Mr. Selfridge season 2
So I've been on hiatus from LJ for the past two months, because I've been trying to finish a play I've been writing on and off for the past year, and I'm actually getting close to finishing! I'm not done yet, but the season 2 finale of Mr. Selfridge was this past weekend, and I have so many feels over it, I literally have to pour them out into a long blog post right now!
First off, season two was fantastic. I was a little put off toward the end of season one, what with all the 'OMG! Hook-ups! Break-ups! LIEK DRAMA!' going on, but I think season two did a great job of balancing the romantic plots more evenly with the store business, and political intrigue, and that whole 'panorama of an era' it had going on from the beginning. Also, it looked fantastic! I love the whole updated 1910s look, the bright jewel tone colors everywhere, particularly the Selfridge's house; that was always a beautiful set, but this season I'm like "I just want to live there right now!" And of course the clothes, too, were drop dead gorgeous. (And a lot of them were the exact same ones worn on Downton Abbey! I know they're probably all from Cosprop or Berman's or whatever, but it really is hilarious and feels like the Crawleys are donating their hand-me-downs to Mr. Selfridge's family and staff!)
It's just nice to catch up with these characters again, and get to know more sides of them and see how far they've come.
I was SO happy Agnes got to go to Paris and become head of display instead of a just marrying possessive jerk Victor and quitting, but of course that dead-end romance had to be put in there and strung out just to torture us! The whole idea that she's gone and lived on her own and gained confidence was rather undermined by how easily she gave into Victor's 'you need a man to take care of you, baby' nonsense. Yeah, he did play on her emotions at a weak moment, what with George going off to the front, which is why you could believe she might go for him for a while, but with how freaking possessive he was at every turn, and him wanting her to give up her career at Selfridge's to go scrub floors in his slum restaurant, I really think she would have figured out that it was a bad idea long before handing in her notice, and without Victor telling her. Victor's suddenly gaining a heart of gold and nobly giving her up for her own good just didn't ring true to me, particularly since he'd never cared about her creative side or her ambitions. Since the very first scene where, before getting to know her, he just eyed her up and down and decided 'she's pretty, she'll do!' it's only ever been about 'winning' her for him, and so I don't think he'd really have the self-awareness to realize that just 'winning' her wouldn't make him happy if she didn't really love him, particularly with Henri leaving. I really do wish they'd have let Agnes figure it out for herself, that she loved Selfridge's and Henri and didn't want to give up on herself or the career she'd made with her own hard work. That would have been such a strong statement for female empowerment, but I suppose the writers were afraid that a woman character being assertive and putting herself before a man might make her less sympathetic. (WRONG! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME! I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT SO MUCH MORE!)
But I guess I forgive it all, since she and Henri finally got back together! And not just 'an arrangement' but properly realized they love each other and are perfect together. (AT LAST! GODS BE PRAISED!) I was wondering how long they could be stupid about that! I mean geez, Henri is so perceptive about everyone else, but he couldn't tell that Agnes is a million times more good-hearted and honest and loyal than that simpering French chick? I suppose he had to fall off his pedestal, and lose his fairy prince charmed life before he could figure that out. But like damn, people talk about how handsome he is, but really the thing that's so attractive about Henri is that he's such a gentleman no matter what. He didn't come crawling back after five years expecting to pick up with Agnes where they left off, he just accepts working with her as the boss and encourages her ideas, and gets out of the way when he believes she wants to be with someone else. FFS, Victor is about to punch him for merely TALKING ABOUT AGNES to him, for which HENRI comes and apologizes to HIM, just so there's no bad feelings, even though he's the one who deserves an apology! Henri Leclair is a saint, I just want it officially noted. I just hope they let Agnes be smart and assertive again next season, because not figuring out till the last minute that FlawlessSaint!Henri (who will treat you with respect and work with you and value your ideas) is the better man to spend your life with than PossessiveCreep!Victor (who'll turn you into a scullery maid and yell at you for merely talking to another man), is just really insulting to her character's intelligence, in all honesty. (BUT OMG AT LEAST THEY'RE FINALLY TOGETHER! WHEN HE SAID HE LOVED HER...jskghgf!!! JUST MELT MY HEART INTO A PUDDLE WHY DON'T YOU?!)
I was also terribly happy for Miss Mardle! I was so sad after she got thrown over like dirt by Mr. Grove, and she just deserves to be so happy, and it was nice to see her get it, and to see him get his comeuppance at the same time! 'Oh, BTW, I'm totes rich now! Heehee!' Love it! 'Oh, and this young gorgeous guy is in love with me! Weep for what you will never have again!' Woohoo! You go Miss Mardle! I hope she and Florian get married and have a son, so then Mr. Grove will REALLY be sorry! (I also loved to see her and Agnes become good friends. She seemed so stern in the beginning, like she didn't like Agnes at all, but seeing that it was all more a self-protective thing, and that she really has this generous, caring side underneath is so lovely. Shine on, Miss Mardle.)
As for Mr. Grove, I actually don't hate him as much as I used to. Yes, he's still an ass, but seeing how miserable he's made himself, you come to realize he wasn't actually trying to be malicious when he dumped Miss Mardle, he was just incredibly stupid and insensitive. Still, I'm not sorry for him, since he brought it on himself, but I actually didn't want to see him lose his job, and thought it was so sweet how Mr. Crabbe stepped in to help him and they became bros. It's just lovely to watch the friendships blossom between all the characters. And I actually kinda did believe it when he had a change of heart and stopped being a bitch to Miss Mardle. He's not all bad, I think, and I hope we get to see more of Doris next season, too.
Lady Mae had one of the biggest changes this season. For the first time we saw her not in control and in real peril, and it forced her to take a look at herself and figure out who she really was and what she really stood for, and I'm glad to see that she turned out to be someone pretty good. Even before we knew how evil her husband was, I still liked her, and thought there was more to her than what we saw on the surface, and I really like how she found her strength and self-worth in standing up for herself and her friends against Lord Loxley. It was so great to watch her and Harry finally destroy Loxley, too! (And Aidan McCardle once again confirms that he's an actor who can play anything, including the purely evil villain that we despise on sight! I love how much I hated him, if that makes sense!) But man, you just have to root for Mae this season! Holy crap, in that scene where she tells Delphine to get outta town cuz she won't let that bitch bust up her BFFs marriage, I was like "Hell yeah, Lady Mae! She is using her powers for good now, and she will kick your ass in the name of righteousness, and it will be awesome!" She's honestly become one of my favorite characters, though I hope she doesn't get written out now that she's not a rich influential society customer, b/c her friendship with the Selfridges is too adorable at this point. She was at Thanksgiving dinner with them! Joining hands and giving thanks! Honestly, for real, giving thanks for the simple things! OMG, character development!
And as for character development, I never thought I'd like Kitty, but I do. She's still a little snotty, but she's outgrown some of her old petty competitiveness now that she's in charge of her own department, and she's loyal to the store, and actually went out of her way to help other people and showed real initiative doing it. I actually like how her relationship with Frank Edwards is going too. I thought he was a total creeper at first, but if there's one thing Kitty has, it's self-respect, and I love how she told him off when he tried to get with her, and that he was actually chastened by it and tried to make amends and court her for real. Heck, if he can stand to listen to her baby-voice, they're meant to be to together.
Gordon Selfridge has emerged as a very likeable character, and knowing some of the history behind the show, I'm hoping he and Miss Calthorpe will strike up a romance next season, since they made such cute little friends this season.
And I'm so glad George Towler didn't get killed off! *Spoiler Alert*: he's back next season, and it takes place after the war ends! Every time there's an innocent young man in a show set before WWI, you automatically think: well, he's cannon fodder next year! And I just didn't want to see a repeat of William on Downton Abbey. I'd really like to see him grow as a character, and I didn't want Agnes to have to go through losing him, even if she has Henri. *Spoiler Alert* (OF DOOM): We actually don't know if Agnes will have Henri for long, because even though he survives the war, he leaves after five episodes next season. So he might be killed off some other way, or he and Agnes break up. (SRSLY, IDK which is worse!) Although there is a picture from filming of a scene in S3 where Henri is crying on the ground in a park, so Agnes could very well be the one to get killed off, and Henri could leave because of that. (Yes, EVEN WORSE.) All I can say is that he better be crying over some other horrible thing, because the ONLY way I'll accept losing either of them is if they decide to go off together somewhere else and stay together and be happy. Cause it'll already be hell enough watching Harry self-destruct without watching my favorite two characters die or have their lives unravel too. (Don't you do it, writers! I'm watching you! And judging you...because I DO NOT WANT to be put through Sybil-mageddon like on Downton Abbey EVER AGAIN!)
Rose Selfridge is of course the way tragic sad storyline that made me cry throughout the whole last episode though. I knew the history behind it long before the show started, so I knew to expect her death, but still. It was so lovely to see the gentle wife become an independent woman who would only take Harry back on her own terms, and to see her take charge at the store, and go shooting, and all those little things, and now it's over. Once you get involved in the character's lives, they feel real, and it's just devastating to watch, especially since Harry and Rose just got their relationship, and their family, back on track, and now it's too late, and you know it's going to destroy him. (Literally, we know from history what happened to Mr. Selfridge, but still, you just come to love them all and want them to be okay, and you know they won't and it's heartbreaking. This show will surely break my heart one day, but I can't stop watching, I've got to see it even if it kills me! And it sure feels like it will. *cries*)
So, in summary: This show has been a great mix of lots of twisty-turny plots, that deepened the storylines for the whole spectrum of well fleshed out characters against a beautifully made backdrop of early 20th century history and fashion and social change. Also, sadness is definitely ahead, but I know I'll be watching, and crying for the characters that inhabit this luscious, exciting world that I love to be part of for eight weeks out of the year. Basically I AM FLAILING, HOW WILL I WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR FOR SEASON 3?! Forget Downton Abbey people, go watch Mr. Selfridge!
First off, season two was fantastic. I was a little put off toward the end of season one, what with all the 'OMG! Hook-ups! Break-ups! LIEK DRAMA!' going on, but I think season two did a great job of balancing the romantic plots more evenly with the store business, and political intrigue, and that whole 'panorama of an era' it had going on from the beginning. Also, it looked fantastic! I love the whole updated 1910s look, the bright jewel tone colors everywhere, particularly the Selfridge's house; that was always a beautiful set, but this season I'm like "I just want to live there right now!" And of course the clothes, too, were drop dead gorgeous. (And a lot of them were the exact same ones worn on Downton Abbey! I know they're probably all from Cosprop or Berman's or whatever, but it really is hilarious and feels like the Crawleys are donating their hand-me-downs to Mr. Selfridge's family and staff!)
It's just nice to catch up with these characters again, and get to know more sides of them and see how far they've come.
I was SO happy Agnes got to go to Paris and become head of display instead of a just marrying possessive jerk Victor and quitting, but of course that dead-end romance had to be put in there and strung out just to torture us! The whole idea that she's gone and lived on her own and gained confidence was rather undermined by how easily she gave into Victor's 'you need a man to take care of you, baby' nonsense. Yeah, he did play on her emotions at a weak moment, what with George going off to the front, which is why you could believe she might go for him for a while, but with how freaking possessive he was at every turn, and him wanting her to give up her career at Selfridge's to go scrub floors in his slum restaurant, I really think she would have figured out that it was a bad idea long before handing in her notice, and without Victor telling her. Victor's suddenly gaining a heart of gold and nobly giving her up for her own good just didn't ring true to me, particularly since he'd never cared about her creative side or her ambitions. Since the very first scene where, before getting to know her, he just eyed her up and down and decided 'she's pretty, she'll do!' it's only ever been about 'winning' her for him, and so I don't think he'd really have the self-awareness to realize that just 'winning' her wouldn't make him happy if she didn't really love him, particularly with Henri leaving. I really do wish they'd have let Agnes figure it out for herself, that she loved Selfridge's and Henri and didn't want to give up on herself or the career she'd made with her own hard work. That would have been such a strong statement for female empowerment, but I suppose the writers were afraid that a woman character being assertive and putting herself before a man might make her less sympathetic. (WRONG! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME! I WOULD HAVE LOVED IT SO MUCH MORE!)
But I guess I forgive it all, since she and Henri finally got back together! And not just 'an arrangement' but properly realized they love each other and are perfect together. (AT LAST! GODS BE PRAISED!) I was wondering how long they could be stupid about that! I mean geez, Henri is so perceptive about everyone else, but he couldn't tell that Agnes is a million times more good-hearted and honest and loyal than that simpering French chick? I suppose he had to fall off his pedestal, and lose his fairy prince charmed life before he could figure that out. But like damn, people talk about how handsome he is, but really the thing that's so attractive about Henri is that he's such a gentleman no matter what. He didn't come crawling back after five years expecting to pick up with Agnes where they left off, he just accepts working with her as the boss and encourages her ideas, and gets out of the way when he believes she wants to be with someone else. FFS, Victor is about to punch him for merely TALKING ABOUT AGNES to him, for which HENRI comes and apologizes to HIM, just so there's no bad feelings, even though he's the one who deserves an apology! Henri Leclair is a saint, I just want it officially noted. I just hope they let Agnes be smart and assertive again next season, because not figuring out till the last minute that FlawlessSaint!Henri (who will treat you with respect and work with you and value your ideas) is the better man to spend your life with than PossessiveCreep!Victor (who'll turn you into a scullery maid and yell at you for merely talking to another man), is just really insulting to her character's intelligence, in all honesty. (BUT OMG AT LEAST THEY'RE FINALLY TOGETHER! WHEN HE SAID HE LOVED HER...jskghgf!!! JUST MELT MY HEART INTO A PUDDLE WHY DON'T YOU?!)
I was also terribly happy for Miss Mardle! I was so sad after she got thrown over like dirt by Mr. Grove, and she just deserves to be so happy, and it was nice to see her get it, and to see him get his comeuppance at the same time! 'Oh, BTW, I'm totes rich now! Heehee!' Love it! 'Oh, and this young gorgeous guy is in love with me! Weep for what you will never have again!' Woohoo! You go Miss Mardle! I hope she and Florian get married and have a son, so then Mr. Grove will REALLY be sorry! (I also loved to see her and Agnes become good friends. She seemed so stern in the beginning, like she didn't like Agnes at all, but seeing that it was all more a self-protective thing, and that she really has this generous, caring side underneath is so lovely. Shine on, Miss Mardle.)
As for Mr. Grove, I actually don't hate him as much as I used to. Yes, he's still an ass, but seeing how miserable he's made himself, you come to realize he wasn't actually trying to be malicious when he dumped Miss Mardle, he was just incredibly stupid and insensitive. Still, I'm not sorry for him, since he brought it on himself, but I actually didn't want to see him lose his job, and thought it was so sweet how Mr. Crabbe stepped in to help him and they became bros. It's just lovely to watch the friendships blossom between all the characters. And I actually kinda did believe it when he had a change of heart and stopped being a bitch to Miss Mardle. He's not all bad, I think, and I hope we get to see more of Doris next season, too.
Lady Mae had one of the biggest changes this season. For the first time we saw her not in control and in real peril, and it forced her to take a look at herself and figure out who she really was and what she really stood for, and I'm glad to see that she turned out to be someone pretty good. Even before we knew how evil her husband was, I still liked her, and thought there was more to her than what we saw on the surface, and I really like how she found her strength and self-worth in standing up for herself and her friends against Lord Loxley. It was so great to watch her and Harry finally destroy Loxley, too! (And Aidan McCardle once again confirms that he's an actor who can play anything, including the purely evil villain that we despise on sight! I love how much I hated him, if that makes sense!) But man, you just have to root for Mae this season! Holy crap, in that scene where she tells Delphine to get outta town cuz she won't let that bitch bust up her BFFs marriage, I was like "Hell yeah, Lady Mae! She is using her powers for good now, and she will kick your ass in the name of righteousness, and it will be awesome!" She's honestly become one of my favorite characters, though I hope she doesn't get written out now that she's not a rich influential society customer, b/c her friendship with the Selfridges is too adorable at this point. She was at Thanksgiving dinner with them! Joining hands and giving thanks! Honestly, for real, giving thanks for the simple things! OMG, character development!
And as for character development, I never thought I'd like Kitty, but I do. She's still a little snotty, but she's outgrown some of her old petty competitiveness now that she's in charge of her own department, and she's loyal to the store, and actually went out of her way to help other people and showed real initiative doing it. I actually like how her relationship with Frank Edwards is going too. I thought he was a total creeper at first, but if there's one thing Kitty has, it's self-respect, and I love how she told him off when he tried to get with her, and that he was actually chastened by it and tried to make amends and court her for real. Heck, if he can stand to listen to her baby-voice, they're meant to be to together.
Gordon Selfridge has emerged as a very likeable character, and knowing some of the history behind the show, I'm hoping he and Miss Calthorpe will strike up a romance next season, since they made such cute little friends this season.
And I'm so glad George Towler didn't get killed off! *Spoiler Alert*: he's back next season, and it takes place after the war ends! Every time there's an innocent young man in a show set before WWI, you automatically think: well, he's cannon fodder next year! And I just didn't want to see a repeat of William on Downton Abbey. I'd really like to see him grow as a character, and I didn't want Agnes to have to go through losing him, even if she has Henri. *Spoiler Alert* (OF DOOM): We actually don't know if Agnes will have Henri for long, because even though he survives the war, he leaves after five episodes next season. So he might be killed off some other way, or he and Agnes break up. (SRSLY, IDK which is worse!) Although there is a picture from filming of a scene in S3 where Henri is crying on the ground in a park, so Agnes could very well be the one to get killed off, and Henri could leave because of that. (Yes, EVEN WORSE.) All I can say is that he better be crying over some other horrible thing, because the ONLY way I'll accept losing either of them is if they decide to go off together somewhere else and stay together and be happy. Cause it'll already be hell enough watching Harry self-destruct without watching my favorite two characters die or have their lives unravel too. (Don't you do it, writers! I'm watching you! And judging you...because I DO NOT WANT to be put through Sybil-mageddon like on Downton Abbey EVER AGAIN!)
Rose Selfridge is of course the way tragic sad storyline that made me cry throughout the whole last episode though. I knew the history behind it long before the show started, so I knew to expect her death, but still. It was so lovely to see the gentle wife become an independent woman who would only take Harry back on her own terms, and to see her take charge at the store, and go shooting, and all those little things, and now it's over. Once you get involved in the character's lives, they feel real, and it's just devastating to watch, especially since Harry and Rose just got their relationship, and their family, back on track, and now it's too late, and you know it's going to destroy him. (Literally, we know from history what happened to Mr. Selfridge, but still, you just come to love them all and want them to be okay, and you know they won't and it's heartbreaking. This show will surely break my heart one day, but I can't stop watching, I've got to see it even if it kills me! And it sure feels like it will. *cries*)
So, in summary: This show has been a great mix of lots of twisty-turny plots, that deepened the storylines for the whole spectrum of well fleshed out characters against a beautifully made backdrop of early 20th century history and fashion and social change. Also, sadness is definitely ahead, but I know I'll be watching, and crying for the characters that inhabit this luscious, exciting world that I love to be part of for eight weeks out of the year. Basically I AM FLAILING, HOW WILL I WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR FOR SEASON 3?! Forget Downton Abbey people, go watch Mr. Selfridge!