#considering keeley is based on her | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

uneditedidiot · 10 months

Text

i can see you - jamie tartt x reader

i can see you - jamie tartt x reader

jamie tartt x gn!reader

summary: Jamie can’t stop imagining you pressed up against the wall and his mouth on yours…will he act on it? Based off the song I Can See You by Taylor Swift from Speak Now Taylor’s Version.

word count: 1.4k

Warnings: COULD be considered NSFW so maybe MDNI (18+) just in case, implied smut, Jamie pining after you, language

A/N: I started this the day Speak Now TV came out, but I didn’t get the chance to finish it until now cause I was moving and didn’t have internet. This gets a LITTLE spicy, so enjoy. :) also THIS GIF 👀

’Cause I can see you waiting down the hall from me

And I could see you up against the wall with me

And what would you do?

Baby, if you only knew

That I can see you

Well…Jamie was fucked.

You stood down the hall from him talking with Keeley about the big press conference coming up for the team, making sure you’d scheduled everything for the boys that you needed to.

Jamie couldn’t hear the conversation, just stood gazing at you with a soft expression by the water fountain. He’d told himself that staring probably wasn’t the best idea, as you had a rule that you didn’t date people on the team, but he couldn’t help himself. Everything you did, everything you said, even how you moved…he was hopelessly in love with you.

He had imagined this scenario at least a hundred times. You’d walk down the hall to him. He’d wrap his arms around you, one hand on the back of your neck, the other on the small of your back, and pull your lips to his. Then you’d slide your hands up over his shoulders, reciprocating the passionate kiss, and he’d walk you slowly backwards so that you were pressed against the wall at the mercy of his hands and mouth. And that’s where you would stay; bodies pressed together in a way that made you both want each other even more, ready to find an empty room at a moments’ notice. Then after you’d both spent at least an hour (if not more) drawing pleasurable experience out of pleasurable experience out from each other, you’d both confess your love for the other.

He shook himself out of this enchanting imaginary moment when he saw you laugh at something Keeley said, pat her shoulder, and start walking down the hall towards him.

“Fuck,” he hissed as he noticed you notice him staring. He spun quickly on his heel, pretending to fill up his already full water bottle.

He heard your footsteps approaching, then silence as you came to a halt in front of him.

“Uh, you realize your bottle is already full, right?” you teased.

He glanced up, stopping the spout from sending more filtered water cascading over his hands into the drain. He felt his cheeks grow warm.

“Erm, can’t ever be too hydrated,” he heard himself stutter. “Coach Lasso is always gettin’ on me to drink more water, so…here I am doing that.”

You wrinkled your eyebrows in a confused smile, which sent butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. You were just so cute…

“Ted wanted me to let you know that he’s going to call you up to talk about your assists this month,” you told him. “And Roy wants to talk to you in his office after the conference. Something about…” You checked your phone, frowning in puzzlement. “...Uncle’s Day?”

“Shit,” he cursed. He averted his eyes bashfully. “Yeah, I might’ve…intruded a little on Phoebe’s holiday with him.”

You rolled your eyes good naturedly. “Oh come on, you know Roy. He acts like he’s some untouchable, rough-and-tumble, aggressive bear, but on the inside, he’s like a cute, angry little duck.”

Jamie let out a huge laugh. He was afraid it might have sounded too eager or loud. The self-conscious, nagging voice in his brain told him that it was dumb to laugh like that at such a small joke.

But you clearly enjoyed that he found your joke amusing. Your face went slightly pink, looking almost a little embarrassed.

“Should I tell Roy you’ve just compared him to a duck?” he joked.

You feigned an attitude but your smile was evident. “Alright. Go ahead. What would he do? Yell at me? He does that anyways.”

“Yellin’ is that man’s love language, I swear.”

“What’s yours?”

His breath caught in his throat. “What?”

You held his gaze confidently, eyes darkening slightly as you asked yet again, “What’s your love language?”

Jamie’s heart was stuttering. His brain had needed a moment to catch up to what you were asking.

“I, erm…” he stammered. His eyes bounced around, not able to meet yours. “For meself, it’s probably…eh, physical touch and, uh, words of affirmation.”

He finally was able to make eye contact. You clearly were paying attention, nodding as he finished speaking.

Jamie decided to be just as bold. “I told you mine, so you tell me yours.”

You smiled back. “Physical touch and quality time.”

He smirked, flirting back. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.”

“I’d hope so,” you grinned, patting him lightly on the chest. Then without another word, you walked back down the hall, glancing back a few times to make sure he was watching. His chest tingled where you’d touched him.

Oh MAN…Jamie was really fucked now. Had you been thinking of the same things?

He questioned the interaction over and over again in his mind throughout the rest of that day. He knew he was distracted, especially during the press conference. Ted had to get his attention multiple times so he could answer questions that had just been asked of him.

But after the conference was over and the work day had ended, Jamie decided to act on things.

He stood by the water fountain, waiting for you to come down the stairs to go home. He tapped the top of the cooler anxiously.

You’d both been very professional with each other up until that conversation earlier. He’d never been tempted this much to act on his feelings. He knew that if he had acted on them before, you’d have become an addiction for him, which he couldn’t afford at this point. But, again, that was before the flirty exchange about love languages earlier.

Footsteps.

There you were.

He inhaled sharply, butterflies in his stomach fluttering like mad.

He saw you appear, bag in hand, staring down at your phone as you stepped down from the last stair.

He called your name. You whipped around, puzzled. Your face lit up when you saw him.

“Jamie,” you said, “what are you still doing here? It’s like seven. I thought all the players had gone home.”

He smiled lightly, coming closer to you as he spoke. “There’s not many of us left. I think Sam and Isaac might still be here, but…I have something else I need to do before I leave.”

Your confused expression only grew. “And what’s that?”

He stopped right in front of you, faces inches apart. You made no effort to move away from him, just stared back at him. Your eyes flickered to his lips.

“This,” he replied softly.

Jamie crushed his lips to yours. The reciprocation from you was instant. You dropped your bag to the floor.

His hands wound around your body, hands caressing as much of you as possible. Your arms went up to his neck, one hand on the back of his head, the other over his shoulders.

Your mouths moved hungrily against each other, trying to feel as much of each other as possible. It was like rain had finally come after a drought. You both realized how much you’d wanted each other.

Jamie was licking into your mouth. You slid your hands to tug on the collar of his sweatsuit jacket. His fingers were tracing the sliver of skin between your t-shirt and jeans. Your whole body was on fire.

Jamie wasn’t thinking straight. He backed you into the wall of the hallway, pressing your body against his. There was no space between you at all. His knee moved between your legs, pressing up. You whined against his mouth. He smirked into the kiss and groaned.

This was exactly what he had imagined so many times before.

His lips trailed off yours down your chin and neck. He licked and bit and kissed his way to your jugular. His left hand went up the back of your shirt to trace your spine in an agonizingly delicious manner.

Your breathing was heavy, trying to find some relief on his knee as you ground down. His mouth was relentless on your neck. It was everything you’d wanted for so long.

You fiddled with the zipper of his jacket, pulling slowly down. His mouth was immediately back on yours, but he unzipped the jack quickly and slung it off.

He was only in a tank top, leaving his arms bare. You dug your fingernails into his biceps as he kissed over your jaw to behind your ear. He felt fireworks under his skin where you traced.

You let out an involuntary moan. He pulled away, grinning widely, lips still inches from yours.

“Shhhh,” he whispered. “Can’t have you alerting everyone here what we’re doin’, love. Not a sound...”

You pulled his lips to yours again.

In between kisses, you suggested hoarsely, “boot room?”

Jamie pulled back again. You could feel his breath against your chin. “Are you sure?”

You nodded, blushing, still giving him some of your signature sass. “Obviously. I wouldn’t be suggesting it if I wasn’t.”

He pecked your lips once more, grabbing your hands and immediately leading you away to the boot room to act the rest of his fantasy…and yours.

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt x gn!reader #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso (show)#ted lasso imagine #jamie tartt x y/n #jamie tartt x you #i can see you #speak now tv #i can see you imagine #uneditedidiot #ted lasso #jamie tartt fluff #jamie tartt fic

947 notes · View notes

mllersjoel · 2 months

Text

you're obsessed

Pairing: Jamie Tartt x fem!actress!reader

Warnings: swearing, no use of y/n

Summary: jamie tartt fic where he has a huge crush on an actress and sees her at a richmond event and she flirts w him he’s really shy bc he likes her but they hook up after idk

Wordcount: 1.6k

A/N: didnt manage to write any smut bc this was getting way too long teehee :D general warnings for swearing.

writing comms are open!

“Oi, Tartt! Stop stalking your actress and give me some laps,” Roy yells, shaking Jamie from his reverie. Jamie is not stalking her instagram. He’s just not; because a stalker would have notifications on as they obsessively checked their profile at least four times every minute. Jamie is only checking once every five minutes, and he doesn’t even have her notifications on. So there. Suck it, Roy.

“Fine, don’t give yourself an aneurysm,” he mutters, taking a quick minute to stretch before he’s running around the pitch. He just has a crush. That’s all. A little one. He first saw you in some thriller that came out last month, and something about you had him hooked. Initially he thought it was just the character you played, a regular yet charming civilian, pulled into the crime world. After watching (admittedly, way too many) interviews, he realised it wasn’t the character. It was you.

You with your witty remarks and comments. The way you laughed good naturedly and poked fun at your costars. The way you were clumsy and scatterbrained, in a terribly endearing way.

It didn’t help that you were also gorgeous.

So, yeah. Jamie had a slight crush. It was fine, though, because you were currently based in Los Angeles (you were in a new Marvel movie) and had no plans of coming to the UK anytime soon.

“She’s right fit, though,” Isaac says, nudging Jamie as he runs past.

Jamie feels his stomach tighten with jealousy before he catches himself. Why was he jealous? He didn’t know you and you probably didn’t even know he existed. Well, maybe you did, because he was sexy and a hot football player. Did you even watch football? Would you watch it if you knew he was in it?

Jamie remembers hearing something about a parasocial relationship from Keeley and resolves to not think about you.

At least while he was training.

***

He’s spraying on cologne in the locker room when Keeley bursts in, all smiles and pep.

“Oh. My. Fucking. God!”

“Is everything alright?” Ted asks, breaking away from Coach Beard who as far as Jamie could tell, hasn’t said anything but is managing to have a full conversation with Ted.

“You will not believe who I booked for this years’ Gala!”

Roy’s ears perk up at this as he slides into the conversation. “The Muppets?”

“No, Roy,” Keeley says, exasperated, “not the fucking Muppets. Only the hottest new actress on screen right now!”

At this point, all the boys have gathered around Keeley, jostling each other and trying to see the screen of her phone. Jamie fights his way to the front, and when his eyes focus on Keeley’s phone, he’s pretty sure his heart drops into his stomach.

It was you. There. With your smile and your eyes and your name and a headline.

You were coming to their Gala.

You.

He feels his heart drop into his stomach. This couldn’t be real. Maybe it was a mistype, or someone accidentally said they scheduled you but in reality you were on the other side of the globe. It was faked. It had to be.

He broke away from his team, practically running back to the changing rooms. Opening up your instagram, he pulled up your story. There, you had reposted the announcement.

Oh. Oh fuck.

***

On the day of the Gala, Jamie seriously considers hiring a stylist rather than just going with his gut. He needs to look good. Tonight is most probably one of the most important days of his life. His favourite actress, coming to his club’s Gala. Maybe, if he plays his cards right, you’ll bid on him.

Wait. Who was he kidding? He’s Jamie fucking Tartt. Of course you’ll bid on him. He could wear a trash bag and you’d bid on him, because he is just that fucking sexy.

Right?

He shoots a quick text to Keeley, desperate for a second opinion.

Me:

[image0.png]

thoughts? Xx

Keeley:

Ur hot babes!!

Gonna knock em dead xx

Lose the tie u look like a prick <3

He takes one last look in the mirror, running his hands through his hair. Yeah. He’s gonna show up and be so cool. He’s so cool.

***

They’re taking pictures on the carpet, and everyone can tell Jamie is not all there. He barely tells the paparazzi to take pictures of his good side, following it up with “And that’s any side.” His eyes keep darting around, every scream and shout of delight sending his stomach in knots in case you’re the one to step out of the limousine.

Maybe you just won’t show up. Maybe you were already inside.

He can’t decide which option is worse.

When he’s at the end of the carpet, about to head inside, he hears whistles and screams, different from the ones before. These sound a lot more excited, filled with more adrenaline and anticipation. Or maybe he’s just projecting.

He turns, and sure enough, you’re there.

Stunning. That’s the only thing he can think of. You smile beautifully at the photographers, working the crowd with ease. It was as if you were friends, had a solid rapport with them with the way you were conversing back and forth.

“Close your mouth. You look like a fucking basking shark,” Roy says, elbowing Jamie in the stomach.

He flinches back, giving Roy a shove in return. “Oi, what was that for?”

“You’re not gonna make a good impression with you gawking like a fucking idiot. Go say hi or something. Be fucking normal.”

Jamie sends Roy an affronted look. “I am normal, you old bastard. Just because we don’t act like how you did in the 1800s doesn’t mean I’m being an idiot.”

Roy just growls, shoving past him into the building.

Jamie takes a step forward to follow when a voice catches his attention.

“Hey! You’re Jamie Tartt, right?”

He turns on instinct, a winning smile already plastered on his face. “I’ll do autographs once—you.”

You raise your eyebrows slightly, waiting for him to go on. “Once I what?”

“You’re, um, you’re her.” He says your name, almost reverently.

Your grin widens, almost giddy. “You know who I am?”

“I follow you—” before he could say more, your manager rushes in behind you, ushering you inside. You wince at him, apologetic, before heading inside.

Jamie stands there, dumbfounded.

I follow you? That’s what he had to say? Now he really does sound like a stalker. He scrubs his hand over his face, groaning in disappointment.

He’s gonna make it up to you. He has to.

***

Inside, he sees he’s sat with Ted and Roy as well as a few other people and an empty seat next to him. He largely ignores his own table, trying to catch sight of you and not succeeding in the slightest. He huffs a sigh of annoyance, sliding into his seat.

Ted notices his glum aura, nodding sagely. “It’s the oysters, isn’t it? Because I know they have to try to make the flavour appeal to everyone but adding this much lemon is just downright insultin’.”

“It’s not the oysters, coach.”

Ted frowns. “The placemats? I was never really an eggshell white person myself but—”

“Jamie’s pining over an actress he thinks I don’t see him stalk on insta when he’s supposed to be running drills,” Roy cuts in, tired of Ted’s guessing.

“I’m not pining,” Jamie pouts, crossing his arms in a decidedly not childish way.

Before Roy could get another rebuttal out, the seat next to him is being filled, and once again he sees you, smiling at him. “Actresses are overrated,” you say, placing your napkin over your lap, “trust me.”

Jamie’s blood runs cold, convinced the universe is playing a cruel trick on him. Running into you is an absolute dream, he’d never deny that, but running into you with both Ted and Roy there? He may as well be taken out back and shot.

He must’ve been sitting there agape for too long, because before he knows it, Ted is reaching a hand over and giving yours a shake.

“Ted Lasso, it’s a pleasure to meet ya’. I absolutely loved you in that thriller that came out last June. Had me on the edge of my couch! And I know Jamie here liked it as well, he was bawling a right mess by the end of it.”

You turn to look at Jamie, and having the full force of your attention on him made him nearly choke on air. “Were you really?”

Jamie licks his lips, trying to gain some composure. “Bawling is sayin’ a lot, really. More like a reasonable cry.”

You nod along, clearly not buying it.

“I’ve been keeping up with your games this season. The goal you scored against West Ham the other day was seriously impressive. You were practically miles away from the net.”

Immediately, Jamie perked up. “You like football?”

“Well, I’m no expert, but I definitely try to watch all your games if I can.”

Jamie leans in, feeling bold and taking your hand in his. “Richmonds games? Or my games?”

You shrug. “Depends on the hair.”

He laughs, leaning back in his chair, body turned towards you. Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all.

#ari speaks #ari writes #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt #jamie tartt x you #jamie tartt x y/n #ted lasso #jamie tartt fanfiction

222 notes · View notes

wlntrsldler · 3 months

Note

Hi, I loved “apple pie” so much!! Would you consider doing a part 2 with Jamie’s injury during the game and the reader taking care of him when they get home to Richmond? I feel like it would be so soft 🥹💗

sweet nothing | jamie tartt

based on the song sweet nothing by taylor swift

description: part two to apple pie, but can be read alone!

pairing: jamie tartt x actress!reader (she/her)

warnings: language-- it's ted lasso, what did ya expect?; tooth-rotting fluff! jamie being pookie asf. mention of sex but nothing crazy. mention of his dad.

wc: 1.7K+

Nobody in the owner's box spoke. Jamie was lying on the pitch, arms crossed over his eyes in pain. You could hear Man City fans hollering insults at him in the distance, but all of their noise was drowned out by the thumping of your heart. You forgot how to breathe.

You felt Keeley squeeze your hand, bringing you back to the present. You watched the physios help him off the field. The game continued but you were no longer interested. Instead, you found yourself staring at the boy sitting on the sidelines as he talked to Ted.

"Come on, Jamie," you whispered, biting your thumb anxiously. "You got this, baby."

With a pat on the back, Jamie re-entered the game. You cheered along with Keeley and Rebecca, tears pooling your eyes. You were so proud of him.

The taunts from Man City fans got louder as he walked toward his teammates. Jamie, looked around, rolled his eyes, and stuck his tongue out as he banged on his chest where the AFC Richmond logo was stitched on his kit. You laughed, wiping your eyes, enjoying how confident and full of life your boyfriend seemed to be even after getting injured.

You watched as he masterfully dribbled the ball, dodging three Man City players, before he got in position to kick the ball. The loud whoosh of the football rang throughout the entire arena and before you knew it, all AFC Richmond fans were on their feet cheering for the native Mancunian.

Jamie looked up at the owner's box where he knew you'd be and blew a kiss in your direction. Although you knew he couldn't see you, you blew him a kiss right back. As he was exiting the pitch, he was met with thunderous applause from supporters of his old team.

"That's how good he is," you heard Higgins say from behind you. "Jamie Tartt is a legend."

Your smile widened as you nodded in agreement. The camera crew focused on Jamie's expression as he allowed himself to marvel at the crowd's praise. He no longer had the cocky smile on his face, but rather, his face was relaxed and full of gratitude. This was a homecoming that he deserved.

When the full time was called, the team celebrated on the pitch. Jamie stayed for a bit, but excused himself to come find you. You were waiting for him in front of the locker room entrance, unable to contain your excitement when you saw him.

Briefly forgetting his injury, you ran to him, engulfing him in a hug that made him lose his balance. You peppered kisses all over his face, "I am so proud of you, Jamie Tartt. God, I love you so much."

He tried to laugh to mask the hiss of pain he let out when he put too much pressure on his ankle. You pulled away quickly, suddenly feeling horrible for nearly attacking him. You stepped away from him, "I completely forgot. I'm so sorry, love."

"No," he whined, immediately reaching out for you again. You reluctantly obliged and approached him, much calmer this time around. Jamie sighed in content, leaving light kisses on your neck, "Much better. Don't go too far."

"Jamie, you're hurt," you tutted, threading your fingers through his hair. He hummed in approval, still refusing to let go of you. You placed a kiss on his cheek, forcing him to separate from you to capture your lips in a kiss. You pulled away, "Let's get you to the physios, yeah? Make sure you're all good to go?"

Jamie knew you were right. He did need to get a thorough check-up. He nodded, intertwining his fingers with yours, "Let's go?"

You squeezed his hand gently, letting him lead you away.

Thankfully, Jamie was okay for the most part. The physio told him that he needed to take it easy at least until the next match, but he should be able to participate in light training after two days. Roy grunted in disapproval after hearing the news, but you could tell that he was relieved that Jamie wasn't hurt any more than he was.

The bus ride back to Richmond was rowdy. The boys were absolutely wild over their win-- as they should be, but it also meant that Jamie refused to rest the entire time. You were glad, however, that he remained seated the entire time and didn't put too much pressure on his hurt ankle.

It was nice to be around the boys again. You didn't realize how much of a community, a family, you created in Richmond. Jamie played a big part in that. Before him, you had friends in the industry who were shooting projects in England, but never anybody who's grounded and secured here. You craved stability, at least as much stability as you could get being an actress. You never thought you'd find it here, in Jamie.

"Hi, love," Jamie whispered from beside you. He had a hand on your thigh, "Whatcha thinkin' bout?"

"Just how much I missed all this," you motioned toward the loud, ruckus of the team around the both of you. You turned your head to look at him, placing a kiss on the tip of his nose, "How much I missed you."

"Don't get all sappy on me now, love," Jamie teased, though he wrapped an arm around you to pull you closer, "I'm the one that's hurt here. I'm the only one allowed to be sappy."

You faked a groan, rolling your eyes, "I suppose you're gonna be a big baby for the next few days."

"Oh yeah," he answered too quickly. He chuckled, placing a kiss on the crown of your head, "Gonna get so sick of me. We're gonna lay in bed for two days straight. Doc said I had to take it easy, remember?"

"You know that also means no sex, right?"

He turned to you in horror. He shook his head in disapproval, "Well Doc doesn't know what he's talkin' about anyway. He obviously doesn't know that my proper fit girlfriend hasn't been home in so long and that rest wasn't an option for me when you're only back for a week."

"Knock it off," Roy grumbled from in front of you. "You guys are fucking disgusting."

"Don't worry, grandad. I'll save some lovin' for ya." Jamie made kissy noises as he spoke to Roy, making you laugh uncontrollably in your seat.

By the time you made it back to the facility, the boys were buzzing to celebrate the night out partying-- all of them but Jamie. You were waiting in the car park by his car, thinking that you'd drive it to his place while he celebrated with the team, but you were caught by surprise when he walked out with his bag, looking as cozy as ever.

Dani and Colin waved to him, both excited to spend the night getting wasted with the team. Jamie walked towards you, careful not to put too much pressure on his ankle, and handed you his keys.

"You don't mind driving tonight, do you love?" He asked. "Need to get my ankle sorted before the next game and I don't want to do too much."

"I don't mind at all. I figured I would be drivin'," you replied, unlocking the car. You and Jamie both got in, adjusting the seat a bit so you could drive properly. Before you pulled out of the facility's premises, you turned to Jamie, "Are you not going to celebrate with the boys?"

"Nah," Jamie said, so casually. He buckled his seatbelt, twisting his body to grin at you, "See them lads every fuckin' day. Love 'em, but I love ya more. You're only here for a week so I'm makin' the most out of it."

"Such a romantic," you teased, but his words made your heart flutter. Jamie didn't know the effect he had on you and honestly, even if you tried to explain it to him, he probably wouldn't believe you.

It was already hard for him to believe that you said yes to dating him. Sure, if you had asked him a year ago if he saw himself with the hottest up-and-coming actress, his prick self would've said, "Of course, I'm Jamie fucking Tartt." But now that he's finally allowed himself to be vulnerable and care about people, that facade he once had no longer seemed necessary. With that side of him slowly fading, he'd be lying if he said small parts of his confidence didn't.

That's why he's so fucking lucky that you decided to take a chance on him. You never did anything that made him doubt how much he meant to you. He spent so much of his life trying to figure out who actually loved him and who didn't-- massive thanks to his dad for that one-- that it's so nice to not have to worry about something like that.

You made him feel so fucking loved that sometimes the idea of it overwhelmed him, in a good way of course. All the times he wondered if he was worthy of love seemed so trivial now.

The both of you fell into your comfortable routine as if you hadn't been gone for weeks when you got to Jamie's place. It was like you never left. In between the mundanity of getting ready for bed, you gave each other kisses on the cheek, and hugs from behind, always somehow touching each other or so close to each other.

At the end of the night, you and Jamie were lying in bed, Jamie's head on your chest. You were absentmindedly running your fingers through his hair, letting out a soft chuckle when he sighed happily. A few times throughout the night, he would get a video from one of the boys, pissed drunk, doing something so stupid, that you both could only hope that the paparazzi weren't there to see.

You talked to each other about everything that's happened over the last few weeks-- what restaurants you guys need to try together when Jamie visits you in New York, what new training regimen Roy prescribed Jamie, what Colin and Isaac were bickering about this week. You ended up falling asleep before Jamie because jetlag was finally catching up to you.

Jamie, who became the big spoon after you fell asleep, laid awake, unable to stop himself from smiling. This, he finally allowed himself to admit it, was something he could see himself doing for the rest of his life. With you sleeping soundly next to him, clinging to him like you never want to let go, Jamie lets himself deserve this good, loving life with you.

#ted lasso #ted lasso imagines #ted lasso oneshot #ted lasso imagine #jamie tartt #jamie tartt fanfic #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tart x yn #jamie tartt x y/n #jamie tartt oneshot #frances song fics #frances writes

224 notes · View notes

ramorazinn · 5 months

Text

Imagine I had the attention span to write this S1 AU where the paparazzi incident (not Keeley finding out it was her, but way back at the incident itself) is Rebecca's wake-up call re: fucking over the team.

"I want to rebrand the club,” she tells Keeley the next day. “Every other television programme these days is about a group of doctors or detectives or firefighters or whatnot who operate as a family. Every damn sports movie is about winning because they're not just a team. I want that for Richmond. I want their friendships plastered all over social media. I want to fill those seats with women who don’t give a flying fuck about football who just want to see the boys interact. And if I can imply that Rupert was a bad team dad along the way, I consider that an absolutely luscious cherry on top.”

Keeley seems to be… broken, just staring at her, mouth gaping open like a fish. It's not the amusement or glee that Rebecca had expected, and she suddenly feels uncertain.

"Am I crazy?" she asks. "Is this a stupid idea?"

"Fuck no!” Keeley bursts out. “I mean yes, it’s fucking insane, who does that? But do you have any idea what kind of presence the Roy/Jamie shippers already have on Tumblr and AO3?"

Rebecca does not know what any of those things are, and she decidedly does not want to ask, but based on Keeley's excited bouncing and wide grin, they all add up to something promising.

#ted lasso #rebecca welton #keeley jones #afc richmond himbos #ficlet #plotbunny #social media fic #found family #footiefam #rz.op #ted lasso au #i am not an rpf girlie but i can't believe there's no s1 royjamie hatefucking fic in the lassoverse

28 notes · View notes

royjamieprompts · 6 months

Text

Roy x Jamie/OT3 Prompt

I've read a few fics now where Phoebe is hurt/upset/sick and wants Roy when Jamie is the one there.

Consider that Phoebe doesn't want Uncle Roy either. She wants her mum. Jamie and/or Keeley are trying to make Roy feel better about it while they're all trying to make Phoebe feel better in general.

(Based 100% on the fact that I've lived with and helped raise my nephew since he was 2. He never wants me. He always wants his mom.)

(Unless he's mad at his mom...then he comes to me...so Phoebe being mad at both her mum and Uncle Roy about something and going to Jamie and/or Keeley about it, also valid)

#Roy x Jamie #Roy x Jamie x Keeley #Fic Prompts

22 notes · View notes

harrumphingtons · 11 months

Text

Alright, moving on to theories that aren't about Jamie (my long list of Jamie theories is here):

This is something random and probably not important, but we got way fewer promo pics for this episode? It's only 5 this week, while:

- E1 had 8

- E2, E5, & E6 had 9

- E4, E9, & E10 had 10

- E3 & E8 had 11

- and E7 had 13

Now, E7 was a pivotal episode, as that was where Richmond turned things around and started building towards the ending, in the sense that they got things together as a team. But I don't think that means E11 will be not as important of an episode. The opposite, actually: I think maybe this is an episode where they're trying to give away as little as possible? As much as I'm rambling about my theories for this episode, the promo pics aren't really all that... telling. So perhaps they're trying to keep the plotline of this episode a surprise?

About the picture of Ted and Rebecca with a projector behind them: I might just be thinking everyone looks like they're about to cry in this episode, but Rebecca looks like she's tearing up??? I'm guessing this is a team movie night situation and maybe Ted and Rebecca are having a quiet conversation in the back, and it's probably about something important, and she tears up a bit because of it?

Speaking of Rebecca and her and Ted having conversations, in the second-to-last episode of both season one and two, Rebecca came down to Ted's office to tell him something important -- S1, that she'd been trying to destroy the club, and S2, that she'd had an affair with Sam. In that scene in S2, Ted even acknowledged that their situation was reminiscent of the past year, and one of them, I think Rebecca, also even said, "See you next year." So it's pretty heavily implied that we're getting another iteration of that scene. For the purposes of narrative symmetry in terms of placement in the season, it would make sense for that to happen this episode. However, I can't think of anything Rebecca would be confessing, this time. I know the Tedbecca shippers are hoping it'll be a confession of love, or something, but based on how things have been going, I'm pretty sure canon will be sticking to platonic relationship between those two through the end. Maybe, instead, this season Ted will be the one telling Rebecca something big, to keep that pattern but switch things around a bit? Maybe this will be when Ted decides he's going to head back to Kansas, to be with Henry? Which, by the way, I'm not entirely sure will be the ending of the show anymore. It's still pretty likely, but (and maybe this is just misplaced hope) I could also see Ted staying with Richmond.

The picture of Keeley, Rebecca, and Higgins sitting up in the box watching the game is kind of stumping in terms of why it's even there. It doesn't seem to be very important? Rebecca's smiling, Keeley's kinda smiling, and Higgins looks a bit annoyed, and they're clapping. So telling. But judging by the angle of Keeley's and Rebecca's heads/eyes, they're not looking down at the pitch, they're looking a bit further down in the stands. Higgins is looking... off into the distance, I don't know. But maybe Keeley and Rebecca are smiling because they're waving/saying hi to some person from a distance? I don't know who this hypothetical person could even be, but. Yeah. That's all I'm getting from that photo.

Ok, then there's the picture of Keeley leaning/sitting on the back of a couch. That could be Jamie's mum's living room, since we do know she (and Roy and Jamie) are going to end up there at some point during the episode, but I think it's more likely that that particular room is a hotel or something? I don't know, the lights in the background and the armchairs and the couch seem kind of... modern... style? Not the type of thing I'd expect to see in Jamie's mum's house, especially considering that since stuff from Jamie's childhood is still up in his bedroom, she's likely lived there at least since he was a teenager. I just think her house would be more cozy and homey.

And finally, the picture of Ted walking down (what I think is) the alley his apartment building lets out into. I really don't know what that picture is. I can't find anything significant in that one. He's just. There. But this does add in to my theory that they're actively trying not to tell us anything with these promo pics. The less we can theorize, the more hard-hitting it'll feel, I guess.

#tl #ted lasso apple tv #ted lasso s3 #ted lasso spoilers #ted lasso s3 spoilers #ted lasso #afc richmond #rebecca welton #keeley jones #leslie higgins #ted lasso speculation

8 notes · View notes

starry-sky-stuff · 1 year

Note

Ted Lasso for you

I haven't watched s3 yet, so this is based on seasons 1 & 2.

Rebecca: she's a total badass, love her, want only good things for her

Jamie: I think he has a great character arc that actually involves self-awareness and him holding himself accountable

Roy Kent: he has some of the funniest lines, the dude's hilarious

Keeley: like Rebecca she deserves only good things, and again, great character arc (I think, in general, the show has really good character arcs, which makes sense considering it seems the show was actually planned to only have a few seasons and then end at its logical conclusion rather than dragging on)

Most hated: Rupert. The guy is just the worst

#answered #ted lasso #the character work is really great in the show #both in having entertaining characters #characters with depth #and interesting and engaging character arcs

12 notes · View notes

samwpmarleau · 11 months

Note

(Drunk Jamie anon again) You make excellent points, and I do agree that he could have refused to engage. But (and I somehow doubt the writing team did this deliberately but its how I choose to see it), I still think Jamie was more a defensive fighting back than actively violent (like you said the difference in injuries- Roy's scratch and torn shirt could have been from Jamie scrabbling at him with a bloodied nose as Roy is shoving him into the grass). I dont think expecting an abuse victim to passively allow someone who he considers a friend to beat him up so as not to be violent is the best course of action. The way he brought up the video was venomous though and very much a flash back to s1 Jamie's viciously trying to upset people

Tbh it's the concept of the whole thing more so than the individual points of to what extent Jamie fought vs. defended. The idea that out of nowhere Jamie and Roy would not only be juvenile enough to have a dick-measuring contest over Keeley but get into a literal fight? Roy's definitely been wildly jealous and insecure about Jamie since season 1, but apart from the threat in 2x12 hadn't indicated to the audience that he would harm Jamie to that degree.

And on Jamie's side, up until that scene he'd been extremely respectful. I can understand him wanting to gently prod Keeley again now that she was a year removed from Roy — which, based on his smile, I think was partially the purpose of the Brazil trip — to at the very least let her know that yes he's still interested, but the shit he said at the bar and the fight? Telling her she can choose like it's a generous offer they're giving her? SINCE WHEN. Not to say that Jamie can't backslide, but in that way? That much? It doesn't fit.

So, if we ignore the real reason that it's shitty writing, that means it pretty much has to be chalked up to the alcohol. That's the only variable that's changed between this scene and any scene before. Which, as I mentioned, could have been an interesting thing to explore wrt his dad, but they didn't, they just had Jamie and Roy act like children for no reason whatsoever then had no follow-up.

#jamie tartt #roy kent #tl #anonymous

6 notes · View notes

gonzo-rella · 2 years

Text

Inadequate (pt. 1) | Jamie Tartt (ft. Keeley Jones)

MASTERLIST | AO3 | KO-FI

PART 1, PART 2

Relationship(s): Jamie Tartt x insecure!gn!reader (romantic), Keeley Jones x insecure!gn!reader (platonic)

Summary: When comparing yourself to the people around you, you always seem to fall short. After all, your role of Rebecca’s personal assistant is hardly something to brag about. That’s why Jamie Tartt asking you out takes you by surprise, and leads you to needing Keeley’s support.

Warnings: Swearing, descriptions of food/eating, mentions of extreme insecurity, references to alcohol consumption/getting drunk. (Let me know if I need to add any)

Word count: 2.2k

(A/N: I based a lot of this on my own feelings, but hopefully it’s something that people who aren’t me can relate to.)

Considering she was Jamie’s ex-girlfriend, perhaps you should have thought twice before you asked Keeley to have lunch with you to talk about what had happened. But, in your defence, Keeley was always the best person to have around in these kinds of situations.

You were sat opposite one another in a cafe, your partially-eaten toasties in hand and your steaming cups of tea sitting in front of you. Keeley’s curious gaze was almost searing as she watched you stare at your lap.

“Babes, are you actually gonna tell me what happened?” Keeley asked, covering her mouth because she was still chewing. “You’re freaking me out a bit.”

“Oh, sorry.” you apologised, finally looking up at her. “I didn’t say anything weird without realising it, did I?”

She shook her head as she swallowed the mouthful of toastie she’d been eating.

“No, it’s just...usually, you never really give a shit, you know?” Keeley explained. “But, right now you’re giving more shits about whatever Jamie said to you than me when I got food poisoning two years ago.”

“Thanks for that one, Keels.” you muttered, nose scrunched up a bit.

“Yeah, well, you get the point.” Keeley said, taking another bite of her toastie. “So, what the hell did Jamie say to you to make you literally run away from him? Tell Auntie Keeley.”

You looked down at your lap again, glanced back up at Keeley for a moment, then finally settled on fixing your eyes on your tea.

---------

You made your way to Ted’s office, the box of whiteboard markers Rebecca had asked you to deliver to him in your hand.

Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you looked at it), your journey involved walking through a locker room full of half-dressed footballers, who, amidst raucous laughter, chanted your name jokingly, as was their unofficial tradition when you walked by. It was reminiscent of being a shy kid in secondary school who had won the favour of a group of popular kids.

You entered Ted’s office without knocking.

“Rebecca told me to bring you these pens.” you said, going to place them on his desk.

Ted held his hands up, indicating he was ready to catch the box that you had no intention of throwing to him.

“There was a reason I didn’t do GCSE PE.” you stated, quickly realising he probably had no idea what a GCSE was.

“C’mon,” Ted said, readying his hands to catch the box. “Come at me.”

You huffed in defeat and threw the box at Ted, and he miraculously caught it. Despite the fact you were less than 2 metres apart, you were quite surprised that you’d managed to throw it without failing spectacularly, and settled on calling it an achievement.

“I suppose rounders club in primary school really payed off, eh?” you joked, once again realising you were using a term that would have been unfamiliar to the American coach. “Anyway, I’ll be off. Good luck with practice.”

“See ya, N/N.” Ted called after you as you left.

You walked back through the locker room, relieved to no longer be the focus of the team, who were now chatting amongst themselves as they tied their laces, pulled up their socks and yanked their shirts over their heads.

An even greater relief flooded over you as you stepped outside, the kind of feeling you get after leaving a game of dodgeball unscathed.

“Oi, Y/N.” a familiar Mancunian voice called out to you. You turned around and found Jamie Tartt jogging over to you, walking in the opposite direction to his teammates, something that only some of them had realised at this point.

“Jamie? What’s up?” you asked, glancing between him and the other Richmond players, half of whom were now looking at the pair of you. Even Ted, Coach Beard, Roy and Nate were watching. You noticed Nate saying something to Ted, only to be ignored.

Being watched like this caused an inferno to spread across your cheeks, and you wondered what Jamie had to say.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. You folded your arms and furrowed your brows.

“Are you alright?” you questioned.

He swallowed his saliva.

“Yeah, yeah. Fine.” he stated dismissively. “I just...”

An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of your stomach. You hadn’t seen Jamie like this before. Usually, what was on his mind rolled off his tongue like a ball down a hill, but whatever he had to say wasn’t leaving his lips with such ease, leading you to believe it was something significant, something so big that it had gotten caught in his throat.

“If you can’t say it, you don’t have to keep trying.” you tried with an awkward shrug. “And, it looks like everyone’s waiting for-”

“I really like you.” Jamie blurted. “It’s not because I think you’re fit. I mean, you’re still pretty fit, but, like, I dunno, I like who you are too, probably more than how you look. That doesn’t always happen for me.”

You stared blankly at him. Your mind felt empty, or maybe too full to function. His words ricocheted against the walls of your skull in a rhythm that matched your frantic heartbeat. The childish, or perhaps even primal, instinct to run overtook you, and before you knew what you were doing you had turned around and legged it.

This was probably one of the few times so far in your adult life that you had actually ran, which showed in the lack of grace in how you moved, the lack of speed in your sprint and the fact that you had begun to run out of breath alarmingly quickly. You had no desire to find out how many grown adults had just seen your embarrassing attempt at running, so your eyes remained fixed ahead of you.

The cold morning air no longer hit your face as you made it inside, but you received a number of puzzled glances as you stood Blair Witch style staring at the wall, trying to get your breathing back to normal.

The walk back to Rebecca’s office was a slow one. As you walked, you pulled out your phone. ‘Fancy going out to lunch later?’ you texted Keeley.

‘Sure,’ she texted back. ‘You can tell me what’s wrong when we’re there.’

---------

“Oh,” Keeley said, eyes wider than you’d ever seen them. “Wow.”

“‘Oh shit’, more like.” you commented drily. “Not only did Jamie Tartt tell me he fancies me, I ran away from him like he’d just threatened me with a bloody machete.”

“Yeah, that is pretty bad, isn’t it?” Keeley replied, face scrunched up awkwardly. “Do you usually do that when people tell you they fancy you?”

“I don’t usually have people telling me they fancy me,” you answered. “Especially people like Jamie Tartt.”

“Why do you keep calling him by his full name?” Keeley questioned with narrowed eyes.

“Well, he’s a footballer.” you shrugged. “You don’t call David Beckham ‘Dave’, do you?’”

“Yeah, but you’re better mates with Jamie than David Beckham.” Keeley replied.

“I wouldn’t exactly call Jamie a ‘mate’.” you said.

“You got pissed with him a couple of weeks ago, right?” Keeley pointed out. “Surely that bumped him up to ‘mate’ status?”

You looked at her, bewildered.

“Is that how you measure friendship?” you questioned. “How do those teetotal people make friends, then?”

Keeley huffed in mild frustration, tapping her index finger against the table irritably.

“I just mean it’s not like you’ve never spent any time with him outside of work.” Keeley said. “Plus, I’ve gotten drunk with you enough times to know you’re way more friendly and open when you’re hammered. He deffo thinks you’re mates after that.”

“Of course he thinks we’re mates after....” you quickly trailed off, though ‘after’ was enough to dig yourself at least a shallow grave.

Keeley sat up excitedly, an eager smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, earning a couple of glances from some of the other customers. “I knew you were lying when you said nothing happened! Did you guys shag or something?”

“No!" you practically hissed.

“Kiss?” Keeley asked hopefully.

“No.” you answered more calmly.

“Did you let him hug you?” Keeley demanded. “No fair! You never let me hug you.”

“No, I didn’t hug him,” you sighed. “And, for the record, I’ve let you hug me...at least seven times.”

“Then, what happened?” she asked with knitted brows, disregarding the latter part of what you had said.

You sighed in exasperation, knowing you’d end up having to tell her sooner or later.

“We went back to my flat.” you revealed. “We ended up talking until the morning. We were both sober by about 4, but we kept talking until we both had to head off for work.

“I haven’t talked like that with anyone in ages.”

Keeley beamed at you, which caused you scrunch up your nose.

“No, no. Please don’t smile like that.” you said, which only caused her smile to grow.

“Why not?” Keeley replied innocently. “That’s legit the cutest thing I’ve heard at least all week.”

“You do realise that we’re talking about your ex boyfriend?” you said emphatically, expecting her to be at least a bit annoyed with you.

“Yeah, my ex boyfriend.” Keeley retorted. “I’m with Roy now. I’m not bothered what Jamie gets up to, even if it’s with one of my besties.”

“Well, there’s nothing to be bothered about,” you insisted dully, now refusing to make eye contact with Keeley. “And there won’t ever be anything to be bothered about.”

You felt the warmth of Keeley’s confused and concerned stare.

“Huh? What do you mean?” she asked. “He’s told you he fancies you. All you need to do is explain to him that you Usain Bolted away from him because you were nervous or something and that...”

She paused for a moment, looking at you as though she were analysing your face.

“You do fancy him, right?” Keeley questioned.

“It doesn’t matter whether or not I fancy him.” you returned. “I’d rather be...suffocated by my own feelings than be with Jamie Tartt.”

Keeley looked deep in thought for a moment, as though she were solving a difficult maths problem, but she ended up looking back at you.

“I don’t get it.” Keeley said with a soft shake of her head. “He fancies you. I’m 95% sure you fancy him. What’s the problem?”

“Oh, God,” you grimaced. “I’m gonna have to say it and look like a mega emo, aren’t I?”

Keeley still looked confused, much to your chagrin.

She just didn’t get it.

You couldn’t blame her for not getting it. Being Keeley Jones, one of the fittest women you’d ever met (as well as a former model), was vastly different to being you, a fairly average-looking PA. The problems you each dealt with when it came to dating were vastly different, and you each had to worry about vastly different things.

The thought of explaining these problems to Keeley was mortifying, but you decided that telling her the truth would save her a bit of worrying.

“I’m not the sort of person that footballers are supposed to go out with. I know it. Everyone else knows it.” you explained. “It doesn’t matter how much I like Jamie because I don’t think I could deal with any of that.”

Keeley pouted and looked at you sadly. She reached across the table and held your wrist reassuringly.

“Come on, babes, don’t be so down on yourself.” Keeley argued. “All that should matter is how you and Jamie feel about each other. Just ignore all the judgemental tossers.”

“It’s not just everyone else who’s the problem.” you sighed. “I don’t feel like I’m…good enough for Jamie.”

“There shouldn’t be a ‘good enough'.” Keeley countered. “Not when you’re both decent people who obviously like each other. If he wasn’t interested in you, he wouldn’t have asked you out.”

“Alright, maybe that’s true, but saying it doesn’t change anything in my head.” you said, trying your best to not sound rude.

Keeley looked at you silently, her heart sinking at your words. She realised that, no matter what she had to say, she couldn’t change how you felt about yourself. Perhaps no one could change how you felt about yourself.

“If you've already figured out what you want to do, then why’d you ask me out to lunch?” Keeley quizzed.

“Because, I wanted you to tell me I’m being a colossal arsehole.” you admitted. “I deserve it.”

“You’re not a colossal arsehole. It’s not like Jamie’s entitled to you or anything.” Keeley contended. “I just don’t think it’s all that healthy to deny yourself happiness like this just because you’re insecure.”

“It’s not just about me being insecure. There’s other stuff.” you returned. “I know what kind of a guy Jamie used to be. I mean, when you were dating him, he cheated on you, and you’re the sort of woman everyone who wants a girlfriend would want as a girlfriend. If he felt the need to cheat on you, why wouldn’t he cheat on me?”

“He’s changed, N/N,” Keeley said. “He really has.”

“I know he has,” you sighed. “And I feel like a right twat not giving him a chance. But...it just won’t work. People like me and people like him aren’t supposed to be together. What’s the point in even trying if I know it’s just not gonna work out?”

She could tell you were holding back, at least to an extent. This was only the tip of the iceberg, and she could tell that this wasn’t an easy choice for you to make. It wasn’t like you were overjoyed at the prospect of rejecting Jamie.

Keeley was pretty depressed after hearing all of this: you, on the other hand, didn’t seem sad (to Keeley’s surprise). More than anything, you were demoralised and jaded by the reality you believed you were trapped in.

“Bloody hell, that got a bit bleak, didn’t it?” you said in a light tone upon seeing Keeley’s somber face. She didn’t say anything. You glanced at your phone.

“I think we’d best get going in a sec.” you tried.

“Yeah.” Keeley responded, forcing a smile. “Let’s head off.”

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt #keeley jones x reader #keeley jones #ted lasso x reader #ted lasso #x reader #x gn!reader #gn!reader #gender neutral!reader #romantic #platonic

413 notes · View notes

rockinhamburger · 2 years

Text

Duty of Care: Ted Lasso Fandom & Implicit Racial Bias

I had to write this post after reading the Gold Derby interview with Brett Goldstein that dropped today. There was a quote in there that struck me as very illuminating about the issue of a ‘colorblind’ approach to storytelling with Nate (something @sharonfieldstone and I have recently discussed). I think it’s tempting to imagine we are collectively at a point where race is less relevant in the story of a character of color like Nate, but the reality is that racial bias very much plays a role in how stories are told and perceived, so it’s important to consider that.

(NOTE: Possible spoiler as there is vague discussion of the writing for season 3 in the quote, which I will use to lightly yet confidently speculate about what might happen in season 3.)

Here’s the relevant quote from Brett in the article:

“There’s one thing that’s really shocked us, which is how much people hate Nate by the end of season two. Like, I’m sympathetic to Nate. I know why he’s like this. We’ve done his psychology, I feel sorry for him. People want to fucking kill him […] That has been like the one thing that has blown up in a way that we didn’t expect or necessarily want. Like, we certainly don’t want everyone to hate Nate… I think we’re aware in the writing of Season 3 of how we position him because, you know, we don’t want people to hate him even more. Like, they want him dead, so we’ve got a base level.”

This is an opportunity to discuss the elephant in the room, which is the implicit racial bias that has led people to be so much more vitriolic and hateful toward Nate than the white characters in this show for similarly problematic behaviour. If you go on the Ted Lasso subreddit and look up Nate, you will find scads of posts with people absolutely hating on him and declaring him beyond redemption, beyond compassion or forgiveness, and I would be willing to imagine it was the same on Twitter, but I haven’t gone looking for it because I’m sure it will be very unpleasant.

@sharonfieldstone put this so perfectly: "We're not in a place yet where most people would receive a character of color with much or any patience for their cruelty without extra handholding. I can't even fully blame the audience for their reaction because the writers failed to recognize their duty of care when it came to one of their few main characters of color."

Yes. Just yes.

And this quote from Brett Goldstein shows that the writers were not expecting fans to be this hard on Nate. That’s interesting because when the finale aired, Nick Mohammed put out a detailed explanation on Twitter about how the show had been building to the culmination of Nate’s frustration in the season 2 finale, trying to preempt what he knew was coming. I wonder why he knew that! /s

This quote shows a few things, actually:

1) The writers love Nate and they empathize a great deal with him because they know the trajectory of his story and the psychology behind his behaviour. Maybe the fans should too?

2) The writers were hoping fans would be curious instead of judgemental, and perhaps naively overlooked just how much racial bias influences people’s interactions with media. How willing are people to be curious about characters of color and their motivations when compared with the white characters?

3) There is no way they aren’t redeeming Nate. Clearly they are, it’s happening, and I’m thrilled about it. I’m so down; let’s gooooo!

Okay, let’s dig a little deeper into those first two:

Let’s compare! We have Rebecca Welton, who started her journey having hired Ted for the purpose of tanking the club to get back at her (shitty) ex-husband. Rebecca herself confesses to what she did in 1x09: “Ted, I lied to you. I hired you because I wanted this team to lose. I wanted you to fail, and I sabotaged you every chance I've had. It was me who hired that photographer to take the photo of you and Keeley. I set up the interview with Trent Crimm, hoping that he would humiliate you. And I instigated the transfer of Jamie Tartt, even though you'd asked me not to.”

With distance from season 1, it’s easy to forget just how detrimental these actions were. They had consequences, either potential or actual. The impact of the photographs would have been awful. The article backfired spectacularly, but the point was to anger the Richmond fan base even more and sow further doubt in Ted’s coaching. These actions would not only have impacted Ted and his livelihood; Beard’s would be affected, too. And let’s not forget all of the footballers whose careers were being held hostage in Rebecca’s revenge plot, or the other employees at Richmond. Rebecca also ensured that Higgins was made to suffer for having facilitated Rupert’s affairs behind her back. Jamie was used as a pawn in her scheme; Jamie believed that Ted had transferred him, that Ted could have done something more to stop the transfer. Her actions had consequences.

I’m not saying all of this to rehash Rebecca’s sins here. Rebecca apologized for her behaviour, made amends to many of the people she’d wronged, and she changed. I adore Rebecca, and I’m so glad we got to see this complicated woman go through that journey in season 1.

Now, let’s think about Jamie. He was awful to Nate, to Sam, to Keeley, and the team in general. We understand with hindsight why he was such an asshole in season 1. That doesn’t excuse his behaviour, but over time he apologized, made amends and changed his behaviour.

Now we have Nate. He was, by his own admission, “a cocky, prickish, wounded butterfly's asshole” throughout much of season 2. His behaviour towards Will was especially upsetting, and kissing Keeley was obviously highly inappropriate. His lashing out at Ted was misguided and difficult to watch. And then he ripped the believe sign in half! He murdered the sign!

I find that one of the more interesting choices made, by the way. I think people were more upset about the sign than most of the other stuff Nate did this season. Ripping up the believe sign is symbolic of the fact that Nate doesn’t believe in himself. Nate has grown up with a father who doesn’t appear to recognize his achievements or meet Nate’s need for love and approval. Nate is struggling. Remember what Ted says in 1x03? “It ain’t easy growing up without someone believing in you.”

So, what’s the real difference here? Race. You can start picking at little story differences all day, but that’s what it comes down to. We can understand Rebecca’s choices because she was married to a controlling, emotionally abusive man for 12 years and she’s white. We can understand Jamie Tartt’s choices because his father was and remains a physically and psychologically abusive asshole and he’s white. But we can’t understand Nate, a character of color, when it’s clear his choices and behaviour are in large part driven by a lifetime of his father criticizing him and neglecting his emotional needs? Sure, they’re not the exact same situations, but neither are Ted and Rebecca’s traumas but we can still understand that they are both impacted by their respective traumatic incidents, to the point that the show cut those scenes together.

Nate is suffering just as Rebecca and Jamie were suffering. So, why can’t we be curious with Nate?

Partly, I think it’s our tendency toward identifying with the person who has been wronged rather than the person who has done wrong (which I talked about here), but I think a large chunk of it is that we can much more easily empathize with white characters than characters of color because of racial bias. It would be pretty short-sighted to think that race doesn’t play a role here. Nate is a person of color, and although the show has not delved much into how racism will have inevitably impacted him throughout his life, obviously it does and would.

This is not specific to Ted Lasso fandom, of ourse. It happens all the time in other fandoms as well, but this fandom could do things differently, to be aware of racial bias and really make sure we’re having these conversations rather than remaining unaware of this reality or choosing to ignore it.

I’m willing to accept that one small difference in the reception to characters like Rebecca and Jamie in season 1 was that the whole season was out when many found it, and the redemption narratives were already taking place, whereas most of us were watching season 2 as it aired and starting to discuss it with other fans. But we should all be using the same blueprint that was used for understanding Rebecca and Jamie’s motivations in order to better understand Nate’s, and so many fans are not doing that. And I think that comes down to racial bias, I really do.

Nate’s trajectory is different than those of Jamie and Rebecca in that we are in the middle of Nate’s story. He’s got a lot of stuff to work through and learn. But people are already unwilling to even give him a chance to make up for his actions! It would be like if we watched 1x06 and decided that Rebecca couldn’t be redeemed after transferring Jamie Tartt, or if we said Jamie, Colin, and Isaac couldn’t be forgiven because they bullied and harassed Nate every day. Nate had to put up with that for a long time before Roy stepped in, and we didn’t see them apologize. We know the players care about Nate and that they’ve changed, but I don’t think it should be a surprise that Nate might need some grace here, that he needs to do some healing and soul-searching so he can examine his insecurities and start to be the best version of himself. I can’t wait to see how he gets there.

I do think the writers are going to pull out some incredible stuff in season 3. It sounds like they may have thought this through and made different choices in regards to Nate, but do they get why a lot of fans unfairly ‘hate and want to kill him’ in a way they definitely didn’t want to with Rebecca or Jamie? I hope they do.

I hope that the writers have realized this error, and that they now know they need to really consider how to write Nate as a character of color given audiences have racial bias. If that didn’t factor into their planning with the show before, and it seems like it did not, then maybe this will be a learning opportunity - one on a massive scale considering the popularity of the show. I hope the writers and creators of this show keep talking about this specifically, because that’s how we’ll illuminate these issues further so that we can even begin to have the discussion. I’m fascinated by this meta narrative about Nate going on outside the text because I think there’s a chance here for a lot of learning to happen. But I hope it comes from the top here, that the people behind this show can see where they may have misstepped and use it as an opportunity as well.

I'm hoping to see this show do the magic it’s done in so many other places, to make people consider their biases and judgements. I’m optimistic, especially if the writers have realized just how knee-jerk reactionary people have been in their anger and hatred toward Nate, for reasons the writers might not have predicted - people’s tendency to have extreme double standards when it comes to people of color. I hope that they have written season 3 with this in mind.

#ted lasso #nate shelley #rebecca welton #jamie tartt #tl meta

150 notes · View notes

hacash · 3 years

Text

Ted Lasso 2x02 thoughts

Even though they didn’t have many scenes together, Rebecca and Ted’s conversation about Absolutely Not Needing Therapy was heart-breakingly good. Please get these folks on the couch by the end of the season!

Oh God what happened to Ted’s father?! We keep on having little snippets of insight that indicates his childhood wasn’t all sunshine and roses, and yet from his references to his parents it feels like he did love them enough to remember them fondly. I have a horrible feeling that ‘he was harder on himself than he ever was on me’ suggests some sort of addiction or possibly even suicide attempt, but we’ll have to wait and see. (And the fact that Ted’s driving impulse to bring Jamie back wasn’t ‘he’s a good player’ but ‘he has a shit dad’ speaks volumes.)

I love these little snippets of Silly!Rebecca we’re getting: joking with Higgins and (in my mind) paying Sharon back for the temerity of not adoring Ted’s biscuits by making her welcome gift be bottled water.

Roy Kent loving white orchids and stanning li’l Kokoruda is something I’m here for. Also if Roy was a football pundit I would actually watch football shows on the TV, just saying.

Last week’s ep where Dani was seen waking up with two beautiful women felt like a bit of a throwaway gag just to remind us that footballers can totally get it - so I quite like that that was balanced out by Roy eating out Keeley while she watches his farewell speech. Whattaman whattaman.

Also thank you to every single person in that writers’ room for not making female masturbation a big deal.

Seeing more of Sharon and getting more insight into her character made me smile - it feels like her aim is to present herself as a 100% professional at first to make sure she’s taken seriously (you can only imagine that as a black woman she’s had to work twice as hard to be respected in the sports industry) but I like the little flickers of humour in her and the insight we’re getting into her character.

‘Old people are so wise. They’re like tall Yodas.’ However much I may want to throttle Jamie, I can’t actively wish him off the screen, not when Phil Dunster delivers lines like that.

I knew that the reality TV foray had to be something related to his dad, given that to a hyper-masculine character a romance-based reality tv show would be considered the ‘soft option’.

I’m also really glad Jamie’s taking steps to improve his life - seeking out Keeley was a nice touch - but also that they’re not just having him come back to the club and be welcomed in with open arms. The message that if you’re a complete jackass it’s good to turn your life around around and yet not everyone is going to be bending over backwards to help you do it is a really important one.

SAM. Everything about that scene - from the scriptwriters letting the ‘little ray of sunshine’ one actually be angry, to Ted letting Sam say his piece rather than straight away announce Jamie wasn’t coming back because he needed to vent, to us being reminded that Jamie’s dickbaggery had genuine consequences on the team, to Sam requesting punishment laps because he felt bad about yelling at Ted - was sheer perfection.

Little sidenote: I loved that when Sam mouthed off at Ted Isaac’s the one who snapped back at him. I suspect Sam’s going to end up being team captain by the end of the show, but I do love Isaac ‘Rolos’ McAdoo so it’s nice that the show isn’t just using him as a placeholder - we get to see him stepping up and actually being a captain.

Another little underrated moment: while it might be because only a few of the team are speaking cast members, I thought it was interesting that it’s Jamie’s former supporters Colin and Isaac who we see upset that Jamie’s returning. It shows just how much the team’s come together that even these guys don’t want him back.

I know everyone’s worried about Nate’s sudden abrasiveness but I think we get a little insight into it when Higgins’ new office change is announced, seemingly without Ted and Beard consulting Nate about it. There’s a moment when he’s clearly taken aback and even a little hurt that no-one’s actually asked him, and I wonder if that’s where his sharpness originates - throwing your weight around because you don’t want to be put back into that position of feeling powerless and insignificant. Like, I want our old Nate back but I also get where this arc is coming from and I think it’s a totally realistic development.

(I know it’s an ask but I’d really like to see Jamie, Isaac and Colin apologise properly to Nate for hassling him last season.)

(Also I love how we saw a little of the former dorky Nate when he and Higgins utterly failed to do a highfive. I’m still holding out hope for return of the patented Nate Strut!)

I am so excited that the next episode description mentions ‘A player’s return is not welcomed by the team’; because a: I am always here for redemption arcs being something you work hard for, and b: I am always here for more Richmond FC shenanigans.

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers

67 notes · View notes

jolivia-things · 2 years

Note

I will admit, it’s not a great look that Jason is dating a woman he named a character after. I do NOT think he cheated on Olivia but it does kind of fan the flames of whatever weird conspiracy theories Harry/Olivia shippers try to invent. But what people have to realize it’s because of the back story, Keeley is “sort of famous for being almost famous”. He wanted the character to be semi known/ a model and was just based on a woman he knew. He was crazy about Olivia no way he cheated.

I think it's fine for people in relationships to have feelings for other people, Jason is a human being, but I just don't think it was that deep. I think if there was anything real there for him then he would 100% not have based a character on Keeley.

Almost every character in the show is based on someone from real life, Ted Lasso himself is based on different coaches Jason's had/his dad. There are a tonne of real life references that if we looked into them all as deeply as the Keeley thing we'd tie ourselves in knots.

I get what people are saying, but Jason has always seemed quite good at compartmentalizing his female friends and his relationships. Plus like you say he was so in love with Olivia I don't think for a second he would have considered anything with Keeley while they were still together.

Equally, he'd have to be quite strong willed to turn down a sexy, quite age appropriate former glamour model with one of the best bodies I've seen, especially as she goes genuinely seem into him. So I don't think he cares about "how it looks" when he gets to f*ck her 😂

2 notes · View notes

tabloidtoc · 3 years

Text

OK, January 4

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Ashton Kutcher haunted by his mistakes

Page 2: Contents

Page 4: Jennifer Garner ready for romance -- Jennifer has proven she’s fine on her own but she’s eager for her happy ending and has even set her sights on some of Hollywood’s most eligible hunks like Chris Evans but seems happily single; she binge-watched Outlander and was totally taken with Sam Heughan and she also finds Martin Henderson very sexy but heard he has a girlfriend

Page 6: After a tumultuous few years Hayden Panettiere’s 2021 is looking bright and she’s been working on herself since her split from toxic ex-boyfriend Brian Hickerson -- she’s taken control of her life and is making good choices -- she’s been able to rebuild her life and her relationship with her daughter Kaya who lives in Ukraine with her dad and next on her agenda is reviving her once-hot career

Page 7: Justin Bieber who’s been a devoted member of the controversial celeb-favored Hillsong Church for years is studying to become a minister -- Justin has long credited Hillsong and especially charismatic and recently fired pastor Carl Lentz for saving him from his dark period of drugs, public meltdowns and arrests -- Justin doesn’t plan to give up his music career but he feels there’s a bigger calling out there for him

* Jessica Simpson has signed deals for both a docuseries and a fictionalized series based on her life but not everyone is so pumped about her tell-all tendencies and least of all is her ex-husband Nick Lachey -- for Nick it’s just dredging up a past that’s better left alone and Nick hopes that Jessica goes easy on him in the scripted series but deep down knows there’s precious little chance of that

* Madonna is majorly inserting herself in her daughter Lourdes Leon’s love life and she’s constantly on the phone asking how things are going between Lourdes and her socialite beau of three years Jonathan Puglia and she wants to know when they’re making things official -- Madonna even pushes for double dates so she can bring her 26-year-old boyfriend Ahlamalik Williams -- Lourdes appreciates how much her mom cares but she’s finding all the micromanaging too much to handle

Page 8: Jason Aldean who boasts an $80 million fortune loves splashing his cash around especially when it comes to his children -- the singer who shares son Memphis and daughter Navy with wife Brittany and girls Kendyl and Keeley with his ex likes being seen as the moneybags and leaves tough love to the kids’ moms and he’s always pulling out $100 bills for his teens and buying his little ones new clothes, toys and high-tech gadgets even though they’re so young -- he’s definitely spoiling the kids but nobody complains about it so he just keeps on buying them stuff because nothing makes him happier

* The milestone 6-0 is still months away but George Clooney is planning to do some serious partying for his birthday and he’s sparing no expense -- he’s looking at celebrations across the States and Europe plus a boys-only getaway to Mexico

* Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are having a blast filming their first movie together so much so that tongues are wagging about the pair’s fiery chemistry on the set -- even though Leo and Jen behave like total pros when the cameras aren’t rolling there’s a running joke among the cast and crew that Jen’s marriage to Cooke Maroney could be in trouble -- of course the reality is that Jen is crazy about her husband and Leo who is dating model Camila Morrone has a strict rule never to get involved with costars but still there’s an attraction that can’t be denied

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars get glamorous in glitzy looks -- Alexa Chung, Tiffany Haddish

Page 11: Maya Hawke, Sarah Hyland

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Yara Shahidi vs. Cindy Bruna, Becky G vs. Sofia Carson

Page 13: Celine Dion vs. Shailene Woodley

Page 14: News in Photos -- Jessie James Decker in a pink bikini in Nashville

Page 15: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt and their son Gunner doing a Christmas card shoot in L.A., Jessica Alba spent the day handing out Honest goodies at the Baby2Baby Holiday Drive-Thru Distribution in L.A.

Page 16: Gwen Stefani rocked a cat-themed holiday jumpsuit while on the way to the recording studio in Santa Monica, Leighton Meester surfing in Malibu

Page 17: Maria Sharapova brought back the 1970s during a photoshoot in L.A., Pink kept it casual during a coffee run to Starbucks in L.A., Tia Mowry returned home with a full trunk of gifts and goodies in L.A.

Page 18: Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas exploring London

Page 20: Let’s Get Physical -- Robin Wright took her bicycle out for a spin in L.A., Chris Hemsworth shows off his ripped body while lifting a tire, Winnie Harlow in L.A.

Page 22: Deck the Halls -- newly-engaged Jonathan Bennett gushed of spending his first Christmas with fiance Jaymes Vaughan, Jonathan and Drew Scott dressed as elves

Page 23: Jon Bon Jovi and his dog, Selena Gomez with her dog Winnie in front of the Christmas tree, Brooke Burke kicked off the season by signing ornaments that will be auctioned off by Operation Smile

Page 24: Malin Akerman arranged the sheets and blankets and pillows at a Hotel Style Collection from Walmart event in NYC, Jeremy Renner filmed a scene for Hawkeye in NYC, Chrishell Stause stepped out for a morning walk with her rescue pooch Gracie in L.A.

Page 26: Inside My Home -- Marc Anthony’s elegant estate in Coral Gables, Florida

Page 28: Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart are planning to renew their vows on Valentine’s Day which is 12 years to the day after Harrison proposed to Calista on their sprawling Jackson Hole, Wyoming ranch -- Calista is incredibly touched that Harrison is organizing this and he’s thoughtfully arranging to have her favorite flowers to be flown in and has already booked a local band and a caterer and baker

Page 29: Emily Blunt and John Krasinski might be ready for baby No. 3 but friends are encouraging them to get their marriage on track first -- the two have had a tough couple of years and John can be hard to deal with and cranky when he’s working -- while the duo tend to put a super-positive spin on their marriage in public not everyone is convinced things are so rosy at home but Emily wants another child and so does John so they’re willing to take the risk

* Meghan Markle and Prince Harry plan to kick off 2021 with a much-needed tropical vacation -- after an emotionally turbulent year Meghan and Harry are ready for this break -- following a quiet Christmas at home the couple is looking forward to relaxing on a warm beach somewhere, sleeping in, soaking up nature’s beauty and reconnecting as a couple -- they’re considering a private island in Hawaii or off the coast of Fiji

Page 30: Taylor Swift who’s been collecting bridal magazines and wedding ideas since she was a teen will have to adjust to the idea of a small sequestered affair when her boyfriend Joe Alwyn officially pops the question -- the once-outgoing singer has turned into a hermit since hooking up with the British actor who insists on total privacy and loathes attention and now Tay’s inner circle is said to be worried that in Joe’s continued efforts to fly under the radar he’ll ultimately nix the lavish nuptials Taylor’s long envisioned

* Justin Timberlake and Olivia Wilde have a past -- dating briefly in 2011 and costarring in two films but they won’t have a future if Justin’s wife Jessica Biel has any say -- Justin is eager to work with newly single Olivia again but the collab between the old pals is a total no-no as far as Jess is concerned because she’s always seen Olivia as a threat and particularly now that she’s split from Jason Sudeikis

* Love Bites -- Bachelor Nation’s Emily Ferguson and hockey player William Karlsson are engaged, Christina Milian and Matt Pokora have another baby on the way, Gleb Savchenko and Cassie Scerbo dating

Page 32: Cover Story -- Ashton Kutcher haunted by his past -- the actor is wrestling with major demons and regrets -- the grisly murder of his then-girlfriend Ashley Ellerin has stayed with him -- Ashton and wife Mila Kunis have weathered some storms but they’re in a good place now

Page 36: Celebrity Dads and Their Darling Daughters -- Michael and Carys Douglas, John and Ella Bleu Travolta, Lionel and Sofia Richie

Page 37: Don and Dakota Johnson, Phil and Lily Collins

Page 38: Ryan and Ava Phillippe, Mark and Lola Consuelos, Johnny and Lily-Rose Depp

Page 39: Lenny and Zoe Kravitz, Clint and Francesca Eastwood, Alec and Ireland Baldwin, Rod and Ruby Stewart

Page 40: Interview -- Charlize Theron does it all -- the actress, mom and producer talks about taking on projects that are close to her heart

Page 42: New Year, New You -- kick-start a healthy 2021 with these celeb-approved wellness resolutions

Page 46: Style Week -- Good American cofounded by Khloe Kardashian recently launched its first-ever footwear collection

Page 54: Entertainment

Page 55: Q&A with Brian Austin Green

Page 58: Buzz -- Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined their parents Prince William and Duchess Kate on the red carpet for the very first time and held hands on their way to London’s Palladium to watch the National Lottery’s Pantoland

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Gwyneth Paltrow on getting starstruck, Kurt Russell on wife Goldie Hawn’s penchant for sleeping in total darkness, Jimmy Fallon on which SNL costar he’d want to be stuck on a desert island with (Tina Fey), Chrissy Teigen on being embarrassed

Page 61: Megan Thee Stallion on the guidance she gets from Jay-Z and Beyonce, Frances McDormand on hooking up with husband Joel Coen, Chad Michael Murray on seeing pics from his heartthrob days, Rachel Brosnahan on what the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel fans can look forward to

Page 62: Horoscope -- Capricorn John Legend turned 42 on December 28

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Larry David

5 notes · View notes

peepeethepissking · 5 years

Text

FILM NOIR REC LIST

THE MUST SEE’S—DETECTIVE NOIR:

[‘44] Laura: Follows a cop investigating the murder of a well loved socialite as he questions the people closest to her—notably an esteemed writer that helped advanced her career, and her fiancé, a fellow socialite with a poor reputation. The lead is very endearing and the film pulls off one of the most natural twists I’ve ever seen in a whodunit. My only real complaint is that the romance felt a little rushed, but it’s a small price to pay for an otherwise delightful movie.

[‘44] Murder, My Sweet: It’s unsurprising that this is a good film, because it’s based on a book by Raymond Chandler, one of the founding fathers of the hard-boiled detective genre that paved the way for film noir. Humphrey Bogart notably plays the same character, Philip Marlowe, in the Big Sleep. This is one of few films that I think really successfully utilizes an in-media-res frame. It follows Marlowe through two intertwined jobs—a search for a thug’s old girl and the truth behind a jewelry fence. I was surprised with how well it handled the two simultaneous storylines without letting them become too confusing.

[‘46] The Big Sleep: As the above film, this is based on a Raymond Chandler book. This is the only time Bogart depicts Philip Marlowe, and he’s considered one of the best depictions of Marlowe to ever hit the silver screen. This one doesn’t handle it’s plot quite as delicately as Murder, My Sweet, and I honestly ended the film with…a lot of confusion. But even so, it’s a very fun watch, and it feels like a true noir classic. It starts off with Marlowe getting a job from a sickly old colonel to poke around a gambling debt his daughter has acquired, and it follows Marlowe poking his nose in all kinds of businesses he’s not welcome in. [this notably has been recommended by kevin vibert himself!]

[‘47] Out of the Past: I’m not sure what it is, but this is by far my favorite noir I’ve seen, to date. Poor Jeff Bailey gets an unwelcome reminder of his dark past as an amoral P.I. one day after he’s reestablished himself as a small town mechanic. Cornered by an old client that’s much too powerful, he takes on one last job while trying to protect his new life, and his new love. It’s half flashback half real time, but it handles that quite well. My biggest complaint is that the ending is pretty far from what I had wanted, but it’s all for the sake of art, I suppose.

THE MUST SEE’S—TRADITIONAL NOIR:

[‘45] Mildred Pierce: This film starts with a murder, and then within the frame of an interrogation tells the story of Mildred Pierce’s life after divorcing her first husband. This film doesn’t quite feel like a noir—it’s brightly lit, it features a female lead and no real “fatale” character, the murder isn’t really the focus of the film—but when you look at the real “message” of the film it lines up with the traditional noir pretty neatly. It’s about the disillusionment of capitalism as a fix-all, it’s about how heartbreaking unconditional love can be, it’s about how hard life will always be for some people. It’s a very frustrating film to watch because of how poorly Mildred Pierce is treated, but it’s a very cathartic film to watch because of how transparently realistic it is.

[‘46] The Blue Dahlia: This one’s a real classic, but I personally can’t decide if it was outstanding or forgettable—which I’ll grant, to have that strong of a discrepancy, it must’ve done something right. It’s a trope that we haven’t seen otherwise on this list, the unreliable memory of a freshly grounded war veteran. You get the facts immediately, with an opening scene that shows one of the gang is just a little troubled from his time overseas. It’s a whodunit that follows a mostly ensemble cast after the ‘lead’ runs out on his wife, then finds out she’s been murdered. What really makes this film worth watching is the end scene, which of course only works at all because of the groundwork laid in the first hour of the film. It keeps you on the edge of your seet with an unreliable narrator kind of confession and then whips you around and wraps everything up with what really happened in like, ten minutes. It’s absolutely dizzying and a real explosion of an end.

[‘50] In a Lonely Place: Another delightful Bogart movie, because, well…I like Bogey, what can I say. This film doesn’t really feel like a noir until you get about halfway through, and everything starts to build up and gain tension. It has a very satisfying ending for a film that almost feels like it isn’t about anything. I’d say it’s especially worth watching because of Miss Jeff Donnell’s absolutely wonderful performance as the-best-friend’s-wife. As far as the plot, it follows a screenwriter that happens to be the last person to have seen a murder victim alive, and is therefore a suspect in the muddy case. It does a great job of making you doubt every character, and the truth of the murder is successfully withheld until the very end.

THE B-SIDES:

[‘47] Crossfire: This one’s split between being a police procedural and a veteran noir, but I think it follows the vets around more than the cops in the end, so I’m putting it here instead of under “detective.” Fair warning—this film deals with antisemitism, and the central murder is revealed to have been a hate crime (don’t worry, though—the overall message of the film is that we shouldn’t judge our fellow man before we get to know him). We follow Sgt Keeley while the police question him and try to find his best friend, the prime suspect in a recent murder. Played by Robert Mitchum, notably the lead in Out of the Past, Keeley is a breath of fresh air—as all of Mitchum’s characters seem to be. He’s charmingly a sort of father figure to the other soldiers, and you find yourself rooting for his friends simply because their his friends. This film has probably the weirdest setup for an arrest I’ve ever seen, and I doubt it would hold up in court, but it’s a classic noir ending, nonetheless.

[‘47] Dark Passage: This movie is just incredibly fun to watch, because it’s such a product of it’s time. It has some of the goofiest filming decisions I’ve ever seen in an A-Lister! The beginning is shot in first person, through the eyes of the lead. It feels like playing a dating sim, almost. It’s made very sincerely, though, which really carries it through the humor, and makes it very fun and strangely light hearted. It follows a man wrongly convicted of murder as he escapes prison and tries to find out who framed him, with the help of a local fanatic that followed his trial and believes he’s innocent. Bogart is delightful to see in such a strange role, and Lauren Bacall has an incredible performance that would’ve just felt insincere from anyone else.

[‘49] D.O.A.: This movie follows a guy as he tries to find the man that fatally poisoned him. It’s an interesting twist on the whodunit where the “murder victim” himself is the one trying to find out whodunit. It uses a flashback frame in order to start immediately with that “who’s been murdered?” – “Me!” twist, but beyond that shock value, the frame is really unnecessary. This one’s would’ve been much more fun to watch if the main character wasn’t such a dick to women. The answer to “who did it and why” was also…a lot more confusing than it had to be, which left the end feeling a bit muddled. As a side note—here DOA stands for “dead on arrival.”

[‘53] The Big Heat: Follows a cop as he investigates a suicide that should’ve been an open-and-closed case. The closer he gets to the truth, the more trouble he gets into—and before long, it seems he’s gotten himself wrapped up in a world of crime that infiltrates even the police station, and the men in charge will do anything to keep his nose out of it. This one’s really classic, and it conforms so well to the genre that it almost feels forgettable—but it’s the fact that it is so true to the genre that makes it worth watching.

NOTABLE ABSENCES:

[‘44] Double Indemnity: I watched this movie in three separate parts because I fell asleep each time I tried to finish it. It’s a kill-the-husband-so-we-can-be-together type of movie, and it’s also notably an insurance adjuster film instead of a detective film. This one’s a real classic that almost everyone says is a must see, but personally I thought all the tension was killed by the unnecessary flashback frame. If nothing else, this one is worth watching because it’s absolutely dedicated to the well known tropes of the noir, but for me that just wasn’t enough.

[‘46] Gilda: Gilda was almost a good movie. Glenn Ford did an incredible job acting against his typecast—this time portraying a charming crook that got his job running an illegal casino by counting the right man’s cards. The movie was just too unorganized, though. It’s a sort of 3 act show that just goes further downhill the longer it goes on. There’s a couple of song-and-dance scenes that feel all but thrown in simply because Rita Hayworth does indeed know how to sing and dance, and the end kind of blows up in its own face without a proper set-up. It’s cinematically a beautiful movie, but I was disappointed by how messy the plot ended up being for something with so much hype.

[‘58] Touch of Evil: Allegedly the last classic noir made in the true film noir era. I watched about a third of this film before calling it quits, which I will admit, is rare for me—I like to suffer through to the end just incase there’s that one scene that makes a movie worth it (see the Blue Dahlia, for example.) This film is about “marijuana, murder, and police corruption,” and it takes place in a California-Mexico border town—which is a big part of what made me quit out. It felt tired and cliché in way that was just a little too close to racist, and I found myself without a real reason to root for the main characters.

as I continue watching noirs, I will update this here to include new recommendations, my watch list, and an “honorable mentions” section

#the penumbra podcast #im sorry this is SO LONG but it really doesnt suit a read-more #feel free to drop in my inbox or dm with questions or conversation!

28 notes · View notes

buzzedbabe · 6 years

Link

@thewolfdragon @richard-madden @maddennfl86 @thenorthremembersalways @thefashionprofessor @robbstarkmademedoit @what-would-wonderwoman-do

story below for those that can’t read it

How much time are you spending thinking about Bodyguard? A lot, I bet. The new BBC thriller, about the relationship between an ambitious and unknowable home secretary and her PTSD-addled protection officer, was written by Jed Mercurio of Line of Duty fame, and was cynically and artfully designed to hook, obsess and fixate an audience into appointment viewing.

Bodyguard is made to steal us away from all newly acquired suit-yourself, binge-watch and content-stream habits, with charismatic heroes who might actually be despicable antiheroes and a succession of frenzied plot twists that simply must be consumed on the night lest someone catch you out with a spoiler on social media. Even if that doesn’t happen, even if your viewing isn’t partly ruined by a stray Facebook comment, watch an episode even a little late and find yourself locked out of all the best conversations, the most detailed post mortems, most frenetic speculations. Bodyguard is, in essence, a middle-aged Love Island, a reason to gather excitedly round the screen at the prescribed hour in a way that hasn’t really happened since the late Nineties.

Bloody hell, it’s good, I tell its star Richard Madden. The 32-year-old Glaswegian actor made his name as Robb Stark in Game of Thrones and consolidated it as Prince Charming in 2015’s Kenneth Branagh-directed Cinderella. Now, after playing Mellors in Mercurio’s 2015 Lady Chatterley’s Lover for the BBC, he trembles on the verge of Poldarking himself into borderline indecent, heavily fetishised glory as Bodyguard’s David Budd, the protection officer at the heart of the story.

“Oh, right,” he says. His accent is broad, non-posh Scottish; unexpected to those who remember it as generically Yorkshire in Game of Thrones. His eyes are intense. He’s arch and funny; he’d probably qualify as dangerously charming if there weren’t also something watchful and cautious about him. “Thanks very much! I enjoyed playing something a bit more adult, less boyish. I’m keen to play more grown-up roles, without actually growing up myself. Pretending to be adult. I’m done playing princes. Princes and royalty and lords. Also, it’s nice not to do an accent.” David Budd is – conveniently – Scottish. “One less thing to think about. Shall we get a drink? It is a Tuesday night, after all.”

It’s a Monday, I point out, but all the same we order a beer and wine from the front desk of the photographic studio in which we sit.

This is not the first time Madden and I have met. Three years ago, he bowled up to me at a friend’s party and demanded to know why I hadn’t featured him in Grazia magazine’s Chart of Lust recently. A placing in the list (which I compile weekly, and does exactly as its title suggests – rates the most fanciable people of that moment’s news), is deeply coveted among those who present themselves as above that kind of vanity, but definitely aren’t. Newscasters, Hollywood A-listers, national treasures, disruptive artists (Grayson Perry once told me he’d pinned his mention up on the wall in his studio), award-winning novelists … I’ve been lobbied by spads chasing mentions for their political charges on more than one occasion. But this was the first time a candidate had ever approached me in the flesh. I was both impressed and amused by his front.

“It does my frail ego good,” he’d elaborated, which, I’d thought, demonstrated a surprising amount of self-awareness in a young actor.

I remind him of our first meeting.

“Oh, God. Great start,” he says. Then, “I’m just trying to work my way up [the chart].”

Well, let’s see how this goes, shall we.

One of the reasons I think Bodyguard resonates so hard with its viewers is that it’s dealing with themes of safety – and so are we all. Terrorist attacks, suicide bombers and rooftop snipers recur from episode to episode; our current nightmares, and most catastrophising daytime fantasies, the ones that flicker through our minds every time we board a plane, go to a concert venue or swipe into a subway system, are played out in high definition on our small screens. Madden’s David Budd thwarts and buffers and foresees and repels; a hero with a fantastically of-the-moment brief. If Poldark is our ultimate historical TV pin-up – manly, tortured, good with his shirt off – then Budd is our ultimate Threat Level: Severe pin-up – manly, tortured, good in a bulletproof vest (“An actual bulletproof vest,” he’ll tell me, “which is so comfortable, for five months”).

I run this theory past Madden. How nervy is he in London right now?

“I don’t feel unsafe. I used to be more panicky, but I’m just less uptight. A few years ago, I’d get off at Tube stations because I’d have a sense of something.”

How much of David Budd’s wariness did Madden inherit through the course of filming?

“You get to a point where you clock everything. That’s what I’m doing for 12 hours a day, so …”

Walk into a room, scope it out for the nearest exit?

“I did that anyway. My dad’s a fireman, so that’s built in. Check into a hotel, first thing I do, find the fire exit.”

Richard Madden was born just outside of Glasgow, an only boy among older and younger sisters. His mother, Pat, is a classroom assistant. There were no other performers in his close family – no pub-singer uncles, no sisters at dance school.

You’re, like, a rogue luvvie.

“Yup!” he says.

How does that happen?

“I don’t know. I was fat. And shy. Crushingly shy, going to what was a fairly tough high school. Aggressive. Masculine. So I thought the best thing to do would be to go and be an actor. Ha ha! Not go and play football. Or get good at boxing. I’ll go and be an actor. They’ll love that.”

Aged 11, Madden joined Paisley Art Centre’s youth theatre programme. “And of course, they did not love that. But then I managed to dodge a couple of years of school, because …”

Because he was good enough to be cast, as a young teenager, in professional roles: in the film adaptation of Iain Banks’ Complicity, and in a kids’ TV show called Barmy Aunt Boomerang.

“So I was like, ‘I’m going to be acting, and not go to school.’ And get paid.”

Did you realise you were good? “I don’t think you ever feel good at it.”

He gave up acting in his mid-teens – “Life got a bit shit, when you’re on telly, among your peers, and you’re 14 years old”. He returned to it when he was 17, “because you have a bunch of teachers going, ‘Right, now you must decide what to do with the rest of your life,’ and 17 is of course the best time to choose.”

In 2004, he began studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. “I wasn’t allowed to apply for drama school unless I applied for a ‘real’ course as well, which was computing science. I didn’t even know what it was. Had no interest. And then, luckily, the day before my first exams, I received a letter saying you’ve got into drama school, so I went to my exams and just wrote my name.”

At 22, barely out of the RSAMD, he was cast as Robb Stark in HBO’s epic, fantastically successful Game of Thrones. Stark is the noble, brave, integrity-hampered son of Sean Bean’s Ned Stark; a character with a genuine and credible claim on the kingdom’s iron throne, all of which condemned him to a phenomenally gruesome death in an episode entitled The Rains of Castamere, only fans of the show (among whom I count myself, unashamedly) call it “The Red Wedding”, on account of the blood-drenched ceremony during which Madden, his pregnant wife and his mother all die.

Madden says he thinks that early, formative brush with a TV career was both “a head-f***” and, “I was so thankful for it, because, going into the world of Game of Thrones, I’d already learnt so much from doing it as a kid, of feeling isolated, or getting arrogant because you’re on a TV show. I’d kind of done all that. I could deal with it a lot better.”

A lot better than whom, among your co-stars?

He cackles. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Yes! Can I guess? “No.”

Madden went into Game of Thrones knowing he would die within three series – the books on which the shows are based spelled out Robb Stark’s demise long before Madden was cast – which he thinks is a good thing, professionally speaking. “I didn’t just want to be known as that guy from Game of Thrones.” It also meant that his celebrity has, until this point at least, been tinged with pity, partly for the grotesque manner of his fictional death, partly because he was booted out of that juggernaut of a TV sensation early.

That might be about to change with Bodyguard. I am reasonably confident Madden’s fame is about to be tinged with something rather more lecherous. David Budd is in no sense a straightforward romantic hero – physically and emotionally scarred, with an undivorced wife and kids squirrelled away in a safe house – but heavens, he does brooding intensity well. His love affair with Keeley Hawes’ home secretary, Julia Montague, is as intensely sexy as it is quietly subversive, for making no reference to Hawes’ Montague being ten years older than Madden’s Budd. The whole thing is designed to charm the pants off us, and I wonder how prepared Madden is to receive the unbridled lust of thousands of women on social media.

If Twitter erupts with lechery …

“I won’t look.”

Why?

“Because if I do, and if I believe someone going, ‘Oh God, he’s hot,’ then I’ll also have to believe the person that goes, ‘He’s got pumpkin teeth.’ Do you know what I mean?”

Yes, but, you are widely considered handsome, so …

“I don’t see it.”

Truly not?

“Truly not.”

It is form for beautiful young actors to deny their looks, in the interest of seeming more humble and likeable than they really are, but I think, in Madden’s case, he could mean it. He tells me fame has made him feel less attractive, not more. “You chat to a girl at a bar, have a couple of drinks, and shy Richard is slowly going. This is going well. And then it’s, ‘My boyfriend’s a really big fan. Can I get a picture?’ And you go, ‘F***.’ You think they think you’re hot, but it’s because you’re on telly.”

I ask Madden if he thinks he’s irredeemably defined by the chubby, shy child he used to be.

“I feel like I should lie down on that sofa and give you a hundred quid.”

Were you really so scarringly fat?

“Thirty-eight inch waist when I was 12. I didn’t wear denim until I was 19, because denim is really hard to take up. My mum couldn’t take my jeans up.”

Would you say you have body issues?

“Absolutely, yeah.”

Despite all of which, Richard Madden does OK with women. When I originally met him, he’d been in the final stages of a long-term relationship with the actor Jenna Coleman, who stars as Victoria in the ITV show, and who is now in a relationship with her onscreen Albert, Tom Hughes. Since then, Madden has been gossip-column-linked to a succession of beautiful women – model Suki Waterhouse and TV presenter Laura Whitmore among them – none of whom seem notably put off by his pumpkin teeth.

“I think in the last year I was, as far as the tabloids went, dating seven different people. And when you receive a text saying, ‘Are you sleeping with blah blah,’ and you go, ‘No,’ that’s a bit weird.”

Who are you sleeping with?

“I’m not saying.”

But you are sleeping with someone?

“I am sleeping with someone. I am very happy with someone. There are pictures of it on the internet.”

If it’s the one everyone thinks you’re dating, I say – by which I mean the 21-year-old Ellie Bamber, with whom he was pictured most recently at the Serpentine Gallery summer party – then she’s another actor. Is it really a good idea to go out with other actors?

“Yes and no. Yes, because you understand what each other’s going through. No, because, there’s a certain level of self-focus you need, in order to do the job you’re doing. That’s hard on all relationships, because what am I going to talk to you about? I walk up and down for 12 hours a day, dealing with this character’s shit. That’s all I’ve done, every day, for the past three months … I really haven’t got anything to offer you as a friend.”

We return, briefly, to Bodyguard. He says he got on brilliantly with Keeley Hawes. “Love her, love her to pieces. She saved my arse, because it’s not a fun job. It’s not a comedy. But then Keeley and me, me and her, off screen, were just like two kids.”

Were you paid the same?

“No idea. I imagine she earned more. I care less about how much other people are paid, and more what it takes for me to shut up and go and do my job. The equality thing needs to be addressed hugely between male and female co-stars; I know that from friends of mine. But there’s only so much I can do for myself. Agents and lawyers, they do all that stuff. I just kind of deal with what I need to, so I don’t look a producer in the eye and f***ing hate them when they’re talking about their villas, and you’re thinking, shit, I’m getting the bus at the weekend, because I don’t have the money for a cab, you know?”

How rich are you?

“Not very. People think I am, because of Game of Thrones, but you know, when I signed up for that I was 22, with f*** all on my CV, so I was paid f*** all.”

Then, somehow, we end up talking about his body again.

“In between filming, I eat pizza, drink, don’t work out, get fat, then it’s six weeks till you have to be naked again. It’s always six weeks. Actually, that’s if you’re lucky. I have ten days till I take my clothes off again this time.”

What’s the occasion?

“I’m filming Rocketman, the Elton John film, and I play John Reid, his first boyfriend, his manager for 28 years.”

A straight man in a gay role; casting that has become contentious after Disney named comedian Jack Whitehall, who is straight, as the voice of its first openly gay hero.

“Yeah, and Taron Egerton [who is playing Elton John] is a straight man in a gay role,” says Madden, “and I think we’re all f***ed if we start going down the route of you can only play a gay part if you’re a gay actor. Diversity, equality and pay – of course we need to make sure of all that, but at the same time … I read reports that so and so’s pulled out of this role because they’re not transgender, and you go, yeah, but they’re a f***ing actor, and they’re probably really f***ing good in the part, and maybe that is part of the reason why that film’s getting made …”

We wind up with him telling me he isn’t bothered about an Oscar. “Because, who won best actress last year? Best actor? Best supporting actor? What won best musical?”

No idea.

“So what does it matter?” he says.

After which, he is beautifully mocking (off the record) about a very famous actor’s latest endeavour, before hugging me goodbye and pretending – well – he hopes to see me again soon, socially. Richard Madden made it to No 2 in the current issue of Grazia’s Chart of Lust Bodyguard continues tomorrow at 9pm on BBC One. Episodes 1 and 2 are on BBC iPlayer

#richard madden #bodyguardbbc #robb stark

15 notes · View notes