swanfan17

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[swanfan17]

Someday I will stop having a giggle every time I see Strike Vader trying to figure out how his lightsaber works, but today is not that day.

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Michael Fassbender, Tom Burke, and Pierce Brosnan in Black Bag (Steven Soderbergh, 2025)

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Kae Alexander, Ambika Mod, Gustaf Skarsgard, Pierce Brosnan. Screenplay: David Koepp. Cinematography: Steven Soderbergh. Production design: Philip Messina. Film editing: Steven Soderbergh. Music: David Holmes. 

Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag is a solid, satisfying spy thriller that breaks no new ground for the genre, which may be why it was not a success at the box office: There are no spectacular moments, no stunts, no especially gory deaths -- in short, nothing to spark a word of mouth publicity campaign. Its characters are all handsome and sexy but also not very likable. In fact, they delight in getting on each other's nerves. It feels more like a pilot for a series on a streaming channel like Netflix or Hulu than a stand-alone movie. 

[swanfan17]

1. Robin will mirror Strikes previous behavior in romantic relationships: Even though she tires of Murphy and wishes to end the relationship, she avoids the conflict of calling things off for a long time

2. The missing men within the Masonic world hail from different parts of Britain and are connected to other Masonic halls. This means the agency have to travel a great deal (Sark, Scotland, York etc). At least one of these trips will include both Strike and Robin in the landrover

3. (This last one is a non-brainer !) There will be an abundance of troubled thoughts and pining between Strike and Robin and towards the end of the book they will have a moment bringing them closer to a romantic relationship

🎙️ LISTENER QUESTION! 🎙️

Got theories about what will happen in The Hallmarked Man? We’d love to hear them! 💭

Comment with your top three ideas below and you could hear your predictions read in one of our prediction episodes! 🔍

👇👇👇

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BBC Strike (2018 — ) ↳ Cormoran Strike & Robin Ellacott – smiling at each other

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TOM BURKE as ATHOS THE MUSKETEERS 3.08 Prisoners of War

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Tom Burke as Davy in Third Star (2010)

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Endless gifs of Athos 2/∞

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Tom Burke as Davy in Third Star (2010)

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Tom Burke and Erin Doherty to star in California Avenue, a drama set in the 1970's written and directed by Hugo Blick.

He will play "showman outcast" Cooper.

[swanfan17]

I have been restraining myself from watching the BBC's adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Strike books because I have my own image of Strike and Robin in my head. But everyone I know rates it highly! Plus, The Running Grave was my favourite of the series thus far, not least because I correctly guessed the murderer. Plus I am on edge for The Hallmarked Man this September!

My resolve is weakening!

Love the Strike series!

[swanfan17]

Beautiful, sad-eyed Athos 💜

[swanfan17]

It's always interesting when people compare Elizabeth to Lydia, and they do have a few similarities, but I personally viewed a pre-Darcy Elizabeth as well on the way to becoming her father: intelligent, witty, insightful and independent yet always mocking rather than genuinely connecting, bantering rather than having real and serious conversations, retreating and detaching rather than engaging.

And that's why even though the focus is usually on how meeting Elizabeth transformed Darcy for the better, I see Darcy as just as integral to Elizabeth evolving into a far better person. Darcy is serious, complex, mature, responsible, and painfully honest - he compels Elizabeth to take life more seriously, to rethink her judgments, viewpoints and perspectives rather than just remaining complacent, and to engage in deeper discussions and more candid self-introspection than she would have otherwise!

[swanfan17]

Two years ago today, after a decade or so of really struggling and without any understanding of why I found things so difficult, I was finally diagnosed as being autistic and then, as if me being so needed any further confirmation... one year ago today, a few months after I had first read the book, I watched Pride and Prejudice (2005) with my friend and a brand new special interest was discovered. Watching an adaptation sparked a desire for a re-read to re-acquaint myself with the characters and the story. So, I went away and did precisely that... and I was so captivated that I ended up reading Pride and Prejudice four times in ten days... which is why I am *gestures vaguely to my entire blog* the way that I am now.

I think it's an amusing coincidence that both events happened to occur on the same date a year apart! That year between being diagnosed and (re?)discovering the masterpiece that is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice was quite painful and often lonely, but in the year since I've reconnected with books and my love of reading that had been largely absent since childhood.

After Pride and Prejudice, I of course read the other five novels, which between them have just as many hilarious, dramatic and romantic moments and fell entirely in love with Jane Austen's incredibly witty writing. Then I branched out to reading more classics and discovered other authors I adore too, such as the Brontë sisters and Elizabeth Gaskell, all of whom are incredible authors in their own right with their respective distinctive styles. So different from Austen yet equally as enjoyable!

Thanks to my love for Pride and Prejudice, I've also reconnected with my longstanding love of history that had been almost entirely extinguished after I finished my degree. I've delved into the Georgian era in far greater depth than ever before and discovered what an interesting and pivotal period it was. I still have so much to learn but it's been thoroughly enjoyable.

I've fallen in love with learning and reading again. It's been a really beautiful process and was exactly what I needed after a tough time. I owe so much to Pride and Prejudice for sparking that drive and passion for literature within a burnt-out bookworm, and it's lovely to share that passion here on this blog with others that get it, too! :)

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Tom Burke being interviewed about opposing the demolition of shopping center Park Hall in Ashford, Kent