methodwriter85

Really? I've always thought of Zach being pretty intelligent and manipulative. Like you'd think he'd be the dumb tall blond jock, but he's sharp as a tack.

I never said I was that versed in the Napoleonic era. I'm just here for the pretty Duran Duran looking dude.

Hey Mark, since I know you like the Napoleonic era, I figure I'd point you to a new French show on Apple that follows the rock star life of Antonin Carême, Napoleon's Chef. (And forced into spying by Talleyrand.) Not really my era that I'm interested in, but I'd probably would have watched this if I had Apple because the lead looks like he could have been in Duran Duran in 1981 and I'm so feeling that. LOL

You have nailed it. Seriously, that is pretty much how I've always read Brad and Jeremy's relationship. Brad let Jeanine take the lead with JJ, because he had Will, and Robbie had Darius. It all worked out well until everything went to hell with Robbie's insistence on trying out an open relationship, which came at a critical time with Will being 13 and JJ being nearly 14. Everything went to hell for two years after that, culminating in 9/11. With Jeanine and Robbie both gone, and with Jeremy being 18 years old now (meaning Brad can't threaten him with cutting off funds), they gotta figure some way out of relating to each other. Meanwhile Darius is blissfully out in California, enjoying his frat boy Malibu life. (It's going to be really interesting to see how he adjusts to the military when he goes. LOL)

I think what Jeremy finally seems to be getting is that if he wants people to be around him and interact with him, he's gotta moderate his behavior instead of saying whatever mean shit is on his mind. It's been great to watch.

Chapter 59 -When Will rushes to Travis's side after Travis is run over by a motorbike. "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones

I was 18 turning 19 when The Freshman takes place. Dear god time has passed so fast.

He has a mild version of what is now called the "modern mullet." Very popular late 80's/early 90's cut that made a big comeback these past couple of years.

An update on the Palisades rebuilding efforts- Palisades Charter School will be using the historic Sears in Santa Monica as their temporary campus! How neat! They did something similar in New England, using a department store as a temporary high school for a bit when their campus got damaged. Maybe when Palisades Charter High School is rebuilt this could get used as a satellite college campus or something. I believe the former Bullocks Wilshire (best known for the Luke and Laura department store dance on General Hospital) is a law school campus now. It's great seeing these buildings getting some new use instead of just being knocked down.

I think my favorite Internet catfish story was when I talked to a guy who claimed to be Lane Carlson (aka Abercrombie and Fitch model twin) when I was 14 years old. Lol My older and wiser e-friend Daniel (he was a 19-year old Southern Belle type) said bluntly, "Why would Lane Carlson be talking to you?" He then grilled the guy and reported back to me that yep, he was indeed a fake.

Word. So much word to the first part. I'm getting flashbacks to an episode of MTV's Made where the subject (a super obese effeminate gay teen who wants to learn how to play soccer) had the nerve to bitch that his new soccer coach was too old and only "passably cute." As for the second part, glad to see you're still lurking around. Now if only we could somehow get Blue back.

Four Brothers is the first movie where I know him from. That came out "next year." Lol

Personally I see Will as Jacob Elordi from Euphoria with green eyes, but again, your mileage may vary. (Jacob Elordi reminds me of Matt Dillon the 80's hearthrob if you made him much taller and Australian. Lol)

It's really funny how our mileage varies. Way back in the day I tried to get Mark to use Matt Long as a character model (he was a WB actor best known for the TV series Jack & Bobby as well having a stint on Mad Men) and he told me never because Matt Long reminded him of Tom Hanks. Lol

Mark is referencing the 2004 twink version of Garrett Hedlund that was in Troy and Friday Night Lights, but for me, it's his 2011 Men's Health cover photo shoot: He had such a fun "I'm going to be trouble and you're going to love it" chill vibe to him. That really appealed to the 26-year old version of me. LOL He also might have been one of my Cody fancasts before my head cannon Cody became Trevor Donovan.

2004 was the first election I could vote in. I was awestruck by the Republican National Convention protests that summer, having taped a bunch of the parade on CNN. I also faithfully watched Michael Moore's documentary Farenheight 9/11, and I really believed that we were going to capture the White House. I was truly shocked that the Dems lost because I had fully bought into my liberal Delaware environment. (I went to the same school as Congresswoman Sarah McBride.) My 19th birthday was the next month and as part of a joke my Republican track coach gave me a homemade birthday card that included a newspaper clipping of John Kerry at his Vietnam War testimony. LOL In hindsight it was a pretty good lesson about not expecting things to go the way your echo chamber says it will go. Anyway, so a Garret Hedlund lookalike? Nice. I had a thing for him around 2010 when he was getting a leading man push because of Tron. I remember him being a popular fancast for Finnick O'Dair in the Hunger Games: Catching Fire. I am enjoying the vibes between Will and Finn.

So Elon is trying to screw with my home state of Delaware because the Court of Chancery judge wouldn't approve his 56 billion payout. It's been a big to-do. Our governor already signed an act to make sure the Court of Chancery can't do that again, good little corporate soldiers we are.

Chapter 55 -The costume ball. "Vogue" by Madonna (Live at the MTV Awards 1990) When Jeremy deals with his arch nemesis. "Rip Her to Shreds" by Blondie -When Travis and Will make love. "My Immortal" by Evanescence

I interpreted the scene as Jeremy learning when and how to channel his bitchy energy at. Kind of like the scene in Mean Girls where it's revealed that Regina George has mellowed out because she has learned to direct her aggression towards other players while doing field hockey. In Jeremy's case, I think he's learning how to only do the bitch thing towards other bitches being bitchy towards him. Not towards people that are being nice towards him, ala Will or Travis.

It's been fascinating watching Armie Hammer desperately trying to revive his dead career. Kind of painful to remember how obsessed with his looks I was. Lol

Chapter 54 -When Will's dormmates decide to dress up as the "Hey Ya" music videos. (But thankfully avoid doing blackface.) "Hey Ya" by OutKast -When Will meets a random drag queen at a party and they begin to dance. "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keyes I have a distinct memory of some girl performing this at my school talent show and the mean girls in my class ripping on her performance afterwards. LOL -When Will comforts Travis after he admits that Curtis Buck molested him. "Green Eyes" by Coldplay

Hey, Mark, I was wondering what your take is as someone who grew up in the Bay Area for the whole "California Forever" development plans. If you don't know what I'm talking about, California Forever is a planned medium density, walkable city planned to be built in Solano County. The plans honestly look great but obviously, people who expected to continue their rural lifestyle are upset about it. It was put on the 2024 ballot, then yanked, but now Rio Vista is having talks with the developer. I have an interest in urban planning and stumbled across this topic. It seems like a really cool idea on paper, but it kind of feels like another California City in the making. If even anything actually gets built. If you don't know what I'm talking about, California City is a 1960's failed planned city in the desert of Southern California that failed really, really badly. LOL I honestly get the feeling though that "California Forever" is going to happen no matter what at this point, no matter how much protesting people do. That might be why Rio Vista is having talks with the developer.

Speaking of the Pitt, can we talk about Noah Wyle as a Hot Sexy Daddy Dr. Robby? He aged into a total Zaddy.

I kind of think when both Jeanine and JJ had recovered from their traumatizing storylines in Paternity it probably would have been a good time. Anyway, in the mid-2000's I was so obsessed with House Hunters and HGTV home renovation shows. Plus, being from a high-growth area like Delaware, you were just seeing developers everywhere pushing real estate. The town I attended my first year of college in had this local developer who was building pretty much everywhere and would put his initials on the buildings he put up. When the Great Recession crashed he killed himself. Pretty wild to think just what a shift the Great Recession was.

I know you make a shit ton of money from this world, but damn. The entertainment industry just seems to have all sorts of nasty little open secrets. I'll never forget a former ingenue named Sarah Polley who detailed being "presented" to Harvey Weinstein and getting herself the hell out of Hollywood because she didn't want to play the game. She retreated back to Canada and became an indie film director instead.