Tag: Pride & Prejudice

Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 81-84

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Will Lizzie ask Bing if he still loves Jane? Will she stick to her resolution not to interfere?  Let’s see…

These episodes are the most heartfelt in some-ways, they are about truths and lies and how even the best intentioned lies are misplaced and do more damage.  The interactions between the three characters in the first are awkward and full of tension but lead into really in depth conversations which bring aspects of several characters true persona’s into better light.

The acting is brilliant as always but I was really impressed with the actress playing Gigi when she reveals the plot between herself and Wickham and her betrayal at discovering her brother was right about Wickham’s intentions.

We get to see Darcy lighten up a little which is great but then as we knew would happen Lydia ends up in trouble with the release by Wickham of a sex tape, I confess it never fails to surprise me the number of celebs who film these things then act shocked when they are released by an ex, maybe if both partners are celebs where it could hurt their careers it might not be so dangerous but for most it always seems to be when the woman is more successful than the male he releases it.  Pre-fame sex tapes are one thing, maybe even those where the partners were married and the tapes were genuinely stolen are different, but if you are a celeb who makes a sex tape after you have become famous and it gets released then you should have learnt from all those who went before you and not been so stupid.

6. Saturday · Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long · So it's Saturday

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 61-64

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I am so excited to continue the series and see how they handle the letter, I hope they don’t change it to an email that would be wrong somehow despite modernising the story.

Okay there are going to be a few of you our there now chuckling over her reaction to the letter, anyone who has received one from me knows that I do still hand write letters, though I am not sure my illegible scrawl counts as cursive but I do also own and use a wax seal it is actually a brilliant way to be sure no one has been in your letter!  I love the way habit of switching the video off when she is in doubt reflects the struggle between what we believe and our feelings when we discover we are wrong.  I had actually not thought of how they would deal with the need to keep things secret within the letter, we are so used the the written versions where we are privy to the secret while other characters are excluded so it feels strange but with this format I cannot actually see any other way they could have dealt with it.

I was surprised at the re-emergence of Caroline and find myself feeling like I should go check it out in the book, the next meeting between them should occur at Pemberley but am guessing it was the proposal vlog that drew Caroline back. It is totally in character that she would however hate to have a secret kept from her especially Darcy’s. Caroline shows her true colours as the total bitch she is.

6. Saturday · Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long · So it's Saturday

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 57-60

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Things are certainly heating up and we know what comes next…the proposal!  It will be interesting to see how they play this out as obviously the social class issues are different now for most people, even the Royals are relaxing the etiquette about who they can marry so on we go…

I had forgotten about the meeting between Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Darcy prior to the proposal, and that the next thing is should be the part where Fitz drops Darcy in it over splitting Bing and Jane up.  Sure enough Fitz turns up to help Lizzie create and awesome ‘care package’ (I have to say I love the idea of those I do something similar with one of my friends in the States if only customs were not so strict and postage was not so expensive I would send loads.) The talk turns to love and true to form he digs a hole drops Darcy straight into it and throws a few shovels of dirt into the hole on top of him.  The portrayal of the anger Lizzie feels on Jane’s behalf is well acted and the look on her face when she turns to see it is him who has knocked at the door was a classic.

I LOVED the way the proposal was dealt with the facial expressions on Lizzie as Darcy speaks and the ending, I just love it roll on the next batch of episodes!

Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long · So it's Saturday

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 53-56

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It seems like an age since I last watched any of these but it seems incredibly unfair to have broken off half way through so if you want to back track to where we were you can find the previous review here.

Now onwards once more…

First I have to say I did miss the chance to actually see the dinner with Miss DeBurgh and Darcy, it is one of the few issues that occasionally crop up watching this, that there are some scenes you would really like to see more of than a recreation or just hearing about it.  I liked that they made Anne DeBurgh character into a lapdog it is actually probably more in keeping than for Lady Catherine to have a daughter.

I like that they bring Darcy into the work environment which is a good analogy to the social battleground which dating in the original Pride & Prejudice, they made Fitzwilliam into his friend and gay which actually would explain why in the original he never actually made any attempt to secure Elizabeth’s affections despite obviously holding her in high esteem.  ‘Fitz’ is played brilliantly and you really get the feeling that is a perfect characterisation of the character in the novel, loyal while accepting his friends faults and failings.

Why did I leave it so long to come back to this I had forgotten how much I loved this series!

 

 

6. Saturday · Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 49-52

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We left Jane preparing to go after Bing to demand an explanation and Lizzie heartbroken for her sister, lets get straight on…

Lizzie is of course right about Darcy as we all know, we now have the departure of more characters as Wickham and Jane both leave town, we really do need more characters.

Wickham shows his true colours on Twitter within hours of leaving letting Lizzie reflect on emotions and the difference between her relationships and Janes.  Charlotte calls with a well timed invitation and we know that there is the possibility we will get to meet Darcy soon, if the time line parallels the novel at this point.  I have to confess that it took only a very short time for Wickham to descend from eye candy to annoying so I am looking forward to seeing how Darcy is played.

We travel to visit Charlotte and get to see her office and also we are re-acquainted with Mr Collins who becomes increasingly smarmy with every appearance.

I love they got a name check in for Doctor Gardiner, I know they are keeping the cast down to a minimum so it is great when minor characters at least get mentioned even if they don’t appear.

We have crossed the half way point now and still no Darcy but he has to show soon, doesn’t he?

One of the things I love about this and the original novel is it makes you question the nature of relationships, with Jane and Bing they almost miss out because they fail to outwardly show their feelings, Lizzie and Darcy show feelings but they are interpreted wrongly and Wickham deliberately sets out to deceive, the thing is growing up we experience all of the emotions and actions to some extent or another, it is only with age we learn to recognise them if we are lucky.

6. Saturday · Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 45-48

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Am so excited I just lined up the episodes to view today and guess what we meet Wickham! I am so excited I can’t wait so see you on the other side….

So we finally met Wickham not this is a tough one to talk about without sounding like a cougar about to stalk prey but given the ages of the intended audience which is probably teens to mid twenties he is perfect.  Good looking, fantastic body, and those eyes! The casting is perfect for the guy who looks like an angel but we can be pretty sure will turn out to be anything but.  The given excuse for the fallout between him and Darcy however lacks credibility, in the novel there is a reason that Darcy’s father takes an interest in young Wickham but the explanation given here does not include why his father would feel the need to promise to fund education which I did feel could have done with being explained.

I am a little lost with the time-line now as Bing is back and throwing another party I assume this is actually the one from the novel where Mrs Bennet will be an embarrassment, Wickham of course stands Lizzie up rather than face Darcy.  Love that Lizzie gets relationship advice from Lydia.

We then discover Bing has done a flit and Jane learnt via a tweet he was going back to Los Angeles without saying anything.  Poor Jane is stunned but off she goes in pursuit of an answer after letting off steam and making her feelings known.  Jane does demonstrate the complex flights of emotions from denial, justification, pain, and indignation which anyone who has ever had a broken heart can recognise.

On to next week I really want to see Darcy now and we are reaching the half way point surely we have to see him soon.

 

6. Saturday · Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 33-36

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I missed last week due to a combination of illness and general chaos in my life which sometimes takes over but we are back and I am hoping we might finally get to see Darcy…lets see if we do, meet you on the other side….

Poor Bing how could Jane not thank him properly for the flowers then they just up and leave without a minutes warning, its like kicking a puppy.  Lizzie is starting to see the cracks in Caroline’s behaviour and it was interesting to see Jane defending Darcy a little more vigorously than in the original, it is also fascinating to consider how the modern Lizzie reacts to Darcy’s character, although we do expect her to be eating humble pie at a later date.

We see Mr Collins put in a repeat appearance, and I think I can safely say I have met quite a few Mr Collins’s down the years.  The modern day Lizzie Bennet has far more freedom to get away from him than Elizabeth did, and this is one of the moments in this series that has really made me think about how lucky we are today that we have the freedoms we do.  We are able to have a career, support ourselves and remain independent rather than marrying for money, position or security.  Part of me thinks had I lived two hundred years ago I would have ended up either burnt at the stake or in an asylum but the chances are I would have accepted my fate having been brought up to expect nothing more from life than a dozen kids and bread on the table if you were lucky, not a pleasant thought.

Gutted we still have not met Darcy maybe next week, I keep trying to work out how the story lines tie in to one another and where he may make his first appearance the return home must surely delay it but hopefully not for long.

Fact Vs Fiction

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 29-32

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Another Saturday is here and more Lizzie Bennet awaits, I wonder if we will meet Darcy yet?  Lets see…

The whole issue of morals of discussing other people online is raised, but it is not really questioned with any real depth or insight but may possibly be an interesting blog topic at some point.  I have decided that Caroline reminds me of Cordelia from Buffy, we get to learn more about both her and her brother, he is so sweet, a little too saccharine for my taste but the perfect Bingley replacement. Lizzie and Caroline are doing well at pretending they like each other and possibly in this Lizzie is taking longer than her Classic counterpart to realise that Caroline is in love with Darcy and sees her as a rival.  The idea of the two young ladies still taking a ‘turn around the room’ didn’t quite fit, yes it allowed them to use the line from the original novel but I think I would have preferred a change there.

I am wondering when we will meet more characters, yet another week has passed without us getting to meet the man himself maybe next week?

6. Saturday · Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 25-28

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Its Saturday and time for the next instalments of Lizzie’s diaries, we are a quarter of the was through and I am enjoying it although I would like to start seeing more of the other characters.  See you on the other side…

We get to join Lizzie at Vidcon and also to meet Mr Collins who we have heard of briefly in an earlier episode.  I was curious how they would arrange for Jane to stay at Netherfield given modern transport would easily allow someone ill to be transported, the remodelling excuse is perfect and the fact that in a modern setting sleeping over is perfectly acceptable this ruse allows for the mother to still appear manipulative. I like that Mary gets a name check even if she has been demoted from sister to cousin.

The stay at Netherfield is fascinating, we get to meet Bing and his sister Caroline though Darcy remains elusive.  Caroline is well played and this modern version perfectly reflects the two-faced sister that Elizabeth sees but fools Jane in the original novel.  I think she had been on screen around ten seconds before I hated her lol.

6. Saturday · Lizzie Bennett Diaries Watch-a-long

Lizzie Bennet Diaries Episodes 21-24

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Okay guys better late than never we continue with the Lizzie Bennet Diaries see you at the other side of todays four episodes

I love the idea of Vid-con playing a part in the story, am not quite sure how it really fits in.  It is too earlier in the story to be any of Lizzie’s trips in terms of correlating to the book possibly it replaces Aunt Phillips house and the evenings there but if that were the case Wickham should have already been introduced.  I think it helps to try to forget the actual novel timeline and embrace the one as they play it out.

 

I am really enjoying this and as I am plotting a P&P fanfiction I get to class watching it as research lol