"We’re not the biggest attraction in town, we’re the third biggest behind Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London."
I had a major period binge watch over the past few weeks and I just had to talk about it all because what's not to love about the drama of period shows? Let's start off with Mr. Selfridge. Drawn in by the talent that is Amanda Abbington and the angst I've
been seeing through a user's posts on Tumblr, I decided to give the show a try. I did not read up or know anything about Harry
Selfridge or know too well about the department store, so I just
thought it was about a British man doing developing his marketing
empire. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Harry Selfridge's
American accent and (I blush as I say this) imagined this little
series being a BBC way of saying: we know we taunt you through
most of our shows but really, we still love you. Or maybe that's
my UK loving side whispering things.
I finished the first series pretty quickly and caught up on the few episodes that were released for the second. But, let's talk about the first series before we move onto the second because in my opinion, they differ quite noticeably. The dialogue and characterization were tight and good. It was so refreshing to see female characters with ambition and diverse characterization in such a small space. Though the story from time to time focuses on the men, the backbone really rests on the female presence and it's amazing. The plot was ripe and blended naturally together. But, something about the writing changed when it led into series 2 (currently airing). The focus shifted away from the developments of these characters and placed more emphasis on love triangles that really shouldn't be love triangles--lookingat you Victor. And characters who were once so freaking brilliant that are pushed to the side in terms of characterization for the sake of a plot device--my beautiful Henri. What happened? I mean I understand including the arc of World War II is a great task but it shouldn't be displayed as a burden to what once was great stories and character figures. Despite the flop of this series, I wholly recommend that everyone check it out. I'm still tuning in because deep down within me, I'm praying that a light will come shining down and flip the show to the quality it once had.
Ratings: ★★★☆☆
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"Everything I write has a precedent in truth."
Being completely honest here, I have not read any one of Ian Fleming's books nor have I fully watched any of the James Bonds films. So, why did I even watch Fleming? Simple. It was because of Lara Pulver and Anna Chancellor. So, I didn't have much expectation except knowing that Lara and Anna were going to rock whatever role they were placed in. And, thankfully, my expectations were low because the show itself was not all that great. I was barely intrigued by the war plot and the dialogue was subpar. The characters themselves, though trying to be fully rounded and well developed, fell completely short of that. They were so static and seemed to be cut out figures themselves, no matter how much charisma or passion Lara, Anna or Dominic tried to inject into them. Thankfully, this was just a 4-part miniseries, meaning I don't have to continue watching anymore but it was...an okay casual viewing experience.
Ratings: ★★☆☆☆
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"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Or good women."
Only one word can describe this beauty of a show: ~*~ladies~*~
Where other shows have a redeeming male presence, or like only one
great female character, this show completely flips that on its
head. The Bletchley Circle focuses on intelligent and independent
ladies who rely on their friendship and love for each other over
anything else. Following women who used to be code breakers during
World War II, the series intermingles their secret lives with
their life after the war, and their attempt to re-enter normalcy
despite their extraordinary past. But, eventually, murder and
cases that the police force are incompetent to solve, they take
over--secretly of course. What's so great about this show is that the women take the forefront. All things that are good and intelligent are embodied within these women. Even the seemingly best of men are not even that great which is such a different take and perspective from what we see in television and film today. It's not a cliche procedural either. Each "killer" gets the span of the whole series which gives more development and much more of a realistic feel to it. Bad guys aren't captured in one day, no matter how good you are. The pacing keeps you entranced and the period makeup and fashion keeps me coming for more. Lucy, the photographic memory bank of the crew, makes my eyes water because I want to be her.
There's only two series so far, but I'm crossing my fingers for a third because I desperately need it.
Ratings: ★★★★★
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