Damian Lewis ROCKS Times Talks at Directors Guild Theater

source: Times Talks Program
source: Times Talks Program

Damian Lewis was the guest of celebrated Times Talks at Directors Guild Theater and had a great conversation with Cara Buckley, a New York Times culture reporter and the new Carpetbagger.

Well, on the day the UK votes to stay in or leave the European Union, a conversation with a British actor calls for a question about Brexit. And that was Buckley’s opening question. And, somehow, the conversation turned more political than I thought it would and I enjoyed it immensely. We all know celebrities tend to avoid from getting involved in political conversation probably because they do not want to lose fans. And I understand that. On the other hand, one may be an actor, a doctor, a teacher, or anything else, but first and foremost we are all citizens and we have responsibility to speak our minds about issues that we care about. And just THIS, I believe, makes an individual, regardless of who she or he is, and regardless you agree with her or him, a good citizen of the world. Thus, I applaud Cara Buckley for her hard-hitting questions and Damian Lewis for speaking his mind thoughtfully, knowledgeably and graciously. He was certainly in TOP form providing compelling arguments along with brilliant humor that cracked up the room one too many times!

Now, it is quite a task to turn a one hour and fifteen minute conversation into about 2500 words. But I have such delicious quotes from Damian and I would love to build the review around them. Plus I have a BIG surprise for you! I have been able to have an exclusive interview with Damian after the event which I proudly call “Fan Fun Talks.” Why not? You can see our interview with Damian at the end of this review.

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27148 – Attempt 67

Disclaimer – Life and Charlie Crews do not belong to me. Unfortunately. They belong to NBC. No copyright infringement or money making scheme intended. This is purely for reading enjoyment.

A/N just an idea for pre-season 1 that demanded to be written. Not necessarily consistent with Canon.


6 months, 24 weeks or 67 attempts or however you chose to look at it, he is finally sitting in front of her. If anyone else had stubbornly refused to see her or ignored her the way Charlie Crews has she’d have given up a long time ago.

She’d heard the guard calling Crews by his inmate number and pulled him up for it. The guard had scoffed at her and told her to mind her own business initially, but when she wasn’t for letting it go he told her it is the only thing Crews would answer to. She had felt the frown cross her face. It implied he’d all but given up on his identity and that she did not like.

They had been sitting in this room together for over an hour and he still has not said anything to her. She’d introduced herself and explained why she is there out of courtesy because even if he hadn’t read the correspondence she had sent him, she’s sure he knows her name and why she is there by now, but still he remains silent. Continue reading “27148 – Attempt 67”

Billions on Sky Atlantic, Episode 7: The Punch

Less than half of the first season to go on Sky Atlantic, praise has been coming fast and furious for our favorite cable show of the year. For those of you following along every week, here are our recaps of Billions, Episode 7,
“The Punch.”

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Previously on Billions: “The Deal”

Previously on Billions…

We start off with Wendy in some spooky looking place with Hall who directs her inside where Axe is waiting. It turns out to be a spa and it is just the two of them…well there is the possibility Hall is lurking around. Bobby says “It has been a weird couple of days”. At which point we flash back 72 hours.

Wendy is not happy. Wendy is in fact very mad with her husband. She is afraid that her absence from the office when Bill was arrested will make it seem like she knew it was coming. Chuck proceeds to tell her what they think of her won’t matter because in the end, when he is done, there will be nothing left and she is beautiful and talented and will land on her feet. Her answer is “Fuck you”.

Axe is rallying the troops and sounding the battle cry. He is standing on high surrounded by his subjects. I admit to having difficulty keeping a straight face when he began by describing Chuck as “An unscrupulous adversary”.

The scene with Axe addressing his people is intercut with Bryan and Chuck interrogating Bill Stearn. I find it hilarious that Bill is even known in these circles as the stingy multi-millionaire. Chuck lays out the charges against Bill and what he is potentially looking at, 12 years, and a $9 million fine.

Bobby is geeing up the troops with this was “An attack on all of us”.

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Summer means a revisit to Damian Lewis as Agent Double OO!

My girl’s a year older since I first wrote this and her tastes have crossed over to the dreaded tween territory. Also, I’m no longer a stay at home parent. Still, when I’m lucky and we have the time, I can convince her to tune into my favorite animated programming: Phineas and Ferb. I’d love the show even if Damian didn’t make an appearance, but icing on the cake is that he did! Here’s a revisit of my post from this time last year. Enjoy!

In short, the series gives us Phineas, a chatty clever American kid, and his taciturn and even more clever English stepbrother, Ferb, getting into all kinds of shenanigans as they attempt to stay busy during…summer vacation! On their tail is persistently annoyed and shrill teenage sister Candace who seeks repeatedly to “bust” them, and never manages to, thanks to serendipitous help from subplot characters: evil scientist Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his nemesis Phineas and Ferb’s pet platypus, Perry. Perry is a secret agent for the spy organization O.W.C.A. (The Organization Without a Cool Acronym). Love it so far?

Now, I, like most stay at home parents, try to tune out what I can so as to stay moderately sane. But, I found myself paying attention to Phineas and Ferb. Earworm title sequence and songs, fun characters, great writing all worked to pulled me in. I mean really: Dr. Doofenshmirtz, the vaguely Eastern European CEO of Doofershmirtz Evil Incorporated given to long monologues, on an incessant mission to control a mysterious “Tri-state area”, always defeated by a clicking purring platypus? “Ah, Perry the Platypus, as always, your timing is impeccable. And by that, I mean completely PECCABLE.” Who can resist writing like that?

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