I'm in love with a fictional character...

... and for once in my life it's not Mr. Darcy. His name? James Hathaway. He's a main character on a PBS series called Inspector Lewis, about two detectives in Oxford, England. I want to say though, that this is all my mother's fault. When we first started watching the series this summer on PBS, she said, "He's very much your type." By which she meant, of course, that he was tall, blond, and English. So yes, in that regard, he is basically the epitome of my type. Some of you may not have known this, as Brad is pretty much anything but blond or English, but those are two of my greatest weaknesses when it comes to men in general, though clearly not specifics. I've noticed recently, and it appears that for a long time now, I've become incapable of being attracted to men who are not a) English, or b) of some sort of Italian descent. That last one could be because it's kind of hard to find an American man, good-looking or otherwise, who isn't at least some part Italian. I don't think I have an Italian weakness. But the British thing, now that's definitely real. Every time I find a movie actor who I think is attractive, even if he's speaking with an American accent (they often do), I'll look him up on imdb.com and BAM! He's English. Unfailingly. It's gotten to the point where it's kind of bizarre and a bit bewildering. Yet, despite his clear Englishness, blondness, and height, I didn't really think much of James at first because I didn't think he was overly handsome.

Inspector Robbie Lewis (left) and Sergeant James Hathaway (right).

But as we continued watching the show, all sorts of appealing aspects about James's character kept being revealed. Like how he loves spicy Indian food. And how he dislikes misplaced apostrophes. My mother did not fail to point out any of these alluring qualities. As it turns out, he is pretty awesome. He's brilliant, very well-read (he's often quoting poetry in the show), athletic, funny, he studied to be a theologian at Cambridge University, and after, a priest at Oxford (so is, therefore, a very spiritual person). I hardly think anyone who knows me even remotely can deny that I definitely find all of these things incredibly attractive. Suddenly, he's become like my dream man.

What is Lewis wearing?

The end result? I dream about this guy all. the. time. Seriously, I've had probably 4 nocturnal dreams about this fictional character (always James, the character, never just Laurence Fox, the actor) in the last week. I fully expect to have more. Perhaps even tonight. One of my best friends, when I once declared how hard it is to be in love with Mr. Darcy, said, "But it's not hard at all. Easier than real life, even." I can assure you that this is true for me and James. It's hard to be in love with Mr. Darcy because he's just one guy in a small tale, and therefore, obviously fictional. But it's not hard to be in love with James, because he becomes real as you follow his story for three seasons of episodes, see him every week, and get to know him slowly. The more I learn, the more I like. Also, he wears purple socks and pretty flower ties. I mean, how could you resist a man in purple socks?? (And yes, they make a point of defining his sexual orientation. He is straight.)

*Sigh* Though I do like his long hair better, like in the first photo and 4th season.

If anyone wanted to make me feel like less of a weirdo loser and post her character crushes, I'd be more than happy to hear about them!