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evakuality · 3 years

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Matteo - Episode three

Social Media - There’s so much of it this week! At the time, I only followed a couple of accounts and then only saw the rest when it was posted to the tag. I think I’m grateful for that. This is absolutely overwhelming, the sheer volume of things the characters were putting out. But it’s also really nice that we get all this normal teenage life stuff. It really does allow an immersive ‘this is real people doing real stuff’ feeling to everything. Particularly people like Kiki and Sam who have little to do with the plot. It keeps them real and alive through a season where they were a bit more sidelined (and I love that Matteo and David’s little trip later on keeps them alive in a way that doesn’t overpower Amira’s season - this is a really clever way for the producers to keep fan favourites active without having to shoehorn them into places where they don’t belong). I am also a bit concerned about some of this though - how on earth did the boys not get in trouble for filming the dancing girls and posting it to social media? At most schools I know that would have resulted in some serious discipline action. However, the most fascinating thing about the social media is the party at the end of the episode. Sara didn’t start posting much on her stuff until much later in the evening (the reason this post is so late is because I was waiting to watch through all the social media before I worked with it - and there was so much for so long that I was able to notice the patterns in it in a way I didn’t at the time) and then Leonie took over and it was interesting what she chose to show and how non-perfect it all was compared to what Sara was trying to do before she got really incapacitated. I know it’s not technically part of this episode but the text string between the two of them the next day where Sara panics over how Matteo might take seeing her in such a sloppy drunken state is very telling. She really really wants to put on a show to make sure he’s not turned off by her not being ‘perfect’ - again, this is all very subtly done but there’s a really strong push to show how much of what is put onto social media isn’t a real and true depiction of who we really are. And of course that’s most important for Matteo himself. He’s still very actively putting on a front and it’s only partly to try to cover for the fact that he’s interested in boys not girls. He’s really not happy or at ease with pretty much any aspect of himself, but he’s also not really willing to show it to anyone. Except David. Which we’ll see as we go through the clips.

Clip one - Matteo’s shelf in the fridge is so sad! Someone (a parent maybe?) should really be making sure he has food and is looking after himself. We touched a bit last episode on food and nurturing and what we see here is Matteo very much not nurturing himself. Even more so than Sara, he has no care for his own wellbeing. Also he’s relying heavily on other people (Hans in this case) to do the heavy lifting for him. It’s also a major contrast to the playful, if disgusting, sandwich he made with David. Here it’s really just about putting something in to his body and there’s no thought for anything other than basic survival. Which is, tbh, a good metaphor for Matteo’s approach to his life at this time. The chat with Mia again veers close to things that are difficult for Matteo - he’s wearing David’s beanie, trying to get that bit of closeness to him, but then Mia starts asking awkward questions about why the kitchen was so terrible and what Matteo was up to and it’s all a bit tough. Matteo tries again to deflect and lie to cover his tracks. Which... is he ever going to learn? This lying is forever getting him in hot water when he’s caught out. Jonas even calls him out on it, basically saying ‘if you’re going to use me as an excuse then give me a heads up first’ showing that he has Matteo’s back, but is incapable of helping him if he won’t help himself. At this point, of course, Matteo has closed off because there’s a lot he finds too hard to talk about but Jonas is already giving those hints that he’d be there for Matteo if only Matteo would let him be. But at least Mia’s pushing serves one purpose - Matteo makes contact with David again and they manage to connect and get over the little hitch that David’s ditching caused. Both are still hiding bits of themselves from each other (David more so obviously), but both are quite happy to make these connections and are comfortable with each other. That David responds is so nice; it sets up the dynamic so different to the original and Matteo is much more secure in David’s friendship than Isak was with Even at this point just because of this. Then of course Matteo does the gay test, and it’s clear he already knows but he’s just sort of trying to work through some things. It leads to some of the things he says later that are quite unfortunate (both to the boys about the dance teacher in this episode and to Hans later about the ways to be gay), but I think there’s a genuine desire to figure out what gay might look like rather than any truly homophobic stuff. societal expectations and stereotypes and our own internal biases mess with us big time!!

Clip two - There’s not a lot of difference with the dancing girls clip, but it’s nice to see David again and the interactions between him and Matteo are a lot more natural than with Isak and Even. I guess because these two are in the same year, it’s much easier to pass off knowing each other and so Matteo really is a lot more casual than Isak ever was. The tone of the ‘why does he have to be so gay’ is different here too - Matteo’s much more low key and subdued when he’s called out on ‘why do we insult gays’ and he’s apologising fairly quickly. It really is much more obvious that he’s trying to work out what ‘gay’ is than trying to distance himself from the idea of being gay. He has a lot of issues and a lot of stuff to work through but it’s entrenched in an entirely different way to the og even though the words are almost exactly the same. The power of acting and body language!! Of course, this makes sense for both characters too - Isak and Matteo have different experiences and different lives and so they each act in a way that makes sense for them. I’m super impressed that the same conversation can look so different - both actors are very very good.

Clip three - This scene with Matteo and Sara works much better for me than the one with Isak and Emma. But perhaps that’s because Sara is allowed to be much more of a rounded character rather than a plot device. We can say all we like (and Leonie is so clearly right there with us) that Sara needs to wake up and see how badly Matteo is treating her, but the way this is developing makes it clear why she thinks and acts the way she does and we can have a lot of sympathy for her even while rolling our eyes at how obviously this is not working out. This right here is the moment where Matteo really should have said ‘yeah sorry, this isn’t working for me’ but he chooses not to because he still wants that security of having ‘someone’ if the thing with David turns out the way he expects it to (eg, David and Leonie being a thing). He wants the ability to hide and say ‘see, there was nothing there, I have a girlfriend so I’m not at all upset that David has one too’ and it’s shitty behaviour and it’s totally unfair to Sara, but at this point Matteo can’t see beyond his own needs. Sara is very clearly not happy with the situation and she rightly feels sidelined and unappreciated but she is still willing to accept his word when she puts those words into his mouth. She’s still invested in this fantasy in her head and she is carefully scripting it so that it goes the way she wants it to. Like last week when she was talking over Matteo to avoid hearing anything he’s saying, here she’s literally telling him what to say to get the outcome she wants. Leonie has quite obviously got a better handle on the situation, but Sara doesn’t want to hear it. Sara, again bless her, is very open about what she wants and needs from a relationship and how she’s feeling. She refuses to take Matteo’s very half-hearted attempt at sweet talking her at face value and demands some accountability. But it’s the very nature of those demands that sets her doom. She tells him what she needs and he gives it to her - only it’s a very pale and weak imitation of what she would really like. He uses her communication skills to play her.

Clip four - I loathe how no-one takes Matteo’s wants and needs into account, pretty much ever. He’s in such a rut of being used to just going with the flow that even when he tries to assert his own wants people straight up ignore him. It’s sad that he allows Kiki etc to basically commandeer his home for their party but it’s very much in keeping with how everything else is going. Last week, Kiki was super irritated because she had a picture of how things were going to go (they would have their event and Matteo would host it) and she couldn’t deal with things not being under her control. I suspect that if Sara hadn’t been with them and hadn’t done the speaking for Matteo, he would have been bullied into doing what she wanted then too. He clearly doesn't want to do this , but at least he uses it as a way to get closer to David. ‘Well, this party idea sucks, but maybe I can get this guy I like there’ and so he goes right up to him and invites him. While he’s quite checked out of significant parts of his life, when Matteo really wants something he’s not scared of going after it. Of course, as we see in later events, this gets him in trouble at times. But for right now it’s nice to see him taking some small control of his life. This is only possible, of course, because he was able to connect with David fairly quickly after he left last week. The fact that they are able to do this is testament to how easily they do understand each other and even while its awkward, this relationship doesn’t have the underlying tensions that the one with Sara does. It’s awkward in a positive way.

Clip five - there’s lots going on in this one. The studying and how little interest and engagement Matteo has with it. The consequent stalking of David on Sara’s account, the flow over into looking for David’s favourite movie, and of course Hans and his intrusion into Matteo’s quiet space again and then his attempt at using grindr. It’s a slow, fairly quiet clip and yet Matteo ends up doing a lot in it. It shows again, I think, just how much he values his time by himself and how much it works for him to be allowed to do things at his own pace. I’ve said before I really enjoy seeing the characters in their own environments being chill and just hanging with themselves. It shows us a lot of how they are. In this case, Matteo moves very quickly from the boredom of the studying to things he has more interest in. Like David. He’s restless and disengaged, using all of his tricks to try to distract himself (playing with plants etc) and then very quickly giving up on what he should do. I like that we get these sorts of smaller, lower key indications of how much David means to him as well. It’s not big grandiose expressions of interest, but he watches the movie because David likes it. He can’t even let himself stare at the picture for too long because it feels like a huge admission (he literally breaks eye contact with it and looks away the way he often does with David himself). It’s in these unguarded moments in his own space that we really see Matteo and he’s a mess, but he’s a mess who really does want connection and to find meaning with someone.

Clip six - We all love this one, right? It’s such a nice moment with David and their almost-kissing is very intense. But there’s a lot going on before that that I also want to look at. First, the way the boys call Matteo a ‘player’?????? how???? That’s his girlfriend????? He is playing her and stringing her along when he shouldn’t, but he’s not playing the field which is generally what we mean when we say this sort of thing. He has one girl and that one girl has made it pretty clear that he is hers. In many ways Matteo would be better off if he was playing the field - then there’s no expectations and he gets a rep as a ladies man. But this works better for him - he can sort of fall into it and follow along with it without having to put any effort in at all. She literally speaks for him, even. I have always found it fascinating how much Matteo keeps to himself in this clip. He hugs the walls like they’re his home and Sara is out there in the middle and there’s such a disconnect between the way they’re both acting. How would Matteo have coped with the expectations Sara outlines about sex had she not got so blind drunk she had to be taken home? It seems like it would have led to something very awkward and maybe she’d have finally got the picture.

Laura's little visit to see Matteo is cute too. Obviously she knows that David is interested and so she checks him out. It’s a shame it’s interrupted by Hans who then monopolises Matteo, but she was quite deliberate in finding him and speaking with him and I love the sibling support. David’s shirt he chooses to appeal to Matteo is hilarious too. The thought process (and the discussions with Laura at home beforehand) must have been brilliant. ‘I always wear black and am mysterious and aloof and cool, but to attract this boy I will wear a white shirt with a stupid picture on it’ - that it does attract Matteo just shows how attuned David is to his future boyfriend. Maybe he’s stalking the instagrams too - the Matteo Monday and Florenzi Friday do suggest that this is something that might appeal to Matteo.

Hans and Andi bother me too. In much the same way that I dislike that Sara assumes that Matteo not wanting sex with her means he’s gay (like? It’s okay not to want sex!! It doesn’t say anything about your sexuality), I don’t like that Hans has talked about Matteo to Andi and allows him to be so forward and aggressively sexual with someone who is very obviously not willing to be out. I know Hans is trying to be there for Matteo and to encourage him to accept himself (I think it’s pretty clear that he knows or thinks Matteo likes guys). But this is a party with all of Matteo’s friends. What did they think would happen? Why did they think he’d react in any way other than the one he does? Hans looks confused when Matteo pushes away and leaves, but why? This behaviour is entirely consistent with everything we know of his character. That it ends in an actual panic attack makes it all much more sad and difficult to watch. Honestly, outing people when they’re not ready is not cool and Hans should know this.

The panic attack itself is so well done. There’s no dialogue and yet we can see very obviously how Matteo is feeling and just how ‘normal’ this is to him. He has a set of behaviours that he follows to try to take the edge off. He throws things (this is his go-to when he’s stressed and he does it a LOT), he tries weed and he finally tries music and sitting by himself, cuddling a cushion for comfort. I know a million people have discussed this at length, but I don’t think we can speak about this clip without at least touching on it. Everything about it is done so well and it all combines to allow Matteo’s feelings to shine through. I love that it’s allowed to happen at a party and that we see very clearly how these things can be overwhelming for characters. I won’t go on anymore, but it’s just great and the acting is so perfect. I genuinely think this small part of this clip is probably my favourite acting out of everything in this show.

And then of course we have the stuff after everyone else has left. Again, a million people have discussed this in a million ways, but I love how this scene again shows how easily they get each other, how good they are at communicating with each other and how quickly they get on the same page. Matteo has no trouble at all saying what he thinks and pressing for information. This parallels Sara in some ways - she is like this with Matteo, making her wants and needs clear and putting herself on the line. Again, this is all very good set up for later on when Matteo finally finds himself in her position and realises just how much his behaviour hurt her because he’s living her side. However, unlike Matteo, David is quite clear and honest back. And that’s why they can so quickly move into a potential kiss. As with Matteo and Sara, there are close ups as they lean into each other, but somehow it feels like there’s more space for them to breathe here. The camera allows them both to be in the frame naturally, whether Sara is often invading into Matteo’s shots. Here, they’re both on board and both want it. I like that Matteo gets a moment to be open and himself after his experience with Andi. It must take a lot of courage to do this after he was so badly affected earlier. Testament to David’s calming presence which reassures rather than pushes, and how honest they are with each other - there’s no way David could miss how relieved Matteo is when he finds out that Laura is David’s sister not his girlfriend. They’re both very brave here - David for telling Matteo he looks good and Matteo for trying to take that next step even after his panic attack. And I think that’s a nice place to leave this. Because that’s already such a lot and this has all already been said before.

#druck #og druck #Matteo - episode 3 #again super long I'm sorry #one day I'll learn how to be concise

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annecoulmanross · 3 years

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Top Ten Historical Figures Done Dirty by The Terror (2018)

So, we all know and love Dave Kajganich and Soo Hugh’s beautiful show, right? Of course. But it’s important to set the historical record straight, especially when there are real people’s life-stories and legacies on the line.

(NOTE: this list is biased heavily toward upper-class individuals because the historical record does a better job preserving those voices for us. Was the real Cornelius Hickey as nasty a person in real life as he was in the show? Almost certainly not – which is why we’re given “E.C.” as a nod to the fact that we shouldn’t assume these characters represent real historical villains, even when the narrative makes them antagonists; HOWEVER, not everyone in the show was given the same courtesy as the OG “Cornelius Hickey.” Which is why this post exists – to show you the best sides of some people you might not otherwise appreciate for their full humanity. That being said, keep in mind the sources used – and, for instance, who has surviving portraits and who doesn’t.)

Thus, below the cut, I give you this list, (mostly) in order from #10 (honorable mention, only somewhat slandered) to #1 (most hideously maligned) – my list of characters from The Terror who deserved better.

(Please don’t take this too seriously – I know there are reasons why choices had to be made in order to make this show work on television, and I do very much love the end product. But I also genuinely think it’s a good idea to remember the real people behind these characters, and think critically about how we depict them ourselves.)

Bottom Tier – The Overlooked Men of the Franklin Expedition

#10. Richard Wall – & – John Diggle

We’re combining these two because they had a lot in common, historically speaking! Both were polar veterans, having served as a Cook (Wall) and an AB-then-Quartermaster (Diggle) on HMS Erebus under the command of Sir James Clark Ross in the Antarctic expedition of 1839-1843. Certainly we do get some good scenes with them in the show, but there was plenty more to explore there – for instance, Captain Ross was apparently so taken with Richard Wall that he hired him on as a private cook after the Antarctic expedition. (One imagines that Sir James may have regretted letting his friends of the Franklin expedition steal Wall out from under him.)

(If you want some more information on Diggle, the brilliant @handfuloftime found this excellent article on him – fun facts include the detail that Diggle’s only daughter bore the name Mary Ann Erebus Diggle.)

#9. John Smart Peddie

Now, I don’t think we should go as far as the Doctor Who Audio Drama adaptation of the Franklin Expedition, which makes Peddie into Francis Crozier’s oldest friend, someone “almost like a brother” to Crozier (no evidence of ANY prior relationship between the two existed, contrary to whatever the Doctor Who Audio Dramas would have you believe!) but Peddie probably earned his place as chief surgeon, however fond we may all be of the beautiful Alex “Macca” MacDonald, who was, in fact, the Assistant Surgeon, historically speaking. It’s hard to find information about Peddie, but someone should go looking! I want to know about this man!

(If you want to know more about the historical Alexander MacDonald, there’s a short biographical article on him from Arctic that you can read here.)

#8 James Walter Fairholme

The only one of the expedition’s lieutenants who doesn’t really get any characterization in the show, which is a travesty! The historical Fairholme (pronounced “Fairem”) was, as they say, a himbo, and the letters that he wrote home to his father are positively precious. He loved the expedition pets (lots of kisses for Neptune!), and he needed two kayaks because he couldn’t fit into just one with his beefy thighs. Fitzjames loaned him a coat when all the Erebus officers had their portraits taken, and then called him a “smart, agreeable companion, and a well informed man,” and Goodsir singled Fairholme out as “very much interested” in the work of naturalist observations. Just a lovely young man who could have gotten some screen time, you know?

(Also, as @transblanky discovered, four separate members of the Fairholme family gave money to Thomas Blanky’s widow when she was struggling financially in the 1850s, making them, combined, the most generous contributor to her subscription.)

Middle Tier – Franklin’s Men Who Didn’t Deserve That

#7. William Gibson

Alright, I want to talk about how uniquely horrible the show’s William Gibson is: this is a character willing to lie and accuse his partner of sexual assault that didn’t happen. I get there were extenuating circumstances, but if I were a historical figure who died in some famous disaster and someone depicted me doing something like that? Let’s just say I’m deeply offended on the real Gibson’s behalf.

What do we know about the historical William Gibson? Not much – but we know a little. Gibson’s younger brother served on an overland exploratory venture across Australia in the 1870s… from which he never returned. (God, the Gibson family had the worst luck?) This description of a conversation that young Alf Gibson had with expedition leader Ernest Giles only days before his death is VERY eerie:

[Gibson] said, “Oh! I had a brother who died with Franklin at the North Pole, and my father had a deal of trouble to get his pay from government.” He seemed in a very jocular vein this morning, which was not often the case, for he was usually rather sulky, sometimes for days together, and he said, “How is it, that in all these exploring expeditions a lot of people go and die?”

I said, “I don't know, Gibson, how it is, but there are many dangers in exploring, besides accidents and attacks from the natives, that may at any time cause the death of some of the people engaged in it; but I believe want of judgment, or knowledge, or courage in individuals, often brought about their deaths. Death, however, is a thing that must occur to every one sooner or later.”

To this he replied, “Well, I shouldn't like to die in this part of the country, anyhow.” In this sentiment I quite agreed with him, and the subject dropped.

(From Giles’s Australia Twice Traversed which you can read here)

Beyond that, one thing we do know is that William Gibson was probably friends with Henry Peglar – they had served on ships together before, and Gibson may possibly have been the poor fellow found cradling the Peglar Papers, according to researcher Glenn Stein. So we might imagine the historical Gibson as a much kinder man than the show’s depiction of him – this was someone who befriended the clever, playful Peglar we all know and love from the transcriptions of his papers, so full of poetry and linguistic jokes. It’s a shame we didn’t get a chance to meet this real Gibson, who actually knew the Henry Peglar whom we love so well.

#6. Stephen Stanley

Look. There’s that one famous line in James Fitzjames’s letters to the Coninghams about how Stanley went about with his “shirt sleeves tucked up, giving one unpleasant ideas that he would not mind cutting one’s leg off immediately – ‘if not sooner.’” And certainly Harry Goodsir had some mixed opinions of the man, saying was “a would be great man who as I first supposed would not make any effort at work after a time,” and that he “knows nothing whatever about subject & is ignorant enough of all other subjects,” whatever…. that means….

But Fitzjames also had some rather nicer things to say about him, that he was “thoroughly good natured and obliging and very attentive to our mess.” Also, the amputation comment? Very likely had a quite positive underlying joke to it – Stanley may not have been much of a naturalist, but he was actually an accomplished anatomist, who won a prize for dissection in 1836, on account of his “bend of the elbow,” which was “a picture of dissection,” according to Henry Lonsdale, who also called Stanley his “facetious friend” and “a fine fellow” (Lonsdale 1870, pg. 159). So, the real Stanley probably was rather droll, but the perpetually cruel Stanley of the show misses some of the real man’s major historical virtues and replaces them with historically unlikely mass-mercy-murder.

#5. John Irving

Now we’re getting into the territory of characters who did get some good development, but are missing a bit of historical nuance. As I’m sure many of you know, the historical Irving was indeed very religious, but the flashes of anger (i.e. against Manson) we see from Irving in the show don’t seem terribly consistent with the Irving depicted in this memorial volume, where John seems more like a quiet, bookish, mathematically inclined young man, with a self-deprecating sense of humor and a gentle sweetness. It’s really not at all far off from the version of Irving we see with Kooveyook in the show – I just wish we could have seen more of that side of Irving.

Top Tier – The Triumvirate of Polar Friends

So, these three DO have many good things to recommend them in the show, but because I’ve done such deep research on them, it can be quite jarring to watch certain scenes in which they behave contrary to their historical personalities, and I find myself pausing when watching the show with friends or family to explain that NO, they wouldn’t do that!

#4. Sir James Clark Ross

First thing – we LOVE Richard Sutton. He did a beautiful job with the material given to him. (This is true of all the actors on the list, frankly, but it’s doubly true here.) But that scene at the Admiralty where Sir James tells Lady Franklin “I have many friends on those ships, as you know,” to shut down her argument for search missions? At that time (aka 1847), historically, Sir James Clark Ross was actively campaigning for search missions, planning routes and volunteering his services in command of any vessel the Admiralty even vaguely contemplated sending out. You could see this real-life desperation in Sir James’s morose attention to his whiskey glass in that scene if you’re really trying, but I think the more historically responsible thing would have been to make vividly clear that James Ross risked life and limb, as soon as he possibly could, to try to rescue Franklin and Crozier and Blanky, men he’d known and cared about and bitterly missed – and, in the case of Crozier, “truly loved.”

#3. Sir John Franklin

The historical Franklin had plenty of flaws – his contributions to British colonial rule certainly harmed no small number of people, and we should question the way that heroic statues of Franklin are some of the only memorials that serve to honor the lives lost on Franklin’s expeditions – especially considering the steep body count of not only Franklin’s final voyage, but his previous missions in Arctic regions as well. (DM me and I’ll scream at you about counter-monuments! Is this a promise or a threat? Who knows!) With that said, most contemporary accounts agree that Sir John Franklin treated his friends, his family, and those within his social orbit with kindness, and his cruelties were systemic, not personal. In this light, the image of Sir John viciously tearing into Francis Crozier’s vulnerabilities in the show feels very off. Though there was certainly some friction over Crozier’s two proposals to Sophia Cracroft, historically speaking, there’s no evidence at all that Sir John discouraged her from marrying Francis – Sophia may have had many reasons of her own (*clears throat meaningfully in a lesbian sort of way*) for not accepting any of the several marriage proposals offered to her (from Crozier as well as from others), and we ought to keep in mind that she remained unmarried all her life. The notion that the real Sir John would have considered Crozier too low-born or too Irish to be part of the Franklin family isn’t grounded in historical fact.

#2. Lady Jane Franklin

Again disclaimer: the real Lady Franklin left behind a legacy with much to critique. Those who rightfully point out the racism of her treatment of the young indigenous Tasmanian girl Mathinna should be fully heard out. Observations of her own contributions to imperialism are important and valid. Though I tend to see her feud with Dr. John Rae as somewhat understandable – given that Lady Franklin didn’t have the benefit of our hindsight knowing Rae was correct – the levels of prejudice that she enabled and even encouraged in the writing of Charles Dickens when he attempted to discredit Inuit accounts of Franklin’s fate are inarguably deplorable. These things being said, everything noted for Sir John re: Sophia Cracroft goes for Lady Franklin as well – there’s no reason to imagine a scene where Jane would bully Francis Crozier within an inch of his life, seconds after a failed second proposal, when, historically, Lady Franklin felt the situation was so delicate that it required the quiet and compassionate intervention of Sir James Clark Ross, a dearly loved mutual friend to all parties. Tension does not imply aggression; conflict is not abuse. We know this can’t have been an easy experience for the historical Francis Crozier, but the picture is a lot more complicated than what can be shown in one small subplot of a ten-episode television show. Because of this complexity, however, Lady Franklin’s social deftness suffers in the show. (I could also write an entire essay about Jane Franklin’s last shot in the show, at the beginning of Episode 9: The C the C the Open C – TL;DR is that framing is very important, and, at the very last moment, the show reframes Lady Franklin as a mutilated corpse, a speaking mouth without a brain, which is….. a choice.)

And, at number 1, the person done most dirty by The Terror (2018) is….

#1. Charles Frederick “Freddy” Des Voeux

Look. I’m biased here because I am fed daily information about the historical Freddy Des Voeux from @frederickdesvoeux so I’ve become, I think understandably, a bit attached.

But this is very plainly the clearest cruelty the show does to a historical figure – the historical Des Voeux was a very young man (only around 20 when the ships set sail) known always as “Frederick or Freddy” to his family, and described by all parties as bright and sweet – Fitzjames said that he was “a most unexceptionable, clever, agreeable, light-hearted, obliging young fellow, and a great favourite of Hodgson’s, which is much in his favour besides,” and described him cheerfully helping to catch specimens for Goodsir. Des Voeux is named “dear” by Captain Osborn in Erasmus Henry Brodie’s 1866 poem on the Franklin Expedition (43) and Leo McClintock reported the young man’s well-known “intelligence, gallantry, and zeal” in his 1869 update to his account of the Franklin Expedition’s fate (xlii). None of this is consistent with Des Voeux’s behaviour in the show, especially in the later episodes.

To reduce Des Voeux to an easily-detested figure, over whose death one might cheer, is not a kindness – the creation of a narrative where his death is satisfying does damage to the memory of a real person, a barely-more-than-teenager who died in the cold of the Arctic and left behind only scraps of a shirt and a spidery signature in the bottom margin of a fragmentary document.

Television shows may need their villains, but it’s important to remember that real life isn’t like that. Surely the historical Frederick Des Voeux was most likely not a perfect person, and, as an upper class officer contributing to a British imperial project, he does bear some responsibility for the harm done by the Franklin expedition, but it’s not accurate to assume he was any less worthy of sympathy than the other officers who considered him a friend – those men whom we now venerate, like James Fitzjames. So as far as I’m concerned, Freddy Des Voeux deserves at least as much consideration, care, and compassion from us.

#franklin expedition #franklin expedition fictions #the terror #the terror amc #terrorposting #long post

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randombtsprincessa · 2 years

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2021 Tumblr Year End Review!

RULES: post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released this year (not necessarily your most popular), your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year, your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year, your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year, and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year!

Tagged by the amazing @ressjeon ilybb

5 works I'm most proud of:

Bewitched Fools - To parallel this with AaaPT, I think Namjoon best fits the Darcy type look if given the proper perception. I’m no Austen by a long shot, but I just couldn’t get it out of my head that how awesome it would be if we explored Darcy and Lizzie when they couldn’t escape each other and were already bound to each other. I’m proud of the characters and am excited for the story.

Bed Bereft Epilogue - I am proud of this work mostly because it is my first exploration of a Polyamorous relationship. When I wrote the original Bed Bereft, I was worried if I showed the relationship between OG relationship (Tae and Jin) properly. I wanted to show them really established before I broached it with MC. The amount of love it got told me I was successful but I couldn’t just leave them with sex and let it be. So this sequel was in the works. And there were some time differences before I finalized it during the middle of TaeJin’s bday. And here it is!

Angel Atop A Prickly Tree - Another fic based on Pride and Prejudice but this time a Hallmark movie. Tbvvh, I wasn’t very much taken by the Lizzie of the movie and felt she could’ve had more substance to her. The Darcy however, came through a bit soft yes, but I could work with that. I ADORE this Hoseok, mainly because the image we have of J-Hope is so different than what I pictured for the Jung Hoseok I wanted. However, in the end when I read the finished project, well, it turned out a much better mingle than I had originally thought possible.

Burn With You - Namjoon again. I am proud of this one for a lot of reasons. It’s another one of attempts at telling something like a fairytale but with adult annotations yk. And BY GOD am I in love with this Namjoon. I had plans to make him darker but sadly, it didn’t happen and I am glad for it. For one, a darker Namjoon would take away from the Princess and no way in hell am I making her less for anything. Shiva the Tiger came to me in a dream and all in all, I am pretty feeling awesome about the end result.

Belladonna - I am proud of this one because it is an attempt that I had been suggested by a therapist ages ago but could only bring myself to comply now. The fic narrates a difficult time for me and I write it only when I am in the mindset to deal or cope with that arena of my life. However, the fic does contain more positive and wish fulfilment than real life and somehow I am not bitter about that. I guess that signifies growth?

4 current WIP’s I'm excited to release: (I am not spoiling a thing)

Built for Sin - Coming this Valentine’s ;)

Booted & Suited - Maybe JK’s bday!

Non Omnis Moriar - I want to finish Tom’s story a bit faster so I can plan a sequel welp!

Better Luck Next Time - For Taehyung and by god this one is giving me chills to think of.

3 biggest improvements

For one I’d say I am not as scared of original fiction than I was before. I submitted new pieces and it all started through fanfics, I am so proud and glad I found this community.

Secondly, I think I find it easier to explore and delve into aspects of my life by dipping my toes in it through writing.

Thirdly, It’s slow but many of my writing has become healing. I mean, it’s perceptible enough to be commented on so!

2 resolutions

To increase my speed

To do writing exercises more because dear god, Writer’s Block is a B word.

1 favourite line

“I haven’t believed in miracles since my father died. But I believe in you, I believe we met in that restaurant through a miscommunication so we’d know that we’re more than we appear. If you can believe that, if you can believe in me again then…that’d be my own personal miracle.”

- Hoseok, Angel atop a Prickly Tree.

Tagging: @yoonia @knjsnoona @chelsea-chee @avveh @floralseokjin @joyfulhopelox @lavienjin @kookdiaries @pjmsdior @vyduan @sugasbabiie @jimilter @eatjeanjin @tayegi @taegularities @kithtaehyung @yeoldontknow and anyone else who wants to do this!

#tulip tagged games #2021 tumblr review

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silver-wield · 4 years

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Honestly? I will never ever get what Cler!ths have against Zack/Zerith. The guy loves and treasures her; they're so damn cute together; they actually spent quality time together, so their relationship is believable; A in the remake is clearly not over him; and he's available (as in she won't be trying to steal him from someone else). What's to hate about all this? A will surely be happy with Zack, so if you love her, wouldn't you want that for her? 1/3

But I guess it was never about her happiness, huh? I know they must think CloTis just root for Zerith to get rid of A, but to me it’s not about that. After all, before Zack came into the picture, I couldn’t care less about A since I hated her in the OG. But I liked the way she was with Zack in CC. And now with Remake!A that I don’t feel so strongly about as in the OG, I want her to be happy too. 2/3

Also, at least our side is decent enough to not shove A with someone she has 0 chemistry with (hint hint Barret x Tifa). Having CloTi and Zerith as the canon couples is the best thing that can happen to those characters. No one gets left out, and all of them win and are with the person they love and is suited for them. But hey, maybe it’s just me. 3/3

Because he’s canon and ruining their fanon lol That’s pretty much the whole reason they hate him. I was watching the entire gameplay of Crisis Core yesterday because of a thing nagging me about Cloud where I heard he and Zack did some kind of claw arm minigame and that’s why Cloud was upset during the collapsed expressway bit, but I didn’t find it because the reason Cloud’s upset is different, but still because of Zack.

But, at least I got to see a whole lot of parallels between Cloti and Zerith. And these aren’t just FF7 to FFCC, no, these are parallels going from CC to 7R meaning the devs looked over CC, picked out these scenes or lines and then deliberately inserted them into Remake so that we’d see the couple parallels between the two. Because that’s how canon works. They associate the couples to each other so that people see and understand this is how it’s gonna be.

But some people are just dumb and keep sticking their fingers in their ears and putting blinders over their eyes. They don’t wanna see and hear the truth and then get butthurt and crazy at everyone who can. Because they wanna be the blind leading the blind. Only, we’re not blind and don’t wanna be.

Aerith definitely has very low interest in Cloud. I mean, she literally brushed off being concerned about him during the drum after she saw him go off at Sephiroth. She didn’t care. Red and Barret asked if Cloud was ok and Tifa said she was really worried about him, and what was Aerith’s reaction?

“True, but it’s Cloud—I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

That’s after literally seeing Cloud freak tf out the last time she saw him. Aerith doesn’t care about him. Not like that. Seems he’s more like a useful tool for her to battle Sephiroth with if I’m being honest.

I’d feel sorry for these people, but they’re just so nasty I can’t bring myself to. They spent years dragging Tifa: her appearance, her clothes, personality fucking everything. There wasn’t one single thing about her they haven’t tried to destroy just to prove how much better than her Aerith is. This is a character that Nomura designed to be Cloud’s ideal woman. Even if they’d never got together and just mutually pined for each other forever like the absolute dorks they are, do these people really think that treating Tifa like this would make Nomura want to be kind to them? Do they think scrubbing out the canon story is respectful to Nojima? To any of them? They’ve worked on FF7 for 23+ years. These trolls might have loved the game for that long, but this is their work. Something they love even more than anyone else does. Nojima kept coming back to Cloud over and over because he had such a deep connection to him. He has NPCs talk about Cloud like a relative in game (yeah because Johnny’s dad is totally a message from Nojima to Cloud about how he feels like he’s family and he’s sad to say goodbye to him) and people are shitting all over it.

These morons better get their attitudes sorted because no matter how much they cry and scream and complain the story is still Cloti and Zerith and always was.

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miss-watolock · 5 years

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Finale: The Dock - WATOLOCK, True Love, and why we need more Miss Sherlock

fjadflkasdf cannot believe we’re at the end of S1 Miss Sherlock.

Apart from how blatant the psychological manipulations Wato is undergoing here, the takeaway is that Wato is in deep pain. Say what you want about Moriya, but Wato clearly cared about him and looks to be blaming herself for his death (which clearly, no), and Moriwaka is invested in having Wato believe that Sherlock is responsible for Moriya’s death, and thus Wato’s pain.

:( This is a 180 I don’t like. Meanwhile, even though Sherlock had reason to shoot Moriya (preventing the spreading of the apocalypse-causing virus), there is a warrant out for her with orders to shoot if deemed necessary.

Confrontation!! Protagonist-Antagonist confrontation!!

In a way, the desire to want to verify a theory is the height of logical thinking - that is, if you don’t consider how many people are getting hurt in the process of doing so. Of course, given that that is a part of what Moriwaka thinks, still logical. For her.

(translation: Especially to you)

Highlighting the main difference between two scarily-intelligent and logically analytical women here.

I’m. Going. To. Scream. Even Moriwaki knows how much you care about Wato, Sherlock.

Wato, who has indeed been taken to the Dock.

In the end, everything was linked back to Moriwaki.

(Sherlock’s big brother calling it like it is)

Sherlock’s going to find Wato with or without help, tyvm

And she definitely needs to find her before Moriwaki’s plan of making Wato a terrorist comes to fruition.

Sounds about right

Have you ever seen such a not-in-danger-but-still-distraught Sherlock?

I just love this so much as an older woman figure comforting and supporting the other women in her life.

Wato is getting a v twisted version of that - except not really. At all.

Sherlock just got one step ahead here.

Ah yes, Miss Sherlock is echoing the OG Sherlock Holmes with a reference to the Reichenback Fall. For anyone familiar with this part of Sherlock Holmes canon or has seen all of BBC’s Sherlock, you can probably guess what is about to happen in the next few minutes. (It also gives hope for *spoiler* Sherlock’s return which is basically confirmed in the last few minutes of the episode.)

Everyone acknowledges Watolock, it’s canon.

THAT LOOK

*UNINTELLIGIBLE SCREECHING*

Sherlock acknowledged Wato as her friend. Her first friend.

WATOLOCK LIVES

Seems inaccurate, but ok. Like really, really inaccurate. Not a psychology major, but from a neuroscience standpoint, I’m going to need a really in-depth look at what brain circuits Wato has reshaped.

(Not showing pictures of Sherlock being wheeled out - but do note that her face or body isn’t shown)

DIRECT PARALLEL! DIRECT PARALLEL TO SHERLOCK STARING AT WATO’S EMPTY SEAT WHEN SHE COULDN’T BOUNCE HER IDEAS OFF OF HER BECAUSE SHE WASN’T THERE!

Yes, they really did a flashback just to show that Wato was indeed clutching the jacket Sherlock flung at her from episode 1.

So much has changed. Wato has changed. Watolock has changed.

WE NEED TO KNOW. WATO NEEDS TO KNOW.

(Translation: Even though the time was short)

Who let these waterworks be such not-regulation/protocol.

Just another twist - it might make Wato feel worse initially but I didn’t agree with their logic of not telling her? Perhaps it would make it worse that she was brainwashed into wanting to kill Sherlock for a reason that wasn’t even true, but at least it would clear any thoughts that Sherlock /did/ kill the person Wato was romantically involved with?

This camerawork!! Hitting me in the feels with the parallel to that shot where Sherlock and Wato were coming up together on the left side.

Sad Wato makes me sad. Also she’s SMELLING Sherlock’s coat. This ship writes itself.

BUT WHO IS THAT WITH THE SIGNATURE DIOR HEELS AND JACKET!!!

And the episode ends before we see Sherlock actually confronting Wato as alive - because it’s canon because who else could it be in that ensemble?? C’mon, Sherlock Holmes get revived in canon!!

When it comes to Watolock, this is the episode I will point to for anyone who even doubts the depth of the relationship. Even if you don’t ship it romantically (which like. How??), you cannot deny that Wato and Sherlock feel deeply for each other - after a whole season of denials of their friendship, Sherlock admits to Wato that she is indeed her friend (her very first friend!), while Wato’s surface consciousness finally almost gains sentience again when she’s about to shoot Sherlock for real (as opposed to all those practice rounds of an imaginary Sherlock as target).

This episode is driven by Sherlock’s search for Wato to bring her to safety, and the climax/resolution of the conflict is Sherlock literally sacrificing herself so Wato doesn’t end up with a split personality (still not convinced by this btw) and is free of Moriwaki forever. That’s true love. Wato grieves for Sherlock by clinging onto something of hers that has very tangible traces of Sherlock (her smell, her snark, her memory) and placing a rose at the place they last saw each other. That’s true love.

I’m still crying over the parallels between Sherlock worrying over Wato’s empty seat and Wato grieving over Sherlock’s empty seat. This is the kind of angst my heart cannot bear.

Please HBO Asia or any other TV network out there. Give us more Miss Sherlock. The audience wants it, and Wato and Sherlock need more continuations of their adventures. Together.

#miss sherlock #sherlock holmes #watolock #ep 8 #duke storyworlds #duke storyworlds meta #meta #meta analysis

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clamjumper5-blog · 5 years

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A Healthy Hedonist’s Guide to Paris: Gluten-Free Eats + Sights in the City of Love

Paris has been a gluten-free beacon of love and carbs for us over the last two years.

I’m usually not that into Hallmark holidays, but last year, for whatever reason, when Charlie told me he’d be traveling on Valentine’s Day, I got a little diva-like pit in my stomach.

I pictured myself sitting alone watching Sandra Bullock reruns with a 3-course meal of matcha truffles, modestly-priced steak, and salted caramel pudding. Then I immediately moved on to a superior alternative that made me a lot less sad: having dinner with my OG Valentine, my dad.

I don’t know why I cared so much about doing something special last year, when on most other Valentine’s Days my preference is to avoid prefix menus like the plague and do nothing at all. But I’m sure it had something to do with all the book-related work that left me craving an evening of being coddled and pampered. Other sugar daddy to the rescue!

The biggest reason I can’t give Charlie a hard time is because for my birthday this year, he already showered me with the most romantic gift a girl could ask for: a long weekend trip to Paris. Had he pulled that super Romeo move on me on February 14th, I probably would have rolled my eyes and barfed a little in my mouth (diva!). But in November it was the perfect gift. And come December, when we finally woke up on the tarmac of Charles de Gaulle airport, it was the beginning of the most make-out and food-filled trip I’ve taken in adult life.

(see?)

Paris is the city of love, yes. But for me it’s always held memories of a different type of romance. Back when I was three years old, my OG Valentine (along with my mom) moved our small nuclear family across the Atlantic for a few years. We lived a stone’s throw from Les Invalides on the Right Bank, which I used to call the Emerald City because of its gold dome and sprawling Oz-like greenery.

So my favorite moments of our trip were not the pounds of steak frites or kisses shared under the Eiffel Tower, it was getting to share all those childhood fragments with Charlie as we covered the city on foot from end to end, having him humor me as we played the game my mother and I always used to play of guessing what color the seats would be at the following metro stop, and humoring me even further when I wanted to take us another mile out of the way to relive what a chocolate eclair tasted like in gluten-free form.

Speaking of being gluten-free in Paris, it’s a lot easier than it used to be. I’ve included some of the recommendations below, but just know that like in the States, not every loaf of GF bread is created equal. Take a detour to Chambelland early in your trip and buy a loaf and carry it in your purse for the rest of your stay. I tried the ones at Eric Kayser, No Glu and Helmet Newcake and they weren’t as good. This is key, because you’re going to need something to soak up all that restaurant butter.

If that’s recommendation 1.a. for the GF folks. 1.b. for the rest of you is to balance your trip with a mix of old and new. You’ll see in the itinerary I laid out below that I didn’t give you a back-to-back bistro highlight reel. There’s some incredibly inventive cuisine happening in Paris right now that is worth taking a break from cassoulet and soupe l’oignon for. Plus, if you eat on the healthier end at home, you will burn out from this particular French brand of hedonism very quickly. Pace yourself, folks.

My last recommendation is to walk as much as you can. It’s truly the best way to see the city. We managed to log 10 miles a day! Pack your shoes accordingly, and bring a second pair, since you will inevitably get blistered from your first. We loved the little AirBNB we stayed in on the 5th floor of a immeuble in the 9th, even if it meant many more blisters walking up all those stairs!

This time around, it was definitely a sobering experience for us bourgeois lovers of Parisian oat milk to experience the Gilet Jaunes lighting the city on fire literally and figuratively with their anger. You can see some of the scenes below, juxtaposed of course with my favorite 3 euro macarons. Needless to say, I couldn’t feel more grateful for the life I was born into that allows me to see the world, and savor every morsel.

Just being able to reminisce about this trip feels like a gift. And let me just say for all my Galentine’s: you don’t need a date to have the most glorious time in Paris. My last two trips 7 years ago and in college were both solo, and I had an equally magical weekend reading, wandering and day drinking in cafes.

Read on for my favorite gluten-free finds and ways to spend a long weekend in the city of luuuuurve.

From one healthy, Francophile hedonist, to another,

Xoxo Phoebe

THE BEST PARIS FOOD DESTINATIONS (& WHAT TO EAT IF YOU’RE GLUTEN-FREE)

Afternoon

*Breizh Cafe, The Marais.

This was our first food stop in Paris, after fighting our jetlag to make it through two floors of the Pompidou Center on an empty stomach. Needless to say, I was extremely hangry by the time we arrived at this little gem in the Marais, and almost had a meltdown when we were told there was no table available. Luckily, the maître d’ took pity on us silly Americans and found us two seats next door at the small to-go shop. We actually got the better experience, I think. As we waited for our gluten-free buckwheat crepes to arrive, we sipped a carafe of their in-house hard cider and drooled over all the delicate tins of sardines, cases of smoked meats, rich butters and countless products made from the restaurant’s signature buckwheat. Just make sure to read the back of the packages, as many of the pastas and crisps also include wheat flour. As for my order, I went with the special, which included cured duck, mushrooms and comte. But you can’t go wrong with the complet.

L’As du Falafel, The Marais.

Back when I could eat gluten, this was a very necessary stop when visiting the old Jewish quarter of the Marais. The streets are worth visiting anyway, as the trendy boutiques suddenly tapper off into a jam-packed block of Judaica. The falafel is the best in the city, but they also have schwarma for the GF folk.

Miznon, The Marais

Down the street from all the falafel shops in the Jewish corner, is this Israeli outpost with creative spins on classic sandwiches. The lamb pita is excellent, but they will also do any of their sandwiches as a plate for the GF folk. I got the beef bourgingnon, which is not something I would think to try at an Israeli restaurant, but their take on it was incredibly light and flavorful, especially with a dousing of green sauce on top. The highlight for healthy-minded folks is the whole charred cauliflower, which emerges still attached to its leaves and roots. New Yorkers: you can also find a stand in Chelsea Market, but it’s not the same as the original.

Chambelland, 10th.

This gluten-free bakery was the only place I found that did French bread the right way. It had the same crispy exterior and tangy sourdough flavor that characterizes the best of the table baskets. Get a loaf to-go, or simply enjoy a tuna sandwich or square of focaccia (tomato-olive is amazing) as a mid-afternoon snack. Also, get a bag of the mini financiers.

Helmut Newcake, 1st.

In addition to being the best-named patisserie in all the land, Helmut Newcake has the type of highfalutin pastries that make you think you’re staring at a jewelry case—and they’re all gluten-free! It was such a treat to get to have a chocolate eclair after all these years. The chocolate chip cookie is also insanely buttery and decadent.

Claus, 1st.

Breakfast isn’t as much of a “thing” in France as it is in the states. Usually, people just grab a croissant and cafe on the go. One morning when we were craving eggs, we ended up at this cute spot near our hotel. Honestly, the breakfast was pretty underwhelming. But it’s worth a visit for the gluten-free green tea financiers, which were the most delicious treat of the trip. Had we done it over, I would have saved my breakfast for when we visited Canal St. Martin (see below).

Holybelly, Canal St. Martin.

We didn’t manage to squeeze in some eggs or black rice porridge from Holybelly, but walked around the cool and quaint surrounding area of Canal St. Martin, where there are a bunch of up-and-coming juice bars (Bob’s) and gluten-free cafes (Ten Belles) popping up. This is definitely the neighborhood to go to if you want a break from butter. And I loved capturing the heart-shaped lock picture above.

Hotel L’Amour, 10th.

This hotel restaurant has a quaint fashionable interior with a beautiful garden to sit outside in warmer months. It’s an excellent spot for brunch, with a whole array of vegetarian options. The vegan butternut squash soup was delicious, as was the poulet roti and plate of scrambled eggs.

Ellsworth, 1st.

This brunch spot has all the usual Southern fixtures—French toast, fried chicken, duck hash—but they’re prepared in a distinctly French way. The hash was a gluten-free favorite of mine, and I also loved the beet salad with homemade light-as-air Greek yogurt.

Au Petit Tonneau, 7th.

We wandered into this little neighborhood gem during our day of exploring the right bank, as we made our way from Musee D’Orsay to go make-out under the Eiffel tower. It was everything we wanted in a bistrot: small tables, chalkboard menus, old ladies ordering whole bottles of wine at 2pm, and husband and wife waiters, who took breaks in between busing our tables to enjoy a bite of lunch with their family at the back table. The most notable dish here is the veal stew, which is served over cardamom scented rice. Unfortunately, it’s thickened with flour (hey-ho France), but I snuck a small taste of the sauce and it was mind-blowing. Equally good (and gluten-free): the escargot, salad Paysenne with thick lardons, and the sautéed scallops.

Le Comptoir de la Mer, 6th

The two small bars next to one another, one dedicated to seafood, the other to meats, are a fun concept based on basque-style pintxos, where you order small plate after small plate, standing up, before heading to the next joint and doing the same. I love that they serve butter in a giant ball on the counter that you can scrape off to your heart’s content.

Pierre Herme, 6th

Perhaps the most famous macaron purveyor in Paris, Pierre lives up to all the hype. The cookies are light and tender, while the filling isn’t too sweet. More importantly, they offer a variety of surprising and creative combinations. My favorite was the half raspberry, half pistachio, and the pomegranate and cream.

NoGlu, 6th

As I mentioned above, I was not overly blown away by the bread at this gluten-free cafe. Still, it’s a nice place to grab a sandwich, and if you’re craving a croque monsieur, theirs certainly hits the spot. I’ve also heard good things about their quiche and madeleine’s, but generally prefer chambelland and helmet newcake for GF goodies.

Evening

Le Grand Bain, 9th

The menu changes daily at this veg-centric small plates joint. The chef is young and inventive, but also can turn out French classics like moules with aioli that rival the best bistros in town. They were willing to adapt almost the whole menu to be gluten-free and also had plenty of vegan options. Besides the moules, my favorite dish was the broccoletti with caviar. Charlie could not resist the fois gras stuffed quail.

Balagan, 1st

We went for lunch at this upscale Israeli restaurant near The Louvre, but it’s chic design and cool lounge in back would make it even better as a nighttime destination. The kale salad with turmeric aioli and Mediterranean take on steak frites (both GF!) were fabulous. The waitstaff was also very knowledgable about my allergy.

Le Villaret, 10th

Right down the street from Chambelland, is this classic bistrot that serves up impeccably cooked steak and other French fare. It’s been renovated to be slightly more modern on the interior, but still feels homey and cozy. It’s a great option for a casual, yet refined meal that’s unfussy and worth the price tag.

Bistrot Paul Bert, 11th.

Though a bigger operation than Tonneau, it doesn’t get more classic than this French institution. It’s a little off the beaten path, but worth a visit for a traditional meal of all the things you came to France for: sole meuniere, steak frites and soufflés. Gluten-free folk are good to go on the steak and fries and simple butter-soaked scallops in their shell, but sadly have to sit out dessert. My favorite part of our meal is that they decanted our wine into a giant wine glass, which made for some wonderful photo opps. I’m pretty sure they stuck us in the front room with all the other English speakers for this very reason.

Le Clown Bar, 10th.

This was both Charlie and my favorite meal in Paris. I was skeptical at first, as I’m not one to opt for trends or novelty over the classics (in Paris, no less). But this meal was truly the most inventive and delicious one I’ve had in any city in recent memory. Much to my surprise, the highlight of the night—in addition to the whole pigeon that arrived talons-on, and still smoking on a plate—was the bowl of brains. As you can see above, they did very little to distract or disguise the main ingredient, which I suppose is what good French cooking is all about. The texture was similar to tofu, and combined with a delicate dashi broth, each spoonful melted in your mouth. It’s best to get a reservation in advance, but there’s a great little hipster cocktail bar around the corner called Bespoke if you have to wait.

Le Relais de Entrecote, 6th

An institution with locations in New York and London, this steak and frites chain never disappoints. And somehow, there’s nothing like the real thing in Paris. It’s also a perfect venue for celiacs, since the famous secret sauce is gluten-free and there’s nothing else on the menu but salad, steak and fries, so the fryer is also fair game. Save room for dessert, as their sundaes are legendary!

Le Servan, 12th.

I loved the neighborhood vibe of this place, which made me feel like we were back in Brooklyn. The food was simple, elegant and if I’m being honest, slightly underwhelming. We ended up here because of this Eater list, which said that the clams were one of the best dishes in Paris. Unfortunately, said clams had soy sauce in them (wah wah). Add it to your list if you want to check out a new neighborhood that’s more residential and bohemian. The one dish that really stood out and was worth returning for was the scallop with butterscotch. The menu changes daily, though, so perhaps we just ordered wrong.

Cocktail Hour

Le Mary Celeste, The Marais

If you’re looking for a great spot to grab oysters or deviled eggs before or after dinner, this divey spot in the Marais is it. Compared to most cocktail bars in Paris, this one is a nice mix of tourists and locals.

Le Syndicat, 9th

Another small cocktail bar with creative drinks, including one with kombucha and cucumber that I enjoyed.

The Hemingway Bar, 1st

If you like 30 euro cocktails in a lavish setting, nothing gets more classic than this hideaway in the back of The Ritz. Go early and put your name down. Be prepared to take out a second mortgage to cover your martini.

Le Meurice, 1st

Slightly easier to get into than Hemingway, and equally expensive drinks in ornate surroundings. Charlie swears by a lunch time burger here as well.

ITINERARY: AN IDEAL LONG WEEKEND IN PARIS

If you have an extra day, the Louvre is an obvious must. It’s so ginormous though that we chose to cross many of the smaller museums off our list and spend more time walking between neighborhoods. Another favorite that we didn’t fit into this itinerary is Sacre Coeur, which has an unparalleled view of the city at sunset and is a fun neighborhood to grab a pre-dinner glass of wine. Definitely go if you have one more night. Also, it should be noted that we went to Paris in December. If it’s warm out, a meat and cheese picnic in the Tuileries or Jardin du Luxembourg is also a must. But the gardens around the Louis Vuitton Foundation are also beautiful for a picnic or romp.

Friday, the Marais + Left Bank >>Start the day at the Pompidou center and explore the contemporary and modern collections >>Spend the afternoon exploring the Marais neighborhood; stop into Merci for home goods and decor, and wander the shops and boutiques. >>Have an early lunch of gluten-free buckwheat crepes at Breizh, along wtih a cup of one of their hard ciders (you’re in Europe, after all!). >> Pop into Musee National Picasso >> Grab a mid-afternoon snack at L’As du Fallafel or Miznon >> GF folks should make a detour to the 10th to grab a midafternoon snack at Chambelland, along with a loaf of gluten-free bread for the rest of the trip >>Head to dinner at Bistrot Paul Bert or Le Villaret for an authentic Parisian experience with all the typical fixings. You’ll be too buttered out by day 3 to handle this.

Saturday, the Right Bank >>Start the day at Musee D’Orsay to take in the vast impressionist collection and early work of Manet and Van Gogh. >>Wander through Napoleon’s old stomping grounds, Les Invalides (with optional detour to either the Musee De L’Armee or the Rodin Museum around the corner) >>Stop for lunch at Au Petit Tonneau for a classic red gingham tablecloth meal of escargot, salad Paysenne and veal stew. >>Continue walking off your meal to the Eiffel Tower for your requisite photo opp. >> Either pop in for more contemporary art at Palais de Tokyo, or metro back to the St. Germain-des-Pres area and enjoy a cafe at a one of the old literary haunts – Les Deux Maggot or Cafe de Flore (touristy, but fun!).

>> Check out Musee de L’Arme for French firearms and battle garb or to say hey to Napoleon in his tomb >> You can also make a pit stop at Bon Marche for some foodie keepsakes >> Take a break from all the butter with some nouveau French cuisine at Le Clown Bar or Le Grand Bain. Get past the ick factor and order the brains—it’s a must. >>Have a nightcap at the Hemingway bar at the Ritz.

Sunday, Further Afield >>Start the day with a Franco-American brunch at Hotel L’Amour or Ellsworth (make a reservation in advance), or if you’re feeling overwhelmed by 48 hours of French food, a healthy bite at Holybelly, where you can also stroll by the water in Canal St. Martin. >>Venture further afield to check out the new Louis Vuitton foundation near jardin d’acclimatation, i.e. the coolest kid’s park that ever was. You can also swap this for a day at the Louvre. >>Enjoy a mid-day cafe and pastry at Helmut Newcakes, which has the best GF eclairs in Paris! >> Head home to wherever you came from, carrying all the shoes and baguettes you can fit in your carry-on.

READER RECS

I got a lot of recommendations from readers on gluten-free and healthy restaurants in Paris. Especially in the Marais and the 9th, there are a ton of Brooklyn-esque smoothie and avocado toast spots cropping up. I didn’t find many of them to be worth it, including Wild & The Moon, which is now a chain. Their GF scone and acai bowl were sub-par, if I’m being honest. The produce in France is better across the board, and I’d personally, much rather enjoy veggies in the context of butter, cooked simply and traditionally, doing what Paris does best, than another culture’s attempt at avocado toast. That said, I’m including the full list below in case you want to try any of them, along with some more restaurants that I’ve been dying to try but haven’t been able to get to!

Gluten-free restaurants and healthy cafes:

Sitron (GF bakery) Echo Deli Cafe Woodies Le Coulauncourt Maisie Cafe The Broken Arm Republique of Coffee Cuppa Cafe BigLove (GF pizza) Cafe Berry Cafe Mareva Cafe Mericourt (shakshouka) Jay and Joy (vegan cheeses!)

Nouveau French restaurants and wine bars:

Vivant CAM Brutos Frenchie Clamato

***

Have any of you recently been to Paris? Any new or old haunts or must-see’s that I should add to my list for next time? I’m dying to go back! Let me know in the comments section

Source: https://feedmephoebe.com/healthy-hedonists-guide-paris-gluten-free-long-weekend-city-love/

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alg8tor · 7 years

Text

My Great Comet Experience

I went to the 2:00 matinee on August 30 and sat in the left banquettes

(sorry for the typos)

Before the show

the outside of the theater was decorated as Cold War bunker and it was horrifying

But as soon as I walked into the theatre it gave a warm and cozy vibe and they played happy Russian music

Right before the show we had an ensemble member (I think Sumaya) come to use to give out dumplings and explain the do and don'ts of the show

And as she was handing out the dumplings she said "You get a dumpling, you get a dumpling, everyone gets a dumpling. Wow I feel like Oprah right now!"

Then this voice came over the intercom and said "cellphones" then everyone shouted "Neit!"

We were also in the professional recording of the show so we had the OG cast

Prologue

I was absolutely breathe-taken and I still couldn't believe I was actually there

Right before the first accordion note Natasha let out the most heart wrenching "no" when Andrey left

Then this one ensemble member looked at me and then pointed to himself and made an OK sign

Also when everyone had their own dance move when they said their name

Pierre

I was still breathe-taken

Amber Gray was conducting all women for the "He's charming, he has no sex"

Then for the part "How many men before, good Russian men" a spotlight showed up on all the men

Also when it ended everyone harmonized together and it sounded so good

Moscow

Dave shouted the 'Ras-Dva-Tri' part

When Sonya and Natasha were mocking Marya they made sure she was turned around before singing it

Then when Natasha sings "no one can understand" she kinda puts her hand up to Sonya's face

Also when Sonya and Natasha sang "you'll take us where we must go" they kinda skipped to the other side of the stage

The private and intimate of the house

the song was so so eerie

Nicholas was so funny and for the "powdered wig" part he hits the wig and powder flies everywhere

And he takes such a long pause and just stares at this girl then smiles awkwardly at her before the "but people still like me though"

When Mary came in and sang her part it was soooooo creepy

Then when Mary talks about marrying someone she goes into the audience makes this guy stand up with her and hold her hands

The Bolkonsky goes over this and attempts to kiss her neck but is shaking so much it doesn't happen

Natasha & the Bolkonskys

Denee and Gelsey take these stools and sit right between these tables

The when Bolkonsky sings again he does this weird tongue thing and it's hilarious

No one else

no one else was so beautiful and started to cry as soon as I heard the piano notes

The lighting was so beautiful and blue too and these lightbulbs around the theater and they were supposed to be the stars and they looked so pretty

When the "we were angels once" part comes up Denee looks at this woman she just mouthes "I do" to her and it's so sweet

Then Andrey comes on the stage and snow is falling on him and he's reading one of Natasha's letters then he walks and she tries to run after him and it's so heartbreaking

The opera/Natasha & Anatole

I don't know if the "Natasha smooth your gown" part is supposed to insult her or something but I think so

When Dolokhov gets introduced he does this March thing then makes a girl in the audience kiss his hand after his kissed hers

When Helene is introduced she spins and twirls around a lot

When the opera ends Natasha's and Sonya's faces are priceless

Like Natasha is surprised and Sonya is confused

Then when Lucas comes in OML

The lights come up behind him and and mist pours out and it's such a rockstar entrance then on every beat he turns his head a different way to show it off

He also kissed these two ladies' cheeks

Then the opera starts up again and there's this soldier who has on a tattered and ripped uniform and two of the singers are pulling red ribbons from him and then I noticed it was Andrey and Natasha makes eye contact with and seems so frightened

When Anatole goes to talk to Natasha and walks past a mirror but then walks back to check himself out again then set himself up in a pose for Nat

The duel

OKAY OKAY the duel is my fav song so when it started I was so so happy

When Anatole says "club" he does this little sway thing and it's great

Then Nick comes in and him and Lucas do this little dance mirroring each other

Then the strobe lights come on and everything is wild

Grace came in wearing the kinkiest thing I have ever seen

Then Lucas sang the "never mind about that now" part and this ensemble guy did a really cool cartwheel

Then when Anatole says the duck line he mimes a duck and so cute

When Nick sings the "here's to the health of married women" part he does this dance and it's so crazy

Then the duel happens and Amber looks so scared for Pierre leading up to it and it kinda lets you know she does care about him

When Dolokhov shoots Pierre, Dave stands there after the shot goes off then turns around and pats himself down

Then when Anatole is about to help Dolokhov offstage, Nick stands up and pushes his off him then stomps offstage like a child and I loved that so much

Then Anatole is about to leave he mimes a finger gun at Pierre

Dust and ashes

Before the song starts Pierre walks so slowly to the piano then slams down his glass of vodka (it's real alcohol too) on the table

Then the piano notes start and it's quiet in the room the you could hear a pin drop

When the harmonies come in all of the cast lines up in the mezzanine

When the song is over it has such a long applause and I thought I was going to cry just because of the applause

Dave was fantastic in that song btw

Sunday morning

Not a lot stuff stood out to me

But this one where Natasha is looking in the mirror Pierre is standing behind and staring into the mirror too

Then when Brittain sings "you'll see a coffin or a man" Natasha looks to her and is horrified

The knock at the door is also a cowbell

Charming

amber is amazing for starters

Just the way she moves around the stage is amazing

Throughout the song Natasha wears Helene's coat and looks adorable in it

When amber hit the high the note I got goosebumps

At the very very end Amber starts to sway in her dress and Denee copies her and it's so cute

The applause was pretty long for charming too

The ball

Not a lot of crazy things happened

But there were these cute gay couples dancing together and dancing in general was the bomb.com

When Anatole grabs Nat's hand and she says he's hurting her he lets go of her hand immediately and puts his hands up like he's surrendering

When Denee sings "I will love you Anatole" it was so beautiful and sounded amazing

When everyone is leaving the stage Anatole waits in front of the door and holds out his hand for Nat to grab then they walk into the doors and the doors make the big shutting noise

Also when Anatole and Natasha kissed the cast pulled out these glasses and made this sound with them

Letters

as soon as everyone walked everyone clapped

When someone in the cast didn't have a solo part the my day down and and stomped to beat and it was pretty cool

When Pierre sang about napoleon a picture of him lights up in the corner and Dave points a gun at it

As soon as Denee is done singing "dear princess Mary" the spotlight shines on Gelsey and she struts down the stairs

When Nick sings "A letter which I composed" Natasha sticks her pen and paper in Helene's face

When the Natalie part came up the lights started getting brighter

Lucas holds the first yes for long but last one was just amazing

Natasha & Sonya/ Sonya alone

not a lot happens in N&S

But Sonya tries to hide the letter from Nat but Natasha catches her

At the end when Natasha is yelling and Sonya, Brittain looks so sad

Throughout Sonya alone Natasha never leaves the stage and glances at Sonya sometimes and looks very depressed

Preparations

wowowoowwowow Nick and Lucas are so amazing for starters

When Nick sings he sings with so so much passion

When Dolokhov is telling Anatole this isn't a good idea for the first time Lucas is like shaving in the corner

Then Nick grabs Lucas during "don't ya know" part and pushes him down the stairs on the beat

Balaga/ the abduction

When Paul comes out he like jumps down a flight of stairs

Then everyone else came out with baskets with the egg shakers in them and handed them to people to pass them out and I got the last one in the basket

balaga was so fun but you could tell that a lot of people haven't listened to the cast album before so some of the egg shakers were off but that's ok

Lucas, I swear to god, held the woah note for like 20 sec and got such a big applause

I started singing a bit to the gypsy lovers part and was smiling so much

Right before everyone was about to start dancing again Nick came over to me and handed me his guitar and said "can you hold this for me? It's expensive so don't drop it. Sorry I have to dance byeeeeeee!" And that made me sooooooooo happy

When Dave started singing again everyone liked passed out on the floor

Then when Lucas stopped everyone at the Russian custom part he sat next to this lady and wrapped his arm around her

Someone whistled for Nick when that part came up and that made me laugh a little

And Oml Gelsey hitting those notes were amazing

In my house

as in my house begins the ensemble members look at each other and shake their heads like they're signaling not to mess with Marya

Grace's face was so red throughout the song it was wild

During the "I brought her a glass of lime flower water" she ushered to the servants to bring her those things

And when Natasha threw herself down on the couch she stood still and covered her eyes till the end of Find Anatole

A call to Pierre/ find Anatole

Not a lot happened in these but after Marya said that Anatole was married Natasha grabbed a glass with water and poured this powder in it and drank then started to cough and her eyes got wide and she bolted up the stairs

When Pierre went to the the club the ensemble was standing on the balcony and stairs and just having chit-chat and then they all yelled down to Pierre when it was the is it true part

At on point Anatole was being all loud and Helene yelled to him to shut up and then she sat down and was holding him in her lap

Then when Pierre pushes her away she leans over into this booth and cries then goes to sit and looks so heartbroken

Pierre & Anatole

When Anatole comes in he walks in like there's no problem

When Pierre grabs Anatole though he is frightened

And when he says he'll bash his head in he picks up this book-end

When Anatole goes to leave he looks like a mess and is flinging his suitcase around

When Lucas held the Petersburg note Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh it was so good

Natasha very ill / Pierre & Andrey

Not a lot in NVI but Nick was on stage for the rest of the play just playing the guitar on one of the stairways

The transition between songs gave me life

Throughout P&A Andrey starts to act more and more like his dad and it's so creepy

When Andrey comes in the doors open and the lights flash kinda like Anatole's entrance

At the end Andrey goes to sit in his dad's chair and Mary sees him and is about to give him a hug but he slides past her

Pierre & Natasha

when Natasha came in she looked so different from the beginning and it was so sad

When Natasha "cried" she hardcore sobbed and it was heartbreaking

Like everyone was crying

Before Natasha leaves she touches Pierre's face and looks into his eyes and it's so sad then she walks back up the stairs and has a warm smile on her face

The great comet of 1812

was so beautiful

Everyone was on stage sitting somewhere and singing

When Pierre is unable to find the sleeves he puts his arms right through the sleeves but I was kinda considering about that

When the great comet comes down all the lightbulb in the theater are the stars and this big light comes down and glows

And Dave looks at that and is just smiling when it happened and that made me smile so much

#natasha pierre and the great comet of 1812 #the great comet #npatgco1812 #denee benton #dave malloy #lucas steele #amber gray #nick choksi #brittain ashford #grace mclean #gelsey bell #nicholas belton #paul pinto #my great comet experience #it was amazing #i almost died

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