hey there, i was wondering if you know the original video of this gif giphy(.)com/gifs/bbcamerica-26BnapQwi3yxnyXbG
Yes, it's from the Orphan Black Dance Party video on BBC America's YouTube channel. In case you live in a country where their content is blocked, here is the full video:
(So here’s my 2nd attempt on fancasting for TSHOEH. Once again, I picked the actors/actresses based on their “vibe” and a few of their physical characteristics that matches some of the descriptions written in the book. Also I’m just so impatient now because it’s 2023 and we still don’t have any news on the casting. Like it is stressing me out lol. Just hoping they get it RIGHT!)
Evelyn Hugo - Adria Arjona
(Background info: Arjona is an American actress of Puerto Rican & Guatemalan descent. She is currently 30 y/o and 5’7” tall)
“When you see pictures of E back in the day with her brassy blond hair, those dark, straight-as-an-arrow eyebrows, that deep-tanned skin, and those golden-brown eyes, you have no choice but to stop what you are doing and stare right at her.” (10)
“Her jawline is strong, her cheekbones are high, and all of it comes to a point at her ever-so-swollen lips. Her eyes are huge but not so much round as an oversized almond shape. Her tanned skin next to her light hair looks beachy but also elegant. I know it’s not natural--hair that blond with skin that bronze--and yet I can’t shake the feeling that it should be, that humans should be born looking like this.” (15)
“...I was five foot eight, with dark, shiny brown hair, long legs, light bronze skin, and a chest that pulled at the buttons of my dresses.” (43)
Middle Aged Evelyn Hugo - Eva Mendes
(Background info: Mendes is an American actress of Cuban descent. She is currently 48 y/o and is 5’6” - 5’8” tall)
Older Evelyn Hugo - Rita Moreno
(Background info: Moreno is a Puerto Rican-born American actress and is currently 91 years old. She was the first Hispanic woman to receive an Oscar in 1962)
“Where her cheeks were once angular, they are now a bit sunken. But they have just a tint of soft rosiness to them, and her lips are a dark nude.” (20)
“Her hair is past her shoulders—a beautiful array white, gray, and blond—with the lightest colors framing her face.” (20)
“Her eyebrows, however—those dark, thick, straight lines that were her signature—have thinned over the years. And they are now the same color as her hair.” (20)
“In the sunlight, it’s easier to see the signs of aging. The whites of her eyes are cloudy, and the complexion of her hands is in the process of becoming translucent. The clear blue tint to her veins reminds me of my grandmother.” (24)
Celia St. James - Kennedy Walsh
(Background info: Walsh is an American YouTuber and Internet personality that also has acted in a few films. She is currently 23 y/o and is 5’7” tall)
“She had a childlike, girl-next-door kind of face. Big, round, pale blue eyes, long lashes, Cupid’s bow lips, long strawberry-red hair. She was simplicity perfect.” (86)
Middle Aged Celia St. James - Jessica Chastain
(Background info: Chastain is an American actress, is currently 45 y/o, and 5’4” tall)
“Her red hair was still stunning but now clearly dyed. The golden undertones that had been there before, the result of nature and sunlight, were now slightly saturated, coppery. Her blue eyes were just as enticing as they always had been, but now the skin around them was softer.” (310)
Harry Cameron - David Corenswet
(Background info: Corenswet is an American actor, is currently 29 y/o, and 6’4” tall)
“He was handsome, for an executive. Most producers around the lot were rotund, a lot of them losing their hair. But Harry was tall and slim. He was young. I suspected he didn’t even have a decade on me. He wore suits that fit him nicely and always complemented his ice-blue eyes. There was something vaguely midwestern about him, not so much in how he looked but in the way he approached people, with kindness first, then strength.” (47)
Middle Aged Harry Cameron - Bradley Cooper
(Background info: Cooper is an American actor, is currently 48 y/o, and 6’1” tall)
John Braverman - Jake Picking
(Background info: Picking is an American actor, is currently 31 y/o, and 6’1” tall)
“In a tux that seemed to strain at his broad shoulders, John looked as all-American as a husk of corn.” (227)
“He had such an intimidating physical presence. More than six feet tall, two hundred and twenty-five pounds, with a tight crew cut. He looked like a guy you didn’t want to mess with. But anyone who knew him, and especially those of us who loved him, knew he was the first guy you could mess with.” (235)
Monique Grant - Zoë Kravitz
(Background info: Kravitz is an American actress and is of African American and Jewish descent. She is currently 34 y/o)
“As a biracial woman myself — light brown skin and dark brown eyes courtesy of my black father, an abundance of face freckles courtesy of my white mother...” (3)
The series I'm going to introduce to you today is very close to my heart, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to tell you all about it. A science fiction series produced by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett for BBC America, its first season was released in 2013. It consists of five seasons of 10 episodes each, and last year saw the birth of its spin-off. Today, I'm going to talk to you about the Orphan Black series!
As always, let's start with a synopsis that's a little longer than usual: Sarah Manning, a young thief in her twenties, orphaned and penniless, witnesses the suicide of Detective Beth Childs, who looks exactly like her. She decides to assume her identity while erasing her own existence by pretending to have taken her own life. Sarah is also the mother of a little girl, Kira, who is being looked after by Sarah's adoptive mother, Mrs. S. The latter agrees to give her back to her on condition that Sarah can prove that she can be a worthy mother, by bringing in a sum of money to support them.
Through Beth's investigations, Sarah learns that they are not just twins and that there are a number of them in North America and Europe. She meets Cosima Niehaus, a scientist specializing in genetics, and Alison Hendrix, a stay-at-home mom living in a comfortable suburb, whom she assists in learning more about their origins.
In the course of her investigation, Sarah finds herself in the crossfire between two entities: the Dyad Institute, a powerful biotech consortium; and the Proletians, a sectarian movement convinced that they are abominations and which is behind the hunt for them. The two entities step up their hunt when they learn that Sarah, who has escaped their supervision, has a baby daughter - theoretically impossible since they are supposed to be sterile.
Sarah, and those she now considers her sisters, are sometimes on the run from these organisms, sometimes fooled by their manipulations, all the while searching for their origins.
And now, a short technical presentation:
- Created by: Graeme Mason and John Fawcett
- Music by: Trevor Yuile
- Main cast: Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Gavaris, Dylan Bruce, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Kevin Hanchard, Michael Mando, Evelyne Brochu, Kristian Bruun, Ari Millen, Josh Vokey.
PRESENTATION
It's going to be pretty difficult to talk about the series without spoiling anything, so I apologize in advance for the slight spoilers present in this article. I'll try as far as possible to limit them or point them out if they're unavoidable, but the main spoiler I can't avoid is the main subject of the series.
As you'll have gathered from the summary, one of the main subjects of the series is human cloning. Indeed, Sarah, Beth, Cosima, Alison, and all the others - all played by Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk, Chronicle of the Living Dead, The Listener)- are not mere twins, but clones. That's why the Dyad Institute and the Proletians are looking for them, although they don't have the same intentions for them if they find them.
SPOILER + In the final episode of season 1, Cosima discovers that each clone has a different DNA tag based on ASCII-coded base pairs. In addition to the identification code, there is the text "This organism and its derived genetic material are restricted intellectual property." followed by a series of patent numbers. Sarah receives a photograph whose caption suggests that the cloning project that produced it was called "Project Leda". SPOILER END
But that's enough spoilers for now, we can finally start the analysis!
CASTING
At the end of the first season, ten clones of different nationalities and social backgrounds are revealed. Other clones gradually emerge in subsequent seasons. In episode 8 of season 2, Tony, a transgender clone, is introduced. All are played by Tatiana Maslany, who alone plays a good third of the show's characters. Often praised by the press for her acting and the complexity of her roles, it was several years before she received any awards for the series, much to the dismay of fans and the press who couldn't understand why.
In Tatiana Maslany's portrayal of the eight main clones, she was aided by Kathryn Alexandre (Darknet, Saving Hope, Designated Survivor), who acted as her understudy and acted in scenes where several clones interacted. Although she was not credited in the first season's episodes, she was present throughout the series. She doesn't appear on screen as the clones in any of the broadcast episodes, but motion capture and post-production compositing were used to replace her on-screen with Tatiana Maslany's performance. I'll come back a little later in the SPECIAL EFFECTS AND SHOOTING ANECDOTES section to explain how the footage was prepared to facilitate the work of the actresses and the editors. Tatiana Maslany said of Kathryn Alexandre's performance: "She's so incredible. She memorizes all the lines, all my blocks, all her blocks, my mannerisms, my impulses; she somehow memorizes it all and gives it back to me in a performance that I can build on." Kathryn Alexandre had worked as an actor's reader during the casting auditions for the initial production of Orphan Black. She then auditioned for the role of Tatiana Maslany's understudy and won the spot because the producers were looking for, in Kathryn Alexandre's words, "an actor rather than just an understudy".
KNOWN CLONES (SPOILER)
Throughout the series, each Project Leda clone has its own existence and therefore its own relationships. Early on in the series, we meet Alison Hendrix, mother of two and housewife, and her husband Donnie, as well as Cosima Niehaus, a scientist specializing in genetics. Both of them - played by Tatiana Maslany - and the relationships they develop over the series are key elements of the story.
We also encounter other cloning projects with Project Castor. It's revealed that the original samples from the Castor and Leda projects were brother and sister, making all clones genetic siblings. But there's an even stronger link between the two genomes: a single woman, Kendall Malone - played by Alison Steadman (The King's Man: First Mission)-, is in fact the original of both clone lines, as she is a human chimera. We later learn that, in addition to being the donor of the genomes' DNA, she is also the biological mother of Siobhan Sadler - played by Maria Doyle Kennedy (Conjuring 2: The Enfield Case, Outlander, The Tudors)- Sarah and Felix's adoptive mother and Kira's guardian.
Unlike the Project Leda clones, all Project Castor clones are aware of their cloned nature and have been raised together by Dr. Virginia Coady -played by Kyra Harper (Warehouse 13, The Dresden Files)- in a military setting.
As with Tatiana Maslany, Ari Millen (My Life with John F. Donovan, The Expanse), who plays the Project Castor clones, was supported by Nick Abraham as his understudy when necessary.
Other key clones in the story are also introduced in the course of the series, whether allied or not, but I've already told you a lot and wouldn't want to spoil the whole story for those of you who want to watch the series. I'll just end this part by pointing out that the final episode of the series gives us a glimpse of a worldwide count of 274 Leda clones…
OVERVIEW
I'd like to pay tribute to the titanic efforts of the production team, Tatiana Maslany, Ari Millen, and their understudies to achieve such fluidity in the transitions between the various shots and the many (very many!) roles played by the actors. On a personal note, I have to admit that, over and above the story and the investigative aspect, it was Tatiana Maslany's acting that won me over so quickly to the series. What a performance, to know how to nuance her acting to interpret seventeen characters and make them all different and identifiable. Of course, she didn't do it alone: the writing of the story, the artistic team, and the technical team all contributed to this success.
I'd also like to salute the work of Evelyne Brochu (Tom à la ferme, Café de Flore, Paris Police 1900), Jordan Gavaris (Degrassi: Nouvelle Génération, Take Two), and Kevin Hanchard (Suicide Squad, The Expanse, Hudson & Rex), who were great discoveries or rediscoveries for me, giving this series a warm, familiar feel.
The role played by Matt Frewer (Watchmen, Supernatural, Hercules) is also very important, bringing an extra shade of toxicity to this morally dubious universe.
THEMATICS
While we're on the subject of this series' morals, and in particular those of its characters, I'd like to take a moment to focus on certain themes that I feel the series highlights, to open up a dialogue in the viewer's mind about these subjects.
One of the first themes to emerge in the first few episodes is the questioning of patriarchy. Between Sarah's toxic relationship with her drug-dealing ex-partner Victor, and Beth's relationship with Paul, who not only is her partner but also spies on her for the Dyad Institute, the depictions of couple relationships in the very first episodes of the series are very much in favor of patriarchy. These are situations in which the man in the relationship tries to control his partner's every move, but also to control her mentally by exerting moral pressure. What's interesting for me, beyond this faithful depiction of toxic relationships, is that not only did they not stop at showing this pattern in couple relationships, they extended this possibility to professional and family relationships as well, and, throughout the series, deconstructed these patterns by allowing the female characters to free themselves from these holdings, albeit sometimes with very heavy blows, to regain their independence and find themselves again and not the version altered by the male figures in their environment.
What's more, the very existence of clones means that the series tackles the subject of the exploitation of the body, particularly the female body. SPOILER Between the fact that the stem DNA used to create the two clone families comes from one and the same woman, Kendall Malone, and the fact that they're looking for Sarah and Helena because they're the only two clones with the ability to give life (ndlr. Alison and Donnie's children are adopted), something that until now was not possible in experiments, the female body is used as a tool to satisfy unhealthy research carried out by scientists who have no respect for human existence as we know it. END SPOILER
The series is full of strong female characters, from the clones played by Tatiana Maslany to Mrs. S -Sarah and Felix's adoptive mother and Kira's caretaker played by Maria Doyle Kennedy - and Dr. Delphine Cormier - played by Evelyne Brochu - and it's a great way, in my opinion, of popularizing in viewers' minds that deconstructing patriarchy isn't a bad thing and won't lead to the end of the world, as some people seem to think… An evolution, be it moral, sociological, scientific, or other, is not necessarily a bad thing, but we must welcome it and try to understand it before directly considering it as a danger to be eradicated.
But beyond this aspect, for me, there's a real questioning of the capitalist world, which is ready to tolerate or even encourage any experiment as long as it's profitable. Long before Elon Musk and his Neuralink launched in 2016, the series had already understood and set out to denounce the potential excesses of technological developments in the medical field. I'm not saying that there aren't advantages to such advances, particularly if they help to improve or save lives, as long as they are governed by strict rules, particularly concerning experimentation, whether animal or human, as was the case with Project Dolly in Scotland in the late 90s, to which the very theme of the series refers.
For those of you who don't know, Project Dolly is a sheep famous for being the first mammal clone in history, obtained from the nucleus of the mammary gland of an adult sheep. The nucleus of this cell, containing the entire genetic make-up, is injected into the egg cell of another ewe, from which the original nucleus has been removed. In this way, the nuclear DNA of the first ewe replaces that of the second in the latter's egg cell. 277 egg cells are created, giving rise to around 30 embryos. Only one of these develops into an adult. For the first time, a viable being resulting from this cloning technique survives. Scottish scientists named the sheep "Dolly" after the American singer Dolly Parton, renowned for the generosity of her breasts because the cloning was carried out using mammary gland cells.
The media hype surrounding this project has given rise to the misconception that a clone is a carbon copy of another individual. The identity is that of the nuclear DNA, which implies that the clone is neither genetically identical to another individual, since the genetic heritage is made up of the nuclear DNA contained in the nucleus of the organism's cells and the mitochondrial DNA contained in the cytoplasm of the ovum (and therefore also in the enucleated ovum); nor an identical physiognomy as a result of the role of the environment in which the DNA is expressed, and even if a great resemblance exists, it is ultimately less than that which exists between homozygous twins.
Cloning from differentiated cells of an adult organism represents a major breakthrough in the scientific world. It proves that the regulation of gene expression is reversible, and opens the door to the production of transgenic animals (with extra genes, such as those encoding human proteins used for medical purposes) or animals with special qualities. This could be an interesting technique for safeguarding endangered species.
The same Scottish team cloned 13 ewes, including 4 in 2007 (Debbie, Denise, Diana and Daisy) from the mammary gland cell line that gave birth to Dolly 10 years earlier. Unlike Dolly, these ewes show no signs of accelerated aging. While less than 3% of cloned embryos were born healthy in 1996, this proportion has risen to over 20% for the cohort of ewes in 2016.
To my mind, the potential scientific aberrations of such discoveries are one of the things the series wants to warn us against, and it's all to its credit when we see in the media today all the madness that laboratories are capable of producing under cover of private funding… All progress is good to take as long as it's useful for improving the comfort of life for everyone, but also as long as it's accessible to all and not reserved for a privileged class who has the financial means to afford it. Here's a link to an article that goes into more depth about the biomedical criminality present in Orphan Black.
Finally, I'd also like to talk about representation in this series. With a predominantly female cast thanks to the various clones played by Tatiana Maslany, the series offers a very diverse range of female characters, but not only. It also offers a fine representation of LGBT characters that I won't name to keep you surprised. Whether it's several lesbian couples, gay encounters, or even a transgender character, the series gives pride of place to this community which, for once in a time, is represented outside the clichés. Indeed, they are portrayed as any heterosexual or cisgender person (cisgender: a person in agreement with his or her birth gender, the opposite of transgender) and it's refreshing not to find the scenarist facilities too often used or to have characters portrayed as excessive, "freaks". Whatever your sexual orientation or gender identity, everyone is entitled to self-respect, and it was a real balm for me at the time to see such characters on my screen.
PRODUCTION
Casting for the lead role was announced on September 17, 2012. Although Canadian actor Elliot Page was considered for the lead role, Susan and Sharon Forrest, in charge of casting the series, chose to give the role to another Canadian, Tatiana Maslany. The rest of the main cast was announced at the end of October 2012 as filming for the first season began in Toronto.
In March 2014, BBC Worldwide North America signed an agreement with Amazon for exclusive broadcast rights to the series on Amazon Prime Instant Video. The quality of the series, which is worth watching in one sitting, was cited as one of the main reasons for Amazon's interest. In April 2014, the airing of the first episode of the series' second season recorded a 91% audience increase in the 18-49 age group in cumulative TV broadcast audiences plus Amazon Prime Instant Video. In fact, this increase can be explained by the possibility of viewing the episode after it has been broadcast, which makes it easier for viewers to watch. This is the biggest increase for any first-run drama series on cable this season.
In April 2014, writer Stephen Hendricks sued the BBC and Temple Street for $5 million, alleging that they had stolen the idea for Orphan Black from him. He had submitted a script written in the late 1990s, entitled Double Double to Temple Street in 2004, who then considered and ultimately rejected it.
SPECIAL EFFECTS AND FILMING ANECDOTES
Scenes in which Tatiana Maslany has several simultaneous roles were filmed several times using carriage-mounted motion control cameras that reproduce the movement between each take. This device, the Technodolly, is referred to as the "Time Vampire" on the Orphan Black set because of the length of time several clone scenes take in the production schedule. In these scenes, Tatiana Maslany first plays the scene with her understudy Kathryn Alexandre in the alternate clone role, then alone in the same clone role, then alone in the alternate clone, then a fourth time with the scene filmed with just the camera movement for a background plate. Suspended tennis balls help the actress maintain appropriate sight lines. In post-production, Kathryn Alexandre and the tennis balls are replaced by Tatiana Maslany's footage from alternative shots, allowing for more action in the scenes where she interacts with herself. In the season 2 finale, when one scene required the presence of four different clones, two days of shooting and several additional body doubles were used to create the effect, and the post-production work of Geoff Scott and his team at Intelligent Creatures VFX would have taken hundreds of hours to complete.
Tatiana Maslany created different music playlists to help her distinguish the many clone personalities she embodies. She also used dance to develop the physicality of the characters, including their postures, gestures, and movements and drew on her experience in improvisation to develop the characters more fully.
The character of Cosima is named after science historian Cosima Herter, a friend of showrunner Graeme Manson, and a scientific consultant on the series. Cosima Herter works with the writers to ensure the plausibility of cloning and other scientific aspects of the series, as well as the complexity of the philosophical and ethical concerns it raises.
Make-up artist Stephen Lynch, hairstylist Sandy Sokolowski, and wardrobe supervisor Debra Hanson are instrumental in creating the visual differences needed to distinguish each clone. Indeed, their work is often used to develop the characters' personalities before lines of dialogue are even written. The screenwriters use the character of each personality as reflected in their physical appearances and clothing to refine the moods and nuances of the characters.
The drawings of Sarah's daughter Kira in the series are created by Sash Kosovic, a member of the art department.
In season 4, a reference to the scientific cloning of Dolly the sheep is made through a sheep's head mask worn by a character to keep his identity secret.
SHOOTING LOCATIONS
Orphan Black was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, but it's not specified whether the series was set in Canada. Graeme Manson said in 2014 that the setting was deliberately ambiguous: "It's supposed to be Generica. It's part of the price you pay for this kind of co-production.". John Fawcett agreed, saying "to be honest, we don't want to say we're American and alienate Canadians, or say we're Canadian and alienate Americans. The fact is, we're one big happy family. We're just a little further north than you are. Grantland's Tara Ariano argued that this ambiguity is "a bold new way for a producer to work within the restrictions of CanadaCon: place your show in Canada (technically), employ a Canadian crew, air it on a Canadian channel… and make room for recurring guest stars like Maria Doyle Kennedy… by casting a Canadian in nearly a dozen roles.".
But beyond that, the Canadian location was apparent through details such as Ontario license plates, Beth and Mrs. S.'s Ontario driver's licenses, the currency used, scripted references to the Ontario suburb of Scarborough and Toronto's Parkdale, and a plane ticket in the pilot episode identifying Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Bridgepoint Health and Toronto's Don Jail are stand-ins for the exterior of the Dyad Institute. Scenes set in the Scarborough suburb where Alison lives are actually shot in Markham, Ontario, a suburb immediately north of Scarborough. However, details are often deliberately obscured; American pronunciations of words like "lieutenant" are used.
The co-production also influenced another important aspect of the series: Sarah's British accent and origins. John Fawcett explained that BBC America had asked them to make the main character British, which she wasn't originally, to better match the BBC brand. John Fawcett, however, saw this directive as an advantage, as it made it easy to differentiate Sarah from the other clones and broaden the geographical scope of the series' plot.
OTHER MEDIA
COMICS
In July 2014, a comic book series published by IDW Publishing was announced. The series, whose first issue was released in February 2015, is co-written by series creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson. A new issue was published monthly until July 2015, when the last of the five contracted issues was published. The issues in order feature Sarah, Helena, Alison, Cosima, and Rachel.
The comic book miniseries was conceived as a way of conveying information about the clones' past and childhood without interrupting the fast-paced TV series. It is presented as an extended universe featuring off-screen events not shown in the episodes. The comics are directly linked to the events of the first season of the series, to anchor the comics in the already established universe. The mini-series offers audiences the opportunity to better understand the emotions, thoughts, and feelings underlying the characters in the TV series.
In August 2015, the comic's conclusion revealed another self-aware clone: Veera Suominen. She was thought to be one of the clones executed in Helsinki, but she survived. The next comic, Orphan Black: Helsinki, published in November 2015, expanded on her character.
AUDIO SERIES
In June 2019, a 10-episode audio series entitled Orphan Black: The Next Chapter was announced, with Tatiana Maslany reprising her role. Serving as an official continuation of the series, it takes place eight years after the series finale. Malka Older is the showrunner with Mishell Baker, Lindsay Smith, Heli Kennedy, Madeline Ashby, and E.C. Myers as writers.
The series is broadcast via the Serial Box platform and the first episode was made available on September 12, 2019. Since then it can be found on YouTube via the link above, or on Spotify and Audible.
A second season aired in October 2021, co-produced by Realm and AMC Networks, adding original cast members Jordan Gavaris, Kristian Bruun, and Evelyne Brochu to the cast.
MUSIC
In May 2015, two compilations of the series' soundtrack were released by Varèse Sarabande Records. These two compilations include music from seasons 1 and 2 with compositions made by Trevor Yuile for the series but also music made by other artists such as Tears For Fears and featured in Orphan Black.
The series' main theme, Theme From Orphan Black, is composed and performed by Two Fingers, a Brazilian musician-composer and producer of electronic music, and features on both compilations.
As usual, I'm also attaching the link to listen to the entire series soundtrack. Just as Tatiana Maslany has done to immerse herself in her characters, I find that the soundtrack not only perfectly reflects the different personalities of the clones, but also underlines every aspect of the plot's stakes.
SPIN-OFF
In March 2019, it was announced that a new series set in the Orphan Black universe was in development at AMC, to be produced by Temple Street Productions just as Orphan Black had been. In February 2022, it was announced that Anna Fishko would be the writer of this new story set thirty-seven years after the end of the original series.
Entitled Orphan Black: Echoes, the series follows Kira Manning -played by Keeley Hawes-, now an adult turned doctor, and her wife Eleanor -played by Rya Kihlstedt, as they try to help a woman named Lucy -played by Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones, Don't Trust the B*tch in Apartment 23)- who has become amnesiac following a surgery she underwent.
A ten-episode first season began its run in June 2024 and, so far, we don't know if the series will be renewed for a second season as Season 1 airs until the end of August in the US. Series creator Anna Fishko has revealed, however, that she has the entire storyline already planned and is ready to continue the project if the series' ratings allow. Only time will tell, then, whether we'll get the rest of this adventure...
Returning from the original series are Jordan Gavaris who played Felix, Sarah's adoptive brother and therefore Kira's uncle, and Evelyne Brochu who played Dr. Delphine Cormier, Cosima's partner and genetic researcher. The original series theme composed by Two Fingers is also used as the closing credits for the spin-off.
CONCLUSION
And that's it for this series! Sorry again for the delay, it was a big piece for me to write. I hope you've enjoyed reading it all, and that I've succeeded in making you want to watch the series.
I'm aware that some of the scenes in the series may be difficult for some people to watch, because the subjects it tackles are very real, and I find it easy as a viewer to identify with some of the characters, or at least to sympathize with the ordeals they go through.
I really enjoyed discovering it when it first came out, and I hope I'll have the opportunity to watch it again with more experienced eyes, given the themes it tackles.
As for the comics, the spin-off, and the audio series, I haven't yet had the chance to delve into them, and although I'd like to, I'm afraid it would spoil my fond memories of the series. But never say never, so why not maybe one day...
On that note, I'll leave you after this far-too-long article!
As always, I wish you a wonderful week and good viewing, and I'll see you next time!
— Vivian Kennedy, Inglourious Basterds. Known as the Lady Basterd, she is like a sister to the Basterds—- but don’t let her pretty face fool you. With sixty-seven scalps under her belt and a knife sharpened and poised for the sixty-eighth, she works to bring an end to the war, and glory to her brothers-in-arms.
— Tessa Nashton, The Green Hornet. Tessa is a socialite who finds herself entangled in the crime of her beloved city, and, finding herself in a serious bind that threatens her reputation, turns to none other than Benjamin Chudnofsky to eliminate the problem and clear her name.
— Tahlia Leigh, Water for Elephants. The Benzini Bros. Songbird is a singer with a heart of gold, and eyes only for August Rosenbluth, the recently divorced ringmaster who’s working to rebuild his circus and his life from disaster. She is a talented performer and a gentle soul, and, perhaps, the key to saving the circus from failure. (Bonus: I have an individual roleplay account for her! @benzinis-songbird . But I also write her here.)
— Delilah Raine, Django Unchained/Dead for a Dollar. The wife of an abusive, high-class man, Delilah lives a life of deception: by day she plays the role of a happy wife, and by night she cries herself to sleep while her husband drinks and curses. It is not until a bounty hunter rides into town that she begins to see hope —- and perhaps, a chance at true love.
— Stella, Epic. Stella was once a trusted servant of Queen Tara, before her death. In her grief, Stella swore to get revenge on those who killed the beloved queen. Her attempt at revenge was thwarted, and she was captured by Boggans, given to their warlord Mandrake as a gift. He had just lost a son, and yearned for an heir to his kingdom—- when he saw Stella brought before him, a recognizable member of the Queen’s handmaidens, a plan quickly formed.
— Matilda “Tilda” Leth, Spectre/No Time to Die. Tilda is the personal assistant-turned-lover of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, head of Spectre. As the keeper of many of his secrets, she finds herself tangled deeply in Spectre’s web. . . and soon finds herself carrying a secret of her own.
— Eleanora Sandvoort, Tulip Fever. Eleanora is the third wife and last great love of Cornelis Sandvoort. A dedicated and loving woman, she wants nothing more than to fill his quiet home with their children. Cornelis desires a legacy, and she’s prepared to give it to him.
— Lorraine Blight, Downsizing. Lorraine downsized with nothing left to lose. She worked a dead-end job; she didn’t have friends, and didn’t have a partner. Downsizing was a chance to start over, to perhaps move forward in life, and moving into a complex with lots of interesting people — including a certain Serbian playboy — gave her hope for everything she had yearned for.
— Ophelia Rom, Alita: Battle Angel. An ex-Zalemite who left to escape an abusive relationship, Ophelia is kept alive by technology on the back and base of her skull. She is very reclusive and withdrawn, but when she finds herself in need of repairs, turns to the well-loved Dr. Dyson Ido for help.
— Evelyn Warner, Most Dangerous Game. Little is known about Evelyn —- if that’s even her real name; nobody knows for sure. She’s a part of the Tiro Fund, and works alongside Miles and his crew to put on successful hunts all around the world. Her talent for theatrics makes her a valuable asset to the sport.
— Evangeline Rush, The Consultant. Evangeline’s job as a personal assistant is a difficult one, but with such an enigmatic and charming new boss as Regus Patoff, she finds coming to work gets a little more interesting each day. She begins to learn more about the man behind the name, and finds herself enamored with him.
— OC FOR GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO COMING SOON !
Strap in. This is going to be a long one. (CW: religion, Christianity)
As I'm sure you may have seen, there's a group of people on booksta trying to "reclaim" the rainbow from the gays because "Christians had it first" by hosting a bigoted reading challenge. I've seen some fellow gays taking this opportunity to flood their hashtag with queer book recs.
I grew up in church. My family is technically Baptist, but we quit going when I was in college. I never felt like I fit in or understood what I was supposed to be getting out of the experience. I faked it a lot. I followed what those around me were doing even though I didn't get it and was often scolded for asking questions. I always felt like an outsider and was so relieved when I quit going. I know a lot of people get a lot out of that experience, but I didn't. It was just something to do because I grew up in small-town Texas and that's just what you did. You attended church.
Now, all these years later, I have incredibly mixed feelings about organized religion and Christianity in general. Especially those who choose to spread hate instead of the love Jesus says to spread. This isn't the format to get super deep into my feelings, but seeing #JesusJune pop up as a hateful rebuttal to #PrideMonth brought up a lot of feelings. So instead of bashing these people, I'm adding my rainbow recs to their tag. Starting with my queer purple books.
Alrighty here are the new OC's I've made recently listed by fandom like the canon ones- Just a fair warning that this is gonna be a pretty long post because I've included an introduction thing for each muse. Another warning is that some of the content in the introductions might be triggering, things like drugs, death, alcohol, blood, etc- typical things you see in the shows, but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up. Also, some of the people mentioned, ones that aren't canon or mine, are my darlin's (@chaos-awakens) OC's-
TVDU:
Carter William Forbes- he/him, 36, bisexual (female leaning). Carter was the first born of the Forbes’ kids and after his parents divorce he stepped up as man of the household. For the majority of his upbringing he was a good kid, got good grades, was a good athlete and was a perfect gentleman. When he got a little older though he started rebelling a bit, and though he was responsible while at home for his Mother and sisters the blonde was getting drunk and high with his friends when he wasn’t. After a pregnancy scare with his girlfriend when he was 18 and being told he had to repeat his senior year in order to graduate he took that as a sign and stopped drinking and smoking, cleaning up his act. Growing up he had always looked up to his Mother and so he applied for the Deputy Training Program and with a good word from his Mom managed to get in and not screw it up. He was in the program when vampires made their way back to Mystic Falls and unlike the rest of his classmates and teachers wasn’t buying the whole “animal attacks” thing. Eventually after a little while of it happening over and over again, he started investigating things on his own. It was during this time that he found out that both of his sisters were vampires, as well as many others in Mystic Falls. And there weren’t just vampires, there were werewolves, witches, hybrids and doppelgangers too. It took the blonde a little while to come to terms with everything but eventually he managed and Jeremy, Alaric and Matt taught him how to fight vampires and other supernaturals in case he ever encountered one. A few days after their Mom passed away Carter was asked to take her place as Sheriff, something that after careful consideration (and encouragement from his sisters) he decided to do. Carter is still human, though he has though about and been offered being turned it’s just not something he’s sure of right now.
Lorella Diane St. John- she/her, 146, pansexual. Enzo and Ella never knew who their parents were, and quite frankly neither of them wanted to know. The twins had been orphaned when they were still very young, and by the time they were four they were being forced to work and by the time they were in their teens they were living on the streets. Neither of them were sure how they managed to survive but they had. At least up until 1903 when Enzo caught consumption and though he had told his sister a hundred and one times to leave, she refused, telling him they were born together, and they hadn’t been separated since and so they would die together too. They had tried to catch a boat to New York where they hoped they could get help but they wouldn’t let either of them on as Enzo was already ill and Ella had been exposed. Their saving grace came in the form of one Lily Salvatore who managed to get them onto the boat and mere hours afterwards not only did Enzo start to decline, Ella had started to become sick too. After finding out the Doctor was a fraud and there was no cure, the vampire offered her blood to them and after exchanging a look they decided to do it. They woke up a few hours later as new vampires, the ship docked in New York but Lily and her heretics were nowhere to be found. The two spent the next few decades going from city to city, for once able to enjoy their lives. However that joy was cut short when they found themselves at Whitmore and before long in the arms of Augustine. That was where they would spend the next few decades, it was mostly just them for a while until more vampires were brought in. Slowly but surely the six of them all became close, an unbreakable bond forming over shared traumas amongst other things. Ella is a lot like her brother, so much so that Damon liked to say that Ella is just the female version of Enzo. They do however have differences, one being that it is much harder to earn Ella’s trust than Enzo’s.
Jensen Graham Gilbert- he/him, 57, bisexual (female leaning). Jensen was a surprise child that came only a year after John had been born. Their parents had only planned to have two kids maximum, but had ended up having four. Though in their eyes they really still only had two as they always seemed to forget about Jensen and Easton. The lack of attention from their parents led the boys down different paths, Easton chose to do anything and everything he could to get their attention and Jensen couldn’t have cared less. He started skipping school to hangout with his friends to drink and/or smoke, sneaking out late to go to parties or hook up with people. He eventually wised up a little bit at 16 and got a job so he could start saving money to move out at 18 and he’d managed to do just that, a few weeks after his birthday he bought a camper and hit the road, never looking back. He came home every so often for holidays, birthdays and when babies were born but other than that he kept his distance from his family. Instead he spent his time going to different places he could drive to, learning about not only the place but more about supernatural creatures. Like his youngest brother Jensen had never hated vampires, instead he was intrigued by them and what else might be out there. He was in California researching a town there when he got the call that Grayson and Miranda had died and though he wasn’t the biggest family man he packed up and headed for Mystic Falls once again. He decided to stick around for a little bit afterwards as he knew Jenna had her hands full with the three teenagers and though Jesse was a big help Jensen knew the young man needed time to grieve and so did Jenna. He also saw all the signs with Jeremy long before anyone else did and though he never lectured his nephew about it, knowing that would do more harm than good, he kept a close eye on him and who he was around.
Easton Reed Gilbert- he/they, 55, pansexual. Easton was the youngest of the four Gilbert brothers, Grayson being the oldest. Though he was the baby of the family, their parents had always put Grayson on a pedestal and John on another, leaving no room for either of the other two boys. While this led Jensen to act out, it made Easton work twice as hard and though he had no intentions of becoming a Doctor like his older brother, he set out to get a Doctorate degree in something. And by the age of 22 years old he had managed to do just that, earning a Doctorate in Psychology and by the age of 25 he earned his Doctorate in Criminal Justice. Both of these things as well as the way the youngest Gilbert’s mind worked and other accomplishments of his put him on the FBI’s radar and after he graduated they offered him a job at which he still works today. It requires him to travel a lot, but anytime he can he makes time to come home and visit his niece and nephews, especially since his brother and sister in law’s death. Like his other brothers he was told about vampires but unlike the older two he didn’t believe that all vampires were evil. Maybe it was just because the youngest Gilbert had always managed to see the good in everyone, even his high school bullies or maybe it was just because he’d always had a compassion and understanding for what people went through that made them the way they are. Where other people saw a villain, Easton saw someone who was misunderstood. Though he will admit he’s seen true evil a few times, both human and supernatural. When Easton came into town and met the Salvatore’s he could tell they were hiding a secret and it didn’t take the Gilbert man long to figure out what it was though he kept it to himself. Well, mostly to himself, because while he may be a patient and caring man, he is also incredibly protective of his family so he made sure to warn the Salvatore vampires of just that.
Jesse “JJ” Jonathan Gilbert- he/him, 35, pansexual. Jesse was only four when Miranda and Grayson adopted Elena and Elias and though he’d been an only child until then the little boy quickly became a big brother for the twins, and when Jeremy came along a few years later it took him no time to adjust to now having three siblings. His parents used to joke that he was meant to have siblings, even though they’d planned to only have one. Jesse wasn’t the most popular guy in school by any means but he was decently so from being part of the Founding Families, running track and playing basketball. Though he did two athletic things in high school, those weren’t really his passions. His first always was taking care of people, something he’s done since he was little and continues to do today. And the second being that he loves music and so any instrument he could get his hands on he’d learn to play, his favorites being the guitar, piano and drums. The older Gilbert did fantastic in school, rarely getting anything below an A in any class. After he graduated top of his class he headed for college at Whitmore, and to no surprise started working on becoming a Doctor like his Father. He was studying for his finals the night that his parents died in the car accident. He’d gotten the call from Sheriff Forbes who he’d known his whole life, both of them getting choked up over the phone before he hung up to rush back to Mystic Falls for his siblings. After that he dropped out of Whitmore and moved back home to help take care of his siblings. Of course he never thought any of what happened next would happen but he never once left their sides. Though there was a point he almost had, when he died, not once but twice. The first time was the most notable, as it was what made him a vampire. He’s still the same protective, caring older brother as before though vampirism brought out a certain confidence deep within himself, which in turn made him more outgoing and flirty.
Zariyah Dove Parker- she/her, 49, bisexual. Zeph hadn’t been the only baby placed on the doorstep of the Parker’s, his twin sister, Zariyah, was also with him. The small baby girl was wrapped in a purple blanket instead of yellow like her brother’s, though both had their names on them. Just like her brother and Kai, Zari started to show signs of being a siphon at age 4 and thus ended up in the same room as the two boys for most of her upbringing. Now, the isolation took them all down different paths. Kai lashed out, Zeph shut in on himself and Zari, well Zari was a combination of both of them. But she’d also started to rebel more, sneaking out of the house when she could, stealing liquor from the cabinet and started hanging out with the stoner kids at school rather than going to classes, and another great distraction she had found was sex, mostly with a fwb she had. Of course the Parker’s never caught on, blissfully unaware that the teen was sneaking out constantly. She had actually been gone at the time that Kai had killed most of his siblings, only making it back to the house when he had gone looking for Luke and Liv. Before the then 21 year old could really figure out what was going on, Kai had put her in the locked room with Zephyr. And when her twin had overheard Joshua’s plan to trap his eldest son, Zari had told him she wanted to help. But being the protective brother he had been for most of their lives, he had made sure she stayed home where it was safe. Of course the older twin hadn’t realized he would get trapped with Kai, and when the coven returned from the woods without her two favorite people, Zari wasted no time in packing her bags and leaving that night, taking the ascendant with her to try and figure out how to get the only family she’d ever known back. It was a few months later that she had thought she figured out, only to find herself trapped in the Prison World along with them.
Kennedy Taylor Parker- she/her, 45, pansexual. Kennedy was born after Kai and Jo and just two years after her brother had started to show signs of being a siphon like him. It was after that their parents moved them into a room together along with Zephyr. The three of them of course became very close, practically inseparable. As well as being close with them she was also very close to her younger cousin, Maia. And the four of them stayed close up until everything happened. Seeing her older brother who she looked up to more than anyone upset set the younger siphon witch off and she’d agreed to help Kai and by help she went further than anyone else had gone for him. Because of this their Father created prison worlds for them both and mere minutes after Kai and Zephyr had gone, Kennedy was too. It was a few weeks later that Maia had shown up and the Parker girl couldn’t have been more grateful to see her. The two of them spent the next 18 years together before Bonnie had accidentally brought them to the Kai’s prison world. It was there that they not only reunited with Kai and Zeph but also met Bonnie, Damon and Jesse. Kennedy wasn’t a fan, of any of them really though of course on drunken nights with her cousin they’d often question each other on which one they would pick if they had to, Kennedy always choosing Damon and Maia choosing Jesse. Whenever they finally got out of the prison world, Kennedy stuck with her family and has since. Which is how she’d ended up as a heretic, going along with her brother’s plan without question. Now, she’s a lot like Kai but has her moments where she can be a real sweetheart though those are often reserved for people she cares about. She’s not completely introverted but prefers staying home rather than going out. She plays the guitar and loves to draw as those were non-magical things she could do. She also knows of the Mikaelson’s, and is intrigued but only knows what she’s read in various grimoires.
Myles Zane Parker- he/him, 26, pansexual. Myles was born after Maci and being the complete middle child was overlooked quite often, especially with Maia being born a siphon. The only person who really did pay attention to him was his older brother and while he loved him, the younger boy wasn’t fond of the way Micah treated their sisters, especially Maia. The blonde put on an act when their brother was around, afraid that if he said anything he’d upset his brother more but when Micah wasn’t around he was a completely different person. He was sweet, caring and would do whatever his older and little sisters asked of him and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t catered to Maia the most. He knew it had been against their parents' rules for her to touch him but sometimes late at night when no one was awake he would let her crawl into his bed and hold her for a few hours before everyone woke up, or let her hold his hand or hug him when she needed. He’d also let her siphon from him sometimes when they’d go outside at night, showing and teaching her small spells and cute things, like conjuring butterflies and fireworks in the palm of her hand. He had been devastated when his parents sent her to the prison world purely because their cousin Kai had lashed out. Of course that was something he had to keep hidden from the rest of his family, and the middle Parker boy spent many nights sobbing silently in his bed hoping his baby sister was okay. It was a few months later that he decided to move out of his family home and decide to travel the world. He wrote letters home, mostly to Micah but he also wrote letters to Maia, he never sent them anywhere, just kept them in a box that he kept with him. He was halfway across the world when his brother had informed him that Kai, Maia and Zephyr had gotten out of the prison world and were in Mystic Falls and Myles immediately got the next flight to Virginia to go find his sister.
Mariana Joy Parker- she/her, 23, bisexual. Mari was a pretty quiet kid growing up, at least until she was a teenager she kept to herself mostly. The only people she really talked to were her sisters and Myles, steering clear of Micah whenever she could. She did decently in school and with learning magic though she had her troubles with both. When she became old enough and started figuring out things that were going on in her house, like how Maia was treated differently by their parents and Micah, she also found out about the merge. Because she had been so quiet for most of her life, her parents rarely paid attention to her and the younger Parker girl used to resent that but as she got older it started becoming something she loved rather than hated, especially since it meant that she could get away with most things. Because she was so quiet no one ever really knew she was around and would just talk like she wasn’t. That was how she found out about their parents' plan to put Maia in a prison world. Mari had never really been super close with any of her siblings, but if you ever asked the younger Parker to pick she’d say Maia and Myles were her favorites as the older two had always been in their own worlds, especially Micah. Of course she immediately went and found her brother to tell him but unfortunately for both of them they had been unable to stop their parents from sending their sister away purely because she happened to be a siphon like Kai. Mari had never thought siphons to be bad and though she didn’t know much about them aside from the evil things her parents and other relatives spewed she sought to learn. So after Maia was sent away and Myles had left home, Mari left too to seek out information about siphons so that when she got her sister home, she could help her. It would be 18 years later when she would get the call from Myles that everyone was free, including Maia and that was all Mari needed to hear before she was on her way.
Holden Atlas Salvatore- he/him, 183, bisexual. Holden was born only two years after the twins, Benjamin and Braeden, and because of that had always remained close with them and when they left after turning, he begged them to take him with them. Luckily for him his older siblings agreed, turned him and the three of them left, never looking back. After a few decades together Holden separated from his brother and sister and went out on his own, finding his way to Chicago. It was there that he heard a name he hadn’t in a very long time, Stefan Salvatore. Of course his little brother looked a lot different than the little boy he had been when Holden left but he would’ve known him anywhere. At first the older Salvatore tried to keep his distance, afraid his brother would be mad at him for abandoning him and their other siblings so long ago and never coming back. He knew he would have questions, questions that Holden wasn’t sure if he had or was ready to give the answers to. However all of that went out the window when he realized his brother was the famed Ripper of Monterey, and had his humanity off. Stefan did remember him however any grievances or questions he had were the furthest thing from his mind. Holden and him ended up spending a lot of time together, not really as brothers but more so as friends, and whenever Klaus and Rebekah showed up and joined in, it only made things more chaotic. And while Stefan found himself in Rebekah’s bed, Holden found himself in the older Original’s. Of course all of that had been lost to him when Klaus took his and his brother's memory. The compulsion had even taken the memory of the two of them reuniting, something that didn’t happen again until Holden, Braeden and Benjamin all found themselves back in Mystic Falls decades later. While a lot of people like to compare Holden to Damon both in personality and looks, the two of them couldn’t disagree more though they are very similar, they do still have their differences.
SPN:
Lucilla Marie Nightstar- she/her, extremely old, pansexual. Before the Angel Twins, there were the Archangel Twins, Lucifer and Lucilla. Lucifer was “The Morning Star”, their Father’s bright white golden boy, his favorite, the one he’d entrusted with The Mark. Lucilla was “The Night Star”, their Father’s pitch black disgrace, his most hated, and the one he’d never thought was good enough. God had never intended to make twin angels, either time, but especially not when creating his precious archangels. Lucilla had been a mistake, a bit of darkness that had slipped in while Amara was still around. He’d thought that because Lucilla had black wings that she was the one he needed to worry about. But the archangel was the opposite of her brother in most ways, where he had a hatred for humans, she didn’t. Where he only pretended to care to manipulate people, she truly cared for others. Though she never cared about anyone more than her brother. So when God was sending Lucifer to The Cage, she fought back. Her archangel siblings helping him were able to overpower her just long enough to get Lucifer in but after was a whole other story. She left all of them in Heaven barely alive and made her way to Hell where Lucifer was. She wasn’t able to get him out of The Cage then but she was able to build Hell alongside him and make moves to eventually get him out. And while everything that happened changed her, made her heart a little darker, she was still the same caring, misunderstood archangel underneath it all. The Winchesters were able to eventually make Lucilla see how terrible of a person her brother was and that made the archangel want to change her ways. So, after helping them take down her brother, something that while she knew was necessary still left a hole in her heart, though her brother's son, Jack, helped fill that hole. The archangel saw a lot of herself in the young nephilim and so she stayed with the Winchesters to help raise him.
TW:
Dawson Cole Reynolds- he/him, 23, bisexual. Dawson was adopted when he was three by his Mother’s older brother after she started struggling with her addiction again after Dawson’s father left. After that his mother went to prison for attempted murder and burglary and he didn’t ever see her again. When the Dread Doctors came for Theo and Callum the older boys managed to convince them to take the youngest boy with them. A few years passed where they didn’t do any experiments on Dawson but eventually the day came where they did. He was only 10 at the time and the other boys were just young teenagers though they did their best to save Dawson from going through what they had. They’d failed to do so but luckily the youngest boy managed to survive and become another successful chimera though he was still viewed as a failure by the Dread Doctors. Dawson was a were-fox, half wolf, half fox and like Theo could transform into a full wolf though Dawson looked more fox-like with reddish brown fur and pointier ears. The youngest of the three boys is a lot like the older two in most ways though he’s a lot more introverted than them. Whenever they came back to Beacon Hills and were trying to make their way into the McCall pack Dawson mostly stayed to himself and kept quiet. He’d spent the majority of his life with the Dread Doctors, and what little he could remember of his life before that wasn’t much better. He had Theo and Callum of course, and he slowly but surely started to warm up to the McCall pack but the chimera’s best friend came in the form of a girl his age that happened to be a werewolf. He met her out in the woods behind the school one day where he was taking a walk on his free period. She introduced him to weed which helped ease his anxiety a lot and when Callum and Theo went to Hell she was the reason he made it through.
Callum Tate Raeken- he/him, 25, pansexual. Callum was only seven when the Dread Doctors showed up. He doesn’t really talk about that night, and honestly he doesn’t really remember much of it. The things he does remember haunt him in his nightmares, which is why he prefers not to talk or think about it. He also rarely talks about his life before they came, and especially not his twin sister that was stolen from him so he could have her heart. The Dread Doctors, the people he was forced to stay with for the next near decade, took her heart, along with his older sister’s to turn him and his brother into their first successful chimeras. Theo was the first, a werewolf/coyote, something that the older Raeken likes to rub in his brother’s face when they’re arguing. That he was the first at least, because while Theo was merely wolf and coyote, his baby brother was wolf and lion. Because of that, even though Theo was their first success, they catered more to Cal, thinking of him as a step much closer to The Beast they were trying to bring back. And they had been close with him, much closer than they had ever come at least until Mason. Before everything, Callum had been a lot like Mason and in some ways he remains that way, deep down at least. However the younger Raeken is also incredibly similar to his older brother. Which is probably mostly because they spent so much time together though they do have their differences, especially morally. While Cal believed they had to do what they had to to survive, he thinks Theo took things way too far with the McCall pack. It’s partially for that reason that the Skin Walkers had only sent Theo to his own personal Hell. But Cal went anyway, even though he was upset with him, seeing the fear in his brother's eyes and hearing his cries for help, he couldn’t stop himself from trying, and neither could anyone else. So, they went together and they managed to survive that together too before Liam got them out.
CT:
Damian James Taylor- he/him, 40, bisexual. Damian was born when his parents were still teenagers and while his Father wanted to keep him, his Mother wanted nothing to do with him. So, after she gave birth to the little blonde hair, green eyed boy she signed all rights over to his Dad and went on with her life, even moving a few towns over. At the time his Father still lived with his parents but eventually they moved into a one bedroom apartment together. They didn’t have much, and between his Father working full time and doing online college to get a better job he didn’t spend much time with him. By the time Damian was 13 they were a little better off, living in a two bedroom house in Atlanta where his Father had gotten a good job. He still rarely saw him though and that caused the green eyed teenager to start acting out. He was constantly getting in fights in school and outside of it, stealing from the mall and other places, started smoking weed and got older friends to buy alcohol for him so he could drink, and he’d have parties when his Dad went on business trips. Around the time he was 16 he got alcohol poisoning after one of those parties and almost died. He woke up the next day in the hospital, his Dad holding his hand while fast asleep in a chair beside his bed. It was then that not only did Damian decide to turn his life around that his Dad decided to cut back a bit on his hours and spend more time with his son. After getting his life together he managed to graduate and went to college. He kept his major undecided for a little while until he had taken a criminal justice class on a whim and learned what a Private Investigator was. So, after a few years of working his ass off that’s what he became. He's not totally an extrovert but he’s not completely introverted either, pretty big flirt, and still a troublemaker after all these years, sarcastic at times. He has a lot of trust issues but once he trusts you he’s very loyal and protective.
911 Muses:
Evelyn June Buckley- she/her, 26, pansexual. When Buck decided to move to California it was no surprise that his twin sister followed him. Born just eight minutes after him they had always been very close as well as very similar. And after moving they both applied to the LAFD and somehow managed to end up with and keep jobs there. Of course no one really warned either of them of the trauma that came with being a firefighter. Buck was the first one to lose someone on the job, the nightmares he had waking Eve up in the other room for weeks. And just when things had started to settle down, Eve herself had lost someone on the job. A woman in a car accident, trapped in the driver side of her car after some drunk idiot had slammed into it. She held her hand the entire time Chimney was trying to cut her out of the vehicle but unfortunately by time he managed she’d slipped through Eve’s fingers. Buck had miraculously been off that night but Athena had texted him the second they’d left the scene that Eve needed him. After that Bobby rarely let them work separate shifts and if for some reason they did they both knew, as well as everyone at the station, that the other was a simple call or text away if anything happened. As far as outside of work, or mostly, Eve was just as “slutty” as her brother though was a little more subtle about it on the job, at least most days. She also started smoking after hooking up with a girl who had informed her it was legal in the state. She preferred it over drinking, but it was still tied with sex. Around the same time that Buck started talking to Abby, who Eve hated from the start, Hazel had just transferred to the 118. Though the two only had a friends with benefits relationship Eve had slowly started to fall for the other girl until she got her heart broken when Hazel showed up with a boyfriend after visiting home for a few weeks. After that Eve went back to her old ways, but slightly more tame than before.
Hazel Jayne Walker- she/her, 25, pansexual (female leaning). Hazel had a relatively normal upbringing, her parents weren’t too strict but they weren’t too lenient either. They let Hazel and her other siblings, of which there were five, do what they wanted within reason. Hazel wasn’t the youngest, but she was second to youngest and the only little girl her parents had. Now, of course her Mother loved her but she had always catered more to the boys as she had grown up with all brothers. Hazel’s Dad however grew up with a single Mom and two sisters so he catered to his only little girl the most. And Hazel had been a Daddy’s Girl from the second she was born and even as she got older that never changed. Her Dad had been a firefighter since he’d graduated high school and not long after Hazel turned five he became the Captain and though he said there were hard days, there were also a lot of good ones and he never once regretted his job. A few days after her 16th birthday and after getting accepted into the pre-fireman program at her high school, which both her and her Dad were thrilled about, her Dad had died on the job. Hazel had never felt so broken in her life and after the funeral she wanted nothing more than to give up but she knew that’s not what her Dad would’ve wanted. She knew that even though he had died, he wouldn’t want her to give up on her dream. She also knew that he’d never once regretted his job and always used to say that if he died while doing it, that at least he knew he died a hero’s death and would die giving his life to save someone else’s. Which had been exactly what he’d done, the Mother and the five year old little girl he’d saved showing up at his funeral to personally thank his family. So, Hazel put herself back together, piece by piece and became the top firefighter in her class before graduating and then at her Dad’s old fire station before she moved to Los Angeles after her Mom’s passing when she was 22.
Izaiah Edison Hendrix- he/him, 29, bisexual. It was no secret that Izaiah and Isaak had always been close and being twins whose parents were barely ever around they only got closer. The twins were five when their parents had decided to adopt Isabella and though he was still a child at the time Izaiah could never understand why they would want to have another child that they didn’t even bother to care for. Despite the feelings he had towards his parents, he always treated Isabella as his sister, even if she was adopted. The little boy at the time didn’t care about that, he was just happy to have a baby sister. As he got older he remained close with both his siblings and grew more distant from their parents. He got decent grades in school and played basketball when it was the season for it but other than that Izaiah didn’t really put much effort in. It wasn’t like his parents cared whether he did or not as they were barely ever around anyway. When he was a freshman he got invited to his first high school party and after sneaking out past the nanny he had gone. It was there that he picked up three vices; alcohol, weed and sex after losing his virginity to a junior he’d had a crush on for a few years. After that his grades suffered a bit but not by much as he was a pretty quick learner and more than that he had learned how to get things he wanted from people just by talking and being charming. So any teacher that had dropped his grade he immediately went and charmed them into letting him take a makeup test or do something easy for extra credit. After graduation he tried to get over his addictions and even started working towards becoming a firefighter. He managed to do both things, though sometimes he’ll drink or smoke after hard shifts, but he doesn’t go overboard like he did when he was younger. When Isa came back home after six years and said she was leaving again for a job, her twin brothers immediately followed her.
Matilda Iris Monroe- she/her, 27, bisexual. Matilda was the youngest born child of her six siblings though she received none of the “baby treatment” most people would assume when they hear that. In fact Matilda wasn’t even sure her parents or siblings even knew she existed and the youngest girl had been taking care of herself for as long as she could remember. Not long after she turned 13 her Aunt decided to take her in and move her to California with her. Her Aunt had never wanted or intended to have kids of her own but her and Matilda had had a special relationship since she was born and the older woman just couldn’t stand to see her favorite niece being neglected any longer. In California Matilda started to thrive, she came out of her shell a little more and even made a good group of friends. As she got older she started going to parties and things, not that her Aunt minded as long as she wasn’t drinking and driving or doing anything else life threatening and the young teen always kept true to that promise. Matilda loved her Aunt dearly and looked up to her more than anyone else and while she originally hadn’t had an exact plan for after graduation after her Aunt passed not long after she decided to look into becoming a dispatcher like she had been. That was how she’d ended up where she is now, as the head dispatcher for the station she’s been working at since 18, the same one as her Aunt. Mattie is still very much the same girl she’s always been, kind-hearted, a little introverted and quiet around strangers but the life of the party when around people she knows. She’s always been incredibly determined and independent, rarely ever asking for help unless she really needs it. She isn’t a huge flirt or anything but will flirt when she sees someone she finds attractive.
DEATH'S DOOR Reviews and free on Plex, Tubi and YouTube
‘A killer party you’ll want to miss…’
Death’s Door is a 2015 horror film about a group of people anonymously invited to a party at an old mansion.
Written and directed by Kennedy Goldsby (If I Tell You I Have to Kill You; Roscoe’s House of Chicken n Waffles; Love Beat the Hell Outta Me). Produced by Paul Goldsby and Frank Pinnock.
The Goodness Studios production stars Obba Babatundé, Evelyn…
THE TOURNAMENT IS OVER! Eartha Kitt lounges in her deck chair in the sun, dipping her toes in the pool with Toshiro Mifune and sipping a brightly colored fruity something with an umbrella in it.
Far below in the shadow realm, however, the fallen hotties dance in the dark—let's take a minute to look back at them under the cut.
PRELIM PRETTIES:
Claude Gensac, Silvia Pinal, Ewa Aulin, Rita Tushingham, Annette Funicello, Norma Bengell, Catherine Spaak, Brigitte Auber, Micheline Presle, Nanette Fabray, Libertad Lamarque, Vera Miles, Martha Raye, Catherine McLeod, Virginia Mayo, Elizabeth Allan, Belle Bennet, Virginia Cherill, Mary Brian, Ruth Chatterton, Agnes Ayres, Merna Kennedy, Marie Prevost, Corinne Griffith, May Allison, Virginia Brown Faire, Alice Brady, and Jetta Goudal
ROUND ONE WONDERS:
Angie Dickinson, Thelma Ritter, Geraldine Chaplin, Evelyn Preer, Vanessa Brown, Betty Blythe, Susan Hayward, Mae Clarke, Sally Ann Howes, Ossi Oswalda, Adrienne La Russa, Hermione Gingold, Barbara Bouchet, Melina Mercouri, Anna Karina, Edwige Fenech, Charmian Carr, Pina Pellicer, Marlène Jobert, Tsuru Aoki, Alice Roberts, Leila Hyams, Lady Tsen Mei, Geneviève Bujold, Dolores Hart, Anita Berber, Bonita Granville, Vonetta McGee, Claire Windsor, Zizi Jeanmaire, Tuesday Weld, Grace Darmond, Carol Channing, Deanna Durbin, Laraine Day, Mariette Hartey, Wendy Hiller, Candy Darling, Hermione Baddely, Valeria Creti, Ella Raines, Ann Miller, Dana Wynter, Dalida, Martine Beswick, Gale Storm, Simone Signoret, Cristina Gaioni, Mabel Normand, Stéphane Audran, Ruth Weyher, Anna Wiazemsky, Ann Sheridan, Sandhya Shantaram, Alice White, Anne Francis, Gena Rowlands, Lyda Borelli, May Whitty, Cathleen Nesbitt, Jessica Walter, Virna Lisi, Barbara Shelley, Iris Hall, Heather Angel, Anne Shirley, Joanna Pettet, Virginia O'Brien, Joan Collins, Greer Garson, Gracie Allen, Peggy Ryan, Frances Dee, Shirley Maclaine, Geraldine Farrar, Kathleen Byron, Margaret Hamilton, Eva Gabor, Francesca Bertini, Julie Adams, Olga Baclanova, Misa Uehara, Yvette Vickers, Milena Dravić, Jenny Jugo, Madeleine Carroll, Benita Hume, Olive Borden, Shirley Jones, Miyoshi Umeki, Dorothy Lamour, Gale Sondergaard, Mary Anderson, Charlotte Greenwood, Sybil Seely, Mona Barrie, Kathryn Grayson, Katharine Ross, Madge Bellamy, Rhonda Fleming, Sally Gray, Jana Brejchová, Debra Paget, Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Evelyn Brent, Zelma O'Neal, Marie Laforêt, Türkan Şoray, Beatriz Costa, Irene Zazians, Eleanor Powell, Susan Luckey, Patsy Kelly, Lil Dagover, Norma Talmadge, Dorothy Mackaill, Madge Evans, Virginia McKenna, Amália Rodrigues, Mamie Van Doren, Valerie Hobson, Isabel Jeans, Beata Tyszkiewicz, Claire Luce, Aleksandra Khokhlova, Nieves Navarro Garcia, Janet Leigh, Carmen Miranda, Jean Harlow, Aud Egedge-Nissen, Nina Foch, Jean Simmons, Piper Laurie, Katy Jurado, Jayne Mansfield, Anita Garvin, Frances Farmer, Lizabeth Scott, Joan Greenwood, Una Merkel, Arlene Francis, Ethel Merman, Doris Day, Suzanne Pleshette, Ruta Lee, Carolyn Jones, June Richmond, Eva Nil, Diana Dors, Anna Chang, Colleen Moore, Alexis Smith, Yvette Mimieux, Ruby Keeler, Viola Dana, Dolores Grey, Marie Windsor, Danielle Darieux, Jean Parker, Julie Christie, Acquanetta, Leatrice Joy, Ghita Nørby, Julie Newmar, Joanne Woodward, Sandra Dee, Eva Marie Saint, Simone Simon, Katherine Dunham, Birgitte Price, Lee Grant, Anita Page, Flora Robson, Martha Sleeper, Elsie Ames, Isabel "Coca" Sarli, Glenda Farrell, Kathleen Burke, Linden Travers, Diane Baker, Joan Davis, Joan Leslie, Sylvia Sidney, Marie Dressler, June Lockhart, Emmanuelle Riva, Libertad Leblanc, Susannah Foster, Susan Fleming, Dolores Costello, Ann Smyrner, Luise Rainer, Anna Massey, Evelyn Ankers, Ruth Gordon, Eva Dahlbeck, Ansa Ikonen, Diana Wynyard, Patricia Neal, Etta Lee, Gloria Stuart, Arletty, Dorothy McGuire, Mitzi Gaynor, Gwen Verdon, Maria Schell, Lili Damita, Ethel Moses, Gloria Holden, Kay Thompson, Jeanne Crain, Edna May Oliver, Lili Liliana, Ruth Chatterton, Giulietta Masina, Claire Bloom, Dinah Sheridan, Carroll Baker, Brenda de Banzie, Milú, Hertha Thiele, Hanka Ordonówna, Lillian Roth, Jane Powell, Carol Ohmart, Betty Garrett, Kalina Jędrusik, Edana Romney, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Kay Kendall, Ruth Hussey, Véra Clouzot, Jadwiga Smosarska, Marge Champion, Mary Astor, Ann Harding, María Casares, Maureen O'Sullivan, Mildred Natwick, Michèle Morgan, Romy Schneider, Elisabeth Bergner, Celeste Holm, Betty Hutton, Susan Peters, Mehtab, Leslie Caron, Anna Sten, Janet Munro, Nataša Gollová, Eve Arden, Ida Lupino, Regina Linnanheimo, Sonja Henie, and Terry (what a good girl)
ROUND TWO BEAUTIES:
Evelyn Nesbit, Thelma Todd, Tura Satana, Helen Gibson, Maureen O'Hara, Rocío Dúrcal, Mary Nolan, Lois Maxwell, Maggie Smith, Zulma Faiad, Ursula Andress, Musidora, Delphine Seyrig, Marian Marsh, Leatrice Joy, Sharon Tate, Pina Menichelli, Teresa Wright, Shelley Winters, Lee Remick, Jane Wyman, Martita Hunt, Barbara Bates, Susan Strasberg, Marie Bryant, Diana Rigg, Jane Birkin, Rosalind Russell, Vanessa Redgrave, Brigitte Helm, Gloria Grahame, Rosemary Clooney, Bebe Daniels, Constance Bennett, Lilian Bond, Ann Dvorak, Jeanette Macdonald, Pouri Banayi, Raquel Welch, Vilma Bánky, Dorothy Malone, Olive Thomas, Celia Johnson, Moira Shearer, Priscilla Lane, Dolores del Río, Ann Sothern, Françoise Rosay, June Allyson, Carole Lombard, Jeni Le Gon, Takako Irie, Barbara Steele, Claudette Colbert, Lalita Pawar, Asta Nielsen, Sandra Milo, Maria Montez, Mae West, Alma Rose Aguirre, Bibi Andersson, Joan Blondell, Anne Bancroft, Elsa Lanchester, Nita Naldi, Suchitra Sen, Dorothy Van Engle, Elisabeth Welch, Esther Williams, Loretta Young, Margueritte De La Motte, Ita Rina, Constance Talmadge, Margaret Lockwood, Barbara Bedford, Josette Day, Stefania Sandrelli, Jane Russell, Doris Dowling, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Donna Reed, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands, Billie Burke, Kyōko Kagawa, Françoise Dorléac, Hend Rostom, Monica Vitti, Lilian Harvey, Marjorie Main, Jeanne Moreau, Lola Flores, Ann Blyth, Janet Gaynor, Jennifer Jones, Margaret Sullavan, Sadhana, Ruby Myers, Lotus Long, Honor Blackman, Marsha Hunt, Debbie Reynolds, Michèle Mercier, Irene Dunne, Jean Arthur, Judy Holliday, Tippi Hedren, Susse Wold, Vera-Ellen, Carmelita González, Nargis Dutt, Purnima, Harriet Andersson, Yvonne De Carlo, Miroslava Stern, Sheila Guyse, Helen, Margaret Dumont, Betty Grable, Joan Bennett, Jane Greer, Judith Anderson, Liv Ullman, Vera Zorina, Joan Fontaine, Silvana Mangano, and Lee Ya-Ching
ROUND THREE ELECTRIFIERS:
Jean Hagen, Sumiko Mizukubo, Mary Philbin, Ann-Margret, Margaret Rutherford, Claudia Cardinale, Eleanor Parker, Jessie Matthews, Theresa Harris, Brigitte Bardot, Alla Nazimova, Faye Dunaway, Marion Davies, Anna Magnani, Theda Bara, Myrna Loy, Kay Francis, Fay Wray, Barbra Streisand, Bette Davis, Hideko Takamine, France Nuyen, Claudine Auger, Miriam Hopkins, Maylia Fong, Samia Gamal, Maude Fealy, Machiko Kyō, Sharmila Tagore, Lucille Ball, Ginger Rogers, Juanita Moore, Anna Fougez, Waheeda Rehman, Ruan Lingyu, Nina Mae McKinney, Ethel Waters, Nadira, Olivia de Havilland, Abbey Lincoln, Louise Beavers, Agnes Moorehead, Lana Turner, Norma Shearer, Maria Falconetti, Reiko Sato, Marie Doro, Clara Bow, Margaret Lindsay, Catherine Denueve, Madhabi Mukherjee, Rosaura Revueltas, Hu Die, Mary Pickford, Fredi Washington, Louise Brooks, Leonor Maia, Merle Oberon, Paulette Goddard, Vivien Leigh, Francine Everett, Savitri, Tita Merello, and Meena Kumari
ROUND FOUR STUNNERS:
Judy Garland, Dorothy Dandridge, Yoshiko Yamaguchi, Marilyn Monroe, Irene Papas, Lupe Vélez, Pola Negri, Gene Tierney, Barbara Stanwyck, Gina Lollobrigida, Lena Horne, Nutan, Jean Seberg, Kim Novak, Gladys Cooper, Tallulah Bankhead, Linda Darnell, Julie Andrews, Carmen Sevilla, Gloria Swanson, Glynis Johns, Anne Baxter, Angela Lansbury, Anita Ekberg, Toshia Mori, Deborah Kerr, Hazel Scott, Chelo Alonso, Cyd Charisse, Nancy Kwan, Devika Rani, Shima Iwashita, and Anouk Aimée
ROUND FIVE SMOKESHOWS:
Setsuko Hara, Pearl Bailey, Joan Crawford, Madhubala, Marpessa Dawn, Keiko Awaji, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Ava Gardner, Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Xia Meng, Suraiya, Natalie Wood, María Félix, and Mbissine Thérèse Diop
ROUND SIX SEXY LADIES:
Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Vyjyanthimala, Jane Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Josephine Baker, Elizabeth Taylor, and Ingrid Bergman
QUARTER FINALIST GLAMAZONS:
Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong, and Lauren Bacall
SEMIFINALIST ICONS:
Rita Moreno, Diahann Carroll
FINALIST FABULOSITY:
Hedy Lamarr
ULTIMATE CHAMPION OF THE HOT & VINTAGE MOVIE WOMAN TOURNAMENT: