#s2 will be releasing during the time i have to finish my paper. which is extremely rude

[splattacks]

finished watching arcane s1 with friends today (which im p sure is my 12th? 13th? rewatch of it) and the brainworms came back im so. hghhrhhrgrgh THIS SHOW. i have so many thoughts but i feel like theyre all scrambled together and i cant form coherent thoughts nor draw anything so im just sitting here like. vibrating in my seat. Help

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Shaw’s Creative Date

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 创意之约, which has not been released in EN! 🍒

This date features S2 Shaw, but contains no spoilers for S2!

[ This date was released on 13 May 2021 ]

Removing the VR headset, I rub my slightly sore eyes. Seeing the familiar modern furniture leaves me in a momentary trance.

MC: I finally cleared it - this game about the ancient times is pretty immersive.

Aside from completing missions, the game also has a rich plot written in a classical literary style. As a “workshop apprentice”, I successfully created a string of wood carved persimmons.

Rotating my aching wrists, it’s as though the sensation of carving products is still lingering on my hands.

MC: It’s a shame that I could only do that in the game...

Just when I’m about to continue grumbling, my phone suddenly rings.

Tapping the answer button, a familiar voice drifts lazily to my ear.

Shaw: Not a sound from you even during the weekend. What are you up to?

MC: I just played an immersive game, and it’s pretty fun.

At the other end of the line, Shaw makes an “oh” sound, then continues asking.

Shaw: Are you planning to stay at home today?

MC: Mm. I finally finished a big program, so I’m pretty comfortable playing games at home.

Hearing my response, Shaw’s tone lifts slightly at the end.

Shaw: It’s just a game. You can play it anytime, can’t you? The weather outside is great. Staying at home is such a waste. Why not take a stroll outside?

My gaze sweeps over the VR headset. While I’m hesitating whether or not to agree, a thought suddenly flashes across my mind, and I have an idea. 

MC: Shaw, why don't you accompany me somewhere?

Shaw pauses for a moment, his subtle breathing drifting over the phone along with the electric currents.

Shaw: Where do you want to go?

MC: I’ll keep it a secret first. You’ll know when you get there. It’s definitely a place you wouldn’t expect.

Shaw chuckles softly, and he seems to stretch.

Shaw: All right. Since you invited me with such magnificent hospitality, I’ll reluctantly keep you company.

-

Soon after, the both of us stand at the entrance of a wood carving studio. Shaw tilts his head, looking me up and down.

Shaw: You sure we’re not at the wrong place?

I nod my head.

MC: How is it? I already said you definitely wouldn’t expect it. 

Shaw arches his brows, a somewhat surprised expression in his eyes.

Shaw: When did you get a new hobby?

Not giving Shaw a direct response, I lift my hand, raising my phone to his face. The picture on the screen features the string of wood carved persimmons I made in the game.

MC: Look at this string of persimmons. I carved it bit by bit in the game. Looks good, doesn’t it? I plan to carve a replica based on this later.

Shaw leans closer to give it a sweeping glance, his expression a little subtle.

Shaw: ...the object in the picture isn’t too bad. But do you like it that much that you must carve a string of persimmons?

MC: Don’t underestimate this small string of persimmons. Slow work yields fine products. The smaller something is, the more patience and carving skills are tested. Also, this is the first wood carving I made in the game. Furthermore, “everything will go according to one’s wishes” is a wonderful message and well-wish. Making it myself will feel very meaningful.

[Note] For the translation of “everything will go according to one’s wishes”, What MC says is “柿柿如意”, which is a pun based on the popular well-wish “事事如意” (“everything will go according to one’s wishes”)

“Persimmon” is 柿 (“shi”). “Everything” is 事事 (“shi shi”)

Shaw: But based on the level of complexity, you can’t make it without having a foundation in carving.

Predicting that Shaw would say this, I make a fist, lifting my head up confidently. 

MC: Don’t underestimate me. I think I’m naturally talented in handwork. If I can make it in the game, I might be able to in reality.

Hearing my “lofty aspirations”, the corners of Shaw’s lips hook upwards, and he elongates the tail of his sentence coolly.

Shaw: Fine, I’ll wait and see. 

-

Probably because it’s the lunch break, only the boss is in the shop.

After telling the boss my purpose in coming, he very quickly prepares the wooden block and burin, then comprehensively explains some matters I should take note of.

[Trivia] A burin (刻刀 - “ke dao”)  is a handheld steel tool used for carving metal or wood

MC: Draw a design first, then trace a copy onto the wooden block, then...

Hearing me mumble to myself, Shaw can’t help but arch his brows.

Shaw: It’s no use simply memorising the steps. You’ve got to get started to get the feel of it. 

...that make sense.

Very soon, I successfully draw a design based on the picture. However, I keep sensing that something’s missing when I look at the picture of the string of persimmons in my hand.

Darting a glance at Shaw, who occasionally looks at the drawing paper in my hand, I turn my body to the side, displaying the drawing paper in front of him.

MC: Shaw, didn’t you brag about being the “best in hand-drawn sketches” in your department? Want to take a look and make adjustments for me?

[Note] For those who are unaware, Shaw is the only graduate student in the archaeological department of Loveland University, so... of course he’s the best in everything LOL

Shaw’s brows arch slightly. Grabbing a pen on the table casually, he starts making amendments quickly.

Shaw: Done.

Unexpectedly, with just a few strokes, the fullness and lushness of the persimmons are outlined, and the entire picture instantly becomes much more vibrant.

Once all the preparatory work is done, the next step is to saw the sides of the wood carving. Placing the wooden block on the machine, I test out suitable positions.

All of a sudden, Shaw presses on my hand.

Shaw: Didn’t the boss mention that it’d be safer to place it a little beyond the peripheral line?

While saying this, he pulls on my wrist, causing the wooden block to shift to the side slightly. After verifying that it’s in the right place, he releases my hand.

Wood carving in real life is much more difficult than I imagined. The more I tell myself to be calm, the more my hands refuse to obey.

I take a deep breath - 

Shaw: Tch, aren’t you going a little too fast?

Right after he finishes speaking, my hand suddenly trembles, and I saw a small hole into the wooden block.

Shaw pauses for a few seconds, then bursts into laughter mercilessly.

He leans over, pointing at the small hole, his eyes gloating over my misfortune.

Shaw: Heh. Did someone take a bite out of the persimmon? It’s actually pretty creative.

Faced with Shaw’s mockery, I pout without saying anything. Then, I mimic his usual tone and glare at him.

MC: Why are you laughing so loudly? My hearing is good, okay.

Shaw casually props himself on the table with his elbows. He turns his head to the side and watches me, eyes filled with interest and a smile.

Perhaps because we’re too close in proximity, I seem to feel his warmth encasing my surroundings.

Smelling the scent of peppermint at the tip of my nose, I subconsciously turn away, muttering softly.

MC: Stop crowding over here... it’s a little warm.

The corners of Shaw’s eyes lift upwards slightly, and he sweeps a gaze over my face. He chuckles, sitting down on the chair behind in a wilful manner.

Not long after, I painstakingly saw the overall outer shape of the wooden block. After that, I start using a chisel to carefully craft the outline and thickness.

Probably because I’m unfamiliar with the techniques, the thickness of both sides of the wood carving are very different despite me putting in a lot of effort into correcting it.

I steal a glance at Shaw who is behind. After some hesitation, I clear my throat.

MC: Erm, could you help me with a little something?

Shaw loosens his shoulders.

Shaw: You want my help?

MC: Since you look like you don't have much to do, why not adjust the thickness of the outline with me?

Shaw doesn’t respond immediately. He folds his arms and leans against the wall, both legs placed casually.

Beneath the sunlight of the scorching afternoon sun, the corners of his lips tilt upwards, revealing a mischievous smile.

Shaw: Someone made a solemn vow earlier that she could do it by herself. So, in order for you to experience this fully, I refuse.

I don’t even spare Shaw half a glance after this, heart sinking as I lower my head in silence, focusing on the wood carving alone.

Perhaps grasping some tricks, my actions are gradually much more proficient than before, despite slow improvement.

The doors to the shop are suddenly pushed open. A parent walks in with a little boy.

The boss greets the new customers. Shaw suddenly lifts his arm and waves, walking over to the boss.

Shaw: Boss, give me a burin too.

Thinking that Shaw was suddenly “pricked by his conscience” and is planning to help, I lift my head to look at him in anticipation.

Unexpectedly, after getting the burin, Shaw picks up the leftover linden wood that I had sawed off earlier.

He stands near the window, lifting his hand leisurely. Against the light, that head of bluish purple hair is even more eye-catching.

Shaw: It’s boring to wait. I’ll try it with you, and give you some competitive motivation.

He reveals a confident smile, his tone not at all humble.

Shaw: I’ll also show you what it means to be “naturally talented”.

Shaw deliberately sits down at a table that’s further away from me.

Seeing that my gaze continues to linger on him, Shaw lifts his eyes, asking teasingly.

Shaw: Why are you staring at me?

MC: ...you already know the answer. Also, you’re pretending to be mysterious. What exactly do you plan to carve?

Shaw: You want to know? All the more reason not to tell you.

With this, he lowers his head, the tip of the pen making rustling sounds. He’s likely drawing a design on the rough paper.

Pursing my lips with a “hmph”, I decide to throw myself into crafting the wood carving.

Just as I strive to painstakingly carve the appearance of the wood carving, the little boy who accompanied his parent here seems to be restless.

He runs around the shop, and finally scuttles to Shaw’s side.

Little Boy: Big Bro, your hair’s really cool!

Shaw releases a “hmph”, paying no attention to the boy. But the little boy is fearless, and continues curiously.

Little Boy: Big Bro, what are you carving?

Unintentionally hearing this, I hurriedly perk up my ears, turning my body towards Shaw secretly.

Shaw glances at the boy from the side, placing the prototype wood carving on the table and leaning it from side to side.

Shaw: Make a guess.

The boy stares at it for a while, then exclaims excitedly.

Little Boy: I see it now - it’s a fish! Big Bro, did I guess correctly?

Shaw doesn’t deny it, revealing an expression which says “you’re pretty knowledgeable”.

Shaw: [aww he sounds so affectionate] Little Imp, your eyesight isn’t bad.

Little Boy: But why do you want to carve a fish?

The boy doesn’t seem to understand, and is also slightly disdainful.

Little Boy: Fishes are so unimpressive. If it were me, I’d carve a big tiger. It’s the king of all creatures, and it’s so impressive!

While the boy speaks, he chuckles in satisfaction.

Shaw laughs, then purses his lips.

Shaw: A wooden carved fish is much more interesting than your big tiger.

The boy has an expression on his face which reads “nonsense”. Shaw casts a sidelong glance at him, scoffing softly.

Shaw: Forget it. You wouldn't understand even if I told you.

Little Boy: Who says I wouldn’t understand? I’ve already learnt many things!

The boy grumbles in dissatisfaction, his arms akimbo, pestering Shaw unflinchingly.

I try my best to control the smile at the corners of my lips, and suddenly have an idea. Clearing my throat, I pretend to be a bystander, inserting myself into the conversation.

MC: What this little boy said is correct. Young man, you can’t look down on others just because you’re older by a few years.

Little Boy: Hmph! That’s right!

My “encouragement” enables the boy to be even less willing to back down, and he purses his small mouth.

Shaw: Oh?

Hearing my response, Shaw lifts his eyes, a mischievous smile curling the corners of his lips upwards.

Shaw: What is it? You also want to know?

MC: Since you started it, it’s only right for you to talk about it more.

Shaw: Since the both of you are pretty eager to learn, I’ll broaden your knowledge.

-

Next to the window, the rays of light are bright. Shaw arches his brows wilfully.

Shaw: To put it simply, this is related to the history of “fish culture”. Since ancient times, fish have represented auspicious signs and well-wishes.

Little Boy: I know about this! Is this how people wish each other “may you have abundance year after year”? I heard my teacher mentioning it before. It’s because “鱼” and “余” are homophonic!

[Note] The well-wish the boy is referring to is “年年有鱼”, which is a pun based on the proper saying “年年有余”

“Fish” is 鱼 (“yu”), while 余 (also “yu”) means abundance

Shaw: In that case, your teacher only told you half of it.

Shaw fiddles with the burin in his hand, spinning it casually.

Shaw: Fishes are an embodiment of luck. Patterns of fish can often be seen on antiques.

MC: What’s the origin of wooden carved fishes then?

Shaw pauses for a second before responding.

Shaw: Over seven thousand years ago, the most ancient wooden carved fishes were in the Hemudu culture. Based on conjectures, they were likely used for praying and well-wishes.

[Trivia] The Hemudu culture was a Neolithic culture spanning from 5500 BC to 3300 BC, located south of the Hangzhou Bay in Jiangnan in Zhejiang, China

Shaw speaks indifferently, but the boy listens at the side, his eyes wide.

Little Boy: Big Bro, you really know a lot! You’re even more incredible than my teacher!

The corners of Shaw’s lips hook upwards with pride.

Shaw: I guess so. Little Imp, remember to read more books and learn properly.

The boy runs away contentedly. My gaze lands on the wooden carving in Shaw’s hand that I can’t see quite clearly yet.

I didn’t expect the wooden carved fish to have the same symbolism as the string of persimmons. I tilt my head, feeling slightly emotional.

Time flows by as the seconds and minutes pass. Before realising it, the sky dims, and the studio lights are bright.

Swinging my hands which have almost lost all physical strength, I release a long sigh.

At the other side of the table, Shaw lifts his chin towards me.

Shaw: Progress isn’t going smoothly? 

Looking at the half-finished product with uneven contours next to my hand, I shake my head a little despondently. 

MC: Looks like I won’t be able to finish it today, and would have to come back next time. Also, the actual wood carving is light-years away from what I expected...

Hearing my soft grumbling at the end, Shaw arches his brows.

Shaw: Just by looking at it, the string of persimmons isn’t easy to make. But you dug this pit yourself, so I’ll wait and watch you fill it up.

Ignoring the teasing tone in his voice, I purse my lips.

MC: I definitely won’t give up. What about you? Are you done with the carving?

Shaw has an expression which reads “of course”, and he nods unhesitatingly.

Shaw: It was done a long time ago.

I’m stunned for a moment, both surprised and curious.

One hand supports Shaw’s cheek lightly. With a stretch of his long arm, the wooden carved fish is brought before my eyes.

This is a bright coloured wood carving of a fish. It has a roundish head and a chubby belly, and looks extremely adorable.

I lift up the wooden fish sculpture with both hands, as though instantly struck by its adorable shape.

Shaw: Excellent workmanship with profound symbolism. Your goal has been overtaken by me.

Behind the table, Shaw arches his brows in satisfaction, casually twisting the burin, his pose utterly flamboyant.

Even though his carving is indeed not bad, the moment I lift my eyes and see Shaw’s insuppressible pride, I can’t help but remain silent.

With the sudden impulse to sing a different tune, I deliberately purse my lips, speaking calmly.

MC: It’s just like this I guess. In terms of exquisiteness, I’d give a passing mark at most.

The smile on Shaw’s lips retracts slightly. While looking at me from the side, he releases a “hmph” from his nose.

Shaw: You have the nerve to criticise me? Why don’t you look at your own standard. Also, this is my exclusive design. It’s much more creative than you making a duplicate from the game.

Hearing the unwillingness to back down hidden in his tone, I can’t help but smile secretly.

Shaw glances at me indifferently. He seems to catch the secret smile on my lips, and an indiscernible light flashes across his eyes.

Shaw: Hey, shouldn’t you return it to me after touching it for half a day? You don’t like it anyway.

MC: Who says-

Almost making a slip of the tongue, I hurriedly change my words.

MC: Actually, on closer inspection, it seems that your carving is pretty okay.

Shaw: Just “okay”?

MC: ...I’ll add one mark for its symbolism and origin then.

Pleased with this, Shaw rolls his shoulders, chuckling softly.

Shaw: You still have some taste.

He crosses his leg over the other, his eyebrows suddenly furrowing. He seems to blurt out what’s in his mind.

Shaw: But the head of this fish seems a little too round... Hm, it’s a little irksome. Looks like I need to make some corrections.

MC: No it isn’t? It looks just right like this!

Afraid that Shaw would snatch it back, I hurriedly fold my hands over the wooden carving, and notice a hint of slyness in his eyes.

He leans closer abruptly, instantly closing the distance between us.

Shaw: Looking at your posture... What is it? Can’t bear to return it?

Specks of bright light reminiscent of daytime dance on Shaw’s bluish purple hair, outlining his expression and making it look even more triumphant.

I blink my eyes.

MC: Since you’re already done, I think I should observe it for a while longer, and have some “luck” rubbed off on me. I might even be able to quickly and successfully finish my wood carving too.

Shaw turns his head, the corners of his lips turning upwards relaxedly. A pondering smile surfaces in his bright eyes.

Shaw: You’ve got taste. If you really like it, it’s not that I can’t give it to you.

My heart stirs, eyes widening as I look at him. But I have the feeling that there should be a second half to his sentence.

Shaw leans back relaxedly, stretching casually.

Shaw: But I need to make up for the costs.

...just as I guessed.

Cradling the wooden carving in my hand, I lift my chin towards Shaw.

MC: Go on, what’s the “fee”?

Shaw lowers his head, pretending to deliberate for a few seconds. Then, he lifts his eyes, meeting mine.

Shaw: When you’re done with your wooden carving...

Shaw: It belongs to me. 

[Note] There are actually two ways one can interpret this line because it’s kept purposefully vague. It’s simply “归我”, which means “belong to me”. This means we can’t be sure if he’s asking for the wooden carving or MC herself :>

Shaw: How is it? Isn’t it very fair?

Light falls on the tips of Shaw’s hair, reflecting a bright and sly smile in his eyes.

Before I can react, he has already stood up.

Shaw: All right, that’s how it’d be.

🐟 Phone call: here

🐟 Support the cafe by dropping by the tip jar!

[clarionglass]

my pal @trekthecyborgwizard sent me this re these: Got your back for the fanfic asks, can I have questions G, L, P, S and T? 

thanks man! here we go :D

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order? ahahaha ahahahahahahahahaha oh boy do i write out of order, i write where the inspiration is and then link up the scenes as needed. my docs are usually liberally peppered with [square brackets], which mean “there’s something that needs to go here but i don’t want to write it at the moment” :’D this works very well with the chatfic, although i only try to only write one chapter at a time and jump around within that (ask me how that’s going, i dare you). it works less well with my plotted longform fics where i write all the cool bits and then have to actually link stuff in a way that makes narrative sense :P still, if i force myself to sit down and write chronologically it never works out, so this is where we’re at i guess :D

L: How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting? let me laugh maniacally again :P most of my fics i do not revise. like, there’s a lot of minor editing during the writing process? but i don’t actually sit there and do a dedicated edit (other than a ctrl+f sweep for square brackets, for reasons detailed above :P), which leads to me reading my posted fic back, and realising i’ve used entirely the wrong word, or forgotten a very simple formatting thing :P if i wasn’t just writing fic for fun, i’d definitely edit! but for me, the writing is enough of a job, so i just like to release it out into the wild as soon as i’m done getting plot on paper :P

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?) it depends on the fic! my longform fics are all plotted in advance, i love working out the nuggets and intricacies of how stories unfold. the chatfic, though, has been entirely on the spot, and the plot threads have evolved naturally. that’s been a real gardening-type fic, that one! the germs of my plot arcs have never been planned, they’ve all come from throwaway lines and 1am shower ideas that have miraculously all panned out into a coherent narrative. i think my subconscious is a better writer than my conscious mind :’D

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist? to paraphrase That Meme, i’m always a slut for chatfics :’D idk, there’s something about chatfics in the tma fandom that just mean pure unfiltered shenanigans, which make me incredibly happy! i adore lighter aus that allow characters to breathe :) in the words of a message i sent a mate fairly recently: i need to take these characters gently into my grubby little hands and transplant them into better soil (a message that led to my best accidental summary of s2!jon: “touch grass you paranoid little man”)

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand? not really? i’ll give most things a shot! there are pairings that i stay away from, and things with dubcon type content warnings generally aren’t my jam, but i don’t think that there are any specific tropes i hate :P Oh Wait no big-miscommunication-as-a-plot-device makes me want to cringe into my lungs so yeah that should be on here :P

[papermoonloveslucy]

GUM MACHINE

April 8, 1949

“Gum Machine” (aka “The Principal of the Thing” aka “Demand Your Rights”) is episode #38 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on April 9, 1949 on the CBS radio network.

Synopsis ~ George tells Liz that she needs to stand up for her rights and stop letting people push her around. So when Liz loses a penny in a broken gum machine, she vows to get her penny back no matter what the cost.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Gale Gordon and Bea Benadaret do not appear in this episode.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz (above right), a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

GUEST CAST

Hans Conried (Milkman / Eddie) first co-starred with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). He then appeared on “I Love Lucy” as used furniture man Dan Jenkins in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) and later that same season as Percy Livermore in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13) – both in 1952. The following year he began an association with Disney by voicing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. On “The Lucy Show” he played Professor Gitterman in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1). He was probably best known as Uncle Tonoose on “Make Room for Daddy” starring Danny Thomas, which was filmed on the Desilu lot. He joined Thomas on a season 6 episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1973.

Frank Nelson (Cop on the Beat) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. This is one of his 11 performances on “My Favorite Husband.”  On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.”  Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs.  

Florence Halop (”The Brooklyn Blabbermouth” aka “Nasal Hazel”) was first seen on television with Lucille Ball in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) in which she reprised her role as the party line phone hog. She wouldn’t work for Lucy again until 1974, when she played a Little Old Lady on a Western-themed episode of “Here’s Lucy.” In 1985, she replaced Selma Diamond (who had died of lung cancer) as the bailiff on “Night Court.”

Johnny McGovern (Boy) was just 13 years old when he did this episode.  During this time he also played Little Beaver on the radio series “Red Ryder”.  He was eventually replaced by Sammy Ogg, who played one of the Hudson Twins on “I Love Lucy.” On television, he played Will Thornberry in four episodes of “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” from 1953 to 1955.

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers today, it is breakfast time and at the table a little domestic drama is taking place. George is engrossed in the morning paper and Liz finds herself sitting there with no one to talk to. This of course is a scene, which never happens in any other home. One thing about George though, no matter how interested he is in the paper when Liz speaks he comes right to attention.”

George doesn’t respond when Liz asks for a morning kiss. She lights his newspaper on fire!  

Lucy Ricardo also did this to get Ricky’s attention in “Be a Pal” (ILL S1;E2). 

LIZ: “Ever since spring training started there are eleven of us at breakfast: you, me, and the Dodgers.” 

George promises to put the paper down... as soon as he finishes the article about golf and Demeret. 

Golf pro Jimmy Demaret (1910-83) appeared as himself on “I Love Lucy” in 1954, then again on “The Lucy Show” in 1964. In real life, Lucille Ball and her husbands Desi and Gary were golfers. 

Liz begs him for a kiss, and without paying much attention, he complies. Instead of her lips, he has kissed Liz’s morning grapefruit without even noticing! 

Lucy Ricardo also did this to Ricky in  in “Be a Pal” (ILL S1;E2).

Liz begs him for a favor: tell Katie the maid she cannot have Saturday night off.  They have guests coming, and Liz was afraid to ask for herself.  George asks her himself, and Katie isn’t bothered at all.  Liz agrees that from now on she’ll stand up for her rights. 

When George finds the cream for the coffee has soured, he insists Liz tell the milkman about it - stand up for her rights. The milkman arrives, delivers the milk, and then leaves. Liz chickened out. George calls him back to tell him Hogan’s Frolicking Milkmaid Cream was sour. The milkman (Hans Conried) says that Mr. Hogan will take it out on the cow!  He gives them free items instead of losing their business.

MILKMAN: “You see, we can’t afford a radio program!” 

It was common that large companies would sponsor radio programs, their names becoming part of the title, and the stars doing live commercials for them. Pet and Carnation were two of the most ubiquitous dairy sponsors on radio. 

While downtown shopping with Katie, Liz is bragging about how she told off the butcher. She stops for a piece of gum from a gumball machine.  It takes her penny, but doesn’t give her any good. Liz is angry. A crowd gathers, including a cop (Frank Nelson). He says that someone has been robbing the machines of their pennies, and wants to know if Liz knows anything about it. 

LIZ: “Yeah, I’m the ring leader: Two-Gun Jean the Chicle Queen!” 

Chicle is a natural gum traditionally used in making chewing gum and other products.  The American Chicle Company was an American chewing gum company, incorporated in 1899. Its products eventually grew to include breath mints, antacids, cough drops and other items. American Chicle was acquired by Warner-Lambert in 1962, which in turn was acquired by Pfizer in 2000. 

Liz demands to know the name of the company who owns the ‘one-finger bandit’.  

When she gets home she finds their phone number for the Ballyhoo Vending Machine Company. When she tries to call, the ‘Brooklyn Blabbermouth’ aka ‘Nasal Hazel’ (Florence Halop) is on the party line, talking to her boyfriend, Eddie.  

ANNOUNCER: “Liz is embarking on a battle for her rights with the Ballyhoo Vending Machine Company. As we find her now, she is on her way to do battle, and George is dropping her off in front of the vending machine company.”

George needs to visit the bank, so he says he will meet Liz in an hour for lunch at Nickodells. 

Nickodell Restaurant was located at 5511 Melrose Avenue, built into the side of RKO (later Desilu) Studio. Nickodell was the place folks working on the lot escaped to for a mid-day cocktail, and many important deals were made at its tables. When “I Love Lucy” was casting Desi Arnaz got a call from an actor named William Frawley and they arranged to get together and discuss the role over drinks at Nickodell. It closed for good in 1993. 

GEORGE: “So long, Carrie Nation!” 

Caroline Amelia Nation (1846-1911) was an activist who was a radical member of the temperance movement, which opposed alcohol before the advent of Prohibition. Nation is noted for attacking alcohol-serving establishments (most often taverns) with a hatchet. Lucille Ball played Nation in a sketch in 1962′s “The Good Years” on CBS TV. 

Liz enters the ‘crooked’ gum machine company, and demands to see the complain manager. It is ‘the Brooklyn Blabbermouth’!  Despite their differences, Liz tells her that she wants her penny back. 

BLABBERMOUTH: “Why you so in love with that penny? Did Lincoln give it to you personally?”

Rather than fill out a refund form (which asks for her birth year) she vows to hire a lawyer to get her refund. 

LIZ: “I’ll get that penny back if it takes every cent I’ve got!”

On her way to lunch, she sees a little boy (Johnny McGovern) crying that he isn’t tall enough to reach the gum machine!  She tries to convince him he’s better off short!  She agrees to put his penny into the machine to get him a piece of gum. Naturally, no gum comes out. She doesn’t have another penny of her own. The little boy tells her to hit it on the side. She does and a flood of pennies spill out on the sidewalk. They both take a penny for their refunds. The cop finds them standing in a pile of pennies. He accuses her of being the ring leader, just as sarcastically said earlier. 

COP: “You’re going to jail, Mrs. Fagin!” 

The name ‘Fagin’ was borrowed from the Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel Oliver Twist.  In the preface to the novel, he is described as a "receiver of stolen goods”. He is the leader of a group of child pickpockets and prostitutes. Alec Guinness portrayed Fagin in David Lean’s 1948 film adaptation of Oliver Twist, The release of the film in the USA was delayed for three years on charges of being anti-Semitic. It was finally released in the United States in 1951. Fagin will also be mentioned in “Liz and Iris’s Easter” (March 24, 1951), in a scene also featuring Frank Nelson! 

Later, George has paid $50 bail to get Liz out of jail, and is not happy about it. Liz jollies him into kissing him - in the middle of the street. Before going home, George wants to get some cigarettes - from a machine!  Naturally, no cigarettes come out. Just when George is jiggling the handle, you-know-who comes by!  

COP: “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Fagin. I see you’re working with older boys now.”

He arrests them both!  

End of Episode

[studythepages]

Quarantine Tag Game

I've been tagged by @studydiaryofdoctora, thank youu!!

I tag: @arquistudies @how-to-get-away-with-study @uoa-discipula

1. Are you staying home from work/school?

My university closed right before our exams were due to take place and therefore everything was done online! The only time I leave the house is for work and then I head straight back!

2. If you’re staying home, who’s there with you?

My roomate :)

3. Do you have pets to keep you company?

Nope!

4. Who do you miss the most?

My friends who I've not seen months BEFORE quarantine started because of our individual study schedules as well as the travel distance between us

5. When was the last time you left your home?

Today!

6. What was the last thing you bought?

Apart from my groceries, a candle which smells of blackberries and raspberries

7. Is quarantine driving you insane or are you finally relaxed?

I've been using this time to work on things that I've put off to the side as well as working on myself physically and mentally

8. Are you a homebody?

Definitely!

9. What movies have you watched recently?

The Man from U.N.C.L.E, watched it several times, highly recommend!

10. An event that you were looking forward to that got cancelled?

A special birthday trip to Italy

11. What’s the worst thing that you’ve had to cancel?

Birthday trip

12. What’s the best thing you’ve had to cancel?

Going outside every day tbh

13. Do you have any new hobbies?

Wouldn't say new as I was an avid reader a couple years back, but I've definitely rediscovered my love for it recently :) I did buy a puzzle a couple days back so I'm excited to get it started

14. What are you out of?

Baking powder

15. What music are you listening to?

The song which is currently paused (as well as one of my favourite songs atm) is Meet Me in the Woods by Lord Huron

16. What shows are you watching?

Started S2 of Outlander

17. What are you reading?

About to finish A Court of Wings and Ruin from the ACOTAR series. I am LOVING IT!!

18. What are you doing for self-care?

Started listening to my bodies cues, so if I'm hungry: I'll eat, if I'm full: I'll stop, if I'm tired: I'll rest and not burn myself out. Been slowly releasing that if I take my time with things, I'll actually get things done quicker and be much happier with the results

19. Are you exercising?

I've been doing pilates and low impact workouts for a couple years now and I've been planning to start a higher intensity workout plan later on in the week

20. How’s your toilet paper supply?

Been lucky enough to not have much issues tbh

21. Have you made any changes to your hair during quarantine?

Just a smidge longer but no dyeing just yet! However...there were moments where I considered cutting my fringe (they're lovely but unfortunately don't fit my face)

[metawitches]

In episode 6, the worlds ended, thanks to Adam’s double apocalypse. In episode 7, we meet the new world. And tie up a few loose ends.

Recap

The episode begins with a twist on the opening voice over- a segment from HG Tannhaus’ science show from the 1970s:

Tannhaus: “What is reality? Is it singular in nature? Or do several parallel realities exist at the same time? To address this, Erwin Schrodinger constructed an extremely interesting thought experiment. Schrodinger’s cat. A cat is locked in a steel chamber with a tiny amount of a radioactive substance, a Geiger counter, a vial of poison and a hammer. As soon as a radioactive atom disintegrates inside the steel chamber, the Geiger counter triggers the release of the hammer, which smashes the vial of poison. The cat is dead.

“However, due to the wave characteristics in the quantum world, that atom is indeed disintegrated and intact. Both states are true until our own observation forces it into a definitive state of existence. Until the moment we check and see, we can’t know if the cat’s dead or alive. It exists in two superposed states. The attributes “dead” and “alive” exist simultaneously in the microcosm.

“But what if the simultaneous existence of life and death also applied to the macrocosmic world? Could different realities exist side by side? Could we split time and let it run in two different directions, and, as with the cat, induce a state of death and life simultaneously? And if so, how many different realities could exist side by side?”

Good question- how many realities could exist side by side? Is that the normal state of reality- for many realities to exist side by side, happily coexisting long term without judging each other’s existences, each accepting that sometimes the cat lives, sometimes she dies, and sometimes she chooses to leave the box closed and uncertain forever? That does seem like what the theory predicts, doesn’t it?

The famous cat, waiting for her life to go one way or the other.

HG Tannhaus presents the 2 potential states which the cat is superposed in- it exists as both a live cat and a dead cat at the same time, until an observer opens the box and forces circumstances in one direction or the other. The observer affects the outcome because of quantum entanglement.

A representation of 3 equal states/worlds/dimensions superposed together which arose from one moment in time, showing this is possible in the Dark universe, according to science expert HG Tannhaus.

In the Prime world 2020, Alt Ex Raincoat Now Emo Martha stands outside of Hannah’s house at the end of S2, just after Adam shoots Prime Martha. Inside, Young Jonas watches his Martha die and promises to make it right. Alt Martha goes inside- or does she? In split screen, one Martha runs into the house, while the other stops when Bartosz appears and yells to her not to go inside, Back to the Future-style. He tells her that Adam doesn’t want to stop the apocalypse and will kill her in the future.

Bartosz says that they’re all doomed because of Jonas/Adam, because everything is his fault.

Of course it is. At least some things are consistent across all of Space-Time.

As the black hole warp bubble forms in the sky, Jonas runs to the basement. Bartosz takes out the time sphere and begs Martha to trust him. He can save her and show her the origin and how everything is connected. Martha and Bartosz poof away just as the shockwave hits.

So good to have Bartosz acting normally again.

Time to note the next twist of the episode- sometimes we are seeing a 3rd world, which I am going to creatively continue to call the 3rd world or Tannhaus’ world. You can tell when it’s this world because widescreen black bars appear at the top and bottom of the picture. And HG Tannhaus appears.

Except in this episode, the jumps between worlds aren’t always marked by any of the normal markers that we’re used to. Make of that what you will- do some of the scenes apply to multiple worlds? Are we seeing Bartosz’s world sometimes? Are we seeing more of Tannhaus’ world than we realize?

Did the most recent surges in time energy fry the system in some way so that the boundaries between worlds are overlapping and more fractured than usual? Maybe the new connections that were made need a while to settle down? Usually, after an event like the end of episode 6, we’d be shown where/when travel has now been opened up to- my guess is that’s why we can see Tannhaus’ world in this episode. The connection to his world has been made or changed. We’d also usually be shown the travelers along with the new places they went, but apparently we’re assuming Martha, Charlotte and Aleksander are dead.

In the Prime world, in 1986 HG told Teen Charlotte that his son, daughter-in-law and infant granddaughter, Charlotte, died when their car went off a bridge in a storm in 1971. Baby Charlotte’s body was never found. That same night, two peculiar women brought him a replacement infant to raise. The “For Charlotte” pocket watch, a Tannhaus family heirloom since the early 19th century, came with her. Teen Charlotte met Peter, who came to town that day and eventually became her husband, on the day HG told her about her past. Both HG and Charlotte were given reasons to stay in town and stay settled when they were told the story of the accident.

In the 3rd world, in 1974, the clock shop looks much more like an inventor’s workshop than usual. HG works on a machine on a table late at night. It’s unclear whether he has Charlotte in this reality. We never see her, but he could be working around her sleep and then later her school hours. In S1, Prime Charlotte found a piece of the time machine chair room’s wall paper in the bunker and recognized it for what it was.

That suggests that on the Prime world, Tannhaus brought her with him to the bunker while he worked at night and the room was originally set up as a bedroom and playroom for her. The ownership of the bunker and cabin is murky, since we’ve been shown that the property also belonged to the Dopplers, especially Helge, during the same period. Bernd Doppler and HG were the same age and may have been friends, sharing ownership of the vacation/hunting cabin between the families.

The ownership of the cabin could be a bootstrap paradox- someone could have changed history. Bernd and Helge are Claudia’s allies, so it would benefit her to pass ownership of the passage to them. Encouraging marriage between Charlotte and Peter also accomplishes that goal.

Or we could have been seeing the cabin and bunker in multiple worlds all along, but it’s only become clear now that the timelines have differentiated more. In the pilot, Jonas’ timeline, Martha’s timeline and Bartosz’s timeline may have been identical. They could be living in entirely different universes by now.

HG glances at his photo of his son and family, then the scene switches to the Winden graveyard and the family’s gravestone. They died on November 8, 1971. Marek was born on March 20, 1947. Sonja was born May 26, 1949. Charlotte’s birthday was May 30, 1971. She was just 5 months old when she died. HG leaves a red knit animal on the grave for Charlotte.

Both Charlotte and Sonja were born just a few weeks before the Summer Solstice, the peak of the light. Marek was born on the Spring Equinox, one of the balance points in the year between light and dark, this one tipped toward light.

In voice over, HG says that it’s hard for humans to accept death and loss. “We long in vain for a way to turn back time. To reverse death.”

“But if time is relative and nothing is really ever in the past, and the simultaneous overlapping of different realities is possible, shouldn’t it then also be possible to bring back something that was believed to be dead long ago and to create a new reality in which the dead live again? If our life is defined as everything between birth and death, it exists there, ad infinitum. Could we succeed in cheating death by finding a way to bring back life, there, between time?”

As he speaks, HG goes to the Doppler cottage and down into the empty bunker. He must own the cottage on this world. He looks around the bunker thoughtfully.

The bolded question is the central question of the series and especially this season. There are several different stories about how time travel began on Dark. They all have to do with bringing someone back from the dead. Generally, the characters’ theories about the knot involve blaming someone who they believe shouldn’t be alive either.

The show’s focus on how guilty characters feel about this or that serves to distract from how alarmingly frequent murder and physical violence have become. When you combine this violence with the way Adam speaks about who deserves Paradise and pay attention to how few characters Eva saves from the apocalypse, it starts to look like a multi world genocide.

Prime world, 2021.

Young Elisabeth and Hanno work to clear the rubble from the passage. It can’t be that long since Hanno finished clearing the passage the first time, in the 1920s, so he has every right to be an angry guy. Adam couldn’t send him to the 1990s for some R&R for a few years first?

Of course not, Adam doesn’t believe in happiness or fun anymore.

They reach one of the Sic Mundus doors, which gives them hope. Later, while they’re relaxing, Elisabeth looks at the For Charlotte watch that Adult Noah gave her. She asks Hanno to tell her about Paradise. He uses sign and speech. “Paradise is free of pain and sorrow. Everything we’ve ever done is forgotten there. Any pain that we’ve ever felt is erased. And all the dead live. Adam will keep his promise. The passageway will open up.”

So cruel of Adam/Jonas to raise all of these kids on the dream of a beautiful world, then take it away from them. Such a timely storyline. Better living through chemistry and physics, y’all, ’til the artificially concentrated and combined chemicals turn into poisons that build up in every system on earth.

Prime world, 1890.

Adam/Stranger Jonas is working in his workshop, wearing a leather suit that looks like a hazmat suit, but of course it isn’t as sturdy. The cesium 137 is placid in its basin until he turns on the electricity. Once it’s been hit enough times, it turns into a blue-black cloud, but it remains unstable.

When Jonas goes to one of the lightning rods to adjust something, he gets struck in the arm by an intense bolt. It gives him a large burn. The energy surge probably would have killed anyone else. He glares at the stone basin where the God particle lives- it’s sentient, so given the way he treats it, it probably is out to get him.

Later, he finds Bartosz staring out the window in the one bedroom in 1888. It’s time for their regular blame Jonas session. Bartosz is angry that Jonas hasn’t reinvented time travel and all of 20th century technology yet, after two whole years in the 19th century. He’s wasting the best years of his life here in the past and he doesn’t think Steampunk is a good look on him at all.

Jonas reiterates that he knows he’ll get the God particle working eventually, because he’s already seen it working in the future-past, but Bartosz continues to be suspicious of his intentions. Jonas explains that he wants to fix everything, not just one event or one person’s problems. He’s the savior, okay? That’s bigger than their love triangle.

Jonas: “If the portal works, then we can use it to find the origin. The one moment that started all of this. And when we’ve found it, we’ll destroy it. And everything that arises from it. That is paradise.”

Bartosz storms out and takes a long walk in the rain. Of course it’s raining. Jonas makes a mental note to do something about this situation in the future, like get Bartosz a girlfriend or a hobby so he’ll quit being such a pain in the butt.

Still in the 1890s.

Silja arrives from the 2050s, wearing Alt Martha’s 1800s outfit. She hides her hazmat suit under some brush. Bartosz comes stomping by, still fuming over Jonas. Silja makes a little noise so that Bartosz will notice her, then comes over to introduce herself.

And Jonas’ Bartosz problem is solved.

I hope that Hanno, Agnes and Silja at least got to pick out which family members they wanted to date before the first cycles in which they were used this way. Because there is no other way to interpret how they are sent to Elisabeth, Doris and Bartosz and the way Agnes was bred with the Unknown. We never see Silja question her path, but Agnes expects Jonas to keep up his side of their deal (plus, she doesn’t stay with either Doris or Unknown). Hanno/Noah openly chafes at the expectations placed on him, and eventually rebels against them, even though he loves Eli.

2023, Prime world.

After 3 years of torture by blue lightning bolts from Jonas and Claudia, the cosmic egg has developed a transparent, protective outer layer, but seems no closer to becoming a time travel portal. Claudia and Jonas give up for the day and rinse the radiation off their hazmat gear in the outer section of the power plant. Jonas is super depressed and ready to quit. Claudia tries to convince him to keep going, because, well, he just has to. Someday, somehow, it just has to work, if they can keep up their team spirit. Jonas tells her he really doesn’t have any team spirit and walks away.

Of course he goes home. He stops in the kitchen for one last look at all of his emotional touchstones- the family portrait, the kitchen table where he last saw Michael, the spot on the floor where Martha died. Then he goes up to Michael’s studio, which has tree branches growing in through the skylight. A sign from his dad, the Sun King- choose life! Jonas looks up at the ceiling beam fondly, then goes about the business of hanging himself.

He doesn’t die. Young Hanno rushes in and cuts him down, sent by either Claudia or Adam. The poor kid has been doing hard labor in the tunnels for years, now he has to live in the barren cave with his child bride, and his savior can’t even be bothered to stay alive. He tells Jonas that he and Adam made Noah and Hanno a promise that the apocalypse had to happen so that everyone would get saved. “You cannot die.”

I think if Jonas died, Hanno would kill him.

He hands Jonas a gun. Jonas holds it to his head and fires. 5 times. Hanno takes the gun back and fires the bullet in the last chamber at the wall. Time and Hanno win this game of Russian roulette.

Hanno explains that Jonas can’t kill himself, because his older self already exists. A force or a person will always intervene. He tells Jonas that he and Elisabeth have found the passage, as ordered by Jonas’ older self. So now it’s up to Jonas to keep the promises made by his older selves.

When Hanno burst into the room, Jonas asked why he was there and if he was following him. After that, Jonas stayed silent. When they’re done with the gun, Hanno brings him to the passage to prove that it’s waiting to be reopened. Jonas stays silent for this as well.

Hanno tells him again that the passage will open up and then Adam will take them to Paradise. Before then, he and Jonas are supposed to become friends, until Hanno is betrayed.

It’s always worded that way- Hanno/Noah will be betrayed and Jonas will be to blame. Jonas is never blamed in the active voice and Hanno never notices. But Hanno is also one of the few who knew Adam well before he met Jonas, so he sees Adam as the real version. Young Jonas is merely the alternate.

Jonas is already tired of the burdens placed on him by people he hasn’t become yet.

And he isn’t even saving for retirement or a mortgage or his kid’s college or keeping up with the maintenance on that poor house so he can pass it down to the Unknown. His eldercare plan for his parents is pretty rough, too.

I’m thinking Jonas’ cosmic egg is also a metaphor for all of those core wounds that get buried deep inside and won’t budge, no matter what you do to heal them. They pop out occasionally as giant black time clouds or nightmares or ex boyfriends. They say that time heals all wounds, but even time can’t heal some damage.

Metamaiden says she assumes that “time heals all wounds” means you’ll die eventually anyway and then your problems will be over.

She was born with this cheery outlook, folks.

But you see- Jonas doesn’t have death to look forward to as an end to his pain, so he keeps zapping that poor time egg. It’s ultimately a circle of torture and self-loathing, punctuated by occasional suicide attempts. He didn’t even hesitate before he pulled the trigger on that gun, 5 times in a row.

In 1904, Silja gives birth to a baby boy. She tells Bartosz she wants to name him Hanno. Bartosz realizes that this innocent newborn baby will grow up to be the killer who brought him into Sic Mundus while posing as a priest and drug dealer.

In the 3rd world, 1974, Tannhaus hangs the photo of his son’s family on the bunker wall, mirroring the way Claudia hung photos on the wall and Martha made the family trees in chalk. The 3rd world mirrors the other two, but things don’t happen in exactly the same way or at the same time.

Tannhaus: “Fate is playing a cruel trick on us. Yet we will always believe there is a way to turn the tide in our favor. If we only want it hard enough. A person is able to pursue any goal, no matter how unattainable it may seem, over the course of an entire lifetime. No resistance, no obstacle is great enough to stop the human will in its tracks… Throughout the ages, isn’t this unquenchable thirst at the heart of any progress that is ever made? No matter what motivates our will, it guides us on our path. We will only be able to let go once we have finally reached our goal.”

As Adult Tannhaus speaks, he spends the 12 years from 1974 to 1986 building a time machine in the bunker. At the same time, he turns into Old Tannhaus. The machine is a large ball with even larger rays sticking out. When he’s done, it looks like a room size version of what’s probably in the sphere.

We saw a similar aging process mirrored with Gustav Tannhaus in the carriage, which had a prophet, the wheels of time and Charlotte’s watch, even if it didn’t technically have a souped up time machine. HG’s new time machine could be seen as a high tech variation on a wheel of time or a cosmic egg as well.

Forward to Prime world, 2040.

17 years have passed in the power plant and Hanno and Jonas have aged into their older selves. Hanno works with Claudia and Jonas on the God particle. At rest, it’s still a white cosmic egg, but when stimulated by enough electricity, it gradually turns black, then becomes the larger cloud that’s a precursor to forming portals. They all look hopeful for a moment as the cloud begins to smooth out into a ball, but it doesn’t hold the formation.

Later that night, Jonas and Hanno stand outside in the dark over a fire. Jonas wonders why the portal isn’t working.

Hanno: “Maybe Claudia doesn’t want it to work.”

(This is correct.)

He asks why Jonas trusts Claudia. Jonas asks why Hanno trusts Adam (Adam raised him).  He tells Hanno that Adam’s Paradise is a lie and that he knows the portal will work eventually, because he’s seen it, in the future-future. Everything repeats itself, so this will, too, Jonas is sure that he can do things differently this time though. He and Claudia have changed enough of the components in the passage so that this time, he’ll be able to close it forever when he tries in November 2019, as Stranger Jonas.

Hanno confirms that Claudia told Jonas this. Then he asks what Jonas actually knows about Claudia. “She sometimes disappears for days. How does she know all the things she knows? She said that not all that’s here, should exist here. What did she mean by that? Claudia’s hiding something from us. We can’t trust her. I hope that you know that.”

A very pregnant Elisabeth calls Hanno inside for the night.

Alt Claudia to Prime Claudia: “He still doesn’t suspect anything?”

Prime Claudia: “No, he has no idea that you or the other world exist.”

Alt Claudia: “You must continue to guide him on this path. The matter must not function yet. You keep the knot up in your world, and I’ll keep it in mine.”

Alt Claudia pulls out the sphere, ready to leave. Prime Claudia stop her. She asks how Eva knows what will happen in the future and what instructions to give them. She wonders if Eva knows everything, every future. Has Alt Claudia met her? Alt Claudia asks who she means. Prime Claudia says, “My older self.” Alt Claudia says, “No.”

Prime Claudia: “I still remember exactly what she said. ‘If all this works, then our Regina will live.’ I’ve thought about it all these years. I just can’t believe that what she meant by that was that her suffering would repeat endlessly. There must be a way to untie the knot, without destroying all life in it. A way for Regina to live. Really live. I think neither Eva nor Adam know this path. But I’ll find it. In my world or yours.”

Prime Claudia takes out a gun and shoots Alt Claudia in the forehead. Alt Claudia dies. Prime Claudia becomes the supreme deity on 2 worlds. She picks up her prize, the Golden Time Snitch of Omniscience. Now she can figure out what the multiverse is really all about.

Because they’d never seen an Alt Old Claudia, Prime Claudia assumed she was meant to kill her. Claudias think this way. To be fair, so do Adams and Evas. They are gods, far beyond our mortal ways of thinking about murder and death. They know there’s always another version of the person, somewhere, on some world, and anyway, that person will be born again, next cycle, like nothing ever happened.

Claudia is assuming that at some point she changed the course of the cycles to bend toward favoring her Regina. And if that isn’t the reason Alt Claudia died in past cycles, well, it is now. If you ever think that changes haven’t been occurring over the course of the cycles, go watch S1Ep1 and any S2 episode again. The Windens are all very different places.

And with all the Claudia drama, we skipped right past the confirmation that she’s actively holding back progress on the God particle portal (“The matter must not function yet.”). She doesn’t need to hold Jonas back in 1888. The primitive working conditions do that by themselves. In the 21st century, they can scavenge modern materials. So she’s misdirecting him toward experiments that are ineffective, while she and Eva, and maybe Adam, work on other goals.

Swoop into the Alt world, focus on those darn scorched paintings. This scene takes place after the apocalypse in the Alt world, when Stranger Martha is aging into Eva, so it’s probably about 2040 there as well. Eva’s God particle apparatus is disassembled on the floor, so she probably lost it in the shockwave too and is trying to rebuild it.

The same scenario is being played out on all 3 worlds, in a different way on each world. As promised, no matter what, the three worlds are linked and the same archetypal events repeat between them. Family members die and get lost, going all the way back to the first Charlotte Tannhaus in the early 1800s, creating the desire to change the timeline. Time travel is invented and reinvented, repeatedly, by the same or different people. This is not a one time occurence based on a single sad event.

Tannhaus justifies following his Will with no restrictions by saying that wanting his son back so badly makes it okay. Claudia believes that saving Regina’s life justifies anything she will do for that cause, no matter who else she hurts in the process. Both arguments come back to Bernd’s advice to take what you want, because no one will give it to you. The flip side of that is the assumption that you are owed whatever you want and no one else’s needs or desires matter as much as your own.

When Prime Claudia enters, Stranger Eva asks if her alternate self is coming, too? Claudia says that Noah is watching her, so she couldn’t get away.

Note that she knows he’s suspicious of her and is limiting her movements because of him. When Charlotte disappears, Noah’s mental focus is conveniently removed from Claudia and his physical person is conveniently removed to time periods and locations Adult Claudia mostly stays away from.

Eva rolls up a blueprint for a time travel device and tells Claudia to give it to the other Claudia, who must then give it to Tannhaus to build. She asks if the Claudias understand why everything they’re doing is necessary and everything has to keep repeating. Claudia nods her head yes.

At some point, everyone in Winden will have been designed one of the time travel devices. I’m glad to see Martha get her shot. Does Alt Tannhaus also get blueprints, or does the Alt world go straight from their futuristic God particle portal design to the sphere?

Back in time to 1910. We aren’t shown a switch back to the Prime world, and for the first time all season, we’re shown the outside of Erna’s tavern and boarding house. Either we’re still in the Alt world, or this happened in both worlds. Both worlds, is my guess.

Silja has died in childbirth. A woman tells Hanno that he has to be strong now for his father. Someone holds crying baby Agnes. A crazed looking Bartosz bursts into the room and kneels at Silja’s side. The midwife tells him the baby’s name. He looks overwhelmed.

Forward to 2041.

Under a full moon, Hanno and Elisabeth leave their cabin to bring in the laundry that’s hung outside. Elisabeth asks Hanno to tell her about paradise. As he tells her the same story he told her in the caves in 2020, 2053 Charlotte and Elisabeth sneak into their cabin to kidnap Baby Charlotte. Elisabeth picks up the baby she lost 12 years prior. Charlotte takes the pocket watch.

When Hanno is done with the story, they hug and take the laundry inside, where they discover that Charlotte is missing.

Hanno vs Noah

By telling Elisabeth the story, Hanno keeps her facing away from the cabin during the kidnapping, so she has no idea what happens. But as it’s happening, he seems like he’s upset and trying to control his emotions. From where he’s standing, he should notice the movements of the two women entering and leaving his cabin.

Noah/Hanno tells the Paradise story to Elisabeth twice on camera- just after Peter dies, which he knew was coming but didn’t prevent, and now during Charlotte’s kidnapping. Did he know it was coming and that he had to let it happen? Even though he spends the rest of his life blaming Adam and Claudia?

I think he did know that he had to let it happen, but he blames them because Charlotte is taken as part of their war. Prime Hanno blames Adam/Jonas and Claudia for the whole war and the way it tears the whole family apart, starting with the death of his mother. Silja was born in the 50s. If she hadn’t been time displaced, she probably wouldn’t have died in childbirth.

Before he dies, Bartosz tells his son to ask Adam why he took Hanno back in as an adult, after the apocalypse and after Charlotte was taken, and called him Noah instead of Hanno. The biblical Noah is remembered for saving his own family and two members of every species. Since we are all theoretically descended from those winners, we see it as a victory for the virtuous.

We rarely think about the fact that Bible Noah knew the flood was coming and did nothing to stop everyone but his family from dying. Noah’s immediate family weren’t actually much better than anyone else. It’s more likely that Noah had boat building skills and was in the right place at the right time. But Noah went along with God’s plan and watched everyone die, feeling quite good about himself. In fact, when it’s all over, God makes a backhanded promise to Noah:

“Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”

God promises he won’t send another apocalypse, even though humans are born evil with no hope of ever changing. God has apparently given up on finding good in humanity and is settling for telling people to be fruitful and multiply.

Like so many others, Hanno usually has good intentions overall, but he performs evil acts, such as killing Erik, Yasin and Mads, to attain his goals. In the Dark world, consequences usually catch up with the characters over time, no matter their intentions.

Hanno leaves the cabin and goes straight to Jonas, who’s working in the bunker, and demands to know where Charlotte is. Jonas is taken by surprise as Hanno shoves him up against a wall and nearly chokes him to death. Hanno continues to ask where Charlotte is and whether Jonas or Claudia took her. He says that he finally understands how Jonas betrays their friendship. Before he leaves, he curses Jonas with endless suffering.

Too late. Jonas has been there for a long time. Or is this falling out between best friends the true origin of the timeline split? They’ve been close for 18 years. I think that’s Jonas’ real time record. And their fireside chat showed that they really were very close.

Causality. Such a slippery concept on this show.

Hanno returns to Elisabeth, who looks like her soul has been ripped from her body. She’s fondling Charlotte’s tiny knit cap. He promises to find Charlotte and bring her back. A bit of resolve forms in Elisabeth’s eyes as he gets up to leave, but they both know their life together is over. He picks up the triquetra diary and puts it inside his coat, an offering to help smooth his way back into Adam’s lair after wishing him endless suffering.

Where is Charlotte? Mikkel? Ulrich? Mads?

Noah/Hanno does find Charlotte after some number of years in his life. We aren’t told how many, though he refers to it as a long time, during their first conversation in the clock shop. When he finds her in 2019, after reading the final pages of the triquetra diary, she’s 49 years old and has already been told by Stranger Jonas that Noah killed Yasin, Erik and Mads. That’s the true betrayal of the Jonas-Hanno friendship. Adam is no longer Hanno’s friend, so I don’t think it matters what he does to Adult Hanno/Noah. Hanno is just waiting for the chance to kill Adam.

It’s Stranger who drives Hanno’s long lost daughter from him by giving her out of context information that benefits Stranger and makes Noah seem like a terrible person who’s only motivated by his cult’s orders and his own sadism. That’s what we all thought about Noah in season 1.

Instead, Noah is a driven man, more like an addict who’ll do anything to get what he needs, which is something Stranger Jonas should understand. For a long time, Jonas mainly takes his pain out on himself and Martha. But even in his more benign forms, he’s coerced into participating in Michael’s death and Mikkel’s kidnapping, which ultimately lead to Ulrich’s confinement and Katharina’s death.

Adam coerces Hanno into becoming a demon just as surely as Claudia leads Jonas to his fate as Adam, heartless mass killer. Hanno can’t simply leave his daughter alone and abandoned in the world. He’s been trained since his mother died to be a caretaker and fixer. The murder of the boys is even mixed up with raising Helge and getting him back to 1954.

Meanwhile, Charlotte is displaced in time in before she’s even born in 2041, since Hanno was born in 1904 and Elisabeth was born in 2011. In addition to her kidnapping to a third time period, she and Elisabeth give birth to each other.

Alt Charlotte was born in 1971, the year HG Tannhaus tells Prime Teen Charlotte his original granddaughter was born. But Noah and Elisabeth still enter the bunker in the Alt world and Charlotte and Elisabeth are still shown giving birth to each other on the Alt world family tree. Is this a clue or a mistake?

If this is real, and isn’t changed within 48 hours of me posting this recap, then it perhaps fits with the theory I’ve had about Charlotte since sometime in S2- I think that when she’s kidnapped as an infant, 3 versions of her are swapped between 3 worlds, not just taken to another time in the same world. If the Charlotte who’s in the Alt world was born in 1971, then she could be the Charlotte either from Tannhaus’ world or Bartosz’s world. Alt Infant Charlotte would have been taken to the Prime world and Prime Infant Charlotte would have gone to the 3rd world.

The Adult Elisabeths and Charlottes (or someone else- we don’t know who ran Marek’s car off the road) would have done this round robin with the infants between the 3 (or 4) worlds to help create or strengthen a connection in time and space- an earlier, less binding version of the Unknown. I can’t explain every detail because of the bootstrap paradoxes involved in Charlotte’s family and HG’s family, but I suspect they are the same family, slightly altered between variations in timelines, time accidents and deliberate tampering.

HG Tannhaus: “A man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills. All the paths we take in our lives, every choice we make, is guided by our deepest desires. It’s pointless to fight this sense of want. It determines every one of our actions, no matter how difficult and unimaginable they seem.”

This is a very different sentiment from the one expressed by Prime world HG Tannhaus, who’s said many times that he’s always wanted to travel, but circumstances have required him to stay in the present, running his clock shop.

3rd world, 1986, the bunker.

Tannhaus looks at the family photo on the wall and removes his lab coat. It’s time. He presses keys on a keyboard, fiddles with this and that, then decisively presses the 2 blood red buttons on the wall. The time machine fires up- literally. The center ball is coated in a thin layer of orange flames, with waves of electricity flowing up the arms, but the machine doesn’t seem to be out of control in any way. The music and other sound effects aren’t ominous either.

Prime world, 1911, Tannhaus factory.

Bartosz is in the courtyard working on a car when Hannah and her approximately 4 year old daughter approach, device/apparatus suitcase in hand. Bartosz, who already looks haunted, recognizes that this child is his wife, who’s been dead for about a year. Hannah asks for Jonas. Bartosz warns her that traveling has changed him, but still takes her to see Jonas in his lair.

Jonas is in a transitional stage between Stranger and Adam. He’s in Adam’s uniform and stands staring at the painting. But he still stands tall and straight. Adam will eventually sort of melt into rounded edges and a more socially presentable public persona. This man is still in the midst of the hottest part of the fire.

When he turns around, Hannah is momentarily shocked by the extreme facial scarring. In this time period, his face looks like a skull in ways that will soften later, maybe when he tires of punishing himself. Hannah recovers quickly and introduces his sister to him.

She’s clearly saddened by what she sees, but as a mother who wishes she could have helped spare her child this pain. She touches his cheek and explains that an old woman, Eva, came to her a few days ago and told her that Jonas needed her and where to find him. She promises to be there for him from now on.

Since Jonas doesn’t want to be spared pain, he’s not interested in her compassion and even finds it repulsive. He removes her hand from his cheek with enough menace that Hannah feels it. He finds himself repulsive and probably finds anything connected to him repulsive right now. He tells Igor Bartosz to take them to the bedroom.

Later that night, once it’s raining, Jonas sneaks into the bedroom. He goes to Silja first, but as he’s carefully folding down her covers, Hannah awakens and asks what he’s doing. He decides it’s Hannah’s turn first and sits on the edge of her bed, as we’ve seen Young Jonas do for sweet mother-son talks.

This is an entirely different situation. He tells Hannah that she and Silja aren’t right here and all of the pieces must be in the correct position. Hannah knows something isn’t right with him, but he’s got her lying down and blocked in. He gently touches her face, calls her Mom one last time, then pulls her pillow out from under her and smothers her to death.

She and Silja are both in white nightgowns. Women should refuse all white garments on this show. It never ends well.

When Jonas is done brutally murdering his mother, he turns to his baby sister and wakes her up, telling her has a secret to show her. He needs her to be quiet so they don’t wake her mom up. He carries her out so that she’s facing back toward Hannah’s body, staring at it the entire way to the door. Hannah very clearly isn’t asleep.

I can Only Salvage So Much from a Bad Situation, Okay?

So. That was sickening and exploitative. There is no good reason to include hints of pedophilia and for Jonas to brutally murder the mother he hasn’t seen in decades. Given the number of characters who commit heinous crimes, such as Helene, and are never caught, and the women who just disappear, such as Greta, there was no reason to bring Hannah back simply to kill her this way.

Though Tannhaus’ last voiceover certainly justifies indulging in any sexual or violent predilection you can come up with, regardless of the other person’s desires. Is that what this show is saying? Anything goes?

The message, if there ever was one, has gotten confused in these last few episodes, as if this show doesn’t know what it’s trying to say anymore. I’m tearing my hair out trying to continue some kind of coherent narrative through line that holds together through the final episode. I finally realized the only way to do it was to give up.

Maybe Claudia has taken the wheel and Hannah had to die out of revenge, because she allowed Ulrich and Katharina to think Regina had turned Ulrich in for rape. That’s a giant stretch though, to the point where I’m writing the show for the creators. And many innocent people who had little to do with Claudia or Regina have died horrible deaths.

I could play the mythology card, and say that Jonas is Hades, the god of the Underworld, who has been collecting young women as his Persephones. Hannah, as the Mother goddess/Demeter, came to look into the situation. Jonas sent her back to another realm, where she wouldn’t interfere with his plans. The myth is sometimes called The Rape of Persephone. In mythology, Demeter mostly wins, though they essentially end with joint custody of Persephone, creating the seasons. Demeter isn’t going to win here.

And there’s only one Persephone, whereas Jonas is collecting everyone’s children for his cult, but mostly girls. Adding a scene where he has a skull face, creeps on a small child in bed at night who’s dressed in white, then kills her mother when he’s caught and carries the little girl off, pretty much solidifies his symbolic nature as a pedophile. At least they only implied the pedophelia itself, rather than showing it.

But this finishes the assassination of both his character and Martha’s character. When we met Martha, she was was on a hunger strike to save starving children. Now she’s procuring women and girls for men who like to murder women and rape little girls?

Yes, the fairy-tale witch imagery has been there all season in Eva’s long black dress. I’d hoped they’d avoid actually going to the stereotype for old women, witches and the biblical Eve, even though they’re obsessed with stamping out original sin. I should have realized that getting rid of the “origin” would involve killing as many mother figures as possible, while turning over little girls to men as child brides.

Because it’s really all Jonas’ mother’s fault, right? She must have done something wrong to make him this way. She must love him too much or too little or embarrass him in front of the other boys. Otherwise he wouldn’t need to live in the basement forever and only have sex twice in his life.

This is an incredibly disappointing direction for this show to take, in so many ways. Beyond misogyny, the philosophy seems to be that people just can’t control themselves and there’s no point in trying.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

1920, Erna’s tavern.

Adult Hanno enters the bar, fresh from 2041. The crowd pauses for a moment when the stranger enters. He tells Erna that he’s come a long way and needs someplace to rest. She calls for Young Hanno and tells him to take their guest upstairs to a room.

Adult Hanno goes to see Adam in his lair. Adam has become the older version played by Dietrich Hollinderbäumer. Before Hanno can speak, Adam says that he’s been waiting for Hanno’s visit. He says that Hanno was right about Claudia all along. She was the one who stole Charlotte. Adam says that Hanno needs to find the missing pages from the triquetra diary, with the help of Helge. Then he’ll find Charlotte, his final destination and his Paradise. Adam hands Hanno a bible and says that this will be his last cycle. “Are you ready, Noah?”

Forward to 2052, the bunker.

Old Claudia gives instructions to Stranger Jonas. They’ve finally stabilized the dark matter/Cesium 137. She’s sending Stranger off to November 2019 to lead Young Jonas down the correct path. If he helps everyone he knows complete this cycle in the exact same way they’ve done all the other cycles, for sure change will occur this time.

I have to wonder what she’s been putting in his food for the last few decades.

She hands him Tannhaus’ book, A Journey Through Time and says that the author will repair the apparatus. Once the device is repaired, he can destroy the passage and the knot. It’ll work for sure this time.

Because doing everything exactly the same way always creates the change you’re looking for.

As he’s headed out the door, she tells him not to ever give up hope. Then she tears out the last few pages of the triquetra diary, sticks them in her coat pocket, and leaves.

Now for a brief recap of the series. Stranger goes to Winden in November 2019, when Mikkel and the other boys have gone missing. Noah experiments on the time machine chair, killing 3 boys in the process. Old Claudia gets Gretchen from 1953 and brings her Adult Claudia in 1986, to prove that time travel is real and that she’s really Adult Claudia’s older self.

Both Claudias will abandon Gretchen with Regina in order to pursue time travel and supposedly save Regina. It doesn’t occur to any Claudia, ever, to actually be a mother to her daughter, which is why I question her motives.

Claudia abandons the dog, the daughter, the lover and the father. She kills the daughter and the father and leaves the lover to die in the apocalypse. This is not a woman who will devote eternity or destroy worlds to save someone. This is an obsessed scientist who is devoted to solving a problem and needs an emotional flag to keep her motivated through the tough times.

The writers can retcon the character they created. That’s their prerogative and TV shows do it all the time. But this is the Claudia they created. She doesn’t move heaven and earth for Regina. She moves them for science.

Hey, remember that time that Bartosz decided to get in on the Back to the Future action, so he put on Christopher Lloyd’s duster and went to rescue Martha from getting killed by Adam? I know it was about 9k words and 110 years ago, but I promise you, that did happen. After 3 seasons of Claudia trying to save Regina and Jonas trying to save Prime Martha and Noah trying to save Charlotte and half of Winden trying to save Mikkel, and all of them failing, all the time, plucky little Alt Teen Bartosz jumped in and rescued Alt Teen Martha.

I knew I liked that kid, And his older self, too. In fact, I think he’s the chosen one on the 3rd planet that his Grandma is trying to take out of the system in her obsessive quest to ruin everything for everyone, everytime in everyway. That’s why this episode focused on Bartosz’s story and the story of his son, Hanno/Noah. We’ve already spent quite a bit of time on Bartosz’s granddaughter, Charlotte and her family, for 3 seasons. And Charlotte has known all along that she was important.

This episode is kind of its own little season, focusing on a third world/timeline that’s almost identical to the prime world/timeline, so we’ve switched between them throughout the episode. That’s my theory. Time is so mucked up that apparently even the writers can’t be bothered to sort it out anymore, so here we are. I can’t tell you when we were where, necessarily, just that we jumped around a lot without the normal markers telling us what world we were in.

Also, I think the HG Tannhaus time machine world, which I’ve been calling the 3rd world, is a 4th world, that’s not Bartosz’s world. As I said, Bartosz’s world is so close to Jonas’ and Eva’s that it blends with theirs, so it doesn’t get the widescreen black bars at the top and bottom that HG’s world does. HG’s world/timeline has some significant differences from the other 3, so it looks different on screen. That will be explored more in episode 8.

Okay, so. Our plucky boy hero, Alt Teen Bartosz, convinces Martha to leave Jonas in his house, so he can live in his mom’s basement forever like the loser he is. She goes back to Erit Lux with Bartosz instead.

One poof of awesome gold glitter later, and we’re there. Those paintings are still scorched and I’m sorry, I still can’t spoil how it happens. Truly annoying, I agree. The writing and editing for S3 are meant to f–k you over, but I doubt they meant for it to indecipherable rather than mind blowing. 3 episodes worth of teasing when the paintings burn? Really? And then all of the scorched painting scenes look so alike that it’s nearly impossible to put them in order, though I’m not sure why we would care enough to go back and try, when it’s all said and done. I know I don’t. Somebody didn’t think that one through.

Martha wonders why Bartosz brought her there. He tells her that the Marthas are the only ones who can save them, because they are the Light. Martha realizes she’s in the hands of an Erit Lux true believer, though she has no idea what that means.

You know what? I think it mostly means love. I think Old Claudia impersonated Eva when she brought Hannah to be murdered by Jonas. I’m going to singlehandedly exonerate Martha/Eva of this crime, for my own sanity’s sake, and go on with my life. Readers, you do you and believe whatever you want. I can’t work with a meaningless world. What would be the point? I know they’re going to continue with Eva pushing apocalypses and whatever, but I’m going to believe that she at least loves her little family of followers, even if she doesn’t show it, because I need Martha, or someone, to be a good person in order to continue writing.

And the madness continues, as Eva enters the room. Martha says something nasty to Eva and Eva says they’re more alike than she thinks. Then she gives her version of Adam’s patented “You’ll grow up to be just as bad as your parents” speech, before pulling out a dirty machete and swiping it across Teen Martha’s eye.

She tells Martha that she can’t tell all of the Marthas apart anymore unless they have festering wounds to go by. But Adam is the one who’s trying to kill her. The disfiguring wound is a reminder that things can always get worse. Choosing Jonas/Adam’s side means choosing death, while choosing Eva’s side, which is ultimately her own side, means choosing life.

This is strange reasoning for someone who’s main motivation is protecting her son- if Martha doesn’t choose Jonas sometimes, the Unknown is never born, because this is the version of Martha that brings him to the Alt world.

There’s really no way to spin what Eva’s says into something that makes much sense. They just wanted to squeeze in more mirroring of Adam/Jonas’ scenes.

I can put a meaningful spin on it, but I’m pretty sure this is coming from me, and not the show- in real life, the underlying reason for the slash would be to make Martha unattractive to creepy old men like the ones Jonas becomes. The road to women’s accomplishments is paved with women who fell by the wayside because they couldn’t take the sexual harassment, even rape, from their male colleagues anymore and were driven to quit the male dominated fields they worked in. And the women who got married and pregnant, giving up their careers.

By taking away Martha’s perfect features, she takes away her attractiveness as an innocent young woman to both Stranger and Adam. If they want her, they will have to deal with more than just Young Martha’s pretty face and apparently neither of them are ever inclined to do so. Adam collects other young women instead, until he finds a replacement Young Martha Eve to torture to death for tempting him into sin.

Yet God and Lucifer both still refuse to take him back.

Unfortunately, Martha/Eva didn’t realize Prime Claudia was also her enemy. As far as I can tell, Alt Claudia was actually working for/with Eva. Prime Claudia is the megalomaniac who took over the universe.

I suspect the creators just wanted to throw in one more senseless, sadistic action against a main character for shock value, plus they needed Martha/Eva to mirror Adam’s disfigurement, but sexism stops them from making her as scarred as Adam.

Time to take the Wayback Machine over to the end of episode 6. Adam has the other Alt Teen Martha dressed in the only rapey white slip he had left after 66 years of kidnapping and torturing women. He’s tied her to some Faye Wray scaffolding under the enhanced God particle. The God particle is turned up to 11 and it’s incredibly excited to finally be turned loose.

Martha’s yelling for mercy and Adam is excited to finally be getting somewhere in his life’s work. He’s pretty sure he’s never used an enhanced God particle to kill the love of his life and his own child inside the womb before. Surely this ultimate human sacrifice will do the trick and Time will finally be satisfied with him.

A portal opens up above Martha’s head. Then the God particle finally escapes its enslavement, mercifully taking Martha and her unborn child with it. Time has always had a fondness for her.

The cloud and the woman disappear. Jonas assumes they’re dead, because he has so few brain cells left.

I sincerely hope that Martha is in a world outside the Dark universe, with better writing and no white slips. Women actually die in the clothes we’re wearing- we don’t change our clothes when we find out murder is on the schedule, or keep a special victim dress on hand for the occasion. I f–king loathe the sight of those things. “Time to die or be abused, little girl. Here’s your pseudo-virgin gown to remind that you’re ultimately powerless.” Where is the corresponding male attire?

Jonas waits to disappear, too, but he doesn’t. He’s dumbfounded. Life is so unfair. Why does Martha get to die, but he doesn’t?

I wouldn’t mind if he eviscerated himself to see if it would stick.

A moment later, the door to the control room creaks open and his other nemesis, Old Claudia, who Noah killed on his orders almost a century ago in chronological time, walks in.

“Hello, Jonas.”

I’ll give her credit for knowing how to make an entrance.

Martha on her way to Oz- You can see Martha is getting transferred up into the cloud. The upper right part of the cloud shows a bright light and the opening to the next reality. 

Commentary

The God particle has literally never killed anyone on this show, much as Jonas has clearly tried to get it to kill him. The dark matter/Cesium 137/cloud/goo/cosmic egg transforms, it doesn’t just cease to exist. In fact, nothing in the universe ever just ceases to exist. Everything either transforms or transfers to a new location. That’s basic physics. In this case, there’s nothing left behind, so it goes somewhere else.

If Dark is following its own rules, then Time took Martha somewhere, probably to Bartosz’s world. It would make sense for this to be a way to create a new connection through time and space, maybe connecting the 3 worlds together. But we’re in the Endgame and the rules no longer apply.

If they ever did. It’s retcon time.

Next episode, we visit the Biff World of Claudia’s mind. Don’t look her directly in the eye and don’t take your hand off your valuables. Actually, that sojourn in the Old West 19th century was probably more fun than anyone realized at the time, even without antibiotics, since there was nothing Claudia or Biff wanted there.

Too bad Adult Bartosz wasn’t able to get the car he was fixing to fly- or was he???? Maybe there’s a world where instead of showing Hannah to her room, he grabbed her, Noah, Silja and Agnes and drove away as far and as fast as he could. Parts of early 20th century Northern Africa seem nice. Or maybe they took the God particle forward 50 years, then went to live in the south of France.

Wait. I just realized. Bartosz is in the Harry Potter world. He’s Mad Eye Moody! Constant Vigilance!

Kill the Origin or Find Another Timeline?

I bolded the first half of HG’s speech from the graveyard because it fits both his point of view and that of his protege, Jonas, who spends 66 years trying to go back to the origin point and bring back something that’s lost, whether it’s Mikkel or Martha. For HG, it’s Marek, Sonja and Baby Charlotte. But the second half of the speech is equally important:

“If our life is defined as everything between birth and death, it exists there, ad infinitum. Could we succeed in cheating death by finding a way to bring back life, there, between time?”

The episode takes its name from the bolded phrase, between time. The 3rd world is formally introduced in this episode. The 3rd world is the Time/Eternal Recurrence that is between the other two Times/Eternal Recurrences that we’ve been watching. What HG is really saying is, in this multiverse full of infinite possibilities, could he find another timeline where things worked out differently for his family? Could he jump to that timeline and live happily there? Or is he hoping to meld the two timelines- bring that Marek and Sonja home to this timeline? It’s not clear.

This is echoed in Stranger Jonas’ speech from S2Ep1, explaining that he is both infinite as part of the multiverse, but also finite as himself, the single soul known as Jonas:

“You could say that I exist infinitely. I’m here now. And I exist for every second between my birth and my death. I’m always Jonas. I’m the same as I was and yet not the same. Just as you’re not the same person who came through that door about an hour ago.”

No matter where or when he goes, what he does, or what he looks like, he’s still Jonas. At first, Hannah still wants the Jonas who left a few months ago, but she quickly accepts Stranger as her son, just as she accepted the proto Adam she met in this episode. In S2 Stranger was grateful for her acceptance, then, in a supreme act of hypocrisy, rejected her when he learned she’d cheated on his father one time before Michael’s death.

The next time they meet, in this episode, he murders her, either because she’s served her purpose in his plans or because she’s kind to him at a time when retaining his strength requires removing all human warmth from his life.

He is still Jonas, but he’s changed everything about himself, from his looks and dress to his demeanor to his home time period and way of thinking. He is no longer trying to save his loved ones. He is now trying to find the origin moment and destroy it. He’s redefined saving as destroying and convinced himself that saving himself saves everyone else. Maybe when he finds the origin moment and changes it, it will set both him and the God particle free from their enslavement. He is now enslaved to a life he can’t bear to live.

Gustav taught him a prophecy of a Paradise that was a dream filled with beauty and light, the Heaven or Ascension of so many religions. Jonas turned it into darkness as an absence of light, where he would remove the cancer that caused his pain (in the form of the God particle, which is the true knot) and kill the patient (himself) at the same time.

In his scenes with Hannah in this episode, Jonas’ true state is laid bare. During the time between 1890-1920, he is a 4th Jonas, Lord Death, with his facial scars meant to look like a skull.

In other words, maybe he’s made some sort of Ghost Rider deal with the God particle, but there are no flaming skulls involved. Just a pact to get out of this world together. That would explain the way they are bound. No one else seems to share quite the same relationship that he does with the God particle, Time and Death, not even Martha.

Martha, the Unknown and the God particle are his family. They all disappear at once and the other 3 versions of the Unknown presumably die in the nuclear meltdown. Unknown has time to save himself if he wants to, but he told us he was about to die. Anyway, after Jonas sent everyone else who was with him in 2053 to the past, it must be devastating for him to watch Martha and the God particle leave him behind and alive while they get raptured together.

He’s in a heartbroken, confused state when Claudia appears to tell him another story.

Images courtesy of Netflix.

Dark Season 3 Episode 7: Between the Time Recap- Hanno, Bartosz and HG Tannhaus move to the front of the house as gaps in the story are filled. #DarkNetflix In episode 6, the worlds ended, thanks to Adam's double apocalypse. In episode 7, we meet the new world.

[haleyfury]

If We Were Having Coffee is my favorite way to share current happenings in my life  outside of my usual fangirl and bookish-ness. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of talk about the books, TV, and podcasts I’ve been consuming lately. 

Although I’m waiting for my  honors cords to come in the mail, my cap and gown did come in, which called for an impromptu photoshoot!

If we were having coffee, I’d probably be having a cup of coffee with milk and cinnamon. I feel like I’m cheating on summer by saying that I haven’t been drinking iced coffee that much lately. 4 out of the 5 people in my house drink at least two cups of coffee everyday, so instead of making single cups using the Keurig, we usually make two or three pots a day using Dunkin Donuts’ Original Blend. My sister and I love blending cinnamon in the grinds before brewing. 

If we were having coffee, I’d probably tell you that my mind feels like its in five different places at once. It’s weird to think that I feel busier being at home vs. being out in the world at school and work. I know I’ve mentioned it in a wrap-up and maybe another post, but since my If We Were Having Coffee about my college graduation, I made the decision to stay at my alma mater to attend their Master of Arts in Teaching program. I had actually been admitted into the program back in March and hadn’t made a decision about when and if I’d join the program when the world went into madness. Since one of my summer jobs went from full-time to part-time remotely, I made the decision to join the program and start taking summer courses. 

Although I’ve still been eating up 3 or 4 books a week (summer time is the best reading season for me), I’ve been doing so much work and reading for school since mid-May. Two of my classes met for two weeks each every day, so now I have a slight lull in my schedule. I have a weekly elective until the end of June when the second round of classes  begins. I am also doing some remote work for the organization I worked at as an undergraduate. It’s definitely a busy schedule, but I am of course grateful to know that I am able to partake in all of these things from home. 

That being said, by the time 6 PM rolls around each day, I am so sick of looking at a computer or phone screen. When I was going to school remotely during the spring semester, I had read a few articles and blog posts about Zoom burnout, but didn’t really understand the phenomenon. I don’t know if it’s because my spring course load at home definitely lessened up with all of the craziness vs. the amount of work I have for grad school, work, and meetings, but I completely understand the burnout now. I’m definitely kicking myself for not getting blue-light protection on my glasses last year.

One of the perks of being home is that on my breaks, I can go for a walk around town or sit out in my backyard (or in my pool) to eat lunch and READ. I also feel sort’ve guilty because while I have been reading my normal amount, I also haven’t been in a super big writing aka blogging mood lately. Instead of writing a little bit each day like I normally do, I’ve found that I’m better off taking an hour or two at least twice a week and just banging out a few posts at a time. I really want to get back to my old ways, aka writing a review at least a few hours after I’ve finished the book and scheduling the week’s posts by Sunday night, but I’m trying not to push myself. Blogging is something that I love and while I do have obligations to read books for review, I don’t want blogging to become something that feels like a chore or job itself. 

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my go-to listens on my walk haven’t changed too much. I’ve still really been embracing podcasts – Bad on Paper is still my favorite and I’ve been loving co-host Becca’s new podcast series with Rachael King, RomCom Pods. RomCom Pods is a fictional podcast series about, you guessed it, rom-com stories! Each season will take on a new storyline. This first season will be six episodes total (currently 2 are out) about Claire, who after finding out her fiancé is cheating on her, decides to still go on their honeymoon tour of Italy. Podcasts are still my go-to walking activity – I also started listening to Here to Make Friends (a Bachelor recap podcast) – but I also sometimes listen to music. After loving Ben Platt’s Radio City special on Netflix last month, I’ve been listening to Sing to Me Instead all the time again, including the live cover of “The Joke,” and his newly released songs like “So Will I.”

If we were having coffee, I’d probably wouldn’t be able to contain myself over my excitement about my local Barnes & Noble re-opening and my library preparing for door side pick-up…even though my friend recently gifted me with her old Kindle! Yes, three months into quarantine and after getting frustrated with using an iPad for e-books, I finally gave in to using a Kindle. Obviously, I’m super happy that the bookstore is open and that my library is working on pick-up plans, but I do see myself still reading e-books (okay fine, I admit I read maybe one e-book a month because I love physical books way too much) because of limited services and availability.  

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I got a new MacBook! I don’t think I’ve ever talked about my laptop issues here, but until May, I had been basically running my life with my 2013 MacBook Pro. I’ve had that laptop since I was a high school sophomore and it was finally time for us to part. For the past two years, I had to always put it on at least twenty minutes before I needed to use it. During this past February, the battery basically died in the middle of my senior capstone class. I was able to get it replaced at a store in my college town and borrow a laptop from the library for a few days, but even with the replacement battery, it wasn’t operating too well. Between work and online school for the summer, I was very fortunately gifted with a 2020 MacBook Air for my graduation and I’ve been LOVING it! I was originally going to go with the MacBook Pro because I was so used to the Pro and I wanted to try the tool bar, but after ordering the Air instead (oops) and reading the reviews, I decided to keep the Air and I am so happy with my decision. It’s super light, works really fast, and I love the Touch ID. It also came with a free year-long trial of AppleTV. 

If we were having coffee, I’d probably talk about what I’m watching on TV.  Unless I’m up to my eyeballs in school work, I usually take the last 1-2 hours before bed either reading or watching TV. Reality TV is still the current love of my life, between Selling Sunset S2 (Netflix), Below Deck Mediterranean (Bravo), Outdaughtered (TLC) and The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever (ABC). My friends and I love watching The Bachelor together, so this is a fun way for us to connect while being separated and unable to watch the show IRL together. Since I’m fairly new to The Bachelor, I like the idea of these episodes covering one whole season of the show so I can get more familiar with  Bachelor Nation faves and not-so-faves. When it comes to ‘actual’ TV, I recently finished finally watching The Morning Show (Apple TV) and started watching Shtisel S2 (Netflix). I’ve also been rewatching The Politician because S2 drops TODAY. No matter how long this season is or how long the episodes are, I can guarantee you that I’ll have this second season finished by next Friday, if not earlier. 

What you been reading and watching lately? Any recommendations for me? Do you have any plans for the summer? Share in the comments! 

If We Were Having Coffee: June 2020 Edition If We Were Having Coffee is my favorite way to share current happenings in my life  outside of my usual fangirl and bookish-ness.

[papermoonloveslucy]

GEORGE’S CHRISTMAS PRESENT

December 16, 1949

“George’s Christmas Present” (aka “The Christmas Present Switch”) is episode #67 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on December 16, 1949.

Synopsis ~ Liz vows to finish knitting George a sweater by Christmas. She finds George's Christmas presents for her and exchanges it too early.

This was the 16th episode of the second season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 43 new episodes, with the season ending on June 25, 1950.

This episode has been fully animated using the original soundtrack.  The animation was created in 2010 by Wayne Wilson and is available to view on Vimeo. 

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz, a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96. 

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) and Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury), do not appear in this episode, although their characters are mentioned. 

GUEST CAST

Frank Nelson (Miller’s Exchange Counter Clerk) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”.  Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs. His trademark was playing clerks and other working stiffs, suddenly turning to Benny with a drawn out “Yeeeeeeeeees?” Nelson appeared in 11 episodes of “I Love Lucy”, including three as quiz master Freddy Fillmore, and two as Ralph Ramsey, plus appearance on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” - making him the only actor to play two different recurring roles on “I Love Lucy.” Nelson returned to the role of the frazzled Train Conductor for an episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1963. This marks his final appearance on a Lucille Ball sitcom.

Eleanor Audley (Mother Cooper) would later play Eleanor Spalding, owner of the Westport home the Ricardos buy in “Lucy Wants To Move to the Country” (ILL S6;E15) in 1957, as well as one of the Garden Club judges in “Lucy Raises Tulips” (ILL S6;E26).

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Cooper’s it’s morning and there are seven shopping days left until Christmas.”

Liz is pressing Katie the Maid about what George may have bought her for Christmas. She is knitting George a sweater, but wants a fur coat from George. Liz sings “Jingle Bells” as George comes down to breakfast. 

“Jingle Bells” by James Lord Pierpont (1822–93) was sung in the “I Love Lucy” Christmas tag, the “I Love Lucy Christmas Special” (above, colorized), as well as in “Lucy Goes to Sun Valley,” a 1958 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” Lucy says that Ricky proposed to her at Christmastime, so their ‘song’ is “Jingle Bells,” or – as Ricky pronounces it - “Yingle Bells.” The song was also sung by Lucy Carmichael and Vivian Bagley in “Together for Christmas” (TLS S1;E13) in 1962.  

Liz is acting lovey-dovey, but George is on to her games - he won’t tell her what he is getting her for Christmas. 

LIZ: “Are you getting me a mink stole?” GEORGE: “If I got you a mink, it would have to be stole!”

George tells Liz he’s already bought it and that it is in the hall closet - but warns her to leave it alone!  After George leaves for work, Liz is tempted to take a peek. She reasons she might need to go into the closet for routine reasons, and ‘clumsily’ rips the paper off the box. It is empty, except for a note that says 

I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF HERE, NOSY! 

Liz is adamant that George is just getting a sweater and starts knitting. Katie doesn’t even recognize it as a sweater. It has two neck holes and a sock knitted to the sleeve!  Liz laments that she can’t knit like George’s mother, who Liz calls Nosy Rosy. Katie reminds Liz that Mother Cooper is coming over for a visit. 

Mother Cooper (Eleanor Audley) waltzes in without ringing the bell. She first thinks the sweater is a dust rag, then a dog sweater. Liz tells her that it is a sweater for George and Mother laughs. 

MOTHER (laughing): “I could die!” LIZ (grimly): “Yes, but you won’t.”

Mother has come over to tell Liz that she will be spending Christmas with Aunt Bessie, instead of with her and George. Before she goes, she bluntly tells Liz to give up on knitting; she hasn’t got the talent.  Mother turns to go. 

LIZ: “Are you driving, or shall I call the Yellow Broomstick Company?” 

Liz is essentially calling her mother-in-law a witch! The Yellow Cab was a taxicab company in Chicago founded in 1907 by John D. Hertz, who later began the Hertz Rent-A-Car Company. In early 1950, Red Skelton, a frequent co-star of Ball’s, released the MGM film The Yellow Cab Man. Although it had not yet premiered, shooting was completed by October 1949 and Lucille Ball may have been short-listed for the role played by Gloria De Haven. 

Before she departs, Mother Cooper tells Liz she has knit her son a beautiful cashmere sweater for Christmas, making Liz even more intent on making hers even better and more beautiful. 

In Part Two, Katie discovers Liz asleep with the knitting needles in her hands, exhausted. After an all-nighter, Katie still sees that the sweater still has three sleeves! 

At breakfast, Liz’s eyes are so bloodshot she mistakes milk for tomato juice!  When George discovers that she’s been knitting him a sweater, he laughs. After George goes to work, Katie discovers another wrapped box in the closet.  Liz opens it to reveal a bright red dress from Miller’s Department Store. Liz is upset because she cannot wear red with her hair coloring. 

LIZ: “If I put that dress on, I’ll look like an ad for Unguentine!” 

Unguentine is a commercially available topical skin ointment that helps alleviate minor burns and irritations. It was originally introduced in 1893. It was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “The Fashion Show” (ILL S4;E20) in 1955. 

Liz dashes off to Miller’s to try and exchange the red dress for one in green.  While waiting on line at the exchange counter, Liz busily knits. At the head of the line, the clerk (Frank Nelson) is confused as to why Liz is exchanging a present BEFORE Christmas!  He sarcastically tells her she should exchange the red dress for a black one and give it a henna rinse!  

Miller’s Department Store is mentioned in “Husbands Are Sloppy Dressers” (S3;E1) and “The Two Mrs. Coopers” (S3;E7). 

LIZ: “Oh, I’ll bet you’re a scream when you get out your chicken inspector badge.” 

Lucille Ball started coloring her hair with Henna Rinse (an Egyptian hair dye) in 1942 for the film Du Barry Was a Lady, to set herself apart in Technicolor movies. Irma Kusely, Ball’s hairstylist, later said that Ball had a safe of it in her garage!  In “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25) in 1952, Fred Mertz struts around and proudly declares “I am the chicken inspector!” This is 1920s slang for a man who has an eye for young woman. He even wears a novelty badge!

Liz rushes home to tell Katie she exchanged the red dress for one in Kelly green. George calls to tell Liz that he is bringing his mother home to give her a Christmas present before she goes to Aunt Bessie’s!  Liz realizes that this is the dress that she just exchanged.  

Liz rushes back to Miller’s to be greeted by the same sarcastic clerk, who can’t understand why she wants yet another exchange.  

Back at home, Liz tells Katie she successfully re-exchanged the green dress for the red one. Katie tells Liz that she finished knitting the sweater for her and has tucked it into the desk drawer. 

George and his mother come home and Liz gives her the present - only to find out from George that the gift she handed Mother is for her, not Mother Cooper!  While George is getting his mother’s REAL present, Mother Cooper asks Liz how the sweater is coming along. Liz opens the desk drawer and Mother Cooper accuses her of buying the sweater not making it. 

As she’s getting into the taxi, George notices a piece of yarn leading from the taxi, up the sidewalk and into the desk!  Mother Cooper has secretly taken the sweater so as not to be upstaged by Liz. Now the sweater has unraveled, leaving only two inches on the needles!  

END OF EPISODE

Announcer Bob LeMond reminds listeners to watch for Lucille Ball in the Columbia Picture Miss Grant Takes Richmond. 

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE CHRISTMAS CARDS

December 16, 1950

“The Christmas Cards” (aka “Christmas Card Pictures”) is episode #110 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on December 16, 1950.

This was the 12th episode of the third season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND. There were 31 new episodes, with the season ending on March 31, 1951.  

Synopsis ~  Liz and George have their pictures taken for their Christmas cards, but then can't agree on which shot to use.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his  roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) was also later seen on “I Love Lucy.” She first played Mrs. Pomerantz, a member of the surprise investigating committee for the Society Matrons League in “Pioneer Women” (ILL S1;E25), as one of the member of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress” (ILL S3;E3), and also played a nurse when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16). She died in 1996 at the age of 96.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury) and Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury) do not appear in this episode, although Liz does have a phone conversation with Iris where her voice is not heard by the listeners. 

GUEST CAST

Jay Novello (Professor Sergei Pagolovsy) would appear on “I Love Lucy” as superstitious Mr. Merriweather in “The Seance” (ILL S1;E7), nervous Mr. Beecher in “The Sublease” (ILL S3;E31), and Mario the gondolier in “The Visitor from Italy” (ILL S6;E5). He also appeared on two episodes of “The Lucy Show,” but dapper Novello is probably best remembered for playing Mayor Lugatto on “McHale’s Navy” in 1965.

Professor Sergei Pagolovsky is a professional photographer, who also goes door to door selling his services. Novello generally plays Mr. Nagy, the Sheridan Falls Postman in love with Katie.  

EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers this evening, George is sitting in the living room reading the paper, when Liz makes an announcement.”

Liz announces that this is the night they must pick our their Christmas cards.  Turns out, Liz is selling Kris Kringle Christmas Cards this year. So far, she only has three orders - including theirs. Card #14 reads...

LIZ: “This is the season of holly and spruce, So Merry Christmas to you, Uncle Bruce!”

Or, if you don’t have an Uncle Bruce, #14A...

LIZ: “This is the season of spruce and holly,  So Merry Christmas to you, Uncle Jolly!” 

George says his only Uncle’s name is Uncle Gilhooley.

LIZ: “This is the season that we know as Yule-y,  so Merry Christmas to you, Uncle Gilhooley.”

When George finds out he has to pay retail, and doesn’t get a discount from his own wife, he insists they be printed from “George Cooper and Friend.”  To get her name on the card she foregoes her commission. 

She tries to sell cards to Katie, the Maid. But it turns out Katie is also working for Kris Kringle Christmas Card Company. Katie’s only sale was to herself. Liz quickly phones Iris Atterbury to make a sale, but same thing.Iris is a Kris Kringle Card vendor, too!  

The doorbell rings and it is a special delivery letter from George’s mother. It says that she can’t come for Christmas this year, but would like a photo of them. Liz reads where her mother-in-law tells George to stand apart from Liz so that she can cut her out later! Liz decides to make their Christmas Cards themselves!

Announcer Bob LeMond does a Jell-O commercial, giving a quick holiday recipe. 

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on the Coopers once again it is two days later.  Two days that Liz has spent diligently carving a linoleum block to hand-print their Christmas cards.” 

Liz reveals the finished product but Katie can’t read the message because Liz didn’t carve the letters backward so that they come out the right way. As it is it says “REPOOC EGROEG dna ZIL morf SAMTSIRHC YRREM”! 

Linocut (also known as lino print, lino printing, or linoleum art) is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum is used for a relief surface. The linoleum sheet is then inked with a roller and then impressed onto paper or fabric.

The doorbell rings and it is a salesman (Jay Novello). His product?  Personalized photo Christmas cards from the Pagolovsky Studio of Photographic Arts. Liz orders before the salesman has even finished his spiel.  Professor Sergei Pagolovsky himself will take the photos this afternoon. Liz immediately realizes that her mother-in-law will get a photo after all. 

That afternoon George and Liz report to the photo studio. Turns out the salesman is Professor Pagolovsky himself!  Liz does everything to make sure she is as close to George as possible. They take a photo with their heads together. 

Later, George brings home the developed photographs for Liz to see. They cannot decide on which one to use. The photos that Liz likes, George doesn’t. The photos the George likes, Liz doesn’t!  They go back and forth until they settle on one where they both look lousy!  

Lucy Ricardo also had trouble picking a good photo of herself when applying for a passport in “Staten Island Ferry” (ILL S5;E12) in 1956. 

Liz goes down to the photographic studio to change the photo. Reviewing the proofs, she chooses one she says will make George look good - but actually favors her.  A short time later, George also visits the studio to make a change. He picks a photo that he says will flatter Liz, but actually favors himself!  

When the cards arrive, Liz warns George that the Professor may have printed the wrong photo on their card - knowing she has changed it.  Opening the cards, she is surprised to see the photo that favors George!  She cries, refusing to send the cards.  She throws them in the fireplace. 

George tells her to go right out in the snow and buy some replacement cards. When he goes to the closet to get her coat, he comes back with some surprising news.  She doesn’t have to go out and get new cards because they have three boxes of fully stamped and addressed cards in the closet. He forgot to mail last year’s cards!  

In the live Jell-O commercial, Lucille Ball is Professor Dorothea Theodora, a famous lady archeologist in Egypt. LeMond is interviewing her for the Scientific Gazette. 

LEMOND / INTERVIEWER: “I’d like to ask you a question.” LUCY / DOROTHEA: “Well, shoot the query, dearie.”

He asks her to read Egyptian hieroglyphics, which she translates into a description of Jell-O desserts. 

Ooops!  LeMond also translates the hieroglyphics and trips over the word ‘delectable’ at first saying ‘detectable’. Lucy, as Dorothea Theodora, ad libs “You can’t even read English”! 

END OF EPISODE

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY AND PHIL HARRIS STRIKE UP THE BAND

S6;E21 ~ February 25, 1974

Directed by Jack Donohue ~ Written by Robert O'Brien

Synopsis

To drum up business for the Unique Employment Agency, Lucy replies to an ad in the newspaper to supply musicians for Phil Harris' orchestra. The candidates she brings Harris are all of different ethnicity, creating a multi-cultural musical act.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carter), Gale Gordon (Harrison Otis Carter)

Lucie Arnaz (Kim Carter) does not appear in this episode, although the final credits do state “Lucie Arnaz Wardrobe by Alroe”.  The character is mentioned by Lucy in the dialogue.

Guest Cast

Phil Harris (Himself) previously played soused songwriter Phil Stanley in a 1968 episode of “The Lucy Show.”  Harris was known as a bandleader who became a comic radio star as a Jack Benny sidekick in the 1930s. Although his fondness for booze was largely a creation of the Benny’s writers, Harris played the part to the hilt. Harris was mentioned in “Lucy Gets Jack Benny’s Account” (TLS S6;E6) when Benny made a reference to Harris’ persona as a lush. In “Lucy and Joan” (TLS S4;E4) Joan (Joan Blondell) says she’s been in pictures so long she saw Phil Harris take his first drink! Harris was married to movie star Alice Faye from 1941 until his death in 1995 at age 91.  

Tommy Farrell (Fred, Phil Harris' Arranger) was on Broadway in three plays between 1942 and 1947. He was seen on “The Lucy Show” twice. This is the last of his six episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”   

In the final credits Farrell is billed as “Freddie” although Harris never calls him anything but “Fred.”  The name is probably a tribute to Lucille Ball's brother and grandfather, both of whom were named Fred.  

Marl Young (Marl Young, Pianist) was the “Here’s Lucy” musical director and often appeared on camera when episodes included music.

Young (as the character) says he's been working as an accountant. His last gig was with the Boston Philharmonic.

Michaelani (Mr. Yamoto) makes the third of his four screen appearances here.

Mr. Yamoto plays the clarinet and says he speaks several languages.  

Anthony Ortega (Ooka Lanooka) was a professional saxophonist (although he does not play the instrument here) and is making his screen acting debut.

Ooka Lanooka plays the whale bones and is number one in his field. Back in Alaska, he worked a couple of one-night stands, which Lucy calls “working steady” because the nights in Alaska are six months long!  

Henry L. Miranda (Pancho Rodriguez) 

Pancho is a trumpet player formerly of Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass.

Jack Kelso (Saxophonist in Harris' Band, uncredited) worked as a studio musician between 1964 and 1984, in addition to recording with Mercer Ellington and Mink DeVille, touring worldwide and appearing in "The Concert for Bangladesh" as part of Jim Horn and the Hollywood Horns.  

Ted Nash (Saxophonist / Clarinetist in Harris' Band, uncredited) was a saxophonist with Les Brown and His Band of Renown. In addition to being a studio musician for many films, he worked on the series “Peter Gunn” (1958-59).

The other members of Harris' orchestra, including ‘Hawaiian’ guitarist Malikalua, are played by uncredited musicians.

Two days after this episode first aired, February 27, 1974, The New York Times broke the news that Lucille Ball had decided not to continue with “Here’s Lucy” and that the show would finish production at the end of its current season.  This came as no surprise to anyone, including viewers. 

The the book “Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia” by Michael Karol, it is noted that Anthony Ortega was a professional saxophonist who was cast by “Here's Lucy” Musical Director Marl Young. Ortega remembers nearly stepping on Lucille Ball's foot while crammed into the booth to pre-record the music for this episode.  Afterwards, Ball complimented him by kissing him on the cheek and saying “You did a good job. I hear that you are a very fine saxophone player.” High praise, considering that all Ball's TV characters were amateur saxophonists. Ortega shared the booth with fellow sax players Jack Kelso and Ted Nash who also appear in the episode.  

The script was dated January 9, 1974, meaning there was very little time between filming and broadcast – a mere seven weeks.  

In her DVD introduction to the episode, Lucie Arnaz reminds us of her mother's early advocacy for hiring minorities, including Lucie's own father, Desi Arnaz, whom CBS was skeptical about portraying Ricky Ricardo. She also states that Marl Young was the first African American Musical Director of a major television show. Lucie calls this episode “Music for Everyone's Ears.”

Lucy says she was at the Wilshire Bowl the night Alice met Phil. This is a reference to Phil Harris' second wife, movie star Alice Faye. Faye herself was mentioned on “The Hollywood Unemployment Follies” (S3;E22) when Lucy and Carol Burnett discover a rack of costumes worn by Faye and Betty Grable. Harris and his orchestra had a regular engagement at the Wilshire Bowl, a restaurant in Hollywood located on Wilshire Boulevard which operated from 1933 to 1943. The building was demolished in 1982. Harris married actress / singer Alice Faye in 1941. Lucy says if she'd gotten to the Wilshire Bowl five minutes sooner she might be Mrs. Phil Harris!

“Phil Harris, popular star of stage screen and television, is taking a sentimental journey back into the music business. Between Las Vegas engagements, Phil is organizing a big band to encourage the increasing popularity of this kind of music. The former maestro has been engaged by the Club Internationale to inaugurate a big band policy for this popular night spot. He is looking for musicians with big band know-how to augment his orchestra now in rehearsal.”

Lucy's morning paper of choice is the Globe-Record. “Here's Lucy” propmaster Kenneth Westcott probably got this newspaper from from a small prop company called The Earl Hays Press, one of the oldest newspaper prop manufacturers in Hollywood.

As the series draws to a close, it might be a good time to mention the ubiquitous blue report covers used at the Unique Employment Agency. The use of this color cover dates back to the Westland bank offices on “The Lucy Show.” These are probably bound scripts recycled as props – but always with the blue cover.  Blue was a good color for Lucy!  

To drum up business, Harry arranges a lunch meeting with the Northshore Insurance Company. In many episodes like this one, Gale Gordon's character is in the set-up (generally the first scene) and then disappears from the narrative. 

When Lucy arrives at the nightclub, Phil Harris is finishing a rehearsal of “Is It True What They Say About Dixie?" a 1936 song written by Irving Caesar, Sammy Lerner and Gerald Marks. 

Lucy tells Harris that they have met before. She had Harris autograph her program during his performances at the Frontier in Las Vegas the previous summer. Lucy says she took the bus to Vegas. Frontier was the second resort that opened on the Las Vegas Strip and operated continuously from October 1942 until it closed on July 16, 2007 and was demolished. The Frontier's sign was glimpsed in the opening montage of “Lucy and Wayne Newton” (S2;E22).

When Mr. Yamoto (who is of Japanese descent) continually bows instead of speaks, Lucy reassures Harris that he's very good. Harris replies “Must be. He ain't hit a note and he's already taking bows.”

When Harris questions Lucy about the number of minorities she's brought to audition, he admits that he is Native American himself, but he doesn't let it get around because “they might cut off my whiskey.” He adds if it wasn't for [Equal] Opportunity, he might be “stringing beads at Wounded Knee.” I reality, the idea that Harris was Native American is as exaggerated as his penchant for spirits. Harris' birth name was Wonga, which is Cherokee for “speedy messenger” but the name is in honor of a friend of his parents' who worked in their circus; nothing to do with his heritage. 

The only candidate that doesn't get to perform solo is named Malikalua. He is a Hawaiian guitar player who Lucy claims works as a plumber during the day but sometimes subs with the Les Brown Band at night. In the final performance the guitarist on the bandstand wears a Hawaiian shirt and many colorful leis around his neck.  This is Malikalua. 

Phil Harris: Look, honey. Are you from the employment agency or the United Nations?

To appease a women’s lib group picketing the nightclub, Lucy is quickly recruited into Harris' act. She provides the obligatory clapping for “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” In “Lucy and the Used Car Dealer” (S2;E9) Lucy Carter disguises herself as ‘Laredo Lucy’ and sings a bit of “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” a 1941 song by June Hershey and Don Swander.

Harris sings his hit song “That’s What I Like About the South” by Andy Razlaf and is joined by Lucy and his recently hired musicians. Specially written lyrics are sung by the diverse musicians and by Lucy.  Her's seem particularly applicable to her character in Mame, although it is not overtly stated: 

“Men have names like Beauregard

Tip their hat when they pass your yard

They act so cool but they fall so hard

That's what I like about the South”

In the about-to-be-released film, Southern gentleman Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside (Robert Preston) “falls so hard” for Mame Dennis (Lucille Ball) that the two get married.  

During Harris' performance at the Club Internationale, the orchestra members stand up and take solos:

His trombonist plays in the style of Tommy Dorsey. Dorsey appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1943 film DuBarry Was a Lady. The uncredited musician riffs on “Marie” by Irving Berlin.

His trumpeter plays in the style of Harry James. James appeared on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” with his wife, Betty Grable, in 1958. The uncredited musician riffs on "Ciribiribin" written by Alberto Pestalozza in 1898.

His clarinetist Ted Nash plays in the style of Benny Goodman. In “The Publicity Agent” (ILL S1;E31) Lucy reads that the Shah of Persia has a standing order for all Benny Goodman's records, which inspires her disguise as the Maharincess of Franistan. Nash riffs on “Let's Dance” by Fanny Mae Baldridge, Gregory Stone, and Joseph Bonime.

His drummer plays in the manner of Gene Krupa. In a 1960 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” Ernie Kovacs called Desi Arnaz “the Cuban Krupa.” The uncredited musician riffs on “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Louis Prima.

Pianist Marl Young plays in the style of Duke Ellington, riffing on"Take the 'A' Train" by Billy Strayhorn. It was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra.

As the finale, the entire Phil Harris orchestra plays in the style of Count Basie performing Basie's signature tune “One O'Clock Jump” while Lucy does the jitterbug.

In “Lucy and Sid Caesar” (TLS S6;E23), a starving Frankie the Forger (Sid Caesar) orders pork chops, a squab stuffed with oyster dressing, a turkey, lasagna, black-eyed peas, candied yams, corn pone, Virginia hams, hot bread, turnip beans, fat back, and lima beans!  He is paraphrasing the lyrics to the song “That’s What I Like About the South.” Interestingly, the song was not performed by Phil Harris when he was a guest star on “The Lucy Show” just a month earlier.

Bob O'Brien also wrote “Lucy and Phil Harris” (TLS S6;E20), Harris' first appearance with Lucille Ball on “The Lucy Show” in 1968. It was O'Brien's idea to highlight ethnic diversity in the “Here’s Lucy” script.  

The costumes Lucy provides for the new band members are reminiscent of “The Black Wig” (ILL S3;E26) where Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz disguise themselves in a random assortment of theatrical costumes to fool their husbands. Lucy replies that Ethel looks like “An ad for a trip around the world.”

In “Little Ricky Gets a Dog” (ILL S6;E14) on January 21, 1957) his parakeets are named Alice and Phil, named after Alice Faye and her husband Phil Harris.

You Break Me Up, Pastel!  Harris' punchline “they might cut off my whiskey” makes Lucille Ball laugh in a way that suggests it was an ad lib by Harris. He mutters something under his breath to Ball along the lines of “Cut off his whiskey. You like that?”  They try to return to the script, but Harris adds “You like that, eh Pastel?” before Lucy regains her composure and continues the scene.

“Lucy and Phil Harris Strike Up the Band” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5

Lucy and Harris have a very relaxed rapport on screen.  The ‘big band’ medley is one of the best musical segments of the series.  And that’s what I liked about this episode!  

[haleyfury]

The end of August means the end of two of my favorite things: summer and summer reading. As much as I love this season, including all of the reading time, I am really happy to be back at school and get back into my (hectic) routine. I’m content with the amount of books I read this month, considering that I really didn’t read as much as I had been earlier in the summer, in light of the start of school 

A Match Made in Mehindi by Nandini Bajpai (ARC) | 3.5/5 Stars

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake | 4.5/5

American Royals by Katharine McGee (ARC) | 5/5

I’ll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller | 5/5

Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning (ARC) | 4/5

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker | 3.5/5

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hanh | 4/5

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake | 4/5

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey (ARC) | 5/5

Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein | 3.5/5

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden (ARC) | 3/5

Survivors of the Holocaust: True Stories of Six Extraordinary Children by Kath Shackleton (ARC) | 3/5

When Summer Ends by Jessica Pennington | 3/5

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills | 4.5/5

ARC August update:

Inspired by ARC August, I read a total of 6 ARCs in August. I had more on my TBR, but again, I slowed down on reading towards the end of the month and found myself reaching for backlist titles I could get from my local library. The remainder of my Fall 2019 titles are priority in my fall reading plans.

Five Foot One Teacher (YouTube) – I taught summer school this summer and I’ve been finding myself caught by the education bug. I found Brittany of Five Foot One while looking up some lollipop jar designs for my office hours (what can I say, the best way to get college students to come to tutoring is through food sometimes!). She is a super inspiring freshman high school English teacher in Florida with such creative ideas and assignments. Her classroom is hands-down the most unique and alternative seating-filled classroom I’ve ever seen. My favorite videos of hers to watch are her Life as a Teacher vlogs, finding inspiration in her classroom supplies, activities, teacher clothes, and her overall positivity and inspiring story.

Derry Girls S2 (Netflix) – Everyone knows I love female-led comedies, and Derry Girls is absolutely no exception. Subtitles are definitely necessary to understand the Irish brogues, but this show always make me laugh out loud.  I love the balance between the friend group’, their hijinks ,and the political climate in 1990s Ireland.

Workin’ Moms S2 (Netflix) – Workin’ Moms is another female-led comedy gem on Netflix. There’s definitely a few more explicit scenes in this season, but I loved the plot development and character exploration. I also shocked by some twists near the end.

In Progress:

Glow S1 (Netflix) – I’m in between a lot of TV shows right now, waiting for new seasons to drop later this fall and in early 2020. Since May, I’ve also been looking for shows that have 40 minute or less episodes. I decided to try Glow because of its shorter episodes and it again being a female comedy. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet, but I definitely want to finish the first season and see if I want to continue on to the next two seasons.

Say Yes to the Dress S18 (TLC) – My TV watching life is not complete unless I’m currently watching at least one TLC show, which is currently Say Yes to the Dress! They’ve made this change in the past few seasons, but I absolutely love the hour-long episodes. 

Rewatching: Friends and Parks & Recreation S7

Reviews 

SWOON-WORTHY ADVENTURE: The Lady Rogue Review

FALL 2019 MUST READ: The Other’s Gold Review

GHOST STORIES & BAKING: Dead Voices Review & Inspired Recipe

LIVE LOVE FRIENDS: I’ll Be There for You Review & Favorite Friends Episodes

FOODIE NEW ADULT READS: Hudson Valley Series Review

HARD YA READ: Hope and Other Punch Lines Review

Fall 2019 Books 

My Top 10 Anticipated Fall 2019 Releases

Best Fall 2019 Books I Read for Review

FALL 2019 PREVIEW: Anticipated Releases Tag

Other Bookish Fun 

Top Five Wednesday: Books I’m Intimidated By

Top Five Wednesday: My Favorite Blog Posts

Book Blogging Firsts Tag

My Favorite Book Pins & Collection

The Sunshine Blogger Award Part 3

ARC AUGUST & MORE: August 2019 TBR

Lover debut- In addition, listening to Taylor Swift’s Lover as much as possible during my last two days of summer vacation definitely cut into some reading time . Here’s my current fave songs: 

 “I Think He Knows”

 “Cruel Summer”

“Paper Rings”

 “Soon You’ll Be Better”

“Lover”

Shawn Mendes Concert- I celebrated my 21st birthday in one of the best ways possible: seeing Shawn Mendes! My sisters and I saw him at the Prudential Center this month and it was such a fun experience! My favorite songs that he performed were “If I Can’t Have You” & “Treat You Better.”

What did you read in August? Have you listened to Lover? Share in the comments!

BOOKS, NETFLIX & LOVER: August 2019 Wrap Up The end of August means the end of two of my favorite things: summer and summer reading.