#did you not watch the thomas thorne affair

[natjennie]

"thomas got no character development" maybe. or maybe the moral of his story is that it's irresponsible and unhealthy to attempt to completely deprive yourself of your feelings and much more productive to accept them as part of yourself and move on with your life from there. trying to go cold turkey on alison and then randomly picking another person to have a crush on only for it not to work is something we've seen thomas do before, which for some reason people decide to see as boring repetition rather than consistent characterization. but after that. did you miss the part where he stopped talking when she walked away, realized along with everyone else when fanny said "we're as bad as betty" and voted to go through with the proposal for alison to leave? did you miss the part where he happily waved her and her living family goodbye? did you miss the part where alison, old and gray, came back and mirthfully said "thomas, you flatter me" like. his passion for people and obsession with the idea of love wasn't gonna just go away. but he's learning to treat her with more respect, he didn't throw a tantrum or follow her around or go drown himself in the lake. just because he's not a completely different character doesn't mean there wasn't growth. watch season 1 episode 2 thomas say "divorce him, kill yourself, marry me" and then watch the christmas special again and tell me there was no development. come on now.

[hand-face-chan]

Uhhhhhhhh..... I have some........ thoughts.

Whoops! Sorry everyone!

the thomas thorne affair is clearly better than redding weddy. this is not a judgement on redding weddy but the thomas thorne affair is the third-best episode of the show and redding weddy is not

[richie-shitlips]

Why I think Thomas Thorne has NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder): A character study

so I've been researching NPD because I think I have it, and I realised that A LOT of the symptoms also fit Thomas (who I named myself after!) So I'm going symptom by symptom and doing my best to analyse his actions. Some of this is coherent, some of it is just rambling- but I hope this makes sense! (thank you @loganschwarzy and @isopodonanescalator for reading this over text and agreeing with me)

• Have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and require constant, excessive admiration.

...look at him. he goes as far to say that famous poet lord byron plagiarised HIS work. he sulks when he's not given attention. he gets upset when alison's (unfinished) painting doesn't do him justice. in his own retelling of his death, he reports the announcer calling him britain's greatest living poet.

• Feel that they deserve privileges and special treatment.

i don't have particular evidence for this one off the top of my head but like there are definitely instances of it in the show. like on christmas when he's obsessed with getting alison to kiss him (which is impossible) or the whole thing with the plague ghosts in S4E1 (i think that's what episode it was)... i guess i did have evidence.

• Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements.

LITERALLY WHAT HE DOES

• Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are.

once again, just look at him. he writes one (1) poem and thinks it's the greatest thing in the world

• Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.

watch The Thomas Thorne Affair, his spin on the story is WILDLY different from everyone else's, making himself seem successful and well-loved despite actually being the opposite- and he seems to actually believe it! and he thinks that alison is secretly in love with him for a good portion of the show

• Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people.

i think if he does have an EP (equal person), it's probably pat, as he's the only one who thomas actually genuinely treats like a person and not just a means to get love or attention. i also like to think around season 5 he starts to see kitty as an equal as well, but i've gotta rewatch it to see if that's got basis or if im just a shipper

• Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important.

i don't remember any specific instances, but he's constantly criticising the other ghosts and other poets (in the book he annotates lord byrons poetry and makes fun of him)

• Expect special favors and expect other people to do what they want without questioning them.

this is less so i think but like it's definitely still there you can see it if you pay attention

• Take advantage of others to get what they want.

he plagiarises. a lot.

and also the whole "Balderdash, I could thrash you all at twist-it then run a mile!" seems like he was planning to use the others losing to impress alison

• Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others.

while alison never explicitly tells him to fuck off, her annoyance is obvious (although she also LOVES the attention and gets distraught when he ignores her) and he never seems to notice

i think something that could also count is when mary moves on he only thinks about himself and worries that he'll move on before making an impact on the world (DESPITE ALREADY BEING DEAD)

• Be envious of others and believe others envy them.

he is soooooo jealous of mike and toby despite never having a chance with alison in the first place. and he definitely thinks the other ghosts are (or should be) jealous of him- just look at how he talks to them

• Behave in an arrogant way, brag a lot and come across as conceited.

he talks himself up SO MUCH

• Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office.

the whole thing with the painting again- alison paints him, and he sees it before it's done (snuck a peek even though he was told not to) and he thinks the unfinished painting looks ugly and freaks out over how to tell alison he doesn't like it and wishes it was better (and then changes his mind as soon as he sees the finished version!)

• Become impatient or angry when they don't receive special recognition or treatment.

the whole thing with Life of Byron, where he gets upset when he's told to be quiet because the cameras are on (and upset that he can't be alison's free pass despite not knowing her when her and mike got married)

• Have major problems interacting with others and easily feel slighted.

there are definitely instances of him thinking others are playing him, mainly alison. but also he was actually manipulated and played (which led to his death) by his cousin who he obviously trusted with his life, which could contribute to that distrust as well

• React with rage or contempt and try to belittle other people to make themselves appear superior.

when cap tells him he's not as big a deal as he's acting in S4E1, he kinda blows up on him

once again, when told he's just scared he'll lose twister, he blows up and claims he can win easily then run a mile

• Have difficulty managing their emotions and behavior.

goes from calmly explaining why he's upset to "I'm going to drown myself in the lake!" and storming off in like 0.2 seconds

• Experience major problems dealing with stress and adapting to change.

also the whole thing with mary, i think. and we kinda see when the builders are there, he gets writers block and can't focus on his "work", which i can see as having trouble adapting to change

• Withdraw from or avoid situations in which they might fail.

he doesn't tend to do this as much, instead favouring to boast that he'll succeed and then sulk when he fails

• Feel depressed and moody because they fall short of perfection.

ONCE AGAIN HE THREATENS TO DROWN HIMSELF IN THE LAKE CAUSE HES REMINDED OF A MAN WHOS BEEN DEAD FOR LIKE 200 YEARS THAT WAS BETTER THAN HIM AT POETRY

• Have secret feelings of insecurity, shame, humiliation and fear of being exposed as a failure.

this definitely happens, i can't think of a ton of evidence though

but he's constantly put down by the other ghosts and i dont think thats fair. the times we actually see him cool off and act like he's not above the other people are when they're not putting him down- and as soon as he's praised in that scene, he starts trying to play up the success by trying to write more (and shittier) poetry to get more praise (talking about when him and alison are watching the sunrise, i don't remember the episode)

in conclusion, thomas thorne is a narcissist in canon, it just hasn't been explicitly stated. thank you for coming to my TOM talk (my dad told me to say that)

TL;DR: no go back and read it i worked hard on this and i need you to agree (or just read the paragraph above this, i guess 😒)

[ineffablelunatic]

Ghosts watch Hamilton

Thomas made Alison put it on just so he could pretend that he was Hamilton and she was Eliza

However, during What Did I Miss? he starts singing along but correcting it to Thomas THORNE

Robin can do the entirety of Lafayette's rap from Guns and Ships

Cap's favourite song is History Has Its Eyes On You, although he also has a soft spot for Wait For It and It's Quiet Uptown

Julian's favourite song is Say No To This. He says it reminds him of his life.

Thomas gets very upset during all the duel scenes, and has a dramatic moment when Philip dies. He won't admit it but he's crying.

Fanny pretends not to be enjoying it but she listens very closely to all of Angelica's songs

Although Thomas tries to get Alison to sing along to Eliza's lines, it ends up being Kitty who does it. Hijinks ensue.

Humphrey has no idea what's going on because he's on the floor, but he enjoys Wait For It

Afterwards Thomas manages to find the bonus workshop songs. Captain listens to Dear Theodosia Reprise and has to go and take a moment to himself.

Fanny loves First Burn and Congratulations. She says they have "spunk".

She gets very disapproving during Say No To This, though. Not surprised really. If she had pearls she would be clutching them.

During The Reynolds Pamphlet Julian exclaims "Why didn't I think of that?" Alison can't convince him that admitting to his many affairs to get out of a political enquiry would not have been a good idea.

Kitty's favourite character is Peggy, although she also likes Philip. She gets very sad when he dies, and starts sobbing during It's Quiet Uptown.

They all have a bit of a moment during Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story. It's a song that relates to a lot of them, after all.

[sco07ut]

not to be abrasive on purpose but people who write modern au isabelle to intentionally cheat on thomas with francis did you even watch the thomas thorne affair

[ailendolin]

For the Ghosts ask game! 2 and 7 for either or both shows.

Thank you for the ask! 💙

2. Favorite episode? Least favorite? 

Favourite episode

BBC Ghosts: Choosing a favourite episode is so difficult when you love them all but I think it would be either 2x04 The Thomas Thorne Affair or 03x03 The Woodworm Men. The first one because I love the way Thomas's story gets revealed and the second because the sunrise scene is the reason I started watching the show. Plus it's just a really fun episode in general.

CBS Ghosts: I have only seen CBS Ghosts once so far but the two episodes I remember most fondly are 1x08 D&D and 1x16 Trevor's Pants. The first one because I really like the idea of Jay wanting to interact with the ghosts and the second because I was both surprised and delighted by the fact that Trevor didn't lose his pants in a sex scandal like Julian did.

Least favourite episode:

BBC Ghosts: Maybe 1x03 Happy Death Day? Not because it's a bad episode but because it happened very early on in the series and didn't have as much of an impact on me as it might have had if it had been in series 2.

CBS Ghosts: That one's easy: 1x17 Attic Girl. I did not care for that episode one bit.

7. Whose backstory would you like to see explored more? 

BBC Ghosts: Well, we're all obviously waiting for the Captain's backstory but to be honest I'd love to see more of Fanny. We have seen nothing of her marriage yet or of how she was as a mother and I hope that's something we'll see in the future.

CBS Ghosts: Nigel's. He's my favourite and I know he's just a side character but I adore him with my whole heart and would love to know more about his life.

____

Ask game can be found here.

Next up 1, 4, 13 and 16 - 19 will be answered.

[lerios]

tagged by all time icon @baynton 💕 this has been in my drafts for like a month because i wanted to answer it after i properly started succession but now i get the feeling its gonna take a while to get a proper grip of that show lmao😅

List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

1. bbc quacks

2. firefly (my absolute beloved 😍)

3. its always sunny in philidelphia

4. bbc ghosts

5. fuck it, critical role (i don't watch much TV lol)

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Favourite? probably Wash my gorgeous comedy boy with an icon wife i spent years simping over, BUT i don't think we can ignore how fucking fixated i was on Simon. like, he was gender envy before i knew that Gender™ was a thing.

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

i lowkey highkey want to throw hands with Robert. how dare you marry a girlboss and then not appreciate her wtf. give me her number

3. What’s your favourite episode of 4?

the Thomas Thorne Affair popped off. like yeah sure my skrunkly is centre stage but also the episode is just really well done.

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

I AM A SEASON 1 TRUTHER. vox machina i miss you so much 😭

5. What’s your favourite relationship in 3?

charlie mac brotp.

6. Who is your anti relationship in 2?

jayne/river shippers are wild, she's like 12 and they don't even get along (also jayne/simon is the real OTP)

7. How long have you watched 1?

well i first posted about it in march, so like 5 months probably

8. How did you become interested in 3?

my mate jon said there was a musical episode so i watched like 10 seasons of it lol.

9. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

okay i don't really know anything about any of them, but ben seems like a vibe. i too write mostly depressing shit and don't talk to anyone about anything 🥰

10. Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

firefly

11. Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

3 because theres 16 seasons of always sunny and only 1 season of quacks 😭😭😭

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

my man mike is alive and has a magical badass wife that can talk to ghosts.

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

my man Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the third can never die, fuck off. (i'd kill him in a suitably emo way probably. he dies alone and still demon-infested, having scared the rest of vox machina away from caring about him once and for all, then probably getting converted into a vampire).

14. Would a ¾ crossover work?

asdagjsdag YES the gang would make such a big deal of having ghosts, they'd probably try to make money off of julian somehow. robin and charlie would be 100% best friends. the captain would be having a breakdown at thier impropriety 24/7 but fanny would get along with them way better than she'd expect lol

15. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

okay theres not many characters in quacks but i would love to see john/william. john absolutely needs to drug him 🥰

16. Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

probably 5 because i got Parasocial about them for a while. pro-lgbt kings.

and i’m tagging: fucking nobody because i don't have the braincells to do social shit rn but i wanted do this when i found it again bc it looked fun

[genius-species]

What I Read in 2022

I read 88 books in 2022. Mostly romance (37) followed by adult science fiction and fantasy (13).

I also read a vast amount of fan-fiction, but I don’t track fic on my reading list (which I’ve kept as a .txt file on various computers since 2006).

Best Romance:

Husband Material by Alexis Hall - a lot of folks hated the ending of this one. No spoilers, but I adored it. The ending was perfectly in character for Luc and Oliver. I’m really looking forward to Hall’s upcoming 10 Things That Never Happened (which features Jonathan, an mildly unpleasant minor character in Husband Material) which comes out in October 2023.

Evie Dunmore’s historical romances were a new find for me this year, and I liked them a lot. Grumpy men! Spunky women! Hot sex! What’s not to like? The fourth book (about Catriona! My favorite, as she too is deeply introverted and has uncontrollable hair!) has no publication date on Dunmore’s website, but Amazon says it publishes in September.

KD Casey’s baseball romances were also very fun. I’ve long been a fan of Taylor Fitzpatrick’s extended hockey romance universe; I enjoyed athlete romances for a difference sport.

Most Likely to Effect Actual Change in My Life:

400 Friends and No One to Call by Val Walker - everyone who is lonely should read this book. It’s the first self-help book I’ve read that provides concrete advice for expanding your circle of support/socialization.

Out of Thin Air: Running Wisdom and Magic from Above the Clouds in Ethiopia by Michael Crawley - an anthropologist and 2:20 marathoner goes to Ethopia to study running. Hoping to put lessons from this book into practice in my own running in the coming year.

Honorable mention to Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution by Peter Calms. I’m still thinking about “humanure” and admiring the depth of his commitment.

Recommended:

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - The world-building is superb. Yadriel’s family doesn’t accept him as a brujo because he’s trans. When Yadriel accidentally brings Julian Diaz back from the dead, everybody is going to Learn Something (especially Yadriel’s family). Also (I feel like this is not a spoiler since the book is published by the Swoon Reads imprint) Yadriel and Julian’s romance is delightful.

See No Stranger by Valerie Kaur - Kaur is a Sikh American and an activist and filmmaker. I wish I could have 1/10th the compassion and grace under pressure that she does.

T. Kingfisher - Ursula Vernon is going on my short-ish list of authors who I will read based on name alone, i.e. the “I’d-read-their-grocery-list-writers.” She consistently delights. I adore the Paladins.

Goals for 2023

A more balanced book-diet. I’d like to read more broadly across genres (I read very historical nonfiction this year) and across time (the majority of what I read was published in the 21st century). 

I’d also like to improve my (very rudimentary) Spanish language skills by reading picture books en español.

What did you read this year?

Romance:

Isn't It Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore

The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan

The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan

After the Wedding by Courtney Milan

The Turner Series (An Enhanced Box Set) by Courtney Milan

The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan

A Novella Collection by Courtney Milan

Lady Notorious by Theresa Romain

The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George

One Dance With a Duke by Tessa Dare

A Sedition Affair by KJ Charles

Any Old Diamonds by KJ Charles

Gilded Cage by KJ Charles

The Sugared Game by KJ Charles

Subtle Blood by KJ Charles

Slippery Creatures KJ Charles

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

Fire Season by KD Casey

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Unwritten Rules by KD Casey

Selfie by Amy Lane

Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian

The Missing Page by Cat Sebastian

Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

Mr. Malcom's List by Suzanne Allain

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

Nonfiction - Self-Help:

Indistractable by Nir Eyal

The Home Edit by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

It's Not You: 27 Wrong Reasons You're Single by Sara Eckel

400 Friends and No One to Call by Val Walker

Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independent Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames

Nonfiction - YA

The Radium Girls: Young Readers Edition by Kate Moore

Awesome Ospreys: Fishing Birds of the World by Donna Love and Joyce Mihran Turley

The Puffin Plan: Restoring Seabirds to Egg Rock and Beyond by Stephen W. Kress and Derrick Z. Jackson

Nonfiction - Memoir/Personal Experience/Art

From Field and Forest by Anna Koska

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West

Mergers and Acquisitions by Cate Doty

Out of Thin Air: Running Wisdom and Magic from Above the Clouds in Ethiopia by Michael Crawley

I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman

As Simple as That: Collected Essays by Edie Clark

The Maine House by Maura McEvoy, Basha Burwell, and Kathleen Hackett

Best. State. Ever. A Florida Man Defends His Homeland by Dave Barry

See No Stranger by Valerie Kaur

Sci-Fi/Fantasy - YA

Dark Rise by C. S. Pascat

Terciel & Elinor by Garth Nix

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones

Sci-Fi/Fantasy - Adult

Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

Captive Prince by CS Pascat

Prince's Gambit by CS Pascat

Kings Rising by CS Pascat

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

The Angel of the Crows by Catherine Addison

Provenance by Ann Leckie

Nonfiction - Craft

Craft in the Real World by Michael Salesses

Nonfiction - History

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham

The Women Who Saved the English Countryside by Matthew Kelly

Nonfiction - Science/Environment

Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution by Peter Calms

What If? by Randall Munroe

Science Matters by Robert M. Hazen

Microadventures by Alistair Humphreys

Zero Waste by Shia Su

Expecting Better by Emily Oster

All Things Reconsidered: My Birding Adventures by Roger Tory Peterson, edited by Bill Thompson III

Black and White Styles in Conflict by Thomas Kochman

Mystery

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

Classics/Poetry

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

[demontoucansam]

watching The Thomas Thorne Affair and I’m pissed that no one stayed to comfort him. like omg earth shattering news, she loved you the whole time and you were indirectly murdered by your cousin…alright bye!! I get that it’s a comedy but my god why did everyone just leave?? why did no one sit with him and help him unpack all of that? why did no one hold his hand in silence as he processed everything?

[shayneysides]

4, 5, 6, & 16 for the Ghosts asks! also, to fit with the other questions, favorite episode from series 3?

4. favourite episode from series 1?

I think probably episode 2 (Gorilla War)? The ghosts trying to drive Alison out is hilarious, and it tells us SO MUCH about who they are, based on their strategies and attitudes towards Alison and Mike. I love watching Alison slowly getting worn down by the ghosts, and I just think that it has some of the most hilarious moments in the season. It's a really well tied together episode, and the writing is just perfect. 10/10 episode

5. fave episode from series 2?

Season 2 is my favorite, so this is a super difficult question- I've thought about it for a while and I literally cannot choose between Redding Weddy (because I'm dumb and gay), The Thomas Thorne Affair (because I'm dumb and sad) and Perfect Day (because I'm dumb, sad, AND gay). The Captain's Story in Redding Weddy breaks my heart, Ben Willbond's acting is so so good in it, and GOD the ending snaps me in half. I also like that it has the first sneak peeks we get into Kitty's life!

Then comes the Thomas Thorne affair: I love the format of the episode, with Thomas's death being told over and over with the different perspectives, and it makes the reveal of the actual cause of his death hit even harder. And since Thomas is so often overdramatic, and trying so hard to seem deep and emotional, seeing true, genuine emotion from him really hurts. It's so well done and so sad and really gives us an idea of another thing that's really horrible about existing as a ghost: no one, maybe not even the ghost, will know what really happened in their death. Isabelle (probably) never got to find out that Thomas was duelling in her honor, or that Francis was the one who really killed Thomas. And it hurts! And I think this episode makes you realize that these characters are dead, and they have been for a long time.

And lastly is Perfect Day! I think it's just a really beautiful story- Clare and Sam are really great characters, even though we only really get to see them in this episode. I love that they explored Mike and Alison's relationship, which is really nice to see: they really do love each other, and the way their arc in the episode parallels Clare and Sam's is beautiful. Fanny's journey of realizing her views are wrong, and that times have changed is amazing to see, because at least for me personally, Fanny reminds me a lot of homophobic people I know in real life and seeing her change, despite it being fictional, gives me so much hope. And Pat having closure with his death makes me cry. It's like in The Thomas Thorne Affair: He's dead, and he has to learn to, well, live with that. It feels like a completion of his arc from Happy Death Day, and it's so well written. It's a rollercoaster of an episode, and is also just visually beautiful? The scene where Pat and Kieth Darren Dean speak outside, where so much of the environment is pure white is so gorgeous, and the lighting in the final dance is so pretty. I love this episode a lot.

6. fave episode overall?

Oh god, how do I choose? I think this answer probably is the same as your question about my favorite S3 episode, and that is Something To Share. Lolly Adefope is absolutely incredible. This is the episode that truly takes Kitty from this fun, optimistic, blissfully ignorant girl to this really complex and nuanced character. Don't get me wrong, I think she was always a really interesting and great character, but this glimpse we get into her past is incredible. Lolly's acting is so, so good- we really get to see Kitty start to come to realize that her past was not perfect, and that her sister- heartbreakingly- did not love her. It gives an explanation as to why she grips so tightly to Alison, and it also shows how much Alison cares about Kitty. And seeing such a cheerful, upbeat character broken down and sobbing, it hurts so much. And it tied is so perfectly to the overarching theme of the show, family, and what really is family. It also tells us so much about the ghosts as a collective: we realize in this episode that the ghosts don't talk about their feelings, they don't open up, they repress everything. This realization that there is so, so much about the ghosts that we don't know, and that they themselves don't know. It opens up so much possibility for the future of the show and the characters. Also, I love the subplot of Mike trying to see the ghosts- it's mostly played for laughs, but I also think it does a lot for his character. It must feel quite isolating to not being able to see these people that mean so much to his wife, and I hope they go more into that aspect of his character in the future. I think that this episode is often only discussed in terms of the Captain, and while I do love his almost coming out, I think that every single element of this episode is so, so good. In my opinion, this is the perfect Ghosts episode!

Sorry, I ended up talking about these way more than I expected (also, my answer to #16 is in the first post from this ask game) but man I love these episodes! Thank you so much for sending this ask!

[lailoken]

‘Holy thorn (Crataegus monogyna cv. 'Biflora')’

“The Holy or Glastonbury Thorn is a variety of the common HAWTHORN which produces flowers in winter as well as at the usual time in early summer. What appears to be the earliest reference to the Thorn is found in a lengthy poem, entitled Here begynneth the lyfe of Joseph of Armathia, which is believed to have been written at the opening of the sixteenth century. The poem states that there were three thorn trees growing on Wearyall Hill, just south of Glastonbury in Somerset, which:

Do burge and bere grene leaues at Christmas

As fresihe as other in May when ye nightingale

Wrestes out her notes musycall as pure glas.

[Anon., 1520]

However, there is some slight evidence to suggest that the Thorn may have been in existence almost 400 years earlier. At Appleton Thorn in Cheshire a custom known as 'Bawming the Thorn' used to be per- formed each year. Basically the custom consisted of decorating a thorn tree which grows in the centre of the village. Local tradition states that a tree has stood on this site since 1125, when an offshoot of the Holy Thorn was planted by Adam de Dutton [Hole, 1976: 26]. If there is any truth in this tradition, it would imply that there was a thorn tree at Glastonbury early in the twelfth century, when the Benedictine monks at its abbey were busily accumulating their massive, but poorly authenticated, collection of relics, which was destroyed in a disastrous fire in 1184. It is quite possible that a hawthorn which produced flowers at Christmas time might have been added to the attractions provided to stimulate pilgrimages to the abbey.

The lyfe of Joseph gives no information on the trees' origins, and does not mention the production of winter flowers. Fifteen years after its publication, four years before the suppression of Glastonbury Abbey, the Christmas flowering of the Thorn was first recorded. On 24 Au- gust 1535 Dr Layton, the visitor sent to the Abbey, wrote to Thomas Cromwell from Bristol, and enclosed two pieces of a tree which blossomed on Christmas Eve.

By this bringer, my servant, I send you Relicks: First two flowers wraped in white and black sarsnet, that on Christen Mass Even, hora ipsa qua Christus natus fuerat, will spring and burge and bare blossoms. Quod expertum est, saith the Prior of Mayden Bradley. [Batten, 1881: 116]

During the reign of Elizabeth I the Thorn growing on Wearyall had two trunks:

when a puritan exterminated one, and left the other, which was the size of a common man, to be viewed in wonder by strangers; and the blossoms thereof were esteemed such curiosities by people of all nations that Bristol merchants made traffick of them and exported them to foreign parts. [Collinson, 179I: 265]

Or, according to an earlier, more credulous account:

It had two Trunks or Bodies till the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, in whose days a Saint like Puritan, taking offence at it, hewed down the biggest of the Trunks, and had cut down the other Body in all likelyhood, had he not bin miraculously punished (saith my Author) by cutting his Leg, and one of the Chips flying up to his Head, which put out one of his Eyes. Though the Trunk cut off was separated quite from the root, excepting a little of the Bark which stuck to the rest of the Body, and laid above the Ground above thirty Years together; yet it still continued to flourish as the other Part did which was left standing; after this again, when it was quite taken away and cast into a Ditch, it flourished and budded as it used to do before. A Year after this, it was stolen away, not known by whom or whither. [Rawlinson, 1722: 109]

Later, during the reign of James I, the Thorn enjoyed some popularity as a garden curiosity, and the aristocracy, including the King's consort Anne of Denmark, paid large sums for cuttings [Collinson, 1791: 265). It is possible that this fashion of growing thorns in private gardens saved the plant from extinction, for during the civil unrest later in the century the surviving trunk of the original tree was destroyed by a Roundhead, who 'being over zealous did cut it downe in pure devotion' (Taylor, 1649: 6]. In 1653 Godfrey Goodman, Bishop of Gloucester, lamented: "The White Thorn at Glastonbury which did usually blossome on Christmas Day was cut down: yet I did not heare that the party was punisheď [Rawlinson, 1722: 301].

In 1645 the Revd John Eachard described the Glastonbury Thorn, which was then much mutilated by visitors who cut off pieces of it for souvenirs, as being of the kind 'wherewith Christ was crowned'. An elaboration of this belief relates how St Joseph of Arimathea brought two treasures to Glastonbury: silver containers holding the blood and sweat of Christ (which seem to have become confused or equated with the Holy Grail) and a thorn from Christ's Crown of Thorns, which grew and proved its holiness by flowering each year at the time of Christ's birth [Hole, 1965: 39].

Seventy years after Eachard wrote, an oral tradition collected from a Glastonbury inn-keeper explained how the Thorn had grown from a STAFF carried by St Joseph of Arimathea [Rawlinson, 1722: 1). According to tradition, the Apostles divided the world between them, St Philip being sent to Gaul, accompanied by St Joseph of Arimathea, who is usually considered to be an uncle of the Virgin Mary. After some years Joseph left the Apostle and accompanied by eleven others set out for Britain, arriving at Glastonbury, and eventually founding the first church to be built on British soil, in AD 63 [Hole, 1965: 35]- When Joseph reached Glastonbury he rested on Wearyall Hill and thrust his staff into the ground, where it grew and became the original Holy Thorn [Rawlinson, 1722: 2]. Some writers have asserted that it was this miracle which caused Joseph to settle in Glastonbury.

A second version of the legend relates how St Joseph landed on the Welsh coast, or possibly at Barrow Bay in Somerset, but found the natives hostile. He continued his wanderings and reached the land of King Arviragus. Although Joseph was unable to convert the monarch, he made a sufficiently good impression for land at Ynyswitrin—Glastonbury—to be granted to him and his companions. However the local inhabitants showed little enthusiasm for the new faith. It was not until Joseph fixed his staff in the ground and prayed, whereupon it immediately produced blossoms, that people began to pay serious attention to the missionaries' preaching [Anon., n.d.: 6 and 23]. It is sometimes claimed that Joseph performed this miracle on Christmas Day and hence the Thorn has flowered on this day ever since [Wilks, 1972: 98].

Some recent writers have asserted that there is some truth in the various legends and suggest that the Thorn originated from stock brought from the Holy Land, or at least a country bordering the Mediterranean. The winter flowering of the tree is explained by the suggestion that it belongs to a variety of hawthorn native to the Middle East [Batten, 1881: 125]. The Revd Alan Clarkson, Vicar of St John's church in Glastonbury, in a pamphlet produced in 1977 in aid of church restoration funds, claimed that: 'Whatever the legend may say, a Thorn has been growing here for 2,000 years and it came from Palestine.' A recent study of hawthorns states:

In North Africa, flowering in late autumn and early winter is known also in populations of C[rataegus] monogyna that are morphologically fairly similar to the Holy Thorn of Glastonbury. [Christensen, 1992: 111]

A young leafy shoot of hawthorn, labelled 'Oxyacantha autumnalis, from Wells, Joseph of Arymathaea rod’, is preserved in the herbarium of the Natural History Museum in London. This specimen was in- cluded in a collection given by the London apothecary Robert Nicholls to the Apothecaries' Company in 1745, and was part of 'a valuable series of plants' presented by the Company to the Museum in 1862 [Vickery, 1991: 81].

It is told that, in the eighteenth century, a miller walked all the way from his home in Wales to visit the Thorn. His English vocabulary was restricted to three words, 'Staff of Joseph', but these were sufficient to ensure that he reached Glastonbury, and he was able to proudly carry home a sprig from the tree [Bett, 1952: 139].

When the calendar was reformed in 1752 the Holy Thorn attracted considerable attention, for people watched the trees to see if they would produce their Christmas blossoms according to the new or old calendar. The Gentleman's Magazine of January 1753 recorded that on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1752, hundreds of people gathered at Glastonbury to see if the several Thorn trees growing there would produce flowers. No flowers appeared, but when the crowds reassembled on Old Christmas Eve, 5 January 1753, they were rewarded and the trees blossomed, confirming the onlookers' doubts about the validity of the new calendar. Later in 1753 a correspondent of the Magazine stated that, after reports of the Thorns' flowering on Old Christmas Eve had been printed in a Hull newspaper, the vicar of Glastonbury had been questioned. According to him, the trees blossomed 'fullest and finest about Christmas Day New Style, or rather sooner' [Gentleman's Magazine, 1753: 578].

At Quainton in Buckinghamshire over two thousand people gathered to watch a thorn they remembered as being a descendant of the Glastonbury tree:

but the people finding no appearance of bud, 'twas agreed by all, that Decemb. 25 N.S. could not be Christmas-Day and accordingly refused going to church, and treating their friends on that day as usual; at length the affair became so serious, that ministers of neighbouring villages, in order to appease the people thought it prudent to give notice, that old Christmas-Day should be kept holy as before. [Gentleman's Magazine, 1753: 49]

Until early in the present century people continued to visit Holy Thorns on Old Christmas Eve.

It is believed that the Holy Thorn blossoms at twelve o'clock on Twelfth Night, the time, so they say, at which Christ was born. The blossoms are thought to open at midnight, and drop off about an hour afterwards. A piece of thorn gathered at this hour brings luck, if kept for the rest of the year. Formerly crowds of people went to see the thorn blossom at this time. I went myself to Wormesley [Herefordshire] in 1908; about forty people were there, and as it was quite dark and the blossom could only be seen by candle light, it was probably the warmth of the candles which made some of the little white buds seem to expand. The tree had really been in bloom for several days, the season being extremely mild. [Leather, 1912: 17]

A thorn in the garden of Kingston Grange in Herefordshire was annually visited by people who came from miles around, and 'were liberally supplied with cake and cider' [Leather, 1912: 17]. However, such convivial gatherings sometimes gave way to unruly behaviour, and some people destroyed thorns growing on their property so that unwelcome visits might be stopped. Near Crewkerne in Somerset, in January 1878:

Immense crowds gathered at a cottage between Hewish and Woolmingstone to witness the supposed blooming of a 'Holy' thorn at midnight on Saturday. The weather was unfavourable and the visitors were impatient. There were buds on the plant, but they did not burst into flower as they were said to have done the previous vear. The crowd started singing and then it degenerated into a quarrel and stones were thrown. The occupier of the cottage, seeing how matters stood, pulled up the thorn and took it inside, receiving a blow on the head from a stone for his pains. A free fight ensued and more will be heard of the affair in the Magistrates' Court. [Pur man's Weekly News, 10 January 1978]

Similarly:

A Holy Thorn made a brief appearance in Dorset in 1844 in the garden of a Mr Keynes of Sutton Poyntz. It was rumoured that it had grown from a cutting of the famous Glastonbury Thorn and was expected to blossom at midnight on Old Christmas Eve. 150 people turned up to see the event. Violent scenes took place, the fence was broken down and the plant so badly damaged that it died. [Waring, 1977: 68]

Not surprisingly, tales were told of misfortunes (many of which were very similar to those which befall people who destroy LONE BUSHES in Ireland) which happened to those who attempted to cut down Holy Thorns. An early attempt to destroy a tree resulted in thorns flying from the tree and blinding the axeman in one eye, so that he was 'made monocular' [Howell, 1640: 86]. A man who attempted to cut down a tree that grew in his garden at Clehonger in Herefordshire was more lucky and was let off with a warning: 'blood flowed from the trunk of the tree and this so alarmed him that he left off at once!' [Leather, 1912: 17]. A farmer who destroyed a thorn at Acton Beauchamp in Worcestershire was successful, but within a year he broke an arm and a leg, and part of his house was destroyed by fire [Lees, 1856: 295].

Shortly before Christmas each year sprays from a Thorn tree which grows in St John's churchyard in Glastonbury are sent to the Queen and Queen Mother. In 1929 the then vicar of Glastonbury, whose sister-in-law was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Mary, sent a sprig to the Queen, reviving, according to some writers, a pre-Reformation custom [Anon., 1977]. A report in the Western Daily Press of 20 December 1973 stated that the custom started in Stuart times, and it is recorded that James Montague, Bishop of Bath and Wells, sent pieces of the Holy Thorn and Glastonbury's miraculous WALNUT tree to Queen Anne, consort of James I [Rawlinson, 1722: 112]. About a week before Christmas a short religious service is held around the Thorn. Children from St John's Infants' School sing carols and play their recorders, and the vicar and mayor of Glastonbury cut twigs from the tree. It is said that the Queen has her sprays placed on her breakfast table on Christmas morning, while the Queen Mother has hers placed on her writing table. Letters sent by ladies-in-waiting to the vicar, asking him to convey thanks to the people of Glastonbury, are pinned on the church notice board [Vickery, 1979: 12].

The tree in St John's churchyard which had been used for this ceremony died early in 1991, but fortunately there is a younger tree growing in the churchyard, and other Holy Thorns may be found in the Abbey grounds, outside St Benedict's church, and in private gardens in Glastonbury.”

—

Oxford Dictionary of Plant-Lore

by Roy Vickery

[fillingthescrapbook]

Laughs from the Walking Dead

I found this show because of the CBS version... which stars Rose McIver who I really loved in iZombie. And then I found out that this version, the original, has Mathew Baynton and I felt like I had to watch the show... even if it's only because I'm still sad You, Me and the Apocalypse was canceled.

And I loved it.

Well, not at first. The first couple of episodes, while entertaining, had too much table-setting for me. Which, granted, was unavoidable. But it also made me feel disconnected to the characters. I felt like, for a series with only six episodes, using up a third of your storytelling time on just establishing why things are as they are... was a big gamble.

Joke's on me though because the gamble paid off. By the third episode, the characters are allowed to be bonkers--and you're already strapped into the ride. (Now that I say that, I do see now why it took me longer to get into the US version. While they did the same amount of world-building in their first two episodes, they also burned a lot of minutes on scenes that... Well... We weren't up for yet. But that's a subject for another post.)

What I love about original flavor Ghosts is that they really do lean into the characters of the Ghosts. Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) are at the heart of the show, sure, but the stories aren't beholden to revolve around them.

I also really love that we get to see glimpses into who the ghosts were before they passed. And not just a passing b-plot, at that. The ghosts take center stage on their own episodes. The storytelling was amazing in "The Thomas Thorne Affair" and "Something to Share?" especially with how the script, the directing, and the editing worked together to tell those stories. And I really, really loved both the Series 2 finale "The Perfect Day" and "The Bone Plot" which opened Series 3...even though I wasn't a fan of the storyline it birthed: the whole Lucy situation.

That said, I still really enjoyed how that accursed storyline showcased how much the relationships of the characters have developed. It does, however, also make me feel as if the people behind the show are ready to wrap their stories up.

Of course, personally, I still have a bunch of stories I want to see in BBC's Ghosts. If it gets commissioned for a Series 4 and the writers decide it to be their last, I hope they feature a story where one of the main ghosts move on--which I think would be a very touching episode focused on either Robin (Laurence Rickard) or Pat (Jim Howick). Kitty (Lolly Adefope), the Captain (Ben Willbond), and Mary (Katy Wix) all have parts of their character histories still untold--and I feel like they'll be rife for both comedy and drama.

Had they not done the Lucy story, I would have loved it had they created a story where Fanny (Martha Howe-Douglas) meets a descendant of her husband, who is a farther-relative than Alison, so she could confront the betrayal that led to her death. Which, in my opinion, would play well with a Captain subplot.

But that's just me. I'm wishful thinking.

For now, I'll just be thankful that we're getting a Christmas Special. And that I've found a new British program to enjoy after falling out love with Doctor Who. (I love Jenna Coleman, but the writing for Clara got really tiring really fast after the Matt Smith era. Also, I want justice for Bill Potts.)

[sellyoursoulforagoodfic]

Shelbys at Somme Chapter 22

Thomas X Reader

Word Count: 1823

Summary: We’re getting the band back together. 

by @adventuresintooblivion

Y/N huffed a stray curl out of her face as she walked down the street. She’d been hunting Thomas down for days trying to get a hold of him, to warn him. Hell, at this point she’d considered sending a note. But he needed to know that the possibility of a gang war was on the horizon.

It was one of the few times Y/N had visited the Shelby home. She’d mainly avoided the place up until now, letting Thomas and the others have a sanctuary. Everyone needed one. But today the streets were buzzing with activity. Runners made their way back and forth between illicit sales, the horse tracks, and the books that Thomas kept locked up so tightly.

Once inside the volume only increased as it was captured by thin walls. It wasn’t the business, however, that made the whole affair so wild. It was a handful of unexpected visitors. 

Beneath the chalkboard in the back of the room Aunt Pol stood grasping Ada as if it were the last time she was ever going to see the girl. Beside her stood her husband grinning like he was a priest witnessing the Lord rise again himself.

“Is that Freddie-fucking-Thorne I see? What happened to you getting got by the coppers?” Y/N gasped in feigned astonishment.

Freddie whipped around, his jaw falling slack as he took in the sight before him, “Y/N? Is that really you?”

She closed the distance between them quickly, “Oh, don’t tell me no one mentioned I was around. I’ve been here for months.”

In half a breath Freddie swept her up into his arms, “No, I was told all about you. I guess I never really let myself believe it until I’d laid eyes on you myself.” 

Y/N choked out a laugh as she waved in a feeble attempt to return the crushing hug. “Ada, a little help?”

Ada’s laugh rang out like a bell as she lightly placed her hand on Freddie’s shoulder, “Put her down, love. I’d like to say ‘hi’ as well.”

Freddie roughly let down the woman, letting her gasp for breath as Ada wrapped her arms around Y/N, careful to balance the baby in her other arm. 

“Fucking Christ man you’re trying to kill me all over again. And you didn’t answer my question,” Y/N coughed as she returned Ada’s embrace. Freddie bounced on his heels, the excitement too much for him to contain.

He blurted out, “Danny got me out. He’s around here somewhere. I see you met My Wife.” His hand made a small flourish in Ada’s direction as if to show her off.

“Yeah, I see you’ve even gotten her a ring and everything.” Y/N lifted Ada’s left hand and gave it a soft squeeze. A smile split across Ada’s face, making her almost glow in the dim light. “I knew there was a proper man in there somewhere. Had to bash that over Thomas’ skull a few times before he’d listen.”

Freddie froze, “You vouched for me? To Tommy?”

“Of course I did. The Freddie that watched my back in the trenches never would’ve left the woman he loved behind. Thomas just got too caught up in the business of it all.” Y/N shrugged.

Aunt Pol caught her eye, tears were trickling down her cheeks as she smiled like the whole world was right for once. It was only temporary. Even as they all spoke they knew that. Yet, when life is as short and cruel as it is, you knew to take what you could get.

“So, how come I haven’t heard about you getting engaged?” Freddie coughed uncomfortably. He reached for Y/N’s left hand, inspecting it as if it held all the answers. “Cause when Ada told me you were back, I just knew that’s what you came back for.”

“Freddie…” Y/N warned.

Ada cast a glance back towards Aunt Pol. “Yeah, you said she came back for Tommy didn’t you?”

 “It was a joke you’d hear them making all the time. Honestly, if things had gone right you’d probably be looking at a real Mrs. Thomas Shelby right now.” Freddie teased.

Y/N thunked Freddie on his sternum, her eyes narrowed as he doubled over. “Thanks. Share that with everyone. Please. Continue.” 

“Alright. Alright. But seriously, You two aren’t getting married? I thought he’d be ecstatic to see you,” he said as he righted himself.

She shrugged, hoping the movement showed him just how uncomfortable she was. “He’s got a thing for a barmaid at the moment. And you know how I am, second place really isn’t my style. Besides, we’re not on the best of terms right now.”

Aunt Pol stepped forward to place her hand on the back on Y/N arm, “While I knew Thomas liked you, I didn’t realize it had gotten so far. We’ll talk about this later.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Y/N shot Freddie a look that could kill. 

They were interrupted by the door bursting open. One of the many men who worked for the Peaky Blinders stumbled in gasping.

“They’ve got him! The Rothschilds have Tommy!”

The air left Y/N’s lungs all in a rush. That was a name she prayed to never hear again. The whole room stood still. Violence raised her bloody crown whenever the Rothschilds marched and every man, woman and child knew it. And now they had Tommy. It was Arthur who broke the silence.

“Out with it man! What happened?”

The man fumbled forward until he collapsed into a chair, shaking his head. “We were on our way to meet Kimber’s boys. We had to cross the bridges to get there cause Kimber was at some fancy party and we got jumped. I swear there were at least ten of them. Beat the shit out of us and tossed Tommy in a carriage when he couldn’t get up anymore. It was bad, Arthur.”

Aunt Pol was visibly trembling as she reached out for the man, “How do you know it was the Rothschilds? Tell me, there is a fraction of a chance that you were wrong.”

He shook his head, “It was them Ma’am. The carriage they brought, it was a beat up old thing but it was painted in their colors. And...And I saw him. Sid, himself showed.”

Arthur glanced around wildly, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go get Tommy.” He grabbed his coat and began running for the door.

“Arthur, STOP.” It was Y/N. “They let this man go. They let him go so he would tell us. Sid knows everyone here would die for Tommy, without question. If you run off like you plan to, you’ll just be running into whatever he’s got set up waiting for you.”

“Then what the fuck do you think we should do then, Miss Knows Everything.” His face was steadily turning a brighter shade of red.

But Aunt Pol simply collapsed. She grabbed for a chair as she went down, the resounding crash caught Arthur’s attention as his fists clenched and unclenched. He rushed forward, encircled her in his arms as sobs ripped through her chest, “NO! No. No. No. No. My boy!”

Arthur stared down at her bewildered, “Aunt Pol, We could go after him. We could-”

“No! She… She’s right. Either they’ll kill him or they’ll make him watch as we try to save him. The Peaky Blinders will be slaughtered.”

John paced back and forth, “I know we’re outnumbered, but it’s Tommy. We can’t just give up.”

Freddie ran his fingers through his hair, “I know I’m not a part of the gang scene, but didn’t these guys almost wipe out Kimber’s gang before he got a hold of the race tracks?”

John nodded, “Yeah, he pays them to leave him alone. They have a whole army of people.”

Aunt Pol’s sobs stuttered to a halt as she rounded on Y/N. “They’ve got an army and we need a miracle. You, you’re the impossible girl.”

Apparently the idiotic moniker had been making the rounds, Y/N sighed heavily as she silently cursed that random Lee.

“Pol, I know I’m pretty stubborn but the Rothschilds?” Y/N shook her head. “It’d take weeks of planning and if we go after Tommy we’d have to leave NOW.”

“I know who you are. Tommy told me. You smuggled priceless goods while in the army. You came back from the dead. You walk on two legs while your spine is held together by sinew and sheer will. You know where that monster is taking my nephew. Now get out there and. Bring. Him. Back.” She spat the order at Y/N.

Arthur stared up at her in quiet astonishment, “Well, I guess you’re in charge of this one, mate.”

Y/N’s mouth set into a thin line. Gears began turning in her head about what she knew, the memories flooding forth unbidden as she relived her childhood. The carriages, the beating, the lone survivor. It all rang a bell. 

She began to pace, “It’s too risky to have this war in Birmingham with that new Inspector sniffing at our heels. They’d have to take him out of the city to ambush us properly.”

Freddie glanced at her, “Which means we need to get Tommy before they leave the city.”

She nodded, “Their carriages are also altered. They have better maneuverability than anything coming out of a factory. Not to mention they’re skinnier so they can fit down roads most cars won’t be able to.”

“How do you know all this?” Ada asked, bouncing her child gently to calm him in light of all the noise. 

Y/N let out a nervous chuckle, “You’ll find out tonight if I get back.”

Arthur’s brows furrowed, “I thought you just said we couldn’t go after him.”

“The entirety of the Peaky Blinders can’t. But maybe, just maybe, a smaller team could get this done.” Y/N glanced around. “Hey Freddie, are you up for an adventure?”

He saluted her, “For you and Tommy? Always.”

Y/N glanced at Ada, who answered with a silent nod, before asking, “Isn’t one of you Shelby’s a gunner?”

John stepped forward, “That’d be me. They handed me most of the big guns but I remember how to work a proper sniper rifle if that’s what you need.”

Her fingers tapped out a nervous rhythm as Y/N’s mind grasped at straws. A vague plan was forming at the edges of her mind, knitting itself together into something that could possibly work. 

“Alright. No, the big guns are exactly what we need right now. John, Freddie, meet me at the corner by the West Bridge.”

“You’ve actually got a plan?” John asked hopefully.

Y/N grimaced, “I’ve got something. I wouldn’t quite call it a plan yet, but come on boys. Let’s go get Tommy back.”

[dex-xe]

Final Results of Ghosts Survey

Okay so, there was exactly 100 responses which I think is pretty mad so here are the results. I’m gonna give the TL;DR here and then give a FULLLL rundown and some of my opinions below the keep reading so yeh!!

TL;DR

Favourite Ghost (Round 1): The Captain with 50.0% of the vote Favourite Ghost (Round 2): Kitty/Thomas drew with 16.0% of the vote each (although it was veryyyyy close with a few others too) Favourite Ghost (Weighted Total): The Captain with 37.0% (weighted voting explained below) Second Favourite Ghost (Weighted Total): Pat with 12.0%

Favourite Episode (Round 1): Redding Weddy with 27.3% of the vote Favourite Episode (Round 2): Perfect Day with 19.4% of the vote Favourite Episode (Weighted Total): Redding Weddy with 22.3% of the vote Second Favourite Episode (Weighted Total): Perfect Day with 17.9%

Where from here then, boys?? The big fuck-off stats are gonna be down below but the whole “explain why you like this character/episode” I have other ideas for!! Basically, I’m gonna try and make a game where I put some of the responses and you gotta guess which character/episode its talking about. Which I think will be fun but let me know what ya think!! Also,, if you guys have things to say then let me know, what are your thoughts on the results fellas?? Inbox is there if you want it, replies are also there. Lets chat!!

Hiya everyone,, so if you’re here I’m assuming you’re interested in the stats!!

Weighted Voting

Firstly I should explain my methods. What do I mean by weighted voting for example? Basically, first round “favourite ghost/episode” votes count as 2 weighted votes, second round “second favourite” votes count as only 1. The weighted votes are then added together to make a final weighted score for each ghost/episode that is reflective of their status as favourite and second favourite. And if you’ve read that and are now thinking that I’m taking a silly sitcom about a haunted house too seriously by creating data and maths surrounding it, you are absolutely correct and I am not ashamed. Also you clicked to read the stats so you’re just as bad :P

Now we’ve established that we can chat about some results!!

First Round Ghost Voting (Unweighted)

Ghost | Votes % Robin | 7 (7.0%) Humphrey | 7 (7.0%) Mary | 8 (8.0%) Kitty | 3 (3.0%) Thomas | 8 (8.0%) Fanny | 0 (0.0%) Captain | 50 (50.0%) Pat | 11 (11.0%) Julian | 6 (6.0%)

While I predicted that the Captain would be the favourite I am genuinely shocked?? 50% is massive?? There were moments when I was watching the results come in and he hit 75% but thankfully it’s gone back down to 50% now because I’m shocked by that, let alone higher!! The written responses for the Captain fell into three very distinct camps: 1) I’m gay, 2) long paragraph about character development, 3) Ben Willbond hot lol. So that was fun to see XD Pat was second choice as favourite which I think is cool (he did well overall but didn’t win either). Fanny got a grand total of 0 votes this round which is genuinely very upsetting to me, Fanny appreciation 2k21!! The only other one that surprised me was Julian: thought he’d be slightly higher.

Second Round Ghost Voting (Unweighted)

Ghost | Votes % Robin | 15 (15.0%) Humphrey | 8 (8.0%) Mary | 14 (14.0%) Kitty | 16 (16.0%) Thomas | 16 (16.0%) Fanny | 2 (2.0%) Captain | 11 (11.0%) Pat | 14 (14.0%) Julian | 4 (4.0%)

A fun draw between Kitty and Thomas which I’m very happy about,, was worried Kitty wouldn’t get the appreciation she deserves but here we are!! Robin, Mary, and Pat were all also very close here which is nice too. 2 votes for Fanny is still upsetting but slightly better.

Weighted Ghost Voting

Ghost | Votes % Robin | 29 (9.7%) Humphrey | 22 (7.3%) Mary | 30 (10.0%) Kitty | 22 (7.3%) Thomas | 32 (10.7%) Fanny | 2 (0.7%) Captain | 111 (37.0%) Pat | 36 (12.0%) Julian | 16 (5.3%)

Weighted voting is the most accurate representation of results so the Captain is by far the favourite and Pat is actually the second, very closely followed by Thomas and Mary. My spreadsheet to figure out the weighted vote is mad, I’m such a nerd. Maybe I actually do miss studying maths,, I forgot how much I love stuff like this!!

First Round Episode Voting (Unweighted)

Episode | Votes % Who Do You Think You Are? | 0 (0.0%) Gorilla War | 2 (2.0%) Happy Death Day | 2 (2.0%) Free Pass | 3 (3.0%) Moonah Ston | 8 (8.1%) Getting Out | 1 (1.0%) The Grey Lady | 1 (1.0%) About Last Night | 6 (6.1%) Redding Weddy | 27 (27.3%) The Thomas Thorne Affair | 16 (16.2%) Bump in the Night | 11 (11.1%) Perfect Day | 17 (17.2%) The Ghost of Christmas | 5 (5.1%)

Again, my prediction of Redding Weddy being the favourite was correct but it was closer than I thought it would be. Perfect Day and Thomas Thorne Affair both did well too. I am surprised that Grey Lady and About Last Night didn’t get more appreciation: I feel like they probably get looked over because the final four episodes of series 2 are like fan favourites and really incredible but both strong episodes in their own right.

Second Round Episode Voting (Unweighted)

Episode | Votes % Who Do You Think You Are? | 1 (1.0%) Gorilla War | 3 (3.1%) Happy Death Day | 3 (3.1%) Free Pass | 3 (3.1%) Moonah Ston | 10 (10.2%) Getting Out | 2 (2.0%) The Grey Lady | 4 (4.1%) About Last Night | 7 (7.1%) Redding Weddy | 12 (12.2%) The Thomas Thorne Affair | 12 (12.2%) Bump in the Night | 11 (11.2%) Perfect Day | 19 (19.4%) The Ghost of Christmas | 11 (11.2%)

Prediction was correct again but this was wayyyyyy closer than I thought. First place was an easy win for Perfect Day but then Moonah Ston, Redding Weddy, Thomas Thorne Affair, and Ghost of Christmas were all super close. Also Moonah Ston is by far the series 1 favourite which I think is fair. Also more appreciation for About Last Night here.

Weighted Episode Voting

Episode | Votes % Who Do You Think You Are? | 1 (0.0%) Gorilla War | 7 (2.0%) Happy Death Day | 7 (2.0%) Free Pass | 9 (3.0%) Moonah Ston | 26 (8.1%) Getting Out | 4 (1.0%) The Grey Lady | 6 (1.0%) About Last Night | 19 (6.1%) Redding Weddy | 66 (27.3%) The Thomas Thorne Affair | 44 (16.2%) Bump in the Night | 33 (11.1%) Perfect Day | 53 (17.2%) The Ghost of Christmas | 21 (5.1%)

Nothing here that I haven’t really said so I’m just gonna let you enjoy the gorgeous data!! Series 2 was overall more popular than series 1 which I think bodes really well for series 3!! fyi the predictions I put down at the start were Cap as the favourite ghost and Redding Weddy as the favourite episode so surprise I was correct all round XD Big round of applause for me everyone,, jkjkjk XD

So there we go, those are the stats!! I’ll hopefully be back soon with the game I described at the top but idk how to do it atm so I’m gonna look into some options for it. Maybe another Google Form would work but let me know if you have any better ideas. If you wanna chat about stuff let me knowww,, or if I haven’t explained something well I’ll try again.

[pointnumbersixteen]

Random Notes from a 5AM Re-Watch of the Middle Bits of the Thomas Thorne Affair

1) I’m guessing that Thomas came from the more well off part of the family than Francis- Thomas has significantly nicer clothes, he’s a ‘professional’ ‘poet,’ and he scoffs at the idea of living in Button House while Francis views it as an impressive inheritance- but I wonder how much better off? What was their family dynamic like? What kind of cousin was Francis, maternal first cousin or more distant cousin on either side (probably not paternal first cousin, given the different surnames)? And probably more importantly, considering what transpires, were they ever close or did Frances always resent Thomas? 

2) “Kiss me. As the French do.” 

3) I know I’ve said it before, but Robin’s face when the carrots are revealed is perfect. 

4) “Good God, how long have you been there?!” “Oh, the whole time.” Poor Humphrey.

5) I enjoy how much Humphrey appreciated Francis Button’s shoes, with their lovely buckles. 

6) As a matter of curiosity, do they actually serve cheese and pineapple in party buffets in the UK, or was that just for the purpose of making the joke about how expensive pineapple used to be? Because there’s plenty of cheese on the party buffets in the US, but I don’t think there’s usually pineapple. 

7) I find it interesting that Kitty’s aware of Mary Shelley as a writer. I mean, she clearly likes to read, as that’s her chosen pastime for Alison’s routine of setting up morning activities, but given that Mary Shelley’s work came after Kitty’s death but before Alison, how did she become familiar with it? Did she used to sit in the library with the pre-marriage Isabelle Higham and read books over her shoulder? Actually, I’m gonna say: head cannon yes, because it’s a cute thought and I like it. 

8) I enjoy how amused military officer-man’s purple-coated friend looks as poet-Thomas comes up and randomly, dramatically and entirely ineptly challenges military officer-man to a duel over a few negative words concerning Mary Shelley. Also, I wonder what Thomas’s reputation was like if everyone just accepted this instead of going, ‘Thomas, my guy, this is really, really bizarre; what do you think you’re doing?” 

9) It’s so amusing to me that Cap found the tale of Thomas’s tragic demise (which wasn’t even a story he’d heard a million times before, for once, I’m pretty sure) so boring that he decided to interrupt and insert a fictional and anachronistic military battle into it instead. 

10) It’s also amusing to me that when military-officer man looks to their official(?) for advice on what to do about Thomas, instead of stopping it, asking why Thomas was still walking, and making them redo the paces, he just gives shrugs, nods and gives him the go ahead to shoot instead. C’mon, was his poem really bad enough to merit that? 

11) And then they all go inside, leaving him to die alone. C’mon, I mean really, he couldn’t have deserved that.  

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hello, I hope I'm not bothering you, but do you have any good "enemies to lovers" recs, may they be books or movies?

I neeeever am bothered by people asking for recommendations.  Those are my favorite asks because I am nothing if not in love with my own opinions, lol

Books

Obviously, The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, the best Bridgerton book, because I’ve been blogging about it lol.  If you haven’t read it, it’s basically “rake tries to seduce the beauty of the ton, beauty’s older sister cockblocks him, he realizes that He Is Into It” 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is a classic.  Very light and fluffy contemporary, two people who’ve always hated each other begin competing for the same job and fall in love.

Kate Quinn’s Mistress of Rome series is a saga and the initial big ship of the first book (which you do have to read lol) is not enemies to lovers.  However, the NEXT ship which dominates the last two books of the series (which is four books long, and tbh... I recommend the second book but it’s a prequel and can be skipped technically) is SOOOOOOO GOOD.  It’s really “childhood friends to young lovers to SEVERE ENEMIES still secretly in love” and it’s literally epic lol.  Essentially, the series is set in Ancient Rome and Sabina (very bitchy Roman noblewoman) and Vix (child of a former gladiator, soldier) are friends who I think lose their virginities to each other?  And are in love as kids.  But then she fucks him over and marries the emperor.  Who he actually begins to loyally serve!  But he haaaates Sabina because she.... constantly backstabs him lol.  But he also looooves Sabina and gets off on everything she does.  And she wants him so badly.  And it is delicious.  And I live for it.

Both of the Evie Dunmore books I’ve read, Bringing Down the Duke and especially A Rogue of One’s Own are very enemies to lovers.  In Bringing Down the Duke it’s a bluestocking versus a duke who for political reasons is her enemy.  In A Rogue of One’s Own it’s another bluestocking versus a rake who has known her basically all their lives.  They have to begin working together and fall in looove.

Sarah MacLean LIVES for this trope lol.  Her first true enemies to lovers was Twelve Scandals to Start to Win An Earl’s Heart, in which the heroine is a scandalous young woman and the hero is a duke determined to avoid scandal--and he rebuffed her before the book began, so they hate each other.  But he also has a massive boner around her, of course. 

My favorite MacLean book, A Rogue By Another Name is another “childhood friends turn enemies to lovers”.  The leads, Penelope and Bourne (last name lol) were best friends as kid and he basically fell off after life set in.  Her family now has hold of his ancestral lands, and Bourne essentially blackmails Penelope into marrying him so that he can get those lands, after which she DESPISES him even though they had..... extremely great sex lol.  It’s SUPER GOOD, and it involves borderline voyeurism, which is great.

Then No Good Duke Goes Unpunished is very enemies to lovers.  The heroine was set to become the hero’s stepmother--then he woke up covered in blood with her missing. He then finds out, after years of being despised by society as a presumed murderer, that she is very much alive with a fake identity lol.  It’s WILD.

The Rogue Not Taken is an enemies to lovers roadtrip romance.  The heroine thinks the hero is a horrid rake who purposefully ruins marriages.  He thinks she’s a stuck up brat.  They end up journeying together and he eats her out in a moving carriage.

Theeen there’s Daring and the Duke.  The hero literally thought the heroine was dead (MacLean loves this) and is OBSESSED with her, but she hates him because the man who raised them both basically pitted them against each other after their days of being childhood sweethearts.  It’s very dark and delicious, and there are blow jobs!  Blow jobs don’t happen enough in romances, especially historical romances.  More BJs!  They are fun!

If you’re interested in a dark and BONKERS romance, Desperate Measures by Katee Robert is a retelling of Disney’s Aladdin about a modern Jafar and Jasmine getting together after he takes over her father’s criminal empire.  It’s definitely extremely explicit and a bit fucked up.  The book comes with content warnings; the first sex scene is dubcon.  (Like you’re reading from her perspective and she WANTS IT but she says no.)

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a cute contemporary in which the hero is a literary author and the heroine is a romance novelist.  They find themselves in neighboring beach houses and basically challenge each other to write in the other person’s genre.  Very light enemies to lovers.

A Heart of Blood and Ashes is a fantasy romance by Milla Vane!  Essentially, the hero’s parents were killed by the heroine’s father and he’s out to kill her father and overtake his throne.  Luckily, she’s on board.  But he needs to marry her in order to accomplish his goals.  They do not trust each other whatsoever and torment one another a lot.  For context, within the first fifty pages she gives him a handjob while her hand is covered in her own brother’s blood (and yes, he did kill her brother).  It’s great.

The Worst Best Man is about a wedding planner who suddenly finds herself needing to work with her ex-fiance’s brother... who she holds responsible for her fiance leaving her at the altar.  Very fun and sexy contemporary.

The entire Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa.  In each book, the heroine falls in love with a literal embodiment of one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who is here to bring the end of the world.  VERY heavy enemies to lovers.  Kinda dark at times?  Kinda fucked up at times?  I love it a lot?  It begins with Pestilence; War and Famine have already been released, but Death has not.

From Lukov with Love by Marina Zapata.  It’s a figure skating romance; a down on her luck skater pairs up with a male skater who is extremely successful, and who she’s known for years and hated.  Verrrrry slow burn, but fun.

Movies

The Proposal, of course, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.  You’ve probably seen this, but the setup is that she’s his evil boss, he’s her assistant, and she’s about to lose her visa so she bribes him into marrying her so that she can get citizenship.  But ruh-roh, they have to go to Alaska for his family reunion and he’s also got a great body and is like, an Alaskan Rockefeller?  

Obviously, Clueless which is enemies to lovers by way of former stepsiblings, and also by way of the only valid retelling of Emma.  Emma itself is not enemies to lovers, really, but Clueless amps that aspect up a bit.

If you want a super tragic version, warning lol--House of Flying Daggers.  It’s a wuxia movie, so melodramatic to the max.  She’s a blind daughter of the leader of a vigilante group, he’s a soldier who’s gone undercover to follow her to their stronghold.  Many reveals and one of my favorite dramatic love stories ensues.

Princess Diaries 2, duh.  Baby Chris Pine?  Anne Hathaway?  PLEASE BITCH.

365 DNI.  If you haven’t watched yet, watch it and thank me later.  The greatest cinematic contribution of the last decade.

Down with Love.  It’s a delightful take on like, 50s/60s sex comedies in which the heroine writes a book that convinces women to ignore love and men, which makes the hero look bad and makes it difficult for him to get laid.  So he sets out to basically.....  wear a different persona?  And seduce her?  It is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and I adore it.  Renee Zellweger and Ewan Macgregor have great chemistry in it too.

The Thomas Crown Affair, starring extremely hot Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo.  She’s an insurance investigator, he’s a billionaire who basically is suspected of stealing priceless works of art because he’s bored.  She investigates him and immediately begins fucking him.  Has a scene where she dances with him while wearing a completely transparent dress.  Then they fuck everywhere in his house.  I have never wanted to be between two people more.

The Painted Veil.  A socialite marries a dorky scientist for convenience, then cheats on him.  He finds out and basically forces her to go to China with him, where he is fighting the cholera epidemic, as an extremely long and petty murder suicide attempt.  But they get to know each other!  And the ice begins to melt!  Warning: tragic but lovely.

Casino Royale YES I SAID THAT.  The James Bond reboot movie that explains why he’s such a whore!!!  HE WAS BROKEN!!!  Basically James Bond is not like... a learned man... in this movie.  So he’s a cocky bastard and the Bond girl is impossibly sexy Eva Green as Vesper, who’s the “money man” on his mission.  They begin as bickering assholes and then fall in love.  But also!  Tragedy!

The animated Anastasia movie is one of the finest enemies to lovers movies of any time, I will defend this forever

Anyway....  Hope this gives you some ideas!  Lol