Scottish Cup fourth round weekend is upon us once again and as is customary there is no shortage of storylines and narratives to follow.
The magic of the cup will be at its most sparkling, with all the old cliches trotted out for their annual airing.
Giant killings, David versus Goliath, money spinning away ties, potential banana skins... tick them off as we go along.
There is something undoubtedly special about this time of year in Scottish football. As one of the oldest club competitions in the world, the Scottish Cup comes with a certain charm.
Here are eight storylines to keep your eye on in the fourth round this weekend.
Giant-killings
Bonnyrigg Rose host defending champions Hibernian on Saturday, with the prospect of a giant-killing enticing to anyone not of a green and white persuasion. This is prime David versus Goliath territory.
The junior side made it this far by pulling off an upset against Scottish Championship side Dumbarton but now face the team that sit atop the second tier pile.
This would be one of the greatest shocks in Scottish football history.
Sir Sean Connery used to play for the lowest-ranked side left in the competition and Bonnyrigg Rose will need to channel the spirit of James Bond if they are to escape with their lives against Hibs.
Elsewhere, Albion Rovers host Scottish Premiership runaway leaders Celtic, with Aberdeen at home to Stranraer and Partick Thistle up against Formartine United.
Former winners meet
Dave Mackay and Barry Ferguson both won the Scottish Cup as players, with St Johnstone and Rangers respectively, but now they are hoping for a run in the competition as managers.
Stirling Albion and Clyde face each other in the fourth round this weekend, meaning at least one fourth tier side will progress to the fifth round. That in itself, for two clubs of such stature, is a shimmering prospect.
It's the individual dual on the touchline that provides the most compelling storyline.
This competition brought the best out of Mackay and Ferguson as players, and now they'll be hoping it can do the same for them as managers.
Rangers to cover old tracks for redemption
Some of the shine for Mark Warburton started to wear off following Rangers' Scottish Cup final defeat to Hibernian last season.
The club return to Scottish Cup duty this weekend against Motherwell and the competition could act as a therapy of sorts - an opportunity to go over old tracks in search of redemption.
This is Ibrox manager's only remaining chance of silverware this season.
Indeed, going all the way in the Scottish Cup would make this season something of a success for Rangers while also exorcising last May's defeat.
Motherwell's cup yearning
It is 26 years since Motherwell last lifted the Scottish Cup and the Fir Park club has counted every one of those years. The Steelmen yearn for the touch of silverware again.
Mark McGhee's side face Rangers in the fourth round this weekend, giving them a difficult start in the competition.
Having gone out at the second round stage of the League Cup to Celtic 'Well will be desperate for a run in one of the cups.
Motherwell often seem to rise to the big occasion, though, as demonstrated by their last performance against Celtic. If they can find that kind of attacking form again they will cause Rangers problems.
Importance, not romance, of the cup
If only you could bottle the romance of the cup. It's this intangible quality that makes the Scottish Cup as special as it is, although it fails to permeate some ties.
The fourth round clash between Kilmarnock and Hamilton Accies isn't one of those matches.
This will be the third time that the two clubs have faced each other and so this match won't come with the novelty appeal of match cup ties. But that doesn't mean that this game won't be important.
With both clubs facing a relegation battle Lee Clark and Martin Canning will be eager to use the Scottish Cup as a springboard to better league form.
That doesn't mean the losing side won't render the defeat as an opportunity to focus on the league, though.
Locke and Skacel's Hearts reunion
For each of the last four years Raith Rovers have gone out at this stage or the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup to the eventual winners. By that trend, they better start tying maroon ribbons on the trophy.
Raith Rovers will be looking to break that pattern, though, and they'll have two men with more knowledge of Hearts than most, with Gary Locke and Rudi Skacel set to face their former side at Stark's Park.
For Ian Cathro, this is an opportunity to make an impression on a competition Hearts could feasibly win.
Last season's Scottish Cup defeat to Hibernian marked the start of a breakdown in the relationship between Robbie Neilson and sections of the club's support.
A win this weekend could have the opposite effect for Cathro.
Marker for McKinnon
Dundee United were top of the Scottish Championship on Christmas Eve after a 12-match unbeaten run. The wheels have somewhat come off that since then, though.
Ray McKinnon's side have yet to win a game in 2017, also losing to Dumbarton on Hogmanay.
And so this weekend's Scottish Cup fourth round tie against Ross County takes on an even greater importance for the Tangerines.
This is an opportunity for McKinnon's United side to put down a marker for the rest of the season, with top flight opposition also providing them with a measure. This match comes with a certain symbolism.
Flying high
While Hibernian and Dundee United might have made the Scottish Championship title a rather exclusive affair this season, Greenock Morton and Falkirk are very much fighting at the right end of the table, jostling for play-off positions. Now they meet in the Scottish Cup.
Indeed, third will host fourth in the fourth round at Cappielow this weekend in a fixture that could set something of a tone for the rest of the season. These are two sides unaccustomed to losing in recent weeks, but one of them will lose here.
How they react to that, and how the winners use the result as a springboard, could have an impact that ultimately transcends the Scottish Cup.