Ghosts’ Larry Rickard Explains Why They Chose the Captain’s First Name
Photo: Monumental,Guido Mandozzi
It couldn’t be a joke. That was one rule laid down by the Ghosts creators when it came to choosing a first name for Willbond’s character. Until series five, the WWII ghost had been known only as The Captain – a mystery seized upon by fans of the show.
“It was the question we got asked more than anything. His name,” actor and writer Larry Rickard tells Den of Geek. “Once we got to series three, you could see that we were deliberately cutting away and deliberately avoiding it. We were fuelling the fire because we knew at some point we’d tell them.”
In “Carpe Diem”, the episode written by Rickard and Ben Willbond that finally reveals The Captain’s death story, they did tell us. After years of guessing, clue-spotting and debate, Ghosts revealed that The Captain’s first name is James. At the same time, we also learned that James’ colleague Lieutenant Havers’ first name was Anthony.
The ordinariness of those two names, says Rickard, is the point.
“The only thing we were really clear about is that we didn’t want one of those names that only exists in tellyland. It shouldn’t be ‘Cormoran’ or ‘Endeavour’. They should just be some men’s names and they’re important to them. The point was that they were everyday.”
Choosing first names for The Captain and Havers was a long process not unlike naming a baby, Rickard agrees. “It almost comes down to looking at the faces of the characters and saying, what’s right?”
“We talked for ages. For a long time I kept thinking ‘Duncan and James’, and then I was like ah no! That would have turned it into a gag and been awful!” Inescapably in the minds of a certain generation, Duncan James is a member of noughties boyband Blue. “Maybe with Anthony I was thinking of Anthony Costa!” Rickard says in mock horror, referencing another member of the band.
Lieutenant Havers wasn’t just The Captain’s second in command while stationed at Button House; he was also the man James loved. Because homosexuality was criminalised in England during James’ lifetime, he was forced to hide his feelings for Anthony from society, and to some extent even from himself.
In “Carpe Diem”, the ghosts (mistakenly) prepare for the last day of their afterlives, prompting The Captain to finally tell his story. Though not explicit about his sexual identity, the others understand and accept what he tells them – and led by Lady Button, all agree that he’s a brave man.
Getting the balance right of what The Captain does and doesn’t say was key to the episode. “It wasn’t just a personal choice of his to go ‘I’m going to remain in the closet’,” explains Rickard. “There wasn’t an option there to explore the things that either of them felt. That couldn’t be done back then – there are so many stories which have come out since the War about the dangers of doing that.
“We wanted to tell his personal story but also try to ensure that there was a level at which you understood why they couldn’t be open, that even in this moment where he’s finally telling the other ghosts his story, he never comes out and says it overtly because that would be too much for him as a character from that time.
“He says enough for them to know, and enough for him to feel unburdened but it’s in the fact that they’re using their first names which militarily they would never have done, and in the literal passing of the baton”.
The baton is a bonus reveal when fans learned that The Captain’s military stick wasn’t a memento of his career, but of Havers. As James suffers a fatal heart attack during a VE day celebration at Button House, Anthony rushes to his side and the stick passes from one to the other as they share a moment of tragic understanding.
“From really early on, we had the idea that anything you’re holding [when you die] stays with you. So it wasn’t just your clothes you were wearing, we had the stuff with Thomas’ letter reappearing in his pocket and so on. And the assumption being that it was something The Captain couldn’t put down, it felt so nice to be able to say it was something he didn’t want to put down.”
Rickard lists “Carpe Diem”, co-written with Ben Willbond, among his series five highlights. He’s pleased with the end result, praises Willbond’s performance, and loved being on set to see Button House dressed for the 1940s. He’s particularly pleased that a checklist of moments they wanted to land with the audience all managed to be included. “Normally something’s fallen by the wayside just because of the way TV’s made, it’s always imperfect or it’s slightly rushed, but it feels like it’s all there.”
Rickard and Willbond also knew by this point in the show’s lifetime, that they could trust Ghosts fans to pick up on small details. “Nothing is missed,” he says. “Early on, you’re always thinking, is that going to get across? But once we got to series five, there are little tiny things within corners of shots and you know that’s going to be spotted. Particularly in that very short exchange between Havers and the Captain. We worried less about the minutiae of it because you go, that’s going to be rewound and rewatched, nothing will be missed.”
The team were also grateful they’d resisted the temptation to tell The Captain’s story sooner. “We’d talked about it every series since series two, whether or not now was the time, but because he’s such a hard and starchy character in a lot of ways you needed the time to understand his softer side I think before you had that final honest beat from him.”
“What a ridiculously normal name to have so much weight put on it for five years,” laughs Rickard fondly. “Good old James.”
From Den of Geek
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Thats not even am ask. Its just me staying my truth. I never wanted a threeaome so bad as right now, thinking about price and nicolai. They would be so ruthless and caring. Just. Perfection
(gn!reader, mdni 18+)
it is the truth, only the truth, nothing but the truth. price and nikolai are like two sides of the same coin. they have different methods into ensuring your pleasure, but you'll end up reaching your peak either way. don't worry, they know.
they like to switch it up between who gets to play a little rougher each time, but you never know who you're going to get each time. they like to keep you in suspense.
sometimes it's price who's gentle with you, having to balance between the mean laughter from nikolai as he spanks you, plays with your ass so meanly. he silences your little sobs by having you choke on his dick instead. affectionately strokes your hair, cradles your cheeks, and makes sure to smear a heaping glob of precum across your lips and tongue to give you a sweet treat to distract you. he whispers sweet praises over the smacking sound of that rough spanking and the wet slam of nikolai's hips to your ass. price is sweet on you and lets you take it at your own pace, which is ultimately set by how hard you're being fucked and jolted forward. talks a lot about "look how nicely you take it, hm? would think you like being stuffed with two fat cocks on both ends." and "what you crying for? it feels good, don't it? c'mon, sunshine. you can take it. i'll give you a reward."
but when it's nikolai who's gentle with you, he's kissing you so lovingly. kissing your sloppy sex that's slathered in your own cum and his spit. he eats you out like he's been craving you for weeks even though he ate you out last night. traps your thighs against his shoulders so if you're squirming, you end up bucking into his awaiting mouth. he talks to you like he's actually talking to your aching core. even though he says things like "taste so good, you going to cum for me? let me taste you?" he's not talking to you. kisses all over you to feel you twitching, clenching from underneath him. he'll swirl his tongue around your most sensitive parts and moan out in pure delight as you gush into his mouth. declares his love to you while his tongue licks a line from your core to your ass. makes you grab at his long hair to try grounding yourself. you can try all you want to pull him off you but it's futile. he plans on getting his fill of you. all the while price is fucking into you by the way. more on that:
price is only mean when he makes you ride him. slaps at your thighs to spur you on and bounce on his dick faster. he makes you ride him in reverse while nik desperately sucks at you. price whispers filth into your ears while you're forced to keep slamming your hips up and down. he doesn't bother to do any of the work. "you're so eager to get yourself off, hm? wanna see you ride it like a toy. treat me like nothing but a dick to fuck yourself on." he degrades himself for you just so he can see you lose control. reaches forward to pinch at your nipples as nikolai works wonders with his tongue.
like i mentioned before, nikolai can be mean when fucking you in doggy. it's filthy and obscene with the way his dick stirs inside you and makes all those wet, slapping sounds between your thighs. but he thinks it best when you're on your knees and begging him for anything, just a little taste of his cock while he jerks it above your face. he doesn't allow you to touch his dick at all, so you're clawing at his thighs and hips in effort to pull him closer to you. makes you hump his leg because you're so horny. he's mean, condescending as he coos down at you trying to lick at his slit. grins and calls out over his shoulder while price watches from the corner and asks how such a cute thing like you can look so pathetic. price always tries to advocate for you, tells nik to stop being so mean. all you get as a result is nikolai slapping his tip against your tongue and cumming all over your face.
when they both decide to be mean with you, play with you, it's like pure torture. both men pressed up against you on either side, sandwiching you between them. they're kissing your shoulders, neck, your back and collarbones. each of them leaving marks all over you. price is grinding against your ass, telling you what a tight fit it'd be. but he's content with trapping his length in between your asschecks while he kneads at your hips. nikolai's hogging your lips and preventing you from whining out and complaining by shoving his tongue down your throat. again, he teases you with his dick by not giving it to you at all. but this time you're allowed to jerk him off, you're encouraged to. you can only hope that tugging his cock against your own sex is enough to stimulate yourself. maybe he'll get impatient enough that he'll fuck you or start grinding against you as well. you tap his cock against you and are so tempted to trap him between your thighs just to feel him that much closer.
but at the end of the day, these two men will make sure you're taken care of. no matter the amount of teasing, they think you're deserving of a proper reward for keeping up with them. nikolai makes sure to fuck you nice and deep, gives his cock to you finally like you deserve. you've been so patient after all. he kisses across your jaw and whispers sweet nothings into your ear. tells you that you've been so good for them and he needs to feel you cumming around him. price is skillfully working his fingers against you in an effort to get you to cum sooner. the moment you do, nikolai can't take it anymore. the squeezing of your falls sends him into a frenzy and he has to pull out to give price a chance. makes sure to cum pretty all over your thighs. prices slides in immediately after nikolai pulls out. nikolai's suckling at your nipples while price continues to work you over and thrusts into you at a steady pace. he makes sure you're cumming all over his hand and his dick before even thinking of getting off himself. he tells you to hold on just a little longer while continuing to pound into you. tells you how good you feel, how good you sound, how good you're taking it. just a little while longer until he's flooding you with his cum with a loud groan.
do not edit or reupload my works elsewhere (reblogs welcome!)
*also pls note that i received this type of request in my inbox at least 5 times. i'm sure all 5 were not the same person, but at least three of the asks requesting this exact trope specified with a male reader were all sent within 2 days of the last. i'm flattered at the enthusiasm, but felt it was very pushy and rude. pls be considerate of writers and their time, do not demand for content! be patient, we want to give you our best AND have fun writing it. thank you ❤️
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the coward's way out
if the fates conspire
that only one of us may live,
then lover,
it must be you.
i will save you the grand speeches
about how you are good and deserving.
you are. you are. you are,
but in the end, that is not the reason why.
the world may call me brave
or strong
or selfless
but lover, you know the truth
don't you?
in the end, i am only more afraid
of facing a world without you
than i am of facing death
of facing anything.
in the end, i am only too weak
to be the one left behind
to pick up the pieces of a broken life
a broken promise
a broken heart
and keep on bleeding
when the blood in your heart
is already dry.
i'm sorry. i'm sorry.
but will you let me be selfish
one last time?
can i ask you to live
for me?
to face what i feared most
so that i might find peace
in my eternal sleep
with a smile upon my face?
if it is cruel of me to ask,
then i beg you to forgive me.
or curse my name
and hate me if you must,
only live.
only live, my lover
so that my life and my death
and all that came in between
may mean something.
may mean everything.
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