This section gathers all the author’s notes written alongside the missing scenes.
These notes are not part of the story itself.
They exist to explain the intentions, choices, and narrative logic behind the scenes: why certain moments were written, where they fit in the canon timeline, and how they connect emotionally and narratively to what happens on screen.
The missing scenes are designed to stand on their own.
You can read them without ever opening these notes and still experience the story fully.
Each set of notes is organized by batch, following the same chronology as the missing scenes:
a batch corresponds to a specific moment between canon episodes. Each Author’s Note reflects the broader emotional and narrative arc explored during that stretch of story.
Rather than commenting on isolated moments, the Author’s Notes look at how scenes work together: how they speak to one another, how they prepare what follows, and how they bridge the emotional gap left between canon episodes, without rewriting or altering canon.
These notes are best read after the corresponding missing scenes. They are not meant to guide the reading experience, but to reflect on it afterward — offering context, perspective, and insight into the choices made once the story has already been encountered.
Reading these notes is entirely optional.
They are intended as a companion space for those who want to look a little closer at the emotional architecture behind the scenes.
Author’s Notes by Season
Go directly to the season of your choice and click on a title to open the corresponding author’s notes, or simply keep scrolling to browse all seasons’ author’s notes.
Author’s Notes — Season 20 (coming soon)
Author’s Notes — Season 21 (coming soon)
Author’s Notes — Season 22
→ Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.1
Between Episode 22×01 and 22×02
Survival’s aftermath, the long road to recovery, and the emotional ground laid for the next fracture.
→ Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.2
Between Episode 22×02 and 22×03
The slow re-alignment of a relationship after trauma, through presence, routine, and shared emotional ground.
→ Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.3
Between Episode 22×03 and 22×04
Re-entry into real life, as momentum returns unevenly and identity, usefulness, and roles begin to shift.
→ Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.4
Between Episode 22×04 and 22×05
The cost of moving forward, when exhaustion surfaces, intimacy adapts, and priorities quietly recalibrate.
→ Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.5
Between Episode 22×05 and 22×06
When the illusion of control breaks, and presence becomes the only role left to hold.
→ Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.6
After Episode 22×06 and within the 12-hour gap left at the beginning of Episode 22×07
A twelve-hour study of endurance and the slow transition from paralysis to function, as love and responsibility force motion back into a body that has shut down.
→ Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.7
Between Episode 22×07 and 22×08
A seven-day exploration of survival trauma, delayed motherhood, fragile hope, and emotional endurance, as Jo fights to recover while Link tries to hold everyone together and their premature daughters slowly learn how to breathe, stabilize, and survive.
Author’s Notes — Season 23
→ Author’s Notes — Season 23, Bonus Scenes 23.1.B1
Within Episode 23×01
A playful exploration of everyday intimacy, family chaos, romance, and stolen moments, as Jo and Link navigate life with four children while finding a little much-needed time to be just the two of them.
Browse all Seasons Author’s Notes below ↓
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Author’s Notes — Season 23, Bonus Missing Scenes 23.1.B1
A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Jo and Link’s Season 23 bonus scenes, from family chaos to stolen moments of intimacy. Exploring the inspiration behind the story, creative and narrative choices, subtle callbacks, emotional layers, and overlooked details, alongside personal reflections on the writing process and lessons learned about storytelling.
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Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.7
Batch 22.7 explores Jo and Link’s journey through the seven unseen days between Episodes 22×07 and 22×08. As Jo fights to physically recover from a life-threatening cardiac event while emotionally navigating survival trauma and delayed motherhood, Link tries to hold everyone together while their premature daughters slowly stabilize in the NICU. Across exhaustion, separation, and…
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Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.6
Set within the twelve-hour jump of Episode 22×07, this batch traces endurance. Link moves from shock to function through waiting rooms, hard choices, quiet love, and borrowed strength. These unseen hours explain how he re-enters canon contained, present, and still carrying everything that the episode leaves unsaid.
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Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.5
Batch 22.5 explores the shifting dynamics between Jo and Link amid a crisis. Jo, even though she is the patient, takes on the emotional role, while Link confronts his helplessness, transitioning from problem-solver to a supportive presence. The emotional journey reveals their dependence on each other as they face impending challenges together.
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Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.4
Batch 22.4 delves into the aftermath of trauma for Jo and Link after leaving the hospital. As they navigate daily responsibilities, they confront emotional imbalances rather than healing. Jo’s exhaustion contrasts with Link’s gradual reclaiming of purpose, emphasizing relational intimacy and the importance of being present amidst ongoing challenges.
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Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.3
Batch 22.3 marks a significant shift in the narrative, transitioning from crisis to the complexities of re-entry into ordinary life. Characters grapple with identity and responsibility as they navigate recovery and movement forward. Jo leads in embracing logistics, while Link faces anxiety about his role.
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Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.2
Batch 22.2 explores Jo and Link’s emotional journey from survival to recovery amidst lingering trauma. Their disconnection transforms into alignment through shared vulnerability, trust, and presence. Each scene highlights their gradual reconnection, emphasizing that healing is collective. By the end, they face their future together, despite ongoing uncertainty, not resolved but aligned.
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Author’s Notes — Season 22, Batch 22.1
Set immediately after Episode 22×01 Batch 22.1 was written to explore what is not shown on screen: transition. The space between survival and understanding, when shock has not yet given way to meaning. Canon gives us survival. Episode 22×01 shows the crisis and its immediate resolution. What it leaves unseen is the emotional movement that…