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Post by Backdrifter on Mar 7, 2019 11:40:53 GMT
Yes, I lurked behind him in a theatre foyer a few months ago just to hear him speak ill of 'corn dogs' in that wonderful voice. I had the pleasure of meeting and briefly chatting with him after a platform he did at the NT, he was every bit as affable as I'd imagined. And yes, I could bathe in that voice. |
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Post by crowblack on Mar 7, 2019 11:46:48 GMT
I'm not sure that Pinter reminds me of Etonians, dinner parties or Hampstead to be honest . . . I think I was talking about Pinter and Fleabag - the prickly, passive-agressive conversations in the houseshare with the middle-aged Etonian, his circle of friends and the poshest tenant were very Pinter and often bizarrely gnomic (I'm thinking the Pinter of A Slight Ache, The Servant or those plays about having affairs, not hit men). |
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Post by MrsCondomine on Mar 7, 2019 12:40:02 GMT
I watched the first episode of the 2nd series yesterday, my first exposure to Fleabag and was not disappointed at all. I knew that I loved her writing style from Killing Eve, but I’m going to have to watch the first series now. I thought it wonderful and awful and hilarious and devastating all rolled up into one. Just my bag! Oh, you must watch the first series. It will put so much of the second one into context, particularly the behaviour of the characters. SECONDING. The first series made me cry with laughter several times, but the bit that nearly made me have to pause the thing to recover was {Spoiler - click to view}
the "surprise" in the shower. I couldn't stop laughing at the aftermath. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2019 12:51:26 GMT
Oh, you must watch the first series. It will put so much of the second one into context, particularly the behaviour of the characters. SECONDING. The first series made me cry with laughter several times, but the bit that nearly made me have to pause the thing to recover was {Spoiler - click to view}
the "surprise" in the shower. I couldn't stop laughing at the aftermath. Oh yes, poor Harry! Further proof that the delicious Hugh Skinner is one of the best comedy actors around. |
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Post by crowblack on Mar 10, 2019 10:50:46 GMT
P W-B on the Andrew Marr programme this morning. I liked the point about Killing Eve (a programme I'm evangelical about to non-TV watching friends) and the naked murdered women on autopsy slabs, which is why I don't watch most contemporary-set thrillers. There was a good Radio 4 programme on that a year or so ago but I can't remember the title!
Btw I gave up on Baptiste because it looked like it was going that way, more female victims (also, clunky script and general silliness e.g. Tom Hollander and a man with an injured leg chasing and actually catching a teenager?). Is it worth bothering with in a world where much else beckons?
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Fleabag
Mar 16, 2019 19:22:06 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2019 19:22:06 GMT
Episode two. Well, I was wrong about the priest not being a priest.
This is such a finely balanced, well written and beautifully acted show. It is almost excruciating to watch at times. Am so glad it’s being dispensed in weekly bites. It’s a show to be savoured.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 16, 2019 19:28:31 GMT
I binged series 1 on iplayer last week after reading this thread . Hated everyone in it but found it compulsive. It’s horribly bleak. I think I’ll give this series a miss.
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4,156 posts
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Fleabag
Mar 16, 2019 20:21:53 GMT
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Post by kathryn on Mar 16, 2019 20:21:53 GMT
I only watched a couple of episodes of series 1 - well done, but I just didn’t feel the urge to spend more time in their company. Jumped back in with series 2 because people were raving about it and oh, my, the writing really is exquisite. And the performances!
I don’t really like any of the people being portrayed, but it’s compelling stuff nonetheless.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2019 22:26:08 GMT
Well, turns out I’d been waiting my whole life for post menopausal lesbian Kristen Scott Thomas to deliver a rant about women’s pain. This just keeps getting better. And then they obliterate the fourth wall with that ending. Or do they build a fifth wall? I’m not clever enough to describe it. Suddenly we become complicit in her dysfunction. f***. Breathtaking. |
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Post by talkingheads on Mar 19, 2019 9:17:23 GMT
Well, turns out I’d been waiting my whole life for post menopausal lesbian Kristen Scott Thomas to deliver a rant about women’s pain. This just keeps getting better. And then they obliterate the fourth wall with that ending. Or do they build a fifth wall? I’m not clever enough to describe it. Suddenly we become complicit in her dysfunction. f***. Breathtaking. My sentiments exactly. And the sister was unusually cruel this episode. Bridge set up the whole 'we are her friends' thing last episode but I had no idea she was going to actually go meta and have another character notice it. It's just.... insane how good it is, I can't level any criticism at it (well OK, except the dropping of the award, come on that's Sitcom 101. But it did lead to the call back to the statue so can't complain really). Actually, my only complaint is that the episodes are too short! |
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Fleabag
Mar 19, 2019 15:48:21 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2019 15:48:21 GMT
Well, turns out I’d been waiting my whole life for post menopausal lesbian Kristen Scott Thomas to deliver a rant about women’s pain. This just keeps getting better. And then they obliterate the fourth wall with that ending. Or do they build a fifth wall? I’m not clever enough to describe it. Suddenly we become complicit in her dysfunction. f***. Breathtaking. My sentiments exactly. And the sister was unusually cruel this episode. Bridge set up the whole 'we are her friends' thing last episode but I had no idea she was going to actually go meta and have another character notice it. It's just.... insane how good it is, I can't level any criticism at it (well OK, except the dropping of the award, come on that's Sitcom 101. But it did lead to the call back to the statue so can't complain really). Actually, my only complaint is that the episodes are too short! I want it on twice a day for eternity, but then I doubt that the writing quality could be maintained. I still laughed about the award because you knew that it was going to get smashed, and that knowledge and the ‘sit-comness’ of it all made it funny. But the call back to the first season with the statue...yes! And then to have an award for ‘Women in Business’ to be a headless statue with breasts. Btw, do we think there’s something going on with how generic the whole ‘Women in Business’ language was? Given how rich and specific every other word is. I can’t decide if the blandness was the comment, or if there’s something else going on. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2019 15:58:26 GMT
I think considering how inevitable it was that the award was going to get smashed, they get mad props for doing it immediately, where a lesser sitcom would spend the entire episode teasing us and waiting until a peak moment of drama before the much-anticipated smash. The way it was done here was very nicely subversive.
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Post by sweets7 on Mar 19, 2019 22:37:13 GMT
My sentiments exactly. And the sister was unusually cruel this episode. Bridge set up the whole 'we are her friends' thing last episode but I had no idea she was going to actually go meta and have another character notice it. It's just.... insane how good it is, I can't level any criticism at it (well OK, except the dropping of the award, come on that's Sitcom 101. But it did lead to the call back to the statue so can't complain really). Actually, my only complaint is that the episodes are too short! I want it on twice a day for eternity, but then I doubt that the writing quality could be maintained. I still laughed about the award because you knew that it was going to get smashed, and that knowledge and the ‘sit-comness’ of it all made it funny. But the call back to the first season with the statue...yes! And then to have an award for ‘Women in Business’ to be a headless statue with breasts. Btw, do we think there’s something going on with how generic the whole ‘Women in Business’ language was? Given how rich and specific every other word is. I can’t decide if the blandness was the comment, or if there’s something else going on. Because it is like being at the kids table. I thought that was the point, it is pointless platitudes and condescending especially since the woman giving it out has a massive office to show off her 'strength' too. |
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Fleabag
Mar 19, 2019 23:52:49 GMT
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Post by Backdrifter on Mar 19, 2019 23:52:49 GMT
Yes enjoying this very much. It's to its credit the eps seem too short, and would be to its detriment if they were longer.
What did we think of the "where did you go just then" stuff at the end? (I'm hoping that's unspecific enough to not need spoiler tags). I wasn't sure but have decided I like it and am intrigued to see where it'll lead.
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Post by kathryn on Mar 22, 2019 13:38:40 GMT
I thought it was highlighting that he is the only one who really truly pays attention to her, and thus notices those moments when she is disconnecting from the present to ‘talk’ to us.
I’m interested to see if it goes somewhere.
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Post by Backdrifter on Mar 22, 2019 14:20:00 GMT
I thought it was highlighting that he is the only one who really truly pays attention to her, and thus notices those moments when she is disconnecting from the present to ‘talk’ to us. I’m interested to see if it goes somewhere. Nice take, I like it. |
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Fleabag
Mar 22, 2019 14:36:37 GMT
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Post by alece10 on Mar 22, 2019 14:36:37 GMT
I'm probably the exception to the rule and not really enjoying it much.
And what's with all the turning and looking into the camera a la Miranda?
I'm enjoying the 2nd series of White Gold and Derry Girls more.
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Post by peggs on Mar 22, 2019 14:58:27 GMT
Eavesdropping woman in cafe telling her friend what she's watching (she should be talking to me we appear to watch all the same things) but is fleabag a comedy? It is very funny but deeply painful too.
Mind you she doesn't seem to realise bill Patterson and Olivia Coleman are in it so perhaps better that I don't highjack the conversation.
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Post by Latecomer on Mar 23, 2019 19:09:41 GMT
I am thoroughly enjoying this and wanted to yell “yes!” at post menopausal rant (I have recently been AMAZED that there has not been more publicity to the fact that the new NICE recommendations say you can take the pill continuously and no need for break through bleeding periods and the only reason we have had these all these years was as the MAN who designed the pill was trying to keep the Pope happy and make him accept it......I had to put up with periods for years when I didn’t need to? Really? For the POPE?)
It is incredibly bleak at times but I love how only families understand other family members and how mad they always are!
Quite glad we can only watch 1 episode at a time as it strings it out a bit.....dont want it to end
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Fleabag
Mar 25, 2019 14:32:06 GMT
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Post by talkingheads on Mar 25, 2019 14:32:06 GMT
Wow. This one... so much going on. Psychologically stripped bare, her monologue at the end....
And still him noticing the asides! Thus showing that only he is truly paying attention to her. Also the scene between her and Bill Paterson is so well written and played. I'm both sad there are only two left but at the same time blown away that there are two perfect series.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2019 21:43:05 GMT
Wow. This one... so much going on. Psychologically stripped bare, her monologue at the end.... And still him noticing the asides! Thus showing that only he is truly paying attention to her. Also the scene between her and Bill Paterson is so well written and played. I'm both sad there are only two left but at the same time blown away that there are two perfect series. That moment when he’s looking at us while she’s looking at us. I felt so seen! Really breathtaking stuff. I must have cried four or five times. And laughed out loud as many. Looking so fantastic at your mother’s funeral. The scenes have that quality of real life, stuff you couldn’t make up. I think PWB is an exceptional observer of life. I’m still flummoxed and to how it will end. |
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Post by Marcus on Mar 26, 2019 20:36:14 GMT
Just watched this weeks episode and wow!
When I first started watched series 1 I thought it was funny, smutty but very real. And the shift at the end of series 1 to emotionally so complex was fascinating.
This series has really shown that PWB has such skill in navigating a flawed, realistic, complex human which you are equally grotesqued by and in love with. Having Andrew Scott’s character witness her asides is fascinating.
And to really see the emotional undercurrent to PWB’s character was so intense.
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Fleabag
Mar 26, 2019 22:30:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2019 22:30:31 GMT
Marcus I’m with you on the priest witnessing the asides. Took my breath away. My current theories include; PWB said that in season one, the to camera asides were when our heroine needed to confess. In an interview before season two, she said she thought she had found something different to do with them. By writing a priest character, someone whose job it is to hear confession, it makes sense he would notice when she uses her confession mechanism.
Our relationship with her has changed, and the way to camera asides work is central to this. It gets very meta, but the change starts when the priest catches her and deepens when he looks at us. In E4 there’s a moment when she’s trying to run away, just before the funeral flashback. I think she doesn’t want to be close to us at this point, the fundamental shift is that we’re chasing her down the road, in pursuit of her.
There is *almost* no use of to camera asides in the funeral scene. I’m annoyed that I cannot say no use, but there is a glancing look as they walk out of the church that I cannot ignore (or explain.) My working theory is that she doesn’t need them, because Boo is there. Which means, we’re Boo. Or at least, we’re now playing the role that Boo played in her life.
(I toyed with the idea that Boo was a figment of her imagination at the funeral, that she’s not actually there, and that perhaps the timeline is not: mum dies, she spirals, sleeps with best friend’s partner, best friend accidentally commits suicide, but that Boo dies before her mum and the death of her mum is more recent than we thought, but I think that’s wrong. What i think is becoming clear is that season one set up a story that we thought was about Boo’s death, but really the story began way before that. We are following someone who is deeply, deeply traumatised. I like how the timeline is being played with.) I love the hand of God knocking the pictures off the walls and the vodka bottle from the hidey hole. God feels like a season two character, as much as Claire or her father do. I’m deeply, deeply uncomfortable with what happened in the confessional and aghast at all the people on Twitter getting turned on by it. Yes, it’s Andrew Scott (beautiful neck) but ultimately she is deeply vulnerable and his actions are unconscionable. It’s a testimony to the art of the show that she can make us care about such deeply flawed characters. So, it’s all a heady mix of redemption (to purchase back at a cost) and salvation (to be forgiven and to begin again.) I can’t help but watch it all with a theological bias, finding parallels that probably aren’t there.
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999 posts
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Fleabag
Mar 26, 2019 22:56:06 GMT
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Post by Backdrifter on Mar 26, 2019 22:56:06 GMT
It's so watchable.
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Post by wickedgrin on Mar 26, 2019 23:24:10 GMT
Yes, a hugely fascinating watch. Brilliantly written and delivered by a team of actors at the top of their game.
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