Sanditon

PBS/BBC’s Masterpiece drama Sanditon just hasn’t grabbed me. Based on an unfinished Jane Austen novel, it actually seems like a phlegmatic version of one of Austen’s masterpieces. The cast features Charlotte, a bright heroine who to me seems like a cross between Lizzy Bennett and her drab sister Mary with a mix of her friend Lydia. There’s an arrogant hero, who I expect will change after learning from the heroine. There’s a strict, rich widow and a fop or two. The only new character is a woman from Antigua who’s Black. There’s a possible injection of orignality, but like the others this character doesn’t do much for me.

The story starts with a couple getting stranded by Charlotte’s house and when this real estate developer invites Charlotte to his seaside development for an unknown period of time, her parents agree even though Charlotte’s father is wary of the wild ways of seaside villages. I couldn’t believe that even if it was the norm to let your young daughter go off with strangers, that this father wouldn’t have. Of course, money’s a big issue and the developer’s out of cash and his business is in peril.

The woman from Antigua, though an heiress, is treated with prejudice by all the social set she encounters. Her family has died and she’s under the supervision on her guardian, but she has a fierce desire to return home.

All in all, I think the story is predictable and I miss Austen’s perfect wit. To me the show doesn’t measure up to Poldark, Victoria, Mr. Selfridge, or The Paradise. I wish they’d add a season to either of those shows than mess around with an unfinished Austen novel.

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Thursday Door Challenge

Hosted by Norm 2.0, Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).

From my walk around Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood and I couldn’t wait to post these lovely Christmas doors.

Thursday Door Challenge

Hosted by Norm 2.0, Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).

Now this post is late (or perhaps early for January 2nd), but I went on a walk around Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood and I couldn’t wait to post these lovely Christmas doors.

Watch this blog for more doors throughout the week.

Mary & the Royals

A fun Christmas special with Mary from the The Great British Bake Off meets Prince William and Princess Kate and agrees to create the menu for their Christmas celebration for staff of charities they support. If you like the Royals and food, you’ll like this.

The Crown’s New Cast

I’m enjoying the new cast for the most part, but still miss Clare Foy and Vanessa Kirby who played Princess Margaret. The series creator states that it just takes 3 minutes to get used to the new cast. While I like most of the actors, it’s taking me longer to adjust and I don’t know that I’ll adjust to the new Princess Margaret.

Poldark, Final Season, Ep. 7

This episode was so adrenaline spiking that if there was one more iota of excitement, I’d have to go to the hospital with a heart attack. yet there were some coincidences that were a bit much.

Ross manages to single-handedly get himself out of the mine he was thrown intoRosina, the  and to find the ore that Tess and her henchman have hid, i.e. stole. So Demelza is soon relieved.

Meanwhile Tess is flirting with Demelza’s preacher brother, Sam. Rosina, another village girl was sweet on Sam. She had her heartbroken last season so she’s due for some love. However, Sam thinks Tess really wants to find God. It’d be nice if she did, but it’s doubtful.

Since Ned was executed, Kitty’s staying with Caroline and Dwight, who invites her to stay as long as she likes. I’m pretty sure these estates were built for big families and lots of guests. Caroline is jealous, needlessly. Her jealousy increases when Dwight proposes that Kitty come with him to London, where she can convince people to stop the torture done in prison. Caroline goes to London herself and helps Kitty hand out flyers advocating against torture.

At dinner at Nampara, Morwenna and Drake announce that Morwenna’s expecting. I figured this would happen. So they’re sure to have a happy ending. I do expect all or most of the characters we like will end on a high note, unlike the 1970s series which ended with Elizabeth’s death.

When Dwight finds out that Caroline is in London and her horse threw her, he’s angry. They argue about his attention to Kitty and she overhears them.

The plot continued to ramp up as Ross comes across some Frenchmen who’re up to no good and are led by the Frenchman who wanted to kill him a season back. That seemed rather coincidental. Ross offers to betray his country to save his skin. After all, his government just hanged his good friend Ned.

Kitty decides to return to Honduras. It makes sense as that’s where she’s lived and has I assume friends and family. Everyone’s so sad, but she probably has more connections and there’s plenty to stand up for in Honduras.

Geoffrey Charles and Cecily are about to run off to America to elope, but Ross doesn’t turn up to help them as planned. Of course, this won’t work. It’s the penultimate episode so we’ve got to have lots of problems. Cecily’s father turns up just as Demelza’s helping the couple and Geoffrey Charles is assaulted and near death. The evil father bargains with Cecily. He threatens to let Geoffrey Charles die, unless Cecily promises to never see him again. So she capitulates and tells GC that she doesn’t love him.

By the end of the episode everything’s gone wrong and the French ships on the horizon and will soon attack. it’s almost too much action. The finale is going to be action-packed.

Thursday Door Challenge

Buckingham Palace, gate

Hosted by Norm 2.0, Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).

 

Poldark, Final Season, Ep. 6

Last week’s Poldark began with lots of romance, but then ended with tragedy. As the story opens, Morwenna’s in bed with Drake having gotten past all her rotten feelings about sex, caused by that lecherous first husband Ossie. Drake’s brother Sam is now wooing a pretty blond named Rosina. Yet Tess, whom I wish would disappear, is flirting with godly Sam, trying to tempt him with religion. How’s that for irony?

Ned’s in prison and Kitty’s been giving the guards bribe money to keep him safe. When Ned’s trial begins things don’t look good. Plenty of paid witnesses are lying on the stand. Ross is called to speak and gives a passionate testimony, but he went too far and sounded so rebellious that he probably did more harm than good. Dwight was urged to speak and now that he’s helped George and maybe one other person overcome mental illness, he’s an expert. He states that he’s sure that Ned’s mentally ill and didn’t mean to almost kill the King. What? Dwight, you must realize that an asylum for the mentally ill is arguably worse than death in 1800.

My biggest criticism of the episode and the one prior is how George is suddenly well. He has no more hallucinations or mental problems whatsoever. It doesn’t seem possible.

Ned Despard is a real historical figure. So the show can’t go to far from the truth. Ned did govern the British Hondura after his time fighting in the American Revolution. The real Ned Despard plotted to overturn the government and kill King George III. In the show Ned seems innocent, while history says he wasn’t. So the show departed from history and I can see that the highest punishment would be meted out for treason.

Cecily’s father arranges for her to marry George as soon as possible. George can never love any woman as much as he did Elizabeth, but he’s practical and a lady in the house would help with the kids as well as bring more into the world. Cecily and Geoffrey Charles must elope and they do run away, but are caught.

SPOILER ALERTS

Ross plans to break Ned out of jail with the help of Dwight, whose wife Caroline insists he goes along. Caroline usually pines for Dwight to stay home with her or to take her to London, but she also has high principles.

Cecily and George’s grim wedding begins. There’s to be no party and the guests present are her father, George’s Uncle Cary, Valentine and a lady who must work at the church. Geoffrey Charles burst in and almost stops the wedding. He’s carried out, but before he leaves, Cecily lies and says that she was intimate with Geoffrey Charles, who then tells George that he’ll never know if his first born is really his or Geoffrey Charles’ child. That ends the wedding. (Though George is pretty cold hearted and could wait to make sure, so this plot twist could have been better.)

After risking everything Ned tells Ross he’s not going to escape. This is an odd turn of events and weakened the plot for me. Ned has to be executed since that’s the history, but then just have him go off to his sentence rather than add this part.

While I do wonder what’s next for Ross and Demelza, I’m very curious to know what will happen to Cecily and Geoffrey Charles. My guess is her father will kick her out and they’ll elope, but you never know.

The episode had lots of change and action, but there is something about this season that seems off. I suppose I can’t get past the difference between Winston Graham’s stories and the original ones written this year by Deborah Hosfield, who’s a wonderful writer, but there’s a difference between adapting and creating.

 

Thursday Door Challenge

Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).

Thank Norm 2.0 for hosting this terrific challenge.

Poldark, Final Season, Ep. 4

It’s been such a hectic week and I just don’t have time for a full recap of Poldark’s fourth episode. The irreverant video above is probably better than what I’d write any way.

Here are some of my thoughts though:

• Treacherous Tess had me afeared as Demelza would say. I’m delighted that Ross didn’t fall for her awkward seduction maneuvers. Ross did warn her to cut out the plotting and drinking on the sly. My guess is she’ll seek revenge. That’s in her nature.
• The plot line with George going mad is a bit too much for me. I’d like more realism and as much as I like the actress who plays Elizabeth, seeing her as a ghost is far fetched. I’d prefer a different way to present his hallucinations. It is interesting and troubling to see how a person with mental illness by doctors. It’s a bit hard to believe that Dwight would become a pioneer in mental health or psychology. He has been innovative for his time, but to ge able to do everything and succeed so often is incredible.
• Caroline is lonely with Dwight going off to save George and his other causes. On the one hand, she’s proud, but it comes at a cost. I think a lot of doctors’ wives feel like this. Still I wish she’d have a cause to throw herself into. Also, they must have time together since Dwight must have some time at home. He has to eat and sleep.
• While I feel sorry for Morwenna and Drake, I have a lot of hope that things will work out for them. It seems that they will be intimate and begin a family. I also think Morwenna may get more access to her son. We’ll see. It would be more realistic if she never does, but as this is the last season I expect a few happy endings.
• Ned is showing he’s too rash for his own good. While he’s got good ethics, history won’t be kind to him, nor will the local power brokers.
• While Ross has taken on financial risk for the poor of Cornwall, I have mixed feelings. It’s admirable but he does have a family and if he loses everything not only are they in for a downfall, and then the villagers would have no champion.

The show continues to entertain and engage. I’ll tune in tomorrow.