45+ Winter Activities To Cure Your Cold-Weather Blues

“The ‘sexy chef’ was very much part of me in Season 1 and we grew apart season after season because of the choices he makes and because of the direction they make him take,” Lucas Bravo told IndieWire while promoting Mélanie Laurent’s Freedom. “As they made him kind of unaware of his surroundings, of the dynamic, always victimizing and always being completely lost in translation and oblivious to anything that is happening around him and being manipulated by everyone, it kind of became not fun for me to shoot or to see a character I love so much and brought me so much, being slowly turned into guacamole. I really grew apart from him.”

Honestly it makes me really sad that a character we all love so much is becoming unrecognizable. But at the same time, it makes me feel a little bit better, because we're not the only ones who feel like Gabriel has changed. And while Lucas has done what he can to bring those early-series aspects of Gabriel back, he says "there is only so much I can do in the limits of a script.”

“I tried for seasons to bring nuances but we don’t have much liberty on set," he continues. “It makes me question if I want to be part of Season 5…because my contract ends at Season 4. I really want to see if Gabriel gets back to his fun, cheeky, playful, alive self. Because three seasons playing melancholic, sad, depressed, and lost is not fun anymore. It’s a comedy, everybody is having fun around me, everybody is jumping around, and I’m just slowly sinking into god knows what.”

Say what now?! If Lucas Bravo leaves Emily in Paris, I truly don't know what I'd do. Gabriel is my favorite character on the show! (Or at least, early Gabriel was.) Seeing him move from 30, flirty, and thriving to someone who's consistently in the middle of an existential crisis doesn't make sense within the world of the show. And even though Lucas thinks the show has a "lack of risk," he still loves everyone involved.

“I love the show. It started everything for me. I love the show and the people in it," he says. "With saying that, I feel like I am not being nice or grateful, but when you love something you want it to be…you want the best version of it. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been frustrated with the direction by character is taking. But we’ll see where it goes. The show is not over.”

Just like the show's iconic costumes are all about expression and fun, here's hoping Emily in Paris is able to bring some life back into our favorite chef. Because if not, it sounds like we could be nearing the end of the show's most popular would-they-won't-they relationship. Fix this Netflix, I beg you!

What happened at the end of The Holiday?

Yes, you read that right — they filmed the final scene of The Holiday before they filmed anything else! The final scene of the movie takes place at Jude Law's Graham's house in England during the characters' New Year's Eve party. The four leads, and Graham's daughters, are dancing, having fun, and celebrating the new year together. In an interview with Vulture, Miffy Englefield (who plays one of Graham's daughters) talks about how filming that party first set the stage for the rest of production.

"That’s the one scene in the film that all of the main characters are together," she says. "So it was a really, really nice starting point for us to be able to get to know each other...It was the loveliest first day I’ve ever had."

Miffy continues that since she was so young when they filmed the movie, she didn't really understand who she was working with. "My dad was really good at showing me [Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Winslet's] work and more underground things that they’d done. He wanted me to realize they were humans and not just these actors."

Is Jude Law's Graham divorced in The Holiday?

Even though Miffy didn't necessarily know Jude Law before working with him, they grew closer throughout the process of filming. When Amanda shows up to Graham's house, she learns (as do we) that he isn't divorced — he's a widower. That's why he hadn't asked Amanda over before, and why he always answers the phone when Sophie or Olivia call. They're not other women in his life, they're his daughters!

The evening Amanda spends with Graham and his daughters is one of the standout moments of the film because it shows a whole new side of Graham, but it also allows the girls (and Jude Law, TBH) to take center stage.

Why is Jack Black in The Holiday?

While she wasn't familiar with all her costars in The Holiday, there was one actor Miffy Englefield recognized when she got to set, and that was Jack Black ("I think at that point it was when it hit me like, 'Oh goodness, this is like a thing. This is real, this is real life.'").

Even though Nancy Myers had written the role of Miles for Jack Black, he was hesitant to be in a rom-com. That is, until he realized he would get to work with Kate Winslet!

“I saw School Of Rock and thought he was the cutest guy and fell in love with him," Nancy told IndieLondon in a 2006 interview. “I assured him that I had [seen his work] and told him that I thought he was fabulous and that he’d be in a movie with Kate Winslet. He just said ‘yeah.’”

And I am literally so glad he did because Miles is my favorite part of the movie! His quirky kindness and fun personality are definitely a reason The Holiday is so successful. Another reason? The chemistry between all the actors. Thanks to the energy and community on set for the final scene — which, TBH, I'd never have known was the first scene filmed! — the rest of the movie has that same kind of giddy electricity you feel when you reunite with your best friends or host your first adult party or finally visit New York City during the holidays.

Because just like the party scene is a celebration, The Holiday is about unexpected love and finding joy despite the most heartbreaking, mundane experiences. And THAT is the true magic of Christmas, isn't it?

As a gal with a little more meat and muscle on her bones, this has always been a problem for me. It’s infuriating, but it feels even more isolating. I can’t always wear the same styles that smaller women do, and even if I do find similar boot designs fashioned for wide calves, they look noticeably cheap or simply don’t check all the boxes in terms of my desired look.

I grew tired of saving all the “perfect” tall boot outfit inspo pics to my Pinterest board only to find that the boots in question had way too small of calf sizes, so I did what I always do when I shop for size-specific pieces: I took to Reddit.

I primarily consulted r/femalefashionadvice, r/plussize, and r/ausfemalefashion to see what people like me are saying about wide calf boots. The frustrations with finding good-looking, comfy tall boots was pretty similar across all three subreddits. As one passionate user put it:

“Even at a size 6, I have never been able to just buy any old pair of boots and have them fit. It is interesting to me how we've made great progress the past several years in regards to body inclusivity, yet somehow there seems to be a huge lack of sizing in regards to tall boots… It makes me so sad to see these beautiful boots everyone else gets to wear, slouchy, over the knee, western inspired, leopard/snake print, etc. Nothing like that comes in wide calf.”

Luckily, Redditors across all three threads suggested a handful of brands that actually offer cute wide calf boots with extended sizing. I had never heard of a few of them, but after scrolling through their sites, it felt like I struck gold.

The top-recommended brands for wide calf boots:

• Penningtons
• Børn
• DuoBoots
• Franco Sarto
• Sam Edelman
• Billini

Franco Sarto Bowman Wide Calf Knee High Boots

You're meaning to tell me these chic boots can really accomodate my calves?! The deep red color already had me sold, but that 15.75-inch calf circumference made this style so much better. They also come in a smooth brown color and a foxy faux-snake pattern, if those speak to your personal style more.

Børn Hayden Extended Calf Boots

The suede leather construction of these boots honestly rivals that of the beloved Campus boot, but their fit is much more roomy, boasting a 16.5-inch calf circumference. These zippered boots also have a playful lace-up detail on the back that's utterly unique.

Penningtons Extra Wide Width Black Tall Heeled Boots with Harness Straps

The calf circumference on these bad boys starts at around 17 inches for shoe size 6, and tops out around 19 inches for shoe size 12. I can't get enough of these moto-style boots and I love that they have the signature harness with silver hardware around the base that other similar boots do.

DuoBoots Saffron Knee High Boots

The fact that you can choose the calf sizing yourself when purchasing these Western-esque boots is ahh-mazing. The options start at 13 inches and go up to 20 inches to hold your beautiful legs without any fuss.

Billini Granger Extended Curve Boots

From all the wide calf boot brands suggested on the Reddit threads I scrolled through, Billini has to be my favorite. They state that these adorable camel-colored boots can fit calf sizes from about 18.11 to 21.42 inches, and while they do have an elastic panel on the sides to stretch even further, I think it's discreet enough that it doesn't distract from the overall look. Score!

Baretraps Thalia Wide Calf Boots

A very similar style to my wishlist Sam Edelman boots, this black pair actually has a 16.5-inch calf circumference that'll fit my legs to a tee. The block heel is the perfect shape and height, plus the toe isn't overly pointed (I don't necessarily care for pointy toes).

Sam Edelman James Wide Calf Western Boots

Finding cowboy boots with wide calves can be a big challenge – but no more! These reddish-brown boots have a 16-inch calf circumference so you can confidently rock any and all Western looks.

Billini Oshea Curve Boots

Immediately yes. These broader-fit boots are everything you need to make a statement with your shoes. They're definitely going on my wishlist! The calf circumferences for this style start at 16 inches and go up to 19 inches based on your shoe size.

Vince Camuto Seshon Extra Wide Calf Boots

With a 18-inch calf circumference, you won't have to worry about squeezing into these tall boots. I adore the timeless squared toe and wide block heel on these!