End of Downton Abbey series

Zingers, especially from Tom Branson, from Seasons 5 and 6 of Downton Abbey - here and here.

Among them, Tom's talk about his marriage with Sybil (to Mary) that was one of the most inspiring:
"It may surprise you, but I agree it's important to be balanced, that one should not be far stronger than the other. I just don't think it has much to do with money or position... To all of you, she had everything and I had nothing. She was the great lady, and I the man who drove the cars, but that wasn't true for us. We were evenly matched, Sybil and I. She was strong in her beliefs, so was I. We were a marriage of equals. We were very happy."

Mary's paraphrase to Henry Talbot:
"Tom and I once talked about how marriage should be equal. It has nothing to do with position or money, simply that a couple should be equal in both strength and passion ... I believe I've met my match. I have. I'm not 20, trembling at the touch of your hand, but I know that if I leave you now I'll never be as happy as we could've been together..."

And the row Mary had with Edith, whom I am extremely glad got her happy ending as well; I never quite agreed with the way Mary ever treated Edith - to tell the truth, sometimes I feel like slapping Mary for being so vicious to Edith:
M: Going away?
E: Do you care?
M: Look, I wasn't to know you hadn't told him. It never occurred to me --
E: Just shut up! I don't know what's happened. Tom has made you feel bad, or Papa, or maybe it's just the same old Mary who wants her cake and ha'penny!
M: I never meant to --
E: Yes, you did! Who do you think you're talking to? Mama? Your maid? I know you! I know you to be a nasty, jealous, scheming bitch!
M: Now listen, you pathetic --
E: You're a bitch! Not content with ruining your own life, you're determined to ruin mine!
M: I have not ruined my life and if Bertie's put off by that, then --
E: Don't demean yourself by trying to justify your venom. Just go.
(SCOFFS)
E: And you're wrong as you so often are. Henry's perfect for you. You're just too stupid and stuck up to see it! Still at least he's got away from you. Which is something to give thanks for, I suppose!

And their reconciliation - speaks volumes of sibling bickering and rivalry, no?:
M: You know I'm sorry.
E: I assumed you would be fairly sorry unless you're actually insane.
M: I'm not insane but I am sorry, I don't know why I did it. Not really.
E: I've told you. Because you were unhappy so you wanted me to be unhappy, too. Now you're happy again, you'll be nicer... for a while.
M: If that's what you feel, then why are you here?
E: Because, in the end, you're my sister and one day, only we will remember Sybil... or Mama or Papa or Matthew or Michael or Granny or Carson or any of the others who have peopled our youth... until, at last, our shared memories will mean more than our mutual dislike.
M: What do you think he'd have made of it? I went to his grave to tell him, which isn't like me.
E: Matthew loved you and wanted you to be happy. I'm sure he'd be very, very pleased. In fact, I know he would. You look nice, by the way.
M: Thank you.

I am sure there are more. But somebody sensible has to put them together in one place - I couldn't find one that has a good repository of quotes from the series. Then again, that's what's about a good script, different lines appeal to different people, and even the same lines can be interpreted differently because of differences in lives.

Cersei Lannister

http://www.artofvfx.com/GOT/GOT_CONCEPT_A52_02.jpg

Reading is one thing. But watching all the characters come to life, another. It makes all my favorite characters more enchanting.

And then there are those I would love to slap right across the face. Even in the books.

Second episode, and already I feel like punching her. Gosh.... How in the world do these creatures come into existence.

Alas, they do walk the earth, like all of us.

Miranda on BBC

Type "Miranda" in Google and you will come up with lots of hits. Miranda Cosgrove just got involved in an accident (don't know who she is actually; but she is born in 1993, so young!), Miranda Lambert (singer) and Dr Miranda Bailey (from Grey's Anatomy, one of favorite characters). Wonder why Miranda is such a popular name.

But I am going to just zoom in on Miranda of the BBC sitcom - wait for it ---- Miranda... It's really about the life of a 6 feet tall, slightly overweight British lady who frequently gets mistaken for a man and her funny and clumsy behavior, especially in front of handsome men. She has feelings for her college crush, Gary Preston, played by Tom Ellis - undeniably charming and has feelings for Miranda too! He JUST happened to be the chef in the restaurant round the corner of her joke shop. Yes, joke shop that sells chocolate willies (seriously).

That's just a very rough synopsis. It is not giving justice to the amount of humor (even if a lot of them are British) that is packed in those episodes. They kept me laughing and rocking about the chair the whole time. "Such fun" indeed!! Really entertaining! Most importantly, it's only half an hour per episode - I can watch during mealtimes. They are onto season 2 but season 3 is expected to be out only in 2012. Highly recommended! One of the funniest shows I have watched.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_(TV_series)http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w7dv9