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S4:E14 Fifty Shades Freed (2018 Film)
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We’re kicking off our Finishing Our Series theme with Fifty Shades Freed, the final installment in the original Fifty Shades trilogy. In this episode, we discuss how the adaptation wraps up the series, sharing our thoughts on the story, the characters, the drama, and whether the ending delivered for us. We also look back on the trilogy, compare this final movie to the others, and talk about where we ultimately landed by the end of it all.
Hosted by Keri with co-hosts Crystal and Lindsey.
Books & Adaptations Mentioned:
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Want to follow our entire journey through reading and watching Fifty Shades of Grey from the very beginning? Start here!
Question of the Episode:
- What's something you thought was romantic when you were younger but now see totally differently?
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Thanks for listening to Based on a Book—see you in the next chapter!
Chapters:
(00:00) Introductions
(00:54) Recap & Spoiler Warning
(03:13) Book Ratings
(09:53) Book vs Movie Breakdown
(54:36) Final Verdict & Question of the Episode
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction & Series Overview
00:00:07
Speaker
Welcome to Based on a Book, the podcast that is 50 shades of feral choices and questionable decisions. You thought I was to say something else, didn't you? mr I'm Carrie, and today's lesson is maybe reread a series before you go around recommending it.
00:00:25
Speaker
I'm Crystal, and I am 50 shades of fed up with these characters. And I'm Lindsay, and no amount of safe words could have saved me from this book.
00:00:37
Speaker
Today, we're wrapping up the steamy and wildly iconic Fifty Shades trilogy with Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James and its 2018 film adaptation starring the same couple who stuck with the entire series, Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey.
00:01:01
Speaker
Before we jump into the honeymoon phase, let's rewind a bit and recap where we left things off from last season, which means this episode will be full of spoilers for the entire Fifty Shades trilogy.
Explicit Content Warning
00:01:15
Speaker
So if you want to get more info from how we felt about the first two books, check out our other episodes. We'll actually also link those in the description as well. But also please note, if you don't know already, this entire series,
00:01:31
Speaker
I mean, I'd be shocked if you didn't already know this is very explicit. um So this is your warning as well before we move forward.
Relationship Dynamics & Challenges
00:01:40
Speaker
um In the second book, so before this, Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey had found their way back to each other after their initial breakup, this at time attempting a more, quote, balanced relationship, even though it was still full of contracts and control issues, as we had already discussed in our previous episode.
00:02:06
Speaker
Christian started to open up emotionally, maybe kind of attempting to. We meet some key figures from his past like Mrs. Robinson and the stakes got higher with external threats like Jack Hyde, Anna's gross boss. The story ended with a proposal where Anna said yes and it felt like things in the relationship may get more stable or at least the illusion of it.
00:02:31
Speaker
Now, In this book, Fifty Shades Freed, we pick up with Anna and Christian as newlyweds stepping into a life of luxury, passion, and lots of drama, 600 pages worth.
00:02:45
Speaker
ah But as their relationship kind of evolves, so do the challenges.
Book Ratings & Critiques
00:02:53
Speaker
From power struggles and trust issues to lingering dangers and threats from book two this final chapter tries to tie together the romance, the suspense, and some very interesting choices.
00:03:11
Speaker
So let's start. Before we get into the breakdown of everything, I can't believe how far we've come.
00:03:19
Speaker
Let's get into the book ratings. All right. i I listening back to the previous two episodes in this series, I started with Lindsay every time i'm going to start with Lindsay again, book rating of the final book in the trilogy.
00:03:34
Speaker
What do you got? All right. The novelty has worn off. Okay. Officially. I gave this book two popsicles.
00:03:50
Speaker
No, not the safe word popsicles. I really did not like this book. And I'm pretty sure I complained about this before, but there are too many subplots.
00:04:03
Speaker
There's way too much going on. It absolutely did not need to be 600 pages. Yeah. And 90% of the book was, oh my, holy cow.
00:04:17
Speaker
And, ah, that's how she read it. The narrator read it in the audio book. So yeah. Yep. Oh, and my 50 or my poor 50.
00:04:28
Speaker
Oh, or saying like Mr. And Mrs. Gray, like every 10 seconds to each other. Mr. Gray. Yeah. Gross. All right. What about you, Crystal?
00:04:40
Speaker
I'm i' with Lindsay. The novelty has worn off. yeah it's It's gone. And i was more than bored with this whole book. they it I just found it tedious.
00:04:54
Speaker
I found the characters annoying at this point. the The plot. What? Which one? You know, i don't i don't even know where we're going half the time. You know, and You think something's related to maybe it's related to this other plot. No, it's not.
00:05:11
Speaker
No, it's not. It's just extra thrown in for no damn reason. oh This book was way too long. And once again, I hate everyone. so So I give this book one and a half bottles of Sancerre, which actually is not even that great of a wine.
00:05:31
Speaker
but
00:05:34
Speaker
Your ratings like just slowly like decreased regularly. i don't mean for it to either. We honest, let's be, let's be fair. We really kicked this season off some amazing stuff.
00:05:46
Speaker
And then somehow like the last few books that we've read, just that they had, we had high hopes and they were just kind of eh. Yeah. And now here we are with this and I'm
Series Excitement vs. Frustration
00:05:57
Speaker
just done.
00:05:57
Speaker
I'm bored now. Which is sad because when we started this, I remember reading the first book and being excited and being like, this is fun. And it's just not fun anymore. It's tedious. It's work. It was literally work.
00:06:13
Speaker
for Like, I finished this book because this podcast is is a job for me. It's what, like, it's, you know, it was an assignment. You know, i i wasn't going to let you guys down. But also, I would not have finished this if not for you guys. I would have just been like, mm-mm.
00:06:30
Speaker
And I'm glad we had our little group chat being like, when is this going to end? Yeah. Why is this so long? Yeah. Carrie, how did you feel about this one? I gave it two and a half unlikable characters. i just... This is, again, another reread for me. Liked it before. Hating it now, okay? I am finding this series too great on my nerves. Like, it is somehow... Like, it...
00:07:02
Speaker
I can't believe that we are on the third book, and yet I feel like the relationship is not developing. Okay, to be fair, I think only a year has gone by. yes. It does like 10 business days. It feels... Really? i feel like I've been here for way too long. Right. I feel like I've been here for years and years and years. Right.
00:07:26
Speaker
But their timeline is only like an actual year. yeah Not even, I don't think. Yeah, that's true. It literally feels like they've been dating for 10 business days, but broken up for five of those.
00:07:37
Speaker
Right. Yeah, I mean, that's pretty accurate. That's kind of what it is. But I also feel like I've been we've been repeating the same sentiments and the same issues so much that I'm like, I feel like I've been in here for 10 years. But it's only been 10 business days. Like, I don't understand.
00:07:57
Speaker
But I won't lie. There's like, some moments where I was like, I would be gone and I wasn't loving it.
00:08:08
Speaker
And then something about it would just grasp me back in, which would like annoy me. yeah I'm like, why am i still entertained enough To still like binge it in a weekend. I still binged this 600 page book in one weekend.
00:08:27
Speaker
And i it's hard to do that for a book I can't stand. So there was still something pushing me along in
Movie Adaptation Discussion
00:08:36
Speaker
the story. It was I hate reading it?
00:08:38
Speaker
Possibly. Possibly. That's a possibility. But there was still something pushing me along where I feel like I had been with these characters for so long and rode along with them through the since the beginning.
00:08:55
Speaker
So I will admit that there were moments where i was somewhat entertained by the story. And, you know, Lindsay, you talk about all the subplots in it.
00:09:07
Speaker
I felt like Their relationship dynamic was driving me so insane because they were having this repetitive, the same argument over and over with no development. No one was, you know, working on it.
00:09:27
Speaker
And they were just having the same argument, same result, having sex to deal with it and then moving on. That I almost needed the subplots to move it on and distract me from what was pissing me off within their relationship. That's a solid point.
00:09:45
Speaker
Honestly, that's it's this the like steamy scenes, the spicy scenes were not what was getting me through this book. Yeah, it was the random subplots that were confusing as all hell, but at least they were interesting. Yeah, I was like, oh, I don't remember. I didn't remember this happening in the book. And honestly, it kind of brought me back into the story.
00:10:08
Speaker
But now that we've talked about the book, a little bit about the movie, this one was directed by James Foley, who is the director they switched to for in the second film.
00:10:20
Speaker
Cast is mostly the same, with obviously the exception of additional roles, but Unfortunately, it was the lowest grossing film across the entire trilogy and it did not get the best overall reviews.
00:10:36
Speaker
I'm not really surprised by that. I feel like when it becomes like a romance trilogy, last one in the series, Most likely is probably going to be the lowest grossing film out of all of them because we're not really hitting a climax exactly. Nobody intended.
00:10:58
Speaker
But...
00:11:01
Speaker
I just like it doesn't really surprise me that it didn't get do as well. But I will say something that we
Book vs. Movie: Emotional Depth
00:11:08
Speaker
keep saying about these films that continue to come out on top are these freaking soundtracks, man.
00:11:13
Speaker
These soundtracks are fire. Every single movie. And honestly, that's why they keep making them, I think. like They get like really great music out of these soundtracks. They get an amazing album. These are amazing playlists when you find them on on different streams. They're just so good. Rita Ora is actually has a song on this one ah who plays Mia, the sister. i was curious what your guys' favorite soundtrack was out of all three movies.
00:11:43
Speaker
and The first one for me still... Still, for whatever reason, the first one just is It really sets the tone. It really... and therefore sets the bar. Yeah.
00:11:53
Speaker
What about you, Lindsay? Same. I don't know if it was just because... I don't know. It was the first one and it, and don't know. It just slapped. It was good. Yeah. yeah I honestly, for me, i noticed because I have all three soundtracks saved that I will regularly go back to and listen to. I noticed the songs I listened to the most is probably this from the second and third movie.
00:12:19
Speaker
i they, they're just so good. I love them so much, but yeah, kind of going into how both the book and movie start, they kind of start similarly, but something that is super obvious and is what we have, you know, we have a 600 page spicy romance book and, you know, a one hour and 41 minute movie.
00:12:44
Speaker
All right. So they're definitely taking out Tons and tons of stuff here. a lot of what we don't see, which we are already familiar with in this entire trilogy, is... i don't really want to say emotional depth.
00:13:02
Speaker
But I mean, it's kind of like the internal conflict with the characters. you know the i want i guess kind of the emotional depth because i don't think the issues go as deep in the adaptation right as they do in the book. That's true. agree I think we missed the...
00:13:23
Speaker
i We missed the shallowness, actually, like because we didn't get it quite as much of Christian being completely unhinged and over-the-top jealous. um You know, we saw a few moments, of honestly, his behavior, like in the beginning at the topless beach, you know, when he like is like, come cover yourself up, come on, it's time to go. like His reaction in the adaptation Didn't really strike me as that bad. Was it a little annoying? Yes. Was it over the top? Eh.
00:13:56
Speaker
You know, in the book, he lost his freaking mind. He was yeah mean. He was cruel. He was yelling at her. You know, he was making more of a scene than her boobs were in the book, you know? And we didn't get we didn't get that kind of behavior, that adolescent, you know behavior that they talk about in the book.
00:14:17
Speaker
Well, even Anna's reaction to that is totally different in the adaptation versus the book. Yeah. ye Something specific about that scene that stuck with me, i think that speaks on what is so different between the book and the movie. Specifically about, you know, Christian's character. We talk about Anna's character is very different where...
00:14:40
Speaker
She's a little more like fun and funny in the movie. And we've already kind of talked about that a lot in our other episodes. But specifically with Christian's character,
00:14:52
Speaker
he it specifically on that scene. Whenever he gets upset about her doing that and having like her top off on the topless beach and then they go back and they have a con they have conversations about it over and over and over again because they do this over it because he's pouting. He's a brat.
00:15:13
Speaker
Yeah. Literally brat. And he just pouts constantly when something doesn't go his way. And he is doing that here. And then they have a conversation. And, you know, you think it's done and over with.
00:15:29
Speaker
And then they have sex. And they have this moment where he gives her hickeys all over chest in order for her to not be able to wear, like, a bikini.
00:15:45
Speaker
Because that happened. And that is like a theme throughout this story and throughout this book that the adaptation leaves out, obviously. His little petty revenges type thing. Yes, through sexual acts. He does that constantly.
00:16:03
Speaker
and And she's like, I'm your wife. Like, we're not, like, in this... I mean, she's saying that internally, but she doesn't express that to him all the time. Right, right. Which drives me insane. And then she's constantly making excuses for him.
00:16:19
Speaker
um like it's It's almost... i actually fell asleep thinking about this last night. Is that... She he gets upset anytime she calls him on his behavior and then she feels back. She's like, oh, my poor 50. I've upset him rather than like he's facing the consequences of the actions that he chose. Mm hmm.
00:16:43
Speaker
And and. He doesn't like the consequences. Suddenly she's in trouble. I've upset my poor 50. He's hurting right now because of what I said. No. He's hurting because of what he did that he knew was wrong that you reacted to because it was wrong. Yep.
00:17:02
Speaker
Oh, it made me mad through the whole book. I was watching this kind of thing. And it was just like, what is happening? what like it Seriously, that's what had me just like, oh, and it was over and over. And we've I feel like we've done this through three books now. Yes.
00:17:17
Speaker
Yeah. we We're at like page 2000 of this series and I'm done. Yeah. I was like, I feel like I'm DeLulu. Like I'm starting to become DeLulu with her. like this is crazy.
00:17:30
Speaker
But again, okay so there's no emotional development so far in this relationship. And it feels like we've been there for 10 business days, but I mean, they've only been together for like a year. so okay.
00:17:43
Speaker
at one point. And this is her first relationship. Like, we have to remember that, too. Yeah. Yeah. There's one point, I think they're on their honeymoon and they get the the pink champagne
Lack of Emotional Growth in Series
00:17:53
Speaker
again or whatever. And she's like, I remember the first time I had this with you. Well, yeah, it was two weeks ago.
00:18:00
Speaker
like what are you talking about? if you didn't remember that, I'd be disappointed. Jeez. Yeah. Yeah. And so in the book, we start off with like a lot of their honeymoon being separated from family and friends. And Anna's like thinking of the different moments of wedding preparations, but we skipped ahead of them kind of in like their honeymoon phase before coming back to reality. I think that's super important that we, they actually spend a lot of time in the book,
00:18:33
Speaker
in this moment together where where they are dealing with being together away from their reality, like a work and what they would be doing in their everyday lives. Like they're just like traveling the world together.
00:18:50
Speaker
it made me think of Love is Blind. oh yeah yeah. Yeah, exactly. That's honestly a good comparison. But like we said, they're dealing with the same controlling battles.
00:19:04
Speaker
But the book has a heavier focus and is still trying to dig deeper into Christian and his past. And Christian is still being, like we said, more controlling than ever. And they continue to butt heads like this throughout the entire book.
00:19:19
Speaker
In the movie, it goes straight to the romantic spectacle in the beginning. We open with a wedding, very fairytale vibes. The contract continues into the honeymoon and the movie smooths out the tension between...
00:19:36
Speaker
k Christian and Anna to keep the pacing and tone more lighthearted, which is kind of similar to the theme, like we said, with the rest of the adaptations. It's much more visual romance than deeper you know, into the controlling issues that we see in the book.
00:20:02
Speaker
I'm curious if we like the book or the movie more when it comes to that aspect. Lindsay, what do you think? I think I have to go with the movie on this one The movie just cuts out a lot of the the nonsense that I don't really care for. It's not helping the story. It's not doing anything. Yeah.
00:20:24
Speaker
And i I think just overall, I prefer... The Dakota Johnson Anna. Yeah, I get that. What about you, Crystal? Same.
00:20:35
Speaker
I think the movie does a really good job of trimming away the stuff that we didn't need. The stuff yeah didn't add to the story. The stuff that sometimes even took away from the story.
00:20:49
Speaker
and And really focused on their relationship. And although it wasn't the same relationship in the movie than it was in the book, it was least a relationship that we could focus on because it wasn't being we weren't being distracted by all this other stuff.
00:21:03
Speaker
Yeah.
Actor Chemistry & Character Dynamics
00:21:04
Speaker
I kind of feel Yeah. Something that I wish that was in the movie so badly is like the Dr. Flynn character, because I feel like that was such an important part, even though I kind of feel like it went away in the third book. It did. Yeah. yeah But it's such an important part into his character.
00:21:30
Speaker
i kind of hate that they took it away in the movie. Yeah. What do we think about their chemistry in the third movie? I i feel like their chemistry has been on like a roller coaster. Like between Dakota and Jamie acting as Anna and Christian. Like the first movie I was like, eh. Second movie I feel like we skyrocketed. Love the chemistry. This one I feel like it kind of like toned down a little bit. What do you guys think?
00:22:00
Speaker
I agree. Yeah. and Which is kind of meh. Yeah. i didn't I didn't... I don't feel like it wasn't there. But I didn't get like that heat, that spark, that excitement that I got from that second movie.
00:22:16
Speaker
Yeah. you know the butterflies. Yeah. it wasn't it wasn't quite It wasn't quite there. i don't know what changed between the two of them.
00:22:27
Speaker
But it just didn't didn't quite hit the same. Yeah. Yeah, I kind of feel the same about that. i I know that this was, I believe that this was filmed somewhat quickly.
00:22:40
Speaker
after the second one. But I just remember in interviews, I could almost feel like they were just, like, tired of this. You know what and mean? That's what it felt like in the movie. Yeah.
00:22:51
Speaker
I mean, honestly, I get it. I'm tired of it, too. Yeah. like I mean, I felt like you could sense that energy. yeah um They're married now.
00:23:01
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. The fun's over. The spark is already dead. and They've been married for an hour. Dang. But like we said before, something that is also like very different is Anna and Christian's just all overall general relationship progress from beginning to end.
00:23:25
Speaker
Because like we said, this book is very long, not very comparable to the movie. um We have so many moments in this book that of dealing with Christians' control issues and them having the same argument. But ah something that I noticed in this book specifically more than ever is that I always feel like Anna is in control. Like like I said, he's a brat.
00:23:59
Speaker
And i feel like the person that is actually always in control is Anna. Yep. and And specifically also in the movie, they really push that hard where she's the one that's always in control. Especially with the movie cover.
00:24:14
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. How they switch the cover where she's the one like, I think she's like lifting his shirt or something. I can't remember she's like pinning his hands or lifting his shirt. i can't remember. But yeah, she's they flipped it. Yeah. She's the one in control.
00:24:28
Speaker
Yeah. I, I think that's interesting. Yeah. But in the book, I just found Christian so obnoxious and so just regardless of what
Christian's Emotional Immaturity
00:24:46
Speaker
move he made, regardless of what move she made, it was always a problem.
00:24:53
Speaker
hmm. No matter what. It was the most exhausting relationship. And then they kept quoting their wedding vows back and forth to each other. Like, threats. Like, it was the contract. Yeah. The vows were the new contract. Mm-hmm.
00:25:08
Speaker
which And that just, come on. And remember what she said? She said that it was a huge problem that she took out the vow to obey. Honor and obey or whatever it was. Yeah. And that wasn't in the movie. They didn't include that in the movie. But like these little moments like that were included in the book.
00:25:26
Speaker
And it was just like burned into your head, into your brain. how he was just so not tolerant of like anything, you know, there was like the issue of her changing her last name at her job. And like, he would just barge cause he, I mean, i was about to say like he owned the place, but he like technically did. he did. Yeah.
00:25:51
Speaker
But it was just like, He was just such a pain in the ass. Like he freaking sucked. Apparently the scene where he shows up at her job and he like storms out of the elevator. E.L. James walks by in the background. I did. Yeah, i I couldn't find that scene again after I had read that to see if I could see her. But yeah, I did read about that. That's interesting. That's funny.
00:26:16
Speaker
but then Oh, go ahead, Crystal. Well, I think one of the things that really made me mad in the book is at one point she does safe word out. And he then turns around and like the next day and he's like, you safe worded on me. I don't like you. so You safe word. I like holds that against her. m Like, OK, how is she ever supposed to trust you or feel comfortable with?
00:26:40
Speaker
you know, being able to do that with you, if you're going to turn around and hold it against her later, that's not like, it's a safe word because she shouldn't have to feel guilty using it.
00:26:52
Speaker
You know, it's, and he makes, like, I just, i feel like the, he no matter what she did, he would give her exact instructions about this is what you do. this is what I need you to do. This is what you should do. and then when, even when she does that, he's mad.
00:27:08
Speaker
Mm-hmm. But then he kept saying, oh, I love it when you're disobedient or love it when you do your own thing. You push Yeah. You challenge me.
00:27:22
Speaker
Where? Yeah. When did you love that? Because it seems like you're yelling right now. It's the love in the room. Yeah. No, it's not. No.
00:27:33
Speaker
It is not. is that That's how he shows his love, apparently. and i was honestly sick of hearing about him being what she said that was Dr. Flynn's like diagnosis or analysis of why he is the way he is.
00:27:52
Speaker
is because like he's stuck in this like adolescence emotionally. Because he never got to experience his adolescence. Yeah, so that's why he acts this way. And i just... Why would you marry someone who's stuck in emotional adolescence? Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:14
Speaker
Like that was that not a red flag? She was like, I can fix him. Like that's how she felt. That's how she felt. And I, I was like, please run away while you can. hmm. And so on top of all like their general control issues, making it, I mean, not her control issues, his control issues.
00:28:38
Speaker
On top of all that and them dealing with that within their regular relationship, they face trials, tribulations in the book. Like our 80 subplots Lindsay was talking about earlier.
00:28:53
Speaker
Like there's one point i forget how this comes about, but He literally says, like, I have this quote here, that he says he wants to actually beat the shit out of her.
00:29:11
Speaker
Yeah. What? And that had me shocked. They go through like that this entire conversation where she's like, you think you do, but you actually don't because you had like, ah or she was talking about having like a panic attack or something. And, or she was talking about him having a panic attack about leaving marks on her or something. Mm-hmm.
00:29:43
Speaker
And she's like, you think you want to hurt me in that way, but you really don't because you had this reaction when you left marks on me before. Because his immediate reaction is like, when you do something bad, I want to like beat the crap out of you.
00:30:00
Speaker
Like he literally said that in this book. And she's like, but remember when you like handcuffed me when we had sex and my legs were up in the air and then it left marks on my ankles and wrists and you were upset about it. So that obviously means you don't want to beat the
Anna Challenging Christian's Control
00:30:17
Speaker
crap out me. Like, what are we talking about?
00:30:19
Speaker
I swear she like is, ah I didn't hate Christian as much in this book as I hated Anna because she was so stupid. She was so stupid. and and here's this, this, she's in control. Like, right. like That's obvious.
00:30:37
Speaker
And she just married a teenager, grown ass teenager. And, and then she's always like shocked at his behavior How are you shocked? i know. How are you shocked? Because she is like, she's only like 22 or something. But then she makes a million excuses for this grown ass teenager. yeah That, oh, he's just a grown ass teenager. So I have to let this go. No, he's a grown ass teenager. So you have to teach him better.
00:31:08
Speaker
and if you didn't want to be his teacher, you shouldn't have married him.
00:31:14
Speaker
You should send him back to Dr. Flynn. Grown-ass teenager is going to be my new catchphrase. I want that on a t-shirt. Because feel like that sometimes. Yeah. And I think another, this one scene that really sent me to orbit is his reaction when she goes out with her friend Kate.
00:31:33
Speaker
Oh, my God. ah We got to talk about this. Oh, my God. He, so she says that she's not going to go out because, yeah. While this is happening, you know, his control issues are skyrocketing because this Jack Hyde character that has been causing issues before is like attempting to kidnap Anna. Yeah.
00:31:58
Speaker
He's on the loose. He's on the loose. He's coming for you. kidnapper And like also like setting fire to his business and things like that. So his control issues and wanting to like keep her in a cage basically is skyrocketing because he's afraid that something's going to happen to her. So he has to go away for business and he's like ah make sure after work. good He also doesn't want her to be working. He wants her to stay stay home and like. and He's also not telling her.
00:32:28
Speaker
That this Jack dude is on the loose and he, well, that he thinks it's Jack and whatever. Yeah, but he's not telling her extra details. He's just like, you just need to listen to everything that I say regardless of what's happening around you.
00:32:42
Speaker
You don't need the details. And she kind of doesn't give a shit. So she is like, yeah, I'll stay home. Yeah, whatever. And then Kate's like, no, we should go out. We should go out, Kate, her friend.
00:32:53
Speaker
And so they do go out and he throws a freaking temper tantrum, man. Like he's calling her nonstop, freaking out about her not coming home. And then she doesn't come home till super late. And then when she gets home, Jack is like actually hiding out in the place. Yeah. Which is also a little different in the movie where he actually like grabs her. Yeah.
00:33:16
Speaker
But in the book, one of the security people. has already subdued him. Yeah. Like already had got him in the process. So she is like trying to call Christian. He's not answering the phone because he was like mad at her. And eventually it all settles down where Jack is taken away by the police.
00:33:41
Speaker
she goes to sleep and she wakes up and he's just there christian's there sitting you like at the end of the bed just pissed off like ready to like just freak out on her and like he doesn't want to get near her because he just doesn't know what he'll do this guy is a freak man like get away from this guy And she, at this point, is like, my poor 50. I must have scared him so much. Yeah.
00:34:09
Speaker
The sympathy is crazy. It's so not okay. It's just so not good. Honestly, while I was reading this, I was, like, thinking back to my younger self. I was like, girl, you obviously, your brain was not developed enough to understand that this was not okay. Mm-mm. Because you were loving this.
00:34:30
Speaker
Why? Because it's very teenage. The further we got into this series, the the more I was like, oh, yeah, this is Twilight fanfic. Yeah. yeah it It really, it just, it feels like it was written by a teenage girl with you know, dreams of what might be out there and how gritty and raw real world could, whatever. I don't know. it just is not, this is in no way whatsoever mature romance at all.
00:35:01
Speaker
They don't even mean written about older people. No, this isn't even, this is just, yeah. I feel like is straight up written for young adult adult, not young adult, teenager, like young adult, like yeah early twenties. Yeah.
00:35:18
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. But then like also at that point, his anger issues are like get even more out of control. He blames her for putting his security at risk, which is absolutely insane because his security are the ones that put themselves at risk by like bringing Jack up into the place. And she like wasn't even there at the house in the first place. Also, it's their job to be at risk. That's why there's security. Yeah, hello. And then, so after that, does, like, kind of punishes her with this whole orgasm denial situation ah whenever they do their whole thing together. And it's kind of, like, the way that he does, like, he just, like, punishes sexually, but not in the way that
00:36:12
Speaker
I guess in my opinion, I mean, what do I know? But like, in my opinion, isn't like safe or like with your partner, you know? like It's manipulation. Exactly. It is emotional abuse. Yes.
00:36:27
Speaker
Yeah. That's the exact definition of emotional abuse. And then like eventually also when she finds out that she's pregnant, in even worse reaction in the book versus...
00:36:42
Speaker
ah The movie, the movie actually tames it down times a hundred. It does. It does. He has a terrible reaction in the book and just says really nasty, terrible things, claiming that she's like got pregnant on purpose and like doing this to trap him kind of thing.
00:37:03
Speaker
hmm. And so, which is really ridiculous. Like, even, like, I kind of, like, going backwards, I'm thinking about him just being so overprotective. And, like, God forbid aunt Anna has, like, a reaction about that girl, Gia.
00:37:23
Speaker
Yeah. like Right. And he wants like Gia to help him with um like building their house and stuff. And like Gia has like a history with their like family and things like that.
00:37:34
Speaker
And he she's like making eyes at him. And, you know, if a guy was like making eyes at her, oh Maybe like gone and done. Probably dead. We don't know. And then like his whole like even before she told him that she was pregnant, we get her internal of like being afraid to tell him.
00:37:54
Speaker
Yeah. Does that, is that, like, if you're afraid to tell your partner something important, you know, this is not, I'm afraid to tell him I spent $10 Sonic today because we promised each other that we weren't going to get any more fast food. No, this is a big deal.
00:38:14
Speaker
And you are so scared to go to your husband about something like that. that that didn't That wasn't a red flag to her. She didn't at any point think to herself, oh, wow, I might not be in a healthy relationship if I can't even tell him these things, if I don't even feel safe talking to him about this.
00:38:34
Speaker
And then, of course, he just freaking... I'm sorry. That part in the book, I got so mad. I was like, girl, leave him. Leave him. Say, yes, it was about the money and get out. Because now you got the money and he did not sign the prenup.
00:38:49
Speaker
So yeah run, girl, run. There is no amount of parenting with someone like that. that like What the hell was she... And even then, she was making excuses for him. She was making a million excuses. He's just scared.
00:39:05
Speaker
but Bitch, so am I. For your health and well-being, get out of there. Yeah. And if I had to hear her say, little blip, one more time. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
00:39:18
Speaker
i can't. They repeat things so much. And let me tell you something. If I have to hear like the speaking while thrusting one more time. Oh my God. Where it's like word, period, word, period, because of the thrusting, I'm actually going to start screaming.
Dramatic Climax & Resolution
00:39:37
Speaker
ay was so over it. Oh my God. It was so bad. oh like, I'm not even saying this. Like, obviously, i love spicy books. I love spicy romance. Like, that's one of, you know, my favorite genres. I read that a lot. But there is a limit to where it's repetitive and pointless. Yeah.
00:40:07
Speaker
Yup. Oh my gosh. Okay, so we've talked a lot of crap about this book and this movie, but I want to talk about scenes that maybe stuck with us in this last book or movie that are good.
00:40:26
Speaker
Or good or bad, but just scenes scenes in general that maybe stuck with us. ah Lindsay, what about you? what did Any scenes that you actually maybe enjoyed?
00:40:38
Speaker
Oh, man. I really have to think about it. Yeah. yeah I mean, I guess it was kind of cute when they were on their honeymoon and they were actually like enjoying the honeymoon when they're like riding bikes together and like like genuinely enjoying each other's company. Because any other time it didn't seem like they even wanted to be together. Yeah.
00:40:59
Speaker
Yeah. I feel that. What about you, Crystal? um It's not in the movie, And I don't know that I liked it in the book because it was just another thing that happened that didn't add anything to the story really.
00:41:13
Speaker
um But when her dad got in an accident and she like was, you know, trying to get to the hospital as quick as she could and she didn't even have any clothes or anything with her and she gets there and she's, and Jose and Mr. Rodriguez are there and she's trying to figure out what happened. Like I got kind of choked up like as a daughter, like that,
00:41:34
Speaker
you know, a daddy's girl that hit and I got choked up. So like, I think that was kind of well done. I don't know why it was in the book though, because it, it really didn't, I don't feel like it. Another subplot that we heard subplot. And the whole time I'm like, maybe this car accident was a setup because he knew. Yeah.
00:41:55
Speaker
no no No, it was just there. Yeah. at least funies At least Christian was kind of nice and like invited her family for her birthday. and Yeah. Right. Made it a surprise. It was ah trial and tribulation to test their relationship. That's what it was.
00:42:14
Speaker
That's the plot point of it. Yeah. That's oh that's my assumption. and The fact that it wasn't driving this whole like Jack... situation that's the only reason i can think of that's why it would be there fair yep really liked the part basically i like when anna is topping from the bottom In non-sexual ways and in sexual ways. I love when she's doing that. I like when Anna is driving the car to get away from whoever they're being chased by.
00:42:57
Speaker
the unsub. Yeah, the unsub. I think that that part was so fun. Like Christian's like, yeah, you could drive this time. And then she starts driving and then all of a sudden they realize that they're being followed and he's like, you got to get rid of them. And I really liked this in both the book and the movie. I think in the movie they make it super fun.
00:43:19
Speaker
But also in the movie, I freaking was cracking up when they're like, this is the picture of the lady driving. And she's just like this. Yeah. She's like this. Just sitting there. Driving a. In the driver's seat. yeah Looking like mannequin.
00:43:34
Speaker
a mannequin It was really funny. I also love like something I really love in romance books is like non-sexual foreplay and something that a scene in here that I really love is the haircutting scene.
Final Thoughts & Medium Preferences
00:43:52
Speaker
That is so good. I've read a scene like that in a couple other romance books that is specifically a haircutting scene, which is really strange. That's like a thing, like a trope, I guess, that you could see in romance books. But it's so, like, intimate without being sexual and things like that I love. And I'm like, those are the types of things that you can put...
00:44:19
Speaker
And where it almost feels spicy or something because it's so intimate and there's tension there without, you don't need to include another sex scene. Right. Because this, like the tension, it's sexy with the way that you're writing this.
00:44:37
Speaker
And I was like, this is the kind of stuff I love. Like I love including something like this. Speaking of like other scenes that weren't included because we talked about Ray's accident.
00:44:49
Speaker
We didn't have a... li Is it Layla or Leela? ah In the movie they said Leela, but the audiobook narrator says Layla. Yeah. Okay. I'll say Layla.
00:45:02
Speaker
Layla has another encounter with Anna in the book that's not included in the movie. She comes back to visit Anna at work.
00:45:14
Speaker
which I think is very strange. ah Basically, you think to like thank her or apologize or something, but she's mostly to talk to Christian and see Christian again. Also bringing another person that he also was kind of in like submissive Dom relationship with at the her place of work as well, which was very strange.
00:45:43
Speaker
But she like, it's really funny because he gets really mad that she's there, which I can honestly, this is the only time I kind of understood why he was mad that she was there because I mean, she did try to shoot his wife. And and they and they already know that Jack is potentially working with a woman. Yeah.
00:46:05
Speaker
Like there he has an accomplice and it's probably a woman. And here's someone who already tried to shoot you. yeah Like, I would be kind of upset that you're, like, meeting with her. I don't know that I would storm across town the way he did. No. But you better believe I'd be sending in Sawyer and Taylor and whatever other security press we got. Like, they're all gonna go and they're all getting her out of there. Also, Anna complains about Prescott.
00:46:35
Speaker
talking about how she doesn't like her. And then she gets fired. And Anna's like, oh my God, I feel so bad. Prescott. And then you, you don't hear anything else about her. Yep. That's true. But you didn't try to get her job back if you felt so bad. just realized that you really don't hear anything else. No, because I kept looking for it because she felt so bad.
00:46:56
Speaker
yeah But then... like Okay. That's weird. Also, another scene that kind of made me laugh was...
00:47:08
Speaker
him i don't know why he's just feels corny to me like christian in general like i think because i just don't like him so much everything he does when everyone's like oh he look he's like doing this that means he's like you know he's has feelings now i'm like no i am singing him singing sent me to i love that you knew I love that you immediately knew. yeah You know what? In the movie, whenever he's singing and his sister like comes and sees him and she's like, oh my gosh, he's singing. I felt like that Camp Rock meme where she looks and she's like, she's really good.
00:47:49
Speaker
yes that's so exactly what that is know what i feel i was like oh my i was like rolling my eyes to the sky and like oh yeah my god this was freaking guy so cheesy it's like when the bar is so low and they like do one little thing and everyone's like yeah Exactly. Exactly.
Conclusion & Future Series Tease
00:48:10
Speaker
That's how it felt.
00:48:12
Speaker
Boo. Shame. Booing from the balcony. That's what I would do, honestly. oh my gosh. Just roasting him. This is what this podcast has turned into. Just roasting this couple.
00:48:27
Speaker
constantly like the hill that we've gone down is like at the beginning we're like okay like this is fine and we just immediately nosedive this entire series we were expecting development there was none no ah All right, let's talk about the ending. ah The end of both the book and the movie is so dramatic. So, so dramatic. Christian and Anna are fighting because he finds out she's pregnant, like we said before. And he is just like, I want do all to myself right now. And he is freaking shook.
00:49:06
Speaker
um He also ran off to Elena, Mrs. Robinson, to confide in. So their relationship is rocky at the moment. A big difference also in the book and movie.
00:49:17
Speaker
The movie, like, yeah, he ran off to Elena and she finds out through, like, a text message and stuff. And, you know... They have a big fight over it, obviously, understandably, because they, if we remember from the previous book, you know, she tried to get in between their relationship and she was a big problem for many reasons.
00:49:43
Speaker
And, but in the book, we actually find out that that night that he went to confide in her, Mrs. Robinson actually like tried to like come on to him um as well, but that's not in the movie.
00:49:55
Speaker
But at this At the end, so their relationship is kind of rocky, ah Jack Hyde calls and is like, I have Mia, so give me $5 million. dollars And don't tell anyone you're coming to see me.
00:50:10
Speaker
And Anna, in true Anna fashion, is like, whatever you say. Okay. I'm just like, okay, well, what's going happen if, like like, honestly, on a real note, like, what is to happen if...
00:50:23
Speaker
If you tell if you tell someone Taylor standing behind you or Sawyer or whoever the hell it was. Yeah. Like, I have Jack Hyde on the line. Jack Hyde on line one. It's him. It's him. He wants $5 million. dollars Yeah, like $5 million. That's exactly what I was
00:50:50
Speaker
So Anna has to get the money and Christian thinks she's doing it because she wants to leave him. Because obviously his mind is immediately going there, which has been his biggest fear all along. But then he catches on quickly that something is up. I actually kind of like this more in the movie where um he's like on the phone with the bank and he finds out like he notices immediately. Like he's like, you know, what's going on?
00:51:19
Speaker
Like, why are you taking out this giant sum of money? And she's like kind of not really answering. And then he's like, put the person on the phone at the bank.
00:51:30
Speaker
And she's he's like, give them give her whatever she needs. And then he tells Taylor, Anna's in trouble. We got to figure out what's going on in the book. It's like slower and it's like misunderstanding feelings, miscommunication vibes where she's like, I guess I'm leaving.
00:51:50
Speaker
yeah this is what I have to do. And like she's like, I'm like, oh, my God, let's not do this again. Yeah. Let's not do this again. yeah Let's not do it again. i can't deal.
00:52:03
Speaker
like the last third conflict. I was really hoping that she like would just at that point leave him. She's like, actually, that's not a bad idea. Opportunity to go. Right.
00:52:18
Speaker
You're on my debt. Yeah. Thanks. So Anna takes the money to Jack. um the work The woman working with Jack is Liz, someone who's being blackmailed um by him. The lady driving the car that's the mannequin. The mannequin.
00:52:34
Speaker
So Anna shoots Jack. It's like all over in like two seconds because Christian tracks her down immediately.
00:52:45
Speaker
The story wraps up where they have a moment of Christian being worried about her and the baby and the hospital, you know, and then eventually, you know, they come together, have their conversation with the like, yes, we're going to be a family, blah, blah, blah. blah And then we have like an epilogue of them together. But it's like a 50 page epilogue. What the hell? Yeah. It's a long, very long drawn out epilogue. But let me tell you something.
00:53:15
Speaker
Something I hate about this movie is that it was making me cry at the end.
00:53:23
Speaker
That little montage made me cry. And that's how long they had been together. They summarized their entire relationship in five minutes. i'm Not even. not I think it was like a one one minute, 30 seconds. 90 second montage. i had like will I had a little bit of tears in my eyes at the montage at the end because I was like, wow, we went through this whole journey. It was a lovely montage. It was lovely. They play that that one song. Yeah. They played the song. that It's like, did they play Love Me Like You Do? Is that what it was? Yeah, they played that and then like a little montage of the trilogy at the end.
00:54:00
Speaker
It was cute. Yeah. i was like, oh, we've been here this whole time. that's our whole podcast together watching this did you see the the end credit scene which wine honestly i just made that off i didn't know there was one i was just trying to catch carrie i didn't see it because i was glad to turn the movie off which one the post-credit scene of anna and christian with their son and she's okay yes yes i did see that i didn't because i was grateful to turn it off
00:54:32
Speaker
Okay, good. I did see that. I did see that. I was scared. I didn't i missed it. i did. Because I do that a lot.
00:54:43
Speaker
All right. So let's talk about our final verdicts. Crystal, what about you? Final verdict of the... Let's do final verdict of the last book. The one that we did just now.
00:54:58
Speaker
Versus the movie. And then let's do a final verdict of overall book series, movie series. Okay. um Of the last book and the last movie, movie. Okay. Because it was shorter. Okay.
00:55:14
Speaker
Of the overall series. Yeah. Movies. Because they're shorter. That's it. ah okay All right. Lindsay? Yeah. Last one.
00:55:26
Speaker
Book and movie. I'm going movie. Because I like that Anna better. And book series versus movie series. I'm going movie. Because I like that Anna better. Okay. Makes sense.
00:55:40
Speaker
For this one in particular. I'm actually going to go. book I, because i was entertained a little more by all the subplots. I don't like that they took out so much for the movie. I thought those were actually kind of good. i actually found them pretty good. I really thought the chemistry in this last movie was really bad. Like, I thought it went downhill and it wasn't as good. And I thought...
00:56:14
Speaker
That the corniness was at its max on this last movie. It really was. Versus the other two. You were just like, any plot that isn't Anna and Christian is a good plot. Yeah. Yep. Yep.
00:56:28
Speaker
So i kind of like the book a little more. But overall, book series versus the entire trilogy as a movie, I'm going to say movie trilogy i liked more than the book trilogy.
00:56:44
Speaker
So now that I can't believe we finished that entire trilogy. That's insane. Thank God. Yeah, that's crazy. So now let's get into our question of the episode.
00:56:56
Speaker
What is something you thought was romantic when you were younger, but now you see totally differently? i want to start with Crystal. I don't know if I thought it was romantic or if I just thought it was like kind of hot, like having a new car, having new shiny truck, like something new. You know, that was always like exciting to date somebody with a new car, a new truck or whatever.
00:57:23
Speaker
ah Now, like give me an old but well-maintained Ford Taurus and I'm excited. Like, I don't know. it's It's just something like, I guess when I was younger, like you got enough money to get something this nice was very exciting.
00:57:39
Speaker
But now that I'm older, like show me that you can take care of something. Show me that you have the patience and the knowledge and the forethought to take care of something.
00:57:51
Speaker
That's what I want to see. Okay. What about you, Lindsay? I think like the um overly protective and the jealous stuff. It's like, oh my God, he cares so much. And I'm just like, oh, that's so gross. y Get it away from me. Yeah.
00:58:10
Speaker
I think the like someone changing for someone else. Yeah. yeah It feels like like like the he changes for her. Like he changed for her or he changed for me.
00:58:25
Speaker
It feels like too much pressure. and i just know that it won't last. Like it never lasts unless you want to change for yourself.
00:58:36
Speaker
Yep. And not for another person. So like, I know that that was attractive when I was younger. Like he changed for me. Like he did all this stuff for me. He's different because of me. Like, no, that doesn't last unless they want to do it for themselves. Yeah.
00:58:54
Speaker
and that And when they want to do it for themselves, it is 20 times more attractive. Absolutely. And that has always stuck with me since I've gotten older.
00:59:05
Speaker
So that brings us to the end of today's episode and the Fifty Shades trilogy. or does it?
00:59:16
Speaker
ah but Just kidding. Because i can't believe we're doing this. Next week... We have a very special episode where we're diving back into the entire trilogy again. Again. This time from Christian's perspective so you don't have to suffer.
00:59:39
Speaker
Trust us. You're not going want to miss this. If you enjoyed following along as we covered this series from beginning to end, make sure to follow the podcast on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode and let us know which series you want us to tackle next.
00:59:56
Speaker
If you're feeling extra supportive, leave us a rating, a review. it really helps us grow and reach more listeners like you. Thanks so much for listening. And remember, never forget your safe words.
01:00:13
Speaker
We'll see you in the next chapter Based on a Book.