[Hallmark Mysteries: Mysterious Small Town Hijinks Ensue - General Discussion]

I more or less enjoyed Love’s Portrait. I was happy to see different leads than are normally used, and I was thrilled that they used actual Irish actors/actresses (there have been a few Hallmark movies with a lead doing a terrible job working his/her way through a fake accent 😂).

The lead guy was a bit odd at times, and maybe too serious, but he did have a young Stuart Townsend look about him, which I enjoyed. 

The mystery around how the painting made its way to the museum was an interesting enough plot point. It was a bit silly that everyone immediately recognized museum lady as the woman in the painting, but oh well. I mean, portrait lady kind of resembled Erin Cahill as well, in my mind…

It was also a bit silly that the leads fell in love after like a week or two, but that’s typical Hallmark.

Random, but for some reason, I did not realize that Americans can drive in Ireland with their US license. When she was driving herself around, I was like, “…is that legal? 😒” (Google says it is.)

How was painting doppelgänger lady not curious about postmaster sister’s tip sending them to the church? You would think she would wonder how the sister had info that the painting ended up there??

Wish the scene in the rain had been sexier, but it’s Hallmark, so I guess that’s wishful thinking!

Enjoyable enough. Please make more movies in Ireland with Irish casts, Hallmark!

[Chesapeake Shores - General Discussion]

I'm not loving the new Margaret actress, either. She doesn't have any chemistry with the Connor actor, and truthfully, I don't think she's a very strong actress. 

Megan is the woooooooorst. I hate her so much! Going on about all the men she dated or had flings with after she abandoned her five children so she could go off and "find herself" or whatever. Lady, you suck, and you are very lucky that your ex and children still want anything to do with you.  

I'm not into Evan, I think he is a child, and it would annoy me that he probably has no idea how to deal with normal, everyday adult tasks, like laundry, cleaning, paying bills, grocery shopping, etc. 

[Book vs. Series: On The Shelf]

13 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Colin has a new look?

Facial-hair! Facial-hair!

I posted a "Season 3 Now in Production" video over in the Media thread, and the actor looks pretty much the same to me, except I think his hair looks worse. Think they might be overselling the "new look" line, LOL. Now, Penelope's hair looks different, and Eloise looks very cute in the video, IMO. 

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

Also, some info on three new male castmembers:

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Netflix‘s Bridgerton has added Daniel Francis (Stay Close), Sam Phillips (The Crown), and James Phoon (Wreck) to its Season 3 cast as filming begins in London.

Francis plays Marcus Anderson, a charismatic presence who lights up any room he enters, attracting the notice of certain matriarchs in the town — and the ire of others. Phillips plays Lord Debling, a genial lord with unusual interests. But with wealth and a noble title to back up his eccentricities, he’ll have no shortage of interest from young ladies this season. Phoon plays Harry Dankworth; what he lacks in wit and intelligence, he more than makes up for with serious good looks.

[S04.E06: Kiss From a Rose]

Wow, so the show cut the Kyle/Isobel kiss down to that tiny little moment at the end of last episode, their first hookup was shown off-screen, and now it's just going to be awkward as we wait for Isobel to acknowledge that she has real feelings for Kyle?  Thanks, I hate it!

[S04.E05: You Get What You Give]

Kyle and Isobel are pretty much the main reason I’m watching at this point. Super happy they finally kissed. I’ve been shipping them since that episode they had glitter on their faces and were dancing. Like whoa, the chemistry. I hope next episode shows more of their kiss scene. Lily Cowles (Isobel) said they majorly cut the kiss scene - she “went to town on that man,” and “there’s footage of like, eight minutes of me trying to tear the man’s clothes off.” LOL, yes, please, I’d like to see it!

[S1.E07: Summer Love]

I'm on like episode four and I don't think I want to finish this series, blah. Belly's acting like a drunken moron, knocking Susannah over and outing that her brother had hooked up with her best friend, Conrad is a moody asshole, I don't care about Steven and his debutante date (or the debutante stuff in general), and I hate that Susannah is concealing from her children that she's dying! I am mildly interested in the relationship between the other writer and Belly's mom, so I may check out those scenes, or something. Since I don't plan on continuing, could someone tell me WHY Conrad is acting like such a dick?  Thank you!

[S01.E03: Summer Nights]

Am I supposed to be rooting for Belly (I hate this nickname, BTW) and Conrad?…’Cause I’m not! He’s an asshole and comes off as creepy and controlling. That scene where he touched her hair a few episodes back and told her it was always messy like a little kid’s was majorly weird. 

[Media: Radio Frequency Transmissions]

Renewed for season 2

[Miss Scarlet and The Duke In The Media: Getting A Royal Clue]

1 hour ago, Ceindreadh said:

Season 2 starts airing on Alibi in the UK/Ireland on the 14th June. 

So lucky! (Am I going to spoil myself on Tumblr? Yes I am 😆)

[Miss Scarlet and The Duke In The Media: Getting A Royal Clue]

Season 2 has a US premiere date: October 16th on PBS. 
 

[S04.E07: Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab]

Oh man, unpopular opinion, but I am not really enjoying this season. The Vecna stuff is just too creepy/disturbing with the breaking of the bones, Max doesn’t deserve the even shitter more horrible home life she’s been saddled with, I hate that El has been isolated for a large chunk of episodes in a lab setting with “Papa,” I don’t care about most of the new characters (Eddie and the basketball players can go bye bye now), and I hate that multiple characters and the show are on the Steve/Nancy train. I don’t dislike Nancy, but she’s just Jonathan-level interesting to me (which is to say, not at all). 

Sadly, some of the younger cast have outgrown the cute kid stage (not Will, he’s still adorable).

I see a lot of dislike regarding the Hopper/Russia storyline, but I think that probably ended up being the one I was most interested in. Enzo was a good addition, and I was excited to see the Joyce/Hopper reunion. Wish it would have happened several episodes earlier, but oh well. Now if they just skip the escape scene and get everyone back to the States, I’ll be happy.

Steve is still awesome and Dustin and Steve are A+. Not sure why the show is suddenly pushing Nancy/Steve hard, though, and I am not rooting for them, LOL.

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

2 hours ago, LilJen said:

This is what we will now refer to as the "BOOBS! LILIES!" gif :)

My thought process: Is he smelling her or admiring the view?? … Why not both!🤣

[S02.E08: The Viscount Who Loved Me]

 

🤣🤣🤣

And poor Benedict has absolutely no clue that Anthony's sneaking looks at his intended's sister throughout the entire thing 🤦‍♀️

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

I hope Regé is not returning - only because I would like Daphne to disappear, LOL.

I'm not looking forward to Colin and Penelope, meh. After the first season, maybe, but I lost all interest during season two. If I pretend she is not also Lady Whistledown, then Penelope is kind and sweet and cute. But the Whistledown stuff is off putting, and Colin is a big ball of blah. Just does absolutely nothing for me. I would have happily watched Eloise or Benedict's story next season - not pleased that I am instead given my least favorite of the remaining (older) siblings.

Nicola Coughlan (Penelope) appears to have little interest in doing anything too sexy, so I guess we might not get much beyond kissing?? Frankly, I am totally OK with this, especially if it means they ramp up the Kate & Anthony sexiness.  (see here for one of multiple interviews (this one from RTÉ in Ireland) Nicola has given regarding her upcoming romance --- includes minor spoilers):

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Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment, the Galway star said, "I honestly am going to ask Shondaland for a special family friendly cut because it’s embarrassing enough watching the racy scenes I’m not in so I’m going to put a special request in in my contract for a PG version.

"There's a scene in a carriage and Penelope and Colin are sort of arguing but then it gets very romantic. It would be such a great scene in the show but the thought of filming it terrifies me.

"A little kiss and we’re good," she added. "I’ve read the books and I know that scene gets very racy. I was in a show prior to this called Harlots and I played a harlot, and my mother has never seen that show, not one scene!"

 

[Virgin River in the Media]

According to TVLine, Virgin River will return on July 20th. (The linked article includes spoilery info and photos).

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

The actress looks lovely, but meh, I was hoping Francesca would essentially disappear. I would rather use the valuable screen time on characters I'm actually invested in.

There seems to be an entire series of clips featuring Kate and Anthony in their beautiful teal ensembles. I don't know where the one below originally came from, but it reminded of the scene that prompted Edwina's "was I truly that blind" remark:

[S02.E08: The Viscount Who Loved Me]

13 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Interesting question. I think for me, the big mistake was getting all the way to the wedding day. That I firmly believed dragged the whole mess much too far. If I had any say, I would have ended things with Anthony and Edwina's engagement, when it looked very likely - after the disastrous dinner with Mary's parents. 

My god yes, this would have been much preferred! Anthony and Edwina actually making it to the alter was the number one thing I haaaated most about the season. AND it deprived me of actually getting to see, ya know, the wedding of the couple I really cared about, Anthony and Kate.

I read some interview with someone basically saying that Anthony and Kate's wedding would have paled in comparison to the extravagant wedding put on by the Queen, and that's why we didn't see it. While Anthony and Kate's wedding would have probably been completely awkward for Edwina, I'm despising the choice to not only skip it, but to also skip those first six months of their marriage as well! Like, they gave me the angst but then robbed me of all of the happy Kate/Anthony couple stuff by waiting far too long to finally allow them to be together. Ugh!  

13 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

And then proceed to spend most of the hour on "Edwina's Choice" where suddenly I guess we were being told all the power lay in Edwina's hand for what she wanted to do, despite the small fact of oh, Anthony actually didn't love her or particularly want to be married to her and oh yes, wanted her sister. 

I hated this episode, it was so ridiculous. I mean, the guy was at his own wedding, hiding in a closet with his actual love (his fiancée's sister), grasping her hand, and contemplating kissing her. Like okay, LOL, your marriage to Edwina is never going to work, just walk away.

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

From Vanity Fair: How Love Loosened Up Bridgerton’s Kate Sharma (spoilery if you haven't watched the entire season yet).

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As the season goes on, Kate transforms, both emotionally and physically, and her look changes in subtle ways. Canale [costume designer Sophie Canale] dressed Kate in jewel tones throughout the season, but started her out in heavier fabrics; as she opens up to her romance with Anthony, she adopts lighter fabrics. Bridgerton’s lead makeup designer Erika Ökvist says she also took inspiration from Kate’s Indian background by putting her hair in a braid, and often using what looked like more understated makeup than many of the other characters. “She might not be the person who will feel that she’s got the patience to sit down to do all the curls in the hair and add on some extra cream on the cheeks,” says Ökvist, who adds that although it may look understated, it wasn’t always easy to pull off. “Simple usually is the most difficult style to achieve, to make it look flawless.”

As she begins to fall in love, Kate’s hair begins to also loosen up. “This kind of earthquake of feelings that’s going on inside of her—maybe she forgets that this wisp of hair has become untucked,” says Ökvist of Kate’s mindset. And her dresses become ever-so-slightly more revealing. “There’s tiny elements in the cut of her costumes that you can see change, so we can see her become sexier in a way,” says Canale.

 

[Seen on the Promenade: Cast in Other Roles]

From Deadline, Jonathan Bailey will play Felicity Jones' boyfriend in a movie called Maria:

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and On The Basis Of Sex actress Jones will star in the title role as a young woman with a history of running from reality. Struggling to accept her age, her boyfriend’s love and her father’s indifference, Maria spots an opportunity to feel young, free and desirable at her father’s wedding, where she meets Raffy, her new stepbrother. Their obvious, if inconvenient, sexual chemistry is made worse by the news that her father has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

 

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

The lovely Simone Ashley is ELLE'S May cover star, and here they feature her in a video discussing three of her favorite scenes from the second season (the video includes show and book spoilers).  

[Miss Scarlet and The Duke In The Media: Getting A Royal Clue]

 

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

Harper's Bazaar interview with Jonathan Bailey earlier this month (contains spoilers):

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Bridgerton is subversive in the way that the intimate scenes are often shot from the female gaze. What have you learned from the intimacy coordinators about the importance of consent and communication?

I think there’s something incredibly sexy about consent generally. It wasn’t scripted, [the line where] Anthony is saying to her, “I will stop, I will stop.” And that’s something that we put in the sex scene, because I think it’s really important that he is respectful and is understanding of the female, and there’s never going to be a moment where that isn’t the most important narrative point. He is obsessed with her all the way through the series, so it makes sense that it’s all about Kate’s pleasure, and it always has been, really. He sort of wants to devour her.

To be really, really honest, there was a lot more that we explored, and I think, initially, the first edit was a lot longer, and obviously there was more intimate stuff in Episode 8. But I think it’s perfect the way that it’s earned. [Bridgerton] is sex positive—it’s got incredible characters that are groundbreaking and empowering—and to be able to be a part of a sex scene that is highly erotic, but also completely consented to and balanced, is what it’s all about.

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What do you remember from your chemistry read with Simone?

Simone is phenomenal and this working relationship is so unique. It was evident straight away. As soon as they said, “When you’re ready…” [in the chemistry read], we just locked in. We were doing it with [casting director] Kelly Hendry in the room, and all of Shondaland on Zoom. We sat facing each other on a wiped clean sofa, and it was all a bit sort of sterile in a really big room in the middle of a pandemic, and yet it immediately felt like we were at home. And I think that’s so true for Kate and Anthony—they feel at home together, and that’s why he’s so obsessed and curious about what he feels when he’s around her.

I remember in the car, on the way home, I spoke to Chris Van Dusen, and he was like, “What do you think?” And I just said, “Yeah, that’s it. That’s Kate.” But I think they all well and truly knew that anyway, because there were no other actresses that I read with. Their search was long and extensive, but I just think they always knew that Simone was gonna be the one and they just needed to wrestle her out of her contract, which I’m sure is the first of many times that’s gonna happen in her career.

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I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you about your Pride and Prejudice moment in Episode 5, when you fell in the lake like Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the BBC miniseries. What was it like to shoot that sequence, and more importantly, how do you make it look sexy and not look like a wet dog?

[Snip] And then the jacket was incredibly heavy, which hadn’t been factored in, but what had been factored in was the transparency of the shirt. I remember in the fitting, there were a couple of shirts that I tried on, and they had one of those sort of house plant spritzers to spritz me down to see how much chest hair you can see through it.

 

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

😱 Oh my gosh, from Jonathan Bailey in an interview with Hot Press (contains spoilery photos if you haven't watched the entire season yet):

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Did any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions have to be edited out?

“Yes! The fencing sequence between Anthony, Colin and Benedict,” Jonathan laughs. “The costumes are incredible, and as men, we’re not going to complain about restrictive clothing when women are in corsets. That being said, the fencing outfits were quite tight in embarrassing places. Going in for my final lunge with Benedict my crotch ripped, and it was all on camera. It’s in those moments where you suddenly realise we’re being filmed by four different cameras. I just wanted to scream. There are lots of complications along the way, it’s never quite as slick as you think. It is amazing what you can do in a basement in the edit. Thanks, Chris!”

 

[Bridgerton In Media: Bodice Ripped From the Headlines]

Very cute behind the scenes video of the cast and crew just being generally silly. Even has some Austin the corgi (who plays Newton) interaction with Simone.