Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Nov 4, 2018 7:41:15 GMT
I watched the final two episode of Season 2 last night.
**spoilers below**
Chalice, I agree with pretty much everything you've said,esp about the talents of Jessica Brown Findlay. Quite a difference from sweet, doomed
Sybil.
It’s been a bit weird for me, seeing Jessica Brown Findlay playing Charlotte Wells *first*, then Sybil in Downton Abbey, then back to Charlotte. I hated what happened to her character in that show at the end, and for a while it felt like maybe JBF had made the wrong decision to leave that show (since she wasn’t having much luck starring in really successful movies), but in the end it turns out that she did indeed make the right decision, as this show has utilized her much more than the other one ever did.
All season I’ve been enjoying her complex ‘relationship’ she’s been developing with Lydia Quigley. It was twisted, but there were hints of a mother/daughter thing going on between them. However, Quigley proved herself to be pretty much as awful as everyone thinks she is by not only ensuring Margaret would hang, but then gloating about it to Charlotte in an effort to rub salt in the wound...though that was her mistake. She had kept going on about how Charlotte was going to find out what it was like to not be under her ‘protection’, but it turned out Quigley really needed Charlotte’s protection (which she ensured she would never get after what she did) when everyone rallied to bring her down. What Charlotte called her (‘septic WAFFLE’) was a pretty cheer-worthy moment (and quite surprising to hear coming from the same actress who portrayed, to quote you, ‘sweet, doomed Sybil’). I was happy with how the show ended on her, as she's now head of the house.
Samantha Morton has also come a long way from the sweet, young innocents she used to portray.
She really killed it in these last two episodes. All her goodbye scenes were well-done, I thought (especially the one with Nancy – speaking of, Kate Fleetwood killed it in all her scenes too. So happy to see her getting more to do this season). I thought Morton did especially well in the scene where, at first, she was defiant and just happy that she was going to her grave knowing Lucy was safe...but then she found out what was actually going on with Lucy and finally lost it/broke down. That was a pretty effective moment. Before that that, she (like Charlotte) got a pretty good line regarding Quigley – something like how she (Margaret) would soon be dead, but Quigley would still be more putrid than her.
Lucy was very frustrating in these episodes, since she had no idea what was going on and how her providing an alibi for Fallon screwed up things so royally. However, I did feel some sympathy for her when she was pretty much the last to learn of her mother’s apparent death. It was good when she eventually was on the side of the others to help bring Fallon and his cohorts down.
Speaking of, it was satisfying to see Fallon finally get his, after being at the mercy of the women he’d wronged (or at least some of them, anyway). It’s just a shame he got off relatively lightly (a quick, self-inflicted fatal knife wound) and he took the blame for what all the others had done. I really wanted to see the brother of Liv Tyler’s character get taken down...but I guess what she forced him to do will just have to suffice (it's too bad he's still out there, though).
The biggest surprises from these last two episodes - for me - were the fact that Justice Hunt (or rather ex-justice now) showed some depth/conflicted feelings regarding the hanging of Margaret (which made him appear fairly decent. Plus, this show seemed to utilize the actor who played him better than the previous show I saw him in, which was Season 2 of Poldark), Margaret in fact didn’t die and is still out there somewhere (it's probably for the best that they wrote it this way, as it allows her to come back if Morton is available in the future) and Quigley wound up imprisoned with the ‘crazies’ (and how fitting that she'll be forced to listen to Florence Scanwell's preaching). I think that was a fairly suitable comeuppance for her. I just hope she doesn’t manage to escape.
The bad thing about Hulu is that you must wait patiently for next week's episode. In the long run, maybe that's better than binge watching but Harlots is one show I would gladly watch in one or two sittings. Season 3 can't come soon enough for me.
I’ve been watching two episodes per week of this season and it’s been okay for me. I’ve had so many other shows to watch which have kept me busy, but I think the fact that it felt as though this season went by quickly was a good sign, as so often it feels like seasons of shows drag on forever and you can get a bit bored of them. Not so with this show, however. I really do hope it gets more notice and acknowledgement for just how much of a hidden gem it is. I agree with you – that Season 3 can’t come soon enough.
**spoilers below**
Sybil.
It’s been a bit weird for me, seeing Jessica Brown Findlay playing Charlotte Wells *first*, then Sybil in Downton Abbey, then back to Charlotte. I hated what happened to her character in that show at the end, and for a while it felt like maybe JBF had made the wrong decision to leave that show (since she wasn’t having much luck starring in really successful movies), but in the end it turns out that she did indeed make the right decision, as this show has utilized her much more than the other one ever did.
All season I’ve been enjoying her complex ‘relationship’ she’s been developing with Lydia Quigley. It was twisted, but there were hints of a mother/daughter thing going on between them. However, Quigley proved herself to be pretty much as awful as everyone thinks she is by not only ensuring Margaret would hang, but then gloating about it to Charlotte in an effort to rub salt in the wound...though that was her mistake. She had kept going on about how Charlotte was going to find out what it was like to not be under her ‘protection’, but it turned out Quigley really needed Charlotte’s protection (which she ensured she would never get after what she did) when everyone rallied to bring her down. What Charlotte called her (‘septic WAFFLE’) was a pretty cheer-worthy moment (and quite surprising to hear coming from the same actress who portrayed, to quote you, ‘sweet, doomed Sybil’). I was happy with how the show ended on her, as she's now head of the house.
She really killed it in these last two episodes. All her goodbye scenes were well-done, I thought (especially the one with Nancy – speaking of, Kate Fleetwood killed it in all her scenes too. So happy to see her getting more to do this season). I thought Morton did especially well in the scene where, at first, she was defiant and just happy that she was going to her grave knowing Lucy was safe...but then she found out what was actually going on with Lucy and finally lost it/broke down. That was a pretty effective moment. Before that that, she (like Charlotte) got a pretty good line regarding Quigley – something like how she (Margaret) would soon be dead, but Quigley would still be more putrid than her.
Lucy was very frustrating in these episodes, since she had no idea what was going on and how her providing an alibi for Fallon screwed up things so royally. However, I did feel some sympathy for her when she was pretty much the last to learn of her mother’s apparent death. It was good when she eventually was on the side of the others to help bring Fallon and his cohorts down.
Speaking of, it was satisfying to see Fallon finally get his, after being at the mercy of the women he’d wronged (or at least some of them, anyway). It’s just a shame he got off relatively lightly (a quick, self-inflicted fatal knife wound) and he took the blame for what all the others had done. I really wanted to see the brother of Liv Tyler’s character get taken down...but I guess what she forced him to do will just have to suffice (it's too bad he's still out there, though).
The biggest surprises from these last two episodes - for me - were the fact that Justice Hunt (or rather ex-justice now) showed some depth/conflicted feelings regarding the hanging of Margaret (which made him appear fairly decent. Plus, this show seemed to utilize the actor who played him better than the previous show I saw him in, which was Season 2 of Poldark), Margaret in fact didn’t die and is still out there somewhere (it's probably for the best that they wrote it this way, as it allows her to come back if Morton is available in the future) and Quigley wound up imprisoned with the ‘crazies’ (and how fitting that she'll be forced to listen to Florence Scanwell's preaching). I think that was a fairly suitable comeuppance for her. I just hope she doesn’t manage to escape.
I’ve been watching two episodes per week of this season and it’s been okay for me. I’ve had so many other shows to watch which have kept me busy, but I think the fact that it felt as though this season went by quickly was a good sign, as so often it feels like seasons of shows drag on forever and you can get a bit bored of them. Not so with this show, however. I really do hope it gets more notice and acknowledgement for just how much of a hidden gem it is. I agree with you – that Season 3 can’t come soon enough.
