I went all out for period drama last night
Sep. 9th, 2019 08:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessPoldark 5.8
I felt as if the stuff that had more to do with the whole season had more force, although I hated seeing sadface!Demelza so, so much. Also duly noted that Demelza be the boss of Prudie.
‘Five months later’ and Morwenna was very pregnant. Ross was in very deep with smugglers, including Tess, and the Frenchies, so much so that people named Demelza were asking questions. I have a much lower opinion of Ross’s plans than he has, and his actual surprise that Demelza knew about him and Tess – though in fairness he was sweet talking her into letting him put him off – was proof of why his plans suck.
And that came after the least reassuring fobbing off possible!
I don’t think we saw Garrick, but I presume he went with Demelza, because Ross certainly didn’t notice the spy lurking around the grounds of Nampara. This was of a piece with the brazen wandering around the beach and getting spotted by George et al, smuggling spies’ security standards having dropped since the previous episode.
Anyway, Ross eventually had to let Dwight in on his secrets and plans. Dwight, whatever his problems with his missus – how vicious was her jab about his adulterous youth? But then he must have handed her that weapon – told her the truth. Caroline could no more stand Sadface!Demelza than I could, especially when she was saying she’d go to Verity (ah, nice that sweet Verity got a mention) or Jamaica (and at some level, Caroline thought, ‘NO! Kitty Despard ain’t having my BFF.’) Especially when she knew Ross wasn’t really having an affair.
After castigating Ross for the right things – dishonesty, not trusting her, being reckless, Demelza turned up to be a heroine and delay, delay, delay. I liked her later admission that she was saying the first thing that came into her mind, and while we all knew she was there to save Ross, there was some vindictive pleasure in having him watch Toussaint flirt with her. But obviously she wasn’t expecting Hanson or knowing what to do about him.
Basically she deserved all the adoration and the bridal carry and for Ross to give Tess the unvarnished, disdainful truth. I found I could not go as far as feeling sorry for Tess, as Demelza had, myself. I almost cheered when it looked like Demelza got the last line, but the meta of Ross promising he’d be back (sure, if everybody’s careers tank) was just right.
His gleam of eyes about future spying with Dwight – oh boys! And the way they brought in Robin Ellis AKA Past!Ross was very nice. Ross even made a decent spy, so long as he doesn’t lie to Demelza. There was swordfighting! I’m not even going to try to guess if the baby was conceived during the five months of lies or after.
I could have stood to learn more about Rosina, assistant schoolmarm, becoming chums with Morwennna. Now that Tess had dumped him and ‘repentance’ to sniff after Ross, Morwenna tried the ‘sisters’ thing on for size. And then, in an act of forgiveness that was even more breath-taking than Demelza empathising with Tess, Rosina told Sam she wanted to give him a second chance. He acknowledged how badly he’d treated her, and we had a wedding to end the series.
I basically would have liked to see a lot more beats of that story on screen.
Anyway, no surprise that Morwenna went into labour as Drake helped blow up bits of a mine to trap Frenchies as part of Ross’s plan, which was only partially working at that point. Nice that everyone came through for him once he asked, because Demelza can’t have been the only one wondering about the ore and Tess and whatnot. All went well as it was the finale, and I’m glad Morwenna (and sweet Drake) was a daughter as John Conan is lost to her.
This then led to Caroline holding the baby, a major moment, and her confession to Dwight kind of explaining all the Enys marital tensions (which suffered from inconsistency and lacunae). Of course, the second they’re all right again, he’s off to France to back up Ross, while Caroline has to watch Demelza be pregnant, but still.
It seemed like Ross let Geoffrey Charles in on his plan above everyone else (a case of giving the character something to do?) and his reputation is restored. Hansen seemed particularly vindictive towards him, although it appeared that Cecily leaving for Jamaica was not approved.
Valentine was a bit of a brat over mines. Uncle Warleggan suggested whipping. I just want George not to traumatise the kid. Well, I also want to swerve future Valentine/Clowence. Despite wanting revenge, George drew the line at treason. I’d say ‘well done, George’, but I’d have cut a couple of his scenes, yes, even the last ‘sighting’ of Elizabeth, and given them to the Carne brothers and wives, TBH.
We ended with a beacon being lit (they didn’t quite manage the LOTR rip-off I was expecting) and a look to Demelza (heroine) and a slo mo walk (dramatic coat action) by Ross into the sea, away from our TV screens and to Aiden Turner’s future career. Ah well, it’s been an OTT, imperfect but rollicking five seasons, in which I’ve fallen in love with Demelza and fallen in love with Ross falling in love with Demelza, and grown quite fond of the supporting characters, from Prudie, the Enyses and the Carnes.
Sanditon – episode 3
The beginning was dull. We got a name for Hot Foreman – Mr Stringer to Charlotte, Young Stringer to Tom and imdb. Anne Reid got one good line about never letting having not met someone stop her from forming an opinion of them. We learned that The Chin would not take the moneyed gentleman with glee as most non-Austen heroines would, because she was in love with The Forehead, who continued to prove he was useless and under the spell of Clara. We learned that Clara is hardcore. I mean, if this was Sanditon and Sea-Monsters, she’d definitely survive. So, the Chin might be a bitch (and we’re meant to feel sorry for her now because she loves her stepbrother? Eh) but she seems outmatched.
I even started obsessing over how rude Mrs Parker’s face was around the doctor. Yes, he was unctuous and he’d taken her husband away from her for a bit, but that was pretty impolite.
Otherwise, I was jealous of Sidney, leaving early while we had all those single entendres about showers to put up with.
Things got a little better when Davies started ripping off Persuasion (our heroine is good in a medical crisis) and Emma (the woman who is good to my brother’s children makes the hero soften and want her to be good to his future babies.) But that’s what he was doing.
Charlotte was doing actual secretarial work, therefore I felt bad for mocking her about this in the previous episode, although I don’t think she quite realises how rickety Sanditon’s business is. She was also having helpful flashbacks to last week’s encounter with Sidney, and to his hungover annoyance, bumping into him. When she described him as ‘confounding’ to Georgianna, I take it she meant ‘rude, but hot’.
He was rubbish at guardianing. Georgiana was pointing out that she was miserable, and drawing lessons with Vicar Eww do seem intolerable even if you’re not an irreligious brat who has been separated from your guy in London, and Sidney’s all ‘Me, me, me. It’s so hard to be a guardian. Stomp, stomp, stomp.’ Dude, you are not really the one deserving pity in this scenario.
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s no. 1 fan, self-made (fore)man with ambitions and loving son of a stone mason forced to do a younger man’s job was showing a good account of himself, until The Accident inevitably happened, and wunderkind Charlotte proved that she makes an unflappable nurse. (Further fuel for the Mary Sue argument.) Sidney proved that he was equally cool-headed/capable of ripping up a lady’s petticoat. The doctor was still in the vicinity, although I wondered what ‘medical science’ he’d be applying. Young Stringer got sent out of the room so that the actors playing the leads could prove that they could star in a medical drama (should, say, Peak Practice be rebooted) er, the characters could see each other at their best.
Sidney even apologised for underestimating her and, for no reason, (it’s not as if we got another flashback) raised the whole naked encounter. (Well, obviously, the reason said volumes about his subconscious.) Charlotte answered him smartly and then got invited to share her opinion about Sidney to Sidney again, but it went better this time in that he seemed to listen vis a vis Tom and Georgiana.
And then it was all domesticity: Charlotte playing with the Parker kids and Sidney doing likewise, and both of them finding the other adorable for it, even as Tom was putting more money he didn’t have in trying to do the right thing by Sanditon’s people and pretending things were ‘FINE!’ to his wife. Next episode: regatta. I am calling Chin and Clara pushing each other into the water now.
I felt as if the stuff that had more to do with the whole season had more force, although I hated seeing sadface!Demelza so, so much. Also duly noted that Demelza be the boss of Prudie.
‘Five months later’ and Morwenna was very pregnant. Ross was in very deep with smugglers, including Tess, and the Frenchies, so much so that people named Demelza were asking questions. I have a much lower opinion of Ross’s plans than he has, and his actual surprise that Demelza knew about him and Tess – though in fairness he was sweet talking her into letting him put him off – was proof of why his plans suck.
And that came after the least reassuring fobbing off possible!
I don’t think we saw Garrick, but I presume he went with Demelza, because Ross certainly didn’t notice the spy lurking around the grounds of Nampara. This was of a piece with the brazen wandering around the beach and getting spotted by George et al, smuggling spies’ security standards having dropped since the previous episode.
Anyway, Ross eventually had to let Dwight in on his secrets and plans. Dwight, whatever his problems with his missus – how vicious was her jab about his adulterous youth? But then he must have handed her that weapon – told her the truth. Caroline could no more stand Sadface!Demelza than I could, especially when she was saying she’d go to Verity (ah, nice that sweet Verity got a mention) or Jamaica (and at some level, Caroline thought, ‘NO! Kitty Despard ain’t having my BFF.’) Especially when she knew Ross wasn’t really having an affair.
After castigating Ross for the right things – dishonesty, not trusting her, being reckless, Demelza turned up to be a heroine and delay, delay, delay. I liked her later admission that she was saying the first thing that came into her mind, and while we all knew she was there to save Ross, there was some vindictive pleasure in having him watch Toussaint flirt with her. But obviously she wasn’t expecting Hanson or knowing what to do about him.
Basically she deserved all the adoration and the bridal carry and for Ross to give Tess the unvarnished, disdainful truth. I found I could not go as far as feeling sorry for Tess, as Demelza had, myself. I almost cheered when it looked like Demelza got the last line, but the meta of Ross promising he’d be back (sure, if everybody’s careers tank) was just right.
His gleam of eyes about future spying with Dwight – oh boys! And the way they brought in Robin Ellis AKA Past!Ross was very nice. Ross even made a decent spy, so long as he doesn’t lie to Demelza. There was swordfighting! I’m not even going to try to guess if the baby was conceived during the five months of lies or after.
I could have stood to learn more about Rosina, assistant schoolmarm, becoming chums with Morwennna. Now that Tess had dumped him and ‘repentance’ to sniff after Ross, Morwenna tried the ‘sisters’ thing on for size. And then, in an act of forgiveness that was even more breath-taking than Demelza empathising with Tess, Rosina told Sam she wanted to give him a second chance. He acknowledged how badly he’d treated her, and we had a wedding to end the series.
I basically would have liked to see a lot more beats of that story on screen.
Anyway, no surprise that Morwenna went into labour as Drake helped blow up bits of a mine to trap Frenchies as part of Ross’s plan, which was only partially working at that point. Nice that everyone came through for him once he asked, because Demelza can’t have been the only one wondering about the ore and Tess and whatnot. All went well as it was the finale, and I’m glad Morwenna (and sweet Drake) was a daughter as John Conan is lost to her.
This then led to Caroline holding the baby, a major moment, and her confession to Dwight kind of explaining all the Enys marital tensions (which suffered from inconsistency and lacunae). Of course, the second they’re all right again, he’s off to France to back up Ross, while Caroline has to watch Demelza be pregnant, but still.
It seemed like Ross let Geoffrey Charles in on his plan above everyone else (a case of giving the character something to do?) and his reputation is restored. Hansen seemed particularly vindictive towards him, although it appeared that Cecily leaving for Jamaica was not approved.
Valentine was a bit of a brat over mines. Uncle Warleggan suggested whipping. I just want George not to traumatise the kid. Well, I also want to swerve future Valentine/Clowence. Despite wanting revenge, George drew the line at treason. I’d say ‘well done, George’, but I’d have cut a couple of his scenes, yes, even the last ‘sighting’ of Elizabeth, and given them to the Carne brothers and wives, TBH.
We ended with a beacon being lit (they didn’t quite manage the LOTR rip-off I was expecting) and a look to Demelza (heroine) and a slo mo walk (dramatic coat action) by Ross into the sea, away from our TV screens and to Aiden Turner’s future career. Ah well, it’s been an OTT, imperfect but rollicking five seasons, in which I’ve fallen in love with Demelza and fallen in love with Ross falling in love with Demelza, and grown quite fond of the supporting characters, from Prudie, the Enyses and the Carnes.
Sanditon – episode 3
The beginning was dull. We got a name for Hot Foreman – Mr Stringer to Charlotte, Young Stringer to Tom and imdb. Anne Reid got one good line about never letting having not met someone stop her from forming an opinion of them. We learned that The Chin would not take the moneyed gentleman with glee as most non-Austen heroines would, because she was in love with The Forehead, who continued to prove he was useless and under the spell of Clara. We learned that Clara is hardcore. I mean, if this was Sanditon and Sea-Monsters, she’d definitely survive. So, the Chin might be a bitch (and we’re meant to feel sorry for her now because she loves her stepbrother? Eh) but she seems outmatched.
I even started obsessing over how rude Mrs Parker’s face was around the doctor. Yes, he was unctuous and he’d taken her husband away from her for a bit, but that was pretty impolite.
Otherwise, I was jealous of Sidney, leaving early while we had all those single entendres about showers to put up with.
Things got a little better when Davies started ripping off Persuasion (our heroine is good in a medical crisis) and Emma (the woman who is good to my brother’s children makes the hero soften and want her to be good to his future babies.) But that’s what he was doing.
Charlotte was doing actual secretarial work, therefore I felt bad for mocking her about this in the previous episode, although I don’t think she quite realises how rickety Sanditon’s business is. She was also having helpful flashbacks to last week’s encounter with Sidney, and to his hungover annoyance, bumping into him. When she described him as ‘confounding’ to Georgianna, I take it she meant ‘rude, but hot’.
He was rubbish at guardianing. Georgiana was pointing out that she was miserable, and drawing lessons with Vicar Eww do seem intolerable even if you’re not an irreligious brat who has been separated from your guy in London, and Sidney’s all ‘Me, me, me. It’s so hard to be a guardian. Stomp, stomp, stomp.’ Dude, you are not really the one deserving pity in this scenario.
Meanwhile, Charlotte’s no. 1 fan, self-made (fore)man with ambitions and loving son of a stone mason forced to do a younger man’s job was showing a good account of himself, until The Accident inevitably happened, and wunderkind Charlotte proved that she makes an unflappable nurse. (Further fuel for the Mary Sue argument.) Sidney proved that he was equally cool-headed/capable of ripping up a lady’s petticoat. The doctor was still in the vicinity, although I wondered what ‘medical science’ he’d be applying. Young Stringer got sent out of the room so that the actors playing the leads could prove that they could star in a medical drama (should, say, Peak Practice be rebooted) er, the characters could see each other at their best.
Sidney even apologised for underestimating her and, for no reason, (it’s not as if we got another flashback) raised the whole naked encounter. (Well, obviously, the reason said volumes about his subconscious.) Charlotte answered him smartly and then got invited to share her opinion about Sidney to Sidney again, but it went better this time in that he seemed to listen vis a vis Tom and Georgiana.
And then it was all domesticity: Charlotte playing with the Parker kids and Sidney doing likewise, and both of them finding the other adorable for it, even as Tom was putting more money he didn’t have in trying to do the right thing by Sanditon’s people and pretending things were ‘FINE!’ to his wife. Next episode: regatta. I am calling Chin and Clara pushing each other into the water now.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-09 08:08 am (UTC)As for the accident. How many unrealistic things did you count? Charlotte's pure white dress remained spotless throughout, not to mention Sidney's clothing - which is impressive given he was bleeding to death, hence the application of a tourniquet with absolutely no pressure. The doctor says it was a wound worthy of a battlefield, and then simply resets the bone and it's all right again - impressive for a crush injury.
Looking forward to the regatta. Can't you just hear Tom saying to his wife, "I'm organising a regatta, what can possibly go wrong?"
no subject
Date: 2019-09-10 07:17 am (UTC)Ah, yes, I had thought they looked pretty pristine, forgot to mention it, but I got caught up in the re-assessing looks and am not the viewer to look too closely at injury detail.
Can't you just hear Tom saying to his wife, "I'm organising a regatta, what can possibly go wrong?"
On the basis of what I've seen so far, yes, I can!
no subject
Date: 2019-09-10 01:19 pm (UTC)Still would like more Stringer/Clara scenes though it'll be harder now that Sidney has become more agreeable to her.
Also wish they'd let us see Georgiana's entire painting. :-)
no subject
Date: 2019-09-12 06:57 pm (UTC)I would have, but I was too busy wondering what level of trauma Clara had suffered to withstand that pain.
But at least Stringer is in all the episodes according to imdb.
Also wish they'd let us see Georgiana's entire painting.
It was a bit 'Restraint? Here?' But also proof of how that's more effective...