#rewatching the ross interview

[starsfromtoulon]

i just need a moment of silence and appreciation for russ' neck because like. listen. I'm thirsting hard. i get that. but this man is sooooo well put together i can't watch a nightshow without being like whoouuuaaaaa NECK........

[quillandink22]

Richard Speight Jr (Skip Muck) Owen Ross Interview: Funny moments/anecdotes.

Boot Camp:

He "spent every waking moment" with Scott Grimes (Malarkey).

Dale Dye chewed out the whole battalion for reporting their injuries to production. Richard turned to Scott during this and said "Man Captain Dye is really getting it from the rear." (This was his favourite memory from boot camp) (Dye always referred to the production team as the rear or battalion HQ.)

Still calls Peter Youngblood "Shifty".

Filming:

The actors did all there own stunts. The mortar squad actually set up the morters on set.

The Crossroads scene in Holland, where Skip hits Penkala with a spoon, wasn't scripted. "Me just bugging the living crap out of Tim Matthews." (I don't remember this scene: my sign to rewatched the series)

The celebration after they received their jump wings was originally longer. (They need to release all these deleted scenes).

They dressed in a tent every morning and marched down to set like soliders.

"Nine months into the thing no one knew who the hell they were."

The Parasites

Micheal Cudlitz didn't lie. Richard got a parasite infection TWICE. He described the set as "not the cleanest environment."

Noel Hemmings (Charles Grant) also got the famous parasites.

Richard said he lost so much weight filming that when he returned home his friends assumed he'd developed a "heroin habit."

I paused to laugh at this:

Eion Bailey (Webster) lit his jump boots on fire after filming. (This has to be the most David Webster thing I have ever heard. The Dramatics.)

Since the show:

He still meets up with Scott Grimes and Tim Matthews.

He got to keep his whole costume. (I think he deserved it)

He's only ever watched the series once. "Was so emotionally intense."

Honestly, I feel like all the actors are mildly traumatised. It honestly sounds so intense and then the pressure of portraying an actual person as well.

[9leaguesofmirrors]

My Favourite Reece Shearsmith Characters

So it's Reece Shearsmith's birthday today, so I decided to celebrate this by sharing some of my favourite characters played by this fantastically talented actor

These are in no particular order

Gregory Brewster - Him Indoors

Him Indoors is a short film about a serial killer with agoraphobia. Not only is the premise very interesting, Reece delivers a chilling yet very entertaining performance as the main character. It's on YouTube if you want to watch it, which I highly reccomend you do!

Tommy - Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room

This HAD to be on the list! Reece's performance as Tommy is heartbreaking, we watch a man seems to put-together and serious slowly fall apart and lose control of his calm façade - impeccable work

Sean Stone - Chasing Shadows

Admittedly, I don't know where the watch the full show, but I have seen clips and I knew I had to put it on this list because of Reece's portrayal of an autistic person. You can tell he put a lot of thought and research into it in order to give a realistic performance, which is a testament to his dedication and how much he truly cares about the roles he plays and who he's representing

Tyler - Riddle Of The Sphinx SPOILERS BELOW

If there's one thing Reece is good at, it's how to play a chilling villain. Everything about Tyler is unnerving and he manages to be terrifying without being loud or angry all the time. It's measured and the emotion builds and builds - fantastic work!

Joseph Lisgoe - The League Of Gentlemen

I've mentioned before that the debt collectors were underused, and I simply had to talk about how extraordinary Reece's performance as Lisgoe was. He completely dives into the roles he plays and this one was no exception, not even a light smashing on his closest friend stops him from carrying on a scene (just check out the outtakes!), he simply embodies the part and delivers a performance that terrifies the cast, crew and the audience

Laurence - Merrily Merrily SPOILERS BELOW

Merrily Merrily is an Inside No. 9 episode that I can never rewatched because of how empty it made me feel - and I mean that in the best way possible! Laurence is wracked with pain over the loss of his late partner, and Reece delivers such a subtle yet haunting performance that I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about it

Ross Gaines - The League of Gentlemen

Ross is such a fun character because of how manipulative, calculating and cold he is. Not only does it set him apart from the other inhabitants of Royston Vasey, it makes his scenes with Pauline all the more tense and entertaining - and Reece really does deliver in the role. I'm glad they decided to go with this casting choice

Aiden - Thinking Out Loud

Like with Laurence, Reece delivers a hauntingly stellar performance. What makes this one really special is that it's a monologue. There's nobody for him to bounce off of or react to, he has to reach those emotions himself. And, as always, he nails it

Ollie Plimsolls - The League Of Gentlemen

I've said before that I think Ollie is one of the most cleverly written League characters and I stand by that. As a representation of the Saviour Complex and self-righteousness of people in theatre, Ollie is a character that should be easy to hate... but because of Reece's expert comedic timing and delivery, he ends up being so funny that you can't help but laugh every time he's onscreen

SPECIAL MENTION: Gilbert - Betty Blue Eyes

Reece Shearsmith said in an interview that he wasn't a great singer. Reece Shearsmith is a liar. Don't believe me? Listen to The Kind Of Man I Am from Betty Blue Eyes and thank me later

Also, if you can find it, there's a short bootleg of him in The Producers which is good too!

Of course, this are just a few of his performances and he's never delivered a bad one - whether he's playing a comedic character like Archie in The Bill or a more serious one like in Borley Rectory. And we haven't even touched on his writing skills, I can't wait to see what he does next!

[brightnote]

When you started the Secret Invasion finale on team Maria / team Bananas

I hope you at least laughed at how bad the finale was, because man I am still cracking up about it. 

I was really all in it folks. I rewatched Episode 1, and I could see it all come together PERFECTLY. After episode 1 when Maria was killed, then that interview with Cobie at the premiere of the show where she said she "had a lot of scenes at the same time as Don" and I went back and found it and was then so absolutely convinced that this meant Maria wasn't really dead and she was going to be the one to kill skrull Rhodey  (which I know people would have hated but I would have loved it) When I went back and rewatched episode 1 and I saw there was truly a solid set up for a Maria reveal that since with all the ambiguities it seemed like Maria intercepted Ross's call instead of Ross calling her and maybe she was tracking him, and no one seemed to care that Maria just took off to do something else mid secret Russia mission (?) and they never reported or did anything about the Ross imposter and just left his dead alien body on the ground... and in the bar scene Fury showed up to the bar after Gravik so maybe he / they were tracking Gravik instead of Gravik tracking them and then they had that conversation about super famous spy Nick Fury being so weak, to stay out of this fight even though Maria called you and picked you up... just to tell him not to do anything? (lmao) and also this apparently happened only 1 year after the events from Far From Home and nobody ever explained where Maria was during Far From Home so here’s a great opening to explain that she is still working for Fury and was tracking skrull imposters... it would have been a great explanation so i was like wow, they really set this up kind of great!  If this is how it ends, then actually this is a good show!! at least better than it seems because it looped perfectly!! I mean Talos could have just called Fury directly, but Maria and Fury wanted Skrull Rhodey to see Maria contact Fury they were setting them up! IT’S WINTER SOLIDER PART 2 GOD DAMN IT! And then when Fury told Sonya about the full body Widow's Veil ... I mean c'mon! It had to happen now!

I went in, 100% in on this and it is there, the set up would have worked. AOS DID IT (I mean AOS did it better but this could be done a 212 million dollar budget and this great cast!? YOU CAN DO IT!) I was so excited for this idea so I guess the finale had no chance for me!

Then the finale happened...and as it went on.... I have never felt so dumb. Why did I have this faith? WHAT A TOTAL W A S T E.  A waste of everyone! 

It didn't really seem that delusional when I was watching it a second time but damn after that finale yikes. Maria really being alive and killing Skrull Rhodey wouldn't be that like a risk  but killing her off for no reason is not a risk at all and at least a secret spy reveal  would still have been way more fun than whatever the hell that was.  I’m not going to lie the super skrull vs super skrull fight everyone knew was coming was just so boring, and I thought this show wasn’t going to be about that and that’s what made it seem like it could be cool. 

I guess I better Fan Fic this idea and bring back Maria and save Nick’s story arc cause fucking yikes!? 

[emometalhead]

I'm rewatching the interview Ryan Ross did with crankthatfrank, and it's so funny to me each time Frank refers to him by both names. Like calling him Ryan is too casual. He's Ryan Ross. Also I totally forgot about Ryan countering and calling Frank "Crank That". I'm laughing way too hard at this.

[wawamouse]

Oz Rewatch 3: S2E01: The Tip

During opening titles, Sister asked “Does Mr. Mouse ever come back?”, which confirmed my suspicion that she did not register the he had died off screen. With Nino dead, Sister declared that she would simply have to keep tabs on “the little fava bean” (Rebadow). At the end of the episode when I asked if she had any new favorite characters, she said she would “have to fly her little [Sister] wings over to watch over the guy whose baby died”.

Me: Do you remember what his name is? Sister: …Is he Italian or Latino? Wait, what name does he look like… Hm…. Johnny boy! … Ernesto… Rodrigo? (*holding her temples*) Does it start with an A? Not a C name… Something like Domingo… Alvarez. Me: That’s his last name! Sister: Derek Alvarez. (after several minutes of alphabetical guessing, having reached H names) Me: It starts with an M Sister: Matt. Matteo. McManus…. Matthew… Michael? Michelangelo. Me: I think Michael is gonna be the closest you’re gonna get to it. Sister: Mikhail. Mitchell. Megan. Me: It’s somewhere around Michael and Mikhail. Sister: ........Mi...............Miguel! (cheering) Me: So Miguel is going to be your new favorite character? Sister: Yes. Mostly because I remember one of your little screencaps of him from a part we haven't gotten to yet, so I know he’s going to last. So I’m just going to put all my eggs in that basket and watch him start his little drug empire.

Anyway, time will tell if Sister turns into a Miguel fan or simply remains a Miguel observer, haha!

More on the episode itself... I really like the way this season starts! I think framing it as sort of a whodunnit/mystery investigation keeps the episode really focused throughout the runtime. Alvah Case is one of the more rational characters to come through the show, so it's really fun to see him actually trying to poke holes in people's lies and sift through the bullshit, even if ultimately no one is really held accountable for anything (although that turns out to be a save for the riot leaders, so I guess it evens out!).

Overall, I think episode 1 serves as a very good start to season 2, although I feel like the mystery of who killed Ross gets a bit tired in the middle. It's pretty obvious that it was Diane, so the red herrings that get thrown in over the course of the episode feel a little flimsy. That said, the interview style of the chase is still fun (visiting all the different characters), so I find I don't mind it.

Sister also seemed to like this episode. She liked Case, although she said he reminded her of a college admissions counselor and she was confused as to why he agreed to investigate if he's the dean of a college and presumably very busy with that. Much like S1E1, she managed to guess a lot of lines/plot points ahead of time.

Sister: Haha, surrounded by ghosts of girlfriends past.

Sister: By the lady? (Diane)

Sister, laughing: Weren't they all murdered??

Sister: He gonna bite it off… don’t do it! He gonna bite it off.

Case to Diane: And you…? Sister: Cradled him like a baby! Diane: Cradled him in my arms.

Robson's hallucination reminded me of this:

Stray/Final thoughts: Sister has been upholding the grand tradition of roasting McManus at every turn (“he’s been deteriorating rapidly. Usually when someone lands in the hospital, you say 'wow he looks terrible', but he looks the same. Didn't he used to wear suits?”, “he dresses like a 90s deadbeat dad”, “you’d think he’d try and clean up what with two ex girlfriend coworkers but he doesn’t… he’s just making it known that this is as good as it gets”)

Sister is surprised Gloria is still in the show because she doesn’t think Gloria has any story lines and her only purpose in the show seems to be shit talking the inmates and saying how bad they are at every staff meeting ("so like, why are you even here? Go open a private practice and make more money, girl, because you don't even seem to be here for the love of helping people")(me: *staring into the camera like Jim from the Office*)

Sister remains inexplicably suspicious of Sister Pete's character

I really thought Heim was going to do more in the show

Sister's out here thinking s2 is going to focus on the Latinos building and expanding their role in the tits trade by cornering the pharmaceuticals market. Oh how I would love to watch the version of the show in her mind where it's a prison business drama about Miguel making big money moves for El Norte 💀

Sister: People are very bald in this show

[the-witch-in-the-elder-tree]

RANKING MICHAEL SHEEN AND DAVID TENNANT CHARACTERS but I only know half of them from edits

C Tier

Dr. Blair Mudfly (it's the hair/ beard for me)

Ginger Littlejohn (I watched it for Miles sorryyyyy)

B Tier

Thorn Jamison (I never knew how much I needed that aesthetic for Michael)

Robbie Ross (thank you for reviving the oscar wilde fangirl in me, you're amazing)

Lucian (the moment I REALIZED I'm telling you)

Zuse (tbh I only saw the dancing but...)

Harry Watling (what the FUCK was going on with that character (sexy vicar tho))

Barty Crouch Jr (sadly not enough screen time but really cool)

Peter Vincent (thanks for the thirst content sir)

Casanova (thanks for making the "special" edits a better place)

Phileas Fogg (awesome performance through and through)

A Tier

Aro (the only thing that makes twilight enjoyable (I'm not kidding I even rewatched it because of him, let that sink in))

White Rabbit (the one and only; his most memorable character)

Dagobert Duck (I haven't even seen anything of the show but the simple existence of it and the interviews are enough)

S Tier

Miles Maitland (cutest boy, owns my entire heart)

Aziraphale (the character belongs to him and he fucking killed it (also literal ANGEL))

Mrs Robinson (I have never been so attracted to someone ever)

Michael Sheen (so much fun honestly, but the feral Einstein look would have been enough)

Davina (love of my life, she's my one reason to get up in the morning)

Crowley (you would've seen this coming if you had ever seen my bedroom)

David Tennant (simply perfection)

The Doctor (iconic. I don't even need to say more to this)

[safedistancefrombeingsmart]

Hello. Curious anon here. How did you come to be such a fan of Martin? 😊

Hello curious anon,

that's a really good question. Well, I think we can blame the pandemic for it. 😄 With not being able to go out and outside during the pandemic, I tried to find some ways to kill some time (like most of us did, I suppose). I decided to re-watch all Marvel films, starting with the 1st Iron Man and working my way through all MCU films. Eventually I reached Black Panther and somehow I was fascinated by this little side character Everett Ross. Please don't ask me why I didn't really notice him in Civil War... I can't explain it. 😅 Also, I've seen the movie (BP) before and I knew some of Martin's work (The Office, Sherlock, the Hobbit trilogy, Hitchhiker's Guide), but it wasn't until Black Panther (and the scene where Everett got shot in the back... I love some good whump) that I finally saw Martin. Like boom!

I rewatched Sherlock after that (when it was still on Netflix), discovered Breeders (!!), saw Fargo, rewatched The Office and totally lost my mind over this talented British actor, who also happens to be incredibly funny and sassy and dry in interviews. I slowly discovered more of his work which I hadn't seen before. And never looked back. 😄

I hope that answers your question. Thank you for asking!

[deklo]

tagged by @unknowablecore thank u!!<33

three ships: andrew/neil AFTG, ronan/adam TRC, ronan/kavinsky TRC >:3c JORDECLAN HOW COULD I FORGET

first ship: :/ ryden (brendon urie/ryan ross RIPPPP)

last song: ich geh huet nicht mehr tanzen - annenmaykantereit

last movie: bones and all

currently reading: NOTHIN but i’m gonna start season of the witch (just haven’t yet 😔)

currently watching: rewatching interview with the vampire<3

tagging: @wheep @flitwickslittlebrotha @carcrashgf

[zabelismyfavbagel]

Fun Facts about me cuz i’m bored 😐

- Watched Disney Channel 24/7 as a kid

- Loved Austin and Ally (cried at the last ep)

- Became a fan of Ross Lynch when I was 7

- Memorized all the dance routines to Teen Beach Movie

- R5 was my first real concert ( haven’t been to a concert since )

- I used to be addicted to youtube and watched a lot of minecraft gameplays like iballasticsquid, dantdm, stampylongnose, ihascupquake, and ldshadowlady

- Then as a tween i grew out of video games and watched more vlogs like pointless blog, joe sugg, marcus butler, casper lee, and joey graceffa ( i had an obsession with britain)

- Literally collected youtubers books as if they were collectibles

- Was a BIG Melanie Martinez fan to where I watched every interview, and when she said she liked American Horror Story (and did that teaser). I became an AHS fan at like 11 years old cuz of her 💀. Also cuz i was really into dark true stories which at the time ahs was known for using.

- Became obsessed with Evan Peters but not until season 3 (wasn’t really into Tate until i rewatched it the second time)

- Been a fan of Evan for 7 years

- Been a fan of Ross Lynch for 12 years

- I’ve memorized Evan’s lines in ahs from season 1-10

- Have watched every film that Evan Peters and Ross Lynch have been in

- Just started using social media only a year ago (i mean like posting and stuff)

- I make edits on Tiktok: @Zabes.Maxim0ff

- Love watching movies/shows and then watching behind the scenes or interviews after finishing it

[smaeemo]

Order of events:

Had a freak out about the dentist

Opened ao3 and went “ACK” when I was jump scared by destiel fanfic

Went onto tiktok and watched like 10 Nara Smith videos

Kind of paid attention to this family guy episode

Now Im just chilling

#self care (?)

Sometimes I wonder if I could magically become an animated character and just jump into the tv. Ok thats such a lie, I totally have not imagined that until right now, but now I have a new thing to imagine. You know, like when you pay too much attention to the subtitles on accident, forget how to read, get really caught up in the fact that actors exist, you know that kinda stuff. But this one has like potential incentives. I almost just typed “potential inc*st” and I was giggling about it for like a nanosecond before I was like “Oh boy” and then changed it. Also, how tf do you censor stuff, like F*ck, F**k, F***, etc. Are there rules or is it like personal preference?? Ah, I just thought too much about words and like totally freaked out because I was like “How the f**k(?) do you spell thought” and then I just had a moment of reflection. Sitting alone in an apartment in a lawn chair watching family guy is peak brainrot. Honestly? I think brainrot is what makes life so interesting yk? Like how else will I stop the OCD? Therapy? Psshh (Jk im in therapy) (But you get the point). One time I had an interview with a new therapist and she was like “So what are your coping mechanisms?” and I sat there for like 2 minutes and just said “Family guy, sims 4, and Tumblr” and I will remember that moment forever because all she said was “better than drugs” and then I did not see her again. What a time to be alive. To be fair, I was in middle school. That’s not to say those coping mechanisms aren’t still alive and healthy, I have just added more to the bank (worse and better) (lol) (not lol) and I would not tell another therapist that because I found my embarassment somewhere along the way. Honestly? The best coping mechanisms I have found work, are like literally writing all of my bullsh*t (did I do it right?) thoughts onto paper, notes, google docs, or like tumblr (lol) and then I just sit here and stew in em for a bit. Poetry never worked for me, so like if you open up my “poetry journal” all you’d really find in there is just like “Today I had a panic attack, now I found that I am so scared of mountain lions” and then it ends in like “All in all, I am glady nickname isn’t marv,” Then after I write all of it, I’m like violently reality checked and just like “why am I on the floor, on tumblr, and crying” and then I get back up and watch family guy. Sometimes I just pretend Im doing a vlog and just start talking to myself. It’s like super embarassing to be caught “vlogging alone” because then you have to explain yourself and it always ends in either “omg yeah I do that too!” or “… anyways,” Oh god. I HATE ROSS GELLER. Sorry that just reminded me of that scene where Pheobe was sharing her horrifying trauma and it gets all quiet and R*ss (hahah) just goes “I think the word you are looking for is… anyways” and then proceeds to divert the attention. Also, everything about him PEEVES me. I’ve been rewatching friends as like an actual human being vs like a child, and oh my god. This is an EXPERIENCE. I would talk more about it, but like the music Im listening to just got so “vibey” that I need to listen to it and just process that I wrote an entire tumblr post that I will 100% forget about and then regret in like 20 min. But yk, gotta keep up the grind.

XOXO,

Leenya Green

[ear-worthy]

TV's Top 5 Podcast: Smart Talk About The Boob Tube

 When you do a search on the internet for best TV podcasts, the return you get is often shows that are rewatch podcasts where a TV show's episodes are reviewed in detail. There are still several LOST podcasts that flyspeck every episode for subtle clues such as Fibonacci sequences, Morse Code with fingers, and clouds over the island that signal secret messages. 

Any popular TV show, streaming or broadcast, will engender podcasts that review the show's episodes. Why? Because the podcast will have a built-in audience. The millions of fans who watch the show.  

TV's Top 5 podcast by The Hollywood Reporter isn't like those shows. It's more of an inside baseball type show about television. Each episode features The Hollywood Reporter's West Coast TV Editor Lesley Goldberg and Chief TV Critic Daniel Fienberg breaking down the latest industry headlines. 

The podcast began in December 2018, with regular weekly episodes, and the show has now released more than 200 shows. Over the run of the show, the episode time has grown from about 40 minutes to over an hour. Thankfully, there is enough content to justify such a time increase. The podcast is broken into five segments, offering a deep-dive analysis of the latest TV news and a critical look at current and upcoming shows. Every episode of the weekly podcast includes an in-depth interview with "one of the industry's most powerful showrunners or an up-and-coming new voice."

For example, In June 2023, the podcast welcomed the entire creative team of ABC's sitcom Happy Endings (2011-2013), which was truly one of the most underrated sitcoms. In February 2023, the show welcomed Stephen Falk, the showrunner to the Apple TV + SF / comedy / drama show Hello Tomorrow with Hank Azaria, Billy Crudup, and Alison Pill, and Haneefah Wood.

These conversations are not celebrity interviews that also include a funny anecdote, a plug for the show, and oodles of Kumbaya. Instead, they are incisive discussions on how shows are created, developed, produced, and improved constantly. In essence, they are a fascinating insight into the creative process.

The show has a range as wide as the Webb Telescope. Topics can include baseball on TV, breaking down the past and future of Netflix's Stranger Things, Mayim Bialik on Jeopardy, Hallmark holiday movies, and the streaming strategy of Peacock. 

The show is like the jumbo butter popcorn of TV topics. 

Much of the credit for the podcast's longevity and success can be attributed to co-hosts Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg. There is a natural connection between the two, with a witty back and forth that doesn't interfere with the TV topics. It's like there they're cubicle roomies at work, and you're just eavesdropping on their natural conversations.

Unlike the Ringer entertainment podcasts that tend to have young men who are "bros" and seem to possess the intellectual flexibility of concrete, Fienberg and Goldberg bring distinct perspectives on entertainment and culture, which enables listeners to receive a more expansive view on TV and its impact on society and culture. 

Fienberg and Goldberg often conduct joint interviews with guests, such as the July 28th discussion with The Hollywood Reporter's Alex Ross. The duo handles these interviews with such a seamless dexterity that they flow with a cadence that is pleasing to the ear and stimulating to the mind.

Fienberg's reviews are especially thoughtful and realistic. It's so tempting for TV critics to attack TV shows that are made for a mass -- or crass -- audience and do the elitist, nose-up thing, condemning the show for its lowbrow quality. Fienberg has said on numerous occasions that his reviews ask this essential question: Does the TV show ultimately achieve its goal of what it aspires to be for a specific audience. So a reality show is not necessarily a piece of crap. Or a long-running show like Blue Bloods, which is highly watched by viewers who remember Captain Kangaroo on TV. 

Goldberg's recent commentary about the late Sinead O'Conner was both moving and emotionally resonant. Goldberg's business acumen and interviewing chops make her a valuable presence on the show.

If you are a listener of The Town with Matt Belloni, The Business with Kim Masters or Downstream with Julia Alexander and Jason Snell, TV's Top 5 can round out your masterclass in the entertainment industry. 

I highly recommend TV's Top 5 podcast for those who are fascinated by the business of TV entertainment. The bonus for listeners is that co-hosts Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg are always engaging, often quick-witted, and appropriately caustic.

[whofanforsexed]

Food Diary: Week Four

Several more deepfried chicken strips dipped in Philadelphia, [REDACTED], a quarter of a bottle of port, the season finale of Loki (as anticipated, holds up well), four episodes of American Horror Story: 1984 (not that I’m that much for slasher flicks, and fundamentally AHS feels way past its prime, but this was a fairly charming smaller scale story with fewer of the elements that had began to grate on me than the last couple of seasons had. Loud and playful with the Big Eighties setting, and a good showcase for younger actors in the lead roles), four episodes of You season three (this show continues to be completely off the rails and stands no chance of getting back to grounded commentary on gender or media. Given that, it’s sort of fun to stop holding it to the standard it set for itself with its first season and enjoy it as well written trash), medium size ASDA beef lasagna (tragically microwaved), two bottles of alcoholic ginger beer, peach Volvic, one chocolate and cherry Special K cereal bar, sleep.

Two rosemary crackers (dry), two caramel Wacko bars, one cheesy garlic mashed potato wrap (ft. salted butter, Philadelphia, table salt, ground black pepper, chopped spring onions & spinach, deepfried chicken strips, and [Bull’s Eye] Carolina Reaper Extra Hot Sauce), another Halloween Beastie, a pan of spicy soup (ft. salted butter, garlic granules, table salt, ground black pepper, potatoes, [Bull’s Eye] Carolina Reaper Extra Hot Sauce, and leftover Double Dragon takeaway black bean sauce, salt & pepper chicken chilies, and BBQ pork sauce), seven episodes of Doctor Who (The Woman Who Fell To Earth, The Ghost Monument, The Tsuranga Conundrum, Demons Of The Punjab, The Witchfinders, Nikola Tesla’s Night Of Terror, and Fugitive Of The Judoon), a clementine, sleep.

A deli counter grilled cheese & ham baguette, a packet of ready salted Frisps, a further episode of Doctor Who (The Haunting Of Villa Diodati), another cheesy garlic mashed potato wrap (ft. salted butter, Philadelphia, table salt, ground black pepper, chopped spring onions & spinach, deepfried chicken strips, and melted plastic cheese), several Pringles: SIZZL’N EXTRA HOT CHEESE & CHILI Flavour, two bagels (ft. salted butter, Laughing Cow, table salt, ground black pepper, fried battered cod goujons, and Sweet Chili Sauce), two episodes of Brand New Cherry Flavour (good fun, holds up on rewatch, Katie enjoyed the weirdness, witchy qualities, colour pallets, and proliferation of cats), clementine juice, three episodes of Doctor Who (The Three Doctors), sleep.

Several Pringles: SIZZL’N EXTRA HOT CHEESE & CHILI Flavour, a Philadelphia wrap (ft. salted butter, table salt, ground black pepper, chopped spring onions & spinach, deepfried chicken strips, and leftover Double Dragon takeaway salt & pepper chicken chilies), a clementine, a cheesy garlic mashed potato wrap (ft. salted butter, Laughing Cow, table salt, ground black pepper, chopped spring onion & spinach, Heck sausages, and Pringles: SIZZL’N EXTRA HOT CHEESE & CHILI Flavour), two slices of bread (ft. salted butter, and Marmite), a packet of cheese & onion Frisps, one cheesy garlic mashed potato bagel (ft. salted butter, Laughing Cow, chopped spring onions & spinach, and deepfried chicken strips), an episode of The Haunting Of Bly Manor (lesbiansssss), a bowl of Special K Red Berries, four episodes of Doctor Who (The Time Warrior), immediate sleep.

Another bowl of Special K Red Berries, a packet of Salt & Vinegar Frisps, cheesy garlic mashed potato wrap (ft. salted butter, table salt, ground black pepper, chopped spring onions, Heck sausages, and Pringles: SIZZL’N EXTRA HOT CHEESE & CHILI Flavour), an episode of Oh No, Ross and Carrie! (interview with a former Scientologist), some Nerds (orange, purple, green), an episode of The Haunting Of Bly Manor (lesbianssssssssss), further Pringles: SIZZL’N EXTRA HOT CHEESE & CHILI Flavour, another slice of bread (ft. salted butter, and Marmite), a clementine, sleep.

A cheesy garlic mashed potato wrap (ft. salted butter, table salt, ground black pepper, Heck sausages, and Pringles: SIZZL’N EXTRA HOT CHEESE & CHILI Flavour), an Eighth Doctor Big Finish Audio (Chimes Of Midnight, no less), a pan of pea soup (ft. table salt, ground black pepper, chives, and English mustard, sleep, another cheesy garlic mashed potato wrap (ft. salted butter, Laughing Cow cheese spread, ground black pepper, chopped spring onions & spinach, and deepfried chicken strips), another Eighth Doctor Big Finish Audio (Invaders From Mars, no more), one Dominoes’ American Hot pizza (ft. thin crust, and added chicken), a bottle of rosé, curly fries (ft. table salt, ground black pepper, and Hellman’s mayonnaise), sleep.

[hockeylvr59]

I don’t know if you remember writing this but would you consider doing a part 2 to the blurb you wrote about Sidney having a son and not wanting to be in the picture and he comes back 15 years later?

So I’ve been sitting on this message forever and I wasn’t sure that a second part was ever in the plans but uh...here you go. I’m not sure I love the ending on this but we’re going with it. (1,703 words)

~~~~~

It had started with a favor. One that you hated asking for. One that you knew was likely to come with strings attached. One that was solely for the sake of your son. 

You remember sitting there with the number entered into your phone waiting for you to press the green call button for more than ten minutes. You remember the anxious feeling deep in the pit of your stomach as the phone rang. You remember hearing your name in that familiar deep dulcet tone. 

“Hi, Sidney.” You’d breathed, your throat going tight already. 

“I didn’t think you were going to call…” He trailed off. “It’s been...well months since I left you a message.” 

“I...honestly I wasn’t planning on calling.” You admitted. “But I need a favor. Well, Charlie needs a favor.” Before he could say anything you continued, jumping right into it. “You have a personal gym here, don’t you? Charlie...he’s...he’s going crazy not being able to work out with everything in lockdown. Which means I’m going crazy because he’s going crazy and with trying to work from home it’s all just a mess. We’ve made it this far but I don’t think anything is going to open any time soon and he’s already hating being away from the rink this long…” 

Before you’d been able to say anything else Sidney had cut you off. 

“If you’re asking if he can use my private gym to work out the answer is yes.” You remember letting out a sigh of relief but also waiting for the other shoe to drop. When the line remained quiet after that you spoke softly once more. 

“That’s it? Just yes.” You questioned. 

“Just yes Y/N.” Sidney stated. “Did you really think I’d say no?” 

You paused, pursing over your words. “I expected any agreement to come with a condition.” You admitted. You heard Sidney sigh over the line a few times. 

“No condition. Would I like to get the chance to talk to him...yes. But I’m not going to refuse to let him use my unoccupied gym unless he does. I fucked up and I don’t think I’m in any position to be demanding anything just because you’ve asked for a small favor. Goodness knows you have a right to ask way more than this from me given everything.” 

The brutal honesty with which he treated himself was only a bit surprising and you murmured soft thanks on behalf of your son who was going to be so excited to get to use a more proper gym. Not knowing what else to say, you made an excuse to end the call, your heart racing at having spoken with Sidney for the first time since he left. 

A key with a short sheet of information had been left in your mailbox only two days later and while you had expected Sidney to keep his word, you hadn’t expected it to be so soon. Charlie had been thrilled when you told him and for at least an hour each day from that day forward you took your son over to Sidney’s gym allowing him to start training again even if he couldn’t go full throttle since mom could only do so much as a spotter. 

Having spent months watching your teenage son struggle through quarantine, it was incredible watching him come back to life right in front of your eyes. At the same time, watching him like this brought all of the Sidney out in him and you fought back how hard it was seeing your son take more and more after his father. 

___

Charlie had always had a large amount of respect for his father, at least as a player. And lately, it seemed like his respect for him as a person was growing. 

All Charlie’s life it wasn’t articles about Sidney Crosby on ice that caught your son’s attention, it was the ones about how he treats people off-ice. Many times you’d discussed the hurt feelings your son maintained knowing his father continued to do so many things for other people while being completely out of the picture with his own son. You couldn’t pretend you knew how it felt for your son to see Sidney running hockey camps and playing with his Little Penguins or spending time with Alex Letang and Nikita Malkin. But you knew that it was hard for him. 

But since Charlie had started working out in Sid’s gym, using Sid’s artificial ice, you could see some of your son’s hardened walls start to soften because for the first time his dad had done something for him and him alone. 

So when Charlie came into your room around 10:30 pm on August 7th, you knew there was something important on his mind before he even opened his mouth. 

“Can we…can we call him?” Charlie had asked. “I want to talk to him.” Charlie didn’t need to clarify who he was talking about, you were well aware. And at first, your protective instincts took over. The Penguins had just been eliminated from the play-in round of playoffs and it was Sidney’s 33rd birthday. The odds were very likely that Sidney would not be in a good mood at all and you didn’t want your son being subjected to the brunt of his frustrations. 

Eventually, though, those light brown eyes wore you down. 

“We’ll text him.” You agreed. This way if Sidney was in a foul mood he could just ignore it or say so without putting too much pressure on him. 

Feel free to disregard this if you’re not up for it but Charlie would like to call you. 

Chewing on your lip you hugged Charlie close while waiting to see if you’d get any response. You knew that he would understand if Sidney didn’t want to talk after that kind of loss but at the same time you knew it would hurt a little too, facing any kind of rejection from his dad. 

After just a few minutes your phone lit up with a FaceTime request and you took a deep breath before answering it, Sidney’s tired face appearing on screen.

“Wow...someone is tech-savvy.” You murmured in greeting having not expected a FaceTime at all. You ignored the way you could tell his eyes were raking over you and instead murmured that you were going to let the two of them talk, passing the phone over to Charlie. For a moment you thought you heard Sidney’s breath catch as you left the room motioning that you would just be downstairs. 

“So I’m not sure it’s been a Happy Birthday so far…” You heard Charlie speak as you moved to give them some privacy. Settling onto the living room couch with a pint of ice cream, you waited as patiently as you could. 

It was nearly midnight when Charlie came downstairs with your phone in his hand, flopping onto the couch next to you after kissing your head. 

“Thanks mom.” He whispered and you nodded snuggling close for a few minutes before sending him up to bed. You didn’t feel the need to ask about what they had talked about, Charlie would share in time if he wanted to. It made you a little uneasy but that wasn’t important. 

As you slipped into bed, your phone buzzed with three small words. 

Thank you Y/N. 

____

After that first conversation, Charlie called Sidney every other week and the two of them talked for at least half an hour. 

Sidney never tried to push boundaries though. He never tried to buy his way into Charlie’s life, he never demanded more than either you or Charlie were willing to give. But at the same time, you knew that he was now playing a role in your son’s life that Charlie had needed for a long time. Even if it wasn’t quite a father yet, it was certainly as a mentor and because of that Charlie thrived even more in the way he trained and the way he interacted with those around him. 

For so long you had pushed Sidney out of your life but now he was slowly oozing back into it. 

Even despite all of this, you were surprised when you walked into the living room to find Charlie rewinding a national broadcast hockey game. Except he wasn’t rewatching a play, no, he was rewinding an intermission interview segment with Sidney himself. You could see the tears in his eyes and as he pressed play you immediately understood why. 

“So 1000 games. Three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe trophies, Hart’s, Art Ross’s, Leadership Awards, MVP awards...and that’s just your NHL achievements. You’ve done pretty much everything a player could dream of doing. Is there anything you would change about it all?” The interviewer asked. 

Sidney paused for a moment as if he was thinking about all of those things. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess there is definitely something I would change looking back if I could.” He admitted, his eyes going soft and a bit watery on camera. The interviewer just gave him a look pressing for more information and Sidney chewed on his lip before speaking. “I guess if there was one thing I could change, it would be having a family by my side. Having my son by my side. I see Geno and Kris with their kids sharing all of these experiences and I could have had that all along if I wasn’t so scared. If I could change one thing, it would be that.” 

The interview cuts out then, a broadcaster saying that the full interview will air on the channel’s youtube page after Crosby plays game 1000 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Charlie quickly rewinds playing the segment for a third time before he realizes you’re there and he looks up at you crying steadily. 

Moving around the couch you pull Charlie into your arms hugging him tightly and letting him cry. You couldn’t imagine what Charlie was feeling, hell you barely knew how you were feeling. 

For the first time in 15 years, Sidney had publicly acknowledged his son’s existence and that acknowledgment had the potential to change everything.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Monday, March 21

XANDER: Why would a vampire lie about who sired him. What's that? Some kind of status symbol for the undead. My sire can beat up your sire.

~~Sleeper~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

In Your Eyes (Buffy/Giles, T) by refusetoshine

[Chaptered Fiction]

Unforgivable Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Jws1993

As I'm Leaving Chapter 1-9 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by scratchmeout

Closer and Closer Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Grief Counseling

A Letter From The Grave Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Grief Counseling

Possessed Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Brooke724

who could ever leave me, darling – but who could stay? (you could stay) Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by MillennialCryBaby

The Fairytale Chapter 17 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Dusty

[Images, Audio & Video]

Art: Buffy Summers Fashion - Season Seven Xx by whatshisfaceblogs

Art: Buffy Summers Fashion - Season Six Xx by whatshisfaceblogs

Art: Buffy Summers Fashion - Season Five Xx by whatshisfaceblogs

Art: Buffy | Normal Again by slayersandprivateinvestigators

Art: tara and willow by thexeppo

PODCAST: Enemies by Buffy the Vampire Straya

[Reviews & Recaps]

when she was bad btvs 2x01 by vamperbuffy

[Community Announcements]

Let's pick a theme! by eurydice72

[Fandom Discussions]

Favorite Willow Rosenberg Quote by frankierose

Favorite Buffy Summers Quote by frankierose

i do still believe joyce sucks by sprusillas

BtVS + Love Languages: Angel by herinsectreflection

digital age/gen z spuffy is such a funny concept by froggierboy

maybeeee having the mass murdering vampire empathizing with Faith... by ex-vengeancedemon

i enjoy my evil spike but i also enjoy how much he immediately screams character reform by bakasara

Today's interview with James Marsters continued by Andrew S.

Swap Out a Scooby - S1 for later seasons continued by Dusty

The trio on Angel (what if) by spikenbuffy

My Impressions of Angelus Upon A Rewatch by Nikkolas

If Spike had been killed off would you have kept watching ? continued by multiple posters

Which three episodes would have to be your favorite for BTVS Season 7? continued by multiple posters

What does it take to invite a vampire in? by Tuxedo_Mark

When Buffy told Spike "I love you" in the final episode "Chosen" by Sure_Marionberry_505

Favourite villain? by StrawberryGirl_7

There are people born the year Buffy ended who are still teenagers today by Elementaryfan

anyone else think willow was stoned AF in seasons 4-5? by wendigoblin

Did Buffy have every right to keep Angel a secret in the beginning of S3? by Opening_Knowledge868

Disney+ Buffy Animated Series by UKMegaGeek

The leather coat of Nikki Wood by Superb_Cicada8375

Buffy, Dru, and Angelus’ Plan by qg314

Experience by chemeli888

Season 4 by sphynxlover1

let's talk about Go Fish... by Infamous-Fly-6439

New perspective on the episode “Dead Things” by lottieflimflam

these two are low-key the reason Buffy was able to defeat Glory? by Opening_Knowledge868

does anyone else think Faith is better than Buffy slaying wise? by wilmygirl22

25th Anniversary top 20 Part 4! by BPD-and-Lipstick

Why Amber Benson Didn't Want Tara Resurrected by jamesthegill

the ending of BTVS sucks by kittyloverkya

I feel like Ross Katz (author of Into Every Generation) will annoy me by CatofKipling

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[fyeahrossmccall]

Hello :) Do you maybe know where I can find the full interview with Ross for Celtic TV? Because I couldn't find the full version on the Celtics website :c Maybe someone downloaded it and posted somewhere else? I recently rewatched the fragments on YouTube and I want to watch the whole thing!

Ah, I’m sorry. It seems like the only references I have are to the Celtics site...sad they took it down! I’ll keep looking.