Breakaway

How to choose a football club, the German edition

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:56:00 +0000

(Preview: Part of my 20-year anniversary special of following the Bundesliga, the second of two parts. First of two part: here. This year is 19 years since VfB Stuttgart became my club to support in German football. But before ending up with the football club from Swabia, there were also other contenders. This is the full story of how that came together, and how I actually came dangerously close to choosing other clubs instead…)

In hindsight, a moment which I came to look back and thought, I did jump on the bandwagon for this one. It has been 19 years, and there were three other clubs also in contention in terms of which to support. Oh yes, there is. (Image via Kicker)

A bit of a history lesson. This story has a prequel, three years before the 2006 World Cup, three years before I decided to also follow the Bundesliga apart from the Premier League. I have never once publicly relayed this story, precisely because of how I reacted at the time. I am talking about my final year in secondary school in my 16-year-old self, and a classmate had told me on the way back to the classroom after recess of finding out someone had a crush on me, and even wrote my name down in one of the textbooks about it. Naturally I was aghast and demanded to know who it was.

So, I did the almost natural thing once I returned back to the classroom, armed with what that classmate told me. I was never flattered one bit, precisely I could not stand that person who had a crush on me. I almost confronted him immediately over what I was told, due to how the teacher was arriving and everyone had to get back to their seats. That issue was never resolved, but it meant that it was out in the open and the class knew what was going on.

What does that have to do with the story of how I came to choose the club I support in German football? It was one of the few things I was thinking about heading into my 20 years following the Bundesliga, of how I almost go ballistic with someone having a crush on me in class because when I was told of who it was, it was the same person I do not like at all one bit in the beginning due to how he was always picking on me for no apparent reason. That I rather have the freedom to choose, than have something being imposed on me? Yes, that is the case.

I had gone back and read what I used to say here on my blog of how I came to have VfB Stuttgart as my club to support in German football, and there were varying versions. There is a reason for that, and it is because I have never fully detailed the story of how it came about. The short story, before it was Stuttgart, there were also three other clubs in contention – Bayern Munich, Hamburg, and Werder Bremen. I actually came dangerously close to choosing either Bayern or Hamburg, and it was *that* close for those two.

Of course, like anyone else looking at German football from the outside until what I came to do after the 2006 World Cup, it is the one football club I can definitely name, as in Bayern Munich. It only really began to loom in my consciousness in my then 11-going on-12-year-old self, due to the 1999 Champions League final. I had seen at the time of how my father, the original football fan in the family and a Manchester United supporter, seeing the football club he has always supported since his youth during a time when Liverpool was the dominant force in the English game in his own youth in the 1970s and the most fashionable club to support then, could be potentially doing what no other English club has ever done (at least until Manchester City did one themselves in 2023) – doing a treble. He had been going on about especially in the final stretch of the 1998/99 football season, and I had asked him in my then-rather ignorant self (but what does someone of that age know apart from school and exams and other stuff that typical 12-year-olds think about, apart from what her football fan father always tell her?) on what it meant by doing a treble. Winning the league, the domestic cup, and the Champions League. Spoiler alert: 26 May 1999 would become the greatest day in my father’s life as a United supporter.

Wir erinnern uns alle daran ...#SkySport #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/OuQmRMPN1i
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) May 26, 2023

(To be honest, I was not aware that the final day of 2022/23 Bundesliga season coincided with an anniversary German football and especially Bayern Munich would rather forget. The 1999 Champions League final against Manchester United. Or then again, I grew up with a United-supporting father where that day is the greatest day in his life as a supporter of the football club, the day United completed the treble.)

Since then, and it would be three more years before I finally join my father in supporting the same football club in the English game. I would eventually come to read of how the 1999 Champions League final was viewed from the German angle when I started following the Bundesliga too. Bayern Munich did come to win the Champions League two years later in 2001 and some more (with the last being in 2020, the one which completed their second treble), but the 1999 final is the one that still gets talked about now and then especially whenever the tournament comes around or whenever the anniversary is approaching, the one final that still stings quite a lot in the German football psyche and not just at Bayern. The one football scar that has never being fully healed.

3 - @FCBayernEN have won the treble for a second time in the club's history (after 2013). The only other side in Europe to win the treble twice is FC Barcelona (2009 and 2015). Treble. #UCLfinal https://t.co/7g2eXRG1rj
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) August 23, 2020

So, it is kind of funny looking back now, or maybe my father has never once cared how the 1999 Champions League final was viewed from the other side, when he first became aware that I was also following the Bundesliga 20 years ago, asking me of why I never chose Bayern Munich as my club. I was dangerously close to doing it, simply because it is the most recognisable name. But then my football conscience was also starting to ask me if I need to support another football club that has a similar stature like Manchester United in the English game, as in the one team everyone wants to beat. At the height of United’s dominance in the 90s to the early 2010s in the English game, United was even more disliked than its long-standing rival Liverpool, or even other domestic rivals like Arsenal, Chelsea, and the city rival Manchester City too. I do not want to be on the receiving end again, following German football as I do as well. My mind at the time was like, one is enough.

I do not want to think what would have happened in an alternate timeline for me, had I actually gone to in Star Wars-speak, the dark side. I will probably never forgive myself. One eventually ended up at the dugout of the club I support in English football at one time in Louis van Gaal, the other, you know. As in the England head coach. Need I say more?

While this one did eventually ended up at the dugout of the club I support in English football in Manchester United at one time... (Image via Kicker)

Ob Thomas Tuchel sich den Beginn seiner Amtszeit in München anders vorgestellt hat? 🤔 ➡️ Wir zeigen euch am Samstag u.a. die Meisterkonferenz mit Köln vs. Bayern und BVB vs. Mainz!!🔥 #SkySport #BVBM05 #KOEFCB https://t.co/Rum2zyjwM5
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) May 26, 2023

(...this one, well, you know. Eventually landing the England job. What would I have known eh? If only in an alternate timeline. This was Sky in Germany previewing the final matchday of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season, and wondering aloud if he had imagined the start of his Bayern Munich tenure differently. At the time, the previous club he managed in Germany in Borussia Dortmund, where he won the cup with, was the only club standing in the way of the league title. Spoiler: Bayern snatched it with minutes to go.)

The day after the 2026 World Cup final on 20 July, I saw a piece of news I initially did not want to believe. Kevin Keegan had passed away. Not many passings in the world of football would come to almost hit me hard, but it did with Keegan. Yes, I did remember Keegan the football manager at Newcastle, where he would come to be statistically the most successful in the club’s history winning percentage-wise, but then I would also come to read more of Keegan the footballer as well. For a long time in between my head going ‘RIP, Mighty Mouse’, my mind began to drift away and it drifted to my early days following the Bundesliga.

2 - Kevin Keegan is the only English player to win the Ballon d'Or on multiple occasions, claiming the title in 1978 & 1979. Legend. https://t.co/QgRwmdTrdM
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 20, 2026

(Doing it while with Hamburg too. The first international superstar of the Bundesliga, they call him 'Mighty Mouse' in Germany.)

It was in those days I would come to read of when Kevin Keegan was at Hamburg, and the impact he would come to have at there, and in German football as a whole to an extent. He was the ‘first international superstar of the Bundesliga’, to quote Bild tabloid on the day of his passing, before one can dare say Harry Kane is the one for our time in the Bundesliga these days. In 1977, in his pomp after winning the European Cup with Liverpool, Keegan swapped Merseyside for Hamburg. The 500,000-pound move would have been almost the modern-day equivalent of two to three million euros adjusted for currency conversion and inflation, it was double of what was the standard seen in German football at the time on the football transfer front, back when the Bundesliga as we know it came to usher in professionalism in German football when it started in 1963. This was also a time when big-name footballers do not come to Germany, given they would go to Italy or Spain instead.

𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 🔷 Rest in peace, Mighty Mouse. 🔵⚪⚫ #nurderHSV https://t.co/u3554nTXkt
— Hamburger SV (@HSV) September 6, 2026

(The pre-match tifo before Hamburg's first home match of the current season. The banner reads in English 'Kevin Keegan Superstar!'. Because that is just what he is to the club. And to English football too, one would say.)

It was only because of Kevin Keegan, the ‘Mighty Mouse’ as the Germans have always called him during his eventual three years at Hamburg and winning the Ballon d’Or twice in a row in 1978 and 1979 and still the only English footballer to do that, and what he did at Hamburg that it eventually paved the way and setting the benchmark for future English footballers playing in Germany. As the English football fan in me as well, I almost cried happy tears seeing the stat after Harry Kane got his first Bundesliga hat-trick in Bayern Munich colours that he has follow in the footsteps of his compatriots who did it before him in Germany – Kevin Keegan at Hamburg, Tony Woodcock twice with Cologne, Jadon Sancho at Borussia Dortmund. If Keegan was the star in the late 70s, Woodcock was in the 80s when he went from Nottingham Forest to there. If Keegan is still well-loved in Hamburg, the same for Woodcock at Cologne. What was important from the stat which I saw, it is that two England captains have done it in Germany. Or as I once put it here - I found out for the first time that Keegan was the England captain when he made the move from Liverpool to Hamburg on the day of his passing when listening to the podcast version of BBC 5 Live’s report on the reactions to his passing and tributes to him, and the journalist who pointed that out had remarked that history does repeat itself. Apart from the Ballon d’Or for now, given Keegan won it twice in a row while with Hamburg.

3 – English players to score a Bundesliga hattrick: - Kevin Keegan (December 1978) - Tony Woodcock (May 1980) - Tony Woodcock (April 1982) - Jadon Sancho (May 2020) 🆕 Harry Kane (September 2023) Treble. @OptaJoe @FCBayernEN #FCBBOC
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) September 23, 2023

(Kevin Keegan, forever the first. And who became the latest to be part of this exclusive club. The stat which almost led me to cry happy tears, being the English and German football fan at the same time.)

Yes, Kevin Keegan is the one and only reason why I came dangerously close to having Hamburg as my club in German football. 20 years ago, I would not have been able to say all those that came before this paragraph. It has to take Harry Kane’s arrival into the Bundesliga back in 2023 for me to put into context to what Keegan eventually achieved in Germany in the wake of his passing and the tributes from in Germany itself, especially poignantly so from his former team-mates who are still with us (people like Gunter Netzer, Felix Magath for example). Bear in mind before Keegan is still fondly remembered in Germany for a generation of Germans who remember his time at Hamburg to the extent that his locker at Hamburg is still being kept in its original form and placed at the German Football Museum in Dortmund for all to see with his original doodles and all, he had struggled in his first season at the club. He only hit the ground running in the second season onwards, culminating in Hamburg in winning the league title in 19 years. So, one can still say Keegan is the original trailblazer of English footballers in Germany, where Kane’s switch from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich three years ago was seen by Sky News in the United Kingdom as joining in the ‘illustrious ranks of Englishmen to play abroad’, pointing out that he is joining the ranks of the likes of ‘Jimmy Greaves, Kevin Keegan, David Beckham and Gary Lineker’. Before Kane now, before Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho, before Owen Hargreaves (who was also the last England international to play for Bayern, until Kane come along), before Tony Woodcock, it was Keegan who first paved the way in Germany, making English-speaking fans of the Bundesliga like me to say that it is still worth it following the league.

🇩🇪 Rest in peace, Kevin Keegan. A true English abroad legend https://t.co/u271JThAJd
— English Players Abroad (@EnglishAbroad1) July 20, 2026

But why I never went with Hamburg? I suppose it was the state of the club at the time when I began following the Bundesliga. At the bottom in the first half of the 2006/07 season, before a change of coach came to turn things round and ending the season in seventh. Hamburg did also have some good seasons, until it started to become really bad. Over the course of time, I always felt that I have dodged quite a bullet because of how it would come to do, until it got relegated after the end of the 2017/18 Bundesliga season, becoming the last founding member of the league to do that. Until they finally came back ahead of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season and need not go past the play-off where they came unstuck for two seasons running (2021/22, 2022/23 seasons), they were playing second division football. The ‘Dinosaur’ of the league which once famously has a clock in the stands telling how long it has been playing in the top-flight until it stops ticking. But still when Hamburg returned back to the big time, it was welcomed. Because it is just never the same without them around.

Völlige Ekstase in Hamburg! Der HSV macht gegen Ulm den lang ersehnten Aufstieg klar! #sky2bundesliga #2bundesliga #hsv https://t.co/ByfUQE1RYy
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) May 10, 2025

(Back when Hamburg sealed their return to the Bundesliga, with a matchday to go. Seven years later, back to where they belong. They became the last founding club of the league to get relegated, until this happened.)

Merlin Polzin schafft das, was keinem HSV-Trainer zuvor gelungen ist: den Aufstieg in die Bundesliga. Dafür gibt es für den Aufstiegscoach die verdiente Bierdusche vom Team. Und die feiert der 34-Jährige komplett. 🍻 😂 #sky2bundesliga #hsv https://t.co/bU9lnzMzRi
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) May 10, 2025

(The obligatory beer shower...but at the post-match press conference. Hamburg coach Merlin Polzin was speaking to the media after the match which confirmed the club's return to the Bundesliga, before his players gatecrashed the press conference with this.)

The one football club in Germany that would have secretly like Hamburg not around the Bundesliga during the time it did, well except when the two clubs were together in the second division during the 2021/22 season, it is its fellow northern rival Werder Bremen. It is also third and last club that could have been the one I support in German football too. The short answer is none other than Miroslav Klose, the one striker I took notice from the 2006 World Cup playing for Germany at the time, whom I later found out playing for Werder at club level the time. Klose is currently the coach of Nuremberg in the second division in 2. Bundesliga, but two decades ago, that was where he was playing. Werder’s brand of attacking football was another reason why I was initially interested at the time. In the first season I was following the Bundesliga in the 2006/07 season, it eventually ended the season in third. And then VfB Stuttgart won it on the final matchday, and won the league title. Then I ‘jumped’ ship.

The final stretch of the 2006/07 Bundesliga season, with these three clubs in the title hunt - Schalke, VfB Stuttgart, and Werder Bremen. Or as the German sports magazine Kicker puts it on its 3 May 2007 edition - 'The Champion-Check'. And this was a time I was following Werder Bremen but still undecided on whether they become my team...until it is the one in the centre.

In the midst of the 2007/08 season though, I was still wavering, and this is even I was still learning more of VfB Stuttgart in terms of its then-recent history and all that. Then came the day Stuttgart and Werder Bremen played each other on 8 March 2008. The utter bonkers 6-3 game, in Stuttgart’s favour. That result has forever sealed in my memory, becoming the turning point in why Stuttgart is still my club in German football even after all these years, even if the club did get relegated at the end of the 2015/16 season, the first time in 41 years. I had to learn to follow the German second division during the time when the club was at there, and it was to be for four seasons before returning for the 2020/21 season. And the club is still around, and being back playing in Europe, in the Champions League.

Arminia sichert sich die Meisterschaft, Stuttgart ist zurück in der #skybuli, der HSV scheitert. Heidenheim bekommt es in der Relegation mit Bremen zu tun. Dort findet sich auch Nürnberg wieder, das mit dem KSC noch die Plätze tauscht. Wiesbaden und Dresden steigen ab. #sky2buli https://t.co/TIJCLjOAKt
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) June 28, 2020

(The final table of the 2. Bundesliga, the German second division, at the end of the 2019/20 season. The confirmation of how VfB Stuttgart came back to the Bundesliga, after finishing second.)

✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 4 teams 🏠✈️ #UCLdraw https://t.co/z3I2T9MWlK
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 27, 2026

I can always say in hindsight Thomas Hitzelsperger’s hammer of a goal against Energie Cottbus on the final matchday of the 2006/07 season became the reason why I ‘jumped’ ship from initially wanting to support Werder Bremen to VfB Stuttgart instead, but that can be seen as my first turning point. The second and final turning point was that 6-3 result the season after, against Werder Bremen. And this is coming from the same person who is more remembered for his time playing in the Premier League especially with Aston Villa, though he started out at the youth levels at Bayern Munich. And when he returned to Germany and becoming part of the World Cup squad on home soil for the 2006 tournament, he scored that goal for the eventual club I came to support in the German game.

Over the course of time, I will keep reading of those who once passed through VfB Stuttgart, either as a player or as a coach, and where they went next. Juergen Klinsmann, during his time as Germany coach for the 2006 World Cup, played a part in why it has been 20 years of me following the Bundesliga. Before he was especially known for his time in the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur and his rather infamous goal diving celebration, before he did also come to play for Bayern Munich (in fact back when after Harry Kane went to Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur three years ago, Klinsmann always get called on by ESPN to talk of how the England captain is doing at another of his former club), Stuttgart was where he really emerged into the footballer that he once was. Though actually it was at the city rival Stuttgarter Kickers where it really began for him.

(Yes, it is from the same guy. Germany's 2006 World Cup campaign on home soil with him at the helm of the national side, it played a part in why it has been 20 years of me following the Bundesliga.)

Or how about if one talk about VfB Stuttgart in the late 1990s, it was the future World Cup-winning and former Germany coach and Juergen Klinsmann’s successor Joachim Loew was the one at the dugout? That was the last golden period for the club until the league title of the 2006/07 season. There is also the Austria coach Ralf Rangnick, before what he would do at Hoffenheim, the work with the Red Bull football section, managing the club I support in English football in Manchester United to where he is now, he did pass through the club as a coach, just only a year after Loew. Though I had first read about that back when Rangnick was at Hoffenheim, in terms of reading of his coaching trajectory up till leading Hoffenheim into the big time for the 2008/09 Bundesliga season. But his first connection to Stuttgart first went back to the 1990s working at the youth levels, playing a part in helping to set out the blueprint in terms of the promoting of young talent at the club, which the club has come to be known for. I can go on forever mentioning those who did come to play for the German national team, or those who went to other clubs just in German football alone.

The former Germany coach Joachim Loew (second from left) ahead of the 2026 DFB-Pokal final, with him and one of his former players from his time as VfB Stuttgart coach in Giovane Elber (left) where this came after they had brought out the cup together before kick-off. Before Loew was known as a World Cup-winning coach from the 2014 World Cup, one of his notable achievements at club level was when Stuttgart won the cup in 1997 with him at the helm. That period was to be the club's last known golden period until the 2007 Bundesliga title. (Image via Kicker, originally from picture alliance / Eibner press photo)

Maybe just one. As in the Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle. Before he became part of the Hoffenheim side that got promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in its history for the 2008/09 season with Ralf Rangnick as the coach, he was previously playing at the youth levels of VfB Stuttgart. Back when his name was first mentioned for the Newcastle job in late July before it was confirmed over a week later in early August, as much the profiles I had read in between those times pointed to how he used to be at Hoffenheim until his promising playing career, where he also eventually came to feature once at the Germany U21 level, was prematurely cut short by injuries where it would lead to his former Hoffenheim coach Rangnick bringing him into the coaching fold into the Red Bull football group setup, there were also the mentions of someone else in his footballing career trajectory to date who preceded Rangnick. At his first press conference as Newcastle coach after his appointment was confirmed, at one time he was asked of his connection with the England head coach Thomas Tuchel of how he also used to play under him, which was certainly brought up in some of those profiles I did read. Or as Jaissle put it in his reply to the journalist who asked that, “It’s been a long connection.”

"It’s been a long connection"🤝 New Newcastle United coach Matthias Jaissle has regular talks with Thomas Tuchel! 🇩🇪 The German hopes his connection with the England manager will help him settle in the Premier League. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 https://t.co/AzzUNMij73
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) August 12, 2026

Yes, the England coach did once have a spell as a coach at the youth levels at Stuttgart, where English football now knows the Newcastle head coach used to be one of his former players there. At the very same football club I support in German football. Before he first really became known for what he did at Mainz as a top-flight coach in his own right where that was how the wider German football public (and me) come to know of him, he used to be at there, and at Augsburg at the same level as well. Matthias Jaissle’s appointment at Newcastle help to piece the whole story together for many who may not know of the connection at all, which is understandable. I just had to smile at how Jaissle explained it, because I did watch the press conference in its entirety on Sky Sports News’s YouTube page. I have never thought I would see the day the German football club I support gets mentioned like this big time.

(The introductory press conference with the Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle in its entirety as shown by Sky Sports News in the United Kingdom, back on 11 August. It was only days before his appointment was officially confirmed, after he first came to be in the frame for the job back in late July. At one time he was asked by a journalist of his connection to the England head coach Thomas Tuchel, and he confirmed how it went back to how Tuchel used to be his coach back when he was at the youth levels at Stuttgart.)

Then just this week in the midst of the international break, there was a media roundtable which the Newcastle head coach has been doing with the local media, where it was about him speaking of his footballing journey to where he is now. And then it started to jump out at me reading the various articles that came out of that media roundtable of how it all started due to him growing up supporting VfB Stuttgart and being on the terraces, before he did eventually make it to the academy of his boyhood club when he was 14, after overcoming a health scare when he was just five.

READ HERE 👇 https://t.co/R3kWt3MEOw
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) October 1, 2026

After 19 years, I can say it is all worth it. Of course, I can say that now. But 20 years ago, when I first started following the Bundesliga after the 2006 World Cup in Germany itself, I found myself in ‘dalliance’ with three other football clubs and was very close with choosing either two of them, until I finally settled with what became my fourth choice. We all have our stories of how we came to find the football club we support in whichever leagues we follow, and this is mine, in terms of in the German game.

To paraphrase what Frank Sinatra once sang, at least I did it my way. When I do have the freedom to choose. And by the way, it is not being imposed on me.

A 20-year worth of Bundesliga, fussball following

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 15:30:00 +0000

(Preview: The 20-year anniversary special. Of following a football league does not call the Premier League as well in the Bundesliga. But 20 years on, the spotlight is on the people and personalities that has in one way or another, shape how I look at the league. Or rather, it is more of the coaches edition. The ones I see at the dugout, and where they have been beyond Germany. But it is more than who is the England head coach, you know…)

So how long it has been, really? (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

It used to be that I thought I was on a one-person 'campaign' to prove the Bundesliga is a decent league to follow, coming off the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It was something I thought I would never do, with only the Premier League as the benchmark up till then. It took two years before it did arrive on television here. I had to do a lot of reading to prove the worth, and the eventual stories, moments, anecdotes I can always fall and look back on and say, 'I did remember that one’.

I do like reading anyway, and my late mother used to suggest that me reading novels as to why I was able to pass English Literature back in secondary school, because it was a notoriously tough subject to even get a passing grade, and I was literally one of the handful who actually did it in class. I had to take History instead for the rest of secondary school because the school did not offer English Literature beyond the second year, and that became my blessing in disguise because I was consistently getting the highest score for that amongst the humanities subjects which I took in the first two years, along with Geography. In hindsight, History went from my second favourite school subject (English Literature was my favourite then initially) to my favourite eventually, so something good still came out of it. In terms of how it has also carried me into as a football fan at the same time, in terms of also always fascinated in the moments that have come to shape the beautiful game.

But what does following the Bundesliga for two decades taught me? Quite a lot, even more so with an English-speaking lens. I always react with quiet glee if my father started asking anyone from the Premier League going to there or the reverse being the same, and then I will always give my take. Managers or coaches, players who have gone either way, and the unexpected places they have been to since. Since the 2023/24 Bundesliga season though, the captain of the England national team in Harry Kane switching from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich is the only reason my father still takes an interest by occasionally asking me how he is doing, and that is it.

Still, the fact it really showed up during the 2026 World Cup that I was forced to mentally take a step back and realised, it has been 20 years since I started following the Bundesliga and 20 years on, I was seeing the people and personalities around in North America at the tournament itself. I swore at times following everything that went on at the tournament to the best of my ability, I got the occasional flashbacks in my head. Or then again, I get that every single time following England’s World Cup campaign, due to who is at the dugout.

4-2 - Tonight was England's first 4-2 win in a FIFA World Cup match since the 1966 final against West Germany.

Home. pic.twitter.com/RApluhekyl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 17, 2026

(And that was just the opening group stage match between England and Croatia. Need I say more on why I keep getting the flashbacks each time during the World Cup, with my England-supporting 'hat' on? Probably one of the more famous of the lot at the moment, in terms of coaches with a Bundesliga past who had ventured beyond Germany.)

When I went back and look at how I did my 10th anniversary special a decade ago, it was more of what makes the Bundesliga different from the Premier League. In terms of fan culture, nurturing football talents of the future, its views of what constitutes a traditional football club, and why people are sniffy over the rise of the likes of Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig. My early years of following the Bundesliga coincided with the rise of those two clubs, which are still around in the league. Since then, there are more clubs that come up the divisions to upset the apple cart but not financed in a way like those two. But a decade from my previous anniversary special, this time I will concentrate more on those once at the dugout in the German game that showed up at the 2026 World Cup and where others have been beyond German football in the leagues I do also take an interest in, in terms of why it is still worth it for me. Because even they can be in demand elsewhere too.

The 2026 World Cup edition

And no, I am not going to start with the obvious. I had already said my piece in 'The emotional investment of following a national team’ regarding the England head coach and his own coaching trajectory leading up to what we came to see at the World Cup. I rather give space to others that also showed up at the tournament. Someone like the Austria coach Ralf Rangnick, for example. At one time during the tournament when my father was looking at the fixture schedule and Austria showed up, I had initially wondered what he might say when he said that he was going to watch them in action at the group stages. I asked if it was because of Rangnick as the coach, considering his one-time Manchester United past at the dugout. My father and I are both supporters of the same club in English football, and so that was my way of asking. He replied that it was the case. Before my two footballing worlds came colliding with each other in a very big way in terms of who is the England head coach, Rangnick was for a while the only link for me to connect my two footballing worlds together. Like many Bundesliga and German football followers, Hoffenheim was how I first came to know of Rangnick when he brought the club up to the Bundesliga for the first time in its history in 2008.

The famous front cover interview special from German sports magazine Kicker with Ralf Rangnick, back when he was the Hoffenheim coach in the club's maiden season in the Bundesliga, the 10 November 2008 edition of the magazine. (Image via www.kicker.de)

The very first season of the Bundesliga on the television here as well, how can I ever forget the 2008/09 season was where it all began, two years after I decided to follow the Bundesliga? But away from the Hoffenheim story and how it came to be in the Bundesliga, there was also Ralf Rangnick's coaching trajectory up till that point. Leading a club up to the Bundesliga used to be Rangnick's specialty, because just less than a decade before as when I first read back in 2008, he had previously did it with SSV Ulm (though he was not the coach by the time the club was in the Bundesliga proper). Even before then, he was labelled as a 'football professor' and not in a good way, which would have also been a reference to how he was originally training to become a schoolteacher before switching to football. Football tactics which were deemed too revolutionary for its time in German football then, before it became acceptable in our time.

Of course, there is the Hoffenheim part which back then was seen as a rehabilitation to his coaching reputation (given he had gone two divisions down to manage Hoffenheim, playing in the regional leagues in the then-third division, from Schalke back in the 2006/07 season, before leading Hoffenheim to the big time), from those who remembered his television appearance talking tactics in his previous capacity at SSV Ulm in the late 90s where the ‘football professor’ tag first came about, then RB Leipzig and working in various roles in the football section at the Red Bull group, before his brief spell at Manchester United. I kind of smiled in terms of how Austria came to do two years before at Euro 2024, even if I know it caused bafflement in the English game at the time due to how Rangnick had did it. It was never all his fault in terms of what went on at the club I support in English football, the club was in a state of mess even before he was there. Still, even with what he has been doing as Austria coach where one can say that his side lost to the eventual World Cup winners Spain in the last 32, his coaching trajectory and the places he had been to before his current post, it is hard for German football to view him in a similar manner like say with, Juergen Klopp.

28 – Ralf Rangnick gewann 28 Länderspiele mit der österreichischen Nationalmannschaft – nur der legendäre Hugo Meisl als ÖFB-Teamchef mehr (71 Siege). Professor. #AUTJOR pic.twitter.com/Axvvhe3Dxt
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) June 17, 2026

(This was in the wake of Austria's opening group match against Jordan at the World Cup, noting that only Hugo Meisl has won more matches as the coach of the national side than he did. And yes, the 'professor' tag which has never really go away, which has been following him around since the 1990s.)

I know in 'Three World Cup host nations, three footballing fortunes' in terms of how Canada coach Jesse Marsch has already been brought up, but he is the most successful American coach working abroad, until he did not get the chance to coach at a home World Cup. A lot has been made at least from the American perspective of how he was the former Ivy League graduate from Princeton who came to play professionally in his native United States in Major League Soccer before he came to make his way into Europe, and for everyone else, the dressing room team talk while as RB Salzburg coach which went viral. I admit that was also how I first heard of him too, as in the latter part. But before Canada and before Leeds United where English football came to know of Marsch, RB Leipzig was his stop in German football. His German would have been good enough for him to be in the Bundesliga after his time at RB Salzburg in Austria, given even back when Pep Guardiola was at Bayern Munich, he had to do the same thing in terms of speaking German to the media and did take language lessons prior to that. In part of his time at RB Leipzig and that one of Canada’s key players play in the Bundesliga in Alphonso Davies at Bayern, there was also considerable interest back in Germany to how Canada and Marsch would come to do at the World Cup, the World Cup co-host which has most considerable German footballing interest. Up till the last 16 against Morocco (which had beaten the Netherlands on the penalties in the last 32), that is.

1 - Jesse Marsch is the first manager from the United States to manage a foreign country in a FIFA World Cup. Lasso. pic.twitter.com/jfOwNo6WEq
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 12, 2026

2 - Jesse Marsch is the second American coach to win a knockout round match in the FIFA World Cup, joining Bruce Arena, who did so in 2002.

Triumph. pic.twitter.com/6jTmr5tHzn
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 28, 2026

Jesse Marsch, the American who led Canada to its first World Cup knockout stage win ever, has stirred emotions in North America and beyondhttps://t.co/nPWVs80vRg
— TIME (@TIME) July 2, 2026

I still remember the time reading about the former Germany coach Julian Naglesmann becoming the youngest-ever Bundesliga coach when back on early February 2016 in the midst of the 2015/16 Bundesliga season, he was promoted from within the coaching set-up at Hoffenheim to succeed the veteran coach Huub Stevens, who had to resign due to health problems. Then came reading how old he was when it happened. For the first time ever, I was reading about a football coach managing a top-flight club in a major European league…and being born in the same year as I am. I admitted for a brief period, I was asking myself in my head as the one holding down a regular office job working in the civil service, “What am I doing with my life?” Given whatever has been said and written about him since after the World Cup, this is a reminder why he was once the German football coaching wunderkind, and this is apart from his age. When he took on the reins at Hoffenheim ahead of time given he was supposed to start from the 2016/17 season onwards, the club was in relegation trouble for only the second time in its history since being in the Bundesliga in the 2008/09 season. He kept the club up, and it was the season after, it would go on quite a run and came to qualify for European competitions for the first time in its history when it ended the season in fourth. It was to be one step better for the 2017/18 season, finishing third and playing Champions League football for the first time ever. The 2018/19 season was to be eventually his last at Hoffenheim, because he went to RB Leipzig after that.

Welcome to the Bundesliga Julian Nagelsmann (@achtzehn99)! pic.twitter.com/QM1ntk6a4b
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) February 11, 2016

130 – Since Julian Nagelsmann took charge in 2019, @RBLeipzig_EN gathered 130 points in the @Bundesliga_EN - only @FCBayernEN collected more points (153) in that period. Transfer. pic.twitter.com/s4oc8RjDxV
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 27, 2021

Two years later in the 2021/22 season, Julian Naglesmann would be the one who came to coach the football club he has always been a supporter of in Bayern Munich, the one thing he has never hide in his early days as Hoffenheim coach in those interviews he did. It is also the biggest football club from the Bavaria region where he comes from, and so it makes sense. When he went to Bayern, it came after his predecessor in the current Barcelona coach Hansi Flick who had done a second treble at the club two seasons before, would be taking on the reins as the coach of the German national team. I know I did mention how it went when Naglesmann was at Bayern here on the blog before, but then the reason how he started his coaching career at such a relatively young age when he made his debut at the Hoffenheim dugout, his own playing career ended even before it really got going at the youth levels, where he first started out at the youth levels of 1860 Munich before being transferred to Augsburg also at the youth level where it eventually never got going. Or as the website of the German sports magazine Kicker had noted in the aftermath of his sacking at Bayern as coach, his time at Augsburg intersected with whom eventually came to succeed him at Bayern three years ago. The current England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who was a youth team coach at Augsburg around the same time then. Naglesmann’s route to becoming a football coach himself began when he was forced to end his playing career despite never featuring once for Augsburg youth teams, he started to work as an opposition team scout at the club, for the youth team. Both men did confirm their encounter at the same club in later interviews which they were at Augsburg almost around the same time, though Naglesmann had since come to play down the working relationship by pointing out that Tuchel was not his ‘foster father’ (there is a 14-year age difference between the two).

2.19 - As Bayern Munich manager, Julian Nagelsmann gained 2.19 points per game on average in the Bundesliga - it's the fourth best value of all Bayern managers in Bundesliga history. Sacked? pic.twitter.com/3bIGoz4XO0
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) March 24, 2023

(That is until one realised who would be the one to succeed him at Bayern Munich. Oh.)

Throughout the course of the World Cup, as much as Norway was gaining goodwill and fast becoming the second team for the neutrals, there was one thing which was constantly nagging at the back of my mind. I was sure I had seen the Norway coach Stale Solbakken, who is on his second stint as the national team coach, somewhere before but I could not put myself on where. That is until the website of the German sports magazine Kicker decided to put me out of my misery, the day before Norway play England in the quarter-final round. Out of superstition, I decided to make a mental note of reading the entire article beyond the headline I initially saw, but only after the match. Solbakken passed through German football as Cologne coach during the 2011/12 season. The reason for the article on Kicker website was due to how they had pointed out Solbakken had already previously crossed paths with the England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who was then in his first top-flight coaching job at Mainz (and onto what was his third season in charge at the club then, because he would come to last for three more years there in 2014) in that 2011/12 season, which Kicker pointed out came to be remembered for a few things. The verbal skirmishes ahead of the first encounter which was started by Solbakken in terms of stating confidently of his side would beat Mainz 3-0 and Tuchel responded by suggesting that Solbakken made the prediction before watching any videos of them, until football took a backseat due to the suicide attempt of the designated referee for the match and found in time by his assistants, something which I definitely remember at the time. In the rescheduled tie with a different referee, it ended 1-1.

Im Viertelfinale zwischen Norwegen und England kommt es zum Trainerduell Staale Solbakken gegen Thomas Tuchel. Beide trafen bereits in der Saison 2011/12 aufeinander - und der eine besiegelte die Entlassung des anderen. https://t.co/p7j0v94ZWo
— kicker Newsfeed (@kicker_feed) July 10, 2026

(Before Norway and England at the 2026 World Cup quarter-final in Miami, there was...this. When Kicker reminded how the national team coaches of both sides used to face each other before, in their previous guises at Cologne and Mainz respectively during the 2011/12 Bundesliga season.)

When the two crossed paths again in the same season, both Cologne and Mainz’s league position have swapped sides. Cologne (10th) was originally slightly ahead of Mainz (14th) in the standings heading into the winter break, but it was the other way round when the two met again. Mainz was in 11th, Cologne in relegation spot. By then, Mainz ran out 4-0 winners at home and was 3-0 up at half-time. It was also remembered for how then-Cologne striker Lukas Podolski got hit by a coin from the stands, but continuing playing. Two days later after that match, Solbakken got the boot. But it was to be no use even with a caretaker, because Cologne still got relegated at the end of that season. And considering how it turned out in Miami in the World Cup quarter-final tie between Norway and England, it looked like there were times Solbakken could have gotten his ‘revenge’ from 14 years before, not that many would have known. Naturally for me as I was reading the article (and in part with my England-supporting ‘hat’ on during the World Cup, like I have been doing for every tournament England is in since the 2002 World Cup), I was relieved that it never happened.

From the Bundesliga, to beyond

Premier League edition

There was at one time when my father had asked me if I will still be a Germany supporter, after I brought up about Juergen Klopp becoming the Germany coach two months before, given we were discussing about the five-year gap between Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid and becoming France coach as compared to the almost two-year gap for Klopp from going to Liverpool to the Germany job. I replied at once, “I cannot now!” Then again, I understand where my father was coming from, due to how previously following England at major tournaments can be stressful, even if it was also the case this time round at the 2026 World Cup and even more so due to my own amount of emotional investment into it this time. After that reply, I did point out to my father that I used to like what Klopp did at Borussia Dortmund, but it all ended when he went to Liverpool and not Manchester United back in 2015. Being a United supporter in English football, it almost means to contractually obliged to not like Liverpool due to the rivalry. And that was what I was doing during the time when Klopp was at Liverpool, because I also have my own club football interests to protect and defend.

674 - Jürgen Klopp tritt sein Amt als Bundestrainer mit der Erfahrung von 674 Spielen als Trainer in der Bundesliga (340) und Premier League (334) an, das sind mehr Einsätze als Coach in den Top-5-Ligen als jeder andere Bundestrainer vor ihm aufweist.

Gewappnet. pic.twitter.com/JdnkIeqBY7
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) July 24, 2026

(The confirmation on 24 July of who has become the coach of the German national team, and a reminder of how many matches Klopp oversaw both in the Bundesliga and in the Premier League combined. And how it is the more than amongst his recent predecessors.)

It used to be a different world for me. Juergen Klopp being at Borussia Dortmund and coming over from Mainz, it was in the 2008/09 season. At that time, I had read what he did at Mainz, from his own playing days to becoming the coach. He never got the chance to play in the top-flight and missed out on bringing Mainz back to the Bundesliga as a coach, and Dortmund gave him that chance to coach in the top-flight once again. Up till that point, apart from what he did at Mainz, he was also remembered for being a television pundit during the 2006 World Cup, which also increased his media profile in Germany. This came at the same season when at Bayern Munich, the former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann was brought into the dugout. Given how both clubs would come to do in the same 2008/09 season until Klinsmann got the boot and had to make do with a caretaker in Jupp Heynckes, the running joke at the time was that Bayern had gotten the wrong Juergen. Of course, there was also Dortmund’s Champions League campaign which went all the way to the Wembley for the 2013 final, and Bayern was also there to make it an all-German final, at the home of English football. One can say that was also how the English football media really came to know about Dortmund and Klopp too, who would go to Liverpool two years later. And then ending Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a league title when it did during the 2019/20 Premier League season, coming after emerging winners in the all-English Champions League final the year before in 2019.

4 - Jurgen Klopp is the fourth Liverpool manager to win the Champions League/European Cup after Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Rafa Benitez. Fab. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/8m4aLqpj5t
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 1, 2019

1 - Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has become the very first German manger to win the English top-flight title in its 131-year history. Held. pic.twitter.com/995qNYlbTR
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 25, 2020

1 – Liverpool have been crowned @premierleague champions for the very first time – 30 years after their last top-flight title back in 1989-90. Sufferance. pic.twitter.com/qh0yFwZg9s
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 25, 2020

7 – Liverpool have won the @premierleague title with seven games still left to play – this is the earliest title victory in English top-flight history in terms of remaining matches when crowned champions. Romped. pic.twitter.com/q3KUSEJJJy
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 25, 2020

99 - Liverpool finished the season with 99 points, the second-highest return in English top-flight history behind only Manchester City's 100 points in 2017-18. Crazy. pic.twitter.com/aOsreooHDK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 26, 2020

Before Juergen Klopp and Pep Guardiola would come to define the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League, German football can argue that the origins of their rivalry went back to when Klopp was at Borussia Dortmund and Guardiola was at Bayern Munich, where matches between Dortmund and Bayern are always a big deal in the first place. The Bundesliga could not believe when for the 2013/14 season, the former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola arrived at the club after a year of sabbatical. It turned out that during his sabbatical in New York; he did also take German lessons as the Bayern bosses tried to present the case for him to come to the club. English may be the international language, but in the Bundesliga, German still takes priority when it comes to media duties…unless it is for the international broadcasters showing the league. Guardiola was also breaking ground in how he was the first Spanish coach to work in the Bundesliga (this is before Xabi Alonso became the second when he was at Bayer Leverkusen), and so there was also interest from Spain to how he would do post-Barcelona at the dugout. Even if statistically Guardiola is the most successful points-wise in the history of Bayern in the Bundesliga, European glory eluded the club when he was there. While there were those who were always ready to defend what he was doing, there were also those who would always quickly point out that he cannot win the Champions League outside of Barcelona, though he would later dispel the notion by doing it in 2023 with Manchester City. And there was also quiet consternation in some quarters of the increasing Spanish influence at Bayern, which has always been proud of its roots. Guardiola would eventually move on to Manchester City for the 2016/17 season (though since then it emerged before the weekend of how his early years at the club would come to coincide with the reports of City potentially guilty on almost all the charges the Premier League is putting forward in its almost three-year investigation into the club, though the timeframe involved in the investigation into City is from 2009 to 2018, which also preceded before Guardiola arrived at the club, but he has also come to be seen as one of the faces of the club, until he left before this season), and Carlo Ancelotti became his successor…though the Italian only lasted a season.

Pep Guardiola's managerial record in the Bundesliga:

102 games
82 won
11 drawn
9 lost
3 titles
80.4% win rate

Wow pic.twitter.com/Z8dMMMkwpz
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 14, 2016

(And this was before he was to be Manchester City-bound. Well, knowing what was to come when he was at City next, in wake of whatever has come out of the UK since.)

It is an interesting feature I came across from the website of UK-based The Times newspaper, in terms of putting the spotlight on the new coaches and managers making their debut at the dugout for the current 2026/27 Premier League season, and how they have one thing in common. Three of the four featured for the article had played under those who came before them in the league. Alvaro Arbeloa (Fulham) under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, Marco Rose (Bournemouth) under Juergen Klopp at Mainz, Matthias Jaissle (Newcastle) under Thomas Tuchel at the youth teams of VfB Stuttgart. The same article had pointed out at one point in 2021, Mourinho, Klopp, and Tuchel were all in the Premier League at the same time and all have since moved on.

What to expect from four of Premier League’s most intriguing new managers @JamesGheerbrant says coaches at Bournemouth, Fulham and Newcastle should benefit from inherited wisdom, while Crystal Palace’s overachiever may be the brainiest of the lothttps://t.co/7QCjPegV3Z
— Times Sport (@TimesSport) August 7, 2026

Still, I cannot believe the same article from The Times left out something in its brief bio of Marco Rose. Rose’s RB Leipzig side was the reason why Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich debut got off to the worst possible start in the German Supercup in the traditional curtain-raiser for the 2023/24 season in the Bundesliga in the England captain’s first introduction to German club football, and Kane only arrived in Germany the day before to complete his move. But at least it did include of when Rose at Borussia Dortmund, it was a side that has Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland in it. In an interview the German sports magazine Kicker did with Rose while Bournemouth was on pre-season in Austria before the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season, it described him as the ‘child of the Bundesliga’. It is a reference to the clubs he had been to from his playing days to being at the dugout, it has been predominantly in the German top-flight – Borussia Monchengladbach (where in his second stop as coach, really came to prominence at), Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig which he won the DFB-Pokal as a coach, leading to that German Supercup tie against Bayern. Apart from his spell at RB Salzburg in Austria, Rose has never ventured beyond that, until becoming Andoni Iraola’s successor at Bournemouth. I was intrigued when he was announced as Iraola’s successor, or then again, the Cherries (that is Bournemouth’s nickname) have gambled on unproven quality before at the dugout. Iraola was one when he came over from his native Spain and initially struggled, until he left for Liverpool after leading Bournemouth to qualify for the Europa League for the current 2026/27 season, and this is the first time the club is in European competition, and Rose do also have experience managing in European competitions back when he was at Dortmund and later RB Leipzig.

🍒 @afcbournemouth. A club that achieved its best-ever Premier League finish last season.

Will the Cherries continue to rise? 📈 pic.twitter.com/jcwtKgdEZ6
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 9, 2026

One team in the Premier League not competing in any European competition for the current 2026/27 season is currently managing by someone the Bundesliga knows well in Xabi Alonso, at Chelsea. In his case, it is via La Liga and that eventual seven-month spell at Real Madrid. There is a reason why I kept calling him the ‘Liverpool legend’ (even if it always pains me to even mention it as a Manchester United supporter, due to the rivalry) when looking back at his time as Bayer Leverkusen coach in ‘The German football way of invincibility’, especially in what was the historic 2023/24 season when Leverkusen did an unprecedented domestic double, something the club has never done before up till then. It is precisely of what he achieved during his time in the Premier League as a player at Liverpool, before there was Real Madrid and Bayern Munich where he ended his playing career at. One thing is for sure; they have also been following how Alonso is doing in Germany too.

0 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen are the first team in Bundesliga history to go unbeaten across a full season - in the big five European leagues, only Arsenal in 2003-04 and Juventus in 2011-12 had achieved this since the millennium. Invincibles. pic.twitter.com/tjYyqFdglQ
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 18, 2024

(The magnitude of what Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso came to achieve during the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, in what was also his second season in charge at the club then. The club would go on and do a domestic double by also winning the cup as well, and even that was also a historic first for the club.)

Will Xabi Alonso bounce back from a disappointing return of 7 points from his first 5 games in charge at Chelsea? 🤔

He started in the same fashion with Bayer Leverkusen four years ago 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/Ult59xnpd4
— Transfermarkt English (@TMuk_news) September 20, 2026

One can be forgiven for when Oliver Glasner went from winning the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022 when he also became the first Austrian coach to do it not since Ernst Happel did with Hamburg in the 1983 European Cup final, to showing up at south London with Crystal Palace when he did in the midst of the 2023/24 Premier League season, as a virtual unknown to English football. But then until he is currently at Nottingham Forest for the 2026/27 Premier League season, the very same football club which protested at Crystal Palace’s league positioning even if the Eagles’s (that is the club’s nickname, clue is in the club crest) FA Cup triumph in 2025 should have qualify them for the Europa League (then again, Palace also fell victim to the multi-party ownership ruling given the club joint-owner in the American John Textor also own a stake in Lyon in France at the time, meaning with Lyon finishing 6th in Ligue 1 and Palace in 12th in the Premier League, Palace got ‘relegated’ to the UEFA Conference League), he was known apart from what he did at Frankfurt, Wolfsburg was how German football first know of him. He led the club to qualifying for the Champions League in his second season in the 2020/21 season, but it was also the season where after disagreements with the club hierarchy he left and headed for Eintracht Frankfurt.

2 – Eintracht Frankfurt’s Oliver Glasner is the second Austrian coach to win a major European trophy after Ernst Happel (1970 European Cup with Feyenoord, 1983 European Cup with HSV). Coach. #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/COaNXCNTtt
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 18, 2022

1 - Crystal Palace have won their first ever major trophy. They are the first English club to win their first major title since Wigan Athletic in the 2012-13 FA Cup, who also beat Manchester City in the final that year. Dreamland. pic.twitter.com/iVx6fSh3FY
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 17, 2025

One way to put what Oliver Glasner achieved with Crystal Palace into context. Winning the FA Cup in 2025 has forever sealed his place and the players who played in the cup final into the club’s history books for eternity. The first-ever FA Cup triumph in the club’s history and doing it at expense of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City no less, for the club which only came to reach the cup final twice previously in 1990 and 2016 before what happened last year, and playing in Europe for the first time ever in the 2025/26 season, and going all the way to the UEFA Conference League final and winning it, Glasner will always have a place in Palace’s modern history. It says a lot that even amid the 2025/26 Premier League season when Glasner announced that he was not continuing beyond the season, even after Palace won the UEFA Conference League, questions inevitably arose whether it was still enough to change his mind. But Palace’s FA Cup success also meant that its crop of players went to other places would have played into Glasner’s thinking. Naturally more than eyebrows were raised when he went to Nottingham Forest, considering of who is the owner over there, the same person who originally led the charge of Palace should not be in the Europa League in Evangelos Marinakis, and there was never a mention of where Glasner was previously from when the club announced his appointment. Marinakis is a very interesting character himself in the English game, apart from how he is also owner of Olympiakos in his native Greece, so it will be fascinating to see how it goes.

2019 - Oliver Glasner is the second manager to win a major European trophy in his last game in charge of a Premier League side, after Maurizio Sarri with Chelsea in 2019.

Farewell. pic.twitter.com/Jh2EZHGWHS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 27, 2026

The Glasner slide 🏄‍♂️#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/oNcXwwdPMP
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 27, 2026

🏆 #UELfinal 2022
🏆 #UECLfinal 2026

Oliver Glasner and his trademark celebration 🦅 pic.twitter.com/N8fG7w0OuZ
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) May 28, 2026

The perfect send off for Oliver Glasner 💙❤️#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/u1ZLS0GyBH
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 28, 2026

Nottingham Forest will shortly kick off the season with Oliver Glasner in the dugout.

Speaking on their pre-season tour to Portugal, he speaks:

🎓 Economics degree as a player
🇦🇹 Missing family in Austria
🤝 The big meeting with Marinakis
📈 How he can improve Gibbs-White
💷…
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) August 10, 2026

From the Bundesliga to La Liga

In the aftermath of the 2026 Copa del Rey final which Real Sociedad beat Atletico Madrid on penalties with the club winning its first piece of silverware in the form of the domestic cup not since 2021, the club president Jokin Aperribay revealed that he had asked ChatGPT if Pellegrino Matarazzo would be a good fit for the club before the American came in on late December 2025, as the club was hovering close to relegation spots. The Real Sociedad president revealed that he did not get a satisfactory answer but still hired Matarazzo anyway. I swore I almost chuckled at that revelation, because this is the same coach who brought my club VfB Stuttgart back to the Bundesliga for the 2020/21 season after four seasons of exile. I was the one in near-giddying excitement when he went to Real Sociedad amid the 2025/26 La Liga season, following Spanish football as I do as well. 12 years before when I decided to do that, it was due to another reason, and the current Everton manager David Moyes, who previously was at the club I support in English football in Manchester United, who showed up at where Matarazzo is at. He never lasted long, but I am still also following Spanish football as I do.

🚨 La Real Sociedad hace oficial a Pellegrino Matarazzo como entrenador

🆕 El técnico estadounidense firma por lo que resta de temporada más una más. Este domingo verá al filial y será presentado el lunes pic.twitter.com/1LExCsrKdD
— Diario AS (@diarioas) December 20, 2025

(As how the likes of the Spanish sportspaper AS reported, mentioning that he will be the coach of the club for the remainder of the 2025/26 season and getting another, which is for this current season.)

2nd - Real Sociedad is the second team to win two Copa del Rey finals in the penalty shootout (both against Atlético de Madrid in 1987 and 2026) after Real Betis (in 1977 and 2022). Speciality. pic.twitter.com/s8WAXIhLsR
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 18, 2026

Real Sociedad celebrate winning the Copa del Rey. Last time they won the cup, in 2021 (delayed from 2020) the pandemic meant their fans couldn't be there. They're enjoying it this time... 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qMbsH6gpGv
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) April 18, 2026

Pellegrino Matarazzo after winning the Copa del Rey:
"It's been an incredible journey, but my feeling is it's just the beginning."pic.twitter.com/FaokLstch7
— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) April 18, 2026

Understandably when Pellegrino Matarazzo first arrived in Spain, no one in Spanish football has heard of him. But the American with Italian roots who once had failed football trials in his parents’ home country Italy, has long being a familiar face to German football, having previously played college soccer in his native United States before professionally in Germany, then switching to work as a football coach in the same country as well. From caretaker job at Nuremberg reserves, to how VfB Stuttgart was his first proper coaching gig. Post Stuttgart, it was Hoffenheim and it was sort of coming one full circle for him because he was previously the assistant to former Germany coach Julian Naglesmann, his former classmate at the same coaching course which both attended at the German FA, when Naglesmann made his coaching debut at the club and becoming the youngest Bundesliga coach in the league as well. Even if it never lasted long, Real Sociedad took their chance on him. And Real Sociedad has also come to qualify for the Europa League after winning the Copa del Rey, where coincidentally one of their group stage opponents this time round is none other than…Bournemouth, with Marco Rose at the helm there.

Another person who made the switch from Germany to Spanish football two years before, it is the Barcelona coach Hansi Flick. Though technically, it is via the Bundesliga. The Spanish football media might have been used to calling the former Germany coach as like how it has been in Germany too, but it is short for his actual name, Hans-Dieter Flick. He might had first really come to prominence to outside of German football as the assistant to another former Germany coach Joachim Loew during the Euro 2008 tournament which eventually culminated in the 2014 World Cup triumph for the national side, but Flick has been around the German football coaching block for a while before becoming only the third German to be at the Barcelona dugout, not since Hennes Weisweiler in the 1970s and Udo Lattek in the 1980s. He first came to make his name as a coach in his own right, when in his second coaching stop where he led Hoffenheim into the professional leagues for the first time in its history at the first time of asking for the 2001/02 season where it went playing third division football for the first time, and came to last till the 2005/06 season, where he got the sack even despite he has four years left on his contract at the time, and this was before the club eventually came playing in the Bundesliga for the first time for the 2008/09 season. That was to be what showed up on his CV when he became Loew’s assistant on the German national team, where just before that a spell as assistant at RB Salzburg. After the 2014 World Cup, there were spells working as a sporting director at the German FA and managing director at Hoffenheim, until one of his former clubs in his playing days came calling in Bayern Munich, where he initially became the assistant to Niko Kovac (who is currently at Borussia Dortmund) for the 2019/20 season until he succeeded his predecessor close to the half-way point of the same season, and eventually leading the club to a second treble not since it last happened with Jupp Heynckes in 2013.

3 - @FCBayernEN have won the treble for a second time in the club's history (after 2013). The only other side in Europe to win the treble twice is FC Barcelona (2009 and 2015). Treble. #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/7g2eXRG1rj
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) August 23, 2020

3 - Hansi Flick has become the third German FC Barcelona coach after Hennes Weisweiler (1975-76, 39 games) and Udo Lattek (1981-83, 80 games). History. pic.twitter.com/4d7FQfavwF
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 29, 2024

2.45 - At 2.45 points per game, Hansi Flick has the second-best points per game ratio of any coach in Bundesliga history, after Pep Guardiola (2.52), who has won the UEFA Champions League twice with FC Barcelona. Footsteps? pic.twitter.com/mG3OJRScz1
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 29, 2024

One can suspect looking back, Barcelona might be having Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich tenure in mind when he went to Camp Nou before the start of the 2024/25 La Liga season where he succeeded the club icon Xavi (who has since become the Netherlands coach) at the dugout, a year after he was sacked unprecedentedly from the Germany job. But back then many following German football, even me included (and this is despite following the Spanish game too), was amazed and sceptical, with having his Germany tenure in mind especially when Germany did not get out of their group at the 2022 World Cup. Back-to-back La Liga titles when each time predictions say Real Madrid will win it, and he had the last laugh in the end each time. It is also noted it was also despite the state of Barcelona’s finances especially in his first season at the club, Barcelona still managed to pull it off with the league title. And the view from Germany is that he managed to do it because precisely he is an outsider and only concentrating on the football and not the external noises surrounding the club. Even if he still speaks English at press conferences after two years at the club, it does not matter. Just do not get the pundits started and wanting to tear their hair out on his infamous high line approach though.

4º - Hansi Flick 🇩🇪 es el cuarto entrenador que gana dos títulos de @LaLiga con el @FCBarcelona_es en sus dos primeras temporadas en el siglo XXI tras Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique y Ernesto Valverde. Referente. pic.twitter.com/HZ3ADo5O78
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 11, 2026

(Where it was noted that just in this current century, only Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, and Ernesto Valverde had also did what Hansi Flick would come to do as Barcelona coach. Back-to-back La Liga title. And he is the only outsider in this rare list of coaches who achieved that.)

Hansi Flick turned Barcelona into a family – and runaway La Liga champions

[image or embed]
— Guardian Sport (@sport.theguardian.com) May 12, 2026 at 12:13 AM

(The match that sealed the league title, and it was not even the final matchday of the season. But it was the league title that was successfully defended...in spite of everything. And he only found out his father had passed away on the morning of the match against Real Madrid.)

The German making his La Liga coaching debut for the current 2026/27 season is one Spanish football has never known much of prior to the appointment in early May, much like when Pellegrino Matarazzo was at Real Sociedad initially. The former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic, at Athletic Club. It is only the second time the club went German at the dugout not since Jupp Heynckes had two spells at the club in the 1990s and 2000s, and still fondly remembered in Spain as ‘Don Jupp’. The German sports news portal Spox described it best for German-speaking football audiences in terms of what Terzic is getting himself into, the only Spanish football club along with Real Madrid and Barcelona which has never been relegated since the league founding in 1929, where it always has a Basque-only policy in terms of the players, and those trained in and around the region. The only exception the club makes is the person at the dugout, where it has gone foreign before like with Heynckes for example, and even Marcelo Bielsa once had a spell there too. Terzic, the once self-described Dortmund supporter before becoming the coach in his own right, he would feel at home at Athletic where there is also similar fervour for the club from the city like it is when he was at Dortmund. From initially starting out working at the Dortmund youth teams to becoming the assistant to the now-Croatia coach Slaven Bilic at Besiktas and West Ham, until initially the assistant to Lucien Favre at Dortmund where he succeeded the Swiss and came to win what is still the last trophy for the club to date in the 2021 DFB-Pokal, before a second spell came when the now-Bournemouth manager Marco Rose left at the end of 2021/22 season.

38 – Edin Terzic (@blackyellow) at the age of 38 is the youngest winning manager of the @DFBPokal_EN in this century. In 1999, Thomas Schaaf was also 38. Hero. #RBLBVB pic.twitter.com/odGXj2KNt9
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 13, 2021

I need not go into what happened in Edin Terzic’s second spell as Borussia Dortmund coach, because I did also in part blogged about it here, looking back at the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons. In short, the dramatic title race that went down to the final matchday of the 2022/23 season where Dortmund lost on goal difference to eventual champions Bayern Munich, and then the Champions League campaign the season after where it ended in the loss in the Wembley final against Real Madrid, though that was the third time Dortmund reached a European final, not since Juergen Klopp did so in 2013. Terzic had actually been out of work for two years after the 2024 Champions League final until Athletic Club came about, and he is heading into a club which had a season it rather forget in terms of finishing 12th in what is the worst position not since 2018 and also adding insult to injury, losing to regional rivals and eventual Copa del Rey winners Real Sociedad in the semi-final round of the domestic cup. If Terzic has been initially understandably viewed with scepticism to an extent in Spanish football due to being an unknown quantity until how it has been going so far in the league, Spox had pointed out how he has been called ‘Luis Enrique’s youngest executioner’ by sportspaper Mundo Deportivo, a nod to how he got the better of his Paris Saint-Germain counterpart (who is Spanish, by the way) in the Champions League, a reference to the 2023/24 Champions League semi-final tie which Dortmund advanced to the final after beating PSG. But another way to look at the initial scepticism of Terzic’s arrival to the Spanish Basque Country could be due to who he had succeeded at the dugout, Ernesto Valverde who decided to call time after his third spell at the dugout at the club, and Valverde is still the last person to bring silverware to the club in the form of the 2015 Spanish Supercup. Terzic’s predecessor at Athletic in Valverde, he also happens to be the same guy who would also become one of Hansi Flick’s predecessors at the Barcelona dugout too.

3 - Borussia Dortmund have reached the final of the UEFA Champions League for the third time after 1996-97 and 2012-13, with the last one also coming at Wembley Stadium. Amends. #PSGBVB @BVB pic.twitter.com/rOoesKqTbj
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 7, 2024

(This came after Borussia Dortmund got the better of Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final round, from the man dubbed 'Luis Enrique's youngest executioner' by the sportspaper Mundo Deportivo.)

Only three managers have ever taken Borussia Dortmund to a Champions League final:

◎ Ottmar Hitzfeld (1997)
◎ Jürgen Klopp (2013)
◉ Edin Terzić (2024)

BVB are heading to Wembley again. 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/8U08lKoeqy
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 7, 2024

The overall conclusion

If there is a common denominator, it is that I had chosen on purpose on the coaches who are still working, still seen at the dugouts albeit outside of Germany. Or at least last saw at the 2026 World Cup, due to how Julian Naglesmann’s tenure as Germany coach ended not long after the last 32 elimination to Paraguay on penalties. I only put Naglesmann’s successor Juergen Klopp in the Premier League section due to what he came to do at Liverpool. I cannot say being able to speak in the language of the league the coach is based in is the other common denominator, because Hansi Flick is still able to get by speaking English to the journalists at pre- and post-match press conferences even at Barcelona for two years now. If the club is doing well on the pitch, it has never been seen as an issue.

Not only that, apart from speaking briefly in Basque at his presentation, Edin Terzic has followed the same way as Hansi Flick, in terms of speaking in English at press conferences. The Basque language is something not even Spaniards coming from outside of the region of the Spanish Basque Country is always able to grasp, so even for a total outsider like him, a German with Bosnian roots, to address the media based at his new employers and addressing briefly in their language in his introductory press conference, it is a great gesture already.

One thing is for sure, apart from those starting the new football season at a different posting from where they were previously at, there is always the reminder of how they got to where they are in the first place. They all once passed through the Bundesliga, the league which I do follow and still remember them. They are also called the gaffer in England, ‘mister’ in Spain (a nod to the early British influences in Spanish football), but in Germany, it is always the trainer.

"Hola, mister!" 🗣️ Why has the English word 'mister' become a common way to address football managers in Spain?

[image or embed]
— Match of the Day {bot} (@bbcmotd.xmirror.bot) August 31, 2026 at 10:50 PM

No matter, 20 years later, it is still worth it for me.

The emotional investment of following a national team

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:55:00 +0000

(Preview: The big one, and probably the most personal of reflections of the whole lot. The emotional rollercoaster of following England at the 2026 World Cup as compared to previous experiences since 2002. Or why it also really means so much for me on a personal scale this time round, and how it all went to all the way to the 'little final', the third-place playoff. Part of my tournament in review, the final instalment. First three instalments: first, second, third.)

An image and a moment I thought I would never see from England playing at a World Cup, getting onto the podium. Okay, this is the entire squad getting the bronze medals at the third-place playoff against France, the best performance for England at a World Cup on foreign soil, the best performance not since winning the whole thing in 1966. (Image via BBC Sport)

There are times I do ask why do I put myself through so much emotional turmoil that everything feels like a personal attack. Everything just feels so personal to me that I feel I was on a one-person ‘campaign’ to prove especially my father wrong during the course of the 2026 World Cup. I can say it all goes back to 2006, I can also say it all goes back to 2009.

The two separate years which has come to shape why it feels all so personal for me this time. It is the season after the Bundesliga arrived on television here in my country, three years after I decided to take the plunge of actually of following a top-flight football league apart from the Premier League in the wake of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where I had spent two years trying to present the case here on my blog before I was reading that it was coming for the 2008/09 Bundesliga season. The season after in the 2009/10 season would have far bigger consequences for me in hindsight because little did I know then, it would eventually lead to who is the England head coach almost 16 years later, or as I used to say here - The day my two footballing worlds came colliding with each other in a very big way, and it has been ever since. I had originally first really known about Mainz due to how the now-Germany coach Juergen Klopp went to Borussia Dortmund from there ahead of the 2008/09 season, despite how he could not lead Mainz back to the Bundesliga. The season after ahead of the 2009/10 season, Mainz did return, but not with the coach who brought the club back to the top-flight. The club had promoted from within.

(The person that Mainz promoted from within for the 2009/10 Bundesliga season. Yes, that is the one. If there is a legitimate reason why I can say that I had seen it all from the beginning, this is why. On a sidenote, that match ended 2-2.)

Of all the people and personalities with a Bundesliga or German footballing past that I was aware of at the 2026 World Cup, the England head coach Thomas Tuchel is the one constant name I see throughout my entire time following German football for 20 years now, remarkably enough, though it is 17 years since that Mainz debut as coach for the 2009/10 Bundesliga season which I certainly did watch it on television here. Unless I count the now-Germany coach Juergen Klopp as well, because of what he came to do later at Liverpool as well. But then Klopp has dampened my view of him to an extent when he went to Liverpool and not the club I support in Manchester United, precisely of the rivalry between the two in English football. I have to sit through gritted teeth and watch Liverpool’s dominance under Klopp while United was almost sliding into irrelevance that we are becoming the punch line instead. But things were a little different in early 2021. It became the first time the English game came to know of Tuchel, because he became Frank Lampard’s successor at Chelsea, succeeding a modern-day club icon no less. It was definitely also the first time for my father (who does not care much of football outside of the Premier League, until the Champions League comes around) to know who he is as well, though back then Tuchel was initially introduced to the English media as the ‘former Paris Saint-Germain coach’ (which was definitely where he was last at the time), but not for me.

It certainly became fascinating reading how and what he would come to do at Chelsea would be seen back in Germany, and I saw it for myself when he initially became the former Germany coach Julian Naglesmann’s successor at Bayern Munich back on 24 March 2023. The German football media would revisit his Chelsea tenure again, especially coming after that was highlighted at his introductory press conference by then-sporting director Oliver Kahn in terms of the Champions League triumph. He actually arrived at Stamford Bridge on late January 2021, in what was just over a month after his sacking from PSG, where before four months later, that triumph in Porto in the all-English final against Manchester City. In hindsight, the Bavarian homecoming came to last for 14 months, though it was back then Thomas Tuchel who chose not to continue beyond what his Bayern Munich contract stipulated at the time until 2025. League title on the final matchday of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season, the Champions League run it went on in the following season all the way to semi-finals in the same season where Bayer Leverkusen (under the current Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso) went an entire season unbeaten and doing the domestic double at the same time.

La une de L'Équipe du vendredi 24 mars. pic.twitter.com/xdIknaRWDs
— L'Équipe (@lequipe) March 23, 2023

(There is always something about this front cover of L'Equipe especially on what it says on the top left which has always stuck with me. Look at what is next to it. If someone had predicted that one day, one would manage the other at Bayern Munich and then at England. This was L'Equipe's take on who was to be at the dugout at Bayern back on their 23 March 2023 edition, and the headline next to it is referring to England's away win at Italy at Euro 2024 qualifiers and Harry Kane hitting another landmark.)

Then came Euro 2024, taking place in Germany itself. England did eventually made it all the way to the final, in spite of it all considering there was sentiment in some quarters during the course of the tournament that England was on the so-called easier side of the draw, though there was also beating Switzerland on penalties in the quarter-final round along the way, because England winning on penalties is a rare sighting until doing it at the 2018 World Cup against Colombia in the last 16. And along came Spain in the final, just like how the women’s teams for both sides have been facing each other at the Women’s World Cup and the Women’s European Championships in recent years. While Spain became the deserved winners, questions were raised from England’s perspective of the future of Gareth Southgate at the helm of the national side. It was last raised after the 2022 World Cup quarter-final elimination to the eventual losing finalist France, and two years later, considering the discussion came about after also over how Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who was also effectively in a similar way to Southgate, as in de la Fuente previously worked his way through the Spanish age groups to the senior side, in terms of how he managed to do it. At that time, I really thought I would never have it almost as good again as an England follower when Southgate eventually did not continue beyond the tournament, the end of an eight-year ride at the time.

After Euro 2024, there was the UEFA Nations League. It was the England U-21 coach Lee Carsley who came in as the caretaker, though there was also the sentiment it was also seen as an ‘audition’. Baring one home loss to Greece at the Wembley, Carsley could do no wrong at the time. It felt like a long time ago now, but at the time he was also juggling with the U-21 duties, which was also the last coaching job Gareth Southgate did before he landed the big one. But as England was gaining results in the Nations League and being ‘promoted’ back to Group A, so do the debate grow of whether Carsley takes the job permanently or going with someone else altogether. I was in two minds at the time when it came to the debate. That was even rumours were growing concurrently that the English FA had supposedly narrowed down to two names. Two names that English football knew, and both not homegrown. I had already lived through following the England national team when the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello was at the helm at different times, as in when the national team had gone foreign at the dugout, and then it was at the third time round.

The thing is, having a Swede and an Italian at the helm of the England national team at different times might had not trigger so much of a big reaction…but a German would. England versus Scotland is the oldest rivalry in international football, but England versus Germany is a different level altogether, at least in the English footballing psyche. The 1966 World Cup final is always the reason why, and everything that has come to happen between the two national sides since. I should know this even more even if I have come to follow German football as well since 2006, the English game used to see their German counterparts in terms of what they would like to achieve on the international stage. For a time until Spain is currently setting the standards, it had always been the Germans despite the rivalry.

Even before going German at the dugout, there has always been the eternal debate of whether giving it to a homegrown coach or not, due to England’s international standing in spite of its fortunes for the national side up till in recent tournaments. And it tends to be the same group of people making that claim. Until Eddie Howe left Newcastle just weeks before the start of the current Premier League season after close to four and a half years at the club, his name was always in the frame due to how he had been doing at Newcastle up till what happened in late 2024. But does anyone care about how I could have been feeling when I first learned that Thomas Tuchel had become the England head coach himself then? I was in totally all over the place to say the very least, my two footballing worlds came colliding with each other big time. It has never happened before to me, when you found out the person at the dugout who is going to manage the national side you have been following since especially the 2002 World Cup is for once, someone you have been following on and off his coaching trajectory, for 15 years up till that point in time. That is longer than me watching any series on Netflix, and that is saying something.

Yes, he was *that* guy Mainz promoted from within when it returned to the Bundesliga for the 2008/09 season when it chose not to continue with the coach who brought them back up. He was also the same guy who led Mainz playing European football as well (which was something Juergen Klopp never got to do at the club when he was the coach), giving the big names in German football like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund a ‘bloody nose’ in terms of chalking up big results against them, way before Bayern brought him over three years ago. He was also the guy who had an unenviable task of succeeding Klopp at Dortmund, which has since led to the comparisons between the two in terms of coaching and tactical styles and all, and a now-very famous/infamous front cover headline from German sports magazine Kicker in his early days at Dortmund, being labelled the ‘anti-Klopp’. Way before the directness one would see from him even at the 2026 World Cup especially in the way of how he answered in the post-match interview not long after the quarter-final tie against Norway, he was already like that at Dortmund, where that played a part in how in all ended for him at Dortmund in spite a year left on his contract at the time in terms of a DFB-Pokal triumph. Which was why until it was confirmed of him being at Bayern back on 24 March 2023, it became somewhat amusing from a German perspective when Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke, his former boss in the last football club he worked in Germany up till then, being quoted by German media outlets in terms of speaking of welcoming him back to the Bundesliga but not mentioning where he was heading after his time at Chelsea, given rumours were already circulating in Germany at the time that he would be the one to succeed Julian Naglesmann at Bayern.

I will just leave it right here. From his early days at Borussia Dortmund. (Image via Kicker)

He was also to be the same person who eventually succeeded the current Aston Villa manager Unai Emery (who had gone on to Arsenal at the time, until it is Villa since) at Paris Saint-Germain. He was to be the person who led PSG to their first-ever Champions League final in 2020 (and coming up against Bayern Munich before Bayern did the treble eventually) until Luis Enrique is currently the person taking in the plaudits and claiming the credit due to back-to-back Champions League triumphs. He was the ‘former Paris Saint-Germain coach’ who came in to succeed Frank Lampard (now the manager with promoted Coventry City in the Premier League) at Stamford Bridge and four months later in Porto in the all-English Champions League final, only the year after he was with PSG in that position, beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side to claim Chelsea’s second major European title in its history not since 2012. That was to be what he returned to German football six years later as when he showed up at Bayern, a Champions League-winning manager. As if the German footballing gods had always planned it all along, there was that wild title race that went down to the wire on the final matchday of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season, in terms of how while Bayern was in Cologne, two of his former employers were facing off, Borussia Dortmund taking on Mainz. 26 May has always been a date Bayern did not like a lot, due to what happened in 1999 in the Champions League final against Manchester United. But the 2024 version became one they like. And in hindsight, the eventual last piece of silverware won as a coach at club level, where apart from where it all began at Mainz (unless if I want to be pedantic about it, he had already did it as Mainz U19 coach when his then-side won the U19 Bundesliga title, beating Borussia Dortmund to that in the season before he was to be eventually promoted to the coach of the first-team), domestic titles and cups in France, the domestic cup in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, and that Champions League title with Chelsea.

Wir erinnern uns alle daran ...#SkySport #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/OuQmRMPN1i
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) May 26, 2023

(To be honest, I was not aware that the final day of 2022/23 Bundesliga season coincided with an anniversary German football and especially Bayern Munich would rather forget. The 1999 Champions League final against Manchester United. Or maybe I grew up with a United-supporting father where that day is the greatest day in his life as a supporter of the football club, the day United completed the treble.)

11 - Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga for the 11th time in a row, extending their record streak within Europe's big-five leagues. Overall, it is the 33rd German championship for the Bavarian side. Comeback. pic.twitter.com/TKz8NSmn9B
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 27, 2023

At least that was how Thomas Tuchel was presented as the England head coach, the one who has been winning all those titles wherever he went. I did see it on television of where it all began when he was in Germany before his ‘homecoming’ at Bayern Munich, before following from afar of what happened when he was in France, and then later being at Chelsea and what he did there. He almost had to apologise that he is German and has a German passport at his introductory press conference, when the issue of his nationality was brought up. Even remarkably, the national anthem debate was brought up too. He did bring up his admiration of the English footballing culture and of the national anthem, but knowing he has to earn the right to able to join in and singing it. Most of what he said were reported back in Germany too. It was certainly surreal for me, while concurrently reading what had been reported back in Germany, that the fact that one of their own has become the coach of the national team of their long-standing rival. German football coaches have coached other national teams in the past too, but never as high profile as this.

From the 30 December 2024 edition of the German sports magazine Kicker. Look at what is on the top left. That is one way of putting how his appointment was seen in Germany itself. German coaches have gone to manage other national teams before, but never managing the long-standing rival until then. It simply says, 'For the crown, for the title: Tuchel gets started'. (Image via Kicker)

Still, he was always to be judged by results, in terms of whether he was able to lead the national side to the 2026 World Cup in North America. When the World Cup qualifying fixtures came out, England was to be in the same group as Albania, Andorra, Latvia, and Serbia. The sentiment was that Serbia was always going to be the toughest opponent in the qualifying group, but how it would also fare against the others as well. But because Serbia was still involved in the UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs when the World Cup qualifications began on March 2025, Serbia only started the qualification three months later than the others in the same group. There were the wins against Albania and Latvia at the Wembley, but the performance was never always convincing. I should know, because the post-match discussions were always on that. But it was what happened against Andorra at away in Barcelona (where the match took place, though at the home of La Liga club Espanyol’s home stadium) and when it took place in Villa Park (at the home stadium of Aston Villa) where it grew the loudest, because it ended 1-0 and 2-0 respectively against the lowest-ranked team in the qualifying group. One school of thought was always that it was always about getting the job done because the real work begins at the tournament itself, but the other school of thought was also about the performance, and how it was a laboured one each time especially against Andorra.

It has to be said, all of the discussion and debate about the performance in spite of the results had also never gone unnoticed in Germany, and so it is not as if it was never reported there as well. The German media were also aware of the criticisms aimed at Thomas Tuchel as well in his nascent days as England head coach in terms of the playing approach in the World Cup qualifying matches in spite of the results. Then came the decisive qualifier away at Serbia, and the first time the two sides facing each other. Everything the English football media had feared might happened in Belgrade on the pitch, it never did, safe for the unpleasant treatment towards the England players of colour from the home crowd. It would turn out in hindsight, England’s best performance in the qualification matches, at the toughest away match, and a head coach feeling triumphant at the end of it all, where everything was coming together eventually because he had seen it in training. I admit, I was in a nervous wreck before following the match away in Serbia, before it was relief.

+5 - Last night against Serbia, England recorded their biggest margin of victory in an away game against any team in the top 50 FIFA Rankings since records began (1993). Smashing. pic.twitter.com/PPcmFcfhCO
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 10, 2025

Als sich die Kritik der vergangenen Tage im Nachthimmel von Belgrad aufgelöst hatte, war auch Thomas Tuchel die Freude deutlich anzumerken. "Wir hatten eine hervorragende Woche, von Anfang bis Ende", sagte der Trainer der englischen Fußball-Nationalmannschaft nach dem… pic.twitter.com/y5a5LVzY7r
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) September 10, 2025

(What I meant. Like how Sky in Germany noted it was not hard to see the joy on his face after the 5-0 away win Serbia, noting the criticisms he and his side had been getting, after the laboured 2-0 win over the lowest-ranked team in the qualification group in Andorra.)

Slightly over a month later on 14 October 2025, the qualifier was away at Latvia. Given England had been the only side in the qualifying group to be still unbeaten throughout as yet even as the other sides had been dropping points along the way, there was a possibility qualification for the 2026 tournament might be done ahead of time. It eventually did and also turning on the style like back in away at Serbia, and becoming the first European national side to qualify for the tournament at the same time. Not only that, after the end of the qualification cycle, 22 goals scored and none conceded, and winning all of the matches. England qualifying for major tournaments is one thing, but after it never did for Euro 2008, I have never come to take it for granted since.

8 - England have now qualified for eight successive FIFA World Cup tournaments (since 1998), extending their longest ever run. Plane. pic.twitter.com/FEWIF5Q6Pb
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 14, 2025

1 – Last night against Latvia, Thomas Tuchel became the first ever England manager to win his first six competitive matches without conceding a single goal. Elite. pic.twitter.com/i993UXpekH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 15, 2025

28 countries have already qualified for #FIFAWorldCup 26!

Canada 🇨🇦
Mexico 🇲🇽
USA 🇺🇸
Japan 🇯🇵
New Zealand 🇳🇿
IR Iran 🇮🇷
Argentina 🇦🇷
Uzbekistan 🇺🇿
Korea Republic 🇰🇷
Jordan 🇯🇴
Australia 🇦🇺
Ecuador 🇪🇨
Brazil 🇧🇷
Uruguay 🇺🇾
Paraguay 🇵🇾
Colombia 🇨🇴
Morocco 🇲🇦
Tunisia…
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) October 15, 2025

(One thing to note that amongst the national sides to qualify for the tournament up till that point, England became the first from UEFA to qualify. And doing it with two matches to spare.)

100% & 0 - England (8 games) are the second European team to win 100% of their games in a FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign without conceding, after Yugoslavia in qualification for the 1954 FIFA World Cup (4 games). Perfection. pic.twitter.com/oAHbMNGCFn
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 16, 2025

England have won 11 competitive matches in a row for the first time in their history. https://t.co/RosPb0JcMo
— Squawka (@Squawka) November 16, 2025

England have kept 10 straight clean sheets in competitive matches, equalling Spain's European record from 2014 to 2016.

◉ 0-3 vs. Greece
◉ 5-0 vs. Ireland
◉ 2-0 vs. Albania
◉ 3-0 vs. Latvia
◉ 0-1 vs. Andorra
◉ 2-0 vs. Andorra
◉ 0-5 vs. Serbia
◉ 0-5 vs. Latvia
◉ 2-0 vs.… pic.twitter.com/M8nHE66DuQ
— Squawka (@Squawka) November 16, 2025

But then there is also the squad to take to North America. Or how about where the national side is going to play, at least at the group stages. I swore I almost had PTSD when it turned out Croatia is going to be in England’s group, the very last group of Group L, a rare sighting for England at international tournaments due to how in past tournaments, England’s tournament campaign usually began a day or two after it began for the host nation. Or then again, there are three co-hosts for this tournament. Croatia is also the reason why I can never take any qualification to any major tournament for granted because Croatia denied that for England for Euro 2008. Croatia being my bête noir in the international level following England at major tournaments, until I found myself subconsciously adding Argentina into the mix after what happened in the semi-final, finally understanding what my father has been trying to tell me for as long as I can remember, the 1986 World Cup and all. I was only born the year after that tournament, and so it has to take 39 years for me to finally get it. Anyhow, there was also Ghana and Panama in the same group, and so it could have been worse.

pic.twitter.com/XYLs77w8dc
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2025

As the day for the eventual squad announcement drew nearer, reports started to emerge of who is in and who is out. Names were dropping left, right, and centre in the media of whom had made the cut and did not. Opinions and views came in very quickly especially on those who were not going to be part of it. Anyway, I have long stop being behind the tribal football lines, because I have long given up seeing a sizeable a Manchester United presence on the national side, due to the state of the club and how it has been doing on the pitch. I know others will always advocate for players of their club to be included and wondering why if he is not in the squad. I get that, where I can also get behind those with potential and happen to not playing for the club I support. Then again, I kept being reminded of the fall-out in the Spanish game that ahead of Spain’s Euro 2008 squad announcement, in terms of then-Real Madrid striker Raul’s non-inclusion, and how Spain’s triumph in the tournament came to make that a footnote.

But amongst the names which were not on England’s World Cup squad, the non-inclusion of Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold caused a lot of debate. There were those advocating for either one to be included, or there were also those of how the two were not in it at the same time, based on their strong performances for their respective clubs. England’s eventual World Cup campaign, at least to the journalists covering the tournament for the national side, would often have led to the nagging reminders of the creativity that especially Palmer would have been provided and not just dependent on Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to bail the side out each time, also coincidentally the two most recognisable names outside of the English game coming into the tournament due to where they play their football at club level (Real Madrid, Bayern Munich) respectively. Then again, one can also argue for the other creative players, though that was before Anthony Gordon would perform in ways not many would have expect, more so he made the move from Newcastle to Barcelona just weeks before the World Cup, with many being baffled apart from the amount involved in the transfer, in terms of why Barcelona did not want to keep Marcus Rashford who had been previously on loan at the club from Manchester United, who was certainly amongst those who made the cut for the World Cup squad. Rashford’s inclusion was seen as how he played his way back into England’s World Cup squad, in terms of how he also contributed to the goals scored in Barcelona’s eventual title-winning season whenever he was called upon, despite being obviously not the first-choice striker.

But to be fair to the England head coach though, he was honest and direct in his explanations of those who were in and not, along with the surprise ones. Harry Maguire, who is definitely playing for the club I support in Manchester United, was one that did not make it, and how media reports leading up to the squad announcement of how he did not take it well to the non-inclusion would have vindicated what Thomas Tuchel was trying to put across. And way before English football (and me) realised that the Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle was that former player of his when he was explaining the rationale behind the inclusion of Ivan Toney in the strikers’ department because the latter have been playing his club football in the Saudi Pro League from Brentford (because Tuchel had explained at the time that a former player of his had been managing in Saudi Arabia and had spoken to him regarding Toney...and those comments resurfaced again when Jaissle came to be in the frame for the Newcastle job), there was surprise in that part. Toney did eventually come to play in the match against France, the third-place play-off. Though back when his name was included in the squad, it was in anticipation of the possibility of penalty shootouts at the tournament and his record in that.

To be even among the earliest of national teams to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, it is actually also a reminder of what happened the last time the World Cup was in North America. Or just in the United States itself in 1994, the very first World Cup which I had the haziest of memories of as a six-going on-seven-year-old at the time, the one that England did not even qualify in the first place. So of course, while I was pleased at that part and how England actually did it without even conceding a goal in the process where it would have been in the past, it did not even make it to the United States at all 32 years ago. Then there were the mixed results in the friendlies in the build-up to the tournament, at least before the squad went to the United States and the pre-tournament base in Florida before Kansas City became where the national side would be based for the duration of the tournament. Which was always something to keep the expectations in check, something which I have been doing for 24 years, or especially since not qualifying for Euro 2008 again, which I would have been for especially 18 years now. Being an England follower at major tournaments means always trying not to think too far ahead because of the let-downs of the past, where that is becoming de rigueur of sorts, or at least for me. And England getting to the tournament was enough to get my father buying and reading the national newspaper here again, when the preview of England ahead of the tournament in the paper’s special coverage was enough for him to do that.

Watching how the other national sides did at the 2026 World Cup opening round of group matches, it does subconsciously increase the pressure, when watching and following how the other contenders were doing apart from how the co-hosts did. Then the old nerves returned ahead of the opener against Croatia in Dallas. After all, one of the earliest of entertaining World Cup matches took place there when in the Group F opener between the Netherlands and Japan which was played out to a 2-2 draw, and I still remember in the build-up, I was chatting with my father about the entertaining draw and almost immediately slumped on the chair at the dining room at the thought on whether England and Croatia will follow suit. I do have flashbacks from past opening matches in terms of how it tends to go for England in major tournaments. And then when it did, it actually started with a bang but not in the literal sense, which is so unlike from past tournament openers. All the pre-match debate of whether Jude Bellingham would start was gone, when he made an impact himself, and scored one for good measure not long to the start of the second-half. The attacking change being made in the second-half also surprised observers, until one of them scored in Marcus Rashford, where technically England’s goalscorers in the opening group match all have been playing for clubs outside of England (there was also the England captain Harry Kane who also scored, and he has been playing his club football at Bayern Munich since 2023), given Rashford’s loan spell at Barcelona only officially came to an end on 1 July when the summer transfer window opened.

2002 - This is England’s first FIFA World Cup win against a side ranked inside of FIFA’s top 15 in the rankings (Croatia 11th) since 2002 v Argentina (3rd), ending a nine-game winless run (D2 L7) and six-game losing run against such sides at the finals.

Statement. pic.twitter.com/jhWCOnioPe
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 17, 2026

4-2 - Tonight was England's first 4-2 win in a FIFA World Cup match since the 1966 final against West Germany.

Home. pic.twitter.com/RApluhekyl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 17, 2026

Marcus Rashford's game by numbers vs. Croatia:

18 minutes played
12 touches
3/5 successful passes
2 touches in opp. box
2x possessions won
1/1 shots on target
1 goal

Super Sub. 🦸‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/yZY8JNRjhX
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 17, 2026

There was to be a side note to the eventual 4-2 between England and Croatia in Dallas. Well, apart from the singing of the Oasis’s 90s classic ‘Wonderwall’ that would become a de facto sighting at each of the matches England involved in at the tournament. The England head coach Thomas Tuchel had already spoken ahead of the match of how it was the ‘pinnacle’ for him managing at a World Cup, and he lamented in the post-match press conference of how he could not see the players as they were singing the national anthem before kick-off, robbing him of that moment. Clips that did the rounds especially from the BBC of what he was referring to would come to light, and it was quick to see why he was visibly annoyed, where the photographers were positioned rather close to the technical area, and it is only the big screen showing the players during the singing of the national anthem where that became the compensation. Reports later said that adjustments were to be made at subsequent matches.

"It ruined, a little bit, my experience today"

Thomas Tuchel has asked Fifa to move the photographer position during the national anthem. pic.twitter.com/vksggmQapJ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 18, 2026

Thomas Tuchel couldn't see his England side sing the national anthem because of a wall of photographers 🎶🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 He wasn't impressed 😠

[image or embed]
— BBC Sport {bot} (@bbcsport.xmirror.bot) June 18, 2026 at 11:49 PM

If the match in Dallas was played in an air-conditioned stadium, it was to be not for the next two group matches in Boston and New Jersey. Though there was downpour in Boston in the lead-up to before England playing Ghana there. The first and not the last time the weather decided to pay a visit to England’s World Cup campaign in North America. If the weather felt English in nature, what happened on the pitch was not. It was against Ghana, a side that has Carlos Quieroz at the opposite end of the dugout, who does know a thing or two with the defensive approach to matches. A familiar face to English football from his time working as an assistant manager at Manchester United to Sir Alex Ferguson, it was his Ghana side inflicting the goalless draw, bringing back memories of the much-dreaded ‘second-game syndrome’ of England at major tournaments. Of how getting a result in the opener, then it was almost back to reality in the second. Though VAR also almost overshadowed the match, in terms of how Ghana could have a chance to go ahead in the match themselves, but it never happened. Croatia’s win over Panama, which eventually eliminated the latter out of the tournament in the process, meant that England went into the final group match against Panama in New Jersey being just a point ahead.

England have now drew their second game at each of their last four major tournaments:

◎ 0-0 vs Scotland (Euro 2020)
◎ 0-0 vs USA (World Cup 2022)
◎ 1-1 vs Denmark (Euro 2024)
◉ 0-0 vs Ghana (World Cup 2026)

Lull. https://t.co/13tN9fYhK0
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 23, 2026

A meeting with Panama at the World Cup from England’s perspective always brought back to when the two sides last met for the first time at the 2018 World Cup group stages, with Panama arriving into the tournament in Russia at the time qualifying ahead of the United States which did not even make it then. If I wanted to look for signs, that was also the same tournament where I last had it good following England at major tournaments (spoiler: England did reach all the way to the semis then, before coming in fourth eventually). This time, Panama had certainly improved a lot, because fears started to set in where it ended goalless in the first-half, bringing up memories of what happened against Ghana in Boston. The breakthrough would only come sometime into the second-half, where the eventual winner from Harry Kane also saw a landmark being achieved. 40 years after Gary Lineker last held the record of being England’s all-time leading goalscorer at World Cups, Kane had gone one better in this tournament. On a sidenote, the 1986 World Cup, where Lineker also became the tournament top goal-scorer, he would go to Barcelona after that. Another sidenote, the match against Panama would also be the first and last time England wore red, due to how Panama had already chosen to wear white as they were the designated ‘home’ team.

Harry Kane has scored more World Cup goals for England than any other man in the competition’s history.

◎ 14 games
◉ 11 goals

Gary Lineker’s record has been broken. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/72MBkNjO6M
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 27, 2026

England's new #FIFAWorldCup record goalscorer 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/xWfRvzXena
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 27, 2026

When the knockouts came around, England would come to play one of the best of third-placed teams in the last 32, and it changed a few times in Group K (because the permutations eventually came to settle on how England would play whichever came in third from there), before it was to be DR Congo. Or as I came to put it in my miscellaneous of topics that caught my eye from the tournament, when at one time I was on DR Congo’s participation in the tournament not since they were in the 1974 edition as Zaire - memories of what happened at Euro 2016 from England’s perspective started to resurface or as the match reports out of the English media all talk of how it nearly became ‘Iceland 2.0’, a reference to when Iceland, then the smallest nation to take part at the tournament, knocked England out of the last 16. That is until the England winger Anthony Gordon, who is currently playing his club football at Barcelona, was brought on some time in the second-half where the eventual comeback came about where two of his assists to the England captain Harry Kane led to the late win, sparing England from becoming the third shock of the tournament where Germany and the Netherlands had already been eliminated at the same stage on penalties. Yes, there was quite a big scare. I nearly had flashbacks to Euro 2016 all over again, until the comeback happened, and Gordon did play a part. That match was to be in hindsight, how perceptions to Gordon’s performance at the tournament for England started to shift, because he did not perform up to the price tag which he had signed for Barcelona ahead of the tournament and questions were already asking at the group stages due to his sub-par performances where Marcus Rashford was to be preferred ahead of him. This time, he came on for Rashford before the comeback in Atlanta took place, and his eventual two assists to Harry Kane became why England was still in the World Cup then. What Gordon did was to be seen from England’s perspective of taking place not since the 1966 World Cup final, in terms of two assists to the same person, and understandably that was news to the England head coach Thomas Tuchel himself when it was brought up to him at the post-match press conference, because he was obviously not around the last time when it happened, where that is still considered a painful moment in German footballing history, to paraphrase what the German sports magazine Kicker had noted when it reported on Tuchel’s reply.

England have never lost to an African nation in a World Cup knockout game:

◉ England 3-2 Cameroon (1990)
◉ England 3-0 Senegal (2022)
◉ England 2-1 DR Congo (2026)

Three from three… just. 😅 pic.twitter.com/nPRVVU2tQv
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 1, 2026

0-1 - England have won a FIFA World Cup match after conceding the opening goal for only the second time in their history, also doing so in the 1966 final against Germany (4-2).

Coming. pic.twitter.com/4vddYUKY4F
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 1, 2026

2 - Anthony Gordon is the first England player in FIFA World Cup history to be directly involved in more than one goal as a substitute.

Impactful. pic.twitter.com/GaQ8yKHMbM
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 1, 2026

I still remember what I told my father in the aftermath of the comeback win over DR Congo when it began to dawn on me on whom England was going to play next in the last 16, “It’s Mexico, the Azteca, the altitude!” The potential match-up which I had been dreading since England made it to the knockouts was becoming reality. Because whichever way I was trying to do the permutations in my head even if I tried hard not do it, it always went back to the co-hosts themselves. I had already sort of followed what happened when Mexico played Ecuador (which the latter had already famously beaten Germany in their group in the final group match) in the last 32, in terms of the build-up and eventually all the way to the end, where videos went round after the final whistle of the home fans chanting they wanted England next. Until the 75th minute when Harry Kane levelled things up against DR Congo, it was looking like it was not going to happen. And then it did.

"The altitude will be a big disadvantage" 🗣️ Thomas Tuchel speaks about England's next game, which he calls 'one of the most beautiful fixtures' 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇲🇽

[image or embed]
— BBC Sport {bot} (@bbcsport.xmirror.bot) July 2, 2026 at 5:58 PM

Then at least in the English football media perspective, all the build-up was mainly about the altitude at the Azteca, the 1986 World Cup revisited especially on what happened the last time England played there. The one match I would always hear my father banging on about if it is on the World Cup, the quarter-final tie against Argentina at the Azteca. I would admit, I was starting to feel rather tense closer to the day of the match itself. Because one thing certainly did not escape my attention when following how it went between Mexico and Ecuador in the build-up in the last 32, the noise the Mexico fans made outside the Ecuador team hotel, which eventually led to Ecuador filing a complaint. Apart from the altitude, that was another which had the English football media on alert. And then all the chaos that came after that, in terms of whether the match would be shifted to an earlier slot, due to the weather forecast for the actual day of the match itself. Reports would later say that both the Mexican and English federations were not consulted, because the suggestion raised was to make it a noon kick-off, where it was not lost in the English game of how it would be like back in the 1986 World Cup against Argentina all over again. In the end, nothing was changed.

Watch in full: https://t.co/oqiKjbAADw
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 5, 2026

“It’s not worth losing our heads”

Tuchel says England’s focus is on factors they can control, despite the challenges of playing at altitude, and Mexico’s home crowd at the Azteca 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇲🇽#FIFAWorldCup #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/7KgnHNUWI3
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 5, 2026

(Worthwhile noting the kickoff time was mentioned at one point.)

"I don’t expect per se a hostile environment”

Tuchel is confident that his players will be prepared for the atmosphere at the Azteca in tonight’s game 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇲🇽#FIFAWorldCup #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/W4XI4dgf1s
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 5, 2026

Mexico fans playing music and launching fireworks outside England's team hotel last night pic.twitter.com/7e4UUTUBgm
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 5, 2026

Then came the weather drama, in terms of the one-hour delay. At least from Mexico’s perspective, it was just like their last 32 tie against Ecuador as well. In the end, it has become in what the media came to call it a ‘World Cup classic’, the fast start for England, Jude Bellingham channelling his inner Maradona (according to sections of the media, without using his hand), Mexico putting England on the ropes, Anthony Gordon’s trip inside the penalty area allowing Harry Kane to convert the eventual winning penalty before the England captain gave away one himself where a familiar face to English football in Raul Jimenez (who plays for Wolves in the Championship in the English second division) narrowing things up, a sending-off for England for Jarrell Quansah (who like Kane, plays his club football in Germany, but at Bayer Leverkusen) which even had the head coach Thomas Tuchel up in arms about it when he made a reference in the post-match press conference, and big Dan Burn coming up on top. Somehow somewhat, England got out of Azteca with the win. Only Costa Rica and Honduras had done it before England, and both were for World Cup qualifying matches. There is a reason why the Azteca is a fortress, and Mexico rarely lost at its own backyard. Then there was what I told my father of one way to look at the magnitude of the result, “Mexico had not conceded any goal since the start of the tournament, until this morning!” My father just smiled when I told him that after coming home from work when we were briefly discussing it, because due to the time difference, it took place on the morning of 6 July at my neck of the woods, and I was at work when that all happened. My nerves were shredding while at work, and I had to find reasons to get to the office locker (sipping water on my water bottle) to check on the score on my iPhone and whispering to colleagues who were also interested on what had been going on before I got back to my work desk, but only at selected intervals, and naturally I was emotionally drained inside when it was all over.

The Mexico v England kick-off will be delayed due to severe weather.

The expected kick-off time is now 7pm in Mexico City, which is 02:00 BST in the UK. pic.twitter.com/zc30Xncrp2
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 5, 2026

2 - Jude Bellingham is the first player to score two goals at the Estadio Azteca in a FIFA World Cup game since Diego Maradona in 1986 against Belgium in the semi-final. There were just 98 seconds between his two strikes.

Lightning. pic.twitter.com/b6Q8NxgZiL
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2026

2006 - Jarell Quansah is the first England player to be sent off at the FIFA World Cup since Wayne Rooney in 2006 against Portugal.

Rash. pic.twitter.com/lrgc97xoKt
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2026

1 - Harry Kane is the first player on record since 1966 to score a penalty and concede a penalty in a FIFA World Cup match.

Mixture. pic.twitter.com/JBmMcsLUTX
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2026

1 - 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England are the first team ever to beat 🇲🇽 Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the FIFA World Cup - they were unbeaten in 10 games there before today.

Altitude? pic.twitter.com/tSBgzqiHn7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2026

6 - Despite only coming on in the 75th minute, Dan Burn made the joint most clearances in England's 3-2 win over Mexico (6).

It's the most clearances made by a player subbed on that late into a World Cup game on record since 1966.

Butter. pic.twitter.com/5AzoGFX3mL
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2026

Mexico conceded more goals against England (3) than their previous 10 World Cup matches at the Azteca COMBINED (2). https://t.co/IVY3cYChZt
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 6, 2026

Fifa's u-turn on Folarin Balogun's suspension seems to have opened a can of worms...

Thomas Tuchel on whether England will be appealing Jarell Quansah's red card 🟥#FifaWorldCup pic.twitter.com/jIKKq3zeSX
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 6, 2026

Then it was the quarter-final tie against the surprise packages Norway in Miami. Any mentions of England versus Norway always brings up the 1982 World Cup qualifying match in Oslo where back in 1981, Norway pulled off a famous win over England, leading to one of the most iconic lines in football radio commentary. 45 years later, Norway has become the second team for many, especially with many also discovering Erling Haaland for the first time (but naturally not for those who have been following his playing career so far) and his social media profiles were always a highlight to what he had been up to off the pitch. The last time Norway was in a World Cup was in 1998, and they did make it to the United States the last time the tournament went there in 1994. But this tournament became the first time they reached the knockouts altogether. And in Miami, with the heat and humidity and all that (which always reminded me 13 years ago on university student exchange in the United States, my lecturer replied that ‘it’s like Miami’ after asking the class of the average temperature in Singapore), and with the match in added extra-time, Jude Bellingham would have the final word in the match which was originally meant to be Haaland versus Harry Kane, until Haaland had to come off. Norway was originally in the lead, then Anthony Gordon helped set up the eventual equaliser for Bellingham. But in between before the eventual Bellingham winner, before the eventual equaliser, it had looked like the ball had hit the overhead wire in the stadium, before FIFA had to clarify while the match was going on that it never happened, which in their explanation would not have changed the outcome of the match. That became a talking point after the match, apart from when Haaland had to come off, which had never happened during the tournament except when he was rested for Norway’s final group match against France which by then Norway had already qualified for the knockouts.

Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball. pic.twitter.com/gYf9ukfveT
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) July 11, 2026

Most non-penalty goals scored for England at a single major international tournament:

◎ 6 - Gary Lineker
◉ 6 - Jude Bellingham

I'm sure you all know this, but Jude Bellingham is a midfielder. pic.twitter.com/f02RjL6Vw5
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 11, 2026

4 - England have progressed to the semi-final in four major tournaments since 2018 (WC/Euro), as many as they had reached in their history prior to the 2018 World Cup (4).

Roaring. pic.twitter.com/wZcKnePCul
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 11, 2026

636 - England are the first team to keep Erling Haaland from scoring in a competitive international match since Austria on 13th October 2024 (636 days ago).

Shackled. pic.twitter.com/0xN2VJQvDD
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2026

Then there were the post-match interviews, which I had briefly touched upon very early on. As a former student of mass communications in my university days, this is one area I do pay attention, in terms of how the timing became a topic itself. The post-match interview done from England’s perspective which was shown around the world (I mean, it was also what we got here in my country in terms of the World Cup coverage after the match) was conducted by the UK broadcaster ITV (which was one of the two British broadcasters showing the tournament for its domestic audience, apart from the BBC). Granted it was not done immediately after the final whistle; I can still cut off the slack. But the line of questioning which led to how the England head coach Thomas Tuchel sounded seemingly tetchy at times but definitely direct in his reply in terms of England’s overall performance which was definitely not the greatest, but the repeated mentions of the ‘mentality’ of the squad was also picked up upon. At least for the television pundits back in the UK from the BBC, they do like the refreshing honesty on the assessment of the performance which was a rare sighting because it was widely agreed that England got a win in spite of how it did. But later it turned out, not all of what Tuchel said in that post-match interview was relayed to the players after the match like to Jude Bellingham for example, and his response almost caused a storm in the immediate days to come. The England captain Harry Kane would put it best when speaking in an interview with the BBC ahead of the semi-final tie against Argentina, questioning aloud of why sections of the media would want to create discord. If there was a reason why before England’s World Cup opener against Croatia in terms of there were questions whether Bellingham might start or not, it came from reports which never went away of the working relationship between him and Tuchel, and how Kane reportedly had to act as the go-between.

Thomas Tuchel has no doubts over England's mentality after they beat Norway in their World Cup quarter-final 🗣️#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/1a7timFjmM
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 12, 2026

(The post-match interview that went round the world. At least this reached my neck of the woods not long after the final whistle. Everything that was asked and replied were word for word the same as what I was watching on television.)

2 - England have won each of their last two FIFA World Cup matches during which they've conceded the opening goal of the game, after winning just one of their prior 23 matches in the competition when conceding first.

Mentality. pic.twitter.com/aXQMQsj7Bw
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2026

Harry Kane has addressed those post-match England interviews from Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham... pic.twitter.com/LUIHK3gbSB
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 13, 2026

So, eight years later, another World Cup semi-final. It could have been Switzerland, a repeat of the meeting at Euro 2024. It was instead Argentina. The reason why apart from Croatia, how the match became why I subconsciously added Argentina into my list of national teams which are bête noire to me. Eight years before in Russia, Kieran Trippier’s free-kick against Croatia puts him in a rare club of England players scoring in a World Cup semi-final, after Sir Bobby Charlton in 1966 and Gary Lineker in 1990. This time, it was Trippier’s then soon-to-be former Newcastle team-mate Anthony Gordon, who coincidentally was recorded as scoring for England in a World Cup while still playing in the Premier League, and I immediately remarked in my head, “And he signed for Barcelona before the start of the tournament. Et cetra, et cetra.” Trippier did so in the first-half eight years ago, eight years on, Gordon did it in the second-half. What transpired after that would become famous/infamous for all the various reasons that has been talked about and discussed and debated ab nauseum ever since, in short, the in-game management which was seen as flipping the script of how it went in the opener against Croatia, and how what happened in the last 16 against Mexico was not entirely applicable where England had 11 players on the pitch this time unlike 10 back then. It was the closest England would ever reach another World Cup final, and so it stung even more for a lot of people, regardless of whether they had any stake in it. It was also the manner of Argentina’s World Cup campaign up till that point that England for once was seen as the good guys for the neutrals, which I certainly felt uncomfortable in all my time following England at major tournaments since the 2002 World Cup.

4 - L'Angleterre va disputer son quatrième match de Coupe du Monde contre un tenant du titre. Les trois précédents :

❌ 2-4 v Uruguay en 1954
❌ 1-3 v Brésil en 1962
❌ 1-2 v France en 2022

Heure. pic.twitter.com/GPn4H8lqTW
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 15, 2026

(When Opta's French service recalled ahead of the semi-final tie between England and Argentina that it would be the fourth time England playing against a defending World Cup champion, and also recalling the past three times it did, Uruguay in 1954, Brazil in 1962, and France in 2022.)

30 - England v Argentina is the first FIFA World Cup match on record (since 1966) not to see a single shot in the first 30 minutes. Indeed, the previous record for longest wait for a shot was England's last game against Norway (29th min).

Cagey. pic.twitter.com/06nQhWQrEq
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 15, 2026

Anthony Gordon is the first player to score for England at the 2026 World Cup who played in the Premier League last season. 😅 https://t.co/kHIvBaNg0N
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 15, 2026

3 - Having won their first FIFA World Cup semi-final in 1966, England have now lost each of their last three matches at this stage (1990, 2018, 2026).

Heartbreak. pic.twitter.com/b2wXHRpj0F
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 15, 2026

This was the match where my emotions nearly spilled all over the place, away from the antics from the Argentina players after the match and those banners referencing the Falklands conflict. It was the realisation for the first time during the tournament that I have put so much emotional investment into it that I have failed in trying hard to contain it, when I found myself trying to defend the England head coach when my father and I were discussing the match. In short, I was almost in tears when I did that, the first time it had happened to me during the tournament. I have a lot of stakes in it, beyond all my experience of following England at tournaments, because I have thought that finally for once, I can finally justify that even following football outside of the Premier League is still worthwhile to my father, even if he is already aware of how I was already into the Bundesliga too due to my constant referencing over the years. It is who is at the dugout. Apart from when Thomas Tuchel was at Chelsea which used to be seen as one of the domestic rivals to the one I support in club football in Manchester United, it is the one time I actually found myself in my entire life as a football fan as a whole I can get behind, in spite of the nationality, and I do not even like to bring that into the conversation at all. It has never happened at all to me following England, never. All the emotional investment meant that I have subconsciously ended having Germany as my unofficial second team. It was also the person whom Tuchel came to succeed at Borussia Dortmund went to Liverpool, so it has become very hard to still want to like what Juergen Klopp is doing beyond what he did in German football itself.

But in the cold light of day, the blame game cannot fall on just one person, even as much the media want to find someone to blame for not even getting England to another World Cup final not since 1966, or then again England was 15 minutes away from doing that. Even if it was hard, I did try to sift through the ‘damage’ and the ‘crime scene’. Tactical choices aside, one thing began to struck me when I went through the tournament campaign up till that point in my head before France in the third-place play-off. In the group stages, there were Dallas, Boston, New Jersey. In the knockouts, there were Atlanta, Mexico City, Miami, and Atlanta again. All that air miles, and England was based in Kansas City. But then, there was also exertions after surviving the altitude at the Azteca in Mexico City in the last 16. Like every visiting side to the Azteca just for the World Cup, England was always going to be at a disadvantage heading into the match against the co-host Mexico being given at most three days to prepare, and reports emerged in between those times of how they were going to deal with it, and the after-effects of playing at altitude are real, based on those who used to play at the Azteca as well. Everything that I did not want to consider after the last 16, it showed itself in the semi-final tie against Argentina.

This is for the group stages of the tournament, taken off ESPN, but one get the drift. How much England had to travel just in the group stages is in red.

If there is anything I learned from the World Cup, it is that at least in France, the third-place play-off is also called the ‘little final’, petite finale. The ‘petite finale’ which France was not meant to be in it in the first place, because they were the favourites for many to go all the way and win it, until eventual champions Spain had the final word when the two neighbours faced each other in the other semi-final tie. France was also coming in the tournament with how it was already announced way before that Didier Deschamps would not continue beyond the World Cup, and so every knockout tie was always going to be potentially his last in charge, until it did in the third-place play-off. Any sporting match-ups between England and France do have its edge, and references of ‘entente cordiale’ until it kicks off on the pitch. And it was pointed out by Opta ahead of the match that Deschamps’s last match as a player in France shirt, it was against England. It was to be the same as the coach of the national side, coming one full circle and all. But it was happening in a match which had been dubbed in the past as the match which nobody wants to play.

It's not just about a bronze medal. Here's why England still have plenty to play for in the third-place play-off 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XBd3usLG7b
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 16, 2026

The World Cup third-place play-off has a bit of a strange feeling to it. Two disappointed teams doing battle for a prize they didn't want just a few days prior.

We look back on what some see as a bit of an odd fixture at the tournament:https://t.co/wBQJOseKDd
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) July 17, 2026

290 - Didier Deschamps va disputer demain son 290e et dernier match avec l’équipe de France 🇫🇷, après 103 matches comme joueur et 187 comme sélectionneur.

Sa toute dernière apparition dans les deux fonctions aura eu lieu face au même adversaire : l'Angleterre 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

Monument. pic.twitter.com/SupocYfsYZ
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 17, 2026

(When Opta's French service noted ahead of the third-place play-off that Didier Deschamps's final match back as a player in France colours and later as national team coach is against the same opponent, England.)

Understandably enough, France had been involved in slightly more third-place play-off matches than England. It was precisely England’s past record in this fixture (1990, versus then-host Italy, and then 2018, versus Belgium) which did not fill me with confidence in the build-up initially, given England already had a day less to prepare in Miami for the match, and the side they were going to come up against. That was apart from how the England head coach Thomas Tuchel was always going to come up against a handful of those he used to manage while at Paris Saint-Germain, including Kylian Mbappe, of course at Real Madrid these days. That is how far the England national team has come, in terms of the increasing international nature which was always not the case. They were also following in France (at least in L’Equipe) of how England was doing at the World Cup on the basis of its national team coach who had a PSG past, like how they had been also following in Germany on the basis the coach is one of their own until he became the last German standing at the tournament, and this is considering I always remember back when Tuchel was first presented at Bayern Munich back on 24 March 2023, at one time he spoke of how he always assumed he was going to work abroad, which was putting credence to the rumours going around at the time that until he showed up at Bayern at the time, he had offers elsewhere.

L'homme qui fait l'unanimité https://t.co/T0GAJflaPB
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) July 11, 2026

(One sign I knew it was not just L'Equipe also taking an interest, was this from Eurosport in France ahead of England's quarter-final tie against Norway. The article was mainly on England's tournament campaign up till that point, also including what Anthony Gordon said of him being a communicator as well in the dressing room. In hindsight, at least this was done ahead of the Norway match as the title reads in English - 'The man who has everyone's approval', given everything that came after that on the man they still remember in France as the 'former Paris Saint-Germain coach' in the article itself.)

Anyway, it became the highest goal-scoring match of the World Cup. England was already 5-0 at half-time, in a first-half which amazed both the English and the French football media in how their respective national sides did. Granted, there were changes to the line-up for both sides as well, but it was still remarkable. It would emerge that words were spoken at half-time in the dressing room for France, because when the second-half began, France started to race to scoring four past England, with Kylian Mbappe’s eventual brace would come to make him the tournament top-scorer eventually. Naturally Mbappe’s Real Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham, who came off the bench, would have the final word with the winner, 6-4. Amongst the six for England, there was a hat-trick for Bukayo Saka, the only hat-trick for an England player at the tournament. England’s best performance at a World Cup on foreign soil, going one step better from 2018 World Cup in terms of finishing third, the best finish not since winning the whole thing in 1966. 32 years after England and France did not even make it to the United States for the 1994 World Cup, both sides played out to such a match in Miami.

2 - Declan Rice is the second Arsenal player to start a major tournament game for England as captain (World Cup/EURO) after Tony Adams at EURO 1996.

Privilege. pic.twitter.com/MWlX7HiWXX
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 18, 2026

Tuchel and Deschamps 🙌 pic.twitter.com/1WDCiohwTk
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 18, 2026

(Or another way of putting it, one is managing at a World Cup for the first time, while it was to be the last tournament for another. Or, one used to manage at Paris Saint-Germain while the other used to be at Marseille...though not at the same time.)

Jude Bellingham and Mbappe's reactions to England going up 2-0 😂 pic.twitter.com/bVY7t6YIDP
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 18, 2026

4 - France have conceded four first half goals for the first time since a EURO qualification match against Yugoslavia in April 1968.

WOW. pic.twitter.com/SePSwONNA8
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 18, 2026

Only four men have scored a World Cup hat-trick for England:

◎ Geoff Hurst (1966)
◎ Gary Lineker (1986)
◎ Harry Kane (2018)
◉ Bukayo Saka (2026)

Joining some legendary names. 🦁🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/5sBFTUzapo
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 18, 2026

7 - Jude Bellingham’s seven goals are the outright most ever by an England player at a single FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship tournament.

Heroic. pic.twitter.com/cWqwzTKBwe
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 18, 2026

3rd - England have achieved their second-best finish at the FIFA World Cup, behind their 1966 success on home soil.

Reward. pic.twitter.com/imfsOCzn3b
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 18, 2026

What I did and did not expect after the tournament at least from England’s perspective, it is the transfers of the England players especially those playing in defence after the tournament. Apart from the transfers done within the Premier League, there were two who went abroad to the Serie A in Italy, to Inter Milan for John Stones and Djed Spence. Spence had previous experience playing in Italy at Genoa while still on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, and so it was a return to a league he used to know. For Stones, his contract at Manchester City had already come to an end before the tournament, and so it was always intriguing where he would go next. He was already linked with moves to the Serie A during the World Cup, and having a new adventure in Italy is commendable on his part.

🇮🇹 John Stones has completed his move to Inter. The defender has joined on a free transfer from Manchester City and signed a two-year deal.

The 32-year-old heads abroad for the first time in his career to join the Serie A champions. pic.twitter.com/nBS9Xw9UUh
— English Players Abroad (@EnglishAbroad1) July 30, 2026

John Stones & Thomas Tuchel 🤣 pic.twitter.com/w1itb5Puy3
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 7, 2026

(Until the move to Inter, one of John Stones's most notable moment at the World Cup was this...pulling a prank on the England head coach after the last 16 tie in Mexico.)

🇮🇹 Djed Spence has completed his move to Inter.

The full back brings an end to a four-year stay with Tottenham to sign a contract until 2031 with the Italian champions.

The 26-year-old had a loan spell with Genoa in 2024.

He now teams up with John Stones in Milan. pic.twitter.com/yoTOZEpa2H
— English Players Abroad (@EnglishAbroad1) August 15, 2026

Why do I leave late it to do this? So much had happened since the World Cup had ended a long time ago before the UEFA Nations League comes round again, and I have so many thoughts on following England at the World Cup. So just when I thought I was ready to have it out there, a wide-ranging television interview with the Borussia Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke nearly threw a spanner in the works. It was a two-part series with the second part on before the previous weekend on Sky in Germany, and what he said showed up on my social media timeline. In the context for this blog entry, speaking in his capacity as Dortmund president, he recalled in the interview that the English FA did come to him regarding Thomas Tuchel before what came to happen in late 2024, where Watzke's reply was that they can do whatever they want, but they were getting one of the best coaches. In some way, what Watzke said finally ended a lingering thought I always had at the back of my mind. Given how it had been previously widely reported, at least back in Germany at the time of how it ended between the two at Dortmund back in 2017 until Watzke revealed in the same interview that they are now on speaking terms, surely they would have thoughts in Dortmund on who has become the England head coach. I was always very sure at least at Mainz, they would have given their blessings already. It was the Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel who promoted Tuchel from within at the club back in 2009, leading to what would happen since, to what we would see at the World Cup in regards to England's tournament campaign. Heidel was also the person who oversaw the now-Germany coach Juergen Klopp becoming the coach of Mainz previously in the early 2000s, back when the club was still in the German second division and not established as a top-flight side like they are now.

But what the Borussia Dortmund president said in the same interview on Sky in Germany also threw up something which also went back to when Thomas Tuchel met the media for the first time since becoming the England head coach. The Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke, while reflecting on something else in the interview, pointed out that Tuchel was someone who imposes pressure onto himself. One of the many things, it was a sizeable section of the English football media, and it was even brought up by the news agency AFP ahead of England playing Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, recalling that Tuchel had spoken of putting a ‘second star’ on the shirt. If one wondered why it became easy to point the finger at the coach after what happened against Argentina in the semi-final, this was one of the many things which was brought up all over again, his promise at his introductory press conference. The sentiment was widely shared from the start that one of the reasons he got the job is his record in knockout rounds in competitions. And then I got reminded again after the last 16 tie away at the Azteca, and to an extent again after the quarter-final tie against Norway. The last 16 against Mexico though, the one match from the World Cup which can never be taken away from me following England’s tournament campaign as my greatest moment which also had my nerves shredding to the max. I can at least now say that I have seen England have at least reaching the semi-final stage in two separate World Cups in my lifetime, something I never thought I would say since 2002, because I was too young to remember the 1990 edition (and I was two going on three then!) which England also did reach all the way to the semi-final too.

15 – Mit Thomas Tuchel erreichte zum 15. Mal ein deutscher Trainer ein WM-Viertelfinale, nur brasilianische Trainer schafften das öfter (18). Tuchel führte als erster deutscher Coach eine ausländische Nation ins WM-Viertelfinale. Wertarbeit. pic.twitter.com/BRhWJjhkrm
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) July 6, 2026

(The stat which I came across after the Mexico match in the last 16, from Opta's German service. The 15th time a German coach has reached the World Cup quarter-final round with only Brazilian coaches done that more times. But what was significant from that stat was how this tournament became the first time a German coach done it with a foreign national side. And though this was not mentioned, by even reaching the last 16, he effectively became the last German standing at the tournment.)

80% - @England have won 16 of their 20 matches under Thomas Tuchel across all competitions, giving him the best win rate of any manager to take charge of more than 10 matches with a single European nation.

Standards. pic.twitter.com/GjW6TYubOQ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 12, 2026

(In the aftermath of the quarter-final tie against Norway.)

It is the longest blog entry I have done, I know. But I don't care. Same like how I have been always trying to block out the noise and unwanted criticisms directing at the England head coach, which is never easy. Seriously, what have I gotten myself into? It is the travails of being an England follower at major tournaments, I say. I would not have it any other way though. It all comes with the package.

'The Beast in Me' (spoiler-free) review

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:35:00 +0000

A Different Side of Matthew Rhys

(Review of Netflix limited series The Beast in Me, released on 13 November 2025. Rating on IMDB.com: 8 out of 10)

The promotional poster for the limited series. (Image via IMDB.com)

The Beast in Me is an eight-episode thriller that I found surprisingly easy to binge. The series follows Aggie Wiggs, a writer trying to rebuild her life after a personal tragedy, whose curiosity is sparked by the arrival of her enigmatic new neighbour, Nile Jarvis. As Aggie becomes increasingly interested in the story surrounding him, the series gradually unfolds into a compelling mystery filled with tension, uncertainty and more than a few moments that kept me guessing.

What really drew me in, though, was the pairing of Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys. Danes is excellent as Aggie, bringing a blend of intelligence, vulnerability and quiet determination to the role. Even when the story slows down to focus on character moments, she keeps you invested because Aggie feels believable and relatable. You can understand why she becomes fascinated by the mystery surrounding Nile, while also appreciating the emotional weight she carries throughout the series.

As for Rhys, this was a fascinating performance to watch. I only discovered The Americans a few years ago through Disney+, and ever since then I've tended to associate Matthew Rhys with Philip Jennings. That role became my main frame of reference whenever I thought about him as an actor. Watching him take on the role of Nile Jarvis in The Beast in Me felt like seeing a completely different side of him.

The charm and charisma are still there, but this time they come with an unsettling edge that keeps you constantly second-guessing the character. In fact, there were moments when Rhys genuinely gave me the creeps, and I mean that as a compliment. Some of the most effective scenes are not the dramatic ones, but the quieter moments where a look, a smile, or even a brief pause leaves you wondering what is really going through Nile's mind. Rhys plays those moments brilliantly.

What makes the series especially compelling is how well Danes and Rhys complement each other. Aggie's curiosity and emotional openness are the perfect counterbalance to Nile's guarded and unpredictable nature. Whenever they share a scene, there is an underlying tension that makes even ordinary conversations feel significant. Neither actor overshadows the other. Instead, they elevate each other's performances, and the series is all the stronger because of it.

By the end, while I enjoyed the mystery itself, it was the performances that stayed with me the most. The Beast in Me succeeds because it gives two exceptional actors room to do what they do best. And as someone who had come to closely associate Matthew Rhys with The Americans after discovering it through Disney+, this limited series reminded me just how much range he has as an actor. Together, Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys make The Beast in Me an eight-episode series well worth the journey.

Three World Cup host nations, three footballing fortunes

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:58:00 +0000

(Preview: On the 2026 World Cup co-hosts USA, Canada, Mexico. As how I viewed it, what happened on the pitch for the three co-hosts, the coaches, and everything else off the pitch. Also part of my tournament in review, like this and this.)

It all comes down to this. Or rather the spotlight is on the three co-hosts this time. (Image via BBC Sport, originally via Getty Images)

Even with everything that is happening in the world these days, there is something from 13 years ago which can never be taken away from me, when I went to the United States on a university student exchange. The only country amongst the 2026 World Cup co-hosts I had been to, up till the tournament itself.

On the Fourth of July weekend, I found myself looking at photos I took 13 years ago, especially the ones with snow. Because it was towards the end of my first week in Oklahoma City (where I was based for my university student exchange) on the first week of December 2013, I saw snow falling on the university campus, something which was first pointed out by my other classmates while we were on our way to the university cafeteria for lunch, which was located not that far from the classroom. I walked out of class and stood on the snow for a while and remembering this has always been my childhood dream, my number one item on the bucket list, seeing snow for real.

The number one item on my bucket list had been completed. Coming from hot and humid Singapore (where our average temperature ‘it’s like Miami’, as how one of my university lecturers, who is an American, used to comment), snow has always been something I see on the big and small screen, until then. The one thing I will always be grateful for during my student exchange days, for how my time studying in the United States coincided with that. That is apart from experiencing living sub-zero temperatures for the first time in my life 13 years ago, and I was constantly talking about it when I got back to here in Singapore and told my family about that, where the weather was the only constant topic I kept bringing it up to my parents in terms of my American experience. Apart from making a big deal of visiting Starbucks for the first time in my life at the time and getting a hot chocolate (I can explain this one, because this came when a handful of my classmates and me were out in town, and along the way they saw a Starbucks outlet, and since it was past eight at night at the time, that was what I got), and also making a deal of experiencing eating tacos and burritos before it has become commonplace here in my country.

My first-ever Starbucks order, 13 years ago in the United States. The now-infamous order of hot chocolate. But then it was past eight at night at the time, and I thought to myself that I cannot order coffee, or else how do I get to sleep? But even then I thought it was a paradox.

This time, I nearly had one on the list, as in the World Cup host city I could have been to. The one time I could finally have one up on my father, who do at times talk of where he had been to when travelling for work before it showed up as a host city in any major sporting event, but no. Dallas. A story I never once relayed to my family until this tournament came around, not even when my late mother was still around. 13 years ago, I remember before heading to the United States and to Oklahoma City, being given the three-week itinerary of the student exchange like the rest of my classmates, and I saw Texas on it. I was sure Dallas was on the original itinerary for sight-seeing, until it was not on the revised version the class was given after we arrived. I had already planned of getting a cowboy hat, just to prove that I was there. Oklahoma and Texas are neighbouring states, and my original plan was busted.

13 years on, it became the time to reveal the Dallas trip that never was to my father. The Netherlands and Japan’s opening group match in Group F was at there, but it has to take the second match to take place there for me to finally break the silence to my father, the day after England and Croatia played there, the group stage opener for both sides in Group L. As I told my father after relaying the story in terms of how I was thinking about it in the match build-up, “England have gone to play in where I could have gone to 13 years ago. Damn!” My father’s reaction was one of amusement. I had grown up listening to him talking about where he had travelled to for work, and so I know I had to add in the ‘Damn!’ part on the Dallas trip that never was 13 years ago.

But when it comes to the three co-host national teams, it was also the chance to show that national sides coming from North and Central America can also hold their own against their counterparts from elsewhere, and not just in their own confederation. It is precisely how the United States, Mexico, and Canada get automatic qualification which meant that other national sides in the same confederation get their chance. Like the smallest nation to be in the tournament in Curacao for example. Still, given this is the first time there are three co-hosts, this is more of them.

Canada

As the tournament was heading into the knockout rounds, there was an article from the New York Times of the increasing number of national teams being managed by coaches not from the country itself. England is of course the most famous example at the tournament, and there were also the likes of Brazil, Portugal, Belgium as well. It is also worthwhile noting that two of the three co-hosts have a coach who is not from the country itself, the American Jesse Marsch with Canada and the Argentine Mauricio Pochettino with the United States. For the context of this blog entry, the New York Times article noted Marsch was enjoying the responsibility of leading another co-host in the tournament. If the former Leeds United manager needed any more reason why people especially in his native United States were of a sudden having a lot of things to say of him being Canada coach at the tournament, this was it. As in how he be able to do that?

1 - Jesse Marsch is the first manager from the United States to manage a foreign country in a FIFA World Cup. Lasso. pic.twitter.com/jfOwNo6WEq
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 12, 2026

No country has ever won the World Cup under a manager or head coach born outside its borders, yet this tournament features more teams with non-native bosses than in any previous edition.

Of the 48 nations competing in North America, 28 managers who are classed as foreign —… pic.twitter.com/xCvKsTAjv6
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 28, 2026

Then again, there is also how Jesse Marsch ended up being the Canada coach in the first place. He was supposed to be in Mauricio Pochettino’s position for this tournament. It was not as if he is a stranger to the set-up in the United States men’s national team, because he used to be an assistant coach at the national side himself. But in between those times, the Princeton alumni who used to play professionally in Major League Soccer and later managing in the same league before making the jump to Europe, with his own admission of learning a new language in his 40s in terms of learning German when he became the first American coach at RB Salzburg in Austria. Coaches with American nationality working in European football is still a rare breed regardless of the level of the league they are based at, but Marsch became the first to do a domestic double in his first season, and it was not something which went unnoticed back in the United States when he did that. But unfortunately for a lot of people outside Austrian football and including myself to be honest initially, one of his dressing room team-talks once went viral for his mixture of German and English.

Instead of that video, this is when Jesse Marsch was still at RB Salzburg, the first coaching job he had outside of his native United States after being in Major League Soccer previously. (Image via Wikipedia)

But then with RB Salzburg also competing in European club competitions, it also earned more visibility. American coaches are much more of a common sight in Germany than it is in English football, where there were previously the American-German David Wagner and Pellegrino Matarazzo. That was to be also how Jesse Marsch came to be at RB Leipzig, before it was Leeds United next. By the time he arrived at the Premier League, American coaches do not enjoy the best of reputations, in part due to how former United States coach Bob Bradley’s time at Swansea City went, and the Apple TV+ series ‘Ted Lasso’, where Marsch was seen to an extent a caricature of the title character, also a fellow Midwesterner (Marsch is from Kenosha, Wisconsin). Even with Wagner’s time at Huddersfield Town somewhat mitigated some of those stereotypes English football audiences have of their American counterparts at the dugout in club football, the sentiment is still there. It never lasted long at Leeds, but Marsch had already left an impact when in terms of where his coaching trajectory could be heading next, and according to ESPN, he had offers in English football alone at club level.

It was in 2024 after the sacking of Gregg Berhalter as United States coach where things started to turn. Because it came slightly over a year after Jesse Marsch lasted over a year as Leeds United manager in the Premier League, where he had the unenviable task of succeeding Marcelo Bielsa. By that time, he was the most successful American coach working abroad, until he did not get the chance to manage at a home World Cup in two years’ time then. Around the same time, Canada was also looking for a new national team coach, and that was where he headed. Whether caretaker or permanent, it was also the first time an American coaching the Canada national team. That milestone aside, his appointment also came at a time when away from the football, US-Canada relations started to take a turn when Donald Trump returned for another presidential term and his comments about Canada as the ‘51st state’ has already riled up at the north of the border. Marsch’s response at a press conference as Canada coach in the following year immediately made headlines, where what he said also stood for Americans who were disgusted at Trump’s remarks.

But away from what Jesse Marsch had to say, he has come to inherit a Canada’s men national team which is looking on the up. Much would have been known on the star man Alphonso Davies who plays his club football at Bayern Munich, the former refugee who represented Canada in its joint-World Cup bid. But then there are also the likes of striker Jonathan David, previously at Lille and then at Juventus during the course of the tournament. Canada’s World Cup campaign would introduce more names people would come to know of, like Cyle Larin who came to score what would be the equaliser in Canada’s opening group match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it would be also the first time Canada has earned a point in the history of participating at the World Cup, and eventually it would not be the last. Anyone following the Championship in English football second division would have probably heard of Larin, because he plays for Southampton. Or the Ivory Coast-born Ismael Kone who plays his club football in the Serie A with Sassuolo, who had a fractured left leg after a tackle which forced him to end his World Cup prematurely in the second group match against Qatar which was already remembered for how Canada registered its largest World Cup win yet in terms of a 6-0 win.

Canada have their first ever point at the FIFA men's World Cup. 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/xYX8SQmkOl
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 12, 2026

"I never thought I'd hear anything like that in my home country." 🥹

Listen to Toronto Stadium, and ex-Canada and Premier League defender @davidedgar141, bursting with joy as Kyle Larin scores the goal that earns the #FIFAWorldCup co-hosts their first ever point in the Finals.… pic.twitter.com/J3Tj653AS2
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) June 12, 2026

"Everyone's a little shaken by the whole experience."

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch says his "heart goes out" to midfielder Ismael Kone, who suffered a broken leg in his side's World Cup win over Qatar. pic.twitter.com/dUWXvfqEcU
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 19, 2026

As per @OptaJack, Canada are the first team from outside of Europe or South America to score five or more goals in a FIFA World Cup match. 🇨🇦 https://t.co/gL6z5Kiq3i
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 19, 2026

Canada had missed out on topping their group after the loss to Switzerland in its final group match, because it would have meant they remain playing in the country for the knockouts, but playing in Los Angeles in the last 32 against South Africa would have significance for the person who scored the late match-winner for the co-hosts, Stephen Eustaquio, whom at the time of the tournament was playing his club football at Los Angeles FC. Much like its southern neighbour, Canada’s World Cup squad has a mixture of those playing their club football in Europe and in Major League Soccer in the United States. Since the tournament, one would see Jonathan David going from Juventus to Atletico Madrid on loan on the final day of the summer transfer window, Eustaquio now playing his football in the same league as his fellow Canada team-mate Cyle Larin at Swansea City.

4 - Canada are the first host nation to progress from a FIFA World Cup group stage with as few as four points since the USA in 1994.

Rocky. pic.twitter.com/l2K4JPaxO7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2026

What a moment for Stephen Eustáquio and what a moment for Canadian football 🔥

The 92nd-minute winner to send #Canada through to the last-16 of the World Cup for the first time.

📻 Vicki Sparks & Dion Dublin#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/yN6I1zrqiv
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) June 28, 2026

1 - Canada is the first team in FIFA World Cup history to score a second-half stoppage-time winner for their first-ever knockout stage victory.

Dramatic. pic.twitter.com/DmDxPw1Ybs
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 28, 2026

2 - Jesse Marsch is the second American coach to win a knockout round match in the FIFA World Cup, joining Bruce Arena, who did so in 2002.

Triumph. pic.twitter.com/6jTmr5tHzn
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 28, 2026

Unti Morocco put a brake on Canada’s World Cup campaign in the last 16, how Jesse Marsch is seen and perceived during the tournament invited more scrutiny than ever, especially back in his native United States. His past comments on the players not singing the national anthem and he had to cajole them into doing it during his time as the assistant coach at the United States’s men national team resurfaced, and he had to clarify what he meant in an interview with the website of Time magazine before the Morocco match, given the interviewer had also put to him the match would also be taking place on the Fourth of July. In the same interview, he also had to justify how his actions as Canada coach at the tournament has been seen back in the States where it was seen as ‘performative’, where the article also wrote of how Canada had been doing up till that point in the tournament earned him fans from prominent Canadian personalities like singer Michael Buble and former ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky (though Marsch added in the Time magazine interview that he had not met actor Ryan Reynolds, since more known for being the co-owner of Wrexham in English football second division, who had been a constant presence at Canada matches at the World Cup), that is even if he categorically ruled out managing the United States men’s national team in the future.

Jesse Marsch, the American who led Canada to its first World Cup knockout stage win ever, has stirred emotions in North America and beyondhttps://t.co/nPWVs80vRg
— TIME (@TIME) July 2, 2026

United States

The last time the United States hosted a World Cup on its own in 1994, its national team coach was not an American. It was the Serbian Bora Milutinovic. USA ’94 was the first inkling I know about a football World Cup, and that came from my haziest of memories from that time as a six-going on-seven-year-old. 32 years later with the tournament back there again though hosting alongside with its neighbours Canada and Mexico, its national team coach is foreign-born once again, the Argentine Mauricio Pochettino. Until Pochettino was appointed two years ago, there was also the sentiment whether it would look into a homegrown coach, because before Gregg Berhalter, he also had homegrown predecessors like Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley.

Major League Soccer was created only the year before the World Cup came to the United States for the first time in 1994, and it would see homegrown coaches emerge along the way, along with the foreign-born ones. That was how the Canada coach in the American Jesse Marsch first started out in his coaching trajectory. If reports are to believed, he was overlooked for the post two years ago which went to Mauricio Pochettino. But by getting the Argentine, the United States wanted to send a signal that it can also attract names of high calibre, not that Pochettino is not in that category. Or almost.

🧨SECRETS OF MAURICIO POCHETTINO’S #USMNT REVOLUTION

🧠 Life lessons from Bielsa’s 2002 WC lockdown
🏕️ No more “holiday camp”
🗣️ The inspiring April breakfast
🇺🇸 “We’re American, we don’t take s***”
🛝 Duck, Duck, Goose, Disney & BBQs
🎵 Springsteen, Ella Langley & country…
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) June 19, 2026

Mauricio Pochettino’s footballing career is first linked with the person who would eventually launch his professional playing career, Marcelo Bielsa, the then-Uruguay coach at the World Cup. Bielsa was the coach of the reserves at Newell’s Old Boys at the time, and tasked with reviving the club’s fortunes, he went scouring round the country for potential players. The story often being told is that Bielsa and a club scout would come to find themselves at the home of Pochettino at one o’clock in the morning, and Pochettino’s parents did lead the two into his bedroom where he was asleep. He was to be awakened by the two in his bedroom, before Bielsa took a look at Pochettino and was convinced already. He was only 14 then. He did eventually make it to the first-team with Bielsa as his coach.

Like many Argentines who play professionally, Mauricio Pochettino would also come to play abroad as well. If there is a reason why with him as the United States coach at the World Cup also has considerable interest in Spain, it was due to his time playing and later managing at Espanyol. It is the only football club he would be associated for in the Spanish game, eventually becoming the club captain in his playing days, before returning later as coach in January 2009 and endearing himself to the fans even more when in his first match in charge was against Barcelona, in a match which ended goalless. That was in a cup tie, though in the league, Espanyol was in relegation danger when he arrived, where his previous experience was managing Espanyol women’s team. The club would start to move up the league, with also along the way, a famous 2-1 away win at Barcelona in what was the first in 27 years for the club. During his time still working as a club coach, such was his affinity with Espanyol is that he has often openly spoken of his dislike of their city rivals Barcelona, earning him brownie points with even those of the Real Madrid persuasion.

When Mauricio Pochettino was Espanyol coach during his time managing in Spanish club football. He was the former captain who returned as the coach, and even masterminding famous results along the way like against their city rivals Barcelona. (Image via the UK's Guardian)

But then French football also knows about the United States coach as well, due to Mauricio Pochettino the footballer also came to play for Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, way before the time of the Qatari investment into the club, and Bordeaux as well. Just like at Espanyol, he would eventually become the captain of PSG. Less than two decades later, he would return there as its coach, with the Qatari investment this time being around for less than a decade by then. But before a return to the French capital as a coach, there was when he was at Southampton and later more notably with Tottenham Hotspur.

Prior to English football’s impression of Pochettino being changed due to what he came to do at Tottenham Hotspur, he was always being remembered from his time playing for Argentina and its meeting with England at especially at the 2002 World Cup which was brought up at once when he was first being presented at Southampton. What he came to do there especially during the 2013/14 Premier League season, in terms of leading the Saints to their highest-ever league finish in eighth not since the 2002/03 Premier League season, would be noticed especially at Tottenham Hotspur where he went there after that. If there is a reason why Mauricio Pochettino is still being considered one of the best managers Tottenham Hotspur ever had in its recent history considering whatever has happened at the club since he got the sack in 2019, there was what he came to do on the results front, and the players he would come to work with during his time as manager there. Coming in second in the league especially during the 2016/17 season and even ahead of fellow North London rivals Arsenal, qualifying for the Champions League and reaching all the way to the Champions League final in 2019…Spurs had never had it good for so long, being so often in the shadows of Arsenal before Pochettino was there. Those times also saw the emergence of a certain Harry Kane, one of those Pochettino would introduce into the first-team from the club academy in his first season at the club. Yes, the captain of the England national team during the World Cup, he got his debut under Pochettino, way before being at Bayern Munich these days.

213 - Harry Kane scored 213 Premier League goals, with only Alan Shearer scoring more (260). Since his debut goal in April 2014, only Robert Lewandowski (264), Lionel Messi (256) and Cristiano Ronaldo (237) have scored more in Europe's top-five leagues. Elite. pic.twitter.com/gLWg3nKQW9
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) August 10, 2023

43% - Harry Kane scored a higher % of his team’s goals than any other player in the Premier League last season (43% - 30 out of 70). Exceptional.

This and more impressive stats about Kane, who is on the verge of a move to FC Bayern, in this article ⬇https://t.co/1E01wa7c8X
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) August 10, 2023

(All these numbers, all these figures, it would not have been possible if not for whom gave Harry Kane his first-team debut at Tottenham Hotspur in the midst of the 2013/14 Premier League season where it all began. The current United States coach Mauricio Pochettino, who was his first manager at the club. And all the others that came after Pochettino at the club, until Bayern Munich came knocking three years ago.)

Chelsea can be seen as the least successful of Pochettino’s tenure as club coach, but then that would be in hindsight his last club job before becoming the coach of the United States men’s national team. The last time the United States went (sort of) foreign on the national coach front, it was the former Germany coach and naturalised American, Juergen Klinsmann. While Klinsmann did get the United States to a major tournament in the 2014 World Cup, Pochettino had to deal with a series of friendlies right up till before the 2026 World Cup kicked off, apart from taking part in the 2024 Copa America.

But still, it was a big unknown until Paraguay in the opening group match. Until Paraguay stunned Germany and beat them on penalties in the last 32 and going a complete reversal in their playing approach against France in the last 16, they were bad where just as the United States were good. It was to be physical against Australia in Seattle where the United States qualified for the last 32 with a matchday to spare, against the already-eliminated Türkiye in the final group match, the team many had initially expected to be the toughest in the group with the co-hosts back when the World Cup draw was first made. It lost, but Mauricio Pochettino was bemused at the post-match press conference in terms of how the reaction was like as if the United States had been eliminated and Türkiye were through. Understandably there will be those following the tournament or even the sport for the first time in the United States and did not understand the rationale behind Pochettino’s approach for the final group match, but for everyone else like myself, I would have cut him the slack. His side had done the minimum in terms of reaching the knockouts, and if they had beaten Turkiye, it would have been an added bonus. One can say that the momentum would have been lost, but the knockouts is a straight knockout tie where it is either win or go home.

3 - The #USMNT has won a FIFA World Cup match by three goals for the third time with the previous two happening in 1930 (3-0 vs. Belgium in 1930, 3-0 vs. Paraguay in 1930).

Intent. pic.twitter.com/4QkKZwRwLY
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 13, 2026

USA have already scored more goals in this year's World Cup than they did in the entire 2022 tournament! 🇺🇸💪 pic.twitter.com/RFlpU3Y5up
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 13, 2026

Mauricio Pochettino says he is "so proud" to see more Americans embracing football after the USA's win over Paraguay 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/kbxJZtRE08
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 13, 2026

7 - The #USMNT has won all seven competitive matches its played in Seattle, its best 100-percent record in competitive matches in any city.

12th. https://t.co/VTY0IP1YKT
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) June 19, 2026

(The venue where the co-host played Australia.)

The USA join Mexico in the round of 32! 🇺🇸🙌 pic.twitter.com/fqiSCDynlc
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 19, 2026

Despite being eliminated from the World Cup after two games, Türkiye battled the entire match and came away with a 3-2 win against the United States on their home soil 😤 pic.twitter.com/u0Lspo3iZH
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 26, 2026

Türkiye finally showed up and it took the last kick of the game to beat the USA.

Here's how they found a win that came too late. 👇#FIFAWorldCup https://t.co/TxhCdbnCrZ
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 26, 2026

🗣️ "That is a little bit sad."

Mauricio Pochettino was frustrated with journalists for not congratulating USA for topping their group 😬 pic.twitter.com/C4IB21cSGC
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 26, 2026

What happened in the last 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, it would be in hindsight play a part in what came to overshadow the World Cup campaign of the co-hosts. The flashpoint came in the sending off of the striker Folarin Balogun, where since then views had been divided on whether it should have been a deserved red or not, but that was beside the point. But in the run-up before the co-hosts took on Belgium in the last 16 on the eve of the match, the red card was rescinded. I will let what I had said in my review of the tournament in terms of the miscellaneous of topics that caught my eye do the ‘talking’ instead, on the part of the political intervention at the tournament…

Folarin Balogun is the first player to score a goal and be sent off in a World Cup knockout match since Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final. pic.twitter.com/UE6pz4fYOY
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 2, 2026

The incident that led to a red card for Folarin Balogun. Correct decision?

[image or embed]
— Match of the Day {bot} (@bbcmotdbot.bsky.social) July 2, 2026 at 10:44 AM

I remember my reaction when I saw the news alerts coming in my iPhone when I woke up on 6 July, on a Monday. All sorts of reactions at once, that is. That the United States president Donald Trump had gotten involved into the sending-off of the United States striker Folarin Balogun in the last 32 tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the red card which was issued to the striker had been rescinded, and he had every chance to be up for selection against Belgium in the last 16. That was enough to make a football story become the headline news on the television news, and it was all because of the intervention of the head of state of one of the World Cup co-hosts into a football decision. Balogun’s sending-off might had divided opinion when it did, but even if one may not agree with the decision at the time, what has already been stated in the laws of the game means that there is nothing one can do and just live with it, even if one want to grasp at straws and try looking for precedents. But unfortunately, it just left with sour taste, just when the United States men’s national team was gaining goodwill for how they had been doing on the pitch up till that point. Which was why even if then-Belgium coach Rudi Garcia had played down how the red card U-turn motivated his side in the eventual win which saw them coming up against the eventual World Cup winners Spain in the quarter-finals, the Belgium players said it as much themselves in post-match interviews, when even goalkeeper Thibault Courtois brought that up and adding of the lack of respect they got in the build-up in the American media.

"They're not allowed to do this. ... This is moving the goal posts on the players."

—@herculezg on FIFA suspending Folarin Balogun's red card and allowing him to play vs. Belgium ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/6KCb22ELFM
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 5, 2026

Trump intervention sparks World Cup storm as FIFA clears Balogun to face Belgium

[image or embed]
— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) July 6, 2026 at 1:25 PM

3 - Belgium 🇧🇪 have reached the quarter-finals in three of the last four World Cup editions, having previously reached this stage just once in their entire history

1930-2010 : 1 quarter-final
2014-2026 : 3 quarter-finals

Generational. https://t.co/LDKuvnejSH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 7, 2026

Then there was something which caught my attention in the wake of the last 16 tie, in terms of the journalists who were covering the United States’s match against Belgium, as compared to those who were doing Mexico and England in the same round. In terms of how the stadium atmosphere in Seattle almost went quiet when Belgium scored, as compared to at the Azteca even when England took the lead, the Mexico fans were still trying to push the team on. Of course, it is nice to see when American news outlets with even the likes of CNN and the news agency the Associated Press explaining the various facets of the sport the rest of the world call the beautiful game to its domestic audience, that became for me the biggest difference in terms of building a footballing culture. Sorry, not soccer culture. Much of the rest of the world, okay maybe in Canada and Australia for example, but it is called football.

Or to use a very American term, the World Cup is the World Series of football, where you actually have nations from around the world taking part. And I also say this as someone always remembering the first sporting event I saw being televised on my university student exchange in the United States 13 years ago, an NFL game being shown on the television at the Japanese restaurant I was having my dinner with my hotel room-mate in my first night in the country. Much of the rest of the world do not see that as football at all, where it is called American football instead. Even the very term of soccer is still seen by purists as an American term, where that is misnomer given it was the British who came up with that in the first place.

Why do Americans call football “soccer”? The term actually comes from Oxford student slang!

In 19th-century England, rugby football and association football were being split into different sports. 🇬🇧Oxford students liked to shorten words and add -er to them: breakfast became…
— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) February 8, 2026

Mexico

There is life, death, taxes, and there is seeing goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa at the World Cup. And also, seeing coach Javier Aguirre at the World Cup. If there are any absolute certainties whenever football’s biggest showpiece event rolls around every four years, I am always expecting that. Because for as long as I can remember following and watching the World Cup, each time it is about Mexico, I will always be seeing those two names. Or maybe just Ochoa. As someone who was born the year after the last time Mexico hosted a World Cup, I was genuinely excited at how the opening match of the tournament was going to be at the Azteca. I can forever say for the rest of my life that I did watch a World Cup match taking place at that stadium on television. That is until my nerves were shredding to the max when Mexico played England in the last 16 at the same stadium, because it kicked off when I was at work.

How important is Mexico's opening match in their World Cup run? 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/y1OYO2Qb4S
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 11, 2026

WE ARE OFF 😍 Scenes from the World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City 🎉 pic.twitter.com/9nATSiLU4u
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 11, 2026

What a sight! 🤩

Unlike in previous World Cups, all players gathered around the centre circle for the national anthems, something that will happen in every game.#FifaWorldCup pic.twitter.com/NEL6GaaNjk
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 11, 2026

Even if I first began following Spanish football since 2014 just after then-Mexico coach Javier Aguirre had left Espanyol, he would always be remembered for what he did with Osasuna, which was also one of the clubs he used to play for and the same one which the Spanish game remembers him in until he returned there as coach. Osasuna has never had it good again since, where under Aguirre, reaching the Copa del Rey final in the 2004/05 season before reaching the club’s joint-ever best league finish to date in fourth the season after. Osasuna has always had a reputation for being a tough place for visiting teams to play in, where even the big names in Spanish football do struggle there too. But then Aguirre, also nickname ‘El Vasco’ (the Basque in Spanish) due to his family heritage where his parents came from Spanish Basque Country, also manage at other Spanish clubs at various clubs apart from Osasuna, though one can say his time at Atletico Madrid is also a qualified success, in terms of qualifying for the Champions League after a fourth-place finish.

In his third spell as Mexico coach for the 2026 World Cup, Javier Aguirre. (Image via ESPN)

I know I have always associate Javier Aguirre as coach of the Mexico national team, but then he has also managed other national teams too, like Japan and Egypt. A lot has been made of how at the World Cup, it was his third spell as the national team coach and how his then-assistant Rafael Marquez would succeed him after the tournament, which became the case. Before the tournament began with Mexico kicking off against South Africa at home at the Azteca, there was always the age-old question of how far they could go even as the joint-hosts. Four decades ago, when Mexico was last as World Cup host, it was still the best showing for the national side in reaching all the way to the quarter-final round. For as long as I know, there is always the talk of the ‘fifth game’, ‘quinto de partido’, the quarter-final round at the World Cups. It was only in the run-up to this tournament I learned for the first time on what would have been the origin of the so-called curse of the last 16 for the Mexico national team. And there I thought for long time following England at major tournaments, there was the so-called quarter-final curse, until it was broken in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and again at this tournament.

It was listening to the podcast version of BBC World Service from the programme ‘Sporting Witness’, in the episode on what became known as Mexican football’s Cachirules scandal, that was when I learned of the story. As how that episode on the podcast version of the BBC World Service put it, it has come about after a Mexican sports journalist had uncovered from a magazine produced by the Mexican football federation in their own annual report of the national side across the various age groups, and something felt off for handful of those players’ ages. Other journalists also started to pick up on the story, interviewing the players accused of falsifying their ages and trying to obtain their birth certificates from the authorities. This came two years after Mexico had hosted the 1986 World Cup, and it was to be eventually uncovered that Mexico had fielded over-age players for the 1988 CONCACAF U-20 tournament. In that tournament, Mexico would beat the United States to clinch the second spot, and qualifying to take part in FIFA’s World Youth Championship in Saudi Arabia in the process, where the maximum age established by FIFA was 20 years. When it all came to light, the response was swift. After all the United States had lost out to Mexico in that U-20 tournament, and Guatemala also protested due to how Mexico had qualified ahead of them to be in the football tournament at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, and both nations took Mexico’s place at those two tournaments respectively.

Not only that, FIFA also barred Mexico from qualifying for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Mexico only made its international return for the 1994 World Cup, which was hosted in…the United States. Since then, a curious pattern has emerged, in terms of not advancing beyond the last 16 round, leading to talk at each World Cup of whether it would achieve ‘quinto de partido’, the fifth game, which is a reference to the three group matches at the World Cup, before the knockouts in terms of even reaching to the quarter-final stage, way before the 64-team tournament which meant that the knockouts begin from the last 32 onwards. Technically Mexico did make it to the fifth game at this edition, the last 16 tie at home to England at the Azteca. But what happened on the day where there was weather delay for an hour before both sides were able to take to the field, the quarter-final round was to be never in sight in the end.

The Mexico v England kick-off will be delayed due to severe weather.

The expected kick-off time is now 7pm in Mexico City, which is 02:00 BST in the UK. pic.twitter.com/zc30Xncrp2
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 5, 2026

Until England came along, only two other nations have come to play at the Azteca and got a result in the end, and both times came at World Cup qualifying matches, with both Costa Rica and Honduras emerging out of there and getting wins each time in 2001 and 2013 respectively. There is a reason why the Azteca is a fortress upon itself, altitude and all, and only three national sides have managed to get something out of it. And that is not something to be sniffed at, the one thing the Mexico national team can always count upon.

#OJOALDATO - México 🇲🇽 ha perdido un partido NO amistoso en el estadio Azteca por tercera vez en su historia, y por primera vez contra un rival externo a la CONCACAF.

1-2 vs Costa Rica 🇨🇷 en 2001
1-2 vs Honduras 🇭🇳 en 2013
2-3 vs Inglaterra 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 en 2026
— MisterChip (Alexis) (@2010MisterChip) July 6, 2026

(For only the third time in its history, Mexico lost at home at the Azteca in a competitive match, and it is also the first time it has lost to a team not from the CONCACAF, where previously it was Costa Rica and Honduras. Both times were in World Cup qualifying matches. England is the first time it has lost to in a World Cup match proper.)

1 - 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England are the first team ever to beat 🇲🇽 Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the FIFA World Cup - they were unbeaten in 10 games there before today.

Altitude? pic.twitter.com/tSBgzqiHn7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2026

Conclusion

I know, coincidentally all the three co-hosts were eliminated at the last 16 round. Amongst the three co-hosts, it is Canada exceeding expectations, the United States was always meant to go far amongst the three co-hosts until the red card U-turn changed everything in how their World Cup campaign was seen from the outside, and Mexico still cannot get past the curse of the last 16. Though Mexico had certainly brought life and colour like the other fans we have seen at the tournament itself. I know the Americans did their part ahead of the second group match against Australia in Seattle, but the contrast in reactions from the stands to when the United States and Mexico being behind in their respective match in the last 16 to Belgium and England respectively, it probably says a lot of building a culture. Whatever happened to back when Lenny Kravitz sang, to quote, ‘it ain’t over ‘til it’s over’? It is the same thing here, in terms of taking time to build a football culture in a country they call the sport, soccer.

The atmosphere in Seattle ahead of the #USMNT’s second group game with Australia at Lumen Field is amazing. Enormous excitement here as fans prepare to march to the stadium pic.twitter.com/S67VoWns7y
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) June 19, 2026

Thousands marching to Lumen Field in unison to a soundtrack of “U.S.A.” in Seattle. It’s quite the sight #USMNT pic.twitter.com/nwtrGk20LH
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) June 19, 2026

I had already seen it for myself 13 years ago as a university exchange student. There has always been a sporting culture in the United States, no matter the sport. It is that football, the kind the rest of the world knows, is a minority sport in the States. Heck, I still remember picking up a complimentary copy of USA Today at the hotel I stayed in with my classmates during my student exchange days, and it occupied a small but sizeable spot in the sports section, when I found myself reading Premier League scorelines and match reports. But for a lot of the rest of the world even where I come from, football is still the biggest sport ahead of everything else. Americans amazed at the number of fans from across the world supporting their national sides at the World Cup, this is something which cannot be taught in the classrooms. But if it means that there are new converts to the sport, welcome!

The football World Cup cabinet of observations (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 15:54:00 +0000

(Preview: The second of two parts of the miscellaneous of topics that came up at the 2026 World Cup, my much-belated review of the tournament. The milestones, the stories, the unexpected and pleasant moments, when national team coaches get their moments, and the fans. Just like the first part, it may be slight biased, and so beware.)

It all comes down to this. And the miscellaneous of topics which caught my eye at the 2026 World Cup. (Image via BBC Sport, originally via Getty Images)

The milestones and breakthroughs

Tournament debutant Cape Verde reaching the last 32, Norway and Egypt getting out of the group stages for the first time and reaching the quarters and last 16 respectively, co-hosts Canada getting out of the group stages for the first time and reaching to the last 16, Switzerland ending a 72-year wait to reach the quarters once again. For every national side that did not perform to what would be their benchmark at the tournament, there are those like what I had listed. Being a 48-team tournament this time round, this was always bound to happen. National sides performing beyond expectations, and those that did not. And how all bar Tunisia out in the group stages, African representation is strong when the knockout rounds began in the last 32, until Morocco became the last African side standing in the quarters.

3 - Cabo Verde is the first team to advance from the group stage of a FIFA World Cup with three draws since Chile in 1998.

Margins. pic.twitter.com/7hbQHJkoZ6
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 27, 2026

Unbeaten teams at the 2026 World Cup that have played all three of their group stage games:

◎ Mexico
◎ Switzerland
◎ Brazil
◎ Morocco
◎ Netherlands
◎ Japan
◎ Spain
◎ France
◉ Cape Verde

CRAZY. https://t.co/UN85tu7T1v
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 27, 2026

90% - @CAF_Online teams had the highest group stage progression rate of any confederation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

90% - CAF (9/10)
83% - CONMEBOL (5/6)
81% - UEFA (13/16)

Flying. pic.twitter.com/sOgMaOqOcf
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 28, 2026

Africa revel in World Cup success with nine teams into knockout round

[image or embed]
— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 2:03 AM

Norway’s World Cup run is even more remarkable when all the more it last played was in the 1998 edition, and Euro 2000 was the last time it played on the international stage until now. With how it became the tournament’s dark horses and still managing to get the better of Brazil in the last 16, the one team Norway has never lost to in competitive settings, it is not going away anywhere.

0 - 🇧🇷 Brazil have beaten every single nation they've faced apart from 🇳🇴 Norway, who they have faced five times without success (D2 L3).

Outlier. pic.twitter.com/LmRwvTNZ49
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 5, 2026

Even Erling Haaland can't quite believe what he's doing with Norway 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xYfKyBgRSQ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 6, 2026

In Egypt’s case, considering its dominance on the African continent, its World Cup showing has always been a complete contrast until this one came around. Getting the better of Australia on penalties in the last 32 was a big deal due to how they were playing in a knockout match for the first time in its history and had Argentina on the ropes in the last 16 until it all fell apart. Though refereeing decisions in that match had also played its part in how overall it was viewed, at least not from Argentina’s perspective.

5 - Egypt are only the fifth African nation to progress past a World Cup knockout round:

🇨🇲Cameroon 1990
🇸🇳Senegal 2002
🇬🇭Ghana 2010
🇲🇦Morocco 2022 & 2026
🇪🇬Egypt 2026

Pride. pic.twitter.com/mNpFIh8KVk
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 3, 2026

The moment Egypt booked their place in the last 16 of the World Cup! 🇪🇬

[image or embed]
— Match of the Day {bot} (@bbcmotdbot.bsky.social) July 4, 2026 at 5:14 AM

Egypt were doing some last-minute research ahead of their penalty shootout win against Australia 📝

[image or embed]
— Match of the Day {bot} (@bbcmotdbot.bsky.social) July 4, 2026 at 5:58 AM

Amongst the co-hosts, Canada was always seen as not going far in the tournament. But to get out of the group was big before playing South Africa in the last 32, in a country where ice hockey is king and football is a minority sport much like its southern neighbour the United States. Canada coach Jesse Marsch, an American himself, was not wrong when after reaching the last 16 that his players are ‘heroes’.

4 - Canada are the first host nation to progress from a FIFA World Cup group stage with as few as four points since the USA in 1994.

Rocky. pic.twitter.com/l2K4JPaxO7
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 24, 2026

"Canada have gotta have the attitude of 'Come on, let's give this a go.'"

The ESPN FC panel discuss if Canada's dream run can continue past the Round of 16 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/IpAvJlr4f9
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2026

The last time Switzerland played a World Cup quarter-final match, it was the one they hosted in 1954. It ended 7-5 to Austria then, in a tournament that came to be remembered for when then-West Germany won it for the first time in its history. To do it on penalties against Colombia in the last 16 to get to that stage, more so being the designated ‘home’ team in Vancouver with the stadium predominantly in the yellow of Colombia in the stands, it managed to get over the penalty shootout ‘curse’ it has to deal with, in terms of its record in that.

72 – Erstmals seit 72 Jahren steht die Schweiz in einem WM-Viertelfinale, zuletzt war dies 1954 beim Turnier im eigenen Land gelungen.

Nervenstark. pic.twitter.com/t3vAMVEabD
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) July 7, 2026

(When Opta's German service pointed out that Switzerland reaching the World Cup quarter-final round for the first time since they hosted it in 1954, ending a 72-year wait to even reach the stage once again.)

Granit Xhaka was overcome with emotion after Switzerland's penalty shootout success 🇨🇭

[image or embed]
— Match of the Day {bot} (@bbcmotdbot.bsky.social) July 8, 2026 at 7:42 AM

The heartwarming stories of the tournament

Cape Verde is the standout story, and there are also others. Haiti back at the World Cup not since 1974, and the same for DR Congo where back then they were known as Zaire. Or how about the smallest nation to date to reach the tournament in Curacao?

But what makes Cape Verde standout was due to how they are the tournament debutants, along with Curacao. Second smallest nation to take part in the tournament, and they were the smallest until Curacao qualified from the CONCACAF (from the North and Central America) region. Cape Verde qualified for the tournament ahead of Cameroon in their group, and Cameroon did not even make it. That was until I was shown a local news article from my father who read that it is from the Caribbean, and I immediately pointed out the article had not done its factchecking, one of the golden rules of journalism which I learned as a student of mass communications at university. I explained to him of what I had already read of how Cape Verde came to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in its history.

Then again, it is this World Cup that my father has heard of Curacao for the first time and how the veteran coach Dick Advocaat was leading the side to the tournament. I had already first become aware of Curacao, a constituent country of the Netherlands, back when Patrick Kluivert was the coach of the national side. And how I was also aware that the former Manchester United player Tahith Chong also plays for Curacao, with how he became the only member of the squad that went to North America born on the island itself, though he came to live in the Netherlands with his family when he was still very young. The rest of his team-mates were all born in the Netherlands, but eligible to play for Curacao through parentage. Curacao might not had gone beyond the group stages where there was also Germany, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador, but they did have their moments, apart from being thumped 7-1 by Germany in the group opener, in terms of the rather absorbing goalless draw against Colombia in the second group match which I did watched and left impressed at how Curacao did.

Curaçao has JUST 1️⃣ player in its squad who was ACTUALLY born on the island 🏝️

The rest of the 25 players in the Dutch Caribbean island's squad come from mainland Netherlands 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/ojuSdBSyEg
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 14, 2026

7 - Only five FIFA World Cup matches this century have seen a team score 7+ goals, while three of those five have been by 🇩🇪 Germany:

8-0 v Saudi Arabia (2002)
7-1 v Brazil (2014)
7-1 v Curaçao (2026)

Ruthless. pic.twitter.com/PGDJBl73Bg
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 14, 2026

15 - Curaçao's Eloy Room recorded 15 saves against Ecuador, the most on record (since 1966) by any goalkeeper in a FIFA World Cup match that did not feature extra-time.

Wave. pic.twitter.com/2Cm1qFGMha
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 21, 2026

(The rather absorbing goalless draw between Ecuador and Curacao in question.)

Coming back to Cape Verde though, anyone following how the Blue Sharks (that is their nickname) have been doing just on the African football front would not have been surprised at the travails of the national side, where up till making its maiden World Cup appearance at the 2026 tournament, in its best performance on the international front up till then was reaching all the way to the quarter-finals of the 2023 African Cup of Nations. The rest of the football world was beginning to learn more of the national side at the tournament, especially after the goalkeeping heroics of Vozinha, in the wake of the eventual famous goalless draw in their group stage opener against the eventual World Cup winners Spain. Cape Verde would come to prove it was no flash in the pan where they went unbeaten as well against Uruguay and Saudi Arabia with also draws for both, famously getting to the last 32 behind Spain in their group…and getting Argentina there. What went down in Miami in the last 32 would be anything but a walkover for Argentina, where it became quite a match for the ages, until Argentina had the final word, in added extra-time. Because each time Argentina scored, Cape Verde would respond in spades, with the second equaliser being eventually voted as the goal of the tournament, a goal worth seeing to believe at how it was taken. If Morocco was the story of the 2022 tournament, Cape Verde took over that mantle for this edition in North America.

40 - Cabo Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha is the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his FIFA World Cup debut, making seven saves against Spain.

Heroic. pic.twitter.com/Y5yFXfrKYt
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 15, 2026

Take a bow, Cape Verde. 🇨🇻

The World Cup debutants, representing a country with a population less than 500,000, have finished second in Group H meaning they have qualified for the World Cup knockout stages - becoming the smallest nation to ever do so.

They'll face defending… pic.twitter.com/qGMjAcJkkv
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 27, 2026

Sidny Lopes Cabral.

WHAT A HIT SON. WHAT A HIT. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/vYRBrnAuHC
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 4, 2026

Cape Verde.

The story of the 2026 World Cup.

Thanks for all the memories. 💙🇨🇻 pic.twitter.com/Ml27MhCLiw
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 4, 2026

🇦🇷 Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde 🇨🇻 (aet)

10-part docuseries on a 120-minute match forthcoming. pic.twitter.com/p6v46ffG2Z
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) July 4, 2026

“You can no longer tell the story of World Cups without mentioning Cape Verde.”

Shaka Hislop gives Cape Verde their flowers after taking Argentina down to the wire to close out their first-ever World Cup 👏 pic.twitter.com/HR2kEXYYNC
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 4, 2026

(The last 32 tie between Argentina and Cape Verde, which went all the way to added extra-time.)

A lot has changed in the world since Haiti and DR Congo, then as Zaire, last appeared at the World Cup at the same time in the 1974 World Cup in the then-West Germany. There was of course the German reunification which also came to be one of major moments to mark the end of the Cold War in Europe. Zaire has since become the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DR Congo in short. On the football side of things though, both nations were remembered for contrasting reasons from the last time they were playing on the international stage in West Germany to being in North America. Haiti in 1974 used to famously stun Italy in the group stages when they took the initial lead before Italy emerged winners. Zaire was remembered for all the wrong reasons in their final group match against Brazil involving a free-kick which Brazil was about to take it and a curious intervention which later came to be mocked and the assumption that Zaire had no idea what they were doing, though it has since emerged they had a reason for doing what they did. But that was precisely what the rest of the football world recalled all over again when they returned to the big stage this time, as DR Congo.

While Haiti put up a good fight in the group stages this time in a group which has Scotland (back in the World Cup not since they were last in it in 1998), Morocco, and Brazil, DR Congo’s campaign went one step better and making amends from when they were in West Germany, in terms of reaching the last 32. Famously holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw and causing a big debate surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo after that match in the group opener where he could not find the back of the net, they eventually reached the knockout rounds as one of the best-performing third-placed teams when the win over tournament debutants Uzbekistan in the final group match was enough to see them playing England in the last 32. It nearly happened again when DR Congo took the early lead less than ten minutes into the match and as the match went on, memories of what happened at Euro 2016 from England’s perspective started to resurface or as the match reports out of the English media all talk of how it nearly became ‘Iceland 2.0’, a reference to when Iceland, then the smallest nation to take part at the tournament, knocked England out of the last 16. That is until the England winger Anthony Gordon, who is currently playing his club football at Barcelona, was brought on some time in the second-half where the eventual comeback came about where two of his assists to the England captain Harry Kane led to the late win, sparing England from becoming the third shock of the tournament where Germany and the Netherlands had already been eliminated at the same stage on penalties.

The award for the most stylish World Cup arrival goes to DR Congo 😎🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/EuvQNi1XQY
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 13, 2026

Spot the DR Congo fans in Lisbon 😅

They LOVED Yoane Wissa's equaliser! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Kn93PzWPPo
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 17, 2026

SCENES AFTER DR CONGO DREW PORTUGAL 😯

A result with MASSIVE implications in Group K! pic.twitter.com/n2yYY2HOfF
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 17, 2026

What does Roberto Martínez do with Ronaldo? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/pJLhAEF25E
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 18, 2026

It may have been a defeat but Haiti scored their first World Cup goals for 52 years - definitely something to celebrate! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/acc8VCXboB
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 25, 2026

(It was in the final group match between Morocco and Haiti, but it still means a lot despite the 4-2 loss.)

51% - Over half of Congo DR's first half attacking touches came in England's right third.

Brian Cipenga attempted more than half of their dribbles (5/9).

Problem. pic.twitter.com/UxmRiTye34
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 1, 2026

2 - Anthony Gordon is the first England player in FIFA World Cup history to be directly involved in more than one goal as a substitute.

Impactful. pic.twitter.com/GaQ8yKHMbM
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 1, 2026

Salute to Lionel Mpasi Nzazu. Stood on his head for as long as he could making five saves, four of which were in the box and all diving. His performance had all of DR Congo dreaming 🙏🇨🇩

Fair play ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gvn4ciH4qf
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 1, 2026

Yoane Wissa at this World Cup:

-Scored DR Congo's first WC goal in 52 years
-That goal came vs. Portugal and earned his country their first-ever WC point
-Scored a brace to send Congo to their first-ever knockout stage

Did his country proud 🥲🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/IVHnBplwrE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 1, 2026

Considering this time DR Congo came into this tournament also with the backdrop of the Ebola outbreak in their country and how that played a part on the level of support they brought to North America, one can say they had made a good fist of themselves and forcing people to look at them in a different light from what happened in 1974.

When national team coaches get their moments

I only started thinking about this as the World Cup was reaching the business end. As in how there are the quotable moments, touchline actions, and the post-match reactions of the coaches. As I will also be doing one on following England's World Cup campaign at this tournament, I will have it there as well because it also plays a part in how I saw England did overall, this is for every other coach at this World Cup whom had their moments, at least in how I saw it.

The co-host USA's Mauricio Pochettino and his 'Why not us?' mantra, coming during the group stages when it looks like the national side was doing well and gaining goodwill, until what happened in the build-up to playing Belgium in the last 16. Having a home World Cup always invite pressure to do well, but it can help sustain interest for the home crowd and everyone else following as well.

🧨SECRETS OF MAURICIO POCHETTINO’S #USMNT REVOLUTION

🧠 Life lessons from Bielsa’s 2002 WC lockdown
🏕️ No more “holiday camp”
🗣️ The inspiring April breakfast
🇺🇸 “We’re American, we don’t take s***”
🛝 Duck, Duck, Goose, Disney & BBQs
🎵 Springsteen, Ella Langley & country…
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) June 19, 2026

His Canada counterpart Jesse Marsch also has his moments, but it has been proven divisive for some. Marsch, an American managing the other co-host Canada at this World Cup, he was supposed to be in line to manage at his home World Cup where his previous experience at this level was as an assistant at the United States men’s national team...before he was blindsided and not getting the job after Leeds United in the Premier League. While he has since categorically ruled out managing the United States in the future in an interview with Time magazine before the last 16 tie against Morocco, his sideways shuffle seen in the second group match against Qatar on the touchline went viral. There was a variant of that again in the last 32 against South Africa, though the Premier League's X account reminded that he used to be like this already when as Leeds manager. But what came to be divisive for a lot of people was what Marsch said after the loss to Morocco that he 'rather be us than them', them being Morocco. Many took issue that Marsch would rather be on the losing side than in Morocco's position, but given what led him to become Canada coach at this World Cup, I saw it as how he rather be at where he is than anywhere else.

Passion from Jesse Marsch 😤 pic.twitter.com/g6QCWu1JVq
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 29, 2026

(Jesse Marsch, the Leeds United edition. There was already a slight different variation of the sideways shuffle seen at the World Cup in his capacity as Canada coach, back in the day.)

"I'd rather be us than them."

Jesse Marsch after Canada was eliminated from the World Cup vs. Morocco 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/eM7jHlQwi1
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 4, 2026

(The comment that caused a lot of debate, especially in the United States itself.)

There is also the third co-host Mexico, and coach Javier Aguirre. After getting the better of Ecuador in the last 32, he spoke of wanting to get a whisky at the post-match press conference. If that was not enough, in the last 16 against England, he had a viral moment with two of the England players on the pitch at the Azteca. It later turned out he had wanted to get the jersey of Jude Bellingham for his grandson, before spotting Anthony Gordon and in his best English saying 'Gordon, f**k you.'. In those videos that did the rounds, it always ends with Gordon managing to see the funny side and just laughed. I had to have a chuckle, because this is not the first time Aguirre is managing Mexico and considering his coaching career up till then, and what a way for him and Gordon to have their tete-a-tete.

🇲🇽 Javier Aguirre eufórico tras la victoria de México y el reciente nacimiento de su nieto

🥃 "Ahorita mismo, un whisky, es lo único que me falta hoy" pic.twitter.com/pCtmh5un1m
— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) July 1, 2026

(Where the whisky comment first came about, after the last 32 win over Ecuador. It also came after the birth of his grandson then.)

Javier Aguirre: 🗣️”GORDON, FUCK YOU 😭

What a legend 😭😭😭 https://t.co/trUD1NIcb4 pic.twitter.com/wIzawswSJy
— Lea (@Lea_EFC) July 6, 2026

There is also then-Belgium coach Rudi Garcia. After having a go at the critics back in Belgium over the state of the squad after reaching the last 32, the Frenchman (Garcia, born in France to Spanish parents, and is named after the former West Germany striker Rudi Voeller) then reacted to the red card U-turn of the United States striker Florian Balogun in the pre-match press conference before playing the co-hosts in the last 16 that he did not realised 5 July (when the U-turn was announced) is April Fools' Day. Of all the reactions, Garcia's kept replaying in my head over the April Fools reference.

Le sélectionneur de la Belgique Rudi Garcia ironique après la levée de la suspension de l'Américain Folarin Balogun > https://t.co/wWgAY7XjnC pic.twitter.com/Eo9Pv700XW
— L'Équipe (@lequipe) July 5, 2026

(As how then-Belgium coach Rudi Garcia's reaction to the red card U-turn was reported back in his native France, with L'Equipe noting the irony in his response.)

Astonished Belgium vow to ‘defend football’ after Fifa’s shock Balogun reversal

[image or embed]
— Guardian Sport (@sport.theguardian.com) July 6, 2026 at 4:38 PM

And speaking of French coaches, there is also then-France coach Didier Deschamps, though it is more of what happened against Paraguay in the last 16 and what he had to say of the referee appointment before playing Morocco in the quarters which stood out. Paraguay, after getting the better of Germany in the last 32 on penalties, had a different approach to playing France in the last 16, where it went to the extent that it was revealed by Deschamps at the post-match press conference that he had to get two of his strongest players in the squad on the pitch to protect striker Kylian Mbappe, who had been clearly targeted by the Paraguay players. In the build-up to France playing Morocco in the last 16, the refereeing appointment dominated the chatter in France due to how it was to be an all-Argentine refereeing team, especially coming after the recent World Cup history between France and Argentina, and a French referee did the last 16 tie between Egypt and Argentina. Deschamps's response pre-match was how their opponent is Morocco, not the referee, and trusting the referee to do his job, while also making an indirect reference to what happened between Egypt and Argentina in terms of his support over his fellow compatriot who refereed that match. The referee for France versus Spain in the semis was briefly brought up in the post-match press conference by Deschamps at one point, though much of it was devoted to how Deschamps saw how his side lost to Spain.

Didier Deschamps, le sélectionneur de l'équipe de France qui s'est qualifiée samedi soir pour les quarts de finale de la Coupe du monde après sa victoire étriquée contre le Paraguay, a évoqué l'agressivité des adversaires des Bleus
➡️ https://t.co/nHe08aGkrm pic.twitter.com/ylDKa1NB9e
— L'Équipe (@lequipe) July 5, 2026

(The revelation from the then-France coach Didier Deschamps after the last 16 tie against Paraguay, in the article.)

Didier Deschamps' response to questions regarding the match officials all being from Argentina in France's quarter-final against Morocco... 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/CiX8BnUU7B
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 9, 2026

6 - France have now won six FIFA World Cup matches that have been officiated by Argentinian referees, the most of any nation in history.

Integrity. pic.twitter.com/1gBos1sTKC
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 9, 2026

Or how about the final word has to go to Spain’s eventual World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente? In terms of his post-match reaction after getting the better of the tournament favourites France in the semi-finals, of how the best team met the best squad of the tournament. Before the tournament began, France was seen as the overwhelming favourites, whereas not many would have gone for Spain. Spain was quietly building up its momentum, while much of the football punditry world was all over France’s quality in almost all areas as the tournament went on. Spain would come to have the final word, marching on to the final. It was not quite 1982 World Cup all over again though, but at least Spain never did an Italy then, in terms of playing approach and putting a stop to then-tournament favourites Brazil’s World Cup campaign, in Spain itself.

Luis de la Fuente : « C'est le meilleur collectif » qui a battu les Bleus pic.twitter.com/J2Al6i1H4A
— L'Équipe (@lequipe) July 15, 2026

The World Cup of surprises

As in the unexpected moments. Somehow it always involves the referees. Like in the very first match to kick off the tournament between the co-host Mexico and the Czech Republic. Three red cards were shown, as compared to in the previous edition in 2022, only four were shown throughout the tournament in Qatar. Or how about what happened between Spain and Belgium in the quarter-final tie, the unfortunate clash between Dani Olmo and the English referee Michael Oliver, which has also not escape during the BBC coverage of the match back in the United Kingdom? But then there was also the landmark moment which can be seen as a pleasant surprise, like how there were six female match officials at this tournament, matching the record in terms of doing a men’s World Cup.

3 - In the first game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there were three red cards awarded.

At the 2022 World Cup, only four red cards were shown in 64 games overall.

Brandished. pic.twitter.com/YWYjy2Mu27
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 11, 2026

Ref in the way! 😅 An unfortunate moment for Michael Oliver.

[image or embed]
— Match of the Day {bot} (@bbcmotdbot.bsky.social) July 11, 2026 at 4:55 AM

It would be an all-American female refereeing team overseeing the second group match in Group A between the Czech Republic and South Africa, until the fourth official for the co-host United States’s second group match against Australia had to temporary stepped in after the designated referee for the match in Felix Zwayer pulled a muscle cramp in stoppage time, and Katia Itzel Garcia got prune juice for Zwayer to take before he resumed duties. She would come to oversee a match on her own in the final group match in Group F between Tunisia and the Netherlands. And as the female football fan in me who do also notice these things, moments like this always make me feel it is still worthwhile. It still matters a lot to people like me, seeing such milestones in the game. So, one say this is my pleasant surprise.

Auch eine Geschichte des Spiels: Felix Zwayer geht kurz vor Spielende mit Krämpfen zu Boden - die Partie beendet er aber regulär!⚽#SkySport #Zwayer #FussballWM pic.twitter.com/rb5Vc9Ajh0
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) June 19, 2026

(When it was noted by Sky Sports Germany that the designated referee for the match between the United States and Australia in their compatriot Felix Zwayer pulled a muscle cramp in stoppage time, but was able to continue eventually.)

Katia Itzel García became the first Mexican woman to referee a FIFA World Cup match 🌟

She wore a custom uniform in the colors of the Mexican flag during the Netherlands vs. Tunisia match 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/z2J4FgQ4Ga
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 26, 2026

The World Cup of the fans

Scotland fans almost running Boston dry, Norway fans and the Viking row, the Canada fans march to the stadiums, the sea of orange whenever the Netherlands are in town, and the South American contingent especially represented by Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil to an extent. The famous DR Congo fan whose pose at every match involving the national team who did make it to the tournament. And those Japan fans always cleaning up at every match they were at, though that has generated debate back in Japan during the tournament, that the same cannot be said in domestic settings.

DR Congo's famous 'statue' fan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has arrived for his country's big match against Colombia 🤩

His stance mirrors the memorial statue of his country's first prime minister Patrice Lumumba in the capital Kinshasa 🇨🇩 pic.twitter.com/kiqyJPBF8P
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 24, 2026

Norway fans turned up to the New York Mets in their numbers - and of course treated us to a Viking row! 🛶 pic.twitter.com/xy6ClBrnyA
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 26, 2026

It's Oranje as far as the eye can see in Kansas City... Netherlands always bring the party! 🧡🇳🇱🎉

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— BBC Sport {bot} (@bbcsportbot.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 2:28 AM

There is a reason why even after all this time, until Scotland came play at a World Cup again not since the 1998 edition in France, the Scotland fans were also what the French still remember. Back then Scotland came to open the tournament against then-holders Brazil, and French media were in awe of the throngs of Scots descending onto the country from across the English Channel, kilts and all. They did it again this time in North America, even with the ubiquitous bagpipes, also descending on Fenway Park where there were also Scotland supporters taking in a Boston Red Sox game, coming the day after the opening group win against Haiti. Miami was also prepared for the Scots who were there for the third and final group match against Brazil, the very same team they played back in 1998. It is only in recent times Scotland qualifying for major tournaments started to become a thing again, with Euro 2024 in Germany in between, and even then, the Germans were also impressed at the amount of Scottish support following the national side.

Full hearts, empty kegs, can't lose: Scotland's Tartan Army takes over World Cup 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 https://t.co/wKH9RWPISc
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 18, 2026

There is also an honorary mention to the England supporters who made it to North America, and how the singing of Oasis’s 90s classic ‘Wonderwall’ after each England match at the tournament (at least until what happened in the semi-final tie against Argentina) began to gain traction to the extent that it started to be a source of fascination for the non-English media, when even American sports media outlet ESPN highlighted it at one time on its football’s X account, especially after the last 16 tie between Mexico and England. Considering up till this tournament, during the upswing in the national team fortunes which was first shown at the 2018 World Cup, it was Atomic Kitten’s ‘Whole Again’, with parts of the lyrics being changed in reference to the then-national team coach Gareth Southgate, then the unofficial song for the England supporters at major tournaments up till Euro 2024 was Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’, where it started to gain momentum at the rescheduled Euro 2020, which took place a year later, and supporters started singing it at every England match as the tournament went on, and England reached all the way to the final. ‘Sweet Caroline’ was also heard in Germany at Euro 2024, and England did also reach all the way to the final then.

ENGLAND'S WONDERWALL IN THE AZTECA 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/ZvFqA5jKqV
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 6, 2026

The other honorary mention must go to the eventual World Cup champions Spain, and probably its most famous fan of the tournament. Lamine Yamal’s younger brother Keyne, making faces at each Spain matches which the television cameras always managed to capture. The elder brother himself would be asked about it, ahead of Spain playing France in the semi-final round. He explained that is what Keyne usually does at home and he is not aware of the attention he had been getting at the tournament.

There's an interesting story behind Lamine Yamal's name...

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— Match of the Day {bot} (@bbcmotdbot.bsky.social) July 11, 2026 at 2:56 AM

Lamine Yamal's little brother was hyped ❤️

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— BBC Sport {bot} (@bbcsportbot.bsky.social) July 11, 2026 at 7:41 AM

Last but not least, in what has since an-almost forgotten moment, what if one of the best fans of the tournament is not a human being but a duck? Videos started doing the rounds after the opening match of the World Cup of a duck wearing the Mexico team jersey walking about on the streets of Mexico City, where it later emerged that the duck’s name is called Merlin and its owners always like to bring it around, and it even had a meeting with the Mexican president. There had been animals trying to predict World Cup scores, but this is something different.

Only at the World Cup 😂🇲🇽

(via @chris_sutton73) pic.twitter.com/DECaWF85wG
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 13, 2026

🦆 Merlin, the pet duck in a mini Mexico shirt who likes carnitas tacos and has become a viral sensation and an unofficial mascot of the World Cup, met Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum https://t.co/BZs9e3A3So pic.twitter.com/ogJ3jHCQU5
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 22, 2026

But isn’t this what the World Cup should have been all about, without all the unnecessary headlines and the politics that come intervening and making it all having a bad look? In an ideal world, this is a meeting of the various nations and cultures coming together for a football tournament. If only that is always the case, because football without the fans, and not pricing them out like it has been for this tournament, is nothing in the first place.

The football World Cup cabinet of observations (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:55:00 +0000

(Preview: The first of two parts of the miscellaneous of topics that came up at the 2026 World Cup, my much-belated review of the tournament. Because of what came up at the tournament, the second part will come later. Both parts may be slightly biased, and so beware.)

🏆✨#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/xNMKrd0h1R
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 9, 2026

Every four years since the 2006 edition in Germany, I tend to do my moments of the tournament after it all ends in the final, except for the last edition in 2022 which I did not do at all. I have a valid reason then, because the early days of the 2022 edition, which took place in December due to the tournament being held in Qatar, it coincided with my cruise holiday with family, but it was compensated by how the cruise we were on did show the matches.

I have to say, as a self-confessed child of the 90s, my first inkling of a football World Cup began with the last time it came to the United States in 1994. I brought that up to my father days before the tournament began, of how I used to remember seeing the newspaper wallchart being pasted on the master bedroom door in the house with the 'USA 94' logo on it. But don't ask me what I remember from that tournament, because everything I know of what took place came much later. I was six-going on-seven then.

(Yes, my first inkling of a football World Cup went back to this. 32 years later...)

By FIFA - Own work using: https://www.fifa.com/, Public Domain, Link

Then when the 2022 finalist France took to the field against Senegal in their opener in this tournament, in the build-up, I was promptly reminded of how my earliest memories of what took place on the pitch at a football World Cup goes back to France. For some reason it always goes back to the 1998 final against Brazil, and the last time France played Senegal at World Cup...in 2002 in the opening match of the tournament which Senegal won at the time. Any football fan's standout World Cup memories are always different from the other, especially coming from different generations, and it tends to shape how we view the tournament.

But for everything else, I suppose I will sound off...

The (unearthly) broadcast timings

Maybe coming from this side of the world and the time difference, we are used to football matches shown in the wee hours of the morning during regular league seasons and in European club competitions. It is considered ‘normal’ if it kicks off at 11pm on a normal league football weekend. It is also considered ‘normal’ if it kicks off at 2:45am in the morning after, but that tends to be reserved for the Champions League and the Europa League. I had tried to do so during the 2024 European Championships in Germany especially if the matches fell on weekends, and I remembered at one time, I almost fell asleep in front of the sofa and my father who was also watching the same match and looking at me, and this was for a match kicking off at midnight at the weekend. This time, in the group stages, there are also matches which coincided in the morning during breakfast hours here, not in the wee hours of the morning. I was only able to catch some of those if it fell on the weekends, but for my father, who is retired, he can always adjust his sleeping hours just to catch matches involving teams he has vested interest due to club football interests.

Which is how it kind of amused me reading about European television audience watching in the wee hours of the morning in their time zone, most famously exemplified by how when the last 16 tie between Mexico and England kicked off an hour later than scheduled due to weather delay, it was 2am on a Monday in the United Kingdom. Did someone not get the memo that it would have kicked off at 9am here in Singapore also on a Monday, I was already at work by then? If it had kicked off at the original slated time slot, I was already on my way to the office. But at least I know my father was watching the match from home, and he need not sacrifice his sleep for that.

The Mexico v England kick-off will be delayed due to severe weather.

The expected kick-off time is now 7pm in Mexico City, which is 02:00 BST in the UK. pic.twitter.com/zc30Xncrp2
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 5, 2026

(Or actually it was to be 9am in Singapore on 6 July, on a Monday, when it kicked off. The first and last time at the World Cup a match involving England at this tournament which coincided when I was at work. Had it been at 8am, I was already on my way to the office. But for my father, he was watching from home then.)

With the World Cup taking place on the other side of the world, the time difference from here in Singapore is even greater, 12 hours if the matches are in the East Coast (Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, New Jersey, Toronto in Canada), 13 hours if it is in Dallas, and 14 hours if it is Mexico City, 15 hours if it is the West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver in Canada). I had first-hand experience during my university student exchange days in the United States 13 years ago, sending home WhatsApp messages after I had landed in the country. My father would later tell me my messages landed in the middle of the night, when it was an afternoon for me. And one wonders why the 2002 tournament co-hosted by Japan and South Korea was still the best for us in Asia and in Singapore, where we are only an hour behind the 2002 co-hosts.

Hydration breaks, yay or nay?

One of the most enduring cliches in football that it can be a game of two halves. But this cliché is warranted in terms of how a match can switch momentum between sides. But this World Cup introduced something which has become divisive for fans to the extent that the booing always comes on when the hydration break is on, to the extent that matches has been seen as a game of quarters. Even with the divisive nature of the hydration break due to how it leads to advertisement breaks (at least not on British television coverage, because I know the coverage here do have the advertising break), it has come to emerge of how it has been used by national coaches to switch things up and passing last-minute instructions to the players.

Hydration breaks = 💰

What are your thoughts on them so far at the World Cup? pic.twitter.com/bTfj69GuNQ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 19, 2026

Gianni Infantino insists Fifa are gaining "no additional revenue" from the controversial hydration breaks at the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/brPWflYvCm
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 24, 2026

FIFA’s new hydration breaks were implemented to help players stay cool in what could be the hottest World Cup in history. But these mandatory pauses have sparked criticism. https://t.co/AQsgtO36m3
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 18, 2026

While the intention is understandable, it also came into practice at matches where the stadium is sheltered from the elements. The exception came in how there was no hydration break in France’s second group match against Iraq due to how the heavy downpour delayed the start of the second half. As a former student of mass communications at university where I majored in that, I am divided on this. I did study advertising as one of the university modules, but then I am also a football fan, and anyone who follows the game long enough know that there has always been a 45-minute block, and 15 minutes break in between, not like what happened during the World Cup final of a half-time show, Super Bowl-style. There is a reason why cynics say the hydration breaks is another excuse for more advertising revenues, leading to accusations of the ‘Americanisation’ of the tournament. It is not unwarranted, because I did see it for myself during my university student exchange days 13 years ago in the United States attending an NBA game with the rest of my classmates, where it was certainly a game of four quarters as per the format.

Hydration breaks did not impact World Cup results but future undecided, says FIFA's Wenger

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) July 19, 2026 at 3:24 AM

When the world of news tries to 'barge' into the football

As someone who majored in mass communications at university, I am always in two minds about this. Every major sporting event will always have issues plaguing the host(s) in the build-up in terms of whether it (they) can pull it off and so forth, and the off-field issues surrounding the host(s). It always tends to dissipate or just stay in the background when it kicked off proper on the pitch. In the end, it always tends to be the football that people still talk about in years to come. In 2010, the first time the World Cup went to Africa with South Africa hosting it, and till now, it is still remembered as when Spain won it for the first time and the style of football they played. In 2014, nobody predicted Germany would go all the way and do it, but they did and to the delight of Brazilians after Germany ran seven past their national side in the semi-final, beating their eternal rival Argentina in the final. In 2018, all the talk about Russia as hosts and in the end, the likes of Spain, Germany went out early, and France reached the final and won it against first-time finalist Croatia. That tournament also saw England reaching all the way to the semi-final not since Italy 1990 and put on the reset in the national team's fortunes on the international stage, baring the 2022 tournament.

And speaking of the 2022 World Cup, the fact that it was in Qatar posed a different set of questions altogether, not including that it was a December tournament. But then it would be remembered for Saudi Arabia beating Argentina in the group stages (I know, that match coincided when I was on cruise holiday with family, and the cruise we were on did show the match, and it looked like everyone watching it was rooting for Saudi Arabia then), Germany out in the group stages, Morocco becoming the story of the tournament until being stopped by France in the semi-final, and Argentina coming out on top against France in the final on penalties and winning it not since 1986.

Back when the United States, Canada, and Mexico got the joint-hosting rights seven years before in 2019, the world was so very different. The tournament was also seen as a way for the United States to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence which coincided with the tournament, for Canada it is to build on the successful hosting of the 2015 Women’s World Cup at the time, and for Mexico to have the distinction of hosting for the third time after doing it in 1970 and 1986. But fast forward to the build-up, it was predominantly from the American perspective and its relationship with its co-hosts, and it has nothing to do with the football. As someone who did an American mass communications degree at university where I did also read American history (spanning from the end of the American Civil War to the first Obama presidency) as amongst the modules, I will always be taking an interest to what is going on. But as a football fan as well, and considering how my first inkling of a football World Cup always goes back to the 1994 tournament in the same country itself, I did wonder if the tournament was able to pull it off this time. It says something when even the television news here was asking as well, just before the start of the tournament, even if the opening match was in Mexico.

Commentary: Instead of a soft power coup, the World Cup could be an ‘own goal’ for Donald Trump

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 13, 2026 at 6:04 AM

Well, apart from when politics threatened to hijack the tournament more than once, football has always been the main news of the day each time the World Cup was on. It is always funny each time listening or watching the news, and news presenters trying to report about it. And the case of every four years there are people only interested in the beautiful game and once the tournament over, that is it. I know not everyone can be converted into football fans, but for those who have been converted, welcome. I used to be the one looking from the outside myself growing up, but having a father always talking about it meant that I became one not long after heading into my teens. I have long given up on even trying to play the game, since I realised I was not cut out for it in PE classes in school. So, I decided to become just a football fan instead where even after all this time, I am still here, regardless of World Cups or not.

When the weather threatened to hijack the tournament, more than once

This is always going to be something which can never go away, even when after the tournament kicked off. The weather forecasts especially in the United States around the time of the tournament always coincided with the summer period, but with also heatwave and storm warnings. There are stadiums which are exposed to the elements, and there are also those sheltered from the elements. It then comes down to where the teams will be playing and how it may affect their campaign.

France was on the receiving end of both extremes, heavy downpour delayed their second group match against Iraq in Philadelphia, before they can play the second-half of the match. And when France went to Boston to play Paraguay in the last 16 on what was also the Fourth of July weekend, there was heat warning where it could have almost went into 40 degrees centigrade.

8.4 - Il y a eu 8.4mm de précipitations à Philadelphie ce 23 juin, c'est plus qu'à Paris ces 15 derniers jours (7mm). Orage⛈️. pic.twitter.com/ZcitofAPWk
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) June 22, 2026

(When it was noted by Opta's French service that there has been more rain in the match between France and Iraq in Philadelphia (8.4mm) than it has been the whole of Paris over the last 15 days (7mm) before the match itself. Or then again, much of mainland Europe had been hit with the heatwave around the same time as the World Cup was going on, and France was certainly not spared from the worst of it.)

À trois heures du coup d’envoi de France - Irak, il pleut déjà à Philadelphie. "Une forte tempête est en approche" annonce les écrans géants. pic.twitter.com/AXJZ7vSr3h
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) June 22, 2026

(The severe weather warning was actually first sounded three hours before France due to play Iraq, but then the match initially went ahead, until the start of the second-half was interrupted for an hour or so before it resumed.)

🚨 France-Irak interrompu à cause de l’orage : le match ne reprendra pas avant 1h du matin pic.twitter.com/f7tJVNhZ7g
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) June 22, 2026

(The reason why it was more than the usual 15-minute break before the start of the second-half. By the time it resumed, it would have been on 23 June in France itself, in the early hours of the morning then.)

Philadelphia on the morning of July 4, 1776, was a pleasant 68 degrees, according to a diary kept by Thomas Jefferson. In 2026, Philadelphia is facing far less pleasant weather on Saturday, as dangerously high temperatures will drag on for another day.

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— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) July 4, 2026 at 9:55 PM

(It is in Fahrenheit, but the mention of Philadelphia is a reminder of how France's last 16 tie against Paraguay was taking place there too.)

Co-host Mexico experienced rain delays, twice. Its last 32 tie against Ecuador was delayed for two hours, and the last 16 tie against England was delayed for an hour. Even if both matches were at the Azteca in Mexico City, it was not spared due to how it is an open stadium not sheltered from the elements.

Even England was also not spared from the weather drama. Before its second group match against Ghana in Boston, there was downpour. Then there was what happened away at the Azteca coming up against the co-host Mexico in the last 16. Norway in Miami in the quarters was humid too, and considering what I read of those reported on the match there in terms of how it was like, trust me, coming from hot and humid Singapore where I used to have a university lecturer, who is an American, on my student exchange days in the United States commented that ‘it’s like Miami’ (after asking the class of the average temperature in Singapore), I would not have like it either. I mean, in the build-up to the match and I was watching the weather forecast here after the television news, it put Miami at 26 to 34 degrees Celsius, and I immediately went saying aloud in front of the television, “What’s this? Singapore?” We get such weather forecast all the time here that the running joke is that we only have the summer season all year round and I can only kind of smiled of what came out of Miami on the weather front for the match.

A look at the weather conditions in Boston ahead of England's game against Ghana tonight 📹 pic.twitter.com/5pdQJoSEom
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 23, 2026

(That is Sky Sports News's Rob Dorsett, the person reporting on England's World Cup campaign throughout the tournament, the person audiences back in the UK will always see on Sky Sports reporting on the national side then. And his colleagues.)

And the weather threatened to rear its head again ahead of the final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey. The spate of wildfires which had first come out of Canada, and wind direction led to haze reaching the United States, and into the direction of where the World Cup final would take place. There had been understandably fears over the air quality, but rain coming just before the actual day itself help to dissipate that. But it says something the weather wanted to have a final word, even ahead of the final itself.

Wildfire smoke to have minimal impact on World Cup final

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) July 18, 2026 at 9:05 AM

Thunderstorms disrupt Spain and Argentina World Cup final training plans

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) July 19, 2026 at 12:49 AM

The unnecessary political intervention

I should know this better. I did study comparative politics at university as a mass communications major. As a football fan as well, it is the one thing I always dread come intervening along the way in the sport. But unfortunately, it does happen, since time immemorial.

Iran immediately springs to mind, and it is not just due to how it was also one of the countries and its political system I did have to learn about in my comparative politics textbook at university. There was even with what has been happening between Iran and the United States before the World Cup kicked off, and I am not talking about the football. But anyway, the national team was supposed to be based in the United States during the tournament, until they had to go to Mexico instead, meaning they always fly into the United States because of all their group matches were at there, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle in between. Los Angeles is also known to be where the largest Iranian community is at outside of Iran itself, so much so it is nicknamed ‘Tehrangeles’. The nickname came about due to the Iranians who came to settle down in the United States in the wake of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and many ended up in the City of Angels.

Iran to base World Cup camp in Mexico after switch from Arizona

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) May 24, 2026 at 2:44 AM

Even if Iran was in the same group as Belgium, Egypt, New Zealand in Group G, any matches involving them always attracted attention. It was to be decided on the final group of matches where Belgium emerged on top, and Egypt behind, Iran’s fate as part of the best of third-placed teams came to be decided in Group J’s decider between Algeria and Austria. The 3-3 draw might had saw both sides through behind Argentina (leaving Austria play Spain in the last 32, Algeria and Switzerland in the last 32), but Iran out as a result. But what was to be unsurprising was how there were American government officials openly celebrating Iran’s exit from the tournament.

Iran's Taremi criticises logistical issues, suggests side not welcome in US

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 27, 2026 at 3:01 PM

There is also the case of the referee who was denied entry into the United States just before the start of the World Cup, the Somalian referee Omar Artan, who was already voted as the best referee from the African continent. This is despite holding a diplomatic passport and a single-entry US visa. But then, it is also due to how Somalia is already on the travel ban list in the United States. It could be in response of the denial of entry just before the start of the World Cup that UEFA announced that Artan was given the job of refereeing the UEFA Super Cup tie between the Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and the Europa League winner Aston Villa in Salzburg, in what is always the traditional curtain-raiser before the start of the European club competitions for the 2026/27 season.

Somali soccer referee who was denied US entry says what happened was 'wrong'

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 10, 2026 at 4:26 PM

Denied World Cup entry, Somali referee Artan to officiate UEFA Super Cup

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 11, 2026 at 9:41 PM

"Anyone can succeed. Never stop dreaming" 💪 pic.twitter.com/IRVqwz3Wgw
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 12, 2026

"They're not allowed to do this. ... This is moving the goal posts on the players."

—@herculezg on FIFA suspending Folarin Balogun's red card and allowing him to play vs. Belgium ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/6KCb22ELFM
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 5, 2026

Trump intervention sparks World Cup storm as FIFA clears Balogun to face Belgium

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) July 6, 2026 at 1:25 PM

3 - Belgium 🇧🇪 have reached the quarter-finals in three of the last four World Cup editions, having previously reached this stage just once in their entire history

1930-2010 : 1 quarter-final
2014-2026 : 3 quarter-finals

Generational. https://t.co/LDKuvnejSH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 7, 2026

There's justice in life, says Raskin after Belgium eliminate US

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) July 7, 2026 at 11:14 AM

Nach dem Fall Balogun hatte Belgien die Sympathien außerhalb der USA auf seiner Seite. Genugtuung empfand nach dem klaren Sieg auch Thibaut Courtois, der ein paar Seitenhiebe in Richtung WM-Gastgeber verteilte. https://t.co/VNsyumuqM3
— kicker Newsfeed (@kicker_feed) July 7, 2026

(The comments from Belgium goalkeeper Thibault Courtois after the last 16 win over the co-hosts United States, in terms of the lack of disrespect Belgium felt they got in the build-up.)

The mini league of the third-ranked teams

I used to tell my father at one time working out the permutations of which will be the best of the third-ranked teams to go to the knockouts, that I have almost lost the will to live. There were teams that depended on how it goes for other teams in the final round of group matches to see if they were still in contention for the knockouts or not, and the waiting game happens for those who ended earlier than others. Scotland and South Korea fell under that category of ending their final group match respectively earlier than others but still get knocked out few days later without even kicking a ball. It also happened to Iran, though it came in the Group J decider between Algeria and Austria where that eventual mad end becomes 3-3 led to Iran knocked out of the group stages altogether.

Scotland, South Korea eliminated from World Cup

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 10:13 AM

Austria draw with Algeria in World Cup thriller to progress and send Iran home

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 2:07 PM

Sweden's case nearly had a comical moment when while everyone else associating with Sweden was celebrating reaching the last 32 after their draw against Japan, striker Anthony Elanga was seen being frustrated on the pitch at the final whistle. Sweden coach Graham Potter was asked about it at the post-match press conference, and he raised the suggestion that Elanga might had been thinking about something else which led to the reaction. To be fair, Elanga would clarify days later that it was that Sweden did not beat Japan which led to his frustration on the pitch.

(The television commentator on Sweden striker Anthony Elanga in the final moments of the 1-1 draw between Japan and Sweden, with the suggestion from the commentator that Elanga was not aware a draw was enough to send them through to the knockouts.)

Here's the final Group F standings, with the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden all through to the World Cup knockouts 🇳🇱🇯🇵🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/48AJPgf6KN
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 26, 2026

Potter comes up trumps at World Cup as Sweden squeeze through again

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— CNA (@channelnewsasia.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 10:08 AM

But it says something of what could be seen as the convoluted nature of working out the permutations, especially for sides that was facing a third-placed team in the knockouts. It used to be straightforward when it was previously a 32-team tournament where it is a given only the top two from each group advance, nothing more. There was no last 32 then, the knockouts began from the last 16. And with the talk of a potential 64-team tournament in future World Cups, how are the permutations going to be worked out then?

The German football way of invincibility

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:55:15 +0000

It has to take a Liverpool legend taking over the helm at Chelsea for yours truly to bring back the occasional series of footballing moments in my own words, not since the last I did was seven years ago. That was to be in hindsight, pre-pandemic. How much the world of football has changed. Or maybe I thought I have lost the will to revisit footballing moments because of you know, the real working world. It used to be an almost regular occurrence, something happening in the present to trigger revisiting something that once took place. I was once a student of history back in school, and it carries me into being a football fan.

The now-Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso (lifting the Bundesliga trophy), when he became the first-ever coach in Bayer Leverkusen's history to lead them to the league title in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. And going through an entire season unbeaten as well. (Image via Opta)

Also, I can never deny the fact that what Bayer Leverkusen did in the 2023/24 Bundesliga season is something Bundesliga followers like me once thought would never see. My German football club loyalty is at VfB Stuttgart, and the club returned to the top-flight after four seasons in exile in the second division for the 2020/21 season. The club barely survived upon its return to top-flight football, but then one small part of me, or maybe because I do also follow Spanish football, is chuffed at how the coach who took the club back to the Bundesliga eventually went on to be the Real Sociedad coach who brought the club a piece of silverware not since 1987 in winning the Copa del Rey for the 2025/26 season in Pellegrino Matarazzo. The coaching carousel was constantly turning, until it ended with Sebastian Hoeness in early April 2023. If the surname sounds familiar, well, it is due to his famous uncle, the honorary Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness. But then he got the job on merit, after started working at Bayern reserves after the end of his playing career and at Hoffenheim before it was Stuttgart. And that was where he began the 2023/24 Bundesliga season at, and much to the disappointment of clubs wanting to get him, he is still here three years on.

At the dugout of VfB Stuttgart since early April 2023, the coach Sebastian Hoeness. Very much in demand due to how Stuttgart came to turn its fortunes around under him but, he is still here. (Image via IMAGO/Sportfoto Rudel, on www.kicker.de)

Still, this is also a story of two clubs that have shaped how I look back at the 2022/23 and 2023/24 Bundesliga seasons: Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. It is also about where some of the people linked to those clubs have ended up since, including one who became Chelsea manager in the Premier League off-season before the World Cup. If someone had told me almost four years ago that Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso would one day be in the Chelsea dugout, I would have laughed it off. Yet in early October 2022, he returned to German football as Bayer Leverkusen’s head coach, tasked with steering the club away from possible relegation. It was his first major coaching job after his playing career had ended, following a spell as a coach with Real Sociedad’s reserves, back to where his football career had begun. German football first came to know Alonso during his time at Bayern Munich where he eventually ended his playing career at, when his move from Real Madrid made headlines. Pep Guardiola was Bayern’s coach then, before his move to Manchester City and the managerial legacy he would build there. Leverkusen finished the 2022/23 Bundesliga season in sixth place, earning a spot in the Europa League. That same season, my club Stuttgart won the relegation play-off against Hamburg over two legs (which feels like a sliding doors moment because in another timeline, Hamburg could have been the German club I support instead, and that is another story for another day) and secured another season in the top-flight.

1 - Leverkusen's new head coach Xabi Alonso celebrates his coaching debut in the Bundesliga against FC Schalke 04 on Saturday - he had also played his first Bundesliga match as a player against Schalke in August 2014 (1-1 with FC Bayern). Return. pic.twitter.com/SnGlvptPZu
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) October 6, 2022

2 - Leverkusen's new coach Xabi #Alonso is only the second Spanish manager in #Bundesliga history after Pep #Guardiola. Guardiola is the most successful coach in Bundesliga history with an average of 2.52 points per game. Vamos. pic.twitter.com/g72XR3hiA7
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) October 6, 2022

2 - Hamburger SV are only the second club to lose the Bundesliga play-offs in consecutive seasons, after 1. FC Saarbrücken in 1988/89 and 1989/90. Stuck. #HSVVfB
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) June 5, 2023

(In another timeline, that would be me wallowing in self-pity. I came very close to have Hamburg as my German club, but went for VfB Stuttgart after winning the 2006/07 Bundesliga title, my first season following the league.)

But at the same time during the 2022/23 Bundesliga season, with the talk of who could be managing the German national team ahead of hosting the football European Championships at home in 2024, in an unprecedented move, Hansi Flick got the boot. Meanwhile at Bayern Munich, it was still in title contention with Julian Naglesmann at the helm, until it was not. But days after the loss away at Bayer Leverkusen just after mid-March 2023, he was out. And then he got the Germany job six months after his sacking from Bayern. Until what happened at the 2026 World Cup where he was gone after Germany’s last 32 exit to Paraguay on penalties (the first time it has happened to Germany in a knockout tie in this manner…not since the 1976 European Championship final as West Germany against Czechoslovakia), it was not as if German football never once took a chance on a coach with not much experience, as Juergen Klinsmann was the last best example before the 2006 World Cup on home soil because he never held a coaching job beforehand then. A year later after his sacking from the Germany job, Flick ended up at Barcelona (where he succeeded club icon Xavi at the dugout) where his appointment was announced ahead of the 2024/25 La Liga season, much to many people's surprise even me following Spanish football as well. Safe to say Flick would have the last laugh with back-to-back La Liga titles since, and even I must give him props.

2.45 - At 2.45 points per game, Hansi Flick has the second-best points per game ratio of any coach in Bundesliga history, after Pep Guardiola (2.52), who has won the UEFA Champions League twice with FC Barcelona. Footsteps? pic.twitter.com/mG3OJRScz1
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 29, 2024

3 - Hansi Flick has become the third German FC Barcelona coach after Hennes Weisweiler (1975-76, 39 games) and Udo Lattek (1981-83, 80 games). History. pic.twitter.com/4d7FQfavwF
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) May 29, 2024

1 – Germany suffered their first ever FIFA World Cup elimination via a penalty shootout, having won their previous four, while it’s only their second loss on penalties at a major tournament following the 1976 UEFA EURO final to Czechoslovakia (3-5).

Faltered. pic.twitter.com/L1conlu34R
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 29, 2026

On the surface, Julian Naglesmann, the one-time German football coaching wunderkind who first made a splash at Hoffenheim due to his relative age where he was promoted from within the Hoffenheim coaching set-up and become its youngest-ever coach in its history and the Bundesliga in 2016, 28-going on-29 years of age and all. To put into perspective, I am born in the same year as him. But then he would only officially take the Hoffenheim job proper in early 2016 due to the person he succeeded in Huub Stevens had to resign due to health problems. The 2026/17 season was where he was supposed to start his tenure proper, but he got the gig ahead of time in the midst of the season before. And Hoffenheim survived relegation, before the run it would go on in the 2016/17 season and German football really get to know more about him. Like how he never hides the fact that he is a Bayern Munich fan in early interviews that he did as Hoffenheim coach, which would come to make sense for a Bavarian like he is, supporting the biggest football club from his local region. He would then go on to RB Leipzig, and Bayern did come knocking ahead of the 2021/22 season.

130 – Since Julian Nagelsmann took charge in 2019, @RBLeipzig_EN gathered 130 points in the @Bundesliga_EN - only @FCBayernEN collected more points (153) in that period. Transfer. pic.twitter.com/s4oc8RjDxV
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 27, 2021

Bayern Munich did come to win the Bundesliga title at the 2021/22 season with Julian Naglesmann at the helm, which was always the bare minimum for the club. Then something was to be afoot for the 2022/23 season. Borussia Dortmund, with the former West Ham assistant manager Edin Terzic (he used to work alongside Slaven Bilic at the Hammers, and since Dortmund, he is at Athletic Club in Spain before the start of the upcoming 2026/27 season in La Liga) at the helm at the time, went on a title hunt, snapping at Bayern's heels. But before Dortmund became the last club to challenge Bayern in the title race, Union Berlin also had a go, and the club from the German capital eventually ended the 2022/23 season in fourth, playing Champions League football for the following season for the first time in its history.

15 - Union Berlin have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their club's history, becoming the 15th different German participant in the #UCL - the most of any nation (ahead of Spain on 13). Eisern. pic.twitter.com/dzCh5pBXJ1
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 27, 2023

Neutrals like me had wanted to believe it was possible that a club not call Bayern Munich can win the league, and it went down all the way to the wire on the final matchday of the season, even more so of the added English interest in Jude Bellingham was at there with him being the only English player after Jadon Sancho left for Manchester United ahead of that season. But before that, going back to what happened in the wake of the former Germany coach Julian Naglesmann getting the boot from Bayern after the away loss at Bayer Leverkusen, managed by Xabi Alonso. Five days after the match on 24 March 2023, Bayern had announced who would succeed Julian Naglesmann whose sacking was made official on that day. At that time, his last job was at Chelsea, but since then, it is the one line I thought I would never say three years ago even as an English-speaking Bundesliga follower also into the Premier League, given where he has been since. The England head coach Thomas Tuchel. But then three years ago, he returned to Germany after becoming only the second Chelsea manager to win the Champions League in the club’s history in 2021. I had plenty of flashbacks in my head only last year listening to the podcast version of BBC Radio 4 profile of him, because a lot of it spoke of what I used to remember of him prior to being at Chelsea, and a lot that I do not know of as well. Like how he first made his name as a coach at Mainz after the club got promoted back to the Bundesliga for the 2009/10 season, and that was when the flashbacks began for me in my head, because that was also how I first heard of him and I did remember that young and talented Mainz side which came to shake up the league.

2.19 - As Bayern Munich manager, Julian Nagelsmann gained 2.19 points per game on average in the Bundesliga - it's the fourth best value of all Bayern managers in Bundesliga history. Sacked? pic.twitter.com/3bIGoz4XO0
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) March 24, 2023

8 - Thomas Tuchel will be the eighth manager to coach both BVB and Bayern in the Bundesliga (after Ottmar Hitzfeld, Pal Csernai, Otto Rehhagel, Branko Zebec, Reinhard Saftig, Erich Ribbeck and Udo Lattek). Route. pic.twitter.com/Y05f5BialN
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) March 25, 2023

(Everything in hindsight. But three years ago, he returned to German football as the only second Chelsea manager to win the Champions League in the club's history in 2021. His last job in Germany until Bayern Munich came knocking was at Borussia Dortmund.)

Nun ist es offiziell: FC Bayern stellt Julian Nagelsmann frei - Nachfolger wird Thomas Tuchel! 💥#Bayern #Tuchel #Nagelsmann pic.twitter.com/1NygjyAsg8
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) March 24, 2023

(After the official confirmation from the club, how it was reported in places like on Sky Sports Germany on who came in to succeed Julian Naglesmann at the dugout at Bayern Munich. Because reports already started to emerge few days before of who could be coming in. Yeah, the same guy mentioned here on the right.)

But what I did not know until last year listening to the podcast, it was after finding out one of his former clubs in his playing days got promoted to the Bundesliga would lead to him in wanting to become a football coach, though I previously recalled reading of him doing business administration at university after he ended his short-lived playing career which never went beyond the second and third division. What the BBC Radio 4 profile of Thomas Tuchel spoke of how it all ended for him at Borussia Dortmund, the second coaching job he landed after Mainz where he succeeded the now-Germany coach Jurgen Klopp in 2015 (who went to Liverpool after that), it was all accurate, because that was also how I recalled too. That was to be the last job he had in Germany only for two seasons at Dortmund despite there was the DFB-Pokal triumph in 2017 to show for it, where he was to be at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea after that. He would lead those two clubs into two separate Champions League finals, and it was at Chelsea where he achieved the big one in 2021. Though curiously in the 2020 final, PSG (reaching its first Champions League final then) was coming up against Bayern (then with the now-Barcelona coach Hansi Flick), though it was to be emerged before he did get the Bayern job, German media had reported that Tuchel was already previously in consideration by the club hierarchy before he went to PSG in 2018, something he did acknowledged in his introductory press conference as Bayern coach that he had contact from the Bayern bosses at that time. But still, given all the rivalry between Bayern Munich and Dortmund from the last time he was still working in German football, he was to be on the other side towards the final stretch of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season, six years later.

Football Weekly is here! Join @maxrushden, @bglendenning, @jonathanliew and @barneyronay https://t.co/ObQgL5QQ5r
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) May 31, 2021

(A blast from the past. This was days after the 2021 Champions League final, a review which featured Chelsea's triumph and mentions of then-Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola 'overthinking' again. I did remember listening to this after the match and thought of it again after who became the Bayern Munich coach back on 24 March 2023.)

2.09 - Thomas Tuchel earned an average of 2.09 points-per-game in 68 Bundesliga matches with Borussia Dortmund - the best points-per-game average of any coach in BVB's Bundesliga history. Meeting. #FCBBVB pic.twitter.com/AjaH9DOFbO
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) March 31, 2023

The reason why the Bundesliga title race for the 2022/23 season went down to the wire, after initially winning at home after the end of the international break against Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich started to be on shaky ground on the domestic front (out in the DFB-Pokal against RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals) and on the European front (the quarter-final exit to Manchester City in the Champions League), with those back-to-back exits in two different cup competitions raised doubts. It then started to find its feet again in the league, where before the slip-up at home to RB Leipzig on the penultimate matchday meant the final day of the season is when the title would be decided, the away loss at Mainz in late April was the other spanner in the works. If there was already the case of how Thomas Tuchel’s debut as Bayern coach was at home to the last club he managed in Germany before being at Paris Saint-Germain and later Chelsea, there was also the case of Mainz being where German football (and me) first really came to know of him as a coach in the top-flight 17 years before in the 2009/10 season. It was also noted that before the loss at Mainz, the current England assistant coach Anthony Barry arrived as part of the coaching staff at Bayern, whom Tuchel had previously worked with at Chelsea, and someone he had fought hard to get to Bayern.

Barry in München angekommen - Tuchel: "Endlich ein guter Trainer hier" - Engländer komplettiert Bayerns Trainerteam #BL https://t.co/8gdl2pxhoc
— kicker Newsfeed (@kicker_feed) April 21, 2023

(The first time German football first heard of the man who would later become the England assistant coach Anthony Barry. At his introductory press conference as Bayern Munich coach, Thomas Tuchel had already talked trying to get Barry over, someone whom he used to work alongside at Chelsea. The Englishman's arrival as part of the coaching staff came just before Bayern was due to be away at Mainz in the league.)

The final matchday of the 2022/23 season was to be decided at these two matches: Borussia Dortmund at home against Mainz, Bayern Munich away at Cologne. At least for both Dortmund and Bayern, Mainz and Cologne already had nothing to play for. But for Bundesliga followers with long memories, title races that went down the wire has become few and far between since the turn of this century, though it tends to end with a familiar script, just ask Schalke fans what happened in the 2000/01 season. One of those rare exceptions though, coincidentally happened in the same season which I first started following the Bundesliga in the 2006/07 season, just after the 2006 World Cup in Germany. So, in a way, that was how VfB Stuttgart became my German club, ‘jumping’ on the bandwagon and all.

Anyway, what happened on 27 May 2023 certainly brought back shades of what happened at the turn of the century. Bayern Munich initially took an early lead at Cologne, then Mainz decided to gate-crash the title race at Dortmund by racing to a 2-0 lead, with Dortmund having a goal chalked off in between by Sebastien Haller, whose cancer fight became one of the stories of the season especially from Dortmund’s perspective. Then there was a plot twist in Cologne, the water sprinklers started splashing all over the pitch, causing temporary halt to the match. Things started to get a little bit interesting in Cologne after play resumed, because Cologne got a penalty and they levelled things up. They would have been cheering at the result in Dortmund by then, because there was less than ten minutes to go, and they needed Cologne to hold on to hand them the title. Then just before full-time, it was 2-1…to Bayern. There was additional three minutes in Cologne, then at Dortmund at the sixth minute of added-time, Dortmund found another goal and it was 2-2 in the end. So, Bayern Munich won the league and the rest of the league in terms of the neutrals like me wondered what could have been for Dortmund given both clubs ended the 2022/23 season with the same points where the goal difference was the tie-breaker, and Bayern clearly had that advantage.

11 - Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga for the 11th time in a row, extending their record streak within Europe's big-five leagues. Overall, it is the 33rd German championship for the Bavarian side. Comeback. pic.twitter.com/TKz8NSmn9B
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 27, 2023

2 - Thomas Tuchel is only the second coach in Bundesliga history to take over a team in the second half of a season and become German champion - the only previous case came in 1993-94, also with Bayern, when Franz Beckenbauer took over from Erich Ribbeck. Rarity. pic.twitter.com/eXDgagqOjJ
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 27, 2023

(Some might say this is not his first rodeo. There was the 2021 Champions League triumph in May of that year which came after just he arrived at Chelsea in January of that same year too.)

❌ Haller's penalty agony
💦 Rogue sprinklers
🖥️ VAR rows
🧠 Musiala's genius
😬 Ill-advised t-shirts
😢 Bellingham's tears

The story of a crazy final day in the Bundesliga title race between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.#BVB | #FCBayern

📝 @SebSB
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) May 28, 2023

‘We will be back’: Dortmund look to future after Bayern snatch title away | @andybrassell https://t.co/Fj7U5sPVV5
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) May 29, 2023

It was not long after the end of the 2022/23 season, something was to be afoot. The increasing talk of Harry Kane, then at Tottenham Hotspur, to Bayern Munich, which first really kicked off in late June 2023 when reports emerged that an offer had been made. I had initially wanted to be sceptical due to the then-Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy’s working style and how he tends to drive a hard bargain on players leaving the club (Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in 2013 was a famous example of that, which went down towards the final days of the summer transfer window), but then when even the Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness was talking it up, one thing usually happens. As I replied to my father, who do know I also follow the Bundesliga, because he had asked me about Hoeness’s comments on Kane and after briefly explaining about Hoeness’s place at the club to my father, “What Uli Hoeness wants, he usually gets.” Though at the same time in my head, I was thinking the rumours could only come about due to who was the Bayern coach at the time, after previously at Chelsea. It would take three years for everything to be confirmed of what I had previously read in the aftermath of Kane coming to Bayern, just days before the 2023/24 Bundesliga season began. In the aftermath of England’s last 16 World Cup win away at Mexico at the Azteca on 5 July, among the many things that was brought up at the post-match press conference, the England head coach Thomas Tuchel had recalled how he had fought hard to get Kane to Bayern, adding that how it went against the opinions of many others at the club at the time, and the pride at how things have turned out since. My mind went - That confirms everything! Because three years ago, that was what all the reports in Germany say in terms of what I had read back then, the now-England coach’s role in getting Kane to Bayern, in what was a record transfer move for the Bundesliga, the most expensive transfer in Bayern’s history and the Bundesliga as a whole, and if reports are to believed, the most expensive sale in Tottenham Hotspur’s history not since when Gareth Bale went to Real Madrid in 2013.

Der FC Bayern hat ein erstes Angebot für Stürmer Harry Kane abgegeben. Sky kann den Bericht von The Athletic bestätigen. ✅

↪️ Die Münchner boten nach Sky Infos weniger als 70 Millionen € plus Bonuszahlungen für den 29-Jährigen. Die Spurs lehnten dieses Angebot jedoch ab. pic.twitter.com/VIqlDBtv8U
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) June 27, 2023

(As how it was seen in Germany. It was The Athletic which first reported of how Bayern Munich had submitted their first offer, and the likes of Sky Sports Germany confirming that it did happened. And so it begins...)

The reason it was a big deal three years ago, it is that Harry Kane is the England captain. The last time an England captain plays his club football abroad, that was David Beckham from Manchester United to Real Madrid. And the last time an England captain plays his club football in Germany, that was the late Kevin Keegan in his playing pomp from Liverpool to Hamburg in 1977, whom upon his passing which was announced the day after the 2026 World Cup final, being remembered in Germany as, to quote Bild tabloid, the ‘first international superstar of the Bundesliga’. Bear in mind the Bundesliga as we know it came into being in 1963, and back then, big-name footballers do not come to Germany, they go to Italy or Spain instead. Even then 46 years before (this is in 2023), Keegan’s move from Merseyside to Hamburg also broke record on the transfer front from a German footballing perspective, where it was double the standard at the time. I found out for the first time that Keegan was the England captain when he made the move from Liverpool to Hamburg on the day of his passing when listening to the podcast version of BBC 5 Live’s report on the reactions to his passing and tributes to him, and the journalist who pointed that out had remarked that history does repeat itself. Apart from the Ballon d’Or for now, given Keegan won it twice in a row while with Hamburg.

2 - Kevin Keegan is the only English player to win the Ballon d'Or on multiple occasions, claiming the title in 1978 & 1979.

Legend. pic.twitter.com/QgRwmdTrdM
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 20, 2026

(Doing it while with Hamburg too. The first international superstar of the Bundesliga, they call him 'Mighty Mouse' in Germany. And even if he would spend three years there, his legacy is still being felt...by Germans who are also called Kevin. The very un-German name saw a surge in popularity in the late 70s to early 80s in the country.)

Still, coming back to just before the start of the 2023/24 season, German football was in a state of dizzying excitement of Harry Kane playing in the Bundesliga. And how it was the current England coach Thomas Tuchel who said it in his then-capacity as the Bayern Munich coach in a television interview ahead of the German Supercup, in terms of getting the captain of the England national team out of the Premier League, and how the move was a ‘statement’ for Bayern and the Bundesliga, the lines which I still remember which came out of Germany at the time. Back when Kane was at Bayern Munich in his first season, it came in the shadow of Robert Lewandowski had left for Barcelona only the year before, the last top-class striker Bayern ever had up till that point, and he was seen as Lewandowski’s successor at the club. Sadio Mane, coming from Liverpool, was the original replacement from the previous season, but then Kane would put in numbers that made people forget about Lewandowski. It used to be when Kane was still at Tottenham Hotspur, he had been previously derided rightly or wrongly, a ‘one-season wonder’, or as the former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once said about Spurs being the ‘Harry Kane team’. Putting those aside, there was also whether he could overtake Alan Shearer to become the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer as he was the closest challenger to the crown until he went to Bayern, and that debate was reignited when the Bayern rumours got serious. There was also the eternal debate at least in English football, if he can ever be considered world class if he was only playing for the club, given the state of Spurs was in at the time. But then Spurs fans have always sung, ‘Harry Kane, he is one of our own’, an irony of sorts due to how he could have played for Spurs’s North London rival Arsenal, the club that let him go as a youngster.

213 - Harry Kane scored 213 Premier League goals, with only Alan Shearer scoring more (260). Since his debut goal in April 2014, only Robert Lewandowski (264), Lionel Messi (256) and Cristiano Ronaldo (237) have scored more in Europe's top-five leagues. Elite. pic.twitter.com/gLWg3nKQW9
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) August 10, 2023

(This was the debate which was reignited when the Bayern Munich rumours got serious in the English game. Does Kane remain in the Premier League to overtake Shearer's record as he is the closest challenger to the crown, or go elsewhere to win trophies, given the state of Tottenham Hotspur at the time. I admit, I did also think about this when the rumours got serious too.)

43% - Harry Kane scored a higher % of his team’s goals than any other player in the Premier League last season (43% - 30 out of 70). Exceptional.

This and more impressive stats about Kane, who is on the verge of a move to FC Bayern, in this article ⬇https://t.co/1E01wa7c8X
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) August 10, 2023

(What the Premier League stand to lose and the Bundesliga stand to gain three years ago. Also included what the former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once said Spurs being the 'Harry Kane team'. You can look that up.)

„Es gibt Stand jetzt keine Entscheidung, keine Einigung.“ 😳🚨

🔴 „Wir arbeiten mit Hochdruck daran. Das kann ich auf jeden Fall bestätigen. Es ist kein Geheimnis mehr. Es gibt Stand jetzt keine Entscheidung, keine Einigung.“#SkyTransfer #Kane #Bayern #Tuchel pic.twitter.com/6xqDKfGHWM
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) August 11, 2023

(He was practically smiling when he confirmed that the club has been working on it. It was not long what he said would make its way to the United Kingdom, back where he was still remembered from his time at Chelsea, his then-last job before being at Bayern...)

"We're working on it, that's what I can confirm and that is no secret." 🧐

Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel speaking today about Harry Kane's move to the German club. pic.twitter.com/13aLv1rq5q
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 11, 2023

(As how it was reported on Sky Sports News in the United Kingdom. Jan is actually referring to the Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dressen, who had been leading the negotiations from Bayern's side in the transfer of Harry Kane to the club.)

"We are trying to get the captain of the England national team out of England." 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿➡️🇩🇪

Thomas Tuchel says Bayern Munich are working "at the highest pressure" to seal a deal for Harry Kane 🤝 pic.twitter.com/RIGYeXUcsL
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) August 11, 2023

(The comments which would be repeated in a German television interview ahead of the German Supercup from the then-Bayern coach himself, in terms of how big of a deal this is for Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga, and German football as a whole. But one can assume this is for the English media, because he spoke it in English.)

If anything, it meant that there was an increase of English interest into the Bundesliga. Then there was also at Bayer Leverkusen with Xabi Alonso in his first full season in charge at the dugout. The two clubs which would come to shape the narrative in the Bundesliga title race for the 2023/24 season. It certainly felt rather surreal as the English-speaking Bundesliga follower during those times when I recalled my father, who does not follow anything outside of the Premier League until midweek European football action in the Champions League, occasionally asking me how Kane is getting along at Bayern Munich, and my German club is actually at VfB Stuttgart. Or maybe again, given how after the end of the 2022/23 season, Jude Bellingham had gone from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, and so the English interest in the Bundesliga shifted to the England captain being at Bayern. As I reminded my father at one point during the 2026 World Cup the day after England’s last 16 win at Mexico as the living room television was showing a rerun of the match (which Kane had initially converted a penalty which would become the winner, before he gave away another) before I went off to the kitchen to get fruits to eat (this was after I had finished dinner, and the rerun happened around that time), “Do you know who played a part in Harry Kane at Bayern Munich three years ago? It is the England manager!” Three years ago when it was all done after also following the transfer drama, I decided to finally made peace with myself on Kane being in the Bundesliga where the only upside that he is playing in a league I do also follow, because of his association with Tottenham Hotspur (which came to last for 19 years until the Bayern move, since he was there when he was 11) and how it is unthinkable for him to play for another club in English football, even if he did have clubs interested in the Premier League (I should know, because the club I support in English football in Manchester United had been previously linked with him too, and only two years before in 2021, there was the Manchester City move that never was), and Real Madrid too.

"It will be the highest transfer fee a club has paid in Bundesliga history"💰

Harry Kane's potential move to Bayern could be record breaking! 💥 pic.twitter.com/AZJU1RT6ot
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 10, 2023

(The amount quoted would have been nothing new to anyone following the Premier League, but by Bundesliga and German football standards, this is uncharted territory. 46 years after the last England captain who played his club football in Germany in the late Kevin Keegan who went from Liverpool to Hamburg in 1977, where his 500,000-pound transfer was double the standard in Germany then.)

"Bayern are really confident that Kane will sign" 💪

Will Kane be heading to the Bundesliga? 👀 pic.twitter.com/DcIPxh5pER
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 10, 2023

(This was done before the deal did get over the line, but Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg had been one of the journalists who had been covering every angle of the story from the start from the German side, and he is also well known for reporting on football transfers from a German footballing perspective. And watch what he had to say on why this is a big deal for Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga, and German football as a whole in terms of the amount involved to get Harry Kane to Bayern.)

The full timeline of Harry Kane’s £100m move to Bayern Munich ⤵️

◉ 7:00am - Waiting at the airport
◉ 8:00am - Told to turn around
◉ 2:50pm - Permission to fly granted
◉ 6:10pm - Kane lands in Germany
◉ 1:00am - Medical completed
◉ 2:00am - Contract signed

Done deal ✅ pic.twitter.com/D46Ll1BlaV
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 12, 2023

👤 435 games
⚽️ 280 goals
🎯 64 assists

🗣️ “I’ve given everything that I possibly could to make you proud.”

Harry Kane bids farewell to Tottenham following 19 years of service. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/RWyNDtLgTr
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 12, 2023

An end of an era for Harry Kane at Tottenham 👋

A new dawn at Bayern Munich begins 💭🏆#BBCFootball #THFC pic.twitter.com/vGpajWPMkM
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 12, 2023

Der Poker hat ein Ende! Harry Kane ist endlich offizieller Spieler des FC Bayern. ✅#SkyTransfer #TU #Kane pic.twitter.com/atuRSZfzvM
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) August 12, 2023

(As seen in Germany when it was finally done, on Sky Sports Germany. In Germany, the whole transfer saga had been seen as a transfer 'poker'.)

Harry Kane's Premier League records:

◉ Most away goals
◉ Most goals for a single club
◉ Most goals in a calendar year
◉ Most headed goals in a season
◉ Most games scored in during a season
◉= Most POTM awards

But Alan Shearer's record will have to wait. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿➡️🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/awpb4P8zmM
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 12, 2023

(The man on the left is the person who had been leading the negotiations from Bayern Munich's side from the start, the club CEO Jan-Christian Dressen.)

Then there was what happened just before the traditional season opener in the German Supercup on 12 August 2023 between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, with the latter successfully defended winning the cup for the 2022/23 season. There was the last-minute drama (because Harry Kane’s flight to Munich was originally delayed back in London and reports say at one time, that was the most followed on the flight-tracking website flightradar24.com) and later excitement over the arrival of Kane to Bayern Munich where there were fans who waited outside Bayern’s training ground which lasted till the early hours of Saturday morning of 12 August because he only arrived some time before midnight the previous day to sign his contract after completing the medical. The German sports magazine Kicker had mused on its website that it was like a ‘difficult birth’ for the club, considering the entire summer of 2023 was dominated by whether Bayern would get their number one striker target, where it even dogged Bayern’s pre-season tour of Asia, or right here in my country Singapore actually. Apart from what had been viewed from the English footballing perspective in terms of what I have always known which I had brought up in the previous paragraphs, the German football media started to educate its audiences on why it was never straightforward to get the captain of the England national team over the line, more of then-Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy’s tendency to drive a hard bargain on players leaving the club. As someone who has interests on both sides, it always never fails to make me smile. For as long as I started to get into football and into the Premier League (growing up with a father, who is the original football fan in the family, kind of helped with him always talking about it), Kane’s career trajectory to date has also been part of my own English footballing experience too, from when I started to know of his emergence at Tottenham Hotspur before his progress into the national side and eventually becoming the captain. Back when I decided to also follow the Bundesliga 20 years ago after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, I only have what Kevin Keegan came to achieve at Hamburg and later Owen Hargreaves at Bayern Munich (who was also incidentally the last England international who used to play for the club, until Kane come along) as something for me to say it is worthwhile even as the English-speaking fan of the league, before Jadon Sancho made it fashionable once more when he went to Borussia Dortmund in 2017 (and he was seen as the replacement for Ousmane Dembele, who had gone to Barcelona then, before the Frenchman being at Paris Saint-Germain since) and Jude Bellingham joining in at the same club three years later in 2020, before currently at Real Madrid. I remember at one time during the 2023/24 Bundesliga season, I found myself uttering aloud while watching the weekly highlights programme, “The Bundesliga excited over an English footballer in Germany…probably not since Keegan?”

Kane an der Säbener Straße! Fans feiern Stürmer bei Ankunft!😳✨ #SkyTransfer #Kane pic.twitter.com/WrIc4jGwzO
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) August 11, 2023

(As captured by Sky Sports Germany, where this was the second part of the medical to be done at Bayern Munich's training ground before the transfer was officially done. Actually since Harry Kane arrived in Germany, there were already fans trying to get glimpses of him from the airport to the club training ground, as seen here. Reports in Germany had said that it was in the hundreds.)

Learning German and Thomas Muller's golf course...How will Harry Kane adapt to life in Munich? 🤔🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/lp8lq44umt
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 16, 2023

(Sky Sports News became the first British media outlet to interview the England captain after his move to Bayern Munich, and this is their news report before the interview.)

"When you're at a club like Bayern Munich, you HAVE it win!" 🔴⚪

Harry Kane says he'll miss the Premier League but is 'really excited' ahead of his 'new challenge' pic.twitter.com/F5jFSdsb4r
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 16, 2023

(What he said about being at Bayern came to be picked up back in Germany, where they wrote of how this is his first interview on British television since the move.)

It was to be the eventual Bournemouth manager Marco Rose (who succeeded the now-Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola in the off-season before the 2026 World Cup) whose then-RB Leipzig side came to have the final word in the German Supercup in the traditional season opener. Harry Kane did come on as a substitute, but it was still not enough. The England captain was taking his early steps into German football, and there was a lot of attention on him from even before kick-off in terms of how the Bayern fans who went to the match were already taking to him. And then there was what was also happening elsewhere at the other clubs which could also want to have say in terms of dealing the league’s latest star attraction, and the title race as a whole. Bayer Leverkusen is one, Borussia Dortmund is another. One thing is for sure, nobody certainly did not expect VfB Stuttgart, the club I support in German football, after winning the relegation play-off the season before and surviving another season in the top-flight, could also potentially have a say as well. When earlier on I said that the coaching carousel was constantly turning until it ended with Sebastian Hoeness, Hoeness became the fourth person to be at the dugout in the season before, where he had two permanent and a caretaker in between. In fact, Stuttgart would come to be widely seen as the surprise team of the season, eventually ending the 2023/24 season in its best finish not since winning the league for the 2006/07 season, in terms of coming in second, and actually overtook Bayern to become second on the final matchday. Indeed, the same 2006/07 season which I eventually came to decide to have them as my German club, and still is 19 years on.

14 - VfB Stuttgart finished 14 places higher than they did in the previous season - a joint-record between consecutive Bundesliga seasons, which was previously only achieved by Werder Bremen in 1967-68 (16th, then 2nd). Masterclass. #VfBBMG pic.twitter.com/OGEJmCvDSz
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 18, 2024

Then again, one can maybe argue, or maybe it is my biased self as the VfB Stuttgart supporter, the club have no European commitments due to how we ended the season before, in terms of winning the relegation play-off to be even still in the top-flight after all. I could have jokingly say after the first matchday of the 2023/24 season in terms of ‘Stop the count!’ where Stuttgart was provincially on top of the standings, but then it will be a disservice to the other clubs also in the title race. It became clear early on Bayer Leverkusen would come to take over from Borussia Dortmund as the challenger to wrestle the league away from Bayern. Leverkusen would make it clear on the third matchday where it went on top for the first time for the season after a 5-1 home win over promoted Darmstadt (which was back then back in the top-flight after a six-year absence), and apart from the fifth matchday where Bayern Munich overtook that after a 7-0 thumping of Bochum (which importantly from an English footballing perspective, Harry Kane’s first Bundesliga hat-trick, and certainly not the last he would do so in Germany), Bayern would last see the top spot in the catch-up match against the Champions League debutants for the season in Union Berlin at home (it was supposed to be taking place on the 13th matchday on the first week of December 2023) which came to be rescheduled after the winter break and took place on late January 2024.

3 – English players to score a Bundesliga hattrick:

- Kevin Keegan (December 1978)
- Tony Woodcock (May 1980)
- Tony Woodcock (April 1982)
- Jadon Sancho (May 2020)
🆕 Harry Kane (September 2023)

Treble. @OptaJoe @FCBayernEN #FCBBOC
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) September 23, 2023

(Also in time for Oktoberfest, scoring a hat-trick in front of the home fans. The first that the England captain has done it in German football, following in the footsteps of those who came before him, Keegan at Hamburg, Woodcock at Cologne, Sancho at Borussia Dortmund. And certainly not the last hat-trick Bayern Munich fans will come to see from Kane.)

Harry Kane is the first player on record to be directly involved in 10 goals in the first five Bundesliga appearances of his career:

⚽️🅰️ vs. Werder Bremen
⚽️⚽️ vs. Augsburg
⭕️ vs. Gladbach
⚽️ vs. Bayer Leverkusen
⚽️⚽️⚽️🅰️🅰️ vs. Bochum

Hatty Kane arrives in Germany. 🎩 pic.twitter.com/7ySD9xeESG
— Squawka (@Squawka) September 23, 2023

(As how it would be seen back in English football, including the hat-trick against Bochum at home, his first in Germany.)

Meanwhile at Borussia Dortmund, it might had been unbeaten when the 2023/24 season began, but the run ended on the 10th matchday when Bayern Munich came to town. But even before Bayern ran out 4-0 winners with Harry Kane and his third hat-trick of the season thrown into the mix as well, they had never once been in the top three, as the best they would be at was fourth. The lowest they went was on the third matchday with ninth, but they and along with VfB Stuttgart were the only two clubs that managed to hold the eventual league champions Bayer Leverkusen to draws home and away. Only Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach did so, but once each. Dortmund would eventually end the season in fifth and still qualified for the Champions League for the following season, due to how Germany gains an additional spot as one of the two associations with the highest coefficient points for the season. They would find comfort in Europe where they went all the way to the Champions League final at the Wembley (losing to Real Madrid), famously knocking out Atletico Madrid in the quarters where they overturned the 2-1 loss from the first-leg to winning at home in the second-leg, and getting the better of Paris Saint-Germain in the semis, leading to Dortmund coach Edin Terzic being famously labelled as ‘Luis Enrique’s youngest executioner’ in the Barcelona-based sportspaper Mundo Deportivo. That would be the reputation he carried himself into Spanish football when he was announced as the successor to Ernesto Valverde (who had ended his third stint at the club as coach) in early May 2026, only becoming the second German as the coach of the club not since Jupp Heynckes who had two stints at the dugout there, and still fondly remembered in Spain as ‘Don Jupp’.

8:18 - After 8:18 minutes, FC Bayern took the earliest two-goal lead in a "Klassiker" between Bayern and Dortmund in the Bundesliga since April the 13th 2008, when FCB also led 2-0 after just 7:37 minutes (final score 5-0). Statement. #BVBFCB pic.twitter.com/kje5GchoOO
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) November 4, 2023

3 – Harry Kane is the first player to score three goals in his first Klassiker in the Bundesliga. Matchwinner. #BVBFCB pic.twitter.com/CiZIH3PMUa
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) November 4, 2023

4-0 – Today’s 4-0 win is FC Bayern's joint-biggest away win in a competitive match at Borussia Dortmund, having also won 5-1 there in September 2009. Distance. #BVBFCB pic.twitter.com/HAigK3R6Kp
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) November 4, 2023

Harry Kane has scored more Bundesliga hat-tricks (3) than Thomas Müller (2).

He's done it in 436 fewer games. 🤪 pic.twitter.com/M12JtEaxQ7
— Squawka (@Squawka) November 4, 2023

(Coincidentally when he was first being presented at Bayern Munich, Kane had said that Müller had already asked him for a game of golf...)

10 - Borussia Dortmund have remained unbeaten in their last 10 home matches in the Champions League (W6 D4), a new record for BVB in this competition. Fortress. pic.twitter.com/UdW7K875Fh
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 16, 2024

(Coming from that comeback against Atletico Madrid at home in the Champions League quarter-final second-leg.)

3 - Borussia Dortmund have reached the final of the UEFA Champions League for the third time after 1996-97 and 2012-13, with the last one also coming at Wembley Stadium. Amends. #PSGBVB @BVB pic.twitter.com/rOoesKqTbj
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 7, 2024

Only three managers have ever taken Borussia Dortmund to a Champions League final:

◎ Ottmar Hitzfeld (1997)
◎ Jürgen Klopp (2013)
◉ Edin Terzić (2024)

BVB are heading to Wembley again. 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/8U08lKoeqy
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 7, 2024

But before VfB Stuttgart became the surprise team of the season, there were the occasional wobbles along the way. The back-to-back losses to Hoffenheim at home on the ninth matchday and away at promoted Heidenheim (in the Bundesliga for the first time) in the next, ending the mini unbeaten run which began on the third matchday. If I thought I was beginning to feel smug after Stuttgart held Bayer Leverkusen to a draw on the 14th matchday on 10 December 2023, we were brought back to reality in the next away at Bayern, which actually only have 15 outfield players on the day. It then happened again after the end of the winter break with back-to-back losses yet again away at Borussia Monchengladbach and later at Bochum, until Werder Bremen at home on the 30th match on 21 April 2024 was the last loss of the season in hindsight. And since Stuttgart would be beaten by the eventual DFB-Pokal winners Bayer Leverkusen in the quarters, I can make peace with that. I mean, I can also say I am proud that Stuttgart and Dortmund, we were the only ones to do it even after Leverkusen confirmed the title on the 29th matchday at home to Werder Bremen on 14 April 2024 where the subsequent two matches for Leverkusen away at Dortmund and later hosting Stuttgart ended in draws.

5 - The encounter between 1. FC Heidenheim and VfB Stuttgart was the first Bundesliga match in just under five years to see the woodwork hit on five occasions (December 2018: Hoffenheim vs. Mainz also five). Unlucky? #FCHVfB
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) November 5, 2023

Nach dem starken Saisonstart hat der VfB Stuttgart in der Bundesliga das zweite Spiel nacheinander verloren. 🔥🤯#SkyBuli #FCHVfB pic.twitter.com/XO7f0pLWOD
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) November 5, 2023

(When Sky Sports Germany had pointed out how after a strong start to the season, Stuttgart losing two league matches in a row. The match away at promoted Heidenheim was the latest at the time. But in hindsight, that can be seen as a blip.)

11 - VfB Stuttgart fired 11 shots on target in the first half against Leverkusen, equalling the Bundesliga record since detailed data collection in 2004-05, previously only done by FC Bayern against VfB Stuttgart in November 2015. Domination. #VfBB04 pic.twitter.com/9lXDhpwJ9l
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) December 10, 2023

(Yes, in the 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen at home.)

64 - FC Bayern have scored in their 64th Bundesliga home game in a row, equalling the Bundesliga record - only Bayern themselves had previously managed such a long home scoring streak from 1970 to 1974. Living-room. pic.twitter.com/AyLNRExUj2
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) December 17, 2023

(The week after, when life gets at you fast as a VfB Stuttgart supporter. Bringing back to reality with this, and then finding out Bayern actually had 15 outfield players on that day when they won 3-0.)

51 - With a combined 51 goals in this season's Bundesliga, Serhou Guirassy (25 goals), Deniz Undav (18) and Chris Führich (8) are the most prolific scoring trio in VfB Stuttgart's club history (previously 49 goals by Bobic, Élber and Balakov in 1996-97). Magical. pic.twitter.com/khrcPGOf2m
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 27, 2024

(To be mentioned in the same sentence as Stuttgart legends from the 90s, the 'magic triangle' trio of Bobic, Élber and Balakov, during the time when the future and former Germany coach Joachim Low was at the dugout at the time. Undav and Führich found the back the net in the eventual 2-2 draw away at Bayer Leverkusen, the second consecutive draw Leverkusen got after mathematically sealing the league title.)

Until what happened between Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen which meant that Bayern Munich was not able to catch mathematically, a series of losses on the domestic front and in Europe towards mid-February saw an announcement nobody saw it coming, even if a series of losses tend to often than not set alarm bells ringing especially at Bayern. It started with Bayer Leverkusen away on 10 February 2024, then midweek in the Champions League last 16 first-leg tie away at Lazio on Valentine’s Day (I know, but it was 14 February), then Bochum away on 18 February when Bayern took an early lead actually. In between what happened away at Bochum and before hosting RB Leipzig at home, it was announced that Thomas Tuchel would not continue beyond the season after, which was what his contract stipulated at the time, till 2025. When was asked whether he felt he did not fit in at the club (his return to German football almost a year before was a homecoming of sorts as he is a native of the region and German sports magazine Kicker had noted on its website that he had been living in Munich until Bayern came knocking), he ruled that out, but it was always known that on the transfer front, it had not always gone the way he wanted. Harry Kane was the big one that did get over the line, but there were others that Bayern had missed out for various reasons, though the names that were mentioned tend to come from the Premier League. Back in the off-season before the 2023/24 season, journalists regularly reporting on Bayern had noted that Tuchel was also actively involved in terms of setting out transfer targets for the club along with the club hierarchy, with them noting that it was like back when he was at Chelsea. One would imagine, in those meetings and discussions, that was when Kane was brought up. And one would wonder why in a video that Bayern had put up on following Kane around the club training ground for the first time after his signing, where he would meet the various club staff and his new team-mates, the moment he met the coaching staff, Tuchel was the most visibly happy and exclaiming that he was finally there and hugged him for a while.

Anyhow, until Bayern Munich was constantly playing catching up to Bayer Leverkusen in the league until it was not able to, it was still trying to do its bit on the domestic front and especially considering it went out of the DFB-Pokal in the second round. The league form started to become erratic at times that each time one would think Bayern would go on a mini unbeaten run, it was not. Amongst the losses it incurred in the league, the one away at promoted Heidenheim on 6 April 2024 on the 28th matchday would sting the most because Bayern was heading 2-0 up into half-time, before the lead was squandered after the break and Heidenheim won 3-2. If anything, the Champions League campaign was the rare bright spot, until Real Madrid stopped them in their tracks in the semis and stopping a repeat of an all-German final at the Wembley 11 years on then. Topping the group that also has FC Copenhagen, Galatasaray, and my club in English football Manchester United where Bayern won home and away, where apart from the away loss at Lazio in the last 16 before the deficit was overturned in the return-leg, then came Arsenal in the quarters. From the English footballing perspective at the time, it was all about how it is a North London derby of sorts for Harry Kane due to his Tottenham Hotspur past. He duly scored past the Gunners by a penalty away at the Emirates, but it ended 2-2. Then came the return-leg in Munich on 17 April, with the tie in the balance, it was Joshua Kimmich who helped settled it, sending celebrations all around and a remarkable image that came out of the Bayern dressing room after the match.

1 - 1. FC Heidenheim are the first newly promoted side in Bundesliga history to win against FC Bayern after coming from two goals behind. Sensational. #FCHFCB pic.twitter.com/l23hSgKYgo
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 6, 2024

(Promoted Heidenheim, in the Bundesliga for the first time for the 2023/24 season, from 2-0 down at half-time...to 3-2 winners. One of those results that sting quite a lot from Bayern Munich's perspective for the season.)

40/9 - FC Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their last 40 games in the UEFA Champions League group stage (W36 D4), extending the longest ever run. FCB have also won their last nine away games in the group stage, again extending the record. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/kzDX7hxXa6
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) December 12, 2023

(And this was after the away win at Manchester United, putting Bayern Munich on top of the Champions League group.)

Harry Kane has now scored more goals against Arsenal at the Emirates than any other visiting player in the stadium's history (6).

Marking his return to North London with a record-breaking goal. ⚽#UCL pic.twitter.com/lRYI0uy9E3
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 9, 2024

(The English football follower in me says - But of course. And German football knows from then on.)

8 - Eight of Harry Kane's 15 goals against Arsenal in all competitions have been penalties; indeed, this is the most penalties any player has scored against a single Premier League club since the start of 2014-15. Banker. pic.twitter.com/PJnyDGwi4E
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 9, 2024

(Yes, he is the designated penalty taker at Bayern Munich. Still doing it even away at Arsenal in the Champions League. Can never take the Tottenham Hotspur part out of him...)

6 - Harry Kane is now the outright leading goalscorer against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium since it opened in 2006 (6 goals). Silenced. pic.twitter.com/f0RK4P3F7b
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 9, 2024

(But of course again. Who else?)

Kane und Arsenal: "Vielleicht ist es noch in meinem Hinterkopf" - Bayerns Stürmer über die Bedeutung des Viertelfinal-Rückspiels #BL https://t.co/ti90r3y9sn
— kicker Newsfeed (@kicker_feed) April 16, 2024

(This is the Kicker website explaining Kane's Arsenal past for its audience in German, because back when the Champions League draw was made, the narrative was already written in the English football media of how it is a North London derby all over again for Kane, even if he is in Bayern colours. He was chosen to speak to the media ahead of the quarter-final second-leg in Munich, of how the rivalry will always be part of his DNA. The story of how he was let go by Arsenal as a youngster is well known in English football, and German football was starting to learn of it too.)

31 - Joshua Kimmich's goal was the 31st scored in this season's UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, now the most goals scored at this stage in any season in the competition. Gluttony. pic.twitter.com/DN4wh6IGP8
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 17, 2024

3 – Thomas Tuchel is the first German coach to reach the semifinals of the Champions League with three different clubs (PSG, Chelsea and Bayern Munich). Globetrotter. #FCBARS #CL pic.twitter.com/SkI3RTKPsH
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 17, 2024

(Joshua Kimmich's winner eventually brought out this stat. And we know what happened to the middle club in the bracket. Anyhow, it would be Real Madrid stopping Bayern Munich in their tracks in the semis.)

Einfach mal so wirken lassen... 🔥#SkySport #FCBARS #Tuchel pic.twitter.com/x5FRmzbXlx
— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) April 17, 2024

(That remarkable image from the Bayern Munich dressing room in question which was put out by the club after the win over Arsenal, sending Bayern to the semis of the Champions League. Sky Sports Germany had already noted that they had never seen Thomas Tuchel celebrating a result with the team like this before. And this is considering two months before, he announced that he was not continuing beyond the season.)

If there is anything I learned early on after deciding to also follow the Bundesliga 20 years ago, the term ‘Neverkusen’ comes up if it is on Bayer Leverkusen. It went back to the 2001/02 season, when the club was competing for titles on three fronts – the league, the cup, and the Champions League. It would come up short on all three fronts, with the Champions League final in 2002 in Glasgow since being remembered for Zinedine Zidane’s volley for Real Madrid. That goal would seal legendary status for the now-France coach as a player, but in Germany, it is the one thing Leverkusen rather forget. Or it is said in the English language, Bayer Leverkusen can be seen as always the bridesmaid, never a bride. As in for this context, always being the runners-up. But, in the season when there is more English attention than ever into the Bundesliga because the England captain Harry Kane plays his club football in Germany, it is a team managed by another familiar face to English football that would have the word on the title race, or rather make Bayern Munich, also under a coach who was still familiar to English football then, playing catch up for much of the season until the 29th matchday, the third earliest league title win in the history of the league, which reached its 60th anniversary when the 2023/24 Bundesliga season began. I know I did try to explain my father, who remember does not care anything outside of the Premier League until the Champions League comes around, on what Leverkusen came to achieve with a former Liverpool legend in Xabi Alonso as coach in the same 2023/24 season Kane is at Bayern and became the only reason why my father tried to care about German football and asking me occasionally how Kane is doing, is historic. But I am not sure if he gets it.

1/13 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen have won the German championship for the first time - in the Bundesliga, the Werkself are the 13th different club to win the title. Meisterkusen.@bayer04fussball #levsvw pic.twitter.com/rSxn6qo4OC
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 14, 2024

29 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen became the first team to go undefeated in the first 29 games of a Bundesliga season (W25 D4), breaking the record set by FC Bayern in the 2013-14 season, who went 28 games unbeaten under Pep Guardiola. Class. pic.twitter.com/LmShO3X8Iz
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 14, 2024

Bayer Leverkusen, going an entire season unbeaten, doing like what Arsenal did in the 2003/04 season in the Premier League? Definitely not what people like me following the Bundesliga for as long as I did would expect to see the light of day, or even see in our lifetime. There were times in the league when Leverkusen was going to be tested, but they always find the way in the end. They always do, just like what used to be said of Manchester United in the 90s that they ‘always score’. Well, Leverkusen took on that mantle for the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. And winning the DFB-Pokal, the historic double for the club. Just that they got thumped in the Europa League final against Atalanta though.

0 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen are the first team in Bundesliga history to go unbeaten across a full season - in the big five European leagues, only Arsenal in 2003-04 and Juventus in 2011-12 had achieved this since the millennium. Invincibles. pic.twitter.com/tjYyqFdglQ
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 18, 2024

The reason I initially had the idea for the blog entry title; I was having Bayer Leverkusen going through an entire season unbeaten as the original starting point. Yes, Xabi Alonso being the Chelsea manager before the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season was the original trigger why I do this blog entry, but so many things have also happened (like Kevin Keegan’s passing that I know I have put Harry Kane’s arrival into the Bundesliga three years ago into context, in terms of the comparison between the two, two England captains who came to play in Germany, 46 years apart) that it can also be interpreted in other ways. The 2023/24 Bundesliga season, it can also be seen as when Bayern Munich can feel invincible with the league record signing in their ranks and banging all the goals and creating all sorts of records that sometimes I cannot even keep up, but hey, Kane still got the trophy for being the league top-scorer, something he has not relinquished since. Three years on, the England captain is even mentioned as amongst the Ballon d’Or candidates, in a year when the World Cup went to Spain and naturally, the debate is very much on, in terms of whether it should go to a Spanish player from the World Cup-winning side. It had been pointed out on the website of the award after the World Cup final that winning the tournament is an advantage, but it is not the only criteria. Will there be a split vote like it was in 2010 before Lionel Messi bagged the award, also in the same year the last time Spain won the World Cup? But the reason why the England captain is even in the conversation (and bear in mind the last time there was an English Ballon d’Or winner, that was Michael Owen in 2001), it was that before England eventually came in third at the same World Cup, Bayern did the domestic double and it was a Kane hat-trick which ended Bayern’s domestic cup drought of six years. I remember my father brought up the domestic double Bayern did for the 2025/26 season and Kane’s role for both, and I wanted to see how the World Cup goes for England to see if he is still in the conversation, still amongst the bookies’ favourites. Still a yes.

Chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or according to implied probability based off bookmaker odds:

◉ 40% - Harry Kane
◉ 33% - Lamine Yamal
◉ 22% - Rodri
◉ 17% - Kylian Mbappe
◉ 9% - Lionel Messi

Who deserves it? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Ouokxlrly4
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 25, 2026

(The last I checked. So don't shoot the messenger.)

"If I'm scoring goals and we're winning trophies then that will come into question..." 🏆

Harry Kane's response to being asked about the Ballon d'Or, in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/YQkuaDBtFX
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 16, 2023

(When was asked about the Ballon d'Or three years ago, in his first television interview since the move to Bayern Munich.)

Bayer Leverkusen did manage to hold to Xabi Alonso for another season, when two of his former clubs Liverpool and Real Madrid were looking for a new coach at the same time. It was only after that he went to Real Madrid, and lasted seven months eventually. And of course now, Chelsea. Bayern Munich’s search for a new coach after the 2023/24 season almost took on farcical levels that when they eventually settled with the then-Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, he was way down their choice of person to be at the dugout. But then he is a known face to German football from his time playing for Hamburg before playing at Manchester City. And then of course there is also what happened to Kompany’s predecessor since late 2024. The day my two footballing worlds came colliding with each other in a very big way, and it has been ever since.

4-2 - Tonight was England's first 4-2 win in a FIFA World Cup match since the 1966 final against West Germany.

Home. pic.twitter.com/RApluhekyl
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 17, 2026

(Ever since late 2024, when my two footballing worlds came colliding with each other in a very big way. This was spotted during England's 2026 World Cup group opener against Croatia. Yes, the same person who until becoming in this position as the England head coach, was last spotted being at the Bayern Munich dugout, the same person who played a role in where Harry Kane plays his club football since the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. Or where Vincent Kompany's predecessor has ended up since.)

But did I expect back on 24 March 2023, that the person who became the Bayern Munich coach then would become the England head coach since late 2024, and officially starting just last year? What would have I known three years ago? What would I have said about it three years ago? I suppose I can never answer the questions, but one thing is for sure, he may also have a little hand in why Harry Kane is even in Ballon d’Or conversation now, the same person who fought hard to get Kane to Bayern Munich in the first place, making English football somehow somewhat care about the Bundesliga for once, maybe even my father once in a while. In a season Bayer Leverkusen went unbeaten and win the league for the first time in its history in the process, ending Bayern’s hold on the title for 11 years.

A Love Letter to the Pioneers

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 14:30:00 +0000

Dear You, released in China on 30 April 2026, in Singapore on 18 June 2026. Rating on IMDB.com: 9 out of 10.

The film poster for the Singapore release. (Image via IMDB.com)

It is an intimate drama that also serves as a quiet tribute to the generations who crossed borders in search of survival, dignity and possibility. Its core narrative is anchored in migration and the fragile continuity of qiaopi letters. This mirrors the lived histories of many families including those who journeyed from China to beyond.

The younger version of the Ah Ma in Ye Shurou (left), listening to the qiaopi sent by her husband Zheng Musheng from Thailand. (Image via Golden Village)

The film gently widens its historical lens through one character whose path eventually leads from China to Thailand by way of Malaysia. This element adds breadth and resonance without revealing specific plot developments. It reminds viewers that pioneer journeys were rarely straightforward and often shaped by necessity and circumstance.

Zheng Musheng (left), in Thailand and seeking assistance for the writing of the qiaopi to his wife. (Image via Golden Village)

The film gains tonal richness through the interplay between past and present. The emotional weight of the historical storyline is balanced by gentle comedic moments in the contemporary timeline. A grandson travels to Thailand in search of the grandfather he has never met. His encounters, misunderstandings and cultural surprises bring natural humour to the story. These moments never trivialise the emotional core. Instead, they reveal how humour often emerges when people attempt to piece together fragmented family histories. They also sharpen the pacing and make the quieter scenes feel even more touching.

The grandson Zheng Xiaowei (left), along with Xie Nanzhi's adopted son Xie Zehua (right), with the latter reading aloud the draft of the last qiaopi his adopted mother had actually send to Shurou, where she originally meant to introduce herself proper. The original last qiaopi was washed away, leaving behind only a photograph which reached Shurou, and her assumption that her husband has a new life in Thailand. (Image via Golden Village)

The use of Teochew is central to the film's impact. The dialect carries cultural memory and gives both timelines a grounded authenticity. Its cadence allows comedic exchanges to feel natural while lending emotional scenes a lived in tenderness.

Performances rely on subtle expressions and carefully timed pauses that reveal internal conflict without exposition. Soft natural light and patient framing create a visual language that honours the quiet resilience of those who lived between places.

"Dear You" ultimately feels like a cinematic tribute to the pioneers whose stories survive in fragments of language, feels humour, memory and love.

Why the film 'Dear You' hits so hard

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:37:08 +0000

'Dear You', the surprise Chinese box office hit of 2026, released in Singapore just after mid-June 2026. And how much it has become a talking point beyond the reception it got when it was released here, in terms of hitting quite a nerve in more ways than one, to say the least. This is the film poster for the release in China. (Image via Wikipedia)

(A preview to the film theme song, also sung in Teochew. The song which I have been listening at times doing this entry.)

First of all, I have to say, I am a descendant of Teochew-speaking ancestors who came from the Chaoshan region in China, in the southern Guangdong province. Both of my paternal grandparents came from different parts of Shantou, or how it is called in Teochew, Swatow. That was what I was told by my father in terms of where his parents originally were from, coming from a primary school class assignment which I had to map out my family tree, until finding out later how it is said in Mandarin to non-Teochew speakers.

In Singapore, the dialect is known as Teochew, also statically the second-largest Chinese dialect group amongst Singaporeans claiming Chinese ancestry, like me. That means people like me have ancestors that came from Shantou like my paternal grandparents, or Jieyang, or Chaozhou. These cities form part of the predominant Teochew-speaking region of China of Chaoshan. It became something I unexpectedly learned when I was in China in early April in Hainan with my father and maternal aunt and uncle-in-law that in China, my father and I are considered as Chaoshan people, a nod to where our ancestors were from, in terms of the region itself. That came about due to how we have to always clarify we are not of Hainanese origin but Teochew, before we got that reply each time.

Though we were in Hainan back in early April to visit my maternal relatives there, which coincided with Tomb-Sweeping Festival in China, or Qingming. That was the reason why we were in Hainan, because I have yet met my maternal relatives in China, though my father did the last time he was there, with my late mother years before she passed on. He did recalled meeting with my mother's last surviving maternal aunt (my maternal grandmother had two sisters who remain in China, while her eldest sister came to Singapore with her husband and only son), given my grandmother is the youngest of four girls, and that is not including of an adopted brother in between. The maternal relatives I met in April are those who are related to my maternal grandfather, and even ran into the descendants of his former village neighbours from where he was born and grew up before coming to Singapore for the first time aged 12 with his uncle.

I used to joke to myself that I am part-Teochew, part-Hainanese, 100% Singaporean. But there is a reason why I have always felt that it is only in name of what is my dialect as stated on the birth certificate, Teochew. I have reached the stage where I can sometimes understand what my father and my paternal aunts and uncles are conversing to each other whenever there are meet-ups or gatherings, but not good enough to speak it. My Teochew is limited to phrases, and how I addressed my paternal uncles (interestingly, I have always addressed my paternal aunts in Mandarin). Then again, my father grew up with his parents speaking in Teochew, and he learned English, Mandarin, and Malay in school. His siblings do also know how to speak the other languages mentioned as well, but I have always felt that speaking in Teochew to each other is what binds them together.

I am bringing all these up because of coming across a commentary piece on The Straits Times newspaper app in early June written by the paper's China correspondent, on one of the top-grossing films in China this year which is predominantly being spoken in Teochew and tugging at the heartstrings of Chinese film-goers, and which has since been released here in Singapore since just after mid-June. The correspondent preferred the Chinese-language title (which is the same for me) which literally translates to 'Love Letters to Ah Ma'. She explained that the Chinese tend to have a stereotypical view of its southern counterparts in terms of only seeing the successes of what they had achieved and not the struggles that came before, pointing out that the modern Chinese narrative in terms of how China sees itself in the world tends to be set by the powers that be from Beijing, located in the north. But aspects of the film plot would have sounded familiar to anyone coming from the southern parts of China and migrated to other parts of the region, predominantly in today's Southeast Asia. It tells the story of a young man from Shantou in Xiaowei who travels to Thailand in search of his rumoured billionaire grandfather Zheng Musheng, only to find out that the person who had been writing back to his grandmother Ye Shurou all those years ago is a total stranger. In the film, Musheng had originally fled from military conscription due to the Chinese Civil War and initially worked in various odd jobs in Malaysia, before eventually arriving in Thailand working as a rickshaw rider and died over a decade later in 1960, though all those times since his passing, his female Thai-Chinese acquaintance Xie Nanzhi, who helped ran the inn her father set up and which Musheng stayed in, was the one who took on his role and wrote remittance letters back to China in his name to his wife, Shurou.

One of the stills in 'Dear You', part of the flashback scenes in Thailand. (Image via The Straits Times, originally from Golden Village)

It has always been known (or at least at this side of the world) that outside of China, the largest number of people of Teochew-speaking descent came to live and/or settle down is in Thailand, like where Musheng was at until his untimely demise because he felt he had saved enough to return back to China and rejoin his family. Other parts of Southeast Asia, including Singapore (like me!), Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines also has descendants of Teochew-speaking origin, but lesser. There are also prominent Hong Kongers of Teochew origin (businessman Li Ka-Shing is the most famous example), but they are in the minority. There are also pockets of descendants claiming Teochew ancestry in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France. Here in Singapore, statistically the Hokkiens has always been consistently the largest Chinese dialect group, then the Teochews. Even with my own unscientific observations in my schooldays, I have always been the consistent lone descendant of Teochew-speaking origin even amongst my friends, where the Hokkien ones form the majority as well.

The Thai angle in the film immediately got my attention, because I only came to know almost five years ago that my paternal grandfather's first wife, whom he brought to Singapore after the end of WWII (my paternal grandmother is actually his second wife whom he met in Singapore, match-made by his eventual mother-in-law in my great-grandmother), has relatives who lived in Thailand. Then again, my granduncle would have known as my grandfather is his brother-in-law, and he brought it up at one time during that Chinese New Year gathering I was at. He clearly mentioned Siam at one point, and I knew at once he was referring to its previous name (and that was how it was also referenced in ‘Dear You’ in the flashback scenes), having learned that in history classes back in school. He was speaking Teochew most of the time to his nephews and niece - my father, my paternal uncles and aunt, and shared family stories. It even included ending the mystery to a photo which has been in my family of a black and white photograph of a baby boy in his baby chair outside what is a temple...which my granduncle looked at it and immediately told my father that was him and even remarked that he recalled my father's forehead used to look like what was seen in the photo as a baby. And it turns out the temple in the photograph (which still stands today at its original spot) is the one my father used to talk about how it is located just next door to where he grew up, the one which I had been to before with family, until before my mother’s passing in 2020.

As for how the film 'Dear You' is occasionally narrated through the form of what was on the remittance letters apart from what Xiaowei found out when he was in Thailand, that is another thing which gave me the feels. Back in April when I was in Hainan, my maternal aunt recounted how she used to see my mother, her eldest sister, helped my maternal grandfather wrote remittance letters back to their relatives in Hainan. My aunt recalled my grandfather dictating to my mother of what to write, which meant that it helped explained a lot of things for me, in terms of her knowing much more about who are the relatives who are still in China than I know she used to let it on. My maternal grandfather is the only child and his own father (i.e. my great-grandfather) would have died when he was still young, a Hong Kong-based relative who was with us in Hainan back in April recalled growing up that he used to regularly walked over and visited my great-grandmother (his childhood home was literally handful of walking steps away to where my maternal grandfather grew up, and he is related to my maternal grandfather due to how they are first cousins), living all alone in the house and planting the field. She was the one who told her son, my grandfather when he was 12, that she did not have money to send him to school anymore and told him to join his uncle in going to Singapore. Though my aunt recalled the version my grandfather told her was that he was told to join his relative, she suspected that her grandmother told her father to follow his uncle to Singapore. Up till what I came to know back in April, the only thing I remember from my mother was that my grandfather only had few years of education in China.

So, poverty was to be what led my maternal grandfather first left China for Singapore when he was just 12 in 1934. He only met my maternal grandmother after WWII ended when he returned to China in the midst of the Chinese Civil War, and both came to Singapore together few years after they got married and their first born died young which according to my late mother once said that her brother, whom she had never met, was only a few years old, the maternal uncle I never got to meet, and my mother was born few years after they settled down here in Singapore, the first of three girls. Though it has to be said, watching ‘Dear You’ and the circumstances in how Xiaowei’s grandparents first met, it kind of made me smiled, because two aspects mirrored my Hainanese-born maternal grandparents. Just like Zheng Musheng in the film, my grandfather was born poor when he first met my grandmother, who was also like Ye Shurou, came from a well-off family. The difference is that in the film, Shurou was already betrothed to someone else before she eloped with Musheng. My maternal grandmother, according to my late mother who once said, turned down a marriage proposal from someone in her home village who had gone to Taiwan and returned. And it turned out; my great-grandmother had threatened to cut my grandmother off financially if she marries my grandfather. In the only time my late mother brought up my great-grandmother in one of those Chinese New Year gatherings, my grandmother recalled that her own mother was a very fierce person.

The younger version of the Ah Ma in the film Ye Shurou in 'Dear You', carrying a banner, along with other village women, across the village celebrating the end of WWII. It was in this circumstance which led to how she met her future husband Zheng Musheng (not seen). (Image via IMDB.com)

War was to be what led my paternal grandfather to Singapore. It came after the Japanese troops had arrived at my paternal grandfather's home village in Shantou and he was told to leave by his relatives. He was slightly older than my maternal grandfather when he first left in 1939 in being 21 years of age, before returning after WWII ended to bring his first wife over to Singapore, and I have met her at annual Chinese New Year gatherings until her passing in 2002, outliving her husband for close to four decades. This year would have been 60 years since the paternal grandfather I have never met passed away. It was only after working for his eventual in-laws on the farm here in Singapore that my paternal grandfather met my grandmother, his second wife, match-made by his mother-in-law in my great-grandmother, due to how my grandmother was the first born.

The photo which is part of a photo collage that has a pride of place in my family photo album. This is the paternal grandparents I have never met, both coming from different parts of Shantou in China, before coming to Singapore at separate times and being match-made by my great-grandmother. The little boy is my father, and one of his elder sisters (left) is the one standing next to my paternal grandmother. My grandmother (second from left) is actually my grandfather's second wife. All in all, there are two girls and four boys, with my father being the second son and fourth in line. And this is not including his half-siblings from my grandfather's first wife.

Two different reasons in war and poverty in what led my grandfathers to Singapore, but those two are amongst the many reasons in what led to the large-scale migration of the Chinese especially during the 19th and all the way into the first half of the 20th century. The Chinese have always migrated to places elsewhere and not just to today's Southeast Asia, but records have shown that it had long begun since China had imperial dynasties. But during the period of large-scale migration, majority of those who left came predominantly from southern parts of China. For those who came to Southeast Asia, people like my grandfathers from both sides and coincidentally the only child in their respective families, what they did was to be called in Mandarin 'Xia Nanyang', literally translates to 'going down to the Southern Ocean'. Or it has also been termed as 'Guofang Xia Nanyang', travelling to a foreign land to the Southern Ocean. The term is geographical in origin, given of where Southeast Asia is located, much down south of China.

Coming back to the article which I read from The Straits Times newspaper app early June which first alerted me to 'Dear You', the paper's China correspondent also pointed out of how stories with a Nanyang narrative have come to be few and far between since how there has always been local television dramas in Singapore depicting the Chinese immigration experience from the ground-breaking 'The Awakening' (the first-ever major local television drama series depicting the Chinese immigration experience to Singapore) in 1984, 'Samsui Women' (on the pioneering Chinese female construction workers in Singapore, the first local drama series with a predominant female lens) in 1986, and all the way with the much-acclaimed 'The Little Nonya' (on the Chinese Peranakans) in 2008. She had left out the ones which came out in the 1990s depicting the immigration experiences of the Chinese dialect groups which came to settle down in Singapore, the Teochews in 'The Teochew Family', the Hainanese (my late mother’s dialect, which has consistently rank fourth in terms of the descendants of the Chinese dialect groups in Singapore after the Hokkiens, Teochews, and the Cantonese) in 'Hainan Kopi Tales', the Hakkas (they are amongst the minority, but records shown they have been in Singapore even way before it became a British colony back in the 19th century) in 'The Guest People', and also partially of the Hokkiens in 'Stepping Out', though that was also adapted from a non-fiction book depicting the real-life Chinese immigration experiences to Singapore.

If The Straits Times China correspondent had originally written how ‘Dear You’ came to be received at the Chinese box office when it was released earlier this year wondered whether the film will find an audience in Singapore, it has been emphatically answered many times over. So much so even the BBC has an article back in late June titled ‘A Chinese box office hit sparks a debate about identity in Singapore’. ‘Dear You’ may have a Thai angle, but its entire plot is almost practically telling the origin story of the three-quarter of Singaporeans claiming Chinese ancestry (like me!) whose ancestors eventually made their way to this part of the world. It was my parents who first told me which part of China where their parents, my grandparents originally came from in China and grew up before circumstances led them here. That became the reason why visiting my paternal and maternal grandparents’ hometowns was previously up there on my bucket list after seeing actual snow (which I did in 2013, while on student exchange in the United States), and I had completed that. I have always thought at the back of my mind, if I cannot even try to learn more of where they came from and what they were forced to leave behind to come to here, how can I ever reconcile that with my own identity?

My command of Hainanese is even worse than Teochew, but being in Hainan back in April and listening to my maternal relatives conversing with my maternal aunt in that, that immediately brought back to what my maternal grandmother used to do when I was growing up, listening to her speaking in Hainanese with my mother where I was only able to pick up smattering of words. The only Hainanese I ever picked up is the equivalent of ‘can’, ‘cannot’, and ‘I don’t know’, and the phrase I kept hearing growing up is my grandmother asking my mother why she wanted to discipline her grandchildren if my mother had felt that either one of us had erred or anything, where so much so my mother used to say if she wants to discipline either of my siblings or me, ‘Don’t think you have grandmother to protect you,’ in Mandarin. My mind used to immediately go at one time, ‘She knows!’.

At least I have met my maternal grandparents, before my maternal grandfather passed away in 2002 and a decade and a day later, my maternal grandmother. I never got the chance to meet my paternal grandparents at all. My paternal grandfather, passed away in 1966 and my paternal grandmother, a decade later. Everything I know about them, it is from my father and paternal relatives. And photographs, because they do have names and faces.

Though what somewhat compensated was how with my family and relatives from Singapore, I did visit my paternal grandparents’ hometowns in Shantou back in 2007. Like how I did also come to visit the village where my maternal grandfather grew up in Hainan back in April and what remains of his childhood home (almost covered by trees), I did come to visit the respective villages of where my paternal grandfather and grandmother grew up back in 2007. And remarkably, my paternal grandfather’s childhood home was standing the last time I was there, and I even stood inside for a while. Considering with the release of ‘Dear You’ and the talk of the remittance letters which was also heavily featured in the film, my father once brought up how he used to see his father regularly did that, in terms of sending money back to China. My paternal grandparents, amongst the 15 million who left the Chaoshan region and came to settle down in various parts of Southeast Asia. And my paternal grandfather did also eventually bring his mother to Singapore too, given my father did recall how she was like, and the same with what he remembered of his maternal grandmother, the very person who match-made his parents together.

Me in my pink coat, standing next to my (late) mother. This was taken in 2007. The house behind us with other relatives from Singapore who also came along, it is my paternal grandfather's childhood home in Shantou. The house which I stood inside for a while, just to get a sense of how my grandfather's life would have been like, before he was forced to leave as a 21-year-old in 1939.

Somewhere in there almost covered by trees, my maternal grandfather's childhood home in Hainan in the village he grew up in which I managed to get to in early April. The front view...

...And this is the back view. Compare to the nearby houses in the village my maternal grandfather grew up which I did also have a look around, this is considered small. But it would be a reflection of the family status. Yes, he was born poor. And he is also the only child. And he was told by his mother to join his uncle to Singapore when he was just 12 in 1934, as my great-grandmother had told him she did not have money to send him to school anymore.

Or actually, my paternal grandmother and her family, also part of the 15 million who came to make their way to this side of the world. She is the eldest of eight, and the granduncle I met at that Chinese New Year gathering almost five years back is the only surviving member left, the youngest member of the family born in Singapore. If she is the one who has siblings like my maternal grandmother as well, both of my grandfathers, they are the only child in their respective families. As the eldest child with two younger siblings, I used to think having classmates since school who are the only child is out of the norm, until finding out from my parents at separate times that their respective fathers is the only child, making me remarked in my head after my mother once spoke about my maternal grandfather in that in Mandarin, ‘Surely not a coincidence?!’. And this is way before China did have the one-child policy before it was abolished in 2015.

Even with everything I read and knew, and with everything my grandfathers from both sides had to go through (I can never look at coffeeshop helpers the same way again, not since my maternal aunt brought up back in April in Hainan that my maternal grandfather’s first job in Singapore was as that, as a 12-year-old), before well, you know. As in how I become the living proof that I am still here. The first born in my own family who also happens to like studying history, and treating this as an excuse of constantly learning more of my own family history. It has to take trying to map out the family tree as a seven-year-old for a class assignment to plant the seed of interest of history in me, something I only realised much later. Before I was defending the merits of studying history, before I was big on American history due to what I studied in my university days as a result of studying for an American mass communications degree, before I had to take it as an O-Level subject in the humanities field where 20th century history form the basis of what I studied in secondary school (from the last of the Romanovs in Russia to the fall of the Berlin Wall, with Nazi Germany and WWII and the Cold War in between), before learning the history of my own country, learning of who am I and where my grandparents came from was the original first step.

As far as I am concerned, Teochew and Hainanese are the languages of my ancestors. As a result of the bilingual policy here especially since 1979, it has become dialects instead. Back in 2007 when I went to Shantou with family and relatives from Singapore, I learned for the first time that I am part of the eighth generation to carry this surname I am having. I am a product of the bilingual policy which I am proficient in English and Mandarin, but there is every chance Teochew and Hainanese will die with me, due to my ‘proficiency’. As for my mother’s side of the family, I found out back in April in Hainan that my late mother is part of the 29th generation to carry the surname she had, along with my two maternal aunts, one who has also since passed and the only one left was the one who went to Hainan back in April as well and told me family stories, like the one on my mother helping to write remittance letters back to their China relatives.

Yes, the English and Chinese subtitles helped me get by when watching ‘Dear You’ at the cinema almost three weeks ago in the original Teochew. I can never watch the dubbed Mandarin version for general release, because it is just not right as this forms part of my identity, being a descendant of Teochew speakers. It is not as if we are averse to subtitles in Singapore, because television dramas, films have always had subtitles in them here. Watching in the original Teochew is a reminder of the paternal grandparents I have never met, where that is the only language they ever know until coming to Singapore. And according to my father regarding his parents, his own amazement of how they came to pick up smatterings of Malay and English along the way here. There was also my surprise delight in how the Ah Ma in the film in Shurou, she comes from the same part of China as my paternal grandparents. In the film before Xiaowei was explaining how his grandparents first met, there was a text showing the time and place, and it said ‘Shantou’ in Mandarin.

I previously almost went animated at the workplace ahead of the company’s open house late last month trying to explain to a Malay colleague why there is so much buzz over the demand for tickets for ‘Dear You’ in the original Teochew, letting it be known to the other colleagues listening in at the same time that I am of Teochew descent. It was the first time I said that at the workplace. That how a film speaking in the language of my grandparents became the reason I have been following all the drama surrounding the film’s release here, from the initial uproar over the dubbed Mandarin version for general release to tickets sold out within hours upon release of the Teochew version, where more screenings had to be released due to the overwhelming demand. The language of my Ah Gong and Ah Ma, and the language that will eventually die with me, the eighth generation carrying the family surname. The one link to my own past, my own family history, and how my ‘proficiency’ means that it has been replaced and represented by family photographs instead.

But still, I was also laughing along with everyone else at the packed cinema hall nearly three weeks ago at the various comedic aspects of the film, more of how Xiaowei tried to find out the story behind the grandfather he had never met in Thailand. At times it felt like watching a comedy, but reports have stated that back in China after it was released earlier this year, there was not a dry eye in the house when it was shown. The comedy helped to compliment the touching moments. I was watching with my father and one of my paternal uncles who came along, two people whose command of Teochew is definitely better than mine.

The film poster for the Singapore release. And I went to watch it on 5 July with my father and one of my paternal uncle. That date would be somewhat significant in hindsight...as a football fan at the same time myself, that was to be the same day of the 2026 World Cup last 16 tie between Mexico and England. (Image via IMDB.com)

To imagine back then, we were all watching the film in the midst of the football World Cup. My father, uncle, and me, we are all football fans. But for close to two hours (that was the film’s duration), I chose to forget that temporarily. Okay, maybe a bit of football still in my head as I was watching the film, due to how I know it came almost on the same day before the last 16 tie between Mexico and England. But this film has always been on my radar since reading that commentary on The Straits Times newspaper app back in early June. The one film that almost speaks of my family history, definitely speaking of my language, the language of my ancestors. How can I ever miss it?

Still a Football Fan, Just Writing Differently

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 14:35:00 +0000

If you have stumbled onto this blog, welcome. Or you have come across here before, hello again.

That is me, back in September last year. It was taken as a practice for the photography short course I took.

There was a time when this blog lived and breathed football. Matchdays shaped my weekends, league arcs shaped my months, and the Premier League, Bundesliga, and La Liga all had their own little corners in my mind. I’d stay up late writing match reviews, tracing storylines, and diving into the bits of footballing history that has come to define the beautiful game that still echo today. It wasn’t about being a pundit — it was about being a fan. I had long given up on trying to play it back in school’s PE lessons, and the next best thing is being a fan.

These days, life looks a little different. I’m working in the civil service, my evenings are quieter, and I find myself unwinding with TV shows and films more than tactical breakdowns. And naturally, my writing shifted with me. It is more of reviews and reflections of what I had watched, either on the small or big screen. I still love the beautiful game — that part hasn’t changed — but I write about it differently now. Less analysis, more feeling. Less “here’s what happened,” more “here’s what stayed with me.”

And with the 2026 World Cup happening this week, that familiar spark is back. Not in the “let me write 3,000 words on qualification paths” way — I definitely don’t have the time for that — but in the simple joy of watching as a fan again. Reacting, feeling, enjoying the chaos without needing to turn every moment into a blog post. But the 2025/26 Premier League season that was had to be something I cannot pass up on reviewing on what a season it was.

So yes, I’m still a football fan. I’m just writing differently now — about the stories that move me, whether they happen on the pitch or on a screen. And honestly, it feels like the most natural evolution of this space. If you’re new here, welcome.

If you’ve been here since the football‑heavy days, thank you for sticking around. This blog is still me — just writing differently.

The Season That Felt Like Football Coming Home Again

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:52:43 +0000

It’s been a while since I last sat down to write about football — the kind of writing I used to do almost instinctively back when weekends revolved around late‑night kick‑offs, cable TV broadcasts. Growing up in Singapore, we’ve always had the Premier League on cable — the weekend fixtures, the whole rhythm of it.

Somewhere along the way, adulthood got louder, and blogging about football slipped away from me. But this season — this wild, emotional, chaotic 2025/26 Premier League season — pulled me right back in. And honestly, what a season to return to.

Arsenal’s 22‑Year Wait Ends — And They Do It Their Way

After 22 years not since the 2003/04 season, Arsenal have become Premier League champions. And doing it with a match to spare without even kicking a ball. This is the club players doing it away at Crystal Palace, on the final matchday of the season.

(By Chensiyuan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link)

Arsenal’s title win under Mikel Arteta wasn’t just a trophy lift — it was the culmination of a long, sometimes painful rebuild that finally found its rhythm. And the story becomes even richer when you remember where Arteta came from.

A former Arsenal captain, he returned to the club in December 2019 after serving as an assistant in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City setup. Back then, he was the young coach with big ideas and a mountain of expectation on his shoulders. Fast‑forward to today, and he’s not just a Premier League‑winning manager — he has since become the longest‑serving manager in the league after Guardiola not continuing at City, and the man who delivered Arsenal’s first title since the Invincibles.

And he did it with a match to spare. It was also poetic if one look at another way, it came to be in Bournemouth's eventual 1-1 draw with Manchester City, with the former managed by Arteta's friend from their youth football days, Andoni Iraola.

Arteta finally found the balance he’d been chasing, even if it was not popular with everyone outside of Arsenal. The line which was first uttered in an Amazon Prime documentary on the club came to symbolise it all - Trust the process. The young core that once carried the weight of expectation finally came of age. They didn’t just win beautifully; they won professionally. They won ugly when they had to. They won late. They won under pressure. Set-piece specialists, 1-0 to the Arsenal (again).

And the biggest shift? They didn’t blink when Guardiola’s City pushed them. They matched City stride for stride, and when the decisive moments came, Arsenal held their nerve. There was a viral moment which emerged after Bournemouth's draw with City which confirmed Arsenal's title that in the aftermath of City's home win against Arsenal back in April and what Declan Rice said which was caught on camera 'It's not done' after City striker Erling Haaland was telling him something. This time, it is certainly done.

I am still 'old' enough to remember the last time Arsenal won the league, and I was still in secondary school at the time. This wasn’t the Invincibles reborn, from the class of 2003/04. This was a new Arsenal, carving out a new identity — and ending a 22‑year wait with a title that felt earned, not inherited. Runners-up three times behind Manchester City, this time they finally got it over the line.

The Premier League-winning manager, Arsenal's Mikel Arteta. And it has been said, trust the process. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

Manchester City: A Season of Transition, Not Collapse

The now-former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after the 1-1 draw away at Bournemouth on the penultimate matchday. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

City didn’t implode. They didn’t fade. They didn’t suddenly become ordinary. But under Guardiola, this season felt like the first real wobble after years of dominance.

Injuries, tactical recalibrations, and the natural fatigue of being the league’s benchmark finally caught up with them. They were still brilliant in stretches, still capable of blowing teams away, but the relentless inevitability wasn’t quite there.

And then, after the league season ended, came the moment that truly marked the end of an era:

Pep Guardiola announced he would not continue.

Not during the run‑in. Not in the emotional chaos of the final matchday. But the morning after — a quiet, seismic confirmation that the Guardiola era was officially over.

After reshaping English football for nearly a decade, after redefining what dominance looked like, Guardiola walked away — not in decline, but in transition. His departure didn’t just change Manchester City. It changed the entire Premier League.

Because with Guardiola stepping aside, something unexpected happened: Mikel Arteta becomes the longest‑serving manager in the Premier League.

The apprentice outlasting the master. The former captain outlasting the dynasty. The student now the league’s senior figure. It added another layer to Arsenal’s title win — a symbolic passing of eras.

And the rumours began immediately.

Reports swirled that Enzo Maresca, previously at Chelsea and Guardiola’s one‑time assistant and a coach steeped in the City Football Group philosophy, was being lined up as the natural successor. The idea made sense: continuity, identity, a familiar tactical language.

Whether it happens or not, the speculation alone showed how seismic Guardiola’s departure was. City weren’t just replacing a manager. They were replacing an era.

Liverpool: A Deep Dive Into a Title Defence That Slipped Away

The now-former Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who was gone in his second season. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

Liverpool entered the 2025/26 season as Premier League champions, carrying the weight and pride of a club that had rediscovered its edge under Arne Slot, which the Dutchman did it in his first season at the club, succeeding Juergen Klopp.

The previous campaign had been electric — fluid football, relentless pressing, and a squad that looked reborn.

But defending a Premier League title is a different beast.

A season that began with belief

Slot’s Liverpool started the season with confidence. The patterns of play were familiar: the rotations, the verticality, the aggressive counter‑press. They still looked like a team capable of blowing opponents away.

But something was missing — not dramatically, not catastrophically, but subtly.

The margins that define champions

Injuries disrupted rhythm. Key players dipped in form. Opponents adapted to Slot’s patterns. And while Liverpool remained competitive, they lost the ruthlessness that defines champions.

The difference between a title‑winning season and a frustrating one is often just a handful of moments — a missed chance here, a late concession there, a run of draws that should’ve been wins. Liverpool lived in that space all season.

The emotional weight of being champions

Being the hunted is different from being the hunter. Every team raised their game against Liverpool. Every mistake felt heavier. Every dropped point felt like a warning.

And as Arsenal surged, Liverpool couldn’t match their relentlessness.

The end of the Slot era

By the final weeks, it felt inevitable that Liverpool would fall short of their defence. Slot’s ideas hadn’t collapsed — they just hadn’t evolved fast enough in a league that never stops moving.

When the season ended, the club made a decisive call: Arne Slot was out.

And then came one of the most surprising managerial moves of the summer.

The Iraola twist

Liverpool appointed Andoni Iraola, fresh off leading Bournemouth to a European place — a remarkable achievement that made him one of the most sought‑after managers in the league. And this is considering Iraola had already spoken before about moving on, even before Bournemouth's European spot was confirmed.

The now-former Liverpool manager and his successor, Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola (right), back when the latter was at Bournemouth. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

In the background before the Iraola appointment came about, the whispers about Xabi Alonso lingered but the timing never aligned. Slot’s departure came first. Chelsea moved next. And by the time Liverpool made their decision, Alonso was already gone.

Liverpool’s season wasn’t a failure. It was a reminder of how thin the margins are at the top — and how quickly the Premier League reshapes itself.

Manchester United: A Deep Dive Into a Season That Finally Felt Like Progress

I will say first and foremost, this is a Manchester United supporter speaking. United’s season was a journey — messy, emotional, and ultimately hopeful.

They began the season under Rúben Amorim, whose ideas were bold but whose tenure never fully settled. The football was ambitious, but the results were uneven, and the squad looked caught between philosophies. When the club decided a change was needed, they turned to a familiar face.

Manchester United manager at the beginning of the season, Rúben Amorim. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

Michael Carrick stepped in as interim initially (there was Darren Fletcher before him as caretaker), and everything shifted.

The players responded to him with a clarity and confidence that had been missing for years. The football sharpened. The mood lifted. The club suddenly felt… lighter.

The permanent Manchester United manager Michael Carrick (in black), from interim to that. (By Getty Images, from BBC Sport)

United didn’t hesitate. They made Carrick permanent manager, and it felt like the club finally chose continuity over chaos. I know one can say United went down this route before with Ole Gunnar Solskajer, but then I also remember the sentiment at that time that United went the sentimental route. But then one can still say that before Carrick returned to the club, he was last at Middlesborough as manager which the club missed out on promotion play-off to the Premier League.

A Team That Finally Looked Like a Team

Under Carrick, United weren’t perfect — but they were purposeful. The patterns of play were clearer. The pressing was more coordinated. The midfield looked balanced. The defence looked organised. And the attack, while still inconsistent, finally had structure instead of vibes.

For the first time in a long time, United looked like a team with an identity rather than a collection of individuals trying to figure it out on the fly.

The Return to the Champions League

And the reward for all that? Finishing third in the league (mind, given United ended the season before in 2024/25 season just outside of relegation places, that was how bad it became despite reaching the Europa League final then), and a return to the UEFA Champions League for the 2026/27 season. It wasn’t handed to them.

They earned it — through resilience, through tactical discipline, through a manager who understood the club’s heartbeat because he’d lived it in his playing days there.

After everything the club has been through — the false dawns, the rebuilds that never rebuilt, the managers who came and went — this season felt like the first real step forward in years.

Not a leap. Not a miracle. A step. A meaningful one. I do want to be hopeful!

One do not know how much I have 'suffered' over how many seasons that the club have become a running gag for the pundits. I have to suffer seeing Liverpool getting their mojo back (at least not for the season that ended though, and it actually brought me joy at times seeing the chaos there...sorry not sorry!), seeing the City dominance, but still somehow manage to be chuffed at Arsenal winning the league after three runners-up spots. Or maybe back when I first started supporting United in the early 2000s while still in secondary school, Arsenal is always a rival for the club, competing for titles and all.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Great Escape — Again, With a Full Managerial Carousel

The manager that Tottenham Hotspur began the season with full of hope, Thomas Frank, coming over from Brentford. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

Tottenham Hotspur’s season was pure chaos — even by their standards. They started under Thomas Frank, who arrived from Brentford with a clear philosophy but struggled to translate it into results. As the relegation threat grew (and those injuries pilling), Spurs made a change and brought in Igor Tudor, hoping for a spark.

When that still didn’t stabilise things enough, the club made one more bold move — turning to Roberto De Zerbi, whose journey had taken him from Brighton to Marseille in Ligue 1, and now into the middle of a Premier League survival fight.

The unlikely manager in Tottenham Hotspur's fight against relegation, Roberto di Zerbi. From Brighton where he honed his reputation in English football, to the cauldron at Marseille in France's Ligue 1, and back to England again to the other side of north London. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

And somehow — somehow — De Zerbi kept them up. His arrival, even late in the season, brought the structure, intensity, and tactical clarity Spurs had been missing all year.

The relegation battle was brutal — tight margins, late goals, and teams refusing to go quietly — but De Zerbi’s Spurs found just enough identity, just enough grit, and just enough belief to scrape over the line.

Their season wasn’t coherent. It wasn’t calm. But it was dramatic, emotional, and ultimately successful in the only metric that mattered: staying up. Again.

Aston Villa & Crystal Palace: Europe’s Unexpected Heroes

Aston Villa, under Unai Emery, lifted the Europa League — and in many ways, it felt like the competition had come home to him.

Unai Emery being held aloft by the Aston Villa players after the Europa League triumph against Freiburg in the final. This has always been his competition after all. (Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Emery and the Europa League — a story that began long before Villa

This is the tournament where Emery first carved out his reputation, winning it three times with Sevilla, building a dynasty that defined an era of Spanish football. It’s the competition he conquered again with Villarreal, famously beating Manchester United in that marathon penalty shootout in 2021— a night that still stings for me as a United supporter. Even back when Emery was at Sevilla, he has been nicknamed 'Mr. Europa League' and the Europa League has been unofficially dubbed in Spain as 'the Unai Emery Cup'.

So when Villa hired him, they weren’t just hiring a manager. They were hiring a specialist. A man who knows this competition like muscle memory.

Villa’s European heritage reborn

And the story becomes even richer when you remember that Aston Villa are not strangers to European glory. They won the European Cup (the predecessor to the UEFA Champions League) in 1982, beating Bayern Munich in Rotterdam — a triumph etched into the club’s identity.

This season felt like a bridge between eras: the club that once conquered Europe, and the manager who has made Europe his personal playground.

Villa’s Europa League triumph wasn’t a surprise. It felt like history aligning. And the reward for winning it is being in the UEFA Champions League for the 2026/27 season.

Crystal Palace’s story, though, was something else entirely.

A European journey that almost didn’t happen for the Eagles

Palace entered the UEFA Conference League not through league position, but as FA Cup winners from the 2024/25 season, the first time the Eagles have done it in their history and against Manchester City in the final to beat. That victory should have placed them in the Europa League, but the spot was contested — and ultimately claimed — by Nottingham Forest, who secured the league‑based qualification route instead.

So Palace dropped down into the Conference League. And in hindsight, it felt like destiny.

Glasner’s farewell season — announced before the fairytale

During the season, Oliver Glasner announced he would not continue beyond the 2025/26 seasons. It was a shock — the Austrian who had transformed Palace’s identity, who had given them structure, belief, and ambition, was stepping away.

And then came the twist: Palace went on a European run for the ages.

A triumph that felt like a goodbye gift

They played with freedom, confidence, and a sense of adventure that made neutrals fall in love with them. And when they lifted the UEFA Conference League trophy, it felt like the perfect ending to the Glasner era — a parting gift from a manager who had already said his goodbyes. He had previously won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt, and doing it with Crystal Palace albeit in a different competition. There were still hope that Glasner might still continue in spite of the triumph, but his mind was already made up.

OLIVER GLASNER DID THE BELLY SLIDE ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/S0tZU2OAks
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 28, 2026

Two English clubs, two European trophies, neither from the traditional “big six”. That’s the magic of football.

Chelsea: A Season of Reset — And a Managerial Odyssey

Chelsea’s season was a saga in itself. They began under Enzo Maresca, whose ideas never fully settled. When results dipped, the club moved to Liam Rosenior, the Englishman who came in even despite what he did at Strasbourg in France's Ligue 1, hoping he would stabilise things. When that didn’t take hold quickly enough, a interim in Calum McFarlane stepped in to guide the team through the final stretch of the season.

Back when Enzo Maresca (left) was assistant to Pep Guardiola (right) at Manchester City. The Italian had started the season at the Chelsea dugout, before the managerial carousel began. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

The interim up till the end of the season, Calum McFarlane. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

Liam Rosenior, who came in between Maresca and McFarlane. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

And then came the announcement — confirmed after the season ended — that truly reset the mood: Xabi Alonso, arriving after a turbulent spell at Real Madrid, where he had been sacked before completing a full season.

Alonso's journey to Stamford Bridge is one of the most fascinating arcs in modern football management.

Before Madrid, Alonso had spent two seasons at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, where he built a reputation for bold, modern, possession‑dominant football. His ideas were clear, his teams were brave, and his tactical identity was unmistakable. That success earned him the Real Madrid job (though one can say it is him managing one of his former clubs) — a massive leap, but one that ultimately proved too steep, too soon.

Madrid moved on quickly, as they always do. But Alonso’s stock didn’t vanish. If anything, the sentiment around him grew — especially at Liverpool, the possibility of managing the club he once graced as a player.

But football rarely follows the script of nostalgia. Chelsea moved decisively. Chelsea moved first. And Chelsea got him.

Yes, the new Chelsea manager for the 2026/27 Premier League season, Xabi Alonso. (By Getty Images, on BBC Sport)

Alonso’s appointment signalled something rare at Stamford Bridge: a long‑term vision. After the last few years, stability would feel revolutionary. Considering Chelsea would come to end the season outside of European places altogether.

The Managerial Carousel Spins Again — And the Relegation Shockwaves

The Premier League never disappoints when it comes to managerial drama. This season saw sackings, resignations, interim appointments, and — once the dust settled — a wave of post‑season managerial announcements that reshaped the league’s landscape.

Liverpool’s next chapter

After losing their title defence, Liverpool confirmed that Arne Slot would be replaced by Andoni Iraola — the same Iraola who had just led Bournemouth to a European place for the first time in its history. It was one of the most surprising moves of the summer: a manager leaving a rising project he built himself to take on the pressure cooker of Anfield.

Chelsea’s new era

Chelsea’s appointment of Xabi Alonso, confirmed after the season ended, added another layer to the league’s managerial reset. A young, modern coach stepping into one of the most volatile jobs in football — but with a vision the club desperately needed.

Relegation shockwaves

And at the bottom of the table, the stories were just as dramatic. Wolves were relegated early — a season that unraveled long before the run‑in. Burnley followed not long after — spirited at times, but ultimately outmatched. And West Ham became the final casualty, their relegation confirmed only on the final day, a heartbreak sealed in the dying moments of the season.

Three clubs, three different timelines, one brutal truth: the Premier League shows mercy to no one.

Other Storylines — And the Road to the 2026 World Cup

With the World Cup approaching (as in, taking place later today, or early Friday morning Singapore time), everything this season felt like a prelude. Players fought for form. Managers balanced rotations. National teams quietly took notes.

The Premier League didn’t just end a season. It set the stage for a global one.

Closing Thoughts

Writing this felt like reconnecting with an old part of myself — the version who used to stay up late typing out match reactions, season reflections, and emotional rants about football’s ability to lift and break the human spirit in ninety minutes. Maybe I stopped blogging because life got busy. You know, the working world.

But this season reminded me why I ever started. Football gives you stories. And some seasons, like this one, give you too many not to write about.

Meeting Les Misérables Again, 25 Years Later

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:38:00 +0000

On Saturday, 2 May 2026, I walked into the Marina Bay Sands Theatre for the afternoon show of Les Misérables – The Arena Spectacular, and it felt strangely unreal. I’ve lived with this story for twenty‑five years — long enough that it’s become part of my personal history — but I had never actually seen the musical on stage until that moment.

At the entrance of Marina Bay Sands Theatre last month. All photos taken here, unless otherwise stated, came from me.

This was taken near the ticketing counter, at the entrance of Marina Bay Sands Theatre. That was what I came for last month.

My connection to Les Mis started in the most ordinary way: secondary school Music class in 2001. We learned “Castle on a Cloud”, and after we sang it, my teacher played us a short clip from the 10th Anniversary Concert. Just a few minutes, but it was enough to make me curious about the world behind that little song. Curious enough to go looking for the original novel, which actually came after our Music teacher briefly spoke about the novel’s synopsis which the musical was based on. And that’s how Victor Hugo’s work became one of the first “big” books I ever read on my own terms.

The image of Cosette from the original publication of the novel which inspired the musical poster. “Castle on a Cloud” is Cosette's song. That was my original entry point into the world of Les Mis. (Image by Émile Bayard - http://f20creativefrance.com/2014/05/19/victor-hugo-les-miserables-from-page-to-stage/)

And the funny thing is — it didn’t stop there. Years later, in university, Les Misérables ended up becoming part of an assignment I once wrote about how literature can teach us about real life. I chose four of my all time favourite novels, and Hugo’s epic naturally made the list. It was one of those moments where you realise a story has followed you further than you expected, shaping how you think about justice, compassion, and the choices people make.

🎉 The 40th Anniversary — No More Missing Out

Over the years, the musical came to Singapore several times, and somehow I always missed it. Wrong timing, wrong season, wrong everything. But when the 40th anniversary production was announced, I knew I wasn’t letting this one slip by, which I bought late last year when tickets were released. And when the cast list came out early this year — Lea Salonga and Singapore’s own Nathania Ong (which the latter was announced late last year though) — it felt like the universe was giving me a nudge.

Eponine and Madame Thenardier, next to each other. Nathania Ong (left) and Lea Salonga (right) being part of the Singapore leg of Les Misérables – The Arena Spectacular. Fun fact: Salonga used to be Eponine in the Broadway production in 1993, and became the first Asian to be cast as that. Ong would reprise the role she did on West End for the Singapore leg. (Photo: Persson Photography/Johan Persson; Matt Crockett)

🎭 A Rare Full Circle Moment

It’s rare for me to watch a stage musical after reading the original novel. The last time it happened was The Phantom of the Opera last year, and even then I had that odd familiarity of knowing exactly where each song fit into the book. But Les Mis was different. I’ve lived with this story for so long that the characters feel like old companions. I knew the arcs, the heartbreaks, the moral weight of every choice.

And yet, hearing the songs performed live — not the movie version, not recordings, but real voices and a real orchestra — felt like meeting the story again for the first time. Like the novel I once read and carried around in my head had stepped off the page and breathed in front of me.

Taken by me, when the main (and supporting) cast returned for the final time on stage. The live orchestra is actually just behind them.

🎶 Hearing the Songs for Real

I knew the melodies. I knew the lyrics. I knew the emotional beats. But hearing them live — for the first time ever — was something else entirely. My only reference up till that point had been the film. You know, the one with Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and how it led to Anne Hathaway winning the Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. This was different. This was alive. It felt like meeting an old friend for the first time.

✨ Final Thoughts

Some experiences arrive exactly when they’re meant to. This was one of them.

This was taken by the Marina Bay Sands Theatre staff who was overseeing those who wanted to take photos with the cutout poster. People like me. This happened some time before the musical began.

After twenty five years, finally seeing Les Misérables live felt like closing a loop I didn’t even realise was still open.

Late to 'Hacks', Early to Loving It: How It Won Me Over

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:40:00 +0000

I’ll confess something right away: I was late to Hacks. Not fashionably late — embarrassingly late. The series had already started sweeping awards before I even knew it existed. Then I learned that the season four finale (“Heaven”, as it turns out) was filmed largely in my home country Singapore, which caused a delightful buzz in the local media. That coincidence finally nudged me into watching from the beginning (though just before the fifth and final season was released in early April this year), and what began as mild curiosity slowly turned into something much deeper.

The series title itself, and how it tends to show up in each episode. (Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television Distribution - https://www.hbomax.com/shows/hacks/67e940b7-aab2-46ce-a62b-c7308cde9de7)

The promotional poster of the fifth and final season, released almost two months ago. (Image via IMDb.com)

Hacks is a show that grows on you. Not with big, flashy moments, but with a steady confidence that sneaks up until you realize you’re fully invested. At its center is Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance, a legendary stand-up comedian whose diamond‑sharp exterior hides decades of reinvention. Smart plays her with such precision — brittle one moment, unexpectedly vulnerable the next — that you can’t help but root for her even when she’s at her most impossible.

Opposite her is Hannah Einbinder’s Ava Daniels, unmistakably Gen Z in her worldview, her anxieties, her righteous impatience, and her messy idealism. Ava begins as a chaotic, self‑sabotaging writer, but across the seasons she grows into someone who can challenge Deborah without losing her own voice. Their relationship — prickly, tender, combative, affectionate — becomes the show’s beating heart.

For some reason, I kept thinking back to this scene in a promotional video for the fourth season when I looked back at the dynamic between the two. But that was before what happened in the season four finale. When that episode was emerged to have been largely filmed right here in my country, sending the local media into delightful buzz. (Image via IMDb.com)

And then there’s the fifth season episode “D’Amazing Race”. As someone who was once a devoted fan of the real‑world competition show it lovingly parodies, I was practically giddy watching how Hacks translated that format into its own universe. It’s one of those episodes that reminds you how playful the series can be, even while juggling heavier themes.

This moment shows up in the fifth season episode "D'Amazing Race". Yes, it really did. (Image via IMDb.com)

The supporting cast adds texture in all the right ways. Paul W. Downs, one of the co‑creators, plays Jimmy, the perpetually stressed manager whose dynamic with Megan Stalter’s Kayla evolves from workplace nightmare to something oddly functional and unexpectedly sweet. Tony Goldwyn’s Bob Lipka, the media conglomerate CEO who brings a grounded tension that stretches from season three to five, giving Deborah a worthy adversary. Rose Abdoo’s Josefina, Deborah’s estate manager, remains the calm center of the storm, quietly anchoring the chaos around her. And then there’s Helen Hunt as Winnie — a surprise appearance I genuinely did not see coming, yet she fits seamlessly into the show’s world.

The one appearance I certainly did not see coming and nearly did a double take initially. Yes, that is Helen Hunt (right), as Winnie, the media network executive in Bob Lipka's firm. (Image via IMDb.com)

The estate manager who knows a lot about Deborah Vance. Rose Abdoo's Josefina. Deborah yelling her name is always a highlight in the way how she does it. (Image via IMDb.com)

Kayla and Jimmy, definitely not a couple but work colleagues where Kayla (Megan Stalter, left) was originally the assistant before co-manager. Jimmy is also being played by one of the series' co-creators Paul W. Downs (right), where he is manager to Deborah and Ava before Kayla came on board as well. (Image via IMDb.com)

The cameos sprinkled throughout the series, especially those featuring performers playing themselves, add a layer of self‑aware sparkle without ever feeling gimmicky. They’re the kind of touches that reward long‑time comedy fans.

One of notable cameos of those who play themselves is none other than the late-night talk show host himself Jimmy Kimmel (left). But he is just one of the many notable names in the comedy (and talk-show) circuit who play themselves in the series. (Image via IMDb.com)

What elevates Hacks beyond a sharp comedy is its reverence for the women who paved the way. The co‑creators have spoken before about Deborah being inspired by a blend of Mary Tyler Moore and Lucille Ball, and once you know that, the lineage becomes beautifully clear. The poise, the grit, the refusal to be underestimated — it’s all there, woven into Deborah’s DNA.

The fourth season surrounds Deborah Vance becoming the first female late-night show host and what she has to go through to get to that stage. It is also not hard to think of how it is also a reminder of the women who paved the way for Jean Smart's character, whom has been described as between Mary Tyler Moore and Lucille Ball. (Image via IMDb.com)

The show also isn’t afraid to wade into contemporary issues. Beyond the Me Too‑adjacent moment in the first season episode “1.69 Million”, Hacks revisits similar territory in the fifth season in “A Slippery Slope”, where Deborah is confronted with allegations surrounding a guest booked on her late‑night show. The way she ultimately takes a stand against the network adds another layer to her evolution, showing how the series balances sharp comedy with real‑world weight. Also, “QuikScribbl” dives into the debate around artificial intelligence, and by the fifth season, Ava’s growing passion for climate change reflects the urgency of her generation without feeling heavy‑handed.

One of the most unexpectedly moving elements of the series is its use of flashbacks, especially in the fifth season episode “Who’s Making Dinner?”, which offers the viewers a glimpse into Deborah’s early days in showbiz. Those scenes deepen her character in ways that linger long after the credits roll.

A rare moment in Hacks, is a glimpse into Deborah's early days in showbiz through the episode “Who’s Making Dinner?”. This is definitely not Jean Smart playing the much younger version of herself, but someone else completely in Olivia Boreham-Wing in a flashback scene seen in the episode. (Image via IMDb.com)

Looking back, I didn’t expect to follow the twists and turns of Hacks as closely as I did, or to find myself rooting for Deborah with such conviction. What started as a late discovery became a series I genuinely cherished — a sharp, funny, heartfelt tribute to ambition, reinvention, and the complicated relationships that shape us.

'The Testaments': New Voices, Old Echoes, Same Haunting World

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:35:00 +0000

I’ll be honest to begin with: I had originally started on The Testaments for one reason — Ann Dowd. After everything she brought to The Handmaid’s Tale, I couldn’t resist seeing where Aunt Lydia’s path would lead next.

What I didn’t expect was to spot other familiar faces — June, Rita — appearing in quiet, grounding ways that never spoil anything, but gently remind you where this world came from. Just enough to feel like a soft echo of the past.

And then there was Chase Infiniti. I’d first discovered her in the Oscar‑winning One Battle After Another, where she completely caught my attention. Seeing her name here felt like a spark — the kind that makes you lean in a little closer. I actually uttered 'Praise be!' when I saw her name amongst the cast before the series was released.

From there, the season unfolded in ways I didn’t quite anticipate.

The promotional poster for what would become the first season of The Testaments. (Image via IMDb.com)

🎭 A familiar world, seen through new eyes

The show widens Gilead without losing its tension. New voices shift the emotional center, letting you see the same world from angles that feel sharper, more intimate. It’s about power, identity, and what it means to grow up inside a system that never asked for your consent.

🎭 Performances that linger quietly

The cast doesn’t perform loudly — they resonate.

Chase Infiniti as Agnes brings a soft, searching presence that deepens as the season goes on.
Lucy Halliday as Daisy feels grounded and immediate, a steady counterpoint.
Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia remains magnetic, but with new fractures that make you rethink her entirely.
Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite surprised me — It has to be said, I didn’t warm to her at first, and then suddenly I did.

Mattea Conforti as Becka adds a gentle sincerity that anchors the group. She’s the quiet heartbeat amid all the shifting loyalties.

The Plums at school, Shunammite (second from left), Becka (centre), Agnes (second from right). (Image via Variety)

Daisy (left) and Agnes (right) at school. The reason Daisy is in white is because she came to the school from outside of Gilead, as a Pearl Girl. (Image via Variety)

🧭 A story told in fragments that slowly click

The season moves between timelines and perspectives, almost like gathering pieces of a testimony. At first it feels scattered, but then the threads start tightening. Whether you’ve read the book or not, the structure pulls you in — not with shocks, but with slow, deliberate revelation.

Like in one of the episodes titled 'Stadium', it is predominantly told from the perspective of Aunt Lydia, and her life before being in Gilead, expanding on what was established previously in The Handmaid's Tale. There are multiple timelines and perspectives this time, which makes it different from The Handmaid's Tale. (Image via Variety)

🎬 A slower burn, but a deeper one

This isn’t a show that rushes. It settles. It lets moments breathe. The visuals stay controlled and intentional, and the emotional beats land quietly but firmly.

This is one of those moments in terms of the visuals. That is until one watch the episode involving this scene with Chase Infiniti's Agnes to understand the context. (Image via Variety)

💭 What stayed with me

It didn’t hit me initially as instantly as The Handmaid’s Tale, but it grew on me — especially as the characters deepened and the narrative found its rhythm.

Shunammite’s arc changed how I saw her, from her initial haughtiness which put me off to eventually understanding her backstory as the series progress. Becka’s steadiness, considering what she had to go through in her family before doing what she did, lingered longer than I expected. And Ann Dowd… she continues to leave echoes.

With Season 2 already on the way, it feels like we’re only at the beginning.

The defining image of the first season finale, from left to right: Daisy, Agnes, and Shunammite walking in opposite direction of the Plums at school, definitely setting up the stage for what the second season may bring. One has to watch to understand how Daisy from a Pearl Girl to a Plum. (Image via Variety)

⭐ Final thoughts

If you like storytelling that unfolds slowly, with layered characters and a world that reveals itself piece by piece, The Testaments is worth your time. It’s familiar, but it’s also its own thing — and that’s what makes it compelling.

⭐ A spoiler‑free quote that encapsulates it all

This line captures the tone of Season 1 — the tension, the watchfulness, the quiet shift — and hints at the momentum building toward Season 2:

“Change begins quietly, long before anyone dares to name it.”

It’s the perfect emotional note to end on: reflective, hopeful, and full of the promise that the story is only just beginning.

Why 'The Handmaid’s Tale' Still Feels Uncomfortably Contemporary

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:35:20 +0000

Before diving into The Testaments, I wanted to look back at The Handmaid’s Tale — not with spoilers, but with the perspective of someone who finally watched it years after the hype. What struck me most was how a story first written in 1985 by Margaret Atwood originally as a novel could feel so sharply relevant today. You’d expect a dystopia from the ’80s to feel dated, but the television adaptation lands with a kind of eerie immediacy.

Promotional poster for the sixth and final season back in 2025. (Image via IMDb.com)

I remember the buzz when the show first premiered, especially during the first Trump presidency, when conversations about rights, power, and control were everywhere. It was one of those series I kept meaning to watch, but somehow never got around to. Then, almost two years ago, I subscribed to HBO Max — and there it was, waiting. Once I finally pressed play, I understood why it had become such a cultural touchpoint.

The promotional poster for the first season. All the buzz surrounding it led me to be initially intrigued until I came across it on HBO Max almost two years ago. (Image via IMDb.com)

Set in a world called Gilead where control is everything and freedom is rationed, the show doesn’t rely on big twists or explosive action. Instead, it hooks you quietly — with tension, atmosphere, and moments that feel heavy even when barely anything is said. More than once, I found myself pausing just to let a scene settle.

“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.” Don’t let the bastards grind you down.

It’s simple, but it captures the heartbeat of the entire show — that quiet, stubborn resilience.

🎭 Performances That Hit Hard

Elisabeth Moss as June is honestly the reason the series hits the way it does. She doesn’t just act — she communicates with the smallest shifts in her expression. Half the time, she doesn’t even need dialogue. You just feel what she’s feeling, whether you want to or not.

And then there’s Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia. She leaves a completely different kind of mark. Her presence is commanding, unsettling, and layered in ways that make you rethink your first impressions. I kept finding myself torn between fear, frustration, and a weird kind of curiosity.

“Better never means better for everyone… It always means worse, for some.”

The way she delivers that line is chilling. It’s the kind of moment that lingers long after the episode ends.

Elisabeth Moss (left) as June Osborne (though she was initially known as Offred in Gilead), and Ann Dowd (right) as Aunt Lydia. (Image via IMDb.com)

🎬 A Visual Style That Gets Under Your Skin

I didn’t expect the visuals to affect me as much as they did. The show is beautifully crafted, but not in a glossy, cinematic way. Everything feels intentional — the colours, the framing, the stillness.

One of those striking images from the latter seasons. (Image via IMDb.com)

A slight variation from the previous. Though it is actually their backs facing the image, from left to right: Serena Joy Waterford, June, Commander Waterford. (Image via IMDb.com)

The close-up shots, especially, create this feeling of being too close. It forces you to sit with the characters’ emotions, which makes certain scenes feel almost uncomfortably intimate. It’s subtle, but incredibly effective.

Just Elisabeth Moss's June in one of her moments. And the close-up. (Image via IMDb.com)

💭 Why It Stayed With Me

This isn’t a show you watch and immediately move on from. There were moments when I had to pause — not because I was bored, but because I needed a moment to breathe.

June’s journey stayed with me because of how raw and grounded it felt. Aunt Lydia stayed with me for the opposite reason — the complexity, the contradictions, the way Ann Dowd plays her with such conviction that you can’t help but keep thinking about her.

That’s the thing about The Handmaid’s Tale: it doesn’t just tell a story. It makes you reflect, question, and sit with uncomfortable truths.

✅ Final Thoughts

The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t an easy watch — but it’s a meaningful one. If you’ve never seen it and want to understand why The Testaments hits the way it does, this is absolutely worth your time.

Just don’t expect to finish it and forget it. It’s the kind of series that stays with you — and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.

Notes on a political limited series

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:10:00 +0000

(Preview: Or rather, how and what made it and did not on the cutting room floor of the blog entry ‘On overlooked presidential histories, and cultural moments’. Also, the thought processes leading to what has been blogged since watching Netflix’s Death by Lightning. The ‘making of’ edition.)

One of the main promotional posters to advertise the limited series, apart from this on imdb.com. (Credit: JustWatch)

Will someone please think of the state of my health? I had almost lost sleep in the process just to do the blog entry, spending slightly over a week hashing it out before what it becomes of it. Each time I thought blogging was behind me because of, work life and real world, there is always something which draws me back. Often than not, it has to take a confluence of factors for me to blog again. From how reading Pride and Prejudice in my youth before the 2005 film adaptation and Succession caused me to have so much feelings over the casting of Death by Lightning and the other unexpected cultural moments which I found myself mentioning why the limited series from Netflix forced me to confront what I thought I know as a former student of history, this is the ‘making of’ edition.

Memories of university days

It was only after I ‘rejected’ other ways to open the blog entry did I began with what I had. I did not mention what module it was then though. It is actually called ‘Arts and Our World’.

The last time I was so into American presidential history, it formed the basis of one of my university module assignments as a mass communications major. It was 12 years ago. To be fair, the class was given these three options: It could be either something on architecture, a piece of art, or an analytical piece of something from screen. The lecturer threw out suggestions on what to do with those options, and I took hold on one of those. I chose the screen choice.

The result: An academic ‘journal’ with the film in focus which came out only the year before then, the 2012 film Lincoln.

Of course, my university days form the main reason why I found myself intrigued at just the limited series title Death by Lightning. I clearly recalled my American history textbook was divided up into what was happening during the time of each presidency post-Lincoln. Which was why it struck a raw nerve when I realised, I drew a blank when it came to the presidency of James Garfield, until his short-lived presidency becomes the subject of a Netflix limited series.

Even back then with the initial scant details on the limited series, I was intrigued. I should know given I did also had to study American history at university as part of the degree course (more so I did an American degree, so it is part of the package), the Garfield presidency has always been remembered as one of the short-lived ones in the line of American presidential histories (the second shortest yet), and I remembered my American history textbook first started in the post-Lincoln years up till the first Obama presidency.

But then I also did comparative politics at university. What I remembered was when the chapter is on the American political system, presidential term limits did come up at one time. Though it is kind of cheating when it came to the part of what I had to say of when Franklin Roosevelt was at the White House, because I was already amazed back in secondary school history class on the chapter of World War Two that he did four terms before passing away in midst of his fourth. It finally made sense in my university days.

One thing I certainly did not expect as a mass communications major in my university days is also studying psychology. But at the end of it, it left me with better appreciation of how it can be used in the context of mass communications, though popular media have also come to shape how it is being viewed. Another moment which did not make the final cut on my blog was how I wanted to include how my psychology assignment at the time was finding contemporary articles and what form of psychology is being referenced in the article, as according to what had been taught in class. I had already mentioned on the blog of how my very first assignment and presentation as a diploma in mass communications student was about left-handedness and how it became personal to be speaking of how it is like to be a left-hander living in a world make for right-handers, and ending with how nobody told me it is also going to include who shot the 20th President of the United States. I nearly included that nobody told me that Charles Guiteau could have been a fascinating case study on the basis of what came out of his trial in the assassination of President James Garfield, because my psychology textbook was also full of high-profile case studies throughout history and what could we have taken away from each time.

I had to also find myself when watching Death by Lightning, mentally dusting off my psychology textbook from university days (Psychology was one of the compulsory modules I had to take as a mass communications student) trying to understand and make sense of one man’s twisted delusions and madness and what he did would have consequences. Reading how Charles Guiteau was depicted throughout the Candice Millard book Destiny of the Republic and in the limited series, he would have mental illness which were never diagnosed, given the state of psychiatry in the 19th century. Ironically, Guiteau would come to achieve the fame and notoriety he had long sought after when still alive, his brain being preserved for science even after his execution in the same museum where one can also see what was left of the assassin who preceded him in John Wilkes Booth. Guiteau had originally used the temporary insanity defence at his trial.

One of the most known satirical images which went round in the wake of the assassination and before the trial. The image, currently in the United States Library of Congress but originally from Puck titled 'A Model Office Seeker “ I am a Lawyer, a Theologian and a Politician”- Charles J. Guiteau', which I have been seeing in the wake of watching Death by Lightning. (Image via U.S. National Park Service)

When presidential assassinations and assassinations attempts cast their shadow

Abraham Lincoln’s assassination would always be remembered due to how it was the first time a president was shot while in office and died after, other than it happened only just days after the end of the Civil War; William McKinley’s in 1901 would also be remembered for how it marked the start of the Secret Service providing presidential protection after that; John F Kennedy’s in 1963 was also remembered for a number of factors in terms of his relative youth when he took office, the media fallout after that, and how debates are still raging even after more than six decades of whether Lee Harvey Oswald was the only person involved due to various theories, debunked or not, that has sprung up since. And unfortunately for James Garfield’s in 1881, that it was only four months into his tenure that it took place.

An illustration of what happened on the day when Charles Guiteau shot President Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington D.C. on 2 July 1881. This moment in time was re-created in the final episode of Death by Lightning in 'Destiny of the Republic'. (Credit: BBC, original source: Getty Images)

I was thinking of all that before watching Death by Lightning, and how until what happened last year on the attempt to Donald Trump’s life on the campaign trail, one of the last high-profile attempts was on another Republican president in Ronald Reagan. It was one thing in terms of learning what was happening in the world around the time I was born in which include who was the president of the United States at the time, it was another when finding out one of the front-page headlines of your national newspaper had one on the very person itself…which is yes, Reagan himself. It then made me wonder all sorts of things.

The result of wondering what was happening in the world on the day when I was born. The front cover of our national newspaper. If I need any more reminders that Ronald Reagan was POTUS at the time. (Image via The Straits Times)

So, is it mere coincidence that the two non-fiction political books I had read and listened to have the same ending in the end? Both are books on presidents ending with the same fate, yet I still followed it like reading a novel sometimes, not sure how it is going to turn out, and still gasping each time when the deed was done. But that is where the similarities end, due to how there are differences to why the assassin would do what he did, between John Wilkes Booth and Charles Guiteau.

One thing I never included on the blog entry, was how one of the other limited series I watched last year via Apple TV+, it was on the manhunt for the conspirators to Lincoln’s assassination simply titled Manhunt. Booth might do the deed, but he was not alone in what he came to do. That is the other difference between him and Guiteau. The other thing I did not include on the blog was how according to Destiny of the Republic, it wrote that Guiteau had recalled what happened in the manhunt for Booth in the aftermath of Lincoln’s assassination that it took days before he was apprehended with his co-conspirators. That played his bit that knowing that he would be arrested for shooting President Garfield, doing a prison tour at the prison where he would be likely be sent to, where I only included this part on the blog - though this was not shown on screen, it was written in the book that knowing that he would be sent to prison for shooting Garfield, he had personally went down and had a prison tour prior beforehand.

In the aftermath of Secretary of State James Blaine alerting the presence of Charles Guiteau that he was the person who shot the president, this was what happens next at outside the railroad station with Guiteau promptly being detained and arrested. From the final episode of Death by Lightning, 'Destiny of the Republic'. (Credit: Netflix)

Why history still matters deeply

If I was not so big on history, or even American history as a result of my university days, I do not think I would have taken notice of this. The official promotional poster for the limited series. (Credit: Netflix)

Before I was big on American history as a result of my university days, what became my unlikely trigger point into why I loved studying history was how I do not know anything about my own family tree as a seven-year-old back in primary school. It was the class assignment at the time, and I realised I do not know anything when I asked my parents about it. They did help me to write down names of my paternal and maternal grandparents and speaking about where they were originally from. Paternal grandparents I have never met but in photographs and memories from my paternal relatives and from my father. Other than that, it is relatives who help to fill in the blanks of both my paternal and maternal grandparents, and what my late mother used to say of her late parents. Visiting my grandparents’ hometowns in China became part of my bucket list (which has been partially done because I have yet visited my maternal grandparents’ hometown), the same bucket list which I completed the very first in terms of seeing actual snow (bear in mind I come from a country very near the Equator, and we like to joke here that we only have one season all year round), during my student exchange in the United States in my university days 12 years ago.

And I have originally been insistent of wanting to study English Literature ahead of History on the basis it was my favourite subject at the time in my first two years of secondary school, only to find out the school did not offer the former as an O-Level subject. My second choice ended up becoming my new favourite school subject. Then again, my history grade had always been ahead of the other humanities subjects I also took in secondary school, ahead of Geography and English Literature. Maybe it was my blessing in disguise.

At the end of it all long after the final credits of Death by Lightning, why do I care? Why do I want to care? I have always hated the phrase ‘history is written by the victors,’ even as a former student of history since my secondary school days where coincidentally I first knew of the phrase. The more I learned and read before it all culminated in Death by Lightning, the more it made me angry and upset and confused, even if I love to mentally constantly checking off whatever was depicted in the limited series and where it had previously showed up in Destiny of the Republic or on Wikipedia or news articles I have come across relating to the limited series. Why is the James Garfield presidency has always been seen as an obscure footnote in history? Or to paraphrase the text at the beginning of the limited series, why it is the story of the two men the world forgot? Why must it take a limited series for me, a former student of history myself, to finally learn the story behind it all? I have always been defending the merits of being a student of history whenever I get the chance, and I have also always been big on American history precisely because of my university days and why I still want to care what is happening even if it makes me despair and disappointed sometimes watching and following and reading the news, apart from how political violence is still happening in the current times. Paraphrasing like how I once told someone I know, no matter what we may think about politics, studying history also means needing to know about the politics of the time where that is unavoidable.

Back when I first drafted that paragraph which went through minor changes before this was what was on the blog, it came in the midst of me watching Death by Lightning. The former student of history in me have always known I wanted to include that and what I had at the beginning, just that the middle section to have what I would come to watch in all the four episodes. And yes, I have always railed against the phrase ‘history is written by the victors’. It is precisely that often than not, the ‘losers’ narrative is not as clearly stated or even given almost the same amount of weight. I have precisely been taught as a former student of history to learn to read from all points of view before making our minds up in written form, even if we may or may not have subconsciously formed opinions about it along the way. Ironically, I have to learn to understand what drove Charles Guiteau to do what he did because precisely I admit I did have pre-conceived notions and assumptions even before listening to the audiobook version of Destiny of the Republic, even if political violence is never always the answer.

Then there is this – ‘Paraphrasing like how I once told someone I know, no matter what we may think about politics, studying history also means needing to know about the politics of the time where that is unavoidable.’. I recalled we were just chatting about our schooldays, and I brought up the time I studied history in secondary school. The moment I brought up also needing to know about politics when studying history, that person I know immediately squirmed. It is based on my own experience in secondary school, where I found myself also needing to understand the political context which led to the rise of Nazi Germany in terms of what had been happening in Germany up till that point. It was my unofficial crash course in Politics 101, learning about political spectrums and all that for the first time. At university when I did comparative politics, the political history of each of the country’s political system we were studying were also explained to how it chooses to govern itself. Politics has always been there since I did History back in secondary school, and it always feel like it is back to History classes all over again even at university.

The long memories of youth

I nearly had a heart attack when I went on to my HBO Max account weeks ago. Amongst what I saw on the front page, is something I never thought I would see again after 20 years. If Netflix already has Sense and Sensibility (my favourite Jane Austen novel), HBO Max has Pride and Prejudice (though it is removed from there since the last I checked). There is a reason why the image caption to the 2005 film poster of Pride and Prejudice, I put this on the blog – ‘An image for all eternity’. Because it looks almost exactly like the CD cover to the one which I watched 20 years ago on my laptop, the image that has been seared into my memory forever. My 18-year-old self, went from not knowing who was the person in the background then, to how everything changed after that. It is not even my favourite Jane Austen work, but yet. Watching it 20 years ago, it eventually became my second favourite Austen novel, and my mind became utterly convinced that it is also the reason why it is often cited as the favourite Austen work for many. And I have to admit; I nearly wanted to begin that anecdote at the beginning of my blog.


An image for all eternity, or at least for a generation who watched this 2005 film adaptation, like me. The now-iconic film poster, when Keira Knightley was the original reason I watched the film...until one sees who is Mr. Darcy in the background. Yes, the same film which introduced me to Matthew Macfadyen. (Credit: Wikipedia.)

As in also how my 18-year-old self would not have thought that my generation’s Mr. Darcy would not come to play other roles like becoming an ambitious office-seeker, twice. From someone I love to hate in HBO's Succession where I practically screamed ‘Mr. Darcy!’ in my head when seeing him on screen for the first time on that series when he became Tom Wambsgans, to playing an actual presidential assassin. This was not I envisioned three years after I first picked up Pride and Prejudice at the public library before watching the 2005 film adaptation on my laptop’s CD player. But I have always told myself if I can shake off as a Harry Potter fan (disclosure alert) of the thought of only associating Helena Bonham-Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange (one of the villainous in the world of Harry Potter, though there are other females worse than her in the books and films) in the Harry Potter films to how she memorably became the older Princess Margaret in The Crown, this is also possible. In the end, what was supposed to start the blog entry became this on the blog in the final paragraphs…

It is something I never brought up early on, in terms of another reason why I have a lot of feelings to who became Charles Guiteau in Death by Lightning in Matthew Macfadyen. Back when before I watched the film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice as an 18-year-old on my laptop 20 years ago in 2005 on the laptop’s CD player, I did not understand why many would cite that as their favourite Jane Austen work, because mine has always been Sense and Sensibility due to how it was the first Austen novel I picked up four years before in 2001 and read before Pride and Prejudice came after. I have since suspected at the back of my mind that his performance as Mr. Darcy might had swayed my thoughts about it. Then came Death by Lightning, and he was almost unrecognisable, and almost comical at times to the extent I found myself saying at one time, ‘Channelling your inner Tom Wambsgans, eh?’. It is also kind of funny that back when I was still listening to the audiobook version of Destiny of the Republic before watching the limited series on Netflix, each time the narrator came to the part of Guiteau, I had already started to imagine it in his voice, as how I remembered from back in Succession. Really. And then I got freaked out in the first episode starting from the prison scene in ‘The Man From Ohio’.

Michael Shannon is James Garfield, the 20th president of the United States. Matthew Macfadyen is Charles Guiteau, the man who would come to kill him.

DEATH BY LIGHTNING is now playing. pic.twitter.com/kxJrsnQoJy
— Netflix (@netflix) November 6, 2025

(I am part of the generation who first knew the latter as Mr. Darcy, then especially becoming someone I love to hate in Tom Wambsgans. Then along came this. The actual meeting between Garfield and Guiteau was brief, as according to in Destiny of the Republic. But the third episode 'Casus Belli' re-imagined it as a bit longer.)

Why being left-handed matters, a lot

Consider this one of the moments which did not make the final cut on the blog. I had originally had it on the draft, about how I am the only left-handed person in my family of right-handers. Also, how it was my father who told my late mother of letting nature take its course because my mother, as she eventually came to reveal to me, used to try make me to use my right hand as she did not know anyone who is left-handed, and how she also recalled my late maternal grandfather once told her off where she explained that my grandfather brought up that his personal doctor was left-handed. I only knew of the story of the latter much later than the former, because I was always of the thinking that if not for my father’s intervention, I would turn out like so many out there who could have been left-handed but being forced to use their right hand instead, and this phenomenon is real. And the other main moment which did not make the final cut on the blog was how my father upon coming across a commentary piece written by a left-handed journalist last year on International Left-Handers Day, he finally understood the struggles of left-handers when I told him the article practically listed everything in terms of the struggles I go through as well. That is why it matters a lot to me when this came about on the blog...

That almost knocked me over and I nearly shook, because I had not previously read anything about that until the mention from Guiteau himself. As a left-hander myself as well, that was when I also began to pay attention each time any scene involving Guiteau and Garfield writing something and which hand they were using, and it is the case. I used to turn my left-handedness into a class assignment and presentation (because the topic is on obstacles) on the subject in my early days doing the diploma in mass communications (before the degree came along two years later) 14 years ago in 2011. My very first assignment and presentation topic as a diploma student was laying out how it is like to be left-handed in a world make for right-handers, a summary over what I could find in terms of medical research over that, how it came to have a bad rap over the course of history, before trotting out names of famous left-handed personalities from history to the present times in terms of how it is not all bad after all. Nobody told me it is also going to include who shot the 20th President of the United States.

Left-handers like me do not always have it easy since how history have always perceived left-handedness, and do I need to add another reason? Which is why I am always sensitive whenever I see references like this.

That very moment at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, as depicted in the final episode 'Destiny of the Republic' in Death by Lightning, when Charles Guiteau shows himself. And look carefully, holding the gun on his left hand. The left-hander in me do take notice. (Credit: Netflix)

Look what studying history made me do

Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic had laid out the factions between these two sides coming into the convention and the origins of the animosity between Conkling and Blaine which went back to when both were in Congress together, and it felt like reading Team of Rivals all over again because of who became the party’s candidate for the 1860 and 1880 presidential elections respectively. Abraham Lincoln was never the front-runner in 1860, and Garfield was the complete outsider in 1880.

The factions in question are the ‘Stalwarts’ and the ‘Half-Breeds’, which I had to read up along the way even when listening to the audiobook version of Destiny of the Republic, more so after coming across promotional posters of the Death by Lightning cast and those two words stood out because I had never seen it before. For the context for the limited series, the one thing that separated the rivalling factions in the Republican Party at the time heading into the 1880 convention was about the patronage system which the former is in favour of and the latter against, exemplified by the New York Senator Roscoe Conkling and his Maine counterpart James Blaine. Unlike how American political conventions in the modern times where there is already a said candidate heading into the convention in an election year where it is decided ahead of time on who will be party’s presidential candidate where the convention is just a formality exercise, it was not the case in 1860 and certainly not so in 1880. The reason I brought up why it felt like what I had read in Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, the book which partially formed the basis of the 2012 film Lincoln, was what was the final outcome each time. In 1860, Lincoln’s eventual Secretary of State William Seward was the favourite heading into the convention. In 1880, former president Ulysses Grant and with Blaine closely behind were the two names touted for the top job. Even as a former student of history and studying the American political system in my university days, it was fascinating to know that there was never always a straightforward candidate.

The audiobook version of the book which is the basis for the Netflix limited series Death by Lightning. It is the one I had been listening to, just before watching the limited series in its entirety. Including giving the context heading into the 1880 Republican National Convention, where that became the centrepiece in the first episode 'The Man From Ohio'. (Credit: Audible)

The actual image of the 1880 Republican National Convention, just before then-Ohio congressman James Garfield, as the representative for the Ohio delegation, was waiting to speak. The man standing on the podium waiting for his turn is Garfield himself. There is a re-creation of that moment in the first episode of Death by Lightning. (Credit: Wikipedia)

13 years ago, when I read Team of Rivals to prepare myself before watching Lincoln, it was the kind of book even my own family did not expect I would read, because I recalled I even brought along with me in midst of Chinese New Year visiting of the relatives where I also came to read in midst of all the gathering, causing bemusement everywhere. I had originally read that back then just because I was once a history student and did study the American political system at university. But even I had to challenge myself to try to understand what was written, given it came only years after the Republican Party was founded from the ashes of the Whig Party, which Abraham Lincoln himself was previously also part of. It was happening again with listening to Destiny of the Republic as an audiobook, when it came to who and what are the ‘Stalwarts’ and the ‘Half-Breeds’.


From the first episode in Death by Lightning 'The Man From Ohio', with Michael Shannon as the eventual 20th President of the United States James Garfield. The Republican presidential candidate even if he originally stumped for someone else then, and only coming out ahead of former favourite and former president Ulysses Grant on the 26th round of voting from the delegates. And Garfield was not even affiliated to either side heading into the convention, though he would be aligned more with the anti-patronage system as president. (Credit: Netflix)

On the unexpected cultural moments

A lot of Pride and Prejudice references, I know. But even Netflix also acknowledged at one time in their section for Death by Lightning when it came to the cast and how Matthew Macfadyen came to bring Mr. Darcy to life for a generation. I read that part and immediately went ‘Amen’ in my head. Before him, it was only a decade before in 1995 when it was Colin Firth from the BBC television series adaptation. But then there was how I began the blog entry.

How the 2012 film Lincoln was the basis of one of my university module assignments in terms of analysing it and making it into an academic 'journal', the last time I was so into American presidential history. What finally made me had that as the opener was how since I am going to be blogging on a Netflix limited series on a short-lived presidency, I might as well go back the last time I was so into that. As in American presidential histories.

There are also other television references. Especially on Succession and The Handmaid’s Tale. I know I had Succession on my mind when I mentioned this - Then came Death by Lightning, and he was almost unrecognisable, and almost comical at times to the extent I found myself saying at one time, ‘Channelling your inner Tom Wambsgans, eh?’. It really did happen at one time watching the limited series for me. When it came to The Handmaid’s Tale, this really did happen…

The American Civil War hero Ulysses Grant had been touted as amongst those in contention where his supporters, led by the New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, wanted him to do a non-consecutive third term, and the other section of the party were pushing for former House Speaker and Maine Senator James Blaine, being played by the former West Wing alum Bradley Whitford, where I nearly shouted in my head when he was first shown in ‘The Man From Ohio’, the first episode of Death by Lightning ‘Commander Lawrence!’, his character from The Handmaid’s Tale (which I did finally managed to catch up all the way to the final season earlier this year and enjoyed overall) where almost coincidentally his character Commander Joseph Lawrence was seen as the moderate faction of Gilead.

Kind of cheating here, given it is from the second episode 'Party Faithful'. But this is the eventual Secretary of State in the James Garfield administration, but still the then-former House Speaker and Maine Senator James Blaine, with Bradley Whitford in that. (Credit: Netflix)

Or in short, even though Commander Joseph Lawrence was to quote, the ‘architect of Gilead’s economy’, the founder of the Colonies, he still sacrificed himself in order for a post-Gilead world, the world which he also helped to build in the first place where there had been hints throughout The Handmaid’s Tale (has to be said, Commander Lawrence only started to become a permanent fixture from the third season onwards all the way to the final season, after first appearing in the second) that he may or may not have also been part of the anti-Gilead resistance. Tom Wambsgans became the big winner at the end in Succession, surviving to the end and helping to answer the question of what became the main issue for the final season in terms of the actual succession plan of the media company he became a part of. And I came to muse along the way watching the limited series that at least he did not kill anyone in Succession, unlike what happened in Death by Lightning. Naturally I kind of got excited in the scene in ‘Casus Belli’ in Death by Lightning, Secretary of State James Blaine being the person to tell Charles Guiteau he is not going to get the Paris consulship. My mind went ‘Commander Joseph Lawrence telling Tom Wambsgans off’. But away from references to television shows I used to watch in terms of where I had previously seen the cast of Death by Lightning, the exchange between Blaine and Guiteau did really take place, as according to Destiny of the Republic.

Matthew Macfadyen in Death By Lightning is a gift pic.twitter.com/hOk8VSdUTR
— Netflix (@netflix) November 9, 2025

(To quote what I said in my review of Death by Lightning - 'comical, confounding, delusional and sometimes all at the same time in terms of the portrayal'. This tweet which I came across definitely confirms it for me of who became Charles Guiteau in the limited series. Also including when Secretary of State Blaine crossed paths with him. In another world, it is Commander Joseph Lawrence telling off Tom Wambsgans.)

Why science always matters

I can report that I did alright in that final-year examinations 28 years ago, getting Bs all around. But before that, I spent a week fighting off the high fever and flu, during a time when dengue was the big health scourge of the day. Though it was not diagnosed as that, it used to be so bad at one time that I could have been admitted to the hospital. And I have always been utterly convinced if not for overhearing my parents’ conversations over the prospect of admitting me to the hospital, I would not have recovered after that. But then there is also another reason why I have always believed in science which is not on the blog, and it came three years later in secondary school with the Science teacher I had then. I am the first to admit Science is not my strongest subject, but the teacher I had then made it bearable with his sense of humour.

There are so many times I do not like to think what might happen if it had turned out opposite back in my 10-year-old self. But it always meant that when reading or learning about medical practices and beliefs from before my time, I always have to force reminding myself that I cannot use modern-day sensibilities to judge of what came before, and only understanding as what was acceptable at the time. Remembering at the back of my mind of what I used to go through, and even if the final outcome was already known, it still was heart-breaking and heart-wrenching listening to the race to save President Garfield in the audiobook version of Destiny of the Republic.

Dr. Willard Bliss, the chief physician who had tended to President Garfield in the aftermath of the assassination. But unfortunately, how he did would exacerbate matters in hindsight. (Credit: Netflix)

Other moments which did not make the cut

I know I had listed along the way of what did not make it on the cutting room floor, and there are more. But what is on top of it, it is on Alexander Graham Bell. That was certainly a name I did not expect to come up when it is on the James Garfield presidency, a name I last heard in primary school Science classes when it came to famous inventors, more than 26 years ago. Then there is the prologue in Destiny of the Republic. It had started with Charles Guiteau surviving the collision of the steamship he was on in the Stonington where the book wrote that he was on the deck when the collision with the steamer SS Narragansett took place, before it was much detailed in the book proper of the events leading up to that and the aftermath, and why that played a part in why Guiteau came to believe later on that he was spared miraculously where he came to believe that God had told him to punish Garfield. That is until one start to put a timeline of events together, where it was only days after the Republican National Convention took place, where that became the first time Guiteau had first heard of Garfield.

The collision at night in fog on 11 June 1880, when SS Narragansett (left) collided with the Stonington (right). The Narragansett did suffered damage and casualties, while the Stonington was able to return to port with no casualties in spite also suffering damage. It will later turn out one of those on the Stonington is none other than...Charles Guiteau, and he was on the deck when the collision happened. (Image via Wreckhunter.net)

There is also another aspect of Charles Guiteau which I had tried to find a place to add on the blog which was not depicted on Death by Lightning but was described in Destiny of the Republic but could not, considering this took place sometime before his eventual execution. I did include this - where before the execution took place just days before the first anniversary of the assassination, though not shown on screen, appeals to have his case overturned by the eventual President Chester Arthur was turned down, the man Guiteau thought would pardon him. But what I did not originally had on the blog was that before that day happened where months before, Guiteau had a near miss in prison himself, where one of the prison guards assigned to his cell could have almost shot him. It also almost happened again before the start of his trial. If he had genuinely thought the public would be on his side for shooting Garfield, it was not.

Another thing which did not make it to the blog entry, but was raised in Destiny of the Republic in aftermath of the assassination of President Garfield was the line of succession. There has been a Presidential Succession Act which was first enacted in 1792, but it dealt with how the line of succession goes after the sitting president has died or is unavailable to serve the remainder term of office. Garfield’s assassination laid bare all over again, given he spent two months fighting for his life, and there was nothing in the line of succession in terms of what comes next if the president is incapacitated like he did during the eventual two months. It had been clearly stated in the book that when Chester Arthur had first heard of the news from journalists who spotted the duo, he was in New York with his political mentor Roscoe Conkling over the latter’s bid to get back into politics after being snubbed in the special legislative state elections in wake of Conkling’s dramatic resignation from the Senate over the dispute of voting on Garfield’s administration picks, his reaction changed immediately, much to Conkling’s amazement. Even if he knew this meant there is every possibility he may have to succeed the man whose politics he is on the opposite end of despite coming from the same political party, he avoided media attention for a period of time in order to not give the impression he really wanted the top job, given the backlash had already begun aiming at Conkling and Arthur that somehow they had a role in the assassination, where it also never helped Guiteau shouted after he shot Garfield that Arthur would be president. It was only represented on screen by how Arthur changed immediately upon learning of the news and leaving Conkling behind and walking all the way back to the White House, where he later visibly panicked at the thought of succeeding Garfield before being knocked into sense by Secretary of State James Blaine and the First Lady Lucretia Garfield, the part which I did include on the blog.

Chester Arthur's long walk back to the White House and leaving his political mentor Roscoe Conkling (not seen but in carriage) behind, in wake of learning President James Garfield being assassinated. In the book Destiny of the Republic and in the limited series Death by Lightning where this scene came in the last episode, Arthur's demeanour changed completely upon learning of the news. (Credit: Netflix)

But the impasse during the two months shone the spotlight once more. The vice-president becomes the acting president? Chester Arthur did not even want to think of that, to paraphrase what was in Destiny of the Republic. It was especially brought into focus once again during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, given there was a period of time Roosevelt’s state of health was not fully disclosed. While ill health led to his passing in midst of his fourth term in office in 1944 where his then vice-president Harry Truman succeeded him, the line of succession was modified once again in 1947, not since in 1886. It had to take to 1965, during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson (the former vice-president who succeeded John F Kennedy after the assassination in 1963) for the 25th Amendment to come into effect, stating clearly of what happens if there is a removal of either the sitting president or vice-president due to death, resignation, or by impeachment. Also, the procedure of filling the vacancy in the office of the vice-president was also laid out for the first time.

Going back to Destiny of the Republic, the first chapter started with the Centennial International Exhibition in 1876, and how Bell nearly did not make it in time for his telephone invention to be shown and displayed. And then he would show up again in the book, though the only time in Death by Lightning was albeit briefly in the final episode ‘Destiny of the Republic’, when by then he was already recognised for the invention of the telephone, to also rope in to help save President Garfield. The book would end with him being amongst the co-founders of the National Geographic Society, and in his later years as a teacher for the deaf and a private tutor where amongst his students is Helen Keller, another name I have not heard not since primary school as well, when it came to learning about famous people from history, and she was up there due to what she came to achieve in spite being deaf and blind.

It was brief in Death by Lightning, but indeed, the famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell (right) was also roped in at one time in the race to save President Garfield. Known for the invention of the telephone by the time, what he did in the final episode was as what was described in the book Destiny of the Republic. Scottish actor Richard Rankin (left), of Outlander fame, as Bell. (Credit: Netflix)

Who knew? Or then again, all of these was all happening in what was also during the Gilded Age too.

The varying perspectives of an adoption

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:58:00 +0000

Title: Good American Family

First aired on: Hulu (United States), Hulu on Disney Plus (rest of the world)

Date of release: 19 March 2025

Rating (on imdb.com): 7/10

The promotional poster for the limited series. (Image via Wikipedia)

It is a Hulu original limited series, with eight episodes in total, a dramatization of the Natalia Grace case, as being told through the varying perspectives of the people involved.

At the start of each episode, there is a text disclaimer which always remind that what it is going to be presented came from alleged events which took place as alleged by either the Barnetts in Michael and Kristine Barnett, or Natalia Grace herself. Given the nature of the story and how it would come to be played out in courts and the court of public opinion, it is up to the viewer to decide whose side of the story to believe.

Prior to the dramatization of the case, the other time the Natalia Grace case was explored was as a documentary series on Investigation Discovery’s The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, which would come to span three seasons, with the third season airing back in January 2025, which is ahead of this release on Hulu. It originally made headlines back in 2022 when it was announced Ellen Pompeo was reducing her appearance on the medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy in which her character indirectly lends itself to the title, where it stated she would be working a new project for Hulu. It would later turn out to portray Kristine Barnett in Good American Family. It had also turned out the actual Michael Barnett had sold his rights to the story, and Mark Duplass, already known for being on as recent as on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, would portray him in this dramatization.

The limited series originally starts off in 2019, where investigations into the Barnetts’ adoption of Natalia Grace came to a head. But apart from one episode where the Barnetts were never seen but heard through Kristine, it always start off with in 2019 apart from a flashback at the start with a much younger Michael and Kristine Barnett, before a voice narration of what happened years before. Anyone watching for the first time with no prior knowledge would probably feel a little out of place at times, given it was also taken from what had been raised on The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, except for the third season. Even then, it was a fact that before the Barnetts adopted Natalia Grace, she had been adopted by another couple previously and this was never mentioned at any point in the limited series.

It feels out of place at times of seeing Pompeo as Kristine Barnett, given of how she has always been associated as Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy, and how Pompeo even admitted she had doubts initially taking on the role which she has viewed as a villain. But the there is also how even back in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, the actual Kristine was predominantly represented by photographs, re-enactments, testimonies from her now-former husband Michael Barnett and people who knew her which definitely painted just one side of who she is and what was her motivations into adopting Natalia with Michael, which in the limited series was represented by Cynthia Mans (with Christina Hendricks as her), who later came to adopt Natalia with her husband Bishop Antown Mans, questioning Kristine’s motivations aloud at one time. One can see how the actual Michael Barnett would have been like, as how Duplass portrayed him, due to his previous involvement in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.

Special mention also goes to who became Natalia Grace in the limited series in the child actress Imogen Faith Reed. Even if the actual Natalia is an adult at the present, she brought back how Natalia was first introduced to the Barnetts, and the struggles she had to go through when she was with the Barnetts and later forced to live on her own due to the Barnetts convinced she is an adult posing as a child.

It is the pacing which feels out of place at times, even as someone like myself previously watched The Curious Case of Natalia Grace to prepare myself for the limited series. Apart from the omission of the couple who adopted Natalia before the Barnetts which is crucial in understanding why she was given up before the Barnetts came into the picture, it is still a primer for a story which can seen stranger than fiction but really took place.

The shifting perspectives of an adoptee with dwarfism

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:01:00 +0000

(Review)

Title: The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, with second season titled as The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, and third season titled as The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter.

Airing: Originally on Investigation Discovery, and available for streaming on HBO Max. Three seasons in total.

Year: 2023 to 2025 (one season for each year)

Rating on imdb.com: 8/10

The promotional poster for the first season. (Screengrab via imdb.com)

Is Natalia Grace a person with a rare form of dwarfism when she was first being adopted as a child from the Ukraine, or is she an adult posing as a child? It was the legal case that was brought forward in 2012 by her adoptive parents Michael and Kristine Barnett which made headlines in the United States due to the twists and turns in the story which is not made up at all in a single bit. Until this became the subject of a Hulu limited series Good American Family first aired on 19 March this year and ran for eight episodes, it was Investigation Discovery which first delved into the incredible-but-true story with an unexpected outcome at the end.

In the first season, the original story of how Natalia Grace came to arrive in the United States from the Ukraine intersected with the origin story of the Barnetts, the Indiana family with three biological sons. Before Natalia Grace came to know Michael and Kristine Barnett, her second adoptive parents were already known as the parents to one of their biological sons who is gifted which later became the subject of a book The Spark. Michael Barnett came to provide the origin story of him recounting how he and his wife Kristine, whom has never appeared in any of the three seasons but only from photographs, re-enactments, and only a written statement on what she made of the documentary series, came to adopt Natalia in 2010. His testimony would be supplemented by former neighbours who know the Barnetts, local authorities in Indiana whom later came to investigate what was going on in the Barnett household, former acquaintances to the Barnetts, legal expert with New York lawyer Beth Karas becoming the consulting lawyer for the eventual entire series to give the legal perspective on the case.

There is also an important element to the entire series, and it is the perspective of those living with dwarfism. Indiana locals living with dwarfism were also interviewed to give their perspective and what they thought of the Barnetts and Natalia Grace, and interviews with other Americans living with similar condition like Natalia. It is also through re-enactments where it felt like at times of a ‘he said, she said’ moment’ in terms of who and what to believe. After all, it is not just Michael Barnett telling his side of the story and his former neighbours, one of his biological sons Jake was also being interviewed to give his take on the whole situation surrounding his one-time adoptive sister in the first season.

The second season, as it says in the title, it is predominantly from the viewpoint of Natalia Grace herself. She would come to tell her side of the story as how she recalled it, contrasting how and what her former adoptive father Michael Barnett had to say in the first season. Re-enactments also came into play in the second season, but from Natalia’s perspective. More details also began to emerge in the second season of what and how much the Barnetts were made aware of Natalia’s dwarfism before the adoption came about, though also for the first time, Natalia’s actual origin story in the Ukraine was also explored. There would be another twist at the end of the second season which even caught the documentary series producers off guard, leading to the eventual third season aired earlier this year in early January.

It is the third season where Natalia Grace came to live with a different family, but not before also detailing her struggles of getting away from her third adoptive parents in the Manses. But away from the drama, the DePauls, a couple from New York with both having dwarfism along with their only child Mackenzie with the same condition, would be where Natalia came to live with.

It is actually the release of the limited series Good American Family which led me to read up on the case with Natalia Grace, her adoption with the Barnetts and what has been happening since the release of the limited series. It is essential to understand and know what is happening before making the mind up of who is telling the truth and who is stretching it, because of the various contrasting viewpoints which has also being played out in the courts as well.

Even despite being relatively late to knowing the story, I came away with understanding why it was played out in the way it did, while also shedding the spotlight on a group of people not often being depicted, people with dwarfism.

On overlooked presidential histories, and cultural moments

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 18:45:00 +0000

(Preview: From the initial curiosity and intrigue over the title of the limited series from Netflix Death by Lightning to the subject title and the people involved, why the story of a once forgotten presidency elicited strong reactions and forcing yours truly to confront what she thought she knew.)


One of the prominent stills from the Netflix limited series Death by Lightning, with Michael Shannon as the eventual 20th President of the United States James Garfield. This was the 1880 Republican National Convention where he became the party’s presidential candidate even if he originally stumped for someone else then. (Credit: Netflix)

The result: An academic ‘journal’ with the film in focus which came out only the year before then, the 2012 film Lincoln. Of course, as a student majoring in mass communications at the time, I had to be on theme, right down to being technical in terms of describing the various methods used to convey the film, right down to camera angles and the scenes to prove the messages. I had to rewatch the film again, on a DVD I borrowed from the public library, and making plenty of notes as the film progressed. I can only smile now as I recalled I got an ‘A’ or ‘B’ for that module overall, given back then I had to constantly consult the notes from class in terms of the various terminology used in terms of camera angles. I suppose having once attending a mobile photography short course this year (out of curiosity, really) where the various camera terminologies returned made things a little bit easier for me to understand everything all over again. Even with the ‘journal’ I did for the module assignment, I was also allowed to include my personal views on the film and what I felt about it. Maybe it helped that I did read the book which partially formed the basis for the film prior to watching at the cinema then, Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, which is a book on the Lincoln presidency.

Until this year, that is the only non-fiction political book I had read. Or rather, this time it is the audiobook version of the 2011 book from Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President. After all, it was slightly over a year ago when Netflix announced its line-up of projects, and one got my attention amongst others, a limited series on the James A. Garfield presidency Death by Lightning with that book as the basis. Even back then with the initial scant details on the limited series, I was intrigued. I should know given I did also had to study American history at university as part of the mass communications degree (more so I did an American degree, so it is part of the package), the Garfield presidency has always been remembered as one of the short-lived ones in the line of American presidential histories (the second shortest yet), and I remembered my American history textbook first started in the post-Lincoln years up till the first Obama presidency.

Then details appeared of the cast involved. Cue even more intrigue on my part. Considering the announcement came in the same year of what came out of the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards. An oxymoron about the year, given it was postponed to all the way to January 2024 due to the Hollywood writers and actors’ strike the year before, meaning the 2023 ceremony was postponed for four months. Anyway, the HBO series Succession bowed out in 2023, and it was dominant at the awards ceremony itself. As someone who did watch that series and got on to it rather late on, I saw who were on the cast listing for the Netflix limited series Death by Lightning which was first announced slightly over a year ago as being in the works, and one name stands out. At the time I had already attempted to read up on Wikipedia of the period in history the limited series is going to base it from precisely because I knew little to nothing, and the most headline-grabbing part of the announcement came in the form of then-Emmy winner Matthew Macfadyen as the person who assassinated the 20th President of the United States James Garfield, Charles Guiteau. Until then, he was known as Tom Wambsgans in Succession, the role which won him the best supporting actor in a drama series at the 2023 Emmys.

I had a lot of feelings to that announcement, as they say in modern parlance. There is a generation who will always remember who Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is for people like me. I will always remember that back when I first got hold of the CD version of the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Keira Knightley (who was Elizabeth Bennett in the film) was the reason I watched that (after first seeing her memorably in Bend It Like Beckham), apart from how I was already excited in my then 18-year-old self, to be watching the big-screen adaptation of one of Jane Austen’s most well-known works which I had previously read…on my laptop. Yes, that film first introduced me to Matthew Macfadyen. When I eventually came to watch Succession two years ago and catching up all the way to the final season, when I initially saw him as Tom Wambsgans, my mind at once shouted ‘Mr. Darcy!’. It did take me a while to get used to the transformation, to become a character one love to hate in that series, or at least for me.


An image for all eternity, or at least for a generation who watched this 2005 film adaptation, like me. The now-iconic film poster, when Keira Knightley was the original reason I watched the film...until one sees who is Mr. Darcy in the background. Yes, the same film which introduced me to Matthew Macfadyen. (Credit: Wikipedia.)

The reason Death by Lightning caused a lot of intrigue on my part when it was first announced last year, it was precisely the title itself. President James Garfield wrote not long after he took office, “Assassination can be no guarded against than death by lightning. And it is best not to worry too much about either one.” That line was to be translated onto the screen where it was mentioned by Garfield himself in the third episode of the limited series ‘Casus Belli’ after the First Lady Lucretia Garfield talked about paying for protection in the wake of his secretary Joseph Brown speaking of how they have not done any background checks of the office-seekers seeking an audience with Garfield. Poignantly knowing what we knew since, in Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic where the quote from Garfield formed the title of the limited series, in the chapter where it also wrote of when the assassination attempt took place, Mrs. Garfield did really once bring up the issue of security to her husband before. It was only 16 years since Lincoln’s assassination, but it has to take the third presidential assassination of William McKinley in 1901 for the Secret Service being tasked with the responsibility of presidential protection since 1902, 21 years too late for Garfield.

But back when James Garfield wrote that in the wake of taking on a post he never sought for in the first place, it all started at the 1880 Republican National Convention where he was originally in Chicago stumping for his fellow Ohioan John Sherman, the then-Treasury Secretary during the Rutherford B Hayes administration. The American Civil War hero Ulysses Grant had been touted as amongst those in contention where his supporters, led by the New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, wanted him to do a non-consecutive third term, and the other section of the party were pushing for former House Speaker and Maine Senator James Blaine, being played by the former West Wing alum Bradley Whitford, where I nearly shouted in my head when he was first shown in ‘The Man From Ohio’, the first episode of Death by Lightning ‘Commander Lawrence!’, his character from The Handmaid’s Tale (which I did finally managed to catch up all the way to the final season earlier this year and enjoyed overall) where almost coincidentally his character Commander Joseph Lawrence was seen as the moderate faction of Gilead.

This is kind of cheating, given it is from the second episode 'Party Faithful'. But this is the eventual Secretary of State in the James Garfield administration, but still the then-former House Speaker and Maine Senator James Blaine, with Bradley Whitford in that. (Credit: Netflix)

Anyway, there were also other candidates, but these two were the picks of the ‘Stalwarts’ (which Senator Conkling is the leader of) and the ‘Half-Breeds’, the rivalling factions of the Republican Party, where the former were for the patronage system and the other side were against it, coincidentally enough Blaine had come to been seen as the leader of the latter side. Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic had laid out the factions between these two sides coming into the convention and the origins of the animosity between Conkling and Blaine which went back to when both were in Congress together, and it felt like reading Team of Rivals all over again because of who became the party’s candidate for the 1860 and 1880 presidential elections respectively. Abraham Lincoln was never the front-runner in 1860, and Garfield was the complete outsider in 1880. It was when Garfield, then as the congressman, chosen as the Ohio representative to speak where it changed everything for him, only for towards the end like in the first episode of Death by Lightning in the convention scene, did he mention then-Treasury Secretary John Sherman by name. Like how it was described in the first episode and in Destiny of the Republic, Garfield got a single vote in the first round (which he later came to protest that he was not contesting when the votes started to come in for him in the later rounds, as depicted both in the book and in the episode) until the delegates started to shift their votes to him with also along the way the Maine delegation announcing they were shifting all their votes from their local boy Blaine to Garfield, where the deadlock was finally broken in the 36th round of voting, with him ahead of the former favourite Grant.

Before the limited series was released earlier this month, I did find myself tracking down Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic, making a mental note that I need to read it. When the first trailer came out in what was a month before the release, it accelerated the process. I know I had to rule out buying the book altogether even if the price was manageable but even trying to get it from the public library was starting to get tough, because I was always in the queue. I thought my chance was over, until coming across the audiobook version of the book around the same time Death by Lightning landed on Netflix earlier this month. But before then, I had found myself going back re-listening to history podcasts on the subject, or more of the presidencies of James Garfield and his successor and former vice-president Chester Arthur…before also including on what was happening in the Rutherford B Hayes presidency which came before Garfield. I had first listened to those three earlier this year, without realising I need to pay attention on what may come out in Death by Lightning. Re-listening to the episode on the Garfield presidency, as much I realised it was steering more towards on Charles Guiteau and how his life came to intersect with Garfield’s before the assassination, the podcast presenter also gave a shout-out to the book from Millard towards the end.

(The official trailer for the limited series.)

There is a reason the presidencies of Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur do not register much even in the popular consciousness, and why I did not remember much about what those three men did in my American history class back at university. All three only served one term (Hayes chose not to seek a second term, and the same for Arthur), though Garfield’s tenure was to be only for four months, not including the two months after the assassination attempt on 2 July 1881 before his eventual passing in the same year on 19 September. American presidents serving one term used to be the norm, where it was the third president of the United States in Thomas Jefferson who first brought up doing two terms as the limit, before it became the 22nd Amendment in 1951, during the time when Harry Truman was the occupant of the White House. Truman’s predecessor Franklin Roosevelt is still the last president to do four terms, though he came to pass away while amid his fourth term in 1944, with the Second World War still raging on. Abraham Lincoln, who was also the person who advised Garfield to come to Congress (the heroics of what Garfield did during the Civil War had come to spread, and he was put up to represent his home state, where he was previously state senator when the war broke out) even if he was still serving as a Union officer (where his highest rank was as brigadier general) in the American Civil War due to how Lincoln told Garfield that he had more than enough generals, did two terms, though his second was cut short by an assassination in 1865. Lincoln’s assassination might had been the first recorded in the history of American presidencies, but it is not the last, and that also include attempts on the president’s life. Bringing it to the current times, of course there is the one on Donald Trump last year, and it had been noted that the day the attempt on Trump’s life was made while on the campaign trail on 13 July 2024, it was happening in the very same month in 1881 on 2 July, the attempt on Garfield’s life was made before his eventual passing two months later.

I know. But strangely until I came to watch Death by Lightning on Netflix, something kept lingering in my head. I have always remembered in the year I was born; it was still the presidency of Ronald Reagan (I had checked). Until the attempt on Donald Trump’s life last year, one of his Republican predecessors also had an attempt on his life, and it was Reagan. If I need any more reminders that Reagan was the president of the United States on the very day I was born, the front page of our national newspaper even had an article on him then. So, is it mere coincidence that the two non-fiction political books I had read and listened to have the same ending in the end? Both are books on presidents ending with the same fate, yet I still followed it like reading a novel sometimes, not sure how it is going to turn out, and still gasping each time when the deed was done. But that is where the similarities end, due to how there are differences to why the assassin would do what he did, between John Wilkes Booth and Charles Guiteau. Booth was due to his Confederacy sympathies, Guiteau was in his twisted delusions over the job he thought he was denied of after stumping for Garfield in the run-up to the presidential election (and considering Guiteau was originally a supporter of Ulysses Grant before famously changing the speech he would give at a minor campaign rally in New York to ‘Garfield versus Hancock’, a nod to the presidential candidate for the Democrats in Winfield Scott Hancock) making him declaring a letter and what witnesses said in terms of what he declared after he shot President Garfield, “I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts, and Arthur will be President.” In fact, what Guiteau shouted after he shot Garfield (though only the part of Arthur being president made it to the final episode ‘Destiny of the Republic’) came to be cannon-fodder for the media for a period of time with the then-prevailing theory that Guiteau only did it on the orders of New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, the actual leader of the Stalwart faction in the Republican Party.

That very moment at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station, as depicted in the final episode 'Destiny of the Republic', when Charles Guiteau shows himself. (Credit: Netflix)

Back when Death by Lightning was first announced slightly over a year ago, I must admit, I was initially curious over who was the person who shot President James Garfield. Until doing the reading-up both on Wikipedia and in the book Destiny of the Republic, I had thought Charles Guiteau was French due to the surname and memorably like the scene in the first episode ‘The Man From Ohio’ in the cold opener where the prison officer questioning Guiteau before his release where the latter replied French in surname but he is American, former House Speaker and Maine Senator James Blaine ran into Guiteau at the campaign headquarters in New York in the second episode ‘Party Faithful’, Blaine pointed out, “French Huguenot!” There are also prominent Americans of Huguenot ancestry (and even Britain’s wartime prime minister Winston Churchill has Huguenot roots through his American-born mother), and there is him. If Guiteau’s attempt at French back to Blaine (with the latter who spoke better than him) was amusing to say the least, it was known in that same episode where he got excited in finding out all he could of Garfield that they were both born poor with Garfield originally worse off than he did, and left-handed as well. That almost knocked me over and I nearly shook, because I had not previously read anything about that until the mention from Guiteau himself. As a left-hander myself as well, that was when I also began to pay attention each time any scene involving Guiteau and Garfield writing something and which hand they were using, and it is the case. I used to turn my left-handedness into a class assignment and presentation (because the topic is on obstacles) on the subject in my early days doing the diploma in mass communications (before the degree came along two years later) 14 years ago in 2011. My very first assignment and presentation topic as a diploma student was laying out how it is like to be left-handed in a world make for right-handers, a summary over what I could find in terms of medical research over that, how it came to have a bad rap over the course of history, before trotting out names of famous left-handed personalities from history to the present times in terms of how it is not all bad after all. Nobody told me it is also going to include who shot the 20th President of the United States.

Someone who can be called a Stalwart is Chester A Arthur, the former Collector of Customs of the Port of New York, and New York Senator Roscoe Conkling’s former political protégé. Arthur was the running mate James Garfield was forced to take on during the 1880 Republican National Convention to placate the Stalwart faction, and Arthur took on the job even despite Conkling told him to refuse. The exchange between Conkling and Arthur in Death by Lightning’s second episode ‘Party Faithful’ really took place in terms of what both men said before Arthur made his mind up. Paraphrasing what Garfield said in ‘Casus Belli’ when he sought an audience with his vice-president, Arthur was originally a lawyer who defended those who cannot defend themselves and Garfield admitted that he would not have him as vice-president originally until reading up on his backstory where Garfield even cited one case Arthur once did as a lawyer back in New York back to him. Because Arthur has long being associated with Conkling, it is hard to imagine that was what he did before that. But everything changed after Garfield’s assassination in terms of Arthur’s reactions to the whole thing (which also amazed me in the transformation both in the book and the limited series), also being depicted in its entirety in the final episode and not to be confused with the book, ‘Destiny of the Republic’. In the book, it was written that he went from the public in fear of what he would do as president to continuing what Garfield would have done, a turnaround represented by the First Lady Lucretia Garfield and Secretary of State James Blaine knocking sense into Arthur when he began to panic at the thought that he might be succeeding Garfield after returning back to the White House upon learning of the assassination. It is a far cry from the cold opener of the final episode where he spoke out against the president to a newspaper journalist which he himself went to Garfield later and offered his resignation and the latter refused (with Blaine remarking after that when he ran into the president that Arthur is the worst vice-president ever, something which Blaine really once said). It was also written in the book, though not shown on screen but represented by the First Lady and the Secretary of State that a member of the public in Julia Sand would come to write to Arthur regularly and appealing to his better nature, and Arthur did eventually come to meet his mysterious advisor when he visited Sand at her residence. One of the acts that Arthur came to be known as the 21st President of the United States was signing into law into what has been known as the Pendleton Act in 1883, merit-based systems for federal government employment, something which still holds to this day.

The New York Senator Roscoe Conkling (with Shea Whigman on the left) and the eventual vice-president (and 21st President of the United States) Chester Arthur (with Nick Offerman on the right). (Credit: Netflix)

The running mate James Garfield was forced to take on in the wake of the 1880 Republican National Convention in order to placate the Stalwart faction of the party in Conkling's political protege Arthur (second from right). (Credit: Netflix)

What became the turning point into Charles Guiteau making his mind up to shoot the president Garfield, it was shown in ‘Casus Belli’ in the letter which he was dictating aloud over what he felt was a sense of betrayal towards the end of the episode, culminating in him practicing the gun which would be used to shoot the president. Constantly trying to seek an audience with Garfield like other office-seekers who came to the White House (he would later get banned from the White House, as shown indirectly towards the end in ‘Casus Belli’ in terms of Garfield secretary Joseph Brown not opening the envelope from Guiteau) and even harassing the Secretary of State James Blaine, who became the person to tell him he is not going to get the Paris consulship (which really did happen). But before what Blaine said, Guiteau did come to meet Garfield, and it was brief. That was what it was written in Destiny of the Republic but re-imagined as something a bit longer than the brief encounter in ‘Casus Belli’. When Garfield was to be later called away due to his wife coming down with malaria, that part did happen as depicted in the book in terms of how his attention was a period of time focused on the First Lady’s health until her recovery, leading to accusations and theories of his absence at one time. In the book itself, it was written that Guiteau had more than one chance to do it, like his outburst at the same church which Garfield attended being one of those which was shown in the final episode ‘Destiny of the Republic’, until that fateful day at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington D.C. on 2 July 1881, and Garfield was actually on his way for summer vacation in New Jersey with the Secretary of State James Blaine and Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln (yes, Abraham Lincoln’s surviving son, and he would later have the dubious honour of also being present at the assassination of William McKinley in 1901) supposed to see him off at the train station. But Guiteau only did it after also following the political drama unfolding in the papers between Garfield and New York Senator Roscoe Conkling, shown in the cold opener of ‘Destiny of the Republic’, over political appointments with the tipping point coming in the form of William Robertson, Garfield’s pick for the Collector of Customs of the Port of New York with Conkling declaring that is his ‘casus belli’ as depicted in the book Destiny of the Republic and as shown in later parts of the previous episode ‘Casus Belli’ in terms of how Garfield chose to react to the impasse over the appointments. Conkling would dramatically choose to resign from the Senate with another colleague than voting on Garfield’s picks, which would come to cost Conkling when he could not get re-elected back into the New York state legislature where it chose someone else over him instead to go to the Senate representing New York, where all that was shown in the early parts of the final episode ‘Destiny of the Republic’.

Roscoe Conkling (standing) and Chester Arthur before the special elections back in New York to fulfill the vacancies left by Conkling and his senatorial colleague Tom Platt resigning from the Senate rather than to vote on President Garfield's administration appointments. Spoiler: It would backfire on Conkling badly. (Credit: Netflix)

Michael Shannon is James Garfield, the 20th president of the United States. Matthew Macfadyen is Charles Guiteau, the man who would come to kill him.

DEATH BY LIGHTNING is now playing. pic.twitter.com/kxJrsnQoJy
— Netflix (@netflix) November 6, 2025

(The actual meeting between the two was brief, as according to in Destiny of the Republic. But the third episode 'Casus Belli' re-imagined it as a bit longer.)

When the train station scene showed up, I was starting to shake in fear inside and covered my mouth just before the first shot was heard. And almost shouting ‘Oh no!’ when the second was heard and Charles Guiteau revealed himself, before everything that happened after was close to what was also depicted in the book Destiny of the Republic. Secretary of State James Blaine alerting the presence of Guiteau, the medical attention to Garfield, Guiteau promptly being arrested, the ensuing media circus which Guiteau clearly enjoyed after being sent to prison (and though this was not shown on screen, it was written in the book that knowing that he would be sent to prison for shooting Garfield, he had personally went down and had a prison tour prior beforehand), the public outrage (which according to the book, really did happened outside the prison). I at once said out loud ‘epic eye roll’ on the media circus part where what Guiteau said to the journalists were also what was mentioned in the book as well, the second time not since Roscoe Conkling confidently predicting he would get re-elected by the New York state legislature. And speaking of Conkling, if one read the source material for the limited series, he would not show up again until the epilogue in terms of what became of him in his later years. Until the shooting, Death by Lightning showed him more as the antagonist to Garfield, which is the opposite in the book where he would come to have a minor role.

In the book Destiny of the Republic, the doctor who came to attend President Garfield in Dr. Willard Bliss would come to be primarily viewed as the antagonist due to how it would be painfully described and laid out in terms of the race to save the president, and even also involving at one time the famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell (whom by then was already known for inventing the telephone), where what Bell did in the final episode ‘Destiny of the Republic’ was really what he did like in the book in terms of trying to locate the bullet. Dr. Bliss had also rejected numerous requests of the president of venturing beyond the White House in an attempt to recuperate, until a compromise was made like what was depicted in ‘Destiny of the Republic’, where Garfield eventually came to spend his final days in Elberon, New Jersey in Francklyn Cottage. In the book, in what would be just days before he passed away on 19 September 1881 and less than two months before he turned 50, he had asked one of his friends who came to visit him, “Do you think my name will have a place in human history?” In the episode itself of the same name, it was directed to the then-First Lady Lucretia Garfield. Knowing what we know since, the conversation between them became very poignant. That was before it showed Secretary of State James Blaine going to Chester Arthur before Arthur was sworn in as the 21st President of the United States, Charles Guiteau learning of the news while in prison and though he never broke down and cried which was said that he did in the book, he did say a prayer. Then came the scene before Guiteau’s execution (where before the execution took place just days before the first anniversary of the assassination, though not shown on screen, appeals to have his case overturned by the eventual President Chester Arthur was turned down, the man Guiteau thought would pardon him) which was totally created for the limited series because it never took place at all (where the closest reference in the book is how Guiteau’s sister Frances had tried to secure an audience with Lucretia at the Garfield family home in Mentor, Ohio, and she never got one), Lucretia Garfield meeting Guiteau for the first and last time and telling him he would have no place in history. But what she said of how her husband would be remembered as a footnote and all is unfortunately how it has been...until now.

In better times, the reception after the presidential inauguration of James Garfield (left) and his wife in the then-First Lady Lucretia Garfield (with Betty Gilpin on the right). (Credit: Netflix)

Then there is what would happen to some of the people seen in Death by Lightning. Chester Arthur as president signing into law into what has been known as the Pendleton Act in 1883 and not doing another term and died a year after; his former political mentor Roscoe Conkling effectively out of politics and died in the Great Blizzard of 1888 in New York; James Blaine having another go at the presidency but lost in 1884 to Grover Cleveland, which the text noted ended a 24-year streak for the Republicans which was first started by Lincoln; the final autopsy of Charles Guiteau being inconclusive and the text noting his brain was placed in a museum and being forgotten (though the very first scene in Death by Lightning a museum worker accidentally knocked over the container containing the brain and asking aloud “Who the fuck is Charles Guiteau?”); and the very final scene showing the Garfield family home in Mentor, Ohio with an elderly Lucretia Garfield and the family getting ready for an outdoor meal, along with her grown children and her daughter Mollie and son-in-law Joseph Brown arriving after that with the text pointing out what became of the rest of the family, and ending with how Lucretia would outlive her husband by 37 years before the camera panned to the empty chair. She would come to pass away in 1918, and though this was not depicted in the episode, she started what has since become the norm once presidents leave office, starting a presidential library in her late husband’s name, containing everything he had written and including the letters between them. So, in a way, the former first lady did her bit in ensuring that her husband’s name is still being known, even though it has taken so long for people to know who he is and what he did once again, in the 21st century.

At the end of it all long after the final credits of Death by Lightning, why do I care? Why do I want to care? I have always hated the phrase ‘history is written by the victors’ even as a former student of history since my secondary school days where coincidentally I first knew of the phrase. The more I learned and read before it all culminated in Death by Lightning, the more it made me angry and upset and confused, even if I love to mentally constantly checking off whatever was depicted in the limited series and where it had previously showed up in Destiny of the Republic or on Wikipedia or news articles I have come across relating to the limited series. Why is the James Garfield presidency has always been seen as an obscure footnote in history? Or to paraphrase the text at the beginning of the limited series, why it is the story of the two men the world forgot? Why must it take a limited series for me, a former student of history myself, to finally learn the story behind it all? I have always been defending the merits of being a student of history whenever I get the chance, and I have also always been big on American history precisely because of my university days and why I still want to care what is happening even if it makes me despair and disappointed sometimes watching and following and reading the news, apart from how political violence is still happening in the current times. Paraphrasing like how I once told someone I know, no matter what we may think about politics, studying history also means needing to know about the politics of the time where that is unavoidable.

In my current self, I am a civil servant by profession. The former mass communications student who loved studying history who has come to work in civil service for almost a decade now, even coming from halfway across the world. I am also the hopeless eternal optimist even despite sometimes the despair and disappointment from what is happening in the current times, that if anything came out of a missed opportunity and a big what-if due to a political tragedy and another man’s delusions, there is still good in being in the civil service and meritocracy. Civil service reform is not something which came unexpectedly after James Garfield’s assassination and eventual death, it was already something he had spoken about at his inauguration address, and in the early parts of the final episode ‘Destiny of the Republic’ he reminded those coming to speak to him in the wake of the impasse over the voting of political appointees to his administration. And it all started because despite Charles Guiteau’s twisted delusions that he was denied a job he believed he was owed, the Paris consulship which had always been his first choice.

The presidential inauguration of James Garfield on March 1881. He had already spoken about civil service reform even then. (Credit: BBC, original source: Getty Images)

I am also the person who have always believe in science precisely because I once had a near-death experience back in childhood where I nearly stared death in the face as a 10-year-old two weeks before the final-year examinations (and that was 28 years ago). It is easy to place 21st century sensibilities into how medical science was viewed and practiced back in the 19th century, but even with the medical knowledge available at the time, history would come to prove that the doctors who treated Garfield should have known better, though the practice of sanitization before surgery was not widely accepted in the United States even if it first came into being only six years before in 1865 by British surgeon Joseph Lister (and something which Dr. Charles Purvis told Dr. Willard Bliss about before the latter knocked that off in the final episode ‘Destiny of the Republic’). Yes, looking at you, Dr. Bliss. I had to also find myself when watching Death by Lightning, mentally dusting off my psychology textbook from university days (Psychology was one of the compulsory modules I had to take as a mass communications student) trying to understand and make sense of one man’s twisted delusions and madness and what he did would have consequences. Reading how Charles Guiteau was depicted throughout the Candice Millard book Destiny of the Republic and in the limited series, he would have mental illness which were never diagnosed, given the state of psychiatry in the 19th century. Ironically, Guiteau would come to achieve the fame and notoriety he had long sought after when still alive, his brain being preserved for science even after his execution in the same museum where one can also see what was left of the assassin who preceded him in John Wilkes Booth. Guiteau had originally used the temporary insanity defence at his trial.

Charles Guiteau can actually be quite articulate even during his trial which was also put out in the epilogue of Destiny of the Republic, but his behaviour during his trial also became erratic at times as well, even clashing with his own lawyer who is also his brother-in-law George Scoville. Unfortunately, this part of his life was not shown in Death by Lightning, given it would have made sense in the text showing what had happened to some of those who featured in all the episodes in terms of how his final autopsy was inconclusive. In fact, what was not shown was how in the epilogue of the book, his body was exhumed (and what's left of it has been preserved in another museum, with President Garfield's backbone there too) after being buried in the wake of his execution which contrasted with what was being depicted on screen where he did compose the very poem which he sang, was how people were packed to see him being executed.

No one does it like Matthew Macfadyen.

Death By Lightning is now playing. pic.twitter.com/Is1fmOOrVh
— Netflix (@netflix) November 13, 2025

Bearing in mind before being known as the person who shot the 20th President of the United States, Charles Guiteau, who was briefly a married man at one time before his wife divorced him due to catching him visiting a prostitute, used to have stints as a travelling evangelist, an insurance salesman, a lawyer, attempting to start a newspaper which never went anywhere (which was referenced in ‘The Man From Ohio’ where he clearly lied to his sister Frances and brother-in-law George Scoville that he had gotten a bank loan to start a paper where it did not)…and even a stint at the Oneida commune in New York, memorably depicted in the cold opener in ‘Casus Belli’ where it showed him a decade before in 1871 and how he could not also hack it there where the unflattering nickname he got there as mentioned in the episode really did come about. His Oneida days would also become a feature at his trial. Still, hints of his upbringing was indirectly referenced in ‘The Man From Ohio’ when he overheard his sister Frances speaking to her husband about it. It is a fact that Frances and Charles’s mother died when he was very young (he was also the youngest in the family, and the limited series never mentioned anything about his elder brother which was mentioned in the book Destiny of the Republic) and with Charles being brought up by a father who would often hit him even with his stutter which was evident growing up, where the only mention of Luther Guiteau came indirectly in ‘Casus Belli’ where Guiteau got a letter from his sister after writing to her that their father had died months before ‘in July’ and he recalling aloud that he was stumping for Garfield at the time, which would have been July 1880.

When Charles Guiteau's time at the Oneida commune would became a feature at his trial in the assassination of President Garfield. This scene was memorably being depicted in the cold opener of the third episode 'Casus Belli', showing him a decade before 1871 where his infamous nickname at the commune was mentioned at one time as well, much like it was in Destiny of the Republic. (Credit: Netflix)

It is something I never brought up early on, in terms of another reason why I have a lot of feelings to who became Charles Guiteau in Death by Lightning in Matthew Macfadyen. Back when before I watched the film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice as an 18-year-old on my laptop 20 years ago in 2005 on the laptop’s CD player, I did not understand why many would cite that as their favourite Jane Austen work, because mine has always been Sense and Sensibility due to how it was the first Austen novel I picked up four years before in 2001 and read before Pride and Prejudice came after. I have since suspected at the back of my mind that his performance as Mr. Darcy might had swayed my thoughts about it. Then came Death by Lightning, and he was almost unrecognisable, and almost comical at times to the extent I found myself saying at one time, ‘Channelling your inner Tom Wambsgans, eh?’. It is also kind of funny that back when I was still listening to the audiobook version of Destiny of the Republic before watching the limited series on Netflix, each time the narrator came to the part of Guiteau, I had already started to imagine it in his voice, as how I remembered from back in Succession. Really. And then I got freaked out in the first episode starting from the prison scene in ‘The Man From Ohio’.

Matthew Macfadyen in Death By Lightning is a gift pic.twitter.com/hOk8VSdUTR
— Netflix (@netflix) November 9, 2025

I have always remembered reading about how the success of the 2015 Broadway musical Hamilton (which I did watched the filming of the original Broadway musical on Disney+, the very first thing I watched on the streaming platform, the very show which was the reason why I came to sign that up) led to renewed interest on one of the founding fathers of the United States who did not become a president, the eventual first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. He has always been known as the face of the ten-dollar note in the United States currency but was nearly removed until the musical came about. In my eternal hopeful optimist self, if anything, Death by Lightning should be proof that the 20th President of the United States do not belong to the list of obscure American presidents of little or no consequence. History should see James A. Garfield in a different light in terms of what he could had achieved in terms of civil service and civil rights reform, and to some extent even if it may be hard to comprehend for myself, the person who shot him, Charles Guiteau.

A forgotten unlikely presidency, and an assassination

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:56:00 +0000

Review (Death by Lightning)

Released on: 6 November 2025, on Netflix

Rating (from IMDB.com): 8 out of 10

(The official promotional poster for the limited series. Credit: Netflix)

It is a limited series from Netflix, four episodes in all, about the forgotten but unlikely presidency of the 20th President of the United States James Garfield and his assassin, Charles Guiteau. The basis for the limited series comes from the 2011 award-winning book by Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President.

Even if it is ‘the story of the two men the world forgot’ as it says in the opening text, it would not have been possible with whom were also in it, people like the eventual Vice-President Chester Arthur, the First Lady Lucretia Garfield, former House Speaker and eventual Secretary of State James Blaine, and the New York Senator Roscoe Conkling. Each in their own way, played his or her part in the actions of Garfield and Guiteau.

Having first listened to the audiobook version from Millard to prepare for the limited series which was first announced by Netflix slightly over a year ago where it cited her book as the basis, I had anticipated what would show up. It came close, and I enjoyed it with caveats.

In the book Destiny of the Republic, Millard had it filled with rivalling Republican factions heading into 1880 Republican National Convention, Garfield’s life and political career up till then and juxtaposing with his eventual assassin Guiteau, and everything that happens after that which also included the doctors trying to save Garfield which along the way also included the famed inventor of the time in Alexander Graham Bell. Show creator Mike Makowsky, who does know a thing or two of dramatizing actual events as evident of the Emmy-winning television movie Bad Education which took place in his hometown and had said before in interviews that he had picked up the book at his local bookstore and realising he knew nothing about it and read the entire book in one sitting. He had chosen to present in the form of juxtaposing between Garfield and Guiteau as a way of showing of how both men’s lives would come to eventually intersect with each other. As much as the four episodes had predominantly stuck with what did take place and being put out in the book, the pacing felt a bit rushed at times, bearing in mind what did take place. That is not to say, there were also scenes which were invented for the limited series as well. It does have a lot going for it overall though.

In Destiny of the Republic, Millard had put a case of how Garfield could have achieved so much more than just being a mere footnote in history, and Michael Shannon, who coincidentally was of the same age at the time of filming when Garfield was being assassinated at the age of 49, managed to bring it to life especially during the convention scene where Garfield’s political career changed dramatically in a speech stumping for someone else. One cannot help but want to root for him as a generally good egg, though that is being juxtaposed by who became his biggest admirer in Charles Guiteau, played by Matthew Macfadyen, coming especially after playing another ambitious office-seeker in Succession, in all his comical, confounding, delusional and sometimes all at the same time in terms of the portrayal. But what really is a surprise watch, even if it was also depicted in Destiny of the Republic, is the transformation of eventual Vice-President (and the 21st President of the United States) Chester Arthur with Nick Offerman, going from being known for his association with the New York Senator Roscoe Conkling and a supporter of the patronage system, to having a change in personality transformation in the wake of the assassination of Garfield and honouring what his predecessor would have done. Offerman’s Arthur was rather literally drunk in the early parts, and the sideburns makes it hard not lose sight of the eventual unexpected vice-president whenever he is around.

Honourable mentions also have to go to the West Wing and The Handmaid’s Tale alum Bradley Whitford as the eventual Secretary of State James Blaine, a Garfield ally and his long-running animosity with the leader of the Stalwarts in Roscoe Conkling, with Shea Whigman as the dandy New York Senator and the leader of the Stalwart faction in the Republican Party in terms of believer of the patronage system, is also a must-watch for how their rivalry is being played out. Away from the juxtaposition between Garfield and Guiteau, Blaine versus Conkling was also equally enjoyable, with how Whitford’s Blaine reacting to Whigham’s Conkling not re-elected as New York Senator being quite a sight to see. There is also the First Lady Lucretia Garfield, from Betty Gilpin who also did her research on how the first lady was like and her relationship with her husband, which also helped to inform Gilpin’s performance as Crete, as how Garfield have always called his wife.

Death by Lightning, which is also partially taken from what President Garfield had written not long after he took office, is may be as much a political tragedy due to what eventually came to happen, it also feels comical at times in parts due to the antics and actions of Guiteau. But it can also be seen as a study of what still feels relevant in the current times, as it has been revealed in interviews that show creator Mike Makwosky had spent six years on working on a forgotten period in history to bring it to life, the unfortunate part of how political violence is still being felt and how civil service reform is something to be fought for and it has to take his successor Arthur to complete what he had originally wanted to set out to do. It also exposes the medical practice of the time in 1881, even if it may look unthinkable now due to prevailing medical thought of the day.

If there is any negative, the main caveat is that it is short even for a limited series with four episodes. The pacing feels a bit rushed in the final episode, given at least an additional episode could have shown what happened in the trial of Guiteau in the wake of the assassination on Garfield, due to what has been written of what took place and also described in Destiny of the Republic, which was rather remarkable at times, due to how Guiteau conducted himself.

All in all, what makes it enjoyable is how it delves into a forgotten period in history in what has since unfortunately become a footnote, but still feels modern in terms of how certain aspects have not changed. It is more than just the language used in terms of the swearing which is not prevalent in the 19th century though. It is one for history and political history fans, like it is for me on both counts. It can also be seen as a crash course of sorts into knowing a president who could have done so much more than rather be remembered for one of the shortest tenures in the history of American presidencies, if not for an assassin’s bullet and another man’s twisted delusions.

Trekking along 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:30:00 +0000

(Preview: I have never done a preview of sorts ahead of doing my memorable episodes in the world of Star Trek before. So, this is a first, and then again, did I even expect to find myself to even follow the entire phenomenon in the first place? This entry is inspired by after watching the grand finale itself in 'All Good Things...'. Even the title is inspired by what was said at one time in the episode. Before my own countdown to my memorable episodes from this series from across the entire seven seasons, here it goes.)

The next iteration after the original and animated series, and it has been quite a ride, and a lot of emotions. (Image via here.)

As a student of History back in secondary school with that also being my favourite school subject as well, maybe it is why time-travelling episodes when it comes to science fiction on television always draw me in. Then there are the dates involved. No, not of the historical kind I used to study in class. The moments in my own life, and how it has come to be interconnected in some way to the world of Star Trek. I have already mentioned during the making-of memorable episodes from the original series that I was slightly over six weeks old when the pilot episode 'Encounter at Farpoint’ came about, though I never mentioned that it first aired on 28 September 1987. The date jumped out at me at once.


Once upon a time, though this was the courtroom scene which the Enterprise D crew encountered in 'Encounter at Farpoint', the pilot episode of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. It will be revisited in some way again in the grand finale 'All Good Things...'. (Image via here.)

As it turns out, the number six has always been staring in my face all along, because 'All Good Things…', the grand finale of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', first aired on 23 May 1994. Six days after my youngest sister was born. So, my two siblings and I were all born during the period the series had been on air. And guess when did I found myself watching ‘Encounter at Farpoint’ on Netflix? On my sister’s birthday this year. One full circle etc., and so on. It is quite a coincidence how it began when I was slightly over six weeks old to my sister being six days old, the omnipotent being Q was in each of the episodes.

Earth, millions of years ago. Or as Q put it to Captain Picard, ancient France (a nod to the Enterprise D captain's home country). Just one of the time periods Picard found himself in, shifting between the past (which also included just before he was the captain on the Enterprise D), present, and 25 years into the future. If one look closely to who is on the left, it is the omnipotent being Q himself, with Picard (right) looking out to the anomaly in the sky...with that holding the clue to what the latter had been experiencing in the show's grand finale. (Image via here.)

I found myself reading an analysis of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows's 'The Prince's Tale' ahead of watching 'All Good Things...'. As a fan of the Harry Potter series myself as well, I know what that chapter was about, but I wanted to remind myself how my view of Severus Snape changed from him as an antagonist always seemingly wanting to pick on Harry to how there is a reason why he did what he did throughout the course of the seven books. He has always been in love with Harry's mother Lily Evans from the start, even before they went to Hogwarts in the same year. The comment on Harry's green eyes had been a recurring theme throughout the seven books, with Harry often getting the comment that he had his mother's eyes. Snape's final words to Harry before dying were 'Look at me...'. After accessing Snape's memory in the Pensieve which Harry did amid the hiatus at the Battle of Hogwarts, everything began to be clear. Lily and Snape were friends in the beginning despite being sorted to different houses, until they went their separate ways when Lily made it clear that she did not like Snape dabbling in the dark arts. To make matters worse, she would eventually get married to Snape's rival and tormentor at Hogwarts who was also a fellow contemporary of them, Harry's father James. Even if Snape was willing to do anything to protect Lily before it was only then one-year-old Harry who survived Lord Voldermort's assault after arriving at the Potters' residence, Harry became the constant reminder to Snape on what it could have been.

Severus Snape, played by the late Alan Rickman in all the Harry Potter films. From being seen as the person always picking on Harry, to how everything became clear in the seventh and final book of the series to Harry as to why his former Potions professor would be the way he did during Harry's time at Hogwarts. He had always being in love with Harry's mother Lily from the start even before being at Hogwarts, but the friendship ended when he got into the dark arts. Harry became the reminder of what it could have been. (Image via here.)

Back when I was attempting to draft out the potential points for my memorable episodes from across this series, one thing kept nagging in my head when I started to realise as I was also ranking the episodes season by season, including the ones which has Q in it. Spoiler: Almost all the episodes the omnipotent being has appeared in are in it. Anyway, my nagging thought was asking: Is Q becoming the fictional character not since Severus Snape where I am finding myself disliking strongly at the start to having a begrudging liking for eventually? It is a 'threshold' I have always thought will never be crossed since I read the seventh and final Harry Potter book back when it first released in 2007 where I finally understood Snape's actions over the years where I was forced to change my opinion of him, but it has since. If that is not the only thing my mind could not shake, there is also another comparison which nearly shook me when I first read it. Three years ago, Screen Rant website ran an article quoting the Q actor John de Lancie saying in an interview that he had based his character on what Lady Caroline Lamb said of Lord Byron that he is 'mad, bad, and dangerous to know'. I know that line at once when I came across the article last month, given the term 'Byronic hero' came out of that, and there has been characters in the world of fiction and popular culture which would fit into that, including one Edward Fairfax Rochester from my all-time favourite novel Jane Eyre. I saw that quote from that article, and I nearly shook and almost fell off from my chair. 22 years ago when I first read Charlotte Bronte's most well-known work as a teenager, that was when I first know of the 'Byronic hero' term and how it applied to Rochester. 22 years later, it started to explain a lot to me on how Q has been like for most of the time whenever he is dealing with the Enterprise D crew, especially with Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Lord Byron, the origin to the term 'Byronic hero' due to his lover Lady Caroline Lamb who used to say of him that he is 'mad, bad, and dangerous to know'. (Image via here.)

From left to right: Edward Rochester, who has been considered an archetypal Byronic hero by literary scholars in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre herself, and her ward Adele Varens. Yes, for a long time I have associated the Byronic hero term with from my all-time favourite novel, and especially with Rochester. (Image via here.)

Since then, my mind could not shake off the Byronic comparisons regarding the case of Q. Because for 22 years, and maybe because I have an attachment which naturally led to being protective to my all-time favourite novel Jane Eyre that Edward Rochester is my 'template' for the typical Byronic character, and of a sudden a character I had never like at first to begrudgingly liking from a television series that I like coming under that category, and it felt repulsive at one time. Sounds also like how I used to feel about Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series. From 'I hate that guy' to 'He has his reasons'. When it comes to Q, it went from 'Who does he think he is?' to 'He may have a shred of humanity after all', quoting what Captain Picard said towards the end in the third season's 'Deja Q'. Watching the grand finale ‘All Good Things…’, it reminded me all over again how I used to think of Q back when he first appeared in the pilot ‘Encounter at Farpoint’ to this episode. Even if he is also the reason the pilot episode left its mark on me because my mind was running through these words when I am drafting on what to comment on the pilot episode - 'Dr. McCoy, Data, Q!', and for a lot of television critics where he was the saving grace for that.

I admit, back when I was almost finishing the two-season Star Trek animated series where it has since come to be seen as a continuation of the original Enterprise's historic five-year mission as the original series technically lasted for three years, I know I want to get ready on what 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' would bring. Of course until I got onto watching it, I had read stories surrounding what happened during the time the series was on air and the episodes which would come to make a mark and making people realise that it has to be taken as a series on its own and more just riding on the original series.

The original cast photo for the first season of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. With the exception of Denise Crosby (second from left), the original security chief Lieutenant Tasha Yar, whose character was killed off in the midst of the first season due to what she saw as lack of development for her character (before returning in the third season and the seventh season finale in a guest-starring role), almost all the rest appeared in all the seven seasons and the four films that came after. (Image via here.)

As I freely admitted when doing the 'making of' blog entries of the memorable episodes from the original series, a part of me is already emotionally invested when watching 'Star Trek: the Next Generation', and it is already an achievement on my part where to quote what I stated back then, 'due to my initial own trepidation of whether I will embrace in the way like with the original series, remembering on a personal level that I was actually slightly over six weeks old when 'Encounter at Farpoint' premiered as the pilot episode (there, I more or less revealed how old I am)'. It took a while, but I have gotten to that stage. I can dare say that it has also taken a hold on me like with the original series as well, and this is considering I am aware of the four films featuring 'The Next Generation' cast have not always been well-received except the second 'Star Trek: First Contact'.

I mean, seven seasons in all, seven seasons of emotions. Even with characters that do not take in human form, it turns out that they can also provide human drama. Case in point: The Enterprise D's operations officer Lieutenant Commander Data, who is an android, an artificial life form as he sometimes like to describe himself when asked. The character that I take to almost at once, which is something because it has to take doing the original series's memorable episodes for the third season for me to finally realise that Spock all along has been the character I was rooting for back in the day. As a sneak preview of sorts, I would come to say in drafting the first season's memorable episodes for 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' (given I am still drafting it out) in the episode which made me a fan of Data ever since in 'Datalore' - The fact I literally screamed in my head at one time when the switch that Lore made took place, it is like I was starting to have a bond of sorts with the Enterprise D's operations officer, or maybe because I really want to see someone who would become my favourite character from the original series in Spock to be also showing up in some kind in this, so that I have a reason to embrace 'The Next Generation' before eventually being more than just a part of me emotionally invested to the series as a whole.

Back on the Enterprise D, during the reassembling process of the duplicate model of himself which Data found when he and the Enterprise D landing party were back at where he was first found on Omicron Theta. The only time one can tell the two androids apart is what Data and his 'evil twin' brother Lore wore respectively after the latter was re-assembled. This scene came from the episode which made me a fan of Data in 'Datalore'. (Image via here.)

But then whenever anyone from the original series era came on board as guest stars in DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy, or Admiral McCoy he is known in ‘Encounter at Farpoint’), Mark Lenard (Ambassador Sarek in ‘Sarek’ and ‘Reunification I’), Leonard Nimoy (Ambassador Spock in ‘Unification I’ and 'Unification II’), and James Doohan (always known as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, but Captain Scott as Captain Picard called him in ‘Relics’), I am almost a fangirl walking down memory lane once more each time, which always remind myself how I became a fan in the first place. It is like I am already emotionally invested into what I am watching, and then when those from years gone by shows up, just to remind that they are still around. Then again, the original series cast were the ones who help to make what it would become a phenomenon, and when I have already found reasons to like the new bunch, the previous bunch shows up again. Something I thought I will never think of. Watching a retrospective which came after the 'The Next Generation' grand finale on Netflix, it also gave sneak previews to the film 'Star Trek Generations' where there was a brief clip of William Shatner's Captain Kirk speaking to an assembled media. I may or may not have read before of what happened to Kirk in the film which comprises 'The Next Generation' cast for the first time since the end of the television series, along with those from the original series in Shatner, Kelley, Doohan, and Walter Koenig as a way of passing the 'baton', but that was enough for me.

What is for certain based on what I had seen so far from the rough drafts to my potential points from the memorable episodes to this series: More school day memories coming back from even unlikely sources (Q!), more personal memories come flashing back where just when I thought I need not use them again, constant references back to the original series, more pop culture and literary references, family-relating memories as well. It is going to be like how I did with the original series, but even more. The reasons to be emotionally connected to 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', like how it was with the original series. It is the only thing to console me that even if I had finished watching the entire seven seasons, the memories that remain are those that left its mark on me during the course of the series, and the chance to relieve them again.

There is also when I watched the grand finale. Since few months back when it was confirmed the family was going to move house, I started to plan so that it will be timed around before it happened for real. 11 July 2023 was when it happened when I was watching 'All Good Things...'. The next day when it was moving day (which was yesterday), some time before I left where I had been staying with my family to the new house, I found myself sitting next to the window in my father's room, just staring into space. And replaying what happened in the finale in my head, something I had not done since 'Descent, Part II' where after waking up then, my mind was running through on what exactly happened next after Lore ordered Data to shoot Captain Picard as proof of his loyalty and Data refused in terms of whom was Lore aiming at (spoiler: Data!). While I do have the habit of running through what happened in my head the following day after watching any episode, it is usually not that in depth. Only one other episode has left an impact on me in that way, and it is from the original series era in terms of my favourite 'The City On The Edge of Forever'. Yes, a Q episode being mentioned in the same way as my favourite from the original series era.

Not bad. Not bad at all. How many more thresholds to be crossed, faster than the omnipotent being can say whenever he meets Captain Jean-Luc Picard 'mon capitaine'? And yes, it was also what Q said at one time in the court trial being revisited in 'All Good Things...' not since 'Encounter at Farpoint' where that was how I decided on this title in the first place. The first being to hold the honour of saying part of the show's name in an episode itself, even ahead of the inventor of the warp drive and who made the first contact with the Vulcans in Zefram Cochrane who said it in full in 'Star Trek: First Contact' (with the bonus that in the film, Cochrane was played by pre-'Succession' James Cromwell, who had being nominated for an Emmy for his role as Ewan Roy in the HBO series, and I would know...because I did watched that where he will always be 'Uncle Ewan' to me). Then again, it was always fitting that Q would be in the grand finale, because he was also the first alien being the Enterprise D crew met in the pilot episode, along with those of us watching the show.

The grand entrance of the very first alien being the Enterprise D crew met in the pilot 'Encounter at Farpoint', and my eternal image of the episode itself of what made it memorable (even if I could not stand him then), the omnipotent being Q. It was always fitting he would also return in this manner for the show's grand finale 'All Good Things...', with him also doing the honour of quoting the episode title at one point. Yes, the fictional character I have been referring not since Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series where I have gone from disliking strongly to begrudgingly liking eventually. A 'threshold' I thought would never happen has finally being crossed. (Image via here.)

For those like us, or like me wanting to give 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' a chance after watching the original series. Am I glad that I did take the chance.

The movies defining my life (yet)

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 15:15:00 +0000

I have always thought there is always a list. As in what will be in my all-time favourites. But if the awards season earlier this year taught anything, there is always room for redemption and second chances. It is like seeing my 90s childhood all grown up and winning an Oscar, and I saw it happening more than once.

This year's Oscars was the reason behind this blog entry, by the way. (Image via here.)

The reason I have been delaying at getting this out till now, it is due to the last entry on this list with how it is linking to something else which I have been watching over the weekend, because I want to time it around the same time as that. For now, the very first that I had watched at the cinema...

Lion King

The Disney movie of my generation. And the first which I watched at the cinema too, when I was just seven. (Image via here.)

The Disney movie of my generation, anyone of a certain school-going age in my class tend to point it as the first one we watched at the cinema. I was seven when it came out in 1994, and yes, it was also the first movie which I watched at the cinema with my now-late mother and brother. Who wouldn’t forget the part where Simba was held aloft? It was the case for me.

Titanic

Only 'It's A Wonderful Life' can give this a run for the money in terms of my all-time favourite. And to think in my 10-going on-11 year old self, I practically begged my father on wanting to watch this on the basis of an English comprehension exercise where I first became aware of the original story. (Image via here.)

I know it has become rather poignant that it has been brought back to the spotlight due to the submersible tragedy of the Titan, when the 'Titanic' director James Cameron gave his thoughts on the tragedy. But will I ever leave out this? The number one in my all-time favourites, with only the Christmas classic 'It's A Wonderful Life' giving a run for the money. It was released in late 1997 here, but I only got to watch in early 1998, and I actually had to beg my father of wanting to watch this at the cinema…only on the basis I had been aware of the original story of the cruise ship in an English comprehension exercise. The first movie I watched at the cinema which went past three hours, and I was rather proud of the fact at that time that I never once fell asleep at any point. And I was 10-going on-11, technically I was 10 when it first came out. That was before I found out later the movie made history at the 1998 Oscars, setting unprecedented records in terms of number of awards won, a record which has never been broken since. Funnily enough when my father suggested watching the Avatar sequel early this year which we did, I had to smile at the commonalities: Both directed by Cameron, and both have Kate Winslet in it. What are the odds?

Ten Brothers (1995), or Sap hing dai

Or known as 'Ten Brothers' in English, based on the Chinese's Ming dynasty legend of the ten brothers with supernatural powers. It's a comedic movie actually. (Image via here.)

I can say that my childhood in the 90s was still coinciding with the golden period of Hong Kong cinema (which started in the previous decade, which also introduced us to a name Hollywood would come to know later, Michelle Yeoh), but way before the time of Marvel, the first movie I know dealing with people having superpowers came in this comedic movie. It is actually based on a Chinese legend from the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) of the ten brothers who each have a supernatural ability of his own. Of course, as a young girl, I was easily impressionable.

Money No Enough

The very first local movie that I watched, where for the first time I can totally get what is said on the big screen at once. It is my own country being depicted on the big screen. (Image via here.)

The first local movie I watched at the cinema, focusing on how three friends reacting to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis each in his own way. It was the first time I can recognise instantly what’s on screen, and it is not just the setting. It is also the language in terms of what were spoken. I am seeing my own country depicted on the big screen. Way before my country got the Hollywood treatment in 'Crazy Rich Asians'.

Space Jam

When Looney Tunes meet Michael Jordan...basketball! Because the Looney Tunes were amongst a handful of cartoons I got to watch growing up (unless you count Sesame Street as the other children's programme I found on weekends as a kid), naturally I was excited because it included the biggest sporting star I know of growing up away from football (or soccer), Jordan himself. (Image via here.)

This one was being watched in class back in primary school, after the final-year exams. Michael Jordan was probably the biggest sporting star I know outside of football back in my childhood in the 90s, and to see him a movie with Looney Tunes characters playing basketball against the Goon Squad…ok, we all know how it ended, but it is a product of its time. But still, it was nice that it also got revisited in ‘The Last Dance’ documentary series, on the Chicago Bulls with Jordan as part of the side. As in watching the documentary series with my childhood revisited!

Oliver!

The adaptation from the stage musical of the same name, but the original source goes back to Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist. (Image via here.)

The adaptation of the musical was what my class back in secondary school in the name of English Literature class had to watch. Of course, it was based on one of Charles Dickens’ most well-known works in Oliver Twist, but the movie musical was used in class to teach about characterisation, though we were all watching at a screening at the school library, when I remembered the teacher asked the class to watch the movie musical closely. As in to study why the characters behave and react the way they did. Every subsequent movie and television show I came to watch in terms of how I look at the characters involved, this movie was the first to teach me so. The first movie I know to teach me that it is all right to sing in a movie, lip-synched or not.

Schindler’s List

As a former student of History back in secondary school, it is the movie which came to affect me greatly, due to what it is about. (Image via here.)

As a former History student in secondary school, I did also study about the horrors of what the Jews used to go through, more so in WWII. After all we once had to do a group discussion based on the textbook, on the kind of discrimination Jews had to face in Nazi Germany, and it blew my mind. The first time in my then 15-year-old self 21 years ago I learned that people can be discriminated on the grounds of their ethnicity, background, or faith. And gender and sexual orientation later on. So watching the movie which is based on the life of Oskar Schindler and later finding out it was also the movie which earned Steven Spielberg his first best director Oscar, it still affected me greatly.

Life Is Beautiful, or La vita è bella (Italian)

The movie in question, but it is in Italian actually. (Image via here.)

People often talk about the power of movies and cinema and what it can do. For me, it literally did that. It was once available on cable on-demand service here, and I just watched it, not knowing the plot beforehand. During the duration of the movie, I had almost forgotten I was under the weather, or rather having the flu. Whatever has been said about escapism eh. And the bonus surprise I learned much later that this movie also won the Best Foreign Language Film at the 1999 Oscars.

The Sixth Sense

The movie which gave the phrase 'I see dead people', but coming from Haley Joel Osment's character. The only horror movie I watched without flinching once, or maybe because it happened at a screening at the school hall back in secondary school. (Image via here.)

Horror is never my genre to begin with, but this have always stay with me due to how it became the first horror film I had sat through without flinching at any point. I had first watched the movie with other schoolmates as part of the school's week-long showcasing of movies after the final-year exams in my final year in secondary school 20 years ago, one for each school day being screened at the school hall. This was one of those shown for that week. Over time whenever the mention of 'I see dead people' from Haley Joel Osment's character comes about, I get it at once immediately. Precisely because I had once watched it with other people, and I don't get scared with so many around watching too.

Saint Joan

An adaptation from George Bernard Shaw's Nobel Prize-winning play, on the life of Joan of Arc. The one which I watched back in my university days in the mass communications course, but trying to understand the philosophical methods which might had driven to do what she did. (Image via here.)

The adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Nobel Prize-winning play of the life of Joan of Arc is still the only version I had seen on screen depicting the historical figure. I picked that out because the class used to have to watch it in philosophy class back when I did mass communications at university on what philosophical methods might had driven Joan of Arc to do what she did and it was also part of the class assignment, and I still keep what used to be one of the required reading materials at university, in regards to Shaw's play in booklet form which was the basis for the movie and where it was adapted from. And that was before finding out that it was also the acting debut of Jean Seberg, who played the teenage Joan of Arc in the movie, and how her own life was eventually tragically cut short.

Mamma Mia!

The movie adaptation to the stage musical of the same name, featuring ABBA songs. If I was not a fan of the songs before this, I became one after, following after my father who have always like ABBA songs. (Image via here.)

Back when my father mentioned that the Swedish group ABBA is one of his favourite music groups, it made me realised that I am not alone. I used to get mocked by especially male classmates for even writing that the Spice Girls is my favourite music group (I was nine when their first song 'Wannabe' came out in 1996, when I was still in primary school) back in secondary school and it scarred me for a long time. But then my father never saw the link in terms of how ABBA's songs can be considered as fluff, the same which used to be hurled at the Spice Girls and their songs. He just happened to like listening to ABBA, and he got to relive his younger self when watching the stage musical showcasing their songs when once on working trip to the United Kingdom, and which he said that he recognised almost all the songs used when I asked him about it. The stage musical then came to have its run here in my country back in 2004, and I went to watch it. Naturally when the movie version which starred Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried came out, my father suggested to watch at once. If I was not a fan of the songs prior to that just because my father mentioned them, I did become one after the movie. I did also come to watch the sequel 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' when it came out, and I did that on my birthday too (given the movie release coincided close to that day).

The Sound of Music

From the stage musical to the big screen, based on the story of the Von Trapp Family Singers. And I had watched both versions. (Image via here.)

Back when it was announced that Christopher Plummer had passed away two years ago, my mind immediately went 'Captain Von Trapp!'. I had watched him in other movies as well, but this will always be the movie I associate him with alongside Julie Andrews. Back when I first watched it, it was on television and ahead of my family watching the stage musical back when it made its way to my country. I had first known about the movie in secondary school History class when the teacher mentioned this as something to check out. Two years later in 2005, the stage musical came to my neck of the woods, and it started to make sense to me on what my former teacher once said. It is the movie (and the stage musical) which finally made me feel vindicated about being a history student in secondary school, because I always remember my late mother's reaction when I started to speak enthusiastically about studying the subject in terms of her asking me what purpose it serves. Because for once, I am watching something which I can recognise at once on what had once happened in history, especially after Captain Von Trapp’s reaction to Austria being annexed under Nazi Germany in what would be known as Anschluss and the subsequent chain of events that followed, culminating in the climax. The movie which made me I dare say, proud to say that History is my most favourite school subject and not ashamed in saying it out loud since.

Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone

The movie which got me to seek out the books. That was how I got started into the world of Harry Potter. (Image via here.)

The origins of how I became a Harry Potter fan began with this movie, when my younger aunt showed me a DVD copy of this amongst the DVDs she had at her place when asking what I wanted to watch, and this was back in 2002. I was already aware of the Potter phenomenon at the time and took a leap of faith and watched this. I became engrossed in it from almost the start. Safe to say I became hooked on this magical journey when I decided to seek out the books as well, to the extent that back when before my father went on a working trip to the United Kingdom (it is the same one as referred to when I was on 'Mamma Mia!'), I told him to get the books when he was asking if there was anything he could get when he was there. Though he did not get all the books published up till that point (Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix was the latest then), I bought the rest here in Singapore. So, when the movie adaptation to Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire came about, my father asked if I wanted to watch and I was amazed that he asked me about it, with me recalling the request of the books before his working trip and that he somehow got the memo that I am a fan. This entire experience would also form the basis of what I once wrote in a class assignment of whether physical books will still be around in the era of technology in my advanced diploma in mass communications course slightly over a decade ago where I gave an optimistic note, and also including of how movies can make people seek out the original material it was adapted from if they are interested, because that was me with the Harry Potter series.

It's A Wonderful Life

It actually did not do well at the box office when it was first released back in 1946, but became a Christmas classic over time. And I had originally watched a stage adaptation while on university student exchange in the United States a decade ago, until finding out the movie landed on Netflix at my neck of the woods last year. The only movie which can give 'Titanic' a run for the money for my all-time favourite. (Image via here.)

I had originally first watched a stage adaptation when I was on university student exchange in the United States a decade ago with a handful of my classmates, and I still have the booklet. I still remember at the local theatre itself I was sitting in amongst the audience next to the bus driver who took us to there, and at one time he was explaining to me on the legacy of the original movie of how it has become a television staple during the festive season. It was rather timely then, because it was getting close to Christmas and there were only few days left to the university exchange before I flew home on Christmas Eve. I have always considered this as what marked me during my student exchange, apart from how my university studies became the reason for me to be visiting the United States for the very first time in my life and seeing actual snow for the first time as well (can't blame someone like me coming from hot and humid Singapore in seeing actual snow to top my bucket list). Since then, it became a personal 'obsession' of sorts of mine to track down the original movie, until finding out it landed on Netflix last year. Naturally I watched it, on Christmas Eve then. If there is any movie which can compete with 'Titanic' for my all-time favourites, it is this.

The cover (above) and the leaflet inside (top). Back when a decade ago I watched with a handful of my classmates, it was close to the last day of performance. Nine years later which was to be last year on Christmas Eve, I got to watch the original movie on Netflix.

And as someone who also watches Star Trek and a fan of that too, it naturally got me excited and made me very happy that it even got the treatment in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' sixth season episode 'Tapestry', though it has also been compared to Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. The original movie's message still gives me hope that all of us do matter in the world, I would like to think.

Stories of Star Trek: The Original Series memorable episodes

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 15:30:00 +0000

(Preview: If watching 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' earlier in the week finally began to hit me that I must learn to let it go when it comes to the original series, it is not simple. The memories from watching those episodes to the first six films have become a part of me, and this is the story behind the stories of how I went about getting the memorable episodes from across the three seasons together. Consider this the 'making of' edition to the memorable episodes of the original series that kicked off the Star Trek phenomenon for me.)

The original cast from the original series, where it all began in 1966. The series that first help me to understand the phenomenon that is still going on strong. (Image via here.)

It says a lot of how much it has already come to affect me in between blogging of the 'Star Trek: The Original Series' episodes which have come to make a mark on me, my mind was literally screaming like how Pavel Chekov did after discovering a dead body in 'The Deadly Years' in the second season, 'No! Not 'The Enemy Within' again!'.

I was finding my way around watching 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' that back when I was on the first season episode 'Datalore' (already becoming one of handful of my favourites from the first season), the episode which for the first time in the series telling the backstory of the Enterprise's android operations officer in the Lieutenant Commander Data, the flashbacks returned. Anyone who once watched the original series would remember in 'The Enemy Within', the transporter mishap which led to two versions of James T. Kirk on the original Enterprise. And in 'Datalore', the Enterprise D while en route to somewhere else made a visit to the planet where Data was found in Omicron Theta 26 years before in order to learn more about his origins and found a replicate model which looks like him...where it turns out after it was assembled back on the Enterprise, it is his twin 'brother', Lore. The evil twin trope has often been used in fiction and popular culture, but this version is for real, where one can call Lore the actual evil twin brother. The scene which gave me the nasty flashbacks to 'The Enemy Within' and my mind literally began screaming for a while was after Data had been knocked out after having the champagne that Lore had prepared, and Lore decided to make use of Data's face and claimed it as his own, making almost everyone on the Enterprise D believing he is Data (one way to recognise who is who, it is the outfit because Data has always been wearing his Starfleet uniform whereas Lore's outfit design is slightly different but in brown), with even the swapping of outfits too. Almost everyone because the young acting ensign Wesley Crusher was the one who did not fall for it.

The reason I had the nasty flashbacks when watching 'Datalore', because it was only two days after I had finished doing the blog entry on my memorable first season episodes from the Star Trek original series, and so what I remember from I commented on 'The Enemy Within' was still fresh in my mind.

The transporter on the Enterprise have always tend to work well when the situation calls for it, but there are the rare times it just does not. And this is the episode which first demonstrated that ('Mirror, Mirror' in the second season is the other, where an ion storm causing transporter malfunction would come to have the Enterprise crew finding themselves in a parallel world and seeing the extreme versions of themselves there too; 'The Mark of Gideon' from the third season, and the coordinates have something to do with that), when a transporter malfunction can have serious consequences. It can actually split a person's personality into two, just think of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (which it turns out is the original inspiration behind the episode, according to the episode writer Richard Matheson). I immediately thought of what I used to read when watching the episode. The unsuspecting victim would be the captain of the Enterprise himself, the good but meek version along with the nasty and evil version. It came about as the Enterprise crew was returning from a specimen-gathering mission on the planet Alpha 177 when the transporter malfunction took place. Not the first and last time watching the original series I have to mentally remember which is the actual person and which is the imposter (read: 'Mirror, Mirror' in the second season, 'Whom Gods Destroy' in the third season though that was not due to transporter malfunction but a shapeshifter taking on the form of Captain Kirk), but it meant that I am always forced to pay attention when watching. It says something of how much the episode affected me that when 'Catspaw' in the second season came about, I was actually saying in my head while leaning against the wall on my bed and watching on my laptop, 'It's giving me the heebie-jeebies not since 'The Enemy Within!'.

Away from the horror aspect which gave me the heebie-jeebies seeing the evil version of the Enterprise captain, what Dr. McCoy said before the imposter was dealt with rings true and still stays with me, "We all have our darker side. We need it! It's half of who we are. It's not really ugly, it's human."


The episode which gave me the heebie-jeebies, for a very good reason. 'The Enemy Within', the very first time in the original series where a transporter malfunction can lead to serious consequences. Like a person's personality being split into two, which it did to Captain Kirk. This is actually his evil version, in green. (Image via here.)

Yes, it can really muddle the mind like it already did to me, but I have made it my 'mission' that if I really want to know and understand the Star Trek phenomenon, I must start from the beginning. That means starting from the original series, which I first did so back in March watching on Netflix. I know I did explain ahead of the third season memorable episodes from the original series on how I went about choosing and ranking the episodes. That is just half the job done. The next part as I found out soon enough, it is what to include. It is not always easy. There are episodes which can be summed up in a single paragraph, others need more than that. There are a lot of constant retyping, and while also watching 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' at the same time. I am straddling between two iterations of the franchise when doing the blog entries, considering how both iterations have connections to each other. Like how DeForest Kelley guest-starred in the series pilot 'Encounter at Farpoint' (which turned out to be his last television appearance before the next two Star Trek films in the franchise with 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' being his last big-screen appearance, because he passed away on June 1999) when visiting the new Enterprise's medical facility with the operations officer Lieutenant Commander Data and their conversation made me smile on how Dr. McCoy still hasn't forgotten Spock in the way he spoke of his former Vulcan colleague after realising Data is an android, a contrast to how Data has the utmost respect for Vulcans.

And funnily enough, for some reason at one point in the episode 'Datalore', there is how Captain Jean-Luc Picard reacted to the Enterprise crew's uneasiness in terms of placing together the model duplicate of Data found on where he was found in Omicron Theta - "You feel uncomfortable about aspects of your duplicate, Data. We feel uncomfortable too, and for no logical reason. If it feels awkward to be reminded that Data is a machine, just remember that we are merely a different variety of machine. In our case, electrochemical in nature." It is like Captain Picard speaking in a way like how Dr. McCoy did in 'The Enemy Within'.

But what is always fun is to include personal anecdotes. The flashbacks to my schooldays all over again because that is also what I remember when watching the episodes, if certain episodes reminded me something of those times. 'Patterns of Force' from the second season and to an extent, my all-time favourite from the original series 'The City on the Edge of Forever' from the first season. Those two episodes brought out my former history student 'hat' on, even more so history has always been my favourite school subject back in secondary school, with the Nazi Germany theme in 'Patterns of Force' brought me to the time when I did study that period in secondary school (and yes, the episode did get the period right) and to an extent the American involvement in WWII which was mentioned in 'The City on the Edge of Forever' which I did also studied about in history class both in secondary school and later at university as a former student of mass communications in the American history class. 'Plato's Stepchildren' from the third season to an extent made me go back to my university days a decade ago to philosophy class as a mass communications student.

There is also what I commented on the third season episode 'Requiem for Methuselah' regarding the female ward of Flint in Rayna Kepac, whose name should have been a giveaway for Captain Kirk but he did not get the hint - Then Rayna Kepac (the surname should have been a giveaway to Kirk but not as it is an anagram of the Czech science fiction writer Karel Capek who was to be known for indirectly coining the word 'robot' for a play he wrote), the young woman who had been observing the Enterprise trio from another room, showed up with Flint introducing her as his ward and later explained that she came into his care after her parents who previously worked for him died in an accident. I had read about the reasoning behind the name ahead of watching the episode, and it started to come back to me. It was in primary school English class when one of the chapters in the textbook was about robots where I remember it also wrote of the person who first indirectly coined the very word itself, Capek. That was the last time I had read of the name, until before this episode. That was more than 25 years ago for me.


Flint (right) and his ward Rayna Kepac (left), seen in 'Requiem for Methuselah', whom the latter eventually turns out is an android. But by then, the deception came way too late for Captain Kirk. (Image via here.)

Or in the third season when commenting on 'All Our Yesterdays', there was this - And the final reasons for the episode ranking where apart from Spock acting out of character which he rarely does throughout the original series, this is potentially biased on my part, geeking out at how a potential library of the future looks like in this episode being set in the 23rd century, because one of my earliest jobs was that I used to work as a library assistant...at a school library actually, but still. Or from a religious angle, though this goes back to when I used to attend a primary school founded by Presbyterian missionaries (but then the reason I attended that school, even if my family are not Christians in the first place, as per my father's reasoning, it was the nearest to where the family was staying at the time, apart from already being aware of the school's reputation) where I first know of the story of Noah's Ark and of Adam and Eve at the school's weekly chapel sessions, then there was what I had to say of the third season episode 'Requiem for Methuselah' - There is also the episode title, which actually has religious meaning. Requiem means a mass for the dead, and Methuselah refers to the oldest living person named in the Bible, who is also the grandfather of Noah (yes, from Noah's Ark) and descendant of Adam and Eve.

The librarian of Sarpeidon, Mr. Atoz. And as someone who used to work at a school library as a library assistant, this is closest I get to remembering that is one of my earliest jobs I had. Albeit the first job I had after university graduation. (Image via here.)

Or how I commented on the third season episode 'Is There Truth No Beauty?' when it emerged that Dr. Miranda Jones, the human aide of the Medusan ambassador Kollos whom she was accompanying back to his home planet, was actually blind - Being short-sighted myself since I was six (which means that it has been exactly three decades since I wear spectacles), in some way I paid a bit more attention on Dr. Jones, especially when she challenged Kirk on how she could still achieve things in spite of being blind like playing tennis, also making the only time a blind character made an appearance in the original series. Having once being blind-folded in a game of getting through obstacles in school camp where I actually have to lead a team while blind-folded (spoiler: I didn't come up on top), I did not like the experience one bit where I was confronted with the stark reality of what the blind has to deal with all the time, this episode reminded me all over again 23 years later after that school camp experience of how even someone like Dr. Jones can achieve so much more than me. My own experience at school camp which may I add, really taught me for the first time on the importance of sight, and I thought I already knew after being short-sighted.


The human aide to the Medusan ambassador Kollos, Dr. Miranda Jones (left), who as it turns out is not only a telepath and blind. (Image via here.)

Then there are those from my childhood, really. Hands down, watching the entire original series is enough to make me embrace my inner nine-year-old again, reminding me all over again why the universe and the planets was my favourite topic in science class back in 1996 in my third year in primary school where it all began in regard to my amateur fascination, because it was so different to what I had been studying up till that point. I really mean it because I actually never mentioned when ahead of doing the first season memorable episodes, the chapter on the universe and the planets on the Solar System also happen to be the very last chapter in my science textbook for that year at the time. And there is also this when as part of doing the first season memorable episodes for the original series - There was even once a wall chart being plastered up in the house (apart from wall charts showing a map of the world, fruits, and vegetables) when I was growing up, showing all the known planets I had previously learned in class. Because seeing the opening sequence of the universe in the original series and even now in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', it always takes me back to that wall chart I used to look at from time to time on the planets in the solar system I have learned in science class, always reminding me that we are not exactly alone out there, and I am not talking about alien beings in terms whether one believe in that or not. Or how about 'Is There Truth No Beauty?' from the third season, especially on the Medusans. The Medusa legend coming to life for me since learning about it back in primary school in English class when on the topic of myths and legends, not as stone but as light instead in the episode.

The known planets in the Solar System, the names I have been taught since when I was a nine-year-old schoolgirl in science class back in 1996 which began my amateur fascination about the universe. In a way, watching Star Trek made me embrace my inner child again, reminding me why I am fascinated about this in the first place. From up to down, left to right: Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury. And up till 2006, there is also Pluto. I have always been taught there are nine planets in our solar system, up till Pluto's 'demotion'. (Image via here.)

Or to an extent, childhood fairy tales I had read as a girl starting to pop up. In 'Shore Leave' back in the first season - It is Dr. McCoy's encounters which really stand out, a human-sized white rabbit straight out of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and a medieval knight chasing after him. Or what happened when on the second season's 'Mirror, Mirror' - As much as it is tempting to think it might have to do with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves as anyone who knows the story (like me since as a girl) know that is what the Evil Queen always asks the mirror, 'Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?', it is far from that.

And there is also Cinderella. It had my attention at once when it actually got an airing in the sixth Star Trek film 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' because it is my favourite fairy tale to read as a girl and naturally I became very protective of the story I have grown attached to growing up, the story which first made me believe in the happily-ever-after before realising the real world is not made of that when I grow older. Then again, it is Chekov who made the claim in the film. Or like how I commented on the third season episode 'Day of the Dove' - Chekov might had like to claim throughout the course of the original series (and even in the films like especially in 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' claiming that Cinderella originated from Russia too) whenever he had been on that a lot of things actually originated from his home country Russia, but the claim of avenging his 'brother' Pitore who was a research scientist on Archanis IV who had been previously massacred by the Klingons whom he called 'Cossacks' befuddled Sulu when Captain Kirk mentioned it. I 'blame' the Disney version for making me go on the defensive when watching the film where I almost went shouting 'Oi!' at Chekov's claim. Can't blame someone like me who have always wanted a dress like Cinderella growing up but never able to get it, or as my late mother often said whenever I wanted the dress, 'It's expensive!'.

The reason why I went on the defensive over what Pavel Chekov claimed about Cinderella's origins. I know, the Disney version has indirectly shaped me as a girl. And that dress!

Then there is 'Metamorphosis' from the second season. I really meant it when I commented - It is the episode which I did not expect I would nearly come to have the waterworks. The episode which triggered the memory of my late mother even more than ever, and the week before I had the second season memorable episodes up here on the blog, I found myself helping to sort through family photographs in the house, and also came across photographs of my late mother in her younger self before she met my father which I had never seen before. Each time when I read what I had to comment on 'Metamorphosis', it always makes me want to break down and cry at Zefram Cochrane's reply to Spock after the latter reminded that he will eventually grow and die with the Federation Commissioner Nancy Hedford/Companion on the planetoid they are on - "That's been happening to men and women for a long time. I've got the feeling it's one of the pleasanter things about being human, as long as you grow old together." The reason - That made me think of my late mother at once for the first time since I am watching the original series, and how she and my father were supposed to grow old together given they once talked about it, until her passing three years ago robbed away that opportunity (no, it was not due to COVID-19), and she was less than a month's shy of turning 60.


Zefram Cochrane (left), along with the Federation commissioner Nancy Hedford/Companion (right). Yes, what he said actually made me want to break down and cry and remember my late mother again. (Image via here.)

And to an extent my most favourite second season episode 'Journey to Babel' as well, which coincidentally was the episode which came after in the second season, because that featured Spock's parents for the first time in the Star Trek universe and his human mother Amanda briefly made me think of my late mother again. It really hit home for me in that episode when Amanda spoke of her pride at her son being the first officer on the Enterprise (considering it was revealed by Amanda when explaining to Captain Kirk of the long-standing estrangement between Spock and his father in Ambassador Sarek was due to Spock joining Starfleet and not the Vulcan Science Academy as Sarek had expected) where effectively he is second-in-command, much like how my late mother used to do, telling her friends (whom I had met before actually) how I did in my studies, something which I went from embarrassed about to seeing it from her perspective after she passed away. Though three years ago I initially wondered why she did so, in what would be two days before she passed away, she actually told me that my studies is the one thing she and my father have always been proud of, making me finally realising even more so after she was gone for good that I had actually did something which she is proud of that she even tell her friends about it. Maybe subconsciously even more so as the eldest sibling in the family, seeing my two younger siblings do get driving licences while I have long chosen not to get it (on the basis that I often lost out to my brother whenever we were racing against each other in the arcade in our youth, and that I was always clumsy doing the racing in terms of my 'car' always bumping onto something), leaving me wondering at the back of my mind if there is actually anything my parents are proud of.


Spock (centre) and his parents, whom are first shown in 'Journey to Babel', the Vulcan ambassador Sarek (left) and Amanda Grayson (right). (Image via here.)

There is something which I never included when on the second season episodes, though it was subconsciously included when on 'The Doomsday Machine'. This was what I commented then - Over time it has come to be seen as the favourite episode of the actor James Doohan, who is Chief Engineer Scott on the original series, that even though his character did not feature much as he did acknowledge himself, it is the storyline and the engineering aspects which became the reasons why. And he was right actually, because it is one of the rare times the engine of any starship has the spotlight in the original series, especially for those into such things. Full disclosure: As the daughter of a trained marine engineer who is known as a chief engineer at work in my father, Scotty is the closest connection of sorts I have when watching the original series in that aspect. I will always remember growing up, in terms of how my father describe what he does at work. That he is the ship's doctor. Growing up I always have the mental image of my father in a doctor's attire with stethoscope and all, examining the ship's engines like a doctor does with the stethoscope. Which is kind of amusing to think about it because he did also used to work in a hospital at one time, but as the hospital's main electrician. Seeing Scotty on the Enterprise in the original series and later in the films whenever he is in the engineering section at work, I always imagine that is what my father does, but on an actual ship.

Or as usual, there are the pop culture references littered everywhere in the three blog entries. Because 'The X-Files' is my previous experience to watching science fiction on television prior to this, I found it returning when commenting on 'Tomorrow is Yesterday' from the first season.

The reason why later articles came to suggest that this episode is a nod to the alien-sighting phenomena in post-WWII United States because such sightings of UFOs (unidentified flying objects) would often being put down to weather balloons, often the official narrative. While it is only in recent years such claims are not always dismissed as hogwash like it used to (and as a fan of 'The X-Files' series before plunging into 'Star Trek', it piqued my attention) even if official reports of such sightings is inconclusive, the Enterprise's encounter with a U.S. Air Force pilot and the dilemma of what to do with him as the starship is not supposed to be seen in 1960s world because effectively, they are from the future. As 'The X-Files' tagline says less than three decades later, 'The truth is out there'.


When the Enterprise (pictured) was flung onto 1960s world, while trying to escape the gravitational pull of a black star. A time travel episode in 'Tomorrow is Yesterday' where the time travel part is unintentional in the first place. (Image via here.)

Yes, my previous benchmark before Star Trek came along when it comes to the world of science fiction on screen. (Image via here.)

Then there is 'Plato's Stepchildren' from the third season on the part of the telekinetics which I first knew about it on the 'The X-Files' in terms of how I commented which I actually said it in my head when watching the episode - 'The X-Files' actually came slightly less than three decades early.

Literary references have also made its way into the three blog entries. It is a well-known fact that Shakespeare is a constant reference point for the Star Trek series, no matter the iteration. Even more so just in the original series, William Shatner (as Captain Kirk) was previously trained in Shakespearean theatre back in his native Canada, where he became the understudy to the late Christopher Plummer (and even once stood in for Plummer for a performance of Henry V which Plummer could not do), who will always be known as Captain Von Trapp from 'The Sound of Music' to people like me even if he has also done other films too, later come to have a Star Trek connection when he appeared alongside Shatner in the sixth Star Trek film 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' where his character as the Klingon General Chang has since come to be viewed alongside Khan Noonien Singh (read: 'Space Seed' from the first season, and 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan') as amongst Star Trek's most memorable villains. There is also Herman Melville's Moby Dick, where it was indirectly referenced more than once (the second season episodes 'The Doomsday Machine' and 'Obsession', the second Star Trek film 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan').

Then there are the literary works I have read which have found its way to the blog entries. I had first read Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when I was on a holiday trip with my family slightly over two decades ago, and it was literally the first thing I thought of when watching the first season episode 'The Enemy Within'. Or how I commented on the episode - It can actually split a person's personality into two, just think of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (which it turns out is the original inspiration behind the episode, according to the episode writer Richard Matheson). I immediately thought of what I used to read when watching the episode.

The original first edition of the novel. What I had immediately thought of what I used to read when 'The Enemy Within' came up. (Image via here.)

There is also to an extent, Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. The only thing I have in common with Captain Kirk, after he was gifted an ancient copy of it by Spock in 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' in the sequel to the first season episode 'Space Seed' which I did include in the first season memorable episodes. And I went in my head when Kirk first quoted the famous opening lines back to Spock, "Now you are going A Tale of Two Cities on us eh?"

Along with realising that I actually do have something in common with Captain Kirk when watching the film, the reading of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities which I actually used to do myself, where Kirk had actually quoted the two most famous set of lines from the novel, first after Spock gave him an ancient copy on his birthday where he quoted the opening lines (the famous "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."), and the closing lines from the novel towards the end of the film (“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”) after Dr. Carol Marcus had asked if he was quoting a poem.

The original cover to Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, in serialised format. The lines that Captain Kirk quoted in 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' came from this. (Image via here.)

Then there is F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise, the same title which lent to the first season episode of the same name. Though technically I did not read that, as I commented when on the episode of the same name - There would be some (like me) who certainly find the episode title familiar, as this is also the title of F. Scott Fitzgerald's debut novel, and I say this even if I had not read it, given I became aware of the title after his most famous work The Great Gatsby was amongst the required reading materials back in my university days.

The original cover for the first edition. The reason why I find the first season episode title familiar. It is due to this, which has come to be known as F. Scott Fitzgerald's debut novel. I only became aware of the title because Fitzgerald's most famous work 'The Great Gatsby' was amongst the required reading materials back in my university days. (Image via here.)

If one had also noticed, there are music references, especially to pop songs especially in the second season. 'The Deadly Years' made me comment on this at the beginning - For some reason, I kept replaying and re-listening to the Beatles classic 'When I'm Sixty-Four' before watching the episode. The episode synopsis which I had come across prior to watching the day before itself had already given me an idea. It became preciscent towards the end in the episode itself in terms of what Captain Kirk said after what the Enterprise crew had experienced in terms of rapid aging (with the exception of Chekov who was not affected and Lieutenant Uhura who did not beam down) - "Well, gentlemen, all and all, an experience we'll remember in our old age. Which won't be for some while, I hope." And for some reason in the episode before ahead of watching 'Friday's Child', I found myself re-playing and re-listening to Karen Young's 'Nobody's Child', even if the episode ended well for everyone involved, a complete contrast to what the song is about. Or then again, I will always remember it was my father who used to mention the song years ago and once sang a few lines off it.


The successful delivery of Capella IV's heir Leonard James Akaar, with Dr. McCoy (left) who administered the delivery and the mother who is going to be the regent in Eleen (right). Yes, the name came after the first names of Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk respectively. And for some reason before watching 'Friday's Child', I kept thinking back to the song 'Nobody's Child'. (Image via here.)

But then there are also pop culture references which are not X-Files related, like there were films I had watched which started to pop up. Like how I commented in my all-time favourite episode in the original series in its first season in 'The City on the Edge of Forever' - To be fair and honest, this was one of the rare episodes where I don't start to attempt rolling my eyes at Captain Kirk using his reputation as a playboy to get the girl and wanting to say in my head, 'He is not the Messiah, he is just a playboy!'. Yes, I get the idea after streaming and watching Monty Python's 'The Life of Brian' around Easter, ahem. Of course, it is a nod to the now-famous line from the film, 'He is not the Messiah, he is just a naughty boy.' And even if I did not watch any Star Wars films, I am also aware of the cultural significance to the extent I had this in 'The Return of the Archons' also in the same first season - When Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beamed down on Beta III, they arrived on the onset of what is called the "Festival", which is later to be revealed to be a day of wild enjoyment in a placid society for the rest of the year. The trio would come to meet free-minded elders who have not bought into the 6,000-year autocracy of Landru, who is a figure whose robed lawgivers (since this is way before the time of 'Star Wars', it may or may not scream of that) kill those who can't absorb into the peaceful but mindless society.

The robed lawgivers in question in 'The Return of Archons'. Or how for some reason it screamed of Star Wars at me. And this was way before the films came about. (Image via here.)

Then in the second season episode 'A Piece of the Action' at the beginning - To paraphrase what was said on 'The Wizard of Oz', we are not in Chicago anymore. 'The City on the Edge of Forever' from back in the first season was later to be revealed to be supposed to be set in Chicago, but that became this episode instead. There have been mixed views of this episode even if it is supposed to be more of a comedic one, but I actually enjoyed it, or maybe it is the historical element of how it was set in 1920s Chicago and whatever has been said and written of the period. Of course, it is a nod to the line 'Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore'. Though there is another reason for what I highlighted here, there was a time my country was labelled the 'Chicago of the East' or something like that, and it is not complimentary. But that was in our British colonial times where we had that unwanted reputation, much like Chicago in that period.


Yes, that is Spock (left) in attire and not Dr. McCoy (right) in 'A Piece of the Action'. Sigma Iotia II, modelling itself on 1920s Chicago, thus leading to Spock wearing what he did. (Image via here.)

And as a side note while we are on that, there was what Spock commented towards the end in 'Patterns of Force' in the second season which had me at this - When later back on the Enterprise the crew discussed what they encountered on Ekos and Kirk still trying to make sense of why Gill would use Nazi Germany as an example for Ekos, Spock brought up other notable figures from history. I swore I nearly jumped when after all the other historical figures he pointed out, there was a 'Lee Kuan'. Erm hello? It was 'Whom Gods Destroy' in the third season where that mention returned, and it was noted on IMDb website that Spock was referring to a fictional historical figure. But at the back of my mind I was wondering if he was having my country's founding prime minister in mind, who actually goes by the name of Lee Kuan Yew and had passed away back in 2015. This was aired in 1968, just three years after my country's independence, and who would have known? I would like to think given the original series is set in the 23rd century, my country's founding prime minister, who actually passed away months before in the same year which would have been the 50th anniversary of Singapore's independence (and he was amongst the signatories certifying Singapore as an independent nation), is still being remembered as amongst the list of historical figures known to Earth history even by then, in Star Trek-speak. In television shows and films I watch, it is not my thing go searching for even the unlikely of mentions to my country unless one is talking about 'Crazy Rich Asians' which is predominantly set here and seeing my country getting quite the Hollywood treatment on the big screen, but it is always a big deal especially if it is shows I like and always make me want to blink twice. Yes, I include Star Trek in the category of shows I like.

Or anyway, how in 'Elaan of Troyius' in the third season, there are two film references in what I had to comment on the episode. The first was at the beginning - Helen of Troy meets The Taming of the Shrew. And at one time I actually said in my head when watching the episode, "'My Fair Lady' it is not." Yes, a nod to the Audrey Hepburn classic where Hepburn's character Eliza Doolittle would come to be taught in the manners of being a lady, which was to be what Captain Kirk was meant to teach the warrior princess Elaan about while on the Enterprise. Then the other film reference - So when the day ahead of watching the episode when reading where the idea for the storyline came from, my mind immediately went back to the 1999 film 'Ten Things I Hate About You', the modern adaptation of the Shakespearean romantic comedy The Taming of the Shrew but set in a Seattle high school. Yes, that film is my 'guide' to watching this, remembering what happened in that when watching this episode. Because I have not read The Taming of the Shrew (Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice where for a long time even till the present times my favourite Shakespearean character is Portia who is everything I want to be but am not, and A Midsummer Night's Dream were the Shakespearean works I studied back in school), 'Ten Things I Hate About You' was my benchmark instead.

Captain Kirk (right) with Elaan (left), taking on the unenviable tasking of educating her before reaching Troyius. The episode 'Elaan of Troyius' which had been seen as Helen of Troy meets The Taming of the Shrew. (Image via here.)

I suppose I will end it with the last film reference from the blog entries, the film which I had watched only earlier this year and mentioned it when on the second season episode 'Obsession'. I did not include then that it is also the film which earned its lead Brendan Fraser the best actor Oscar this year. For someone like me born in the late 80s (or rather, the same year 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' first went to air when I was slightly over six weeks old as the pilot episode 'Encounter At Farpoint' came about on 28 September 1987) and as a self-styled child of the 90s, to see him winning at the Oscars earlier this year, it is like finally seeing my 90s childhood all grown up and won an Oscar. Because for a lot of us like me, he will always be associated with 'The Mummy' series of films, until that film really put him back in the spotlight. And all the Moby Dick references in Star Trek always takes me back to the film in question in ‘The Whale', even if I have not read the novel.

Since the episode was aired, the plot in Kirk's obsession (something even Dr. McCoy pointed that word out to him) of hunting down the mysterious cloud creature from 11 years before which has also come to hit the Enterprise while on mining mission on Argus X which could put in jeopardy in an ongoing assignment of collecting essential medical supply for another starship in USS Yorktown, it has being pointed out that it bore parallels of the plot in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Coming after earlier in the year I had watched the film 'The Whale' (which Moby Dick serves as a plot device for a writing lecturer for reasons only revealed in the film itself, always finding time to read aloud the book report his estranged teenage daughter once wrote), the comparisons jumped out at once.

Defeating the ghosts of his past, 11 years on, along with the son of his former captain on the Farragut, Captain Kirk (right) and the young ensign Garrovick (left). Or actually, the cloud creature which previously attacked the USS Farragut 11 years ago which Kirk, then a young lieutenant, survived but nearly half the crew did not, including the young ensign's father. It came to hit the Enterprise this time, leading to Kirk's near-obsession of defeating the cloud creature, in the episode aptly titled 'Obsession'. Just one of the handful of episodes in the original series to be inspired by Moby Dick. (Image via here.)

A part of me is already quite emotionally invested on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and into the fifth season, it is already an achievement for me personally due to my initial own trepidation of whether I will embrace in the way like with the original series, remembering on a personal level that I was actually slightly over six weeks old when 'Encounter at Farpoint' premiered as the pilot episode (there, I more or less revealed how old I am). But then the original series helped to kick everything off in terms of me finally understanding the phenomenon before watching the films involving the cast from the original series as well. I am not exactly a student of science (grade-wise, I mean!) even as I do embrace that due to a former science teacher back in secondary school (yes, the same one I mentioned as part of my first season memorable episodes) whose teaching style made learning the subject bearable for me as I had always somehow struggled with the subject (Disclosure: I barely managed to get a passing grade). Though it resulted in me embracing watching science fiction on television like how I have 'Doctor Who' and 'The X-Files' as my benchmarks before Star Trek came along, as I am more towards humanities and the arts. Or in other words, is there no surprise why history became my favourite school subject, like how I mentioned when commenting on the second season episode 'Patterns of Force'.

And finally, what I had to say when commenting on the third season opener 'Spock's Brain', where I finally admitted to something - As someone who is split between having Spock and Lieutenant Uhura (due to yes, she is the only female crew member, unless one also include Nurse Christine Chapel) as my favourite character in the original series though I lean more towards Spock as the part-Vulcan is everything I want to be but not in terms of smarts, I am also wondering who had the cheek to do that and watched it with an open mind considering the brickbats it received.


When Captain Kirk (right) told Spock (centre) to deactivate the bracelet from Kara's (left) wrist. Kara would be eventually revealed to be the person who stole Spock's brain in the third season opener. (Image via here.)

Because watching 'The Next Generation' where funnily enough I already have a clear favourite character (or maybe another as well) since the first season, it has finally made me force my hand to own up regarding where I stand on the original series. Because for a long time I have left it hanging between Spock and Lieutenant Uhura, even if I thought I want to be neutral. Naturally just a fan I was devastated when Spock decided to sacrifice himself to save the Enterprise in the second Star Trek film 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan', but I didn't realise it then until doing the third season memorable episodes.

Much like how it would have been said in Spock's home planet - Live long and prosper. *Attempting Vulcan salute*

Memorable Star Trek: The Original Series episodes (Part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (diana yeow) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:30:00 +0000

(Preview: It was while watching the third and final season of Star Trek that I began to have the idea of 'collating' my favourite episodes from the entire original series. As I already said in the first of three parts, I am a self-styled child of the 90s watching the series which was released in 1966 with late 20th century sensibilities onwards. The episodes in the third season have not always been treated kindly, and while I began to understand for a handful of the episodes while watching, there are others which made me think that maybe it is not that bad after all. The first and second parts are also here for reference. Until next time, live long and prosper.)

The DVD and Blue-Ray cover for the third and final season of the original series. And yes, that is Dr. McCoy to your left. (Image via here.)

The third and final season actually almost did not take place, if not for fan-led efforts to keep the show running, much to the surprise of those at the network which broadcasted the show at NBC at the time. But it was to be soon noted even by the main cast of how the quality of production had dropped, even budget-wise. If one takes a look at how the third season episodes are rated even on IMDb, a lot more are much lower rated than the first two seasons combined. And there is also the time slot, not on what could have been considered primetime but an evening or night dead slot instead in television context. With the exception of what would be the season finale and for the entire original series as a whole in 'Turnabout Intruder' where it reverted to primetime slot and the airing was delayed for three months to 3 June 1969 due to the passing of the late US President Dwight Eisenhower, it would be 10pm on Friday nights.

But since I have been watching the episodes all on Netflix like I have been doing since March this year, this is a good time to explain how I decide the episodes featured, because it could have been more for the second season. Going back to the IMDb website, or rather more of the app version, I will look at each season and remember which episodes stood out for me and also recalling what happened in each of those I am intending to include. It acts as a refresher of sorts. That is when I 'rank' the episodes when I am drafting the blog entries, and again the second season has come to make me 'shift' the episodes a handful of times.

Anyway, a sort of honorary shout-out to one of the more divisive episodes 'And The Children Shall Lead' which just missed the cut for this blog entry. Children are the antagonists once more in the episode not since the first season 'Miri', but this time there is also a horror angle to it as well, in terms of the children starting to play mind tricks on the Enterprise crew. The casting of the adult villain did not go down well (where even Walter Koenig, who is Pavel Chekov on the original series and later in the films, did not like the casting too), and that played a part for how the episode has not been well-received.

And there is also another, which would become the season finale and for the original series as a whole in ‘Turnabout Intruder’, which has also since come to be viewed as divisive. I had originally intended to leave it out altogether, until I got reminded again and having flashes back to that when watching the second season of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episode 'The Schizoid Man' where I started to realise it may or may not has aspects of the original series finale (where my mind initially screamed it was 'The Enemy Within' until it went, "No, it's 'Turnabout Intruder'. Dr. Janice Lester!") and wrestled hard with me on whether to include, before deciding on this way. 'Turnabout Intruder' has come to be seen as divisive in some parts, though one can probably defend (or it is me sticking my neck out) that it was a product of its time during the first airing of the episode, a reference to the growing feminism movement in the United States at the time and the backlash. A former spurned flame of Captain Kirk from his Starfleet Academy days in Dr. Janice Lester, by now an archaeologist when Kirk met her again and gravely ill at the same time, decided to go rouge in her dream of becoming the captain of a Federation starship by swapping bodies with Kirk initially without his knowledge. It would be the consciousness of Dr. Lester taking command of the Enterprise in Kirk's body, while Kirk's consciousness is asleep with the body of Dr. Lester who is resting. Spock would suspect something is not right with Kirk (who is actually Dr. Lester in mind), leading to a hearing being convened on the Enterprise. The actual Kirk in Dr. Lester's body would come to find out about the body switch before it was too late, leading to Kirk (with by then his mind back in his own body and Dr. Lester's mind back in hers) reflecting in what would come to be the famous last words of the original series, "Her life could have been rich as any woman's. If only..."

But in spite of everything, the third season also has its stand-out episodes, like the first three I am going to highlight, my top three for the third and final season from the original series. Then there are those which came after that which I do actually like as well.

The Enterprise Incident

The title card for the episode. (Image via here.)

The episode which is loosely based on an actual incident in the Pueblo incident which happened in the same year the episode went to air (27 September 1968), where a United States Navy ship of that name allegedly strayed into North Korean waters and was seized and its crew were detained on grounds of espionage charge for almost a year before being released, though the ship has since remain in North Korea. It is also the episode which shows the Romulans for the third time in the Star Trek universe (though it will not be the last time, but beyond the original series as well) not since the second season episode 'The Deadly Years'. Not only that, the first time it is shown of a female captain on a starship, albeit coming from the Romulan side, though her name was never given at any point. But until it was to be revealed that Captain Kirk, Spock, Chief Engineer Scott, and Nurse Chapel were all bought into the 'conspiracy' of how Kirk and Spock were actually acting on Federation's orders to steal a Romulan cloaking device in order to study the technology, though Dr. McCoy was seemingly concerned at the recent behaviour of Kirk early on in the episode, via his medical log. Because Kirk was blatantly entering into Romulan space seemingly without any authorisation from Starfleet, before Romulan vessels detected the flagship of the Federation where the Enterprise was given an hour's time to surrender. Kirk and Spock were then invited aboard to their Romulan counterpart, and that was when the deception really began.

As in Spock saying that Kirk had ordered entry into Romulan space, though before that came about, Kirk claimed that the Enterprise had strayed off course. Either way, Kirk was sent to the brig while the Romulan commander upon learning Spock is a Vulcan (though he is actually half-Vulcan due to his human heritage from his mother's side), had tried to appeal to that side of his and trying to get him to side with his Romulan cousins (as it was first established in 'Balance of Terror' in the first season, Vulcans and Romulans descended from a common ancestor which effectively makes them relatives) in terms of commanding the Enterprise (after initially remarking to Spock when discussing his career of how he had never commanded a starship despite his 18-year service to Starfleet), though Spock pointed out to her that she had already achieved the aim of capturing the flagship of the Federation. Meanwhile, Kirk injured himself at the brig on the Romulan ship which led to Dr. McCoy beaming aboard to check on Kirk, and telling the Romulan commander that Kirk is mentally incapacitated (which would seemingly corroborate what Spock had claimed regarding Kirk's state of mind when first being questioned), leading to the commander saying that Spock will be assuming control of the Enterprise. Kirk would have an altercation with his first officer and hit out at Spock at being a 'traitor', before Spock subdued Kirk with a so-called 'Vulcan death grip' where the captain of the Enterprise was to be pronounced dead. But of course when Dr. McCoy brought Kirk back to the Enterprise, it was just a ploy as the death grip was none other than just a nerve block and Dr. McCoy would come to surgically alter Kirk to look like a Romulan. Kirk would come to dress like a Romulan as well, before returning back to the Romulan ship to get to the next phase of the deception.


Captain Kirk (left) the Romulan...well, after he was surgically done by Dr. McCoy (centre) to look like one, and before the next phase of the deception back on the Romulan ship. (Image via here.)

Upon Kirk's return to the Romulan ship, he and Spock would communicate with each other via the communicator, where Spock would tell him the location of the cloaking device. Spock was able to do that because the female Romulan commander had gone to change her clothing, but that was before Spock's cover was exposed. By then, Kirk had already returned to the Enterprise with the cloaking device, and the Enterprise Chief Engineer Scott got into action by installing the device while Ensign Chekov managed the sensors to locate Spock. While the cloaking device was installed on the Enterprise, the female Romulan commander had confronted Spock about the matter and he only replied that he is the 'first officer of the Enterprise', with the betrayal being complete. The two of them would be beamed aboard the Enterprise, where Kirk would give the order for the starship to return to Federation space. The Romulan ship was almost ready to fire upon the Enterprise, but by then the cloaking device was successfully installed in time, with the Enterprise seemingly 'vanishing' into thin air. The captured Romulan commander on the Enterprise would come to remind Spock, after he admitted that he was only on the Romulan ship to get the cloaking device, that any advantage the Federation gained from studying the device would be temporary as the Romulans would learn to circumvent. Spock did eventually take command of the Enterprise albeit temporarily, given Kirk would get his human appearance restored by Dr. McCoy at the sickbay.


The deception which Spock (left) took part in, in order to get the Romulan cloaking device, where the betrayal was complete when he told the female Romulan commander that he is the 'first officer of the Enterprise'. (Image via here.)

Beyond this episode which has since being celebrated retrospectively in its own right in expanding more into the world of the Romulans in the Star Trek universe and extensively as well, there is also the cloaking device which is actually featured for the first time in this episode, and certainly it would not be the last time in the wider Star Trek universe, where so much so any future mentions in Star Trek the mention of them is never far away. Apart from how the plot is loosely inspired by a real-life incident which added to the intrigue and the drama to how it would have played out in science fiction, any mention of a cloaking device is enough to get my attention, or maybe as a fan of the Harry Potter series as well, where the title character did also own one where it is called the invisibility cloak. But unlike the usage in this episode, the version in the world of Harry Potter is not militaristic in nature, and it has an indirect role to play in the seventh and final book of the series.

The Tholian Web

Captain Kirk being lost in space after the Enterprise crew made a visit to its sister ship in the Defiant which had been previously not being heard for three weeks since being on unsurveyed space, and back at the Enterprise, a handful of crew members are starting to go mad. It is Chekov who seemed to be the most affected, but why? But before Spock took temporary control of the Enterprise and maintaining order in Kirk's absence, it was to be Kirk, Spock, Chekov, and Dr. McCoy who went on board the Defiant in environmental suits and finding out that everyone had been dead, apparently killing one another. Not only that, the Defiant was starting to fade away from the universe, while McCoy noticed that he managed to pass his hand through an almost invisible man and a table and reported to Kirk about it. With all the anomalies going on, the Enterprise party decided to leave, but only three could beam up. Spock had originally volunteered to remain, but Kirk ordered him to leave while he remain on the Defiant himself. It did take a while for the trio to materialise aboard on the Enterprise, and when it was supposed to be Kirk's turn to be beamed aboard, the Defiant disappeared...along with Kirk.

The web which gave the episode title the name, being weaved around the Enterprise by the Tholians themselves. (Image via here.)

Spock would come to determine that the local space is experiencing periods of "interphase", a short period which one may travel between universes occupying the same point, which is sort of like a parallel universe, believing that Kirk will appear in the next one which will appear in two hours. As Spock was explaining what was happening while on the Enterprise bridge, Chekov started to get really angry and began to attack Spock, and Spock had to subdue the young ensign with a Vulcan nerve pinch, leading to McCoy deducing that it is as a result of the Enterprise's proximity of its sister ship. But Spock refuse to budge, given this may result in the Enterprise losing Kirk to the vastness of space if they do not make use of the next interphase. While waiting for the next interphase, a small ship carrying Commander Loksene of the Tholian Assembly emerged, asserting that the Enterprise must leave as they had violated the Tholian space. But Spock explained the situation, and when the next interphase came, everything was going wrong. Kirk did not appear back on the Enterprise, and at the sickbay, an orderly began attacking Dr. McCoy. In between the Enterprise hitting the Tholian ship along with Spock wryly musing at the 'renowned Tholian punctuality' at the next interphase when the Enterprise got hit, another Tholian ship had arrived, and the two ships began to weave an energy web which caged the Enterprise. If there are any reasons why I ranked this episode just after 'The Enterprise Incident', how Commander Loksene appeared to the Enterprise crew with *that* menacing look, the web being weaved around the Enterprise (and thus lending to the episode title), and Captain Kirk seemingly lost to space are the reasons. Because there would be a memorial service being held in honour of Kirk after the captain was presumed dead, and another crew member started to go mad during the service. That was even though Spock as the stand-in captain gave his eulogy and telling everyone keeping their thoughts on the loss of Kirk to themselves.

Commander Loksene of the Tholian Assembly, as how the alien appear to the Enterprise. Yes, *that* menacing look which has scarred me since. (Image via here.)

This episode would also come to be remembered amongst other things, a script that was written by a husband-and-wife team who are both fans of the show, and the video will that Captain Kirk had made in the event he was presumed dead. It might be a common practice in the current times, of people making videos for those who come after them to view, like a voice from beyond the grave. But back when this took place in this episode when it first aired, it was viewed as ground-breaking. In spite of their obvious characteristic differences, Spock and Dr. McCoy did get round to watch the video together that Kirk had left behind, with messages for the two of them. Or in other words, imploring the two to work together. That was before other members of the Enterprise crew started seeing things. Lieutenant Uhura, then Chief Engineer Scott...with both saying that they had seen Captain Kirk back on the Enterprise. It was to be for real when Kirk materialised on the Enterprise bridge in his environmental suit, before telling Spock to 'hurry', which would come to mean that the next interphase was approaching and Spock had to be able to beam Kirk back onboard apart from McCoy eventually coming up with the antidote to the effects of the local space which the Enterprise finds itself being 'caged' by the web, and I actually heaved an audible sigh of relief when Kirk returned back to the Enterprise for real, not since the second season's 'The Doomsday Machine' in terms of making back in time before the shuttlecraft of its sister ship the Constellation went straight to the doomsday machine itself. It worked just in time, and Kirk asked Spock and McCoy about whether they had watched the video he had left them to view, with both claiming that they were busy and had no time to do so. There would be a sequel to the episode in the Star Trek prequel series 'Star Trek: Enterprise' in the two-parter 'In a Mirror, Darkly' which also acts as a prequel to the much-celebrated original series's second season episode as well in 'Mirror, Mirror'.

Spectre of the Gun

For a long time I have always thought Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was just a film title, until I found out days ahead of watching this episode that it was a dramatisation of the events leading up to that. I had to go read up to get an idea of the moment in history, in terms of the history of American 'Wild West' frontier. And finding out along the way that actor DeForest Kelley, Dr. McCoy in the original series, actually used to be in the film 'Gunfight at the O.K. Corral' (which was known for starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas), though his character (Morgan Earp) in the film was on the winning side of the showdown. That aspect is important, because the Enterprise landing party in Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, Chekov, and Chief Engineer Scott would have to re-enact the entire thing in the Melkotians' idea of the American Wild West, but they are on the losing side in the Clantons or otherwise known as the Cowboys. That came about after the Melkotians, known to be telepaths as the Enterprise crew all described the greeting was done in their native language (Spock replied that it spoke in Vulcan, Chekov said that it was in Russian, Lieutenant Uhura said that it was in Swahili, Kirk said that it was in English), told the Enterprise to stay away from their home planet, that is even if the Enterprise was told by the Federation to make contact with there in order to establish relations.

In the Melkotians' idea of the American Wild West, when the Enterprise landing party have to re-enact the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...but as members of the losing side! (Image via here.)

Captain Kirk initially had no idea why the locals started to call him by a different name (he becomes Ike Clanton, Scott is Billy Clanton, McCoy is Tom McLaury, and Chekov is the youngest of the group in Billy Claiborne), before chancing upon a newspaper article from 26 October 1881 (the reason why this episode despite being filmed first for the third season but not aired first, it was to be aired the day ahead of the actual anniversary of the shootout back in 1968) which Spock recalled was to be the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, leading to Kirk explaining to Chekov on what was the story behind that. The locals had believed that they are the Cowboys, which history came to remember them being on the losing side, given the Earps would come to arrive at the saloon as well (the side which did come to win the showdown as history recorded it) and Kirk actually attempted to talk them out of it after attempting so with the sheriff and the other locals but to no avail. Being thrown into the Melkotians' idea of the 19th century American western frontier with the phasers being changed to guns instead, it meant that the Enterprise crew had to get creative in order to survive the surreal scenario. Surreal because Chekov as Claiborne actually got shot first ahead of the appointed timing of the showdown after getting a little too friendly with the girl the Enterprise landing party first met at the saloon in Sylvia (and Chekov's reply at the saloon to Kirk/Ike of, 'You know we're always supposed to maintain good relations with the natives.'), and Spock recalled the actual Claiborne had survived the showdown. Spock would tell the group on what to do when the actual thing happened at the designated timing and venue of the showdown, in terms of not thinking that they would die. It worked, because as the Earps and their deputy Doc Holliday fired their guns, their bullets flew harmlessly through. Kirk then chose not to kill Wyatt Earp (the person who shot Chekov as Claiborne) even if he had the opportunity and threw his weapon away. The next thing Kirk knew, he and the rest of the Enterprise crew were back on the starship, and the incredible thing with Chekov actually still alive on the Enterprise bridge (it was due to him thinking about Sylvia, and he indirectly admitted to that).

Oh Chekov (left). He would be the one who got a little too friendly with Sylvia, which resulted in him as Billy Claiborne being shot ahead of time. (Image via here.)

Naturally when the Melkotians contacted the Enterprise once again, they enquired at Kirk's decision not to kill, before finally welcoming the Enterprise to enter their planet proper. This is to be the only time in the original series where the Enterprise is heading towards a destination, and not getting out of it like it tended to be. And the western genre would be revisited again in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' in 'A Fistful of Datas' (the title might had been a nod to the Clint Eastwood classic 'A Fistful of Dollars', but the episode is a tribute to spaghetti westerns), but this is the only time in the original series. The difference between that and this episode, the former has outdoor sets as budget constraints plagued the third and final season of the original series, with only 'The Paradise Syndrome' predominantly filmed outdoors.

All Our Yesterdays

The penultimate episode for the third and final season, and its title card. (Image via here.)

Production-wise when it came to the third and eventual final season, this was the last to be filmed, but was released as what became the penultimate episode in the third and final season. Though that was before what became the final episode of the third season and the entire original series 'Turnabout Intruder', and even then there was to be another episode after which never went to air due to how the entire series was cancelled in the midst of filming. It was supposed to be William Shatner's directorial debut with the episode title 'The Joy Machine', and so his Star Trek directorial debut was delayed until the fifth film 'Star Trek V: The Final Frontier'. But the reason I ranked it a little higher was due to the eventual storyline and how it was rather striking that the Enterprise was never shown at any point in time, with the only reference to when Kirk communicated back to the starship from his communicator and Chief Engineer Scott replied with only the latter's voice being heard. And the final reasons for the episode ranking where apart from Spock acting out of character which he rarely does throughout the original series, this is potentially biased on my part, geeking out at how a potential library of the future looks like in this episode being set in the 23rd century, because one of the earliest jobs I did was that I used to work as a library assistant...at a school library actually, but still. Then again, the episode writer Jean Lisette Arosete had been working as a librarian during the time the original series aired and also happen to be a fan when submitting her script, one of the four writers to do so throughout the original series with no prior experience, after this season's 'The Tholian Web', 'The Empath', 'Is There Truth No Beauty?' (which happens to be Arosete's other contribution for this season), and along with the much celebrated second season's 'The Trouble With Tribbles'.

It originally started as the Enterprise had arrived at Sarpeidon, where its star was about to go nova. Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy were there to warn whoever is still there to evacuate, and found one resident still on the planet, in the form of a librarian in Mr. Atoz. He is aware of the imminent destruction, but still come to show the Enterprise trio the library where they can research into any period in Saepeidon's history they want, before Kirk was alerted to a woman's scream where without knowingly, he ran through the time portal, which was to be known as Atavachron, and found himself in 17th century England, in the time of his ancestors. From the period which Kirk found himself in when he was speaking to a wall, where in actual fact he was trying to communicate with Spock and McCoy who had since both found themselves in the Sarpedion's Ice Age, and the woman who screamed and later being arrested by the police suspecting that he is a witch. Meanwhile in the Sarpdeion Ice Age, Spock and McCoy would come to find a Sarpedion native in Zarabeth who have come to the same period through the Atavachron, and who brought the two to safety from the cold and to a cave. And not since the second season's 'Return to Tomorrow' where Spock acted out of character at one time, he actually fell in love with Zarabeth and getting angry at McCoy (though not in the usual work banter manner). That was before McCoy snapped Spock out of it, asking the part-Vulcan if he remember what was also happening in the Vulcan equivalent of the Ice Age. It took a while before Spock recalled that it was a time when Vulcans were known for being barbaric, long before what they are known for. McCoy would not buy into Zarabeth's claim that the Atavachron is a one-way trip given of her fear of abandonment, which led to Spock in his usual logical self asking again, with her replying to this time that she did not know how a return trip would affect them.

The reason for Spock (top) to act rather un-Vulcan like, it is in part of the Sarpeidon native who has gone to the planet's ice age like he and Dr. McCoy through the Atavachron, Zarabeth. It turns out the Vulcan equivalent of the Ice Age was when Vulcans are emotional and barbaric, far from being logical as they are known for, meaning that Spock had been acting in the way of his ancestors. (Image via here.)

Meanwhile, Kirk would come to find himself on trial in 17th century England on the accusation of being a witch. But before the trial, he told the prosecutor about the Atavachron, and it turns out the prosecutor is also from the future like Kirk and knows about the Atavachron. The prosecutor would come to tell Kirk similar things about the effects of returning back like what Zarabeth told Spock and McCoy, though the prosecutor added to Kirk that it does make changes to the person's biology. The prosecutor would successfully send Kirk back to Sarpedion, much to Mr. Atoz's displeasure who wanted Kirk to return to the time portal. Kirk would negotiate on bringing his crew members back, with the caveat that both Spock and McCoy have to return together at the same time (because they both entered the Sarpedion Ice Age at the same time) and not only just one, which Spock originally sending McCoy returning alone. That did not work, and Spock had to bid farewell to Zarabeth, who would be the only person left in the ice age, and Spock and McCoy returning together at the same time. The Enterprise trio would reunite at the library before Kirk contacted the Enterprise on beaming them aboard.

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

Back when this episode first aired, it was during a time of the civil rights movement in the United States. The black and white appearance of the two long-standing feuding aliens from the planet Cheron in Lokai and Commissioner Bele whom the Enterprise picked up at separate times was being picked up by the media especially retrospectively for how racism and slavery are being tackled explicitly on the original series, where both aliens might had look to be of the same species to the Enterprise crew, but it was painted black and white in opposite directions. That is apart from how it was notable from this episode where it is introduced for the first time that the Enterprise has an auto-destruct system, where the starship can self-destruct itself after a certain period of time. It is only used as a manner of last resort, to prevent from falling into enemy hands. Until it came into use again in the third Star Trek film 'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock' (where spoiler, the Enterprise did blow up for real, with the Enterprise crew long gone when the ship self-destruct itself with the Klingons), this was aborted at almost the last second before it cannot be done. And it all started with how the Enterprise was on its way to the planet Ariannus to decontaminate its polluted atmosphere, when sensors picked up a Federation shuttlecraft which had been reported stolen. It was brought aboard with its pilot, who would be Lokai appearing to Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew with one-half of his face being black on his left side and the other half of his face being white on his right. This aspect is important because shortly after Lokai introduced himself and where he came from, sensors picked up another spacecraft in pursuit of the Enterprise. The craft disintegrated, and its pilot transported himself onboard, which was to be Commissioner Bele (whose facial feature is shown in the exact opposite direction of Lokai, but also in the same two colours), whom it turns out has been chasing Lokai for 50,000 Earth years for being a political traitor who must be captured.

The two long-standing feuding aliens Lokai (right) and Comissioner Bele (left) from Cheron, squabbling for 50,000 Earth years...and still doing so even when showing up at separate times on the Enterprise. (Image via here.)

Almost instantly when Lokai and Commissioner Bele faced each other on the Enterprise, they came to blows. Arguing about the history of their peoples, including whether it was justified for Bele's people to dominate over Lokai's people. Lokai then became insistent on heading for Cheron, which it turns out is not a Federation member and does not have an extradition treaty with the Federation. After Bele said that it was his 'will' which took control of the Enterprise where it changed course to Cheron instead of continuing onto Ariannus, that was when Kirk decided to take drastic action. Initially ordering the two be taken into the brig, and when that did not work, that was when the auto-destruct system came into being, with Chekov looking visibly frightened that the Enterprise could really blow up after Kirk, Spock, and Chief Engineer Scott gave verbal permission to the computer to activate the sequence. Until it was Chekov who stood in for Spock in the third Star Trek film ‘Star Trek III: The Search for Spock' as the acting science officer when the auto-destruct system came into use once again, the countdown was set. It would be Lokai who stopped the sequence almost at the last second, and the Enterprise did get to the decontamination on Ariannus. Along the way, Bele and Lokai made their separate cases, Bele with Kirk and Lokai with the rest of the Enterprise crew. What was for certain is that the Enterprise crew did not understand the reasoning behind the long-standing feud between Bele and Lokai, because as far as they were concerned, the both of them look the same.

After the decontamination on Ariannus was done with, Bele took control of the Enterprise again and disabled the auto-destruct system, setting for Cheron. Bele and Lokai almost came to blows again, and Kirk tried to defuse the situation by saying part of the line that lends to the episode title when referring to their 50,000-year feud which has also been played out on the Enterprise bridge, "This will be your final battlefield." As the Enterprise approached Cheron, that was when Spock mentioned on what he can see. No sign of life, everything has been practically annihilated in what it looks like the remnants of a civil war which had taken place on the planet, with only Lokai and Bele the last of their kind. It was still not enough for the two as they continued to trade blame at each other, and then starting to chase each other at the corridors with them imagining how Cheron looks like (it is actually taken from stock footages of cities which had been bombed during WWII), before reaching the transporter room and beaming down to Cheron at separate times. The Enterprise crew then ruefully contemplated on the duo's unwillingness to give up on their hate.

The Paradise Syndrome

The episode notably known for being the only one in the third season to be filmed mainly outdoors, due to budgetary production constraints taking place in what would be the third and final season, affecting other episodes in the season which could have scenes filmed outdoors ('Spectre of the Gun' had been the example highlighted as the overall theme was to be a re-enactment of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and that was actually the first to be filmed for the third and final season). Screen Rant website even ranked the romantic storyline in the episode as amongst the best of romantic storylines in the history of the Star Trek franchise, the second-best involving Captain Kirk. And oh, the episode which led to me which I dare say, not since from the first season's 'The City on the Edge of Forever', I actually do feel sympathy for the captain of the Enterprise. Not only that, but it is also the only time in the original series where Native American culture is explored. But then the episode title, which is indirectly mentioned by Dr. McCoy himself in the episode as the 'Tahiti Syndrome', while it is not officially recognised as a mental condition, tends to refer to when someone suffers a feeling of dissatisfaction despite achieving everything in life, though in the context of the episode, it is the case of being overworked and needing a break. What McCoy explained came after he, Kirk, Spock beamed down on a planet which is actually in the path of an incoming meteor and their original mission is to deflect the meteor which is several months away. The trio spotted an obelisk with markings, and inhabitants whom according to Spock, are descended from Native Americans that is a mixture of Navajo, Mohican, and Delaware characteristics. While exploring the area, Kirk found himself fallen through the trapdoor into the obelisk and becoming unconscious. Spock and McCoy could not find Kirk and left for the Enterprise without the captain, who had since lost his memory and wondering why he was there in the first place. When he came out of the obelisk though, he was met by Miramanee, whom it turns out is the tribal priestess.


Captain Kirk (on the right, though by then he is known as Kirok) and Miramanee, during the eventual two months he lost his memory and really thinks he is a Native American. (Image via here.)

It is what happened after that which became quite heart-wrenching to see as Kirk completely losing his memory and his identity, as the tribal elders declaring Kirk, whom by then is known as Kirok, as a god. This naturally did not please whom Miramanee is mated to originally in the tribal medicine man Salish, as per tribal tradition. While Kirk is haunted by dreams at night of people he should have been with (that is the Enterprise and its crew, where Spock would take temporary charge to deflect the asteroid while also deciphering the markings on the obelisk), Miramanee is pregnant. After two months of pondering what the markings were about which nearly drove Dr. McCoy mad at Spock's seemingly indecisiveness, Spock realised that the markings are not words but music, and it is actually an obelisk deflector built by an ancient race called the 'Preservers' which had been placing them throughout the galaxy, leading to McCoy pointing out that there are other similar humanoid species scattered throughout the galaxy as well. There is also a problem with the obelisk defector as the two speculated that it is not working. True to what the tribal elders had told Kirk previously about the potential of dark clouds coming their way, it did happen, though it was the asteroid heading in that direction. Kirk was told to go to the temple to stop the incoming storm to prove that he is a god, which by then he was exposed for not being one.

When the Enterprise landing party arrived two months later, and outside the obelisk deflector. (Image via here.)

Until Spock and Dr. McCoy arrived with the Enterprise crew with Nurse Christine Chapel part of the landing party (and the only time she was part of in the original series), the tribe started to stone him and Miramanee who was to be seriously hurt. While Kirk was eventually revived, he called out for his wife much to the initial confusion of the Enterprise landing party, until Spock's mind meld with Kirk revived the latter's memory. Miramanee was being tended to by McCoy and Spock began putting the pieces later on whatever had been happening in the past two months. Kirk eventually gets to open the trap door of the obelisk marker by speaking the correct tones, and Spock activated the deflector just in time. It was what happened after that which became why I do have sympathy for the captain of the Enterprise for only the second time in the original series, because after being told by McCoy that Miramanee had been suffering from internal bleeding, the two had some time together alone until Miranmanee eventually passed away without knowing Kirk's actual identity, with the poignant dying words, "Each kiss is as the first." It would be much later in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episode 'The Inner Light' which had a similar plot, though it is the Enterprise D captain Jean-Luc Picard being trying to be revived on the starship after being hit by an alien probe…and also finding himself being a well-respected member of his community on a backwater planet who has lived a full life being married, has children and eventually growing old, while also having dreams of previously being a starship captain.

Is There Truth No Beauty?

The title card for the episode. (Image via here.)

The last time I heard of Medusa, it was in primary school English class learning about myths and legends. I will always remember that because in the textbook, apart from explaining in text on the Medusa legend, it even has the image of the snake-haired Medusa whose appearance can turn humans into stone upon looking, and that is enough to be seared into the mind of a young schoolgirl. Less than three decades later, this episode came about on my radar where this version is in light form when opened from a box, though instead of turning humans into stone, it makes them go insane upon looking. What is also notable from this episode is that the human aide of the Medusan ambassador Kollos is a blind female telepath Dr. Miranda Jones (Dr. McCoy's uneasiness with Dr. Jones was to be revealed later in the episode when he eventually called out on her blindness on why she is able to work with Kollos), though the actress Diana Muldaur playing her is not. As a side note, Muldaur (who was previously Dr. Ann Mulhall in the second season's 'Return to Tomorrow'), would continue to feature beyond the original series where she became the Enterprise D doctor in only the second season of 'Star Trek: The for Next Generation' as Dr. Katherine Pulaski. And that for the first time until the animated series in the episode 'The Counter-clock Incident' where one meet with who actually preceded Kirk and Christopher Pike in Robert April as the captain of the Enterprise when he spoke of his memories of seeing the starship coming together at the dockyard in San Francisco (also Starfleet's headquarters, where it was confirmed for the first time on the first Star Trek film 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture'), one of the designers of the Enterprise has also come aboard in Lawrence Marvick, albeit arriving earlier than Dr. Jones and Ambassador Kollos, and who is also an associate of Dr. Jones as well.

The human aide to the Medusan ambassador Kollos, Dr. Miranda Jones (left), who as it turns out is not only a telepath and blind. (Image via here.)

As it turns out, one way to counter the lights from the Medusans is wearing a red visor, something Spock, as a part-Vulcan, did before receiving Dr. Jones and Ambassador Kollos before both would return to Ambassador Kollos's home planet. And no one is allowed to be in the vicinity of the Medusans. It also turns out that Spock had turned down the chance to work with bringing Ambassador Kollos back to his home planet, without knowingly hinting at the future career choice Spock would make after his time on the Enterprise (where he did become a Federation ambassador when being on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' on a two-parter episode 'Unification', where the two episodes 'Unification I' and 'Unification II' act as a linkage of sorts to the sixth and final film featuring the cast from the original series 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' where he made indirect references to the film regarding the peace talks between the Federation and the Klingons, though it has to be said, the events in the film preceded 'The Next Generation'), where he would come to first show his diplomatic skills in the same season on the episode 'The Mark of Gideon'. One would come to learn that apart from Dr. Jones being born a telepath, she had also spent four years on Spock's home planet Vulcan in order to learn not to read minds. And that it turns out Lawrence Marvick has always been in love with her, but she has always rejected his marriage proposal. While Chief Engineer Scott was certainly delighted having someone like Marvick on board, Marvick nearly threatened the Enterprise in danger when he went too near to Ambassador Kollos and took the Enterprise out of orbit and generally behaving stark raving mad until his death in the engineering room after saying 'I love you, Miranda' when Dr. Jones arrived with Kirk. It was Dr. Jones who first sensed at the dinner reception held in her honour that someone on the starship has murderous intentions on Kollos before realising it was Marvick, who had been trying to get her away from her job.

Spock with the red visor in order to protect himself. He would briefly forget to put it back on when he initially took off to work on resuming course to Kollos's home planet. (Image via here.)

It would be Spock's mind meld with Ambassador Kollos on the Enterprise bridge with the visor on where the Enterprise would safely resume course to Kollos's home planet, but then Spock had briefly forgotten to put his visor back on which Sulu spotted it and tried to warn before Spock also felt the effect and started to attack the crew before being subdued. It was precisely Kollos's navigational abilities which Medusans have been known for played a part in how the Enterprise got out of danger, but when Dr. Miranda Jones tried to make contact with Spock later at the sickbay, Kirk stopped her, accusing her of being jealous of how Spock successfully mind-melded with Kollos (given Spock had noted earlier on that Dr. Jones had been seemingly trying to prevent him from doing so even with the visor). In spite of that, she made one final attempt and Spock recovered. In the end, Dr. Jones and Kollos left the Enterprise upon arrival of their destination with Jones thanking Kirk for making her understanding things differently, not before Kirk gave her a parting gift in a rose and reminding her that every rose has thorns. Being short-sighted myself since I was six (which means that it has been exactly three decades since I wear spectacles), in some way I paid a bit more attention on Dr. Jones, especially when she challenged Kirk on how she could still achieve things in spite of being blind like playing tennis, also making the only time a blind character made an appearance in the original series. Having once being blind-folded in a game of obstacles in school camp where I actually have to lead a team while blind-folded (spoiler: I didn't come up on top), I did not like the experience one bit where I was confronted with the stark reality of what the blind has to deal with all the time, this episode reminded me all over again 23 years later after that school camp experience of how even someone like Dr. Jones can achieve so much more than me.

The Lights of Zetar

The title card to the episode, where this time is predominantly on the Chief Engineer Scott. (Image via here.)

The second and final time in the original series where Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott is the focus, most of the time. The co-writer of the episode Shari Lewis (who was already known as a children's entertainer at the time and the wife of the episode co-writer Jeremy Tarcher) had explained that the romantic angle on Scotty was to deviate away from Captain Kirk always getting the girl, and I have to agree it is refreshing for once in a long time. After all Scotty's romantic endeavours has only limited to two times prior to this episode and both times in the second season, Carolyn Palamas in 'Who Mourns for Adonais?' and Kara in 'Wolf in the Fold'. But what is different this time is that it is someone who has been working with him in the same department, though Lieutenant Mira Romaine is on her first deep-space mission with the Enterprise in helping to install new equipment on the planetoid Memory Alpha, which acts as a central library containing the cultural history and scientific knowledge of the Federation planets. While en route to there, the Enterprise has been seemingly attacked by a storm of light which came to affect the crew selectively, but Lieutenant Romaine was the most affected where she totally passed out. Upon reaching Memory Alpha, the Enterprise landing party discovered that the people there bar one who is barely alive, are all dead. Because Memory Alpha is a central library where scholars, researchers, and scientists from the various Federation planets can come to do research using the computer complex, adding in additional security measures is the last thing considered. But it is the subsequent behaviour of Lieutenant Romaine like being able to foreshadow future events for example, which Scotty initially dismissed as nerves on her part, started to hold key to whatever has been going on, and through her, the Enterprise crew found out that she had been 'possessed' by the life force of ten intelligent aliens which are the last of their kind from the dead planet Zetar.

When Lieutenant Mira Romaine, who also happened to be Chief Engineer Scott's girlfriend, was 'possessed' by the life force of ten intelligent aliens from the dead planet Zetar. (Image via here.)

Scotty has always been known as the 'miracle worker' of the Enterprise, often by Captain Kirk himself. But in this episode, his attention towards Lieutenant Romaine even to the extent of seeing how she was doing in the sickbay which led to Kirk wondering aloud if Scotty has seemingly abandoned his work, and how the other Enterprise crew like Chekov and Sulu early on in the episode with both being incredulous that he is even in love with a woman. Still, it is heart-wrenching to see Scotty behaving like that over a woman he is quite in love with, especially in the scene where Lieutenant Romaine was at the pressure chamber with Dr. McCoy overseeing the procedures in order to try to get whatever had been possessing her out of there. After Lieutenant Romaine was cleared of danger, both Spock and Dr. McCoy actually agreed with each other on how this would not have a lasting effect on her, leading to Kirk remarking with amusement that this is an 'Enterprise first' and whether he can stand the strain. But if anything apart from the half-Vulcan Spock remarking of how love playing a part in Lieutenant Romaine's recovery, the name of the planetoid Memory Alpha mentioned and featured at one point in the episode, it is also the reason in terms of how there is a website of that same name which is a wiki page for all things Star Trek which takes its name from.

Plato's Stepchildren

The title card to the episode, showing when Dr. McCoy (centre) was treating the leader of Platonius, Parmen. (Image via here.)

Nichelle Nichols's passing last year reminded me all over again what Star Trek initially meant to the uninitiated like me until I decided to 'beam' up onto it. The Vulcan salute, the phrases 'Live long and prosper' and 'To go boldly where no man has gone before', the film 'The Wrath of Khan', and the moment that was featured in this episode which played a part in why it has left a mark on me, the episode which has also become a memorable one for Nichols (who could have left the show earlier if not for the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, a fan of the show himself, encouraging her to stay on due to how her presence has an impact on people who look like her as a person of colour, and it certainly did for Whoopi Goldberg, who cited Nichols the reason she became an actress herself) as well where she later recalled fan mails to her were mainly on how it was like to kiss Captain Kirk. The BBC might had understandably claimed credit for first showing an interracial kiss on television, it was this episode which claimed the credit when it comes to American television as one of the earliest times to do so. Yes, the interracial kiss which went round the world, or maybe not quite because this episode became one of the handful which was not aired on the BBC in the UK due to depictions of torture and sadism (along with 'The Empath' and 'Whom Gods Destroy' from this season as well, along with the first season's 'Miri'), even more so the BBC had classified Star Trek in part as a children's programme. But that is until one learns how Lieutenant Uhura and Captain Kirk ended up with that, and it was forced upon them. It all began with a distress call the Enterprise got, and when the Enterprise landing party arrived at the planet Platonius where its natives call themselves Platonians in honour of the Greek philosopher Plato. While it became a rare chance for me to geek out not since studying philosophy back in my university days a decade ago as a student of mass communications especially of the debate between the Enterprise landing party and Parmen at one time between Plato's teachings against those of the United Federation of Planets and Kirk also pointing out to Parmen on how he treats his guests, there is also what came next in the episode. It turns out the real reason for the distress call which came from the dwarf Alexander who greeted the Enterprise landing party was to treat the Platonian leader Parmen, which Dr. McCoy went ahead and did so.

The dwarf Alexander (left) meeting the Enterprise trio. It would be later known that he is the only one on Platonius who does not have telekinetic powers. (Image via here.)

Along the way, it was uncovered that with the exception of Alexander, all the other Platonians possess telekinetic powers where it was especially the higher class come to use it as when they please. It was to be tracked down to the source of the powers in the form of the kironide material which McCoy uncovered after taking a sample of Alexander's blood and managing to isolate and identify the source, there is also an abundance of food and water supply on Platonius. But before that was uncovered, Parmen had demanded McCoy to remain to treat other Platonians after treating him and Captain Kirk objected to that. That was when it happened, in terms of the Platonians' telekinetic powers coming into play where I actually remarked in my head when Parmen used it to humiliate Kirk and Spock due to where I had originally known this aspect which has long come to be regarded as being pseudoscience, "'The X-Files' actually came slightly less than three decades early." Parmen forcing Kirk and Spock to perform to him would be one of the many series of bizarre moments, and there was even dancing involved. Beaming Lieutenant Uhura and Nurse Chapel down to the planet in Greek dresses might be a little bizarre, but then it sets up the moment that has been talked about ever since, *that* kiss. And then it was also established in this episode of a singing Spock, where before *that* moment took place, Spock singing what he called 'a serenade from the laughing spaceman' to Uhura and Chapel, 'Maiden Wine' which Leonard Nimoy (who is Spock on the show) had actually written the lyrics to. But it is not just *that* moment between Uhura and Kirk which was actually forced upon them, there was also Chapel and Spock where Chapel confessed that she had wanted to be close to Spock for so long (reference to the first season's 'The Naked Time' when she declared her love for him) but she just wanted to 'crawl away and die'.

But what Parmen did not know that even if he could not convince Dr. McCoy to remain on the planet, the latter had been preparing a serum to inject Kirk and Spock with doses of the kironide material that provided the telekinetic powers to the Platonians bar Alexander. Alexander would admit to McCoy that he did not want the power anyway as he did not want to be like the Platonians and ask Kirk questions of life beyond the planet where he would eventually to join Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew at the end of the episode. Before that took place, Parmen would come to attempt to attack Parmen with a knife after having enough of the Platonians attacking the Enterprise crew. That was when the tables were turned where Kirk used his new-found powers and use it on Parmen. Parmen then promise he would change his ways which was something Kirk did not quite buy into, though he reminded Parmen that the ability would be used it back on him whenever anyone wish to defeat him. The Enterprise would later gain a new passenger on board in Alexander.

Day of the Dove


The title card to the episode. The glowing entity would give a hint to the series of bizarre events taking place on the Enterprise. (Image via here.)

Until 'The Way to Eden' in the same season revealed Ensign Chekov's actual full name when a former flame of his from his Starfleet Academy days reunited with him when she was part of the space hippies wanting to reach Eden (it's Pavel Andreievich Chekov) and came on board the Enterprise, it is confirmed in this episode according to Helmsman Sulu that Chekov does not have a brother as he is the only child. Chekov might had like to claim throughout the course of the original series (and even in the films like especially in 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' claiming that Cinderella originated from Russia too) whenever he had been on that a lot of things actually originated from his home country Russia, but the claim of avenging his 'brother' Pitore who was a research scientist on Archanis IV who had been previously massacred by the Klingons whom he called 'Cossacks' befuddled Sulu when Captain Kirk mentioned it. But Chekov's claim of the brother that never exists fell in line with the increasingly strange and bizarre behaviour which has also infected the other Enterprise crew members and the Klingons in terms of talking about death camps, Dr. McCoy having murderous delusions, Chief Engineer Scott and Spock trading racial hatred at each other. Until 'Let That Be Your Last Battlefield' came along in the same season where racism and slavery were tackled explicitly between two long-standing feuding aliens, this time it is almost the entire Enterprise got 'infected' by a glowing energy-based life form which brought out the worst in almost everyone, and in direct conflict with a Klingon ship which had also answered the same distress call as the Enterprise. It actually started as a curious case of the Enterprise investigating the distress call it received from a human colony on Beta XII-A, only to find out there was no human settlement at all.

But it would not be just the Enterprise landing party on Beta XII-A, as the Klingons lead by Commander Kang who had demanded to know what had been going on, after he accused the Enterprise of firing upon their vessel. That was when the series of bizarre events began before it went back to the Enterprise itself as well, starting when Chekov talking about avenging for the death of his 'brother'. It was to be Spock who spotted the glowing entity, which actually originated on Beta XII-A, was the cause for the bizarre behaviour of almost everyone on board the Enterprise and how it was feeding off the violence, including weapons to fight each other as well. If claiming a brother that never exist is bizarre, another of Chekov's action on the Enterprise caused minor controversy, sexually assaulting the wife of the Klingon commander Mara. But Spock would deduce that Chekov was not in control of himself. Kirk would eventually persuade Mara about the entity's existence, but Mara's husband Kang was initially not buying it until Kirk told him to stop as their fight would go on forever, as the entity would have wanted it to happen. Everyone would stop fighting, and Kirk and Kang told their crews to act jovially at the entity and laugh with one another loudly. It worked, and the entity faded and eventually left the Enterprise.

The Empath

Much had been written about the violent nature of the episode much like in 'Plato's Stepchildren' where this was also not shown on the BBC in the UK until the 1990s like the other episodes from the original series which had previously not being aired, but it is the favourite episode of actor DeForest Kelley, who is Dr. Leonard McCoy throughout the original series or 'Bones' as Captain Kirk often called him. And this is despite the injury Kelley came to have during the filming process (even though his character would come to bear the brunt of the beatings), along with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy's constant disagreements with the episode director on the direction of the episode. It is also one of a handful of scripts from throughout the entire series which came from non-professional scriptwriters in the show's fan Joyce Muskat, coming during a time when the third season is plagued by financial constraints. It would also come to play a part in where the episode was predominantly set in, where the Enterprise landing crew of Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy were on Minara II to rescue research personnel who had been based there as the planet was about to go supernova, before finding a deserted research station and eventually finding themselves down to what is an underground chamber. It was precisely how the underground chamber looks like in terms of being totally dark that Kelley praised the production and the cinematography. As for the Enterprise trio, they realised they were not alone at the underground chamber, there was also a mute woman there with them whom McCoy names 'Gem' which he remarked to Spock was better than calling 'Hey, you'. That was before the trio were attacked by two humanoid beings from Vians in Lal (if the name is familiar for those who have already watched 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episode 'The Offspring', it is also the name of Data's daughter, though it is a coincidence) and Thann.

The Enterprise trio with the mute empath Gem (left), the name Dr. McCoy had given her. (Image via here.)

As it turns out which lends its name to the episode title, Gem is an empath as after Captain Kirk was injured by Lal and Thann, she absorbed Kirk's injuries before briefly taking on herself before they are healed. The Enterprise trio eventually found out the whereabouts of the research personnel they were supposed to be rescuing in the now-deceased Drs. Linke and Ozaba, trapped in transparent tubes marked with their respective surnames, with the two Vians explaining that the two died from their fears. But then according to one of the two Vians, it was the two doctors' 'imperfections' which led to their deaths and needed more test subjects. It turned out apart from the two doctors who died, there were also three more empty transparent tubes with the names of the Enterprise trio clearly marked as well. Until Spock and Kirk noticed that McCoy became the next test subject and was almost near-death when the two discovered him, both were surprised to see a landing party from the Enterprise which included the Chief Engineer Scott, but it was all a mirage. But how Gem was towards McCoy was slightly different with Kirk, being seemingly afraid. The Vians would come to explain that Gem is a representative of her people, that if she is willing to sacrifice her life for another in the Vians themselves due to the incoming supernova, they will choose hers. When she attempted again, McCoy rejected the help as he did not want her to die. That moment was enough for Kirk to reprimand the Vians and accusing them of lacking love and compassion, leading to the Vians ending the experiment and returning Gem and McCoy to full health and the promise to save Gem's people. Gem and the Vians disappeared from view and the Enterprise trio returned to the starship.


The two Vians who had been doing the experiments. (Image via here.)

When back on the Enterprise with Kirk discussing the chance of meeting someone like Gem, Chief Engineer Scott overheard the trio and commented that Gem must have been a 'pearl of great price' (which appears in the Bible in the Gospel of Matthew), and Kirk, Spock, and McCoy agreed. Though McCoy also seemingly without knowingly in what could be seen as a jibe to Spock due to his Vulcan heritage, remarked that the strength of human emotion which overcame their captivity by the Vians.

For The World Is Hollow And I Have Touched The Sky

The episode which is remembered for Dr. McCoy (left) in spite of his illness, marrying the high priestess of Yonada in Natira (right). (Image via here.)

Apart from how it is the longest title for an episode in the original series, but it was also taken off what someone said on the episode itself. Except not everyone knows that it is not a planet when the Enterprise landing party arrived at there, coming after the starship had been attacked before realising what attacked them is an asteroid, disguised as a ship, which is on a collision course with a populated planet Darren V. The Enterprise landing party of Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy (coming after he had found out he had come down with a terminal illness and having only possibly a year left to live) had originally thought they would come to inform the spaceship which will be later known as the Yonada on the impending danger, they had quite a welcoming reception to say the least, before Natira, the high priestess of Yonada, greeted them. Until it emerged that Natira has taken quite an interest on McCoy before they were briefly married to each other, it became known upon Kirk and Spock's own investigation on the Yonada that the descendants of the Yonada have no idea that they are living on a spaceship and not an actual planet after ten thousand years, though Spock noted that the Yonada writing system which he and Kirk saw at the Oracle Room, is of the Fabrini where the civilisation was wiped out ten thousand years prior when their star went nova. And it had been noted on the IMDb website for this episode that the Korean alphabet was the basis for the ancient Yonada text. But before what Kirk and Spock saw at the Oracle Room added to the suspicion to the two about the Yonada was when an old man entered the guest quarter the Enterprise trio were being put in and told them about climbing the mountains of his world and discovered that 'the world is hollow and I have touched the sky', where he collapsed and died not long after that. Before the meeting with the old man, the Enterprise trio had already been met with the Oracle when they were received by Natira for the first time, the unseen authoritative entity manifested by a decorative altar with a booming voice each time Natira talks to it.


The Oracle in question, on the Yonada. (Image via here.)

Not since the first season's first episode (given the original pilot 'The Cage' was only aired in the United States in the late 80s for the first time) prior to the aired pilots 'Charlie X' and 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' in 'The Man Trap' where Dr. McCoy showed his emotional side, where back then he thought he had been reunited with a former flame Nancy Crater where in actual fact it was a shapeshifter who took in her image, though this time before the marriage vows, he told Natira that he was not married. It would be subsequent iterations in the franchise which expanded more of McCoy's backstory before he became the chief medical officer on the Enterprise because amongst the regular crew, his was never expanded beyond 'The Man Trap' and a mention of his daughter in the animated series episode 'The Survivor' and even then his daughter's name was not mentioned, because the third season episode 'The Way to Eden' was originally to be titled 'Joanna' as a way of introducing his daughter who is a nurse and has come to visit her father on the Enterprise and attracting the attention of Captain Kirk at the same time, until that idea was scrapped. Given subsequently McCoy's personal background was established beyond the original series that he had been previously married and divorced and has a daughter, who becomes Joanna. That is even though his American Southern heritage was implied throughout the original series, where he even put on a Southern accent in the first season's 'This Side of Paradise' at one time and started calling Kirk 'Jimmy boy'. But it was after the wedding where McCoy had been given the Book of the People, supposedly detailing where the Yonada could go, and when he tried to inform the Enterprise about it, his obedience device was activated. Nevertheless, it was enough for Kirk and Spock to return to the Yonada, where while Spock removed the device, Kirk told the truth to Natira about the Yonada.

It was to be the Book of the People which helped the Enterprise trio to correct the Yonada's navigational controls and correcting its course, from the control room located behind the Oracle's altar. Also importantly especially for Dr. McCoy, Spock also discovered the Fabrini archives which also contains a cure for xenopolycythemia, something which would be put to use back on the Enterprise where McCoy was treated on the sickbay. That is it has to be said, the terminal illness which McCoy came down with, it is based on a real disease in polycythemia (the name cited in the episode, it would have meant that it is an alien or foreign variation) where the body produces too many red blood cells and in actual fact is not fatal. After McCoy was cured, Kirk promised that the Enterprise will return at when the Yonada arrive at its correct destination in 390 days. The curious thing is that there is no follow-up episode of some kind in any iterations beyond the original series, which means that technically in the general Star Trek timeline, McCoy and Natira are still married to each other where it was originally McCoy's illness which forced him to leave her and return to the Enterprise for treatment.

Elaan of Troyius


The title card to the episode, along with Elaan herself. (Image via here.)

Helen of Troy meets The Taming of the Shrew. And at one time I actually said in my head when watching the episode, "'My Fair Lady' it is not." But then, the writer and director of the episode John Meredyth Lucas had originally pitched it along the lines of Helen of Troy. So when the day ahead of watching the episode when reading where the idea for the storyline came from, my mind immediately went back to the 1999 film 'Ten Things I Hate About You', the modern adaptation of the Shakespearean romantic comedy The Taming of the Shrew but set in a Seattle high school. Yes, that film is my 'guide' to watching this, remembering what happened in that when watching this episode. That is before I found out who played Elaan, the warrior princess who is to be married off to Troyius to end a war between her home planet Elas and there, and how the Enterprise has to help in transporting her to there before Kirk has to take on the unenviable task of educating her the ways of being a lady, though that would come later in the episode. The French-based Vietnamese-American actress France Nguyen, who will be later more known for being in the 1993 film adaptation of 'The Joy Luck Club' (on an unrelated note of sorts, there is also another Star Trek connection in her future co-star from the film Rosalind Chao, who is in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and later in 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' as botanist Keiko O'Brien), though until then, had previously acted alongside William Shatner (as Kirk) on Broadway. Aside from George Takei as Hikaru Sulu (his full name was finally revealed in the sixth and final Star Trek film featuring the cast on the original series in 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country', because up till then he was always known as Sulu) being the only person of Asian descent amongst the main cast for the original series, it had been noted that this is the only time the leading guest star is of Asian descent on the original series. The Enterprise had been tasked to transport Elaan from her home planet along with the Troyian ambassador Petri to the latter's home planet, where Ambassador Petri has to educate and instruct Elaan on the manners and customs of Troyius, which became obvious early on that Elaan thinks it is a humiliation. Being a reluctant bride, to say the least, or her actions would render being seen as a spoiled warrior princess.

But not long after the Enterprise made the journey to Troyius, a Klingon ship has been detected. To complicate matters, Elaan stabbed Ambassador Petri who refused to have any more dealings with Elaan after the ambassador had tried to shower her with wedding gifts which she came to throw a fit about in her assigned quarter. The ambassador did not die on board, but he had obviously washed his hands off Elaan, leaving the unenviable task of educating manners to none other than Captain Kirk. But before Kirk did that, it was something Kirk should have overheard while at the sickbay where Nurse Chapel had asked the ambassador why Elysian women are desired despite their savagery reputation, and Ambassador Petri replied that the tears of any Elysian woman is enough to enslave any man they desire 'forever', once it touched on a man's skin. Elaan did not take it kindly over Kirk's initial efforts to educate her, though she later admitted that she was tired of being hated by everyone. Whatever happens next is anyone's guess, given when Kirk tried to comfort her and dried her tears, he became besotted with her. That was before Kirk was alerted with the news of something happening at the engineering section where it became clear how the Klingon ship which the Enterprise had previously detected was aware of their presence, or almost did so as it was Elaan's chief bodyguard Kryton who almost came into contact with the ship. But before Kryton was interrogated, he chose to commit suicide, and Elaan revealed that her late chief bodyguard was previously in love with her and acted out of jealously.

Captain Kirk (right) with Elaan (left), taking on the unenviable tasking of educating her before reaching Troyius. (Image via here.)

Until it became clear that the necklace of the Troyian royal jewels which Elaan wore ahead of the wedding which was originally bestowed upon by the Troyian ambassador Petri contained dilithium crystals which would explain the Klingons showing up near the Enterprise, the Klingon ship had looked like it was about to attack...but it did not. Elaan would actually come to help the Enterprise by donating the crystals for use in the engineering section to replace the damaged dilithium crystals where she said, 'If I can be of any help, of course', a sign that she is showing her manners. Power would be restored on the Enterprise, and the Klingon ship had returned with another attack. This time the Enterprise was able to hit back, and the Klingon ship was successfully driven away. The Enterprise would eventually reach Troyius, and before Elaan beamed down to prepare for her wedding which she was actually reluctant to leave (though not out of not wanting to get married, just not wanting to part ways with especially Kirk), she handed Kirk a memento in her dagger, explaining that they 'do not wear such things' on Troyius. After she was successfully beamed down, Dr. McCoy showed up with the antidote to the Elysian tears, where Spock came to say that it was not needed, as Kirk had long been infected by the Enterprise before Elaan did. Later in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episode 'The Perfect Mate', there was a similar plot, though it is the case of the Enterprise D being tasked to help ferry a female emphatic metamorph to her wedding as a peace treaty 'gift' between two warring planets, where it looks like along the way the Enterprise D captain Jean-Luc Picard might had fallen for the metamorph Kamala.

Requiem for Methuselah


The planet Holberg 917-G, apparently not habited...until the Enterprise trio of Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy arrived there. (Image via here.)

Shakespearean scholars have come to note over time that this episode is seemingly influenced by The Tempest, reportedly one of the last works the Bard wrote. But then it has also since being written that it was also influenced by the 1956 science fiction film 'Forbidden Planet' (which in turn seemingly based on, The Tempest), the original inspiration behind Star Trek original creator Gene Rodenberry coming to create the show that he did. There is also the episode title, which actually has religious meaning. Requiem means a mass for the dead, and Methuselah refers to the oldest living person named in the Bible, who is also the grandfather of Noah (yes, from Noah's Ark) and descendant of Adam and Eve. No matter what, I found myself reading up on The Tempest the day before watching this, and it started to make sense when also realising when the episode first aired - Valentine's Day of 1969. An epidemic of Rigelian fever has hit the Enterprise, and the mineral ryetalyn locating on the supposed uninhabited Holberg 917-G is the solution. But when Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy arrived, they realised they were not alone. They were attacked by a robot named the M4 before its owner Flint came to halt the attack and told the Enterprise landing party to leave or die.

It would be up to Captain Kirk to negotiate with Flint, and after a stalemate, Flint allows the landing party to remain to get the ryetalyn they need. While the robot M4 went to get the ryetalyn, Flint invited Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy to his home, which was to be noted that was previously not detected when the Enterprise arrived at the planet itself. Little did the trio realised that they were being watched by a young woman from a video screen from another room, which the IMDb website have since pointed out that this episode would come to predict the flat panel television that would be commonplace decades later after the airing of the episode. Spock would notice the art collection like paintings from Leonardo da Vinci, a music score by Johannes Brahms, the Gutenberg Bible, and the works of Reginald Pollack (and Pollack was the only one alive at the time of the episode airing until his passing in 2001). That was before Spock could not shake off the fact based on his tricorder readings that the Da Vinci paintings were created from contemporary materials, and the same goes for the music score in terms of how contemporary ink was used for the composition. Then Rayna Kepac (the surname should have been a giveaway to Kirk but not as it is an anagram of the Czech science fiction writer Karel Capek who was to be known for indirectly coining the word 'robot' for a play he wrote), the young woman who had been observing the Enterprise trio from another room, showed up with Flint introducing her as his ward and later explained that she came into his care after her parents who previously worked for him died in an accident. But until Kirk asked the Enterprise when communicating back via the communicator on checking on Flint and Rayna's background where it turns out that Flint's claims on Reyna's backstory is actually a lie and that there is nothing on Flint, it was curiously noted that Flint encouraged encounters between Kirk and his ward like playing billiards and dancing to a waltz which Spock performed on a piano. That was before McCoy remarked that the ryetalyn that the M4 had prepared contained irillium which meant that it rendered useless, which led to Flint and the M4 searching for more ryetalyn.


Flint (right) and his ward Rayna Kepac (left), whom the latter eventually turns out is an android. (Image via here.)

Rayna would come to show her emotions as Flint and Kirk began to fight over her, and it alerted the two men. Even if Kirk professed his love to her before his fight with Flint, Rayna found herself being forced to choose. She told the two to stop, and after being overwhelmed by it all, she would say her last words before breaking down completely, "I was not human. Now I love, love, love." Later, it was known that the fever outbreak on the Enterprise has ended, and Kirk was found trying to sleep in his quarters, ruing over what had happened to Spock. McCoy would come to inform that Flint would eventually die of natural causes as he is aging after leaving Earth, looking at Kirk and wishing he could forget Rayna, though not before having a parting shot at Spock in terms of what the part-Vulcan knows about love, "You see, I feel sorrier for you than I do for him because you'll never know the things that love can drive a man to. The ecstasies, the miseries, the broken rules, the desperate chances, the glorious failures, the glorious victories. All of these things you'll never know simply because the word love isn't written into your book." Spock would come to do something which he would do it again in the second Star Trek film 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' (though by then it was to tell McCoy to 'remember', before spoiler, choosing to sacrifice himself in order to save the Enterprise), in terms of doing a Vulcan mind meld on Kirk to erase his memory of Rayna by whispering 'Forget'.

When Spock (right) told Captain Kirk (left) to 'Forget' during the Vulcan mind meld. (Image via here.)

While the whole incident was to be indirectly referenced in future iterations especially in 'Star Trek: Voyager' but before that a different take in the third season of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episode 'The Offspring' where the creation of a daughter led to serious consequences for the Enterprise D android operations officer Lieutenant Commander Data, I was left with mixed feelings after watching this episode. The way how Kirk was with Rayna before realising she is actually an android and how he later ruefully commented on the Enterprise of not able to forget her, does he not remember Edith Keeler, or even Miramanee? There is a reason why I actually feel sympathy for Kirk on those two rare occasions, because both times I was actually rooting for him somewhat before it ended tragically for him in the first season's 'The City on the Edge of Forever' where Kirk was originally searching for McCoy in 1930s Depression-era New York City before meeting Keeler at a homeless shelter, and this season's 'The Paradise Syndrome' where he lost his memory and genuinely thinks he is a Native American before meeting Miramanee. And yes, Kirk's romance with Keeler was ranked the top romantic storyline in the whole of Star Trek by Screen Rant website back in 2017.

Spock's Brain


When Captain Kirk (right) told Spock (centre) to deactivate the bracelet from Kara's (left) wrist. Kara would be eventually revealed to be the person who stole Spock's brain. (Image via here.)

This episode help to begin the third and eventual final season and the 10 p.m. time slot on Fridays which has been viewed as an indirect way to kill off the series back when it aired despite the fan-led efforts to keep it going, and it became rather divisive even amongst fans of the series, where it has since being labelled in some quarters as one of the worst episodes from the original series, or possibly the worst. Not only that, the main cast like William Shatner (as Captain Kirk) and Leonard Nimoy (as Spock) did not like it either, due to the nature of the plot. It was in terms of how someone had the cheek to steal Spock's brain on the Enterprise and Captain Kirk went to hunt down the thief. But that very mystery itself of whodunnit in broad daylight is precisely what drew me in because Spock could actually die if his brain was not restored in time. As someone who is split between having Spock and Lieutenant Uhura (due to yes, she is the only female crew member, unless one also include Nurse Christine Chapel) as my favourite character in the original series though I lean more towards Spock as the part-Vulcan is everything I want to be but not in terms of smarts, I am also wondering who had the cheek to do that and watched it with an open mind considering the brickbats it received. Spock's brain was actually surgically removed after a mysterious woman came on board the Enterprise, and that was when it all kicked off.

Tracing back the trail of the alien ship which the Enterprise encountered which would lead to Kara. And Captain Kirk actually acted on a hunch. (Image via here.)

The Enterprise then began to track back the trail of the alien ship which it previously encountered which Kirk actually acted on a hunch that Kara, the identity of the eventual mysterious woman, originally came from the sixth planet of the Sigma Draconis system which it turns out was in the middle of an ice age. It would come to explain that when the Enterprise landing party arrived at there, it was Chekov and two security officers who came to set up a campfire to warm themselves while waiting for Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Chief Engineer Scott to get Spock back. The trio would go deep underground, and with McCoy also bringing along Spock's mobile body. They would eventually encounter a woman named Luma who had the mentality of a child when being questioned, before finally tracking down the location of Spock's voice which came from a communicator in the underground chamber. But before any more conversation can be made, they were captured by who is the leader of the women, Kara herself. When Kirk wanted to know what they had done with Spock's brain, Kara only replied with 'Brain and brain! What is brain?'. It turns out what they were seeking is the 'Controller', which the underground chamber was completely dependent on. When the Enterprise trio escaped, they followed the signals to a control room where they finally found Spock's brain.

Dr. McCoy (left) with the 'Teacher', before operating to restore Spock's brain. (Image via here.)

It was at the room where the location of Spock's brain was found when Kara explained that the skills needed to remove the brain were provided by the machine called the 'Teacher'. It would be a race against time when Dr. McCoy decided to use the 'Teacher' to begin the procedure of restoring the brain back to Spock as the information obtained can only last for three hours. It had look like McCoy might had forgotten how to restore the brain, but Spock provided the assistance which allowed the chief medical officer of the Enterprise to complete the operation and for Spock to be able to speak. And if there is any chance of a possible reconciliation between the two even at the start of what would be the third and final season of the original series, there was none as Spock began to launch into a lecture of the history of Sigma Draconis VI, much to McCoy's dismay.