Who's the daddy?
Apr. 7th, 2015 02:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessRevenge 4.10 Atonement
Huh, I kept being wrong-footed by this episode.
I wasn’t convinced by all of Margiaux’s workings out about Daniel, but I didn’t think, based on the past three and a half seasons, that he’d make a great father either.
I got really excited about Henry Czerny returning as Conrad in flashback, but we only got the callous arrogance of the man to feed into Daniel’s angst. And then, about midway, we had some character development for Daniel, with real remorse and honesty, and suddenly I didn’t mind the pregnancy for kicking that off (although Victoria, sincerely excited about being a grandmother, if trying to control the situation, indeed, was a reminder in her conversation with Margiaux of how too intertwined Margiaux and Daniel's families were).
I didn’t expect them to kill stupid Daniel off (this season is a little braver than most), or for it to play out so satisfyingly, because I didn’t think they could have redeemed him into being a guy who could look at himself in a mirror without a glass in hand or let him wholly become his father. But that Emily said goodbye like that was a suitable grace note. My only quibble is that it would have been nice to have flashbacks to Margiaux, with a wig, knowing Daniel way back when.
Emily vs. Kate was duly set up, but, come on, Victoria could manipulate Kate like moulding clay. Jack’s reaction to Emily and Nolan’s accusations and plotting was a lot more accepting that I expected. In hindsight, given all the paternal issues flying about, Kate being Mr Black’s daughter shouldn’t have been a surprise. With the advantage of home turf, until Emily turned her back on ‘unconscious’ Kate – and didn’t tie her up!? Stupidity for plot reasons – I wasn’t particularly worried, as the fight went all over the house, up to the balcony of doom.
Nolan and Louise are a little fun together.
Victoria made a really valid point about David not trusting her about the truth about his wife. Was David looking to drug her just to disappear and carry out his mission alone? Dude, get over trying to protect Emily and let her help you on the takedown, she’s going to have motive enough now.
Whatever Officer Ben is going to think of Emily/Jack after the shootings come out, is going to be both right and wrong. (Emily/Jack is increasingly looking like endgame.)
Poldark episode 5
Or the further adventures of our awesome redhead and her pretty, scarred man on the pretty, but harsh coastline of Cornwall. Because I might as well admit that I was siding with Demelza, even when she was wrong – not really thinking of what Verity wanted, but assuming it would be the same as she’d want, not listening to Ross, although I’ll get to him, and only learning through experience that well-meaning meddling is still meddling, and ending up having to lie and make herself out to be flightier than she is because of it. For Verity could have eloped, but didn’t. Sure, she might be better off if she had chosen her Captain over her (useless) brother and the life she was used to, but she didn’t, and I felt really sorry for her in seeing her distress at meeting the Captain again.
I don’t get why Demelza had to lie about not witnessing the riots – did she think she’d be banned from going to town? And at that point, she and Ross seemed to be lying to each other, although he then spilled about Francis gambling the mine away. Well, he had to, as it wasn’t a fact that could be hid. And this after talking through the mortgage and even the top secret mine owners unite venture with Demelza – going against the occasional laying down of the law without explaining why, which I think is a terrible habit. Better to reason with her.
But I saved my frowny face for his admission to Verity that there were still some pining for Elizabeth (who didn’t choose you, twice, stupid.) That made me frown more than his admission of envying the new doctor’s freedom to Demelza, given the tone of their conversation, more too than Margaret letting Ross know she was available and she thought he was the best lovah she’d evah had.
For, okay, it seems as if Elizabeth is finally going to rise to meet adversity and roll up her sleeves. Good for her, but what has she been doing the last couple of years? She’s right that Francis is feeling sorry for himself, but he’s always done so. She should have put her foot down before now. I say that having felt genuinely sorry for her, because Francis has been so unkind that his protestations of love were beside the point.
And then there is Julia. Ovaries surely melted as we saw Ross taking her to learn the Poldark way of staring out broodily to sea. I think they missed an Athena poster trick by not having more of that, whereas Julia was a massive presence in Demelza’s life.
But the birth scene was daft. Good job Call the Midwife isn’t on at present.
Also, the mood-setting inserts were more zoological than usual.
But back to Demelza, who has now graduated to hats. Her curtsying has improved, there was a perfectly decent one this episode. And she’s learned her letters enough to write letters, and the keepsake for Julia was lovely because it was made by hand, with love and all she's become, (meanwhile her father came and was so, so unkind, with no grace about him at all). I was glad Elizabeth appreciated Demelza's gesture (see, I’m not totally bashing her!) even if I think Demelza is not going to be as fixated on her child, because even if she has a romantic prism, she is thinking of the other people in her life.
For all the little things that made me frown (I don't want lying or straying or lack of communication), there were lots of nice Ross/Demelza moments, many of which I’ve mentioned, and we ended on him reaching for her hand. And I do appreciate that the tensions between them are mostly credible and one can sympathise with both characters, you know, when one isn’t being a crazy shipper.
Huh, I kept being wrong-footed by this episode.
I wasn’t convinced by all of Margiaux’s workings out about Daniel, but I didn’t think, based on the past three and a half seasons, that he’d make a great father either.
I got really excited about Henry Czerny returning as Conrad in flashback, but we only got the callous arrogance of the man to feed into Daniel’s angst. And then, about midway, we had some character development for Daniel, with real remorse and honesty, and suddenly I didn’t mind the pregnancy for kicking that off (although Victoria, sincerely excited about being a grandmother, if trying to control the situation, indeed, was a reminder in her conversation with Margiaux of how too intertwined Margiaux and Daniel's families were).
I didn’t expect them to kill stupid Daniel off (this season is a little braver than most), or for it to play out so satisfyingly, because I didn’t think they could have redeemed him into being a guy who could look at himself in a mirror without a glass in hand or let him wholly become his father. But that Emily said goodbye like that was a suitable grace note. My only quibble is that it would have been nice to have flashbacks to Margiaux, with a wig, knowing Daniel way back when.
Emily vs. Kate was duly set up, but, come on, Victoria could manipulate Kate like moulding clay. Jack’s reaction to Emily and Nolan’s accusations and plotting was a lot more accepting that I expected. In hindsight, given all the paternal issues flying about, Kate being Mr Black’s daughter shouldn’t have been a surprise. With the advantage of home turf, until Emily turned her back on ‘unconscious’ Kate – and didn’t tie her up!? Stupidity for plot reasons – I wasn’t particularly worried, as the fight went all over the house, up to the balcony of doom.
Nolan and Louise are a little fun together.
Victoria made a really valid point about David not trusting her about the truth about his wife. Was David looking to drug her just to disappear and carry out his mission alone? Dude, get over trying to protect Emily and let her help you on the takedown, she’s going to have motive enough now.
Whatever Officer Ben is going to think of Emily/Jack after the shootings come out, is going to be both right and wrong. (Emily/Jack is increasingly looking like endgame.)
Poldark episode 5
Or the further adventures of our awesome redhead and her pretty, scarred man on the pretty, but harsh coastline of Cornwall. Because I might as well admit that I was siding with Demelza, even when she was wrong – not really thinking of what Verity wanted, but assuming it would be the same as she’d want, not listening to Ross, although I’ll get to him, and only learning through experience that well-meaning meddling is still meddling, and ending up having to lie and make herself out to be flightier than she is because of it. For Verity could have eloped, but didn’t. Sure, she might be better off if she had chosen her Captain over her (useless) brother and the life she was used to, but she didn’t, and I felt really sorry for her in seeing her distress at meeting the Captain again.
I don’t get why Demelza had to lie about not witnessing the riots – did she think she’d be banned from going to town? And at that point, she and Ross seemed to be lying to each other, although he then spilled about Francis gambling the mine away. Well, he had to, as it wasn’t a fact that could be hid. And this after talking through the mortgage and even the top secret mine owners unite venture with Demelza – going against the occasional laying down of the law without explaining why, which I think is a terrible habit. Better to reason with her.
But I saved my frowny face for his admission to Verity that there were still some pining for Elizabeth (who didn’t choose you, twice, stupid.) That made me frown more than his admission of envying the new doctor’s freedom to Demelza, given the tone of their conversation, more too than Margaret letting Ross know she was available and she thought he was the best lovah she’d evah had.
For, okay, it seems as if Elizabeth is finally going to rise to meet adversity and roll up her sleeves. Good for her, but what has she been doing the last couple of years? She’s right that Francis is feeling sorry for himself, but he’s always done so. She should have put her foot down before now. I say that having felt genuinely sorry for her, because Francis has been so unkind that his protestations of love were beside the point.
And then there is Julia. Ovaries surely melted as we saw Ross taking her to learn the Poldark way of staring out broodily to sea. I think they missed an Athena poster trick by not having more of that, whereas Julia was a massive presence in Demelza’s life.
But the birth scene was daft. Good job Call the Midwife isn’t on at present.
Also, the mood-setting inserts were more zoological than usual.
But back to Demelza, who has now graduated to hats. Her curtsying has improved, there was a perfectly decent one this episode. And she’s learned her letters enough to write letters, and the keepsake for Julia was lovely because it was made by hand, with love and all she's become, (meanwhile her father came and was so, so unkind, with no grace about him at all). I was glad Elizabeth appreciated Demelza's gesture (see, I’m not totally bashing her!) even if I think Demelza is not going to be as fixated on her child, because even if she has a romantic prism, she is thinking of the other people in her life.
For all the little things that made me frown (I don't want lying or straying or lack of communication), there were lots of nice Ross/Demelza moments, many of which I’ve mentioned, and we ended on him reaching for her hand. And I do appreciate that the tensions between them are mostly credible and one can sympathise with both characters, you know, when one isn’t being a crazy shipper.
