rewatching bbc musketeers and god. poor athos' reactions to the anne/aramis storyline never stop being the funniest fucking thing. all hail the king of sideeye.
Iāve been rewatching the show and it surprised me how much of the characters traits and personalities that I remembered as canon are in fact mainly fanon.
Aramis only stitches or acts as healer once or twice. In fact there are also many scenes where he stands back when a character is injured (such as when Athos shoots dāArtagnan in the season finale)
And yet it seems to have been written - by us, the fans - that Aramis is the one with medical knowledge who will always be the medic.
Likewise Athosā drinking is canon but only mentioned here and there. Weāre the ones who have made him the alcoholic!
But the thing is, especially with all the weird character inconsistencies that came in latter seasons, and not to diminish the work of the show writersā¦I think we as fans and creators of fan works have done a pretty amazing job. In many cases itās we who have fleshed out their characters, their backstories, their driving forces. And I think thatās fucking beautiful.
I know this community is not as thriving as it was back in the day - and I miss it, quite a lot - but I am so happy to be in it and I think itās going to be a lifelong one for me, guys. And Iām so chuffed every time someone makes a Musketeers post or interacts with one of mine.
I want to do a big long post about my thoughts on the costumes in this show. So I'm going to.
(Prefaced with this: I am an enthusiastic costumier with no formal training. I read a lot of books and talk to a lot of experts but its entirely possible -perhaps even probable!- that there is incorrect information in the following. Though I have tried to verify info where I can. Also where I am perplexed or put-off by a costume this is in no-way a diss to Phoebe de Gaye or any of the other amazing costume designers and team responsible.)
But firstIy, I do feel so conflicted about the costumes in this show: I am no way a purist when it comes to things being historically accurate but the female charactersā hair and costumes are so baffling to me, as choices, that they sort of hurt my head to think about?
Exhibit A:
I know what they're trying to say about her character and in that sense I think it's quite successful, but I just...I just don't know, you guys.
- but the male character costumes. THE MALE CHARACTER COSTUMES MY GOD.
Again, not always completely accurate but I think for the modern viewers we would accept historically accurate female fashion (ruffs, lace, bows etc) far easier than we would accept historically accurate menās fashion (ruffs, lace, bows etc).
For context, this is the sort of thing actual Musketeers or men in early 17th C Europe were wearing (from 'Historic Costume In Pictures' by Braun & Schneider.)
Batshit insane silhouettes, is my main takeaway from this image. And square-toed boots, but we do actually get that in the show:
In the book, the four Inseparables are just soldiers who are not currently being asked to soldier, and so spend most of their free time whoring around Paris and losing all of their money until they get bored and challenge someone to a duel. Occasionally they are asked to take part in An Intrigue! but in the BBC Musketeers they are essentially some version of law enforcement/detectives/spies, and they are dressed accordingly. They have the 17th century version of leather jackets on, and though, again, not completely accurate it reads close enough to satisfy both history and characterisation in my mind.
See Aramisā chemise/shirt? His suspenders? His costume is just a touch more flamboyant than the others. He has a little lace at the cuffs and the collar, a little extra decoration. His doublet has that lovely scalloped edging to it around the shoulders, his hat is feathered, he wears a sash under his (many) belts, and his pauldron is tooled with lovely swirling vines and leaves.
He is a lover of beautiful things, but at the end of the day, none of this decoration gets in the way of him doing his job, of his outfit being practical (he could even use that sash for a tourniquet or a bandage if he needed to).
For me this is absolutely A+ costuming for a man who is the contradiction of a lover, a man of (Catholic) faith, and a stone-cold killer. (I believe he is the only one of the four of them who is canonically mentioned to have been a career solider before he joined the Musketeers, so he knows more than anyone what works in a fight and what might just get in the way.)
Justā¦no notes, chefās kiss, all of that.
Can I also please point out something I only just noticed, that Aramis appears to have tied the ties on his cuffs of his shirt somehow up and over his back to hold them up while tending to Treville when wounded.
Meanwhile, on the complete opposite end of things we have (dainty waist) Athos:
Now, I believe that this doublet may actually be more of a grey/black than the beautiful rich saturated blue that it comes across in the colour-graded shots of the show, but I am choosing to I believe that it is blue since the colour has a perfect aristocratic note to it. It is not showy - none of his costume is - but it speaks to a man who knows about nice clothing. This is a well-made doublet, with thick, smooth--grained costly leather. It is probably more expensive than the othersā clothing, because while Athos has turned his back on his title and his status he undoubtedly knows the value of paying upfront for a well-made and tailored piece of clothing that will last him for years (please see the Sam Vimes Boots Theory of Socio-Economics for further reading).
Here is a man who has renounced all worldly belongings but will never renounce good taste. The only things he cares about (other than wine, and he has taste there too, though his need will often see him partaking in the cheap and sour variety if itās all thatās around), are those he needs to keep him warm and dry and safe: his doublet, his hat, his boots, his weapons, his horse. He pays properly for good quality things and he cares for them so that they will see him through, probably into his dying day. Like everything else about him, to a casual observer there is nothing out of the ordinary, but look a little closer and youāll see the craftsmanship, the quiet style that speaks of a wealthy background.
Another shot of the lovely doublet - especially OBSESSED with those domed brass buttons and the beautiful buttonholes. He's got some great high-waisted breeches situation going on there. I can't speak to the historical accuracy here but he does wear them rather well.
Also note his natty little scarf. Again: it's not showy. It could probably do with a wash. It's very practical, and probably nicely made.
From the first photo you can sort of see a hint of that pointed front to the doublet which was a Thing in the 17th century, as shown in this image, from the same book as mentioned previously:
You can see in this image that he has a little lace at his collar and most likely at his cuffs too, which would have been commonplace at the time, but the very fact that he keeps his collar tucked underneath his doublet - unlike Aramis - feels telling: lace would have been totally handmade in this era and therefore could be quite expensive (I believe it started to become mechanised in the late 18th century). To my untrained eye it looks like linen bobbin lace (I have had a go at making this and it is NOT easy. Lace has a fascinating history!)
Okay! Porthos!
....has the most ostentatious lace of the lot of them! As I said earlier, lace would not have been cheap. He also has a doublet that somehow manages to be both highly decorative/would undoubtedly have taken the longest to construct (all those tiny "scales" and their studs) and yet also look the most like armour (those scales again, look like a gorget on a suit of armour, and his pauldron is arguably the most armour-esque of the lot)
The frustrated costume designer in me loves this, LOVES this for him. In the books we are first introduced to Porthos as a man who cares very deeply about how people see him, and that he is regarded as having money and class (he is seen boasting about his new beautiful embroidered sash and literally stars a duel with d'Artagnan, whom he is only just met, when the boy lets everyone know that it is plain on the side hidden behind his cloak - ie. he could not afford a fully embroidered sash).
So firstly, to have this version of his character be a man who grew up in poverty in the slums of Paris is such a stroke of genius IMO. Here is a man who has never been handed anything, and has literally had to build himself from the boots upwards. He knows intimately what poverty does to a person and he will do whatever he can to raise himself from it. He appreciates and aims for the safety and comfort that being seen to be wealthy offers.
Look at all that slashing/decoration on his doublet. People has slashes in their clothing literally to show how wealthy they were, and to show the costly fabric of undershirts, doublets or chemises beneath. (interestingly, here Porthos' slashing is all show: there is nothing showing through underneath it.)
Porthos knows he will never be as effortlessly beautiful - or regarded as such at least - as Aramis. But he is trying, very hard. And yet, his doublet is armour: he is a big man and he knows the world is cruel and violent. Not only is his outfit in no way impractical despite its decorative nods, it is also defensive. He is holding himself in, upwards, and keeping others away.
His gloves are big, gauntlet style to protect him when he fights. His sword is HUGE compared to the rapiers wielding by the others. He has the strength to wield it, but it's also about the look of it, the intimidation of it.
It has a lovely basket hilt which is decorative as well as protective. (Note the size difference in the blade compared to the other swords).
Finally, d'Artagnan.
I can't get a great image of this costume, and he only seems to wear it at the very beginning of the first episode, in the scene where he and his father come to the tavern and are attacked. It looks like some sort of shearling-lined waistcoat, and I love how weathered and used it looks. This is a country-boy, and not only that but more than likely a sheep farmer, since Gascony is I believe historically a sheep farming area. I'm guessing that he changes - somehow - into the following outfit to visually show his becoming more of a Musketeer man-about-Paris and less of a bumpkin:
Lovely suede doublet there. One of the things I love about these costumes is how lived-in they look. They really feel like they've been slept in and mended and used. However, I find it deeply troubling that the grain on his sleeve there looks...almost...like alligator leather? And I'm pretty sure they don't farm those in Gascony.
Shout-out to Constance's lovely bodice and collar, which appears to my amateur eye like the most period-accurate women's costume of the entire show and barely appears for more than a scene or two.
I mean look at that! Those lovely "bow" tabs on the bodice! Don't look at the shoulders because I have never ever seen a shoulder like that before but maybe I'm wrong I dunno but also DON'T LOOK AT THE SKIRT or whatever the hell is going on there. Also don't look at her stays poking out at the bottom. Just don't. Please don't. The bodice. The bodice is nice. It has that lovely high-waist and the godets in the peplum section (I just made this bodice which is quite similar to Constanceās here, except with a stomacher and front lacing:)
WAIT back to d'Artagnan:
Even when the show is up and running and he has this same sort of signature doublet in this beautiful cognac leather. Part of me thinks he's trying to emulate Athos a little here, with the sleek, simple and well-cut doublet that will see him through anything.
Oh look, this picture if great because you can really see its the weird alligator suede sleeves again but he has some lovely slashing/punching on the doublet which here feels reminiscent of Porthos' doublet.
His costume definitely feels like it's the youngest of the lot of them. He doesn't care for much for fashion but likely wants to be respected by the others. His costume doesn't draw much attention to itself but is extremely sleek and practical. In the books d'Artagnan's father was a friend of Treville's and I think the assumption is that they are not necessarily the lowest of classes, though certainly don't have a great deal of wealth. And the impression I got from the show, especially when d'Artagnan's farm was raided and burned by Lebarge, is that it is a sizeable farm and not some subsistence farm or a tenant farm that's rented from a local comte or other wealthy landowner.
So d'Artagnan's family are kind of doing okay - enough to be able to afford some good quality clothing - while it not being in their character or desire to be beautiful or decorative in particular.
The suede and the green gloves also give much more of a rural feel to his costume than the others.
Note of appreciation for the bandy-legs.
I could say a lot more (the women's costumes, the minor characters' costumes, the extra bits like cloaks or disguises, SYLVIE, for instance) but maybe I'll save that for another day!
Y'all for real please do these. Even if you're certain your posture doesn't suck. One day you will wake up with impinged shoulder pain like I did and let me tell you it fucking HURTS. Do these exercises even just once a week and it will make such a difference. Especially my fellow creatives out there, stop shrimping over your work and go do these right now. RIGHT NOW.
On a rewatch, Graceās anger issues are so fascinating. Besides the hints we get of his past, his frustration and almost arrogance that leads to him lashing out and facing what may be a huge line of consequences that had been building up over time. Losing job, perhaps his relationship around the same time, losing respect in his community.
Itās interesting to see since in the flashbacks Grace is a mix of mellowed out but still has that lingering frustration. He raises his voice the moment he gets back into discussing the details of his paper, he starts throwing things in the lab and storms out when heās proven wrong again, but he instantly shrinks back in on himself once itās over.
Thereās like this desperation for validation and respect with this frustration. And heās much calmer and trying to humble himself but it seems almost like heās gone too far in the other direction? He almost punishes himself, he talks down on himself so much for being a coward in the book. It reminds me of when people are so hurt they insist they didnāt care to begin with and it wouldāve never worked, but they care so much. He barely even recognizes heās the second in command at that point. Heās so used to ignoring his own worth he doesnāt understand when people actually properly respect him and his work.
I think just having a friend like Rocky helps so much for his growth. Someone who lets him work and prosper in what heās good at while not putting him on a pedestal or with these grand expectations that would make him turn around and insist heās not worth it. They just connect and their differences work together so well. Rocky will call him a mess and an idiot but take care of him and acknowledge when heās doing great, when he IS brave.
Heās so fascinating. Itās so interesting seeing wet cat of a man with all these issues that hold him back. He had to literally forget himself to do what he was always capable of without his fears and self doubt. Idk Iām rambling
when you have plans in the morning you can still live an eventful & fulfilling life afterwards but when you've got plans in the afternoon? well that's your whole day
Emergency cleaning: Unfuck your whole house in the shortest time possible
So, your landlord/parents/home inspector/favorite movie star is dropping by, and your place is a disaster. You donāt have much time to clean it up. Youāre in emergency mode. Letās get started.
Donāt panic. Panic leads to fear, fear leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to the dark side. You can do this, but you have to stay calm.
Unlike maintenance cleaning, weāre not looking to completely unfuck one space at a time. Instead, we want to decrease the overall mess in stages, spread evenly across the whole area that weāre concerned about. If you think your home is at Level 10 filth, we want to bring the whole thing down to a Level 9, and then down from there. One really clean spot in an otherwise messy home is not going to be helpful here.
Get prepared. Youāll want to shut the computer down (or turn the modem off if you need your computer to play music). Trust me. Get your music going. Gather up trash bags, your vacuum and mop, some rags or paper towel, sponges, and other cleaning supplies. Use what you have on hand. Donāt get distracted running to the store and spending an hour browsing cleaning supplies. A multi-purpose cleaning concentrate or a jug of vinegar will be just fine.
Breaks are very important. Depending on your time constraints, work in 20/10s (20 minutes working, 10-minute break) or 45/15s. But take breaks because otherwise youāre marathoning, and marathon cleaning is no oneās friend. Keep hydrated, donāt forget to eat, and check in with yourself frequently to make sure youāre physically doing OK.
Make your bed. This will be your home base if you get overwhelmed or need somewhere clear to take a break.
Start with the garbage. Going from room to room, throw out anything that is obvious trash. Once you fill a bag, take it out. Repeat as many times as necessary.
Move on to dishes. Gather the dishes from all over your house and bring them to the kitchen. If you can, start them soaking in a sink of hot, soapy water or start loading the dishwasher. After the dishes are all in one place, spend one 20/10 getting started getting them under control.
Now itās time for your flat surfaces. Countertops, tables, dresser tops, etc. Clear them off and wipe them down. Donāt get distracted in too much sorting and organizing. Weāre in crisis mode here. There will be time to get in-depth once this is all done. The same applies to cabinets and closets. Unless you have reason to believe people will be opening closed doors, leave these alone for now.
Attack the floordrobe and shoe pile. Get your clothes either put away or in the hamper. Start a load of laundry if you need to, but keep in mind that laundry and dishes have three steps: wash, dry, and put it away, goddammit!
Get random stuff up off the floors. If something is trash-worthy, throw it away now rather than just move it around a bunch of times. Otherwise, put stuff where it belongs.
Take another 20/10 or 45/15 to catch up on more dishes, if needed.
Head into the bathroom. Pour some cleaner in the toilet bowl, fill the sink with hot water and cleaner, and either spray the tub and shower with cleaner, or fill the tub up with some hot water and add cleaner and let it soak. Put everything away thatās out and shouldnāt be, clean the mirror, counters, and toilet seat. Sweep or dry mop the floor. Wipe down the sink and tub/shower, and give the toilet bowl a scrub. Mop the floor.
Sweep and mop the kitchen floor.
Vacuum everything you can, and sweep everything you canāt.
Walk outside of your house (donāt lock yourself out, please). Walk back in and see what catches your eye first. Go and deal with that.
If youāre being inspected or your landlord is coming in for repairs, spend time on whatever area theyāll be focusing on.
Give the whole place one more once-over and pay attention to anything youāve missed so far.
Itās an old trick, but if your place is a little funky-smelling, put a pan of water on the stove on low heat and add some citrus or cinnamon or vanilla. Donāt leave it unattended or forget about it.
Take a shower, put on something clean, and eat something.
You can do this. Itās overwhelming, yes, but it is not impossible. You just need to do it. You have a list. You have directions. You have a whole bunch of Internet strangers who have been there before and who are cheering you on. You can do this, but you need to get started.
the number of times in my past that I desperately wanted/needed someone to sit me down and tell me this stuff. I will never get back the hours and hours lost to headless-chicken mode, but itās nice to know that in the last year Iāve learned so many coping mechanisms :D
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