hotandmessyinthecotswalds

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Lizzie, MY WIFE

the scene where james is practicing for his interview with thatcher and lizzie is helping and she does that lil sexy thing with the bow on her dress DUDE. HOW. THE. FUCK. DID. JAMES. REJECT. HER???????????????

forreal, if i was james in that moment, i would've been like, "fuck practice and c'mere" bc have you SEEN lizzie?????????!!!!!

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Time to start shit again. Yeah, sure you might treat Declan better than Maud. But would he treat you, in this hypothetical world, better than he treats Maud? Maud tells him repeatedly that she wants more attention. She wants him to care. But he doesn't, because I'm going to be real: Declan, in the show, has a long history of flat-out not listening to women or really caring what they want. He cares about his work, but he cares about the work on his terms.

He's in love with the idea of himself as this moral person without actually thinking about what his actions mean for other people. Daysee flat out tells him that she didn't need his help. And yeah, maybe that's the trauma. But it also puts her in the position of pushing the blame of having finally- indirectly - caused the biggest star off the rails. Tony could have fired her. I'm surprised that he didn't. It's in no way her fault. But in the world of Rivals, it could be construed that way. I feel like every time I'm even vaguely critical of Declan I have to put the "Maud's not great either". Which she obviously isn't. But the way Declan is woobified by a lot of the fandom sticks in my craw. It's like he's too handsome to have flaws.

His flaws make him more interesting, and honestly an interesting foil to Rupert. Both of them don't care, in the beginning of the show, what the women in their lives think. But Rupert actually starts working on it. Declan is the very same at the end of the series as he is at the beginning. Maybe he'll change in series 2. Which brings me to my central thesis again: Declan doesn't treat the women in his life very well.

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Taggie girl you're 20 you could have just moved out. Let your useless parents rot.

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"Taggie O'Hara is the only normal person in Rutshire" might actually be my best take. Unfortunately she gets dickmatised rip, enjoy being as batty as everyone else.

Honestly my favourite part of Bella Maclean's performance isn't any of the romantic parts its how many differing expressions of irritation, mortification, and confusion she can produce.

I think Taggie's a hard character to act, even if they did make her a bit more assertive, but she does a great line in basically being a straight man for everyone else in the series.

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Honestly my favourite part of Bella Maclean's performance isn't any of the romantic parts its how many differing expressions of irritation, mortification, and confusion she can produce.

I think Taggie's a hard character to act, even if they did make her a bit more assertive, but she does a great line in basically being a straight man for everyone else in the series.

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Reblogging my own post to add @acquitainequeen's tags: I'd forgotten about that final scene and it is heartbreaking as an opening: "I think friends would be rather nice." Ooof. In the heart.

Just having some thoughts about one of my favourite side characters, Charles Fairburn.

I read some Disc Horse about how he was a boring "sad gay" stereotype and I don't know if that's exactly true. On the one hand I am not a cis-gay man, so perhaps I'm not the best person to make that call. But I will say I do love him as a character. In his first scene, we get to see him display some self-depreciating humour: "Charles, you look-" "Fatter, I don't miss the BBC canteen, darling." He's also the controller of programs, so he's good at what he does. And he might have issues with Cameron, but game recognises game and he calls her a genius. I also love the moment where he's a little flirtatious with Bas and Declan just grins, like, oh, same old Charles. It's just so cute and affectionate, you know? And whilst we don't see his relationship with his mother in person, they do love each other, and her not being able to recognise him is devastating. "The only one who loves me." Maybe that's a bit close to the bone, because when I was a young, nd queer my strongest relationship was with my mum and it did feel like if she stopped seeing me I'd stop existing. And the narrative takes that seriously, right? It's never played for laughs. It treats his relationship with Gerald as important and meaningful as any of the others.

Anyway, love Charles and I think Gary Lamont's performance is amazing.

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My friends an earlier post about how much the good folk of Rivals would stink is emphasised by the chronic smoker I currently have in my house. I have not been about to breathe properly for 48 hours. All my soft furnishings smell like smoke.

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I am not scared of starting shit so I'm saying this right out: there is no scene in Rivals where it becomes so starkly apparent about the O'Haras' failings as parents and as a marriage as to when Maud is leaving and Declan turns to Taggie, his own daughter, and tells her to stop her mother leaving. Like, dude. You clearly haven't been paying attention to the relationship your wife and your daughter have if you think that's going to work. You clearly haven't absorbed a thing that Maud has just said to you. I think a common fandom thing is that Maud's the only bad parent that Taggie has, when it's clear he doesn't know her at all. (Also, when she's trying to get him to stop destroying Rupert on television and he tells her to grow up and that's happening whether she likes it or not...well. This whole thing started because he was angry Rupert groped Taggie. And now her opinion doesn't matter anymore? Ok Declan. This is about your pride now.) And before anyone gets in my case about being too soft on Maud, whole-ass leaving without saying goodbye to your children is a shitty shitty move. Neither Declan nor Maud should have had kids. Then Declan kind of caps it off by...celebrating about the Venturer bid and not taking his kids aside and saying "hey, about your mum..." Maud is wrong about a lot of things but she's not wrong about her husband's priorities. I do not absolve Maud of anything about the way she treats Taggie or the terrible things that she does. I do put it out there that Declan is a shitty parent too, but in an "emotionally absent Dad" way. At any point he could step in and get her to stop, but he doesn't. He doesn't seem to push back at all. And that's...pretty harmful too. I ship Taggie x therapy, more than anything else.

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Just having some thoughts about one of my favourite side characters, Charles Fairburn.

I read some Disc Horse about how he was a boring "sad gay" stereotype and I don't know if that's exactly true. On the one hand I am not a cis-gay man, so perhaps I'm not the best person to make that call. But I will say I do love him as a character. In his first scene, we get to see him display some self-depreciating humour: "Charles, you look-" "Fatter, I don't miss the BBC canteen, darling." He's also the controller of programs, so he's good at what he does. And he might have issues with Cameron, but game recognises game and he calls her a genius. I also love the moment where he's a little flirtatious with Bas and Declan just grins, like, oh, same old Charles. It's just so cute and affectionate, you know? And whilst we don't see his relationship with his mother in person, they do love each other, and her not being able to recognise him is devastating. "The only one who loves me." Maybe that's a bit close to the bone, because when I was a young, nd queer my strongest relationship was with my mum and it did feel like if she stopped seeing me I'd stop existing. And the narrative takes that seriously, right? It's never played for laughs. It treats his relationship with Gerald as important and meaningful as any of the others.

Anyway, love Charles and I think Gary Lamont's performance is amazing.

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so was I not supposed to be obsessed with Cameron Cook? not only is she gorgeous and constantly serving cunt like it’s her job, but she’s also brilliant at her actual job and a wonderfully complex yet sympathetic character. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future and I hope she finds a fulfilling position (in charge of course) and true emotional understanding with someone crazy about her.

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Riders book spoilers under the cut

If Rupert Campbell-Black can give his wife the clap and still be considered the hero of the first two books well Sky's the limit, friends.

😈 You are not bound by the Hays code.

😈 You are allowed to have evil characters who are not punished by the narrative by the end of the story.

😈 You are allowed to have evil characters who win.

😈 You are allowed to have evil characters who make evil look fun and cool.

😈 You are allowed to make your fun, cool evil character the protagonist.

😈 You are allowed to glorify, romanticize and eroticize evil characters and villainous acts.

😈 You are not obligated to teach your audience a moral lesson.

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RIVALS (2024) Series 1 | Episode 7

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The best dress in the entire series. The best costumes of the entire series. Every scene a stunner.

y no gifsets devoted to Cameron’s yellow Malaga dinner party dress???? I’m sorry she’s the most stunning member of the ensemble but that’s just the facts

I hope she gets everything she ever wanted she’s earned it and her BDE is unmatched

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Freezing their nips off for the aesthetic. Iconic.

Came over to help the mother take down the Christmas decorations, so you can bet we're watching Rivals episode 4.

Rupert and Bas riding around the countryside, in what I presume is late January or early February, and in white unbuttoned shirts. Dedicated rakes.

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I can't stand Taggie/Rupert stans who hate Cameron.

She didn't do anything wrong, she's literally the victim in this situation. LEAVE MY GIRL ALONEEEEE

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Christ I love this woman

RIVALS | 1x07