“You Are Wonkru Or You Are The Enemy Of Wonkru. Choose.”

LM5 TOUR OUTFITS: PERRIE EDITION ♡

#bbc merlin spoilers

A NONSENSE CHRISTMAS WITH SABRINA CARPENTER (2024)

TLK Season 4 - The Best???

(Spoliers ahead!)  

I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion or not but… I think season 4 is my favourite of the lot. It’s very difficult to say for definite which I like the most, but when I sun up the pros and cons of each, 4 is quite possibly the one I can say I enjoyed the most. 

There are a lot of new characters or ages up characters that are introduced this season. Usually I don’t enjoy when there are so many new introductions all at once but TLK always does it well. Maybe it works because there is so much death anyway, they kind of just fill in the gaps. 

Speaking of death… Thyra was done dirty is season 3 and now Beocca has been done dirty. I say that lightly, because while I hated his death, it did make sense in some aspects. He died protecting Uhtred’s son. As a father figure to Uhtred himself, that just kind of comes full circle. Moreover, he died where his story began: in Bebbanburg. After Thyra was already gone, I think I can kind of accept this. It broke my heart, but death is meant to happen. Not everyone can always die of old age like they do in the books. People want to see drama on screen. 

The character progression in this season is phenomenal. We see so many people grow out of old, bad habits or come to have new views of life that just feel so satisfying. There are many examples of this, but Lady Aelswith is probably the most prominent of these. She has always been an interesting character though not particularly likeable, but I actually kind of love her now.

Uhtred, however, is someone who also has a big change of character this season. He becomes less of a warrior and more of a father, not just to his own children but to Aethelstan and Aelfwynn. He becomes a protector rather than a fighter. And I love that. I love to see how many times he fails only to keep going because it is love for his family that drives him forward (both his children and his men). 

The friendships have developed tenfold. Stiorra was right when she said that Uhtred’s men are his family. They feel so close knit and the dynamics are so good. Good fucking job to the actors for just being able to translate real life friendship into on screen friendship. It’s so real and honestly I just want to give them all hugs, all the time. 

Eadith??? Hello??? I love her. Her and Finan have CHEMISTRY, so I’m rather disappointed that they didn’t do something with that in season 5, but also I’m so glad to finally see a female character that doesn’t need a man. I found her a little annoying during the first watch but after countless rewatches, she’s actually very likeable. I am very happy with her. 

Episode 6, I think, is one of my favourite episodes in the whole show. Am I being dramatic when I say that I love the little family dynamic they make  while on the run? Maybe. But it’s nice to see them running for once rather than fighting. Bad way of phrasing it, perhaps. The quiet moments in the woods, though, are ones I enjoy a lot. And Finan playing with Aethelstan is the cutest shit I’ve ever seen.

Young Uhtred and Stiorra are so well casted. We love Sigtryggr. Brida continues to be a menace that I despise. Also, fuck the Welsh (only in this, love my Welsh folk in real life).

i live for their reactions to merthur honestly

Whatever it is— whatever you do. Try not to miss.

SADIE SINK AS MAX MAYFIELD IN STRANGER THINGS 4

TLK Season 5 - NO! OSFERTH!!!

(Spoilers ahead!) 

What a treat season 5 was. It was the first season where I was there for the release. Got it finished the same day it was out. Don’t regret a thing. 

Um… first thing to say… WHAT THE FUCK??? While this was a brilliant lot of episodes, WHY DO THE WRITERS KEEP BREAKING OUR HEARTS??? There were three major deaths that occurred and all were executed extremely well. By that I mean they were beyond emotional, extremely heartbreaking yet satisfying deaths. Every character who perished (save for a few) died with dignity and purpose. And the emotional fall out of them was felt for episodes to come. I’m so sad and happy at the same time. 

And Osferth... Oh my god... The way he was pleading for his life. The way Finan just hugged him close. The way he fucking sobbed when they laid his body down. I can’t...

My heart fell out my ass when they made Finan almost fall off that cliff.

The Coccham gang is in Rumcofa now! We have a whole bunch of new characters to enjoy. I live all of them but special shout out to Aethelstan. Everyone wants you as a son now, apparently. As do I. He must be protected at all costs. 

Special shout out to Aelfwynn also for being annoying??? I dislike her and I hate that. Little Aelfwynn was beyond cute but now that she’s grown I just feel like she’s not a good character. No hate to the actress, she did a great job. She’s just whiny. Yeah, yeah. Maybe that’s how she’s meant to be. Just doesn’t work for me. 

I can see so much of Gisela in her children. Both of them, even though Stiorra and Uhtred are almost complete opposites, they both have their mother’s traits. It’s so damn cute. 

Brida was very hit or miss for me. She got SO cruel this season, but I found myself feeling for her. She lost the only damn child she had after DECADES of wanting for one. That makes it a little hypocritical for her to attack Uhtred’s children. Fuck that. Her ending though was brilliant. She needed to die. Sorry. I don’t like that Uhtred couldn’t kill her even after everything she had done. I’m glad she got a little bit of humanity shining through in those last moments though. I saw the Brida there from season 1, the one I actually loved. They way she called out for Ragnar made me weep. 

How amazing was that final episode, though??? We end where we began, at Bebbanburg, now with the true lord restored to his rightful place. I’m so fucking happy with how this panned out and I’m so fucking sad that it’s over. Looking forward to the movie that’s coming after it, though. If this show is anything to go by, it’s gonna be a banger.

Queen Æthelflæd of Mercia in 5.01 of The Last Kingdom. 👑

TLK Season 2 - Hell yeah!

(Spoilers ahead!) 

Wow! Season 2! One of my favourites. We finally have our core four as well as being introduced to other brilliant characters that are some of my favourites (Aldhelm!). 

Let’s start by talking about Hild, Queen of the Water Bucket, scourger of slavers and once kicked out of the nunnery. Hild took a leap from season 1 to 2 and landed right in the midst of battle, kicking ass and taking names. I loved her this season. 

I’m glad we got to focus on somewhere outside of Wessex, that Uhtred wasn’t just chained to Alfred. Of course, he goes back, but seeing him take his own path to Northumbria and try to gain power there, his homeland, is… satisfying. It ends tragically, and 2x04 is still one of the most heart wrenching episodes of this entire show for me. What did it bring us though???? 

FINAN!!! What a joy he is. My favourite. I would throw myself in front of any man’s sword for Finan. This show would NOT be the same without our best Irish boy. 

David Dawson, you’ve done it again. You’ve blown me away. Alfred is one of the people in this where I am consistently in love with the delivery. He’s not the most likeable but he’s not meant to be. Again, the quiet intensity he has just makes for a top notch performance. I was very near shedding tears during the scenes he had in the final three episodes, tears in his own eyes. The very quiet “damn him, I say damn him” when Odda betrays him is just chef’s kiss. 

My hatred for Brida begins here. I had some… problems… with her in the first season, but I didn’t dislike her. However, in season 2 I begin to slowly lose my patience. I don’t know if it’s her story, the writing, or whatever else but I just… don’t enjoy seeing her on screen. Don’t get me wrong, Emily Cox does an amazing job at bringing the character to like, it’s just a shame Brida becomes annoying. Further clarification on this when I talk about season 3… 

One of the most underrated characters in this season is Clapa. I loved him with all my heart and I really wish they didn’t kill him off within the one season he had to shine. I would have loved to see more. Same with Halig. He was barely here for… what… 6 episodes? Yet he was one of the best during that time. 

Aethelflaed and Erik’s relationship is questionable. I’m really not sure how I feel about it. This man kidnapped her. Yes, he treated her with respect but… is this not a case of Stockholm syndrome? I dislike it. 

Final thoughts… I really enjoy season 2. A lot. Mostly the first 5 episodes, but the 3 after the time jump are solid as well.

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (2024) costume design by Jeanie Cheek, Sabrina styled by Ronald Hartleben