What is it about Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys?

…our job today, and of course, tonight, is to figure out what it is.

Obviously that headline is imperfect and if I were doing the homage to There’s Something About Mary properly, it would read ‘There’s Something about Keri.’ But – even though Keri Russell has had an incredible second act to her career, one that’s extra satisfying given the amount of ingenue energy she had surrounding her circa Felicity, and even though her seemingly endless string of acting nominations, from The Americans through The Diplomat gives clear support to her talent standing on it’s own – this isn’t about Keri Russell and how much people like her.

Nor is it about Matthew Rhys, even though Widow’s Bay is all but guaranteed to clean up at the Emmys tonight, and even though with each new interview and (presumed, speculated) acceptance speech will shock and delight people who didn’t know the man was Welsh and whose affections will be ignited anew.

There’s something about the alchemy of them together, right? Like, first we have to look at the pictures below where they’re kissing… in public… and acknowledge that part of what we’re all into is the, um… well. Let’s be for real. Their obvious physical attraction to each other is clearly one reason we keep watching – I’m still not over that one Variety shot where he uses his jean jacket to hide her face while they kiss. But I think it’s not just garden-variety perviness that makes Keri & Matthew such an attraction. Tell me if I’m going too far here…

I think it’s more to do with the fact that every time they’re on the carpet together, they’re more interested in each other than in the media circus itself, and that’s what’s so attractive. Like by virtue of being into the work, and into each other, and presumably into their lives and kids and etc, they don’t have a lot of leftover energy to care about the interview. Like they do in the sense of promoting the work, but being happy at home makes them less thirsty for the carpet, which in turn makes them endearing to us because they’re treating the whole thing with detached amusement rather than overzealous ‘media moments’?

Is this too much? Because I’ve been thinking about it and there have been couples where we’ve been into them and couples where we’re into the work but the combination of both is giving a real less is more kind of feel, you know?

With any luck tonight’s carpet will allow me to flesh out this theory. Meet you back on The Squawk and Substack tonight!

Until then, what else is happening…

People have been discussing TIFF films all weekend but Caleb Hearon’s Trash Mountain is the one that’s made them all burst into smiles (Pajiba)

Maggie Gyllenhaal is channeling Anne Shirley, and if you don’t know what I mean by that, you’re about to be delighted (Go Fug Yourself)

If I’m honest, I tend to think the general periodic interest in tennis seems kind of performative or only-because-celebs care, but that could just be because I was raised by a tennis fan and it never made sense to me. But then I see headlines about tennis players behaving like this and I remember it’s also because they don’t adhere to media training and it makes them more interesting. (Celebitchy)

Lady Gaga’s baby has arrived! But while celebs not announcing name or sex is now commonplace (and honestly, I’m down) I feel like she’s going to want us to know…eventually (Entertainment Weekly)

Also attached - Keri and Matthew arriving in LA on the weekend.