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puppypawprintce · 1 year ago

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~Trapped in this Dismal Vignette~

1500 words | 1974 |

gen + snegulus + bit of inner turmoils.

cw: underage smoking, sirius bashing (theyre bonding)

Everything in the house reeks of never breaking tradition, of the walls cluttered from landing of stairs to the chandelier that hangs precariously above the large, faded-by-time wine stain on the busy carpet. It feels like when one walks through the hallway everything in existence sprouts undead eyes and it wouldn't be unlikely to spot a few thestrals once exiting the premises. It's as if things stick between the coils of life and death. Remnants of a soul burn in the two sons and nowhere else.

Walburga Black cares not for her eldest son, nor does he wish for anything more.

"Isn't your dear old brother's birthday coming up?" Less a question, and all a reason to sneer and scoff. Regulus slams his palms on the counter, the look on his face wild, then deadpan. The same gray eyes.

"Unfortunately."

"He doesn't shut up about it, he's convinced he's London's favorite doll." Severus stares from across the room with a twinge of satisfaction in his chest, it's a rarity to hear anyone agree with him. To speak and know he was in similar company. Sirius Black wasn't all that, in fact, he was below average across the board. I wish he weren't so pretty at least. Maybe if his nose were twisted just a smidge to the left. And if someone were to douse that hair in petrol.

"Even worse, in 3 months."

"I know."

"He could stand to wait til October."

And Severus has to think for a moment. Has to dig through the many layers of memories he isn't particularly interested in—he isn't interested—and there it is, the first day Autumn showed her face in the leaves and her unrelenting breeze. Sirius, the bastard all grinning and standing tall over his friends, growth spurt, lunges an arm over James' shoulder while proclaiming he wants to do something dangerous for his birthday. November 3rd wouldn't be a good day, Severus had thought.

"Their lot would kill me if they knew mine, I'm sure." Severus balances his tilted head in the palm of his hand, almost like a fateful reminisce. Though his face remains sour, and Regulus only stands to mirror.

"Potter oughta be expelled."

There's that feeling, the one where Severus thinks it be best to douse the stove and all its tangled wire before the pot can even come close to boiling over. He blinks, his breathing stiff and the line between feeling as calm as a Cokeworth boy can be to wanting to hide in the nearest quiet closet looms in between his skeleton and the subtle beating of his heart. "They would never expel Potter, he's got a whole battalion on his side."

"So do you Severus."

The boy looks at him expectantly, his hands still firmly placed and the curl on his forehead twirling to obscure the visible scar Regulus wears near his left eyebrow. An expression of mercy on his hair's part, Severus always feels guilty laying his eyes on it.

"No one is on my side Regulus, what are you playing at?"

"I just mean it would take a thousand Potters to outsmart you." Regulus moves in search through his jacket pockets. "Mum will be home soon, let's head out."

Severus hops off his place on the rickety old stool, almost on command. His feet don't reach the floor from up there, and he's glad no one ever comments on it.

"Does it hurt..to smoke?" His hands rest in the pockets of his sweater, the edges of its stitching frayed and full of holes. It's hardly sweater season yet, but Severus doesn't like when people can see his arms. And the pockets, he likes those a fair amount. They walk at a steady pace, leaving the grounds of Number 12 Grimmauld Place behind.

Regulus shoves his newly retrieved cigarette between his teeth, his perfect set of front teeth, and sets the end aflame with a careful cup of his other hand. Taking a drag, his eyes close and for a moment Severus wonders if he shouldn't be so curious. Wonders if this is a fork in the road the future him would madly scold him for.

Regulus balances his cig between his index and center. "Nah, not really."

A dense cloud escapes from his lips and rises up, disappearing into the monotone atmosphere above. It smells like it always does, bitter and strong enough to make you wanna plunge into the nearest shore just to get away from it.

But Severus doesn't run, and his eyes stay fixated on the schoolmate he's somehow managed to get along well enough to be friends with. That might kill him someday.

"Do you wanna try it?"

His heart doesn't skip a beat.

"Yes." He frees his left hand, then stuffs it right back in his pocket. Too eager. When Regulus offers him the same cigarette that had just vacated his mouth, Severus appears hesitant, and for the first time in months an odd sense of dread tears its claws into the very back of his mind. "Hold on, same one?"

"Yeah? Why not. You a germaphobe or something Sev?"

The words bounce right off him. He doesn't feel particularly strong about germs in either direction, no and it isn't like they haven't shared snacks before, or even taken sips from the same water bottle. But his mind twists and his stomach feels sick and for once in his life Severus isn't in any danger yet thinks he's looking death straight in the eyes. Petrified.

"Fire's dying." Regulus hits it again, his eyes watching Severus closely. He doesn't like the way Regulus always looks him in the eye, too near and too close and it'd take a million Regulus Blacks to get any of this out of his head. Sometimes he wonders if it's on purpose, what's his aim in all of this?

Severus makes up his mind in the same second that his friend tries to offer him the cig again, can't be too cowardice. Doesn't matter his reason, doesn't matter the fear. He tentatively holds it between his fingers and repeats the action of guiding it to his lips.

It tastes awful. Like dirt and the corroded, burnt bits of whatever got thrown into the brazier for last night's supper. Inhaling is much, much worse.

Resisting the urge to drop it on the ground, Severus hands it back and his whole body convulses into a fit of heavy coughs. His hands shake and it feels like his chest is on fire.

"Did-" he coughs a few more times. "Did you fucking jinx it?"

Regulus can't contain his amusement whatsoever, the way his giggling turns to a couple snorts and he totally drops the cigarette without even realizing. Severus looks about ready to hex the guy himself before he's met with a water bottle shoved in his face, cap already slightly unscrewed just for him.

"I didn't do shit to it Sev, you just aren't used to it."

He'd be more inclined to believe him if he didn't think his lungs were crawling with fire ants right about now. Clinging to the bottle like it was his saving grace, Severus gulps down three quarters of it without stopping. Ebbing the pain away into a subtle discomfort.

"I thought you said it didn't hurt." He wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve and coughs again.

"I forgot you're...."

"Forgot i'm what? You did that on purpose and you know it, Black."

"Hey... hey okay maybe I knew that would happen—" Severus' eyes are glaring and narrow as nervous-to-pick-up-the-pieces words fumble out of the boy's mouth, hands raised in mock defense. "But I didn't jinx anything. That happens to everyone- it's normal!"

The betrayed Slytherin stamps the sole of his shoe on the last bits of life the stick of death had left, all embers burnt out and their fuel crushed to dust. "You're very lucky that I'm generally a fan of you."

Wind picks up and brings both of their hair to reposition around their faces, Severus brushes his back into place and Regular doesn't move a muscle. That godforsaken scar stares its dark eyes back at him, 2 dots amongst the general blob-ish shape. Taunting him, making him wish to repent.

"I didn't like it."

"Clearly.. It's okay, you would've transformed my head into a pincushion if it wasn't taking effect. Feel any better?"

He takes a second to assess it all, the way his head feels and the dissipating burn in his chest and the odd sense of anxiety that'd come over him. How he doesn't like how close Regulus is and gets, yet he doesn't mind at all. Maybe it's the latter half that makes him so queasy, everything feels like sandpaper on his skin and there's nothing he can do that would land him in better shape. Nowhere else was as safe as the right here, right now.

"I don't know."

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scotianostra · 3 months ago

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Alexander Edwards was born on 4th November 1885 in Lossiemouth.

Alexander was the son of Alexander Edwards, fishermen of Stotfield, Lossiemouth and Jessie (née Smith); his brother James was lost at sea and his younger brother John, CSM Seaforth Hldrs awarded MM July 1916.

Alexander was educated at a local school in Lossiemouth Sch.ool, he was employed as a cooper making barrels for fishing industry;

On 1st September 1914 he joined the 6th (Morayshire) Battalion, the Seaforth Highlanders,[a part of the 51st (Highland) Division. After training in Bedford, the battalion travelled to France in May 1915.

By 1917 Alexander Edwards, had reached the the rank of sergeant, and on 31 July 191 demonstrated tremendous bravery at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge 7 on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele.

The London Gazette of 14 September 1917 recorded:

For most conspicuous bravery in attack, when, having located a hostile machine gun in a wood, he, with great dash and courage, led some men against it, killed all the team and captured the gun. Later, when a sniper was causing casualties, he crawled out to stalk him, and although badly wounded in the arm, went on and killed him. One officer only was now left with the company, and, realising that the success of the operation depended on the capture of the furthest objective, Serjt. Edwards, regardless of his wound, led his men on till this objective was captured. He subsequently showed great skill in consolidating his position, and very great daring in personal reconnaissance. Although again twice wounded on the following day, this very gallant N.C.O. maintained throughout a complete disregard for personal safety, and his high example of coolness and determination engendered a fine fighting spirit in his men.

Sergeant Edwards was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions. Returning to Britain, Edwards received his Victoria Cross from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 26 September 1917. A week later he attended a reception in his honour at Lossiemouth, where he was presented with a gold watch and war bonds. He later returned to France and rejoined the 6th Seaforth.

On 21st March 1918 the Germans began their Kaiserschlacht (Spring Offensive). On 24th March Edwards was wounded and posted missing in action, presumed killed, at Bapaume Wood, east of Arras, France.

#scotland #scottish #history #ww1 #war hero #victoria cross #soldier

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blackswaneuroparedux · 2 years ago

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I never admitted to anybody during my entire military service that I had been an actor. I was terrified that I would be put in charge of Ensa [Entertainments' National Service Association]. Not even my closest friends knew I was an actor. I told them I was reading English at St Andrews University.

- Richard Todd

In his heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Richard Todd was Britain’s leading matinee idol. If you love old movies, you’ll have seen Todd in one of his starring roles in “The Virgin Queen” opposite Bette Davis, “Stage Struck” with Marlene Dietrich, or “The Dam Busters” for which he won a Golden Globe Award. He was the tough little Scotsman in the wartime weepie “The Hasty Heart” and had audiences madly hunting for hankies.

Those were the days when Todd streaked across North American film screens as virtually every romantic hero from Rob Roy to Robin Hood. Ian Fleming chose him to play James Bond in “Dr. No” in 1962, but a schedule clash meant Sean Connery stepped into the role.

Little less known is the fact that he was also among the first British soldiers and the first Irishman to land in Normandy on D Day. More specifically, he participated in Operation Tonga during the D-Day landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944.

So it must have been surreal for Richard Todd the hearthrob actor to find himself playing Major John Howard in the epic movie ‘The Longest Day’ (1962) based on Cornelius Ryan’s book. Not least because he served with Howard and took part in the fighting at Pegasus Bridge that Major John Howard was tasked to secure on D Day.

Richard Todd was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1919. His father was a medic in the British Army and, as his posting required, the early years of his life were spent in India. The family settled in Devon upon their return to England, and Richard was educated at Shrewsbury Public School, in Shropshire. The theatre was his first love, and he furthered his dramatic skills at the Italia Conti school, thereafter moving to Scotland where he helped to form the Dundee Repertory Theatre. When War was declared, Todd went to St. Andrew's University on the following day to volunteer. He was not a member of the University, but he not only convinced the selection unit that he was, but also added that he had been reading English there for six months, and that he had obtained a Cert A in his school cadet corps; a key point to being accepted as an officer. Despite success in passing off this invented career, Todd was to be disappointed by a lack of interest in him thereafter.

Becoming increasingly desperate to get into the War before it ended, he sent numerous letters to the War Office to press his case, which, in June 1940, was finally noticed.

Accepted by the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Todd went to Sandhurst to receive his officer training. He had a very lucky escape here when he was in a corridor on the second floor of a building when it was hit by a bomb, and he was blown into the garden outside by the blast. He got to his feet in the darkness and did not feel particularly affected by it, but an examination by torchlight revealed that his whole body was covered in blood from numerous small wounds.

A spell his hospital delayed his passing out from Sandhurst until early 1941. Celebrating in London, he narrowly avoided death again when he found his usual haunt, the Cafe de Paris, was too crowded to admit him and so he went elsewhere; it was hit by a bomb that same night and 84 people were killed.

His Battalion, the 2nd/4th Battalion The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was posted to XII Corps in defence of Kent, where a German invasion if it came would almost certainly land. Todd was given command of the infantry in the Dymchurch Redoubt, a fort of the Napoleonic era mounting two six-inch guns.

In the event of an invasion, this would certainly have been a primary target for the enemy, and those manning it were told that, with the main defensive line far to their rear, they would be left to fight to the end. General Montgomery commanded XII Corps at this time, and his characteristic emphasis on training and preparedness led to the formation of the first Battle Schools. Richard Todd attended one of these, and the experience allowed him to run his own School when, in December 1941, he was sent to Iceland with the 1st/4th King's Own Light Infantry to be trained in arctic and mountain warfare. Returning to England in September 1942, he eventually ended up in the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion of the 6th Airborne Division. He was among troops of the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion who, at 00:40 hours on 6 June 1944, landed behind the Normandy beaches in a cornfield, perilously close to tracer fire.

Todd scrambled into a wood and with 150 other paratroopers reached Pegasus and Ranville bridges, vital crossings to allow Allied forces to break out from the beachheads into Normandy. They had been seized by a glider force from the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry under the command of Major John Howard, who needed reinforcements to fend off ferocious German attacks.

In his memoirs, Caught in the Act, Todd would write of the carnage, “There was no cessation in the Germans' probing with patrols and counter-attacks, some led by tanks, and the regimental aid post was overrun in the early hours. The wounded being tended there were all killed where they lay. There was sporadic enemy mortar and artillery fire we could do nothing about. One shell landed in a hedge near me, killing a couple of our men.”

Todd would go on and see action at the Battle of the Bulge and push into the Rhine into Germany. After VE day, his division returned to the UK for a few weeks, then was sent on counter-insurgency operations in Palestine. During this posting he was seriously injured when his Jeep overturned, breaking both shoulders and receiving a concussion. He returned to the UK to be demobilised in 1946.

In 1962, Todd was given the part of Major John Howard in the film adaptation of Cornelius Ryan's book about the D-Day landings, ‘The Longest Day’ (1962). Due to the nature of cinema, it was impossible for the film to give a thorough reflection of the role of the 6th Airborne Division during the Invasion, and as such their activities were solely represented by a reconstruction of the capture of Bénouville Bridge by Howard's coup-de-main force. Although briefly mentioned, the role of the 7th Battalion in the defence of the western bridgehead was largely ignored, and so it appeared as if the defence of the bridge rested only on Howard's men.

Naturally, the omission of their fierce defence of Bénouville caused some resentment amongst veterans, not least because one of their own was championing this re-working of history. Todd, however, regarded ‘The Longest Day’ (1962) as a film rather than a documentary, and his part in it was simply that of an actor doing as he was told.

Richard Todd would never have guessed, that in 17 years since he was on Pegasus Bridge as a paratrooper that he would standing there again as an actor portraying Major John Howard who was given the order: 'Hold,… until relieved'. It had to be Richard Todd’s 'twilight-zone' moment.

The ‘relieve’ for Howard had to come from Lord Lovat and his troops, who had landed on SWORD Beach, and were legging it towards Pegasus Bridge.

Before the shooting of the scenes were started at Pegasus Bridge, the film producer of The Longest Day, Darryl F. Zanuck, had the real life Lord Lovat and Major John Howard brought over to meet the men who were going to portray them (Peter Lawford portrayed Lord Lovat). The men had not seen each other since 6 June 1944.

Photo (above). From L-R: Peter Lawford, Lord Lovat, Richard Todd, Major John Howard.

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pettyshippen · 2 years ago

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This is a Children’s Cartoon From PBS FFS

Honor and Compromise

Imagine if Disney made a movie of this in the 90s instead but f Pocahontas.

Little dogs are my weakness hey lets follow that guy

Oh they’re note passing

A woman and a minority walk into a room full of old white men.

Rabble rabble rabble

Ya’ll need to get along if you wanna win this war

“Sort of like a king?” 😮

Henri just charged into him like a rhino

James is not going to expose the spies

Henry said ooooo feathers

We’re going to hunt for feathers

Henri forming a battalion of Turkys

“It’s too windy IN here” 🌬️

Henry 0 Turkeys 1

Hamilton getting heated

“They shame their French blood!” Lol

Henry 0 Turkeys 2

How are Sarah and Moses allowed in there.

Redcoats coming this way!

Lee you bitch

“WE ARE GONNA ATTACK”

Attack poodles 🐩

Sarah is sending messages to congress on behalf of Washington girl that’s treason right there

Henris risking his life for a feather

Lee didn’t listen to Washington and it backfired

“Lee, you’re fired! Get out!”

Go back inti battle guys, it’s not over k

Ok that last shot with the turkeys, and Henri sleeping

The New Frontier

We get to see Sarahs dilf of a father

“And you, Sarah, are you an American?”

Sarahs like omg forgot about me looking for my dad

Boooooooo children are starving

I love how James wants her to be safe and Sarahs confident in her safety.

How often does Sarah have to sleep outside?

Why did he just straight up desert her?

Imagine passing out in the forest and waking up in the log cabin of a stranger.

Sarah why are you scared of them they’re people

What is that pig eating, pizza on a baguette?

Sarah was definitely not expecting that

Papa Phillips is an outdoors nature men at heart

“It all started when these rebels started throwing tea off the ship I was sailing on.”

Rich people ruined everything in every era of time

Damn. That’s a hell if a debate club meeting.

Because most white people are bad people.

Tarring and feathering is way too extreme

Well James congrats on your first tar and feathering threat

“I fell in love with this country just like I fell in love with her.” 🥲

This is when Sarah finally doubts her views

These men didn’t deserve to be warned

This was the last straw for Sarah that made her say fuck this shit I’m out.

James, you are a writer. That was poetry.

“I lost you for six years”

Papa Phillips really is dad of the year all in one day

These scene would have been perfect for Sarah to go on a passionate and tearful rant about all the men who have mistreated her and how they’re both patriot and loyalist.

“I have been chocked, slapped, bound and gagged, spat on, ridiculed, threatened, and nearly had my virtue taken away more times than I can count! These are the exact kind of men who would have a prisoner executed even if he’s only just a boy! And the worst part is, the men who do this, come from both sides!”

Sarahs very anti-violence. I need to remember that for my writing.

Oh Sam, she’ll lovvvvvvvve that beard

James doesn’t want a goodbye hug

Poor Henri

Not Yet Begun to Fight

Omg yay the pirate episode

Omg is Jones a ginger

Sarah and Jones forming a friendship off of hair color

“Ah, another ginger.”

Sarah what are you doing above deck.

Ok but how did she survive that?

So no scene with Jones taking off his hat coat and boots to jump into the water and save her and while he’s holding her he says ‘Ay, whas ye name lass?’ but Sarah only responds with heavy coughs?

Just two gingers bonding over ham.

*Instant concern when Sarah says she doesn’t write anymore*

200 English prisoners!?

“Take my first riding teacher, Alec Spencer.”

Jones teaching Sarah a sea shanty.

Yesssss Sarah.

“I cannot write what I do not believe in” “Forgive me Ms. Phillips, but you strike me as someone who believes in liberty.”

Bros just sailing a burning ship like nbd

And then Sarah switched views right then and there. Treason complete.

“Serve our cause with your eyes and your pen.”

And she wrote the article on a plank of wood. Amazing.

Great idea with the grenade

Cue Titanic theme

“Ms. Phillips, I look forward to many more articles under your name.”

I bet Sarahs still getting used to shaking hands with men after having her hand taken and kissed so many times.

The Great Galves

So Sarah was a townhouse kind of girl in England

Why is Sarah being carried? Her being unconscious makes no sense here.

I wonder what books Sarah has on her shelve

I know James acts unmoved about Sarah leaving but I think he misses her.

Where’s Henri?

Oh jfc not the skunk

Who’s this chubster

“The war is already lost bro.” “But for Britain, America is lost.”

“Boys who’ll not be forced to fight other poor boys.”

“I’ve seen some shit mom. Anyways, I wanna go back.”

No article from Lady Whistledown about Sarahs surprise return?

“Log up ahead!”

Ooos Henri fell in the water can he swim

James stfu they can hear you

Time to steal a boat

“Hi one way ticket to America.”

“And your America will be different?” Yes, it’ll be so much worse.

I would be uncomfortable af if I saw shackled prisoners walking past me like a slow sad parade

*looks at captured American boy* “Courage.”

“Mom, I’m American.”

In Praise of Ben

I feel like this was just a filler episode but Sarah coming back is a yay

This would have been the opportune episode for James and Sarah to finally start flirting and because they have so much pent up, they find themselves kissing each other shamelessly.

So she switches sides in 1780

“Probably that I’m a silly girl who keeps changing her mind about who she really is.”

A lady like Sarah has ti have more than one bag I mean c’mon. I bet her mom bought her new clothes

Moses is so happy 🥹

James is like hmmmmmmm

Ope Henris gettin into fights

Imagine Henri was short when Sarah left but had a growth spurt while Sarah was away

Moses is in full dad mode

Kid, time for a history lesson

Wtf is that thing a glass harmonica

That’s sounds kinda annoying though

Lightning doesn’t strike that damn slow

Everyones just stanning Ben

Is the turkey laughing at him?

Bens mom was a slut too

Everyones infodumping

Imagine sharing a hospital room with 20+ people.

Noooo poor Ben

“Slavery is the economic foundation of the south” bish shut yo ass up

Ben Franklin as a mall Santa

Ben in a shirt that says 🐱🧲

#sarah phillips #libertys kids #james hiller #liberty's kids #henri lefebvre #lafayette #john paul jones

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setaripendragon · 1 year ago

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WIP Game

No one tagged me, I tagged myself in because I want to and you can't stop me =P And I'm tagging everyone who sees this that writes! Do it! Dooo iiit!

Rules: In a new post, list the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it. And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I don't actually have a WIP folder, I have WIP folders, plural. So, I'm adding a rule that I can't have posted any of the fic online anywhere for it to qualify, and I also have to have worked on it some time in the last... four years?

Let's see if that keeps me below the 50 fics mark (place your bets now)...

A Song of Ice and Fire

Codywan In Westeros

King Eddard Stark

Time-travel TyrionSansa

Pevensie Starks

Cat SI

Assassins Creed

Desmond's PLP

Desmond meets Darcy

ATLA

The Lost Nomads

Ursakoda Canon Crossover

Charmed

Phole Time Travel

Dimension Hopping Chris and Wyatt

Gramarye Book 2

Critical Role

Molly Lives... In Caleb's Head

Molly Does a Time Travel

The Patchwork Bower

Slave AU

OT3 Does a Time Travel

FullMetal Alchemist

Time Travel Outsider PoV

What Is Remembered Forever

RoyEd Adopts Harry Potter

Ed Gets Time Swapped

Wei Wuxian as a RoyEd Baby

A Body for a Body

Psychic Wolves AU

RoyEd Time Travel

RoyEd Arranged Marriage

Rise of the Guardians

Hold Out Your Hand Sequel

Everyone Loves Pitch

The Journal of General Kozmotis Pitchiner

Kingsman

Time Travelling Eggsy

The King's Whores

Chavs and Gentlemen

Kingsman's Wolves

Lord of the Rings

Durincest Polyamory

On the Hunt

Sam Time Travel Adventure

Courting Fate

Seven Ladies Time Travel Epic

Gimli As Celebrimbor Reincarnation

Thilbo Reincarnation

Polyamorous Hobbits

Marvel

Three for a Marriage Four for a Birth

Soulmarks Book 3: Our Song

Heterodyne Legacy #2

One Piece

Secret Marriage

StrawHat Time Travel

Trans Sanji

Who Are You

Peaky Blinders

Time Travel

Soulmate Colours

Heart of Birmingham

Self Insert AU

Pride and Prejudice

A Better Timeline

Sherlock Holmes (Elementary)

Friends in Low Places

Skyfall (James Bond)

Calendar Novel: Time-travelling Q

Harry Potter Crossover

JAQ Polyamory Negotiations

Q Has a Symbiote

Fathers and Daughters

Star Wars

Obi-wan is a Slut

Firefly Crossover

Egg-preg Drabbles

CodyMace Time Travel

404 Battalion Not Found

ABO GAR

Aitash Tu Akos

Release My Soul

Strange and Norrell

All Other Wives

Miss Jennifer Strange

ArabellaChildermassSegundus Time Travel

SI: Childermass Family Drabbles

Supernatural

DeanHotch

GabrielJess

How to Make a Baby with an Angel

Atlantis Sideplot: Princess Mia

Wayward Hunters: Where Are the Winchesters

Time Travel Wish Fulfillment

Rising Star #2

Teen Wolf

Noah and the Tattoos

The Blue People Movie (Avatar)

Tsu'tey's Twins

Time Travel Fix It

The Untamed (MDZS)

In Memoriam

WangNingXian Reincarnation

Ed as Zangse Sanren

Zangse and Changze Save the Day

WangXian Reborn as RuoShan

The Witcher

River God and the Sorceress

Curse of the Black Sun

VesiJask: The Sacking of Kaer Morhen

Torchwood

Old Guard Ianto

Aaand the total comes to 90! At least it's less than a 100... And that's just the stuff I've worked on recently! (Yes, four years is recent. I have fics I haven't actually touched in 6+ years that are still marinating in my brain, waiting for the pieces to fall into place) If you've trawled through all of those to get here, you've got more stamina than I do!

Please ask about anything that piques your interest! I'd love to talk about some of these, see if it gets the creative juices flowing. (Also feel free to ask about any of the WIPs I have posted on here or Ao3!)

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tahanann · 3 years ago

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𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮

❝ To whoever finds these letters, I hope they reach you well ❞ ✎▫✧⭒....

Fandom: Hetalia Relationship: F/M Pairing: Alfred F. Jones (America) / (Female) Reader Chapter list: 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Also posted on: AO3, Wattpad, Quotev

Chapter 01: " Hi Babe! " ✎▫✧⭒…

It was (Y/n)'s third day in her new home, and thankfully it was a bright Sunday morning. The woman has work tomorrow, and she couldn't help but feel horrible at the thought of it. She only had two days to rest? Ugh. She learned this back in college, but honestly, it felt so much worse when people are out of college and are immediately hit with adult responsibilities.

(Y/n) was just scrolling through her phone, sipping a warm beverage, with the tv talking in the background. Everything was peaceful until she was interrupted by a telephone ring. It was her realtor. He probably has some information about the Jones person she had called him about.

"Hello?" (Y/n) spoke.

"Hey, so, in my records, there has been one family with the last name of Jones during the early twentieth century. The property was under a family name actually, but no one was actually using the home until the family had sold it off. After that, it's kind of hard to look for the Jones family, since they're probably living in another home. They're not really under my business line so I can't just go into the records for them," the realtor spoke.

"So there's no way to contact the family?" (Y/n) asked. The realtor gave her a simple no. The woman pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated that there was no way to give the family their letters back. She sighed quietly to herself, mumbling a soft thank you to the man over the phone. She hung up after that.

The young woman walked to her bedroom where the box of letters was. She supposed that there's no harm in opening the letters then. They were no names on them, other than scribbles, so she guessed that she could open them.

(Y/n) gently pulled the lid off from the seal, damaging it just a bit. There was no other choice...the seal was in the way. The envelopes probably have no use anyway. It's the letter that has value. She picked out the letter and placed its torn casing on the bed. The letter was written in cursive, but it's nothing that (Y/n) couldn't decipher.

Hi babe! This is one of the first letters I'm writing back home! Yeah yeah, I actually wrote some back to Mom and Dad, but hey! Aren't you glad that you're getting one too? Anyway, how have you been? How are your hobbies going? I heard from my folks that you've picked up sewing. It's a neat skill to learn. I'm proud of you! I hope you're doing well over there. I hope you're thinking about how I'm doing. Honestly, ever since I've been deployed here, it's kind of boring. Well, Aside from me bonding with my friends and writing a ton of letters, there's nothing else we could do unless we're put into battle and things like that. There's the radio, sure, but all it's been playing are the same tunes. Always Bob Crosby and The Bob Cats. I wonder if we can actually get some variety here. Well, I guess if you start thinking about the generals' yells as a form of song, then that's some variety. I suppose I did pick up a new hobby, which is writing. I haven't written this much since college, actually. I hope in the future, I'll start writing poems to you. I'll probably learn them from Charles or something. You know how he is. He's super romantic and all. I'm a bit jealous that he could write good love letters to his beloved. Maybe I'll start doing that too! Just stay tuned for the next one okay? My battalion hasn't been given a task yet, so, Charles, Alex, James, and I are waiting to be given something. I guess while we wait, all I can do is think about you and the songs that play on the radio. I'll even think about my ma and pa too! Don't think I don't do that already! You're just in my mind all the time, that's all. I will write as much as I can to you. I hope you're actually getting these letters. From your super awesome and super handsome future husband, A. F. J

(Y/n) stared at the letter in her hand. Goodness...this sounded personal. The letters she had in the box were...filled letters sent to someone special. If that was the first letter, it's got to be like that for the rest right? The woman reread the words again. Yeah...this was for Jones' girlfriend. He never wrote a name in there though and there was no name in the envelope. Just who was this guy's girl?

The woman sat there on her bed, a frown appearing on her lips. She folded the paper to its original shape and placed it back in its envelope. She reached for another letter in the box but hesitated to open it up. What if there were more personal things in these letters? Oh goodness. She was prying into someone's personal life.

Well, she already knew that she was doing that, but, honestly, it felt worse knowing that the letters are laid out like this. They were for this person's girlfriend at the time. She wasn't that...she wasn't his girlfriend at all. The desire to open them all was strong though, but (Y/n) had to do this once at a time. She had already opened a letter today, she'll just have to continue it tomorrow and read it then.

(Y/n) placed the opened letter in a drawer next to her bed. Her eyes looked back at the box again. Perhaps she should see how long it would take to read all of the letters. Gently, one by one, she counted all the letters she had at her disposal. She had excluded the letter she had read today.

"Three-hundred-and-sixty-five," the woman told herself. That was enough to read one letter a day for a year.

"Huh," (Y/n) sighed. Looks like she would be reading these for an entire year. She wondered how things would go. She placed the unopened letters back in their container and stashed the box under her bed. She had to be patient, or there would be no reward to this. She could last a year of just reading those letters. If she didn't know who this Private Jones was, and there was no means to contact his known living family, she might as well get to know him.

These letters seem to be dated for World War Two. The man might just be dead now, really.

The woman pitied the dead who had no one to remember them. Maybe Jones had someone who remembers him, but she would never know. For now, she should assume that there wasn't anyone who had him in their thoughts. (Y/n) figured that maybe, just maybe, she could be the one that remembers this poor soldier.

(Y/n) sighed as she walked away from her bedroom. Perhaps she should roam around today, maybe get to know the town a little more. Does the library have something that has this man's name on it? Perhaps she could find some sort of yearbook from the old times if they ever had those back then. Maybe even college photos that had him in there.

She wasn't desperate to find anyone who might know this man yet. There was actually a small part of her, that selfish part of her, that asked her to keep this man a secret. To keep him all to herself. That wasn't right, though, was it? It's always a question of morality with (Y/n).

Her lips twitched to a smile as she dismissed her thoughts. She needed to stop thinking about the man right now. If she did, she might get pressured to actually do work, when she was supposed to rest today. A sigh leaves her mouth as she walks to her living room. She pressed the power button on her tv remote and watched whatever she found interesting in her favorite streaming service.

The day would go on like this, with the woman lazying around in her own home. The house was silent for the most part, with no creeks or noises within the walls. The house wasn't haunted, as far as she knew. She knew that opening that box of letters wouldn't really bring ghosts to her home.

They didn't exist, of course, they would never appear.

The woman cooked dinner for herself that night. With nothing distracting her, the letters occupied her mind.

"Jones...Jones," (Y/n) mumbled to herself, "Just...who the hell are you? Can I even find you anywhere?" The woman was hoping that she wasn't dealing with a John Doe. It would be hard to find someone like that, especially during the war. There are a lot of John Does in the war, especially those who have already lost their dog tags and have no means to identify them.

She wishes that this man at least has a gravestone somewhere in this place.

(Y/n) walked to her bedroom once more, her body immediately going to her bed. She peeked underneath, her eyes staring at the box. She wants to pry another one open, but ultimately decided against it. She fell on her mattress, her gaze now at the ceiling. There was nothing she could do right now. Tomorrow was her workday...maybe she should just sleep.

Her consciousness would stay with her for a few more moments until darkness surrounded her. The moon would stay active for a while until it eventually fell into its own slumber. The day brought light into the world, indicating a new day.

That new day would be (Y/n)'s workday. The woman edged out of her bed, wandering to the bathroom to get herself ready. Once changed into proper working attire, she went back to her room to get shoes. She had hidden her shoes under the bed, right beside the box of letters. As she looked for a pair to wear today, her eyes went to the box.

Maybe she could read a letter today and see what Jones had to say.

She put on her shoes before picking a letter from the box. The envelope was the same color as before. It either must have been made either the same week or the same month as the first letter she read. Gently she ripped the seal and pulled out the letter.

Hi Babe, I hope you're doing well over there, wherever you may be right now. You might be at home, actually, since you're reading this letter. Anyway! I just wanted to say that finally, after a week of sitting around in a base, we're told to do something. Honestly, I hope this war isn't going to be that bad. I mean, since you know, America is here and all, I hope things are going to go well for us. I don't want to suddenly die on you, you know? We have so much planned! Did you know that earlier this morning, Charles caught me writing a letter to you today? Well, he caught me writing this letter to you, actually. I know he's a nosy bastard, but I didn't think he would actually read some of the words here. He asked me earlier if I actually had a sweetheart, since, you know, the last time he talked to me, he didn't see me with you. I guess I kept our relationship a secret huh? I must be that good! How is your sewing going by the way? I hope it's going well. You must be very busy over there. Once I get back there in the States, we can start a family. You can maybe sew things together for the kids and I can probably provide enough to feed us all three meals! Of course, if you wanted to help too, you could! I know you're a strong woman and I don't want to limit what you can do. I think helping out in the war would give us some funds you know? Besides! I can put my college degree to good use! Once this all blows over, I can probably help you. For now, since I'm away, I'll just be sending you letters, as much as I can! There's not enough paper to go around for everyone, so I can't really write to you all the time. Hopefully, I'll send enough letters to give you news. From your heroic future husband, A.F.J

(Y/n) couldn't help but laugh at his mannerism in the letter. He seems young, honestly, and had the innocence too, somewhere in there. He doesn't know the hardships of war just yet. There are a few things she knows about him. He spilled more info in this second letter than the first one she said. He's a young man who had a college degree somewhere. He talked about plans with his babe, and he appears to be a family man. Jones was a hopeful man, eager to meet his sweetheart again.

She smiled to herself as she placed the letter back in its home, tucking the opened envelope on top of the one she read last night. (Y/n) placed the box under her bed and went on with her day. After breakfast, the woman heads for work. Throughout the day, she thought about Jones and how she would have loved to befriend him if he were ever alive in her era.

She can't wait to read more letters from him.

#hetalia #hetalia x reader #reader insert #hws x reader #aph america x reader #hws america x reader #x reader #fem reader #alfred f jones x reader

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cambridge-sussex · 3 years ago

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Her Majesty was represented by The Prince of Wales (Colonel, Welsh Guards) who was present at The Queen’s Birthday Parade on Horse Guards Parade this morning at which The Queen’s Colour of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards was trooped. The Prince of Wales was accompanied by The Duke of Cambridge (Colonel, Irish Guards) and The Princess Royal (Gold Stick and Colonel, The Blues and Royals, Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). His Royal Highness was attended by Lieutenant General Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne (Gold Stick in Waiting and Colonel, The Life Guards), Lieutenant General Roland Walker (Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, Grenadier Guards), Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall (Colonel, Coldstream Guards) and Major General Christopher Ghika (Major General Commanding Household Division). The Lord de Mauley (Master of the Horse), Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Segrave, Colonel Toby Browne (Mounted Equerries in Waiting) and Colonel Crispin Lockhart (The Blues and Royals, Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons, Silver Stick in Waiting) were in attendance. Colonel Jeremy Bagshaw (Chief of Staff), Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Griffin (Silver Stick Adjutant) and the Household Division Staff were present. The procession was led by Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw, Grenadier Guards (Brigade Major Household Division). The Troops on Parade, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Aldridge, Irish Guards (Field Officer in Brigade Waiting), received The Prince of Wales with a Royal Salute. The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank and Mr Jack Brooksbank, The Earl and Countess of Wessex with The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent (Colonel, Scots Guards), Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and other Members of the Royal Family drove to Horse Guards Parade and witnessed The Queen’s Birthday Parade. On the conclusion of the Parade, The Prince of Wales rode back to Buckingham Palace at the head of The Queen’s Guard, preceded by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, under the command of Major Francesca Sykes, the Massed Mounted Bands of the Household Cavalry, the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, under the command of Major Russell Bond, The Life Guards, and the Massed Bands of the Guards Division. On arrival at Buckingham Palace, The Queen’s Guard entered the Forecourt and formed up opposite the Old Guard, the remaining Guards marching past Her Majesty, accompanied by The Duke of Kent. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment ranked past The Queen. Her Majesty, from Buckingham Palace, witnessed a fly-past by aircraft of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, led by Wing Commander James Calvert, to mark the official celebration of The Queen’s Birthday. Royal Salutes were fired today by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park and from the Tower of London Saluting Battery by the Honourable Artillery Company, under the command of Major Matthew Aldridge.

- Court Circular | 2 June, 2022

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acephysicskarkat · 3 years ago

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My hot take is that “enemies-to-lovers is inherently abusive” and “c/a is not abusive because it’s enemies-to-lovers” come from the same bad assumption, which is that “abuse” and “enemies-to-lovers” are positively or negatively correlated, and they’re not.

Like, let’s consider, as a comparison, the Fifty Shades franchise (disclaimer: I’m going from the Folding Ideas three-part movie analysis here because regardless of quality I tend to avoid explicit sexual content). The writing issues with this romance aren’t that it is inherently abusive because it’s a relationship founded on kink and the lens of dominance and submission, nor is it the case, despite the author’s attempts to claim otherwise, that it being a kink-based d/s relationship means it’s not abusive; these are both unhelpful ways of framing the issue.

The problem with Fifty Shades as a romance is that it’s a kinky d/s relationship in which one of the partners behaves in an abusive fashion. It is entirely possible to write kinky d/s romances in which one of the partners isn’t selfish, manipulative and controlling; EL James just didn’t.

That’s the problem with c/a. It’s enemies-to-lovers, which is supposed to be a heightened, dramatic form of romance...but it repeatedly stumbles with its handling of C*tra, whose antagonism doesn’t feel heightened or dramatic but as petty and toxic. In most of her interactions with Adora she feels less like, say, a pirate queen choosing to spare one of the protagonists for enigmatic reasons and more like the ex you blocked on all social media platforms but with command of a tank battalion. There’s a very grounded, real-world core to the hostility that resonates poorly with romance just in general. There’s a reason why non-shitty enemies-to-lovers stories where one participant is explicitly an agent of evil tend to go for heightened, fantastic, sometimes stereotypical character roles: Mara Jade is a badass superspy wizard, Blackarachnia is a femme fatale, the Teen Titans version of Jinx is a reluctant supervillain, the dude in the “Genghis Khan” music video is a James Bond antagonist...and meanwhile, C*tra is Gotye’s character in “Somebody That I Used To Know” and Kyle Ron is a far-right Twitter reply guy. The grounded nature of the toxicity works well when the writing is engaging with real-world themes like C*tra mirroring the abuse she endured or the space incel as a commentary on resurgent contemporary fascism, but it meshes poorly with the heightened emotions demanded by the romantic subgenre.

(Nor does it help that the antagonism is totally independent of faction; it’s brought up in the show that C*tra isn’t committed to the Horde on an ideological level, which totally robs it of any level of factional commitment; all romance plots boil down to “why aren’t the characters together yet” and SP0P spends four seasons answering that with “because C*tra is kind of an asshole”.)

The few good things she does do for Adora are also way too early in the arc, since they’re functionally nonexistent from “The Promise” onwards; she goes like half the show’s runtime without actually seeming like she feels conflicted about the enmity at all (at least beyond one nightmare sequence that doesn’t even play a role in the rest of that episode, let alone the rest of the series). This means that when they do put in plot points that could work with enemies-to-lovers, such as C*tra being unwilling to hurt Adora in “Save the Cat”, it rings false because it’s weird that this unwillingness didn’t affect C*tra’s behaviour in “Battle of Brightmoon”, “White Out”, “Flutterina”, “Pulse” or the entire third season. Far from building up the romantic leads’ connection in the way most good romances of this kind do, the show kills it with a mallet, then props up the corpse with a broom handle and does the Weekend at Bernie’s thing.

Then there’s the handling of the childhood friendship and that promise, which was comprehensively ruined by the flashback in “Corridors” painting the friendship as kind of a mess. C*tra punishing Adora for having needs and wants outside of the relationship just takes the toxicity that’s defined the rest of the arc and pushes its start back to the age of nine; more damningly, it takes that promise to “have each other’s backs” and makes it look less like something C*tra genuinely meant and more like just another tool of control. It sucks.

As a comparison point, in the Thrawn trilogy, Mara Jade’s desire to see Luke Skywalker dead in a ditch is founded in his role in the Emperor’s death. However, it’s not an all-consuming drive. When they both crash in an endless jungle where they can’t use the Force, she reluctantly goes along with Luke’s suggestion of a team-up because she isn’t so invested in killing him that she views her own life as expendable in that pursuit. In the next book, she actually seeks him out for assistance, because she values the life she’s built and needs his help to preserve it! Those uneasy collaborations help build up the connection and make the decline in the hostility slow and believable despite the drama.

(Another thing that it does better than SP0P, incidentally, is that much like C*tra, the hostility stems in part from misunderstanding and manipulation - Mara thought Luke’s role in the Emperor’s death was way more active and that she was more important in the Empire than she was, C*tra parsed Adora caring about anyone besides her as proof of not caring about her and ran that through her abandonment issues about six times - but Mara Jade learns that she was wrong about the things she was wrong about and reassesses her life, while C*tra is continuing to act like Adora is to blame for the whole mess right up to the confession.)

Anyway I’ve probably droned on long enough, so I’m just going to wrap up with:

If you came out of SP0P convinced that this mess was what all enemies-to-lovers romances were About, please read Gideon the Ninth and/or the Heir to the Empire trilogy, they’re a much better illustration of the trope. It’s fine if you still don’t like enemies-to-lovers after that, but please at least see how it runs when it’s done well first.

#spopcrit

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damehelenlove · 3 years ago

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The Medals of Sir William Sephenson CC, MC, DFC 1897-1989

William Stephenson was a young soldier in the 101st Overseas Battalion (Winnipeg Light Infantry) during WW1, but later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, where he won a Military Cross and a Distinguished Flying Cross.

In the inter-war period he spent most of his time in England and would enjoy many successful business opportunities, making his fortune in a system to transmit photographic images via wireless. He diversified into Aircraft production and became a sauce of business intelligence and financial backing to the anti-appeasement movement in Britain in the months leading up to WW2.

During WW2 he was the head of the ‘British Passport Control Office’ the corporate front for MI6 & SOE in New York with the aim of countering the America first movement and garnering US support for the war against Hitler. He was instrumental in the founding of the OSS (which became the CIA).

The Bond author Ian Fleming claims that he was a significant inspiration for James Bond!

As well as his British & Canadian Awards (the CC, Kt, MC & DFC) Sir William was a holder of the French Legion of Honour, the French Cross of War & the Belgium Cross of War.

His most significant foreign award was the US Medal of Merit, the highest US civilian award, given by President Truman in 1946.

He retired to Bermuda and died in 1989. There is a statue of him in his home town of Winnipeg unveiled by Princess Anne in 1999.

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o-fantome · 4 years ago

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Hamilton Musical Essay

First off, I want to say that if you like the musical, that’s fine. I’m not trying to tell you not to like it. I’m simply expressing my thoughts about it.

Secondly, this is mostly about things the musical got wrong, but there is definitely going to be some bias and opinions in here. So don’t take anything I say (unless I have provided a source) as fact.

Now, let's go through this show one song at a time.

(quick warning, this post is long. very long. and will take a while to read. i apologize in advance)

ACT I

Alexander Hamilton

I don't have much of a problem with this song, and it is pretty good. However, I do wish that they hadn’t glossed over his early years. I get that they were not that interesting, but they played such a big part in his life, especially in his later years when he was in politics.

“Me? I loved him” haha no. that line should have been said by Eliza and Laurens. Not Eliza, Angelica and Maria/Peggy.

Aaron Burr, Sir

Oh boy, oh boy, I have quite a bit to say about this one.

I strongly dislike the portrayal of Burr throughout the whole show. I get what LMM was going for with the whole “it’s how history sees him” but, you could’ve given him a bit more character.

Burr singing “Fools that run their mouths off wind up dead” and then Laurens walking out immediately after is clever, because Laurens really was a fool who ran his mouth off quite a lot. Like the time he yelled at the king of France, King Louis XVI.

There's the obvious mistake that Hamilton met John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan and the Marquis de Lafayette at completely different times. He didn’t even meet burr in 1776 as we see here. He met burr in 1772-1773 when Hamilton briefly went to Princeton.

Laurens, Mulligan and Lafayette have very little character (which is something a lot of the people in this show struggle with.) for people who were pretty close to Hamilton, (especially Laurens) they don't seem like they were written to be very important characters. Their personality in this show can be summed up in a sentence.

And there's the other obvious mistake that Lafayette (and probably Laurens as well) never met Mulligan.

My Shot

The foreshadowing is good, I'll give it that.

For some reason, the chemistry between Lafayette and Mulligan-- who, again, never actually met-- is better than the chemistry between Hamilton and Laurens. What's up with that, huh?

“Wait ‘til I sally in on a stallion with the first black battalion” Laurens never got his black battalion. Congress approved the plan, but the South Carolina Legislative Assembly did not.

“Laurens, I like you a lot” get outta here with that crap. Either make their relationship a bigger part in the musical or keep it out completely. I hate how subtle and glossed over their relationship is in this show.

I do like Laurens’ little part in this song, it’s a rare part of the show where we see his actual personality instead of just “grr slavery bad alcohol good.” Anthony Ramos is a very good singer.

This song is pretty good story-wise. It is very well written. Hamilton’s monologue is surprisingly accurate to the real Alexander Hamilton and his beliefs.

The Story of Tonight

It has a good vibe, and I think it’s the closest we see Laurens and Hamilton throughout the entire show, which is kinda nice.

Again with the Lafayette-Mulligan thing LMM why???

The Schuyler Sisters

LMM unintentionally created a monster when he wrote that “and Peggy” line. That joke is one of the most overused and unfunny jokes in this show and its fandom.

Having Angelica be the “strong woman” in the show was a good idea on paper, but it’s not all that accurate to the real Angelica Schuyler, and it’s like her only personality trait (aside from the whole Hamilton and Angelica thing but I’ll talk more on that later)

I'm gonna say this a lot but oh my god these people have no character to them. Not even Eliza Schuyler-- Hamilton’s frickin wife.

Listen ok I am strictly attracted to men but Phillipa Soo is an absolutely beautiful and amazing and talented person. She has full permission to step on me.

Farmer Refuted

The farmer refuted was a pamphlet published by Hamilton in 1775 in response to something Samuel Seabury wrote about how the congress in Philadelphia was bad. Not an actual public debate like you see in the show. But I’ll let this one slide because having the actors read pamphlets onstage would be a lot less entertaining.

That’s pretty much it the song isn’t that interesting.

You’ll Be Back

This is probably just me but I don’t like how King George III steaks the show and is the main source of comedy. When I asked family members after their first viewing of the show who their favourite character was, almost all of them said the King.

Mr. Groff, please keep your spit to yourself.

As far as my knowledge of King George III goes-- and I do not know a lot about him so don’t take this too seriously-- this song is a pretty accurate depiction of ‘The Mad King.’

Redcoat Interlude

Just gonna put this here to say The Bullet is a really cool character.

Right Hand Man

Chris Jackson has the voice of an angel.

I don’t like the way Washington is characterized. At some points, he’s over-glorified, but at other parts of the show, he’s downplayed a lot, and it doesn’t at all seem like the real George Washington.

Washington and Hamilton’s relationship in this show is so off from what it would’ve been historically. You don’t see it much in this song so I won’t say much here for the sake of keeping things organized, but I’ll discuss it later when it’s more obvious

Mulligan is shown in a continental uniform, yet he was not in the army. He was a spy. He wouldn’t have worn a uniform.

As with a lot of songs in this show, the music and choreography are amazing. The ensemble is so so talented.

This scene where Burr is meeting with Washington isn’t entirely wrong, but it’s not exactly how it happened. According to Wikipedia, “In the spring of 1776, Burr's stepbrother Matthias Ogden helped him to secure a position with George Washington's staff in Manhattan, but he quit on June 26 to be on the battlefield.”

Hamilton did not meet Washington at the same time as Burr. He joined Washington’s staff in the spring of 1777.

I’m not exactly sure what he’s referring to when he says “I have some friends, Laurens, Mulligan, Marquis de Lafayette” but I do know that Laurens and Lafayette were not his friends at this point. They weren’t even in America at the time. Mulligan was, and he was good friends with Hamilton.

A Winter’s Ball

The formatting here is wild. This happened in 1780, I don’t know why LMM skipped ahead to this.

“We’re reliable with the ladies” ok that is true I’ll admit.

What is Laurens doing here? He was a prisoner of war in Phillidelphia when Hamilton met Eliza.

Helpless

Eliza was not “helpless.” If anything, Hamilton was the one head-over-heels for her.

Hamilton. Was. Not. Into. Angelica. Angelica. Was. Not. Into. Hamilton.

Hamilton’s little speech to Eliza after he gains her father’s blessing is kinda cute and pretty accurate.

A lot of the people shown in this scene were not at Hamilton’s wedding.

Laurens is shown as Hamilton’s best man, but at the time of Hamilton’s wedding, he was travelling north to meet with Washington after finding out he is to be sent on a diplomatic mission to France. James McHenry, a fellow Aide-De-Camp to Washington, was Hamilton’s best man.

Satisfied

I hate how this is such a good song because what it’s about is probably my least favourite part of this show.

There is no evidence of Angelica being romantically attracted to Hamilton. They likely had a brother-sister kind of bond.

Now, having Angelica as the side love interest wouldn’t have been that bad if it was a real thing, but it wasn’t. LMM intentionally re-wrote a part of history to have her in it, when he could’ve kept the same storyline, and have Laurens be the side love interest. If he had given Laurens that role, he could’ve made the show more historically accurate, and it would bring to light a part of history many people try to erase. But in giving Angelica that role, he has not only completely changed a part in history but has also erased the fact that Alexander Hamilton-- nor John Laurens, for that matter-- was straight. LMM had so much power. He was writing a musical about a founding father. He could have brought so many things we didn’t know to light. And yet, we’re stuck with this.

Angelica was not the person who introduced Hamilton to Angelica. It was most likely Cathrine “Kitty” Livingston, a friend and possible love interest to Hamilton that he met before he joined the army.

Angelica had brothers.

The Story of Tonight (Reprise)

“I’ve seen wonders great and small” *gestures down* I’m sorry sir what?

They were all married before Hamilton.

Wait For It

This is a beautiful song and it doesn’t have much wrong with it.

Stay Alive

Sweet lord the timeline is terrible. The battle of Monmouth happened in 1778 before Hamilton got married.

Here is a better example of the strange portrayal of Washington and Hamilton. The real Washington wouldn’t have called Hamilton “son.” He wouldn’t be as friendly with him. Their relationship was professional.

Mulligan was already in new york, so he wouldn’t have to “go back to new york and [his] apprenticeship.”

“Instead of me, he promotes Charles Lee” Hamilton did not ask for a command at Monmouth. What happened was Lee was given a command, declined, and then it was given instead to Lafayette. Later, Lee requested the command be given back to him because Lafayette was very young and didn’t have much experience. Washinton blindly trusted Lee and agreed to give it back to him.

After Lee was court-martialed, he kept running his mouth and slandering Washington. Hamilton originally wanted to duel lee, but Laurens told him not to, and to just let him say what he wants. Later, after Lee kept running his mouth and the insults got worse, Laurens decided to duel him.

Washington didn’t know of the duel. He didn’t even know it happened until the day after.

Ten Duel Commandments

Hamilton was not the one who was super giddy and impatient for the duel to start, he was kinda the opposite. Laurens was the one who challenged Lee and was the trigger happy one.

Burr was not Lee’s second, Evan Edwards was.

Again, Hamilton was not as enthusiastic as shown here. He was the one who tried to call off the duel and actually prevented Laurens and Lee from firing a second time.

Meet Me Inside

Laurens was not satisfied after he shot Lee, and demanded them to shoot again.

Washington saying “these young men don’t speak for me” isn’t that far off from how he reacted, but we can’t be 100% sure because there’s not a lot that was documented about his reaction to the duel.

Washinton was more upset with Laurens for holding a duel in his honour. So he wouldn’t have lectured Hamilton as he does in this scene.

As I said before, Washington would not be calling Hamilton “son”.

I really wish LMM wrote this scene differently because it’s entirely wrong. Hamilton didn’t leave the army until March of 1781, after being so fed up with Washington continuously denying him a command.

“Charles Lee, Thomas Conway, these men take your name and they rake it through the mud” that is true, and he’s referring to the Conway Cabal. More info on the Conway Cabal can be found here if you’re interested.

The timeline is so confusing here. “Your wife needs you alive” technically, at the time of the duel he didn’t have a wife, but by the time he left Washington’s staff he did. But in the show, I'm assuming this scene takes place in 1778, so, historically, no wife yet. But in the show, he also gets married before this scene. So I don’t know what’s going on here.

That Would Be Enough

For the sake of simplicity and not driving myself to insanity, I’m just gonna assume this takes place in 1781. Because I don’t want to try and figure out the timeline.

Eliza was not a month pregnant yet, in fact, she wasn’t pregnant at all at the time. Hamilton went home in march 1781, and their first son Philip was born in January of the next year. Doing the math, Eliza wasn’t pregnant until May 1781.

This song is actually really sweet aww.

Guns and Ships

Ah, the timeline finally smooths out.

Lafayette wasn’t really a “secret weapon,” he was just a General

Nevermind the timeline is messed up again. “I go to France for more funds” he did that in 1779, and he went back to France on leave, apparently missing home. He ended up working with Benjamin Franklin to send more troops and ships to America.

I wish Laurens was mentioned here. He went on a diplomatic mission to France in February and convinced the french congress to gift America 6 million livres.

Lafayette was not the one to tell Washington he needed Hamilton to come back. What happened was in July after he left, Hamilton sent a letter to Washington threatening to resign his commission. Washinton panicked and sent Tench Tilghman-- a fellow Aide-de-Camp beside Hamilton-- to go to the house Hamilton rented with Eliza to tell him to come back to the army and that Washington will give him a command.

You can see in this scene Lafayette running with a letter, but he was not the person who did that. It was Tilghman.

History Has Its Eyes On You

I can’t think of anything wrong with this song, it’s pretty spot-on and sounds beautiful.

Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)

“We’ll be with you when you do,” ehehe no they were not. The Americans did almost nothing to help France during the French Revolution.

“Take the bullets out your gun” was actually something Hamilton did with his battalion when they were sneaking through the trenches on their way to attack Redoubt 10.

Laurens was not in South Carolina, he was at Yorktown-- fighting under Hamilton’s command-- after just returning from his diplomatic mission to France.

Lafayette was not “there waiting in Chesapeake bay,” he was with the other french troops attacking Redoubt 9.

Again, Mulligan would not have been in uniform.

Mulligan might have “taken their measurements, information” but he sure didn’t “smuggle it.” That was done by his slave, Cato. He and Mulligan were working with the Sons of Liberty and with Hamilton’s spy ring-- of which we do not know the name of-- and smuggled intelligence to General Washington.

The instrumentals and the choreography make me very happy. I really enjoy the short little instrumental break.

The siege of Yorktown lasted three weeks, not just one.

They act like this was the end of the war. It most certainly was not. The war didn’t officially end until 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Yorktown was the last major battle of the war, but not just the last.

What comes Next

I’m very picky about this but I don’t like the king purely because I feel like he steals the show and is the automatic favourite.

Dear Theodosia

Philip Hamilton was born a year before Theodosia Burr.

I don’t know much about Burr, but I can say that Hamilton really did love his kids and his family, and I'm upset that we don’t see that in the show. At least we see a bit of it in this song.

Laurens Interlude (Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us)

“It’s from John Laurens. I’ll read it later.” This makes me sad because the last letter sent between these two was sent from Hamilton on August 15th (and most likely never reached Laurens before his death,) so Hamilton was probably expecting the letter Eliza brings him to be a reply.

We don’t know exactly how Hamilton learned of Laurens’ death, but we do know it was not from a letter from Henry Laurens (John Laurens’ Father.) He most likely learned of Laurens’ death from either Washington or General Greene.

I find it a bit odd that Laurens sings the line “and when our children tell our story” because he never met his daughter, he left his pregnant wife in England (she moved to France a few years later) to sail to America to join the revolution, and never visited them (not even when he was in France for his diplomatic mission.) But I get it, it’s a reprise of “The Story of Tonight.”

The war was not over, but it was close.

“His dream of freedom for these men dies with him.” Yep. Unfortunately, he never got the black battalion he worked so hard for.

I hate how fast it moves from this emotional scene, where Hamilton learns of the death of his closest friend-- the man he loved-- to “after the war I went back to new york” like geez, LMM. give the man some time to grieve.

Non-Stop

The trial of Levi Weeks didn’t happen until 1800.

There is no record of this midnight meeting of Burr and Hamilton.

Burr didn’t actually support the constitution.

Angelica was married long before this, so I don’t know why it’s just being brought up now-- oh wait. LMM is back on his hamgelica bullcrap.

John Jay got sick after writing four, came back to write the fifth, then got sick again and ditched Hamilton and James Madison.

Hamilton did not write all 51 essays on his own, he collaborated on a few with Madison.

Hamilton was not immediately offered the position of Treasury Secretary. It was first offered to Madison, who declined, and then it was offered to Hamilton.

Most of the time, Hamilton was upset that he had to leave his family for work and wrote them often when he was away. From this point onward in the show, Hamilton’s character and personality are getting more and more inaccurate. He was not the selfish, self-centred man we see in the show. In reality, he was a kind man who loved his family but oftentimes made bad decisions due to his bad habit of acting without thought or planning.

ACT II

What’d I Miss

Daveed Diggs is cool, but I don’t understand why so many straight girls are so obsessed with him.

“Pissed him off until we had a two-party system” that’s pretty much true and it’s stupid.

He was in Paris for 5 years. It's not that long.

The “Sally be a lamb” line makes me so upset because it is so disrespectful to Sally Hemmings. I wish LMM left her out completely.

“I am to be the secretary of state, great!” Jefferson was not very happy about being appointed to the secretary of state because he wanted to stay at Monticello and do his own thing.

“I can’t believe that we are free” it’s ironic that Jefferson of all people says that line.

Mr. Madison, that’s not very COVID friendly of you.

Jefferson knew Hamilton for a bit before he went to France, and they did get along outside of politics.

Cabinet Battle #1

I hate how cocky and self-centred Jefferson is here because 1) it’s annoying as hell, and 2) the real Thomas Jefferson was not. He was quiet and shy.

“Imagine what gon’ happen when you try to tax our whiskey.” funny you should say that, Mr. Jefferson. Neither Jefferson nor Madison were not involved with the whiskey rebellion. They were silent on the issue because they made a deal with Hamilton (which I will talk more about in a few songs.) However, Hamilton-- the guy Jefferson is talking to in this scene-- was involved in the whiskey rebellion. He doesn’t have to “Imagine what gon’ happen,” he was there. More info on the whiskey tax and rebellion can be found here.

“We almost died in a trench, while you were off getting high with the french” Jefferson wasn’t in France during the war.

I’m glad the topic of slavery is being brought up, but it could’ve done in a different way instead of just a clap back in a rap battle.

“Madison, you mad as a hatter, son take your medicine” Hamilton is such a hypocrite here. Did he forget the time he almost died of a fever when he was 10? Or when he almost died of a fever in Albany in 1778? Or the fact that on multiple occasions he overworked himself so hard that he got sick? Or his kidney problems? Or--

“You’re gonna need congressional approval and you don’t have the votes!” Jefferson and Madison literally helped him get the votes. (again, I’ll explain later.)

“Well, James Madison won’t talk to me.” He used to. A lot. Hamilton and Madison used to be really good friends until Jefferson returned from France and Madison drifted to his side.

Take a Break

I don’t know how long her trip lasted, but I doubt that Angelica was with Eliza and the kids on their trip upstate. She came to visit in 1789, and the Reynolds affair started in 1791. However, I have no concrete evidence that she left before the affair started, so maybe she was there. I don’t know.

Ah yes, Alexander “I Don’t Care About My Family” Hamilton.

“I have a sister but I want a little brother” by 1791 (when this scene takes place using Philip’s age as a reference) Phillip had 2 brothers already.

While the Schuyler Mansion is near a park, there’s no lake. Today, at least. There’s a swimming pool though.

“I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase,” shut up shut up shut up.

“With a comma after “dearest,” you’ve written: “My dearest, Angelica”” I hate how obsessed LMM is with this stupid comma, yet doesn’t say anything about the multiple suggestive and romantic letter between Laurens and Hamilton.

Speaking of the comma situation, it was meant as a joke. What had happened was Angelica sent a letter to Hamilton with “my dearest, Alexander '' and put the comma by mistake. She just slipped up with her grammar. And in response, Hamilton wrote “my dearest, Angelica” as a joke to tease her about it. It’s not romantic. It was meant. As. A. Joke.

John Adams was vice president. I'd say that’s a real job.

Angelica, stop being all “I came all this way :((“ he doesn’t want to miss out on the trip, but he has to. If he had a choice he would definitely go with his family.

Say No To This

I hate how this song demonizes Mary Lewis (more commonly known as Maria Reynolds) like she was trying to get out of an abusive marriage??? And Hamilton was like “oof that sux wanna bang?”

The heterosexual energy in this scene overwhelms me (/j)

The first letter (that I have found) from James Reynolds to Hamilton was sent on December 15, 1791, so not “a month into this endeavour.”

I will note here that in the letter mentioned above, it sounds nothing like what we hear in the song. Which makes me question if the above letter is even the one Hamilton the musical is talking about.

Because of limited information, I cannot say whether this scene is accurate or not.

“I don’t know about any letter!” she most certainly did. Mary and Reynolds both sent letters to Hamilton concerning the affair.

The Room Where It Happens

This is the song I was talking about when I said I’d talk more about the deal between Jefferson and Madison and Hamilton.

Washington was the one who proposed that this dinner happen.

Clermont street was renamed Mercer street in 1799, the dinner table bargain (what this song is about) was in 1790. Before the Hamilton-Reynolds affair. Yet another wrinkle in the timeline.

“Now how you gonna get your debt plan through?” “I guess I’m gonna finally have to listen to you” well, Hamilton didn’t really “talk less, smile more” his way through the issue. He did-- as he usually does-- quite a lot of talking

“Well, hate the sin, love the sinner” doesn’t sit right with me because it is sometimes used as a homophobic remark.

Jefferson’s account of the bargain on the assumption and residence bills is what this scene is about.

Madison did not hate Hamilton until Jefferson returned from France.

Leslie Odom Jr. is so, so talented.

There is nothing to suggest that Burr wanted to be there. I don’t even think he knew it happened.

Schuyler Defeated

Not much to say here, it's a short and forgettable song.

Cabinet Battle #2

I don’t like how much Jefferson says “we.” He wasn’t there. He wasn’t a soldier.

“Smells like new money, dresses like fake royalty” Hamilton was known for his colourful clothes, while Jefferson was known for dressing sloppily.

“Lafayette’s a smart man, he’ll be fine.” yeah, uh, he was imprisoned in Austria at the time…

“You’re nothing without Washington behind you.” Hamilton was a very powerful man. One of the most powerful, next to Washington. Even with Washington gone, he still held a lot of power and was pretty well-known.

Washington On Your Side

“Thanks to Hamilton, our cabinet’s fractured into factions.” Hamilton is probably one of the biggest reasons the two-party system exists, but Jefferson did play a role as well. To put it simply, Hamilton and the federalists disagreed so much with Jefferson and the democratic-republicans that everything just got split in two.

“And dresses like the pits of fashion” look at the point from the above song.

“Somebody gives me some dirt on this vacuous mass” it really wasn’t that hard to find dirt on Hamilton. He had a controversial past, and could sometimes be a really shady guy. However, it was all for-- at least in his own head-- good reason.

Because of how close Hamilton and Washington were, Hamilton had a lot of power, and Washington backed him up quite a lot.

James Madison gets so little lines in this show, and it makes me kind of upset. Hamilton and Madison were pretty close friends for a few years, so I don’t know why LMM didn’t talk at all about that.

“This immigrant isn’t somebody we chose” yes, but Washington chose him. Don’t like him? take it up with Washington.

One Last Time

Jefferson did not step “down so he can run for president,” he stepped down to go home. To relax at his mansion, to get away from politics. He stepped down in 1793 and didn’t run for president until 1796.

This song is actually really good, and pretty accurate. And good lord Chris Jackson can sing. Gives me chills every time.

I Know Him

Adams did know King George III. and from what I have read, he was very nervous to meet him.

“That’s that little guy who spoke to me” of course he’s little to the king, the king was like 6’6”.

The Adams Administration

The Adams Pamphlet was published in 1800.

The new york post wasn’t founded until 1801, so I find it odd that they’re bringing it up in this song, in 1797.

Adams did not fire Hamilton, he stepped down on his own in 1795.

Hamilton’s response to Adams’ taunts hurt Hamilton’s reputation a lot more than it hurt Adams’.

We Know

This takes place in 1792 before Adams was president.

Jefferson, Madison and Burr were not the people to confront Hamilton. It was James Monroe, Frederick Muhlenberg, and Abraham Venable.

The whole situation with the speculation of embezzled funds is pretty off from what we see here. What happened was James Reynolds embezzled $500 and tried to get his way out of imprisonment by saying he had dirt on Hamilton. Monroe, Muhlenberg, and Venable went to Hamilton and Hamilton explained “no, I didn’t embezzle government money, I just got my dick sucked.”

“Yes, I have reasons for shame,” yeah you think?

Hurricane

The workshop version is better, and it has Laurens in it.

The Reynolds Pamphlet

Gotta give Hamilton credit for not publishing this until after William S. Hamilton was born and then waiting for the stress of a new baby to be gone. Y’know at least he’s considerate.

Eliza was only gone for the summer of ‘91, so I don’t know why everyone’s acting like she was gone the whole time.

Hamilton didn’t even want to be a president, and never showed any interest in the position.

Angelica was already in America at the time, she didn’t just travel because of the affair.

The king has no reason to be here. I get that he’s the comedic relief, but this isn’t a scene where comedic relief is needed. It’s a serious situation.

“His poor wife” yeah, but have you ever stopped to think about what Mary Lewis is going through?

Burn

“You have ruined our lives.” The ‘our’ is referring to Eliza and Mary Lewis.

Blow Us All Away

George Eaker said many bad things about Hamilton in a fourth of July public speech, but Philip Hamilton didn’t meet him and challenge him to the duel until late November of 1801.

Speaking of 1801, this happens way after the Reynolds affair and the election of 1800.

Hamilton didn’t know that the duel happened. Philip lied and told his father that it had been resolved. Hamilton later found out that it happened when John B. Church and a few others told him after it happened that Philip was shot and dying.

“Everything is legal in New Jersey.” duelling was illegal in some form or another in every state, but the punishment was less severe in New Jersey.

The guns Philip (and his father 3 years later) used in the duel belonged to John B. Church. They were not Hamilton’s guns.

Eaker didn’t shoot on 7. They both counted to 10 and stood still for an awkward minute before Philip raised his gun to fire into the air, and Eacker got scared that Philip would shoot him and shot Philip.

Stay Alive (Reprise)

When Hamilton arrived at the home of dr. David Hosack (the doctor treating Philip) he reportedly fainted from anxiety.

Eliza’s scream should have been Angelica Hamilton, as she had a mental breakdown after the death of her brother, and was arguably (out of the rest of her siblings) the most hurt by his death.

It’s Quiet Uptown

Hamilton was really hurt by the death of his son. It was probably what broke him the most out of every death he’s seen in his life-- and he’s seen a lot.

“I take the children to church on Sunday,” after Philip’s death, Hamilton and his family became a lot more religious.

“His hair has gone grey,” there is a portrait of Hamilton shortly after his son’s death, and he looks like he’s aged 10 years. He looks old and sad and in grief. It barely looks like him.

Eliza would have forgiven Hamilton at this point. She forgave him not too long after the Reynolds pamphlet was published.

The Election of 1800

This happened before Philip’s duel, but you already knew that.

“I’m going door-to-door.” “You’re openly campaigning?” “Sure!” Burr was the first presidential candidate to openly campaign and set the standard for modern American politics.

They were tied for a stupidly long time. And when they finally got untied (by Hamilton and the federalists’ promotions and persuasion) it was by just a few votes. Not “in a landslide.”

Burr did end up being Jefferson’s vice-president. Jefferson didn’t change that.

Your Obedient Servant

This is a situation, much like the Reynolds affair, where no one is in the “right” or the “wrong.” Was it wrong for Burr to shoot Hamilton? Yes, absolutely. Was it wrong for Hamilton to say bad things about Burr and constantly keep him away from what he wanted? Yes, absolutely. But on the other side, was it wrong for Burr to be mad about what Hamilton did? No, he had every right to be angry. Was it wrong for Hamilton to speak his mind? No, freedom of speech and all that. It’s a very fuzzy situation and that’s partly why it’s unclear what exactly happened on the duelling ground.

While Burr’s loss of the elections was a reason for his duel with Hamilton, it was not the main reason. There were a bunch of little things that led up to this. A question I’ve been asked before (quite a few times, honestly) is “if Burr won the election/if Hamilton promoted Burr, would the duel still have happened?” and in my opinion, I think it still would have happened, it would have probably just happened later. Because the duel wasn’t the “breaking point” for Burr, it was just one of those little things that led to it.

Also while I’m on the topic of the election, it happened a few years before the duel. The election of 1800 was on March 4, 1801 (yes, 1801. It was tied for a very long time.) The duel was on July 11, 1804. So not directly afterward.

“Just to keep me from winning.” it is true that Hamilton did not trust Burr to be in power, and did everything he could to stop him.

The workshop version is cooler and more accurate. (if LMM had just kept the workshop version and what was in it I probably wouldn’t be writing TBH)

“I am not the reason no one trusts you,” in a way, yes, Hamilton is the reason no one trusts Burr. Hamilton had a lot of power and a lot of people listened to him. A good example of this would be his role during John Adams’ presidency. Hamilton constantly whispered into Adams’ cabinet members’ ears and basically told them what to do. And they believed him, and did what he said.

“Even if I said what you think I said, you would need to cite a more specific grievance. Here’s an itemized list of 30 years of disagreements.” Hamilton and Burr argued so much and Hamilton said so many bad things about him that when Burr asked him to admit to saying these things Hamilton essentially said “yeah well I’ve said a lot about you so you’re gonna have to be a lot more specific because I don’t know which time you’re referring to.”

Best of Wives, Best of Women

The title (and the line in the song) are a reference to this letter.

Hamilton was not with his wife the night before the duel. He was at a house he had rented in new york city that he stayed in sometimes while away for work. A few of his older sons were with him, though, including John C. Hamilton, who was interviewed many years later and gave a retelling of what happened the night before. You can read it here.

The World Was Wide Enough

“A doctor that he knew” was David Hosak, the same doctor who treated Philip after his duel just 3 years earlier.

“Now, I didn’t know this at the time but we were near the same spot your son died,” I’m fairly sure he knew, Philip’s duel was a pretty big thing and a lot of people knew.

“My fellow soldiers tell you I’m a terrible shot.” Burr was actually a very good shot. There’s even an account of him doing target practice a few days before the duel.

“But look it up, Hamilton was wearing his glasses,” Hamilton put on his glasses because he was old, and had bad vision from his years of service in the revolution, and from how hard he worked. Fun fact, he was facing the rising sun, which meant the sun glared off his glasses, rendering him unable to see clearly. He wouldn’t have been able to shoot Burr if he tried.

“This man will not make an orphan of my daughter.” Burr’s daughter, Theodosia, was 22 and married. I’m sure she would be fine. On the other hand, Hamilton’s kids were very young. The oldest, Angelica, was only 19, and the youngest, Philip II, was only 2. These kids all needed a father figure in their life, but apparently, Burr didn’t consider that.

In the lines "Laurens leads a soldiers’ chorus on the other side / My son is on the other side, he's with my mother on the other side / Washington is watching from the other side," it seems like they’re being listed in a very particular order but I’m not sure what it means or why they’re in that order.

Hamilton quotes Laurens’ lines right before he dies and it makes me think of a conversation I had with a friend. She was telling me about how for some time after Laurens’ death, Hamilton didn’t really speak that much in congress and such. At first, I thought “oh it’s because he’s dealing with the death of his closest friend and possible romantic partner,” but then my friend explained that that’s not why he was quiet. It’s because when Laurens was in South Carolina, trying to convince the house of representatives to give him his black battalion, he didn’t talk that much. He waited for everyone else to talk, and then he jumped in and talked. That’s why Hamilton was silent for a lot of the time. He was doing what Laurens did. He was quoting Laurens.

“They row him back across the Hudson, I get a drink.” After shooting Hamilton, Burr went to his cousin’s house as if nothing had happened.

Burr showed seemingly no regret for shooting Hamilton, and even bragged and joked about it for years after.

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

“Every other founding father’s story gets told,” it really is kinda sad how little people know about Hamilton. He’s not taught about in school. He wasn’t a president.

I do wish that the musical talked a bit more about Hamilton’s kids and their contribution to keeping Hamilton's story alive. Especially John C. who went through all of his father’s papers and wrote the first biography on him.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I really wish the Laurens-Hamilton relationship was a bigger part of the show.

The actors are amazing, but the people they play have little to no character/personality, and it kinda brings the actors down.

I love Phillipa soo.

There are so many inaccuracies that could have been easily avoided, and I genuinely don’t understand why LMM did some of the things he did. Like there was no reason to make Angelica the love interest. Absolutely no reason. And yet, here we are.

Hamilton, the musical was a great way to make more people interested in history, but unfortunately because of how wrong the show is, a lot of people who gain an interest in history from it think that it’s 100% right and treat it like a documentary. I would know, I became interested in American history because of the musical and I didn’t know how many things were wrong or left out until recently.

The workshop version was better and more accurate.

And that’s it! I’d like to give a big thanks to my friends who helped me, especially my friend Mary.

#gil writes #gil's hamilton musical essay #im actually so proud of this #please dont let this flop

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scotianostra · 1 year ago

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On March 1st 1910, David Niven, actor and author, was born.

Despite his lifelong claim to have been born a Scot, in Kirriemuir, he was actually born in Belgravia, but let’s not take that away from, who wouldn’t rather be Scottish than English? 😉 The actors Donald Crisp and James Robertson Justice were two others who although pinned there colours to Scotland, were actually born in England. Niven though served in the Highland Light Infantry, (despite asking for any regiment but the HLI) in the early 1930s.

Many of you out there will be of Scottish descent either researched, known or simply because you have a Scottish name, one of my friends has a broad English accent but was born and brought up near Inverness and a lot of people up the north of Scotland claim to be “more” Scottish than those in the south, what a load of nonsense that is.

Niven wanted to be Scottish and that’s good enough for me and the same goes for any of you out there. Being Scottish, as well as being born here can be a state of mind in my humble opinion. Niven’s Scottish heritage came from his paternal grandfather, David Graham Niven, he was from St Martin’s, a village in Perthshire, and was killed in WW1 during the Gallipoli campaign.

He resigned his commission in the army in 1933 and made his way to the USA, where, still chasing the Scottish connection, spendingt time as a whisky salesman, then joining a rodeo, before arriving in Hollywood in the mid 1930’s. Early appearances in films include Barbary Coast and Mutiny on the Bounty, but blink and you’ll miss him. His first starring role was in Thank You, Jeeves! as Bertie Wooster

Other films include A Matter of Life and Death, Around the World in 80 Days, The Guns of Navarone and The Pink Panther. My favourite was The Bishops Wife and he played Bonnie Prince Charlie in the film of the same name.

At the outbreak of World War II Niven returned home and rejoined the army, the Government at the time advised actors to stay in Holywood at the time, and he was alone in refusing this advice, he was assigned to a motor training battalion. He wanted something more exciting, however, and transferred into the Commandos, his training was at Inverailort House in the Highlands. On his return to Hollywood afterwards the Americans awarded him with Legion of Merit, the highest military award that can be given to a non US citizen. Niven never talked much about his time during the war, but did see action a few days after D Day and at Battle of the Bulge.

He is also well known as the author of the bestselling autobiography, The Moon’s a Balloon. His career fluctuated in the 50’s but he endured that and came back bigger than ever, he played Bond in the original Casino Royale, but his greatest achievement was winning an Oscar in the film Separate Tables, becoming the only person to win an academy award while hosting the ceremony!

So David Niven maybe not “Scottish” in the true sense of the word, but certainly Proud to be seen as a Scot.

#scotland #scottish #Anglo-scot #actor

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 4 years ago

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“Veteran Is Sent to Jail,” Border Cities Star. September 18, 1930. Page 05. ---- Two Years Term is Given For Chicken Thefts To Essex Man --- Pals Get Mercy --- Suspended Sentence For 2 - ‘Old War Habit’ Alibi Is Discounted --- James Kennedy, 35, of Essex, a veteran of the First Canadian Division, was sentenced by Magistrate W. A. Smith in Sandwich police court this morning to serve two years in Kingston Penitentiary on charges of stealing chickens from two Essex County coops.

PALS GIVE MERCY Kennedy along with Wallace Fairburn, 20, and Edward Wlesh, 27, of Essex, were charged with stealing 20 chickens from John Baldwin, of Essex, and 12 chickens from Ira Cowell, also of that town. They pleaded guilty Monday and appeared for sentence today.

As Fairburn and Welsh were merely tools of Kennedy’s they were given two years suspended sentence each, on their personal bond of $500, on the more serious charge and were fined $10 and costs each on the lesser count. Chief Paerson of Essex, laid these charges.

Major James H. Clark, counsel for Kennedy, explained to Magistrate Smith that his client was wounded three times while serving in France with the Fourth Battalion, in which unit his two brothers were serving when killed in action.

OLD WAR CUSTOM Major Clark claimed that Kennedy’s war experiences had something to do with his fall from grace. He added that Kennedy, accustomed to stealing chickens during his army days, had come to look upon that offence as something trivial.

The lawyer’s explanation might have had some effect if Crown Attorney James S. Allan had not produced Kennedy’s record, which showed that he served two jail terms for theft in 1911 in Hamilton.

‘I think it’s very necessary to protect the farmer who is trying to make some kind of living raising chickens, from having his yards cleared out,’ said Magistrate Smith in imposing sentence. ‘Something must be done, if possible, to prevent chicken stealing, which is become such a chronic crime in the County of Esssex.’

Kennedy, Fairburn, and Welsh are also to face trial in county court on another chicken stealing charge. The date for this trial has not been set.

#essex county #stealing chickens #stolen chickens #chicken farm #shell shock #canadian veteran #returned soldier #canadian 1st division #world war 1 canada #suspended sentence #sentenced to the penitentiary #kingston penitentiary #great depression in canada #rural crime #rural canada #crime and punishment in canada #history of crime and punishment in canada

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elliepassmore · 4 years ago

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Dangerous Remedy review

4/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, France, French Revolution, schemes, dual POVs, LGBTQ characters TW: homophobia The premise of this book was a good one, with a band of criminals running around Robespierre’s France and Olympe’s powers. I definitely liked the historical bits that were included, like the prisoner in the iron mask and the mountain Robespierre gives his speech on. However, the execution of the book was…so-so. Also, there was some stuff that was remarkably similar to Six of Crows and/or Crooked Kingdom, though admittedly more poorly executed. I will say that though it is set in France during the Terror, the Revolution and post-Revolution activities felt more like a set prop than an actual setting. Yes, people are being guillotined and sent to jail for random ass reasons, but it could’ve been set anywhere and nothing about it would’ve changed. There’s nothing distinctly French about the story, nothing that really screams the Revolution, and after discovering in 2020 that I do actually like historical fantasy set in pre/peri/post-Revolution France, I was looking forward to that aspect of it. Camille Laroche is the leader of the Battalion of the Dead, who run around Paris during the Terror and do their best to rescue people sentenced to the gallows. While she seems like a cool character in the first several chapters, she makes bad decisions, won’t listen to anyone but herself, and seemingly can’t actually pull off any of the stuff she says she and the Battalion can pull off. However, Camille at least has some standards that she sticks to, such as protecting Olympe and letting the other girl make her own choices. She is very wishy-washy on other things, though, and I don’t like how she lets things with James get out of hand. Especially when she lets things get out of hand and then freaks out about Ada being upset. Like…really? You didn’t see that coming? Also, why was everyone in love with Camille? Ada, fine, they seem close (though they also seem to have not known each other that long? Lost on the timeline a bit), but James the fiancé and Guil as well? Jesus. The girl isn’t that great, actually. She’s mired in self-doubt and her parents’ executions and bad decisions, and while her chapters weren’t terrible, I just liked Ada’s better. Ada is very scientifically minded and has enough confidence to bring herself through even when she’s literally falling out of the sky in a hot air balloon. She does spend a bit of time worrying over her and Camille choosing each other, but though this theme gets repetitive, I found I didn’t actually mind it. It’s something that does come up several times, because there are several instances wherein they have the choice to go after one another or not, and they tend to choose ‘not.’ I liked how Ada resolved this for herself, and it makes sense plotwise as well, so that was a bonus. Her jealousy over James was annoying at first, though it does end up becoming a reasonable worry. She had to keep reminding herself that as long as Camille was safe it didn’t really matter who saved her, and she does get to a good place with this, and it was never very obtrusive, but I’m just not someone who really likes jealousy a whole lot. Ada serves to balance Camille out pretty well in terms of her relationships with the Battalion. She and Guil seem fairly close, and she is able to be gentler and more open with Al than Camille ever seems to be. Like Camille, she jumps quickly onto the Olymp’s Choice Train, and it’s obvious she cares for the other girl like a member of the battalion. I have mixed feelings on Al. He’s going through a bit of a tough time in the book, but despite the façade he puts up he clearly cares about the group and Léon. Unfortunately, he leaves the Battalion too much to really be on page that often, so we don’t really get to know him, and a lot of the time he and Camille are squabbling over one thing or another. I didn’t like how he treated Olympe and openly called her a science project when she was in the room. He’s a funny character, though, and in the beginning and ending of the book he has potential to be a good character. Guil is another character I feel like we don’t get enough of in the story, though he’s more likeable than Al, in my opinion. I think Guil is in most of the book, but I just feel like we don’t really get to know his character that well. Like how Ada’s caring balances Camille’s leadership, Guil’s empathy counters Al’s seeming apathy. He cares for the other members of the team and for Olympe’s safety, and is often there to offer support to both Ada and Camille. Guil, at times, acts as a bit of a ‘wise’ character, but he also has a dry sense of humor that I appreciate. Olympe I enjoyed and is, once more, a character I’d’ve liked to see more of. Her powers and stormy appearance are intriguing, and I’m not quite sure I follow why she looks the way she does (not that it’s explained, but there are hints of why she has powers, so still). Over the course of the book she really transforms from a frightened girl into someone who freely chooses for herself and is able to stand up for herself and for the Battalion. James was definitely not a pleasant surprise when he pops into the book. However, he does come across as a pretty good character and his medical knowledge came in handy. I liked how her offered to help Ada get into nursing school if that was something she wanted, and despite Ada’s jealousy toward him re: Camille, I do think the two were able to bond somewhat over science. I liked the two antagonistic forces on opposite sides of the fight. I thought it gave the book a nice complexity and added some plot complications. I do think it got kind of convoluted toward the end, and I’m unsure of how either the Revolutionaries or the Royalists seemed to be just about everywhere the Battalion went. It was a lot of blockers and it would’ve been nice if the group could’ve had one thing go well. But I do think the two sets of villains was a nice addition to the story and liked how they played off one another in different, but similar ways. Overall, this book wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. It seems like I felt the same way a lot of other reviews did in that it was neutral. I gave it 4 stars because I enjoyed the characters (mostly) and the backdrop and some of the humor.

#book #books #book review #ya book #kat dunn #dangerous remedy #french revolution #robespierre #the terror #fantasy #lgbtq characters #characters of color #lesbian characters #dual pov

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portals-to-a-new-world · 6 years ago

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Chapter 1: Yorktown

Summary: Leonard is a shameless flirt and Jim crashes a date.

Word Count: 1239

A/N: Just to clarify the timeline, ‘Assuming’ was set after Into Darkness :)

The week following the battle of Yorktown was a blur of debriefs, funerals, and ceremonies, not least among which was your promotion to Lieutenant Commander, and Chief Security Officer. You were still trying to wrap your head around it three days later as you sat beside Leonard, having dinner in an old-fashioned diner. A glance up at him revealed he had been speaking and judging by the way he was running his hands through his hair; you had missed something important. “Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?”

“I asked if you’d like to spend some time on Earth together. Jim mentioned he was going back for a month while they’re rebuilding the Enterprise, and I thought maybe we could visit our families while we’re there.” Ah, that would explain why he seems so nervous. He wanted you to meet his family. You couldn’t help but grin at the thought. You had met Jo already, albeit through vidcall, and almost immediately declared to Leonard that you would fight off an entire battalion of Klingons for her. His response had been a crushing hug, and when he pulled back to look at you through tear-filled eyes, he whispered, “I love you”; the first time either of you had said it. That was nearly a year after you started dating, and since you’d grown close with her, bonding over your shared love for classical literature. Your own family had been asking when they were going to get to meet the man you never shut up about. You had a feeling he would be facing quite a bit of teasing from your brother in law; Jim really didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, so of course, everyone back home had heard about the…. confusion that preluded your relationship. You reached down to place your hand over the top of his with a smile.

“Doctor McCoy, it would be my honor to accompany you home,” His relief was apparent in the smile that spread across his face.

“Good, because Jim already booked the transport for six weeks from tomorrow.” You rolled your eyes. You started to comment when your brain finally did the math, and you realized when you’d be arriving on Earth.

“Hang on, that means we’ll be there in-” He cut you off, clearly knowing where you were going.

“Mid-August, yeah.” You let out a groan. Dammit, Jim! Didn’t he realize that was smack dab in the middle of

“Hurricane season” You and Bones spoke in unison, earning more than a few looks from the tables around you. “Dammit, Len, it’s gonna be hotter than the pits of hell!” You whined.

“I know, darlin’,” He nodded and leaned in to whisper against your ear. “But now you have an excuse to wear those Daisy Duke’s you think you’ve been hiding,” Your eyes widened, and your mouth hung open, unable to form any words as he laughed. “Honestly, they’re just sitting in the top of your drawer, how did you think I wasn’t gonna notice?”

“Was supposed to be a surprise,” You mumbled indignantly. He just huffed another laugh into his drink before taking a sip.

“Should’ve thought of a better hiding place then.”

“What, like where you hid your bourbon back at the academy?” Jim’s voice said from behind you. You spun with a grin, ignoring Len’s annoyed eye roll.

“Was it in his sock drawer? Cause he still does that.”

“Hey!” You turned back to Leonard, giggling at his betrayed scowl. “Wait, what were you doing in my sock drawer?” He asked, looking slightly more concerned than you thought the situation should warrant.

“I needed a drink after all those ceremonies,” You shrugged. “Why? You got something else hidden in there?”

“No!” He said quickly. You looked over to Jim, who had taken the liberty of sliding into the seat across from you, and quirked a smile as he reached to grab Leonard’s glass of tea. “Who invited you, anyway?” Len grumbled, grabbing his drink from Kirk’s hand.

“Why, Bones, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say I wasn’t welcome here,” Jim said as he grinned. Leonard opened his mouth, obviously intent on telling Jim exactly how much he wasn’t welcome, but you cut him off before he could speak.

“James Tiberius Kirk, what do you want?” He cringed at the use of his full name.

“What did I do to warrant my full name?” He asked, moving his hand towards your glass. You pointed your fork at him accusingly, and he quickly withdrew it.

“What in the deep black expanse possessed your mind to plan a trip home in the middle of August?”

“What’s wrong with August?” You scoffed, looking at Leonard incredulously. Can you believe this idiot? He just shrugged and shook his head. “What?” Jim demanded, clearly confused at your shared exasperation. “I like August, you can drive with the top down.”

“Jim. Am I correct in assuming that you’ve never been to the south during the summer?” He nods, face turning wary at your tone. “Wonderful, I’ll get to say I told you so. Now, what are you doing here?” He hesitated for a moment, a mix of emotions flashing across his face.

“I just came to celebrate with my newest CSO and her grumpy CMO boyfriend.” His tone was casual, but one glance at the way he was staring intently at the menu that the waitress handed him, jaw set, and shoulders tensed, and you knew he was lying. You looked over to Leonard to confirm your theory, and he gave a small nod.

“You wanna talk about it?” Len said softly. Jim sighed and dragged his hand down his face, shaking his head.

“It’s nothing, Bones.” He turned and gave his order to the waitress, flashing her a smile. “Just happy you guys are okay,” Recognition seemed to cross Leonard’s face at his words, but it was too quick for you to be sure. He looked over at you and offered a small smile as he took your hand in his.

“Yeah,” Len spoke gruffly, sending a shiver down your spine. “I know what you mean.” You raised an eyebrow, but he only brought your hand to his lips and place a kiss on your knuckles.

“If this is how you two celebrate, I’m gonna need to run home and raid your sock drawer,” You quipped, earning a laugh from across the table and an amused eye roll from beside you. You tensed as he leaned down to whisper in your ear again.

“Wait till we get home, and I’ll show you how I celebrate,” You flushed at his words, biting into your cheek to suppress a smirk.

“Bones, you could at least try to be subtle,” Jim said with a disapproving wag of his finger. You waggled your eyebrows at him before pulling a grinning Len down for a kiss. You broke apart, laughing at Jim’s frustrated sigh. “You two are insufferable.” He said though the small smile he tried to hide behind his glass gave him away. The evening continued as you all bickered and quipped and planned for the trip to Earth and true to his word, Leonard hosted a celebration for two when you returned to your shared apartment. When you both finally collapsed in each other’s arms, you drifted off into dreams about peaches and clear blue skies. Six weeks couldn’t go by fast enough.

A/N pt 2: Hello everyone! Just a heads up for future chapters, I will be writing Joanna as around 14 years; mostly because I am soft at the idea of Bones getting to be there for his baby’s first day of high school, but also because canonically speaking she would be 14 around the time this is set anyway. (I think, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) Anyway, I’ll try and update at the very least once a month, but hopefully, I’ll be able to post a new chapter every other week. Thank y'all for reading, and stop by and let me know what you think in the comments :)

#leonard mccoy x reader #bones x reader #leonard bones mccoy x reader

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thefilmsnob · 5 years ago

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Glen Coco’s Top 10 films of 2019

2019 was one of the better movie years I’ve experienced. It was no 2007 or 2013--we all know that--but it was pretty damn good. People who say ‘they just make crap nowadays’ probably aren’t really into movies and are definitely out to lunch. Dammit, now I want lunch. Anyway, here are my picks for the ten best films of 2019 which, as always, follow my runners-up and the traditional bonus track...There’s always a bonus track.

Runners-Up

-Bombshell

-Booksmart Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/185427895290/booksmart-out-of-5

-Ford v Ferrari

-The Irishman

-Joker Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/188571262775/joker-out-of-5

-Parasite

-The Peanut Butter Falcon

-The Two Popes

And here are my top 10!

#10b. (Bonus Track) Avengers: Endgame

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, the rest of Hollywood

Maybe, like some people in the industry, you don’t consider Marvel films to be ‘cinema’. Well, that’s a legitimate and long debate for another time. But, you can’t say that weaving a narrative through 22 related films isn’t an impressive feat. That’s what Marvel Studios did and with the help of the Russo Brothers, and despite the countless moving pieces, they ended this chapter of the franchise almost perfectly with just the right balance of action, human drama, twists, turns and some surprisingly poignant moments. If you didn’t get goosebumps--and maybe even pee your pants a bit--when those portals opened up at the end, bringing to mind Gandolf’s triumphant entrance into the Battle of Helm’s Deep, then maybe movies just aren’t for you, my friend.

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/184694412545/avengers-endgame-out-of-5

#10. Marriage Story

Director: Noah Baumbach

Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson

Ironically, Marriage Story is actually about a divorce. But, writer/director Noah Baumbach imbues this civil-turned-nasty separation with all the complexity and aggravation that come with being married with child. He treats the divorce like the grueling process you’d expect it to be, one which involves real, flawed people whose needs and desires don’t align, making the situation increasingly distressing for all parties involved. In turn, Driver and Johansson make this distress increasingly palpable for the audience until it feels like we’re in the room with them during one of their several heated arguments. Both actors give some of the best work of their careers, yet it still may be overshadowed by Laura Dern and Ray Liotta who shine as the two ruthless lawyers representing them. Baumbach has been churning out these gems for years, but his latest, which may be his most accessible, may also be his best so far.

#9. Jojo Rabbit

Director: Taika Waititi

Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson

What do you get when you mix Nazi Germany, the ghost of Hitler and a poor Jewish girl trying to survive the second World War? You get one of the funniest and most touching movies of the year, of course. The surging writer/actor/director Taika Waititi, who specializes in quirky films filled with quirkier characters, hasn’t made the typically grim melodrama about Nazi Germany nor is he doing anything close to promoting Nazi culture. Instead, he uses the tale of a young boy who attends a Hitler Youth training camp to highlight the absurdity of this horrible movement while promoting tolerance. He delivers this powerful message by introducing a young Jewish girl who seeks refuge in the home of Jojo and his mother, played by Scarlett Johansson (who clearly had a good year). This leads to Jojo’s crisis of conscience which is complicated by his imaginary friend...who happens to be Adolf Hitler! Yes, the movie is different.

#8. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie

It’s no surprise that Quentin Tarantino would make a film about 1960s Hollywood starring one of the most prestigious celebrity trios in the business; the guy’s passion--obsession even--for film is unmatched. Here, he uses the medium to take a horrific moment in history like the murder of Sharon Tate at the hands of the Manson Family and gives it the stereotypical Hollywood happy ending. In doing so, he showcases the wish fulfillment of the movies and their power to comfort us with optimism while simultaneously warning of their ability to shelter us from our cruel reality. DiCaprio and Pitt give brilliant performances as characters who add to the perception-vs-reality theme, DiCaprio playing the huge movie star full of anxiety and doubt in real life who relies heavily on his stunt double, Pitt, who’s the actual confident hero. All this and much more takes place in a meticulously recreated Hollywood of the ‘60s that sweeps you up in nostalgia and immerses you in a world of make-believe.

#7. Knives Out

Director: Rian Johnson

Starring: Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer

Yes, there have been many murder mysteries. No, Knives Out isn’t just like the rest of them. Writer/director Rian Johnson does a masterful job at crafting a labyrinthine story that’s just complex enough without overwhelming and strikes a perfect balance of suspense and comedy. Featuring one of the greatest casts assembled in 2019 playing a dysfunctional family of despicable yet intriguing individuals of means, the story is full of truly surprising twists and turns and, more crucially, some well-integrated and astute social commentary. This isn’t a two-hour lecture, though; the film is undeniably entertaining. The stand-out here is detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig with a delightful southern drawl and an attention to detail that rivals Sherlock Holmes. Craig transcends his James Bond persona while the film itself transcends a genre.

#6. 1917

Director: Sam Mendes

Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman

If this were a few years ago 1917 would be, without question, my #1 pick. However, as the long, uncut tracking shot has become more common over the years, it’s also lost a bit of its luster; 2014′s Birdman, one of the best films of the decade, also had the appearance of a single take. Nonetheless, to make a war film, with all its tricky choreography and pyrotechnics, look like one long take is still a phenomenal achievement and an absolute marvel to behold. And, although it obviously couldn’t be filmed in one shot, Sam Mendes and master cinematographer Roger Deakins still had to shoot long takes and stitch them together digitally while stealthily hiding the seams. It all helps tell the story of two young soldiers tasked with traversing treacherous territory to warn a Battalion of British soldiers about an impending German ambush. We follow the pair in real time amidst a story of remarkable bravery, enhanced by the fact that we’re with them every step of the way, at once experiencing everything they do up close while being reminded of how removed we really are from the danger they face.

#5. Uncut Gems

Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin Garnett (hey, why not?), Julia Fox

There are several talented actors in Hollywood who’ve gained a bad reputation for poor career choices. Ben Affleck and Will Smith come to mind. Perhaps the king of this group is Adam Sandler. He’s excelled sporadically in movies like Punch-Drunk Love and The Meyerowitz Stories, but he gives a truly Oscar-worthy performance in this--ahem--gem. As Howard Ratner, he’s a gambling addict who runs a jewelry store in New York’s Diamond district when he gets his hands on a rare Ethiopian black opal which he hopes will help pay off his many debts. In fact, he owes so much to so many people that he struggles to keep track of it all and we cringe every time he does. The tension builds to an almost unbearable level as a host of dangerous men seek payment. If that’s not enough, he’s on the verge of a divorce as he continues seeing a mistress who’s also his employee while owing $100 000 to his own criminal brother-in-law. If you were stressed just reading that, try watching the movie...or being Howard himself. The Safdie brothers don’t let up either, filming it like a documentary to add to its realism and immediacy...as if it needed that extra boost.

#4. The Lighthouse

Director: Robert Eggers

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe

The first thing you notice watching The Lighthouse is that half the screen is missing; Robert Eggers, who also wrote and directed The Witch, shot the film with a 1.19: 1 aspect ratio, making the picture square, like an old-timey photograph. It feels limiting at first until you fully appreciate the feelings of confinement and anxiety it evokes. That’s important in a film about two lighthouse keepers, or wickies, who are forced to live together in insanely grungy and cramped quarters of a lighthouse on a remote island off the coast of New England. Considering the harsh conditions and the fact it’s a horror film, they soon clash and seemingly lose their grip on reality which manifests in macabre images and supernatural occurrences. Or does it? Ha! This is one of the most unique and beautifully filmed movies of the year with the grainy black and white 35mm making it seem like it was made closer to the late 19th century, when the film takes place. Like many recent horror films, this one relies more on mood and imagery than jump scares and is buttressed by only two actors who give award-worthy performances. Alright? So, go to hell; Pattinson can act.

#3. Little Women

Director: Greta Gerwig

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern

You might assume that Little Women is a stuffy period piece and even unnecessary considering it’s the seventh adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s iconic 1868 novel, but the prodigious actor-turned-writer-turned-director Greta Gerwig is too adept in her craft to settle for conventional story-telling. She gives this classic story a fresh, modern take with a non-linear approach and a feminist angle that enhances without overwhelming. Like her work on Lady Bird, she keeps scenes brisk and to the point with decisive cuts. She also adds her unique wit and snappy dialogue. Every conversation, no matter how superficial, leaves you enraptured. So, too, do the characters; it’s a pleasure following these complex girls through the ups and downs of their lives as women of little means and even fewer rights. They’re portrayed by a stellar cast, particularly Jo March who’s played by Saoirse Ronan, perhaps our greatest sub-30 actress. This may be a little movie about little women, but the payoffs and sheer enjoyment are truly grand.

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/190231754125/little-women-12-out-of-5

#2. Us

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke

I know it’s blasphemous, but I might be the only person on Earth who not only thought Get Out was a tad overrated, but that Jordan Peele’s second feature, Us, is the superior picture. It’s easy to look at this film as merely a unique take on the slasher genre, but it’s so much more than that. Like any good horror, it’s creepy as hell, but it’s also brimming with foreshadowing, symbolism and metaphor. There are three or four ideas that Peele sets up at the beginning that seem disconnected to the story, yet they each have a specific purpose and when that becomes evident, it’s incredibly satisfying. Even more impressive is how Peele turns a movie about a vacationing family encountering their doppelgangers into a brilliant commentary on the current state of America, specifically in regards to class division and its relation to the Nature vs Nurture debate. And the movie’s neat twist at the end isn’t just added for shock value; it’s actually the final puzzle piece and essential in conveying the film’s message. I struggled with ranking Us at #1 or #2, but its over-reliance on slasher film action around the mid-point (a minor flaw) was the deciding factor. It’s near-perfect, nonetheless.

Full Film Interpretation: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/184073868405/interpreting-jordan-peeles-film-us

#1. Midsommar

Director: Ari Aster

Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter

If there’s one thing for which the 2010s should be known, it’s great horror films, a refreshing development after decades of mediocrity. But, just like movies in general from the ‘New Hollywood’ ‘70s, horror films are more creative and ambitious than they’ve been in ages thanks to a handful of visionary filmmakers. Three out of the top five entries are horror movies and that’s saying something.

Midsommar is a mesmerizing horror film that hearkens back to the 1970s when the genre relied more heavily on atmosphere and pacing and sheer creepiness than on jump scares and gimmicks. It takes one hell of a talented writer/director to make a movie shot almost entirely in daylight feel so utterly sinister, but Ari Aster, who also made the acclaimed Hereditary, does just that with ease. What’s more, the film contains no monsters, nothing supernatural and an astonishingly minimal amount of violence, yet when we do see bits of blood and gore, it’s a complete shock to the system. What Aster does rely on is his mastery of lighting and framing to produce images that are unexpectedly eerie.

This is a movie that starts with a group of anthropology students looking to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime festival at a commune in the Swedish countryside and ends in an unspeakable nightmare. It’s a long and sometimes grueling experience that steadily snowballs into horror, but that slow burn is crucial for this delightfully nerve-wracking series of events. Oh, and it’s also a breakup story...possibly the scariest breakup story of all time. It’s certainly the best film of 2019.

#2019 films #top 10 of 2019 #movies #movie review

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