#like fleabag with claire's office

[twifairy]

Veilguard mod that lets your Rook just go "okay what the FUCK" when you walk into Villa Dellamorte after watching Lucanis decorate his room with such signature furnishings as "Unwashed Coffee Cup Number Eleven"

[denimbex1986]

'In 2010, Sherlock Holmes encountered a new adversary in the evil genius of Professor Moriarty. In the Sherlock series, Conan Doyle's paranoid military figure was transformed into a seductive, perverse young man, played by then-36-year-old actor Andrew Scott, a regular on London theater stages and in supporting film roles.

Director Andrew Haigh remembered the moment: "I remember thinking this is a very, very interesting actor. There's a way that he talks and a way that the thoughts seem to emerge on his face." That face, with its fine features, that can become as vulnerable as it can be menacing, has grown familiar. We saw Scott as a hot priest in the second season of Fleabag, as an honest officer in Sam Mendes' 1917 and will soon see him again as Tom Ripley in a series based on the misdeeds of Patricia Highsmith's character, already played by Alain Delon, Dennis Hopper, Matt Damon and John Malkovich.

At the beginning of December 2023, the two Andrews, Scott and Haigh, were in London to discuss All Of Us Strangers, a film about ghosts, a celebration of desire, and a meditation on the permanence of memory and love in which Scott plays a solitary writer, Adam, in his first major leading role. "There are certain characters where you feel you want to be unadorned," he said of Adam. "I did a play by Simon Stevens called Sea Wall and I remember having a strong feeling that I wanted to sound exactly like my accent [Scott was born and raised in Dublin]. And I wanted to wear my own clothes."

'Falling back into childhood'

Haigh's script requires the lead actor to balance a magical quest into the past to find his parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) as they were when he was 12, and a violent, physical love affair with a Dionysian young man Harry (Paul Mescal).

"I wanted childishness without being a child," said the actor. "And actually, I think a lot of that is physical. It doesn't feel like it's a very physical performance necessarily, but it's something I thought an awful lot about, both sides of this, the physicality of the love story and his physicality with his parents. Because I think the way we behave with our parents as a child is very sensual, very tactile. And that's the through line for me, for the character, he feels like he hasn't had a lot of people touching him or him touching anyone else. And so it's the idea of remembering what it's like to be in your parents' bed between them and making yourself smaller. And because we shot in Andrew [Haigh]'s childhood home, it brought an authenticity that felt incredibly real."...'

[this-is-a-love-story-fleabag]

Fork you, then (1/?)

You asked for this, you degenerates.

Fleabag saves her friend Boo's life and earns a spot in the Good Place, but is everything here really so perfect? And what's up with the hot priest next door? This chapter has 1208 words. Also on ao3.

"Watch out, Boo!" I shriek, throwing myself into the cycle lane to push my best friend out of the path of an approaching phalanx of bicycles and back onto the pavement.

The world goes white for a second.

All at once, I find myself sitting on a comfortable, overstuffed sofa in a bland, warmly-lit room. Blinking my eyes open, I read the bright green text splashed across the opposite wall.

"Welcome! Everything is fine."

"Watch out, Boo!" I shriek, throwing myself into the cycle lane to push my best friend out of the path of an approaching phalanx of bicycles and back onto the pavement.

The world goes white for a second.

All at once, I find myself sitting on a comfortable, overstuffed sofa in a bland, warmly-lit room. Blinking my eyes open, I read the bright green text splashed across the opposite wall.

"Welcome! Everything is fine."

Improbable.

A door in the wall opens, and a petite blonde woman steps out into the room, a tight-lipped but polite smile on her face.

"Hi there," she says. "I'm Eleanor. Come on in."

I follow her into the office, which is classy, in an 80s hotel reception kind of way.

"This is my assistant, Michael," she says, gesturing to a handsome older gent in a sharp suit who's hiding behind a plant. Very relatable.

She picks up a folder and shuffled through some papers, and I slide awkwardly into the chair opposite her, feeling like I'm walking into a job interview.

"You are dead," she says, far too calmly.

"Are you sure? I don't feel dead," I joke. She doesn't laugh.

Oh no, I'm in hell.

"You're in the Good Place," she continues. "Thanks to your selfless and wonderful acts down on earth, you have earned your place here in paradise."

Before I can stop myself, I snort. "Standards are really slipping, then." I am incredibly uncomfortable.

A muscle twitches in the side of her face. "According to your file here, which I can totally read, you've done some amazing things. Michael?"

I look back over my shoulder as he rouses himself a bit, giving his head a shake. "Saving your friend Boo-" he offers.

"Oh right," I say, remembering suddenly. How did I forget my best friend trying to commit suicide via cyclist? I turn back to... Eleanor, was it? "Can I see her? Is she OK? She's not dead, too, is she?"

"Let's see." She makes a sharp gesture, throwing a holographic screen into mid-air, and Boo's face appears, tear-stained but physically unharmed, having a massive panic attack on the pavement. Classic Boo.

"Boo is just fine. Would you like to see how you died?"

No. God no.

"Yes, thank you," I hear myself say.

Oops.

She brings the video up on the floating screen. Ugh, I hate watching videos of myself. Is that really what my nose looks like from the side?

I was expecting to see myself get hit by the first bike. I was not expecting the second or third. Or the bus that liquefied me after I got flipped into the road.

What a waste. My arse was having a real renaissance this month.

I can't tear my eyes away for what feels like an eternity, even when all there is on screen are paramedics attending to the pile of goo and crunchy bits that was formerly my body.

"What happens now?" I ask hoarsely. "Is there some kind of trial or, I don't know, application form?"

"No, your points total has already been calculated. We know for a fact that you belong here in the Good Place."

"That cannot possibly be the case."

She balks a little before plastering another polite smile onto her face. "How about I show you around the neighbourhood?"

"Listen," I say desperately, "I'm a greedy, perverted, selfish, apathetic, cynical, depraved, morally bankrupt woman who can't even call herself a feminist, so this is either an elaborate prank or you've made a terrible mistake."

She's unmoved. Fuck, I only pull out the brutal honesty as a last resort.

"We don't make mistakes," she says, with the firm conviction of someone who definitely makes mistakes.

"Fine," I acquiesce, resolving to drop the matter for the time being. "I'm ready for the tour, I guess."

The neighbourhood is, in a word, heavenly. There's no other way to describe it - everything is clean and beautifully designed, with verdant greenery and a frozen yogurt shop on every corner. All of the people I encounter are blandly, disturbingly cheerful and friendly.

Literally not one single person has laughed at my jokes so far. I might scream.

After a short stroll through the streets, while Eleanor points out the various features and amenities available to me, we arrive at what is apparently my house - which is, I have to say, objectively nice. A red-brick townhouse tucked in a corner of a charming little cobbled street, with climbing roses trailing over the front door and freesias bursting from the window boxes.

Inside is a comfortable-looking, reasonably chic bachelorette pad, featuring a well-stocked wine cellar, a shower big enough to host an entire rugby team (goals), and a living room mantelpiece covered in framed photos of my family and friends.

My gut tightens as I see Boo's smiling face beaming at me from behind the glass, flashes of memory assaulting me. Mum, dad and Claire are watching me from an old family photo, seeing right through me. I squeeze my eyes shut and turn away from their accusing faces.

I want a cigarette. Are you allowed to smoke in heaven?

Eleanor's voice drifts through my panic. "-sometime around seven, just as an informal getting-to-know-you," she's saying.

"Sorry, what?" I have to ask.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, I don't know how to talk to British people," she says. "You probably have different words for stuff. Uh, Tahani would call it a soiree?"

"Tahani?" I ask, clearly having missed a few steps in this explanation.

"It is I!" announces a six foot tall Amazonian goddess, striding dramatically through my front door. "I heard my name and thought it would be a good moment to make an entrance. I am Tahani Al-Jamil. Welcome to the neighbourhood."

"Wow, everyone here is really attractive," I try. Hey, if I can't make them laugh, I can at least flirt a bit, right? "This really must be heaven."

"It really is," says Eleanor with another tight, insincere smile. I look around the room. Seriously, no takers?

"I'm just here to bring you a little welcome basket, with some home-baked scones and clotted cream, and to invite you to tonight's soiree," continues Tahani, as though I hadn't said anything.

"Knew it," whispers Eleanor to Michael.

Tahani air-kisses me on both cheeks and makes her exit, leaving me with a basket of baked goods and an expensive-looking card proclaiming the location, time, and dress code of the party in gold letters. Informal evening wear, apparently.

I hear a knock at my door.

"That should be your next-door neighbour," says Eleanor, unlatching the door as though she owns the place. Which I guess she does? "He said he'd come say hi after he'd settled in."

Thank Christ, maybe he's a normal person. I swear, if someone doesn't either laugh at my jokes or fuck me in the next half hour I'm going to die. Again.

Eleanor ushers him in and he steps through the open door, holding a bottle of wine and waving with his other hand. I take him in, the handsome wave of his hair, the way his shirt strains over his biceps... and the dog collar around his beautiful neck.

Oh fuck. He's a fucking priest.

[goldensfm]

              *    ╰     𝐡𝐢   𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲   𝐥𝐮𝐯𝐬   𝐚𝐧𝐝   𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐠   𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐬    ,   i’m   your   resident   crackhead   steven   forced   out   of   early   writing   retirement   by   miss   rona   but   i   ain’t   complainin   !    🤡    i’m   here   to   bring   you   a   decidedly   non   -   crackheaded   muse   utilizing   the   absolute   goddess   that   is   zendaya   .   like   got   DAMN   𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤   at   her   !   i’m   swimming   with   muse   for   lex   so   i   am   hoping   my   control   freak   ice   queen   offers   some   sort   of   justice   —   i   cant   wait   to   meet   you   all   and   love   you   down   endlessly   !   if   you   could   spare   a   𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭   for   my   validation   ,   i’ll   offer   you   all   my   best   plots   in   return   !   💖

𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕

     ❛   ✶   (   ZENDAYA  ,   CIS   -   FEMALE   ,   SHE   /   HER   )   spotted   !     ALEXANDRIA   ‘   LEX    ’   GOLDMAN   was   spotted   singing   along   to   BOSS   BITCH   by   DOJA   CAT   in   hilton   grove.   you’ve   heard   of   them   right   ?     they   are   a   TWENTY   -   TWO   year   old   ACTRESS   &   ENTREPRENEUR   who   has   already   amassed   a   net   worth   of   $31M.   you   should   really   follow   them   on   insta   @GOLDEN ,   they’re   about   to   hit   39.1M   followers.        the   tabloids   have   been   calling   them   the   EXECUTIVE   because   they   are   known   for   being   +   PURPOSEFUL   but   also   a   bit   -   AUSTERE.  —   ooc   info   (   steven   .   21   .   pst   .   she   /   her   /   they   /  them   .  )

𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒔

full   name   :      alexandria   (   defender   of   man   )   rochelle   (   little   rock   )   goldman   (   little   golden   one   ) nicknames   :       primarily   goes   by   lex   .   lexie   ,   xan   on   occasion   ,   and   gold   /   goldie   . birthday   &      age   :      september   3rd   /   22   years   old zodiac   :      virgo gender   &   pronouns   :      cis  -  female  ,  she   /   her   /   hers orientation   :       openly   bisexual nationality   :      american ethnicity   :       mixed   race   —   african  -  american   ,   german   ,   irish   ,   english   ,   scottish occupation   :       former   beauty   pageant   competitor   and   2016’s   miss   teen   usa   ,   current   film   and   television   actress   ,   model   ,   business   entrepreneur   ,   and   activist   .   recognized   for   :      starring   in   hbo’s   television   series   euphoria   ,   being   the   first   openly   queer   representative   for   the   usa   in   the   pageant   circuit   ,   her   advocacy   for   feminism   and   criminal   justice   reform   ,   a   bustling   social   media   page   ,   being   one   of   forbes   2019′s   top   30   under   30   . char . inspos  :    meredith  grey  from  grey’s  anatomy   ,   spencer   hastings   from   pretty   little   liars   ,   hermione   granger   from   harry   potter   ,   meghan   markle     ,   angela   martin   from   the   office   ,   alex   cabot   from   law   and   order   svu   ,   and   more   than   anything   ,   claire   from   fleabag   .     𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧   𝐢𝐟   𝐮   𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐦   𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠   𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞   ,   𝐢   𝐛𝐞𝐠   𝐨𝐟   𝐮   𝐭𝐨   𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡   𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬   𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨   𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭   𝐭𝐨   𝐠𝐞𝐭   𝐥𝐞𝐱’𝐬   𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞   𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝   𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨   𝟑   𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐬   . tropes   :   control   freak   ,   defrosting   the   ice   queen   ,   perpetual   frowner   ,   did   you   think   i   can’t   feel   ?   ,   hidden   depths   ,   stepford   smiler   . aesthetics :    an  intellect  that  remembers  everything    ;    wild  caramel  curls  with  just  enough  composure  to  seem  effortless    ;    a  fear  of  failure   more  crippling  than  life  itself    ;    the  smell  of  fresh  linen  and  lavender     ;     a  color - coded  itinerary     ;     a  perfectly  choreographed  interaction  ,  each  time    ;    lilac  power - suits  and  an  immaculate  composure    ;     unspoken  mommy  issues    ;    tenebrous  ,  intent gazes  swimming  with  the  resonance  of  unspoken  thoughts   ;    ‘ don’t  touch  me  please ‘  syndrome    ;    kicking  out  hookups  before  you  both  fall  asleep    ;    ordering  the  same  thing  at  a  restaurant  ,  every  time    ;    flinching  at  ‘ i love you’s ’    ;    drafting  business  emails  at  the  club     ;    an  admiration  of  atlas  ,  with  the  world’s  weight  upon  your   shoulders .

𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚

               born   the   sole   continuance   of   the   goldman   name   to   a   mother   whose   pregnancy   was   all   but   a   career   death  -  sentence   ,   lex   bore   the   weight   of   the   world’s   expectations   on   graceful   shoulders   from   the   moment   she   came   into   the   light   .   lieutenant   olivia   goldman   ,   head   of   the   manhattan   police   department   ,   can   deny   the   salacious   accused   affair   with   the   district   attorney   until   she’s   blue   in   the   face   but   can’t   deny   the   consequence   of   their   tryst   ,   alexandria   being   a   painful   reminder   of   losing   nearly   all   her   mother’s   years   of   hard   work   while   her   father   simply   denied   her   existence   and   lived   none   the   more   guilted   .      from   the   start   ,   the   odds   were   stacked   against   the   goldman   progeny   ,      pushing   perfection   as   her   only   claim   to   some   semblance   of   attention   from   liutenant   goldman   .

             as   a   mixed   race   child   to   a   white   unwed   mother   in   law   enforcement   ,   working   80   hours   weeks   and   having   spent   years   building   her   career   ,   there   was   little   lex   saw   of   her   mother   that   wasn’t   something   resembling   exhaustion   or   utter   disinterest   .   this   forces   her   to   grow   independent   at   an   astounding   pace   ,   keeping   to   herself   as   to   not   bother   her   mother   with   her   own   whims   or   desires   .   at   12   ,   her   mother   is   courted   by   an   award   -   winning   director   who   requests   her   guidance   on   a   police   film   he’s   submitting   —   she   refuses   to   advise   on   the   film   ,   but   goes   to   dinner   with   him   as   a   courtesy   ,   and   they’re   married   a   year   later   in   a   lavish   hamptons   wedding   in   the   summer   .   rudy   delano   is   a   world -renowned   director   along   the   likes   of   steven   spielberg   ,   and   takes   to   lex   like   she   were   his   own   daughter   .   as   if   to   balance   out   olivia’s   coldness   and   detachment ,   he   showers   lex   in   adoration   and   support   ,   encouraging   her   to   pursue   her   interests   of   pageantry   when   she   voices   them   following   her   7th   grade   year   .  

              considering   a   lifetime   spent   nitpicking   and   pushing   her   own   facade   of   complete   calculation   ,   she   takes   the   pageantry   world   by   storm   and   it   seems   the   rest   of   her   life   falls   into   place   .   a   perfectionist   in   every   sense   ,   she   maintains   nothing   short   of   flawlessness   throughout   high   school   (   taking   on   student   council   co-president   ,   heading   several   clubs   ,   and   one   of   four   school   valedictorians   )   and   goes   on   to   compete   in   the   most   elite   of   pageantry   circuits   .   her   advocacy   for   marginalized   populations   was   a   major   platform   and   propelled   her   to   miss   teen   new   york   and   soon   after   ,   miss   teen   usa   .   in   the   live   aired   interview   segment   ,   perhaps   among   the   most   important   moments   of   her   life   ,   lex   makes   a   rare   slip   and   accidentally   comes   out   as   bisexual   when   asked   about   the   LGBTQ+   mental   health   crisis   in   her   home   state   of   new   york   .   this   leads   to   lex   becoming   the   first   openly   queer   miss   teen   usa   ,   and   would   have   likely   fared   well   if   she   were   to   have   continued   ;   despite   its   progressions   ,   the   pageant   world   of   sponsorships   seems   to   lag   behind  ,   and   the   ‘   controversy   ’    of   her   coming   out   led   to   her   leaving   the   pageant   world   for   good   .   

              on   her   own   two   wobbly   feet   ,   she   continues   with   her   advocacy   and   finds   herself   excelling   in   the   business   element   of   it   all   ,   going   on   to   obtain   her   business   degree   from   columbia   while   taking   on   the   big   screen   in   a   blossoming   film   career   at   the   encouragement   of   her   step   father   .   she   shoots   to   stardom   upon   the   release   of   euphoria   ,   paired   with   a   strong   social   media   presence   ,   a   thriving   modeling   career   ,   and   a   brand   that   becomes   recognized   as   a   household   name   synonymous   with   advocacy   and   entrepreneurship   .

𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

              perhaps   lex’s   most   notable   quality   is   being   driven   by   an   unyielding   fear   of   failure   and   mediocrity   .   there   is   no   task   small   enough   that   lex   will   not   accomplish   to   the   best   of   her   execution   ,   and   if   she   can’t   ensure   perfection   ,   she   will   refuse   to   give   it   an   attempt   at   all   .   this   all   or   nothing   attitude   stems   from   an   obscene   obsession   with   control   and   remaining   in   control   ,   something   those   around   her   are   all   too   aware   of   .  

              despite   a   rather   charming   and   gregarious   disposition   on   the   red   carpet   ,   many   will   note   that   lex   is   incredibly   reserved   when   meeting   her   in   real   life   .   the   pageantry   training   has   kicked   in   to   give   her   a   facade   to   push   when   she’s   in   the   spotlight   ,   though   her   true   disposition   is   much   less   play   and   much   more   work   .   she’s   stoic   and   serious   ,   knowing   just   what   to   say   at   what   time   to   continue   the   narrative   that   she   is   completely   in   control   .   cool   and   calculated   ,   her   affect   is   usually   stern   and   unwilling   to   reflect   any   sentiment   of   softness   or   goofiness   —   many   business   associates   note   her   absolute   maturity   and   rationality   even   at   the   tender   age   of   22   .   her   energy   ,   as   subdued   as   it   may   be   ,   commands   the   room   with   a   power   of   self-assuredness   that   only   stems   from   a   confidence   rooted   in   something   to   back   it   up   .   she’s   an   elderly   woman   in   a   millennial’s   body   ,   and   this   tends   to   show   in   her   dry   wit   humor   ,   relative   moodiness   ,   and   general   propensity   for   wanting   things   done   exclusively   her   way   .

              lex’s   intellect   has   always   been   a   strong   suit   of   hers   ,   a   photographic   memory   that   allowed   her   to   glide   through   school   with   the   least   of   struggles   .   astute   and   well   -   spoken   ,   monotone   and   unlikely   to   crack   in   her   stony   temperament   ,   she’s   a   force   of   nature   to   be   well   reckoned   with   .   luckily   ,   lex   shows   little   to   no   interest   in   engaging   with   petty   drama   and   tends   to   keep   in   her   own   lane   ,   losing   interest   nearly   immediately   in   the   mindless   pettiness   some   of   her   friends   wrap   themselves   up   in   .   rational   ,   arguably   to   a   fault   ,   lex   has   a   bad   habit   of   censoring   herself   and   limiting   her   own   commentary   when   in   the   company   of   anyone   she   needs   to   maintain   her   reputation   with  ;  close   friends   ,   on   the   other   hand   ,   will   easily   characterize   her   as   blunt   and   straightforward   ,   almost   too   aggressive   with   her   honesty   for   her   own   good   .   though   she’d   rarely   voice   it   ,   she   has   an   undeniable   superiority   complex   stemming   from   a   recognition   that   whatever   she   does   ,   she’s   incredibly   good   at   (   ignoring   her   unwillingness   to   step   out   and   try   anything   outside   her   comfort   zone   .   )

              this   is   the   curious   dichotomy   of   alexandria   goldman   ,   considering   one   of   her   most   notable   flaws   is   her   unwillingness   to   invest   .   despite   being   perhaps   overly   honest   ,   the   moment   a   conversation   (   or   relationship   )   runs   the   risk   of   becoming   too   emotionally   risky   ,   she   shuts   down   .   flames   have   been   ghosted   ,   relationships   have   been   ended   ,   and   friendships   have   been   cut   off   simply   because   lex   deemed   them   to   be   a   danger   to   her   mission   of   remaining   in   complete   control   of   herself   and   her   life   .   the   select   few   that   have   plowed   through   lex’s   rather   prickly   initial   interactions   have   earned   themselves   a   friend   forged   from   gold   ,   loyal   to   a   fault   and   ready   to   drop   anything   at   a   wind’s   blow   to   aide   those   she   loves   most   .   defensive   and   ornery   ,   the   pageant   girl   facade   soon   blows   over   to   reveal   an   anal   retentive   ,   emotionally   stunted   grandmother   who   loses   her   lid   over   the   most   minute   of   inconveniences   if   they   step   out   of   her   pre-established   plans   and   routines   .

              hiding   beneath   her   layers   of   fake   smiling   at   redundant   questions   ,   unapproachable   hostility   and   being   an   otherwise   unmeltable   ice   queen   ,   lex   harbors   a   deep   intensity   that   overcomes   her   when   allowed   to   reign   (   and   very   rarely   is   allowed   to   reign   )   .   she   does   not   invest   in   small   doses   and   despite   the   relative   unlikelihood   of   her   allowing   a   distraction   such   as   a   relationship   ,   the   few   she’s   had   have   been   intense   whirlwinds   led   by   lex’s   own   inability   to   limit   herself   —   she’s   all   ,   or   she’s   nothing   ,   but   nowhere   in   the   middle   .

[jamlocked]

I need to rant about Fleabag because it’s genius. First, Claire, because ;sdlfkj. And then THAT MOMENT between the Priest and Fleabag at the end of 2x03.

Spoilers below the cut.

Okay, so Claire...honestly, is it just me who finds her painful to watch? I mean that in a good way. The acting’s stellar, the writing’s stellar (no surprise there), and I just want to...I don’t even know. Shake her, and tell her it really can be okay if she just unwinds a bit. Or get her really pissed and remind her that she cannot always have been so uptight. That bit in 2x03 where, standing in her enormous office in the midst of her obviously successful career, she angrily lets it slip that she’s envious of Fleabag having a cafe and being able to do what she wants...augh, honestly, it’s painful. Someone who ‘has it all’ (but omg, her husband is the worst, and even the creepy stepson knows she should leave him), and gives speeches about how being happy is something you have to really work at...I just feel so sorry for her, it hurts. It’s a masterclass of someone desperate to be happy and thinking they can have that by ticking all the right boxes, and actually knowing that they’re locked in a cage they’ve created for themselves. The only times she’s human are those occasional moments she connects with her sister and is honest with her...and then she immediatly shoves her away in fear of it. Just... please relax, Claire. Please. And leave your husband. And for the love of God, shag the Finnish dude because you need it.

THAT MOMENT THO. Okay, I have read two interpretations of it on Twitter today, and both differ from my own. (I’m obvs talking about the bit where The Priest notices her breaking the fourth wall and talking to the audience, in case anyone who reads this incoherent mess (you’re very brave) isn’t sure)...ANYWAY.

1. Someone said they thought it was because she was making an actual human connection and therefore was starting to not need her dialogue with us anymore. Which could be valid, seeing as I don’t think there’s anonther season planned (P W-B said she had no intentions to do a second one even), but I don’t think it’s just this because there wasn’t any indication that she was losing the inclination to talk to the audience. 

2. Another person said it was a moment where she realised she was talking to God. Because her asides to us, the audience, are her innermost thoughts and the Priest could tell when they were happening. Which sort of ties in with my interpretation, which was... 

3. I thought it was because he sees her like we see her. He knows her like we know her. She tells the truth to us, and he sees the truth in her -  and it’s impressive really, because we have the benefit of her telling us herself and he just gets it instinctively through the little time they’ve spent together. So maybe it’s just a clever way of showing that he sees her, but I love the layer of her possibly talking to a higher power...which, as a self-proclaimed atheist, means the power she’s talking to could be intepreted as...you know what, I’ve tried to write out my thoughts on that but I can’t make it make sense and it gets convoluted, so I’m just going to leave it. 

But anyway, Fleabag and the Priest have obviously formed this connection and she’s falling for him, and probably him for her even though he says he’s not going to do anything about that physically...but it’s such a lovely thing to see, this friendship even as it is at the moment. Because man, she needs friends. And her...idk, surprise  at how much she likes him and how well they get on, it speaks volumes about how little faith she has in herself and her ability to get on with people at all. Which makes it all the more heartwarming to see her looking for something deeper with the Priest, even if she’s telling herself she just wants to shag him. 

Of course, I fully anticipate the Priest falling to pieces by the end, or something like it. I described him to someone as fragile in the first ep, right from making a ‘joke’ about being ‘really fucking lonely’ - and there’s clearly some issues with his past he’s not talking about. The only times he really seems secure is when he’s actually talking about the priesthood as his rightful place, so on that score, I hope he and Fleabag don’t become a disaster and get it on. At the same time, I’m shipping them harder than I thought I could ship a het couple these days. Augh, they’re just so compelling together. The chemistry. Everything about it. s;dfkj

Okay, that just basically turned into a rant about how much I love Fleabag, but I’m alright with that. As you were.

[ghostpunkrock]

back on my mash fleabag au obviously bj as the preist (repressed desire, clinging to an ideal version of the life he thinks he’s supposed to live, etc) but Margaret as Claire (unhappy relationship where she suppresses her true self to fit with her husband’s version of her, eventually deciding to divorce him and pursue her own wants, constantly feeling like she’s being compared to hawkeye/fleabag and can’t live up to the expectation, Claire’s meltdown speech after the office party of “I would have come up with my own joke I am also a funny and interesting person)

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 10 Has Fun Star Trek and Fleabag Cameos

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This Star Wars: The Bad Batch article contains spoilers.

After weeks of being on the run, after making contact with Rex and having their bio-chips removed, the Bad Batch are finally able to head back to “base” on Ord Mantell. But the respite doesn’t last very long in “Common Ground.” In fact, it’s only minutes after their arrival that they’re off again, on a new mission for Cid (Rhea Perlman), this time to save a former Separatist senator from the Empire.

To say that their new job makes the clone troopers of the Bad Batch uncomfortable is an understatement. Their rescue mission on Raxus, the former capital of the Separatist systems, is new territory for these soldiers. Mere months ago, their goal was to take down the Separatists in the name of the Republic, but their new lives as mercenaries now finds them helping one of their key leaders, the Separatist senator Avi Singh.

But as the title of the episode suggests, the former Republic soldiers and the Separatists now have a common enemy: the Empire, which wastes no time seizing the Raxus capital by force when Senator Singh refuses to become their puppet. By the end of the episode, the Batch and Singh have formed a fragile alliance, a sign that things continue to change in the galaxy in the aftermath of the rise of the Empire — and they’re changing rapidly.

The ending leaves Senator Singh’s next move in question. Forced to flee Raxus and the people he swore to protect — you can tell the citizens adore him by the way they cheer him on at the start of the episode — will Singh hatch a plan to free the planet? And will that path lead him to become a member of the fledgling Rebellion already quietly taking root? Hopefully, the show will pick up these plot threads later.

But the fact that Singh is a Separatist isn’t the only notable thing about him. Longtime Star Trek fans also likely recognized the voice actor! Yes, that’s Alexander Siddig, best known for playing Dr. Julian Bashir on the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.In case you don’t remember, Bashir is the chief medical officer of the titular space station, a friendly doctor who also happens to have a big secret that eventually comes out later in the series. Siddig’s portrayal of the multi-layered Bashir remains one of the highlights of the Star Trek universe to this day.

You should also turn your attention to Singh’s trusty protocol droid GS-8. The droid who puts the entire rescue plan together is voiced by none other than Sian Clifford, who plays Claire on the hit British dramedy series Fleabag. That means that both of the main Fleabag characters have now been in a Star Wars project. Series creator, writer, and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge previously played L3-37, a droid rights freedom fighter and Lando Calrissian’s companion in Solo: A Star Wars Story. I’d pay good money to see Waller-Bridge and Clifford reunite as Star Wars characters. Maybe in a future episode of The Bad Batch?

“Common Ground” also features the return of voice actor Shelby Young to Star Wars. Best known for voicing Princess Leia and Kneesa the Ewok in Forces of Destiny, Young brings her talents to The Bad Batch as the cruel Captain Bragg, who leads the Imperial occupation of Raxus in the episode. Young has also done voice work for the Galaxy of Heroes video game and The Mandalorian.

Liam O’Brien, who voiced characters on Rebels, and Sam Riegel, who did voicework for Jedi: Fallen Order, also appear as Cid patrons Bolo and Ketch respectively.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post Star Wars: The Bad Batch Episode 10 Has Fun Star Trek and Fleabag Cameos appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[ramajmedia]

Olivia Colman’s 10 Best Acting Roles | ScreenRant

In the last ten years, actress Olivia Colman has shot up from a recognizable and talented British actress to a still very talented household name. Her roles in wildly successful productions like Broadchurch, Fleabag, and The Favourite have left her with 67 award wins and a further 47 nominations. She never shies away from unflattering or dark parts, but she is equally capable of charm and hilarity. Though she’s been acting for ages, her career has no where to go but up. Here are her ten best roles…so far. 

Of course, her first season playing Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown is coming out this fall, so we’ll see where on this list it falls. 

RELATED: Jack Nicholson's 10 Most Iconic Roles, Ranked

10 PC Doris Thatcher — Hot Fuzz (2007)

Police Constable Doris Thatcher is the only female police officer in the Sanford Police Service. She frequently makes sexual innuendos, which can be interpreted as an easy joke about her promiscuity or an attempt to fit in with the rest of the police boys club. She is a hero in the end.

Hot Fuzz is one of Olivia Colman’s earlier roles. Big fans of Colman love to return to this movie as Colman’s “roots,” and celebrate that the woman who played the silly and sole female police officer in this movie went on to be lauded with an Oscar, two Golden Globes, and three BAFTAs, among others. 

9 Hotel Manager — The Lobster (2015)

In a dystopian future, single people are put into a hotel and have to fall in love 45 days or be turned into an animal. If they hunt single people (“loners”) they can have time added to their stay.

This absurdist dystopian dark comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos was the first time that Olivia Colman worked with the director. She played the Hotel Manager, who gave the guests instructions and delivered advice that seems absurd on its face but is wise within the world of the movie. The whole movie is an acquired taste, but if you focus on Colman’s performance you’ll be rewarded with an amazing performance.

8 Hannah — Tyrannosaur (2011)

In this brutal drama directed and written by Paddy Considine, Olivia Colman plays Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker. She encounters Joseph, a man who is followed by destruction and turmoil at every turn. As his life spirals downward, Hannah attempts to help him. But it turns out she’s hiding a secret of her own. 

Colman’s performance as Hannah honestly portrays the ways an abuse survivor can be alternately broken and furious, then in the next breath be kind and compassionate. She seems to be the only sympathetic moral compass in the movie, so when she takes her life into her own hands, her fate feels cruel and unfair.

7 Sally Owen — Twenty Twelve (2011-2012)

In this serial comedy, Olivia Colman plays Sally Owen, a member of the team who must organize the 2012 Olympics in London. Of course, they face many challenges along the way, including an equestrian controversy, a boycott, and cultural issues. The comedy is deadpan, more satire than joking. 

Colman is hilarious in her role as the P.A. to Ian Fletcher, the head of the team who she secretly carries a (dare we say, Olympic-sized) torch for. Naturally, Colman steals every scene she’s in.  Even though this show has gone largely unnoticed in the US, it was very popular in the UK. It’s no wonder she was nominated for a BAFTA for her part.

6 Sue Brown — Accused (2010-2012)

In Accused, an anthology crime drama created by Jimmy McGovern, 10 lives hang in the balance. Each episode follows a different character who awaits trial for a crime they were accused of. A few characters show up more than once, but the stories are largely unrelated.

RELATED: 10 Shows to Watch if You Like Fargo

Olivia Colman shows up in only one episode, but she was so powerful in it that she won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her part. She plays Sue Brown, who runs a hair salon on her friend Mo Murray. Sue’s son Sean is shot on behalf of a gang, which breaks her heart. The crime is made the more horrible when she learns who committed it, and who has been covering it up.

5 Hope Slaughter — Them That Follow (2019)

This visceral character-study set deep in Appalachia explores the people who believe in handling deadly snakes that prove their devotion to God—and their worthiness as a follower. On the day of her wedding, a young woman reveals that she has a secret that could tear the community apart. 

The movie received middling reviews, but everyone agrees that it was the performances from the cast, especially Olivia Colman as Hope, that saved it. She plays a woman who is deeply religious in a sect of Christianity that is generally derided, but she side-steps the general accusations of “crazy” to portray a deeply empathetic and loving woman.

4 Angela Burr — The Night Manager (2016-)

This British TV show is based on a John le Carré novel of the same name. The first season was directed by Susanne Bier; a second season is forthcoming. Alongside Olivia Colman stars Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, David Harewood, Tom Hollander, and Elizabeth Debicki. It’s suspenseful, intelligent, and an impressive addition to the canon of spy movies and shows.

RELATED: 10 Fantasy Shows Like Outlander

Colman plays Angela Burr, an intelligence operative who recruits soldier-turned-hotel-night-manager Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) to infiltrate White Hall and Washington D.C. She is intelligent and tenacious as she orchestrates a mission to take down an arms dealer (Hugh Laurie). She was nominated for an Emmy and won a Golden Globe for her performance. 

3 DS Ellie Miller — Broadchurch (2013-2017)

Olivia Colman’s second time around playing a police officer is a much more serious and dramatic portrayal. The crime drama, which focused on one case per season (as opposed to the one case per episode procedurals), is about as good as drama gets. She plays opposite David Tennant, whom at first she resents for coming in and stealing the promotion that was rightfully hers, and eventually comes to respect and befriend.

Colman as Ellie Miller is so loyal, committed, and welcoming that it’s easy to want to be her friend. Though Tennant’s Alec Hardy is technically the boss who leads the case, it’s Colman’s performance as DS Miller that sets the standard for the show.

2 Godmother — Fleabag (2016-2019)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s two series of Fleabag, which follow the life of a sex-addicted woman coming to terms with two recent tragedies, is a dark, hilarious, and ultimately wonderfully redemptive. 

RELATED: Fleabag: 10 Times Godmother was The Worst

Olivia Colman’s role in it is as the nasty Godmother, who inserts her selves into the lives of Fleabag, her sister Claire, and Dad after their mother dies. She is catty and manipulative and selfish—honestly, the worst. But Colman’s performance is a delight, and anytime she’s on screen you can’t tear your eyes away. It’s not ranked as one of her “known for” performances on IMDb yet, but we expect it to float to the top soon.

1 Queen Anne — The Favourite (2018)

Olivia Colman plays the English Queen Anne, a woman whose health has grown frail and is crumbling under the pressure of her role and her life. After 18 miscarriages and the death of her husband, she has become slightly unbalanced and incapable, which is a perfect moment for the conniving Lady Sarah to rule in her stead.

For many, this is Olivia Colman’s best performance (so far). It’s the one that’s earned her the most award nominations and her only Oscar (for now). She’s brilliant in it—alternately repulsive and sympathetic, someone you want to hug and someone you want to shake. 

NEXT: 10 Best Historical Dramas To Stream on Netflix

source https://screenrant.com/olivia-colman-best-acting-roles/

[bharatiyamedia-blog]

The Netherlands' VC Group Will get a Gender Quota: The Broadsheet

http://tinyurl.com/y637p2xe Good morning, Broadsheet readers! J. Crew takes steps towards a Madewell IPO, Emmy nominations are prone to characteristic a number of female-led comedies, and we find out about a brand new form of quota. Have an exquisite weekend.   EVERYONE’S TALKING – A quota for VCs. Quotas are an idea that pop up loads in range conversations since they’ve been launched in some nations—and not too long ago, the state of California—to deal with the dearth of ladies on boards of administrators. Now, a brand new initiative within the Netherlands is deploying the device to focus on one other space of enterprise the place ladies are underrepresented: enterprise capital. This week, 25 Dutch enterprise capital buyers dedicated to a venture known as #FundRight that goals to deliver extra ladies—and variety extra broadly—into the VC ecosystem and repair the underfunding of feminine founders. “We…consider in equal entry to finance and alternatives for all founders, no matter their background or gender,” the collaborating companies mentioned in a press release. The pledge, to be achieved over three years, requires the VC companies themselves to realize 35% feminine illustration at management and staff-wide ranges, and calls for that their future investments go to corporations that even have workforces which might be 35% feminine. A “vital proportion” of these portfolio corporations ought to be based by a lady.  The VC group within the Netherlands pursued the initiative after analysis final yr revealed that 1.6% of enterprise capital cash within the Netherlands goes to feminine founders; 6.8% goes to companies led by mixed-gender groups. For comparability, within the U.S., 2.2% of all VC money went to women in 2018.  The Dutch companies which have signed up thus far handle 1 billion euros, which represents 1 / 4 of the full property below administration by VC buyers there. Janneke Niessen, an investor at CapitalT, co-published the research on funding for girls with researcher Eva de Mol and helped conceive of #FundRight. She cited All Raise and Founders for Change as inspiration for #FundRight, and says the Dutch effort can apply to bigger VC markets just like the U.S. ��The hot button is agreeing that there’s a big missed alternative within the system because it presently is,” she instructed me. And the quota, she says, is an important part.  Critics say quotas can result in tokenism, relatively than deeper cultural change. Niessen argues that #FundRight’s method is exclusive in that it’s self-imposed by the business, relatively than mandated by the federal government. “Meaning it’s actually supported,” she says. And not using a quota, efforts to deal with the underrepresentation and underfunding of ladies stay “obscure and voluntary,” she says; a proportion aim means progress will be extra simply measured.   “We’ve tried the light means,” she says, “that clearly doesn’t work.”  Claire Zillman  claire.zillman@fortune.com @clairezillman ALSO IN THE HEADLINES – A Candy transfer. Julie Candy, CEO of Accenture North America and No. 32 on Fortune‘s Most Highly effective Girls listing, is taking excessive job throughout all of Accenture. The brand new chief govt spoke with Fortune‘s Alan Murray about taking the reins from interim CEO David Rowland and the potential for her to guide the corporate with greater than $40 billion in international revenues for a decade or extra. “What’s necessary is that you simply construct your organization to have the ability to seize the chance because it comes,” Candy says. Fortune   – Hewson, Trump, and Houlahan stroll right into a plant... Lockheed Martin was set to shut a plant in Coatesville, Pennsylvania the place staff manufactured helicopters, citing an absence of demand for rotorcraft. After urging from President Trump, CEO Marillyn Hewson determined to maintain the ability open. Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, whose district contains the plant, had additionally been combating to put it aside. New York Times – Immigration, state seats, and re-election. Although she’s launched many coverage plans, Sen. Elizabeth Warren hadn’t shared her plan for immigration reform till yesterday. The 2020 candidate would decriminalize border-crossing violations, dramatically cut back detention, and use govt motion to get round impasse in Congress. Different 2020 information: a rating of which Democratic candidates are most helping Democrats win state legislative seats places Warren and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on the prime; Sen. Kamala Harris is towards the underside of this listing. Plus: The president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump is set to lead the Trump re-election campaign’s efforts to reach female voters, asserting the initiative alongside Republican Nationwide Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, former White Home communications aide Mercedes Schlapp, and former Fox Information character and girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle.  – Flare up. The Madewell IPO is (reportedly) taking place. Reuters has three sources confirming that J. Crew has employed banks to organize for the general public providing of the denim-centric model, pegged for after Labor Day, as a part of a technique to revive the bigger retailer. The IPO would place Madewell CEO Libby Wadle on the head of her personal public firm. Reuters MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Mellody Hobson was promoted to co-CEO of Ariel Investments; she is going to buy a portion of founder John Rogers’ possession stake and turn out to be the agency’s largest shareholder. Jill McDonald was ousted as the pinnacle of Marks & Spencer’s trend enterprise. Kate Jhaveri left her job as CMO of Amazon’s Twitch to start as CMO for the NBA. Twitch additionally employed former BuzzFeed head of HR Lenke Taylor as chief people officer. Lagunitas Brewing Firm introduced Kelly Murnaghan, beforehand of Vans, as its new CMO. G/O Media employed Angela Persaud as SVP, head of expertise. Kirsten Kliphouse, previously of Crimson Hat and Microsoft, joins Google Cloud as president of North America gross sales.  IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – Squad v. Pelosi. 4 freshmen in Congress—all ladies of colour—say they’ve been remoted by Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib mentioned that Pelosi’s opposition to a few of their efforts appeared at first a strategy to preserve the progressive flank at bay and appease average Democrats, however has escalated; AOC known as it “the express singling out of newly elected ladies of colour.” Pressley known as Pelosi’s feedback, together with some she made in a recent interview with Maureen Dowd, “demoralizing.” Washington Post    – The nominations are (virtually) in. When Emmy nominations are introduced subsequent week, anticipate female-led sequence to dominate the comedy class. It’s a giant shift from only a few years in the past, when Louie, Silicon Valley, and The Huge Bang Principle had been the frontrunners; now it’s Veep, Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Russian Doll, and extra exhibits starring ladies within the prime roles. Fortune – No imposters right here. Right here’s an attention-grabbing tackle Christine Lagarde’s new gig on the European Central Financial institution: it’s a lesson in overcoming imposter syndrome. “She might not be the perfect certified candidate for ECB chief, however she will not be there by probability,” writes Anne Sylvaine-Chassany. Financial Times – Reduce it out? The intercourse trafficking prices in opposition to Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced an outdated Self-importance Truthful profile of the billionaire (though that standing is now in question). Author Vicky Ward says longtime Self-importance Truthful editor Graydon Carter lower her reporting on the sexual abuse allegations in opposition to Epstein from the piece. Carter responded by saying he “didn’t have faith in Ward’s reporting.” Now Kim Masters backs up Ward’s account along with her personal expertise; she claims Carter additionally lower incriminating materials from her journal tales within the 1990s to placate mates or celebrities. The Hollywood Reporter Right now’s Broadsheet was produced by Emma Hinchliffe. Share it Broadsheet with a good friend. In search of earlier Broadsheets? Click here. ON MY RADAR The Slackification of the American house The Atlantic Your first take a look at Girl Gaga’s complete Haus Laboratories magnificence line Allure Choose approves recasting of Harvey Weinstein’s protection group as trial nears Fortune Ty Haney’s Out of doors Voices work diary: Doing issues and #doingthings New York Times QUOTE I definitely don’t fit into a stereotypical wife role. I don’t even like that word. -Miley Cyrus in an ‘Elle’ profile Source link

[denimbex1986]

'Andrew Scott felt no fear when the script for All of Us Strangers first came his way—a little surprising given that he saw everything the project would demand of him then and there. “I immediately knew that I would have to go to a childish place within myself, a place that I feel like I’ve escaped from—which is a place of real loneliness,” he says on this week’s Little Gold Men (listen to the full interview below). “There was something I saw in the role that I understood immediately.”

Fast-forward to more than a year later, when Scott, after both wrapping production and enduring a SAG-AFTRA strike that delayed his ability to promote the movie, finally sat in his first public screening of the film in Los Angeles. “I felt like I was sitting naked in a room of 350 people,” he says with a laugh. “I know there’s a certain degree of nakedness in the movie anyway—physical nakedness—but I was kind of alarmed by how raw it felt.” He then adds, “But that’s okay. That’s my job.”

Therein lies Scott’s unique ability to plumb emotional depths without hesitation while simultaneously seeing the bigger, richer picture. In All of Us Strangers, he plays Adam, a screenwriter who’s living alone in a London tower block and has his world turned upside down with a few chance encounters. One is with Harry (Paul Mescal), a neighbor he slowly falls for. Another is with his parents, who died 30 years ago—but appear to him now in the form of Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, as if they had never passed on.

The blossoming of these relationships, within writer-director Andrew Haigh’s daring metaphysical conceit, demands an extraordinary vulnerability from the film’s lead actor—in the biggest screen role of his career, no less. Scott, who is gay, deeply identified with the story’s careful psychosexual impression of queer life and pain, and he brought a great deal of himself to the part: “I’ve never met [Haigh’s] parents, and he’s never met mine, but I felt like that character had to be a weird marriage between me and [Haigh].”

Scott’s pressing of such tender wounds makes for one of the most devastating performances of the year. His tears flow onscreen with the potency of a volcanic eruption. “There’s no way that I was ever going to draw on anybody else’s experience but my own and bring that, even if that makes me feel vulnerable,” he says. “I don’t really mind. In fact, I think it’s a bit of an honor to be able to show that side.” He’s speaking for himself here, but you feel that pride, that gift, as a viewer too. The sense of heartbreak, longing, and hope is so clear, so present, you can practically touch it.

This is not the first significant role of Scott’s impressive career. His portrayal of Hamlet on the London stage earned widespread acclaim. His Fleabag Hot Priest still inspires memes. But as far as top-lining an Oscar-contending movie from a major Hollywood studio, it’s an obvious breakthrough. “Your hope as an actor is that you’re not going to get pigeonholed, or that people don’t cast you based on your box office opening or even the fact that you may not have played loads of leading roles in film,” he says. “When I was growing up, the idea that a film like this would even exist, and that I would be able to play that role in it—it’s miraculous.” And Strangers, hitting US theaters on December 22 via Searchlight, seems to mark only the beginning of a far more public era for the Dublin-born Scott. He has the titular role in Netflix’s fresh take on The Talented Mr. Ripley coming up next.

Yet the unadorned rigor of this stage-trained actor, who recently completed a tour de force Vanya run on the West End, remains firmly evident. He embodies Strangers’ Adam with an intricate attention to physical detail. “You don’t want somebody pretending to be a boy, but you want a sense of the vulnerability of a child, and also somebody who is learning to fall in love as an adult—and how those things are intertwined,” he says. “I don’t know if that is apparent in watching, but it’s a very, very tactile film…. Even the way he is able to be embraced by his parents, and then learns to be the embracer of Harry, it’s something that I had to map out silently for myself.” One lovely scene later in the movie finds Adam back in his childhood home, wearing pajamas and curling up into bed alongside his parents—with, again, all three actors in question roughly the same age. It’d feel absurd, bordering on campy, if not for Scott’s gentle verisimilitude. “I feel very proud of it,” he says of the sequence. “It takes work.”

For Scott, there’s a direct connection between the way he plays a moment like this and the many frank, sensual sex scenes between Harry and Adam. “Adam wouldn’t have really touched many people in a long time,” the actor says. Haigh devises an authentic and gradual trajectory for the character to find himself sexually with the new man in his life—and it’s sold by the sweet, subtle chemistry between Scott and Mescal, who’ve become close friends out of the production. “We have a very special bond,” Scott says. “I think it added something to this burgeoning relationship, because we had a burgeoning relationship ourselves.”

This did not mean the sex scenes were straightforward. The choreography, developed with an intimacy coordinator, needed to be balanced with spontaneity: listening to each other, being present in the moment. Of shooting these sequences with Mescal, Scott admits, “It was a bit scary at the beginning. Then you get more used to it—and he’s great fun. The good thing about working with somebody that you love is that the process is really enjoyable.” The changing dynamic between their characters presented its own challenge. “How do you portray nervousness? How do you portray lust? That’s a really interesting one, and Paul and I’s chemistry in real life is actually kind of irrelevant,” Scott says. “I was playing a very, very lonely, quite repressed character, which I don’t feel in my own life—and that’s a great challenge. It’s wonderful because it speaks to me of empathy, and that’s what our jobs are.”

There, again, Scott reflects on acting in terms of execution. He examines the work, even on a film as intimate and humane as this, like a technician, bringing his best solutions to the complex dilemmas presented by the script. For a film that hit so personally, Scott had to turn inward for answers. “It takes a lot of mental work and my imagination—about what note you should play and, more specifically, when you should play it,” he says. “Our first job as actors is to power into that imagination, so that’s how I would characterize my experience—to really engage in that part of me that exists and is within me in so many ways.” Watch All of Us Strangers, and you’ll see that side of him. To the movie’s ultimate credit, it’s unmistakable.'

[gyrlversion]

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: A cabinet with Mary Berry to heal Brexit division?

The latest wizard wheeze for breaking the Brexit deadlock is the formation of a new government of national unity.

Supporters of the idea include former PM John Major and Labour’s Nonce Finder General Tom Watson. 

Major said on Sunday that a cross-party Cabinet may be needed ‘in the national interest’ to avoid an unprecedented constitutional and political crisis.

Oh, yes.

The latest wizard wheeze for breaking the Brexit deadlock is the formation of a new government of national unity. Safer to install Mary Berry, I’d have thought, alongside David Attenborough as Father of the Nation

It would be the first time such a government had been brought into existence since World War II. Back then, Labour and the Tories joined forces to fight Hitler.

Some people might find the suggestion superficially attractive. But there is one, glaring, fundamental difference between 1940 and the present day.

During the war, Rodney, Britain faced an existential threat from a foreign aggressor. 

Bombs were raining down on our cities and we were staring military defeat in the face. 

Today, the crisis we face is self-inflicted. Or, rather, inflicted upon us by the very same people now offering to form a government of national unity.

The only reason we have a constitutional impasse is because the political class have declared war on the British people.

Supporters of the idea a government of national unity include former PM John Major and Labour’s Nonce Finder General Tom Watson (pictured)

If they’d respected the instruction given to them by a clear majority of voters in a referendum which Parliament overwhelmingly supported, there wouldn’t be any crisis. 

Instead, they have moved heaven and earth to defy democracy and overturn the result.

The idea that Tommy Watson now says he is willing to serve alongside Tories is hilarious. 

He’s spent the past few years smearing the Conservatives as a party of evil child molesters.

Same goes for Pixie Balls-Cooper, who harbours a visceral hatred for Conservatives, yet has also indicated her readiness to accept a senior position in such a government. 

Maybe they both think that with Labour in the grip of the Corbynistas, it would be their last chance of holding high office.

Other prominent supporters of the plan include fanatical Remainers such as Tory Nicky Morgan and the ubiquitous Soubry Loo.

When such politicians speak of forming a government of national unity, however, what they actually mean is a government of People Like Them. 

Their real aim is to stop Brexit from ever happening.

Funny how all the names being touted to form a Cabinet ‘in the national interest’ appear to have been drawn from the Remain camp. 

No one seems to be suggesting it should, for instance, include Nigel Farage, despite the fact that he speaks for millions of disenfranchised people who voted Leave.

And once Parliament had stitched up a cosy consensus of like-minded ministers from across all parties, where would the Opposition come from? 

It wouldn’t be cross-party, it would be a one-party state — the Remain Party.

Prue Leith (left) would be a popular choice to take over as PM with Nadiya Hussain (right), the 2015 Bake Off winner, as Foreign Secretary

The only way a government of national unity could work is if politicians weren’t allowed within a mile of it. 

They have proved beyond reasonable doubt that they are genetically incapable of bringing the nation together.

So who could heal our divisions? If we were to create what used to be called a Government Of All The Talents, who would be in it?

Obviously the Queen wouldn’t want anything to do with this fiasco, so Helen Mirren could stand in for Her Maj as head of state, although these days Olivia Colman is first choice for The Crown. 

If we wanted to skip a generation, there’s Claire Foy.

Safer to install Mary Berry, I’d have thought, alongside David Attenborough as Father of the Nation. 

Prue Leith would be a popular choice to take over as PM with Nadiya, the 2015 Bake Off winner, as Foreign Secretary.

At the Treasury, we’d need someone who knows how to run a business. Maybe David Jason, in his Still Open All Hours role, would fit the bill, proving that Britain is still a nation of shopkeepers.

John Major said on Sunday that a cross-party Cabinet may be needed ‘in the national interest’ to avoid an unprecedented constitutional and political crisis

He certainly couldn’t do much worse than Spread Fear Phil. And if we were looking for more diversity, we could draft in Navid, of Harrid’s Convenience Store in the BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game. 

Plenty of candidates for the Home Office, too. Keeley Hawes, from Bodyguard, or Line Of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar, .

Judi Dench would take control of national security and Idris Elba would finally don the mantle of James Bond, and be sent to Brussels with a Licence To Kill.

Jamie Oliver is a shoo-in for Minister of Food. And we’d have to find something for Ant and Dec, David Walliams and that Killing Eve and Fleabag woman who seems to have become a National Treasure overnight.

The Ministry of Defence would go to Joanna Lumley, after her sterling work in support of the Gurkhas. 

And, obviously, Dawn French would become Archbishop of Canterbury. That’s assuming Michael Palin wasn’t available.

Department of Culture? A toss up between Lenny Henry and Alan Bennett, although I’d be inclined to go for Wilko Johnson, from Dr Feelgood and Game Of Thrones.

Who better to take over at Environment than Uncle Bulgaria, from the Wombles, currently leading the Mail’s litter pick-up on Wimbledon Common.

That’s the easy part. It would be essential to appoint a tough cookie to lead the Brexit negotiations. 

Sir Humphrey Appleby, from Yes, Minister, would have been Mrs May’s choice, but after the dog’s breakfast left behind by Olly Robbins, no civil servant should be involved.

We should give Topshop boss Philip Green the chance to rehabilitate his reputation. I’d pay good money to see the look on Michel Barnier and Jean-Claude Drunker’s faces when they came up against Green’s bargaining technique. He could take along Mike Ashley, from Sports Direct.

They’d be guaranteed to come back with a better deal than Mrs May. And the delegation should also include a couple of dedicated Brexiteers, such as Johnny Rotten, in his Sex Pistols incarnation, and Roger Daltrey, from The Who.

We won’t get fooled again. 

Another sneering Channel 4 Snow job

Channel 4’s self-regarding Leftie Jon Snow flaunts his moral superiority by sneering at pro-Leave marchers: ‘I’ve never seen so many white people.’

I have. On the pro-Remain demo in London the previous week. Snow obviously wasn’t looking hard enough.

One of the most striking images on the Leave march was a black chap in a Union Jack outfit.

Still, what else does anyone expect? Snow, the kind of man who confuses novelty socks for a sense of humour, never misses a trick when it comes to parading his right-on credentials.

Frankly, given his blatant political bigotry, I’m surprised he hasn’t changed his name by deed poll.

Snow? Sounds hideously white to me.

Back in the high life again

A Hurricane fighter plane, which was shot down during the Battle of Britain, has been recovered from the Thames Estuary. There are plans to restore the plane, in the hope that one day it may take to the skies again.

Presumably, if the restoration is successful, the Hurricane will immediately be transferred to one of our two new, multi-billion pound aircraft carriers, which were commissioned by Gordon Brown without any planes to fly off them.

Bradford man Qasim Hussain upset animal rights activists by travelling to Pakistan to take part in the World Camel Weightlifting Contest. His camel managed to lift him and several bags of rocks weighing 1.7 tons, the equivalent of a family car

A Bradford man has upset animal rights activists by travelling to Pakistan to take part in the World Camel Weightlifting Contest.

Qasim Hussain emerged victorious for the second year in a row after his camel managed to lift him and several bags of rocks weighing 1.7 tons, the equivalent of a family car.

He said: ‘Some people say it’s cruel. But you have to be with the camel at all times and sleep in the same room.’ 

Hussain intends returning next year to go for his hat-trick. Better still, they should stage the contest in Bradford next time. It could be a huge attraction, right up there with dwarf-tossing.

But to make things more humane, why not turn the tables and tell competitors to lift the camels, rather than the other way round?

The post RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: A cabinet with Mary Berry to heal Brexit division? appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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[this-is-a-love-story-fleabag]

The Wedding Planner (1/4)

An AU in which Fleabag is a wedding planner, and Klare and Claire have found the perfect Catholic church to get hitched in... 2510 words. Also on ao3.

"Do you want some of the communion wine?" he blurted out, wanting her to stick around for a little longer. "I can't throw it away because it's holy," he explained, "and I probably shouldn't finish the bottle by myself. It's a good vintage."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Is this the part where I say 'Sorry, Daddy, I've been a bad girl'?"

He coughed and nearly dropped the bottle. "'Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned' is more traditional," he managed, fishing out two glasses and pouring them both a liberal serving.

The priest was beginning to think that officiating a wedding for the first time was going to be more trouble than it was worth.

"I realise that there are certain things that are unavoidable in a Catholic wedding ceremony," the bride was saying in clipped tones, "but if you could just tone it down a bit on the... incense."

"Right," said the priest with an uneasy half smile.

"And maybe try to keep the prayers snappy and efficient. These are very busy people, you understand."

"OK." He shifted in his seat. "If you don't mind me asking, is there some reason you've chosen my church in particular?"

"It's the only Catholic church within five minutes' walk of the company's offices," answered Claire without hesitation, sweeping her immaculate dark hair behind one ear and frowning at her Blackberry.

"And it's beautiful!" beamed her effusive fiancé, who was inexplicably also named Klare. He seemed to have a positive opinion on everything he encountered, so the priest didn't judge the compliment as holding much weight.

"Oh," said Claire, clearly not having considered the attractiveness of the venue in her calculations. She smiled warmly at Klare, her brusque exterior melting away for a moment. "Yes, of course, it's..." she looked around the chapel as though she hadn't paid it any attention before. "It is beautiful," she said more softly, taking a private moment with Klare as she met his eye.

It was this, more than anything else, that convinced the priest to go ahead with the planning. To be able to celebrate love and to mark the key occasions in people's lives were the shining bright points in his quiet, peaceful career, and the love between these two was easy to see.

"I'm sure we can create a lovely ceremony together," he said with his most winning smile. "Are your family Catholic?"

She scoffed in a way that he was fairly sure she didn't mean to be offensive. "God, no."

"My family are old Catholic, very old," said Klare delightedly. "Many, too!"

"Yes, there are so very many of them," said Claire tightly, giving the priest a significant look that her blithe fiancé entirely failed to notice.

"The whole Korhonen family!" rhapsodised Klare. "So much blond hair that it will look like the sun!"

Suddenly, a matching his-and-hers cacophony of phone alerts began to chime. Claire and Klare both consulted their PDAs.

"It was so wonderful to meet you," said Klare earnestly, shaking the priest's hand in both of his as he rose to his feet. "I am so sorry that we have to leave!"

"Yes, right," said Claire briskly, pulling a small business card from her pocket. "I'm too busy and important to deal with this at the moment so you'll mostly be dealing with my sister," she said, handing it to him.

The card was emblazoned with the name "Hillary's Events", some contact information and, incongruously, an illustration of a guinea pig.

"She has my explicit instructions, so she should be able to handle it," continued Claire, pulling more cards from her purse, "but if anything goes wrong here's my work number, and here's my mobile, and this one's for my secretary."

"Oh, your sister's a wedding planner?"

"Yes, she is wonderful!" said Klare.

"She's good enough," said Claire with a tight smile. It was impossible to tell whether that was the highest praise that she was capable of giving or if her reticence betrayed genuine misgivings. "If she tells you anything about the hen do, it's not true."

"Well, congratulations on your engagement," said the priest politely, following them to the front door. "You must be excited to begin your marriage."

"It's a vestigial patriarchal tradition based on the handing down of women as property from father to husband," said Claire vaguely, looking at her phone again, "but it's what you do."

She flashed him another smile and they left. The priest managed to summon up a dazed smile in response to Klare's effusive waving, and then repaired back inside to find a stiff drink.

The CEO, customer service representative, creative director, office manager, head of human resources, tsar of morale, and sole employee of Hillary's Events was hiding under the desk in her office.

"M'lady!" hollered the lawyer through the keyhole. She burrowed further underneath the table, pushing a pair of shoes, a surprising amount of paperwork, and half a Mars bar out of her way.

A lunchtime quickie had seemed like an excellent idea at 3am when she'd sent him the original text, but the cold harsh light of day and one rapid but effective wank had dispelled the urge, and the prospect of trading half an hour of his loathsome company for some admittedly excellent sex no longer appealed.

A better adult, she reflected as she gave the Mars bar a sniff and began to eat it, would probably have simply cancelled their meeting and apologised, but if a successful businesswoman who ate a salad earlier couldn't do something grossly immature, who could?

Her desk phone began to ring and she groped blindly above her head to grab the receiver.

"Hillary's Events," she hissed into the phone. The lawyer continued his relentless pounding at the door.

"Uh, hi," said a voice on the other end, sounding confused. "I'm, uh, I'm calling about Claire's wedding? I'm the priest?"

Fantastic timing. "Great, thanks for calling," she whispered. "I'd like to send you over some bits about the ceremony to go over when you've got a moment."

There was a long pause. "I'm sorry, but why the fuck are you whispering and what the fuck is that noise?"

"Get back out here, you little minx!" shouted the lawyer at possibly the worst moment.

"If you're in the middle of something, I can call back some other time," said the priest, radiating discomfort over the phone.

"That's just a... colleague," she breezed, settling more comfortably in her hideout. "He usually tires himself out in a couple of minutes."

"Do you need me to call someone? The police, or..."

"No, Father, it's fine." She scrabbled around on her desk again and retrieved a pen. "What's your email address?" She uncapped the pen with her mouth and made assenting noises as she scribbled it down. Thankfully, the lawyer got bored at this point and left.

"AOL?" she teased gently, reading the address back to him. "I thought the Catholics were stuck in the 1690s, not the 1990s."

"Oh, fuck you," he laughed.

"I hope you're going to swear this much during the ceremony. It would certainly liven things up."

"I'll try to keep a lid on it. I get the impression your sister wants it to be... efficient."

"Yes, she was very specific. Brides don't usually give me binders that are colour-coded and have bullet points and subheadings."

The main instructions that Claire had left her with, other than the binder, were "don't fuck this up," and "the priest is quite hot, don't make it weird." She had to admit, he did have a nice voice.

"How long have you been in the wedding planning business?"

"A few years. I started it with my best friend, but she's... it's just me now." She paused for a minute and let the wave of grief hit her and then recede. "I need to come and check out the space sometime," she said, businesslike. "When's good for you?"

"I've some time this afternoon after Mass?"

"Great, I'll meet you there at four."

It was a few moments after she hung up the phone that it occurred to her that she could emerge from under her desk and sit in a real chair. Hillary and Stephanie had the run of her desk at the moment while she refreshed the sawdust in their cage, and they were enthusiastically nibbling on Mr. and Mrs. Dollner's silver wedding anniversary invitations.

"Let's put you back," she murmured to them, brushing some tiny rodent poops off a stack of place cards. "Mama's got to get to work."

The priest was just saying his farewells to the last few stragglers when Claire's sister walked through the door. She was easily recognisable, both due to family resemblance and the fact that, strangely, she looked exactly how she sounded on the phone.

"You must be the wedding planner," he said, greeting her with a handshake.

"You must be the priest."

"I guess this is a bit of a give-away," he said, gesturing to his robes.

"You're either a member of the clergy or you've got a very specific fetish," she breezed, walking past him to survey the church. He gaped at her for a moment and then shook his head and let out a laugh. She looked back at him over her shoulder, a pleased twinkle in her eye.

She strode along the aisle, gesturing around with an assessing air. "It's a pretty straightforward set-up. Flowers at the ends of the pews, videographer here, photographers here and here, string quartet up here. One bridesmaid, one groomsman."

"You've got this down to a science, wow."

"I've learned through trial and error that you can half-ass up to 80% of a wedding before anyone notices."

"That's... good to know."

"Do you have any of these," - she gestured up and down at his robes - "in some other colours? The scheme has a lot of purple in it."

"I have just the thing," he said, ushering her through into his office. He pulled his favourite purple robes out of the wardrobe and held them up for inspection. Drawing a card of swatches from her handbag, she squinted at them and then gave an assenting nod.

"Right, I think that's all I-"

"Do you want some of the communion wine?" he blurted out, wanting her to stick around for a little longer. "I can't throw it away because it's holy," he explained, "and I probably shouldn't finish the bottle by myself. It's a good vintage."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Is this the part where I say 'Sorry, Daddy, I've been a bad girl'?"

He coughed and nearly dropped the bottle. "'Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned' is more traditional," he managed, fishing out two glasses and pouring them both a liberal serving.

"I defy you to tell me the difference."

Sitting down on an ancient chair and gesturing for her to do the same, he chuckled. "Well, fuck, you've got me there. You only have to say that if you want to confess your sins to me, anyway. Which you're welcome to do, if it helps."

"Can't," she said wryly, taking a sip and relaxing onto a chair. "I've sworn a blood oath to never reveal what happened on Claire's hen do."

"Lots of sinning?"

"Tons." She swirled the wine in her glass and held it up to the light. "The blood of our lord and saviour is pretty tasty."

"I take it you're not religious."

"Afraid not. I won't burst into flames, will I?"

"I don't think He would mind," said the priest, making a vague gesture at the ceiling. "You're doing God's work, after all."

"Wedding planning?"

"He's quite into marriage, on the whole."

She snorted. "Makes one of us."

He leaned back in his chair and stifled a laugh, enjoying the enigma of this contradictory woman. "You made a fucking strange choice in profession, then."

"I find that the fact that I don't believe at all in the institution of marriage really helps calm people down."

"You know, the Bible says that-"

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Yes, the Bible is very clear that marriage is a sacred and beautiful union between a man and one or many women."

"So cynical!" he crowed, throwing his head back in laughter. "I was going to say that it says that a cord of three strands is not easily broken."

"Are you inviting me to a threesome, Father?" she smirked, her lips stained a tempting red from the wine. "Because I'm not saying no."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm saying that the way you help to join people together makes them stronger."

"On average, marriage knocks 1.4 years from a woman's lifespan, and adds 1.7 years to a man's."

"So that's a net gain of," he waved a hand vaguely, "0.3 years!"

"That's one way to look at it."

"Don't you see anything wonderful in what you do? You're helping people to celebrate their love!"

"In the most meaningful and legally binding way. Tell me, why do people choose to make the most significant expression of their love predicated on a legal construct that the government can take away from them at the drop of a hat?"

"The protections that marriage can afford are-"

"If I fell in love with a woman and wanted to marry her, there are only 28 countries in which that marriage would be legally recognised. If I'd fallen in love with someone of a different race, that marriage would have been illegal in some countries until the late 20th Century."

"You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"

She put a foot up on the wooden chest in front of her, really getting into her stride. "That's not even taking into account the children who are forcibly married off to men twice their age, the women killed for not being virgins on their wedding night, and the fact that spousal rape was technically legal in this country until 1991." She took a gulp of her drink. "This isn't some abstract philosophical problem from the past, this is something that's happening to real people right now."

"So why-"

"I guess... I grew up thinking that marriage was some bizarre thing from the olden days that we didn't have to do any more, but then when I was an adult all my friends started getting married, and it meant something to them."

She looked down at her hands, clasped around the glass. "I think the thing that it means to them is beautiful."

"So you do believe in love."

"Absolutely, it's just that it sometimes feels like I'm shoving a princess into a white dress so I can send her off to live in a dragon-guarded castle."

"That sounds fucking amazing."

"Sorry, that was a bad example."

"Don't you find it beautiful that for thousands of years, people have chosen to celebrate their commitment to each other in front of their community?"

"If you think it's so beautiful, why have you chosen a profession which forbids you from getting married yourself?"

"I am married... to God," he mumbled, aware of just how that sentence sounded.

She screwed up her face. "Ugh."

He buried his face in his hands. "I know!"

"Just... ugh."

"Fuck, I can't believe I said that out loud. I really wanted you to think I was cool."

"Sorry, Father, I think that train has sailed."

"No, no, no, no, the wedding's not for another few weeks, I have time to convince you."

"I'll drink to that," she murmured, and then she did.

[oijio]

My Favorite New Shows of 2016

2016 was packed with great, new television on several different platforms, from online, to streaming, cable and network. Netflix seemed like it was releasing new shows every week, add that to all the great content on cable and network, there was just so much television out there, from all over the world that there just isn't enough time to consume everything, and 2017 doesn't seem to be slowing it down (here’s a link to the 2015 list). Before continuing on to the New Year, let's look back on the shows which made their debuts in 2016 that I just loved watching. This isn't even a comprehensive list. When there's hours of British TV I just didn't get to watch, and Netflix now releasing supposedly great TV shows from places like Israel, Brazil, and Spain among their original content, you just don't have enough hours in the day to watch it all. Oh well, one day!

Before we get to my top 10 favorite new shows of 2016, let's take a peek at the continuing growth of Peak TV this past year and which shows I think deserve an honorable mention:

The reboot of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life isn't a new show per se, but still worth a look

Same goes with the retooled Black Mirror

Comedies like Better Things, American Housewife, and Fleabag

Netflix' other good new shows like Love, Trollhunters, and Easy

Cheesy summer horror-thrillers like American Gothic, Braindead (also a comedy), Dead of Summer, and Channel Zero

Riveting cable TV like Preacher, The Night Of, Outcast, and Animal Kingdom

And a range of miniseries from War & Peace to The Time Traveling Bong

Onto the Top 10 New Shows of 2016, which this year includes miniserieses because they're anthologies or may have future episodes anyway!

10. Westworld (HBO)

Classic or popular movies being rebooted into TV shows seem to be all the rage these past few years, and HBO got in on it with this updated version of the 1973 Western classic. Westworld is as exquisitely, expertly crafted as the robots within the show, with two interweaving storylines set decades apart, and so many mysteries surrounding all the characters. While sometimes it can be more mystery than story, Westworld has built a great base for something more engaging in the future.

9. Speechless (ABC)

There are way too many similar family comedies on TV nowadays that when something different comes along, like ABC's Speechless, it's sure to grab attention. This one has a not-so-well-to-do family, with a son who has cerebral palsy. The latter, while it might be the focal point in the pilot and is used for an emotional moment or two in some episodes, it is never exploitative or cheesy. For the most part, they just hired an actor who happened to have cerebral palsy to play the older teen boy role. Minnie Driver is also great.

8. Atlanta (FX)

Donald Glover has always seemed like someone that was just waiting for the right time to break through on his own. Kind of like Chris Pratt or Aziz Ansari from Parks & Rec. Enter Atlanta, a dramatic comedy about a couple of cousins working the rap scene in Atlanta. Smart, subversive, and sleek, Atlanta was the “cool” show of the year that featured a black Justin Bieber! Not someone who was like Justin Bieber, in Atlanta's world, Justin Bieber was black. It was better than it sounds, I promise.

7. Queen Sugar (OWN)

I wasn't sure about catching a soap-ish drama on Oprah's network, but Queen Sugar is a show created, produced, and directed by Ava DuVernay, the extremely talented director of films like Selma, Middle of Nowhere, and the documentary 13th. I had to see her first real foray into TV, and it did not disappoint. Queen Sugar, about three siblings who inherit their father's sugar cane fields, has soap opera elements to it (like Charley's main NBA wife storyline) but it's done in a really classy way and written intelligently. Charley's story is the best, too, thanks to Dawn-Lyen Gardner's terrific performance.

6. The Crown (Netflix)

Netflix had a really good year, with two shows on my top 10 new shows, and then the reboots of Black Mirror and Gilmore Girls among many others that premiered. Their most high-profile new show though has got to be The Crown, famously noted as the streaming site's most expensive show yet. Detailing the life of Queen Elizabeth II beginning with right before she took hold of the crown, and the show hopes to take it all the way through her over 60-year reign. Beautifully made, with great performances all around from the likes of Claire Foy, Matt Smith, and John Lithgow, The Crown is royalty TV.

5. This is Us (NBC)

Recently, Dan Fogelman has been creating silly, absurd comedies like The Neighbors and Galavant, so to see him tackle something as dramatic as This is Us, a touching family drama that will make you cry almost every episode. Starring Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore, we find four people all celebrating their 30th birthday on the same day, each with their own issues to deal with, like one finding his real father, one dealing with weight problems, and another about to welcome his first kids into the world. Simple, but effective, This is Us is the twist-filled drama that won't make your head hurt, but will make your eyes weep.

4. The Good Place (NBC)

Sitcoms this past year have stuck to formula with a twist, because it works perfectly fine, but The Good Place is unlike any other sitcom this past year. Taking a more serialized approach, and not holding back on the absurd, The Good Place is the newest sitcom from Mike Schur, co-creator of Brooklyn Nine Nine, The Office (US), and Parks and Recreation. In it, Eleanor (a perfectly cast Kristen Bell) dies and is sent to “The Good Place”, a kind of Heaven-like place where all the good people go. Unfortunately, Eleanor is not a good person – she's a terrible one and because of a mix-up, she was sent to the Good Place instead of “the Bad Place”. She tries her best to be nice, but her being in the wrong place causes craziness in The Good Place. Enjoy this high concept sitcom that's incredibly funny, entertaining, and different.

3. The Night Manager (BBC/AMC)

Gorgeous scenery, heart-racing tension, and incredible performances all around from Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Debicki, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, and Hugh Laurie, this exciting, beautifully made miniseries is based off John le Carre's novel and is like James Bond for TV. Danish film director Susanne Bier, who's done things like In a Better World and After the Wedding, and screenwriter David Farr adapt le Carre's novel to the present day with tautness and thrill. Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine, a former soldier and now hotel night manager that gets entangled in a nefarious plot involving arms dealing that takes him on a globe-trotting adventure from Egypt to Switzerland to Spain.

2. Stranger Things (Netflix)

Who knew this little show released by Netflix randomly during the middle of the year would become one of its biggest hits and one of the most talked about shows of 2016? Stranger Things, an 80s throwback fantasy series in the vein of E.T., The Goonies, and other 80s classics swept the pop culture nation by storm. Stranger Things had some exciting storytelling, a haunting atmosphere, a terrific soundtrack, and a winning cast. Featuring a band of young kids, their powerful new friend, unreliable adults, and a monster, this was the perfect throwback to the 80s while also being a great show for today.

1. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)

Ryan Murphy loves his anthologies, and his new one, American Crime Story, hopes to focus on different “true crimes” every season. The first one just happened to be golden, focusing on the trial of OJ Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Focusing on heavy themes such as the problems of the US justice system, fame, and race, while at the same time telling in fresh, compelling detail a story that most people already know makes The People v. O.J. such important viewing. Add a brilliant cast that included the likes of Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden, and Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran, and The People v. O.J. was the best new thing on TV in 2016.

To recap:

10. Westworld (HBO) 9. Speechless (ABC) 8. Atlanta (FX) 7. Queen Sugar (OWN) 6. The Crown (Netflix) 5. This is Us (NBC) 4. The Good Place (NBC) 3. The Night Manager (BBC/AMC) 2. Stranger Things (Netflix) 1. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)

These shows are solid TV, and three of them made their way into my overall Top 10 favorite shows, two of which are 3 and 4! Another, a reboot, made its way into the Top 10 as well. So great. Even if Game of Thrones returned to form this past year, The Americans just happened to raise their game even higher. Here's to the great TV this 2016!

10. Broad City (last year: 9) 9. You're the Worst (last year: 7) 8. Black Mirror (NEW) 7. Bates Motel (last year: 2) 6. The Night Manager (NEW) 5. Veep (last year: 5) 4. Stranger Things (NEW) 3. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (NEW) 2. Game of Thrones (last year: 4) 1. The Americans (last year: 1)

2017's already off to a cracking start with Netflix shows One Day at a Time and A Series of Unfortunate Events, then you have FX's Taboo starring Tom Hardy. And that's just the first couple weeks of January! TV is only getting bigger and sometimes, better! 2017, here we go. Find the show you like or love, and watch! Let me know if there's anything you like as well!

[this-is-a-love-story-fleabag]

Fork you, then (7/?)

Fleabag saves her friend Boo’s life and earns a spot in the Good Place, but is everything here really so perfect? And what’s up with the hot priest next door? 1010 words. Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Also on ao3.

It's my third day in paradise and honestly, I think I might be bored of pornography.

I'm feeling slightly more at home in my house than I was, partially due to the aforementioned pornography, but mostly because I've turned all the photos on my mantelpiece face down. Checkmate, feelings.

It's my third day in paradise and honestly, I think I might be bored of pornography.

I'm feeling slightly more at home in my house than I was, partially due to the aforementioned pornography, but mostly because I've turned all the photos on my mantelpiece face down. Checkmate, feelings.

I'd still prefer to be spending the night next door, but I suspect that option isn't on the cards for now. In retrospect, finding a priest that secretly wants to fuck you and then literally handing him a piece of forbidden fruit is probably a bit on the nose. I don't know if he wants to talk to me, but I haven't left the house in order to find out.

I've been trying very hard to keep my mind off things, but there's only so much time that you can fill with bottles of wine and adventurous wanks.

It turns out my magic TV screen can show me what my loved ones are up to on Earth right at this moment, which is probably the worst thing ever. Boo has so far composed five different songs about my death, which she has been playing on the ukelele to our guinea pig and any hapless customers that foolishly wander into the café.

Some of them are actually quite catchy.

Dad's stoic, but I caught him having a little cry into his muesli this morning. My godmother has not been able to wipe the fucking smile off her smug face, except for when she's wailed theatrically in public and rended her garments. I bet she'll make an exhibition about this. I bet it'll be successful, too. For fuck's sake.

I flick the channel over to watch Claire striding through her office, somehow having made herself even busier than usual. She's got new ombre highlights since yesterday, which I strongly suspect is her own way of mourning me. It's quite sweet, really.

I hear a knock and have to pause the screen to go and investigate. I open the door and Tahani swoops in, kissing me on both cheeks and sitting down daintily on my sofa, settling her skirts around her like a fainting Victorian romance novel heroine. "Oh, is that a family member?" she asks, noticing the screen. "She looks just like you. What an unusual choice of hairstyle!"

"My sister," I say tightly, clicking off the screen and hoping that she'll change the subject. She does not get the hint and carries on talking.

"I never got on with my sister. I was always too jealous of her, to tell you the truth. I wish we'd been closer. Were you close?"

I snort. "Well, I don't think she was jealous of me."

"Do you miss her?"

"Yeah," I say, surprising myself. "It's like she's... dead. Like they all are. I don't know what to do with all my unfinished... everything."

I could never quite find the right way to be close to Claire. I was always needling her or making jokes, or just generally putting up emotional barriers. She tried to tell me that she loved me, once, and I just made a loud farting sound and left the room. I could have bridged that gap if I'd just tried being sincere for five minutes but it's a bit fucking late now.

Dying is the worst fucking thing that's ever happened to me.

"Why are you here?" I ask, a little more sharply than I mean to.

"I just came over to see if you would come and join me for a spot of frozen yogurt. I feel like I've barely gotten to know you yet."

"Oh, I wouldn't recommend getting to know me."

"Come on, let's try out some of the new flavours. They've got sprinkles that taste the way it feels to perfectly dip a Rich Tea biscuit into your tea so that it's soft, but it doesn't fall in."

Sold.

Tahani seems entirely at home as we walk through the neighbourhood arm-in-arm, and she starts telling me a long-winded story that is probably supposed to impart some life advice, but mostly is just a litany of the names of famous people she was acquainted with on Earth.

"It's like I said to my friend Andrew Scott and my best friend Phoebe Waller-Bridge," she's saying. "Sometimes you just have to sit down in a Quaker hall and think about tits."

"OK?"

"On reflection, that might not be a universally applicable piece of advice. Still, there we are." She brightens as we approach the restaurant and begins to describe to me the flavours available and what she thinks various members of the British royal family would think of them.

My eyes alight on the priest, who is sitting under a sun umbrella and gingerly poking at a bowl of frozen yogurt. He notices us and gives a sheepish grin.

"Oh look, it's Father," Tahani coos, and swoops in to kiss the priest on both cheeks. "How lovely to see you here."

"Hello," he says, giving me an apologetic little wave.

"Hi," I reply, feeling just as uncomfortable as he looks. "I'm just going to-" I make a move to walk inside the restaurant but Tahani stops me.

"No, no, sit down and relax, I'll pick up yours for you. I know exactly what you'll like." Tahani boops me lightly on the nose, making me go cross-eyed, and strides inside the restaurant, leaving us alone together. I perch on the chair opposite him and eye him expectantly.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," he says after a moment of awkward silence. "I shouldn't have... I was just having a bit of a metaphysical mind-fork of a day."

"It's fine." I'm being magnanimous today. "What flavour did you get?"

"It tastes like beating a traffic warden to your car just when they're on their way to give you a ticket." He picks up a little bit of it on his spoon and holds it out to me. "Here, try some."

I'm really not trying to make eating frozen yogurt off a spoon look sexy, but I guess I just can't help it. His eyes catch on my lips before he clears his throat and looks away.

"Mmm," I say after licking it clean. "Tastes both relieved and a little bit smug."

"Yes," he says in a strangled tone. "It's, uh, it's quite distinctive. You've got, um-" He gestures to my lower lip, where I've left a smudge of yogurt, entirely deliberately.

"Did I get it?" I ask, wiping at my chin.

"No, let me," he says, and reaches over to swipe his thumb over my lip. His hand lingers there, fingers stroking over my jaw, and my lips part ever so slightly as he drags his thumb over them. For a moment, I think he might be about to...

Tahani bustles back over, and he snatches his hand back. "Here you go, darling," she trills. "I went for mint choc chip with a swirl of waking up without a hangover after a night of heavy drinking."

I cannot help the obscene moan I let out on taking a bite of this particular concoction. "That's amazing."

"Oh, I'm so glad you like it!" beams Tahani. "Personally, I went for the flavour of the bee pollen acai bowl my dear friend Meghan made for me once at her home in Frogmore Cottage."

The priest and I make eye contact and he stifles a laugh.

"It doesn't really matter what she's the Duchess of," she finishes lightly, in a way that she probably thinks is self-effacing. "Now, I must go and ask Eleanor something. I'm so glad you could come out." She kisses us both on the cheeks and departs in a cloud of perfume and self-assurance.

"I guess I should be-" I say, just as he says "Do you want to go for a drink?"

"Oh," he says, immediately deflating. "If you've got somewhere else you need to-"

"No," I reply, a small smile growing on my face. "A drink... a drink sounds good."

[this-is-a-love-story-fleabag]

The Wedding Planner (4/4)

An AU in which Fleabag is a wedding planner, and Klare and Claire have found the perfect Catholic church to get hitched in… This chapter is 1403 words. Other chapters: 1, 2, 3. Also on ao3.

Their father cleared his throat and stood. Bit by bit, the room fell quiet, and he smiled at the assembled guests, a brief grimace that was gone almost as soon as it appeared.

"It's my, er, pleasure, to, er... sincerely... very much," he began. The wedding planner gave him an encouraging grin. This was actually going better than expected. He turned to the bride. "Claire is my... er... daughter..." He halted, making some kind of filler noise that rose in pitch until it tailed off, audible presumably only to passing dogs. "You know... er..."

"You look flustered, what happened?" hissed Claire from the corner of her mouth as her sister slid into her seat next to her at the head table. "He wasn't violent, was he, because I'm prepared to sue if-"

The wedding planner started. "No!" she whispered, tucking a stray strand of her unruly hair behind her ear. "Why would you even ask that?"

"I just know that Martin's a bit-"

"Oh, yeah, Martin," she said, visibly relaxing and surreptitiously smoothing out the creases in her dress. "No, he was fine. Drunk."

"Then why are you so..." Through the back door of the hotel reception room, the priest came shuffling in, apologising in hushed whispers as he pushed past the other diners on the way to his seat, his collar crooked and his hair tousled. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"You are joking."

"Just... shut up. Did I miss anything good?"

"Well, the CEO is acting like an arse," she said, sipping her glass of champagne and surveying a nearby table with ill-disguised calculation, "but honestly that works out well for my promotion prospects, so I'm all for it."

"I can arrange for an extra bottle of wine or two to be sent to his table if it'd help."

"I'll let you know."

She watched as her sister took three bites of her starter and pushed the rest of it around her plate. "When are the speeches?" asked Claire.

"Three quarters of an hour, which should be just after they serve pudding."

"Excellent," said Claire, standing up and abandoning her meal. "That gives me time to catch the partners from the Belgian wing of the company. I think now would be a good time to grill them on their efficiency savings."

"Sure," said the wedding planner, quirking an eyebrow. "Romantic. Table three."

After her sister had insinuated herself at the appropriate table and was engaged in a serious-looking discussion about some boring business thing, the wedding planner - in what she hoped was a ladylike, subtle way - swapped her plate with her sister's and made short work of the salmon terrine.

Sitting back in her seat and stifling a burp, she scanned the crowd with a secret smile, proud of how the day had come together. Her eyes lingered on the priest, who was listening intently to her Great Aunt Winifred with genuine interest as she embarked on one of her (long, tortuous, probably racist) stories. A little mark was peeking out of his collar where she'd sucked a bruise into his neck after he pinned her against the wall and-

As though he could feel her gaze, he looked up, met her eye, blushed, looked down at the table, and allowed himself to smile.

There was a sea of blonde hair in the room, attached to dozens of smiling Korhonens, all as effusive in their praise and happiness as Klare. The other wing of the family were more of a mixed bag, Scots of varying degrees of dourness making uncomfortable conversation with Mum's weird sisters.

Claire turned up again as the second course was drawing to a close.

"Are you about to eat my steak?"

"No," she said quickly, withdrawing her hand.

"You can have it, I'm just going to eat some ice."

"You're going to eat ice?" said the wedding planner, gobsmacked, as her sister picked up a couple of cubes from her glass of water and began to crunch on them.

"What?" said Claire through a mouthful of ice.

Their father cleared his throat and stood. Bit by bit, the room fell quiet, and he smiled at the assembled guests, a brief grimace that was gone almost as soon as it appeared.

"It's my, er, pleasure, to, er... sincerely... very much," he began. The wedding planner gave him an encouraging grin. This was actually going better than expected. He turned to the bride. "Claire is my... er... daughter..." He halted, making some kind of filler noise that rose in pitch until it tailed off, audible presumably only to passing dogs. "You know... er..."

His stumbling attempt at a toast went on for two more uncomfortable minutes, before eventually he managed to force out "er... upstanding..." and raise his glass of champagne. "The bride and groom!" he announced, finishing strong, and drained his glass, sitting heavily with a relieved sigh.

"Thanks dad," said Claire sincerely, kissing him on the cheek.

"Well... I meant every word," he said, looking shell-shocked.

Klare stood next, taking the microphone and dazzling the audience with both the size of his smile and the whiteness of his teeth.

"It is so wonderful that you can all be here to celebrate with me and my beautiful bride! When I first saw Claire, she walked into my office in Finland and said that she was going to be my business partner, and I thought she was pulling on my nose! I never thought I would be so lucky in my life. Now please, come to join us as we cut the cake."

The photographer was politely but firmly placed in the correct location to capture the moment with the best possible light, and then the wedding planner slid into the DJ booth to give him a pinch at just the right moment to begin the first dance. Klare, very wisely, decided against smushing a slice of cake into Claire's face, and patiently fed a bite of it to her instead, with an expression of intense love in his eyes.

Her job largely finished for the day, barring any major emergencies, the wedding planner breathed a sigh of relief and slipped away for a well-earned cigarette outside. She rested her forehead on the cool brick wall and blew out a steady stream of smoke, the tension of the day slowly easing from her shoulders.

A twig cracked behind her and she straightened.

"Hello," said the priest sheepishly. "I don't suppose I could bum a fag off you?"

Taking the lit cigarette from between her lips, she held it out to him and fished another one out of her handbag. He took it and put it in his mouth, his lips meeting her lipstick stains like a second-hand kiss.

The silence between them was as comfortable as it was electric, the sounds of their inhales and exhales cutting through the stillness. It lasted the length of a cigarette, before he was tugging her by the hand, motioning for her to follow him.

"What?"

"Just come and see."

She followed him, grumbling something about manic pixie dream priests. It turned out to be a vivid patch of forget-me-nots that had wormed their way into a crack in the polished facade of the building, struggling out of the tiny patch of earth to explode in colour.

"So beautiful, isn't it?" he said, giving her a heated look.

"It's probably deeply symbolic. I don't know of what, though," she agreed, brushing a finger against the tiny blossoms. She turned her head to look back at him over her shoulder and gave him a tiny smirk. Some last vestige of self-restraint broke inside his chest and he backed her against the wall, cupping her cheek in his hand and capturing her parted lips in a deep kiss.

The strains of music from the dance floor were just audible in their secluded corner.

"Dance with me," he murmured into her skin. She twined her arms around his neck and they swayed together on the mossy brick of their makeshift dancefloor.

"Do you make a habit of dragging women into alleyways to ravage them on the pretext of showing them flowers?"

"I'll show you my stamen if you show me your pistil," he said, leering unattractively.

"Oh my God, you nerd," she laughed, burying her face in his shoulder.

"So how are you feeling about the institution of marriage now? Has all this changed your mind at all?" he asked, looking into her eyes with a soft smile.

She snorted. "God, no." She pressed her body deliberately against his, a teasing smile on her red lips. "How are you feeling about priestly celibacy?"

He took some time to respond, his thumbs stroking over the curve of her hips.

"I don't know," he said slowly, and leaned in for a kiss.