I'm feeling nostalgic. I kind of understand why The Selection TV series - or anything - have failed to come to fruition.
First, I think there's a huge issue in deciding the tone of the adaptation. Is it romance focused? Is it a "dystopian"? Are we really going to dive deep into the world? Should we focus in on the politics of the world? I'm sure it's possible to balance a romance and dystopian, but I've yet to see it done well.
Second, the general aesthetic. It has the gist of medieval structures and society (monarchy, strict class system), but they still have plumbing and electricity, heck, they have celebrities and TV - just not computers or cell phones. So should the aesthetic be inspired from medieval times?
Most of the emphasis is on palace life, anyway, as a sort of wish fulfillment where the characters are surrounded by luxury and wear ballgowns, etc.
I think if these two questions could be decided, it would help set the foundation for the characters and their journeys and what approach to take.
If it's just romance, America's decision would be romance-based. If it's more than that, she'd be motivated by more than just romance.
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I will never understand why people don't praise healthy character flaws. Without them there's no character growth, they become boring and cookie cutter.
It's okay for a character to mess up and be selfish at times. It's healthy. It's the kind of human messiness we need more of in media. Characters recognizing their mistakes and growing from it is part of all the best stories.
It's okay that Ilya is selfish at times. It's okay that Shane is too.
And please don't erase all of the hard work that went into making Ilya a Russian character instead of a character with a Russian accent by ignoring his realities when it makess Shane look a bit bad.
Don't ignore the subtle choices that were made to make Shane autistic and then blame any "flaws" on his autism. Let my boy be flawed and autistic. Do ignore when Ilya crosses a line and Shane doesn't know how to appropriately handle it.
Don't ignore that not disagreeing with something the other characters says/does/plans doesn't mean they fully agree.
I am begging you, don't rip the complexity the show adds to the characters just because it changes the narrative from the book.
Hell, doing that is why we're all currently mad at RR. Let them be flawed and damaged. Let them grow and heal together.
And for the love of all that's holy it's okay if the first plan a character makes isn't the best.
Ilya: I am more than happy to explain exactly what I want from you sexually in the most direct manner possible.
Shane: Cool. Can you do that with everything else, too (like feelings, your family, your living situation, etc)?
Ilya: What? No. What are feelings? I am very obviously fine. Everything is fine. (But are you picking up the hints I’m dropping with extreme subtlety because talking about anything else is agony?)
Shane’s autism hard at work: No, I’m not picking up any hints because you said everything is fine.
Shane: I guess… And you’re sure -? (And he only asks this because he knows Ilya well enough that something seems a bit off)
I've seen posts and read a few fanfics about Shane processing his anger and resentment about the way he was treated, and now I just want him to have a fuck it era. Mostly because I need some comfort to all this angst.
Fuck it, he will eat that crispy fried chicken, mac and cheese, and Snickers (though for Shane, fucking it with food is never quite close to Ilya's occasional McDonald's because I'm with Eric Bennett, what kind of lunatic drinks 3 Cokes in one sitting?). It admittedly takes some time and therapy to get to that point, but he'll get there, because he's Shane Hollander.
Fuck it, he will chirp the meanest, bitchiest chirps on the ice that he actually sends hockey players crying and wishing it had been Ilya to chirp at them instead. One hockey player actually goes up to the refs to complain, but the ref is like, "It's Shane Hollander? He didn't say that. He's too nice." Or, "Well, then you probably deserved it." Because Shane has a credit of "golden boy" that gets him pretty far.
Ilya may annoy players on the ice, but Shane's chirps will have them questioning their life choices at 2AM.
Fuck it, he will throw hands on the ice. Not often, but particularly when someone says something about Ilya, that someone will learn their lesson very quickly. Refs also give him a pass here and there, knowing he didn't throw hands for no good reason.
Fuck it, he will brag about having the best husband ever on social media. He will defend his husband anytime someone tries to pull some biphobia or dig up old history on him. No one can ever be a menace as much as Ilya is, but he does every once in a while, and he still prefers to keep his relationship relatively private, but he also likes to make sure everyone knows Ilya is his.
Fuck it, he breaks a contract with a brand deal because their product actually kind of sucks, and while there is some fallout, other people are like, yeah, that product was really a piece of shit. Shane knows what he's talking about.
People get wind of this side of Shane. At first, they're a little startled at the change. There's pushback, wondering what happened to the "golden boy of hockey." But a small percentage of fans start to see the big picture and support #Shane'sFuckItEra, and it slowly grows.
And Ilya? Ilya loves seeing this side of Shane. The side that has no restraint. Anytime someone complains, all he says is, "Yep. That's my Shane. Deal with it."
Not sure if we'll get Harris in the next season, or if we'll even get any of this, but whoever is cast, I want them to be able to depict the following expressions (in no particular order):
"help me God, what did Ilya do this time?"
"I need to retire early"
"I love my job I love my job I love my job" (after Ilya posted something on social media)
"there's not enough speciality coffee drinks to make up for Rozanov's shenanigans"
"Troy, I'm going on a week-long spa vacation alone! The sight of a hockey player is causing me stress!"
Let this joyful and optimistic social media manager contain multitudes and also contemplate his life choices that led him to Ilya's chaos.
I already saw a few posts about Shane and Svetlana hitting it off because of their love of hockey, but can you imagine the unstoppable force that would be Yuna and Svetlana?
Yuna "nothing will stand in the way of my two sons achieving their dreams on or off the ice but especially on the ice" Hollander and Svetlana "I will show up to my best friend's house in the middle of the night to menace him" Vetrova.
Yuna "Rozanov's ribs are bruised" Hollander and Svetlana "it will come down between San Francisco and Boston" Vetrova.
They would be up in the early hours of the morning discussing hockey players, draft picks, playoffs, and strategy like it was their job. Shane and Ilya would barely be able to pry them apart - after Ilya convinced Shane to come to bed with him, because Shane would just enable them.
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The only real thing that bothers me about Heated Rivalry is that the first few times Shane and Ilya have sex, is that they don't pull back the top covers of their hotel beds! I'm like, please have your fun sexy times on the sheets and not on the duvet and decorative blanket that I'm not even sure gets washed. Please!
The scenes in the conservatory are probably my favorite.
Juxtaposed together, they're cinematically beautiful and heartbreaking.
Spoilers below
The first time they're in the conservatory, it's night, but the scene is warm and colorful with the candlelight on the oranges and blankets. Sophie and Benedict get to know each other, and while Sophie is not agreeing to be Benedict's mistress, she is at least giving him a chance to prove himself.
They get to know one another. Benedict comes out to Sophie, Sophie tells him that she is illegitimate, and both are met with love and support.
Compare it to the last time they're in the conservatory, where it's daylight but the colors are washed out. Everything looks cold. Daytime should be warm and sunny, but this scene is not.
Sophie tells Benedict they cannot be together, and that he shouldn't have to give up his family for her. Benedict tries to reaffirm his commitment and love to her, but she pushes him away and breaks things off.
Two scenes. One at night, where things are hidden yet Sophie and Benedict reveal parts of themselves and are able to express their love and support for each other. One in the day, where things are seen, but society's expectations force them to hide their feelings for each other.
In the dead of night, society is asleep and they make a little world for themselves. In the day, society surrounds them and separates them.
Do you ever think Warner just hangs out with Adam every now and then to get some peace and quiet from everyone's emotions since he can't sense Adam's? At least, only when Juliette is busy hanging out with Kenji.
Well, I stand corrected. After reading the first sneak peek chapter of Release Me, it turns out that Adam has dropped his power to block other powers around him, which he takes as a sign of growth, meaning he's okay with Warner sensing his emotions.
Basically:
Adam: I am comfortable sharing my feelings around you. We're brothers. That's what brothers do.
Warner: Take it back. Put that shield back up. Reinforce it with metaphorical iron bars. I do not want this, actually.
Something occurred to me... Sophie says she can't dance in the very first episode of season 4, and then we get a flashback of her as a child basically being kicked out of dance lessons by Araminta.
And that was when her father was alive. So, was he not able to compromise with Araminta to get her back into dance lessons with her stepsisters? Or did somehow agree that Sophie would not attend dance lessons to placate Araminta?
Which makes this all the more sad.
I'm pretty sure even before Sophie's father died, things weren't perfect. Imagine the levels of passive aggression Araminta gave throughout the years. The tenuous dance of Araminta's scorn and resentment and Sophie's father trying to keep the peace but probably giving Sophie the short end of the stick at times to do so. I wonder if Sophie's doubts of her father's love weren't planted extremely early and not just after his death.
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As right as every character around Benedict was to point out the reality of Benedict being with Sophie, I find it strange he never used the word "love" until he's confronting Violet.
I'm just trying to think... did Benedict assume that everyone could see his love for Sophie? Did he assume everyone could see his puppy eyes and forlorn stare into the distance for her presence? Did he assume he exuded enough yearning and down badism like he had nothing else to live for? Did he believe his slouching on various seating furniture in frilly, romantic shirts and heavy sighs accurately reflect his longing and heartache?
I mean, it did for us, but that's beside the point.
Reminder: The Bridgertons Share 1 Braincell at Any Given Point in Time
I know a lot of viewers harped on Benedict's "Be my mistress," at the end of 4x04, as they should, but would it be Bridgerton if one of the Bridgertons didn't do something insanely stupid?
See also: Daphne about to marry a man she really doesn't care about to prove something to herself, Anthony proposing to Edwina in front of Kate, and Colin "I would never court Penelope Featherington"
My 2 cents on the Wuthering Heights movie controversies: The TV show 56 Days on Amazon Prime looks like a decent alternative to this not-very-well adaptation. It's not out yet, but the trailer looks promising: obsession, thriller, definitely a toxic relationship. Its leading male romantic interest is also a person of color!
Main differences is that there's an actual murder at some point and it's set in the modern day instead of 19th century England.
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For all Ilya's teasing about Shane being "Mr. Landlord" and
"Mr. Real Estate" - sir, those words have never been truer, because Shane Hollander is giving you the home you always wanted and needed.
Evidence: two living and loving parents who will come to see Ilya as their own, a loving and supportive boyfriend, and actual real estate to be domestic in.
There's something getting to me about Ilya being interrupted in the middle of the night by his terrible brother, who just wants money from him and literally nothing else vs Shane waking him up in the middle of the night to lay out his entire plan for how they can be together for the next 10 years while also adjusting their public image so they hang out more without the media's rivals narrative hanging over them. Promptly followed by confessions of love.
