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chocolatepot- This guy is scamming Edith big time. I'm sorry for it, I think he's adorable, but Matthew just said that every cheating husband says he has a horrible wife.
- Speaking of Rose, I like that she highlights the differences between the 1910s youth and the 1920s youth. I have no doubt that there are a lot of people who dislike her, because there are a lot of very conservative costume drama fans who tend to really dislike cheating, adultery-enabling, extramarital sex, etc. but I think she's interesting. I'd like to see more of her before I decide if I like her or not, though.
- I'm really glad that everyone's rallying behind Thomas (shut the fuck up, Bates, this nasty resentment about Thomas ranking higher than you is not attractive) but to an extent it feels unrealistic, at least with Robert. He's such a stick in the mud on everything else that it's a bit of whiplash to have him suddenly human.
- Molesely is Jerry. He is so Jerry. "Molesely is both the Schlemiel ... and the Shlimazel."
- "Tricked? I am not a conjuror" vs. "Tricks are something a whore does for money".
- Liked Cora's soap coming up again. There's not always a lot of tying-together of seasons, it was nice. Also, Finneran played her desperation very well.
- Michelle Dockery looked absolutely stunning at the cricket match.
- I have to admit that I really liked the Boys of Downton shot at the very end.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 01:47 pm (UTC)- Speaking of Rose, I like that she highlights the differences between the 1910s youth and the 1920s youth.
Huh. I can't speak for the show, but based on conversations with my grandmother that would make sense - she was more of a 1930s youth but always talks about the differences. And by the 1920s, women were less restricted too. But honestly... people were having premaritial sex way before the 1920s. It was probably just easier once women weren't essentially expected to be locked in a house all day.
I'd never thought about the fact that there's a lot of costume drama fans who are conservative, but that makes a lot of sense, actually. Is it possible costume dramas are being a bit more honest about how "innocent" people really were back then? That could throw off fans who are used to less sexual stuff. I don't know that of course, I'm not a huge costume drama person, just curious.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 02:58 pm (UTC)It reminded me of Vera Brittain's story - she was attending Oxford before WWI, then dropped out to be a VAD nurse. After the war (in which she lost I believe her brother, her fiance, and basically every guy she knew) she went back to Oxford, where she had to start over because of Rules. And the other girls she was studying with were several years younger, and weren't half as serious about it because to them it was just: you're allowed to go to college now, yay! rather than having to fight for it. And they were less serious in general because they were less touched by the war. That's what I mean by the differences (not so much her possible premarital sex, because we do of course have an example very early on of premarital shenanigans in the show) - she's a partier, a Bright Young Thing who lies to get out of supervision so she can go to jazz clubs with her married boyfriend. Whereas Edith's triumphs are in learning to drive during the war and in getting a job writing a newspaper column when her father thinks it's beneath her.
Not all costume drama/historical fashion fans are conservative, but there's definitely a higher percentage than in regular media fandom, which makes it kind of odd at times. I do think period dramas are being more honest these days - I mean, when you read even Austen it's clear that scandal happened, and was plausible to happen to/with ordinary people - although I think it's more of a balance between "honesty to the source/time" and "look, we're allowed to be more sexy now". The opening to the new Sense & Sensibility had a voiceover of Willoughby seducing the second Eliza, which came off as both reminding people that sex went on and taking advantage of the backstory impropriety to add spice. But there is often disapproval among some that such-and-such a scene is "inappropriate" and shouldn't be shown in film. it is a bit weird, I just don't comment on a review if the problem is that Persie slept with her husband's sister or that Isabella thought she'd get engaged by sleeping with Capt. Tilney or that a madam became successful.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 11:19 pm (UTC)I guess certain people have vested interests in thinking people were less likely to cross certain sexual boundaries when women had fewer rights.