WatchrTina

Here's a link to an article in Entertainment Weekly promoting the upcoming season of "Men in Kilts" https://ew.com/tv/sam-heughan-graham-mctavish-new-zealand-men-in-kilts-season-2/?utmhttps%3A%2F%2Few.com%2Ftv%2Fsam-heughan-graham-mctavish-new-zealand-men-in-kilts-season-2%2F_campaign=entertainmentweekly_entertainmentweekly&utm_content=new&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=64d5433399e3c900016cc31f&fbclid=IwAR36lpFQLotq2a3UhE7_hs5t9Gb5_iyzRLA4JpcY3ns3M4IBp7PaTnCHZsY

Here's a promo for the upcoming season of "Men in Kilts."

I just turned on the TV and the Today show is promoting an appearance by Sam later this morning. I realize that this notice is probably going to be of no use to his fans here but . . . Sam's going to be on the Today Show in the USA later this morning (Wednesday, June 7). I presume he'll be promoting the next season of "Outlander" (though he may also be promoting "Men in Kilts.") Okay I'm back. It was short and sweet and Sam managed to promote not just the upcoming seasons of "Outlander" and "Men in Kilts" (in NEW ZEALAND!), but also the latest distilled spirit that he's signed on to promote -- Sassanach Wild Scottish Gin. It will be on sale beginning June 15th. He then reiterated that "Outlander" will be back for Season 7 (an EXTENDED season of 16 episodes) on June 16 on STARZ. Hooray!! But then he noted that Season 8 (the NEXT season they film) will be the LAST. I'm sure I probably knew that before but had blocked it from my mind. But hey, that season hasn't even been filmed yet so let's focus on the season we're about to get in just over a week. HOORAY!!

Here's a wee introduction to the new cast for the coming season!

Well, I just saw an actual, prime-time advertisement (during the Today Show) for the release (finally!) of Sam's ill-fated and oft-delayed movie, "Love Again" co-starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and and Celine Dion. It looks like a schmoopy romance, which I generally detest, so I won't be going to the theater for this one, but if you're craving a dose Sam on the big screen, here's your chance. I wish Sam would get another chance in an action/adventure movie role. I think he enjoys them and I know *I* prefer them over romances.

Ditto. And even though I went straight from that re-watch into this episode, I still struggled a bit. Random thoughts: I'm happy that both couples still have each other but, damn, could the world just leave them alone for a while? Not a fan of dream sequences that masquerade as plot. I can certainly understand that they serve as a useful narrative tool to remind us of what happened in the first season, but I still don't like them. It feels like a cheat.

Sam has a new gig! https://deadline.com/2023/03/starz-channel-4-greenlight-psychological-thriller-the-couple-next-door-with-eleanor-tomlinson-sam-heughan-1235312364/?fbclid=IwAR0g5IQtTn_XH07klwg03bLc9lvTX7IU82pLawis34nwK3g-7VBY6ZYX64A Note that STARZ is one of the producers and I like that they (STARZ) are continuing to give Sam opportunities above and beyond Outlander.

Here's a short video of Sam & Caitriona testing each other's Outlander knowledge (just a bit of fluff to tease us in the run-up to the new season.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQcrjlmUVFI

I'm being promoted a movie called "Love Again" starring Sam and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (and featuring Celine Dion!), but it feels like this is old news being recycled as new. Didn't this movie already come out and wasn't it originally called "Text for You?" Or was it filmed and announced but then the release was cancelled due to the pandemic? Whatever . . . a romantic comedy starring Sam Heughan is finally coming out . . somewhere. Look for "Love Again" in a theater (or on a streaming service) near you. IMDb says the release date is May 12, 2023.

A new teaser trailer for the upcoming season is out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW01U6BeMYk

Looks like Sam has a new gig but it does not appear to be airing in the USA. He has a role in the James Nesbitt-led crime drama, "Suspect," which aired in June/July 2022 in the UK (eight episodes). The UK has no problem with "one-and-done" TV drama series that tells a single story and last only a single season. They are akin to a stand-alone novel. So I presume Sam's work on this is now complete. Alas, I doubt if it will ever air on broadcast TV in the USA, but it might turn up on a streaming service.

Sam gave a brief interview to STV News. There's nothing very new here but if you are craving a dose of Sam's voice, here ya go. Sam Heughan praises ‘incredible’ mum and reveals Christmas favourites

Well the 2022 issue of People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue just arrived in the mail and I have carefully scrutinized it (SUCH a chore!) looking for pictures of Sam, as I have done every year since Outlander first started airing. Alas, I did not see Sam this year. If I'm wrong, please let me know. Now I'll just go look through the whole issue again (you know, to be sure). ETA: There is at least one "Hot Scot" in the issue. Ewan MaGregor shows up on page 62.

The late, lamented Rupert MacKenzie (a.k.a. the talented Grant O'Rourke) has resurfaced in Scotland! -- specifically in the Shetland Islands. Grant has a recurring role in season 7 of the police procedural "Shetland", which I watch via Amazon Prime Video. As I've mentioned before, Douglas Henshall (a.k.a. Outlander Season 1's Taran MacQuarrie) plays the lead role in "Shetland" -- a very good show that I've really been enjoying. Come for the murders, stay for the gorgeous scenery.

That made no sense at all for a king to grovel like that. I suppose it was to show how weak Viserys is, humbling himself in front of Corlys. Well . . . I seem to recall that the very first episode of Game of Thrones opens with the visit of a king to one of his vassal lords for the purpose of proposing a strategic marriage. The trip to Driftmark, by ship, looks like a much less complicated undertaking. Hey, I wonder if THIS king's visit to Driftmark to propose a marriage created a tradition and that's why King Robert makes the trip to Winterfell in the first episode of Game of Thrones?

Oh, thank you! You have given me hope that there IS another episode that we will see this coming week which will resolved the cliffhanger. I had previously assumed that the show-runners were going to leave us hanging for a YEAR about Tosh's fate. Based on your comment, I will gird my loins until next Tuesday and then tune in to find out what happened.

Yes it was and now I'm pissed (in the American sense, not the British sense) because I absolutely HATE cliffhangers. Also I feel like we've seen ENOUGH Tosh-in-jeopardy moments in this series. If they actually did just kill her off -- after all she's been through -- I'm really going to have to think twice about whether I want to continue watching this show.

This is minor but a character in a recent thriller wears an "Outlander" t-shirt. https://www.slashfilm.com/983542/whats-up-with-the-outlander-reference-in-the-invitation-exclusive/

Just as they have full-time groundskeepers at each of their palaces, I'm certain they have a beekeeper who tends to the hives at each location. In fact, it's probably the same guy, visiting each location in rotation as he monitors the health of the hives. He probably does the same for other land-owners who maintain hives. And bringing this topic back around to the books . . . I don't think I'd want to have to tend bees back in the 17th century with no modern bee-keeper helmet available (and no fast-acting anti-histamine available in the event of an allergic reaction.) But I can well imagine how valuable honey would be back then, especially during years when trade with the sugar plantations of the southern colonies and the Caribbean islands was disrupted by war.

In related news . . . https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11199259/Royal-beekeeper-informed-Queens-bees-HM-died-King-Charles-new-boss.html?fbclid=IwAR2JGggAkxKWQbtdn2FzyYKEBIf2VIWQ6x3O7bNg5f833LPkl-tnOe3s-EQ

Here's the commentary on this episode by the good folks at Alt-Shift-X

Here's an analysis of this episode by the good folks at New Rockstars:

This is the right question. That courtier who called him "second of his name" was committing treason in his hurry to suck up to the king. In real English history (particularly during the War of the Roses, which was the inspiration for "Game of Thrones") there were lots of noble-born boys named Henry during the reigns of the various King Henrys of England. But one doesn't get referred to as "Henry the __th" until one ascends the throne. No mere prince would be called that. The courtier in the show was openly presuming that Rhaenrya was no longer next in line to the throne, in defiance of the king's prior declaration, and thus he WAS committing treason in his hurry to suck up -- referring to the child by what he presumes will be the child's future regnal name. Furthermore, in some cultures it is tradition to NOT name a child until it has survived its first year (due to the high incidence of infant mortality.) Naming an infant is considered to be unlucky and thought of as tempting the fates. We've never heard that tradition being specifically referenced in Westeros but it's not a stretch to think that such a tradition exists there. It's reasonable that no one would have counted on an infant male heir surviving his first year (much less all the way to adulthood.) So acknowledging the male prince for having survived to his first birthday with a celebration does make sense within this fictional culture. But choosing to use the language "nth of his name" was an over-reach by the courtier who said it. That language would never have happened if the acknowledged heir to the throne was a man. That courtier was openly presuming a change in the previously-declared line of succession. (BTW, we know they call birthdays "name-days" in Westeros which, to my mind, means that baby Aegon should NOT have been named UNTIL his first birthday but, hey, I didn't get to write the script.)

Oh. Well. So much much for the "rules" of parley. (Captain Jack Sparrow would NOT approve!) But then again, Daemon is not a pirate, he's a prince. (And a cranky one at that.)

I think we have to presume that the Maesters of the Citadel have not yet discovered the secret of manufacturing Wildfire. (Or if they already know how to make it they have not yet decided to offer it up to the current king.) I seem to recall that it is during the reign of "Mad" King Aerys (a descendent of the King in this tale) that the stockpile of Wildfire is manufactured and stored.