Oh shit, I'm officiating at friends' wedding in March, and I might have to use the last part of Hot Priest's "love feels like hope" sermon.

I was actually delighted to find he can be charming and sweet. And HOT. Daaaaang.

Right?? I found his Moriaty extremely off-putting and not very compelling, plus I thought his face looked kinda squirrel-y. But Scott in Fleabag was a whole another league. The thing that made him so attractive, I think, was that he listened -- really listened. That he listened *actively*, with all of his mind and heart and undivided attention that he was able to look past her self-defenses when nobody else in her life, even her family, was able to penetrate her walls.

Also: his adorable, irreverent sense of humour. Plus my not-so-dormant priest kink (stupid Catholic upbringing!)

That he listened *actively*, with all of his mind and heart and undivided attention that he was able to look past her self-defenses when nobody else in her life, even her family, was able to penetrate her walls.

He was the only one who caught her breaking the fourth wall! I died!

Plus my not-so-dormant priest kink (stupid Catholic upbringing!)

Hard same. (I will not admit how many times I rewound and watched the confessional scene.)

(I will not admit how many times I rewound and watched the confessional scene.)

While in the fresh thrall of the show, I *almost* caved and bought a refrigerator magnet that just said, KNEEL. Honestly, I'm not sure how they pulled off that power dynamic without it coming off as remotely skeevy, but such is the power of Phoebe W-B and her writing skill, I guess.

While in the fresh thrall of the show, I *almost* caved and bought a refrigerator magnet that just said, KNEEL.

Ahahahahahaha!!!! I think that would be a fine life choice.

Honestly, I'm not sure how they pulled off that power dynamic without it coming off as remotely skeevy, but such is the power of Phoebe W-B and her writing skill, I guess.

Honestly, that scene walked a really fine line for me. (To the point that, the first time Hot Priest said "Kneel," and my reaction was HELLO, I immediately told myself "What is wrong with you??? That is NOT what he meant! Get your mind out of the gutter!")

Granted that Fleabag (the character) doesn't believe in God, so that defangs the spiritual power imbalance (IMO). But then she's so incredibly vulnerable in that scene, which skews the power imbalance between them as 2 lonely people. I think if Hot Priest hadn't gotten on her level, on his knees, it wouldn't have worked. It would have been totally skeevy. Instead it was just filthy hot (I know, I have ISSUES).

t edit I should say, I'm impressed with how well that scene walked that line and came out on the not-skeevy side (for me, at least; I understand opinions about it are divided on Ye Olde Internet).

No, you're exactly right. That scene is so hot BECAUSE it walks that line so deftly. It has massive, massive potential to be super-skeevy (and probably is for some people, esp. if they or their loved ones were ever predated upon by a member of the clergy) but for me, it just works.

And another Fleabag S2 thing: god DAMN, was Kristin Scott Thomas amazing or what? I mean, yes, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a goddamn genius for the writing, especially the "Women are born with pain built in" monologue, but even so, Kristin Scott Thomas just fucking KILLED IT.

Just pre-registered for Disney+.

Add me to the Fleabag lovers list! Massive crush on PWB. Massive.

Anyone watch S2 of End of the Fxxxing World? It wasn't necessary (S1 was perfection, including the ending), but I thought it was really well done. Shit, it made me cry, so there's that.

I'm watching Unbelievable (Netflix) while Hec and Matilda are both out--it's incredibly difficult and enraging to watch, but so, so good. It's based on this ProPublica 2015 report on a successful rape investigation that uncovered the devastating aftermath of an earlier, utterly bungled rape investigation.

And I keep recognizing actors I've seen before and being utterly blown away by them--the snarky, socially stunted queer girl from Booksmart is riveting and gutting as the girl whom no one believed. Elizabeth, Schmidt's on-again-off-again girlfriend from New Girl who dragged the sweetness of Fat Schmidt back out from under his layers of asshole, is a bright and directed and deeply compassionate detective. Willowdean from Dumplin' has such broken, resilient depth. And Toni Collette is, of course, Toni Collette.

There are small, heartbreaking grace notes--it's unbearable to watch the young, broken girl being broken more and more by angry, doubtful questions from increasingly irritated male detectives, and then watch as the detective in the second case, speaking to the survivor, asks her permission to swab her face for possible DNA samples. No inside the cheek swabs or anything--after getting permission, she very gently brushes a pair of swabs down one side of the survivor's face and then the other. She's likely the first human being to touch the survivor since the rapist, and she is so very careful to make that touch careful and non-invasive and only after obtaining consent.

I almost can't stand to watch it, it's so angering, but it's also so well-written and every single performance is so smart and deeply felt.