#so the tension during this scene and also when olivia finds her on a date with langan

[alexcabotgifs]

4x05 Disappearing Acts

[joealwyndaily]

Sometimes the best Christmas presents are the ones we don’t think we need; a new Christmas Carol, for instance. Indeed it may be indicative of a certain unappreciated vacancy around the Christmas tree that in discussing the BBC’s new version of the Dickens classic both its director and leading man refer back to The Muppet Christmas Carol made way back in 1992.

“I was sent the script,” admits Nick Murphy, best known for directing the Rebecca Hall ghost movie The Awakening, “and my first thought was, ‘For God’s sake! The Muppets! They nailed it. What’s the point?’ ”

Joe Alwyn, who plays Scrooge’s clerk Bob Cratchit in the BBC three-parter, has meanwhile posted a trailer on Instagram with the caption: “Hard to fill the shoes once worn by Kermit. But I tried.” The self-deprecation was quickly “hearted” by the singer Taylor Swift, who is the actor’s girlfriend and who will be watching the mini-series with Alwyn and his family in London in the final days before Christmas.

There is nothing wrong, of course, with The Muppet Christmas Carol. It is probably in most people’s top three adaptations of Dickens’s masterpiece (alongside, I would say, Alastair Sim’s 1951 version and Scrooged). Its endurance does suggest, however, that it may be time someone did something a bit more serious, a little darker and a touch more grown-up with a tale that excoriated Victorian neglect and associated Christmas with the relief of poverty for ever more.

And this is exactly what Nick Murphy has achieved with a bracingly fresh script by the Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Guy Pearce’s Ebenezer Scrooge is still a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner”, but since Pearce is only 52, there is rather less of the old. At the end of the novel, Dickens wrote that “ever afterwards” — that is after Scrooge’s Very Bad Night — “it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well”. That is rather more of an achievement when, as in this version, you may have 40 Christmases, rather than a couple, left to you.

Equally remade is Cratchit, who in Alwyn’s incarnation is far from the bashfully gulping frog thanking his master for granting him Christmas Day off before scampering back to Miss Piggy’s fleshy arms. Although Alwyn grew a rough beard for the part, his is also the best-looking Bob Cratchit you have seen. As the actor and I talk at the Picturehouse Central cinema in London, I find him as mesmerising off screen as on.

“Bob is trapped by Scrooge,” Alwyn says. “He’s abused by him. He’s not treated fairly. He’s there only because he has to be. He’s treated like shit.”

I’d say there’s a definite feeling in their shared scenes that Bob might just snap and hit Ebenezer over the head with a poker. “That was the intention. He’s at breaking point. He’s pushed right to his limits and Scrooge, I think, relishes winding him up. All Bob can do is hold his ground and fight back as much as he can — but he isn’t such a sap in this version.”

Scrooge and Cratchit’s relationship so much resembles an unhappy marriage that the niggling, bitter exchanges invented by Knight, with very little reference to Dickens’s dialogue, resemble Steptoe and Son rewritten by Strindberg. The easy contrast would have been with the Cratchits’ poor but happy marriage, but this too comes under scrutiny. There is an acknowledgment of the challenges a disabled child can bring to a household, and it is somehow emphasised by Tiny Tim being played by Lenny Rush, an extraordinary young actor, aged ten, who has a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, the same condition as Warwick Davis.

“It really mattered to me that nobody was photo-fit,” Murphy says from a studio where he is dubbing the last episode. “Bob Cratchit is always a winsome, put-upon nice guy and the Cratchits themselves represent this idea of an ideal, working-class, lovely family. So we looked into their relationship on the page and there seems a genuine tension between Bob and his wife. Things are hard. It isn’t easy to have no money and a disabled child, and they lean on each other and they’re not straight with each other and there is a genuine antagonism between them.”

Knight has written into the narrative a family secret that connects the Cratchits to Scrooge. The secret belongs to Mrs Cratchit, played by Vinette Robinson, whose part is greatly expanded; indeed, the novella does not even grant her a first name, although the Muppets, and other adaptors, opted for Emily.

“Inevitably the secret begins to surface and cracks appear in the family,” Alwyn says. “Something has to happen. I think what Steven has done is take the story and drill deeper. He hasn’t taken too much liberty. It’s not bending the truth too much from what Dickens would have wanted. Or I hope not.”

Murphy insists that worthwhile adaptations of classic texts should be “edgy” and have “a good bite to them”. “If you absolutely don’t want any variation from the book then I strongly suggest you sit in a corner at Christmas and read it again. But if you want to see it used as a prism through which we can see a broader and slightly different subject explored, then this one’s for you.”

Alwyn’s performance is part of the iconoclasm. “Joe’s instinct as an actor is always to push away from the obvious and into ambiguity,” Murphy says. “He’s very quietly spoken. He’s not brash at all. He’s a gentle, intelligent guy, but he just simply wasn’t interested in fitting a Dickensian cliché.”

“I’ll take that,” Alwyn says when I pass on the compliment, having not considered his technique in such terms. He is 28 and would probably accept that he is best known for two facts: the first is that he is Taylor Swift’s boyfriend; the second that, aged 25 and with no professional acting experience, he won the title role in an Ang Lee movie.

He is from north London, the middle of three sons. Their father is the television documentary-maker Richard Alwyn, renowned for making The Shrine about the public reaction to Princess Diana’s death.

“He was away a bit,” Alwyn says. “He made quite a lot of films in Africa when I was growing up. He was often in Uganda, Rwanda at one point, South Sudan. So he’d come back with stories and artefacts from all over the place. He made a great documentary in Liverpool during the World Cup about two kids on an estate growing up there.”

His mother, Elizabeth, is a psychotherapist. So, I say, although his family were comfortably off and he was sent to the fee-paying City of London School, he knew something of other people’s lives?

“All different kinds of people, all different kinds of stories,” he says. “Obviously, she couldn’t share them with me in the same way that Dad could, but both their jobs take an interest in other people and are about how to empathise, understand, and listen to stories and tell stories. I suppose it’s not a million miles away from an actor’s job; listening to other people, understanding them, trying to tell stories.”

I ask about the contemporary political resonances of A Christmas Carol. I cite the wealth of certain members of his profession and of Swift’s. Only the other day I have read that she has a private jet so she can visit Alwyn on a whim. He promises me that 99.9 per cent of what the press write about them is false, and this is an example.

I ask if he finds it embarrassing.

“Find what embarrassing?”

The disparity between the amount some people earn and the wages of workers in, say, Amazon fulfilment centres.

“I saw something in The Guardian the other day, I think, saying that the top six richest people in the UK accumulate the same amount of wealth as the poorest 13 million. I think that was the figure,” he says.

And politics today?

“It’s bigger than Scrooge, but it’s the same thing amplified; not being able to see beyond yourself, building walls, cutting yourself off from other countries. If there was ever a story to counter that, featuring someone who epitomises that and then who remembers who he is as a human being, it is A Christmas Carol.”

Unlike the young Dickens, Alwyn was not a boy to stand on a table and sing and dance. As a child he auditioned to play Liam Neeson’s son in the Richard Curtis film Love Actually, but didn’t get it. He harboured ambitions to act, but pursued them only later at the University of Bristol, where he took plays up to the Edinburgh Fringe. One night he acted before an audience of one: the writer’s mother. Undeterred, he went on to the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, joining the scramble at the end to find an agent. Weeks later, his new agent rang to say that Ang Lee was working on a new film, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and wanted to see an audition tape.

“I got some mates to film me in a lunch break and then my dad filmed another scene, and we got a call that night saying, ‘He wants to meet you this weekend. He’s saying, we’re going to put you on a plane and take you out of school. Come for the weekend. Learn these scenes.’ ”

As Billy, a young US Marine fêted for killing an enemy assailant in Iraq, Alwyn was painfully believable; a virgin solider returning home to be exploited for an act that had devastated him. The film did not do well, mainly because it was shot at a hyper-reality frame rate that few cinemas had the technology to show, but Alwyn was on his way.

“Things only evolve by change and people taking risks,” he says. “And Ang Lee is someone who I admire for that. None of his films are the same. Maybe thematically they draw on the same things, but he’s always pushing the boundaries.”

The same can be said for A Christmas Carol and, even more, about Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite, in which Alwyn appeared alongside Emma Stone and Olivia Colman. It applies less so to his other recent films, Mary Queen of Scots, Boy Erased and now Harriet, a faithful biopic about the slave liberator Harriet Tubman in which he played a slave owner’s son. What he has managed to do consistently is work and learn from some seriously good actresses — Colman, Stone, Saoirse Ronan and Cynthia Erivo. “I know. I am targeting them,” he jokes.

I tell him my daughters have insisted I ask if he minds Swift writing songs about him (whole albums, actually, but check out London Boy if you are in search of a little cringe). “No, not at all. No. It’s flattering.”

Does it matter to him that the press — it’s a bit metatextual this, I admit, for I’m probably doing the same thing — make it obvious that they are as interested in his girlfriend as they are in him? “I just don’t pay attention to what I don’t want to pay attention to,” he explains tolerantly. “I turn everything else down on a dial. I don’t have any interest in tabloids. I know what I want to do, and that’s this, and that’s what I am doing.”

The boyf, described only the other day as “mysterious” in one of those tabloids, is no mystery at all. He knows what he wants for Christmas, and it is the career he is already forging.

A Christmas Carol begins on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday

[peterthepark]

crush culture - [prologue]

the double accident

pairing: steve harrington x reader (university au & modern au)

summary: He delivered newspapers, while you were one of smartest kids in school. It’s a weird combination, but the fact that he’s crushing on you is even weirder. And the weirdest? You’re falling in love with him - just a little bit.

warnings: strong language

series masterlist

You never knew who he was until his paper delivery route had changed almost a year ago, where he first stumbled upon your campus apartment during the peak of the morning. He would pedal quickly on a blue bike and would never wear a helmet in fear of ruining his hair. Sometimes, you’d see him from your balcony, or when you’d get into your car, he’d speed by and give you a polite nod before tossing the community newspaper onto the driveway.

Later in your life, you did find out that his name was Steve Harrington: the boy who delivered newspapers at five in the morning during weekdays and ten during weekends.

He was the guy who dated Ashley Cutler during his freshman year then broke up with her because he thought he was in love with Olivia Kim, but really, he wasn’t - rumor had it that he was actually in love with some sorority girl called Melissa.

He was the guy who would pass by you between seminars, accidentally making eye contact with you when you’d stride past him.

He was the guy who rode his blue bike to campus on Monday through Friday, and his red one on Saturday and Sunday.

But yeah, you didn’t know him at all.

You were backing out of the driveway, busy adjusting the rear-view mirror before you heard a loud thud and a string of questionable curses. Speak of the fucking devil. You open your door, poking your head out. Steve sat on the pavement, hissing as he examined the bloody mess of his scraped knee.

You are literally a dumbass. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Holy shit. Oh, my god, I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention-“ You ramble as you approach him, crouching down to his level with worry.

Steve glances at you, then gives you a second look when he recognizes your face. “No, no. You’re - you’re fine.” He gulps, cheeks tinted with a rosy hue. “I wasn’t looking, um, either. Yeah, sorry, I wasn’t looking either.” His tongue darts out to wet his lips. You help him to his feet, simultaneously blushing with him as he dusts off his dirty hands on his clothing. “Y/N, right?”

You nod with a smile. “I have a first aid kit in my car. Would you mind if I...?” You start, pointing to the trunk of your van. He shakes his head, urging you to go ahead. Standing patiently with his arms crossed against his chest, his eyes follow your panicked movements.

You sigh shakily as Steve takes the red box from you, thanking you before he picks up his fallen bike. You swipe your thumb over your bottom lip, hesitantly speaking, “Look, I’m really sorry. Uh, surely it’s appropriate for me to give you a ride? To school? If that’s where you’re headed.”

Steve flexes his hands against the handles of his bike, glancing around as if he didn’t want to be seen with you. He shrugs with a shy and hesitant grin, “Sure. Yeah, thanks.” He drives his bike over and helps you load it into the trunk of your van, his hair tickling your cheek as he reaches over your shoulder. He apologizes, before he makes a beeline towards the passenger seat.

Bouncing his leg, Steve gazes out the window. The car ride has been awkwardly silent for the past ten minutes - well, you wouldn’t be able to hide the awkwardness in the first place considering the fact you almost ran him over.

“So, what’s your major?” You pipe up with a squeaky voice, keeping a straight face towards the road in fear of eye contact. You clear your throat, shocked at how many octaves your voice had jumped.

What’s your major? Really? Such a stupid, boring question.

Steve chuckles, glad that you‘ve broken the tension in the car. “Criminal justice. Woo! So fun.” He pumps his fist in the air enthusiastically, smiling shyly when he looks over to you.

“Oh, that’s so cool!” You chuckle genuinely, “So are you trying to be like a police officer or something?”

“Yeah, something like that. Maybe a crime scene investigator, too.”

You nod understandably, and Steve continues to discuss his major as well as his plans after university. Then, he realizes that he’s been talking about himself the whole time, and instantly shifts the topic of the conversation to you. “What about you? What are you doing?”

You tell him about your major and all about your experiences on campus, and he listens, occasionally adding a witty remark to your delight.

“I haven’t had a break since the semester started, but you know, it’s almost Christmas so that means vacation, which then means no exams and no assignments. Thankfully.” You laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. You take a turn into the parking lot, and part of you feels disappointed that the car ride has ended so quickly.

You open the trunk, moving to get his bike but Steve insists politely that he can do it. And before you know it, the bike slips out of his grasp and he accidentally elbows you in the face.

Steve cries out as your body plummets to the parking lot floor. You clutch your eyebrow, pulling your hand away from your face to be met with a small drop of blood.

“I am such an idiot. Y/N. God, I’m sorry. I should have been more careful and - and I didn’t want you to get the bike because I was trying to be a gentleman and I mean,” He chuckles, catching his breath, “Look where that got me.”

You manage to let out a breathy giggle. “Well, now we’re even.” Your eyes take a glimpse at his patched-up knee. “Happen to spare me a band-aid?”

He nods rapidly, before he takes your small hands into his own, lifting you up effortlessly from the ground. You nearly collide with his chest, but you’re able to grab onto his shoulders, steadying your weight.

If you had known this would be the start of your day, you probably would’ve stayed home.

Steve leans patiently against the side of your van as you clean up the wound on your face, catching his eye in the sun-visor mirror from time to time.

The two of you can’t help but snicker at each other when you finally get out of your car, looking absolutely ridiculous with a rainbow band-aid that matched the pony design on Steve’s knee.

Suddenly, the moment is stolen when a cloud of nervousness re-appears over your heads. Steve shifts from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck as he glances away from you. You don’t know what to do with your hands, resorting to tucking them away in your sweatshirt.

“I should go.” Steve says, shutting one eye as he throws his thumb over his shoulder.

Shit, that was cute. That was kinda, really cute. Okay, now say something.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. Uh, thanks!”

“Um, for what?”

You truly are a mess. Why the hell are you thanking him? Get it together.

“Just - just for the company.” Smooth, real smooth. “Sorry about your knee... again.” You gesture to his leg, biting down on your lip. He chuckles with a scoff, nodding likewise towards your face.

“Oh! Wow, completely rude of me.” He shifts his bike to his left hand, holding out his right. “I’m Steve Harrington, by the way. I never introduced myself.”

“I know who you are.” You grin, shaking hands. Your eyes widen at how suddenly creepy that had sounded, and you stumble over your words in an effort to save yourself from embarrassment. “Jesus, that sounded really weird. Yeah, I-I know your name. In like a total, not stalker-ish way.” This is so bad. “I share an apartment with Robin and Kate, which you do bike by a lot, so...”

He must be really, really disturbed.

Steve flashes you a sweet, boyish smile, slowly retracting his hand from you after realizing that he had been holding onto it for the longest time. His palms are clammy, and he’s praying that you hadn’t felt it.

“Yeah. It was cool meeting you, finally. I pass by your apartment like you said so - so yeah, definitely, I...” He breathes out deeply, shaking his head with a scrunched up nose. “I’m gonna go now.”

Blushing visibly, Steve adjusts the drawstrings of his jacket before he takes a seat on his bike.

“I’ll see you around, Harrington.” You nibble on the inside of your cheek, taking a couple steps backwards. He waves awkwardly, then he’s off in the opposite direction, careful not to crash into any other cars.

You let out a strangled groan when he’s out of sight, bringing your hands up to your face in sheer frustration. Could you be any more awkward?

-

“I’m telling you, K. I’ll show you the data later. I don’t have my laptop, but trust me, it’ll make sense then.” You sigh at your friend, who seemed terribly confused with today’s lecture. You’re sitting in one of the cafés on campus, sipping away at your latte while Robin and Kate munched on a couple cookies.

“Okay, fine, later. Also what happened to your face?” She snorts, tilting her head at the not-so-subtle bandaid with teasing eyes. “Did you have that much fun with Henry last night?”

“Oh, my god. I did not screw Henry. He left right after we finished the project.” You huff, swirling your drink around. “I just... hit my head. On the trunk. Again.”

“Must’ve been painful.” Robin raises a brow at you, obviously suspicious of your reason.

“Anyways, you guys, there’s this thing next Friday. Levi is inviting us to this party at his friend’s, friends’s place. I was wondering...” She draws out the word, shimmying her shoulders. “Can you both come with? Please? It’s gonna be fun. Also, I wanna hook Y/N up with this guy I know.”

“Y/N might finally get some good dick.” Robin laughs, punching your shoulder lightly. You roll your eyes at her, flipping her off before you retreat to your phone.

Pulling up your instagram, your fingers hover over the search bar, and before you know it you’re searching for a special someone.

steveharrington98

Bingo.

But to your dismay, his account seemed to be private. You blow air from your puffed out cheeks, successfully moving the stray strand of hair from your face.

“Who is that?”

Levi comes up behind you, and he smashes his thumb onto the terrifying white button without care.

Requested.

No. No. No.

“You absolute dickhead!” You gasp at him, slapping his arm before you look back at your phone. “Fuck!” You throw your phone down onto the table, tugging on your hair as you swear under your breath.

“Is that Steve? That’s Steve, right?” Robin takes your phone, but honestly you don’t even care anymore.

Damage has been done, and all you could do at this point was wait.

“Y/N?” Kate calls out to you, snapping you out of your crazed state. “So, party? Friday? Yes?”

You whine, slipping your phone into your backpack. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Great!” She squeals, “I’ll send the address to you later. After you help me with that dumb data shit.”

Your phone buzzes loudly. With buttery fingers, you take it out again with trembling thumbs.

steveharrington98 accepted your follow request.

steveharrington98 has requested to follow you.

Cool.

So much for accidents.

[stopforamoment]

Part Ten: Wisconsin Girl (Series 14, Part 10 of 15)

Series Fourteen: Halloween Hijinks (15 Parts)

Part Ten: Wisconsin Girl (Series 14, Part 10 of 15)

Masterlist

Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three)

Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OC Rinda Parks Word Count: 2,288 (sorry--this got really long!) Rating: M for Language Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. OFC with all of her quirks is all mine. The character Merida is from Disney’s Pixar Studios. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this. The keep reading link shows up on my laptop but not my phone. Ugh.

Thank you @asherella-is-a-dork-3​ for always being my sounding board! Thank you @cora-nova​ @silviasutton1989 @bobasheebaby for still being a part of the journey!

Series Summary: It’s Halloween! Bastien and Rinda are settling into their relationship, and Queen Riley enlists Rinda’s help to plan a Halloween Festival at her duchy.

Chapter Summary: Neville and Duchess Olivia challenge Rinda to demonstrate her archery skills.

Part Ten: Wisconsin Girl (Series 14, Part 10 of 15)

Bastien was still training his replacement, and Rinda understood that Bastien wanted to work for part of the night until he felt comfortable with the evening’s security. She was helping during the first part of the festival, and the boys were old enough to be off on their own. They’d all meet up when Bastien was ready. Later in the evening Bastien and Rinda were holding hands, walking around with the boys and enjoying the festival. Rinda stopped wearing her wedding ring at work awhile ago, and most families knew through the rumor mill that she and Bastien were dating. There were children and families who stopped to say “hi” to Bastien and Rinda, and some offered their congratulations or other comments on how happy they were for the two of them. Really, they were the perfect couple. Rinda was blushing and becoming flustered, but Bastien chuckled and kissed her hand. “What did you tell me once, Tria? Sometimes it sucks to be loved.” . . . . .

Bastien felt Rinda’s hand tighten in his. “Fuck. It’s Neville and he made eye contact. And now he’s walking this way.” Bastien gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Do you want me to kick his ass for you?” he deadpanned as he started to roll up his sleeves. Rinda threw back her head and laughed. His delivery was perfect—he looked so serious. But now Neville was in front of them, smiling at Rinda. “Mrs. Parks. I see you’re trying to be a princess for the night.” Rinda gave him an even stare. “Queen Riley asked that teachers and staff dress as Disney princes and princesses. I think Queen Kenna or Queen Val would have suited me much better.” Duchess Olivia Nevrakis walked over when she saw Neville approaching, smirking at Rinda’s comment that she’d rather be queen. “Well, both of them were warrior queens Mrs. Parks. You don’t have a sword, but you do have a bow and quiver of arrows. Princess Merida was an archer, but how are your archery skills, Mrs. Parks? That’s something every noble has practiced and mastered, right Neville?” Olivia was dressed as Zenobia, and Rinda sighed with jealousy that Olivia could be such a strong historical character for Halloween. Well, at least Merida didn’t take anyone’s shit—just like Rinda wasn’t going to. “The arrows aren’t real, Duchess Olivia. Not even blunts. It was a safety concern. But if there’s an archery range nearby, you can judge for yourself.” Olivia raised her brow. “There’s one just a short distance from here. Perhaps Queen Riley can provide you and Lord Neville with bows and . . . real arrows.” Neville smirked. “Duchess, I would enjoy that . . . very much.” Olivia deliberately looked Rinda over before she turned and sauntered off to find Riley. Bastien looked at Rinda with concern and bent over to whisper in her ear. “Tria . . . let me talk to Riley. Olivia hates Neville, but she has no right to bring you into it like this.” Before Rinda had a chance to respond, Henry was tugging on his mom’s arm. “Mom, Duchess Olivia is waving to us. We should go over there.” Rinda smiled and tousled his hair before turning to Neville. “Lord Neville, shall we?” . . . . . The target was 20 yards away, and Neville went first. He quickly notched the arrow, drew back the bow, and shot. The arrow landed just left of the bullseye. “Nicely done, Lord Neville!” Even though Rinda was praising him for the shot, she internally shook her head at how quickly he went. She had been taught differently—to take your time and focus on form—and she hoped she didn’t have to move that quickly. She knew she wouldn’t do very well if she did.

Henry wanted to be a part of the competition and he was supposed to go next, but he scrunched his nose. “So, I just have stand still and hit the paper target? Nothing else, right?” Rinda nodded. “Yup. According to Lord Neville that’s how the nobles do it.” Henry shrugged. He pulled back the bow and slowly started counting to 30, careful to maintain his form. Neville rolled his eyes. “Are you going to shoot?” Rinda glared at Neville. “Lord Neville, in Wisconsin we take bow hunting very seriously. Please be patient while he works on his arm strength and form as we get started. I thought this was supposed to be a fun way for you to show us how the nobility hone their archery skills?” Henry was ignoring them the entire time, focused on his target. He released the bow and it easily hit the center of the target. Bastien was beaming with pride. “Henry, great job!” Rinda was also bursting with pride, but she tried not to show it. “You did a great job with your form, Henry. I’m proud of you.” And you beat Neville’s ass. Fuck yeah, that’s my son! Henry gave both of them a smile and a thumb’s up. Now it was Rinda’s turn, and she took the bow in her left hand and drew back with her right. She held her form for 30 seconds, calmly focusing on her target. Bastien could see that she closed her left eye and focused on the target but then she opened both eyes, trying to maintain her aim. She closed her left eye one more time and made a slight adjustment before she released the arrow. It pierced the target next to Henry’s arrow. Bastien glanced at Rinda, who was ignoring him, and then Olivia, who was obviously hiding a smirk. Olivia calmly turned to Neville. “Why don’t we up the stakes. Let’s say 30 yards?” When the target was ready, Henry went first. He looked at the target for a few seconds, getting used to how small the bullseye looked in comparison. Rinda knelt down by him. “Just focus on your form and counting. It’s the same target, but just a little further away. Duchess Olivia wants to challenge us, and that’s a good thing. We’re just having fun, right?” Henry smiled and nodded. He drew back the bow and silently counted, just like his grandpa and dad taught him to do when they practiced. It was important to get your muscles used to holding back the bow for so long, because you never knew how long you might have to do that when you were actually hunting, waiting for the deer to get close enough. He released the arrow and it whistled through the air, landing just above the bullseye. Bastien grinned and walked over to tousle his hair. “Nicely done. How do you usually practice back home?” Henry smiled, obviously loving Bastien’s praise. “We usually do a 3-D deer, and you can tell if you have a lung or heart shot. We also practice from our tree stands, blind spots, kneeling down. Stuff like that. Sometimes we play follow the leader with my uncles and mom’s cousins. That’s when the person in charge tells you what to shoot at, and you have to use the same pose as the leader. But we use blunts because we start practicing in summer, before the season starts.” Henry puffed out his chest with pride. “I’ve already hit a pine cone at 20 yards. And we have a friend who actually bow fishes. She’s really hard core and awesome.” Olivia arched a brow and knelt down by Henry. “I can tell you have the heart of a Nevrakis. You are always welcome at Lythikos to practice. I’d also like you and your mom to join us for a hunt. But do you know how to field dress a large animal?” Henry scrunched his nose. “Do you mean ‘field gutting’?” Olivia nodded, and Henry smiled. “Yes, of course! In our family you aren’t allowed to go hunting unless you can do that. And we always save the deer hearts because our schools use them for science classes—dissecting them. We butcher and package the meat, and I help with that too. And I know a lot of ways to cook venison.” Olivia nodded with approval. “Then we will do all of that. I can even teach you to shoot a flaming arrow. How does that sound?” Henry grinned. “Pretty bad ass. That would be awesome.” Rinda looked at her son with pride, knowing Duchess Olivia only gave her praise to the people who truly earned it. Neville went next and again he quickly aimed, this time his arrow landing below the entire target. Henry gave Lord Neville an encouraging smile. “You did a really good job, Lord Neville. The first time I tried shooting from so far away my arrow didn’t even go far enough. Maybe instead of using recurve bows we could do compound bows? I think those are a lot easier to aim. Or maybe there’s another bow with more tension? That helps me with longer distances.” Bastien and Rinda locked eyes and smiled at how funny it was that Henry was politely trying to help Neville. When it was Rinda’s turn she took a deep breath and pulled back, counting for sixty seconds. This time she kept her left eye closed the entire time, and she hit the bull’s eye again, secretly breathing a sigh of relief when she realized the arrow hit its mark. Rinda looked over to Olivia, who discreetly nodded and then commanded the targets to be moved. “40 yards.” Rinda looked over at Henry. “Do you want to try it again, just to see how it goes?” Henry nodded. He notched his arrow, focused on his form, and released the arrow. It was several inches to the upper right of the bulls eye, but it did land within the target. Rinda gave him a high five. “That’s really good, Bug. That’s twice the distance of the first target and the arrow got all the way there.” Bastien hugged Henry and whispered that he would take them to Lythikos for more practice. He didn’t realize how good Henry was at archery. Neville went next, but his form was becoming even sloppier. The arrow didn’t even fly far enough to reach the target, and he threw down the bow in frustration. Olivia arched her brow. “Lord Neville, would you prefer a different bow?” Neville snorted with disgust, but Rinda looked over to Olivia. “Actually, may I use a different one?” Olivia nodded and motioned for Rinda to pick one. A left-handed one. And now Rinda held the bow in her right hand and drew back with her left, holding the pose for 30 seconds. And this time she was able to keep both eyes open, focused on the target. When she released the arrow it landed in the bullseye, and Bastien whistled under his breath. Rinda turned to Olivia with a playful grin. “I may not be from Lythikos, but Wisconsin girls can hold their own.” Olivia smiled. “I never doubted you.”   Bastien was looking in shock at the two ladies, and Rinda explained. “I actually borrowed the bow and arrows from Duchess Olivia. She refused to loan me any Nevrakis weapons until I proved myself. When she realized I knew the difference between a recurve and compound bow I began telling her about my hunting experiences growing up, and somehow we got to talking about Neville, and then we sort of had this planned in case he started being an ass to me. I was practicing a few days ago, so I could figure out the sights with this right-handed bow. But the Duchess promised that she’d also have a left-handed bow for me today.” Rinda grinned at Olivia. “Thanks for that, by the way. I wouldn’t have made the 40-yard target if I did it right-handed.” Bastien was just shaking his head. His Tria was a force to be reckoned with. Olivia smiled at two of them and then she began explaining to Henry how the children in Lythikos practiced their hunting skills. And when Rinda turned to Bastien he was looking at her with pride. “Tria, you’re ambidextrous?” Rinda blushed. “Only with shooting a bow and shotgun. My dad is left-handed, and he’s the one who taught me. I’m also left-eye dominant, so it made sense for me to start left-handed. But Jameson is the one who taught me to fire a handgun, so that I do right-handed. But I’m not that great because I always want to close my left eye to help me aim. That’s a big reason I’m so afraid of amateurs with guns. I’m nowhere close to having the control necessary even for basic concealed carry. If I were armed, I’d do more harm than good in an active shooter scenario.” “Would you like me to practice with you? I can help you with cross-dominant shooting.” Rinda’s face lit up. “I’d love that--thank you! But just so you know, I haven’t fired a handgun since Jameson died. I’ve done a couple active shooter scenarios with props, but not the real thing. So it’s perfect that you’d be the one to help me because you’re so patient with everything. I think I need to start by just holding an unloaded gun for awhile, to be honest.” Bastien gave Rinda a tender smile as he cupped her face and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. “You’ll be fine. And yes, I promise to be patient and help you through it.” Rinda briefly closed her eyes, enjoying his touch, before she slowly opened them again. Bastien was grinning at her. “You’re a spitfire, Tria. And I love you for it.” Then he leaned down to kiss her.

[symphonicshakespeare]

Program Notes from Ever-Fixed Mark: A Senior Voice Recital

An Introduction

Last year, I presented a junior lecture recital entitled “Symphonic Shakespeare”, a study of the adaptations of playwright William Shakespeare’s texts into western Classical music. It only made sense that I should continue learning about the ways in which his timeless narratives and characters were rewritten, redefined, or interpreted by the music in which they were set. This recital aims to address the role of the soprano, which I have come to find in many contexts represents the love interest. It is no secret that Shakespeare’s writing embodies a type of romance, eroticism, and affection that shapes the way we as a society approach and understand relationships. Aside from understanding the significance of adaptation, then, this recital is to showcase the multifaceted and complex concept of “love”.

About the title: “Ever-Fixed Mark” is taken from Sonnet 116, in which he writes: “Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds, / Or bends with the remover to remove. / O no! it is an ever-fixed mark,” (116: 2-8). I thought it was fitting, as all of the songs on the program have to do with love or some shape of it, to name my recital. Additionally, written notation, music itself is but an ever-fixed mark, bound to exist so long as the score, or even the melody from rote, is maintained.

“It was a lover and his lass”

The arts have intertwined for as long as they’ve existed as a means of expression—and in the English Renaissance, especially on the stage of the Elizabethan theatre, so they did. “It was a lover and his lass” was a diegetic (meaning the music was a witnessed part of the performance) number in Act V, scene III of As You Like It, sung by one of the pages to the betrothed Audrey and Touchstone. In the scene, Touchstone expresses dislike of the song, as it represents little of actual love; its lyrics are ridiculous, overall, it’s silly, and there’s really no substance—but the music, just as love itself, is beautiful despite the frivolity of the antics happening lyrically.

Thomas Morley (1557-1602) was an English renaissance secular and sacred composer, singer, organist, and publisher, probably most renowned today for his madrigals (secular a cappella pieces for six to eight voices). He published this tune in his anthology, First Book of Ayres, in 1600. It contained English songs for voice and lute, and although it cannot be confirmed that this version of the song was used in the production that William Shakespeare would have presented at the Globe, it is known that Morley and Shakespeare, two creative contemporaries, did not collaborate accidentally.

“If Music Be The Food of Love”

Following his death, Shakespeare’s works (as well as those of other authors) were disseminated into spin-offs and retellings by other playwrights and publishers. His portfolio edition of these stories would disappear from the repertoire, but nonetheless influenced English literature and drama for centuries to come.

Colonel Henry Heveningham (1651-1700) created a text, adapted from Duke Orsino’s opening dialogue in Twelfth Night I.i.1-15 as he laments to his attendant Curio about his failed attempts at wooing the fair Olivia. Compare the original text to the lyrics below:

Although it certainly comes from the same place (Duke Orsino’s desperate, fascinated appetite for a humanistic satisfaction be it tangible or expressed through creative means) it’s obviously different. The latter, by Heveningham, is written as a ballad, between two lovers, instead of an address.  Henry Purcell sets this strophic text with word painting, the longing emphasised by a melody that slowly climbs the staff with accompanying crescendo, that eventually falls dramatically at the end of the verse, relinquishing itself to the accompaniment and too, hypothetically, the object of the serenade.

“O, let me weep,” from The Fairy Queen

The Fairy Queen is another example of Shakespeare’s work being adapted after his death. This particular semi-opera, first performed in 1692, is based on Midsummer Night’s Dream—in the spoken moments, the original text remains unchanged, but Henry Purcell (1659-1695) and his librettist Elkanah Settle (1648-1724) change some of the text in ‘masques’, or musical scenes prompted by magical, supernatural, or drunken characters, to fit seventeenth-century dramatic conventions. “O, let me weep”, or as it is more commonly called, ‘The Plaint’ is one of these masques. It was written after the opera had already premiered, as a kind of showcase piece for countertenor or soprano performer—superstars in their own right during the Baroque era.

The Baroque era was the last period in which English composers held strong relevance until the turn of the twentieth century, compared to their continental contemporaries. Henry Purcell was a powerhouse in this regard; he was proficient in various styles of counterpoint yet mainly championed the English Baroque style in his works, composed in both sacred and secular genres with substantial popularity, and also composed for theatre and opera.

“V’adoro, pupille” from Giulio Cesare

Shakespeare wrote the historical drama Julius Caesar in Spring of 1599. The political tensions in England were high, as Queen Elizabeth reached the end of her reign. Subjects of republicanism versus monarchy were circulating, and to depict the killing of a king would be tantamount to treason. However, by using Plutarch’s Lives as his source material, an author that Queen Elizabeth I studied, he effectively avoided the threat of creative persecution. In the eighteenth century, however, the subject of a political history was ripe for opera seria—and librettist Nicola Francesco Haym (1678-1729) created Giulio Cesare in Egitto with Georg Frederic Händel (1685-1759) for the Royal Academy of Music in 1724 during the composer’s tenure at the English court. It was a relatively successful work, and one of Händel’s more (if not most) well known Italian operas to date.

Her presence may be more pertinent in the related Shakespearean tragedy, Antony and Cleopatra, but in Händel’s opera, Cleopatra’s affairs are everything but ignored. In this aria, she admires the young, handsome Julius Caesar, lamenting their never to be love, as she’s far past her courting years:

Fünf Lieder WoO post. 22 (Ophelia-Lieder)

The German translations of many of Shakespeare’s plays appeared in the early 19th century, sparked by Schlegel-Tieck’s publication. Among other composers to set Shakespeare’s works, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) approached the setting of Ophelia’s songs in a really interesting way by honouring the sing-song style of the text and folly and falter of rhythm in her speeches, and too had a particular choice of harmonic language. He uses very basic piano accompaniment that resembles a kind of pastorale Renaissance style—in the first and second songs, simpler, lute-like voicings and strophic melodies in the soprano. In the third setting, “Auf Morgen its Sankt Valentin’s Tag,” we hear an off-kiltered compound duple meter that almost feels like the pillars of a village dance. In the fourth and fifth songs, Brahms alludes to a sort of chorale or hymn form, but more notably uses a mixture of modes (variations of scales) between A-flat major and its relative minor key of F. This simple relationship ties together more antiquated musical forms and the Romantic style, which nineteenth-century composers defined with manipulations of harmony and tonal center.

The english translation given is not a direct interpretation of the German lyrics, rather the original text from Hamlet Act IV scene v, lines 23-26, 29-33, 48-55, 165-187, and 190-201, respectively.

“Je veux vivre,” from Roméo et Juliette

The stage of the French grand opera is the perfect setting for the melancholic story of the teenage star-crossed lovers. After his major success, Faust, Charles Gounod (1818-1893) and his librettists, Jules Barbier (1825-1901) and Michel Carré (1821-1872) premiered the opera at the Théâtre Lyrique Impérial du Châtelet, Paris in April 1859, and it rose to great success with over three hundred performances in the first eight years of its lifetime.

Juliette’s aria is a testament to teenage life and fleeting crushes. The viennese waltz setting is fitting for the scene in Act I, when all of the characters are meeting at the Capulet estate for her birthday. Juliette’s whimsy enchants Roméo, and all present. The foreshadowing in the lyrics is exquisite.

“Orpheus with his lute”

Oddly enough, the fervent revival of Shakespeare in the nineteenth century continued well into the following years—as theatres continued to perform his work, it was picked up and circulated. British composers especially, such as Roger Quilter, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Benjamin Britten, among others, sought to honour and redefine their nation’s artistic heritage in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was influenced heavily by Tudor music and brought elements of English folk song into his operas, ballets, religious music, and symphonies. “Orpheus with his lute” is an example of a neo-classical (twentieth century interpretations of Classical or eighteenth century compositional styles) reimagining of Patience’s song from Act III scene I of Henry VIII. The 1901 score is the first of two settings by Williams of the same text.

“Falling in love with love” from Boys from Syracuse

Boys from Syracuse is a 1938 musical by Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) with book by George Abbott (1887-1995) based on A Comedy of Errors. Adriana sings this tune in Act I, while recanting the stories of her romance with her husband to her sewing circle. Love, although promising, isn’t always as it seems. Rodgers used the dance form, the waltz in particular, to set the ‘mood’ of romance and anticipatory or longing emotions. In the age of Musical Theatre composition, the use of these subliminal musical association works to create further drama and ironic or comedic juxtaposition.

The collaboration between Rodgers and Hart was short-lived, and the pair had a falling out—not romantically, but the song holds as a testament perhaps not only to Adriana’s woes, but too their professional relationship.

“The Star Crossed Lovers”(“Pretty Girl”)

“Star Crossed Lovers” is a track on the album Such Sweet Thunder by Duke Ellington and his orchestra, released by Columbia records in 1957. The album is a twelve-part instrumental suite based on Shakespeare’s works, inspired by a visit to a Festival happening at the same time as their Stratford, Ontario performance by the band leader, Duke Ellington (1899-1974), and his arranger, Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967). The album was written in three weeks and performed the next year at the festival.

Interestingly enough, aside from the Morley piece, this is the only selection on the recital that doesn’t necessitate or originate from a gendered performance; rather, it can be interpreted by any singer, as long as it is addressed to the subject of the ballad, “pretty girl”. Strayhorn was an out member of the LGBTQ+ community, and in a small effort to display how not only musical styles but also social ideas changed, I wanted to include it (and this interpretation) on the program.

For full bibliographic references, or to see the project at large, visit symphonicshakespeare.tumblr.com

[silkclient90-blog]

The 25 Best Ships Ever on Freeform

Here at TV Guide, we love love more than just about anything. Half the reason we watch TV is to stare at two beautiful idiots as they gaze adoringly into each other's eyes, and the other half is to get the cathartic release of second-hand heartbreak when they break up because the course of true love never did run smooth.

Maybe that's why we're so obsessed with Freeform and its many millennial-targeted TV shows. When it comes to shipping and romance, Freeform has the best of the best, whether it's a forbidden romance between a Shadowhunter and a Downworlder or the sex-positive romance between two journalists trying to make it in New York City.

With so many amazing ships to chose from, it's hard to know which one is best, but TV Guide editors Megan Vick and Lindsay MacDonald put their heads together to come up with a definitive ranking of the best 25 Freeform ships! Can you guess who took the number one spot?

Discover Your New Favorite Show: Watch This Now!

25. Daphne & Wilke (Switched at Birth)

Daphne (Katie LeClerc) had a variety of love interests over the course of Switched at Birth, but the one that made our hearts flutter the most for her was Wilke (Austin Butler). It was a typical case of getting the do-gooder to loosen up a little and make the reckless prankster realize he didn't need to write himself off the way that everyone else had. These two had really great potential, but Wilke pushed it just a little too far and got himself sent off to military school instead of proving that he and Daphne had a teen love for the ages.

24. Maddie & Wes (Recovery Road)

It is inadvisable to start a relationship when you are in rehab, but if you're going to do it, pick a hottie like Wes (Sebastian De Souza)! Recovery Road lasted just one season, so Maddie (Jessica Sula) and Wes didn't get to reach their full potential, but the time they did spend together was electric, complicated and heartbreaking — the stuff all the best ships are made of.

23. Ryn, Maddie & Ben (Siren)

Bear with us on this one. Love triangles are great fun, but honestly, they're getting a little tired. As a siren, Ryn's (Eline Powell) sexuality is very fluid (sorry, couldn't resist that pun), and she seems to have developed a deep love for both Maddie (Fola Evans-Akingbola) and Ben (Alex Rowe) during her time on land. In fact, she's even kissed them both! It's easy to understand how that might cause tension in Maddie and Ben's relationship, but wouldn't it just be so much better for everyone if they all just decided to be together? Fans are already shipping this polyamorous relationship, and so are we!

22. Paige & Rainer (Famous in Love)

For Paige ( Bella Thorne), the well-intentioned (and slightly naive) ingenue, there was really no better love interest than Rainer (Carter Jenkins), the emotionally vulnerable bad boy with big eyes and bigger hair. Sure, they didn't quite manage to make it across the "happily ever after" finish line before the show was canceled, but given that Season 2 ended with a Rage studio lot kiss, we're going to pretend they just road that bike straight off into the sunset together afterward.

21. Riley & Danny (Baby Daddy)

We know there are Riley (Chelsea Kane) and Ben (Jean-Luc Bilodeau) shippers out there — and that their chemistry was undeniable — but Riley and Danny (Derek Theler) were meant to be together. And Danny was the one who ended up putting a ring on it. He was always the one who Riley made her way back to, and they made a beautiful family together.

20. Callie & Aaron (The Fosters)

The Fosters was no stranger to breaking ground, and Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Aaron's (Elliot Fletcher) relationship was no different. They had the first sex scene between a cis-gendered female lead and a trans man on television. But more than breaking representation boundaries, Callie and Aaron are on this list because they challenged each other in the best ways. Aaron did his best to try and stop Callie from getting into trouble, like when she would ride in cars with murderers or accidentally become a prostitute for a minute. He showed her there were better, smarter ways to fight for what you believe in. He's a large part of the reason why Callie ended up becoming a lawyer and thus their relationship will always hold a special place in our hearts.

What That Good TroubleCliffhanger Means for Callie's Romantic Future

19. Cameron & Kirsten (Stitchers)

When you grow up believing you are essentially allergic to feelings and then get a job where you start taking on the last emotions of the dead, it's only natural that your new potential for empathy would lead to a workplace affair! That sentence probably made no sense, but Stitchers was an out there kind of show. The moral of the story is that Kirsten (Emma Ishta) didn't know how to feel for anyone, but working with Cameron (Kyle Harris) in the Stitchers program helped her to become a better person. Once she got the hang of the whole feelings thing, they developed quite the compelling workplace romance, which often meant invading other people's minds to save each other. Yeah, it's still a weird show.

18. Zoey & Luca (grown-ish)

Zoey (Yara Shahidi) had three suitors at the end of Season 1, but she inevitably chose the guy who never wanted her to be anything but herself. Yeah, Luca (Luka Sabbat) is the epitome of chill, but it's obvious that Zoey brings out a spark in him that only art can. He keeps her grounded when she starts spinning out of control, and let's face it, you are never going to see another couple this straight-up beautiful together.

17. Jane & Pinstripe (The Bold Type)

Ah, the ever-changing, ever-frustrating love/hate relationship that is Janestripe. These two crazy kids can't ever seem to get on the same page with each other, but their chemistry is so electric that it sometimes barely matters. As a young writer in need of a mentor, it's obvious why Jane (Katie Stevens) fell for Pinstripe's (Dan Jeannotte) worldly, witty ways. Now if they can just manage to spend some quality time together without drama blowing up their lives, they could totally be endgame

16. Simon & Maia (Shadowhunters)

Though there is a special place reserved in our hearts for Sizzy, there's no denying that Maia (Alisha Wainwright) and Simon (Alberto Rosende) are good for each other in very important ways. As a young adult who already went through the whole "I got turned into a supernatural monster, what now?" thing, Maia was a great, stabilizing influence on Simon, and Simon obviously helped Maia heal from some old (and still very open) wounds from her relationship with Jordan. Though we don't think this is a romance for the ages, there's something to be said for loves that come around just at the right time.

Shadowhunters: What Is The Praetor?

15. Gabby & Josh (Young and Hungry)

As unlikely a duo as Gabby ( Emily Osment) and Josh (Jonathan Sadowski) were, they somehow managed to eke out a happy ending that was both hilarious and touching. What made this dysfunctional couple so entertaining to watch is that even though they were both so crazy (and both so prone to making a mess of their own lives), his crazy somehow managed to fit perfectly together with her crazy. It was a modern-day love story for the accident-prone and socially awkward!

14. Tyrone and Tandy (Marvel's Cloak & Dagger)

Tyrone (Aubrey Joseph) and Tandy (Olivia Holt) haven't gotten romantic yet on Marvel's Cloak & Dagger, but they're called the Divine Pairing for a reason, and that's because the fates want them to be together as much as we do. They come from different worlds, but they understand each other on a level that no one else they know can touch. The chemistry is undeniable, and it's only a matter of time before saving the world by uniting their powers is going to cause them to unite in other ways. When it happens we know it's going to be just as explosive as light and dark coming together.

13. Jesus & Emma (The Fosters)

When it comes to making progress in a relationship, there are few ships on this list that can compete with Jesus and Emma. They were very young when they first fell in love, but they still developed a bond that saw them through wrestling fights, traumatic brain injuries and long-distance relationships during college. Jesus (Noah Centineo) showed Emma (Amanda Leighton) how to have a good time and that not everything had to be about school and grades. Meanwhile, Emma helped Jesus see the potential in himself that might have gone undiscovered if they hadn't fallen for each other. After six years together through their adolescence, they broke up to have adult relationships with other people. It was a good, level-headed decision, but there's still a strong hope they'll find their way back to each other — maybe on Good Trouble?

12. Sutton & Richard (The Bold Type)

Dating an older guy is always complicated, but dating an older guy who also happens to be on the board of the magazine where you work? That's a sticky situation if ever there was one. Richard (Sam Page) and Sutton (Meghann Fahy) have had their ups and downs, but ultimately their relationship is too strong to be cowed by judgy interns or age gaps. Just you wait, they'll be New York City's most lovable power couple in no time!

The Bold Type Cast Is Totally Down for a Musical Episode

11. Spencer & Toby (Pretty Little Liars)

This one is for the nerd lovers out there. Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and Toby (Keegan Allen) were probably the most stable of the Pretty Little Liar couples — as stable as you can be when you're being stalked by a manipulative sociopath — and their couple hobbies included reading and playing Scrabble. And you know, trying to one-up the aforementioned sociopath. Even with the insanity, it was easy to see these two sharing coffee and doing the New York Times crossword puzzle together on a Sunday afternoon.

10. Callie & Brandon (The Fosters)

Listen, we know they were adopted brother and sisters, but that wasn't always the case! You knew at the beginning of The Fosters that Brandon (David Lambert) and Callie were meant to be together. That belief was so strong that a Brallie reunion was even teased in the show's series finale, but ultimately Callie's need for a family was greater than her need for Brandon as a boyfriend. Still, he was one of the first people to show her that she could trust others and made her feel like she belonged in the Adams-Foster household. Who knows if Callie would have stayed at the house and become the well-adjusted adult she became if Brandon wasn't her first love. For that reason, we can (mostly) overlook the overlap of their relationship with the adoption proceedings.

9. Aria & Ezra (Pretty Little Liars)

Ezria gets points for being the OG ship of Pretty Little Liars, but they also lose points for being problematic AF. Sorry, there's no way to slice this to make it OK for an adult English teacher to sleep with a 16-year-old student. Knowing he purposefully seduced her in order to write a book about her best friend's disappearance only makes things worse. However, when Aria did become of age, the chemistry between the two was undeniable. They were ride-or-die until the end of the show, which is all we can ask for from a best ship, even with a bit of scandal on the side.

8. Simon & Izzy (Shadowhunters)

Izzy (Emeraude Toubia) and Simon have both had other romances since Shadowhunters premiered, but that doesn't mean Sizzy hasn't always been in the back of our minds. Even as a vampire and a Shadowhunter, Simon and Izzy have built a beautiful friendship on a foundation of trust, and they've pretty much become each others' rock at this point. If we're all very good and hold our breaths at the exact same time, romance might just be on the horizon for these two as we head into the final run of Shadowhunters. They've got to be endgame, right?

Shadowhunters Cast Reacts to #SaveShadowhunters Campaign

7. Hanna & Caleb (Pretty Little Liars)

Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) were the epitome of opposites attract. She was the aspiring fashionista who yearned to belong and he was the hacker outsider who hated fitting in. It made no sense that they should want to be together, but once sparks flew between the two, you knew they couldn't be with anyone else. They tried a few times, of course, but at the end of the day Hanna and Caleb were like two magnets that couldn't be kept apart. It's for the best because who else was going to put up with their wiseass comments but the other one?

6. Emily & Allison (Pretty Little Liars)

Pretty Little Liars took its sweet time giving its most dedicated fans the ship they yearned for the most, but at the end of the day, Emily (Shay Mitchell) and Alison (Sasha Pieterse) found their way back to one another and started a family! That's the most normal kind of happy ending anyone on this show could hope for. While Emily was prone for falling for any wayward lesbian who made their way through Rosewood, her heart was always drawn to Alison. And it was only when Alison was able to come to grips with her own feelings for Emily that we felt like we could truly trust her.

5. Clary & Jace (Shadowhunters)

Clary (Katherine McNamara) and Jace (Dominic Sherwood) have been on a bit of a whirlwind, haven't they? Their immediate connection and chemistry was put on hold for a while during the brief period they thought they were actually brother and sister (we're still having nightmares about that, BTW), but eventually they found out it was OK for them to bang. And it's a good thing too, because it's hard not to want two people so perfect for one another and so deeply in love to be together. If Clace isn't endgame, we'll cry ourselves to sleep every night for the rest of the year.

4. Kat & Adena (The Bold Type)

Kat ( Aisha Dee) and Adena (Nikohl Boosheri) have had their issues on The Bold Type, but that's part of what makes their love story so wonderful to watch. Kat is still learning about her sexuality and Adena selflessly gave her the freedom and the trust to do that, knowing how important that journey is for a young woman. In return, Kat recognized that though their relationship was good for Adena romantically, it may not be so great for her artistically. It takes a lot for a person to realize that your partner's happiness and passions have to come first sometimes, even if it could put your relationship in jeopardy. Even if this ultimately leads to a breakup, it's so nice to see two hot, badass women having the emotional maturity to put their partner first, no matter what. *SOBS*

3. Stef & Lena (The Fosters)

Oh yeah, there are parents on a list of Freeform ships, and we stand by this couple wholeheartedly. The love between Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena (Sherri Saum) on The Fosters was the heart of the show. It feels weird to say that when the show premiered it was shocking to see an interracial lesbian couple raising a family on TV because over the course of five seasons the two women showed us just how powerful love can be. They had their ups and downs, from Lena's flirtation with her boss to Stef's breast cancer scare, but at the end of the day they proved that love can conquer all. Out of everyone on this list, they are the epitome of relationship goals for their bravery, vulnerability and compassion. Plus, even with five kids making them want to tear their hair out, they still found ways to keep the spice alive, and we respect that so much.

The Fosters Says Goodbye (For Now) With a Tearful Wedding and a New Chapter

2. Bay & Emmett (Switched at Birth)

Disclaimer: Bay (Vanessa Marano) and Emmett (Sean Berdy) were not together during the final season of Switched at Birth, which was the only season to actually air on the network known as Freeform. But we curated at this list, and since Switched is still technically a Freeform show, we're not ignoring its best and heartwarming ship. Bay and Emmett started out as complete opposites, but their love not only brought them together but also helped bridged the hearing and deaf communities in the show. Their romance had all the angst of a first love, but it was also emblematic of what made the show as a whole so special. The show was canceled with only enough time for the writers to write a series finale rather than a full final season arc, so while Bay and Travis (Ryan Lane) were good together, deep in our hearts we have to believe that Bay and Emmett were the true endgame.

1. Magnus & Alec (Shadowhunters)

Is it any wonder Malec tops this list as the best Freeform ship of all time? Their love story turned Shadowhunters from a binge-worthy show into a viral sensation that makes even the most diehard fandoms seem like underachievers. The electric chemistry between Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.) and Alec (Matthew Daddario) is only the tip of the iceberg here; under the surface there's a deeply devoted, unbreakable connection between two people who should have been enemies but turned into soulmates. There's simply no ship on Freeform (or possibly on TV at all) that can hold a candle to Malec, and we'll ship them until the day we die.

Source: https://www.tvguide.com/news/25-best-freeform-ships-ranked/?rss=breakingnews