and I think it is the best picture of RA. King in my mind. I mean who could look at that and not have some reaction to it even if they have never seen him in any roles? Oh, someone dead? Yeah, that’s about it.
But I may have seen the one that can give it serious competition, and I wish someone who has something to do with the “Captain America” movie read my piddly blog. They could see how good RA looks in the picture below. Since the movie is being made by Hollywood, of course looks are the primary consideration. We know RA can act in anything, but does he have the look for a part in that movie? Oh, baby, yes!
A big thanks to Kaprekar for this photo. I was going to just add it to another post, but it deserves its own:
I need a new tag: PHWOAR!2
second edit: and I forgot to mark the jawline tag for this entry! Yes, you can click on that tag and look at all of the lovely profile shots in this blog, or most of them anyway. That’s my public service gene at work, so I just can’t help but think of these things for the edification of all of us. ;-) Thanks, fitzg for reminding me.
By the way, that second picture is an edit of a Robin Hood promo picture found on RichardArmitageNet.Com
See Diary Part 17 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.
Entry — Early Fall, 2008:
The Cleopatra debacle put a damper on my obsession with watching Richard Armitage. For a couple of days anyway. But when I don’t know what to watch, I do what I always do — go back to YouTube. One of these days I might get my hands on Between the Sheets, but until then, I guess my Guy of Gisborne obsession will have to be indulged. I was hoping to salve my conscience by staying away from that silly show. But I can’t stay away from Guy fan videos. I can’t stay away from YouTube. The seduction is not only Guy but the shortness of the videos. They’re no more than ten minutes and most of them are three minutes. How bad can that be? 10 minutes x 50? Surely not. 3 minutes x 50? If I’m honest.
All of this makes me afraid to know the number of videos I’ve watched. Dang! if YouTube isn’t so “kind” to count them for me. I can’t stand looking at that number. Maybe there’s an easy way to erase the counter. Is this why I went to college? Is this why I know all the crap I know? So I can reset my counter on YouTube? Ohmygod! I’ve become that consumer I always railed against — the big open mouth. Just shove it in! No! But I can’t stop gorging myself on these videos. They’re too good!! I actually feel myself getting withdrawal when I don’t watch them for a few days and can almost feel my brain being rewired while I watch. When I’m done, I’m in a kind of stupor. Not quite slack jawed but definitely a glaze over my eyes.
But is it really hurting anyone for me to watch them? 10,000+ and counting. What is wrong with me? I mean Guy is a terribly interesting character, and Richard Armitage is definitely sexy, but this is absurd. And I’ve even toyed with doing a video myself. Noooooooo! I must stop this!
Just one more:
[Big time rationalization coming up]
Oh dear Lord, I think I passed out. I have to put this on my Facebook wall!
A little while later:
LOL! I got several comments about the Guy video. From “I want to watch what you’re watching!” to “Who is that?!!!” I love it. But I really loved saying, “Oh, that’s nothing. Wait ’til you hear him talk.” When I hear him speak, it dredges up all kinds of long dead possibilities. But I’ll never tell my friends that. They can figure it out for themselves, and actually I don’t want to talk about it.
For now this is an even better way to get Richard Armitage converts than having them watch Vicar of Dibley although Vicar of Dibley was a better way than North and South. People just don’t want to watch a four hour mini-series, and especially not when it’s a period drama. At least my friends don’t seem to like the idea — even if they do read. As one put it to me, “I’d rather read the book.” But put up a video of Guy in action? Yeah, it’s like a secret weapon even the loftiest mind can’t withstand. Maybe YouTube isn’t so bad.
Last year at this time it was days after Guy’s death, and I could still feel tears welling up in my eyes when I thought of it and would shake my head at the absurdity of grieving the death of a fictional character. Just now I felt them start again. Amazing.
Certainly I’ve read books and watched movies that had tragedy and loss and was profoundly moved by the events to the point I shed tears as I was reading or watching. Sometimes I’ve thought about the events for days or weeks later and in some cases months or years later. But my later thinking has always had more to do with intrigue about the human condition and certainly examining it in a kind of detached way. This wasn’t the case with Guy. With him it was personal and a grieving process, and it stunned me. I’ve had to grieve lots of deaths but never someone who’s not real. Honestly, this made me think I really was going nuts, and so my analytical side stepped up to ask why and try to make sense of it and preserve my dignity.
I’ve had a year to think about it, and I’m not sure I’ve completely made sense of it. But I understand much better what’s happened. I’ll be posting more diary entries about this process, and perhaps I’ll find I have CWS. But if I do, it’s not of Richard Armitage but rather this fantastic character he helped to create.
Now you know the real reason I’m anonymous. LOL!
When I was drafting my first post for this blog, I thought about hitting this subject right up front but knew it would not be as satisfying (at least for me) to go right to the issue I’ve wanted most to address. I really did want to have some fun along the way in my self-analysis. Could I have bored you with all sorts of psychoanalytical terms? Oh yeah, I could have. Believe me I know enough of them after up close and personal acquaintance with some psychiatrists. But you don’t want to hear all of that shit, and I really don’t want to type it.
I’ve simply got to talk about some fanfic. Oh, I’ll eventually post my top ten, which changes about every week, but for now I want to direct you to a fic that is for all of us GuyxMarian fans. If you still have a need for their relationship to be resolved (no matter how many writers have resolved it and again and again and again), you’re going to love the fanfic I’m reading. It’s the way I wish Season 3 had gone — at least as the fic is going so far. Just finished reading the latest chapter, and I’m very anxious for the next one. If the author doesn’t finish, I may have to do bodily damage. LOL! That is how hooked I am on this fic.
The only possible catch for you reading it is you have to become a member of C19 if you’re not already. I’m pretty sure the fic isn’t anywhere else. Oh, and I love the name of the piece. It satisfies on so many levels — Grant What I Wish.
Enjoy!
edit:
I wasn’t paying attention to the chapter titles, but now that I am, I’ll have to go back and reread them to see if the chess terms mentioned play out in the chapter. I play some chess, but I’m certainly no expert about it. I’ll have to get the help of one of the little SOs who happens to be a chess fiend. Good on Kleindog for throwing in another layer of interest!
See Diary Part 12 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.
Entry — a couple of years ago shy a couple of months and a few days:
I’m over being hacked at the ending of Robin Hood Season 2. Well, I think I am. But if I ponder it long enough, I get irritated again. I just need something really good to watch, and I’m mad at myself for caring so much about something as lame as Robin Hood, which I didn’t even like to begin with! I just want to get lost in a character. I need to get lost in a really good story, but I’m too numb to read. Need something passive.
Right now I get up early in the morning, fix Mom and myself some coffee and toast or whatever she is able to eat, and then we head out for the bowels of the hospital. Usually we get there by 7:45am, and she is prepped for her radiation treatment by 8:00am. All told we’re there about an hour and a half each weekday morning. This is our third week of six weeks, and I feel that I’m getting to really know some of the people who come in for treatments. It’s a wonderful and terrible experience. I have never been a great crier, but I’ve had to forestall tears on several occasions. One day last week I couldn’t keep from it and had to retreat to a restroom to sob when a young child was wheeled in. The mother of the child was in a daze. The child is terminal and yet they are giving treatment to ease some pain. I have nothing to say. I can only cry.
The upside is that I have now spent a month of uninterrupted time with Mom, and that has not happened since I was a kid living at home. We have laughed and cried and made big plans. She’s dreaming of the day we can travel together. She wants to go to England and has begged me to go with her. I don’t know if I can do that, but I dare not tell her. I can’t ruin the dream. It’s something for her to hang onto. I did tell her that if she were feeling better in a year, we would do it! Not sure how I’m going to pull that off. But she got carried away after we watched North and South, and I got caught up in it and said, “We can be like Val and Gil in ‘The World of Henry Orient’ and stalk Richard Armitage!” She belly laughed and said she would be sure to wear one of her capes, and take a good collection of her hats or acquire more there. I would love it if I could arrange for her to meet him. She would be like a kid about that and get so much out of it. But really, he would love meeting her!
I was dreading this trip, but the truth is I love reverting to childhood with Mom. She was always able to be a child with me to the point of lying in the floor and coloring with me when I was little. She sang songs with me and had the uncanny ability to know the lyrics to every song whether old or new. Then there were the “shows” we put on. I remember one summer she had all the neighborhood kids in a backyard show that ran once a week for almost the whole summer. To cap it off Mom made the best treats. People loved coming to the “shows” just to consume her latest creation. And the costumes! which she made on a treadle sewing machine. Oh, there was nothing she couldn’t do. Truly an amazing person. I’m blessed.
And her dramatic flair that parenthood was never going to dim. A country could never contain her much less a mere room. My flair on the other hand was not nearly as pronounced, and I did let parenthood and life in general almost snuff it out! This time with her is reviving that and SO considers it an answer to his prayers. He had been mourning the loss of it and blaming himself. It wasn’t him. It was me. I put too much on myself. I’ve always put too much on myself because I’ve given myself too much credit for how things go down. I’m not that in control — only of my reactions. I’ve just deceived myself into thinking I am and let my joy be completely taken by the cares of the world. But I don’t want to come to the end and realize I have not let myself really live.
For now Mom and I are loving this time of watching movies together, and she is such a fiend for drama that it’s a joy to watch her in her element. It’s no wonder she loved being a trial lawyer. That’s half the job — the dramatics. How many conversations in my lifetime have we had about dramatics — the pacing of a movie, dialogue, camera angles, close-ups, an actor’s diction and demeanor? I have no clue. It’s been a blast to revisit that, and North and South is perfect for mining details. It really is a little gem of a piece.
In a few weeks I have to go back to my reality, to SO and the little SOs. Hopefully, it won’t be that dismal world I’d created for myself, and maybe Mom and I will make it to England.
For anyone who’s been following this blog, you already know I lamented the difficulty of making this post and mainly because there are so many RA videos out there. But I had such a good time trying to watch as many as I could to be fair. These things are almost like my children. I didn’t realize I had it in me to love so many. All the more to make it difficult to highlight only ten. But what a great problem to have! And I scrapped my in-depth criteria. The post would have been too long, and it may be already! Quite simply the ones selected are the videos I find myself going back to again and again.
I put them in an order, but hey, this order could change tomorrow or maybe later today. LOL!
I’ve embedded all of them below which shouldn’t be a problem, but if enough people experience problems, I may change how I’ve configured this post.
#10 — the ethereal quality of the song and the editing make me accept this AU (Alternate Universe) story as canon! Very soothing on a lot of levels. LOL!
#9 — considering it’s Thornton’s longing we mostly see in North and South, I love this take on Margaret pining.
edit: this video is no longer on YouTube, so the creator of the video, ATFrancis, has given me permission to upload here, and if you would like your own copy, you can download at FoolishPassion, one of Elvira’s sites.
#8 — this was one of my first Guy videos, and it captures his angst over Marian perfectly. At one point it disappeared from YouTube, but then it came back. Yea! I’ve never gotten tired of watching it. I love the editing, and it was my introduction to Shinedown.
#7 — too much to write about why I love this one; maybe it should move up. No, I’ve got to stop somewhere. Thank you, DB for editing MJ’s song. It was way too long. Your timing is perfect.
#6 — this is a masterpiece and probably should be #1. It’s the shortest video on the list, but the impact of it is enormous. I’ll stop there or this post will be so long it won’t load.
#5 — the quality of this video is stunning. Please, please, please if you like it, download it in the 1080 format. It’s RA like you’ve never seen him. Oh, and it’s Shinedown again. Love it!
#4 — whatever “it” is, Nat has it. I’ll sum up this video in a word: brilliant. Also, great thanks to Heather for her wonderful inspiration!
#3 — this is one slick video. DB just gets better and better and she’s already great. Oh, I would love to go back and completely rewrite the post I did on this one!
#2 — it’s scary how many times I’ve watched this and not just at the normal speed but slowed down as well. I notice something new every time, so I can’t seem to stop analyzing it. The video is a feast.
#1 This video may be a 10.
Most of these are available for download. Check their YouTube descriptions to find out how.
See Diary Part 11 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.
Entry — a couple of years ago shy a couple of months:
I just can’t bring myself to watch Season 2. I know something bad happens, and I don’t want to know what it is.
A few days later:
Even though I’m going to visit my mother for a while, I’m taking the DVDs with me. Somehow I can’t bear to leave them at home. Not sure I’ll have time to watch since I’ve got something pretty grave to deal with. But I’ll try. Still dreading the ending.
A couple of weeks later:
Uh, I’m not sure what to say. I’m dumbfounded. Talk about my head spinning around. I think it fell off at the end.
The last DVD broke when I threw it across the room. There’s now a crack in the middle. Not sure how I’m going to fix that. Do I even want to?!!
What a WASTE OF MY TIME!!! Damn those writers!! They royally messed this up!
It’s amazing how invested in these characters I became. Well, I’m invested in Guy and in Marian because she means so much to Guy. Everyone else is more or less a prop. Oh, I like the actor who plays Robin Hood. He’s a doll, and I am curious what else he’s been in, but his character is no match for the charisma that is Guy. About the only character who can really draw some attention when Guy is around, besides Marian (who gets almost all of Guy’s attention), is the Sheriff. I’ve heard of the actor who plays him, Keith Allen. Don’t remember what he’s been in, but just remember he’s a comedian. He’s hilarious and menacing in this. I love his interaction with Guy even if Guy is a tool.
But all that goes out the window when Marian is in the picture or Guy is thinking about her being in the picture. I thought when I saw North and South that Richard Armitage could never again pull off that kind of intensity about a woman. I was wrong. So wrong. But really, that’s not all this is about. It’s not just about the obsession with Marian. It’s about the obsession with being someone worthy. Guy is desperate for recognition, and it jumps off the screen and grabs me and almost rips my heart from my chest. And Marian. What can I say?
The last time I remember crying like this at a series is when I watched Lassie as a kid. Lassie was always involved in a crisis and somehow got lost or seemed to, and Timmy would call and call for Lassie to come home and that haunting theme song with the whistling would start, and I would sit there sobbing with big tears rolling down my cheeks. Mom would come in and offer to turn it off, and something came from my toes, “NOOOO!” That’s how it’s been with Guy. He’s lost but I can’t look away, and just thinking about him makes me choke up. What the hell is wrong with me? Those writers. If I could get my hands on them. It’s a good thing I can’t. I think Heathcliff was supposed to make me feel this way, but I hated Wuthering Heights. But that was a long time ago. Maybe I need to read it again since I can’t seem to get enough of this torture. No. This is enough.
Oh, I just thought I was hooked on the first season of Robin Hood. So what now? I have to find out what happens to Guy. Is there even going to be a third season? So far I can’t find anything. Someone said something on IMDb, but it’s not definitive. Must find out.
This is probably the anthem for all of us who are Guy of Gisborne lovers, and it certainly is for 01Cheers on Livejournal. She has set up a shrine (those are her words) to Guy. If you haven’t already, check it out. You can click “Serious Guy Addict” under the Addict List. Of all the links I have listed on my blog, hers is clicked on the most. Gee, I wonder why. And if you appreciate all of her hard work, please let her know it.
Once the dust settles from Strike Back, I’ll probably be examining every little aspect of Guy. I’ve already started on this, but I’m probably going to take the first part of the summer to continue with it. What else can I do while we’re in a drought? Oh, and I’m sure it doesn’t matter if you’ve heard what I’m going to say already. If you’re a Guy fan, you will probably consume it, because you know it will either confirm what you think or give you food for thought. Whatever, the case, you’ll be thinking about Guy and looking at pictures and videos of Guy, and that’s the point isn’t it?
Oh, wait! I almost forgot my gratuitous pic.
A scene from Season 1 Episode 4 Parenthood, in which Guy is particularly nasty. But I’m sure I don’t have to tell most of you that, and I’m sure it doesn’t keep us from admiring that picture. Hey, Richard Armitage probably thinks we’re all nuts anyway. I figure I’d rather be hung for a lion than a lamb. Is that mixing metaphors? Oh well, literature never was my forte. LOL!
Yes, I’m still going to post about RA’s eyes, but I’m searching for a particular screencap. May have to breakdown and make it myself.
Screencaps courtesy of RobinHood2006.com
edit: I guess the Guy movie 01Cheers made was deleted from online storage. If you want access to it, send me a note.
See Diary Part 10 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.
Entry — almost two years ago:
Robin Hood Season 2 DVDs arrived today! Can’t wait to watch them. In the interim, I watched all of Season 1 again, and I cried again. What is my affinity for this character? Oh, yes, he’s sexy. Those faces he pulls and the way he stands and holds his head when he looks at Marian, and of course there’s his jawline. I did not know a jawline could be that sexy. But I’ve seen so many shows where an actor was sexy and wasn’t moved like this. No, this is something else because I don’t remember sexy ever making me cry.
A week later:
I still haven’t watched Season 2 yet. Season 1 keeps beckoning, and I keep running back to it. I’m having to watch it on the sly since the family has already seen it and thought it was okay, but nothing to rewatch. They would think I was an idiot for watching this lame show over and over. I’ll admit to watching a tv show more than once or twice, but this is getting ridiculous. Still haven’t topped my North and South viewings. Thank God! This might be because Robin Hood is a ridiculous show that doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up.
But there in the middle of it is Guy like a lost little boy begging for attention. Yes, the killing is unconscionable. How could it not be? It is by any definition, but anything that horrible always has me asking why. I can’t help seeking to understand why people do the things they do, and especially if there is a glimpse of humanity. Guy delivers from the beginning. From the first show, he begins to let us in just little bit on the boy who wants to be affirmed.
It begins when Robin presents himself as Lord of the Manor and Guy takes him to task for not respecting him in front of the “populace.” The scene isn’t much, but it’s the beginning of the puzzle that is Guy. Like a corner piece that gives just enough sense of the finished picture to prompt someone to put the entire thing together.
The vulnerable little boy really emerges when he comes to visit Marian and invites her to Locksley, his new Gisborne, his mojo. It’s painful to watch this scene.
But then in two sentences about a woman changing her name, the man reasserts himself. PHWOAR! There’s the real mojo! That is one sexy scene and no one is even close to removing their clothes. Okay, where was I?
The little boy alternating with the seriously sexy man makes my head spin. No wonder women are swooning over this character, and I guess I’m right there with them. Damn that Richard Armitage is something else!
See Diary Part 9 here, or to access all entries, hit “The Diary” tab above.
Entry — a couple of years ago:
I found this video of Richard Armitage discussing Guy of Season 1. I don’t know what happened, but he either completely missed on this character, misrepresented the character or the writers changed direction. Or, well, I just don’t know what else could have happened. But at this point it’s really hard to believe Richard Armitage was this off. He just seems too in tune with how things are perceived to miss this badly. Or was he just yanking everyone’s chain when he said he wanted to make them squirm. Maybe he didn’t mean squirm from disgust.
I’m intrigued by this complete miss. Must find out what happened. Can I ever really know what happened? It’s going to drive me crazy until I find out what happened!
Whether I ever find out, I just love the video. Richard Armitage seems like a really sweet person. I hate to use the word sweet because it has connotations of someone who’s benign. I could never associate the word benign with Richard Armitage. Maybe sweethearted is a better choice. I’m becoming so biased about this actor. Maybe he’s really a schmuck.
RAFrenzy 