NOTE: If you have not already seen Season 3,hurry up already, I mean, there are spoilers ahead!
I’ve been hearing a lot of news here and there about Season 4 and the new cast members so I thought I’d put post a few of the highlights for this week’s 7 Quick Takes, hosted by Jen.
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Earlier this month Masterpiece released the first official photo of Lady Mary and Baby George Crawley.
Source: Carnival Films
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Season 4 will pick up the storyline six months after Matthew Crawley’s death. (I am still shaking my fist over that one.) There are two new love interests waiting in line for her.
Source: Getty
Tom Cullen will play Lord Gillingham, a childhood family friend of the Crawleys who visits the family when he attends a house party.
Source: Getty
Julien Ovenden will play aristocrat Charles Blake, another potential love interest for Lady Mary.
Note: Ovenden played Andrew the son of Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in Foyle’s War. I loved that show. Not to mention, I also feel in love with the name “Andrew” while watching it and hoped to one day have a son named that. 🙂 Also, did you know that the show is returning? Woohoo! But more on that later.
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Other new cast members include… (Photos from Getty.)
Dame Harriet Walter as Lady Shackleton, an old friend of the Dowager Countess.
Joanna David will have a guest role as the Duchess of Yeovil.
(Remember her as Mrs. Gardiner in the original Pride and Prejudice?)
Nigel Harman will play Green, a valet.
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa will play a guest who sings in the house.
Lily James who originally made a guest appearance as Violet’s rebellious great niece Rose has been confirmed as a series regular for Season 4.
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Another character which has not been cast as of yet, is the role of Jack Ross. He is to be a musician/singer at an exclusive club in the 20’s. He is black, very handsome, a “real” man (not a boy) and has charm, charisma and the “wow” factor. Just reading that makes me say, Wow. It’ll be interesting who they find!
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As if it wasn’t enough that we had to watch Sybil die in agony, watch Matthew be ridiculously killed off, now we have to say goodbye to the woman (and bangs) that we love to hate. Siobhan Finneran has quit Downton Abbey. Blast!
The big question, of course, is why quit the biggest show on TV? Siobhan admits there is no plan to cross the pond like her fellow cast member Dan Stevens, whose character Matthew Crawley was killed off when he picked Broadway over being the heir apparent.
She just wanted out — and has done for a while. ‘I signed up to do three series and that was all I wanted to do,’ says the 47-year-old. ‘I talked it through with my family and it was the right decision for all of us. I had great fun doing it but I just didn’t want to do it any more. I decided this before we even did the last series. When I stop loving something, I stop doing it.’
She has made her mind up — although the Downton people are hoping she will change it. While Dan was killed off in a car crash in the Christmas special, according to producers the door has been left open for Siobhan to return. Not that she appears to care much about what happens to Sarah O’Brien. ‘I have no idea how they will explain my absence,’ she laughs.
And to signify a change in her life, Siobhan had a hair makeover. She is now even harder to recognize.
Source: Getty Images
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Well, we still have many, many longs months until Season 4 arrives. In the meantime, you can get your period drama fix next week with the new series Mr. Selfridge. It premiers on Masterpiece on March 31, 2013 and will run until May 19. The first episode is 2 hours. Episodes 2-7 will be an hour and Episode 8, 90 minutes. Here’s a preview.
The kids are home today and need some lovin’ so I need to make this short and sweet.
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Come, Holy Spirit – It seems that all Catholics have on their mind right now, besides Lent, is when will the conclave start and who will be our new Pope. There is to be an official announcement in Rome at 7 PM their time. EWTN will be live at 2 PM…(hold on)
Okay, how crazy is this. I was checking twitter to see what time zone it was and up popped that the Vatican has officially announced that the Conclave will start on March 12th. How is that for up to the minute breaking news? And you thought I only shared recipes, photographs, and random useless pieces of information. (Don’t fret, you’ll still find that in QT #2-7.) 😉
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I Love Waking Up Early, She Never Sayeth – This weekend is Daylight Savings Time. I would like to share with you exactly how I feel about DST but I am going to confession tomorrow and I already have a hefty list of sins and don’t want to add swearing to the list.
So forget what I think and hear it from medical professionals instead.
Happy Day – Bonnie over at A Knotted Lifeis having an awesome O Happy Day Giveaway. I don’t know what I am more excited about – the mix tape or the chocolate chip cookies. And the scarf is muy bueno! (Yeah, I’m a Mexican that can’t actually speak Spanish. Go figure.) I debated whether or not to tell you about this contest because I want to increase my chances of winning by having as few entries as possible, but Lent calls for sacrifice so there you have it. Go over and enter!
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Flashback Weekend– Speaking of mix tapes, do you remember those, children of the 80’s?? My sister BC and I would put together the most awesome mix tapes! We had a mellow mix that we’d play as we went to sleep in our room with posters of The Smiths smiling down on us. Sigh. Now, instead of mix tapes we have playlists, which I also love. One of the songs on my flashback playlist just turned 30 this week. It’s New Order’s Blue Monday. Remember that? Although, my favorite New Order song remains True Faith. Don’t believe me? Just call my cell phone and listen for the ring tone. (Unless you are BC, then your ring tone is “Suedehead.” ;-))
The video is bizarro, even for the 80’s but the song still rocks.
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On Repeat – And speaking of electronic sweetness, I heard this song in a movie I saw last week and I can’t get the tune out of my head. (It also doesn’t help that I am listing to it as we speak.)
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Is That Funny…or Sad? – I just realized that every post I’ve made this week – and I posted each day! – is a link up. That’s right.
So when I say that I love me a link up, you know I am not exaggerating! 😉
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Down for the Count – Well, the next post I make will not be a link-up. I still want to do some Downton Abbey news and share some of the things I’ve been learning on my Lenten journey, including getting up earlier for prayer time. I think my desire to sleep and my need to pray is going to have a knock out brawl once DST hits. We’ll see…
Good bye, Holy Papa – It was so odd yesterday seeing Our Holy Father knowing that it would be the last day he’d ever be our Pope. But it’s even stranger today – the first day without a Holy Father at the wheel. I know some people are completely freaking out over end times but the Holy Spirit has been guiding the Church this long, I know He will continue to guide us. However, we still need to pray for the upcoming conclave, for our new Holy Father, and the Church in general. If you like novenas, check out the one Brian put together – Novena for the Papacy.
And if you haven’t seen it already, Dorian Speed put together a great website explaining the process of electing a new Pope. Check it out at ElectingthePope.net.
UPDATE: I just saw the website for Adopt A Cardinal.org. You can sign up and you’ll be given the name of a Cardinal that you will pray for before and during the conclave. I picked one for our family and we will be praying for Cardinal Backis form Lithuania. 🙂
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Spring Is Here. So Are My Allergies. – Happy first day of March! (Although, I’m still trying to figure out what the heck happened to January and February.) My blooming flower photo that I posted yesterday was pretty but it also came with a price. Everything, and I mean everything, is covered in yellow pollen – the trees, the plants, the deck, our driveway, our cars. Oh man, the cars! I wash the car and the next day it is completely covered again. Don’t believe me? Here is the photo of my car window.
No bueno. I’m going to sneeze just looking at it.
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National Day of Unplugging – I was listing to the radio this morning and they were talking about today (actually tonight at sunset) being the National Day of Unplugging. The website says:
The National Day of Unplugging is a 24 hour period – running from sunset to sunset – and starts on the first Friday in March. The project is an outgrowth of The Sabbath Manifesto, an adaption of our ancestors’ ritual of carving out one day per week to unwind, unplug, relax, reflect, get outdoors, and connect with loved ones.
The Sabbath Manifesto is a creative project designed to slow down lives in an increasingly hectic world. The Ten Principles:
Avoid technology.
Connect with loved ones.
Nurture your health.
Get outside.
Avoid commerce.
Light candles.
Drink wine.
Eat bread.
Find silence.
Give back.
Hmmm…that sounds exactly like what we Catholics are supposed to be doing on the Sabbath Day! (Although our bread and wine taken at Mass also becomes the Body and Blood of Christ) but I for one needed the reminder and think I will join the day of unplugging!
Better Late Than Never – I’ve been craving some new music lately and I asked Brian for Mumford & Son’s Babel for Valentine’s Day. Usually I just download music but I knew he wanted to get me something tangible that I could open. First of all, I’ve heard a few of M&S’s songs and enjoyed them but it was not until “I Will Wait for You” that I was truly blown away. (Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m always a day late and a dollar short but I eventually get there.)
Seriously, the song can still bring me to tears. I was reading an article by Cathleen Falsaniand she talked about the emotional effect the song had on her during a difficult time in her life. She says:
In the midst of a roiling sea of emotions, I find myself clinging to faith like a life raft, while simultaneously wondering desperately what God’s up to in all of this tsouris, as my rabbi friend might say.
Perhaps that’s why “I Will Wait” put a lump in my throat and filled my still-sleepy eyes with hot tears. The author Frederick Buechner says that we should pay careful attention to the things that bring about such reactions, because they are signs that the holy is drawing nigh.
Wow. I don’t know what the lyrics meant to M&S but it can be seen as a prayer by the listener. Either way, Babel is played continuously in the house. I’m completely taken. 🙂 (NOTE: There is some bad language on a couple of songs, I usually skip those.)
My other point about their album is that I forgot how much I used to loooove getting a new CD and getting cozy while I read through the CD booklet and pondered over the lyrics and how the artist chose to express themselves. I used to fondly read over the dedications and credits… (Now, that I think about it, maybe I didn’t have much of a life back then.)
Anyway, when I opened the CD and saw all the words and the photos I ran to the couch and got cozy as I read through some pretty amazing lyrics, particularly poignant if you are a believer. It was like relieving my youth, except that this time there was a kid trying to color on me with a marker, another kid spilling his milk on me and another kid waving his stinky diaper in front of my face. Good times. Good times.
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I Prefer My Mac with Cheese – Speaking of music, the kids are now at an age when they are paying attention to the music I have playing in the car or in the house so I have to be extra careful that it is family friendly (not that I really listen to anything “bad” but you know what I mean.) I’ll often have the local Christian station on and one of the artists they particularly enjoy is TobyMac. I have never really been into his music but for the sake of the kids I downloaded his newest album Eye on It. Okay, I’ll have to admit that the album has grown on me and I actually love many of the songs. The one we all love right now is “Me Without You.”
(Not an official video but you get the idea.)
So if you see a gold minivan in Cali with singing occupants consisting of a mom, three little boys and a tween girl pretending not to love it, you may just be passing by us. 😉
Oh, and if you have a favorite artist you think I should check out, let me know!
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If You Aren’t A Regular (Why the heck not? ;-)) – Okay, time to get off the computer. I’ve got a serious pile of laundry waiting for me. It’s actually been a big posting week for me. If you haven’t been around, here is what you missed.
Meatless Meals: Matthew’s favorite minestrone soup and the chance to link up your post where you brought a Pinterest idea to life.
(I couldn’t sleep last night so I write this in the wee hours of the morn, although I couldn’t post it until now.)
Spoiler Alert – If you did not see last night’s episode, stop reading!
For the rest of you, well, what did you think? What an episode!
Of course the only thing on everyone’s mind is Matthew’s death. I accidentally saw the spoiler before Season 3 started. I knew what was coming so there was no emotion from me when it actually happened. I hated knowing because I could not fully enjoy the season with that news hanging over my head. I wonder, if I had not known, if I would have had a suspicion with the way they were playing up Matthew and pumped up his likability after all the “I killed Lavinia” drama was over.
Seriously, what I did not like (besides the actual death) was the way it happened. It was so sudden, so out of the blue and so WTH? We were given absolutely no time to process, grieve or ask ourselves, “Did I just see what I think I saw?” Nada. Instead we get PBS asking us for money. Major boooo!
I can’t help but compare Sybil’s and Matthew’s death. With Sybil, it was tragic but felt organic. You experienced it as it happened and it was believable. Matthew’s death seemed like an after thought that was thrown in at the end.
And frankly, I feel sorry for the UK since this was their Christmas special. Can you imagine? The show is moving along all jolly and playful and then bam, a stake of holly through their hearts. You’re a mean one Mr Grinch Fellowes. At least with us, we’re in the Lenten season and already operating in suffering mode. 😉 (*In defense of Mr. F, see the article links below.)
Anyway, it’s 1:00 in the morning and I can’t sleep. Truth be told, I was watching the show, tweeting and reading the feed at the same time so I know there were little bits that I missed and quotes I wanted to hear again so I could write then down. I rewatched the episode after Brian went to bed and now I’ll comment on a few other story lines.
Romance for the Older Set – both Mrs Patmore and Isobel found themselves with offers of marriage. Cupid was busy this week! Seeing Mrs. Patmore like a school girl made me giddy myself. I loved her line, ““No man’s wanted to squire me since the Golden Jubilee. Even then he expected me to buy the drinks.” I looked that phrase up and saw that it was The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, celebrated on June 20, 1887. That was 35 years prior so no wonder Mrs. Patmore is excited! When we could see all was not as it seemed, I felt so bad for Mrs. P especially when she covered her eyes as Mrs. H told her the truth. I was delighted that she felt relieved and could laugh at the situation. Mrs. Hughes saves the day again!
As for Isobel, I really thought that she and the doctor would make a good match and Lord knows she will need someone to comfort here when she finds out the news that her baby boy is dead in a ditch. Ugh! When she refused the doctor’s advances I thought she merely mastered the art of the dignified brush off. However, others online said she really didn’t get it. She didn’t realize he was proposing? What do you think?
Mrs. Wilkins – I thought this fellow lady in black would be a possible BFF to Mrs O’Brien but when she was slighted and her nostrils flared, you know it was more akin to frenemy territory. But the poor amateur didn’t stand a chance. You can’t O’Brien Ms. O’Brien.
Shrimpie and Susan – I don’t know which was more heartbreaking, seeing the deterioration of their marriage and home or realizing that a Hugh had to live with his unfortunate name all his life. On the plus side, Robert realized how lucky he was to have listened to Matthew’s advice about modernizing Downton. I also liked that we were able to get some background about Rose. We can see why she is looking for love in all the wrong places.
Mr Granger & Edith – You know, I had some sympathy for the original Mr Rochester and his love for Jane in Jane Eyre, but I have no pity for this version of Rochester and his mad wife. Mr Granger seems more concerned about his own desires and it is an insult to expect Edith to have the “job as his mistress.” #teamedith cheered when Edith realized that and said, “I just can’t see a happy ending.” But as usual, Edith is the writers punching bag so she had to recant and beg Mr G to stay in her life. #teamdith is not amused! So will Edith actually have an affair with this bloke? Will she become the voice of the 20’s modern woman? Ugh.
Jimmy and Thomas – Jimmy continues to think he us all that during this episode. And who would have thought that Thomas would continue to tug at my heart strings and that I’d be rooting for him as he took the fall for Jimmy. Last week, I said that it was a lack of love that made Thomas such a pill and it seems that his caring for another person has made a better man of him. I am glad he and Jimmy were able to reconcile even though it seems like it would be an awkward friendship with Thomas still crushing on him.
Anna and Bates – Okay, I haven’t been waving my #teamanna&bates flag for a long time but today I dusted it off and waved it proudly. When Anna was dancing and Bates looked so fondly at her, it was a beautiful moment. They recaptured that touch of magic that they experienced in the first season. Bravo.
Evil Edna (as Brian nicknamed her) and Tom – From the first moments Edna was on screen I did not like her with her conniving ways and belittling words to Tom. My blood pressure would go up every time she entered the screen and when the hussy went into Tom’s bedroom, I was fit to be tied. I was never so glad to see Mrs. Hughes to the rescue, again.
As for Tom, he has been so grand lately and I’ve grown to love his character and have a sisterly affection for him. However, in regards to Edna, I agree with Mrs Hughes. He may not have encouraged her but he didn’t discourage her either. My heart did break a little when he cried for his beloved Sybil. I do hope he finds happiness again in the future.
Mrs Hughes – Thank God she is at Downton. She is the voice of reason and her motherly love and care continues to nurture countless characters, upstairs and down.
Random Thoughts
I like when the characters’ names differ. There are too many E names – Edith, Ethel, Edna.
The scenes with the bagpiper were hilarious.
It was funny to see Daisy and Ivy arm in arm as BFF’s. Glad of it.
How cute was it when Mr Carson held and cared for Little Sybbie?
I love that Mr Carson was a proud papa with the news of Lady Mary and her baby.
When Mr “Every Savage Can Dance” Molesley gets drunk and dances his jig.
Robert: They do say there is a wild man in all of us.
Violet: If only he’d stay inside.
Other Favorite Lines
Mrs Hughes: You were young once.
Mr Carson: I’m young now. (Brian actually laughed out loud.)
***
Ivy: She’s got a fancy man. I’m telling you.
Alfred: Mrs Patmore?
Ivy: Why not? She’s a woman.
Thomas: Only technically.
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Violet: “Unless you want Rose married to a third rate colonial official with no money and bad teeth Susan better think again.”
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Shrimpie: “Love is like riding or learning French. If you don’t learn it young, it’s hard to get the trick of it later.” So true!
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Matthew: “Ten hours crawling through heather and nothing to show for it. Perhaps it’s a parable of life.” Touché, sweet Matthew. Touché.
Articles of Interest
This is the news I’ve gathered from various articles I’ve read over Season 3. I will try to link the main articles below so you can read them for yourself. Here it is in a nutshell.
Dan Stevens did not want to renew his contract so he could have more time for his other acting jobs. JF tried to get him to stay for the beginning of Season 4 so he could end the Christmas special on a happy note. Dan wanted a clean break. JF saved the final death for the last minute so it didn’t ruin the rest of the storylines. In one way JF is happy because he can start with Season 4 with a clean slate and not have to deal with the grieving family. (That’s my wording. But too soon!) They are looking for an actor to play Lady Mary’s love interest next season. Rose will be a new permanent character to “replace” Sybil in having another female in the house.
(I can’t find the Rose – Sybil link. I’ll try to find it.)
Video
I leave you with this lovely video of some of our favorite moments with Mary and Matthew.
Okay, that’s it for now. Brian is wondering why I am still on the computer. Please do share your thoughts (so I know I am not the only one too obsessed with fictitious characters in a fictitious show. LOL. 😉
While, I loved Episode 6, it seemed a little disjointed to me. There were so many storylines going on at once, I almost preferred the one hour segments in order to let you really take in and absorb what is happening. (Not to mention to savor the goodness before it all fades away next week.)
Thomas – Thomas stepped into the limelight this episode and although there have been times I’ve had to go to confession for wanting to beat the @#$% out of a fictitious character, this time I really felt for Thomas. It was painful to watch him be manipulated into thinking that Jimmy had feelings for him and to see his shame and humiliation as he realized not only his error but the price of that error. Seeing this vulnerably human side of his character makes you understand why he acts the way he does. I read in another review that his character calls to mind Mother Theresa’s quote: “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved.”
Although, I didn’t understand why Thomas was not on his guard with O’Brien in the first place. He knew that he pushed her too far with his mistreatment of Albert and she told him herself that she would get even with him one day. He should have been on red alert whenever she walked into the room and instead he fell right into her trap. The real question now is if Thomas will soften towards Bates since he owes him big time or will he go back to being a pain. I think it would be fun to watch a tentatively reserved bromance between Bates and Thomas.
Bates – Speaking of Bates, I don’t know what I think about him anymore. His whole story line was so drawn out and we saw a few uglier sides of him that understandably came out in order to survive in jail. I am just not as happy as I thought I would be to see him and Anna together again. However, I was swooning over his defense of Thomas. That seemed like the old Bates I used to know.
O’Brien – Wow, she was all kinds of evil this week. And the scariest kind of evil that acts loving and kind while she lunges the knife into your back. It will be interesting to see the backlash to come now that Thomas has been promoted and Alfred demoted.
Alfred & Jimmy – Was it last week that I said I wasn’t sure what to make of Jimmy? Well, I know now. Both Alfred and Jimmy are such unlikable characters to me. Their arrogance and weakness makes it hard to watch them.
Branson – The other star of this episode, in a good way, was Tom. Tom has really hit his stride and found his balance. His love for the late Sybil and Baby Sybil has helped smooth out his rough edges. Tom has remained strong in his beliefs but by controlling his temper and passion, he has learned to persuasively voice his opinion and sway Robert’s thinking. That is a miracle in itself. He also looked exceptionally polished and gentlemanly when compared to his boorish excuse of a brother. And I loved him particularly this week for putting baby Sybil’s welfare above his own desires in allowing her to stay at Downton, under his watchful eye, that is.
Mary and Matthew – I loved to see them getting along, working together as a team and being flirtatious with each other. I also loved seeing them interact with Baby Sybil and I was ecstatic to see that Mary was pregnant in the previews. All their work in the baby department must have paid off. 🙂
Edith – Edith, Edit, Edith. Can’t that poor girl get a break? The writers can’t seem to give the girl her own voice. Instead she is a caricature of various characters. First she is Jan Brady always complaining, “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.” Then she starts to learn to drive and get some confidence only to slip into a Miss Hussy role as she messes around with another woman’s husband. Then she finds her groove and channels her inner Florence Nightingale as she nurses the soldiers and becomes a happier and more pleasant woman. Unfortunately the ghost of Miss Havisham enters the story as she is jilted at the altar. Finally, just as she is standing on her own two feet and finding her voice she turns into Jane Eyre in love with a doomed Mr. Rochester. Come on! Granted Jane Eyre is my all time favorite novel but Jane had to go through hell to finally find happiness. Will Edith have to do the same? #teamedith is not amused.
Random Thoughts
I am so glad Ethel has found a way to be near her little boy Charlie once again. I hope she finds happiness, even if it is Stella Dallas style.
I love how the characters are never black and white. Like real people, they have their good and negative qualities and there are some days you want to smack them and some days you just want to give them a hug.
Is it just me or does Mr. Rochester, I mean Edith’s editor, look just like a young Anthony Strallan?
I read that Rose is supposed to be a replacement female character for Sybil. Really? That leaves something to be desired.
With the last episode coming, I will finally see that huge spoiler I accidentally read. (Curse you, spoilers!!) Let’s just say it will feel very Lenten.
Best Lines of the Night
Grand Prize – The conversation between Violet and Isobel.
Isobel: I thought they’d be surrounded by nannies and governesses and you’d only see them for an hour.
Violet: Yes, my dear, but it was an hour each day.
Isobel: Oh, how tiring.
Classic!
Other Faves (I know I am forgetting some because there were so many of them!)
— Violet: “I do think the women’s place is in the home, eventually. But I don’t see any harm in her having some fun before she gets there.”
— Cora: What’s the matter, Robert? Are you afraid you’ll be converted while you’re not looking?
— Isobel to Violet: “Have you changed your pills?”
— Cora: “Is she really so Machiavellian?”
Robert: “Yes.”
— Alfred: They’re showing a movie tonight in the village, down east. It’s about woman who survives in the wilderness by her own wits and courage.
Source: Carnival Films
Source: Getty
Source: Getty
Source: Carnival Films
Source: Getty Images
