It's always fun when an impulse book buy turns out to be really good: it excuses all those other reckless buys that languish unread on my already stuffed book shelves. James Benmore's Dodger wasn't an impulse buy, exactly - as a Dickens fan and defender of sequels, I was almost honour bound to buy it - but it wasn't a book I had great hopes for, and I stumbled across it by chance. Surprisingly, though, it turned out to be one of most satisfying specimens of the sequel/prequel/retelling of classic genre I've encountered.
As the title suggests, the novel tells us what happened next to the Artful Dodger a.k.a. Jack Dawkins in Oliver Twist. I like the Dodger well enough, but I have sometimes been bemused by his great renown as a character. As Benmore's novel reminds us, Dodger is transported to Australia long before Dickens's novel reaches its climax. In an overwhelming number of adaptations of Oliver Twist, though, he stays around until the very end. In these adaptations, it's often Dodger who spies on Nancy (not knowing how Fagin will twist his words to infuriate Bill Sikes) - in the novel, it's Noah Claypole. Also, we often see Dodger standing up to Sikes after he's killed Nancy, when in fact it's Charley Bates - the only one of Fagin's boys we know goes straight after the harrowing incidents in Oliver Twist - who turns on Sikes. The Artful seems to have away of charming people to want to see more of him. An interesting exception is the ITV adaptation of Oliver Twist, with Marc Warren as Monks and Robert Lindsay as Fagin (yes, in this adaptation, this is the right order). Dodger is there until the end all right, but instead of being a perky little urchin he and the other members of Fagin's gang are gangly, unglamorous teenagers with a certain hoodie feel. Alan Bleasdale, who wrote this adaptation, clearly wasn't charmed by Dodger for one minute.
Perhaps Dodger's appeal depends partly on the fact that he is the first person Oliver encounters who is nice to him (well, the only one with any guts at any rate - Mr Sowerberry was not much use to the poor boy). Dodger's motives may be self-interested - he's recruiting new boys for Fagin's gang - but all the same, at this stage in the story, you feel as grateful as Oliver when he's shown a little kindness. The prominent part Dodger plays in the musical Oliver!, with a starring role in the catchy numbers "Consider yourself" and "I'd do anything", is surely also of benefit to his reputation. But let's not be churlish: Dickens's Dodger is an appealingly cheeky character with a gift of the gab, and in Benmore's novel he certainly lives up to the hype.
Benmore catches Dodger's tone and cheerful amorality, which never quite sours to resentment, perfectly. Dodger's narrative is funny and colourful throughout (I'm increasingly thankful for books that are funny: the fun parts, as Dickens knew, don't make the serious parts of a novel less poignant.) The story is exciting, a little like a traditional treasure hunt but where lives are at stake. There are pleasingly Dickensian new characters as well as old acquaintances from Fagin's day. The villainous Lord Evershed is on the mad side, but does his stuff, and his henchman Timothy Pin is first class in the supporting villain role. Last but not least, there are numerous references to other Dickens novels, from small details (Dodger goes back to England on the Son and Heir, the ship that later sinks in Dombey and Son) to significant guest appearances (a meeting with Betsey Trotwood from David Copperfield has a significant impact on Dodger's love interest Ruby).
I love this sort of thing, especially when it's done well as it is here. The only thing that bothered me was that Fagin's boys seem to blame Oliver Twist (whom Dodger hardly remembers) for Fagin's arrest and hanging. But it was Noah Claypole who peached on Fagin, not Oliver (yes, he told Mr Brownlow and others about what Fagin was up to, but only to clear his own name). I applaud Dodger's fond feelings for Fagin, though, and heartily concur with the sentiment that it was in poor taste to bring Oliver to visit the Fagin when he was about to be hanged as a sort of example to the boy. Oliver doesn't appear in Dodger, but will apparently play a part in the follow-up novel Dodger of the Dials. I hope any misunderstanding between the two young men will be cleared up then.
tisdag 24 mars 2015
tisdag 10 mars 2015
Predictions for Downton Abbey series six, and why my guesses are wilder than ever
First a complaint. There has been practically no gossip available regarding series six. When series four was being made, even official sources were happy to offer us some crumbs, for instance that there would be new love interests for Mary and that a dashing jazz singer would make an appearance. Some of the information was misleading (calling Mr Green a "charismatic valet", for instance, which made us expect him to be part of a romantic storyline), but it was something. We were told a little less about series five, but still we got to hear about some new characters like Simon Bricker, Lady Anstruther and Prince Kuragin. But this time, zilch. All right, we can assume we'll see Henry Talbot again - but that's it.
There have been rumours that series six is to be the last one, but the show's creators won't even deny or confirm this. They don't seem to realise why we fans care so much. It's not that we don't see that Downton has to end sometime, and series six seems as good a place to stop as any, before the characters get too old or their storylines too feeble. But hints that the producers themselves don't know whether this series will be the last or not have at least me worried. Because the series is already written, isn't it? The last thing I want - and surely many other fans feel the same - is one of those horrible "open" endings where nothing is properly resolved. No, if Downton ends, there has to be a tying up of loose ends, and preferably as many happy endings as possible. I realise there can't be five weddings and zero funerals in the final episode. But where there is no full-blown romance, maybe we can at least get hopeful glimpses of how various characters' future will turn out?
My hope is that if the producers really, truly don't know at this stage if series six is the last, Julian Fellowes will have time to rewrite some parts of it if ITV decides to call it a day. And after all, show me the happy ending which is completely watertight - it is possible to get the drama going again even after what looks like a tidy resolution.
High time to come to the predictions now:
Henry Talbot jilts Mary: Something - maybe my lingering loyalty to Charles Blake - makes me doubt that Talbot is Mary's happily-ever-after. It's been a while since a man said no to her, and maybe he plays it cool because he really isn't passionately interested. My guess is that they will have a fling, after which he'll dump her with some line about never promising her anything. At which point, ideally, Blake will re-enter her life and she will finally realise how well they are suited.
Marigold becomes a test of love: More churlish looking gift love interests in the mouth now that they've finally arrived, but this Pelham bloke Edith's interested in: is he really the best she can get? The poor cousin of an aristocratic family that everyone feels a bit sorry for? Why should Mary always get the finest man options, while Edith tries to settle for second best (older, in time crippled man; married farmer; disfigured fake heir; married editor) and fails even at that? Pelham will certainly make an appearance in the new series, but whether he's good news for Edith depends entirely on how he reacts to finding out the truth about Marigold, which of course he will. Option 1: he shrinks away from the "scarlet woman" Edith, gives up the job as steward at Downton (which he has landed now that Branson's gone away) and disappears. Option 2: he accepts the situation and is prepared to marry Edith and treat Marigold as his own daughter. At which point his aristocratic cousins get mauled by a lion in South Africa, he inherits the lot, and Edith becomes a lady of the manor in her own right.
An upstairs guest takes a shine to Thomas: It has been hinted that Thomas is interested in the new footman Andy - why else would he save Andy from Miss Denker's gamblers, seeing as he is no philanthropist? But consider: we can't have the "Thomas pines for footman" plot again. Also, Andy's nice-looking enough in a boy next door kind of way and would be a good fit for Daisy - he's certainly a cut above Alfred - but he's no match for the glamorous lookers Thomas has fancied in the past (who were also, it has to be said, total bastards, with the exception of the sweet but unfortunately suicidal blind lieutenant). As Andy's shown no sign of an interest for Thomas - not even managing to squeeze out a "thank you" when Thomas comes to his rescue: at least Jimmy knew when to be grateful! - I think he's a false trail, and that Thomas's romantic future lies elsewhere. The most practical thing by far would be for a toff/businessman/diplomat/similar to fall for him, as someone with enough money and authority would be able to camouflage their affair by employing Thomas as a valet or private secretary ("People are so ridiculous... Of course Barrow's devoted to me"). He may not be Mr Right at all but a high-born predator who makes sure of his prey by manipulation and blackmail. In any case, it's high time Thomas was much sought after.
Peter Coyle turns up: A character who is able to make Miss Nice As Pie Baxter relish nastiness? Surely, we've got to meet this man! The true threats to the peace of Downton always come from outside, leaving scope for the regular "bad" characters to reform. In the end, if the worst comes to the worst, the Downton crowd will hold together. Even Miss O'Brien warbled along to "If you were the only girl in the world" during the war concert in series two. With Peter Coyle, we would have a no-holds-barred villain on the scene who could test Miss Baxter's resolve to be good person and her love for Molesley. If he got a foothold in the Downton household he could pose a threat to other characters too, upstairs or downstairs. The question is how, as there is no demand whatsoever for more manservants. Maybe he has reinvented himself as a gentleman?
The Green case is resolved, finally! The most likely scenario is that the murderer proves to be a perfect stranger. But I have another, more far-flung theory: what if it turns out to be Edna Braithwaite? She and Green got along well during the fateful houseparty, and we never did discover who was supposed to father Edna's baby if she got Branson to swallow the marriage bait. ("No doubt she had a candidate in mind", Mrs Hughes sniffed at the time.) Later, there could have been be a falling out among thieves, or he could have attacked her as well. When the truth is revealed, Edna could make a nice embittered little speech about how everyone was ready to rush to Anna's side when she was in trouble, but no-one at Downton is prepared to put in a good word for her, least of all Branson (if he's even in the country at the time). Ah well, just a thought. It will probably turn out to be Miss Unknown Slight Blonde Looking a Bit Like Anna.
There have been rumours that series six is to be the last one, but the show's creators won't even deny or confirm this. They don't seem to realise why we fans care so much. It's not that we don't see that Downton has to end sometime, and series six seems as good a place to stop as any, before the characters get too old or their storylines too feeble. But hints that the producers themselves don't know whether this series will be the last or not have at least me worried. Because the series is already written, isn't it? The last thing I want - and surely many other fans feel the same - is one of those horrible "open" endings where nothing is properly resolved. No, if Downton ends, there has to be a tying up of loose ends, and preferably as many happy endings as possible. I realise there can't be five weddings and zero funerals in the final episode. But where there is no full-blown romance, maybe we can at least get hopeful glimpses of how various characters' future will turn out?
My hope is that if the producers really, truly don't know at this stage if series six is the last, Julian Fellowes will have time to rewrite some parts of it if ITV decides to call it a day. And after all, show me the happy ending which is completely watertight - it is possible to get the drama going again even after what looks like a tidy resolution.
High time to come to the predictions now:
Henry Talbot jilts Mary: Something - maybe my lingering loyalty to Charles Blake - makes me doubt that Talbot is Mary's happily-ever-after. It's been a while since a man said no to her, and maybe he plays it cool because he really isn't passionately interested. My guess is that they will have a fling, after which he'll dump her with some line about never promising her anything. At which point, ideally, Blake will re-enter her life and she will finally realise how well they are suited.
Marigold becomes a test of love: More churlish looking gift love interests in the mouth now that they've finally arrived, but this Pelham bloke Edith's interested in: is he really the best she can get? The poor cousin of an aristocratic family that everyone feels a bit sorry for? Why should Mary always get the finest man options, while Edith tries to settle for second best (older, in time crippled man; married farmer; disfigured fake heir; married editor) and fails even at that? Pelham will certainly make an appearance in the new series, but whether he's good news for Edith depends entirely on how he reacts to finding out the truth about Marigold, which of course he will. Option 1: he shrinks away from the "scarlet woman" Edith, gives up the job as steward at Downton (which he has landed now that Branson's gone away) and disappears. Option 2: he accepts the situation and is prepared to marry Edith and treat Marigold as his own daughter. At which point his aristocratic cousins get mauled by a lion in South Africa, he inherits the lot, and Edith becomes a lady of the manor in her own right.
An upstairs guest takes a shine to Thomas: It has been hinted that Thomas is interested in the new footman Andy - why else would he save Andy from Miss Denker's gamblers, seeing as he is no philanthropist? But consider: we can't have the "Thomas pines for footman" plot again. Also, Andy's nice-looking enough in a boy next door kind of way and would be a good fit for Daisy - he's certainly a cut above Alfred - but he's no match for the glamorous lookers Thomas has fancied in the past (who were also, it has to be said, total bastards, with the exception of the sweet but unfortunately suicidal blind lieutenant). As Andy's shown no sign of an interest for Thomas - not even managing to squeeze out a "thank you" when Thomas comes to his rescue: at least Jimmy knew when to be grateful! - I think he's a false trail, and that Thomas's romantic future lies elsewhere. The most practical thing by far would be for a toff/businessman/diplomat/similar to fall for him, as someone with enough money and authority would be able to camouflage their affair by employing Thomas as a valet or private secretary ("People are so ridiculous... Of course Barrow's devoted to me"). He may not be Mr Right at all but a high-born predator who makes sure of his prey by manipulation and blackmail. In any case, it's high time Thomas was much sought after.
Peter Coyle turns up: A character who is able to make Miss Nice As Pie Baxter relish nastiness? Surely, we've got to meet this man! The true threats to the peace of Downton always come from outside, leaving scope for the regular "bad" characters to reform. In the end, if the worst comes to the worst, the Downton crowd will hold together. Even Miss O'Brien warbled along to "If you were the only girl in the world" during the war concert in series two. With Peter Coyle, we would have a no-holds-barred villain on the scene who could test Miss Baxter's resolve to be good person and her love for Molesley. If he got a foothold in the Downton household he could pose a threat to other characters too, upstairs or downstairs. The question is how, as there is no demand whatsoever for more manservants. Maybe he has reinvented himself as a gentleman?
The Green case is resolved, finally! The most likely scenario is that the murderer proves to be a perfect stranger. But I have another, more far-flung theory: what if it turns out to be Edna Braithwaite? She and Green got along well during the fateful houseparty, and we never did discover who was supposed to father Edna's baby if she got Branson to swallow the marriage bait. ("No doubt she had a candidate in mind", Mrs Hughes sniffed at the time.) Later, there could have been be a falling out among thieves, or he could have attacked her as well. When the truth is revealed, Edna could make a nice embittered little speech about how everyone was ready to rush to Anna's side when she was in trouble, but no-one at Downton is prepared to put in a good word for her, least of all Branson (if he's even in the country at the time). Ah well, just a thought. It will probably turn out to be Miss Unknown Slight Blonde Looking a Bit Like Anna.
onsdag 4 mars 2015
Downton series five follow-up
Hooray! Finally the whole series five has been aired in the USA, which means I can blog about it without worrying about spoilers too much. Yes, I realise there are still countries that are behind in the Downton calendar, so I'd better be clear: if you want to avoid series five spoilers, stop reading now, and don't read my next blog entry about predictions for series six either until later. I always try to make my first blog entry about a new Downton series, which appears in the autumn, as spoiler-free as possible for the benefit of America readers, but after that it's no holds barred.
Series five proved to have a different focus than I expected from my predictions, but I'll still try and use them to pin my reflections on. First, though, some general observations. I think I liked series five more than series four, which is odd as I had a problem with many of the major storylines. However, the dynamic between the characters and the development of their relationships were what made this series worthwhile more than each character's carefully (and sometimes not so carefully) constructed story arc. Romance was in short supply, except for the older ladies: instead, the recurring theme was friendship. Isobel Crawley and the Dowager finally became real mates: Isobel was ready to bury the hatchet in series four, but then the Dowager still held out. Mrs Patmore's and Daisy's relationship resembled a mother-daughter one more and more, and you could be forgiven for forgetting how roughly Daisy was treated by Mrs P in series one. The brother-sister bond between Branson and both the Crawley sisters was heartwarming to see: "If you love me you'll support me", he said to Mary at one point to which the ice queen responded: "Then I'll have to support you". Last but not least, Miss Baxter proved to be a pal to Thomas after all, though scrupulous about not wanting anything to do with plotting (unless ordered by Lady Mary).
Now for the prediction follow-up:
Mary chooses Charles Blake and there'll be trouble with the Blake inheritance: UNDECIDED. I bundle these predictions together as the series, rather disappointingly, was not much about Mary's relationship to Charles Blake at all. He helps her disentangle herself when she realises, somewhat late, that Gillingham is not the man for her (and this I could see coming). But then, when he is in a position to reap the rewards of his friendly interference and scoop up Mary for himself, he suddenly ups and leaves for a mission of some sort in Poland! Can it really be that Charles Blake has been written out? I refuse to believe it (hence the "undecided"). Surely if anyone was Mary's true mate, it's Charles. I don't think Henry Talbot of the shining car will prove that keen to do battle with Mary, but I'll leave that for the next blog entry.
Bates didn't do it: CORRECT. Haaa! I told you so, didn't I? I'm really chuffed I got this one right. All around me, people who have more fondness for Bates than I have (which is not difficult) wavered, but I knew: the murder (if it was one) just didn't fit his MO, if he were to decide to kill someone. Cracking someone's head in whilst in a rage? Yes. Needling someone to death with smug remarks? Yes, if it can be done. Shoving someone under a bus to make it look like an accident? No. It's dishonest and cowardly, and therefore not Bates's style.
I did wonder once, during episode five which was a low point in the series, when Bates assured his wife that no harm would ever come to her. How was he supposed to be able to guarantee that? It did sound as if he were some crazy serial killer set on killing everyone that upset her. But I don't really count this small moment of doubt.
Goodness, though, this was a tedious storyline. At the start of the series I was seriously worried that Thomas would blot his copy book irretrievably by squealing on Bates. In the end, I stopped worrying. Anything which would have resolved this drawn-out plot would have been welcomed by more viewers than me, even if it had been the hanging of one of the Bateses. (Thomas did squeal a little, but to no lasting ill effect and mostly because he was peeved at Miss Baxter, plus he was sorry afterwards.)
Gregson is a spy: NO. I'm almost tempted to put "undecided" on this one. How can the German authorities identify a year-old corpse so positively? It does sound a bit like a plot for going undercover, and it would be just like Edith's luck if Gregson turned up alive and well just as she had rebuilt her life and was about to marry another man. But I won't be too fanciful: they say Gregson is dead, so I'll have to believe it. Odd though not to kill him off at once instead of shilly-shallying round for ages.
Molesley faces up to Miss Baxter's past: YES. I was disappointed that Miss Baxter's past misdeed turned out to be a theft: it felt like the regimental silver all over again. But at least there was a man in the case, who will surely turn up to haunt her next series.
I sometimes wonder whether Fellowes has a master plan for his characters or if he makes it up as he goes along. After all, there's being complex, and there's being downright contradictory. Miss Baxter is a case in point. She has gone from displaying passive-aggressive dislike towards Thomas (in series four) to seeming afraid of him (crouching as if struck every time he came near at the start of series five) to finally wanting to be friends with him. I can understand why Thomas was distrustful. In the end, though, Miss Baxter proved herself, and I'm not one to complain. I can just about explain her behaviour by supposing that Thomas in some ways reminds her of the wicked footman Peter Coyle with whom she was embroiled, while at the same time being her best friend's brother whom she has known all her life.
Oh, and the romance with Molesley? It's going well. He's at his best when giving Miss Baxter some piece of surprisingly good advice.
New faces and old acquaintances (well, there were none of the latter, barring Rose's parents):
I'll go into the new regulars when making my predictions. For now, let's just say I only had one correct guess when it came to the guest appearances. Mabel Lane Fox did turn up and proved a match for Mary. However, I did not foresee that Simon Bricker would woo Cora or that the Russian Kuragin would prove to be an old flame of the Dowager's. This was one of the plot lines I didn't care for, incidentally: the Dowager doesn't need a romantic storyline. While Daisy was getting implausibly bolshie by studying, Thomas was - again implausibly - trying to de-gay himself with a painful quack "cure" (he was never ashamed of his sexuality before, the "I am not foul" scene with Carson in series three being one of his strongest) and Edith was battling with the Drewes over her child, not implausibly but for far too long, there was not a love interest in sight for these wounded hearts until possibly towards the very end of the series. That the Dowager should have an admirer felt like adding insult to injury. I'm not against all autumnal romances, though: Lord Merton's proposal to Isobel and Carson's proposal to Mrs Hughes - not least her answer - were two of the highlights of this series.
Anna Chancellor's Lady Anstruther proved herself to be more ready to forgive Jimmy than I thought. She was also a hoot, and I was sorry we did not see more of her. Jimmy's write-out was unexpected and must surely be actor-getting-another-part-related. I seems odd, seeing as I've wanted to smash his pretty face in on occasions, but from a drama perspective I will miss Jimmy. I don't think it's likely that his replacement, the far less glamorous Andy, will generate better or more welcome storylines. But I would be happy to be proved wrong.
Series five proved to have a different focus than I expected from my predictions, but I'll still try and use them to pin my reflections on. First, though, some general observations. I think I liked series five more than series four, which is odd as I had a problem with many of the major storylines. However, the dynamic between the characters and the development of their relationships were what made this series worthwhile more than each character's carefully (and sometimes not so carefully) constructed story arc. Romance was in short supply, except for the older ladies: instead, the recurring theme was friendship. Isobel Crawley and the Dowager finally became real mates: Isobel was ready to bury the hatchet in series four, but then the Dowager still held out. Mrs Patmore's and Daisy's relationship resembled a mother-daughter one more and more, and you could be forgiven for forgetting how roughly Daisy was treated by Mrs P in series one. The brother-sister bond between Branson and both the Crawley sisters was heartwarming to see: "If you love me you'll support me", he said to Mary at one point to which the ice queen responded: "Then I'll have to support you". Last but not least, Miss Baxter proved to be a pal to Thomas after all, though scrupulous about not wanting anything to do with plotting (unless ordered by Lady Mary).
Now for the prediction follow-up:
Mary chooses Charles Blake and there'll be trouble with the Blake inheritance: UNDECIDED. I bundle these predictions together as the series, rather disappointingly, was not much about Mary's relationship to Charles Blake at all. He helps her disentangle herself when she realises, somewhat late, that Gillingham is not the man for her (and this I could see coming). But then, when he is in a position to reap the rewards of his friendly interference and scoop up Mary for himself, he suddenly ups and leaves for a mission of some sort in Poland! Can it really be that Charles Blake has been written out? I refuse to believe it (hence the "undecided"). Surely if anyone was Mary's true mate, it's Charles. I don't think Henry Talbot of the shining car will prove that keen to do battle with Mary, but I'll leave that for the next blog entry.
Bates didn't do it: CORRECT. Haaa! I told you so, didn't I? I'm really chuffed I got this one right. All around me, people who have more fondness for Bates than I have (which is not difficult) wavered, but I knew: the murder (if it was one) just didn't fit his MO, if he were to decide to kill someone. Cracking someone's head in whilst in a rage? Yes. Needling someone to death with smug remarks? Yes, if it can be done. Shoving someone under a bus to make it look like an accident? No. It's dishonest and cowardly, and therefore not Bates's style.
I did wonder once, during episode five which was a low point in the series, when Bates assured his wife that no harm would ever come to her. How was he supposed to be able to guarantee that? It did sound as if he were some crazy serial killer set on killing everyone that upset her. But I don't really count this small moment of doubt.
Goodness, though, this was a tedious storyline. At the start of the series I was seriously worried that Thomas would blot his copy book irretrievably by squealing on Bates. In the end, I stopped worrying. Anything which would have resolved this drawn-out plot would have been welcomed by more viewers than me, even if it had been the hanging of one of the Bateses. (Thomas did squeal a little, but to no lasting ill effect and mostly because he was peeved at Miss Baxter, plus he was sorry afterwards.)
Gregson is a spy: NO. I'm almost tempted to put "undecided" on this one. How can the German authorities identify a year-old corpse so positively? It does sound a bit like a plot for going undercover, and it would be just like Edith's luck if Gregson turned up alive and well just as she had rebuilt her life and was about to marry another man. But I won't be too fanciful: they say Gregson is dead, so I'll have to believe it. Odd though not to kill him off at once instead of shilly-shallying round for ages.
Molesley faces up to Miss Baxter's past: YES. I was disappointed that Miss Baxter's past misdeed turned out to be a theft: it felt like the regimental silver all over again. But at least there was a man in the case, who will surely turn up to haunt her next series.
I sometimes wonder whether Fellowes has a master plan for his characters or if he makes it up as he goes along. After all, there's being complex, and there's being downright contradictory. Miss Baxter is a case in point. She has gone from displaying passive-aggressive dislike towards Thomas (in series four) to seeming afraid of him (crouching as if struck every time he came near at the start of series five) to finally wanting to be friends with him. I can understand why Thomas was distrustful. In the end, though, Miss Baxter proved herself, and I'm not one to complain. I can just about explain her behaviour by supposing that Thomas in some ways reminds her of the wicked footman Peter Coyle with whom she was embroiled, while at the same time being her best friend's brother whom she has known all her life.
Oh, and the romance with Molesley? It's going well. He's at his best when giving Miss Baxter some piece of surprisingly good advice.
New faces and old acquaintances (well, there were none of the latter, barring Rose's parents):
I'll go into the new regulars when making my predictions. For now, let's just say I only had one correct guess when it came to the guest appearances. Mabel Lane Fox did turn up and proved a match for Mary. However, I did not foresee that Simon Bricker would woo Cora or that the Russian Kuragin would prove to be an old flame of the Dowager's. This was one of the plot lines I didn't care for, incidentally: the Dowager doesn't need a romantic storyline. While Daisy was getting implausibly bolshie by studying, Thomas was - again implausibly - trying to de-gay himself with a painful quack "cure" (he was never ashamed of his sexuality before, the "I am not foul" scene with Carson in series three being one of his strongest) and Edith was battling with the Drewes over her child, not implausibly but for far too long, there was not a love interest in sight for these wounded hearts until possibly towards the very end of the series. That the Dowager should have an admirer felt like adding insult to injury. I'm not against all autumnal romances, though: Lord Merton's proposal to Isobel and Carson's proposal to Mrs Hughes - not least her answer - were two of the highlights of this series.
Anna Chancellor's Lady Anstruther proved herself to be more ready to forgive Jimmy than I thought. She was also a hoot, and I was sorry we did not see more of her. Jimmy's write-out was unexpected and must surely be actor-getting-another-part-related. I seems odd, seeing as I've wanted to smash his pretty face in on occasions, but from a drama perspective I will miss Jimmy. I don't think it's likely that his replacement, the far less glamorous Andy, will generate better or more welcome storylines. But I would be happy to be proved wrong.
Prenumerera på:
Inlägg (Atom)
