When in Rome

They Thought I Was You

Today we watch what (we think) has been collectively agreed upon by Mary-Kate and Ashley fans as their worst movie. The movie that for some singlehandedly ended their Mary-Kate and Ashley obsession: When in Rome.
On November 26th, 2002, When in Rome was released straight to DVD and VHS and followed Charli (Mary-Kate) and Leila (Ashley) as they interned for a top fashion designer in Rome, Italy. Where they came from, how they got there, and why these two sisters share a highly competitive internship we may never know, but we DO know that they get to share a boarding house with other interns, and they are HOT.
But that doesn't really matter because their boss is trying to sabotage them and so is one of the other interns, but that doesn't matter because the rich fashion designer saves them. But he wants THEM to save his nephew, and they want HIM to date their other boss, but Mary-Kate wants to kiss an Italian boy and Ashley wants to prove herself, so they concoct a plan to get back at their enemies by making clothes.
So, as you can see, the plot is a little hard to follow, but we do our best to talk through this movie that we barely recall seeing as children. We talk about the reasons this movie lacks the magic of the other ones, the ways it could have been better, and applaud the moments that sometimes work (like the entire third act, as Lani claims).
Ultimately after watching this movie and its undeniable dip in quality, we realized there's still so much to unpack about this era of Mary-Kate and Ashley's careers. We'll be taking a break for the next few weeks, but when we come back, we're determined to dig even deeper into this often overlooked era (basically late '02-'03, because one year is a lifetime in Mary-Kate and Ashley years).
So slip on your pin striped button down, flat iron the hell out of your entire head of hair, get your chunky belt and your clunky clogs, because today, we're going to Roma!
Watch the full video version of this podcast by subscribing to our Patreon here and watch When in Rome on our angel SimplyOlsen's magical link here.
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Instagram: @theythoughtiwasyou
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Becca: @beccaroth
Lani: @laniharms
Was When in Rome your favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley movie? PLEASE tell us why: [e-mail]

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