abzug PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 3:32 am
Frances Myers (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying...S6)
OK, what I wanted the title of this thread to be is:
Frances Myers (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Season 6)
But they don't give you that many characters! Alas. Anyway, on to the post....
Why didn't anyone tell me that the best way to get over the season 5 finale blues was to go straight into the first episode of season 6?! What a relief! Finally a woman with balls in charge, who sees Fenner for what he is. And with the support from above (which as we know in BG, is what a woman needs to maintain her authority). I've only watched just the first episode of the season, but it already re-ordered so many of the things which went so terribly wrong in the last few eps of season 5. It was terrifying how much unmitigated evil could occur when Fenner had free reign, both the petty stuff and the grave stuff--combined the horror was just, well, horrifying.
Thank god for a wing gov with black leather jackets (could this literally be the same one Helen wore? It looks awfully familiar!) and a take no prisoners attitude. :)
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campgrrls PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 4:37 am
Hmmm. I seem to recall that I had some positive expectations for series 6 when it began, and to some extent they were realised. But you point to the key factor that is important for online fans (and maybe others) and that is the appeal of characters.
I have my notes from the talk by that Brit academic Julia Hallam was her name?) sitting on my desk here. I wrote a comment "engaging characters" next to a reference for some writing by Kyrstyn Gorton. I believe it has to do with her thesis that the TV writing of female/feminist Brit women distinctively focuses on engaging characters.
I think I have watched BG since series 3 waiting for some characters to fully grab me as Helen and Nikki did, and this hasn't really happened - except maybe a glimmer of it at the end of series 7.
I liked Frances Myers but never found her totally compelling viewing. Someone said on another thread that maybe people's *perception* of the poor quality of post series 3 BG has more to do with people's reactions to the triumph of evil. I think it may be a bit of both. But it's the engaging characters that keep me watching. And it's the limits of this engagement until now they has kept me from becoming obssessive about the show again.
The high points people mention continually are the strong women characters: Yvonne etc.... now Frances. I'm currently re-watching series one and am struck by how so many of the characters are strong and engaging women. This partly has to do with the writing, cinematography & editing etc. But I have felt in later series that there's been some interesting characters, but some of the content is a bit hoh hum, and not very memorable.
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Lisa289 PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 12:17 pm
Re: Frances Myers (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying...S6)
abzug wrote:
Thank god for a wing gov with black leather jackets (could this literally be the same one Helen wore? It looks awfully familiar!) and a take no prisoners attitude. :)
i thought that aswell - Frances' leather jacket does look very similar to Helen's
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richard PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 7:07 pm
Hi abzug. I must admire the way that you are working through the most recent series with commendable energy and insight. Frances Myers entrance was the archetypal strong Scene 1 to kick off the next series. It is an ingenious idea to have a Wing Governor with a cop mentality and to have her working undercover. Posing as a prisoner, she has the unique gift placed in her hands to watch the way that the prison officers operate without any false fronts. The episode also gives an opportunity to set the scene of racketeering where young girls from Eastern Europe are lured into the country for the sex trade. What is interesting is the character of Natalie whose persona (and appearance) is a touch like Olivia Newton- John whereas this revisits the nonce character of Caroline.
I would draw to your attention Grayling's reaction to the undercover sting. It could be argued that he is impressed by the enormity, scale and success of the operation but my contention is that he is drawn to admire it as achieving good for the 'poor kids'. This isn't his usual mouthing the right platitudes. You contrasty this with series 5 when he admired Eric Bostock's brutality in 'culling the POs' on G wing, starting with Karen.
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abzug PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 7:26 pm
I did think the introduction of Buxton was quite effective--she's going to be a major character later on, no? And to allow Myers to see the screws for who they really are was fantastic--set the stage for her no-bullshit regime.
That said, having seen eps 2-3 now as well, I'm still working over how I feel about her treatment of Bev (or was it Phyll? Stephanie Beacham's character). If I am not mistaken, subjecting a prisoner to 24-hour-a-day light, and preventing them from sleeping, is considered torture by international law. (Of course, its a common technique used by my very own government right now in Iraq and Guantanamo--makes me feel all proud!) So Myers employing this technique feels very troubling to me. Why is it different from Fenner's abuse/torture of so many of the inmates? One distinction (it seems to me) is the ultimate goal: in Fenner's case, his objectives are always selfish and self-serving, while in Myers's case, her goal is to maintain order on the wing. Another distinction is the fact that Fenner always played favorites, while Myers seems very even-handed in her strong-arm techniques. She doesn't go after Beacham b/c she doesn't like her; she goes after her because she is dealing drugs.
But can someone please explain why the hell the cops actually believed that Yvonne dropped her keys and then (without any keys) locked herself into that corner of the hanging cell? I mean, it really strains credibility to think they would have dropped the case.
I'm enjoying Fenner's breakdown though--the man deserves some rough treatment from his (deeply buried) conscience, and he seems to be getting it!
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richard PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 7:39 pm
Hi abzug. I thoroughly agree with you about the 24 hours light routine and I was equally disturbed- your comparison with Iraq is very apt. I agree that Frances is fairly even handed but her problem is that cop gung ho attitude which will see her bend the rules, to try anything in order to get results. She is fixated by the idea of results. I cannot see either Helen or Karen going to such lengths.
The payoff from Fenner's appalling crimes in Series 5 is starting where it is starting to haunt him. This harks back to ekny's gem of inspiration that Fenner has either no inner life or a suppressed one. The feelings cannot emerge into his daytime consciousness which rejects any self criticism so the only alternative is into his dreams.
As you say, the failed investigation fizzles out unnaccountably, especially with the scrawled 'FE' etched into the wall which screams out 'a clue' but is overlooked.
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ekny PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 7:43 pm
abzug wrote:
But can someone please explain why the hell the cops actually believed that Yvonne dropped her keys and then (without any keys) locked herself into that corner of the hanging cell? I mean, it really strains credibility to think they would have dropped the case.
The details around the keys get messier, as if that isn't problematic enough: you've been introduced to the second set of keys, yes? If not... trying to avoid spoilers, but I found *that* twice as iffy & the conclusion reached totally implausible--especially after they made such a fuss over forensics at the start. But anyway... We'll Talk.
Also agreed about Myers. (Sure she seems all cool & tough although obviously she's got her own Achilles' heel--I found her backstory extremely banal/disappointing/inadequate, btw--waited all season for it & then it was like: wha--? Oh Puhleaze, boohoo.) I didn't like the treatment of Phyl either, & similarly--well, wait til a bit of a Protest episode comes up: compare & contrast M's approach to this issue to Helen's response. You'll see what I mean.
But the point is, I think this was all pretty deliberate on the part of the scriptwriters: you're supposed to be uncomfortable. You want a tough Gov who can play hardball? This is how she's going to act. The ambiguities are built in right from the start. Certain plot-details in 6 were sloppy, sure, but I was so glad to give a damn about some of the characters again I found it pretty forgivable; as well, Buxton's as good a Baddy (among the cons) as we've had in awhile (possibly ever, will have to see...), at least so far. (She does an *excellent* job in a fight scene much later--second only to Yvonne's head-crack of Al for credibility, imo. God was that a well-executed scene....)
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richard PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 7:50 pm
Absolutely agree with you about Myers, ekny. You sensed with Helen and Karen that they had an eye for subtleties and that things aren't all that they seem. Frances Myers has this very simplistic approach to matters and you are right to say that Shed are saying that toughness isn't everything. Curiously enough, you find that Grayling starts to emerge as the voice of caution in total contrast to his fantasy ideas in Series 4 which don't relate to anything.
Apologies, abzug, if I am jumping the gun at any time.
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ekny PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 7:56 pm
richard wrote:
Curiously enough, you find that Grayling starts to emerge as the voice of caution in total contrast to his fantasy ideas in Series 4 which don't relate to anything.
Yes, that's very peculiar. I'm basically so relieved they took the focus off him in this series that perhaps I haven't been attentive enough to the nuances of his change, but it's definitely... odd. Like he's finally learning to put his mouth/principles where his career is, or something like that. Now that it doesn't matter & he's kind of realizing he won't get further promoted. (Avoiding spoilers too, this is tricky!)
And... much as I liked his lecture to the prisoners for not-judging Buxton for being a nonce, I found it about the same level of credibility as Shaz's sudden transformation to Insightful Advice-giver during her abuse speech.
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richard PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 8:05 pm
Good point, ekny. I just about swallowed Shaz's advice to Di on abuse only because she had direct experience of it- if she had offered similar insights where it called for imagination and empathy would fall flat on its face. I suppose Grayling's lecture to the prisoners is based on his dislike of unthinking prejudice (as in homophobia) though I may be stretching a point. It does seem as off the wall as his decision to make Snowball his orderly though you could say that these are his tentative steps in being a real governor. Far more effective is his utterly genuine and compassionate attitude in announcing Yvonne's death.
I suppose that when Grayling changes, it isn't in an obvious straight line or sudden St Paul type revelation which is realistic.
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campgrrls PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 8:24 pm
I've never found Grayling's shift in character credible, but I kind of got to like him a bit more. Buxton is a great villain. She's so deceptive because she has the stereotypical good looks that hhave contunually been promoted as those of a movie heroine.
I kind of miss the humour of Shell as a female villain. But I guess it's a sign of the times with the villains getting nastier.
I was a bit disappointed in the Frances character. I guess I was hoping for a wing gov that I could appreciate as much as I appreciated Helen. And with series 6 there isn't a character that really erxcited me. I like Stepanie Beecham's character. I like her humour & her mix of upper class style, con woman & technical knowhow.
I have come to like datrlene Cake after I got over worrying about her as a stereotype. The actress who plays her has a good feel for comic drelivery & timing.
One the shift in morals in the prog.: has anyone talked about Yvonne's ethics? We all loved her con with the heart of gold & humour & her sense of moral justice. But she did get away with murder. The shift in the prog. is such that we can no longer expect justice from the system, and many characters aare taking the law into their own hands: some with good motives & others not.
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abzug PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 9:32 pm
campgrrls wrote:
One the shift in morals in the prog.: has anyone talked about Yvonne's ethics? We all loved her con with the heart of gold & humour & her sense of moral justice. But she did get away with murder. The shift in the prog. is such that we can no longer expect justice from the system, and many characters aare taking the law into their own hands: some with good motives & others not.
I have been thinking quite a bit about this, and perhaps it belongs in the S5 thread, but its not like we always stay on topic on this board or anything. Wink It did seem ironic to me that our heroine in S5 was a woman who had murdered with her own two hands, who had ordered (unsusccessful) hits on 2 people, and who had raised a daughter who ordered a (successful) hit on her husband. Not the kind of person you'd normally admire. The show certainly seems to have a streak of moral relativism--its necessary in this world (or, I think that's the message of the show).
Other Frances thoughts: they've gendered her (can that be used as a verb?) in a very masculine way so far. I joked to my gf that she's like Helen Stewart on steroids. She seems to have little to no emotional response to problems with the prisoners or the guards. The sexual encounter with Colin is the most telling. She's the very aggressive initiator. She just wants a no-obligations shag, and meanwhile he's talking about how he hasn't "felt" this way for a long time (I can't imagine FM talking about her feelings, or even having them, at all!). And then the whole way it was staged, with Colin kind of sinking down facing her, into the position a woman would assume before performing a blow job.
Its interesting to think about, because so much of the evil influences on the show are male, and FM is clearly portrayed as at least a little bit morally troubling or morally ambiguous, so I don't think the masculine connotations they've given to the character are an accident.
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richard PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 9:36 pm
Interesting idea, abzug. Colin comes over as relatively passive in his relationship with the very dominant Frances who certainly used him. There is a scene where Colin offers to 'take her out' and she retorts that she isn't a 'dog on a lead' which sums her up pretty well. While there isn't that sense of depth to Frances as yet, you will find some backstory on her later on.
I like your idea of moral relativism, campgirls, although Yvonne does walk the line with the softer, maternal side of her.
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COOLUK1 PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 10:05 pm
Evening Richard Abzug EK campgrrls et al
To this day I've not watched the end of Series 5 ..just can't bring my self to...
I luuuuurved Myers!!! She was a great addition!!
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abzug PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 10:08 pm
COOLUK1 wrote:
To this day I've not watched the end of Series 5 ..just can't bring my self to...
There's a big part of me that wishes I hadn't. I basically cried through the entire last episode (there was a big pile of tissues next to me when it was over), couldn't sleep that whole night, was super-cranky the next day...overall very traumatic. H&N's little spats seem like nothing in comparison.
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COOLUK1 PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 10:32 pm
Sniff
Awwww :strokes back: cry
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abzug PostPosted: Sat May 20, 2006 10:47 pm
Awww, thanks Cool! I feel much better! Wink
In other news, did anyone notice the ironic underscoring in the scene where Fenner proposes to Di? (Or maybe its just the scene where she asks him if he loves her?) They're watching whatever movie it was they rented, and its during the closing credits so there's this romantic, happily-ever-after music playing, which is the wonderfully ironic counterpoint to the actual dialogue. Yes, they are talking about love, but these are two characters who definitely don't mean it, have no true understanding of it etc. It kind of reminded me of the scene in season 2 when Fenner tells Yvonne that her husband has "cancer"--they put in a really sappy musical underscore, the kind of music they'd have if her husband really DID have cancer, even though we know he doesn't.
PS When Di and Fenner were choosing their video, the dvd in the background right behind/next to Fenner's head was The Shawshank Redemption. It was blurred, but totally recognizable. You gotta love the attention to detail.
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abzug PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 7:00 pm
Why are all the prisoners total idiots? Or, to be more specific, why is there not a single prisoner who has both a brain and a strong sense of morality? I think we're really lacking this in the post-Nikki, post-Yvonne period, and its starting to drive me NUTS. I mean, Natalie Buxton's takeover of the wing was just FAR too smooth. The only inmates who can see what she's doing are Bev and Phyll, and they don't give a shit because they'd have pulled the same thing if they could.
I miss Nikki & Yvonne!!!!!!!!!
Very interesting juxtaposition of roof standoffs: Helen vs Frances. Epitomizes the total difference between their two characters. I can't imagine Frances putting herself "on the line" for any of the prisoners. Its not that she didn't care what happened to Jannen (sp?)--she was glad when the mother-in-law showed up etc, but its more like she wouldn't even think of trying to reach out to her where she is, the way Helen did with Zandra, nor would she take any responsibility onto herself. In contrast, Helen took total responsibility for Zandra's roof antics, openly interpreting them as a direct result of her decision about Zandra and the baby.
The whole Fenner-pissing-on-Kris scene was appalling. Before that, I could understand how they'd let the guy back on the wing (although it was a stretch). Now? Forget it.
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campgrrls PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 7:04 pm
Ah... yes the spectre of Helen and Nik hang over the subsequent series. Maybe you can see why I watched series 5 & 6 on TV but didn't keep any video tapes of them. I see I have most or not all of series 4 on tape, but can't see any series 5 & 6.
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richard PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 8:11 pm
Absolutely agree with you, abzug. What is worrying is that the Julies were at one time moving up to be combined top dog and were deceived by Buxton and that they all followed her lead. Nikki and Yvonne would have seen through her straightaway.
The epidode with Jinan was a cracker of an episode, being a great mix of drama and making a political point about Asian families in one go. The actress who took the part of Jinan was very believable. As you say, Frances simply hadn't got the patience and empathy that Helen demonstrated and Shed wrote that well.
I can accept Fenner's 'naked Christ' routine and his very wierd justification of his 'innocence' which relates to Yvonne haunting him (this is off screen) Shed blundered badly in readmitting him to Larkhall as he was supposed to be 'sectioned'. This is a medical court order which could potentially lock him up in a mental hospital for the duration of the order and wouldn't be waived by the very dodgy Dr No No. Still more unlikely was Fenner being allowed back into the prison service and, still more, on G Wing after the episode with Kris.
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abzug PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 8:38 pm
The problem I'm having with season 6 is that its straining my credulity time and time again:
1. Yvonne dropped the keys and locked herself in to die and the police believe this?
2. Everyone forgives Natalie Buxton and hails her as their queen?
3. Fenner is allowed back on G Wing after being witness assaulting an inmate and destroying her cell?
4. Everyone on the wing starts puking and they don't assume first thing that the food has been contaminated? I mean, that's lesson #1 in public health! If everyone gets suddenly sick at one time, the food is the first place you start, not "a virus." And now they think its Tanya's food basket which only two or three people ate from? WTF?
All these breaks in logic seem designed to create interesting plot twists, but that makes those plot developments feel unearned. I've never felt this way about the show before. Sure, season 5 was bleak as all hell, but at least everything that occurred seemed to follow fairly logically from the preceding circumstances and characters' psychology.
Its frustrating to me because there are so many things I LIKE about season 6. I think Frances Myers is a fantastic character. I love the budding alliance between Selena, Colin and the black officer (who's name I don't think we've ever been told? Or we have and I've forgotten?) against the likes of Sylvia, Di and Fenner.
And I've loved watching Fenner be totally destroyed and undone by his own demons. In a way, its making me think of Crime and Punishment. Its been about 14 years since I read it, but Fenner, like Raskolnikov (sp?) thought he was above society's rules and morality, he thought he could murder someone in cold blood and not suffer any pricks of conscience. But this violation of the very first rule of non-anarchic societies (thou shalt not kill) is a very stubborn one--and neither Fenner nor Raskolnikov were god-like enough to not be bound by it.
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ekny PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2006 8:59 pm
abzug wrote:
Very interesting juxtaposition of roof standoffs: Helen vs Frances. Epitomizes the total difference between their two characters. I can't imagine Frances putting herself "on the line" for any of the prisoners. Its not that she didn't care what happened to Jannen (sp?)--she was glad when the mother-in-law showed up etc, but its more like she wouldn't even think of trying to reach out to her where she is, the way Helen did with Zandra, nor would she take any responsibility onto herself. In contrast, Helen took total responsibility for Zandra's roof antics, openly interpreting them as a direct result of her decision about Zandra and the baby.
Yep, exactly. That's the scene I've been waiting for you to see in terms of some of the contrasts betw H & Myers' behavior I'd mentioned. Total agreement. Another moment I too found myself saying aloud, rather plaintively, I miss Helen.
abzug wrote:
The whole Fenner-pissing-on-Kris scene was appalling. Before that, I could understand how they'd let the guy back on the wing (although it was a stretch). Now? Forget it.
Again, yep, total agreement. And of course he does come back & it's like barely ever mentioned again. Infuriating in all ways.
abzug wrote:
1. Yvonne dropped the keys and locked herself in to die and the police believe this?
What's worse is that finding a second set of keys somehow makes this more dismissable to them rather than less. There are no scratch-marks around the grate: if the keys were in there we're supposed to believe Y didn't bother to try to get them out & instead, against all reason, scratched the *walls* while slowly dehydrating (a particularly miserable death)? Not to mention there's plenty of forensic evidence in that cell pointing to the fact she didn't sodding lock herself in. Even more infuriating. If you bring up forensics that seem obvious even to the detectives then refuse to utilize them later... just bad plotting. This detail drove me completely nuts.
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abzug PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 3:19 am
Finished S6 tonight, if you can believe it. It was a weekend long marathon for me and my gf. I must say certain moments exacerbated my hangover, but I made it through.
So, the thing is, I had a really hard time thinking about this season, because every time I turned my brain on, I noticed something which made no logical sense whatsoever, and I had to turn my brain back off so it wouldn't bug the crap out of me. Which was frustrating because in many other ways I really liked season 6. I thought Frances Myers was an absolutely fantastic character and fantastic actress, and I am very sorry she's not on the show in season 7. Her vendetta against Natalie Buxton was particularly enjoyable.
I also liked how she was mentoring Selena towards the end of the season: that's something we've never seen on Bad Girls, a female gov or senior officer truly mentoring a junior female officer. The closest we got was the peer relationship between Helen and Karen (until that went south) and Helen's mentoring of Dominic. But female mentors are something really lacking in the workplace for junior level female employees (believe me, I know this from experience!) and I wish it was an issue which the show explored a little more.
I also really liked the whole Tanya Turner plotline. Having never seen an ep of Footballers Wives in my life, I thought it worked quite well as a cross-over, and the actress was quite good.
My girlfriend pointed out how much of a theme justice (or, really, injustice) was in this season. I don't recall another season of Bad Girls where so many people were insisting on their innocence. Kris, Jinan, Natalie, Karen, Tanya all were very vocal about not having committed the crimes which landed them in jail. Of course, the interesting twist is that some really weren't guilty (Kris, Karen, Jinan) and all three did get justice in the end (or so it seems), while the two who were guilty (Tanya was guilty, right?) also managed to get off. Well, Natalie didn't get off, exactly, but she managed to convince the entire wing she wasn't a nonce.
Other Fenner-related thoughts: why the heck was he so torn apart with guilt the first half of the season, and then totally functional the second half of the season after just having a few weeks off? And what was up with the Karen shrine? I mean, I could easily have believed he would save little mementos from each of his conquests (Shell, Rachel, Maxi, Karen etc), but the photos etc and the obsession with Karen only just didn't make sense to me.
I was also somewhat annoyed that Fenner was able to bring these charges against Grayling when he had attempted the very same thing in season 4 and was forced to back down. The only difference I can see in season 6 is that Karen is now an unreliable witness because she's up for murder. But the idea that Neil wasn't able to air all of Fenner's dirty laundry (the Shell stuff, the Helen assault, the Karen rape, etc etc etc) was bizarre, to say the least. I guess I felt like the two of them had played this game of chicken in season 4, and Grayling had triumphed, so why the rematch, especially when Fenner was so fragile?
Anyway, it was strange to both enjoy season 6 so much, AND to find it so damn frustrating. Perhaps I watched it all too quickly.
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ekny PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 5:51 am
abzug wrote:
And what was up with the Karen shrine? I mean, I could easily have believed he would save little mementos from each of his conquests (Shell, Rachel, Maxi, Karen etc), but the photos etc and the obsession with Karen only just didn't make sense to me.
Hiya--yes, *that* was the memento/shrine thing I've been mentioning as OTT. Found your overviews about justice/injustice & mentoring both interesting & accurate. As for the charges against Grayling, that I found very interesting indeed. There's no question we all loathe Fenner beyond measure & want him to lose, etc etc., but strictly speaking, he does have a few points (or his brief does, anyway). And I felt it was again pretty clever of Shed to turn this most ironic of ironies our way & make it work, i.e. make me uncomfortable enough to think, Sh*t! The bastard has a point (yet still want him to lose for all the wrong [i.e. right] reasons. The reversals there worked really well, I felt.
I also enjoyed the complete sickness that was Fenner & Di. Golly gee whiz, what a perfect couple. The palpable insincerity with which they sincerely toasted their marriage & 'love' was just too ill for words.
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richard PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 6:58 am
Hi ekny and abzug. It is really interesting to see two posters
I couldn't agree more with you about the tribunal storyline where shed revisited series 4 very cleverly and where Fenner was (nearly) telling the truth. You also get the sense from Grayling, jusus, what did I ever see in him and that sense of distance from his Series 4 self- also that the changes Grayling went through were very subtly portrayed.
You make a very valid point in the way that Fenner comes out (relatively) stronger in late Series 6 than earlier. Much though it may go against the grain, this could be put down to Di. I wouldn't go along with this 'true love' thing between them. Di is only capable of serial obsessions aling with some cynical self interest. Fenner is a more curious case. When he is down, you get the feeling that he will turn to some kind of 'mother figure' to support him. This has happened with Karen when his wife and kids left him. Of course, the payoff is that as soon as he regains his nerve, he will revert to type and have his bit on the side and treat that 'mother figure' emotionally as part of the furniture, as a convenience. His behaviour with Tanya and Natalie makes that clear. The other thing which is curious about Fenner is his obsession for Karen. His Karen shrine outdoes Di's 'Josh and Dominic shrines.' You get the feeling that he will screw around if Karen is under his control but when he loses her, his obvious jealousy of Mark kicks in. It is as if once he loses something like Karen, he regrets it but if he has her,he takes her for granted. I can't fully get my head round it but I can't dismiss it either.
Coming back to the Tanya Turner thing, that trilogy for me was the weakest part of series 6 although that may be my point of view about the actress. She annoyed me more than Snowball, both as actress (a few sub Yvonne mannerisms) and as character.
I very much like your notion of Frances mentoring Selena which I hadn't picked up on before and the theme of injustice which was well observed.
I certainly agree that overall Series 6 is erratic with all the loose ends and strong elements.
When Karen comes back into the situation, I had the feeling that the series regained its consistency and Clair King does a really fine job in acting and her portrayal of Karen when she is down on her luck is a real departure, bringing the whole thing to a fine conclusion. Although the scene of Fenner in a men's prison appears dreamlike, he really is locked up.
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filbertfox PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 7:38 am
All I can say re BG6 is that it entertained me hugely and that over time, Frances Myers enthralled me...
I'm not that deep a thinker, so i'm not one to dwell on improbables and impossibilities, if I enjoy watching something, that's good enough for me.
One thing that did spoil my first watching of BG6 was my ex, she had a bit of an obsession with Selena's hair (i.e. she thought it was horrible) and every time the fair one appeared on screen, would screech "the hair, the hair"...it was so stressful.
I myself loved the TT crossover, but then i'm also a fan of FW so the whole idea of her being sent to Larkhall really appealed to me. Yes, i'm sure a lot of people are going to disagree with this, but my own humble opinion is that Zoe Lucker is an extremely watchable actress...she's really 'visual' (I mean huge range of facial expressions, not that I have the rampant hots for her...)
Re the character Janan...she was played by Meera Syal, an actor (i'm sure my American cousins will be interested to note) with a background in comedy. Also, I know I banged on about this on the BGonline MB at the time, but she's also the author of two terrific novels - 'Anita & Me' and 'Life isn't all Ha Ha Hee Hee' - the first is probably the best, a hilarious semi-autobiographical account of what it is like to grow up as the only daughter of Punjabi parents in a small West Midlands village in the 1960s.
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campgrrls PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:34 am
I agree series 6 had its great and weak bits. I found Grayling's character shifts far less credible than Fenner's. Fenner still remained the villain. I found his obssession with Karen believable as well. I think doing some OTT stuff is part of BG. I didn't like Selena at all.. not just her hair. Many times, in my mind I kept saying to Kris to just ditch Selena. Actually it was Meyer's hair that kind of irritated me a bit It may be just because I wasn't that keen on the character in the end. I seem to be the only one who found her less than wonderful.
I really liked the Tanya storyline. I've only watched a bit of FW, but I enjoyed the contrast of her flambouyant style and the drab BG environment.
I LOVED the TV version of Life is Not all Ha Ha Hee Hee. Remind me who the Janan character was?
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NZ Bad Girl PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:37 am
http://www.badgirls.co.uk/archive/arc_bg6/arc_bg6_ep4.htmlThis is her episode.
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filbertfox PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 8:42 am
campgrrls wrote:
I LOVED the TV version of Life is Not all Ha Ha Hee Hee. Remind me who the Janan character was?
You mean who the Janan character was in BG??
Unfortunately, I missed the TV version of 'Ha Ha Hee Hee', I think either BG7 or FW4 was airing at exactly the same time. Meera Syal (Janan in BG6ep4) played Sunita and Laila Rouass (Amber in FW...a seriously fantastic actor) played Tania so i'm hoping that the BBC will release it on DVD at some point.
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campgrrls PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2006 9:52 am
Thanks, Filbertfox. I remember that ep now. The roof protest was great, Frances not so great in handling it & Selena very annoying the way she'd go to see people behind Kris's back.
Meera, was brilliantly funny in Life is not all ha ha hee hee.