Auntie's Sunday spread
Dec. 5th, 2017 07:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessHowards End 4/4
This ended up circling around a moral question and the nature of forgiveness. There were some subtleties (as to what Margaret thought was going on with Helen) amid the big drama. There was one partictularly excellent mouth quiver from Atwell.
Charles was the worst, even though some of that rage came from wanting to do something for a father who treated him badly and passed on rotten values to him. I did feel a little sorry for him whenever he was around ‘the pater’ and getting undermined all the time. But that violent rage was awful to behold.
You could make an argument about the general uselessness of men (no, Tibby, don’t tell Charles about Leonard Bast – why is it his business? Yes, I know you’re too high-minded for anything other than Chinese pronounciation, but that’s for Meg and officialdom. Evie seemed to have chilled at the end, but Paul had turned into another Charles.)
At the end, I felt there were a few too many loose threads, I know we were meant to care for Margaret, Henry and Helen, (two out of three ain’t bad, and Margaret was the only likeable one of the whole lot, which makes it good she was the heroine). But did Aunt Julie get better? And what about Jacky? I suppose this was a failing of the book, and the adaptation dragged her into it in the cuts to her as Leonard went to Howards End, to face the woman he’d impregnated, but can you imagine finding out your whatever he was to Jacky had been killed (in front of the woman he’d knocked up etc etc?) Was her health good enough to stand up for it? Did she have any means of financial support?
The show made a good case for painting walls deep turquoise and dark colours.
Dolly letting the family secret/meaness drop was beautiful. Never trust a bimbo who’s married in with the family secret.
Tibby did a Doctor Who dress-up (or rathe rDoctor Who’s look has oft been inspired by this era) and for some reason studied Chinese.
The rumbling thunder at the end was WAR. Feel free to get killed in it, delightful Paul.
Anyway, the sisters got Howards End, to appreciate it, unlike the Wilcoxes who didn’t want them to have it FOR REASONS and the uncanny neighbour was right.
So, that's spared me having to read the book. It was an engrossing, intelligent period drama/adaptation, with fine acting.
Strictly Results
I noticed the clever musicals themed titles this time around.
Fab opening – what singing, very feelgood mood overall.
Tess’s commitment to asymmetry continues, but Claudia went for a colour. The shock of it and the nice pattern made it delightful. Shirley and Dacrcey looked good too.
Fair round-up, with Debbie getting the snap of winnerdom, which I guess was a hint – I took it as them making up to her for giving Alexandra, jointly top of the leaderboard, the final slot on the night.
When they called Joe safe (never been in the dance-off!) alongside Debbie, I started getting twitchy. As Davood said, it was understandable why he was in the dance-off and he knew what he needed to work on, (Shirley gives good advice at this point) although it depended on who he was facing.
Forget the three tenors, can these three ladies go on a belting it out tour? Beverly Knight’s singing was as epic as her hair, I’d never heard of Cassidy Jansen before, but yes, and Amber Riley’s got this sweetness along with power. The first two couples were nice, but it was the right call to get the lady pros out for the last bit.
I wish Claudia had also pressed Craig on why Debbie didn’t get a 10. The clip of Ed Balls and Claud’n’Tess, most especially him diving under Tess’s legs, was rather extraordinary.
Fair enough that Mollie was safe (the grafter and showmance narrative, as perpetrated by Claudia, must help). But yikes. I know Gemma and Aljiaz are likeable, and I know Alexandra has been on stage (but are we penalising Joe and Debbie for that? And I know Debbie, the older lady and widow getting to dance joyously in the arms of a younger man is a big draw - I FEEL IT TOO) but Alexandra deserves to be in the final, we deserve it if it’s to be any good.
Ouch. Still, it was obvious who would go out of that dance-off. (Has Nadiya done enough to be kept on next year? I mean, I skipped out of their speechifying, so…)
This ended up circling around a moral question and the nature of forgiveness. There were some subtleties (as to what Margaret thought was going on with Helen) amid the big drama. There was one partictularly excellent mouth quiver from Atwell.
Charles was the worst, even though some of that rage came from wanting to do something for a father who treated him badly and passed on rotten values to him. I did feel a little sorry for him whenever he was around ‘the pater’ and getting undermined all the time. But that violent rage was awful to behold.
You could make an argument about the general uselessness of men (no, Tibby, don’t tell Charles about Leonard Bast – why is it his business? Yes, I know you’re too high-minded for anything other than Chinese pronounciation, but that’s for Meg and officialdom. Evie seemed to have chilled at the end, but Paul had turned into another Charles.)
At the end, I felt there were a few too many loose threads, I know we were meant to care for Margaret, Henry and Helen, (two out of three ain’t bad, and Margaret was the only likeable one of the whole lot, which makes it good she was the heroine). But did Aunt Julie get better? And what about Jacky? I suppose this was a failing of the book, and the adaptation dragged her into it in the cuts to her as Leonard went to Howards End, to face the woman he’d impregnated, but can you imagine finding out your whatever he was to Jacky had been killed (in front of the woman he’d knocked up etc etc?) Was her health good enough to stand up for it? Did she have any means of financial support?
The show made a good case for painting walls deep turquoise and dark colours.
Dolly letting the family secret/meaness drop was beautiful. Never trust a bimbo who’s married in with the family secret.
Tibby did a Doctor Who dress-up (or rathe rDoctor Who’s look has oft been inspired by this era) and for some reason studied Chinese.
The rumbling thunder at the end was WAR. Feel free to get killed in it, delightful Paul.
Anyway, the sisters got Howards End, to appreciate it, unlike the Wilcoxes who didn’t want them to have it FOR REASONS and the uncanny neighbour was right.
So, that's spared me having to read the book. It was an engrossing, intelligent period drama/adaptation, with fine acting.
Strictly Results
I noticed the clever musicals themed titles this time around.
Fab opening – what singing, very feelgood mood overall.
Tess’s commitment to asymmetry continues, but Claudia went for a colour. The shock of it and the nice pattern made it delightful. Shirley and Dacrcey looked good too.
Fair round-up, with Debbie getting the snap of winnerdom, which I guess was a hint – I took it as them making up to her for giving Alexandra, jointly top of the leaderboard, the final slot on the night.
When they called Joe safe (never been in the dance-off!) alongside Debbie, I started getting twitchy. As Davood said, it was understandable why he was in the dance-off and he knew what he needed to work on, (Shirley gives good advice at this point) although it depended on who he was facing.
Forget the three tenors, can these three ladies go on a belting it out tour? Beverly Knight’s singing was as epic as her hair, I’d never heard of Cassidy Jansen before, but yes, and Amber Riley’s got this sweetness along with power. The first two couples were nice, but it was the right call to get the lady pros out for the last bit.
I wish Claudia had also pressed Craig on why Debbie didn’t get a 10. The clip of Ed Balls and Claud’n’Tess, most especially him diving under Tess’s legs, was rather extraordinary.
Fair enough that Mollie was safe (the grafter and showmance narrative, as perpetrated by Claudia, must help). But yikes. I know Gemma and Aljiaz are likeable, and I know Alexandra has been on stage (but are we penalising Joe and Debbie for that? And I know Debbie, the older lady and widow getting to dance joyously in the arms of a younger man is a big draw - I FEEL IT TOO) but Alexandra deserves to be in the final, we deserve it if it’s to be any good.
Ouch. Still, it was obvious who would go out of that dance-off. (Has Nadiya done enough to be kept on next year? I mean, I skipped out of their speechifying, so…)
no subject
Date: 2017-12-07 03:14 am (UTC)The connection between Jacky and Henry I feel that I should've seen that coming though I didn't. It just made me dislike Henry even more... At least Ruth Wilcox's last wish did eventually come true though it took a long while before Margaret finally received that gift.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-07 06:59 am (UTC)I thought Leonard's youth was a big factor in what had led him down this path, and every time he asserted his pride (and Helen didn't listen) I did respect him a little more.
Jacky was certainly a victim, and, like I said, that we never learned what happened to her stuck with me.
I thought the whole thing was well made, and I'm willing to blame the source material for many of my issues, but it's not one to take to heart.