Christmas specials
Dec. 27th, 2014 09:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessMiranda I Do, But To Who?
Well, obviously it was going to be Gary. (I still haven’t forgotten Mike calling Miranda ‘quirky’ and I was listening judgementally to every word he uttered in his declaration.)
I thought this special worked both comically and emotionally. It’s been long enough that the ruminations on words sounding funny the more you say them, ‘are we?’, ‘bear with’ and ‘what I like to call’ made me smile. I’m tempted to say that I laughed more than I did through all of series 3 put together, but that is harsh and probably untrue.
I liked that Miranda/Gary seemed to be doing well given the chaos their engagement caused and that a lot of the tension was because of Stevie’s fear of losing her best friend, but the final exchange – even if totally overwrought – had the ring of truth, namely that Miranda didn’t trust in herself and so couldn’t trust in Gary and was using the need to hear ‘I love you’ as a figleaf. Cue Celine Dion, patron singer of heartbreak during romcoms.
The flashbacks make it clear that these specials are the very last Mirandas ever.
Downton Abbey Christmas Special
Or Hark, A Castle as the show showed off the new location.
That butler was so nasty, he put Thomas pretty much in the position of defending Tom. Heh.
I just hate what they’ve done to Bates and Anna since season 1. Not only did we have the awkwardness of their reversed positions, it turns out Anna’s stepfather abused her or tried to and she attacked him in self-defence. How much misery do these two have to go through and why does the show have to lampshade it? After Bates’s unbelievable confession got Anna back, Murray said at least they were moving forward, but Bates and Anna just seem to be going around in miserable circles.
Although, in fairness, having had that happen in her past does add to Anna’s refusal not to report Greene. (And I had the fleeting thought that Bates considered finding Anna’s stepfather and murdering him and all.)
Mrs Hughes’s sister Becky was a touching reveal (er, but why didn’t she come up in season 1 when that farmer was chasing after Elsie?) I had been spoiled that Carson and Hughes were going to end up together, and while I can’t say I’ve been longing for this ship to happen - I mostly think she deserves better – it’s nice in a reverse Remains of the Day way, and there was a lot of them being the Lord and Lady of Downstairs paralleling.
I cared more about Violet’s servant problems (ILU Spratt, and his malice IS amusing) and Isobel/Lord Merton than the Prince and determined-to-be-miserable Princess.
I still think that brat Larry Grey shouldn’t be allowed to win and make two nice people miserable.
Bonneville and Carmichael’s scene was lovely (even though I have so many issues with the handling of Edith’s secret, although it’s only something like the dozenth topic on which the Crawleys have anachronistic attitudes, and the way they wrote out the mad wife). I am torn between thinking that Mary is too self-obsessed to realise that Edith is Marigold’s mother (poor kids, one is going to be smothering and the other a cold fish) and wondering quite how nasty she’s going to be when she finds out, because she was quite a bitch to everyone except Anna and Tom.
I thought she looked knowing when Henry Talbot’s name was mentioned, but they didn’t know each other.
Oh, Mathew Goode, you’re on The Good Wife, you’re better than this. Either it was because of the Allen Leech Imitation Game connection, he’s a secret vintage care aficionado or his mum/gran/aunts love love love the show.
But his character is taller than Mary’s other men. Her rudeness about his rudeness (and come on, how many of Mary’s men have used Downton as a B&B?) was NOT charming, but Henry jumping into his car was showing off for her.
Basically, I want Mary to drown in a vat of her own vinegar by this point.
Meanwhile, am I wrong to get excited that Edith has met a RELATIVELY YOUNG fellow loser in life? How does HE feel about illegitimate children? Granted, he’s tied to that castle. I shouldn’t get excited.
I gradually started to believe that Tom – the buffer and, weirdly, potential love interest for both his sisters-in-law – really might finally leave for the States. Of course with Sybbie (you idiot, Robert). Saying goodbye to Sybil doesn’t really negate the vibes that have existed between Tom and Mary and Tom and Edith. And they way he assured everyone that he considered Downton his home and it wouldn’t be the last they’d see of him suggests that he’ll still be around next season. Or, more seriously, maybe, if the show is still around for the Wall Street Crash.
ROSE! Aww, she’s come on so much. She handled the Sinderby situation fabulously. (Boo, sir. Rachel deserved better.) Watch out, New York.
The detecting pub crawl totally counts as more dates for Molesley and Baxter, doesn’t it?
Daisy making eyes at the newish footman doesn’t seem promising.
I’m pretty much expecting Anna to be pregnant after her and Bates’s ‘very happy Christmas’. So long as she doesn’t let Robert direct the pregnancy (and no-one does any driving) they might even break the circle of misery...naaah, it’s probably going to end up being grimdark for them somehow.
Well, obviously it was going to be Gary. (I still haven’t forgotten Mike calling Miranda ‘quirky’ and I was listening judgementally to every word he uttered in his declaration.)
I thought this special worked both comically and emotionally. It’s been long enough that the ruminations on words sounding funny the more you say them, ‘are we?’, ‘bear with’ and ‘what I like to call’ made me smile. I’m tempted to say that I laughed more than I did through all of series 3 put together, but that is harsh and probably untrue.
I liked that Miranda/Gary seemed to be doing well given the chaos their engagement caused and that a lot of the tension was because of Stevie’s fear of losing her best friend, but the final exchange – even if totally overwrought – had the ring of truth, namely that Miranda didn’t trust in herself and so couldn’t trust in Gary and was using the need to hear ‘I love you’ as a figleaf. Cue Celine Dion, patron singer of heartbreak during romcoms.
The flashbacks make it clear that these specials are the very last Mirandas ever.
Downton Abbey Christmas Special
Or Hark, A Castle as the show showed off the new location.
That butler was so nasty, he put Thomas pretty much in the position of defending Tom. Heh.
I just hate what they’ve done to Bates and Anna since season 1. Not only did we have the awkwardness of their reversed positions, it turns out Anna’s stepfather abused her or tried to and she attacked him in self-defence. How much misery do these two have to go through and why does the show have to lampshade it? After Bates’s unbelievable confession got Anna back, Murray said at least they were moving forward, but Bates and Anna just seem to be going around in miserable circles.
Although, in fairness, having had that happen in her past does add to Anna’s refusal not to report Greene. (And I had the fleeting thought that Bates considered finding Anna’s stepfather and murdering him and all.)
Mrs Hughes’s sister Becky was a touching reveal (er, but why didn’t she come up in season 1 when that farmer was chasing after Elsie?) I had been spoiled that Carson and Hughes were going to end up together, and while I can’t say I’ve been longing for this ship to happen - I mostly think she deserves better – it’s nice in a reverse Remains of the Day way, and there was a lot of them being the Lord and Lady of Downstairs paralleling.
I cared more about Violet’s servant problems (ILU Spratt, and his malice IS amusing) and Isobel/Lord Merton than the Prince and determined-to-be-miserable Princess.
I still think that brat Larry Grey shouldn’t be allowed to win and make two nice people miserable.
Bonneville and Carmichael’s scene was lovely (even though I have so many issues with the handling of Edith’s secret, although it’s only something like the dozenth topic on which the Crawleys have anachronistic attitudes, and the way they wrote out the mad wife). I am torn between thinking that Mary is too self-obsessed to realise that Edith is Marigold’s mother (poor kids, one is going to be smothering and the other a cold fish) and wondering quite how nasty she’s going to be when she finds out, because she was quite a bitch to everyone except Anna and Tom.
I thought she looked knowing when Henry Talbot’s name was mentioned, but they didn’t know each other.
Oh, Mathew Goode, you’re on The Good Wife, you’re better than this. Either it was because of the Allen Leech Imitation Game connection, he’s a secret vintage care aficionado or his mum/gran/aunts love love love the show.
But his character is taller than Mary’s other men. Her rudeness about his rudeness (and come on, how many of Mary’s men have used Downton as a B&B?) was NOT charming, but Henry jumping into his car was showing off for her.
Basically, I want Mary to drown in a vat of her own vinegar by this point.
Meanwhile, am I wrong to get excited that Edith has met a RELATIVELY YOUNG fellow loser in life? How does HE feel about illegitimate children? Granted, he’s tied to that castle. I shouldn’t get excited.
I gradually started to believe that Tom – the buffer and, weirdly, potential love interest for both his sisters-in-law – really might finally leave for the States. Of course with Sybbie (you idiot, Robert). Saying goodbye to Sybil doesn’t really negate the vibes that have existed between Tom and Mary and Tom and Edith. And they way he assured everyone that he considered Downton his home and it wouldn’t be the last they’d see of him suggests that he’ll still be around next season. Or, more seriously, maybe, if the show is still around for the Wall Street Crash.
ROSE! Aww, she’s come on so much. She handled the Sinderby situation fabulously. (Boo, sir. Rachel deserved better.) Watch out, New York.
The detecting pub crawl totally counts as more dates for Molesley and Baxter, doesn’t it?
Daisy making eyes at the newish footman doesn’t seem promising.
I’m pretty much expecting Anna to be pregnant after her and Bates’s ‘very happy Christmas’. So long as she doesn’t let Robert direct the pregnancy (and no-one does any driving) they might even break the circle of misery...naaah, it’s probably going to end up being grimdark for them somehow.
