#Inspector Blake

[syncstones]

Haven't been feeling well so all you get is this

[lumber]

Happy Saturday! ❤️ 🔍👀 #HallAndOates #PinkPanther #BlakeEdwards #PeterSellers #InspectorClouseau #FrizFreleng #HawleyPratt #DePatieFreleng #UnitedArtists #Cartoons #Animation #Retro #JeauxJanovsky #SketchBookArt #SaturdayMorningCartoons #Music #Lyrics #PopCulture

[thinkingaboutbetterdays]

drama mini list.

house m.d.

code black.

psych.

elementary.

csi : crime scene investigation.

csi : new york.

murdoch mysteries.

the doctor blake mysteries.

inspector george gently.

justified.

castle.

criminal minds : suspect behaviour.

law & order.

law and order svu.

without a trace.

the loch.

bones.

downton abbey.

holby blue.

heartbeat.

the bill.

midsomer murders.

grimm.

the x-files.

[goldensunset]

who cares about the fire they thought he was dead for two years 😭😭😭😭😭

[no-where-new-hero]

✣ Blake Wrapped: KDrama Edition 📹

Almost exactly a year ago, I watched Goblin for the first time and loved it, as I knew I would (I am so very much the target audience for that show it’s not even funny). And when I started retagging the gifs and stuff I had reposted from that time, I saw that I tagged something with “I’m not in a kdrama phase per se, but…” Reader, I lied. The kdrama phase was just waiting dormant for its moment to overtake my life. Here’s my rough ranking of what I saw this year.

#1: Coffee Prince (2007)

It’s a little dated, but it also has worn tremendously well considering its contemporaries, and the bones are flawless: great writing with well-rounded characters, a gorgeously evocative soundtrack, a lovable cast. It has recognizable tropes (rich boy/poor girl, second leads, deceptions, etc) but never feels cliche. Also, it’s incredibly queer. Yes, the endgame of the main pair is happily heterosexual but the male lead works through a gay awakening and the female lead is basically non-binary. Even the second couple challenge gender roles in a refreshing way. I’ve only seen it twice because of platform difficulties, but it has compelling rewatch value.

#1’ : Goblin/Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)

This show is a masterpiece. It has its weak moments here and there (one dreepy song in the OST, the female leads could be fleshed out more, some of the mythology is spit and string), but it’s such a stunning production in the whole that you don’t really get stuck on that. The cinematography is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in any piece of film ever, the instrumental music is unmatched, it engages with deep themes, and the interpersonal dynamics are gorgeous (I love the three-of-us-in-this-marriage feel among the mains). It’s also incredibly moving, especially in parts that you don’t expect. I’ve seen this five times and I’m still not bored of it.

#1.5: Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020)

Considering how much I’ve yelled about this, you’d think it would be higher, and I think my overall complaint about it is that, on a craft level, it’s telling two stories: the overt story is an immortal romance, but the underneath story is about family and redemption, and that’s the story that’s the compelling one. Unfortunately, unlike the first two I listed, the theme and plot don’t always cohere as well as they could. That being said, the characters are top-notch, the cinematography and effects are great, and the atmosphere always feels just a little bit off to be properly otherworldly. It gave me my OTP and set off an obsession. I need to rewatch it and suffer all over again.

#2: Hidden Identity (2015)

Of course, this drama is flawed, as viewers always seem to like pointing out, but I also did watch all sixteen episodes in less than 48 hours during a school week, which tells you something about its gripping pacing and structure. The episodes are, well, episodic, but the cliffhangers are fantastic, the various threads build well to the final boss, and It was also just a really well-produced show? The cinematography and fight choreography were masterfully executed, the cast really made the most of their roles, and the theme music was addictive. I was also, of course, watching it for the Plot (Kim Beom).

#2.5: Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 (2023)

It’s hard for me to evaluate this objectively because so much of it was fan-service, but since I was the fan being serviced, how could I not like it? It lacked the chic sexiness of the first season, but it was full of sincerity and incredible characters making heart-breaking and meaningful connections with each other—the writing improved, thank goodness—and the mix of fantasy, historical drama, and western made for a really fun setting. I enjoyed the shortened structure of having only 12 episodes instead of the standard 16 since it seemed to hold the pacing to a tighter rhythm.

#3: Special Labor Inspector Mr. Jo (2019)

Would I rewatch this? Probably not. Did I enjoy the heck out of it the first time? Absolutely. It’s a sharp, smart satire whose virtue lies in its breezy ability to entertain as a tall tale while keeping the themes and social commentary incredibly grounded. It’s amazing how a show with such cynicism could also be such fun. The cast was excellent and the plot deliberately uses familiar tropes of rich families, hired gangs, and love struggles to push through its message: Power destroys. Heroism is kindness. Sometimes all you need is one very angry and very tired gym teacher turned bureaucrat to make life better.

#4: Boys Over Flowers (2008)

This should not be as high as it is, but there were moments I still haven’t stopped thinking about and want to see again, which means it must have had something going on, even though I’m not sure what it was. I could never tell whether it was being ridiculous and outlandish on purpose or the show runners really thought they were making serious television. Exactly two songs in the soundtrack were good, and you also had that theme song as proper paratextual warning, and the outfits were what conservative people probably thing Queer Eye is. I do see why people like it. It’s just the kind of liking you have to do while mildly intoxicated.

#5: That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013)

This one was melodramatic to the hilt, but somehow weirdly compelling, both through the elaborate ruse that sets up the plot and through the outrageous beauty of the two leads. This is the kind of overdramatic and indulgent nonsense you sometimes want in fiction, especially when its gorgeous to look at. The male lead goes around in suspenders and nice pants looking like a 1930s gangster. His sidekick’s hair and outfit anticipates David Tennant’s Crowley by six years. The female lead’s disability was pretty sensitively portrayed. Sometimes that’s all you can ask for.

Bonus (movies): You all know my thoughts about Flight. Also going to mention Hellcats, which was absurd but also deserves full points for having a main character come out as gay for her best friend).

[fourorfivemovements]

Films Watched in 2023: 76. A Shot in the Dark (1964) - Dir. Blake Edwards

[creativecuquilu]

🎃Halloween Party 2k24 Day 31🎃 - Ensemble! -

All of October is finally done!

This challenge was really fun, though a bit complicated since I had to do each day in the nick of time.

Either way, another Halloween that has been very happy. Specially, today I wore a hockey mask and a couple of bloodied gloves...I've spooked a bunch of people! I'll be waiting till next year for more spookyness.

Hope you like it and Happy Halloween everyone!

WATCH IT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc3tXHjUXSU

[pokespefangirl]

Swim- rakufai

[aqqleshiqqing-archive]

Jil!!! Lookie!!

Saw this while shelving and happened to flip it over and read the back ... immediately remembered your little family dynamic with Blake and had to let you know this was here asdfghjkl

~ heart-of-aspiration 📖

YAHOOOOOOOOO YEEEEESS YES OMG so that means bw2 is in the collection there!! THAT'S AWESOME WAAAHHH i didn't expect the back cover to show some spoilers in the synopsis but WHAGEGSHHAJS BUT YESSS BLAKE!!! BLAKE HES HERE!!! he looks so cool here, I don't remember seeing this apart from whitley being in the center 🥹🥹 she's so cute WAAH

THANK YOUUU i love knowing that these physical copies still exist somewhere and ig some people are still reading the actual books 🥹

[delicatebluebirdruins]

Lockets and Rings

disclaimer this will be a ramble... no one should be surprised

so I just started rereading the Screaming Staircase and Lucy just picked up the locket of Annabel Ward (well obviously i am also finished at the time of posting) and I was thinking about how it is in the show and I won't presume to know why they changed it (maybe because it would be easier for Lucy to remove and how easy it was to put it front and center on Annie's finger and frames her face and i just think its a haunting image) but both serve to show the relationship between her and Fairfax in different lights (heck in show verse he could have given her a locket as well)

Lockets are often ways to remember something or someone. They contain pictures most of the time and sometimes locks of hair or maybe little love letters.

So often it is a connection to the giver a way of keeping them close. It contains a image or a piece of them.

Onto how it is in the book.

page 57 of my copy "once, that girl's living hands fixed it around her neck, think to make herself look lovelier for the day"

180 "maybe I just wanted to save something of her, so she wouldn't be completely lost" a thing that came through in the show (also glad the show added Lucy acting "odd" when connected to it

186 noticing the seam without noticing the seam

Later on I mention the presentation of the memories attached to this precious things in the show but here is the book 191-192 "first a man and woman talking; the woman's high-pitched laughter, the man's voice joining her as one. Then a sensation of fierce joy, of passion shared; I felt the elation of the girl, her feverish delight. A great bulb of happiness spread out to fill my world... The laughter changed, became hysterical in tone. The man's voice grew harsher, the sound twisted. I felt a cold, sharp jolt of fear... And then at once the joy was back and all was well, well, well... Until the next reversal, until contentment curdled, and the voices rose once more in anger, and I was sick with jealousy and rage... the mood-swings flashing past... And all at once came sudden silence, and a cold voice talking in my ear, and a final blaze of fury that ascended to a desperate shriek of pain"

emphasis mine the cycical nature the jealousy and rage of both parties "I was sick with jealousy and rage" and the final moment of anger

Inscriptions on the locket: same quote from Hamlet and 196 latin "my torment, my bliss" which is again very telling on how jealous and insecure Fairfax was.

page 218 "The necklace doesn't really add anything. Even without it Blake is clearly guilty" I have to add this line because it made my eye twitch like this is a reread and I know Lockwood follows up on it and it's incriminating evidence but still I had to share it. Inscriptions are important be it as simple as initials, words or what Fairfax did with the locket which is add a reference to a specific passage from "their" favourite play and "my torment, my bliss" and there is a record of it rings inscriptions depend on the size of the band and those can be slender so it would be very small writing (and we who have bad eyesight suffer with it example i have looked over the wedding rings in my grans jewellry box many times and today i found that does have an inscription of her name and my grandads it was in a bag that I halfheartedly labelled "not inscribed") but still receipts exist

244 Both show and book have an intruder working on behalf of Fairfax try to take the precious item back... inadvertantly shoving the trio onto the right path. That the importance of it is more than meets the eye.

250 I am very glad the show added more emphasis on Annie playing Ophelia in Hamlet as it joins Fairfax, Blake and her in this unwilling jealous love triangle (assuming Blake felt anything for her other than fondness of a coworker in the show we know she dated him for little bit) If we had more time maybe we'd have more than one mention of Fairfax and showbuisness.

and then we get a big gap and resume with

407 Fairfax performing under his middle name and the history of his acting stint being something he remained proud of and probably something he always wanted to do but expectations of his life kept him from his real true love his great pride but still love of money is greater than anything else.

409 "passion is what Annie and I shared" passion goes both ways it's a very strong emotion and we see it in the glimpse we got of their relationship

410 "Annie was not of the correct social standing, you see her father was a tailor, or something of that kind- and my parents would have cut off my inheritance if they'd known about her. Well, finally Annie demanded we go public. I refused, of course - the idea was impossible-so she left me... For a time she went around with Hugo Blake: a fop, a worthless dandy. He was no good and she knew it. Before long she was back with me." Everything Fairfax did was to keep the relationship secret and keep Annie with him it was Hugo Blake dropping her off at the door that was the ignition for his jealous rage ending with Annie's death. Fairfax also visited her in secret and waited for her inside. I don't think I have to say how terrifying it must have been to come home and the moment you're inside you're being confronted by an angry jealous man'

412 admitting he forgot the Locket for weeks vs "I often regret leaving it behind when I bricked her into that chimney. I knew it was monstrous. But I couldn't throw my whole life away for one mistake" which is actually not completely discrediting the idea that in his panic and guilt it slipped his mind to take it with him (but still him keeping it with him somebody could find and ask about it)

428 Annie hopefully moving on and the locket being destroyed in the funaces

Now lets talk about rings

When rings come into play in romantic relationships people tend to lose their minds a little. What with the empahsis on extravagant engagement rings and the simpler wedding bands.

Symbolically as a whole rings are unending circles a sign of an unending bond, a show of committment. No matter the relationship type.

so promise rings: it's a commitment ring without being a engagment ring or wedding ring "It's given by one partner as a token of their fidelity, and in turn worn by the other to show that the commitment is mutual." and can be used to signify a future engagement

Engagement and wedding rings can become heirlooms passed down through the years, and it's obvious what they mean but its the greater/ greatest emotional show of romantic commitment.

And I think having it be a ring in the show is incredibly cruel of Fairfax. We don't know what the interaction was like when she got given the ring and it's inscription but just think about the hopes she had for their relationship, for their future. All brought up because of a ring and a significant inscription for her "never doubt i love" because of what she did as an actor and the quote itself.

The snippets of conversation when Lucy channels Annabel. Fairfax seemingly making a mountain out of a mole hill and working himself into a rage. Talking about Hugo Blake dropping her off "did you tell him where to go?" and Annie not knowing what the problem was and just being happy that she gets to spend to time with the man she loved. "She's afraid *pants* It's alright he loves me you love me don't you." As well a the confusion and the desperation of "you gave me the ring. he'd never hurt me, never... stop, stop look at me you're hurting me stop please I can't bloody breathe" all draws out the pain Annie is feeling.

modes of death and other things

in the book Annie's death was seemingly accidental a hand raised in anger and a broken neck it was the cover up that made it murder. And I don't why I started thinking about this but lets diverge to another show another story. The Haunting of Hill House adapted by Mike Flanagan and Nell Crane's passing in the show. Her mother's locket (holding the images of her and Luke) turning into a noose. And with a hanging there is two ways to die a broken neck and suffocation. Suffocation is a hard way to go intimate no matter where you are, you are sharing the last breath of another person. It also a little premeditated? nobody gets accidently strangled right

[frimleyblogger]

Tour De Force

A review of Tour de Force by Christianna Brand – 240813 The sixth book in Brand’s Inspector Cockrill series, originally published in1955 and reissued as part of the British Library Crime Classics series, sees Cockie take a well-earned holiday, a package tour around Italy. Inevitably, when the representative from Scotlanda Yarda reaches the quasi-independent island of San Juan el Pirata, some…

[leonardoararyba-arte]

Meu Primeiro Desenho.

[mimble-sparklepudding]

The Etheirycrumb OCs Revisited.

A is for Amon, with charisma in spades, B is for Banri, and his collection of blades, C is for Clara, who’s often confused, D is for Damien, with shadow infused, E is for Estelle, who’s hard to outplay, F is for Feldspar, with his legs on display, G is for Gigi, the safety inspector, H is for Hwyl, the glamour collector, I is for Iris, genteel and refined, J is for Jess, who knows her own mind, K is for Kai, in a tender romance, L is for Lejo, who really can dance, M is for Mizuki, with her tricky upbringing, N is for Nate, and his magical singing, O is for Osric, both wolfish and brooding, P is for Podolly, and the warmth she’s exuding, Q is for Q'ruhka, setting sail through the sky, R is for Rowan, who at first seems quite shy, S is for Saeed, who vowed to resist, T is for Tsukia, a brave altruist, U is for U’lohi, the spreader of joy, V is for Valentin, that flirtatious boy, W is for Wolfram, and his undisclosed bond, X is for Xynal, drawing power from beyond, Y is for Yume, with an un-charming prince, Z is for Zuzunzo, and the skill he'll evince.

By Blake Primping-Muddles.

(With further apologies to Edward Gorey)

A couple of years ago I wrote a very silly poem, in the style of Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies, in order to celebrate some of the wonderful FFXIV blogs and OCs on Tumblr. You can find the original here. Recently I thought it might be fun to revisit the idea and celebrate some more of my favourite OCs...

Hopefully nobody minds me borrowing their characters for further silly purposes! And apologies to the many wonderful OCs I had to leave out - there are an awful lot of characters starting with M and S etc.

How many characters did you recognise? Why not follow their respective blogs and find out more about their stories!

Amon @spotofmummery

Banri @aoife-asturmaux

Clara @confusedau-ra

Damien @damienward-ffxiv

Estelle @viiioca

Feldspar @loldragoon-ffxiv

Gigi @gigifujijifu

Hywl @hywl

Iris @irisopranta

Jess @sasslett

Kai @kaitontenchu

Lejo @naejlas-axe

Mizuki @pumpkinmagekupo

Nate @calico-heart

Osric @osric-giroux-ffxiv

Podolly @roxinova

Q'ruhka @placesyoucallhome

Rowan @tallbluelady

Saeed @stalwart-spirit

Tsukia @tsukiakurotori

U’lohi @humblemooncat

Valentin @cadrenebula

Wolfram @xiv-wolfram

Xynal @qxynalvaleroyantb

Yume @firelightmuse

Zuzunzo @zuzunzo

[fourorfivemovements]

Films Watched in 2024: 7. The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) - Dir. Blake Edwards