-public scene that he did not negotiate first, and Ana finally gets to interact with some humans that are not her boyfriend. So....yay?

Content warnings for this chapter: overwhelmingly inappropriate Grand Romantic Gesture, child abuse mention, traumatized attachment in a relationship, short temper, poor consent-getting, non-negotiated public sexytimes, sexual coercion, discussion of weight, jealousy/possessiveness, pressure to marry, searching through a partner's belongings (and immediately regretting).

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

In this, the most fillery of filler chapters that we've encountered in the series so far, Ana is worried sick about Christian going missing...until he walks in the door and drops that plot thread like last week's garbage. After a teary reunion, Ana gives Christian her answer to his marriage proposal, and you'll never guess what she says.

Content warnings for this chapter: jealousy/possessiveness, sexism, and just staggeringly bad writing.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

We're nearing 2/3 of the way through the series, and Christian is still being Christian. Even as Ana agrees to marry him, he finds a way to be annoyed at her about giving him what he wants. Luckily we breeze right past that and into a sex scene, and rounding out the chapter with the reveal of Ana's final birthday present - a sexy surprise that we'll see used in the next chapter. So stay tuned to see how that goes.

Content warnings for this chapter: fear of a partner, poor sexual hygiene, jealousy/possessiveness, trauma response, child abuse/neglect mention, discussion of toxic friendships.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

(Please excuse the sound of my dryer in the background of this one, I didn't realize my mic was picking it up quite that much :') )

After absolutely minimal negotiation, Ana and Christian enter the play room for the first time in a while. They then spend the rest of the chapter giving us a glimpse into what their life will be like living together (spoilers, it's Patriarchal As Fuck).

Content warnings for this chapter: terrible negotiation, utter misunderstanding of kink, the str8s are not OK, patriarchal attitudes, blackmail, controlling behavior.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

The book ends with a highly eventful birthday party with Christian. Conflicts with Kate and Elena are neatly wrapped up, and the villain of the next book is revealed. So stay tuned for that once the podcast restarts in 2026!

Content warnings for this chapter: invasion of privacy, kinkshame, toxic family dynamics, anger issues, references to child grooming, discussion of mental illness/saneism, discussion of risk in kinks: mentions of needle play, rope bondage, breath play/choking, nerve damage, death.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

We made it to episode 50! To celebrate, I brought on a rare guest - my girlfriend and domme Kiki - to talk kink, relationships, sex work, and much more. We ended up talking for so long about such a wide range of topics that I've decide to make this into a two-parter (another rarity for this podcast) so I hope you enjoy hearing our conversation as much as we enjoyed having it.

Content warnings: Racism, antisemitism, coercion, relationship anxiety, disregard for partner's needs/boundaries, doing kink without aftercare, child abuse/trauma, pedophilia, toxic relationships, potential dangers of rope bondage, self harm, lobotomy mention.

Kinks discussed: Electro play, shibari/rope bondage, sugar daddying (implied), teaching how to sub, impact/spanking, bratting, foot fetish, switching, double domming, learning to dom, findom, sissification, needle play/piercings, blood play, cutting, choking.

Find Kiki elsewhere: fairyqueenkiki.com

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

Here is part two of my conversation with Kiki, prodomme and my girlfriend. This one ended up being a lighter conversation overall, so if last episode was a lot, this should be more of a palate cleanser.

Content warnings: Alcohol mention, hard drugs mention, death penalty mention.

Kinks discussed: Hands, feet, eyes, armpit play, biting, teasing, bondage, overstimulation, pain play, aftercare, praise, service, subspace, impact, scat, fire play, incest roleplay, breath play, needle play.

Find Kiki elsewhere: fairyqueenkiki.com

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

Happy New Year! I've got one more episode for you before I go on a brief hiatus from the pod until mid-February. Start your new year off with some chaos; I'm joined by Austin and Beverly of the Revolution Rose podcast as we eat, drink, and are horrified by the second 50 Shades movie. Enjoy! And if you liked this, definitely check out their podcast - link below.

Content warnings: Alcohol mentioned throughout, stalking, grooming, sexual assault mention, racism, misogyny, possessiveness, poor communication, abuse, blood mention, anti-drug user slur, coercion, slight body horror, childhood trauma, crinkling and crunching of snacks throughout.

Listen to The Revolution Rose: andalitebandits.libsyn.com

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

My hiatus is over and I'm gearing up for one last slog through the last book in the series. We're starting off strong, joining Ana and Christian at the tail end of their honeymoon. They're bickering just as much as usual, Christian is just as possessive as usual, and I am...exhausted already. Here we go!

Content warnings: night terrors mention, possessiveness/ownership of another person's body, misogyny/patriarchy, abusive relationship mention, poor negotiation/consent-getting outside the bedroom, controlling behavior, ignoring a partner's desires, nonconsensual objectification, slight fashion snobbery.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

In this episode, Christian gives Ana a bit of "funishment" for her "disobedience", leading me to discussions about power dynamics, safety, autonomy, and lots more. We're back in it for real now!

Content warnings violation of privacy/filming strangers in public, infantilization, ableism, controlling behavior, poor communication, toxic relationship dynamics, discussion of finances, codependency, unsafe restraint methods, terrible negotiation/consent-getting.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

There's a lot of discussion about consent and bodily autonomy in this episode, but amongst all the trash, I do find a bit of treasure! Another possible kink that EL James actually has, and therefor writes about much better than just about anything else in the books. Exciting! Listen on to find out what that kink is.

Also, a small note about audio quality: I think this episode accidentally got recorded on my laptop's built in mic instead of my usual podcasting mic, so the quality of the sound is lower than usual. However, I think you can still hear what I'm saying clearly enough that I didn't feel it necessary to re-record the whole thing. So just keep that in mind going into this episode!

Content warnings: nonconsensual marks, controlling behavior, misuse of the term "hard limit", parentifying the woman in a romantic relationship, infantilization of a female character, childhood trauma, anti-drug user slur, anti-sex worker slur, unresolved trauma and its effects on relationships.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

It's a short episode this time around because honestly, not a lot happens. There's some sex, some relationship shenanigans, and.....a tiny bit of character development?? Finally???? Blink and you'll miss it, but it's there!

Content warnings: controlling behavior, abuse mention, blackmail, objectification, arson mention, misguided savior complex, manosphere mention, infantilization, gun mention, misunderstanding of kink.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

The plot thickens with an exciting action sequence in this chapter! But before we find out too much about that, Christian is up to his usual controlling, jealous, uncaring bs, and of course we've got to have the obligatory one sex scene per chapter. So really, just another day in 50 Shades Land.

Content warnings: weight loss/gain, fatphobia, body image issues, codependency, controlling behavior, comments on someone's body, unhealthy relationship to food, beauty standards, cops mention, evil billionaire behavior, jealousy.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

This chapter starts out with a scene (which I have some Thoughts about!) and that's about the most exciting thing that happens. Until the very end of the chapter, where we learn something (unsurprising) about the identity of the arsonist at Christian's office.

Content warnings: terrible negotiation, questionable sexual hygiene, homophobia mention, brief discussion of injury/infection, poop mention, possessiveness, controlling behavior, arson mention, assault mention.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod; patreon.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

Ana goes back to work for the first time after her honeymoon, and Christian is Not Happy about her exercising her autonomy now that they're married. But then, when has he ever been particularly happy about her being an entire separate human person with separate wants, needs, dreams, etc?

Content warnings: arson mention, sexual assault mention, jealousy, invasive questions, juvenile behavior, threats of violence, codependence, patriarchy, discussion of abuse tactics, toxic monogamy.

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/leighcartist

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com

Ana and Christian have a relatively wholesome (by their standards) time together, aside from their usual communication issues, and something Ana finds in Christian's desk drawer that will definitely be an issue later. So business as usual for the two of them really.

Content warnings: misogyny, patriarchy, jealousy, boundary crossing, poor communication, gun mention, abuse mention, financial manipulation..

Stella's non-sw work: allmylinks.com/lcartpresents

Stella's sw-related work: allmylinks.com/candikitten 

Find this podcast elsewhere: allmylinks.com/thecurdledpod

Logo by Rhys Jones tearlessrainart.tumblr.com