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chainofclovers · 3 years

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Ted Lasso 2x11 thoughts

For an episode that ends with a journalist Ted trusts but has (understandably) recently lied to warning Ted that he’s publishing an article about his panic attacks, it was fitting that this episode seemed entirely about what all of these characters choose to tell each other. And after most of a season of television that Jason Sudeikis has described as the season in which the characters go into their little caves to deal with things on their own, it turns out they are finally able to tell each other quite a lot.

Which is good because, um, wow, a lot is going to happen in the season finale of this show!

Thoughts on the things people tell each other behind the cut!

Roy and Keeley. I absolutely loved the moment during their photoshoot in which they bring up a lot of complicated emotional things and are clearly gutted (“gutted”? Who am I? A GBBO contestant who forgot to turn the oven on?) by what they’ve heard. We already know that Keeley and Roy are great at the kinds of moments they have before the shoot begins, in which Roy builds Keeley up and tells her she’s fucking amazing. From nearly the beginning of their relationship, they’ve supported each other and been each other’s biggest fans. But their relationship has gone on long enough that they’ve progressed from tentative arguments about space and individual needs into really needing to figure out what they mean to each other and how big their feelings are and what that means in relation to everything else. Watching these two confess about the uncomfortable kiss with Nate, the unexpectedly long conversation with Phoebe’s teacher, and—most painfully—the revelation that Jamie still loves Keeley didn’t feel like watching two people who are about to break up. (Although I could see them potentially needing space from each other to get clarity.) It felt like watching two people realize just how much they’d lose if they lost each other, which is an understandably scary feeling even—or especially—when you’re deeply in love but not entirely sure what the future holds. Not entirely sure what you’re capable of when you’ve never felt serious about someone in quite this way, and are realizing you have to take intentional actions to choose that relationship every single day. I’m excited to learn whether Roy and Keeley decide they need to solidify their relationship more (not necessarily an engagement, but maybe moving in together or making sure they’re both comfortable referring to the other as partner and telling people they’re in a committed relationship) or if things go in a different direction for a while.

Sharon and Ted. I’ve had this feeling of “Wow, Ted is going to feel so intense about how honest he’s been with Sharon and is going to end up getting really attached and transfer a lot of emotions onto the connection they have and that is stressful no matter how beneficial it has been for him to finally get therapy!” for a while now. And Sharon’s departure really brought that out and it was indeed stressful. But the amount of growth that’s happened for both of these characters is really stunningly and beautifully conveyed in this episode. Ted is genuinely angry she left without saying goodbye, and he doesn’t bury it some place deep inside him where it will fester for the next thirty years. He expresses his anger. (I also noticed he sweared—mildly—in front of her again, which is really a big tell for how much he has let his carefully-constructed persona relax around her.) He reads her letter even though he said he wasn’t going to, and he’s moved. I don’t think Ted has the words for his connection to Sharon beyond “we had a breakthrough,” but Sharon gets it, and is able to firmly assert a professional boundary by articulating her side of that breakthrough as an experience that has made her a better therapist. And is still able to offer Ted a different kind of closure by suggesting they go out before her train leaves. No matter how you feel about a patient/football manager seeing their therapist/team psychologist colleague socially, I appreciated this story because IMO it didn’t cross big lines but instead was about one final moment in this arc in which both Ted and Sharon saw each other clearly and modeled what it is to give someone what they need and to expect honesty and communication from them. I liked that Ted ends up being the one saying goodbye. (The mustache in the exclamation points!) I like that whether or not Sharon returns in any capacity (Sarah Niles is so wonderful that I hope she does, but I’m not sure), the goodbye these characters forge for themselves here is neither abandonment nor a new, more complicated invitation. It’s the end of a meaningful era, and although the work of healing is the work of a lifetime, it’s very beautiful to have this milestone.

Ted and Rebecca. So, maybe it’s just me, but it kinda feels like these two have a few li’l life things to catch up on?! (HAHHHHHaSdafgsdasdf!) I really adored their interactions in this episode. I maintain that Biscuits With The Boss has been happening this whole time (even when Ted’s apartment was in shambles, there’s biscuit evidence, and I feel like we’ve been seeing the biscuit boxes in Rebecca’s office pretty regularly too), even if it might have been more of a drive-by biscuit drop-off/feelings avoidance ritual. It was really lovely to see Ted on more even footing in Rebecca’s office, joking around until she tells him to shut up, just like the old days. And GOSH—for their 1x9 interaction in Ted’s office to be paralleled in this episode and for Ted to explicitly make note of the parallel in a way Rebecca hears and sees and understands?! MY HEART. In both of Rebecca’s confessions, she is not bringing good news but it is good and meaningful that she chooses to share with Ted. In both situations, Ted takes the moment in stride and offers acceptance equivalent to the gravity of what she has to confess. And in both situations, he’s not some kind of otherworldly saint, able to accept Rebecca no matter what because he’s unaffected by what she shares. He is affected. When he tells her about Sam, you can see a variety of emotions on his face. Rebecca is upset and Ted is calm, and even if I might have liked for him to try to talk about the risk the affair poses to the power dynamics on the team or any number of factors, I also really liked that he just accepts where she is, and—most importantly—does not offer her advice beyond examining herself and taking her own advice. A massive part of being in a relationship with another person (a close relationship of any nature) is figuring out how to support that person without necessarily having to be happy about every single thing they do. It’s so important that Ted connects what she’s just told him about Sam back to what she told him last season about her plot with the club. These both feel like truth bombs to him, and he is at least safe enough to make that clear. These are both things that impact him, things that shape how he sees her and maybe even how he sees himself. He cares about her and is capable of taking in this information; he has room for it. But it’s not something he takes lightly, and neither does she. See you next year.

Tumblr user chainofclovers and the TV show Ted Lasso. My brain is going wild thinking about all the ways the next “truth bomb” conversation could go in 3x11 or whatever. Maybe they go full consistent parallel and Rebecca confesses something else, this time about her and Ted or some other big future thing that impacts him as much or more as the other confessions have. (The same but different.) Maybe the tables turn and Ted has something to confess to her. While the 1x9 conversation ended in an embrace and the 2x11 conversation ended with a bit more physical distance (understandable given the current state of their relationship and the nature of the discussion), the verbal ending of both conversations involved voices moving into a sexier lower register while zooming in to talk specifically about their connection to each other, so I have to assume there will be some consistencies in s3 even if the circumstances will be completely different. I don’t really know where I’m going with this and I obviously will go insane if I sustain this level of anticipatory energy until Fall 2022 but I have a feeling my brain and heart are going to try!

Sam and Rebecca. I know there’s been a lot of criticism about whether this show is being at all realistic about the power dynamics and inevitable professional issues this relationship would create. On some level, I agree; I like that pretty much everyone who knows about the affair has been kind so far, but you can be kind and still ask someone to contend with reality. But I also think that in nearly every plot point on this show, the narrative is driven by how people feel about their circumstances first and foremost. (It’s why the whiteboard in the coaching office and the football commentators tell us more about how the actual football season is going from a points perspective than anyone else.) This episode reminded me how few people know about Sam and Rebecca, and how much their time together so far has been time spent in bed. The private sphere. I thought this episode really expertly brought the public sphere into it, not—thank goodness—through a humiliating exposure or harsh judgment but through an opportunity for Sam that illustrates not only all his potential to do great things but how much Rebecca’s professional position and personal feelings are in conflict with that. Could stand in the way of that. I don’t have a strong gut feeling about where this will go, but I do think Sam’s face in his final scene of this episode is telling. He started the episode wanting to see Rebecca (his most recent text to her was about wanting to connect), and Edwin’s arrival from Ghana really exploded his sense of what is possible for his life. If he’d arrived home to Rebecca sitting on his stoop prior to meeting Edwin, he’d have been delighted. Now he’s conflicted, and whatever decision he makes, he has to reckon with the reality that he cannot have everything he wants. No matter what. And Rebecca—she has taken Ted’s advice and is attempting to be honest about the fact that she can’t control Sam’s decisions but hopes he doesn’t go, and even saying that much feels so inappropriate. And I’m not sure how much she realizes about the inappropriateness of the position she’s putting him in, although maybe she’s getting there considering she exits the scene very quickly. I’ve honestly loved Rebecca’s arc this season. I think it’s realistic that she got obsessed with the intimacy she thought she could find in her phone. I think it’s realistic that her professional and personal ambitions are inappropriately linked. (They certainly were for Rupert. It’s been years since she’s known anything different; even if she’s done some significant recovery work to move on from her abusive marriage and figure out her own priorities, she’s got a long way to go.) I know there are people who will read this interaction between Rebecca and Sam as a totally un-self-aware thing on the part of “the show” or “the writers” but what I saw is two people who enjoyed being in bed together and now have to deal with the reality that they’re in two different places in their lives and that one has great professional power over the other. If that wasn’t in the show, I wouldn’t be able to see it or feel so strongly about it.

Edwin and Sam. I really enjoyed all the complexities of this interaction. Edwin is promising a future for Sam that doesn’t quite exist yet, though he has the financial means to make it happen. He offers this by constructing for Sam a Nigerian—and Ghanaian—experience unlike anything he’s found in London. Sam is amazed that this experience is here, and Edwin’s response is to explain to him that the experience is not here. Not really. The experience in Africa. Sam has of course connected to the other Nigerian players on the team, but this is something else entirely. I’m really curious if Sam is going to end up feeling that what Edwin has to offer is real or not. That sense of home and connection? So real. And so right that he would want to experience that homecoming and would want to be part of building that experience for others. But at the end of the day, he went to a museum full of actors and a pop-up restaurant full of “friends,” and is that constructed authenticity as a stand-in for a real homecoming more or less real than the home he’s building in Richmond? (With other players who stand in solidarity with him, and with well-meaning white coaches who say dumb stuff sometimes, and an a probably-doomed love interest, and a feeling that he should put chicken instead of goat in the jollof, and the ability to stand out as an incredible player on a rising team.)

Nate and everyone. But also Nate and no one. Nate’s story is so painful and I’m so anxious for next week’s episode. For a long time I’ve felt that a lot of Nate’s loyalties are with Richmond, and a lot of his ambitions are around having given so much to this place without getting a lot back, and having a strong feeling that he’s the answer to Richmond’s future. But now I’m not so sure; his ambitions have transferred into asking everyone he knows (except Ted, of course), if they want to be “the boss.” But Nate is all tactics and no communication. When he wants to suggest a new play to Ted, he hasn’t yet learned to read Ted’s language to learn that Ted is eager to hear what he has to say. And while Ted has been really unfortunately distracted about Nate and dismissive of him this season, he clearly respects Nate’s approach to football and was appreciative of the play. Nate just can’t hear that. The suit is such a great metaphor of all the things Nate is in too much pain to be able to hear clearly. Everyone digs at him for wearing the suit Ted bought him (including Will, who’s got to get little cuts in where he can, because he’s got to be sick of the way Nate treats him), but when he gets fed up his solution isn’t to go out on his own and find more clothes he likes; he asks Keeley to help him. And then crosses a major line with her...and no matter how kind she was about it, she was clearly not okay. Everything is going to blow up, and I’m so curious as to whether Nate will end up aligning himself with Rupert in some way or if he’s going to end up screwed over by Rupert and in turn try to screw over his colleagues even worse than he’s already done. Or try desperately to make amends even though it could be too late for some. Either way, I’m fully prepared to feel devastated. (And there’s no way I’m giving up on this character. If he’s able to learn, I truly believe he could end up seeking forgiveness and forging a happier existence for himself. Someday. Like in season 3 or something.)

Ted and Trent. Trent deciding to reveal his source to Ted is a huge deal, and I’m torn between so many emotions about this exposé. I’m glad it’s a Trent Crimm piece and not an Ernie Loundes piece. I’m glad that Trent made the decision to warn Ted and let him know that Nate is his source. I fear—but also hope—that this exposure will set off a chain reaction of Ted learning about some of the things he’s missed while suffering through a really bad bout with his dad-grief and panic disorder. The things Ted doesn’t know would devastate him. I wonder if Ted will want to figure out a way to make Nate feel heard and reconcile with him, and I wonder how that will be complicated if/when he realizes Nate has severely bullied Will, gets more details on how he mistreated Colin, etc. I wonder if Rebecca, whom Nate called a “shrew” right before she announced his promotion, will be in the position of having to ask Ted to fire him, or overriding Ted and doing it herself. So many questions! I have a feeling it’ll go in some wild yet very human-scaled, emotionally-nuanced direction, and I’ll be like “Oh my GOD!” but also like “Oh, of course.”

This VERY SERIOUS AND EMOTIONAL REVIEW has a major flaw, which is that none of the above conversations include mention of the absolute love letter to N*SYNC. Ted passionately explains how things should go while dancing ridiculously! Will turns on the music and starts gyrating! Roy nods supportively! Beard shouts the choreography like the Broadway choreographer of teaching grown men who play football how to dance like a boy band. Everyone is so incredibly proud when they nail it. I love them.

I cannot believe next week is the end. For now. I’m kind of looking forward to letting everything settle during the hiatus, but I’ve really loved the ride.

#ted lasso #ted lasso s2 spoilers #ted lasso 2x11 #meta by me #ALL THE FEELINGS!!!!#a lesbian watches ted lasso

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comradecowplant · 4 years

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I DIDN'T CRY LIKE A BABY FOR 80% OF THE LAST EPISODE OF BLY MANOR, YOU CRIED LIKE A BABY!!!!

Sooo I began The Haunting of Bly Manor last night thinking I'd watch a few episodes before bed but low and behold I couldn't stop watching and binged the whole thing.

I really like the approach the creators took this season, and how they changed up the classic "ghost story" themes that they used-- Hill House didn't feature possession (the ghosties just drove one mad), or a ghost who didn't realize she was dead & continued to "live" her life, or an elaborate back story for the Head Angy Ghost's curse on the house (with means, albeit tragic, to break it). I liked how the majority of the ghosts we come to know are just people, and rather than being warped by Angy Ghost Magic while trapped in the house, they are changed by the reality that memory is what keeps the dead alive (metaphorically and in this case literally) but it fades, and what makes them THEM is slowly "slipping away".

The Lady of the Lake & her faceless victims were creepy, but Bly definitely toned down the visual horror factor & I don't think I was capital s Scared once-- but I'm glad for it! If this anthology series is to be successful, it NEEDS to take those risks & not succumb to the temptation to repeat the same themes (the one exception being lesbianism, which is just 11/10 and I hope they never stray from it, although the sapphics could be more diverse) and scares that worked previously. This is, as adult Flora put it, a love story-- one with many kinds of love and many kinds of ghosts, and it's the beautiful tragedy of it all that honors the tradition of gothic horror that isn't meant to be all ugly demons and blood.

I’ve seen some homos bitching that this is another example of “kill your gays”, but in my opinion they could not be more wrong. Sure, Dani (ayy what a great name for a character) sacrifices herself & it eventually causes her death, but only after years of loving and being loved by Jamie, who keeps her alive in the story she tells. Dani didn’t die for shock value, she died because she loved Flora & Miles and had to do whatever it took to keep them safe, and unfortunately the only way was to take the Lady of the Lake inside of her. This isn’t anywhere close to Lexa or Tara or any of the other classic KYG examples, and it cannot be overlooked that this a story at its forefront about death & ghosts, so if you went into this show purely for the wlw activity (as I am often guilty of w/ other shows so no judgement there), that’s boo-boo on you for assuming there would be any sort of happily ever after that didn’t come at a heartbreaking cost.

I’m still digesting the show so I might add to this rumination later, but all I can say is that I’m so glad I didn’t wait as long as I did to watch Hill House to watch Bly Manor (many thanks to the wonderful @gaia-organic for prompting me to check it out), and I can’t wait for the next installment. If I had to choose a favorite, Hill House wins by an inch just because I liked the increase of Spookies it had, but man o man is it close, and it’s not really fair to compare the two by the same metrics, because each season hit differently by design. Victoria Pedretti is an absolute fucking treasure, and I hope her career explodes from her talented work on this anthology. And maybe just maybe she can survive next season? Pwetty pwease Mike Fwannigan??????

#dani talks about tv #i am still emotionally raw lmao #i saw a dani jamie gifset earlier and i teared up a bit #its sad and its beautiful and it could not have ended any other way #the haunting of bly manor

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mcustorm · 4 years

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Thoughts on Jamie Johnson 5x07

And there you have it, people! We’ve spent close to 5 seasons with Dillon Simmonds, and tonight we got to understand him on a deeper level than ever before. I mean, it was already true, but tonight firmly established Dillon as the most fully realized character on the show. As for our titular character, well…

First things first, I actually think Zoe played her cards correctly tonight, despite generally being in the wrong. Giving Kat the pendant when she found it would have been the best thing to do, but she’s Zoe, so this was the next best thing. Giving it back just before or during the game might have caused animosity between the girls on the pitch, so Zoe instead went into pep talk mode. And get this: she actually sounded genuine!

Bruh, I am tide of these youngins and their drama. Eric was in the wrong in regards to the bag incident with Liam last week, but the situation is clearly more complex than that which Alba of all people should understand. As leader, she should sit them both down and have a fair and nuanced (or as nuanced as a 13 year old can be) discussion about *all* the factors that brought us to this point.

But this whole “Apologize! Don’t wanna? You can’t sit with us!” schtick that she’s pulling yet again does not sit right with my spirit. She’s minimalizing Eric’s feelings. Just because she’s ready to forgive Liam doesn’t mean Eric should be as well. Especially since her desire to forgive Liam conveniently lines up with her wanting/needing Liam to win some games. Maybe the cost of winning for Eric isn’t the same as Alba’s. And if Eric wants to run off and find himself a boo thang? YOU DO YOU, KING.

Jamie Johnson is a hot mess, and I am about to start printing #JusticeForBoggy t-shirts, 50% off Pride Month special. On the one hand, I am interested in these recent plot developments concerning Boggy because it means that his character will finally get something to work with. On the other hand, WTF Jamie? I admit that I don’t have the best memory, but did Jamie not look both ways when he was in the street? Wasn’t Jamie’s Dad not looking where he was going because he was too busy seeing dollar signs? Due to their own negligence, that makes both of them more at fault than Boggy. Not that we should be assigning fault anyway.

How, how did Jamie arrive at the conclusion that the accident was Boggy’s fault? And this is why I say those kids don’t appreciate Boggy. What he did for Jamie is perfectly in line with him being there for him literally every step of the way since season 1. Even Boggy’s involvement in the accident was because of him wanting to protect Jamie. You have to wonder, does Jamie really appreciate Boggy? His convo with Freddie said one thing, his actions told a whole nother story. If I were Boggy, I’d write Jamie a nice letter saying how I feel and then leave him all the way alone.

And Mike and the team kept heralding Jamie as someone they should be fighting for. Jamie not wearing any team colors, not cheering anybody on, not even wanting to be in a picture is to me not somebody I want to be inspired by. If I were Kat (having shown up with no knowledge of the team), I literally wouldn’t even think twice about Jamie since he clearly cannot be bothered. I get that he’s angry, but he can’t just lash out at the people who have been most supportive of him.

Anyways, I am glad that the team won and went out on a high note. Even though Jamie’s a mess, this was still Dillon’s episode. And it was great. We got more “straight” puns, we got the hintiest-hint of Delliot, but most importantly we got several acknowledgments of how far Dillon has come. And now that he’s coming to terms with himself *and* may have secured the bag with Foxborough, Dillon may well be entering the greatest years of his life yet.

It’s amazing just how far we have come with gay characters. When I was Disney Channel young, that was simply unheard of. Now, so many teen dramas have some variation of LGBT representation, and what with shows like this, Diary of a Future President, and Andi Mack, even the tweens are starting to tell more stories. I will say that my peeps from across the pond are much more firm and uncensored and unapologetic about their message, which makes the whole thing feel more genuine.

So there you have it. Now that we’re halfway through, there’s a few questions left to answer. Will Jack show up one more time to get Zoe more pressed than a panini sandwich? Is Dillon about to embark on a coming-out journey, or is he about to be outed? How much of a dick can Liam and Dillon’s Dad be? Is Delliot even a thing? Will the girls get their chance to get on the women’s team? Will Alba stop doing the absolute most? Is Indira ever going to come back on this show in any capacity? Will there be justice for Boggy?

Questions that need answers.

BTW, y’all did notice the missing scene, right? And did you see that the Indian guy who replaced Kat was behind Mike again when he cheered at the final goal?

#jamie johnson #dillon simmonds #thanks for reading #delliot #justice for boggy

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insanityclause · 5 years

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Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox, and Tom Hiddleston sit down at a back table of a midtown Italian restaurant and launch into it.

“I don’t know …” “I think I’ll have the …” “Are you getting a starter?” “If you get that, I’ll share it with you.” “Whisky at lunchtime?”

“We’re not doing this on purpose,” Hiddleston assures me, although their staccato rapport bears an uncanny similarity to dialog that Harold Pinter—in whose Betrayal the three are currently starring—might have drafted. “Sometimes, you just find yourself recreating his rhythms.”

I hadn’t actually assumed that there was anything staged about their chatter. It seemed more like the results of months of close collaboration and a natural intimacy. The current Broadway production is a transfer of a West End show from last year; the three actors have been performing together since March, but their association began earlier than that.

Back in October of 2018, Hiddleston and Ashton participated in an Intelligence Squared debate pitting Tolstoy against Dickens. Hiddleston dramatized the part of Levin from Anna Karenina, Ashton played Kitty. (In an odd convergence, we discover that my father also participated in the debate.) Cox’s take when he discovered that the other two actors had met on a panel debating the virtues of two nineteenth-century intellectual giants: “This is going to be the worst four months of my life. Can we just talk about Friends?”

But the two men also go way back: In 2011, Cox—best known for his turn as Daredevil in the Marvel franchise—took Hiddleston to an Arsenal game at Emirates Stadium, arriving to pick up the 6’2” actor in a Fiat cinquecento. “That’s smaller than a smart car,” Cox clarifies for those (like me) unfamiliar with the ‘90s-era Italian hatchback. Cox is an avid Arsenal fan—he even bought a house in the north London neighborhood of Stoke Newington to be close to the stadium—but when I ask Hiddleston if he shares the same allegiance, he speaks with the measured care of someone sensing the rabid scrutiny of a million Premier League fans. “When I was younger, in the 1980s,” he says, “I supported Liverpool, but I would never elevate myself to the level of a Liverpool fan.”

Photo: Courtesy of Marc Berner

We seem to be moving backwards through the actors’ acquaintance, not unlike the movement of the play itself, which begins with the cold dregs of an affair, and moves in a reverse chronological order through its more heated center and inception. It’s hard to talk about Betrayal without emphasizing this ostensibly experimental aspect of its construction, but as we speak, it occurs to me that this is in fact often the way that people tell the story of their relationship to one another: first comes the lunch order, then comes the January football match years ago, then the casting, and so on.

I had assumed that this version of Betrayal, when it first appeared in London, was part of a season of Pinter plays performed at The Pinter Theater in London and directed by Jamie Lloyd, but it turns out that its origin was more fortuitous. Ashton and Hiddleston had been brought in to perform a scene at a gala commemorating the playwright’s birthday, and at the conclusion, Pinter’s widow, Lady Antonia Fraser, turned to Hiddleston and said: “It was wonderful, that scene, perhaps you’d like to do the whole thing?” And then they were off—led by Lloyd, who, Hiddleston says, the actors inherited “match fit” from his season of directing the Nobel Prize–winner. Cox was tied up when he was first approached to play the third point of the tortured love triangle, but when he became available, he leapt at the opportunity. “I just googled ‘Betrayal word count,’ and then said: I’m in,” he jokes.

Continuing the backwards momentum, I leapfrog further, discovering that all three actors grew up in London: Ashton in Hackney in north London, around the corner from the house where the playwright lived most his life—“There’s no membrane between me and Harold,” she jokes—Hiddleston in central London and then Wimbledon, and Cox south of the river, in Victoria. Between the three, they’ve covered a lot of the capital’s geography, and so I ask them about the role that the city plays in Betrayal, a fourth factor in the love triangle, the characters traversing the city to reach the secret Kilburn flat where they’re conducting the affair or visiting posh Hampstead houses. Does anything get lost in translation among American audiences? “We never get a laugh with Kilburn, and we never will!” says Ashton. “It’s such a London-centric piece. Especially in our production, which is more conceptual in design, you’re asked to imagine a lot.”

But if the three performers are London-bred (and based), they have taken to their New York residencies. Hiddleston lives near Central Park, a location he chose so that he can run there every day: “The first time, I thought there was a race on—turns out, people just run in New York.” (Though he ran the London marathon once, he’s not planning on repeating it in New York—“probably wouldn’t be able to do the show afterwards,” he muses.) Cox has settled for the time being in Tribeca, where his routine is structured by preschool drop-off for his three-year-old daughter, Elsie, and weekly visits to the Russian and Turkish baths. Ashton is busy preparing for a production of a play of her own, for all the women who thought they were Mad, which has its U.S. premiere at Soho Rep later this month. She rattles off a list of shows she’s seen or would like to see—Ain’t Too Proud, Slave Play, The Inheritance, and all three chime in with exuberant appreciation of the energy of Broadway—“the density of the lights,” as Ashton puts it, “the collective energy of all the people in the vicinity.”

“I love entering the theater through a stage door that’s the door for three other theaters,” says Cox, and Hiddleston, too, seems to appreciate the on-top-of-each-other architecture of Broadway theaters. “Before the show, I open my window, and I can hear the audiences coming in for Ain’t Too Proud,” he says, “and the usher telling them to ‘step this way.’”

“I keep getting told off for being too loud when I leave,” Ashton interjects. “It’s clearly a quiet part of Phantom of the Opera. But even that’s delightful.”

With such palpable enthusiasm, and since we’ve also covered the beginning (birth, childhood) and the middle (their friendship, the play), I ask them about the (hypothetical) end: Gun to their head, if they could only do film and television or theater for the rest of their life, what would they choose?

Reluctant silence, followed by some grudging admissions: “In terms of the lifestyle,” Cox says, “I don’t think it gets better than the theater. I spend all day with my family. On a Thursday, I leave the house at 6:30. I get out of bath time.” And then there’s the iterative rewards of performing the same lines night after night: “There are changes you get to make over the course of a run, you can subtly shift your performance to make it richer.”

“We’re in a play that was written a long time ago by a legendary playwright,” says Ashton. “And we’ve brought something fresh to it. You can do that in theater.”

Hiddleston takes the longest to weigh in. “I know in my bones, I feel like a creature of the theater. But I’ve had very meaningful experiences on film sets as well. But we’re very happy.” Ashton interjects: “Rehearsing this play was one of the happiest experiences of our lives.”

The three actors are unlikely to be able to perpetuate this mutual contentment beyond the play’s run. Hiddleston is scheduled to begin work on Loki after spending the holidays back in London with his family. Ashton will be busy with the two productions through the fall, and Cox is unsure of his next project. (Dealer’s Choice, he answers quickly, when asked about his dream role: “I’m just about getting to the right age to play one of the characters.”) I suggest they find another wrenching play about love gone awry to keep them content. “It's true,” says Hiddleston. “I remember doing Othello in London, and people in the audience would be in floods of tears. And then they'd come backstage and we’d all be laughing. There’s a cognitive dissonance.”

An assistant arrives to inform them that it's time to prepare for the show. And so all three stand up and depart, more than happy to perform their nightly tragedy.

#Tom Hiddleston #Zawe Ashton #Charlie Cox #Betrayal #interview

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tomhiddleslove · 5 years

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Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox, and Tom Hiddleston sit down at a back table of a midtown Italian restaurant and launch into it.

“I don’t know . . .”

“I think I’ll have the . . .”

“Are you getting a starter?”

“If you get that, I’ll share it with you.”

“Whiskey at lunchtime?”

In October 2018, Hiddleston and Ashton participated in an Intelligence Squared debate pitting Tolstoy against Dickens. Hiddleston dramatized the part of Levin from Anna Karenina; Ashton played Kitty. (In an odd convergence, we discover that my father also participated in the debate.) Cox’s take when he discovered that the other two actors had met on a panel debating the virtues of two 19th-century intellectual giants: “This is going to be the worst four months of my life. Can we just talk about Friends?”

But the two men also go way back. In 2011, Cox—best known for his turn as Daredevil in the Marvel franchise—took Hiddleston to an Arsenal game at Emirates Stadium, arriving to pick up the 6-foot-2 actor in a Fiat Cinquecento. “That’s smaller than a smart car,” Cox clarifies for those (like me) unfamiliar with the ’90s-era Italian hatchback. Cox is an avid Arsenal fan—he even bought a house in the north London neighborhood of Stoke Newington to be close to the stadium—but when I ask Hiddleston if he shares the same allegiance, he speaks with the measured care of someone sensing the rabid scrutiny of a million Premier League fans. “When I was younger, in the 1980s,” he says, “I supported Liverpool, but I would never elevate myself to the level of a Liverpool fan.”

We seem to be moving backward through the actors’ acquaintance, not unlike the movement of the play itself, which begins with the cold dregs of an affair, and moves in a reverse chronological order through its more heated center and inception. It’s hard to talk about Betrayal without emphasizing this ostensibly experimental aspect of its construction, but as we speak, it occurs to me that this is in fact often the way that people tell the story of their relationship to one another: First comes the lunch order, then comes the January football match years ago, then the casting, and so on.

I had assumed that this version of Betrayal, when it first appeared in London, was part of a season of Pinter plays performed at the Harold Pinter Theater in London and directed by Jamie Lloyd, but it turns out that its origin was more fortuitous. Ashton and Hiddleston had been brought in to perform a scene at a gala commemorating the playwright’s birthday, and at the conclusion, Pinter’s widow, Lady Antonia Fraser, turned to Hiddleston and said, “It was wonderful, that scene, perhaps you’d like to do the whole thing?” And then they were off—led by Lloyd, who, Hiddleston says, the actors inherited “match fit” from his season of directing the Nobel Prize–winner. Cox was tied up when he was first approached to play the third point of the tortured love triangle, but when he became available, he leapt at the opportunity. “I just googled ‘Betrayal word count,’ and then said: I’m in,” he jokes.

Continuing the backward momentum, I leapfrog further, discovering that all three actors grew up in London: Ashton in Hackney in north London, around the corner from the house where the playwright lived most his life—“There’s no membrane between me and Harold,” she jokes—Hiddleston in central London and then Wimbledon, and Cox south of the river, in Victoria. Between the three, they have covered a lot of the capital’s geography, so I ask them about the role that the city plays in Betrayal, a fourth factor in the love triangle, the characters traversing the city to reach the secret Kilburn flat where they’re conducting the affair or visiting posh Hampstead houses. Does anything get lost in translation among American audiences? “We never get a laugh with Kilburn, and we never will!” says Ashton. “It’s such a London-centric piece. Especially in our production, which is more conceptual in design, you’re asked to imagine a lot.”

But if the three performers are London-bred (and based), they have taken to their New York residencies. Hiddleston lives near Central Park, a location he chose so that he can run there every day: “The first time, I thought there was a race on—turns out, people just run in New York.” (Though he ran the London marathon once, he’s not planning on repeating it in New York—“probably wouldn’t be able to do the show afterwards,” he muses.) Cox has settled for the time being in Tribeca, where his routine is structured by preschool drop-off for his three-year-old daughter, Elsie, and weekly visits to the Russian and Turkish baths. Ashton is busy preparing for a production of a play of her own, for all the women who thought they were Mad, which has its U.S. premiere at Soho Rep later this month. She rattles off a list of shows she’s seen or would like to see—Ain’t Too Proud, Slave Play, The Inheritance—and all three chime in with exuberant appreciation of the energy of Broadway. “The density of the lights,” as Ashton puts it, “the collective energy of all the people in the vicinity.”

“I keep getting told off for being too loud when I leave,” Ashton interjects. “It’s clearly a quiet part of The Phantom of the Opera. But even that’s delightful.”

Reluctant silence, followed by some grudging admissions. “In terms of the lifestyle,” Cox says, “I don’t think it gets better than the theater. I spend all day with my family. On a Thursday, I leave the house at 6:30. I get out of bath time.” And then there’s the iterative rewards of performing the same lines night after night. “There are changes you get to make over the course of a run, you can subtly shift your performance to make it richer,” he adds.

“We’re in a play that was written a long time ago by a legendary playwright,” says Ashton. “And we’ve brought something fresh to it. You can do that in theater.”

The three actors are unlikely to be able to perpetuate this mutual contentment beyond the play’s run. Hiddleston is scheduled to begin work on Loki after spending the holidays in London with his family. Ashton will be busy with the two productions through the fall, and Cox is unsure of his next project. (Dealer’s Choice, he answers quickly, when asked about his dream role: “I’m just about getting to the right age to play one of the characters.”) I suggest they find another wrenching play about love gone awry to keep them content. “It’s true,” says Hiddleston. “I remember doing Othello in London, and people in the audience would be in floods of tears. And then they’d come backstage and we’d all be laughing. There’s a cognitive dissonance.”

An assistant arrives to inform them that it's time to prepare for the show. All three stand up and depart, more than happy to perform their nightly tragedy.

[ Link to the original article is in source below. ]

#Tom Hiddleston #Zawe Ashton #Charlie Cox #Betrayal Broadway #Vogue Interview #Jamie lloyd production #harold pinter play #hiddles 2019 #Theatre tom #Tom Hiddleston interview #new york city

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maryxglz · 5 years

Link

Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox, and Tom Hiddleston sit down at a back table of a midtown Italian restaurant and launch into it.

“I don’t know . . .” “I think I’ll have the . . .” “Are you getting a starter?” “If you get that, I’ll share it with you.” “Whiskey at lunchtime?”

But if the three performers are London-bred (and based), they have taken to their New York residencies. Hiddleston lives near Central Park, a location he chose so that he can run there every day: “The first time, I thought there was a race on—turns out, people just run in New York.” (Though he ran the London marathon once, he’s not planning on repeating it in New York—“probably wouldn’t be able to do the show afterwards,” he muses.) Cox has settled for the time being in Tribeca, where his routine is structured by preschool drop-off for his three-year-old daughter, Elsie, and weekly visits to the Russian and Turkish baths. Ashton is busy preparing for a production of a play of her own, for all the women who thought they were Mad, which has its U.S. premiere at Soho Rep later this month. She rattles off a list of shows she’s seen or would like to see—Ain’t Too Proud, Slave Play, The Inheritance—and all three chime in with exuberant appreciation of the energy of Broadway. “The density of the lights,” as Ashton puts it, “the collective energy of all the people in the vicinity.”

“I keep getting told off for being too loud when I leave,” Ashton interjects. “It’s clearly a quiet part of The Phantom of the Opera. But even that’s delightful.”

“We’re in a play that was written a long time ago by a legendary playwright,” says Ashton. “And we’ve brought something fresh to it. You can do that in theater.”

An assistant arrives to inform them that it's time to prepare for the show. All three stand up and depart, more than happy to perform their nightly tragedy.

#tom hiddleston #betrayal broadway #betrayal #bernard b jacobs theater #broadway #theatre #harold pinter #charlie cox #zawe ashton #jamie lloyd

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underthewingsofthblackeagle · 5 years

Text

The Murderess from the Grunewald (28): Preparing for War (3b): “The Monster in the Petticoat” (2)

“Paris” by riccardomortandello

Note: This chapter contains, among other things, the mention (not a description!) of the sexual abuse of a minor. If this topic triggers negative emotions/memories in you, please skip this chapter.

Chapter 27

"Thank you, Professor Nerz. I appreciate your support. How did the story of the Violette Nozière go on?

"As I said, the story from the Rue de Madagascar was just right for Paris in 1933, and the fact that it was a story with many sequels did the rest. The influence this criminal case and the way the press dealt with it had is expressed in a caricature of the time, which can be found in a French newspaper called L'Œuvre. It shows Hitler who, after reading a French newspaper, complains that it is only about 'this Violette'. Violette Nozière even eclipses Hitler's seizure of power. She or her case dominates the headlines, the title pages. Even Hitler disappears behind them. Can you imagine that?"

"That's really remarkable," Jamie agreed.

"As I said, these articles illustrated with photos changed the reading experience of the people. At first, only the police officers and the work of the police were photographed. In the days when Violette Nozière was on the run, they looked for her or her corpse in the Seine. There was this suspicion that she might have thrown herself into the Seine and so excavation work was carried out there. All this was photographed by the journalists and printed by the newspapers. By doing so, the newspapers changed the reader's view of what was happening. The reader is now drawn into the action, he becomes a kind of 'co-investigator'. The questions raised by the newspapers spur readers on to come up with their own thoughts about what might have happened, and speculations grow immeasurably.

Violette Nozière (1933) via Wikimedia Commons

And just when you think the scandal couldn't get any bigger, there's an unexpected twist. On August 28, 1933, the accused makes a statement and confesses the murder. And what a confession that was! She testified that she wanted to kill her father because she could no longer bear that he had sexually abused her."

Jamie let out a surprised "Oh!"

"Exactly!”

Professor Nerz nodded and remained silent for a moment before continuing:

"We live 87 years later today and you, in particular, belong to a generation that is not afraid to say everything that needs to be said. But, Dr. Fraser, at that time it was quite different. Abuse! That was a word that one neither dared to pronounce nor to write nor to listen to at that time! And now imagine that: Patricide and abuse! I don’t know whether it is clear to you, but there is a double taboo here. And I don’t mean the two offenses! No, the act of abuse, of incest, is, of course, a taboo. But it is also taboo in French society at that time to talk or write about such an act. That was the situation at the time. I know that many people associate quite different things with the name of the French capital. Paris! This is the city of love. Have you ever been to Paris, Dr. Fraser?"

"Oh yes, I even studied there for a while!"

"Ah, then you know what I mean. Paris, that makes one emotional, doesn’t it? You hear Paris and you think of the flowering avenues along the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame. And who doesn't think of romance, Montmartre and free love? Everything is free in Paris! The sky over Paris is full of violins! And while these wonderful pictures are running in front of our eyes we hear Charles Trenet singing quietly in the background with his characteristic voice 'La Mer' and we start dreaming.”

Jamie had to smile.

"Yes, yes, Paris, the city of love ... and the guillotine! For it was in Paris, the city of love, that the guillotine was first applied in practice, coloring its streets blood-red. Red, the color of love and yet it is also the color of bloodshed by a murderous revolution."

Jamie was shocked out of his thoughts, for when Nerz had pronounced the word 'guillotine' as if to emphasize it, he had struck his desk with his flat hand loudly.

"Red is not always the color of love. It can also be the color of the guillotine. You see, Dr. Fraser, that's exactly our job. We have to confront the people inside and outside the courtroom with the facts. Facts count. What counts is not the idea that we or others have of something. Facts. Not the opinion that we or others have about a thing or matter. The facts alone matter. Whether something has been declared a taboo, as here in the case of the Violette Nozière, is of no interest to us."

Nerz was silent for a moment, then he asked:

"Have you seen the movie 'Never look away’”, Dr. Fraser?" "Oh yes!"

"This moment when the lie is confronted with the truth. There's no evading it anymore. It doesn't take many words, just facts - and a whole world of lies breaks up. In a single moment."

"That was really very impressive," Jamie agreed.

"It reminded me of something I read many years ago. An English theologian was asked how he would defend the truth. His answer was: 'No different than a lion. I open the door of their cage and let it out. That, Dr. Fraser, will be your job. On each new day of the trial, you must unleash the Lion of Truth. And you must trust the power of truth. Sometimes it will look as if the truth is losing the battle. But that's not true. That only means that the hour of the truth has not yet come. Then you just have to go on."

Nerz was silent again as he wanted to give Jamie an opportunity to let sink in what he had said.

"Let's come back to Violette Nozière. As I said, the abuse was a taboo, a taboo that could not be talked about. But if a crime cannot be talked about, then it cannot be denounced. And that is exactly how the newspapers react. The press knows that if it were to address the incest, it could lose at least part of its readership. So they don't denounce the deed, but the talking about it. The choir of the Parisian newspapers unanimously condemns Violette Nozière's testimony as 'heinous accusations'. The 'argumentation' that we can read in the almost 90-year-old publications is the same one that is still used today to silence rape victims. They said: 'If Violette was really raped by her father, why didn't she confide in her mother or her grandmother? She is said to have had a particularly intimate relationship with the latter. How difficult it was (and still is!) to talk about this topic, the press didn't say a word about it. And another factor plays a role here. Besides the economic and political problems, France has a demographic problem at that time. Society is aging. And young people, who will be the future of the nation, are a cause for concern. It is said that there is a decent youth and a corrupt youth. Let us be honest, these two groups of young people have always existed. Quite apart from the fact that there have always been these two groups of adults. But, in this particular situation, this way of looking at things becomes more important. And Violette Nozière is, of course, an example of the side of the corrupt youth. Young people who live into the day and no longer respect role models and values. And throughout all social strata, there is a fear that this immoral youth could tear the country even deeper into the abyss. What is to become of a nation whose youth is so corrupt? Well, to be honest, Violette Nozière also gave enough reason to have this image of her. As I said before, she had many friends and lovers at a young age and now it becomes also known that the young woman posed for nude photos. And such a person dares to incriminate her honorable father, a long-standing and excellent employee of the French railways, in such a disgusting way? That was the reaction of many Parisian citizens and the newspapers took up this mood.

Apartment of the Nozière family / Crime scene via Wikimedia Commons

Jean-Baptiste Nozière and his wife were regarded as hard-working people who sacrificed themselves for their daughter's education. They lived in a small two-room apartment in the east of Paris. They were a kind of model for a working-class family that had managed to move up to the lower middle classes. That was the life of many people, or at least that was the life many people aspired to. And then the newspapers came and brought photos showing how the family lived. You can still see it today. A small, cramped apartment, a modest luxury. Furniture and pictures made to look antique. Wallpapers with large flower patterns, which were fashionable at that time. How many people would have thought: 'Well, that looks almost like at home?’ And now imagine what these people thought when Violette's accusations became known? How dare she! This ungrateful child! That wicked slut! Yet the lifestyle of the young Violette could have been seen as an indication of the truthfulness of her statements. Today we know that young people who experienced abuse at the age of Violette can show exactly these symptoms: school skipping, a sudden drop in performance, repeated stealing, manipulative behavior of others and promiscuous behavior."

Again, Nerz kept silent to let what was said sink in.

"About ten days after her arrest, the responsible judge has the family's apartment examined again and now a rag with semen stains is found. Violette Nozière states that her father used this rag to prevent her from getting pregnant. This is not evidence, but a find that irritates the investigators. And then, on the father's bedside table, they found offensive, pornographic, pictures. Now the mood is slowly turning and the press, always anxious not to lose any readers, follows this path. And yet: Violette Nozière must remain in custody. She is not listened to. The public's opinion is divided and that is good for the press because it knows how to serve both parties with different articles and comments. But now something is happening that has never happened before. Other victims of abuse send letters to the judge. These letters have remained in the files to this day. These women turn to the judge and tell him about their own experiences. And they ask him to believe Violette. And then something else happens. The Surrealist movement takes up the case of Violette Nozière. Under the direction of André Breton, some artists published a volume of essays and drawings entitled 'Violette Nozière'. They break with the taboo and at the same time attack the patriarchy. The volume was published in Belgium because it would have been banned by censorship in France. It was the figure of the femme fatale, the sexual aura of Violette, that attracted these artists. Violette's story, especially her indictment of her father, fit into the program of the surrealists who attacked the traditional family.

Violette Nozière vor Gericht (Agence de presse Meurisse [Public domain]) via Wikimedia Commons

On October 11, 1934, the trial against Violette Nozière was finally opened. For more than a year, the accused has been in prison and for more than a year, the press has shaped people's opinions. Among them, of course, is the opinion of those who will now take part in this trial as jurors and determine the fate of the accused."

Jamie let a loud sigh be heard.

"My goodness, how could they be able to judge them neutrally?"

"Exactly, Dr. Fraser. In Violette Nozière's case, there was no one to defend the arguments that spoke for her in public. Her two lawyers were not in a position to do so. What would two men do against crowds of journalists and millions of printed articles?"

"Hopeless."

"Exactly. And the jurors were all men and fathers. Women were not admitted to the jury in France at the time."

"Absolutely hopeless."

"As you say. The jurors then only need an hour to pass sentence. They find the defendant guilty and the court sentences her to death. Just two days after the trial began! The accusation of abuse, of incest, was not taken into account. Nor was that necessary, because incest or abuse was not listed as a criminal offense in the penal code in force at the time! The penal code, according to which she was sentenced in 1933, dates from the time of the French Revolution and was last revised in 1810."

"She never had a chance, did she?"

"No, she never had a chance. And the majority of the French welcomed this verdict. That is very understandable because 'order' has been restored. Everything is good and one or should I say 'man' can return to everyday life. But, Violette Nozière is not executed. Three successive French presidents pardoned her. President Albert Lebrun converts the death penalty into a life sentence. Marshal Philippe Pétain then reduced her sentence by decree of August 6, 1942, to 12 years of forced labor from the day of her imprisonment in 1933. And on August 29, 1945, she was finally released. On November 17 of the same year, General de Gaulle, President of the Provisional Government, lifted the 20-year ban on French territory imposed on her by a new presidential decree. She married and has five children, for whom she is a good mother. Her own mother reconciles with her and believes her that she did not lie in court. On November 26, 1966, Violette Nozière died of cancer."

"My goodness, what a story!"

"Isn't it?"

Both lawyers were silent for a moment. Then Nerz spoke again:

"Violette Nozière had no one to defend her in public. She had no one to fight the suspicions of the press. Your client, Dr. Beauchamp, will have us on her side. You defend her in the courtroom and we take over the litigation PR outside the courtroom. We will not allow the press to destroy her client's life and capitalize on it."

Jamie took a deep breath.

"I appreciate your help."

"As I said at the beginning, we can see a number of applications from this process in the case of your client. Let us now come to these specific points.”

#TheMurderessoftheGrunewald #Outlander #Outlander Fan Fiction #Claire Beauchamp #Claire Randall #Jamie Fraser #Grundewald #Berlin #Germany #Adso the cat #Bismarck the dachshund #Crime AU #Modern AU

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wessonba · 4 years

Text

First, let me say that 5.01 “The Fiery Cross” was a masterful mix of old and new. It was recognizably based on the book but told with enough new and yet plausible surprises to keep me glued to my screen. It totally could have happened that way. And, although I love Diana Gabaldon, and her gathering, I’m relieved they didn’t feel the need to replicate it in this episode. Instead, they gave us the wedding of Roger and Bree. It was a wonderful and joyous reunion filled with the people I have missed during this long drought. As each face was shown on the screen, I found myself smiling somewhat tearfully. I really do love this story and these characters.

As usual, when I sit down to write after an episode, a blow by blow recap of what happened isn’t on my mind. There are lots of talented bloggers out there who do a great job looking at EVERTHING! I admire their ability to do so, but that just isn’t how my brain works. I find myself thinking about one or two things that stood out for me or an overall mood or theme for each episode. This week I couldn’t stop thinking about Jamie. The Jamie I saw on my screen this week was the charming, complicated, yet simple man I have been longing to see. As he stood before Claire wearing his plaid and his father’s coat, it felt like he had finally come into his own; laird, proud Scot, husband, father, grandfather. He is a man and “that is no small thing”. His tear-filled eyes throughout this episode revealed his soul and I found myself proud to “know” such a man.

Jamie and Bree

Matt Roberts writes with such love for this story and its characters. He holds all the previous episodes in mind when he creates and tends to the small and endearing details. In this episode, he called us back to the three conditions Jamie made when he agrees to marry Claire; a dress, a priest, and a ring. We are treated to Jamie trying his best to make sure his daughter’s wedding day is the best he can make it, just like he tried for her mother. I was charmed by Jamie making sure Bree had her “modern” wedding tradition of something old, something new (fairly raw whiskey, ouch), something borrowed and something blue and even a sixpence for her shoe. His obvious fatherly concern is compounded by the fact that their relationship is still so new. He just got her back and now he has to give her away.

As he turns the corner and sees Bree in her wedding dress, you can chase the emotions across his face; awe, pride, gratefulness, and finally a need to hold it all in check for this beloved and found daughter. He could never have dreamed of placing his mother’s pearls on his daughter’s neck. He is able to pass on a family heirloom to his own flesh and blood. She is his blessing. She is the embodiment of the fact that his sacrifices were not in vain. He is moved to tears by her confession that she needs him and will always be his wee girl and the gift of her knowing and repeating the Fraser clan motto, “Je Suis Prest”.

Jamie and Claire

Throughout the episode, we are reminded of Jamie and Claire’s deep, passionate, and abiding love for one another. The looks that pass between each, the unspoken language of couples who are so close they know what the other thinks and feels, added so much to this episode. Once again, the writers or actors took care to be consistent in how this couple interacts with each other like the “let’s do this” nod when Jamie goes off to do something dangerous. But, Lord the looks between Jamie and Claire at the wedding. He looks around at all he has wrought, the family he is surrounded by, and then back to Claire. Who knows. He is overwhelmed by all he has that he thought he had lost forever. He is a laird, a father, a…husband. I am constantly reminded of all they had been denied and wonder if Jamie feels like Job who was blessed in his latter days and given twice as much as had been taken from him.

Jamie and the Governor

I teach literature. When I help students analyze Shakespeare, we talk about foils. Governor Tyron was perfectly menacing and a perfect foil for Jamie. You couldn’t help but compare the two. Their motivations, their values, couldn’t be more opposite. The Governor has the care of a land and its people. Jamie has the care of a land and its people. The Governor is motivated by power and his own importance. Murtaugh has made him look a fool and must be punished publicly to restore Tyron’s pride and preserve the perception of his power. Jamie is motivated by love, honor, and duty. The knowledge of the future lays heavy on him. He knows who wins the war, but first, you must survive the battle. Instinctively he knows the best way to protect his men and their families is to assure their loyalty to him. He creates a clan from the remnants of their memories and Scottish pride. When he called Roger “the son of my house” and Fergus “the son of his heart”, he gave them a public affirmation of his acceptance and his love. Pledging their loyalty to him on bended knee with holy iron was one of the most moving callbacks of the whole series. I loved Roger’s initial confusion then Jamie’s surprise as the scholar moved from academic to real with alacrity.

Jamie and Murtagh

We began and ended the episode with these two. Murtagh pledges an oath to Jamie, a promise he gave his mother to always follow him and have his back. He gently reaches out and takes wee Jamie’s hand in reassurance. Men in this time are definitely defined by their word and once given it is a serious and binding commitment. Murtagh pledged his life to Jamie. We have seen him keep that oath. We saw Jamie’s joy at being reunited with his godfather last season. However, the real depth of feeling Jamie has for Murtagh could only be guessed at… until this moment. How much that oath meant to Jamie and his love for his godfather was revealed in this final scene. To save him, Jamie must release Murtagh from his oath and send him away. In true Jamie and Murtagh fashion, no gushy words are spoken in their final goodbye. Jamie is tearful when he tells him to go and attempts to smile as he tells him to make himself scarce. Murtagh’s response is to gently reach out and touch Jamie reassuringly, thinking first of Jamie’s feelings and needs always. He leaves and Jamie then collapses in grief emitting gut-wrenching sobs. I think having loved and lost is painful, but to gain that love back and have to let it go again is unbearable. Jamie is feeling fear as he never has before and that is saying a lot. He has a lot to lose and will fight to the death to preserve all that he loves.

This episode and Jamie’s tears caused me to reflect on my own life. I thought of how much more easily my husband and I are moved to tears. I believe, like Jamie, our age is a factor. We have a lifetime of painful memories and struggles, things that we have overcome to get where we are now. And, I often find I am now moved to tears by the simplest of things like watching our youngest granddaughters ride a pony or their obvious pride in catching a fish all by themselves, or watching the teens in all of their various sports and activities.or their inexplicable joy in a pair of gifted footed pajamas! Sometimes watching the looks of pride on our own children’s faces as they look upon their children moves me to tears and I will look at my husband and find that he too is tearful. Like Jamie and Claire, understanding, gratitude, and love will wordlessly pass between us and end in a brief kiss and a tremulous smile.

≈

The Jamie of the Ridge … a reflection on Outlander 5.01 “The Fiery Cross” First, let me say that 5.01 "The Fiery Cross" was a masterful mix of old and new.

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romanticsuspense · 5 years

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Is Outlander Claire’s Story or Jamie’s?

The first time I came across this question was just a couple of week ago, when I read @gotham-ruaidh‘s answer to that very question. To be honest, I was a little miffed by the supposition that Outlander was Jamie’s story more than Claire’s. Didn’t Diana set out to write a story about a marriage? How could Outlander be more Jamie’s story than Claire’s? Aren’t their stories intertwined in such a way as to be almost inseparable?

Well, today, while perusing the Outlander tag, I found this post by @lburks226. Liesel’s perception of the books align closely to mine—It’s Jamie and Claire’s story. But, I wondered what Diana had said on Twitter to cause such a brouhaha...

So, I went to Diana’s twitter and it seems that this uproar started when Diana made a comment about inserting Claire into the Outlander story to add “sexual tension.” I read some of the fan’s replies, and it seems that some fans interpreted this to mean that Diana viewed Claire as a sexual object and nothing more, only there to titillate the male characters. (One fan used the phrase “sexual pawn.”) Which, if you ask me, is twisting Diana’s words.

As I read through her tweets, a lot of them sounded very familiar, and then I remembered that Diana has answered this same question before on TheLitForum.com. In her very detailed explanation, she essentially says the same things she was trying to convey on Twitter, but she gets her point across much more effectively (not having to deal with a 280 character limit). So, under the cut, I’ve quoted Diana’s post about this in it’s entirety, as well as a few screencaps of her tweets on March 19th. I hope it gives some fans who may be irritated by Diana’s comments a bit more context and clarity. The statement “It’s Jamie’s story as told by Claire” makes a lot more sense to me now, after reading Diana’s explanation.

My two (or five) cents:

1. Twitter is not the best place to have a productive discussion about Outlander. There’s just not enough space for it. And it’s difficult to read a person’s tone on Twitter.

2. From a structural standpoint, the Outlander series is Jamie’s story (in the sense that it’s Jamie’s time and place), as told from Claire’s first person point of view.

3. Outlander is primarily about Jamie and Claire and their marriage...But, it’s about a lot of other things and characters, too.

4. The idea of Outlander started with “a man in a kilt.” An Englishwoman was added into the story for sexual tension, conflict (being an Englishwoman among Scots), and to be the reader’s eyes into a strange world.

5. But, that doesn’t mean Claire isn’t an important character. She has just as much agency and complexity as Jamie does. I particularly love Diana’s final paragraph, so I’m quoting it here above the cut:

So. You introduce Claire into Jamie's time (and his life) and she immediately enters the much more adventurous, vivid context. A lot of what happens to her in OUTLANDER (and later books) has to do with who Jamie is and what he chooses or is forced to do. This doesn't mean she's a bystander, onlooker, or in any way a nonparticipant; the fact that she's _there_ is vitally important, both to Jamie and the story overall, and she makes personal choices that shape her own life, as well as dealing with circumstances forced upon her. But it's Jamie's context in which both of them live their lives together. She's telling it, because she's the outlander, the fish out of water, the stranger--we identify with her, because that's what our role would be in similar circumstances, and it's a much easier way to tell a historical story, if you can use modern idiom and perception.That doesn't mean it's principally her story, or that her part in it is either more or less than Jamie's--as previously noted, the story itself doesn't exist without both of them, and both of them _together_.

So, what do y’all think? Does it matter to you if it’s more Jamie’s story or Claire’s? If it does matter to you, why? Does Diana’s explanation of how the Outlander story came to be and how Jamie and Claire fit into it make sense to you? How do you interpret the statement “It’s Jamie’s story as told by Claire?”

“You know, it's possible that many writers go about their work with a lot more pre-thinking than I do. <g> All I had, when I made up my mind to write a novel for practice (no one was EVER going to see it, so I could have perfect freedom to do anything I felt like, try anything I wanted to experiment with (in order to increase my skill), etc.)--was a man in a kilt. Period. That's it. Man in a kilt.

So if one is going to say that OUTLANDER is "about" any one character (and it's not, but put that aside...), it would be The Man in the Kilt. However, about the third day of writing--and I didn't think about what I was _going_ to write, I just wrote about whatever vague thing drifted into my mind, just to put fictional words down on paper (ergo, those first two days were entirely focused on the Man in the Kilt (nameless, then)....

Well, I'd gone to the university library (I was an assistant professor, which gave me really good access and borrowing privileges) immediately, when I decided to set my practice novel in 18th century Scotland, and as of the third day, I knew a few things <g>--mainly, that the Big Conflict in Scotland in the 18th century was the Jacobite Rising of the '45. Which--on a very superficial level (superficial is all you _can_ be, with two days' research)--seemed to be a war between England and Scotland. (It was, of course, much more complex than that, but then, all wars are a lot more complex than they seem on the surface.)

So--in possession of that fact <g>--I thought, well, obviously, I need a lot of Scotsmen here, because of the kilt factor, and if it's a war, we'll have them--but maybe it would be a good idea to have a female to play against them; then we'd have sexual tension--that's conflict, that's good...and if I make her an Englishwoman, then we'll have _lots_ of conflict. So...

I introduced An Englishwoman. No idea who she was, what she was going to do, etc.--she was just An Englishwoman, whose only purpose was to interact on some unspecified level with The Man in the Kilt, in order to escalate the sense of conflict and tension.

So that's who Jamie and Claire were, to begin with. <g>

Now, it was my husband who observed to me, sometime last year (when people started saying that Outlander was "Claire's story"), that in fact, it was Jamie's story as told through (and by) Claire (who was naturally an integral part of said story).

I mentioned this quote to someone, observing that I thought he was right (not that I'd ever thought about it myself)--and now we have all this nonsense. (Not blaming you for it, I hasten to add. <g>)

What _I_ think is that a) of COURSE it's Jamie and Claire's story. How could it not be? It wouldn't be the same story without either one of them--as is quite obvious when you see the separate tracks of their lives in the first part of VOYAGER. And b) what is behind my husband's observation is true, but it has nothing to do with the importance of either character _as people_.

It has to do with the fact that Jamie lives in much more interesting (read, dangerous, unpredictable, and to a large extent unfamiliar) times. Claire's post-war, 20th-century life without Jamie is, on the surface, not real interesting. Re-establishing emotional connections with a husband (but in a context of mutual safety and mutual desire to make those connections), or (later) dealing with the challenges of becoming a professional woman and balancing those challenges against the responsibilities and emotional draw of motherhood.

Yeah, you can make a good novel out of such material--hundreds of Women's Fiction novels do. But the raw material is not intrinsically interesting. What makes it interesting is either an intense and unique personality of the main character and/or cultural interest/outrage on the part of the readership. Women respond to this kind of story because they face those challenges, and they want to see how other women might manage them. Men, not surprisingly, don't; that's why it's "women's fiction."

So, Jamie's story. He's a wanted outlaw, constantly at odds with just about everybody, from the British government to a large segment of his own family. There's incipient social unrest surrounding him (and his whole culture), with the constant potential for violence, subterfuge, mistrust, and imminent execution. In other words, he lives in a high-stakes context; Claire lives in a very personal (but overall low-stakes) context. Adventure (and the demands of such things on character, for good or evil), vs. "My husband KNOWS I take care of a squalling baby all day, how can he bloody invite people to DINNER without asking me?"

So. You introduce Claire into Jamie's time (and his life) and she immediately enters the much more adventurous, vivid context. A lot of what happens to her in OUTLANDER (and later books) has to do with who Jamie is and what he chooses or is forced to do. This doesn't mean she's a bystander, onlooker, or in any way a nonparticipant; the fact that she's _there_ is vitally important, both to Jamie and the story overall, and she makes personal choices that shape her own life, as well as dealing with circumstances forced upon her. But it's Jamie's context in which both of them live their lives together. She's telling it, because she's the outlander, the fish out of water, the stranger--we identify with her, because that's what our role would be in similar circumstances, and it's a much easier way to tell a historical story, if you can use modern idiom and perception. That doesn't mean it's principally her story, or that her part in it is either more or less than Jamie's--as previously noted, the story itself doesn't exist without both of them, and both of them _together_.

But if you're looking at the structure of the story, then yeah, it's Jamie's story as told by (and lived with) Claire. So what?”

Below are some screencaps of Diana’s tweets on March 19th. Remarkably similar to the above explanation, right?

#outlander #outlander talk #diana gabaldon

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cmhoughton · 5 years

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I am not happy with this episode, nor with me taking so long to write this review, but the review of 4.02 is almost done so you won’t have long to wait. I hope to have that posted tomorrow...

NOTE: Spoilers ahead, so read no further if you haven’t seen the episode or read any of the books, especially “Drums of Autumn.”

Screencap courtesy of Outlander Online. Map of Colonial North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia courtesy of UNC University Libraries.

NOTE:

Set in 1767, this episode was largely based on Chapters 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of “Drums of Autumn, though the stone circle in North Carolina was originally revealed in Chapter 51. Ian and Jamie’s conversation about what happened with Geillis was from Chapter 62 of “Voyager” (book 3) and the story Bonnet tells Claire about the drowning nightmares he’d had all his life was revealed to a different character in Chapter 105 of “A Breath of Snow and Ashes” (book 6).

Written by Executive Producers Matthew B. Roberts and Toni Graphia, the events in this episode dealt with a pretty large chunk of the book, totaling more than 130 pages (the Kindle edition). That totals about 1/8th of the book, so there was a lot of material to jam into the episode.

While the series in the past had successfully crammed huge chunks of the books into a single episode, their efforts in this episode in that regard were a bit more hit-or-miss. Also, jammed full with expository elements, the episode struggled to maintain a consistent tone. It was talky, funny, tragic, sexy, romantic, suspenseful, and at times chaotic… It was like the episode didn’t know what it needed to be.

That said, there was also some great stuff in this episode. For one, I liked that they introduced Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers) earlier than they had in the book. In the book, the conversation Jamie (Sam Heughan) had in the jail with Hayes (James Allenby-Kirk) took place ‘off-screen,’ as it were. Jamie only talked about it after the fact. It was good they fleshed out that scene. Hayes had a smaller part in the book and his loss didn’t seem as emotional for Jamie and Claire (Caitriona Balfe), but in the show, the role was expanded. It really paid off when Hayes (inevitably) was executed and made the loss more impactful. (Though, in the book, he was executed for theft, not murder.) So, not only had we a better introduction to Bonnet, we got to spend more time with Hayes.

I adored the caithris (a lament for the dead) that Lesley (Keith Fleming) started. It was nearly perfect. Keith has a remarkably beautiful voice, and the scene was touching. It was heartwarming and beautifully staged.

Another great choice was having Ian (John Bell) experience a flashback to his traumatic sexual assault at the end of last season. The scene was based on one in “Voyager,” but it happened without a flashback there. The show hadn’t had time to spend on it in 3.13 (Eye of the Storm), which is where it would have happened last season, so it was fitting they put that scene in here. It was also a welcome change they gave Ian a flashback. The change made the scene more visceral and reminds show-only fans and new viewers of what happened to Ian last season. It was also not only a wonderful bonding moment for the two men but showed the immensity of the emotional impact Geillis’ assault had on Ian.

“Outlander” has been criticized as using sexual assault too much as a plot point, but in other shows, sexual assault is usually a plot expediency and the characters don’t really seem to have any long-lasting consequences. In ‘Outlander’ they have the aftermath be far more profound for the characters. What is not usual for television shows, in general, is that this show also gives the characters time to struggle with the impact and show how they are healing. It was good to see Ian struggle with the aftermath of the assault.

One thing I had a problem with was that Stephen Bonnet confessed to Claire (Caitriona Balfe) about his history of having nightmares about drowning. Not that it wasn’t a good idea, I liked how the show used that to give Bonnet an opportunity to try and have a bonding moment with Claire, but it seemed like such a non-sequitur. I mean, Claire said something about avoiding Bonnet needing to avoid the noose in the future, then all of sudden he’s talking about a nightmare? It seemed to come from out of the blue. It’s things like that which added to the choppy feel of the episode. But why would they foreshadow something that won’t likely happen until late in season 6 (“A Breath of Snow and Ashes”) anyway? It seemed an odd choice.

I didn’t like the opening either, perhaps it was good to show just how the stone circle might have come to be built (and maybe shows the one that should make an appearance in the show later this season). Again, it just seemed like something that came out of the blue. It didn’t really mesh with the voice-over either, in which Claire talked about circles created over ‘centuries’ but the text on the screen said ‘North America 2,000 BC…’ So, shouldn’t she have said something about ‘millennia’ instead?

I also didn’t like how the show changed the geography of North Carolina. While the Colonial boundaries of the Carolinas in the 1760s don’t match up to the modern state borders…

…Tennessee wasn’t a thing in the colonial period, the Cape Fear River is not in the foothills and there’s no way a day’s wagon ride from Wilmington would give Claire and Jamie a view of the Smoky Mountains. I can only suppose that it’s due to the location they built River Run on in Scotland, which might be in view of mountains, but I guess that will remain to be seen.

The change to the circumstances Jamie was asked to accept the land grant from Governor Tryon (Tim Downie) was a bit unexpected. In the book, Jamie was under extra pressure to get men to fight under threat of disclosure that he was Catholic since royal land grants were only allowed to go to Protestants. If the fact he was a Catholic got out, he would immediately lose the land grant. It was a remarkably effective method of extortion in the book.

Here, in return for the land grant, Jamie will be under pressure to muster men at the request of the governor or he would need to pay a quitrent. It wasn’t a term I was familiar with since quitrents were not brought up in the book.

Although in looking into them online the change makes sense. Quitrents (a type of rentbased on ancient English custom) were common fees charged to Colonial land grant holders so it was probably a mistake on Diana Gabaldon’s part to have not ever to have mentioned that. They were often waived to encourage settlement, which was what Tryon offered to do in this episode. Historically, the quitrents were unevenly imposed and corruption was common since the payments were required to be in cash. The quitrents in part led to the War of the Regulation (which will be a bigger factor in next season).

So, it makes sense they made that change and is also probably why they brought up the Regulators. The lack of ready cash is a problem in a barter economy like Colonial North Carolina. Poor cash flow will be a problem for Jamie and Claire throughout the rest of the series (if the show follows the books in that regard), so the promise to waive the quitrents in return for providing men for the defense of the government is probably a perfect shakedown for Tryon.

While I had no major problems with the episode as a whole, I did not like the ending. Like, at all. It wasn’t the musical choice, the Ray Charles version of ‘America The Beautiful’ is wonderful, and I liked the juxtaposition of that with the ugliness of what was going on while the music played.

It just felt like they were trying to recreate the emotional power of the ending of episode 3.04 (“Of Lost Things”), when Jamie rode away from Helwater. It was a heartbreaking ending, but the situation was very different so using modern music wasn’t going to work the same way. No one’s life was in danger in that episode, and what action there was wasn’t that involved (Jamie riding away and Willie running after him) and there wasn’t much dialogue.

Maybe it would have worked better if the dialogue hadn’t been totally silent. In the beginning of the song, dialogue played, with the music underneath it, and that worked. Yet, as the scene continued, the music got louder and the dialogue and sounds were completely cut out so all that the only sound heard was the song. It turned the ending into a sort of an overly melodramatic pantomime that didn’t work.

Not hearing everything that was going on, the actions the actors took seemed extremely exaggerated and overwrought. It reminded me of the more melodramatic silent films I had seen in a Narrative Film History class I took in college. D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” or Sergei Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin” particularly come to mind.

Worse, music replacing the natural sound robbed the performances of any nuance, diluted the emotional impact and, which is worse, completely pulled me out of the scene. It left a sour taste in my mouth at the end of what was otherwise a fairly solid episode.

I don’t feel like I can adequately critique the actors’ performances in their entirety with the ending the way it was, so I won’t even try.

Overall, this episode was enjoyable but the ending robbed it of some of its power, so I give this episode 3.5 out of a possible 5 Claire’s Wedding Rings.

#outlander #review #sam heughan #caitriona balfe

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anoutlandishfanfic · 6 years

Text

A Child of the Stones, Pt3Ch6: lèirsinn

I’m having a hard time condensing what’s happened thus far in a simple paragraph, but here we go:

Faith lives. They named her Julia. She got separated from Claire, but is now back in the same century and is at the Ridge with her and Jamie... ten years younger than she should be. But that’s not the strangest thing. The Stones are complicated.

You can find previous chapters here on tumblr or over at ao3.

Bright, blinding light shone directly into my eyes. I brought my hands to my face, trying to block it, but it persisted. I turned in every direction to avoid it, but it found me. Falling to my knees, I buried my face in my arms and huddled into a ball. This proved ineffective and I flattened out, lying prone on top of something smooth and as cold as ice. The surface smelled of industrial cleaner and blood, a dichotomous mixture that I’d only encountered in an operating theater.

A low mechanical hum broke the absolute silence and a rhythmic wheezing sound accompanying it. The combination was quite unnerving and I tried to move away from it, pushing myself across the floor until I met the wall. Sitting up with my back pressed against it I blinked rapidly as the light began to dim, revealing my surroundings.

I was, in fact, in an operating theater, but not like the ones I was accustomed to at Boston General. It was much, much larger… nearly three times the size of those I’d ever operated in before. The room boasted an observation window high above me and a great throng of doctors and nurses mingled around the table at the center of the room, obscuring it’s patient from my view. I couldn’t see the machine either, perhaps it was on the other side of the table, but it’s purpose was now clear.

It was a heart and lung bypass.

They were performing open heart surgery.

I could hear snippets of their conversation, but I couldn’t fully grasp what exactly it was they were doing. Curiosity warmed my extremities, urging me to get up off of the floor and I did so clumsily. None of the people before me took any notice and merely continued towards their goal, whatever it was. Staggering forward, I neared the surgeons, trying to ascertain what exactly was going on and why on earth I was in an unfamiliar operating theater in nothing but my shift. My mind raced to connect the dots, to fill in the blanks with each directive that was given.

Pulmonary infundibular stenosis.

Overriding aorta.

Ventricular septal defect.

Right ventricular hypertrophy.

This was tetralogy of Fallot.

It was the sort of intricate surgery only performed at Johns Hopkins and the University of Minnesota, and even then the success rate was low … its complexity and risk factors were far too high for Boston General. I’d read articles about the procedure and the successes Lillehei was having, but I’d never saw it performed myself.

As a rule, I avoided anything related to pulmonary congenital defects when I could. Sometimes it couldn’t be helped and I steeled myself for the onslaught of memories that always came with it. Julia’s blue lips, the sleepless nights wondering if my baby would see the dawn, the last time I held her close in my arms. It was the only area of my profession that I disliked, or, to be more accurate, hated to the very marrow of my bones.

Peering around the shoulder of the anesthetist in front of me, I could just barely make out the form of a small child. The more I concentrated, the more definite the patient became. I could see gloved hands working in steady, surgical perfection, quickly but efficiently repairing the patient’s congenital defects. The child’s head was almost visible in front of me and I rose up on my toes to better study their face.

An unruly tuft of auburn hair peeped out from where their hair had been carefully tucked back, their pale skin in striking contrast to such vivid color. My heart dropped to the floor as I recognized the profile of the child’s nose and brow.

It was Julia.

A sound unlike any that had ever escaped my lips echoed around me, sending pulsating, almost visible shockwaves across the room. It’s reverberations collided with the medical personnel and they disappeared, leaving me alone with my daughter. The final vestiges of my cry rid her of any sign of the operation that had been underway just moments before.

I stepped closer, all inhibitions now gone, and bent over her sweet face. My hands cupped her pale cheeks and I watched as a rosy glow lit her skin, a flicker of a smile tugged at her lips. She stirred, but didn’t wake as I pressed my forehead to hers, breathing in the scent of my healthy child.

“You’re alright,” I crooned, assuring myself with my words as much as I was her. “It’s alright, I’m right here.”

Her eyelids fluttered, her lashes brushing against my cheeks. I lifted my head, just enough for me to see her face and clear, blue eyes met mine as recognition took hold. She sighed contentedly as I pressed a kiss to her brow, her nose wrinkling in that way I so loved as she grinned up at me.

Her chin tiled and she gave me a kiss on the end of my nose.

“Love Mim,” she whispered as her eyes closed once more.

Before I could tell her how much I loved her in return, Jamie’s voice called out my name.

“Claire!”

My head snapped up.

Even though I knew that Julia and I were here alone, my heart sought my husband. I turned and looked for him, his name on my lips. The empty, white operating theater taunted me, snickering in silence. A movement — a sudden flash of blue — caught my eye and I looked towards the observation window.

Two women, one elderly and the other somewhere around middle aged, stood there, gazing down at me. They were obviously related, bearing striking resemblance to each other… and to someone I knew. I couldn’t put my finger on it, couldn’t put a name to the face, but I felt like I’d met the older woman before.

Mrs Graham.

She looked very much like Mrs Graham.

What was her granddaughter's name? The one I’d met at the manse with Bree… Flora?

Fiona.

Was that Fiona at her side?

Suddenly, Jamie was there before me, his face inches from mine. I could feel his arms around me, the bed beneath me and in a moment I knew it had all been a dream. I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut in a vain attempt to return to the world where my child was alive and well.

“No! No, Jamie!” I pushed against him, fighting against the darkness of the cabin’s interior, trying to find my way back to the light of that room.

“Shh, mo chridhe, ‘twas only a dream,” he held me tightly against his chest. “I’m right here.”

“Julia,” I whimpered, hoping that speaking her name aloud would somehow keep her alive.

“She’s safe. She’s here.”

My eyes snapped open, “What?”

“Twas a dream,” Jamie calmly repeated into the darkness, his tone a stark contrast to his heartbeat against my cheek. “Julia’s here, she’s safe.”

The events of the last twenty four hours flashed before my eyes, superimposing themselves over top of the image of Julia on the operating table from my dream. They blurred together into a jumbled mess and left me weeping uncontrollably, trembling in my husband’s arms.

“Oh God, Jamie.”

He didn’t speak again, only nodded and continued his rhythmic massaging of my back. His touch slowly brought me back, gently lifted me out of my grief. I sniffed and he tugged the edge of the bed sheet, offering it up in place of a handkerchief as his thumb wiped away the tears on my face.

“She’s really here?” I hiccuped.

“Aye, mo nighean donn.”

Every emotion that was pulsing through my veins was present in his voice. The confusion, absolute wonder, fear, and joy were as tangible as Jamie was beside me. I could feel the sharp, jagged edges of the concern for Julia’s safety, the warm, smooth plains of the delight in her presence in every word. I looked up, needing to see his face above mine in the darkness.

“Was it the same?” Jamie inquired gently, his smile weak. He knew the pain of recurring nightmares all too well and he’d comforted me often when I woke from mine.

I’d had them off and on when Bree was young, but they’d waned as she’d grown older. Dreams of the days just before Culloden, of the hellish nights spent in uncertainty at Lallybroch. I had others too, where my subconscious ran wild, placing Jamie and Julia in bizarre, modern scenarios.

“She was at the hospital again,” I swallowed hard. I’d had many dreams of this sort since returning to Jamie and learning our daughter had lived, yet never quite like this. “They were operating on her this time… on her heart.”

But before I could tell him more, a scream — the likes of which I’d only heard on the field of battle and it’s direct aftermath — came from outside the cabin, setting the both of us into motion.

“Jesus H Roosevelt Christ,” I hissed as my shin collided painfully with a low bench by the hearth.

Where the hell were my shoes?

Damn them, I’d just go without.

A crash sounded from somewhere near the door and I knew Jamie was having about as much success as I was.

“Ifrinn,” he grumbled, “damned buttons.”

“What’s going on?” a groggy voice inquired.

Oh, God.

What if Thomas’ alliance had been a ruse? What if he’d appeared only to buy whoever the hell he was time to journey to the ridge? The boy had disclosed neither the rogue’s location, nor his intents, only another name to call him by and quite the story as to how he connected with everything.

“Stay within, bolt the door, and dinna come near it,” Jamie’s tone was insistent and urgent, but held none of the panic that I felt spring to life inside me.

“Why?” Julia asked again.

In answer, another scream ricochet through the cabin.

I ran out the door after Jamie, mumbling something to Julia about doing as she was told, and slammed it behind me. The sun had only just begun to rise, its early light painting everything in dusty blue and somber purple. Two figures were standing near a tree and turned at the noise we’d made. I prayed that one of them was Ian, alive and whole.

“Watch your step,” my nephew called out, negating that worry. “The wee beast could still be near.”

The what?

“Wha’ happened?” Jamie was at their side now, staring down at the base of the tree, where, presumably, Thomas had tied up Jones, who was the source of the scream.

“Twas the biggest snake I’ve ever seen, Uncle!”

Fuck.

Here I was barefoot and a bloody fucking snake could come slithering past at any moment.

I’d encountered more than my fair share in my journey through the Caribbean, not to mention the ones I’d stared down in the desert with Uncle Lamb, and I’d yet to meet one I liked. Hate was a better word, but hardly a fitting descriptor for my feelings towards the loathsome things.

Whatever pause the announcement of an encroaching snake had given me disappeared as I caught sight of the man in question. They’d untied him and he lay on his back in the dirt, writhing much like the venomous beast that had bitten him, moments before.

I surged forward, my knees and shins colliding painfully with the uneven turf, a rock nudging my left patella in a direction that it did not want to go.

“Where?” I demanded of the three men standing immobile behind me, making no move to help their captive. “Where was he bitten?”

Jamie and Ian stared dumbly down at me, their mouths slightly agape, but Thomas stammered, “His… on his, ah, right arm, ma’am.”

I shoved Jones’ sleeve up and easily found the mark just above his wrist.

This was not from a rattlesnake, nor any that I’d seen before.

The bite was already inflamed, the puncture marks oozed some sort of yellow puss and a deep, purple bruise was beginning to form around it. I pressed down with my thumb as hard as I could just above it, attempting to localize the venom and not allow it to spread up his arm and into his circular system as much as possible.

“Do you need a belt, Sassenach?”

“No,” I shook my head as I motioned him forward, “but another hand would be helpful. Press down here as hard as you can.”

Jamie was at my side immediately and did as told, wrapping his hand around Jones’ forearm. Suddenly, something cold and smooth brushed against the bare skin of the bottoms of my feet. I gripped Jamie’s arm as I realized what it was, managing to squeak out the word snake as I tried to stay as still as possible.

He flinched and swore under his breath as the head of the beast appeared near Jones’ foot. It was thicker than my arm and a mahogany color that allowed it to blend almost seamlessly into the ground. The serpent slid along Jones’ leg, stopping about mid thigh and, quick as lightning, bit him. I screamed, backpedaling away from the monster and it’s victim, but Jamie kept his wits about him and grabbed hold of the beast by its head, clamping it’s mouth shut with both hands just as it let go of Jones.

“I, ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you” Thomas commented uneasily.

The viper writhed in Jamie’s grasp, thrashing against him with the strength of a grown man. Predator and prey fought against each other in a primal battle for control and both were determined to seize it.

“You have a better idea, then?”

This came out as a sort of groaning grunt as Jamie struggled to keep his grip. If he let go, he’d surely be bitten and it was that thought that had me wrapping my own hands over-top his in an attempt to keep the beast’s mouth shut.

“Well, yes,” the boy admitted hesitantly from somewhere above me, “if you let go of him, he’ll leave.”

“Are ye daft, man? He’d surely bite the both o’ them!” Ian burst.

The snake suddenly began to growl, a deep, almost hollow sound that should not have come from this sort of animal, and quickly negated any and all conversation. Jamie and I simultaneously let go as it began to vibrate, the beast’s body pulsating with the resonance of the sound. It moved away from us, lifting more than half of its body off the ground and stood erect, taller than Jamie or any man I’d ever met.

Swaying slightly, it’s eyes shone down on us, an unsettling, vibrant green. With an exaggerated shudder, it promptly sprouted four legs, each one with a massive paw at the end. It eased itself down to stand upon them and it’s tail shrunk drastically as it’s head grew to nearly five times what it had been just a moment before.

The beast now stood before us, looking rather like a giant dog with scales. Just as the thought crossed my mind, it shook itself — very much like a dog does after getting terribly wet — and thick, black fur burst forth over every inch of its body. It quickly glanced towards Thomas, it’s mouth open and tongue lolling out as it panted, and then took off into the underbrush, leaving us to gape after it.

“What in the bloody hell was that?” I spat once I found my voice.

“Who, more accurately,” Thomas corrected gently. “That was Sampson.”

Jamie rocked back on his heels, shaking his head, “Tha’ was no’ your bear of a dog.”

“To start with, he isn’t my dog,” Thomas insisted.

“Then who’s is he?” Ian asked in wonder.

“Julia’s.”

“What?!” I cried.

“But you should probably follow him… if you want to catch up with her, that is,” he added.

Jamie’s voice was low as he brought himself to his full height and towered over Thomas, “My daughter is safely within the cabin and I dinna care for you insinuating that she is anywhere else, lad.”

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong,” Thomas sighed, unfazed by my husband’s bulk. “She’s just snuck out and is headed for the Stones.”

#Outlander #outlander fanfic #a child of the stones au #part three chapter six #lèirsinn

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wafflesetc · 6 years

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Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 - AO3

Closing Time- Chapter 5

Claire Beauchamp is a second year medical student. Due to many late nights with her clinicals, and studying for her pharmacology class, she’s at wits end. One Friday night she decides not to join Joe Abernathy and her other friends out at Church, their local hangout spot, but instead winds up in a dive bar close to her flat with a very nice whisky selection. In fact, one of the best one she’s ever seen. When the bartender calls her ‘Sassenach’ and pours her a double, Claire gets a feeling in her chest she’s never felt before. Nor does she realize how this bartender will change her life.

I felt Jamie’s large, calloused hand, as he led me through a door. Still blind folded, I couldn’t see a thing, but I smelled something wonderful. My stomach growled and I placed my hand that wasn’t in Jamie’s on my stomach laughing quietly behind him.

“Sassenach, ye are hungry. I could hear your stomach growl all the way through the Highlands. Did ye no’ feed yerself today?” Jamie asked as I felt him place his hands on my shoulder.

“I haven’t eaten all day… I studied this morning and then ran some errands with a friend and now I’m with you. I just have forgotten.” I said as I took my hand and placed it on his that was still on my shoulder. “Are we there yet?” I mused.

“Impatient are ye?” Jamie laughed as he undid the blindfold over my face. “But yes, we are here.”

I blinked a few times to get the blurriness out of my eyes and get reacquainted with the light.

I stopped, standing still taking it all in. We were at a restaurant I had never been too. The tiles on the floor were black and white and there white subway tiles lining the wall. It was a small place, no more than ten tables, but there was no other soul in the place except for the two of us. Tea lights covered the ceiling and black and white photos of Paris streets covered the walls. There was one table set up with a bottle of champagne and two candle sticks on it.

“Jamie.” I said breathlessly. “How much did you spend to get the entire place for the night?”

“I didna do such thing.” He replied as he took my coat off and placed it on a coat rack.

“You don’t need to spend a lot of money on me….” I started and stopped as I watched him cross his arms and give me a daring look.

“I was the one who asked ye out. I wanted a bit of a wow factor. Are you saying ye dinna like the place?” Jamie said as a smile escaped his face, he was hiding something from me, I could tell.

“It’s a lovely place, but you, Mr. Fraser- there is something you aren’t telling me.” I said as I stuck a finger into his chest. Jamie grabbed my finger and took my hand leading me towards the table.

“Sassenach, let’s sit. We’ll get there, I promise.”

He led me to the one table that was set up and poured us two glasses of champagne, and then he sat down across from me.

“To new beginnings.” Jamie said with a smile as he tipped his glass towards me.

“To new beginnings.” I agreed, clinking my glass with his and then took a small sip. “So, tell me about your family.”

“I have an older sister, named Jenny. She’s married to my eldest friend, Ian Murray and they have a son, named Jamie. Also goes by young Jamie when we are all together.” Jamie said, taking a sip of his drink. “Ye already ken my parents died when I was younger. They died in a car crash wi’ my brother Willie when I was just a wee lad.”

I reached under the table and placed my hand on his large knee, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m so sorry. If you don’t want to talk about it, just tell me you don’t want to talk about it. I understand.”

He smiled at me and reached for my hand, squeezing it in return.

“It was a car crash. Jenny and I were with my god father, Murtagh. Driver was drunk, parents died instantly, Willie died due to head injury a few hours later in the hospital. I was verra young, dinna remember it all that well. Yer turn.” Jamie mused.

“My parents died in a car accident when I was five. My only living relative was my Uncle Lamb, and he took me in. He was an archeologist and so I traveled the world with him, and he died when I was in my first year of university. I moved to Scotland for university because I was awarded a full scholarship. That’s where I met Frank…. And now I’m in medical school. I spend way too much time studying and have no family and just two good friends. I’ve been alone for a long time.”

“We are quiet the pair, aren’t we, Sassenach?”

“We are. So, why are we the only customers in this place and why don’t we have a server?” I asked as I took the last swig of champagne.

“I own this place.” Jamie said as he stood up and poured another round of champagne.

“I’m sorry — you what?” I stammered.

“I own the place. I’m no’ just a bartender, ye ken.”

“Well, I reckon. So, then, what’s for dinner?”

“Steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.”

“Yummmmmm.” I said as I watched him get up and go to the kitchen.

Dinner was fantastic, as I had expected to be. The company, was even better than I had anticipated. We continued to talk through the night. Jamie told me stories of growing up in the Highland region, and moving to Edinburgh to open a few places like the bar where we met and this restaurant. I told him stories of my time in Egypt and Jordan, and he particularly found my camel riding story amusing.

I was shocked at how easy and natural things felt with Jamie. There was no hidden agenda, no pretending to be someone I wasn’t and for only having known me for two weeks, was already more supportive of my decision to go to med school than Frank had ever been.

Jamie was something new to me, something foreign. There was something about him, the way he carried himself, the way he talked about his family, the way he talked about his hopes and dreams for the future, and it made me long for things I had once told Frank I didn’t want.

I took the last bite of my steak and looked up to find Jamie’s eyes intently on mine.

“What, do I have something in teeth?” I asked giving him a puzzled look.

“No, I was just admiring the company. I have had a lovely time this evening.”

“Oh.” I said, blushing and staring down at my empty plate. “The company has been rather entertaining.” I looked up and found Jamie was tapping his knee with his fingers, I could see the wheels spinning in his head. “Out with it.”

Jamie opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then stopped and pursed his lips together. I pushed my plate slightly forward and sat back in my chair, finishing my glass of water. I wasn’t going to rush him.

After a quiet few minutes he spoke, barely audible.

“There are things that I canna tell you, at least not yet. And I'll ask nothing of ye that ye canna give me. But what I would ask of ye---when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And I'll promise ye the same. We have nothing now between us, save---respect, perhaps. And I think that respect has maybe room for secrets, but not for lies. Do ye agree?”

Bewildered by his statement, I just nodded.

“I only have one question for ye, then. Ye dinna have to give me the whole story but just the outline and what ye are comfortable telling me, alright?” Jamie asked. Again, I nodded, watching him closely. “Will ye tell me the story of Frank?”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding — that was not as nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. “That’s all you wanted to ask me and you looked so serious. You had me scared for a minute, but yes, I will tell you.”

I told him, and I told him everything. How we met and about the life I had once shared with Frank. I told him all of the good and I told him all of the bad and I told him my fears of being cheated on yet again. I laid my heart out, all my hopes and fears to Jamie. He sat, listening, taking it all in, holding on to every word I said. Frank had never listened to me like this. By the time I was finished, I felt the tears on my face. I took the napkin and dabbed my face.

Jamie, still sitting across from me, reached his hand out too me. I stood up, taking it, and he pulled me onto his lap, cradling me like a child.

“You, Sassenach, are too pretty to cry like that. Hush now, mo chridhe. I willna do that to ye. Ye have my word.” Jamie said as he brushed some curls out of my face.

“You have an awful amount of faith in us and we’ve only been on one date.”

That made Jamie chuckle and I found myself wishing to be able to do this for the rest of time.

“This, what it is between us, I dinna ken what it is. But I will no’ lie, I love the way it makes me feel.”

I clutched his tie, pulling his attention down to me. “What it is between us. I feel like it should scare me, but it doesn’t. You’re something special, Jamie Fraser.”

He smiled as he placed his lips, softly on mine. I took my tongue, running it across his top lip- he tasted of rosemary and a bit of champagne. I deepened the kiss, wrapping my hands around his neck.

“Sassenach.” He breathed as he trailed kisses down my neck. “I would like to take ye home. Would that be alright?”

“It would be more than alright.” I said as I kissed him quickly, standing up and walking to the door. “Let’s go, now.”

Jamie laughed as he stood up, turned the lights off in the restaurant and put his jacket on. I grabbed his hand, leading him outside.

“You are going to give me a run for my money, aren’t ye, Sassenach?” Jamie asked as he locked the door.

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to find out, won’t we?” I said standing on my tip toes, kissing him once more.

“Aye, lass, ye definitely are.” Jamie said as he pulled me forward, leading me down the road.

#Outlander #Jamie x Claire #Closing Time #Outlander AU #Outlander Fan Fic #Jamie Fraser #Claire Fraser #myfic!#HERE YOU ALL GOOO #qqq

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meditativeyoga · 4 years

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Talking Sex with Kids: Useful Tips from a Tantric Perspective

Jamie Shane, Tantric yoga exercise educator based in Naples, Florida, desires her young daughter to have great sex.

When she's old enough, of course.

The trouble is, Shane said, parents spend way too much time speaking about the "do n'ts." Do not get pregnant. Do not get a STD. And also don't unless you love a person.

" When we mount these discussions in the 'don't viewpoint,' we're developing fear as well as an enticement to experiment in our youngsters," Shane said.

" After that we shed our power as moms and dads," she said.

Instead, Shane suggests, have the discussion from a supportive, intelligent and informing perspective.

" I understand my child is eventually going to have sex, and I want her to do it well, healthfully and adoringly," Shane said.

But exactly how do you speak about it? Right here's a frank Q&A with Jamie Shane:

Q. When is the right age to have 'The Sex Conversation'?

JS:The ages of one through five are for gathering the love and info. It's when youngsters are sponges and also, vigorously, developing their detects of protection as well as self-respect.

Between the ages of six and 7, parents will start to see the assertion of a personality. Kids and their habits are beginning to declare, "This is who I am."

You'll see that youngsters are not mirroring their moms and dads' characters but taking the information you have actually been showing them and also using it as they see fit.

Age nine. Yes, 9. It is just before your youngsters' sex-related growth while they are beginning to pay interest to sexualized photos in the media environment. It's everywhere, and also it's packed with blended messages.

Sex is represented as both poor and also wonderful at the very same time. It's important for parents to be parents on this one.

Q. Suppose a kid asks regarding where infants originate from earlier than that age?

JS:Mommy's body was the garden, and Dad's was the seed. It's an excellent enough answer for now.

Q. So, my kid is nine. Currently what?

JS:First, choose an area that is media cost-free. It should feel acquainted, comfortable as well as safe. In such moments, I grab my little girl's hands, and also that is her signal to tune in. A crucial discussion will happen.

Q. What do I say?

JS:Tell your child why you are having the conversation. "I'm mosting likely to speak with you about this due to the fact that I want your sexuality to be healthy."

Begin with the physical act of creating life. Talk about penises, vaginas, eggs, the whole physicality of the act including the enjoyment experiences. Yet, follow up with how the act is not really a physical one. It's an emotional one.

From a Tantric perspective, it is essential that children understand there is power in the act beyond the act itself. Children should recognize there is an energy exchange, and, throughout sex, you produce area for that individual in your field. You are distributing love as well as power unconsciously. It is a sacred as well as intimate space.

Girls, in particular, should recognize how much they tackle and carry around with them after a sex-related experience. The act of sex (that consists of strike works) is hardly momentary, and also an additional individual's power sticks around with you. Youngsters should know that.

Q. Is the discussion various for boys as well as girls?

JS:Absolutely, since the unfavorable stereotypes for kids have to be eliminated. Young boys are educated to just stick it someplace, yet they need to understand that sex makes them simply as at risk as ladies. The socializing is for guys to compartmentalize as well as for ladies to select. This conversation could finish that.

Given how young boys are motivated to consider sex, your conversation has to be concerning respecting women and also the spiritual responsibility to honor any individual they are with. Truthfully, it is less complicated for women to connect to the spiritual because they are extra emotional.

You also need to talk regarding evaluating prospective companions. If your kid is clear on the factor that sex equates to love, your child has to be gotten ready for the opportunity that somebody else isn't really on the very same page.

Q. What happens if I figure out that my kid is starting a relationship?

JS:As quickly as I hear my youngster speaking regarding one more youngster with an uncommon strength and feeling, I'll directly ask her concerning her sensations. It is very important to steer clear of from afraid judgments.

I'll claim, "I observed you two appear close."

So, like I keep an eye on schoolwork, I'll maintain an eye on the connection. And also I won't be terrified to ask if any nudity has actually obtained down.

Q. When is a proper age for children to begin exploration?

JS:We don't prefer to think so, yet that is eventually approximately the kid. Yet parents need to be prepared for some polarity play in the lives of their children by age 14. It remains in line with their biology, and the start of senior high school tends to be an all-natural breakaway factor from moms and dads to peers.

Q. Suppose I suspect that my kid is already having sex?

JS:Hopefully, you have actually had the age nine conversation. It's time for the follow-up.

I would say this: "It appears like the two of you have ended up being close, as well as your relationship is coming to be sexual. I trust you to honor on your own and to honor your body. I'm trusting you that you could say no. I'm trusting you that you can claim yes when you prepare. I'm going to trust every little thing we have actually learned together."

And then I'll let my youngster continue her relationship with the world that's a healthy and balanced as well as loving one.

Tantra is recognizing just how polarity plays with each other to find source unity. It is using our opposite to find a merging, or a sense of integrity, with ourselves via the other. Tantra exists past sexuality as a technique of producing deep connectedness with all creation.

What's essential is that I stay a friendly authority while offering her duty for her very own choices. I'll opt for her to acquire condoms, and also I'll support her while she pays for them with her own money. I have to be confident that she can head out worldwide and also handle herself. When the shit strikes the follower, I'll be there.

Granted the sex conversation is an awkward one, but it isn't really the just one where Tantra remains in play. Throughout my child's young life, I have actually instructed her that there is less separation between her and the globe than she understands as well as exactly how important it is to deal with all individuals with love and respect. We are cautious of classifying people as "others." This affects more conversations than the sex one.

To discover more about Jamie Shane, visit www.JamieShane.com.

Nancy B. Loughlin is based in SW Florida. As an author, she discovers yoga exercise, reflection, green living, sustainability and all things funky. As a qualified yoga educator, her method is committed to functioning with incarcerated youngsters and also assisting people recover from trauma as well as PTSD. She's constantly thinking about using yogic assuming to wild life experiences consisting of marathons, hill climbing, and sky diving. See her internet site www.NamasteNancy.com or Twitter @NancyLoughlin.

#healing #Pranayama #spiritual #Yoga

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thebibliophagist · 6 years

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⭐ Goodreads ⭐ Amazon ⭐

Gavin MacCormick is the lead singer of a world-famous band, but before that, he was just a college kid doing his best to make a difficult relationship work. Dani Winters has lived a hard life, on the run and always changing her name to keep herself safe, but her relationship with Gavin was the best thing that happened to her -- until she had to leave him without saying goodbye.

Years later, Gavin’s still not over the one who got away, and he doesn’t understand what happened that Dani couldn’t leave him anything more than a hastily scribbled note. When Dani shows back up in town, the two of them try to make a go of it again, but Dani’s still not sharing any information about her past (or present) and Gavin’s trying his best to keep things casual.

Will Gavin and Dani work out the second time around or will all the secrets pile up and get in the way of a real relationship?

Let me start off by saying that I loved The Feeling of Forever, which is the previous book in Jamie Howard’s Love Unplugged series. I read about 120 books ago, so I actually remember very little of the plot and characters, but I do remember really enjoying it. That book featured Gavin’s bandmate Felix and his love interest Jules with Gavin as a sort of mysterious side character. I really enjoy it when a series explores a whole group of friends, so I was excited when I got an email from the publisher offering me an ARC of this book. The problem I had with it is that I like literally all of the couples better than Gavin and Dani.

And the problem doesn’t lie with Gavin. I thought he was great. He’d been trying to burn through his feelings for Dani by having meaningless one-night stands (and why wouldn’t he?) but once she reappeared, he was 110% dedicated to her. I loved how Gavin was so involved with his family and how everybody could come to him if they had a problem. He was just an all-around great character.

Dani, on the other hand, almost ruined the book for me. I didn’t like her, I didn’t understand her motives, and I couldn’t get over her secrecy and lies. I get that she lived this supposedly dangerous life, but if you’re going to bring someone into your life -- especially someone as high-profile as the lead singer of a world-famous band -- you need to tell them at least the bare minimum to keep them safe. Gavin was flying blind and while he was okay with it, I wasn’t. How is he supposed to defend himself from something he doesn’t understand? How do you just blindly trust the girl who broke your heart all those years ago? Clearly, Gavin is a better person than me.

I guess the biggest thing for me is that I didn’t realize that this would be romantic suspense. With the cover and the description (and even the title!), I thought it would be a cute contemporary and it just wasn’t. There’s a lot going on in my life right now and I definitely would not have sought out a book like this, with its secrets and lies and tragic pasts. Part of the blame definitely lies with me for not doing my research. In a different mood, I might have enjoyed this book more -- which I factored into my rating.

That said, I’m so curious about the possibility of Ben and Rachel that I can’t even think straight. Their book, when it finally comes, will be explosive and amazing and wonderful and I can’t wait.

Final rating: 2.5, rounded up to ★★★☆☆

I received a complimentary ARC of The Way Back to Us from the publisher (via Netgalley).

#book review #three stars #genre: romance #booklr

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