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lily-avenue · 13 days

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Musings on Gold Digger (2019)

** Warning contains major spoilers **

** Also warning: massively long-winded ramble **

Julia Ormond, Ben Barnes and an exploration of a may-december romance in the midst of complicated famillial dynamics and an underlying unease.

Both leads are very good. We see Julia Day (Julia Ormond) reclaim herself as she moves out of the roles to which she has been assigned, or perhaps more accurately, has assigned herself; while Benjamin Greene (Ben Barnes) treads the fine line of someone who is not entirely what he seems to be, and who in pursuing the path he has chosen, is moving both closer to, and further away, from what he needs. We all, or many of us at least, want to be known and loved for who we actually are.

The supporting cast are uniformly excellent, with each episode putting the spotlight on one of Julia's now-adult kids (Patrick, Della and Leo), her ex-husband (Ted), her ex-best-friend (Marsha), and her new lover.

The series poses a range of complex, thorny questions, such as what it means to take a much younger (or much older) lover; the immediate and long-term aftermath of domestic violence; the loss of confidence and trust following betrayal; the ripple effect of those pivotal moments that each of us have in our lives; and the small (and large) lies that we tell ourselves and each other.

Nearly everyone in Julia's life is openly and vocally "concerned" when she introduces the much younger Benjamin into her life, and the series also explores the cost of pursuing your own happiness in the face of others' disapproval.

For the most part, the two sons (Patrick and Leo) are Not Very Nice. While they are not necessarily unjustified in their concerns about Benjamin, and are each grappling with the fallout of their parents' shared history, how they act upon those concerns is rather unpleasant. (And slighly nonsensical. Patrick is a well-heeled lawyer, surely he would have hired a private investigater to do some digging?) Della, her daughter, is the most open of the three to their mother's new relationship. And while for the most part that isn't saying much, Della's growing acceptance and support of Julia's right to be her own person and the strength she demonstrates in doing so, make for a lovely subplot - particularly as it starts to positively impact her own life.

While the series asks a lot of questions, it doesn't necessarily answer them in a way that fully satisfies. We see Benjamin and Julia's attraction in numerous sex scenes, and it is fabulous to move from the early scenes, in which she turns off the light, to later scenes in which she has pushed aside some of her insecurities. But we don't see enough of their intellectual attraction, of the non-physical side of things, and of how they navigate the fact that in terms of cultural milieu, he has far more in common with her children than with her (sort of, that too is complicated). There are some lovely glimpses - the book of walks he gives her as a gift, for example, rather than ubiquitous and offensively-generic flowers. But their growing closeness is mostly given in montages of them walking around holding hands in various locales - we are rarely privvy to the intimate discussions that would show a deepening relationship.

Much goes unquestioned by Julia, which given her intelligence and life experience seems somewhat implausible, although perhaps newly discovered and unexpected love can make fools of us all? Her lack of curiosity about Benjamin's past, which clearly continues to affect him, or his financial situation (mid 30s, professional job, but about to be hounded by bailiffs?) is hand-waved away at one point. This is one of those instances where I cannot tell if it suboptimal writing (maintaining suspense at the cost of characterisation) or very clever writing (Julia tends to avoid conflict; her reluctance to ask questions to which she doesn't necessarily want to know the answer has precedence). Herein lies the dilemma of suspense-based drama: in keeping Benjamin an relatively unknown quality we lose the opportunity to get to know him and Julia as a couple, and that becomes problematic later on.

We experience Julia's growth as she takes responsibility for her own destiny, eventually starting to question what it is that Benjamin isn't telling her, and taking the necessary steps to find out more. And when she finds out more, and it is rather confronting, she still chooses to listen before coming to her own conclusions. But we don't see the same for Benjamin. His journey is more opaque, and because we only get very few snippits of his life before Julia, is largely for the viewer to infer, or only becomes evident after the fact. He wants to run away when things start to close in on him, but he doesn't. Ultimately his hand is forced and he breaks a long-held agreement with his brother to put his own needs first. (There is a small subplot about an engagement that didn't happen; a former girlfriend broke up with him the day he proposed, and one wonders if it was because he also told her the truth about his past.)

There are interesting contrasts between Benjamin and Ted. Both are outwardly well put together, but neither are what they seem. Ted is successful, wealthy and enmeshed in entitled middleclass-ness, while Benjamin is not, despite his facade of the urbane younger man.

But the outward trappings hide the fact that Ted is controlling and violent, while Benjamin - despite what the criminal justice system would say - is neither. And that contrast is backed up by the scene with Ted in the forest on the morning of the wedding, compared with that with Benjamin on the beach (in which Julia asks him to not touch her, and he listens and respects her wishes instantly). Even throughout the argument with his newly re-emerged brother Kieran, which escalates into low-level violence, Benjamin only ever reacts, never instigates.

And it would be entirely remiss of me not to mention Marsha, who has made her own bed, unfortunately with Ted in it. We meet Marsha just as she is beginning to realise the extent of the poor bargain she's made, and it really only gets worse.

I am still not sure whether the series simply had very high expectations of the viewer, or whether the script spread itself too thin and undercut itself. The distrust and deception that flows throughout the series was almost catching, and in the face of it I wanted stronger closure, a deeper resolution of the issues that came to light late in the piece. In the absence of that, Kieran's words after the fight with Benjamin resonate just a little too strongly for me. Are they actually in love with one another, or are they in love with what the other represents to them?

Is Benjamin a gold digger? Not, I think, in the traditional sense of the term. He sees in Julia an embodiment of the life he wants to have, but had always been excluded from. My take is that the attraction and burgeoning love is real, but that it is also inseparable from her aura of wealth, education and intellect, which are an integral part of who she is and how she moves through the world.

He was certainly not honest with her, and that also poses an interesting question about how much of our ourselves, and our actions, we can mask, ignore or conceal before sliding into deception or disaster. Alongside Benjamin editing his past to hide a terrible act (in which he played a supporting role but shouldered much of the consequences), we have a younger Julia peddling the fiction that all was well with her (first) marriage, Ted hiding his violent streak, Patrick having an affair, Leo knowing about Ted and Marsha but not telling his mother. The list goes on.

The lingering disquiet of how much of Benjamin is a performance, and how much is real, never quite leaves. We do see sharper edges to him at times, which are in keeping with what is revealed about his past (you couldn't come out of young offenders unscathed, and you certainly wouldn't get through it without developing some pretty decent survival mechanisms), although Julia herself is not privvy to them. It is in the rawness and desperation of a couple of his reactions that a measure of confirmation is provided that his feelings towards Julia are genuine. There is a two-fold element of unreliable narration with Benjamin, yet it feels not entirely unreasonable to conclude that Benjamin the construct is underpinned by a longstanding and deep-seated need, and has largely become Benjamin the actual. But how recent was this process, and was it a legitimate one? We don't ever really find out, and that matters when it comes to our central conundrum.

But as may have become evident throughout this long-winded ramble, one of my own personal failings is that I like my fictional endings to be happy, and unambiguously so. I want Julia to enjoy her 'after', just as much as I want Benjamin to revel in the safety and belonging she provides. So holding onto a suitable measure of optimism (or perhaps of wishful thinking - our characters may not be alone in their penchant for self-deception), let us now return to their wedding reception and one of my favourite scenes. Watching a truly beguiling Julia invite Benjamin to dance, and an utterly charming Benjamin follow her onto the dance floor, made me smile. A lot. And with that in mind I am going to find myself a glass of champagne, ensure my best smile is firmly in place, and head out onto the dance floor to wish the two of them my very best.

#gold digger #gold digger 2019 #julia ormond #ben barnes #will I still agree with most of this on a rewatch? Who knows.#gold digger series #julia day #benjamin greene #long-winded ramble because there can be no other type

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fermencja · 2 years

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JULIA!!!

Benjamin Greene (BEN BARNES) & Julia Day (JULIA ORMOND) in Gold Digger, BBC. Episode 1.

#ben barnes #julia ormond #benjamin greene #julia day #gold digger #gold digger appreciation in black nad white

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baubeautyandthegeek · 6 months

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The Sweetest Treat - Laura Peterson/Julia Day, Paula Gyson/Eimear Day

Title: The Sweetest Treat

Summary: Paula brings Laura to see Julia, framing it as Trick or Treaters…

Which square it fills: Trick Or Treat

Fandom: Gold Digger/Law & Order: Criminal Intent/The Morning Show

Warnings: N/A.

Rating (using Ao3's ratings system): Teen and up Pairing: Julia Day/Laura Peterson, Paula Gyson/Eimear Day A/N: Tagging @thebo3bingo

“Trick or treat….” Paula’s smile is as infectious as ever and Julia finds she smiles even as she shrugs. “Treat?” “Treat…” Paula nods, nudging the woman with her closer. “Treat…. This is Laura, Laura Peterson, her ex is almost as big of an ass as Ted and…. Enjoy?” “Hi?” Laura’s smile is shy, warmly sweet and honest. “Hi… come in.” Julia steps back a little to let Laura and Paula in, smiling when Eimear drifts in from the other room. “I see we have company?” “Mmm, Eimear this is Paula, my cousin and… Laura… apparently my ‘treat’ for answering the door?” There’s humor in Julia’s voice even as she rests a light hand on Laura’s back, feeling the woman’s shudder a little and shooing Eimear and Paula into the other room. “You two go on and get to know each other…. I’ll be here with Laura, getting to… really know… her.” Silence falls even as chatter flows from the other room, Julia watching silently until finally, finally, Laura breaks the silence. “I’m sorry she… I’m sorry.” “For what?” “Being…” Laura’s voice cuts off in a choked sob and Julia moves to tuck rich brown hair out of deep and pained eyes, brushing away the tears that fall, her voice low and soft. “Whoever that girl is…. She better pray Paula never sees her, much less me.” “You hardly know me…” The protest is soft and Julia’s smile is gently warm. “I’d like to… if you trust me?” There’s silence, then a nod, the quiet broken by the sound of Eimear’s laugh then moan. “Sounds like they’ve made a connection…” Julia’s laugh is warm, light and Laura smiles, her voice light. “I prefer ours…” Hours, then days, pass. Eimear finds a new home, moves in with Paula, the two knowing they’d have to fly home to Paula’s one day. Laura wakes tucked into Julia’s bed, held closer than ever, treasured and wanted, chosen. Julia’s smile soft when she wakes. “Good morning beautiful…” “Good morning.” “Ready to head home or can I keep you a while?” “Well, there’s not much to go back to yet… the network is trying to find a way for me to work with Bradley…” “Do you… want to?” “Not really, but I’m not giving up my job for her.” “I’ll come with you, if you like… when you go?” “You’d do that?” “In a heartbeat…”

#bingoofourownhalloween #the morning show #law and order criminal intent #law & order criminal intent #gold digger #laura peterson #julia day #eimear day #paula gyson #laura/julia #julia/laura #paula/eimear #eimear/paula

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23valerie1998 · 6 months

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Thanksgiving🍁🍂🍗🦃🥧

Black Friday🖤⚫⬛🛒🧾💸🏃🏻‍♀️🤑🏬🏪🎁💲🛍💰💳💵

#amber rose revah #gold digger #annie murphy #ben barnes #thanksgiving #black friday #julia ormond #money #the punisher #dinah madani #billy russo #benjamin greene #julia day #happy holidays

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ocmerunaway · 11 months

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Miranda Knight meets Julia Day after she chooses to press charges against her ex husband. The other man she had been about to marry backs off instantly and Miranda finds herself comforting and supporting Julia as both of them fight to see that Ted pays for what he’s done.

#julia day #miranda knight #gold digger

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dearabsolutelynoone · 1 year

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I cried. I threw up. I shook. I climbed the walls. I cried some more. I tore my hair out. I saw the light. I was on the brink of death. And I cried even more. Charlotte and George were everything and then some. Like my brain chemistry has been permanently altered. I will never be the same. Every time I think about them I’m launched into a brand new mental breakdown. I don’t know how I will recover from this.

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fermencja · 2 years

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Ben Barnes (Benjamin Greene) and Julia Ormond (Julia Day) in Gold Digger BBC, Episode 1.

#benjamin greene #julia day #ben barnes #julia ormond #I like this mirror reflection #one of my fav scenes/moments/episodes/tv series #definitely

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baubeautyandthegeek · 6 months

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Driven Batty - Laura Peterson/Julia Day

Title: Driven Batty

Summary: Laura gains some accidental pet bats… Julia helps

Which square it fills: Bats

Fandom: The Morning Show/Gold Digger

Warnings: N/A

Rating (using Ao3's ratings system): General Pairing: Laura Peterson/Julia Day A/N: Tagging @thebo3bingo

“So… we have Bats…” Laura’s voice is dry even as Julia studies the wall behind Laura. They had only just moved into a new, shared, home in the wilds of Ireland, but now they have Bats. She had not exactly expected to find they had to deal with the bats but… she’s not sure what to think. “I could… get rid of them?” “No… don’t. They’ll keep Bradley away.” Life continues as usual, Laura works, Julia sets up their new home, checking in on her children when she needs to, the two meet at their new Ireland home when they can. One day, a few days before Halloween, Bradley risks it enough to try and make one more apology. Laura, predictably, tenses, her voice low, husky, full of old pain. She doesn’t want this anymore, she’s moved on and Bradley refusing to accept she had messed up was enough to make her ache for a new freedom, she had hoped this home would be it. Bats explode out of the attic, swooping over Bradley, Laura shutting the door even as Bradley flees, screaming. She’s coated in bat shit by the time she gets back to her car and Laura answers her face time just long enough to get a few screenshots before hanging up.

#julia day #laura peterson #julia/laura #laura/julia #the morning show #gold digger #bingoofourownhalloween

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thebramblewood · 18 days

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Exciting news: I now have a story page and a characters page! They're pretty basic at the moment, but I'm hoping to think of some fun stuff to add later. For now, you might find a few new nuggets of insight in the character bios! I just wanted a cute little hub for readers new and old to find everything they need in one place. Let me know if you think anything (or anyone) major is missing or if you notice any errors. Here are all the character portraits. Aren't they cute? And thanks to @buglaur for the incredibly easy to modify template!

#ts4 #sims 4 #story: hzid #the zhaoverse #i'm going to change my pinned post to this #at least until i get a better blog theme where i can more easily add links #but that will have to wait for another day #i know it's kind of silly to include some characters that showed up for only a post or two and exclude others #but i tried to choose based on relevance/relationship #so julia's friends feel more important than that dude in helena's creative writing class even if they appear less

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ccircusclwn · 3 months

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hey!!! Can you draw mkulia please??? I love your art and mkulia is slowly consuming my brain :)