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^^^^^Exactly^^^^^
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Good to hear from those who have already seen it that "Downton Abbey" gets better. I should have the entire season on Blu-ray in another 2 weeks or less.
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ado: Ha! But I certainly DO tend to use far more words than are necessary! As for having the rest of the week off, I'm retired, so I'm very much enjoying my 7-day weekends!!!
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Posted: |
Jan 18, 2014 - 11:27 AM
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By: |
RoryR
(Member)
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Is it just me, or does it seem that Season 4, so far at least, isn't much better than an average episode of "The EastEnders"? The rape scene seemed to be a very tired soap opera contrivance, a really lazy thing for the writers to come up with. I have a strong suspicion that this season is the beginning of the end for this show, which I'd been a fan of up to this time, but I think its time may be passing. (And wasn't the guy who plays the rapist once on "The EastEnders"?)
Yes, Dennis.
Well, I sure hope "Dennis" gets the ass-kicking he so richly deserves. Anything short of that will be most unsatisfactory, and I sure hope we're not going to have to endure an unwanted pregnancy and the noble couple deciding to raise the product of rape as their (his) own child, I mean really, how soap opera can this soap opera get? I guess I'll have to watch to find out!
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Ralph: Re: " And yes, the music does seem to have more prominence."
Yes, I made the point that the music seems more prominent this season. But I'm a little more optimistic than you about this season becoming more interesting. Certainly hope so!
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Jan 30 2013: No spoilers here. Last night I finished watching the entire 4th season, and must say that, as in previous seasons, the picture quality of the Blu-rays far exceeds what we see during the PBS HD broadcast. While the season may have had some disappointments, noted by myself and others here when we began watching early episodes on PBS, enough happens in later chapters to redeem it, and while it certainly wasn't perfect, there are sufficient interesting plot points to set the stage for future intrigues in the seasons that will certainly follow. And I was pleased with the special features. One point: The final episode is 2 3/4 hours long, referred to as "The London Season," and I was amazed at how quickly those nearly 3 hours flew. [My mistake -- I had checked the remaining time an episode earlier than I thought.] And there are 3 behind the scenes specials that are, in total, about 36 minutes, and even though they fly, they seemed much longer than that, probably because they are so interesting.
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eriknelson: Re: My Blu-Rays are supposed to arrive today. Looking forward to a viewing orgy this weekend, watching the remaining episodes non-stop!
Frankly, I'm kicking myself for only watching it from where PBS left off (after the 4th episode, I think), now wishing I had, as I've done in years past, watched the Blu-rays from the beginning. But I enjoyed it enough that I'll probably do that during a slow weekend in the months ahead -- I'm going to miss my weekly "Downton Abbey" fix!
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Posted: |
Jan 30, 2014 - 11:22 AM
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By: |
Ralph
(Member)
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Having watched the entire 4th season, in glorious Blu-ray, I remain convinced that Fellowes banks on viewers’ acceptance of excessive repetition. How often must actors play the same scene and recite nearly the same lines over and over? And variations of the same scenarios: Now we’re headed into a second mystery about a second demise. Fellowes didn’t satisfactorily wrap up the first one — who really killed Bates’ wife? Who accepts the silly sleuthing that the bitch did herself in? We’ve been traveling down the roads of Lady Mary snippiness, Edith hardship, plotting Thomas and poor Isobel vs. Violet for too long; the kitchen staff remain petulant nursery schoolers (though a few will finally graduate); we’re been hearing Cora and Robert mouthing their incredulous stupidities for more than three seasons and clearly understand why Mary seeks out Mr. Carson. How many times must Mary turn down a new suitor? And one suitor isn’t enough — she’s got at least three now, with two of them caught sizing up each other with more interest than they show her. Early into the 4th Maggie Smith’s quips are at low ebb but during the last four episodes Fellowes wakes up to give her some nifties and naturally she’s the Dowager Countess of Delivery. As her daughter, Samantha Bond is maybe more than her equal. I used to think Glenda Jackson and Judi Dench were incomparable with elocutionary edge but no more: Bond is the current Queen of Verbal Usurpation. Fellowes was dealt a rotten hand when the actors playing Sybil, Matthew and O’Brien departed and the insecurities are evident in the first few chapters of the 4th. While he and a terrific cast manage to pull out of the doldrums to secure a 5th, there’s the scary possibility that he’ll end up ignoring the loose ends he baited us with throughout the series. Classy production values aside, “Downton Abbey” is soap and audiences will be unforgiving if he doesn’t provide ratings sweeps resolutions.
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Mine are to arrive, today, as well. Except for the first 2 episodes of Season 4, I've only ever seen the show, via Blu-ray. Hoping that going back to it, will make me like it more than I do, right now. I went from loving it, to kind of hating it, instantly. Very odd.
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