See Diary Part 15 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.
Entry — a couple of years ago minus a few months, a couple of days and maybe two weeks:
It seems I can’t easily get my hands on Between the Sheets. I would have to order another DVD. So I watched a couple of AlisaGB’s clips on YouTube. Once again Richard Armitage is completely unlike any of his other characters. Cloris Leachman came to mind. Maybe it was Paul’s whine. And I’m not keen on him with brown hair, and especially with that catch me/do me cowlick preceding him like an ugly prow. That whine really did get on my nerves, but it’s the whine and his helpless demeanor that makes me curious about this part. I don’t want to mess with this right now. The show just didn’t look very appealing, and the wife? I can’t stand her ’cause she whines too and she’s pushy with it. Could she be more one-dimensional and unappealing? But then this is only an excerpt.
As much as I like Richard Armitage, this might be the first thing I don’t like, and I hate the title. It was enough to sort of turn me off. If anyone else were in this, I wouldn’t bother. Titles like that say no one cares enough to go beyond the prosaic. But then Richard Armitage is in it, so it can’t be that prosaic can it? Maybe it means something else. It was one of his earlier works, but I think it’s after North and South. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll love this. My gut says no, but my gut has said no every time. To a show, I’ve resisted everything of his that I’ve watched except maybe George Gently. Even now looking at the North and South DVD case, there is nothing to recommend it. It’s drab and sounds like a cheap version of the better period dramas, and I absolutely hate that picture of him. That may be the worst picture of him I’ve ever seen. He’s pasty looking and dull. Did someone who doesn’t like him design the cover? It is atrocious. It’s amazing that what looks like something out of a sale bin at WalMart would have led me to spend this much time and money.
SO now asks me periodically what I’m doing, and then looks at me intently. The quiet look on his face is heart wrenching, but I can’t explain! I keep waiting for him to ask me why we have a multi-region DVD player. But he knows the question is already hanging between us. I don’t want to answer because I don’t understand why I bought one. I can’t articulate it, and I don’t want to articulate it. All I know is that I feel like I’ve stepped into something and can’t get loose and don’t want to.
When I was four almost five and couldn’t swim, I jumped into a swimming pool. I remember the sun shining on the water, and the marine color looked like I belonged there. It was awkward to stand on the edge just looking at it. The water bubbling in front of my eyes blinded me as I went in, but it felt so soft and good to slip down in it. I began to feel the water in my nose and wanted to let myself slip further. Then there was a huge woosh behind me and a vise around me, and dad was pulling me to the surface. I don’t remember panicking or crying, and I knew I wanted down in that water again.
See Diary Part 17 here.
Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com
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RAFrenzy 
This is exactly how I feel now about BtS which I haven’t watched, except for some of those YT clips you mention and I couldn’t bring myself to watch all of them. Apparently there’s some nudity….?? But even that doesn’t make me want to watch it especially as I understand that much of it involves other members of the cast, gulp.
I’ve since watched the whole thing. More on that coming.
I would not be surprised if that brown is his natural color. It matches his eyebrows.
It’s definitely his natural color, but there is a reason I didn’t like it in this. More on that later.
I enjoyed BTS. Terrific performances from Brenda Blethyn, Alun Armstrong and Mr Armitage. Alona is an annoying character but a good performance by Julie Graham. But that is just my opinion and I’m intrigued now to hear more from you.
And I agree the title is naff and I would not go out of my way to watch again if were not for Mr Armitage’s presence but I enjiyed the story of the central characters.
xxx
I have some catching up to do on your blog, I am behind.
Looking forward to what you will say in subsequent posts on this topic. Eventually I’ll write about this, too, because I didn’t “get it” from the clips, and my initial impressions of the piece were all substantially changed by watching the entire thing. I will say, though, that I love the brown hair and wish the real Mr. Armitage would switch back to it.
BTS predates North and South by a year. I’m also curious to see how Richard would look if he went back to his original hair colour. I think the black hair actually acentuates his eyes, so they might not seem as intense when he has brown hair.
You’re going to have to wait for a few posts. I didn’t get to see this until about two months or so after this incident, and no, I don’t really hate the brown hair, but I agree with Milly Me that the black or very dark brown hair is a great contrast to his eyes, which are grey!! ;-)
I’m thinking of getting an HD TV and Blu-ray player just so I have the option of watching RA in all his glory! Crazy!
I was talking about the hair question with a RL friend and we were sort of puzzled that he hadn’t gone to dark hair much sooner, as we agree that it accentuates so many of his features. We thought it odd that this effect was only discovered after N&S!
I just like brown hair because it says “boy next door,” and that’s really my favorite personality type.
@kaprekar,
Great minds think alike. Just yesterday I was looking at a multi-region blu-ray player that also plays dvd and has r/w capability. I think that would just about cover everything. LOL!
@servetus, his hair was dark in some other roles before N&S, but maybe N&S made him see how useful it was to have dark hair?
I’m partial to very dark hair, but SO was actually blond when we got together, and all of my little SOs have been blond. I, on the other hand, have never been blond. Maybe some blond moments. :D
“I have never been blond” sounds like a great book title, maybe for a memoir. :)
(Me either. I’m (very happy to be) a brunette. Have never colored, ever, though I suppose that decision is pending how quickly I go gray…)
It is interesting that you seem to be comparing the RA fascination with a pleasant drowning sensation! LOL We certainly all seem to be immersed in all things RArmitage and it is indeed pleasant and all-consuming. I am concerned that your SO seems to feel left out — and I want to hear more about this part of your story.
Mine is still somewhat puzzled (as am I), but very understanding.
As for the brown hair…it is perhaps not quite as dramatic, but I would take Mr. Armitage in any way, shape or form!
Please, people, the hair-color story is a distraction. The real gem in this post is the drowning story. Thank you, thank you, RAFrenzy, for sharing such a personal story that hints at the universal experience you — and we all — are struggling to explain!