New to this thread but have caught up with comments on last night's ep.
I love it all. Great script, acting, tone, observations. Love the ambiguity of the characters and situations in particular.
I don't get why people are saying Joe seems to be dead. I didn't get that at all. She'd seen his name wasn't on the list. He comes home on leave and is a bit gutted (and shell-shocked from the front) because his family home seems a bit bleak and empty. Simple as that.
Not sure who mutilated the cow - either black scarf/scarred/now dead posh bloke or nasty neighbour who wants to frame John. Either way, hopefully John will not go to prison. Please no.
Doctor Evil is one of those freaky pseudo-Freudian blokes who has some sadistic belief that dominating a patient, physically, mentally and sexually, is the way to cure her - plus he knows he can use the utterly pathetic family to gain power, influence and some dosh. Not to mention getting his leg over.
Maxine Peake is incredible. Utterly wonderful.
The minister is growing on me.
Little Bert is a total star.
John Simm is bloody brilliant.
Weird police bloke is just weird but I adore his ambiguity. Maybe he'll catch that cold/fever thing from when the woman he was shafting coughed in his face. Serves him right. His sudden neck grab freaked me out a bit. Don't like him much anyway but wasn't expecting that.
And we still have the Spanish flu and the Depression to come. Oh joy.
Oh yes 'expect it to get worse, before it gets....'
Well that phrase doesn't quite fit, just expect it to get worse, if history doesn't have enough $hit to throw at our characters the writers will invent some.
I'll jack it in at the end of this run anyway.
I'd have preferred less 'drama' and more history.
Business with dodgy sisters in law, mutilated cows, knocking up the scatty daughter at the big house, etc.
Was that Joe's ghost returning to the Village (after death) at the end or is he still alive
I think thats his Ghost returning ! ....my theres some evil nasty people in this village !...I thought John Middleton was a bad character in the first episode but hes an angel compared to the detective elder brother and the doctor !
I think the poster meant in the home it would be a tin bath filled with water heated on the stove. She was querying where all the hot water came from in those communal baths.
On the moaners point.
It's compressed misery, without the usual day to day stuff.
Where's the general farming, housework, etc.
It's not leavened by the day to day stuff, it's compressed misery, just one thing after another.
So I'd suggest you give it a rest with the lifestyle paid for with blood thing.
You're watching a highly stylised drama, it's really not telling the story of what villages and families went through at that time, it's not a history lesson.
re the day to day stuff.... well most of it was mundane, a struggle, and pretty miserable anyway...but what drama does focus on the day to day stuff?
not a history lesson?... then why watch that or anything period set? the very point of period based dramas are that of showing what life was like. if you cannot empathise with them in that situation you are missing out. the programme was based on first hand testimonies, and my daughters (hopefully) marrying into a derbyshire farming family who agree its realistic.
I don't get why people are saying Joe seems to be dead. I didn't get that at all. She'd seen his name wasn't on the list. He comes home on leave and is a bit gutted (and shell-shocked from the front) because his family home seems a bit bleak and empty. Simple as that.
BIB - we don't know that. We only saw the second column and the name began with Mu or Mo (can't remember) but his name, if it was on it, would be towards the bottom of the first column which we didn't see.
Not sure who mutilated the cow - either black scarf/scarred/now dead posh bloke or nasty neighbour who wants to frame John. Either way, hopefully John will not go to prison. Please no.
Weird police bloke is just weird but I adore his ambiguity. Maybe he'll catch that cold/fever thing from when the woman he was shafting coughed in his face.
However I do find it amusing how roughly two/three years have passed so far and young Bert (fabulous young actor) hasn't aged a day and Martha still seems like she just arrived in the village yesterday. I think the handling of the time passing is the oddest.
Yes, it seemed mad that Bert would need to be looked after by a neighbour because his mum was working! He should be about 14 by this point, shouldn't he? In the previous episode he was taking the milk to the station on his own and you would think that with his father being arrested, Bert would be trying to look after the farm (if there is any farm left?) Oh, and he wouldn't still be at school, would he?
But what was the story with the medicine supposed to be, anyway? Presumably it was just a coincidence that Mary recovered from scarlet fever when she had a drop of the cow medicine? (Or did John's faith in God save her?) We're not supposed to think that rich people were purposely keeping medicine that would cure scarlet fever away from poorer folk?
In many ways, I find it quite compelling - but I do wonder why the writer decided to make it so dark?
By this - I don't mean the hard times that everyone is experiencing, that was par for the course for the period.
What I'm talking about is his characterisation.
John Middleton - weak willed & self pitying.
Neighbour farmer - ruthless & macheaveillian (I'm pretty sure he stabbed the cow)
Schoolteacher 1 - self important bully
Schoolteacher 2 - weak willed & a bit of a dreamer
Ex copper (whatever he does now I still haven't quite got the gist of him) - self serving & arrogant
Doctor - arrogant, mysogonistic, egotistical (the list is endless for him!)
The Reverand - another weak willed man (who hides behind his daughter)
The factory owner - a man buttoned up so tight his arse cheeks must squeak when he walks
And the men of the big house - cliched stereotypes the lot of them.
Ma Middleton - the downtrodden wife
Martha - pious and ambitious (not a great combination)
Caro - the bonkers rich girl
For me - the writer has become so fixated on trying to depict the misery of the time through his characterisation, that there is an uneasy sense of imbalance in the narrative.
It would seem at that time, no-one had positive or upbeat character traits!
Except young Bert of course - but I actually find his bizarre naive enthusiasm completely out of kilter with the rest of the narrative.
So were these baths onlybin villages in northern england. Or just in spa towns. I can't recall any reference to villages in the south having these baths.
So were these baths onlybin villages in northern england. Or just in spa towns. I can't recall any reference to villages in the south having these baths.
There were public baths in every town, so I presume villages had them without the large communal pools.
Makes me shudder. I can't stand the thought of sharing sanitaryware. Even when we move house, the first thing I do is re-new all the bathrooms so my bath and WC has had no one but me in/on it.
In many ways, I find it quite compelling - but I do wonder why the writer decided to make it so dark?
By this - I don't mean the hard times that everyone is experiencing, that was par for the course for the period.
What I'm talking about is his characterisation.
John Middleton - weak willed & self pitying.
Neighbour farmer - ruthless & macheaveillian (I'm pretty sure he stabbed the cow)
Schoolteacher 1 - self important bully
Schoolteacher 2 - weak willed & a bit of a dreamer
Ex copper (whatever he does now I still haven't quite got the gist of him) - self serving & arrogant
Doctor - arrogant, mysogonistic, egotistical (the list is endless for him!)
The Reverand - another weak willed man (who hides behind his daughter)
The factory owner - a man buttoned up so tight his arse cheeks must squeak when he walks
And the men of the big house - cliched stereotypes the lot of them.
Ma Middleton - the downtrodden wife
Martha - pious and ambitious (not a great combination)
Caro - the bonkers rich girl
For me - the writer has become so fixated on trying to depict the misery of the time through his characterisation, that there is an uneasy sense of imbalance in the narrative.
It would seem at that time, no-one had positive or upbeat character traits!
Except young Bert of course - but I actually find his bizarre naive enthusiasm completely out of kilter with the rest of the narrative.
Fab post. But was the redemption of John Middleton an influence on Bert?
Read through the thread and I've been surprised to see that not many have been enjoying this series as much as I have! Saying that I have a fascination with our history from that time leading up to World War 2 so I guess it fits my criteria well. It's not pretty or pleasant viewing but times weren't pretty and pleasant for people back then, I'm glad the BBC haven't taken the easier route of making things happy go lucky. It's gritty and unpleasant viewing at times but I feel invested in the main core of characters, particularly Bert and Joe who I am still shocked to find played Newt in Hollyoaks! I knew I had seen him somewhere before!
I hope there's a second series but I know it's had it's critics, including the Daily Mail who whined about how depressing it was after episode one. Then again the Daily Mail hate the BBC so anything they do is wrong in their eyes.
So were these baths onlybin villages in northern england. Or just in spa towns. I can't recall any reference to villages in the south having these baths.
Yes, they were everywhere - we had them in suburban west London as late as the mid -late 1960s. Never went in them mind you and I would hate to have to use them but I guess a soak in warm water would have been the height of luxury
we were told who it was. The detective said whoever did it would be covered in blood. We were shown someone frantically washing clothes.
John was seen by his neighbour returning across the fields. He then told that to the detective. He had no idea where he'd been so it is beyond far-fetched for him to suddenly race down to the cow shed and cut off an udder.
Motive for cutting off the udder of George's prize cow? Revenge?
we were told who it was. The detective said whoever did it would be covered in blood. We were shown someone frantically washing clothes.
John was seen by his neighbour returning across the fields. He then told that to the detective. He had no idea where he'd been so it is beyond far-fetched for him to suddenly race down to the cow shed and cut off an udder.
Motive for cutting off the udder of George's prize cow? Revenge?
Was she washing clothes
It looked to me like she was just mindlessley pushing dry clothes through a mangle.
It was John's shirt and John's blood from when he cut his hand trying to open the bolt at the top of the door.
It was clear that Mrs Middleton knew there was a bloody shirt as she frantically tried to find it after the police had left. Presumably Bert had nicked it so he could make his "war game" more realistic.
Bert seems to unintentionally get someone into bother every week doesn't he?
I absolutely love this series. Such a change to see something so gritty and real. The acting is superb, Maxine Peake, John Sim and Anthony Flanagan-(as the factory owner) at their very best.
we were told who it was. The detective said whoever did it would be covered in blood. We were shown someone frantically washing clothes.
John was seen by his neighbour returning across the fields. He then told that to the detective. He had no idea where he'd been so it is beyond far-fetched for him to suddenly race down to the cow shed and cut off an udder.
Motive for cutting off the udder of George's prize cow? Revenge?
Well spotted sir/madam. I didn't make that connection. That would tie in with them denying her breastfeeding her baby.
Comments
I love it all. Great script, acting, tone, observations. Love the ambiguity of the characters and situations in particular.
I don't get why people are saying Joe seems to be dead. I didn't get that at all. She'd seen his name wasn't on the list. He comes home on leave and is a bit gutted (and shell-shocked from the front) because his family home seems a bit bleak and empty. Simple as that.
Not sure who mutilated the cow - either black scarf/scarred/now dead posh bloke or nasty neighbour who wants to frame John. Either way, hopefully John will not go to prison. Please no.
Doctor Evil is one of those freaky pseudo-Freudian blokes who has some sadistic belief that dominating a patient, physically, mentally and sexually, is the way to cure her - plus he knows he can use the utterly pathetic family to gain power, influence and some dosh. Not to mention getting his leg over.
Maxine Peake is incredible. Utterly wonderful.
The minister is growing on me.
Little Bert is a total star.
John Simm is bloody brilliant.
Weird police bloke is just weird but I adore his ambiguity. Maybe he'll catch that cold/fever thing from when the woman he was shafting coughed in his face. Serves him right. His sudden neck grab freaked me out a bit. Don't like him much anyway but wasn't expecting that.
Can't wait for more.
Oh yes 'expect it to get worse, before it gets....'
Well that phrase doesn't quite fit, just expect it to get worse, if history doesn't have enough $hit to throw at our characters the writers will invent some.
I'll jack it in at the end of this run anyway.
I'd have preferred less 'drama' and more history.
Business with dodgy sisters in law, mutilated cows, knocking up the scatty daughter at the big house, etc.
It was a tough few years....
I think thats his Ghost returning ! ....my theres some evil nasty people in this village !...I thought John Middleton was a bad character in the first episode but hes an angel compared to the detective elder brother and the doctor !
D'OH!.... sorry, i took the quote out of context, that quote was replying to another that specified the communial baths... i stand corrected!
re the day to day stuff.... well most of it was mundane, a struggle, and pretty miserable anyway...but what drama does focus on the day to day stuff?
not a history lesson?... then why watch that or anything period set? the very point of period based dramas are that of showing what life was like. if you cannot empathise with them in that situation you are missing out. the programme was based on first hand testimonies, and my daughters (hopefully) marrying into a derbyshire farming family who agree its realistic.
BIB - we don't know that. We only saw the second column and the name began with Mu or Mo (can't remember) but his name, if it was on it, would be towards the bottom of the first column which we didn't see.
BIB - I thought it was him too.
Agree on all these.
I assume it's TB. It will serve him right.
Yes, it seemed mad that Bert would need to be looked after by a neighbour because his mum was working! He should be about 14 by this point, shouldn't he? In the previous episode he was taking the milk to the station on his own and you would think that with his father being arrested, Bert would be trying to look after the farm (if there is any farm left?) Oh, and he wouldn't still be at school, would he?
But what was the story with the medicine supposed to be, anyway? Presumably it was just a coincidence that Mary recovered from scarlet fever when she had a drop of the cow medicine? (Or did John's faith in God save her?) We're not supposed to think that rich people were purposely keeping medicine that would cure scarlet fever away from poorer folk?
I honestly don't know what to make of this drama.
In many ways, I find it quite compelling - but I do wonder why the writer decided to make it so dark?
By this - I don't mean the hard times that everyone is experiencing, that was par for the course for the period.
What I'm talking about is his characterisation.
John Middleton - weak willed & self pitying.
Neighbour farmer - ruthless & macheaveillian (I'm pretty sure he stabbed the cow)
Schoolteacher 1 - self important bully
Schoolteacher 2 - weak willed & a bit of a dreamer
Ex copper (whatever he does now I still haven't quite got the gist of him) - self serving & arrogant
Doctor - arrogant, mysogonistic, egotistical (the list is endless for him!)
The Reverand - another weak willed man (who hides behind his daughter)
The factory owner - a man buttoned up so tight his arse cheeks must squeak when he walks
And the men of the big house - cliched stereotypes the lot of them.
Ma Middleton - the downtrodden wife
Martha - pious and ambitious (not a great combination)
Caro - the bonkers rich girl
For me - the writer has become so fixated on trying to depict the misery of the time through his characterisation, that there is an uneasy sense of imbalance in the narrative.
It would seem at that time, no-one had positive or upbeat character traits!
Except young Bert of course - but I actually find his bizarre naive enthusiasm completely out of kilter with the rest of the narrative.
There were public baths in every town, so I presume villages had them without the large communal pools.
Makes me shudder. I can't stand the thought of sharing sanitaryware. Even when we move house, the first thing I do is re-new all the bathrooms so my bath and WC has had no one but me in/on it.
Fab post. But was the redemption of John Middleton an influence on Bert?
I hope there's a second series but I know it's had it's critics, including the Daily Mail who whined about how depressing it was after episode one. Then again the Daily Mail hate the BBC so anything they do is wrong in their eyes.
The Village is brilliant.
I don't see her as downtrodden either. She's a very strong person and has kept the family together through thick and thin.
bye bye agnes then
Yes, they were everywhere - we had them in suburban west London as late as the mid -late 1960s. Never went in them mind you and I would hate to have to use them but I guess a soak in warm water would have been the height of luxury
we were told who it was. The detective said whoever did it would be covered in blood. We were shown someone frantically washing clothes.
John was seen by his neighbour returning across the fields. He then told that to the detective. He had no idea where he'd been so it is beyond far-fetched for him to suddenly race down to the cow shed and cut off an udder.
Motive for cutting off the udder of George's prize cow? Revenge?
I must have missed that - who was it?
Was she washing clothes
It looked to me like she was just mindlessley pushing dry clothes through a mangle.
Bert seems to unintentionally get someone into bother every week doesn't he?
While all the while looking angelic himself!
Drying clothes she'd washed? It seemed pretty obvious to me and a blatant act of revenge against George / the family.
Well spotted sir/madam. I didn't make that connection. That would tie in with them denying her breastfeeding her baby.