No problem anyway. I am sure that you had no intention of posting a spoiler - and it could well be that the development in your post will be made clear to us all in the first minute of next week's episode.
It is easy to put information about future episodes in spoiler tags, once you know how, and I think it probably encourages more people to read your post, as well as keeping sticklers like me happy.
Yep, sorry I know how to tag, just didn't think. No more spoliers !
This episode actually made me quite angry. Not only has the show previously had a woman in a lesbian relationship have sex with a man in order to get pregnant; now, it seems, it has seen fit to kill her. Should things come to pass as expected, all we need is for the father/sperm donor to become embroiled in a custody battle, and for Caroline to go back to being straight and we'll have a full house of lesbian cliches. This show is like the last twenty years never happened.
Potentially killing off a pregnant woman the day after her wedding, including a 'gripping cliffhanger' at the end, is a cheap stunt more akin to an episode of Eastenders or Hollyoaks than a quality drama. I half expected to hear the iconic Eastenders closing 'Dum Dum Dum-dum-dum-du-dum' theme music before the end credits rolled.
Furthermore, the foreshadowing of early death throughout the episode (in particular during John's drunken conversation with Gillian) was so hackneyed that even one of Gillian's sheep would have seen it coming a mile off. And how long was that scene? I don't like drunks rambling on interminably at me whilst I'm sober in real-life, so I certainly don't need to have a real-time replay of a drunken bore's mutterings on screen.
Rather than nuanced storytelling, this particular arc is nothing but gratuitous melodrama designed to wring a stunning performance from Sarah Lancashire (who will, I'm sure, be wonderful). Little more than BAFTA-bait.
There's a whiff of 'The Emperors New Clothes' about this show, in my view. The excellent performances elevate the often tawdry and cliche ridden material beyond it's natural level.
This episode actually made me quite angry. Not only has the show previously had a woman in a lesbian relationship have sex with a man in order to get pregnant; now, it seems, it has seen fit to kill her. Should things come to pass as expected, all we need is for the father/sperm donor to become embroiled in a custody battle, and for Caroline to go back to being straight and we'll have a full house of lesbian cliches. This show is like the last twenty years never happened.
Potentially killing off a pregnant woman the day after her wedding, including a 'gripping cliffhanger' at the end, is a cheap stunt more akin to an episode of Eastenders or Hollyoaks than a quality drama. I half expected to hear the iconic Eastenders closing 'Dum Dum Dum-dum-dum-du-dum' theme music before the end credits rolled.
Furthermore, the foreshadowing of early death throughout the episode (in particular during John's drunken conversation with Gillian) was so hackneyed that even one of Gillian's sheep would have seen it coming a mile off. And how long was that scene? I don't like drunks rambling on interminably at me whilst I'm sober in real-life, so I certainly don't need to have a real-time replay of a drunken bore's mutterings on screen.
Rather than nuanced storytelling, this particular arc is nothing but gratuitous melodrama designed to wring a stunning performance from Sarah Lancashire (who will, I'm sure, be wonderful). Little more than BAFTA-bait.
There's a whiff of 'The Emperors New Clothes' about this show, in my view. The excellent performances elevate the often tawdry and cliche ridden material beyond it's natural level.
I didn't see the death coming, maybe I should watch again. What kind of things did they say?
Rather than nuanced storytelling, this particular arc is nothing but gratuitous melodrama designed to wring a stunning performance from Sarah Lancashire (who will, I'm sure, be wonderful). Little more than BAFTA-bait.
There's a whiff of 'The Emperors New Clothes' about this show, in my view. The excellent performances elevate the often tawdry and cliche ridden material beyond it's natural level.
I think the word "melodrama" sums the show up quite well. I don't think that it is has ever been all that nuanced - it has been full of unlikely coincidences since the first series.
I think that it is melodrama, but it is good melodrama - and in my opinion if you are going to put on a family drama then why not throw in everything including the kitchen sink?
Sky's synopsis for next week's episode says ..........
Caroline is overwhelmed at the prospect of looking after baby Flora on her own until a stanger walks in to her life who may be the answer to her prayers.
Maybe it's Kate's mother.
I think this is Gary. Either they (Caroline and him) end up having an affair or he takes the child - do him and his wife have kids? If not, they may adopt. That's me looking into my crystal ball. If it is the former I think I will stop watching. I never fully bought into the lesbian relationship - the two actresses have not made that relationship believable - but if they have her reverting to becoming straight again would be too cynical. Running ahead of myself...we'll see!
I think the inadvertent spoiler posted earlier is not as cut and dried as it may seem.
if it helps. My thoughts are:-
The TV mags are saying about Caroline looking after the baby. None of them (that I can see) say that Kate is dead. It could be that she is in a coma or something equally awful. Time will tell.
The look on his face when he saw Caroline for the first time, plus her face too. I may have read it wrong but there was a 'knowing' exchange of glances between the two of them.
Last night's episode had too many soap twists that undermine much of the otherwise good writing by Sally Wainwright. Still brilliantly acted. I guess if a main character had to fall under the wheels of a car then it makes sense for it to be one-dimensional Kate!
Last night's episode had too many soap twists that undermine much of the otherwise good writing by Sally Wainwright. Still brilliantly acted. I guess if a main character had to fall under the wheels of a car then it makes sense for it to be one-dimensional Kate!
It's always been very soapy in terms of cliché driven storylines but for me it is the quality of the writing / performance that elevate it. As you say for me the weak link in terms of character was Kate. She serves a purpose but this (whatever it is) will give Sarah Lancashire opportunity to shine. The ensemble cast are excellent actors who make this work. In less competent hands this wouldn't be the success it is.
Can I just ask...... who is the father of Kate's baby? Missed an episode or two.
An old friend of Kate's from uni who did the deed during a romantic weekend break at a hotel that Caroline had booked to consolidate her relationship with Kate. Caroline didn't appear to like him and I don't think we have seen him since.
An old friend of Kate's from uni who did the deed during a romantic weekend break at a hotel that Caroline had booked to consolidate her relationship with Kate. Caroline didn't appear to like him and I don't think we have seen him since.
Thank you..... they aren't backward at coming forward on the sex front this lot are they?
We've enjoyed this up to now - it has had great twists and lots of insight into the characters, wacky though they are. Last weeks episode was a bit of a let down with the appearance of Gary, thought "here we go...another overused soap style cliche of an unexpected child from long ago..." And then this week it delivered its final cr@p blow with a traumatic death or near death just after a wedding.
If I wanted to watch drivel like that I'd watch eastenders/emmer dale or some other brain numbing rubbish. It is lazy writing at its worse, or it shows the writer(s) should have stopped at the end of the last series as they're now devoid of the good ideas that kept previous series so watchable.
You can now almost predict the script...who needs spoilers, and yes like the other posters on here we saw it coming like a freight train - I just hung onto the hope that the writer(s) we're good enough to be just teasing us with the thought that Kate would end up as a resting actor but no...they hit the 'cr@p cliche' button with all their might.
Lazy and bad writing - we deserve something better. Bad show beeb!
We've enjoyed this up to now - it has had great twists and lots of insight into the characters, wacky though they are. Last weeks episode was a bit of a let down with the appearance of Gary, thought "here we go...another overused soap style cliche of an unexpected child from long ago..." And then this week it delivered its final cr@p blow with a traumatic death or near death just after a wedding.
If I wanted to watch drivel like that I'd watch eastenders/emmer dale or some other brain numbing rubbish. It is lazy writing at its worse, or it shows the writer(s) should have stopped at the end of the last series as they're now devoid of the good ideas that kept previous series so watchable.
You can now almost predict the script...who needs spoilers, and yes like the other posters on here we saw it coming like a freight train - I just hung onto the hope that the writer(s) we're good enough to be just teasing us with the thought that Kate would end up as a resting actor but no...they hit the 'cr@p cliche' button with all their might.
Lazy and bad writing - we deserve something better. Bad show beeb!
Yes, I agree with the above. I loved all the previous series, but this one is just going too far with the cliches. And they are so obviously coming as we watch. Perhaps it should have reached a conclusion at the end of the last series whilst it was still at the top of its game.
I did think at the time the programme dwelt on the loading up of Kate's car to a degree that signaled fairly clearly impending tragedy.
That said, I am not getting the angry reaction to this season's script that some are obviously feeling. For me it's still a masterclass in TV acting by a bunch of people at the top of their game, and therefore unmissable.
I could quite happily watch Nicola Walker reading aloud a telephone directory (or in the case of that supermarket scene - not saying anything at all !)
Found the episode a bit boring at the start, all the clips of Celia on her own etc. The end certainly changed that. Hope Kate is written out, found her annoying.
And even when trying to apologise the twisted, bitter old woman was still making excuses that it was everyone else's fault but her own. She doesn't deserve him and I think he had a lucky escape first time around all those years ago.
I did think at the time the programme dwelt on the loading up of Kate's car to a degree that signaled fairly clearly impending tragedy.
That said, I am not getting the angry reaction to this season's script that some are obviously feeling. For me it's still a masterclass in TV acting by a bunch of people at the top of their game, and therefore unmissable.
I could quite happily watch Nicola Walker reading aloud a telephone directory (or in the case of that supermarket scene - not saying anything at all !)
I quite agree the acting is superb. My gripe, and I believe this goes for others too, is the script is not up to the standard of previous series. It is so cliched and predictable that I, for one, find it disappointing.
I didn't see the death coming, maybe I should watch again. What kind of things did they say?
I thought the drunk conversation was hilarious.
I think their sober conversation next day was a lot more poignant. Recognising their similarities and chemistry, with Gillian noting that she needs someone different to herself. I also found it sweet that John seemed to be the only one who recognised that Gillian should feel more hurt by the situation than the totally selfish Celia
All those who are afraid that Caroline may "revert" to being straight are missing the point. She was never straight. She first came out to her mother at eighteen during her first year of university, it was her mother's hostility that pushed her into a closeted existence and a steady conventional union with a young academic - this was explained in series one. Last week's episode had a very prominent scene where Caroline gushed about how indepted she was to Kate for giving her the "courage" and "willing" to be herself.
Comments
Yep, sorry I know how to tag, just didn't think. No more spoliers !
Potentially killing off a pregnant woman the day after her wedding, including a 'gripping cliffhanger' at the end, is a cheap stunt more akin to an episode of Eastenders or Hollyoaks than a quality drama. I half expected to hear the iconic Eastenders closing 'Dum Dum Dum-dum-dum-du-dum' theme music before the end credits rolled.
Furthermore, the foreshadowing of early death throughout the episode (in particular during John's drunken conversation with Gillian) was so hackneyed that even one of Gillian's sheep would have seen it coming a mile off. And how long was that scene? I don't like drunks rambling on interminably at me whilst I'm sober in real-life, so I certainly don't need to have a real-time replay of a drunken bore's mutterings on screen.
Rather than nuanced storytelling, this particular arc is nothing but gratuitous melodrama designed to wring a stunning performance from Sarah Lancashire (who will, I'm sure, be wonderful). Little more than BAFTA-bait.
There's a whiff of 'The Emperors New Clothes' about this show, in my view. The excellent performances elevate the often tawdry and cliche ridden material beyond it's natural level.
I didn't see the death coming, maybe I should watch again. What kind of things did they say?
I thought the drunk conversation was hilarious.
I think the word "melodrama" sums the show up quite well. I don't think that it is has ever been all that nuanced - it has been full of unlikely coincidences since the first series.
I think that it is melodrama, but it is good melodrama - and in my opinion if you are going to put on a family drama then why not throw in everything including the kitchen sink?
I think this is Gary. Either they (Caroline and him) end up having an affair or he takes the child - do him and his wife have kids? If not, they may adopt. That's me looking into my crystal ball. If it is the former I think I will stop watching. I never fully bought into the lesbian relationship - the two actresses have not made that relationship believable - but if they have her reverting to becoming straight again would be too cynical. Running ahead of myself...we'll see!
if it helps. My thoughts are:-
The look on his face when he saw Caroline for the first time, plus her face too. I may have read it wrong but there was a 'knowing' exchange of glances between the two of them.
It's always been very soapy in terms of cliché driven storylines but for me it is the quality of the writing / performance that elevate it. As you say for me the weak link in terms of character was Kate. She serves a purpose but this (whatever it is) will give Sarah Lancashire opportunity to shine. The ensemble cast are excellent actors who make this work. In less competent hands this wouldn't be the success it is.
An old friend of Kate's from uni who did the deed during a romantic weekend break at a hotel that Caroline had booked to consolidate her relationship with Kate. Caroline didn't appear to like him and I don't think we have seen him since.
Thank you..... they aren't backward at coming forward on the sex front this lot are they?
If I wanted to watch drivel like that I'd watch eastenders/emmer dale or some other brain numbing rubbish. It is lazy writing at its worse, or it shows the writer(s) should have stopped at the end of the last series as they're now devoid of the good ideas that kept previous series so watchable.
You can now almost predict the script...who needs spoilers, and yes like the other posters on here we saw it coming like a freight train - I just hung onto the hope that the writer(s) we're good enough to be just teasing us with the thought that Kate would end up as a resting actor but no...they hit the 'cr@p cliche' button with all their might.
Lazy and bad writing - we deserve something better. Bad show beeb!
Yes, I agree with the above. I loved all the previous series, but this one is just going too far with the cliches. And they are so obviously coming as we watch. Perhaps it should have reached a conclusion at the end of the last series whilst it was still at the top of its game.
That said, I am not getting the angry reaction to this season's script that some are obviously feeling. For me it's still a masterclass in TV acting by a bunch of people at the top of their game, and therefore unmissable.
I could quite happily watch Nicola Walker reading aloud a telephone directory (or in the case of that supermarket scene - not saying anything at all !)
I quite agree the acting is superb. My gripe, and I believe this goes for others too, is the script is not up to the standard of previous series. It is so cliched and predictable that I, for one, find it disappointing.
For me it is some of the best tv I have seen for a long time.
I think their sober conversation next day was a lot more poignant. Recognising their similarities and chemistry, with Gillian noting that she needs someone different to herself. I also found it sweet that John seemed to be the only one who recognised that Gillian should feel more hurt by the situation than the totally selfish Celia
According to the Radio Times web site it says more or less the same as the previous spoilers on this thread.