the trip ending

The Trip Ending, Explained

‘The Trip’ (original title: ‘I onde dager’) is a Norwegian action thriller that follows married couple Lisa and Lars on a weekend getaway to their cabin. Unbeknownst to either, they both harbor plans for killing their spouse and attempt to put them in play once they arrive at the cabin. When three escaped convicts get added to the mix, all manner of violent chaos ensues.

The couple finds themselves alternatively bickering with each other while also fighting for their lives, making the whole affair a tongue-in-cheek mix of sinister violence and dark humor. The film’s ending doubles down on its satirical tone and closes things in an unexpected way. If you think you missed some of the details from the film’s finale, here is ‘The Trip’ ending, explained. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Trip Plot Synopsis

The film opens by introducing us to television director Lars, who specializes in making cheesy soap operas. After being rebuked by his war veteran father for being soft and spoiled, Lars begins to pack for a weekend trip with his wife, Lisa. Before leaving, he also visits a hardware store and purchases a hammer, rope, and a saw, and hides them in his car. En route to their cabin in the woods, the couple argues briefly and eventually settles into a tense silence.

At the cabin, the two set things up and begin to cook dinner. Their attitudes tell us that they’ve been married a long time, but constant bickering also points towards deeper issues in their relationship. After a game of scrabble, over which they once again argue, Lisa goes to bed while Lars finishes his drink.

The next morning Lars collects rocks in a bag and leaves them on a boat. He then retrieves his new hammer and attempts to kill Lisa with it only to have her electrocute him first. When he comes around, Lars finds himself tied to a chair sitting across from Lisa. She laughs at his simple plan and outlines her own plot to make Lars’ death seem like a hunting accident. In the ensuing argument, the husband blames his wife for being unfaithful, while the latter retorts by saying that Lars has ruined them financially because of his gambling addiction. Just as Lisa is about to shoot Lars, she is attacked from behind by their simpleton gardener Viktor.

A scuffle eventually ensues in which Victor is killed, and the husband and wife fight for control of the gun. A shot is accidentally fired into the roof, which collapses to expose three men hiding in the attic. It is then revealed that the three men — Roy, Petter, and Dave — are escaped convicts that took shelter in the cabin hours before Lars and Lisa arrived. Now, they hold the couple hostage and threaten to kill them.

The Trip Ending: Are Lars and Lisa Dead or Alive?

Lisa eventually convinces the convicts to let them live until she can go to the bank the following day to get them the money. Tied and held hostage in the basement, the two are eventually able to overpower Roy and escape the house. A game of cat and mouse ensues between the convicts and the couple, and Roy is killed. At one point, when things seem hopeless for Lars, his father surprises them by arriving at the cabin and holds the convicts at bay. After a final showdown on their boat, Lars and Lisa are able to kill off Petter and return to their cabin.

That evening, the two sit together, and Lars mentions how all their financial problems still exist. However, Lisa seemingly has an idea, and we next see the couple on the news, animatedly recounting their life-threatening experience. They are subsequently featured on talk shows, and the film closes with scenes from the production of a movie based on their encounter with the convicts.

Hence, Lars and Lisa come out bruised, battered, but alive at the end. One of the film’s main gimmicks is to repeatedly put the central characters in situations where their death seems imminent, and so, on multiple occasions, it looks like either Lars or Lisa is about to die. Particularly memorable is the scene where Petter tries to push the husband’s face in the running blades of a lawnmower for want of murdering someone creatively for once.

However, the couple is able to overcome insurmountable odds repeatedly and lives to tell the tale, literally. Lars and Lisa seemingly benefit from being attacked by the convicts as their story of surviving the brutal crime catapults them to fame. Since no one can crosscheck their narrative, the two bend the facts of the tale to their benefit. In the film subsequently made based on their story, Lisa gets the lead role of herself and, though not mentioned, it seems like Lars is directing. Therefore, the husband and wife survive the ordeal and unexpectedly come out significantly better off because of it.

What Happens to Roy, Petter, and Dave?

The three hardened criminals that escape from prison and take shelter in Lars and Lisa’s cabin initially have the upper hand once they capture the couple. However, the film thrives on turning tables, and one by one, though completely outmatched, Lars and Lisa take down the convicts. Roy is the first to die when a shotgun accidentally goes off and splatters his head on a window. Dave is then shot in the leg by Lars’ father and killed by Lars as he tries to bandage his shattered leg.

Petter is the hardest to kill, and despite being stabbed with a pitchfork and run over by a car, he continues to hold Lisa hostage in order to get the money she promised him. Eventually, Petter’s arm is severed when Lars pushes him into the engine of their speedboat, and he is pushed overboard. The stones that Lars initially intended to use to drown his wife’s corpse are strung around Petter’s neck, and he is dragged down to a watery death.

Why Do Lars and Lisa Want to Kill Each Other?

Soon after they arrive at the cabin, it is revealed that Lars and Lisa want to kill each other. Both have formulated plans and alibis for their crimes but have failed to account for the other attempting something similar. As they hold each other hostage at gunpoint, their arguments reveal why they want to go to such drastic lengths.

Lars initially claims he is motivated by Lisa’s infidelity, but it is eventually revealed that he is interested in her life insurance payout. On the other hand, Lisa blames Lars for fettering away all their money on gambling and claims to want freedom from him. However, it is revealed that she, too, is after her husband’s life insurance.

Hence, in keeping with the film’s tone of dark humor, it is revealed that both husband and wife are equally selfish and want to kill their partner to get their life insurance payout. However, their ordeal, and the unexpected windfall that comes with it, seem to have solved their financial and marital problems, at least for the time being.

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The Trip: Recap and Ending Explained

• Aziza Larasati
• November 15, 2022

What happens when two troubled spouses are going on a trip and planned to kill each other, only to find out that there are intruders in their house who are trying to kill them? That’s pretty much what The Trip is all about.

The Trip (the original title called I Onde Dager ) is Norwegian thriller movie on Netflix ( Windfall ) which was released on October 8, 2021, and was launched globally on October 15, 2021. Slightly inspired by the movie in 2005 Mr. & Mrs. Smith (which starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), The Trip follows the story of a dysfunctional couple who planned to kill each other.

Although The Trip is designated as a thriller and gory kind of movie, it also includes dark humor in it. The husband and wife have a movie industry background. Both of them are trying to work it out on their marriage, or maybe just give up and just want to kill each other.

Tommy Wirkola serves as the director of the movie. He also writes the screenplay, alongside Nick Ball and John Niven. The movie runs with the duration of around 1 hour and 53 minutes.

This Norwegian movie receives a quite positive review from critics and its audiences. Rotten Tomatoes gives it 91% critics’ review and 68% audience score. Meanwhile, IMDB gives it 6.9 out of 10 scores. The positive feedbacks are all thanks to the great performance by the actors, the brilliant dark comedy, combined with thriller and suspense.

The Trip stars Noomi Rapace as Lisa, Aksel Hennie as Lars, Atle Antonsen as Petter, and Christian Rubeck as Dave. There are also Andre Eriksen as Roy, Nils Ole Oftebro as Mikkel, among many others.

So how is the recap of the plot and how does The Trip end? Read more to find out, but we have to warn you that it will contain * major spoilers *.

The Trip: The Plot Summary

This Norwegian movie is a dark comedy thriller that revolves around a married couple named Lisa and Lars, who both of them are having a movie industry background—but not so successful ones. Lisa is an actress and Lars is a director, although both of them are struggling so hard with their careers.

Their relationship is in trouble due to financial hardship, and that Lars accused Lisa to cheat on him with a guy named Diego. They decided to go on a trip to a cabin, as they secretly planned to kill each other.

However, their plans are ruined, after three prisoners named Petter, Dave, and Roy, turn out has intruded to their cabin after escaped the prison. The three of them then take Lisa and Lars hostage.

Dave then threatens that he will rape Lars. To save him, Lisa says that she will give the prisoners a large amount of money, as long as they release both of them.

Agree with that, the prisoners put Lisa and Lars in the basement, while they are enjoying the cabin. In the basement, Lisa and Lars are reflecting on their marriage—and probably planning for an escape plan.

Lars then asks Roy to let him go to the toilet. However, when he gets out of the toilet, he hits Roy in the head with billiard balls and runs away. Lisa also managed to let herself go. However, as she tries to find the car keys, Roy catches her. Lars also comes to fight Roy, and eventually Lars shoots Roy in the head.

The Trip: How Does It End?

At the end of the movie, we can see that Lisa and Lars are failed miserably to run away from the two prisoners left. Dave is going to slit Lisa’s throat, while Petter is going to throw Lars into some kind of lawn mower. That’s when a help comes, which is Lars’ father, Mikkel.

Mikkel hits Petter with a car and shoots Dave in the leg, although Petter then stabs Mikkel from the back. Mikkel then dies on a hammock.

Petter brings Lisa to the boat to go away, while Lars is killing Dave and goes after the boat. On the boat, Lisa and Lars are trying to fight Petter, and pushes his hand to the boat’s engine which destroys his arms.

After saying that Petter has no longer add value, Lars and Lisa throws Petter to the water. Lars is almost drowned to the water as well, however Lisa decides to save him.

After the incident, they are trying to sell the story and make it into a movie in order to gain money out of it and be famous in their career—which they did.

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‘The Trip’ Review: With This Gun, I Thee Shoot

In this Norwegian thriller on Netflix, a murderous couple get more bloodshed than they bargained for.

• Share full article

By Lena Wilson

Most people don’t prepare for getaways with their spouses by buying a hammer, a hacksaw, duct tape and rope — but Lars (Aksel Hennie) is not most people, and “The Trip,” directed by Tommy Wirkola, is not most movies. Its initial premise is this: Lars has planned to murder his wife, Lisa (Noomi Rapace), during their holiday, but he’s thwarted when it turns out Lisa has been preparing to do away with him on the very same trip. Unfortunately, while that concept promises a fun, agile thriller, “The Trip” all too quickly descends into a juvenile, nihilistic mess.

Lars and Lisa’s mutual blood bath turns into a group affair when some unexpected outsiders, including the escaped convicts Dave (Christian Rubeck), Roy (Andre Eriksen) and Petter (Atle Antonsen), coincidentally join the fray. Each actor gamely tackles the ensuing violence and emotional turbulence, and Rapace is particularly excellent at juggling the two. The film reveals its many surprises through flashbacks, sharp editing and an absurd script clearly aiming for irreverence.

But “The Trip” upsets its own tenuous balance of darkness and drollery, grasping at tasteless material about genitals and poop, though its basic premise is much smarter — and perfectly delightful — on its own. Such artlessness turns what could be a quick, jaunty movie into a slog. By the end of a protracted attempted rape sequence, I was dismayed to discover that I was only halfway through its two-hour duration.

“The Trip” is occasionally fun, but other films have handled gleeful gore and psychological torture with a far more skillful touch. The film pays clear homage to Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games,” a whip-smart commentary on cinematic violence. It doesn’t do itself any favors by inviting that comparison.

The Trip Not rated. In Norwegian, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 53 minutes. Watch on Netflix.

Lena Wilson is a project manager at The New York Times and a freelance writer covering film, TV, technology and lesbian culture. More about Lena Wilson

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Home » Streaming Service » Netflix

The Trip (2021) review – a tale of murder turns to a tale of survival

The review of the Netflix film The Trip (2021) does not contain any spoilers.

The initial premise of Netflix’s Norwegian dark comedy/thriller The Trip involves an unhappily married couple, Lisa (Noomi Rapace) and Lars (Aksel Hennie), who after a period of financial difficulty, have both decided to go for a weekend trip to their family cabin. The only issue is that each of them intends to murder the other. But little are they aware of the other dangers that are harboring in the cabin.

Naturally, with this kind of plot, initial comparisons will be made towards Mr. & Mrs. Smith . Both have troubled marriages, silly lines of dialogue, and the daft nature of story progression. The Trip , however, has a much darker undertone that surprisingly blends with the slapstick moments that occur throughout. And, of course, whilst watching Lisa and Lars, you can’t help but compare them to Joe and Love from You . Which isn’t a good thing. Unlike the mentioned series, this film has a fairly predictable end with very few shocks along the way. 

The biggest strength of this film is the acting. Noomi Rapace and Aksel Hennie perform well in their roles. As a result, the love-hate relationship that they share is believable to watch. If you want to see more of them, watch Aksel in Headhunters and watch Rapace in a number of brilliant films that include The Girl franchise and What Happened to Monday.

Their superb acting is one of the main reasons to sit through the disastrous beginning. It’s silly, uninteresting, and out of place with the rest of the film. The only benefit to such a horrid start is that the film can only get better from there. Which it does, thankfully. The ending is decent enough, which after dealing with the main problem, brings it all back to the troubles faced in Lisa and Lars’s marriage. 

With the release of The Trip coinciding with You Season 3 , it may at first force the film into the shadows of Netflix releases. But whatever it is that you decide to do, do not watch this film dubbed. It’ll ruin it.

What did you think of the Netflix film The Trip (2021)? Comment below. 

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

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Norwegian Film 'The Trip' On Netflix: Plot, Ending Explained

The movie follows a dysfunctional couple who are intent on ending the marriage by killing each other.

By Anusha J

October 18, 2021.

The new Norwegian horror-comedy, The Trip or I onde dager , is now streaming on Netflix. The movie follows a dysfunctional couple who are intent on ending the marriage by killing each other. For this, they head to a remote cabin in the guise to reconnect. Before they can carry out their plans, unexpected visitors arrive and they now come face to face with greater danger. The film is directed by Tommy Wirkola and stars Noomi Rapace ( The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Lamb ), Aksel Hennie ( The Martian, Headhunters ), Atle Antonsen ( Etaten , Team Antonsen .)

The film starts off slow but quickly picks up steam to include a lot of action, gore, and also comedy. Here's what you can expect from the film, spoilers included.

' The Trip ' Synopsis

Lars and Lisa are a married couple with their own sets of problems. Lars is a director who is known for making cheesy soap operas. Lisa is a struggling actress. Lars' father, Mikkel, berates Lars for his career choices and humiliates him. He informs his dad that he and Lisa are off on a weekend retreat and leaves. He then goes to a hardware store and picks up a hammer and saw before going home. The couple then leaves to go to the cabin in the woods where they will spend their weekend.

In the car, the two argue with each other which makes it clear that they do not have the healthiest relationship with each other. The following day, Lars tries to kill Lisa with the hammer he had purchased. But Lisa is quick to tase him before he can attack her. He then wakes up tied to a chair as Lisa laughs at his simple idea to kill her. It soon becomes clear that the couple was planning on killing each other over the weekend to free themselves from the marriage (and get their significant other's insurance money.) Lisa had planned the murder so it would look like a hunting accident. But before she can shoot, their gardener, Viktor attacks Lisa.

The Other Occupants of the Cabin

When Viktor attacks Lisa a scuffle ensues and Viktor is killed and the gun accidentally also shoots at the roof of the cabin. The roof collapses to reveal three other people who were living in the attic of the cabin. These three people, Roy, Petter, and Dave, turn out to be escaped convicts who decide to take the couple hostage in return for money. Lars and Lisa try to outsmart the criminals and in the process kill one of them. They are given a brief respite when Mikkel arrives and saves Lars from being beheaded. But Mikkel falls prey to Petter who stabs him as Lars and Lisa try to run away.

Lars asks Lisa to go to his boat and escape while he decides to avenge his father's death and shoots and kills Dave. Before Mikkel dies, he is proud of his son. He then goes to Lisa and his boat where Petter has her hostage. Another scuffle takes place and the couple manages to drown Petter. Even though Lisa could have killed Lars in the process, she decides not to do so.

' The Trip ' Ending Explained: Fortunes Are Turned Around

After their multiple near-death experiences, the couple returns to the cabin and the reality of their financial situation. That is when Lisa comes up with a way to change their life. They decide to share their run-in with the escaped convicts with the media. They bend the story to their benefit since no one else can corroborate their version. Their story becomes sensational. The couple gets invited to talk shows and even ends up with a movie deal. Lisa gets the lead role and Lars gets to direct it. Their financial situation as well as their relationship with each other improves after the eventful weekend at the cabin.

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A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to reconnect, but each has intentions to kill the other. Before they can carry out their plans, unexpected visitors arrive and they face a great... Read all A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to reconnect, but each has intentions to kill the other. Before they can carry out their plans, unexpected visitors arrive and they face a greater danger. A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to reconnect, but each has intentions to kill the other. Before they can carry out their plans, unexpected visitors arrive and they face a greater danger.

• Tommy Wirkola
• Noomi Rapace
• Aksel Hennie
• Atle Antonsen
• 196 User reviews
• 67 Critic reviews
• 1 win & 2 nominations

• Liksom - Lars

• Liksom - Petter

• Liksom - Roy

• Liksom - Dave

• Self - Programleder
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Roy has a dead snow tattoo
• Goofs When Viktor is killed, you see 2 perfect fingers on the hand that was completely shot off before.
• Soundtracks Har det på Tunga Performed by Dum Dum Boys Written by Kjartan Kristiansen

User reviews 196

• paul_haakonsen
• Oct 27, 2021
• How long is The Trip? Powered by Alexa
• October 15, 2021 (United States)
• Cặp Đôi Sát Ý
• Harestua, Norway (location)
• 74 Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 1 hour 53 minutes

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Trip’ on Netflix, a Bleak Comedy That Elevates Marital Discord to a Bloody New Level

Where to stream:.

• The Trip (2021)

• noomi rapace

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Netflix’s The Trip is — well, I was going to give the usual spiel about it being a Norwegian black comedy-slash-thriller starring Noomi Rapace ( The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo , Prometheus ) and directed by Tommy Wirkola of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters fame, but I’m just gonna cut to the chase and say it’s some sick shit. And as most sick shit goes, its smooth-as-guts-in-a-blender-set-on-puree mix of yucks and yuks is very much a take-it-or-leave-it affair.

THE TRIP : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: For some reason, The Trip doesn’t open with a crazy scene that’s on the precarious lip of a suspenseful cliff before flashing back to the beginning — it just opens at the beginning. How very novel! So, a husband and wife sit in bed arguing and the conversation gets pretty nutty and out there and, as we suspected, they’re just actors on the set of a soap opera. Lars (Aksel Hennie) is the director. He chitchats with a co-worker about how he and his wife are going up to the cabin this weekend and he stresses repeatedly how she wants to go on a long hike into the mountains, and isn’t that dangerous? On his way home, he stops to visit his dad at the nursing home so the old man can question his manhood. Then he goes to the hardware emporium for a hammer, a hacksaw, some rope and duct tape — you know, the Serial Killer Special, $49.95.

He picks up Lisa (Rapace), and the bickering starts immediately. Needling. Irritation. Teensy little digs. Death by 1,000 cuts on both sides. Their professional lives are lousy and the poison’s bled into their personal lives. They get to the cabin and as he unloads his collection of suspicious tools, the camera lingers on a cabinet full of shotguns, and as she mills about the kitchen, the camera gets a lensful of butcher and bread knives. Why? No reason. Just the usual stuff you’d find in a cabin in the Norwegian forest where you might go hunting and then need to cut up the animal you killed.

Lars and Lisa drive each other nuts cooking and eating dinner, and before bed they play a game of Scrabble that only further sledgehammers the wedge between them. The next day, we follow Lars as he fetches the hammer from the basement and heads to the kitchen for two belts of booze, and the camera angle for this shot is canted, oh so very canted. He sneaks up behind Lisa and before he can ballpeen a hole in her skull she quickly turns around and tases him. It’s probably safe to say that marital counseling would be pointless at this stage of their relationship.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The War of the Røsens ! (Yeah, I know, Røsen is Swedish, not Norwegian. Just give me this one!)

Performance Worth Watching: Rapace and Hennie are equally excellent at playing shitty people, pairing nicely like fava beans with a nice Chianti.

Memorable Dialogue: Lars gets in the nastiest dig ever (decontextualized to avoid a spoiler): “Maybe you’ll be satisfied now.”

Sex and Skin: None, but be warned, there are disturbing scenes of sexual assault.

Our Take: …Then again, Lars and Lisa do seem to finally be on the same page, homicidal though it may be, so loll that sweet and sticky caramel-flavored irony around in your mouth for a minute there. The revelation that they want to kill each other in the most literal fashion comes at the 21-minute mark of a 114-minute movie, so it’s not a spoiler to say things escalate from there, via a game of one-upspersonship that goes from cold to violent to utterly ruthless to extremely violent to repulsive to even more extremely violent to thoroughly complicated to flat-out gory as hell. And yes, other characters get involved, lest it get too repetitive. If you can hang with it through its demented twists and turns — no guarantees, love it or hate it, no deposit no return, mileage may vary, etc. — it’ll be to see what resolution Wirkola and co-screenwriters Nick Ball and John Niven came up with, and not because you root for any of these people, who are, at best, poor examples of the human species.

So I guess that means The Trip exists in the satire realm, where marital discord is depicted with immense exaggeration and grotesque homicidal impulses are rendered in rich, bloody reds. One wonders if Lars and Lisa find this elevation of confrontation therapeutic, going from passive-aggressive to insanely aggressive, dropping the sniper rifles for a knife fight, sometimes not at all in a metaphorical fashion. Wirkola occasionally crosses the line between bad taste (which is good; think John Waters) and tastelessness (which is bad; think R-rated Adam Sandler vehicles), spending the majority of the budget on burst blood vessels in eyes and viscous strings of various bodily fluids drooling from mouths and hamburgered knees and innards turned into out-ards — total gorebuckets, more splatter than two or three of those wussy middling slasher movies they make for eight-year-olds these days, he said, nudge wink grain of salt.

Anyway, the movie adheres to the cliche that all is fair in love and war. It’s amusing and irreverent, bleak and repulsive — and therefore an exercise in cognitive dissonance, I guess. It’s definitely conceived more in sickness than in health. For better or worse. ’Til death by disembowelment or shotgun do we part. I’m gonna stop there.

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Trip is far from great, and at its best, it’s barely good. But it inspires a few choking laughs, it’s challenging in its unpleasantness, and it’s likely to satisfy any iron stomachs who are up to the task.

Will you stream or skip the Noomi Rapace black comedy/thriller #TheTrip on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) October 16, 2021

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

Stream  The Trip on Netflix

• Stream It Or Skip It

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Spoiler Discussion and Plot Summary for the Guilt Trip

Have you read The Guilt Trip and need a run-down of the plot? Want to talk about spoilers? Need The Guilt Trip ending explained? Check out my Spoiler Discussion for the Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones .

Here’s the plan for my Spoiler Discussion for the Guilt Trip.

First I’ll do a quick run-down of the characters (as they all have a bunch of connections) and the plot. After that let’s talk spoilers and about that ending!

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I might receive a small percentage of any qualifying purchase. I appreciate your support.

Spoiler Discussion for The Guilt Trip: Main characters

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones. Published on August 3, 2021 by Minotaur Books.

Rachel: in her early 40s, she’s been married to Jack since her 20s and they are the parents of a college-aged son. Rachel and her college friend Noah had been planning a gap year trip after graduation, but Rachel bailed on him since she’d just met Jack. Soon after that, she got pregnant, married Jack, and postponed her dreams of being a teacher

Jack: Rachel’s husband and Will’s brother. He works at a record company.

Paige: Rachel’s best friend. Married to Noah, a friend of Rachel’s from college. A lawyer (barrister?)

Noah: Rachel’s close friend since college.

Will: Jack’s younger brother. Plays golf with Noah. Runs a water sports company.

Ali: Will’s fiance. Used to work with Jack but changed jobs.

Plot Summary for The Guilt Trip

Rachel and her husband Jack are headed to the destination wedding of Jack’s younger brother to Ali, a woman Jack used to work with.  Their friends Paige and Noah are invited as well. The six of them are staying at a beautiful beachfront villa in Portugal.

Rachel notices that Ali seems to be annoying Jack recently, and Jack tells Noah, Paige and Rachel that he doesn’t trust Ali. He thinks Ali cheated on Will with a guy at work. Rachel thinks that Jack should have told his brother, but he disagrees.

DAY TWO: 

Paige, Will, Rachel and Noah go to the supermarket. On that trip, Paige mentions that she was hesitant to marry Noah because she thought he might be in love with Rachel. 

When they get back from the store, Rachel is convinced that Ali has been with Jack in their room. She finds a rhinestone on their floor that she is sure fell off Ali’s dress.

The men go surfing. As Rachel watches Noah surf, she remembers that she and Noah slept together the night before Noah left for the gap year trip they’d planned. Rachel decided to stay behind with Jack, who she’d just met.

The guys get caught in a big wave and Noah has to be dragged out of the water.

Paige confesses to Rachel that her marriage to Noah has been a little lackluster lately. She asks Rachel what she’d do if she found out Jack was cheating on her, and Rachel says she could not forgive him.

Paige asks Rachel if she think Ali is flirting with Jack.

As they are getting ready for the rehearsal dinner, Jack tells Rachel that her reaction to Noah’s accident got him suspicious about Rachel’s feeling for Noah.

Jack suggests that Noah is still in love with Rachel. Noah suggests that Jack had something to do with his accident. 

At the rehearsal dinner, Noah and Rachel are talking to a guest who asks to see a photo of Rachel’s son. When Rachel shows her, the woman says Rachel and Jack’s son Josh looks just like Noah.  Noah storms off and Rachel goes after him.

Noah asks Rachel if Josh could be his child. Rachel tells him the dates don’t add up, though she’s clearly not really sure. Rachel says they made their choices and have to move on, but Noah says he loves her. 

Rachel sees Ali watching her and Noah talk and worries that Ali overheard what they were saying .

Paige corners Rachel and says that she overhead Ali talking to someone about Rachel, asking them “does his wife know?” Paige says she and Jack were dancing and Ali came up and whispered something to him.

Noah apologizes to Rachel for his outburst the night before. Rachel tells Noah she’s afraid Ali heard them talking.Rachel goes to Ali and Will’s room to look for her. The room is empty so Rachel looks through Ali’s drawers and finds Jack’s watch.

Rachel finds Noah on the terrace. He’s got binoculars and shows her Paige talking to Ali on the beach. This makes Rachel extremely nervous that Ali heard Rachel and Noah talking about their fling twenty years ago.

Later, Rachel asks Paige what she and Ali were talking about earlier that morning. Paige denies talking to Ali, then claims that she confronted Ali about what she was up to.

Rachel wants to talk to Ali but Paige discourages her. 

Rachel and Jack are getting dressed for the wedding and he can’t find his watch. Rachel doesn’t tell him that she saw it in Ali’s room but offers to go look for it.

Jack leaves and she decides to look at the receipts in his wallet. She finds one for a silver heart from Tiffany & Co.

Ali texts Rachel for help with her dress and also asks Rachel to help her put on her silver Tiffany heart necklace.

The group heads to the wedding, at a remote cliffside restaurant located on a steep road.

After the service, Rachel meets an old friend of Ali’s. The friend talks about Ali’s mom’s accident, a car crash that left Ali’s mom in a wheelchair. The friend also reveals that Ali was once morbidly obese. Paige convinces the friend to show them old photos of Ali.

The wedding breakfast is on the terrace. During the toasts, Rachel runs to the restrooms. She’s upset that she didn’t stop the wedding, didn’t confront Jack and Ali. Paige follows her and tells her to just get through the rest of the wedding.

After the toasts, Jack heads out to smoke with Paige. Noah comes over and tells Rachel he wants Josh to take a paternity test. He says he if he is Josh’s father, he wouldn’t tell Josh or Paige, but he needs to know.

Ali leaves the restaurant, Jack follows her. Rachel goes after them. She finds them in a cave on the beach, arguing. Jack is threatening Ali.

Ali sees Rachel and tells Jack to confess to her, or she’ll do it for him .

Ali leaves and Jack says he kissed Ali one night when drunk and ever since that, she’s been stalking him. He got her fired by finding a fake job on her resume.Rachel asks Jack why he didn’t try to dissuade Will from marrying her, and he says he tried.

They return to the restaurant, where Rachel goes back to the ladies room. Ali and her friend are there. Ali apologizes to Rachel and it’s soon obvious that Jack didn’t tell Rachel the truth. Jack isn’t cheating with Ali. He’s cheating with Paige. Rachel accuses Ali of lying.

Rachel heads back out to the wedding and grabs the mike. She tells the group that Ali’s not who she seems. Jack grabs the mike away and Rachel tells Paige and Jack that Ali says they’re having an affair.

Rachel begins to believe that Ali is telling the truth. She and Noah start comparing notes. She notices Paige has a Tiffany heart bracelet.

Rachel talks to Ali who says she’s known about Paige and Jack for over a year and has been trying to get Jack to come clean. Ali found Jack’s watch after he and Paige had a liaison on the roof of the villa.

When Rachel and Ali join the group on the terrace to watch fireworks, they find out that someone shared the photo of fat Ali with the entire wedding.

Rachel suspects Paige and reflects the only reason she ended up with Jack because she was pregnant. Suddenly she sees a blinding light. It’s a car, coming right at Rachel and Ali at high speed. The car hits Rachel.

When she’s able to get up, Rachel sees that Jack is injured. Noah is all right. Ali is unconscious. Paige is missing .

In the Hospital After the Accident

Rachel wakes up in the hospital. The police want to know who she was with right before the accident. She says she was with Ali. That she didn’t know where Paige and Jack and Noah were, but she thinks Paige and Jack were outside.

Noah comes back and says Paige is dead. The police say her body was found in the car.

Rachel worries that Paige might have heard Rachel and Ali discussing the fact that Noah could be Rachel and Jack’s son’s father.

Rachel tells the police that Paige and Jack were having an affair. The police say that someone else may have been in the car with Paige.

Rachel drifts off and wakes up to hear Jack telling the police that he was going to leave Rachel for Paige . He claims he was on the terrace and hit by the car.

Jack suggests Ali was in the car, and that she was jealous because he slept with her before Paige. Jack lies to the police, saying that Rachel was furious and violent after she found out about the affairs.

The police tell Jack they found his watch in the car.

Spoiler Discussion for The Guilt Trip: What Was the Ending?

Months after the wedding.

Rachel is attending a service for Ali.

Ali’s mom tearfully tells Rachel that Ali thought exposing the affair was the right thing to do.

Ali’s mom Maria fills in what happened at the wedding. Maria overheard Paige tell Jack that they were finished. Jack was furious, saying if he couldn’t have Paige, no one could.

Everyone assumes Paige and Jack both got in the car and he was the one who drove into the crowd.

Surprise: the service is not a funeral, but Ali’s re-do of her wedding to Will.

Ali suffered a brain injury in the accident but is doing well.

Rachel has started her teacher training.

Rachel tells Ali that Jack IS their son’s biological father (I think she’s lying.) We also learn that Ali (and perhaps her mom) testified against Jack, who was convicted of manslaughter.

Ali’s mom says that the fact that Jack’s watch was found in the car also helped get him convicted.

The Guilt Trip: Epilogue and Last Minute Plot Twist

The person narrating the epilogue says that before the accident, they saw Rachel put Jack’s watch into Paige’s bag. We will get to that below:

Spoiler Discussion for The Guilt Trip

What did you think of this one? I thought the twists and turns were fun, and that the misdirection about Jack’s affair being with Paige, not Ali, worked well.

But there was SO MUCH dialogue. That got a little tedious for me.

My questions about The Guilt Trip:

Who do you think the narrator of the epilogue in the guilt trip was.

My initial guess was Ali . That’s because I think the narrator refers to the conversation between Ali, Maria, and Rachel.

The narrator says “I wanted Rachel to tell me what I already knew. But just as she was about to, I realized it wasn’t important.” That “just as she was about to” had to refer to the conversation at the second wedding, where Ali says there is no other way Jack’s watch got into the car.

Also in that conversation, Ali looks at Rachel “ so intently that it feels as if she can see straight through her. Perhaps she can .”

To me, that means Ali knew what Rachel was about to tell her and stops her. Because she knows that Rachel put the watch in the bag and is telling Rachel that it doesn’t matter anymore.

However, Meredith in comments suggests Noah as a possible narrato r and I like that idea!

The arguments for Noah are 1) Noah and Rachel are closer and he would be more likely to expect Rachel to tell him the truth and 2) the narrator says “knowing Rachel as I know her” and Noah knows Rachel much better than Ali does.

I’m still going with Ali, but I think Meredith’s Noah guess is a good one. What do you think?

Who drove the car into the wedding party?

Thanks to Laurel-Manette for her excellent question in comments. Here is my answer (from the comments):

What we do know: The car ended up in the water. Paige’s body is found in the car (the police don’t say if she was in the driver’s seat or the passenger seat).

After the accident Rachel finds Jack lying on the terrace. The police say that Jack’s watch was in footwell of the car (presumably it fell out of Paige’s bag during the crash.)

No one seems to have seen the driver, and Paige is dead, so we can’t hear her side of the story.

Possibility #1: Paige was driving the car, either alone or with Jack in the car.

In this scenario, Paige overheard Rachel and Noah talking about how Noah could be Rachel’s son’s father and flew into a rage.

As Rachel says earlier about Paige, if someone is capable of sleeping with their best friend’s husband, they are capable of anything. In this scenario, Jack gets blamed because Rachel put his watch in Paige’s handbag as a way of saying “I know you are sleeping with my husband.” BUT was Jack in the car with Paige?

Paige could have told Jack what she’d overheard. Jack would have also been extremely upset and, in their hurry to leave the wedding together, maybe Paige (accidentally or on purpose) drove into the wedding party.

Possibility #2: Jack was the one who was driving, with Paige in the car.

Maybe Jack was the one who overheard the conversation between Rachel and Noah and was shocked and hurt to realize he might not be his son’s biological father.

So maybe, in a rage, he told Paige he wanted to leave and then (accidentally or on purpose) drove into the group. BUT: he was found on the terrace after the accident, not in the car.

When he’s questioned by the police, Jack suggests that maybe Ali was driving and jumped out of the car, which is an absurd theory.

But maybe Jack got the idea because that is what Jack did himself. When Rachel reaches Jack after the crash, he does seem badly hurt.

Could he have managed to jump out of the car before it flew into the water? I feel that’s sort of doubtful. At the end, Ali’s mom suggests to Rachel that Jack was driving, with Paige in the car.

BUT if Paige’s body had been found in the passenger seat, wouldn’t the police say that?

While I think Jack had a stronger motive to drive the car into the wedding party, I still think the evidence seems to suggest that Paige was driving the car alone , but I am curious to hear other people’s theories!

How did Jack get framed by his wife (and Ali) for causing Paige’s death?

The book suggests that Rachel put Jack’s watch in Paige’s bag as a way of telling Paige that she knew she slept with Rachel’s husband Jack.

Then when the police found Jack’s watch in the car, they assumed Jack was in the car with Paige. I’m assuming that Jack denied being in the car and claimed he was being framed, but Ali testified that Jack was a known liar, which got him convicted.

Other Questions:

Where does Paige (or Jack) get the car to drive onto the terrace? Noah, Rachel and Paige take a cab to the wedding. (Jack goes earlier with the bridal party.)

When Rachel is upset at the wedding, Paige offers to call her a taxi. Also if you were going to impulsively steal a car and run down someone with it, would your first thought be to grab your purse? Why? You don’t need car keys or a driver’s license.

Maybe this suggests that Paige and Jack just intended to leave the wedding, and the crash was an accident.

I didn’t understand the timeline of the wedding day. The group get up, shower and get dressed, and head to the wedding. After the ceremony, an announcer invites everyone to the “wedding breakfast.” But when Rachel follows Ali and Jack outside to the caves, Rachel says the sun is setting.

The accident clearly happens at night, because there are fireworks and Rachel sees the car’s headlights as it bears down on her. How long is this wedding, anyway? (Someone in comments pointed out that in the UK, “wedding breakfast” is used for any wedding meal. Thanks!)

Was the book suggesting that Jack IS Josh’s biological father?

Rachel tells Ali that yes, Josh did “lose” his father. To prison? This was a little vague for me, but I think Rachel means 1) Josh lost the only father he has ever known and 2) she’s not telling Josh the truth, which is that Noah is his father.

Was Jack trying to get caught cheating? Carrying around the receipt for Paige’s bracelet seemed odd.

I hope you enjoyed my Spoiler Discussion for the Guilt Trip

What are your questions and do you have any answers to mine? Please comment and if you want to be notified of responses to your comments OR all future comments, there are options for that!

If you’re looking for similar books to read, you can try Her Dark Lies by J. T. Ellison OR The Guest List by Lucy Foley, both about murder and mayhem at a destination wedding. I have spoiler discussions for both:

Spoiler Discussion for Her Dark Lies

Spoiler Discussion for The Guest List

I think it’s Noah telling the epilogue. That he saw Rachel put the watch in Paige’s bag. And as information comes to light (the affair) he keeps quiet to keep Rachel safe.

I think the timeline of the wedding is that it’s an all day affair. They are there long enough for low tide (the beach is visible) to high tide (which swallows the beach and then some).

As far as Josh losing his father – I interpret it to mean he lost the only father he has known (to prison). I don’t think Rachel would tell him that Noah was his father – even if they found it to be true.

Ooh interesting on the Noah narration. Going to go back and look. And yes I agree that I don’t think Rachel will tell Josh

But the narrator mentions the watch inscription which Ali knew but I doubt Noah would

Ooh great point. Thanks, LiliAnn!!

I don’t think it’s Noah because in the prologue the speaker wakes up in a hospital bed and is asked if they knew the deceased which noah was the one to identify the body so the police wouldn’t ask him that and also he wasn’t injured so he wasn’t in a hospital bed.

This sounds so dumb but I just finished it and I’m confused at who was driving the car?? If it wasn’t Jack, and Rachel put his watch in the car, does that mean rachel killed Paige? Help lol!

There are no dumb questions here! Also, the book doesn’t really give a definitive answer. Who was in the car, and who was driving??

What we do know: The car ended up in the water. Paige’s body is found in the car. Rachel finds Jack lying on the terrace. Jack’s watch was in the car (and presumably Paige’s bag, since the watch was in the bag.)

Possibility 1: Paige was driving the car. She overheard Rachel and her husband Noah talking about how Noah could be Rachel’s son’s father and flew into a rage. As Rachel says earlier about her, if she’s capable of sleeping with her best friend’s husband, she’s capable of anything. In this scenario, Jack gets blamed as well because Rachel put his watch in Paige’s bag as a way of saying “I know what you did.” BUT was Jack in the car with her? She could have told him what she’d overheard and they agreed to leave the wedding and then she (accidentally or on purpose) drove into the wedding party.

Scenario #2 Jack was the one who was driving, with Paige in the car. Maybe HE was the one who overheard the conversation between Rachel and Noah and was shocked and hurt to realize he might not be his son’s biological father. So maybe, in a rage, he drove into the group. When he’s questioned by the police, he even suggests that Ali was driving and got out of the car, which is perhaps what Jack did himself. When Rachel reaches him after the crash, he does seem badly hurt. But could he really have managed to get out of the car before it went into the water? At the end, Ali’s mom suggests that Jack was driving, with Paige in the car. But not sure why she says this.

My theory is still that Paige was alone in the car, but curious to hear other people’s theories!

Thank you! Super helpful!! Thanks for taking the time to write this all out! 🙂

No problem. And thanks for making me think about the possible driver in a different way. I wouldn’t have considered Dan except for your question 🙂

It’s a small part of one of your questions, but in England, a wedding reception is usually called the wedding breakfast even if it’s lunch or dinner.

Dale, thank you! I am an Anglophile but I did not know that 🙂

There are lots of lies and half truths.

Ali is lying. Her and Jack did sleep together and when Jack finished the affair to be with Paige he made sure Ali got the sack.

Ali wants to make out that Jack is a fibber so that she can claim they didn’t sleep together in order to protect her relationship with Will. That’s why she’s happy to give evidence that puts Jack into prison. Perhaps she only went out with Will in the first place to get back at Jack, but then fell properly in love.

Rachel is happy for Jack to go to prison because he lied about his affair with Ali and with Paige and who knows who else. He may or may not have been driving the car but she’s been manipulated so much who can say. It also leaves Rachel free to be with Noah who she realised she really loved when he nearly died.

I personally think Paige drove the car in a suicide mission because she knew that Rachel knows about the affair (from the watch Rachel put in her handbag) and can’t live with herself.

Paige realised that Rachel loves Noah too because of how she was when he nearly died and maybe the suicide was also her gift to Rachel to say sorry.

Hi Sally, Ooh, I love all your excellent observations. I agree with everything you said except maybe your theory about Paige. To me, Paige didn’t seem the slightest bit guilty about betraying her best friend. I think it’s definitely possible that after Paige overheard Rachel say that Paige’s husband Noah could be the father of Rachel’s son, she ran off in a blind fury and accidentally crashed the car. That, or she was furious at Noah and Rachel and meant to drive the car into them. I think she always resented Rachel and Noah’s closeness and slept with Jack as revenge.

It says the only one not hurt was Noah so I’m thinking Paige ended things with Jack because she realised she loved Noah after the surfing accident then after finding out about Rachel and Noah, tried to run Rachel down out of rage. She was a very fiery person. She specifically avoided Noah because she still loved him. Jack’s comment about if I can’t have you noone can was potentially just a spur of the moment comment or something he planned to act on in the future. She didn’t live long enough though.

That makes so much sense. She decided to re-dedicate herself to Noah and then after finding out about Noah possibly being Rachel’s son’s father and Rachel having a thing for Noah, she just lost it.

The one thing that made me question if the ridiculous story of Ali jumping out of the car might have happened was the fact that Ali’s mom was in a wheelchair from a car accident. Like I want to know did Ali also cause that car accident? Is that why they kept talking about how her mom ended up in a wheelchair?

After the surfing accident, Paige has sex with Jack in the rooftop hot tub so I don’t think she suddenly realizes how much she loves Noah.

I listened to the audiobook and it is Ali’s voice in the epilogue.

Very interesting! So what is your take on what happens in the car crash and why?

One of the most poorly written books I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. And so frigging dumb!! I skipped over so many paragraphs of idiocy! Ridiculous that it gets such high praise.

Hi Mary, I hope you enjoy your next book more!

I just finished reading the book and I’m also a bit confused. Why didn’t the police mention whether Paige was in the driver’s or passenger’s seat.. that way she wont be a suspect if she is in the passenger’s seat (maybe I missed that part). Also could there be a chance that Noah was driving? And jumped out right before the car fell off? How could it be Ali if Ali was talking to Rachel while the incident happened. Also maybe Ali put the watch in Paige’s purse since she is the last one to have it.. I’m no investigator but the fact that Jack had facial injuries wouldn’t that suggest that there is a bigger chance that he flew out of a moving car and rolled around verses if he got hit by a car he would fall backwards? I’m reaching at this point haha! 🙂 I have too many questions but no answers!

Hi Hilda – I think a lot of us felt that way. The book ended, and then all our questions didn’t get answers! I think Paige got thrown from the car, so it couldn’t be proven where she was sitting. I’m going to have to review my notes before answering all the rest of the questions, so stay tuned!

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Michael Winterbottom Explains the Startling Twist Ending of The Trip to Spain

Spoilers for the ending of The Trip to Spain below.

The audience that arrived at the Tribeca Film Festival for the debut screening of The Trip to Spain were expecting a charming, insightful, celebrity-impression-laden filmic journey through one of Europe’s great nations, and for the majority of the feature, that’s just what they got. Then came the final 60 seconds. The third installment in the Trip franchise concludes with a solo spinoff wander for Steve Coogan after co-star Rob Brydon heads back home to Britain, and it doesn’t go as planned.

Coogan ventures across the Mediterranean to North Africa, erstwhile land of the medieval Moors, a population whose praises Coogan sings earlier in the film. He goes on this final jaunt seeking fulfillment and, more important, adventure — he’s spent much of the flick talking about the pursuit of greatness, particularly the Spain-based greatness experienced by George Orwell and Miguel de Cervantes. However, the African trip goes awry: He gets stuck on a rural road without cell service or gas and, as he gazes in horror, he sees an oncoming truck filled with balaclava-wearing men yelling Allahu akbar. We end with a freeze-frame of his face, terror dawning upon it.

During the post-picture Q&A, director Michael Winterbottom fielded a question from a viewer who found that last moment a little offensive and stereotypical. In so many words, Winterbottom politely suggested that the questioner was missing the point:

It’s a tricky ending, I think. They talk quite a lot about Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, so it is like a version of that. And one of the aspects of that is Don Quixote is this idealist who sees things wrongly. He confuses everything. He sees thing in a wrong way. And there’s a comic gap between how he thinks of the world and how it hits. So there’s a running thing that Steve imagines he’s gonna write this cultural book about Spain. He wants to have a life of action. He admires George Orwell because he went off fighting and he thinks he would fight. He admires Cervantes because he went off fighting, was kidnapped, and so on. So he talks about how he imagines himself. And Rob’s thing is much more conventional about how he sees it. Steve is banging on about enlightened Islam and wanting to be a man of action and Rob’s a bit more conventional; just sees them as the bad guys and the good guys. So at the end, all those liberal ideas, all this belief that he wants to be a man of action and really experience life — and suddenly he’s in the desert in a Muslim country and he sees four guys arriving and suddenly, he’s panicking, thinking, Shit, I’m actually gonna have an experience.

However, no one found Coogan’s insanely good and insanely mocking Mick Jagger impression offensive, presumably because no members of the Jagger family were present.

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Fan speculation runs rampant that Patrick and Brittany Mahomes may be making the trip to London for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

T aylor Swift is known for having the most iconic group of friends, and she added one more to the fold after her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce began. 

Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, became close with the singer. The two would arrive to games together, sitting and cheering on Kansas City during their strong season that resulted in a Super Bowl championship. 

So now that OTAs and mandatory minicamp have wrapped up, the players have a long break before training camp begins. And based on Brittany Mahomes' latest Instagram story, fans have started to speculate that the couple might be embarking on a trip overseas. 

It's possible Brittany Mahomes might be planning to link up with her new friend. 

Taylor Swift is current performing her Eras Tour in London, England. And Brittany posted, saying "Ask me how packing for a 4 week trip is going...".

So could she be heading to London with her husband to take in a show? And maybe Travis Kelce will be joining them. 

I mean, it would make sense considering Patrick Mahomes took credit for Kelce and Swift's relationship. 

The quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke about Kelce and Swift's relationship on the Pat McAfee show in May, and claims that it was all thanks to him.

"I'd like to take some of the credit. I was the one who invited Travis to the first Taylor concert when the friendship bracelet was--he was sitting in my suite, so I feel like I was the matchmaker," Mahomes said. "I had some input in there as well, I was like, 'Dude, just go for it. Just go for it.' And you know Travis, man, he does it. He's a great dude and I'm glad it's all worked out for the best."

Kelce's story at his first Eras Tour concert went viral. The Chiefs tight end brought a friendship bracelet with his number on it and attempted to give it to the singer. However, he was unsuccessful. And he wasn't afraid to talk about it on his New Heights podcast in July. 

“I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after the shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings,” Kelce said then. “So, I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her.”

But clearly the two were able to link up at some point and we all see where they are now.

So let's see where they end up on their four week trip. 

Related: Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes pay tribute to Taylor Swift in the best way at Chiefs Super Bowl ring ceremony

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Biden honors US war dead with a cemetery visit ending a French trip that served as a rebuke to Trump

President Biden has closed out his trip to France by paying his respects at an American military cemetery that Donald Trump skipped visiting when he was president. Biden’s stop Sunday at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery outside Paris was a solemn end to five days in which Trump was an unspoken yet unavoidable presence.

World War II veteran Harold Terens and his sweetheart Jeanne Swerlin proved that love is eternal as they tied the knot near the D-Day beaches in Normandy on Saturday.

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden walk with Major General Robert B. Sofge Jr. as they attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the press as he attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden depart from Orly airport, south of Paris, Sunday, June 9, 2024, after attending a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and General Robert B. Sofge Jr. gesture, as they attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive back at Orly airport, south of Paris, Sunday, June 9, 2024, after attending a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Major General Robert B. Sofge Jr. gesture as they attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US. Service personnel await the arrival of U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American World War One Cemetery in Belleau, France, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive at Belleau Aerodrome, in Belleau, France, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk in the Normandy American Cemetery following a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Normandy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, shakes hands with President Joe Biden during a state dinner, Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, greet a World War II veteran during ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Normandy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron, walk on stage during ceremonies to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Normandy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, Friday, June 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks with War II veteran Victor Charey after French President Emmanuel Macron honored Carey with the Legion of Honor medal, during a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Normandy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. World War II veterans gather at the stage for a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, Thursday, June 6, 2024. World leaders are gathered Thursday in France to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

French President Emmanuel Macron, 2nd left, his wife Brigitte Macron, left, and US President Joe Biden, center right, and first lady Jill Biden attend a ceremony together with World War II veterans at an US cemetery near Colleville-sur-Mer Normandy, Thursday, June 6, 2024. World War II veterans from across the United States as well as Britain and Canada are in Normandy this week to mark 80 years since the D-Day landings that helped lead to Hitler’s defeat. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

French President Emmanuel Macron, center right, President Joe Biden, center left, Brigitte Macron, left, and first lady Jill Biden toast during a state dinner, Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden delivers a speech on the legacy of Pointe du Hoc, and democracy around the world, Friday, June 7, 2024 as he stands next to the Pointe du Hoc monument in Normandy, France. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and President Joe Biden toast during a state dinner, Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, Friday, June 7, 2024 as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, right, watch. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden walks with Scott Desjardins, superintendent of Normandy American Cemetery and Pointe du Hoc, after delivering a speech on the legacy of Pointe du Hoc, and democracy around the world, Friday, June 7, 2024, in Normandy, France. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden speaks during a state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

BELLEAU, France (AP) — President Joe Biden closed out his trip to France by paying his respects at an American military cemetery that Donald Trump notably skipped when he was president, hoping his final stop Sunday helped draw the stakes of the November election in stark relief.

Before returning to the United States, Biden honored America’s war dead at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery about an hour outside Paris. He placed a wreath at the cemetery chapel before an expanse of white headstones marking the final resting place of more than 2,200 U.S. soldiers who fought in World War I.

It was a solemn end to five days in which Trump was an unspoken yet unavoidable presence. On the surface, the trip marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day and celebrated the alliance between the United States and France. But during an election year when Trump has called into question fundamental understandings about America’s global role, Biden has embraced his Republican predecessor — and would-be successor — as a latent foil.

Every ode to the transatlantic partnership was a reminder that Trump could upend those relationships. Each reference to democracy stood a counterpoint to his rival’s efforts to overturn a presidential election. The myriad exhortations to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia created a contrast with Trump’s skepticism about providing U.S. assistance.

Biden’s paeans to the struggle between democracy and autocracy drew plaudits in Europe, where the prospect of a return to Trump’s turbulent reign has sparked no shortage of anxiety. But it remains to be seen how the message will resonate with American voters, as Biden’s campaign struggles to connect the dire warnings the Democratic president so often delivers about his rival with people’s daily concerns.

The visit to the cemetery served as a moment to underscore the contrast once more.

“It’s the same story,” Biden said. “America showed up. America showed up to stop the Germans. America showed up to make sure that they did not prevail. And America shows up when we’re needed just like our allies show for us.”

During a 2018 trip to France, Trump skipped plans to go to the cemetery, a decision that the White House blamed on weather at the time. However, subsequent reports said that Trump told aides he didn’t want to go because he viewed the dead soldiers as “suckers” and “losers.” Trump has denied the comments, although they were later corroborated by his chief of staff at the time, John Kelly.

Trump’s purported insults have become a regular feature of Biden’s campaign speeches, including during an April rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

“These soldiers were heroes, just as every American who has served this nation,” Biden said. “Believing otherwise, that alone is disqualifying for someone to seek this office.”

Biden ignored a direct question about Trump at the cemetery but said it was important to visit the hallowed ground. “The idea that I would come to Normandy and not make the short trip here to pay tribute,” he added, his voice trailing off as if to express disbelief.

Trump, at a campaign rally in Las Vegas, said Sunday after Biden had left France that the president’s performance overseas was “terrible” and embarrassing, though Trump did not cite anything in particular. “This is not a representative for what used to be the greatest country,” he told his supporters, adding that under Biden “we are a nation in major decline and we’re going to stop it immediately.”

Maura Sullivan, a former Marine officer who served on the American Battle Monuments Commission under President Barack Obama, said Biden’s visit would “set the example, and do what a president should do.” Now an official with the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Sullivan said that “voters can draw their own conclusions” from that.

Biden’s trip was full of emotional moments, and the president grew heavy-eyed after meeting with World War II veterans. A 21-gun salute cast eerie smoke over 9,388 white marble headstones at the Normandy American Cemetery.

“This has been the most remarkable trip that I’ve ever made,” Biden said on Saturday night, his last in Paris before returning to the U.S.

At Aisne-Marne, Biden said the trip “surprised me how much it awakened my sense of why it’s so valuable to have these alliances. Why it’s so critical. That’s the way you stop wars, not start wars.”

His remarks over the last few days were also freighted with political overtones.

On Thursday at Normandy anniversary ceremonies, Biden said D-Day served a reminder that alliances make the United States stronger, calling it “a lesson that I pray we Americans never forget.” He also highlighted how the war effort drew on immigrants, women and people of color who were too often overlooked by history.

Then on Friday, he went to Pointe du Hoc, a spot on the coast where Army Rangers scaled cliffs to overcome Nazi defenses on D-Day that was also the site in 1984 of one of President Ronald Reagan’s most memorable speeches about the struggles between the West and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

By following in an iconic Republican’s footsteps, Biden honed his appeal to traditional conservatives who are often frustrated by Trump’s isolationist vision. Biden issued a call for Americans to protect democracy like the Rangers who scaled the cliffs, a message that synced with campaign rhetoric that paints his election opponent as an existential threat to U.S. values.

While Biden was in France, his campaign announced that it had hired the onetime chief of staff to former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger to lead outreach to GOP voters. Kinzinger clashed with Trump’s foreign policy and efforts to overturn the last presidential election.

At Pointe du Hoc, Biden said the Army Rangers “fought to vanquish a hateful ideology in the ’30s and ’40s. Does anyone doubt they wouldn’t move heaven and earth to vanquish hateful ideologies of today?”

Trump has argued that the U.S. needs to devote more attention to its own problems and less to foreign alliances and entanglements. He has also routinely played down the importance of American partnerships, suggesting the U.S. could abandon its treaty commitments to defend European allies if they don’t pay enough for their own defenses.

Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian who wrote a book about Pointe du Hoc and Reagan’s speech, said Biden “had big shoes to step into” by choosing the same location.

Biden’s speech “didn’t equal Reagan’s in grandeur, nor could it,” Brinkley said. Still, he said Biden “said the right words about why democracy matters.”

Paul Begala, a veteran Democratic strategist, said it could help Biden politically “to stand where Reagan stood.”

He noted that Biden is struggling with younger voters but appears to be gaining strength among older ones who may be more receptive to reminders of Reagan’s speech four decades ago.

“He needs a lot of Reagan Republicans to offset his challenges with younger voters,” he said.

Biden’s trip was also punctuated by the pomp of a state visit in Paris.

French President Emmanuel Macron arranged a ceremony at the Arc du Triomphe, where four fighter jets flew overhead, and hosted a banquet at the Elysee presidential palace.

“United we stand, divided we fall,” Macron said in toasting Biden. “Allied we are, and allied we will stay.”

Overall, Biden’s visit had a slower pace than other foreign trips. The 81-year-old president had no public events on his first day in Paris after arriving on an overnight flight, and didn’t hold a press conference with reporters, as is customary. John Kirby, a national security spokesman, said that was necessary to prepare “in advance of the weighty engagements” during subsequent days.

“There’s a lot on the calendar,” he said.

Still, it was a contrast to Macron’s tendency to offer prestigious guests an intense schedule with a mix of official meetings, business talks, cultural events and private dinners at fancy restaurants.

When the 46-year-old French leader hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping last month, the two-day agenda was crammed with activities including a trip to the Pyrenees Mountains near the border with Spain where Macron spent time as a child.

Associated Press writer Jonathan J. Cooper in Las Vegas and Sylvie Corbet contributed to this report.

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Biden honors U.S. war dead with a cemetery visit ending a French trip that served as a rebuke to Trump

President  Joe Biden  closed out his trip to France by paying his respects at an American military cemetery that Donald Trump notably skipped when he was president, hoping his final stop Sunday helped draw the stakes of the  November election  in stark relief.

Before returning to the United States, Biden honored America’s war dead at the  Aisne-Marne American Cemetery  about an hour outside Paris. He placed a wreath at the cemetery chapel before an expanse of white headstones marking the final resting place of more than 2,200 U.S. soldiers who fought in World War I.

What You Need To Know

Biden capped his visit to france by underscoring the contrast once more, as he honored america’s war dead at aisne-marne american cemetery during a 2018 trip to france, trump skipped plans to go to the cemetery, a decision that the white house blamed on weather at the time. however, subsequent reports said that trump told aides he didn’t want to go because he viewed the dead soldiers as “suckers” and “losers”  biden’s trip was full of emotional moments, and the president grew heavy-eyed after meeting with world war ii veterans. a 21-gun salute cast eerie smoke over 9,388 white marble headstones at the normandy american cemetery biden’s trip was also punctuated by the pomp of a state visit in paris.

It was a solemn end to five days in which Trump was an unspoken yet unavoidable presence. On the surface, the trip marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day and celebrated the alliance between the United States and France. But during an election year when Trump has called into question fundamental understandings about America's global role, Biden has embraced his Republican predecessor — and would-be successor — as a latent foil.

Every ode to  the transatlantic partnership  was a reminder that Trump could upend those relationships.  Each reference to democracy  stood a counterpoint to his rival's efforts to overturn a presidential election. The myriad exhortations  to help Ukraine defend itself  against Russia created a contrast with Trump's skepticism about providing U.S. assistance.

Biden's paeans to the struggle between democracy and autocracy drew plaudits in Europe, where the prospect of a return to Trump's turbulent reign has sparked no shortage of anxiety. But it remains to be seen how the message will resonate with American voters, as Biden's campaign struggles to connect the dire warnings the Democratic president so often delivers about his rival with people's daily concerns.

The visit to the cemetery served as a moment to underscore the contrast once more.

“It’s the same story," Biden said. "America showed up. America showed up to stop the Germans. America showed up to make sure that they did not prevail. And America shows up when we’re needed just like our allies show for us.”

During a 2018 trip to France, Trump skipped plans to go to the cemetery, a decision that the White House  blamed on weather  at the time. However,  subsequent reports  said that Trump told aides he didn’t want to go because he viewed the dead soldiers as “suckers” and “losers.” Trump has denied the comments, although they were later corroborated by his chief of staff at the time, John Kelly.

Trump’s purported insults have become a regular feature of Biden’s campaign speeches, including during  an April rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

“These soldiers were heroes, just as every American who has served this nation,” Biden said. “Believing otherwise, that alone is disqualifying for someone to seek this office."

Biden ignored a direct question about Trump at the cemetery but said it was important to visit the hallowed ground. “The idea that I would come to Normandy and not make the short trip here to pay tribute," he added, his voice trailing off as if to express disbelief.

Maura Sullivan, a former Marine officer who served on the American Battle Monuments Commission under President Barack Obama, said Biden's visit would “set the example, and do what a president should do.” Now an official with the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Sullivan said that “voters can draw their own conclusions” from that.

Biden’s trip was full of emotional moments, and the president grew heavy-eyed after meeting with World War II veterans. A 21-gun salute cast eerie smoke over 9,388 white marble headstones at the Normandy American Cemetery.

“This has been the most remarkable trip that I’ve ever made,” Biden said on Saturday night, his last in Paris before returning to the U.S.

At Aisne-Marne, Biden said the trip “surprised me how much it awakened my sense of why it’s so valuable to have these alliances. Why it’s so critical. That’s the way you stop wars, not start wars.”

His remarks over the last few days were also freighted with political overtones.

On Thursday at Normandy anniversary ceremonies, Biden said D-Day served a reminder that alliances make the United States stronger, calling it “a lesson that I pray we Americans never forget.” He also highlighted how the war effort drew on immigrants, women and people of color who were too often overlooked by history.

Then on Friday, he went to Pointe du Hoc, a spot on the coast where Army Rangers scaled cliffs to overcome Nazi defenses on D-Day that was also the site in 1984 of one of President Ronald Reagan's most memorable speeches about the struggles between the West and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

By following in an iconic Republican’s footsteps, Biden honed his appeal to traditional conservatives who are often frustrated by Trump's isolationist vision. Biden issued a call for Americans to protect democracy like the Rangers who scaled the cliffs, a message that synced with campaign rhetoric that paints his election opponent as an existential threat to U.S. values.

While Biden was in France, his campaign announced that it had hired the onetime chief of staff to former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger to lead outreach to GOP voters. Kinzinger clashed with Trump’s foreign policy and efforts to overturn the last presidential election.

At Pointe du Hoc, Biden said the Army Rangers “fought to vanquish a hateful ideology in the ’30s and ’40s. Does anyone doubt they wouldn’t move heaven and earth to vanquish hateful ideologies of today?”

Trump has argued that the U.S. needs to devote more attention to its own problems and less to foreign alliances and entanglements. He has also routinely played down the importance of American partnerships, suggesting the U.S. could abandon its treaty commitments to defend European allies if they don’t pay enough for their own defenses.

Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian who wrote a book about Pointe du Hoc and Reagan’s speech, said Biden “had big shoes to step into” by choosing the same location.

Biden's speech “didn’t equal Reagan’s in grandeur, nor could it,” Brinkley said. Still, he said Biden “said the right words about why democracy matters.”

Paul Begala, a veteran Democratic strategist, said it could help Biden politically “to stand where Reagan stood."

He noted that Biden is struggling with younger voters but appears to be gaining strength among older ones who may be more receptive to reminders of Reagan’s speech four decades ago.

“He needs a lot of Reagan Republicans to offset his challenges with younger voters,” he said.

Biden's trip was also punctuated by the pomp of a state visit in Paris.

French President Emmanuel Macron arranged a ceremony at the Arc du Triomphe, where four fighter jets flew overhead, and hosted a banquet at the Elysee presidential palace.

“United we stand, divided we fall,” Macron said in toasting Biden. “Allied we are, and allied we will stay.”

Overall, Biden’s visit had a slower pace than other foreign trips. The 81-year-old president had no public events on his first day in Paris after arriving on an overnight flight, and didn't hold a press conference with reporters, as is customary. John Kirby, a national security spokesman, said that was necessary to prepare “in advance of the weighty engagements” during subsequent days.

“There's a lot on the calendar,” he said.

Still, it was a contrast to Macron’s tendency to offer prestigious guests an intense schedule with a mix of official meetings, business talks, cultural events and private dinners at fancy restaurants.

When the 46-year-old French leader hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping last month, the two-day agenda was crammed with activities including a trip to the Pyrenees Mountains near the border with Spain where Macron spent time as a child.

Crushers end trip with 7-0 loss to Florence

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Host Florence silenced the Crushers’ offense with a 7-0 victory on June 16.

Florence jumped on Lake Erie starter Matt Mulhearn (1-2) for four runs in the first inning. Mulhearn gave up all seven runs in 5 1/3 innings, including two home runs, struck out two and walked two.

Logan Thomason and Alan Marrero each had a double to pace the Crushers’ offense, which had a combined 11 strikeouts and zero walks.

The Crushers fell to 22-11 and are in second place in the Frontier League West. They return home to face Joliet for three games beginning June 18.

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Inside Falcons 'Eye-Opening' Trip That Helped Kirk Cousins Break Barriers

Daniel flick | jun 14, 2024.

• Atlanta Falcons

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Kirk Cousins arrived at the Atlanta Falcons ' headquarters with his feet in April, his calendar flipped to May and his mind in September.

As the Falcons prepared for the first day of their offseason program April 2, Cousins approached a trio of his top pass catchers - tight end Kyle Pitts and receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney - with a plan.

The 35-year-old Cousins wanted to take his teammates to Tampa, Fla. - more specifically, the office of 15-year NFL head coach Jon Gruden.

Cousins approached Pitts, London and Mooney with a series of dates he had open, and upon cross-checking with their schedules, penciled in an afternoon the week of May 6-10, which preceded the May 13 start of OTAs.

The quartet flew to and from Tampa on the same day, spending three-to-four hours watching film and talking ball with Gruden. There may not have been a more impactful afternoon of chemistry-building throughout Atlanta's offseason.

Gruden's ties to the Falcons start at the top. In 2002, he hired now-Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to his first NFL job as a defensive quality control. Prior to then, Morris had three years of experience as a defensive backs coach at Cornell University and Hofstra University.

Morris's first break came from Gruden. They spent six years together, and Gruden emerged as a mentor for Morris during his maturation process. They won a Super Bowl in 2002. Their families are close - Morris saw a picture of Gruden and his wife, Cindy, from the trip.

For Cousins, his time with Gruden dates back nearly a decade. He played under Gruden's younger brother, Jay, with the then-Washington Redskins. He also attended the elder Gruden's quarterback camps during the offseason.

Morris raved about Gruden's energy and football knowledge, adding he's sure his former boss said lots about how to be a winning offense and how to handle business. For Morris, the chance for some of Atlanta's offensive stars to absorb knowledge from Gruden is priceless.

"I love when your guys go out and get different information from different places," Morris said. "It’s no different than a coach when we do our own development, we go out and we meet with other staffs, we do other things, we hear different voices, we get different reasoning behind it.

"I think anytime that you can get around great football people, with great football knowledge, you take full advantage of it."

So, Cousins did.

Upon arrival and introductions, the Falcons' quartet entered Gruden's film room. Cousins led the session, though Gruden interjected himself to show what he had in mind.

Gruden's last head coaching job ended in 2021. Pitts said he talks fast, loud and low, though he can hold a conversation and keep a group engaged. London added Gruden seems like he's still in the team meetings and appears ready to get back into the industry.

While in the film oasis, Atlanta's weapons watched a variety of players and plays, both past and present. Gruden went deep into his bank of past players, creating a learning experience in more ways than one for the young playmakers.

"We didn't really do anything like comparison wise," Mooney said. "He just threw some guys up there he knew we wouldn't know of, but it was nice to experience that."

Among them was Art Monk, a Hall of Fame wide receiver known as the father of the choice route who played 16 years from 1980-95. His final year came with the Philadelphia Eagles, Gruden's first year as offensive coordinator.

Prior to his arrival in Tampa, Pitts had no clue the choice route's origin dated back to Monk.

"I learned that, and I was like, 'ooh,'" Pitts said. "I didn't even know they had film at that time."

By this point, Cousins had been a Falcon for nearly two months, but he was only a month into his time throwing passes to Pitts, Mooney and London. The trip to see Gruden gave Cousins an opportunity to share how he evaluates tape and how he likes certain concepts.

For Pitts, it was an important step in the growth of their relationship.

"It was great just hearing how he breaks it down and how he is seeing it on the field," Pitts said. "So, when you hear that, you know how to play faster, where to be in different situations."

London felt the trip provided an extensive learning experience and helped foster a stronger collective mindset. And through the "lot of tape" they watched, Pitts, emphasizing the length of the film, feels the same.

"Just different tight ends and different philosophies," Pitts said. "Different things to take into each day to help me be my best and do as much as I can to contribute to the offense."

For the 26-year-old Mooney, 23-year-old Pitts and 22-year-old London, the football acumen of Gruden and Cousins created an environment well suited for absorbing information.

Mooney entered the day not knowing what to expect. He left filled with knowledge - about Cousins, his fellow pass catchers and Gruden, the latter of whom lived up to what little expectations he did have.

"I've had some guys tell me how special he was, but seeing it firsthand, he's an amazing person," Mooney said. "I learned a lot, just being in that room. He loves showing some old school film. But yeah, it was a very nice trip."

For as much as Pitts, London and Mooney, who have nine years of combined NFL experience, learned on the trip, the most valuable aspect came in furthering their relationship with Cousins off the field.

"That's the main part," Pitts said. "Just the camaraderie part, talking to him, asking about his kids, what he likes to do in his off time and things he doesn't like, as well."

The age gap between the 35-year-old Cousins and the plethora of young playmakers around him was a hot topic during OTAs. Second year running back Bijan Robinson, 22, joked Cousins is old enough to be his dad.

Cousins has gone about bridging the space between generations by being himself - asking questions, quoting movies and telling dad jokes.

In early June, backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke brought up the age gap with some of his offensive counterparts. Heinicke turned the conversation to the Sept. 11, 2001, attack and asked how old the others were when it happened.

"Bijan wasn't born yet, and so that was a little bit of a wow," Cousins said. "And I said, 'How old were you, Taylor?' He said, 'Fourth grade,' and Tyler Allgeier looked down. He said, 'Fourth grade?' Because Tyler was like one, and I said, 'Tyler, I was in seventh grade, man.'

"Honestly, it's a blessing. I hope someday that gap is even bigger because it means I'm still playing and still connecting."

Atlanta's skill position players have rallied around Cousins; his status as a father of two is evident, London said, but so is his character and personable nature.

On the trip to Tampa, questions flew, and biggest pet peeves were answered. Cousins said he hates receivers celebrating. Mooney noted he dislikes checkdowns in seven-on-sevens, so Cousins now knows not to throw them.

There were more on-field do's and don'ts, but perhaps more importantly, there were several off-field, which ultimately proved to be worth the price of travel.

"I think that trip was a nice break in the ice," Mooney said. "We talked about some things that you normally never talk about, like what frustrates you? What's something you hate? So, it's some things you dislike and things you love and things you learn about a person outside of football.

"I think that was one of the biggest parts of the trip and I think it was good for all of us, for sure."

London and Pitts have been teammates for two years. Mooney and Cousins were NFC North rivals for the past four seasons and joined Atlanta in March. Cousins sought Mooney's services in free agency, recruiting the former Chicago Bears wideout in the moments after agreeing to his own deal.

Familiarity existed between London and Pitts, and at least partially - but not extensively - between Cousins and Mooney. But as a group, there was none. Until Tampa.

"It was eye-opening," London said. "I think it broke down a barrier between all of us that was needed. I think we all have that same goal at the end of the day and that fires me up, so I'm excited about that."

When Cousins arrived for his introductory press conference March 13, he said he wanted to form chemistry with his receivers so quickly that it looked like they'd been together for five years by Week 1.

Doing so required investing in them as people, first and foremost, and learning them as players while they do the same with him.

The barrier that once existed is now gone. The same quartet that flew to Tampa now plays catch alone on one field while the rest of the team works through special teams drills on another.

The calendar now shows the middle of June. OTAs and mandatory minicamp are done, and relationships have grown. When the Falcons return to Flowery Branch for training camp in late July, pressure will rise for Cousins, London, Pitts and Mooney to deliver on lofty summer hype.

And if they do, the one-day trip to visit Gruden will be as important a day as any the Falcons' offensive stars had this offseason.

"When he brings people out and does things like that - that’s kind of irregular in their relationships forming - I think that’s really good," Morris said. "I think that’s really what you’re looking for in your team and what you’re looking for from your guys to go out there and explore and do different things."

DANIEL FLICK

Daniel Flick is an accredited NFL writer for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Daniel has provided boots-on-ground coverage at the NFL Combine and from the Atlanta Falcons' headquarters, among other destinations, and contributed to the annual Lindy's Sports Magazine ahead of the 2023 offseason. Daniel is a co-host on the 404TheFalcon podcast and previously wrote for the Around the Block Network and Georgia Sports Hospitality Media.

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