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Brief Sniplet on Last Night's TV
Jan. 7th, 2013 12:29 pmI may get around to having more complete thoughts, or I may not... so I'll just make quick ones.
I enjoyed "Once Upon a Time" last night.
Yeah, there's a bit of character whiplash going on (Snow was willing to assassinate the evil Queen at one point and suddenly she was the one arguing to give Regina a second chance during the execution...? Prince Charming was working with Regina a few weeks ago and now he's more unwilling to give her a shot than Snow...? ) But, quibbles aside, I enjoyed the episode. I do find myself wishing that the writing on the show was better. I like storylines better in concept than in execution, but... oh well.
Other things of note:
Was Jiminey Cricket's dog ALWAYS Pongo from 101 Dalmations? Awww. Cute Pongo. Pretty dog.
Regina to Jiminey Cricket/Dr. Hopper: "Remember, doctor, your PhD came from a CURSE."
Prince Charming to Snow White upon being discovered in bed by (their adult daughter) Emma: "It's good to know that at her age we can still provide a few traumatizing childhood memories."
********************
Downton Abbey:
A little slow overall.
I'm somewhat perplexed by Shirley Maclain's character and the decision to make her quite so... crass. Cora isn't crass. And if the character was part of the Newport set (which she mentioned), well the Vanderbilts and Astors were every bit as stiff as the British upper class. That tends to happen when people try to mimic something they admire. They go overboard. That group of robber-barons was every bit as formal and class conscious as the Brits, yet Maclain's character is constantly sniping about it and pointing out the aristocracy's failings? Okay if she were a certain type but, isn't this supposed to be the same family that set Cora up to marry a title? Doesn't this contradict? Why did she marry her daughter off to a title (paying a hefty sum to do so) if she places no value on it? Was she simply indulgent of Cora's desires when Cora was young and thus she was willing to buy her daughter an impoverished Earl even though titles mean nothing to her? Was it Cora's father who was so impressed by a title that he laid out half his fortune in a marriage settlement to make his daughter a countess? Was he the one who had table manners? After all, Cora had to mimic her behavior from somewhere, and while Cora seems to have her mother's "The trappings don't matter as much to me as they do to my husband and oldest daughter. I can adapt," attitude, overall, Cora appears quite, quite different from her mother.
You know, if they ever wanted a spin-off (please don't), I would be curious about how the Cora/Robert romance came about. . . Which, honestly, sounds a bit like what Fellowes<sp?> is pushing for the American show he's developing.
And the post-WWI American/British social class clash was handled a bit better with the Colin Firth movie Easy Virtue (which I saw just last week and have mixed feelings about his running off with his son's American wife. Though she did have AMAZING clothes.) Hot can take you a long way.
One other note, Mary was displaying many of the characteristics that prevent me from fully embracing her. I actually agree with her with regards to Matthew and the money, but the way she expresses her position makes me cringe.
( Read more... )
Oh, and Matthew, Livinia died of the flipping SPANISH FLU, you nittwit! No one except Padme Skywalker is stupid enough to die of a broken heart.
I enjoyed "Once Upon a Time" last night.
Yeah, there's a bit of character whiplash going on (Snow was willing to assassinate the evil Queen at one point and suddenly she was the one arguing to give Regina a second chance during the execution...? Prince Charming was working with Regina a few weeks ago and now he's more unwilling to give her a shot than Snow...? ) But, quibbles aside, I enjoyed the episode. I do find myself wishing that the writing on the show was better. I like storylines better in concept than in execution, but... oh well.
Other things of note:
Was Jiminey Cricket's dog ALWAYS Pongo from 101 Dalmations? Awww. Cute Pongo. Pretty dog.
Regina to Jiminey Cricket/Dr. Hopper: "Remember, doctor, your PhD came from a CURSE."
Prince Charming to Snow White upon being discovered in bed by (their adult daughter) Emma: "It's good to know that at her age we can still provide a few traumatizing childhood memories."
********************
Downton Abbey:
A little slow overall.
I'm somewhat perplexed by Shirley Maclain's character and the decision to make her quite so... crass. Cora isn't crass. And if the character was part of the Newport set (which she mentioned), well the Vanderbilts and Astors were every bit as stiff as the British upper class. That tends to happen when people try to mimic something they admire. They go overboard. That group of robber-barons was every bit as formal and class conscious as the Brits, yet Maclain's character is constantly sniping about it and pointing out the aristocracy's failings? Okay if she were a certain type but, isn't this supposed to be the same family that set Cora up to marry a title? Doesn't this contradict? Why did she marry her daughter off to a title (paying a hefty sum to do so) if she places no value on it? Was she simply indulgent of Cora's desires when Cora was young and thus she was willing to buy her daughter an impoverished Earl even though titles mean nothing to her? Was it Cora's father who was so impressed by a title that he laid out half his fortune in a marriage settlement to make his daughter a countess? Was he the one who had table manners? After all, Cora had to mimic her behavior from somewhere, and while Cora seems to have her mother's "The trappings don't matter as much to me as they do to my husband and oldest daughter. I can adapt," attitude, overall, Cora appears quite, quite different from her mother.
You know, if they ever wanted a spin-off (please don't), I would be curious about how the Cora/Robert romance came about. . . Which, honestly, sounds a bit like what Fellowes<sp?> is pushing for the American show he's developing.
And the post-WWI American/British social class clash was handled a bit better with the Colin Firth movie Easy Virtue (which I saw just last week and have mixed feelings about his running off with his son's American wife. Though she did have AMAZING clothes.) Hot can take you a long way.
One other note, Mary was displaying many of the characteristics that prevent me from fully embracing her. I actually agree with her with regards to Matthew and the money, but the way she expresses her position makes me cringe.
( Read more... )
Oh, and Matthew, Livinia died of the flipping SPANISH FLU, you nittwit! No one except Padme Skywalker is stupid enough to die of a broken heart.
