For the Love of Guy~ by Guest Blogger Nicole

For The Love Of Guy

Or, how one girl fell for her first bad boy.

I do not like villainous characters.

I mean, do I find them entertaining? Sure.

Bellatrix Lestrange is freaking awesome; The Hunger Games would be nothing without President Snow;

 if Jack Sparrow didn't have to argue with Davy Jones, the movies would be a lot less entertaining.

But I'm one of those girls that never understood the attraction in a bad boy.

Plenty of my friends have fallen for these characters in books and movies, but I didn't get it.

They were evil, they were bad - it didn't matter how hot they were; they were still a villain. A bad boy.

And I was still a nerdy girl who was more than happy to stay on the right side of the tracks.

And then I watched Robin Hood on a whim and met Sir Guy of Gisbourne. 

All of my firm beliefs on "I shall never love a villain" flew quickly out the window.

I mean, I had seen plenty of different versions of Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the past.

I love Robin Hood; I've seen different movie adaptations and read half a dozen different book versions.

In every one, I fell for Robin. (I mean, just look at what he does.)

So I can firmly blame Richard Armitage for my quick fall into Gizzy love.

Because had Richard not managed to portray Guy so beautifully, so perfectly - had Gisbourne

been played by anybody but Richard - I would not have liked him.

But... why did I like him? I asked myself that after devouring all three seasons

in the span of a month, and finally, I realized.

1. He's played by Richard.

Let's face it. All of the following points on why I love Guy spawn from this one, because

- upon becoming a firm Richard Armitage fangirl - I realized that some of the reasons I loved him as Guy

were some of the reasons I loved him in his other roles. (And the reason I know I'll love him, even as

a dwarf. A freaking dwarf. My friends shall mock me forever for this.)

2. His mannerisms.

Guy is not evil. Sure, he's done some evil stuff - I mean, just look at the Season 2 finale -

but I can forgive him for it, because he's a tortured soul. Just the way he looks at Marian,

the way he says things - oz, all of it. I suppose this number can be broken into:

2a. His eyes/glances.

I mean. Come on. *swoon*

2b. His tone of voice.

He can sound threatening without much effort.

But most of all, he can sound freaking sexy. Even when he's yelling at Robin.

2c. Pretty much everything else he does.

The way he carries himself, even the way he walks. You just can't go wrong.

3. His history.

It's not like Guy is a bad boy for no reason. He has REASONS. He has a HISTORY.

And a bitch of a younger sister. And that history gives him depth that, despite all of Richard's

superfantabulousamazing charm, wouldn't have existed otherwise.

4. This picture.

... self explanatory.

So. Why do YOU love dear Gizzy?

When did you first discover him?


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About the Guest Blogger~
Nicole is a bubbly college freshman who absolutely adores reading.
She first discovered the god that is Armitage early in 2010 while watching the Robin Hood BBC
series and has been hooked on him ever since. She proudly hails from New York and
runs a book blog called WORD for Teens.  She also firmly believes that,
somewhere out there, a unicorn is waiting to be found.

Time to break out the Armitage Christmas Carol vid once more...

This was my first and favorite Festive Cheestastic video.

(RA + the Muppets... what's not to love?)  If this doesn't get you in

the holiday spirit, I don't know what will. :)

*Pause the blog's background music (bottom of screen) before viewing*

 

Giving Thanks ~ by Guest Blogger Joan

Thanksgiving is upon us in the Colonies.

How can you NOT love a day that involves tons of great food, football games,

family and a four-day weekend with SHOPPING!?

 In the spirit of the Season, I have declared today

Richard Armitage International Thanksgiving Day.

Since I first discovered Richard Armitage in January 2008,

I have found many things to be thankful for.

First and foremost, there is Sir Guy of Gisborne.

Doesn’t he look pleased with himself? I am always thankful to see him briefly smug.

Please note that I took the high ground

and used the photo where he has turned to face the camera.

 Just because I love the photo

This is one of those “God loves me and wants me to be happy” photos.

John Porter won his own place in my Thanksgiving homage for many reasons, but primarily because

the opening scenes of Strike Back reminded me of stories my husband told about his time on board ship.

The crowded compartments and the small racks (that’s beds for you non-Navy types.)

Just like the picture... sorry.  Love a man in uniform.

 The white tee shirt was a United States Navy uniform requirement.

In my husband’s case, it was crew-necked and showed above the open neck of his uniform.

The subject wears it well….

Not everything I am thankful for is completely shallow.

The friends I have made through as a result of being a fan of Richard Armitage

 are a source of great joy and hours of fun! The bloggers, vidders, fiction writers, proboard admins,

the UK fans who upload interviews and television for those of us otherwise deprived…

for all of you and those I haven’t met yet, I am thankful.

Since I couldn’t get you all together for a big group hug and photo op,

this photo of Richard graciously offered to stand in for us.

I am also thankful to Richard for introducing me to Bernard Cornwell,

Georgette Heyer, Inspector Lynley, and Richard Sharpe. Two authors to devour and two series to enjoy,

all because I listened to Richard’s audio works. (I already read Elizabeth George.)

I am thankful for Richard himself for so many reasons:

his talent, his choices, his good looks, encouraging his fans to give to

charities on his behalf, the voice, and more.

Finally, I am thankful to richardarmitagenet.com and compleatseanbean.com for the photos

and Nat for the opportunity to jump into the deep end of the pool.

Couldn’t resist!!!!

Happy Richard Armitage International Thanksgiving Day!

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About the Guest Blogger:

Joan lives in Central California where she works as a data analyst

for a small U.S. government organization.  She is taller than a Hobbit and shorter than a Bearded Dwarf.

She is massively jealous of Malcolm and Tariq’s abilities to get data to return so fast and from so

 many sources. Her life is blissfully chaotic since her two grandchildren,

their parents and multiple pets occupy the same home.

My Golden Ticket ~ by guest blogger @Rob

Since landing a role in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit

is the equivalent to winning the Hollywood version of the

Mr. Armitage will now have his pick of roles.
So this got me thinking, if I could choose a role for him what would it be?

Disclaimer: I know Mr. Armitage can get his boxer briefs in a bit of a bunch when it comes to fans

 telling him what kind of parts to take. So I just wanted to say that, I am not trying to tell him

or anyone else what parts he should take, I am just dreaming out loud here.

Side note to Mr. Armitage: I will pretty much watch you in any part you take,

unless you go the Saw route. I just can't handle those movies.
Are we cool Mr. Armitage? I hope so.

My all time dream role for him would be ...

I know. I know. Rupert Penry-Jones was pretty fab as Captain Wentworth.

I would just like to see our man playing the brooding jilted Captain. There is something about

loving someone for eight years, even as Anne Elliot says, "All hope is gone."

That just kills me every single time. This is my favorite Austen novel.

My next pick would be ...

And yes, Toby Stephens was wonderful as Rochester,

but I'd still like to see this Mr. Armitage in this dark gothic role. I think he would lend a

humanity and sympathy for the character that would make audiences turn to butter.

And lastly, I would love to see him play a vampire too.
Not in anything in particular, just a vamp.

If you could pick a part for RA, what would you choose?
What do you think of my choices? I know how RA fans like to hold back their opinions (NOT),
so just fire away in the comment section below.

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About the guest blogger @Rob:

Been a card caring fan since 2005, after my first viewing of North & South, but it wasn't until I stumbled across Nat's blog that I became a bit more ardent in my obsession, err um, interest. My fav fan sites/blogs are this one (of course), Me + Richard Armitage and RichardArmitageOnline. As much as I love, RA, I enjoy the community that has popped up around his fandom even more. Although, I am happily married, I consider Mr. Armitage my pretend hubs. Just kidding. Not really. Well, sort of.

Thanks, blog readers! :)

A "Hello" and a Video.

Hello, you lovelies in RA fan land!
I hope this post finds you all in good spirits. :)

I have to give a big shout out to the awesome guest bloggers for helping to provide

insight and entertainment on this site while I have been busy adjusting to a third little one.

(There are several more guest posts to come, so keep on checking in!)

So while I've been out...

I did watch the Spooks Season 9 finale.

*SPOILER WARNING FOR THIS PARAGRAPH.*

I won't go on and on about it, but will say I was disappointed.  For the record,

I did enjoy season 9 as a whole (probably better than season 8) and am still a fan of Spooks,

but that finale left me feeling rather empty.  I need more closure!!!  We are left with the impression that
Lucas jumped to his death, but without seeing a body,  I feel like anything is possible in the future. 
Plus, I am choosing to have a selective memory  and can only think of RA's character as LUCAS
and remember the good stuff about him. (Kind of like I did with Gizzy... must be
the "savior complex" Ramones mentioned in the last post.)

I also created a new video!
This is probably one of the only serious vids I'll ever make.

(Those of you who are familiar with my videos can probably imagine the restraint it took me not

to throw in silly stuff... although one part of the vid kind of cracks me up- put your hands up!)

Oh, and I'm not a huge Guy/Marian fan, but that's what this video features. I heard this song
on the radio, immediately thought of Gizzy's regret and had to create something.

Okay, I'll stop rambling so you can watch the darn thing.

*Be sure to pause the blog's background music (bottom of screen) before viewing*

The Savior Complex ~ by Guest Blogger Ramones

I guess you could say it all started for me
because of Kodak moments like this:

Born and raised a South Side Irish Catholic girl, you are taught to believe in the power of love

which will redeem us all. We just have to believe and trust in the faith of goodness and love and we

will conquer all our past sins and be forgiven. We will be granted in grace, a start fresh. Armed with

this important “dogma” (I use that term lightly) from 16 years of parochial education,

I entered the world as a true savior complex woman.

Oh I have had a long line of men I knew needed my faith and belief to save them.

I was a believer in so many and willing to provide redemption for my Rochester, Darcy,
Mark from Flambards or Wesley in Rich Man Poor Man. Men have been saved and lost under my
watchful eyes but I have to admit no one so brilliantly deserves my faith and
fierce loyalty as our lovelyRichard Armitage in so many of his roles. He can
deliver a performance of the most profound depth andcomplexity that I am willing
to take up arms for his salvation at the drop of a pin.

I give you John Standring , my first RA character I was drawn to save.

 This was a man in dire need and craved the faith, loyalty and confidence of a good strong woman.
I was ever so willing. Although technically he did not need full on redemption I see him
as a warm up for the womanizing Lee.

 Oh Lee poor dear Lee...but he does wear his work clothes well.

Now my greatest challenge for redemption and the most wondrous battles fought
for his redemption was my beloved Guy of Gisborne. 

Many a long night was spent typing long arguments for his soul surrounded in glorious black leather.
Lines in the sand were drawn, troops were recruited, feelings were strong and camps were formed
and fortified. Insults were hurled like flamethrowers. No prisoners were taken and many of our soldiers
were injured and some lost but for us, the true savior complex, we knew our black knight was only a facade
for the real man under all that leather. He was worth the battle scars and in the end, we got our redemption
of sorts. Oh not the one we wrote in our many fan fictions but a valiant death, fighting for good
and brotherhood. Oh Guy how our prayers for your soul were answered and our
hearts broken. White flags were drawn and the battle ended for our Guy.

And now with my Lucas North, I see yet another redemption story unfolding.

His pleading wounded lying eyes focused at Harry cried out to me, “Save me!” and I once again

have taken up arms defending his right to a clean slate and salvation from his atrocities.

I am ready willing and able to suffer the slings and arrows once again.

I guess in the end we all have our vices. Mine just happens to be the savior complex.

Many of you will point and laugh at my naiveté. I will not be dissuaded; I will continue to have faith

and hope when all is lost. We sure could use a little more hope, faith and love today. So be kind

when you take up arms and remember we all fight battles in some way or another.

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About the Guest Blogger Ann, aka: Ramones~

I am a late 40's Mom who lives in the heart of the US in the land of OZ.  Sadly without the ruby slippers. 

I am originally from Chicago, Il.  My husband and I are both academics and are trained in the sciences.

I am raising 2 wild young men that are the joy and trials of my life. I am also a dog lover, avid reader

and huge Doctor Who fan and someday my cyber lady friends will win that lotto and

girl road trip to London for shows, sights and way too much fun!
Regarding Richard:  I was a huge Buffy fan and from the boards had friends in the UK when
it [Sparkhouse] came out. They were all telling me about this mini series I had to get a hold of.
One friend was able to get me a copy in 2003.  When North & South hit, they showed it on the local
PBS station in 2005/6 (not sure which) and then I was hooked. In roughly 2006/7 right after
North & South and Robin Hood came out, I found the RA community.

Photos courtesy of Richard Armitage Central Gallery.

Favorite Interview Moments ~ by Guest Blogger Twinkling Moon

Well, what an honor to be invited to contribute to one of my favorite blogs!

Actually, Nat’s blog was the first RA site I came across and she is the first on-line

friend I made. So I hope I do her site justice.

Mr. Armitage, Mr. Armitage.

We’ve discussed everything about you, (and I do mean everything *wink.*)

We’ve had plenty of conversations about your acting ability and the research you bring to the

background stories to each of your characters. And Lord knows there have been fan fics aplenty based on

your characters. Heck! I ought to know, I’ve read almost every single Guy of Gisborne one there is! :)

But honestly, what makes me

a true fan of you Mr. Armitage, is you!

See, I’m weird. If I like an actor, I tend to like his projects.

And if I don’t like an actor, well, I just avoid his projects. I have a hard time separating the actor from

the character. So although I was first introduced to you Mr. Armitage through North & South,

it was the interviews I saw of you that made me a bona fide fan girl. (And this is coming

from someone who never joined a fan club as a kid, or had posters on her wall of rock stars or actors

growing up. Who knew I’d be 30+ before I truly entered the fandom world?)

I know you have said that you won’t ever do a show where you just play yourself.

But honestly, for me, the glimmers of your natural self that shine through during your interviews are what

really draw me to you. Your self-deprecating humor and wit always bring a smile to my face.

So without further ado,

here are some of my favorite interview moments…

not that these are the only ones, mind you, but I do have to limit myself to just a few. :)

Interview Clip #1 courtesy of HeathDances.

The facial expressions throughout the entire interview crack me up,

but especially during the response to question #1 and the reaction at 0:18 are just priceless. :)

And the serious reflection given before answering the last question (it’s asked at 5:08 )

combined with the actual response at 5:48 , well, that laughter is just infectious.

Interview Clip #2 @ 1:50 to 1:56 courtesy of Newchanteuse

The fact that I’m a dentist has nothing to do with why I always crack up watching this, I swear. Seriously.

Interview Clip #3 @ 3:46 to 3:51 courtesy of Spookslucas

Move over 007, ‘cause honey you are so passé!

To my fellow RA fandom members,

what are your favorite RA interview moments?

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About the guest blogger~

Twinkling Moon lives in western New York. 
She is a dentist who would love to take a look at Richard's pearly whites.

She is single and enjoys book club and British TV/drama.
TM discovered RA in Spring of 2009 when she did a search for period dramas
on YouTube and North & South appeared.  The rest is history.

Photo Friday~ That's Amore

You may have heard of love at first sight.

But have you ever experienced love at first...

brood?

smirk?

smile?

silhouette?

cell phone call?

gun grip?

I know I have. :) 

*prescheduled post*

Another note from Nat

I'm no longer a crazy pregnant lady!
Now I'm a crazy sleep-deprived lady with a cute little bundle to show for it. :)

The little princess arrived over the weekend and we just came home yesterday...

so I will be MIA for a bit, besides a few posts I wrote in advance that will automatically publish

at their preset time like the last one.  (Marked "prescheduled" at the bottom.) 

Plus, more guest posts have been prescheduled and will start appearing next week.

I haven't had time to check my email or comments,

let alone watch the season finale of Spooks (don't tell me what happens!)

but I will get to it all eventually.  For now, I couldn't be happier and have been eating up every minute

I have with that tiny angel.  She'll probably be my last and I know how quickly time flies.

(Born 2 weeks early at 7 lbs, 1 oz - 19 inches long)

Spooks 9.6 and 9.7

The season finale, episode 8 airs tonight people!!!

Will we cheer or cry or be handed some massive cliffhanger?

So to review the previous 2 episodes...

Spoiler Warning:

This post- mild spoilers in the form of screencaps.

Comments section- major spoilers due to open discussion.



Episode 6~

The first thing that struck me was the computer girl.

I liked this character.

 Why is it that female computer geeks are always depicted as having funky fashion sense?

For example, take these ladies on the American crime dramas Criminal Minds and NCIS:

I was very excited to see you-know-who make an appearance this season!

Public service announcement:  Don't shoot & drive!

Good ol' Spooks action!

This scene left me disappointed.  Bad, bad Lucas!

 Uh-oh! Someone pulled one on you, m'boy.

Episode 7~

I'm still reeling over this episode.
So much to process!

Ruth was awesome!
Both she and Lucas dominated the storyline.
Unfortunately, I don't have any screencaps featuring her.

Tricky, tricky Vaughn.

 Squinting all the way around.

I didn't see that one coming in a public area...

Finally, the truth comes out. (Part of it, anyway.)
I don't think I've ever seen Harry so angry.

Was Maya worth all of this?  I have a hard time believing it.

"Lucas North is dead."  Shut up, Lucas.  I refuse to call you John.

Bring on the finale!
(Although I'm a tad scared of what it might hold.)

The comment section is open for discussion of season 9
episodes 1-7 only. Please no spoilers for the final episode.

*prescheduled post*