#also funni thing in current developments malcolm is working a part of the what i call “villian” group

[apologetic-artist]

I feel like this has been sitting on my drawing tablet for too long now, but here's my design for the king of love himself!! I also decided to throw in some extra sketches of those from the love cult

I'll make full designs for these guys at some point, I'm just not sure how to execute it rn, but they're fun lil buggers

[Malcolm without mask under cut]

Can I pet that dawg?

[michaelsheenpt]

Prodigal Son star Michael Sheen on the 'absolute joy' Martin takes in the Claremont murder

The actor takes us inside the mind of a serial killer.                

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Prodigal Son season 2, episode 4, "Take Your Father to Work Day."

The titular offspring on Prodigal Son had plenty of time to bond with his serial killer father on this week's episode of the Fox procedural.

When a murder took place right under Martin "The Surgeon" Whitly's (Michael Sheen) nose, his son, Malcolm (Tom Payne), and the NYPD crew were brought in to help solve the crime — and as you can imagine, Martin was just delighted at the prospect of quality time with his boy.

Of course, Ainsley (Halston Sage) wanted to tag along to see if there was a newsworthy story to uncover, but once she started remembering more about what happened the night of Endicott's (Dermot Mulroney) death, she turned to her father for answers about what was going on. To make the family reunion complete, Jessica (Bellamy Young) also found herself calling her murderous ex for some insight into their children's minds.

With all the drama taking place inside Claremont, the prison where Martin is incarcerated, the episode allowed for a lot more time spent with Sheen's bafflingly charming serial killer. We chatted with the actor about getting inside a murder's mind and what's to come for the Whitly family in the show's second season.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: In this episode, the team is in Martin's territory. Is this the most screen time you've had in this series so far?

MICHAEL SHEEN: It's a funny, the thing about the way we shoot the show, and particularly the way we shoot my stuff, we now shoot multiple episodes at the same time. I can sometimes find it quite difficult to remember what's in each episode. But this particular episode was a very, very different field for me. My experience of working on this show has been a kind of opening up as it's gone on. There were actors in the core cast that I hadn't even met, let alone worked with, when we got to the end of the first season. I didn't get to do a scene with Aurora [Perrineau] or Frank [Harts] or Keiko [Agena] until really late in the first season. I would just do scenes with whoever walked into my cell, unless it was a flashback, and then it'd still be with people within the family. So things have opened up more and more as it's gone along. So in this episode, the fact that the investigation comes into Claremont opened it up again, and of course for Martin that is just absolute joy.

Right, it's safe to say Martin is having a lovely time throughout most of this episode.

Yes, because they're all coming into his world and I meet Edrisa [Agena], and Gil [Lou Diamond Phillips] has to come in, and my kids come in! I'm working with my own son on a case in my prison. Martin's just in heaven. It was very enjoyable to do because I got to work with people I haven't worked with before and work with the same people in different ways. I got to play basketball, for instance.

Yeah, you got some outdoor time!

It's funny because Martin would love having outdoor time. Michael doesn't love it that much because it's quite cold. I quite enjoy being in my cell with my cardigan on.

One of the people Martin gets some quality time with in this episode is his daughter, Ainsley. How much do you think he's enjoying this newly discovered murderous streak in her? Or is he more interested in just spending time with her regardless of the reason?

I think it's a lot of things for him. There's a real delight in seeing this flower that has grown in the dark. Malcolm is the flower that has grown in the light, and that he has watered and fed as much as he possibly can to try and bring to bloom. She's this extraordinary flower that is actually grown in the dark, without him feeding it at all. There's a special delight to that. For all of Malcolm's experiences that are on the edge of murderous and psychotic and violent, he's never quite tipped into just pure murder, and Ainsley has, whether she's aware of it or not. That creates a special connection for Martin.

That's kind of terrifying.

Yes, it is terrifying. For Martin — and I always try to see it from Martin's point of view — it's both the opportunity to feel known in a different way because somebody else has experienced the thing that he experiences, and it's also an opportunity to feel connected and bonded to someone. It's the same way as a couple of episodes ago, where there was that scene where Malcolm talks to Martin about what it feels to walk around having got away with murder, and that the scary thing is that it didn't feel bad and all that. Martin can now talk about those things that have been such a part of his secret life with someone who's also experiencing aspects of that. That's even more so with Ainsley, because the part that Malcolm hasn't done is to actually feel the liberation of murder, and Ainsley potentially has.

Well, so as not to play favorites, Martin also had a couple of really intense scenes with Malcolm. How much do you think Martin resents Malcolm deep down for sending him to prison? Is that something we're going to get to explore more?

Yeah, I think so. The version of Martin that he allows people to see is such a tiny portion of him. It has an oversized place in the world because it's how he interacts with the world. Even before he was put in prison — when he was still actively pursuing his addiction to killing — the reason he was so good at it was because he was able to develop a persona that put people at ease, that made people like him and not suspect what he was doing. That is a construct he has created. What is actually going on for him is very different. We just don't see that very much because it works for him for people not to see it. But for someone who is so obsessed with control and needs control, there are moments where he loses it and we do see something else. We get a sense of what's really under there. I think there are currents within him that even he only vaguely understands. There are times when stuff comes out that he has decided to let come out, but there are times when stuff comes out that he hasn't decided to come out. In that moment in the cell with Malcolm, something comes out that he's not even aware of. I think he really does have the capacity to feel strong, positive emotions towards Malcolm, but I think he also has massively negative emotions towards Malcolm, because Malcolm is the one who ultimately — as far as he sees it, anyway — took away his control. There is huge oceans of rage in Martin.

It's so great when you're watching it because you can find yourself siding with him and believing he could be a good dad.

Yes, because it's in his interest for people to not think that he's a monster. It works great for the show because the more I hear and read people saying, "Oh, I can't believe I really like the serial killer," I'm like, "That's right. That's how it works." You use what will work for you. There were people who had crushes on Ted Bundy. Use what you've got. Martin uses that and it works very well for him, and it still does in prison.

Do you know a lot more about Martin's past than we've learned on the show so far? Have the writers filled in some of those years of serial killing for you?

We've had conversations about that, and we've got lots of different ideas of things that we could explore. It sort of depends on what the big picture is for the show and what is useful to go into and what's not. A lot of the time it's quite useful for people to not know his past. We know more about him than the audience does, and as to how much we reveal about that — who knows… We'll see.

We'll still be finding out about people he's killed come season 10. So Martin and Jessica also had a cute — but not really cute at all — co-parenting moment in this episode. Is there anything you can tease about what's to come between them this season?

In a way, that's the motor of the show, isn't it? That you've got a family where there's one member that everyone would really rather not have to deal with, but they have to. Jessica is never going to be free of Martin. At the same time, you also don't want to overplay that, so when the moments come between them they're able to have zing to them. I think that that scene between them says so much about the relationship, particularly from Martin's point of view, that he's able to lie so easily to her. He takes a real pleasure in knowing how much she's been duped by him and shocked by him and how much she doesn't know about him. Having spent years and years deceiving her, she now knows who he is and he's still able to deceive her. There's a very special enjoyment in that for him, which is very dark. There's also a real rivalry between them, a parental rivalry. When he has something that connects him to them that she doesn't have, whether that's a piece of information or a connection, both of those things delight him in different ways.

Eek, poor Jessica. Speaking of women in his life, Catherine Zeta-Jones is joining the show soon. Can you tell us anything about her character and how she'll affect Martin?

I think what will be enjoyable for an audience is not knowing what's going on at any given point. What I will say is that it puts Martin into new territory and therefore the audience will be in completely new territory, in terms of what they're seeing Martin doing and how he's reacting to things — and that's really exciting.

Prodigal Son airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

SOURCE

[invisibleicewands]

[...] ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: In this episode, the team is in Martin's territory. Is this the most screen time you've had in this series so far?

MICHAEL SHEEN: It's a funny, the thing about the way we shoot the show, and particularly the way we shoot my stuff, we now shoot multiple episodes at the same time. I can sometimes find it quite difficult to remember what's in each episode. But this particular episode was a very, very different field for me. My experience of working on this show has been a kind of opening up as it's gone on. There were actors in the core cast that I hadn't even met, let alone worked with, when we got to the end of the first season. I didn't get to do a scene with Aurora [Perrineau] or Frank [Harts] or Keiko [Agena] until really late in the first season. I would just do scenes with whoever walked into my cell, unless it was a flashback, and then it'd still be with people within the family. So things have opened up more and more as it's gone along. So in this episode, the fact that the investigation comes into Claremont opened it up again, and of course for Martin that is just absolute joy.

Right, it's safe to say Martin is having a lovely time throughout most of this episode.

Yes, because they're all coming into his world and I meet Edrisa [Agena], and Gil [Lou Diamond Phillips] has to come in, and my kids come in! I'm working with my own son on a case in my prison. Martin's just in heaven. It was very enjoyable to do because I got to work with people I haven't worked with before and work with the same people in different ways. I got to play basketball, for instance.

Yeah, you got some outdoor time!

It's funny because Martin would love having outdoor time. Michael doesn't love it that much because it's quite cold. I quite enjoy being in my cell with my cardigan on.

One of the people Martin gets some quality time with in this episode is his daughter, Ainsley. How much do you think he's enjoying this newly discovered murderous streak in her? Or is he more interested in just spending time with her regardless of the reason?

I think it's a lot of things for him. There's a real delight in seeing this flower that has grown in the dark. Malcolm is the flower that has grown in the light, and that he has watered and fed as much as he possibly can to try and bring to bloom. She's this extraordinary flower that is actually grown in the dark, without him feeding it at all. There's a special delight to that. For all of Malcolm's experiences that are on the edge of murderous and psychotic and violent, he's never quite tipped into just pure murder, and Ainsley has, whether she's aware of it or not. That creates a special connection for Martin.

That's kind of terrifying.

Yes, it is terrifying. For Martin — and I always try to see it from Martin's point of view — it's both the opportunity to feel known in a different way because somebody else has experienced the thing that he experiences, and it's also an opportunity to feel connected and bonded to someone. It's the same way as a couple of episodes ago, where there was that scene where Malcolm talks to Martin about what it feels to walk around having got away with murder, and that the scary thing is that it didn't feel bad and all that. Martin can now talk about those things that have been such a part of his secret life with someone who's also experiencing aspects of that. That's even more so with Ainsley, because the part that Malcolm hasn't done is to actually feel the liberation of murder, and Ainsley potentially has.

Well, so as not to play favorites, Martin also had a couple of really intense scenes with Malcolm. How much do you think Martin resents Malcolm deep down for sending him to prison? Is that something we're going to get to explore more?

Yeah, I think so. The version of Martin that he allows people to see is such a tiny portion of him. It has an oversized place in the world because it's how he interacts with the world. Even before he was put in prison — when he was still actively pursuing his addiction to killing — the reason he was so good at it was because he was able to develop a persona that put people at ease, that made people like him and not suspect what he was doing. That is a construct he has created. What is actually going on for him is very different. We just don't see that very much because it works for him for people not to see it. But for someone who is so obsessed with control and needs control, there are moments where he loses it and we do see something else. We get a sense of what's really under there. I think there are currents within him that even he only vaguely understands. There are times when stuff comes out that he has decided to let come out, but there are times when stuff comes out that he hasn't decided to come out. In that moment in the cell with Malcolm, something comes out that he's not even aware of. I think he really does have the capacity to feel strong, positive emotions towards Malcolm, but I think he also has massively negative emotions towards Malcolm, because Malcolm is the one who ultimately — as far as he sees it, anyway — took away his control. There is huge oceans of rage in Martin.

It's so great when you're watching it because you can find yourself siding with him and believing he could be a good dad.

Yes, because it's in his interest for people to not think that he's a monster. It works great for the show because the more I hear and read people saying, "Oh, I can't believe I really like the serial killer," I'm like, "That's right. That's how it works." You use what will work for you. There were people who had crushes on Ted Bundy. Use what you've got. Martin uses that and it works very well for him, and it still does in prison.

Do you know a lot more about Martin's past than we've learned on the show so far? Have the writers filled in some of those years of serial killing for you?

We've had conversations about that, and we've got lots of different ideas of things that we could explore. It sort of depends on what the big picture is for the show and what is useful to go into and what's not. A lot of the time it's quite useful for people to not know his past. We know more about him than the audience does, and as to how much we reveal about that — who knows… We'll see.

We'll still be finding out about people he's killed come season 10. So Martin and Jessica also had a cute — but not really cute at all — co-parenting moment in this episode. Is there anything you can tease about what's to come between them this season?

In a way, that's the motor of the show, isn't it? That you've got a family where there's one member that everyone would really rather not have to deal with, but they have to. Jessica is never going to be free of Martin. At the same time, you also don't want to overplay that, so when the moments come between them they're able to have zing to them. I think that that scene between them says so much about the relationship, particularly from Martin's point of view, that he's able to lie so easily to her. He takes a real pleasure in knowing how much she's been duped by him and shocked by him and how much she doesn't know about him. Having spent years and years deceiving her, she now knows who he is and he's still able to deceive her. There's a very special enjoyment in that for him, which is very dark. There's also a real rivalry between them, a parental rivalry. When he has something that connects him to them that she doesn't have, whether that's a piece of information or a connection, both of those things delight him in different ways.

Eek, poor Jessica. Speaking of women in his life, Catherine Zeta-Jones is joining the show soon. Can you tell us anything about her character and how she'll affect Martin?

I think what will be enjoyable for an audience is not knowing what's going on at any given point. What I will say is that it puts Martin into new territory and therefore the audience will be in completely new territory, in terms of what they're seeing Martin doing and how he's reacting to things — and that's really exciting.

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

The Nuptial Necessity - Chapter 17

A 12xRose Human AU

Despite an unglamorous job description, Rose loves the work she does with The Thistle Foundation, a charity founded by her best friend’s great-uncle.  It doesn’t hurt that her boss, her friend’s father, is easy on the eyes.  With a great job, wonderful friends and a loving family, life couldn’t be better – except for having someone to share it with.

All of that is threatened, though, when the great-uncle dies – and sets a strange condition for his nephew to inherit, jeopardizing the Foundation and Rose’s future, sparking a chain of events that might just get her everything she dreamed of and more.

Chapters will be posted on Saturdays and Tuesdays.  Many thanks to my beta, @stupidsatsuma

Rated: Explicit, for eventual smut

@doctorroseprompts

AO3  |  Masterlist

—

The Gala, 2 / 3

The program portion of the evening passed in a haze, Rose barely listening to the speeches or paying attention to the silent auction – over the years she had developed a solid team to run the day-of items, leaving her free to enjoy the event.  Normally that was a good thing, but she needed something- anything- to take her mind off her worries. Too many things could go wrong, if she made a move and he rejected her.

“Rose,” Malcolm murmured, puncturing her bubble.  “Program’s over – shall we open the dancing portion of the evening?”

It was tradition at that point, so she nodded, watching as he stood and offered her his hand.  She took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet, and they stepped out onto the floor.  Taking their positions in the center of the floor, waiting for the music to start, it occurred to Rose for the first time to ask, “Do you know how to waltz because of the Estate?”

“Basically.”  The music started, and Malcolm began to effortlessly lead her around the dance floor.  “I spent a few summers out with Wallace as a teenager- most of them, actually, come to think of it- and he taught me a lot about the land, and the traditions…  We lived in Glasgow, as you know, just a normal family otherwise, modern.  Wally taught me to be proud of my Scottish heritage, what it meant.”

“That’s lovely,” she murmured, looking up at him.  When he kept staring over her head, avoiding her gaze, she frowned.  “What?  What’s wrong?”

He sighed, holding her a bit tighter.  “I suppose you ought to know… I don’t want you getting blindsided.  Those summers I went out to the countryside…”

It took a moment for her to understand.  “Missy went with you.”

Malcolm smiled wryly.  “Yeah.  We spent a lot of time wandering the fields, fooling around outside…  Not just- I mean, yeah, in that way but also…  And, uh, that’s where Clara was… you know.”

“Oh.”  Unreasonable jealousy tore through her chest, but she forcefully pushed it aside to focus on the humor of it.  “That might explain a lot about Clara's dating habits at uni.”  She smirked up at him, watching his expression change from confusion to horror.

“That’s not something a father needs to know!”

Rose snickered, relaxing against him slightly.  “I appreciate you telling me- those things sometimes having a way of coming up.”

“I want you to feel comfortable there, reasonably at home since we won’t be there much, and… no secrets.”

“Thank you.”  She considered telling him her secret, but ultimately decided against it – it was too nice swaying in his arms, and a not-small part of her wondered if it would be better to live with the possibility, of never knowing, versus taking a chance and failing.

You’re with him here and now.  Enjoy the moment.

-

“Hi, sweetheart.”

Rose turned, grinning at seeing who had addressed her.  “Hey, Dad, looking good.”

Pete joined her at the bar, as they waited for the bartender to reach them.  “You look wonderful,” he smiled wistfully.  “Feels like it wasn’t that long ago you were playing dress up and pretty princess.  Now here you are, a married woman hosting Galas.”

“Dad…”

“Time flies,” he shrugged one shoulder, cupping her cheek.  “You’ll see, when the time comes.”  His hand dropped.  “Don’t mind me, champers makes me maudlin, your mother says.”

“Mhmm.  She also says ‘red is for whores’.  Honestly, nothing makes her happy sometimes.”

“You do, love, you know that.  She’s just got a funny way of showing it, sometimes.”

They shared a knowing grin, and Rose rolled her eyes, laughing.

“That she does.”

The bartender stopped and took their orders, and when Rose glanced at her father again, he was watching her with a pensive frown.

“What?”

“How are you doing?”

Rose’s brows furrowed.  “Fine, why?”

“Just… with everything.  The marriage.”

“Dad-”  And then she understood.  “He told you.”

Pete made a noncommittal noise.  “He might have said something. Don’t worry, I haven’t told your mother and I won’t.  What is or isn’t happening… that’s between the two of you.”  Their drinks arrived then, and he escorted her over to an empty table.  “D’you want to talk about it?”

“I love him.”  The words escaped of their own volition, her eyes flying open wide in horror.  “Oh, God, I can’t believe I just said that.”

“I know you do,” Pete chuckled.  “We all do.  The only ones who don’t are you – and Malcolm.”

Rose turned in her seat, eyes searching him out.  He was still on the dance floor, this time with Clara, and she smiled as their laughter and smiles brightened the room.  For many reasons their relationship reminded her so much of her own with her father, and she was fiercely glad to have him – he’d almost died in a car accident when she was a baby, and she didn’t know how her life might have gone if he’d passed.  Doesn’t bear thinking about.

“I do love him,” she said softly, “but he doesn’t love me.”

“How do you know?”

She scoffed.  “Because he’s never said nor done anything to indicate that he does.  There’s no evidence.”

“Have you ever given him any?  Maybe you’re both being chicken.”

Rose bit her lip, still watching the duo on the dance floor.  It was just crazy enough an idea to possibly be true, and her father had never steered her wrong before.  “Maybe.”

Malcolm looked away from Clara then, eyes scanning the room as he twirled her, a wide smile spreading across his face when he spotted her.  She waved, flashing him a grin, and he nodded in response before returning his attention to his daughter.

“Thanks, Dad,” Rose refocused on the seat next to her, only to find it empty – he’d moved back to their table, trying to tempt Jackie away from her cake for a spin.  Watching as her mother relented, and their happy expressions as they started to dance, her heart felt a little lighter.

Anything is possible.

-

They were dancing together again, more casually now as the evening grew later and the songs more current, and Rose was laughing at Malcolm’s Dad-dancing when he stopped dead, storm clouds gathering in his eyes as he let out an impressive string of profanity.

“What?”  Straightening Rose turned, and saw what he had.  “Oh, fuck.”  Though simpler, it was said with as much passion as his mini-tirade, and as one they started towards their table as fast as they could without making a scene.

“Oi!” Malcolm snarled as soon as they were close, stalking right up to where Missy stood next to Jackie, so close his nose was almost brushing his ex-wife’s.  “What are you doing here?”

Missy stood tall, still barely clearing his chin even in her heeled boots.  “You invited me,” she said evenly, waving the invitation Rose had given her the week before when she’d turned up at the townhouse.  “Sorry I’m late.”

It was hard to believe only a few minutes ago they’d been smiling and laughing as they danced; Malcolm’s face was now incandescent with rage, his right hand squeezing an absent stress ball.  Then Rose looked at her mother, and a knot formed in her gut.

“Mum?”

Jackie turned to her slowly, shock morphing to anger.  “Tell me it’s not true,” she pleaded.  “Tell me you didn’t sell yourself to him.”

“What?  No.  What?  Mum-”

“Mum!”  Clara ran up then, wide eyes darting between her parents.  “What’re you doing here?”

“Rose, did you marry him for money?”

Jackie’s question was almost drowned out by Missy snarling, “I want what’s mine.”

“Missy-” Malcolm started, patience hanging by a thread, but she spoke over him.

“That title was supposed to be mine.  Who wasted their summers out in that hellhole?  Who gave up everything?  We had a deal, Malcolm Tucker, and you got to keep what you wanted.”  Missy’s pointed glance at her own daughter made Rose’s blood run cold, but thankfully the implication went over Clara’s head.

“Mum, you’re not making any sense.  Are you feeling alright?” she spoke to her like she was one of her students, in that soothing voice Clara used when trying to calm someone.

Missy stood her ground, holding Malcolm’s eye.  “You owe me.  I could destroy you, and I will, if you don’t make me whole.”

They were starting to attract attention, but Rose didn’t dare say anything, just gave an awkward wave and smile as the few guests that were looking in their direction.

“Missy,” Malcolm sighed, “there is nothing on Earth that could fill the hole inside your chest.  I certainly was never enough, and neither was anything I could have offered you.  I don’t know how you think a minor title that’s more technicality than anything could improve your life.  All you’ve ever wanted was to be free, so fly away, little birdie, and never come back.”

“Malcolm-”

“You’ve spent our entire lives taking advantage of me, and I let you even when I should know better- do know better.  You want nothing to do with your daughter and I want nothing to do with you.  I meant what I said on Monday.  Now fuck the fuck off.”

“You’re being unreasonable.”

He just shook his head.  “I’d say I’ve been more than reasonable over the years.  And besides, all of this was for nothing- you think Wallace would let you within a mile of everything he’s ever worked for?  If- not that this would ever happen- if we reunited, that would disqualify me from the Estate per his will.  So all of this has been a monumental waste of time and energy, and ruining a spectacular party.  Now leave, or I’ll have security escort you out.”

Missy’s jaw tightened.  “I love you.”

“And I actually believe that you do, at least as far as you’re capable of.  It changes nothing.  Go.”

She turned to her daughter.  “My love-”

“Go,” Clara cut her off, arms folded tightly across her chest, lower lip wobbling.  “Just… go.  Please.”

After a tense moment, Missy nodded.  Head held high she spun on her heel and stalked away, the whole group watching in silence until she disappeared through the doors.

Jackie broke the silence, turning to Rose.  “Did you marry him for money?”

“Oh, Mum,” Rose groaned, closing her eyes briefly.  “Of course not.”

“Wait,” Clara said, brow furrowing.  “What title?”

Malcolm threw his hands in the air and sighed heavily.  “Fine, fine, we’ll tell you everything.  Sit.”

So, they did.

-

“Tonight was a disaster,” Rose groaned, nuzzling her head deeper into Malcolm’s shoulder as they swayed.  “I can’t believe that happened – I’m just so glad it was late enough people had either left, or were drunk enough to not really notice or care.”

“I’m sorry,” he kissed her forehead, “I should’ve done that long ago, but… old habits die hard.  She’s Lucy, I’m Charlie Brown, and the idea of us is the bloody rugby ball.  American football.  Whatever.  I don’t even want the ball anymore, but… I see it, I need to try to kick it.  But I’m done.  Truly.”

Rose just nodded.

Malcolm eased her back enough to see her face, and she blinked up at him.  “I’m serious.  She’s… not the one I want.”  He brushed a loose tendril away from her face.  “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”  She waited for him to lean down and kiss her, but he just pulled her closer again, and they resumed swaying.  Maybe not.  Once again, her naïve and yearning heart had her hearing things he wasn’t saying.

His arms shifted around her, losing their somewhat stiff and formal hold in favor of just wrapping around her.

She wondered what they looked like to everyone else.

“Is Clara staying with us tonight?”

“No,” Rose sighed, inhaling the scent of his aftershave.  As always, it sent a thrill through her, muted by her sad longing.  “They’re going back to my- their flat from here.”

“So, just us, then.”

“Just us.”

Malcolm hummed, a not-unpleasant weight settling on her head; after a moment, she realized it was his chin.  “Good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.  I like that.  Just us.”

She did too.

[flauntpage]

Your Wednesday Morning Roundup

It’s finally time.

The Sixers play a meaningful game tonight. More meaningful than any game in the past few years. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz will all play with each other tonight against the Washington Wizards.

Embiid, who sported cornrows yesterday, will be on a minutes limit which he isn’t happy about, Simmons will be making his NBA debut, and Fultz, who will also make his NBA debut, is still working on his shot.

There’s still problems with the team, but the expectations for many are a fighting chance for a playoff spot.

We’ll have more Sixers coverage later today. But for now, Kevin Kinkead was at practice yesterday and writes that you shouldn’t expect Simmons guarding John Wall tonight.

Embiid also did a funny video with DraftKings pranking fans.

The Roundup:

The Flyers’ offense continued to stay hot, as they took care of the Florida Panthers 5-1 behind a four-goal second period. Sean Couturier stayed hot, while Nolan Patrick added an assist on a Dale Weise goal. Wayne Simmonds did leave in the third period with a lower-body injury. He’s day-to-day.

Michal Neuvirth got his first win of the season and was awarded with the team’s Ric Flair robe as player of the game:

Ric Flair robe given to #Flyers’ player of game. Tonight, it was Neuvy. http://pic.twitter.com/6EtvRUT1ZE

— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) October 18, 2017

WOOOOOOOOO!

Anthony SanFilippo takes you inside the team, and he discusses how Robert Hagg is making Shayne Gostisbehere better this season.

—

The Eagles had their first practice since Thursday night’s win over Carolina. Lane Johnson and Wendell Smallwood returned to practice.

From an awful start to training camp to being one of the best corners in the league, Patrick Robinson has regained his confidence:

His rough training camp threatened to send his confidence sinking again, his lamentations over his poor play becoming a daily ritual throughout late July and August. He was hard on himself but maintained perspective.

“It’s never as bad as you think it is,” he said, “and it’s never as good as you think it is.”

Of course, he and his coaches would acknowledge it’s much better now.

“He never lost his confidence, and we never lost our confidence in him,” Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “He’s been through the ringer, so to speak, and he understands, and he has the maturity and the confidence and the experience to be able to deal with those things. He understands the business.”

Carson Wentz has been unbelievable against the blitz. Take a look at these stats:

Carson Wentz is the MOST blitzed QB in the NFL! Blitzed on (39.3%) of his dropbacks!

Wentz has thrown 5 TDs & 0 INTs vs blitz#JawsStats

— Ron Jaworski (@jawsespn) October 17, 2017

He and Ertz are also one of the best connections in the NFL this year:

Consider these numbers from ESPN Stats & Information: Their 34 completions this season is the most of any quarterback-tight end duo through Week 6. They have six red zone hookups, second only to Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald (7) to this point in the season. Wentz has targeted Ertz eight times in the red zone, which is even with Brady-Gronkowski, while their four red zone TDs is the most of any QB-TE combo.

This isn’t a brand new development. Since Week 8 of last season, Wentz-to-Ertz has connected 101 times, again the most of any QB-TE duo.

Malcolm Jenkins was part of a group of players that joined yesterday’s NFL owners meeting.

Remember when you wanted Marcus Mariota? So do I, because I wanted him too. Glad we didn’t get him? I am.

—

Could Giancarlo Stanton nix a deal that could send him to the Phillies?

Some inside the Marlins clubhouse suggest they doubt Giancarlo Stanton would approve the Phillies due to their rebuilding state – though they have some very good position prospects and are deep-pocketed enough to pay big this winter (or afford Stanton).

—

An early honor for Villanova’s Jalen Brunson:

Villanova's Jalen Brunson has been named Big East Preseason Player of the Year, per release.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 18, 2017

A surprising rumor involving the Union’s United Soccer League affiliate:

Ok, so that rumor led immed to a 2nd UNCONFIRMED late night rumor. One source says Bethlehem, Sounders2 also out. Union to aff w/ Rochester.

— Brian Straus (@BrianStraus) October 18, 2017

Philadelphia’s new NLL team name is down to three finalists. Well, the eventual winner and two other names:

The @PhillyLax18 naming contest is down to the final 3 names. Do your job and vote at https://t.co/R07x3G1p5i to make sure they're the Wings http://pic.twitter.com/RWDQ4s4y0A

— Jordie (@BarstoolJordie) October 17, 2017

Vote for the Wings.

—

In other sports news, the NBA season opened up last night. The Cavaliers edged Kyrie Irving and the Celtics 102-99. But the biggest moment came early in the game, when Gordon Hayward went down:

WARNING GRAPHIC

Gordon Hayward with one of the worst injuries I’ve ever seen http://pic.twitter.com/O3g8yUQzMw

— Eric Rosenthal (@ericsports) October 18, 2017

It was on par with the Kevin Ware and Paul George injuries. Hayward suffered a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia. He’ll undergo surgery later today.

In the other game, the Rockets escaped Golden State with a 122-121 win. The Warriors also got their NBA Championship rings:

Warriors unveil 2017 championship rings (h/t jasonofbeverlyhills/Instagram) http://pic.twitter.com/VIAHJe4KHp

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 18, 2017

We said goodbye to the NBA offseason last night, but we got one more unbelievable story out of Chicago. Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic is out indefinitely after suffering fractures to his upper jaw and a concussion after a fight with teammate Bobby Portis:

The players had been talking trash to one another in practice, going back and forth before those exchanges escalated into a physical encounter, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Mirotic charged at Portis twice before Portis threw a punch and connected with Mirotic’s face, league sources said. Mirotic dropped to the floor and lay there for several minutes before getting up, league sources said.

Portis was battling Mirotic for the team’s starting power forward spot. Looks like he got it?

In Game 4 of the ALCS, the Yankees beat the Astros 6-4 to tie the series at two games apiece. Game 5 is this afternoon.

In Game 3 of the NLCS, the Dodgers dominated the Cubs with a 6-1 win. They look for the sweep tonight.

Ricardo Allen with what could be the Twitter takedown of the year:

This is a hell of a Twitter exchange between a Falcons fan and Falcons player. http://pic.twitter.com/USRoDaqG8F

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 16, 2017

Former Louisville basketball head coach Rick Pitino is suing Adidas, Louisville’s current athletic apparel partner, for damaging his reputation. In the suit, Pitino says…get this…he has nothing to do with Adidas and has no knowledge of the situation.

De’Aaron Fox thinks In-N-Out Burgers are overrated. I’m fine with that statement. But this:

“Honestly, for me, I don’t count Chick-fil-A, because it’s way too good to be considered fast food,” Fox replied. “So I’m gonna say Wendy’s. Fat Burger in L.A. is better than In-N-Out. My fans know I keep it real. I’ve told so many people I hate In-N-Out, it’s funny. Now everyone can read about it.”

It’s way too good to be considered fast food. That’s the worst excuse I’ve heard regarding your favorite fast food. By the way, Jake’s Wayback Burgers are the best.

—

In the news, a freight train derailed in North Philadelphia and caught on fire.

Teens in Colorado broke into someone’s house and had a party. Someone at the party recorded it on Snapchat. Phones can be bad sometimes.

M&Ms are Pennsylvania’s favorite Halloween candy. Skittles is second, while Hershey mini bars are third. Skittles are the favorite in New Jersey, and Delaware loves Life Savers. My top three: Skittles, Hershey mini bars, Twix.

A bull was on the loose in Brooklyn yesterday afternoon.

Same http://pic.twitter.com/xHxHYDzICs

— Agent of NBA Chaos (@World_Wide_Wob) October 17, 2017

Finally, college can be weird:

just another Tuesday at Temple University http://pic.twitter.com/xt8pQpcgaZ

— Barstool Temple (@BarstoolTU) October 17, 2017

Enjoy the Sixers. Trust The Process.

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