#larry lamb

[pookiestheoneliveson]

Jim Lassiter aka Larry Lamb, Anton von Wildenberg, and Ed Lee

[forensicated]

What are some of your favourite episodes of the bill?

Oooh crikey, so many! Thank you for the question! These are in no particular order. Also apologies for the formatting, I'm on my phone trying to reply and remember which numbered episode is which and have to go check some of them to ensure they're right as I've bounced everywhere around timelines the last couple of years doing the recaps and they blurred.

* All Change, the millennium new years eve when cid became uniform for the night.

* Respect 1 and 2, the end episodes. I don't like the way some of the character storylines were wound up but those two episodes were an amazing tribute.

* The Chief Super's Party, June and Roy flirting at the bar, Brownlow deeply unimpressed by the company that Roy kept. Roy getting one over on the super without Brownlow even realising which allowed him to support Ted. Ted's drunk driving crash ending up with him sleeping on a boat overnight and solving a robbery to save his job whilst hungover.

* The Target Trilogy, June and Steve get shot at. It's thought that it's Steve being targeted but they soon realise how wrong they are. Poor Jo 😕

* An Honour To Serve, Gina's last episodes. Smithy's kiss on the cheek and how much he respects her 💔❤️ "Goodnight Ma'am" (RIP Roberta ❤️)

* Lullaby with Smithy going from reading Tim a bedtime story in a cell with absolutely no feeling in his voice through to him singing 5 little speckled frogs to try keep him calm and not worry him when they were kidnapped.

* Integrity, Nicks first episodes. The contrast of him and Smithy paired together is awesome. Especially when they unite.

* Gunrunner, Smithy and guns...

* Witness and the episodes featuring Carly in the run up. Smithy really became the paternal figure that he didn't want to initially and cared about her, Leanne and Brooke. (& laughing at Nate when he runs the wrong way after sending him to chase after her whilst he stands and has a nice little chat.)

* Righteous Kill 1 and 2, Max protecting the wife and son of a man he shot in S019.

* Brittaniamania, Mickey undercover as a football hooligan and Debbie pretending to be his girlfriend with Dave and Paul his workmates though Paul being shit at plastering almost got them caught.

* Episode 154, the aftermath of Mickeys rape. The acting is incredible.

* Tinderbox, Brownlow, Conway and Meadows in an outward bounds team building course against Manion and his cocky cheating team.

* Conviction - particularly the riot training episode where Smithy and Callum end up having a physical fight to end their frustration over what happened with Devlin. The last episode of that is a bit frustrating though as I don't think Smithy could give his guilt over that quickly to accept a promotion when it was eating him alive. It made out he and Stevie had continued a thing from Gunrunner too that they hadn't. (the promotion thing bugged me so much I made a fic about it)

* First Impressions 1 and 2, purely for WUK (or "WUS!") and nick and uniform hiding in Diane's cupboard to watch Ben on cctv.

* Blurred Around The Edges, Smithy's army friend makes an appearance and turns his world upside down. (another I did a fic about!)

* Soft Talking, Smithy delivers a baby in the middle of a street and has to try and find the mother when she disappears and get her away from the abusive boyfriend and dad.

* When the snow lay roundabout, Danny the elf knowing what Matt secretly wished, Reg being the only copper out because of the snow (he'd only gone to get a Christmas tree) Rod trying to scam uniform, a cheeky kid outing him and helping polly and Gary trim the tree and the barbershop quartet!

* PC Smith, Needing to show himself in a good light, Smithy volunteers with Nick to look after a gay couple who are receiving homophobic threats. Everyone is surprised, not least Smithy himself.

*Episode 372, Cop The Lot "Simon Cowell eat your heart out!"

* Cowboy Country, Max ends up using his mother's priest to try track a Polish criminal down

*Game Plan, Max goes undercover with the Monks family.

* Tolerance, Smithy's C019 training and interview.

* Episode 69 and 70, cop idol and Cass being taken hostage and murdered by the serial killer 💔

* 117 and 118 Smithy's first 2 Sgt episodes including singing at the gay club.

* Good Cop Bad Cop , callum's first. Smithy leaps on him twice and Dan is NOT impressed when Callum acts all dodgy and tries to shut him out.

* 131 Smithy goes undercover in prison to try locate some expensive cars and Ken's son.

* 138 and 139 Smithy and Gina go out for a drink and end up in a drinking game. Smithy cheats! "You're a cab!" The next morning Gina had a little prang and all hell breaks loose.

* 162 the first live episode

* 205 206 Nicks last episodes before going into witness protection. I hate that they didn't make more of his and Sgt!smithy's past but at least they acknowledge it in this episode. It's just a shame that a lot of newer viewers would have been confused as hell at what was going on with their goodbye.

* 214 215 the start of Gina and Jonathan properly.

* Appropriate Force, Callum comes face to face with his ex and her criminal husband. Smithy has to literally pull him away from beating the husband into a pulp for attacking his wife.

* 237 Jim and June get married. For the cast dressed up, Smithy teasing Gina about settling down and shoving her forward to catch the bouquet and the beautiful Gina and Jonathan moments. Though sadly they do end up breaking up.

Killer On The Run, Ryan Jones blames Smithy for him killing his wife. (Smithy had let slip that Ryan was infatuated with a prostitute the episode before) and tries to take revenge, holding both Smithy and Pauline, Smithy's mother at gunpoint at various times

* 272 273 Gina taken hostage by Irene Radford and the story of their history and how alike they were falls out.

* 286 Dan's first appearance at the driving school with Amber and Leela. Amber's attempts to get in with the instructor once she finds out she's a lesbian is hilarious.

* 288 289 Andrea is found out and the station explodes in a fireball thanks to Colin Fairfax. Smithy and Ken's final scene is heartbreaking 💔

*298 Dan transfers and puts himself in danger rescuing a woman who is treated as a slave by those she works for as well as being raped by the father. Rosa is terrified but Dan tries to help, made harder by the fact she's deaf and doesn't speak English.

* 302 303 Mickey returns with MIT colleagues and arrests Neil. It's a heartbreaking look at what the rape had done to Mickey or "Michael" as he insists he is now and then something further breaks his heart....

* 327 Gina is found having collapsed at home by Smithy and Jonathan. Gina and Jonathan have a heart to heart and she almost tells him she wants to reunite... Right as he tells her he has a girlfriend. She forces herself to let him go for good 💔💔

* 349 second live episode and the end of Prosser.

* 360 and 361 Dan finally discovers who it is that has been blackmailing him about his affair and a lot is revealed about his history in these 2.

* 402 403 Smithy returns to work after the Larson debarkle to find Gina graffiting his welcome back posters and his first case involving his ex cellmate

* The Fat Lady Sings, Dave is approached by an opera singer who tells him she's being stalked. He ignores her and soon regrets it. Duncan arrives and arouses suspicions when the others realise he lives in a fancy penthouse apartment and has connections in the operatic world.

* Whose Side Are You On?, Dashers arranges a football match against a group of teens and lets Viv play in goal. (Vivs only experience being netball) so he doesn't have to let Bob Cryer play.

* Square Peg Round Hole, John Boulton is stuck with a needle during an arrest and worries he might have HIV but being John he won't stay at home.

*Wannabe, A young girl makes her attraction to Rod very obvious and he uses it to get her druggy parents.

* Team Play, Jack forces Duncan to take part in a compulsory training course with him. Duncan wants to skip it and work a sexual assault case with Liz. Poor Tom keeps being chucked off the case everyrime Duncan can slip out or take calls before he's dragged back in again to unwillingly participate in the exercise 😂

Badlands, the episode with Daves assault and those leading up to it (and after) with Boultons obsession with the Lovers and trying to nail Mick. The one where George loses it and goes for John when he goads him is perfect. Just a shame it leads the the Dave, Jenny, George, Polly mess.

* Trial Run, Rod calls in sick to Moonlight as a bodyguard. He thinks he's getting a female model but ends up with his hands full with two rich kids, one of which is a little shit.

* 427 Dan at the go kart center

* 481 It's Smithy's birthday, but noone will leave him alone.

* In The Know, Leon finds himself under suspicion when he's spotted being roughed up by a target of CID

* That's Love For You & Rescue Me, Leon struggles with a case where the parents of a baby he has bonded with are suspected of abusing her.

* The Truth Will Out, Smithy asks callum to apologise to a bloke who is accusing him of pushing him. He helps out unofficially when a young kid goes missing and panics when he thinks Smithy had gotten stuck during an underwater rescue. Their final scene is amazing.

* Hide and Seek, Leon finds a little girl hiding in a fireplace and they bond a she looks after her whilst they try to find her mother. They have tea parties and pretend to be invisible and all sorts ❤️ and then Tilly breaks his heart when she says "I thought you were my friend." he later risks his job doing something naughty that is seen by Rachel...

* Solace and The Calling. Dominic is incredible in these episodes, it's a real masterclass of how he can show every bit of what Leon is feeling with the slightest change of expression.

* Tombstone, Callum tries to deal with the death of his estranged father and the knowledge that he was a rapist.

Twanky, Sun Hill put on a panto and catch a criminal attempting to off an officer during it, hopefully without the audience realising.

Sorry, went a little overboard there! Interested to hear about yours (and everyone else's!), Anon!? Could have gone on all night naming eps.

[gengarsstuff]

Introducing Arthur Watts, and his wife, Tanya Watts.

To be trapped into marriage with one of the most despicable men in London must be a hard hand to be dealt. Worsened by the knowledge of raising a family under his roof.

(Assumably) their five children, from oldest to youngest are:

Damien Watts, 26. The perfect heir to his fortune, if only he were legitimate.

Mia Watts, 23. A tragic start to adulthood left her broken and alone.

Nathaniel (Nathan) Watts, 21. Ready to inherit the Watts fortune, it's such a shame he's as lazy as upper class men come.

Bianca Watts, 21. Dreams of the perfect love match, destined to follow her mother's footsteps, or be disowned by her father.

Tyler Watts, 20. Would his life be different if he knew who his real father was?

[girlonfilms]

They're back! Gavin & Stacey special 'to film this summer'

Gavin, Stacey, Smithy, Nessa, Pam, Mick, Gwen and Bryn are set for another festive special according to reports. Continue reading They’re back! Gavin & Stacey special ‘to film this summer’

[theoscarsproject]

Buster (1988). Based on the story of Ronald Christopher "Buster" Edwards (Phil Collins), one of the thieves involved in "The Great Train Robbery" of 1963.

This sure is! A movie! A really odd take on a true life violent crime, it never seems to know how seriously it wants to take itself which isn't great when it veers into such naked racism and misogyny in it's second half. Just a pretty unpleasant story, and one told in a way that looks made-for-tv (derogatory). 2/10.

[agentnico]

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale (2024) review

Did somebody order a Chinese??

Plot: It's 5 years since we left Nessa down on one knee declaring her love for Smithy and asking him to marry her. And a lot has happened in those 5 years. In Barry, Bryn's packing the Picasso in readiness for a trip to Essex; Stacey and Gavin are looking for new ways to spice up their seventeen-year marriage and Gwen is behaving most strangely. Nessa's started a new business venture and Neil the Baby's about to begin an apprenticeship with his dad. Over in Billericay Pam is stressing out at the prospect of playing hostess, not helped by a newly retired Mick practicing his golf swings in the living room and there have been more ups and downs in Pete and Dawn's relationship.

I have been brought into the Gavin & Stacey fandom fold only within the last 5 years, as my wife and her family have given me a deep dive education into the old British sitcom culture, with the likes of The Royle Family, Phoenix Nights, Car Share, The Fast Show (suits you, sir!) and many more. Yet the one I did truly connect with was Gavin & Stacey, as it successfully portrayed the typical British family values and habits. All the characters are lovely and sympathetic in their eccentric ways, and the conversations feel real, as if you’re having a regular chat and banter with your mates. Heck, dedicating an entire scene towards ordering a takeaway was important, cause yeah, it’s that deep! It’s a truly wonderful and wholesome show, so I was really grateful to the family of my misses for catching me up to speed with it in time for the 2019 Christmas special. And even the idea of a Christmas special is engraved in the British television history, as our greatest sitcoms tend to bow out at their peak, but the festive revival traditionally comes to the rescue, extending the lifespans of iconic shows and continuing stories of favourite characters. Then there were the comedy sketch shows like The Morecambe and Wise Show and The League of Gentlemen that thrived off the Christmas Day television viewership. Yet in recent years that old-school tradition has slowly been dying out (aside from Mrs Brown’s Boys but honestly who gives a crap about that) with only Gavin & Stacey and Doctor Who keeping up the trend.

Having said that, there was something slightly off about the 2019 Christmas special, which felt like a karaoke performance of the show’s greatest hits: the catchphrases, the house parties, the fishing trip, a niggle in Gavin and Stacey’s relationship, some actual karaoke and more unresolved will-they-won’t-they for our eponymous couple’s respective best friends: melodramatic loudmouth and builder Smithy and the mysteriously well-connected, gruffly swaggering and invariably leather-clad Nessa. But aside from its end cliffhanger, this special was largely disposable and forgettable. As for the new Finale special, not only is it superior to the last, it may be one of the finest ways to end a long-running television classic.

Overflowing with boozy camaraderie, passionate romance, and jaw-dropping twists, the finale served up a feast of pure Welsh perfection for its devoted fans. It may be a bit predictable, but sometimes that’s all you need from a finale - fan service. Many watched this show when it first started 17 years ago - they deserve to see their favourite characters end up where they do. Honestly though, this finale is a true letter to all that has occurred, with truly hilarious gags, and Richard Curtis-level of sentimental melodrama, and honestly this episode hits. It definitely is not as confident in its execution as previous episodes, as seasons before we’re once remorselessly uproarious and often close to the bone (many of the gags about weight, sex and race were, let’s just say, very of their time), now, with how comedy has become too risky in our modern day and age, this finale is clearly unwilling to risk offence – it is remarkable just how safe the humour has become. I get it, I appreciate that this wants to be a lovely Christmas cuddle, but Gavin & Stacey was known to draw the line and go beyond it at times, yet the most risqué sequence here is two characters walking into a room with another promiscuously frolicking, and that couple continuing to go at it and not stopping. Amusing, but in no way offensive.

Say what you will about James Corden, as already looking at my Letterboxd a lot of users are already complaining about this finale purely cause it was co-written and stars Corden, but he is honestly great as Smithy. I’m aware that in real life Corden is known to be a bit of a pig, but he has played this role for years and has not lost any charm in doing so. You can’t deny in the last few moments of this episode that Corden really does tug at the heart strings, with his and Ruth Jones’ character relationship being the main emotional core of this entire show. Corden is great, but so are the rest of the cast, with Rob Brydon, Julia Davis and Steffan Rhodri getting some of the best moments. Huge props also to Laura Aikman for sacrificing herself to be hated by the entire British public - respect. Oh, and Baby Neil is back too!!

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale is a Christmas miracle in that it ties a fitting bow onto an integral part of British cultural entertainment, and it is a rare case for a TV show to get a good finale. Just look at Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, How I Met Your Mother, Sherlock, House of Cards, Lost…. I can keep going. But Gavin & Stacey… damn you Corden, I’ll give you this one. And thank you for not giving an answer to the fishing trip story - that gag only works by not knowing the truth! Crackin’.

Overall score: 8/10

[federer7]

Young Nomad with Lamb. 2010

Photo by Larry Snider

[nahare-shin]

Do y’all like ever think about how, Lawrence, you know, this guy on the left,

Promises to come back for Adam after leaving to get help? I feel a lot of people come to the conclusion he forgot or lied or even a secret third thing were he came back and saved Adam and left a fake Adam there dead, but we gotta unpack the main kinda titular and climactic piece of the movie here.

He cut off his foot with, well, a saw and just used a shirt to try to work as a tourniquet. He did get to cauterize the amputation site on a rusty pipe to stop the bleeding, but he lost a lot of blood before that, and he wasn’t exactly in a sterile environment. There’s a reason everyone assumed he died almost immediately off screen, and he was almost certainly in the hospital for weeks, if not months, and probably took several days to even regain consciousness after all that adrenaline wore off.

I don’t think it’s that he forgot, I think he came to in the hospital, thinking he’d been out for a few hours at most. I think being told how long he was out almost killed him. Immediate, gut-wrenching horror and guilt. He promised he would come back for Adam and help him. He promised. He saw how terrified Adam was to be left alone there. I think even though he got ahold of himself enough to become functional after group therapy, Adam still haunts him for the rest of his life.

When he trapped Hoffman, leaving him in an unwinnable game, it’s hard to say if that was closure or re-traumatizing to him or perhaps both, but it closed a chapter of his life I think. Not to reference a completely different horror legend, but I do have to wonder if you still hear the photographer screaming, Larry?

[thebestestwinner]

See pinned post for the full bracket!

[techaddictsuk]

Rozkvet - World War Two Feature Film

Hitting Kickstarter this morning is an oppotunity to back an upcoming indie film the be shot in Northern Ireland this summer. . Rozkvet is a war-drama feature film exploring the Romani people's fight for survival during the Second World War.

Hitting Kickstarter this morning is an oppotunity to back an upcoming indie film to be shot in Northern Ireland this summer. Rozkvet is a war-drama feature film exploring the Romani people’s fight for survival during the Second World War. There aren’t too many movies that centre on the Romani Holocaust and in the hands of Lamb Films, I dare say this is one to watch out…

[pookiestheoneliveson]

Jim Lassiter aka Larry Lamb

[forensicated]

Thoughts from re-bingewatching (mostly series 18 onwards recently) The Bill

Smithy is a bloody idiot if he thinks he's in love and puts himself in serious danger. He's literally seconds away from being killed for both Louise and Kerry and if his colleagues hadn't burst in each time he'd not be there no more. He is loyal to an absolute fault as long as he likes you! 💗 His bravery is second to none - as well as being bloody stupid! Literal Super!Sarge.

I don't hate Kerry as much as I did watching as an adult rather than when I was late teens/early 20's. As discussed with @everythingisdragons, a lot of what she does is understandable when you look from her position. Her station-best friend is murdered just before she's due to get married. Gina has to spend her and Luke's wedding day stopping Craig from telling her that he spent the night with Luke. She's strung along whilst Luke and Craig do lots of angst and staring across the room at each other and then is gaslit by Gina, Craig and Luke when she asks him if he's gay. She finds out she's pregnant and they split. She has a miscarriage just as they 'get back together'. She's dumped by the love of her life because he's gay, she finds out he spent the night before they got married with a man who she thinks is her friend and then he walks out on her again when she literally begs him to stay and says it doesn't matter that he's gay they can deal with it. After a few one night stands with Smithy she then falls for Cameron who starts being calm and kind and understanding and then slut shames her (along with Smithy for that!) and dumps her. She has a drunken one night stand with Smithy and hides it from Cameron when he wants to get back together. She then ends up being manipulated by a psychopath, told everything she thinks she knows about a man she's known and trusted for a while is wrong and that he raped her. Said psycho uses her further vulnerability to keep the pressure up and everyone at work is pressuring her to either make the complaint official or stfu with others telling her how wrong she is because Smithy wouldn't do that. Cameron is a tit who can't keep his mouth shut when they get back together (Who the fuck brings up a rape allegation in the middle of an ARMED ROBBERY? and then demands his girlfriend tell him if it's the truth or not as she's trying to keep a man with a FUCKING BOMB strapped to him calm and secure whilst the disposal team arrive?) and makes the situation worse by lying on official documents and to the investigators and tries to cover it up and make her lie. Gabriel keeps put the pressure by telling her he's got the CCTV and will protect her because he's her 'guardian angel' and the only one looking out for her. Gabriel then goes on and rape her (unknowingly impregnating her which adds to further hormones) knowing people wouldn't believe her after she accused Smithy and then withdrew it when she finally talked to him. Cameron cheats on her with Honey (her good friend!) and they have an illfated 'thing' when he and Kerry split up. She's in complete freefall and desperate for someone to love her and look after her. She's almost killed by the Radfords yet returns to David the same night that he was going to shoot her (and Smithy!) and almost gives up her job for him until she sees he ALSO cheats on her. Gabriel's still hanging around, Gina's got it in for her cos of the rape allegation against Smithy even though they sorted it out between themselves and she realised her didn't rape her. Cameron leaves her and returns to Australia despite her literally running after him and begging him to stay like she did Luke, David and Irene are promising her a new life, Gina's threatening to get her out of the station. She comes to her senses and uses David's trust in her to set him up - and then is about to be arrested for conspiracy to commit armed robbery (Irene taped it all). On top of all THAT, her dad goes on to have a heart attack. Despite it all there's only one person she can trust who is still there when the chips are down... Smithy! He tells her he loves her but there's too much going on to process it until she knows her dad will be ok. When he is - she returns to the station to tell Smithy she loves him too... only to get shot and essentially die in his arms. Phew.

I actually hated Andrea more this time around. I never liked her and hated her character first time but I think this time the deceit and lies really really fucked me off on top of the whole 'I'm such an innocent little flower who is really fucking stupid despite noone realising how obvious she's being.' She shit on every single one of them and betrayed them yet wouldn't have it at the end that she was the one in the wrong.

I found Phil Hunter and Rod Skase more odious than I did first time round too. Teenage me had a crush on Rod yet watching again I really don't know why (other than hormones!). He was still watchable though and enjoyable for the dick that he is at least. Phil was always slimy and smug but this time watching again - ugh. He should have had his downfall - not be allowed to walk off into the sunset 'redeemed'. The stuff he did to Nick... ugh.And the underage daughter of his lover too! I also enjoyed Danny Pearce less too, much for the same reasons as Rod I think.

Geoff Daly was more of a dick than I remembered. I didn't mind him first time around but this time he did nothing but moan, cause problems for others, use his rank be a dick.

I love the 90's way of the - mostly CID - boys calling each other by their full names when being snarky with each other. "Geoffrey." "Donald!"

The 80's/90's girls were a thousand times better than the 00's girls. On the whole they got stuck in and did the job and told the men where to stick it which was even more impressive given the time and not all this batting their eyes at them. Viv, Suzi (Croft), June, Kerry (Holmes), Cass, Liz, Vicky, Jamila, Norika, Sally (Johnson), Christine etc. The only exception being Gina, obv. (There's some 00's girls I don't mind, Mel, Millie, Kirsty, Stevie, Amber (for the wrong reasons), but most of them were problematic for various reasons or just plain poorly written.

I miss Derek! :( Even now! Him and Gina bitching together with Jack - probably about Heaton would have been hilarious.

Mickey's rape still remains IMO one of the strongest storylines on the show in its history and uses a backing of its strongest cast at the time to play it out so well and sympathetically. Even Delaney's actor is one you can believe in and want to kill through the screen. It's one of few that continued down into other storylines too and was remembered when necessary.

The Target trilogy is another that is an incredible story telling trip from start to end and so well done.

Will Fletcher is a horrible character who showed no loyalty to anyone. He knew Emma had a boyfriend/fiancé/husband and didn't back off. Even when he knew or at least suspected Matt was an abuser he still kept digging and digging away and antagonising him purposely despite that putting Emma in further danger of harm. He played with Honey's feelings, messed her around and even when she literally TOLD him she didn't want anything serious but was inviting him on a holiday of essentially sun, sea, sand and sex he still turned her down (after saying he was going until the night before) and as we know she went off to meet Eva and ended up being killed rather than getting on that plane. It was a good week before anyone realised she was missing. He treated Dan like crap too despite him supposedly being his best friend. When both men liked Emma when she first arrived, Dan stepped aside and let Will try his look. However when the petrol station woman decided she liked Dan rather than Will, Will swapped the petrol pump from a Diesel to unleaded (despite Dan having put the right one to the car) so that Dan would get bollocked and be the cause of the car having to be towed back to the police garage, emptied, flushed and then refueled and he'd get points on his licence - points that ended up stopping him going on the advanced driving course he'd applied for (that Will knew nothing about till Dan applied for it!) so that Will got his place - and then when Dan asked if he was going to turn it down given the situation when Will admitted what he'd done, Will essentially laughed at him and called him stupid in a roundabout way. He also indirectly is the reason that Dan hurt his shoulder and began the steroid journey because instead of following him to arrest the man who stole it as he should have done, he stayed with the motorbike he'd been about to buy before it was stolen, which meant that Dan had to arrest him solo and got hurt. He also took the credit for finding the missing baby in Deadly Secrets when it was Dan. He's also incredibly petulant, sulky and thinks he's the best copper at the station. I couldn't help by being amused when Callum called him out on it within 12 hours of knowing him. Speaking of Callum, Will was also stuck straight up his arse and sucking up when he knew that he was low level bullying Dan, telling him to stick where he was and that he'd never be anything more than a PC when he was asking to progress onto a course.

There's several points where multi-episode mini-stories really struggled, assuming it was because of each part having a different writer and them not seeming to collaborate or at least read other peoples episodes before writing their own. For example Conviction 6 makes out like Smithy and Stevie continued things after the last episode of Gun Runner when they really really didn't. It's quite a confusing episode in some respects because of that.

Towards the end there's a lot of 'because of the reboot' decisions in stories rather than it feeling true to the character. Without going into too much detail because the recap will be up soon, the last episode of the Conviction six parter is a great example of this and also the point above.

Why did Des fire bomb the station to retrieve the counterfeit fifty? I know why but like... what part of that action makes sense? Surely you play dumb until it's mentioned - if it is mentioned - and then say you must have been scammed somehow and put in another amount?

Dan Casper is a special precious cinnamon roll and I will fight to the death anyone who says otherwise! He's sweet, kind, generous, does not like injustice or people picking on others (ie: telling Emma she doesn't have to be mean to Beth and act all hard because of what happened to her, they still love her either way). He's super sensitive too. If he loves you he pretty much forgives you anything and everything. He's adoooooooorable! (Same for Leon pretty much!)

TPTB missed a trick not having Dan, Will, Leon, Nate and Ben all onscreen at the same time and living together in a big house share.

Speaking of Ben, I enjoyed him a lot more this time too. The first time round he was too involved in the possé stuff of Callum, Sally and Will and I used to not pay as much attention as I could during those parts but he also proved himself to be very sweet and a proper gentleman who went above and beyond with the tropey-hidden!anger stuff for a little bit.

There's a good few characters who have decent arcs through the series looking back. Gina's move from all seeing, all knowing fearless ball breaker to human and terrified of losing more officers after her thousandth one died (I jest but it started to feel that way sometimes!) was very human and believable. Neil's transformation was understandable given everything he experienced over the years, even if it was the hideous Andrea stuff in the middle. Smithy from cocky PC, Sgt who wasn't to dissimilar but had obvious hints of Uncle!Bob's moulding and influence through to mature and responsible grown up Sgt and then Inspector was wonderful.

Gina and Smithy's friendship was a thing of beauty. Other than Louise, Gina was the only other person he cried in front of - the other times he'd run off to be by himself. I still laugh at Jonathan's reaction to Smithy having a key to Gina's.

Jack and Mickey's wasn't too far behind either, though Jack had an awful tendency to be lead by another brain that wasn't in his head - ala Rachel Heath time and abandon Mickey when he needed him the most.

If there needed to be another Sgt in uniform, why couldn't Kirsty have been promoted (as a newcomer not with much background they wouldn't have to know how long she'd been a PC etc) or one of the others if not keeping Diane? Why move Jo across? She could have become a DS alongside Max and fill the gap there.

Gina's ex, Harry, does not come across like any sort of man that Gina would ever allow near her! Infact he seems the absolute opposite that she'd go for! (Episode 181)

Speaking of Gina's exes, we all know I'm bias for Gina and Jonathan, but the little reveals here and there of Adam and Gina's relationship were lovely, especially her obvious heartbreak when she spots his kids for the first time (The open day where Eva's daughter Joanna goes missing). The only reason they broke up is because she couldn't give him the kids she knew he wanted so she ended it and he didn't know why until they reunited at Sun Hill. It was beautifully done and you could get them being together.

Ugh, i wish she'd told Jonathan at the wedding (Jim/June) that she was ready to commit like she was going to! Or at the station the day after when she found him about to leave!

Although I love the end of the show as in the episodes themselves (Respect 1 and 2) I really dislike the way a lot of the storylines were rounded off. Callum post his dad's funeral and his assault and his jostling with Jo and his suspension were forgotten about for Respect 1 and 2. Max's drugs stuff was left ambiguous after his return as it wasn't mentioned and he had calmed down a bit and was less argy bargy and more wind up merchant. (And why didn't Mickey tell Jack rather than make a big song and dance about telling Neil instead!) It was a shame because it makes people totally forget how decent a person Max was from Assault On Sun Hill to In The Know a lot of the time as well as being an occasional dick. He was absolutely gutted he had to arrest Noah (Backlash) and had really bonded with him and took the time to help him and see things from his level despite his initial thoughts. He threatens a dangerous dealer to keep Fran safe. He also gave Noah his PSP to keep! (Brings back memories of Smithy giving TIm his gameboy in Lullaby). He went looking for Pavel in Righteous Kill despite it meaning he got held at gunpoint and looked out for Julie and her uncle as much as he could. He was impressed by Smithy in Gun Runner and told him and offered to help him through the DPS and other PCC interviews and sit with him if he needed someone. He was impressed by Beth in Beth Undercover and told her so. He had a really fun friendship with Eddie - or "Edmundo!". Cowboy Country - he was adorable as well as a little bugger for telling everyone about Terry's love of country music.

Speaking of Max - his and Millie's 'relationship' (not in the actual terms as in a couple) always intrigued me. Purely for the fact that she was so obviously swoony over him and all heart eyes and he never let on that he was aware (though obviously was!), however in Righteous Kill he says to her at the vending machine - after he's nobbled some money off her to take Pavel some food and drink where he's hiding out) that "it doesn't have to be a big thing." and it sort of... seems out of place as nothing linked was mentioned before it and nothing was said after (and then there's Smash and Grab a few episodes after and Millie loses the crush for a few episodes) Is this 'big thing' her crush? Is he telling her to back off? Or telling her it could be something casual... it goes unanswered and it's always bugged me why it was said because nothing came of it or was building up to it and she doesn't say anything in response other than "Sure."! Unless he's meaning not wanting to talk like she offers? Or the thing he's checking up on? (that he's going off to find Pavel without telling anyone?)

There'll likely be more as I remember it haha!

[gengarsstuff]

The patriarch and matriarch of the Watts family, Charlie and Delilah, 72 and 70 respectively.

Charlie skyrocketed his family into financial success in the 1790s. He was an incredibly hard worker in order to provide for them, but sadly, that meant their boys didn't see their dad, barely knew the man.

Their three sons: Arthur, Marshall and Joshua. They had all 3 children in a range of 4 years from the middle to late 1790s.

Arthur (51) respected his father deeply despite not knowing him. He joined the British Army and fought in the Nepoleonic Wars before owning his own factories later in life. His mother detected something sinister in her oldest child, but her concerns were not taken seriously.

Marshall (49) decided he wanted to do good for his community and became a tutor, focused on educating upper-class children, boys, and girls alike. He grew extremely tired of his elder brother. He appeared to take everything he wanted from him. Including the woman he was courting.

Joshua (47) studied to become a doctor at a young age and got derailed ever so slightly when he met the absolute love of his life, marrying extremely young and beginning a family. He was an incredible doctor well known for his remedies. That was until his wife passed away after childbirth..

[girlonfilms]

Gavin and Stacey stars reunite

Gavin and Stacey’s Larry Lamb and Alison Steadman are working on a new series about the comedy. (more…) “”

[wideouts4life]

NFL Week 2

I’d have to check this next statement for actually facts. But, I believe Mike Evans either has tied Larry Fitzgerald for 9 consecutive seasons with 1000 yards. Or he set the record for most 1000 yard seasons to open a career. Either way, this is really impressive considering all the variables that go into maintaining such consistency. Staying healthy is the real key and Mike Evans has built a resume that could withstand any argument as a top wideout in his era.

This past Sunday Evans talent was on full display. Mike caught 6 balls for 171 yards and 1 touchdown. Evans most exciting play came on a pass that he out jumped a defender and raced for a 75-yard gain while being pushed out at the 5-yard line. His touchdown came on a simple go route that Evans made look too easy. 

Mama there goes that man! Damn! Justin Jefferson is really good. Against one of the better cover corner’s in the NFL (Darius Slay), Jefferson had his way all afternoon. Catch after catch Jefferson made Slay earn his paycheck. Jefferson ended the night with 11 catches for 159 yards with zero scores. Jefferson ran the route tree and is only improving. I love how his run after catch has improved and he’s playing with more tenacity. If he continues to play at this pace, I believe he can be the first wideout to eclipse 2000 yards.

Puka Nacua is making sure the NFL knows his name loud and clear. Setting an NFL rookie record with most catches in the first two games of the season (25). Nacua is picking up what the team is missing from injured All-Pro Cooper Kupp. I won’t rain on Nacua’s parade but what he’s doing is leading me to look at Kupp’s record setting season as a by product of Matthew Stafford. 

Think about it. Stafford was the QB of the Detroit Lions when Calvin Johnson set the record for most yards in a season with 1964.  Stafford won the Super Bowl the year Kupp became the #2 yards leader in NFL history with 1947. I would not be surprised if similar numbers are achieved by Nacua especially if Kupp lingers on IR for about half the season. 

Nacua caught 15 passes for 147 yards with zero scores. His play matched the intensity and toughness of the San Francisco 49ers defense. I love how physical the rookie is playing. Catching slants over the middle is no easy task at any level, especially the hard hitting NFL. I regard the 49ers defense as the best in football and watching the kid carve a hole in the defense lets me know he’s going to have a very productive season. 

Nico Collins is making his first appearance on this blog with a healthy performance against the Indianapolis Colts. Collins caught 7 balls for 146 yards and 1 touchdown. Nico caught a slant on his first pass and raced 45 yards before eventually being tackled. Collins lone touchdown came on what looked like a busted coverage. I think rookie CJ Stroud has found his go to wideout and I look forward to the kid having more 100 yard games this season. 

Ceedee Lamb is making his first appearance of the 2023 season. Against one of the better corners (Sauce Gardner) and a pretty good New York Jets defense, Lamb licked his chops all over the field this past Sunday. Ceedee caught 11 passes for 143 yards. I like that he’s playing aggressive and being physical at the point of attack. He’s now in his 3rd season and looking like the #1 wideout team owner Jerry Jones thought he could be. 

Speed kills! Devonta Smith is a speedster like the road runner. The majority of his yardage came on two deep shots from Jalen Hurts with one being slightly under thrown. That didn’t matter as Smith jumped over the defender, Moss’n him in the process to complete the catch. Devonta’s touchdown came on a go-route that the defender was sitting on. Smith ran right by him on his way to the end zone for a 63-yard touchdown. 

George Pickens is a name I have never heard of either. But after the game he had against divisional rival Cleveland Browns, I’m sure I won’t forget his name nor his game moving forward. Pickens only caught 4 of the 10 balls targeted in his direction. On a long 3 and forever, Pickens inside released on a speed dig and galloped his way 71-yards for a touchdown. Pickens finished the night with 127 yards to give his team the much needed victory. 

It’s good to see Keenan Allen back carving up defenses across the NFL. The Allen of old would have a great game to then be sidelined the next week. But the 2023 Allen is a different animal. The thing I pick up in his body language is that’s he’s fully healthy and happy. Against the Tennessee Titans, Allen had 8 catches for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. His team took home the Loss but personally the day was a win for Allen. 

Christian Kirk has lived up to the big contract he signed last summer worth $72 million dollars . Against the Kansas City Chiefs, Kirk made his presence felt early and quite often. Christian caught 11 passes for 110 yards. Kirk didn’t score but I look forward to him continuing to dominate from the slot. 

DJ Moore was traded this off-season to the Carolina Panthers. I feel this was an upgrade for the Panthers but a mistake by the New Orleans Saints. Moore caught 6 passes for 104 yards. He didn’t go deep but ran a couple dig routes that turned defenders around. As he and quarterback Bryce Young chemistry grows I expect Moore to have more than a few 100-yard games this season. 

This last wideout had his first 100-yard game of the season. I’ll always root for the kid to do good because I coached him in high school. Amon-Ra St. Brown will get paid this off-season especially if he has his 3rd straight 1000 yard season. Against the falcons he was used all over the field. St. Brown caught balls from out wide, in the slot, and from the backfield. Amon-Ra caught 6 passes for 102 yards with zero scores. 

Sorry this blog is a late but as long as it gets done that’s all that matters. After watching the tape I’m going to give Keenan Allen the WOW award (wideoutoftheweek) because he scored twice and at the end of the day the wideouts get paid to score.

[mewintheflesh-2]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

HEHEHEHEEHHEEHHAHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

THESE LOOK SO GOODDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!! THE STARAPTOR EMBROIDERY AND THE EYEEEEESSSSSSSSS

HODHSOHFOEHWOENEODNDOSJSODJEOEJSOSJDOWNSIDNSIDN 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

I've gotten back into Cult of the Lamb so this is what comes out of it.