#Jade Walsh

[milliondollarbaby87]

Bolan's Shoes (2023) Review

In the 1970s during T.Rex mania in Liverpool, a group of children from a local children’s home get to experience a truly outstanding gig with the amazing glam rock band. However, on the way home they are involved in a devastating road accident which will change all of their lives forever. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Continue reading Untitled

[evviejo]

thirteen's era appreciation: 419/?

[helmstone]

Beyond Paradise Christmas special details

Beyond Paradise Christmas special details

The BBC’s bumper Christmas lineup includes details of the Beyond Paradise Christmas special. No clue as to exactly when we will see it, though. Here’s what you need to know: It’s Christmas time in Shipton Abbott, where Humphrey (Kris Marshall) and the team find themselves wrapped up in two festive cases. When recently widowed Bob Holland (Mark Heap) is ordered to leave his home by a vision of…

[voxina]

Jade Thirlwall was only 14 when she first presented herself for judgement. She put on her best leopard-print headband and bravely sang some of Whitney Houston’s ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’ in front of the X Factor panel. “You’re a funny little thing, aren’t you,” remarked an amused Simon Cowell, like a cat playing with its food. Louis Walsh then jumped in with: “Unusual!” In response, Thirlwall thanked them with an unwieldy grin. 

For this tiny singer, it would be a case of third time lucky. After being put through to boot camp twice, she auditioned again at the age of 18, now wearing leopard-print trousers. Judge Kelly Rowland told the naturally shy teenager she’d be good in a girl group, an idea that Thirlwall was completely unimpressed with. She was resolute about being a solo artist and an unusual one at that.  

Rowland, of Destiny’s Child fame, had correctly identified herself in Thirlwall. That season of the show, Thirlwall was placed in what would become the second biggest-selling UK girl group of all time, Little Mix. Their accolades could fill an infinite scrolling Wiki page. They were a well-oiled commercial pop machine amassing billions of streams with hits like ‘Black Magic’ and ‘Shout Out to My Ex’ while touring stadiums until they went on hiatus in 2022. “I didn’t see myself as a conventional girl’s girl. I was nerdy and quiet. When they told me I was gonna be put in a girl group, I automatically thought of Pussycat Dolls,” she laughs. “I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m not sexy — and if they’re bitchy, I’ll struggle because I’m not confrontational at all. I shrink at any drama.’ But it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me for my confidence and understanding of sisterhood.”

Tonight, I’m sharing wine with her at a table in Shoreditch House to discuss the fact that Thirlwall finally has what she wanted: she is the solo pop star she always dreamed of being. “I’m a bit of a dark horse,” the Rolling Stone UK Trailblazer Award winner tells me. “I’ll try anything once. I don’t see myself as a safe person creatively and I am a bit strange. All my life I’ve been told I’m weird.” Her bandmates and friends saw it, her boyfriend, Rizzle Kicks singer Jordan Stephens, saw it, Cowell clocked it after only minutes in her company, and now the rest of the world gets to see it.  

Outwardly, she didn’t seem like the biggest personality in the band, but behind the scenes, Thirlwall had been the creative driving force and business mind. For her solo project, that incisive playfulness is fully on display. From the horror-influenced visuals to the Drag Race inspiration, Thirlwall — whose solo artist name is JADE — is more aligned with Charli XCX than Little Mix. On the addictive lead single, ‘Angel of My Dreams’, she switches between a Y2K sound, hyperpop and a nostalgic girl band chorus gone wonky to tell a story about the dark side of the music industry, a theme that is repeated across her presently untitled debut album. It’s smart and entirely unexpected.  

In person, Thirlwall has the same excitable offbeat energy she had as a 14-year-old in her first audition. She’s like a conspiratorial friend primed for gossip exchange: she directs me to a clip that circulated from a Little Mix interview where fans thought she was on cocaine because she was pulling odd faces. “People don’t believe me even now,” she laughs, pausing to sip on her rosé. There were bad moments and dramas when she was in the group, of course, but she’s prepared for the same to happen in her solo career. “I’m never going to discredit what we achieved. I don’t have anything bad to say about it, so I wouldn’t stir anything up, just to look cool,” she laughs again. 

The group’s young fanbase has matured with its members. Thirlwall doesn’t see it as her responsibility to appease them or tell them what they should and shouldn’t do. “I’m 31 years old, I’m gonna write about stuff I experience, my merchandise will reflect that, you know what I mean?” One such recent merchandise bundle includes sex aids. The other day, while recording with Sugababes, she told them what’s included in the package and had to explain to Keisha Buchanan what a butt plug is, much to her amusement. This is an older and wiser Jade Thirlwall having even more fun.

Thirlwall grew up in a household of eclectic tastes in South Shields, a seaside town near Newcastle. Her mother was a Motown fan who looked like Diana Ross, while her dad listened to 80s power ballads and VH1 classics. Her big brother — who she aspired to be like as every younger sibling does — was deeply into the happy hardcore-clubland classics era of the 90s and 00s. It was a happy childhood, in part due to the fact that there’s a strong Yemeni community in South Shields (Thirlwall is half Arab: one-quarter Yemeni, one-quarter Egyptian). “I have a lot of memories of my grandad cooking curries or waiting for him outside the mosque,” she remembers. “I listened to his prayer and Arabic music, too.” It wasn’t until she went to a Catholic secondary school, where she felt alienated, that she began to struggle with racist remarks and her feelings of anxiety. She was bullied by other girls, hence her initial reservations about being in a girl band. 

While she was in Little Mix, she didn’t understand that she could have spoken out more about her race. “I’d only ever seen negative stereotypes of Arab people in the press, so I was scared to promote my heritage,” she says. “I feel sad for my younger self that I could’ve been the representation I needed back then. I try to make up for that now.” Thirlwall has been outspoken about issues close to her heart. Whether it was attending Black Lives Matter protests and pro-Palestine rallies or becoming an LGBTQ+ rights ambassador for the UK charity Stonewall, she stands out among many of her peers for her political verve. 

Each of the girls knew a year ahead that Little Mix were disbanding, so they individually spent that period preparing in the studio. “It took me a long time to figure out how to not write a Little Mix song because that’s all I’d done for a decade,” admits Thirlwall. Panicked about the idea of having so much stillness after the group, she made an abundance of music in a bid to find her sound as soon as possible. This became an advantage: so sure of what she wanted to do, Thirlwall was able to approach potential labels with a fully formed vision. After signing with RCA of Sony, they assured her she could take her time to release her solo music, which came as a surprise: in the pop world, two and a half years is a long time to disappear. “In hindsight, I was freaking out about existing without the group and thought I had to jump on the hype of us just disbanding. If I’d released then, I would’ve been anxious and have put so much pressure on myself to be as big as [Little Mix] was.”

[...]

If Thirlwall was in charge of the music industry, it’d look different. Sure, it’s improving for artists because social media means “you can’t get away with as much bad shit”, but there’s some way to go. When I ask her how she’d change it, she sits up in a businesslike manner and adopts an Elle Woods from Legally Blonde tone. Before she’ll answer that, she’ll take me back to the nagging feeling she had that something wasn’t right with Little Mix. The four girls were presented with different contracts and told who their team was, and she didn’t feel she had a choice. 

To all intents and purposes, Thirlwall and her fellow Little Mix band members were child stars. She agrees with this assessment. “I almost think you shouldn’t be allowed to be a star until you’re 18. I’m so glad I was turned away and didn’t get put in Little Mix until I was 18 — and even then, I feel like that was too young,” she says. 

Previous X Factor winner and South Shields born-and-bred Joe McElderry had warned Thirlwall of his negative experiences in the industry. “I remember him saying make sure your mum’s there when you’re doing all these important signings. But I was too young to understand what he meant, and I made the same mistakes as him.”  

It wasn’t until halfway into their career that the young women looked around and wondered who that person in the room being paid to be there was or why their peers and friends were making more money than them. Thirlwall and bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock helped to write the Little Mix music but weren’t signed into a publishing deal until 2019. Unfortunately, it was a “really shit deal” that they were stuck in but at least she was finally recognised as a songwriter, financially speaking. (For her solo career, she has not signed a publishing deal because she now finds it hard to trust the entire framework.)  

If she were queen of the industry, her first decree would be to introduce a comprehensive course that artists take as soon as they’re signed by a label (if not sooner), that teaches them what a label deal is, how royalties work and how they make their money. That would prevent the type of situation that Little Mix got into when they were first signed. “When you come from a working-class background, you get your advance and think you’ve made it, but you have to recoup everything back. You’re getting all these lavish cars and making them wait for ages, but you’re footing that bill eventually,” she laughs drily. She would also introduce the sort of mental health care she’s managed to negotiate as a solo artist with her new label: a substantial pot of money that she can use if she needs therapy. 

The topic of mental health brings the conversation round to Liam Payne, the One Direction member who tragically died in an accident while under the influence of drugs in October. He was Thirlwall’s peer — the only X Factor pop group to outperform Little Mix by any metric was One Direction, with the two groups frequently spoken about in the same breath — and was once her friend. They both had their first auditions during the same series, aged 14. The pair returned a second time: Liam went through to the finals and was placed into One Direction while Thirlwall was sent home. Payne was encouraging of Thirlwall and told her she had to keep trying X Factor. She was then put in a group on a later series. They fell out of touch over the years, but she was naturally upset to hear of the news for both him and for his family — their mothers are still friends.   

“When the news broke out, it did shake me up because we’d started the same, but we’d ended up on very different paths. We both wanted to make it so much and sometimes that is a blessing and a curse to get what you’ve dreamed of. It’s unbelievably tragic,” she says of Payne’s death.  

Just hours after it was reported that Payne had died, Thirlwall was due to start a heavy day of promo for her single ‘Fantasy’. She cancelled it as she didn’t feel like she was the right person to be fielding questions about his passing so soon after it happened. After all, she hadn’t been close to Payne over the past several years. “All I can speak of is who I knew he was when we were kids, and he was someone that wanted to make his family proud,” she reflects. “He wanted to be a singer more than anyone I knew.”

[Full article here]

[dwellordream]

Best Reads of 2024

this year i read 300 books. which i think is impressive but not as impressive as it sounds bc many of these books were very short, easy reads meant to be like, stuff you read at the airport or sitting by the pool on vacation. so it's not like i was tackling the harvard classics. i also read extremely fast; it only takes me about an hour to do 300 pages unless it's a super dense complex text. that said, here is a list of all the books i read this year that i would rate 4 stars or higher, separated by genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett Highfire by Eoin Colfer Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi Chlorine by Jade Song The Passion by Jeanette Winterson The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter Realistic Fiction: We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent Only Child by Rhiannon Navin Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper Prima Facie by Suzie Miller Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg Piglet by Lottie Hazell The List by Yomi Adegoke A Winter's Rime by Carol Dunbar The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas

Mystery/Thriller: Queenpin by Megan Abbott Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley The Guest by Emma Cline Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti Kala by Colin Walsh Descent by Tim Johnston Wahala by Nikki May When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff We Could Be Beautiful by Swan Huntley Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll Nothing Can Hurt You by Nicola Maye Goldberg Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage Cape Fear by John D. MacDonald Sea Wife by Amity Gaige Last Seen Wearing by Hilary Waugh The Black Cabinet by Patricia Wentworth Historical Fiction: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning All You Have to Do is Call by Kerri Maher Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt Payback by Mary Gordon A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley The Affairs of the Falcons by Melissa Rivero Longbourn by Jo Baker The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson Go to Hell Ole Miss by Jeff Barry The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird Consequences by Penelope Lively Iron Curtain: A Love Story by Vesna Goldsworthy Homestead by Melinda Moustakis Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Teddy by Emily Dunlay Science Fiction: Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom Fever by Deon Meyer The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet Briefly Very Beautiful by Roz Dineen

Romance: Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson American Royalty by Tracey Livesay The One by Julie Argy The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin Queen of Urban Prophecy by Aya de Léon That Dangerous Energy by Aya de Léon The Dove in the Belly by Jim Grimsley Fatima Tate Takes the Cake by Khadija VanBrakle Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer Horror: Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka Cujo by Stephen King Night Watching by Tracy Sierra The Garden by Clare Beams The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman True Crime: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Columbine by Dave Cullen Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murders of Four College Students by J. Reuben Appelman The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age by Michael Wolraich Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope

History: Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and Nasa’s Challenger Disaster by Kevin Cook The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House by Sally Bedell Smith As Long as We Both Shall Love: The White Wedding in Postwar America by Karen M. Dunak Babysitter: An American History by Miriam Forman-Brunell Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin All She Lost: The Explosion in Lebanon, the Collapse of a Nation and the Women who Survive by Dalal Mawad Psychology: Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff Misdiagnosed: One Woman’s Tour of -And Escape From- Healthcareland by Jody Berger Stolen Child: A Mother’s Journey to Rescue Her Son from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Laurie Gough Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood by Tanya Frank I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy Us, After: A Memoir of Love and Suicide by Rachel Zimmerman Everything Is Fine: A Memoir by Vince Granata Juliet the Maniac by Juliet Escoria

Memoir: Upstairs At The White House by J.B. West A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival by Kelly Sundberg This Boy We Made: A Memoir of Motherhood, Genetics, and Facing the Unknown by Taylor Harris I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell Fragile Beginnings: Discoveries and Triumphs in the Newborn ICU by Adam Wolfberg The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher and Mary Pilon Remedies for Sorrow: An Extraordinary Child, a Secret Kept from Pregnant Women, and a Mother’s Pursuit of the Truth by Megan Nix Brazen: My Unorthodox Journey from Long Sleeves to Lingerie by Julia Haart Minding the Manor: The Memoir of a 1930s English Kitchen Maid by Mollie Moran Love in the Blitz: The War Letters of Eileen Alexander to Gershon Ellenbogan by Eileen Alexander Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story by Lis Smith The Apology by Eve Ensler Wild Game: My Mother, Her Secret, and Me by Adrienne Brodeur One Way Back: A Memoir by Christine Blasey Ford Biography: The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty by Susan Page Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson by Rebecca Boggs Roberts King: A Life by Jonathan Eig Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams by Louisa Thomas American Girls: One Woman’s Journey into the Islamic State and Her Sister’s Fight to Bring Her Home by Jessica Roy Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli

Gender: Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement by Andi Zeisler All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership by Darcy Lockman Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks Enslaved Women in America: From Colonial Times to Emancipation by Emily West You’ll Do: A History of Marrying for Reasons Other Than Love by Marcia A. Zug The Red Menace: How Lipstick Changed the Face of American History by Ilise S. Carter Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America by Lillian Faderman

[gxbbyhoneybadger]

My Master List

Welcome to this master list of many fandoms and upcoming posts and more! Enjoy and follow for more.

Feel free to request oneshots, smuts, angst, fluff etc.

There is more to be added to this list. It's going to be updated so much 😂

What I won't write

I won't be writing LGBTQ+ content for private reasons (I am not homophobic, I promise)

I will not write any relationship that contains pedophilia.

I will not use they/them/ze/zir/etc pronouns for Y/n. Just he/him or she/her.

I will not write incest relationships.

With that out of the way, enjoy!

The Last of Us Master List

Joel x Reader

Hometown Sweethearts mini-series 1

Despair at it's Finest 2

The Roundup 3

The Disconnection 4

Can you feel my Heart 5

Fatal Flaw of the Fall 6

No man but You 7 (Finale)

Two in One (Oneshot Joel x Reader TBA)

Not an Accident (Oneshot Joel x Reader TBA)

Cowboy's Sweet Heart Mini-series 1

Red Dead Redemption Master List

Arthur Morgan x Reader

Richer than Gold 1

Precious like Diamonds 2

Tougher than Iron 3

Sweeter than Honey 4 TBA

Predator Master List

Scar x Reader

Mission 69 I

Mission 69 II

Mission 69 III TBA

John Wick Master List

John Wick x Reader

The Jade Viper 1

The Jade Viper 2

The Jade Viper 3

The Jade Viper 4

The Jade Viper 5 TBA

Marvel Master List (Upcoming)

My Forgotten Beloved (Bucky Barnes x Reader TBA)

My Dirty Little Secret (Eddie Brock x Reader TBA)

Only Us (!Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker x Reader TBA)

Itsy Bitsy Spider (!Tom Holland!Peter Parker x Reader TBA)

DC Master List (Upcoming)

Blood & Tears (Jason Todd x Reader TBA)

Star Wars Master List (Upcoming)

One with the Force (Ezra Bridger x Reader)

Show Yourself (Stormtrooper x Reader TBA)

Hellboy Master List (Upcoming)

Red and Black (Hellboy x Reader TBA)

The Walking Dead (Upcoming)

The Decaying Love (Shane Walsh x Reader TBA)

House of Wax (Upcoming)

The Lovesick Belle (Bo Sinclair x Reader TBA)

Avatar (Upcoming)

I need you (Jake Sulley x Reader TBA)

Yes, Sir (Recom Quaritch x Reader TBA)

The Boys (Upcoming)

The Gals (Billy Butcher x Reader TBA)

Mortal Kombat (Upcoming)

Rambo (Upcoming)

The Broken Soldiers (Rambo x Reader TBA)

Saw (Upcoming)

Five Steps Ahead (Peter Strahm x Reader TBA)

Don't Breathe (Upcoming)

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (Norman Nordstrom x !Deaf!Reader TBA)

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, October 31

Spike: Feel like a bit of the rough and tumble? Buffy: What?! Spike: Me ... you... Patrolling? Hello? Buffy: Oh. Uh ... I ... should stay. Maybe tomorrow. Spike: It's not like I don't already have plans. Great Pumpkin's on in twenty.

~~All The Way~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Design (Buffy/Maggie Walsh, M) by Anonymous

Dreaming (Buffy/Faith, T) by Anonymous

Occupational Hazards Include (Buffy, NR) by Anonymous

Tinted Mask of Snow (SPike/Drusilla, T) by Anonymous

The Jealous One (Angel/Spike, T) by michkatjane

Transformation Postponed (Buffy/Spike, G) by GillO

Halloween movie marathon (Spike/Reader, NR) by prose-for-hire

[halloween party] (Riley/Reader, NR) by prose-for-hire

[Watcher Wesley halloween] (Wesley/Reader, NR) by prose-for-hire

[help on halloween] (Spike/Reader, NR) by prose-for-hire

[Trick or Treat with Connor] (Wesley/Reader, NR) by prose-for-hire

Summertime Talks (Buffy/Spike, G) by DarkVoid116

Always Know Where Your Towel Is (Commerical crossover, FR13) by Ignotus

Snooping (Buffy/Spike, R) by RavenLove12

If You Smell Something Burning (Buffy/Spike, R) by ClowniestLivEver

[Chaptered Fiction]

Ghosts of Sunnydale, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, T) by VThinksOn

The Degradation of Duality [Series Part 2], Chapter 59 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Ragini

Trust and Repair, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by GillO

The Beast Inside, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, R) by MnM

Best Life, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by bewildered

Dungeon Designs and House Keeping, Chapter 41 (Mythology crossover, FR18) by MistofRainbows

Aegis, Chapter 29 (Crossover with DC Comics, FR15) by dogbertcarroll

Bend in the Road, Chapter 1 (Crossover with The Morning Show, FR13) by AsarStar

Cross Purposes 4, Chapter 137 (Multiple crossings, FR13) by DianeCastle

A Man in Shadow, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, 13+) by Zab Jade

A Bond of Blood, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Geliot99

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Portrait I did this week of The Master. Done on black paper with white charcoal. by leahk0615

Costume:[Buffy costume] by cellulich

Costume:Spike, but make it femme by ncndsvlleTA

Costume:[Buffy costume] by TheoreticalResearch

Artwork:Some time post Chosen Fuffy make out session by sideartblog999

Artwork:hope he’s enjoying his night off by youhavethesun

Manip:[Willow poster] by artuski

Gifset:BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER REWATCH -> Prophecy Girl (1.12) by creulsummer

Video: What’s New Scooby Doo? by TheOverLookedOne

Video: Recreating the cast of Buffy The Vampire Slayer as LPS! (HALLOWEEN SPECIAL) by FallenAngelFox

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Heads Will Roll by TheFandomRoyals

Video: cover of Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme (Nerf Herder) by volcanicpumas

Video: tell me does it hurt by WCRfan126

Video: First Look at the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Tarot ~ Mega Sized Edition! by The Hermit's Cave

Video: buffy the vampire slayer's emmy-winning makeup artist todd mcintosh takes us down memory lane by Tubi

[Reviews & Recaps]

Buffy The Vampire Slayer | 2x13 "Surprise" | REACTION by Andres El REy

Is it Bad I Want More? "The Wish" REACTION | First Time Watching Buffy 3x9 (Commentary) by Tyler Alexander

Buffy The Vampire Slayer 4x15 REACTION | This Year's Girl by George Alexander

Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 2x5 reptile boy | First Time Watching by shadowcat

Buffy Is For Life, Not Just Halloween... by The Happy 'Hood

New Moon Rising | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 Episode 19 Review by Hellmouth Hotline

Spike gets his funk back | Buffy the Vampire Slayer 7x15 "Get it Done" | The Normies Group Reaction! by The Normies

Empty Places: Buffy 7x19 Reaction by Dakara

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x1 & 5x2 REACTION | "Buffy Vs. Dracula" & "Real Me" by The Horror Bandwagon

**GASLIGHTING NOW?!** Buffy the Vampire Slayer S6 Ep 15 "As You Were" Reaction FIRST TIME WATCHING by Nick Reacts

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 1X7 REACTION | Angel | Season 1 Episode 7 by Chance's House of Horrors

Checkpoint | Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reaction | S5 E12 by Georgia Reacts

Buffy The Vampire Slayer "Halloween" Review by Aaron Talks Film

[Fandom Discussions]

Angel the Series: Connor, childhood, and growing up by frogfarm

[The Freshman meta] by tara-maclays-gf

[Sex vs attention in Older and Far Away] by mybloodyvampire

So Many Threesomes by multiple authors

The idea that Season Six and Season Seven are badly written is purely a creation of old memes. by multiple authors

Jenny by multiple authors

About vampires and their "game face." by multiple authors

Beer Bad appreciation thread by multiple authors

Rewatching in my 30s by multiple authors

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[dear-indies]

hi! could you please recommend some faceclaims of any gender and ethnicity who could pass as aged 22-27 and could portray vampires in a typical gothic vampire aesthetic? thanks!

Lyrica Okano (1994) Japanese - in The Runaways.

Ruth Codd (1996) - is an amputee.

Rhea Ripley (1996)

Aria Shahghasemi (1996) Iranian.

Tati Gabrielle (1996) African-American, ¼ Korean - in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Uncharted.

Blu del Barrio (1997) Argentinian - non-binary (they/them).

Nat Ćmiel / Yeule (1997) Chinese-Singaporean - non-binary (she/they).

Do Hanse (1997) Korean.

Sisi Stringer (1997) African Australian - in Vampire Academy - has spoken up for Palestine!

Luka Sabbat (1997) Afro-Haitian, Irish, English, German.

Lizeth Selene (1997) Mexican [Black and Unspecified Indigenous]- is genderfluid and queer (she/they).

Blair Lamora (1997) Ojibwe and Argentinian - in Shoresy.

Kiana Ledé (1997) African-American, Swedish, Mexican, Cherokee - has spoken up for Palestine!

Rico Nasty (1997) African-American / Puerto Rican.

Mikey Madison (1999) 75% Ashkenazi Jewish.

GARZI (1997) African-American.

Spencer Macpherson (1997)

Andy Blossom (1998) Chinese.

Ally Ioannides (1998)

Conan Gray (1998) Japanese / White - doesn't want to label his sexuality or gender.

Felix Mallard (1998)

Ethel Cain (1998) - is a bisexual trans woman - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sivan Alyra Rose (1999) Chiricahua Apache / Afro-Puerto Rican, Creole - non-binary and pansexual (she/they).

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (1999)

Lucas Jade Zumann (2000) Ashkenazi Jewish / possibly German - I haven't kept up with his stories but has had an Islamic Fund link for Palestine in his bio for months!

Beabadoobee (2000) ilonggo Filipino / White.

Ian Alexander (2001) Vietnamese / White - non-binary and queer (they/he).

Rachel Zegler (2001) Colombian / White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Some of these are at a push but they could work! Hope this helps you out. 💌

[blogger360ncislarules]

BritBox has settled in for the holidays with several "Festive Specials" (as they're called in the U.K.) populating the calendar for the back half of the month. The specials will begin arriving on December 17, 2024, starting with the new Sister Boniface Mysteries Christmas episode. However, the season's highlight will come at Christmas and after, as Beyond Paradise and Death in Paradise debut their Christmas specials. Of the two, BritBox got first dibs with Beyond Paradise, which will stream its one-hour special edition in the U.S. on Christmas Day and then follow on the BBC on Friday, December 27. Death in Paradise will start on the BBC, arriving on Sunday, December 22, and then debuting on BritBox in the U.S. on December 27. Death in Paradise has the more significant plot development, as the series' fifth lead detective will be introduced in the special, but Beyond Paradise looks like the more interesting mystery.

However, star Kris Marshall might not remember the plot details. When asked about the 2024 special, he admitted that the show is so ahead currently that they'd just finished filming next year's holiday installment, Beyond Paradise's Festive Special for 2025. (He then realized his error, "I may have dropped a spoiler that I’m not supposed to." Welp.) However, that reveal also bodes well for a fourth-season renewal since these specials tend to be the first episode of the new season (just separated off by a few weeks).

The first images for the special are now out, and Marshall will definitely have his hands full for the holiday.

Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey and Sally Bretton as Martha Lloyd in 'Beyond Paradise' 

Here's the Christmas Special synopsis:

When a widower starts seeing the ghost of his late wife, DI Humphrey Goodman and the team are called in to investigate. DS Esther Williams is deeply skeptical, but Humphrey is more than happy to dive into his first haunting. It's Christmas, after all, and who doesn’t like a festive ghost story?

The special stars Kris Marshall as DI Humphrey Goodman, Sally Bretton as Martha Lloyd, Isaac Vincent-Norgate as their new foster son, Ryan, and Barbara Flynn as Martha's mum Anne Lloyd. Despite threats to the station, it also seems very likely the core ensemble of mystery solvers will also return with Zahra Ahmadi as DS Esther Williams, Melina Sinadinou as her daughter, Zoe Williams, Felicity Montagu as Margo Martins, Dylan Llewellyn as PC Kelby Hartford and Jade Harrison as big boss CS Charlie Woods.

Guest stars for this year's one-hour episode include Amalia Vitale (Big Mood), Mark Heap (The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin), Tamla Kari (The Ipcress File), Chizzy Akudolu (Criminal Record), Austin Taylor (Doc Martin), Simon Nagra (D.I. Ray), Rosalind Adler (The Nevers), Sami Amber (Dalgliesh), and Seann Walsh (Bad Move).

Ian Jarvis penned the episode, Sandy Johnson directed it, and Lindsay Hughes produced it. Series creator Tony Jordan executive produced with Tim Key and Belinda Campbell for Red Planet Pictures, Danielle Scott-Haughton for the BBC, and Stephen Nye and Robert Schildhouse for BritBox International. 

[seph7]

J.T. Walsh Roles - Nice Guys Edition!

Now, we all know he's played a lot of bad or questionable characters, but he's actually played a decent amount of nice or non-scumbag characters!

Starting with who I think is one of the nicest, we have Agent Houston in True Identity (1991), he's a long-suffering FBI Agent who failed to capture a big time crook and has to work with a stage actor in order to finally bring him down. He's a very jaded but very wholesome character who finally shines when he finishes the job he set out to do.

Next, we have Ed Collins in Miracle on 34th St. (1994). Even though he was the prosecuting lawyer, there was no real malice to his character, as anyone would think the same when an old man claims to be Santa Claus! In the end, he still politely asks for Santa to visit his kids at Christmas.

Now we have one of my favourite characters he's ever played (largely for nostalgia reasons!) - Chief Insp. Francis Mahoney in Why Me? (1990). A true no-nonsense cop with no qualms over speaking his mind to whomever is around! He begrudges working with what he deems 'the criminal element' of LA in order to find a stolen Byzantine ring, but does so knowing that only criminals trust other criminals!

We have another cop character with Sheriff Mitch B. Rivers in Silent Fall (1994), who is tasked with finding the killer of two prominent citizens of their little town of Waterville. The only witness is an autistic 10 year old boy who doesn't speak, needing the expertise of local psychiatrist Dr. Jake Rainer. Things unfold and it is discovered that Mitch was actually having an affair with the murdered wife, though thankfully had nothing to do with the murders.

He's a decent enough character, though he admits he's had a wandering eye over the years and his wife clearly knows.

And we have another cop character, Chief Jack Ruhle in Iron Maze (1991). He's the police chief in a dying town since the steel works was closed down. An attempted murder takes place in the old steel works and he's tasked with trying to unpick what led to the attack. Very little is known about his character on a personal level as nothing is revealed other than he's married and seems to be attempting to quit smoking, though this does seem to correlate with a period that J.T. himself was attempting to quit smoking.

We have another of my favourites wth Principal Arnold M. Stoddard in The Beniker Gang (1984). The film was based on a book titled Dear Lola by Julie Angell and the character in the book would probably fit more on the scumbag scale! He was also named Mr. Reedy in the book and seemed to care more about public appearances than the children.

Thanfully, in the film he seems to care more than was originally written, and although not explicitely stated, his concern for the school seems to stem from just how small their town is and how small towns often end up having to send their children to neighbouring town's schools.

Although he might not originally have meant to be a decent character, J.T. brings a wholesomeness to the character and is certainly more personable with the children than in the book.

FBI Agent Jason McThune in The Client (1994) is next. A very dedicated character, but very much the scapegoat to Tommy Lee Jones' Reverend Roy Foltrigg and very much becomes his lackey.

As a character, he works for the FBI based in Memphis, but longs for more interesting areas than chasing Elvis sightings. There's a wholesomeness to him, but he's a little bit weak-minded.

Ah, Lt. Col. Matthew Markinson from A Few Good Men (1992)... A man conflicted between his duty to obey his commanding officer, and his duty to do the right thing by an accidentally murdered private. He ultimately does the right thing, but it costs him his life. A very sad ending to a character with good morals.

Fun Fact - J.T. actually chose this character out of all the supporting roles.

Another of my favourites, and probably @tequilasunrise28 favourite, we have the delectable DEA Agent Hal Maguire in Tequila Sunrise (1988). He's determined to bring down a Mexican drug lord known as Carlos as well as Mel Gibson's character Mac, who has worked for Carlos many times over the years, but who claims to have 'gone straight'. Hal isn't buying it of course, but his investigation is hindered at every turn by Kurt Russell's character Lt. Nick Frescia, who is a friend to Mac.

As thngs inevitably go south, Mexican cop Escalante, whom Hal has been working with to bring down Carlos, is discovered to actually be Carlos, unbeknownst to Hal. He's rightfully infuriated, which is only exacerbated by the fact that both Mac and Nick knew who Carlos was.

He's unfortunately shot in the back by Nick as he's trying to take down Mac after catching him with Carlos.

Out of a bunch of dirty cops, Hal was the only one not working both angles, and yet many reviews talk about him being the problem...

Last in the list we have Sheriff Reese Goodloe in Morning Glory (1993). He's a decent Sheriff, but a terrible husband. He's having an affair with the local waitress, even buying her electrical goods to keep her sweet despite complaining about how he'll explain the money disappearing to his wife.

The waitress turns up murdered, and a newcomer to town played by Christopher Reeves is arrested as he was the last to see her alive and has been inprisoned for murder before.

It's discovered that she had recently had a termination as she'd become pregnant by Reese, but he wasn't responsible for her murder; two random men in town eventually confess during the trial.

Had he been responsible for her murder, this would definitely have tipped him into the scumbag roles list!

[slutforpetyr]

The Newport Beach Film Festival will start on October 20th in Newport Beach, California. They will be showing several Irish films, including Aidan’s indie movie Amongst the Wolves.

Amongst the Wolves, directed by Mark O’Connor, and starring Aidan Gillen, Luke McQuillan, Daniel Fee, Jade Jordan, Helen Behan, Dane Whyte O’Hara, Louise Bourke and Casey Walsh. In this film, a homeless former soldier haunted by PTSD forms an unlikely bond with a troubled teenager, while he navigates the dangers of life on the streets. Amongst the Wolves will be shown on Monday, October 21, at 8 p.m. at Regal Edwards Big Newport.

[evviejo]

thirteen’s era appreciation: 227/?

[blindingdreams]

LISTA DE RESERVAS

@paradislone — Azer @Rdstkn — Panda Agostina Goñi — Smile Alex Hogh Andersen — Hygge Anouchka Gauthier — Oasis Bae Joo Hyun (Irene) — unfair Barbara Palvin — nugget Ben Barnes — Cassandra Bertug Altan — Catnip Brock O’Hurn — Jeffords Brookelle McKenzie — Freya Byeon Woo-Seok — Stranger Camila Morrone — Brat Charly Jordan — Cucutras Chis Wood — Cop Choi Soo Bin — unfair Christian Hogue — Shadow Cindy Kimberly — Piña Daisy Keech — Chloe Danny Griffin — Sky Emily Rudd — Folklore Emilia Clarke — Mariquita Emilia Mernes — Malaperocutie Enzo Vogrincic — Hygge Ergi Bardhollari — Isis Fabien Tietjen — Chains Hansol Vernon Chwe — Joshi Hán Zhèn (Hanjin) — unfair Henry Cavill — Firestorm Hunter Warr — Deutsch Isabelle Mathers — Mamushi Jade Distinguinn — Cuscurella Jeon Jung Kook — Belcro Jenna Ortega — Larry La Langosta Joelle Marie Jaracz — Samba Joshua Paine — Blackraven Julie Tuzet — Farfalla Kaden Hammond — World Ken Bek — Wiccan Kennedy Walsh — Artemisa Kim Jennie — Sugar Kim Taeyeon — Halloween Lee Felix — Solar Lee Hee Seung (ENHYPEN) — AS Leonardo Brum — August Lily Rowland — Capri Liza Weidemann — Tedesca Lorena Rae — Júpiter Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen — Alfur Madison Beer — Pandora Margot Robbie — Mills Mara Lafontan — Rouge Marissa Long — Mykonos Matilda Björk — Peace Matthew Noszka — Royal Mauro Lombardo — Orion Melisa Barrera — Cassandra Michael Yerger — Pizza Michele Morrone — Crown Moritz Hau — Chocolate Nicki Nicole — lune Park Bo Gum — Estrellita Pietro Checchi — blues Robbie Amell — Code8 Ronen Rubestein — demonroler Scarlett Leithold — Hurricane Shawn Mendes — Western Shin Junghwan (Shinyu) — Halloween Simi Khadra — Wybie Simone Baldasseroni — blues Song Kang — acero Stefan Petrov — Artz Sung Han Bin — Noodles Taylor Swift — Cassandra Thomas Alexander — Ehthawn Tim Kai — Skål Tim Schaeker — Casio Timothee Chalamet — Dipper Pines Tobias Reuter — Duque Travis Fimmel — Pepe123 Victoria De Angelis — Fleetwood Vika Bronova — Medusa Vladislav Vorontsov — Nyktos Vinnie Hacker — parasite Williwhey — simio Zane Phillips — Key

[palmviewfm]

mw female counterparts?

i'd  love  to  see  the  following  being  used  for  counterparts  !  if  you'd  like  anymore  suggestions,  then  feel  free  to  send  in  another  message  !  counterparts: marissa  cooper,  aria  montgomery,  spencer  hastings,  emily  fields,  alison dilaurentis, maya st germain, mona vanderwaal, prue  halliwell,  paige  matthews,  phoebe  halliwell,  claire  standish,  allison  reynolds,  sloane  peterson,  mia  thermopolis,  sam  montgomery,  lindsay  weir,  paris  geller,  lane  kim,  allie  hamilton,  sabrina  spellman,  angela  chase,  betty  cooper,  cheryl  blossom,  toni  topaz,  josie  mccoy,  torrance  shipman,  missy  pantone,  andie  walsh,  kat  stratford,  joey potter, jen lindley, carrie bradshaw, miranda hobbs, jade  west,  addison  montgomery,  lexie  grey,  arizona  robbins,  mary  jane  watson,  elena  gilbert,  katherine  pierce,  anna stern, cat valentine, brenda walsh, kelly taylor, belly conklin, sarah cameron, kiara carerra, cleo anderson, donna martin, caroline  forbes,  jenna rink, bonnie  bennett,  hayley  marshall,  buffy  summers,  willow rosenberg, faith  lehane,  cordelia  chase,  daphne  bridgerton,  lorelai  gilmore,  heather  chandler,  veronica  sawyer,  regina  george,  blair  waldorf,  cora hale, allison argent, malia tate, siobhan roy, fiona gallagher, veronica fisher, serena  van  der  woodsen,  georgina  sparks,  brooke  davis,  peyton  sawyer,  haley  james  scott,  tashi duncan, quinn  james,  alex  dupre,  rachel  gatina,  rosalie  hale,  alice  cullen,  esme  cullen,  jane  volturi,  daphne  blake,  dionne  davenport,  aimee gibbs, amber  mariens,  samantha  baker,  sandy olson, olivia baker, layla keating, betty rizzo, marcia  brady,  lyla garrity, jackie burkhart, donna pinciotti, and  monica  geller  !

[godsaveforum]

TUMBLR | AMBIENTACIÓN | GRUPOS

Abrimos la lista de reservas de faceclaim. La misma será actualizada  constantemente hasta la apertura del foro.

Recordamos que la reserva será por llegada de mensaje así que les pedimos que controlen bien cuales son los PB que ya han sido reservados.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson — High

Abigail Cowen — missmyowndream

Adelaide Kane — leire

Andrea Damante — Mr T.

Agustín Bernasconi — Shishoska

Alan Ritchson — Almaespada

Alina Olesheva — Xenia

Allissa Salls — Cyro

Alycia Debnam-Carey — Galadriel

Amelie Zilber — Khaleeliz

Ana de Armas — Beth

Anabelle Wallis — acinderellastory

Andy Blossom — Perséfone

Angelina Michelle — Miel

Anna Zak — Hécate

Arthur Benedetti — shiker

Bar Zomer — Lost

Ben Barnes — Khaleeliz

Ben Dahlhaus — Shishoska

Brock O’Hurn — Thor

Carolina Moura — Elena

Charleen Weiss — Magdalena

Chris Evans — Mr.Sin

Chris Pratt — ScarletGuy

Chris Hemsworth — Lawson

Cindy Kimberly — Luna

Cole Sprouse — kattokoshmar-blog

Constance Dominik — Perséfone

Davey Fisher — Dr. C

Do KyungSoo — Carpincho

Dua Lipa — Khaleeliz

Eden Fines — Gotita

Elizabeth Olsen — Galadriel

Elliot Page — kattokoshmar-blog

Emilia Mernes — Shishoska

Emily Blunt — Moony

Emily Carey — Carpincho

Emily Ratajkowski — Ritsu

Emma Watson — El Sensei

Federico Cola — Beth

Gal Gadot — butterfly

Grey Damon — OnAir

Han So-hee — Athena

Hande Ercel — Coonie

Hanna Edwinson — Rose

Henry Cavill — Galadriel

Herman Tømmeraas — K.

Jacob Elordi — Laurificacion

Jake Gyllenhaal — Toffee

Jean Carlo León (jashlem) — Hana

Jensen Ackles — Perséfone

Jessy Hartel — Harrington

John Krasinski — Lighting

Jonathan Bailey — El Sensei

Josie Lane — withmew

Kailee Morgue — Tested

Ken Bek — Red Ranger

Kennedy Walsh — Carpincho

Kerem Bursin — Mr.Sin

Kwon Ji Yong — Piruleta

Lily Collins — Kaz

Lily Easton — Pinky

Lily James — gilmoregirl

Liza Weidmann — Elena

Lucas Jade Zumann — Hacker

Lucy Boynton — Bo Peep

Lusya Abramovskaya — Hana

Madelaine Petsch — Xenia

Maia Reficco — Clover

Maks Behr — poseidón

Margot Robbie — Laurificacion

Marissa Long — Harrington

Mathew Daddario — Blossom

Michael Yerger — Pikachu

Nicki Nicole — Beth

Nicola Porcella — Darkish

Noah Centineo — Astro

Oliver Stark — kattokoshmar-blog

Pedro Pascal — Karmela

Phoeve Dnyevor — OnAir

Richard Madden — Theo

Romaneinnc — lunita

Ryan Gosling — Dopesmoker

Ryan Guzman — Blossom

Sadie Sink — Obsidian

Scarlett Leithold — Blossom

Sebastian Stan — Themuffinman

Sergio Carvajal — Xenia

Sienna Raine Schmid — Fallen

Stefania Spampinato — OnAir

Stephen James — Conejito

Sophie Thatcher — safismística

Sydney Sweeney — muñeca vudú

Thomas Doherty — Coryo

Tobias Reuter — poseidón

Tom Hardy — Dr. C

Tyler Hoechlin — El Sensei

Vanessa Kirby — leire

Victoria Bronova — Laurificacion

Victor Pérez — PikachuPaldeano

Vinnie Hacker — Soul

Vladislav Gerasimov — Dimitri

Willy Whey — Hana

Yael Shelbia — elizabeth

Zoe Kravitz — Karmela

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 3x7 Thoughts

Having only five episodes of this television show left is…something. I have a lot of feelings about Ted Lasso and this team he’s “borrowing for a while.” 

These thoughts are kind of a jumble!

Common thread: good relationship advice, a dream I’ve been dreaming about since s2 contained so much bad dating advice (or, more importantly, people who didn’t want to give their opinions on relationships because they didn’t want the responsibility of meddling). I’ve been certain that as the characters start to wind their way back to each other, the questions people ask about themselves and each other will get more honest, and the answers they receive in response will be more open, too. It’s actually pretty thrilling to see that happening. It feels like the closest thing to a single string (ba-dum tss!) running throughout this season, and I love it.

I’ve liked the Nate and Jade stuff a lot more than I expected to. Getting to see more of Nate’s family was such a delight, and I love that even if the whole family is kind of navigating around Nate’s dad’s ire, there’s so much love in the house and Nate gets some genuine support. And some good advice: you have to ask for things, and you have to do it with the full awareness that it might not work out. I’m so glad Nate got to see the map his father designed for his mother in all its grandeur. And I’m so glad his own attempt at replicating the grandeur got destroyed by a vehicle, freeing him up to rely on himself simply asking the question. 

It also did my heart good to catch the tail-end of Rebecca recapping Amsterdam for Keeley, and to see Rebecca sharing her fears about Jack. It was really something—she actually shares her concerns straightforwardly, and makes it clear that she isn’t saying Keeley’s new girlfriend is like her abusive ex-husband, but that Keeley has an opportunity to keep her eyes open and respond to what she sees. I also loved that Rebecca makes it clear that she isn’t jealous of Jack and is happy for Keeley, even as she’s also got concerns and of course has experienced some significant lonely moments as a result of Keeley being wrapped up in Jack. I dunno, it all feels realistically complex but also realistically drama-avoidant, and it felt like major growth for Rebecca. And it comes right off of Keeley pointing out the growth Rebecca exhibited in not sleeping with Boat Guy even if she might’ve liked the opportunity to! 

I was also very relieved to get a return to Beard and Ted at the pub! I missed them sitting and drinking their beers together! I did not really buy that Ted thought Jane might be hinting at marriage, but if he was joking, I think he needed to be more joke-y. Alas, I think that line was in there to get them to the pegging conversation, which was in there to get them to the pegging-marriage comparison joke. It admittedly paid off, but I think Phoebe Walsh and team could’ve found a smoother transition to the pegging discussion.

Very into Simi and Sam and very into Sam figuring out his wording and positioning with the racist home secretary on his own, albeit with Simi’s influence. I appreciated his anger and sadness in the locker room so much, and his father being there just in time for Sam to be able to hug him and cry on him was such a balm. I looooove that Ola really leans into the whole thing about visiting dads being allowed to be very awkward and make things uncomfortable, whether talking to the ex or the new love interest. I love that Ola knows about Sam and Rebecca and almost certainly has opinions but was also able to laugh about the whole thing with his son. Because, you know. Everyone is fine. It’s okay. And there are much bigger concerns, like the vandalism of the restaurant. When the team is there helping and Ola sees the sign light up as the first reveal that the restaurant is named for him…ahhhhhhhhh. It all made me wonder if Sam intentionally downplayed some of the presumably-notable London media coverage of the restaurant opening specifically so he could have that surprise moment with his dad. And when the restaurant was damaged, he felt like that moment couldn’t take place the way he wanted, but then it turned into something even better than he could’ve imagined—an opportunity to bring his dad into his community and team (his home in London, all working together to repair the place he created so that Nigerian people missing home could feel a connection to Nigeria!) and cook with Simi and his father.

In keeping with the pattern of trending-up experiences with good pals (and sisters, and best friends) talking about relationships of all sorts, I love that Total Football became a very literal (and very fun to watch) reflection on space and energy and interplay, the relations between people. I LOVED that each of the coaches takes their own role in explaining the what and why of Total Football. I was a little afraid that Ted was passing it off to Beard because he was scared that he didn’t actually understand the tactic well enough, but that wasn’t the case at all—all three primary coaches were fully engaged. And then Trent’s got the spirit, with some absurdly meta commentary! And then Jamie is the one who really cracks the code, which I absolutely adored. (Side note: how adorable was it that they all brought back the signal and flipped him off.) (Side note 2: they really said “we hear a lot of y’all are extremely into this red string of fate thing” and turned it into a dick joke! And Roy didn’t fully understand that this tactic was a one-time-only situation!) 

Speaking of things I absolutely adored, the whole rom-com montage motif throughout, with storefronts opening and flowers and the promise of an early morning…..YES. And I’m forever obsessed with Roy and Jamie being folded into the quaintness of that as, briefly, just two quirky extras giving the neighborhood some flavor. The string that binds jogging Jamie to Roy on his bike! Ahhhh!

I feel like there was more. These episodes contain so much. But I have got to go to sleep, and I feel happy to be able to do that while feeling generally very glad about that entire episode. I can think of a couple characters who should talk to each other more. (More than a couple, in fact!) But I loved the sense of progress and purpose to this episode, and I feel like things this season have generally been really beautifully paced, so for the most part I’m happy.