shallowness (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shallowness) wrote2018-11-27 07:55 am
shallowness) wrote2018-11-27 07:55 am
Entry tags:
Rounding off the weekend
Monarch of the Glen update
I saw the end of the third series and the start of the fourth. This trio of episodes featured one of the most bizarre ways of killing off a character you could imagine and strange tonal shifts and developments as a result: a proposal, a family bust-up, a death, a funeral, a near-wedding. I’m glad they’ve stopped airing it for now. I won’t be picking it back up later, because from what I understand, other actors left and were replaced by characters playing similar roles, but it seems like they went and undermined the whole concept of the show as a result.
It had its moments, mainly involving Golly, but also the 'you came!' kiss, and the stuff with the rose was earned. Lexie gets her fairy tale, at a ball no less. Stella’s post-divorce loneliness-fuelled insanity continued, but what she felt for Archie couldn’t be love, because it was so destructive that he was reduced to Awful Sarcasm. Cue Archie finally deciding he did want Lexie to carry on making things right for him, and proposing (which makes more sense when you remember this is based on books from the first half of the twentieth century and they were leaning heavily on the fairy tale trope).
The next episode, they announced their engagement and everyone was stunned. Hector reacted badly, in a way that could have been read as snobbish, and then proceeded to carry out fishing as a displacement activity while Golly had to step in as Archie’s father figure. The scene where Hector explained himself (to Molly, not, you know, Archie and Lexie, who needed the explanation as to why he did the opposite of blessing the match) seemed to be more about revealing a rocky period in his marriage with Molly – he wasn’t being snobbish, honest! - and his grand declaration of love to Molly then was entirely about what would happen next rather than working in the moment.
What happened next, well, Hector was planning to blow up a pike, unsupervised, as he would, but an unrestrained dog (not the dogs of the start of the third series) and a toy boat carrying the explosives led to the forementioned bizarro death. I have a vague recollection that Richard Briers found it tough to go up to Scotland and film there for such a length of time, but what an absurd way to write Hector off.
Especially because they wrung some dramatic heft out of it, because of the way things were between him and Archie when he died. Archie was prospecting for gold for the wedding rings at this point. Aww. And as you do.
Everyone was very stunned. The dog, Useless, was hanging around the next episode like Greyfriars Bobby, except he had accidentally killed his idiot master. Molly failed to explain to Archie and Lexie why Hector had reacted as he had, as she was grieving and falling to bits until she finished her painting of him. Archie was determined to follow the funeral with the wedding the next day, Lexie wasn’t too sure and rightly pointed out they ought to be making decisions together in a marriage. She made this point extra forcefully because her mother was around, stressing her out, and Archie was being emotionally closed off. She had cold feet, Archie and co had a Dash (and he was in a kilt at this point, instead of the unfortunate tartan trousers at the ball. If the actor playing Archie couldn’t carry them off, they’re a world of no).
As ever, I spent a lot of this thinking ‘That could’ve been handled better’. We ended with Archie now owing death duties as well as his other debts, even if Lascelles was no longer breathing so heavily down his neck. Duncan was at his most regressive, and though Hector had gone and Archie/Lexie mostly settled, it felt like the show was stuck in the same pattern.
Little Drummer Girl – episode 5
So deep in was I, that even as I gathered that the driver was Kahlil (um, same twist as last week), I wasn’t particularly happy to be roused out of the show. I mean, Charlie’s loyalties were in question for me until Gadi saw the bracelet and we got confirmation from her scene with Helga that the bracelet was indeed meant to be a message. What she went through and witnessed (kids being blown up, kids who played with guns) was fairly harrowing.
I liked that we had a few more scenes of Gadi as Salim instructing Charlie, which led into the intercutting moments, as he angsted a bit about what he’d lead her in for. It did make the actual interaction at the café resonate hugely.
Charles Dance was good value – I wonder if part of the casting choice, apart from his other actorly qualities, was that he’d be tall enough to be in Michael Shannon’s eyeline.
Strictly Results: giving it to Tess, because her gown was colourful and fit. Unlike Craig, I didn’t like Claudia’s 70s yeti of a dress, Shirley was just going for contrast with the gown she’d previously worn, and Darcy continued her crusade against lining (all ‘Watch me hit this profile at the end of our intro dance’).
First dance: was the theme ‘There’s room for everyone at the table’ Arlene? Also interesting that she choreographed it, and wasn’t name-checked as a former judge: it’s three words.
Fair recap, although I don’t think anyone was as confused as the gallery about the lindyhopathon scoring.
Fair enough that Graeme was in the bottom 2. A dance to The Lonely Goatherd sounds…intriguingly odd.
Can’t have been the only one thinking ‘oh, more m/m dancing…to Rod Stewart?’ until the lyrics dawned on me and the lady dancers turned up, and I covet that blue velvet jumpsuit even though my rational mind points out I could never. I actually liked the Gene Kelly references when Grazziano and Andre danced together, and the ending was very effective.
Cue the shocker: first that Lauren was safe, because that was the question, then Charles, and Ashley’s vote collapsed. A part of me wants to snark that the Strictly audience doesn’t like non-Brits, especially ones who are too good. But I’ve voted for Ashley in the past, and felt no wish to do so after the samba. It was possibly too good but generic (like her cha-cha, Pasha). I preferred Joe and Stacey’s dances, and with her at joint second, there was no compelling reason to vote for her.
A shocked!Darcey continues to fail to understand how the show works: the audience votes for their favourite(s) and the purity of dance often isn’t the deciding factor.
Karen was in hysteric shock, I tuned out Charles’s babbling. I understand Lauren’s happy gratitude, but I think AJ is starting to feel bad (while probably planning moar shirtless lifting if possible because, as a pro, he always wants to win).
As Graeme knew (confirmed on ITT), the dance-off was a foregone conclusion, especially as he was the one who messed up towards the end. While I thought Ashley tried to take the notes on board she was a little less confident, and she’s got to be hit emotionally by all this. Wasn’t Alexandra Burke in the audience? Perhaps she could offer some advice.
I saw the end of the third series and the start of the fourth. This trio of episodes featured one of the most bizarre ways of killing off a character you could imagine and strange tonal shifts and developments as a result: a proposal, a family bust-up, a death, a funeral, a near-wedding. I’m glad they’ve stopped airing it for now. I won’t be picking it back up later, because from what I understand, other actors left and were replaced by characters playing similar roles, but it seems like they went and undermined the whole concept of the show as a result.
It had its moments, mainly involving Golly, but also the 'you came!' kiss, and the stuff with the rose was earned. Lexie gets her fairy tale, at a ball no less. Stella’s post-divorce loneliness-fuelled insanity continued, but what she felt for Archie couldn’t be love, because it was so destructive that he was reduced to Awful Sarcasm. Cue Archie finally deciding he did want Lexie to carry on making things right for him, and proposing (which makes more sense when you remember this is based on books from the first half of the twentieth century and they were leaning heavily on the fairy tale trope).
The next episode, they announced their engagement and everyone was stunned. Hector reacted badly, in a way that could have been read as snobbish, and then proceeded to carry out fishing as a displacement activity while Golly had to step in as Archie’s father figure. The scene where Hector explained himself (to Molly, not, you know, Archie and Lexie, who needed the explanation as to why he did the opposite of blessing the match) seemed to be more about revealing a rocky period in his marriage with Molly – he wasn’t being snobbish, honest! - and his grand declaration of love to Molly then was entirely about what would happen next rather than working in the moment.
What happened next, well, Hector was planning to blow up a pike, unsupervised, as he would, but an unrestrained dog (not the dogs of the start of the third series) and a toy boat carrying the explosives led to the forementioned bizarro death. I have a vague recollection that Richard Briers found it tough to go up to Scotland and film there for such a length of time, but what an absurd way to write Hector off.
Especially because they wrung some dramatic heft out of it, because of the way things were between him and Archie when he died. Archie was prospecting for gold for the wedding rings at this point. Aww. And as you do.
Everyone was very stunned. The dog, Useless, was hanging around the next episode like Greyfriars Bobby, except he had accidentally killed his idiot master. Molly failed to explain to Archie and Lexie why Hector had reacted as he had, as she was grieving and falling to bits until she finished her painting of him. Archie was determined to follow the funeral with the wedding the next day, Lexie wasn’t too sure and rightly pointed out they ought to be making decisions together in a marriage. She made this point extra forcefully because her mother was around, stressing her out, and Archie was being emotionally closed off. She had cold feet, Archie and co had a Dash (and he was in a kilt at this point, instead of the unfortunate tartan trousers at the ball. If the actor playing Archie couldn’t carry them off, they’re a world of no).
As ever, I spent a lot of this thinking ‘That could’ve been handled better’. We ended with Archie now owing death duties as well as his other debts, even if Lascelles was no longer breathing so heavily down his neck. Duncan was at his most regressive, and though Hector had gone and Archie/Lexie mostly settled, it felt like the show was stuck in the same pattern.
Little Drummer Girl – episode 5
So deep in was I, that even as I gathered that the driver was Kahlil (um, same twist as last week), I wasn’t particularly happy to be roused out of the show. I mean, Charlie’s loyalties were in question for me until Gadi saw the bracelet and we got confirmation from her scene with Helga that the bracelet was indeed meant to be a message. What she went through and witnessed (kids being blown up, kids who played with guns) was fairly harrowing.
I liked that we had a few more scenes of Gadi as Salim instructing Charlie, which led into the intercutting moments, as he angsted a bit about what he’d lead her in for. It did make the actual interaction at the café resonate hugely.
Charles Dance was good value – I wonder if part of the casting choice, apart from his other actorly qualities, was that he’d be tall enough to be in Michael Shannon’s eyeline.
Strictly Results: giving it to Tess, because her gown was colourful and fit. Unlike Craig, I didn’t like Claudia’s 70s yeti of a dress, Shirley was just going for contrast with the gown she’d previously worn, and Darcy continued her crusade against lining (all ‘Watch me hit this profile at the end of our intro dance’).
First dance: was the theme ‘There’s room for everyone at the table’ Arlene? Also interesting that she choreographed it, and wasn’t name-checked as a former judge: it’s three words.
Fair recap, although I don’t think anyone was as confused as the gallery about the lindyhopathon scoring.
Fair enough that Graeme was in the bottom 2. A dance to The Lonely Goatherd sounds…intriguingly odd.
Can’t have been the only one thinking ‘oh, more m/m dancing…to Rod Stewart?’ until the lyrics dawned on me and the lady dancers turned up, and I covet that blue velvet jumpsuit even though my rational mind points out I could never. I actually liked the Gene Kelly references when Grazziano and Andre danced together, and the ending was very effective.
Cue the shocker: first that Lauren was safe, because that was the question, then Charles, and Ashley’s vote collapsed. A part of me wants to snark that the Strictly audience doesn’t like non-Brits, especially ones who are too good. But I’ve voted for Ashley in the past, and felt no wish to do so after the samba. It was possibly too good but generic (like her cha-cha, Pasha). I preferred Joe and Stacey’s dances, and with her at joint second, there was no compelling reason to vote for her.
A shocked!Darcey continues to fail to understand how the show works: the audience votes for their favourite(s) and the purity of dance often isn’t the deciding factor.
Karen was in hysteric shock, I tuned out Charles’s babbling. I understand Lauren’s happy gratitude, but I think AJ is starting to feel bad (while probably planning moar shirtless lifting if possible because, as a pro, he always wants to win).
As Graeme knew (confirmed on ITT), the dance-off was a foregone conclusion, especially as he was the one who messed up towards the end. While I thought Ashley tried to take the notes on board she was a little less confident, and she’s got to be hit emotionally by all this. Wasn’t Alexandra Burke in the audience? Perhaps she could offer some advice.