#twhnet

The screening was lovely -- it was great to see the first episode on the big screen. Reactions to certain events were very different with a large crowd. It’s interesting how that influences the tone of the reception. They showed episode one (with blackouts presumably in commercial gaps, some of which aren’t very well timed), and the first major sequence of episode two. The reception was very positive from the audience, which is a tricky thing in a room full of ‘industry’ people, but the excitement over the series was palpable in the room.

 Then the panel started. And look, panel moderation is a tough gig. It’s not for everyone, and it’s a really difficult thing to do well. The man moderating the panel… did not do it well. Aside from not seeming prepared for even reading the intros, he just wasn’t great at really engaging the panel, or the audience, and seemed to mostly like hearing himself give thoughts (an all too common issue with moderators, sadly). That being said, everyone on the panel got some good opportunities to speak about different things. Each time Tom spoke it was very descriptive and at length (surprise, surprise), and while engaging, it was clear he was tired (not all all surprising given the whirlwind of press his life has been recently). Hugh was equal parts witty, serious, and hilarious. I want to kiss Olivia Coleman’s feet (I did before seeing her speak in person, but then it was just amplified) -- she’s so down to earth and genuinely lovely. Elizabeth was lovely, too, though she was quite soft spoken. I don’t know if that’s her natural state or if she was feeling the tired, too. The audience questions were… not great, but not terrible either. I think the best question came from a woman who asked about the choice to do a lot of extreme close ups on the actors and how the actors felt about that, and Elizabeth gave a really lovely response about how amazing their DP was in finding creative ways to get in so close and really feeling like they owed it to him and the production to give everything in those moments.

Tom also talked a bit about his military research/training for the role, which he hasn’t spoken much about and was intriguing to hear. He expressed how interesting it was to learn about things like staying calm in violent situations. He also talked about the night manager training we’ve heard about in some interviews (swooping in graciously to save Hugh during a moment of awkwardness when the moderator didn’t seem to get the fact that Hugh couldn’t really talk much about the kind of real-life people Roper is based on because, well, the reason should be obvious but the moderator wasn’t quite getting it).

After the panel, there was a reception. I honestly didn’t expect any of the cast to stick around (they’ve been doing press all week and it’s clear they were all very, very tired). I went to the loo and came out to find my friend and in my haze of trying to just get through a giant throng of people, almost ran smack into the back of Elizabeth. She was crowded by people in front of her, so I went around and resumed trying to find my friend. I made sort of a loop and on the way back toward the theatre entrance got sort of pressed into a wall of people. Because now, about ten feet in front of me, is Tom… and a whole shitload of people crowding around him. I almost aborted (hate crowds, hate throngs of people invading my personal space, introvert panic mode engaged), but then kind of thought, fuck it, I’m here and basically being pushed forward, let’s just ride the wave for a minute.

I got up to being like one person deep away from him, and that’s when other people farther back just start pushing their way in here and there. It’s not a very comfortable situation, but Tom was gracious and generally smiling and attentive to each person in turn. It was kind of fascinating to stand back and watch for a few minutes. He clearly gauges people very quickly and adapts his responses to them. There was a couple beside me (the ones in the photo I posted earlier) who were in the crowd before me, so as we got closer and closer, I let them inch in ahead of me. Space had gotten kind of tight, and I asked the guy if he wanted me to take their photo, so I did. They have their moment, thank Tom, move to thank me, and go to move away. At this point, two more people just swoop in front of me, and the staff starts to prod Tom to move on. The new couple get their moment and the staff prods prod him again. Then, I almost get pushed into him, but he’s turned to this little old lady who’s somehow magically forced her way up through the crowd. She was kind of precious, telling her performance history (apparently she did a show with Hugh waaaay back in the day) and pressed a flyer for her new show into his hand and just kept going on and Tom was nodding and smiling and being polite and she finally shuffled off. Again, the staff were majorly pressing for him to go. He turned to this girl near me who had also been waiting a while and had a walker and asked if she wanted a photo, and took one with her. At this point I’d basically been right in front of/beside him for about five minutes, just trying to be patient and respectful -- and then turned to me.

And honestly, it gets a bit fuzzy at this point because a) it happened really fast and b) for whatever reason I was totally chill and not at all freaked until he was literally in front of me, focused only on me -- AND the first thing he did was take my hand. And the staff are pushing him even more to move on, and I manage to eke out, “I finally got up here and it looks like I just have time to say ‘hello.’” And he smiles, all sweet and looking quite apologetic and says, “Well hello to you, too,” and looks about to continue and the staff literally press him away.

He made it about 10 feet before he was neck deep in a crowd again -- and seriously, all credit to him, he very slowly made his way out over the next fifteen or so minutes. He did take time to engage and pose for photos as the staff continually kept pressing him to go. And I had a brief thought of trying to wedge my way back into the crowd, but I was already overwhelmed with all the things and people and those eyes (seriously, those eyes) and had to just back away. I found my friend perfectly perched for viewing the chaos at a nearby table and we just watched him mingle (which is a kind word; he was basically mobbed) before he left.

It’s definitely not the ideal encounter, but I did manage to keep from saying anything totally embarrassing or incoherent, and I tried to behave in a way that would leave, if not a lasting impression, at least not a bad one.

As for the hazy moment of one-to-one contact, I can say this:

He is incredibly and sincerely charming.

His handshake is firm and… gentlemanly is the best word I can think of. And his hands are pretty damn soft.

He does take the time to try and genuinely connect, even if it’s just for a second.

Literally no picture does justice to how handsome he is in person, which is like 70% looks and 30% just being a really decent human being -- a thing I got a taste of last time I saw him in person, but it’s way different being right next to him and observing him interact with people.

That suit looked way better in person. When Tom sat down for the panel, Hugh actually gestured to him and the suit and then looked at the audience like, “Dapper motherfucker, eh? Eh?” It was an amusing moment.

He smelled like the suit. I don’t know how else to describe the scent I could pick up without, you know, trying to bury my face in his neck. There wasn’t any cologne, and nothing too discernible about ‘personal scent,’ other than the crispness of the suit and hint of… I want to say bark. Like fresh bark from a mild-scented tree.

For genuinely being very doubtful I’d be doing anything aside from occupying the same air as him for a bit, getting that close and actually having a brief second of one to one contact was lovely. Definitely not as impactful an impression as I would have liked to have made, and seriously the minute he took my hand my brain went somewhere else and I kind of kick myself for not trying a bit harder to form words, or just going with the obnoxious flow of people who kept pressing after him, but that’s just not me. I wasn’t even going to get into that crowd in the first place and it just sort of slammed into me. And for whatever any of this is worth, I’m glad I didn’t make a complete twat of myself and he shook my hand and smiled at me.