Re: TILM. Havers = OTC. (Sorry if that's impenetrable code.)
I've been having tag angst, well, classification angst, but it's sorted, I've decided that 'A flyer expects' is gen, not het, because it's mainly about Josie's pregnancy. not the Josie/Steve relationship, although that's a very big part of the story (obviously). I might have plumped differently if it hadn't been a canonical relationship.
But anyway, last night I chose The Inspector Lynley Mysteries over VMars (which I'll catch on repeat on Sunday) although I'll probably choose VMars next week and catch up with the rest of this series of Lynley on UK Gold. Again, schedulers r so MEEN 2 me!1!!! Which series is this now?
I'd forgotten the incident that Lynley was being investigated over - I always do that with this show. A whole big cliffhanger or dramatic event, and it's clean wiped from my mind. Decent enough episode.a Although I sussed the killer quicker than the cops, it wasn't that much quicker. I really enjoyed Liza Tarbuck's guesting stint, basically playing a sanitised Linda Greene with an entirely different life experience, and yes she plays herself in every role, but I like her. I loved the character's handling of and how she got on with Havers.
Because there's something so forgettable about this show, I may well have said this before, but Havers is very much my OTC for this show. I like it when she's mouthy and smart and sensible and stroppy. Also, she seems to have finally brought a decent coat! (This is very shocking considering that her anoraks have been a real cause of pain over the years.) In fact, her longer hair was much better than Lynley's. She did hairstyles! I suppose it's a question of empathising with the characters. I don't think that he is as brilliant as the show tells us he is - I thought that Fiona's line of investigation was valid, it was just how quickly she shut off alternatives that was the problem. I love the team work, but, despite the fact that they solve their cases, I don't think Havers and Lynley are that amazing. They ask such weird questions. I think that they're written a bit unrealistically, frankly - and every time Lynley insists on being called Tommy, I just don't believe that he is Tommy. And while we're at it, the dialogue on this show can sometimes be appallingly clunky. People don't talk like that. There's a lot less disbelief and more cheering on of Havers (although very, very few women of that age would be called Barbara without needing to explain that they'd been named after someone.
Having said that, Nathaniel Parker is extremely hot (he has something of Keanu about him) particularly in the more casual clothes he was wearing this episode (apart from the leather jacket, which was deeply wrong). And I ship them, because there's the whole good teamwork, they stand up to each other, but have complete and utter loyalty, even if, most of the time, the text doesn't give me much. But the initial adverts, way back when the first series aired, totally sold them as an UST couple. What we have, however, is more platonic than that. It does have all the attendant intensity of a cop-partnership, although he's her superior officer. But then, this ep played around nicely with that, with her being the superior officer and him having no actual authority. Let's leave the class issues, because they also show up that the show's unrealistic, and I'd rather hold on to my illusions that this is vastly superior to, um, Midsomer Murders.
But I was somewhat wrong-footed by the all new Lynley/Helen. What with the new actress, my petty 'But she's a horse! You can't be married to a horse!' objection t the character has gone. I was going to say that there's been a big shift in the character and the relationship, but that was mainly in the opening scene, which, coming after the estrangement when she pushed him away, felt really weird. However, I'll allow that it was the writers trying to set the relationship up again. There was a later scene that felt in keeping with the last series, where he was pushing and she was reluctant and making him vulnerable, but it didn't stay there. I could have done with something acknowledging what they've been through a bit more thoroughly, because I don't care for their relationship so much. I think, in part, I'm more interested in Lynley and Havers solving a case and that relationship, and I 'ship them because of that advert. I did expect that we were going to have a post-Helen something, just subtextual UST instead of squint your eyes the right way UST, In which case, I hope they get Havers a nice, non-homicidal boyfriend. (Yeah, definitely an OTC)>
In terms of character, I know that there was a lot of talk about control, but what struck me was on a shallower level, that detecting itself is Lynley's addiction. The sensible thing to do while waiting for his hearing, would have been to go back to his estates and wait there. But no...he couldn't keep away from the case. Or Havers. I know it's the point of the show, so I@m not going to bang on about the sensible thing, but if work does come into conflict with Helen...
Oh and, the normally lavish shots of pretty countryside were replaced with lavish shots...of a power plant !?!? And a very tourist-friendly London. The sarky pathologist was back, and I vaguely recognised some of the supporting cast, so it was all pretty familiar, which is partof the appeal. But I will be sticking with VMars next week.
But anyway, last night I chose The Inspector Lynley Mysteries over VMars (which I'll catch on repeat on Sunday) although I'll probably choose VMars next week and catch up with the rest of this series of Lynley on UK Gold. Again, schedulers r so MEEN 2 me!1!!! Which series is this now?
I'd forgotten the incident that Lynley was being investigated over - I always do that with this show. A whole big cliffhanger or dramatic event, and it's clean wiped from my mind. Decent enough episode.a Although I sussed the killer quicker than the cops, it wasn't that much quicker. I really enjoyed Liza Tarbuck's guesting stint, basically playing a sanitised Linda Greene with an entirely different life experience, and yes she plays herself in every role, but I like her. I loved the character's handling of and how she got on with Havers.
Because there's something so forgettable about this show, I may well have said this before, but Havers is very much my OTC for this show. I like it when she's mouthy and smart and sensible and stroppy. Also, she seems to have finally brought a decent coat! (This is very shocking considering that her anoraks have been a real cause of pain over the years.) In fact, her longer hair was much better than Lynley's. She did hairstyles! I suppose it's a question of empathising with the characters. I don't think that he is as brilliant as the show tells us he is - I thought that Fiona's line of investigation was valid, it was just how quickly she shut off alternatives that was the problem. I love the team work, but, despite the fact that they solve their cases, I don't think Havers and Lynley are that amazing. They ask such weird questions. I think that they're written a bit unrealistically, frankly - and every time Lynley insists on being called Tommy, I just don't believe that he is Tommy. And while we're at it, the dialogue on this show can sometimes be appallingly clunky. People don't talk like that. There's a lot less disbelief and more cheering on of Havers (although very, very few women of that age would be called Barbara without needing to explain that they'd been named after someone.
Having said that, Nathaniel Parker is extremely hot (he has something of Keanu about him) particularly in the more casual clothes he was wearing this episode (apart from the leather jacket, which was deeply wrong). And I ship them, because there's the whole good teamwork, they stand up to each other, but have complete and utter loyalty, even if, most of the time, the text doesn't give me much. But the initial adverts, way back when the first series aired, totally sold them as an UST couple. What we have, however, is more platonic than that. It does have all the attendant intensity of a cop-partnership, although he's her superior officer. But then, this ep played around nicely with that, with her being the superior officer and him having no actual authority. Let's leave the class issues, because they also show up that the show's unrealistic, and I'd rather hold on to my illusions that this is vastly superior to, um, Midsomer Murders.
But I was somewhat wrong-footed by the all new Lynley/Helen. What with the new actress, my petty 'But she's a horse! You can't be married to a horse!' objection t the character has gone. I was going to say that there's been a big shift in the character and the relationship, but that was mainly in the opening scene, which, coming after the estrangement when she pushed him away, felt really weird. However, I'll allow that it was the writers trying to set the relationship up again. There was a later scene that felt in keeping with the last series, where he was pushing and she was reluctant and making him vulnerable, but it didn't stay there. I could have done with something acknowledging what they've been through a bit more thoroughly, because I don't care for their relationship so much. I think, in part, I'm more interested in Lynley and Havers solving a case and that relationship, and I 'ship them because of that advert. I did expect that we were going to have a post-Helen something, just subtextual UST instead of squint your eyes the right way UST, In which case, I hope they get Havers a nice, non-homicidal boyfriend. (Yeah, definitely an OTC)>
In terms of character, I know that there was a lot of talk about control, but what struck me was on a shallower level, that detecting itself is Lynley's addiction. The sensible thing to do while waiting for his hearing, would have been to go back to his estates and wait there. But no...he couldn't keep away from the case. Or Havers. I know it's the point of the show, so I@m not going to bang on about the sensible thing, but if work does come into conflict with Helen...
Oh and, the normally lavish shots of pretty countryside were replaced with lavish shots...of a power plant !?!? And a very tourist-friendly London. The sarky pathologist was back, and I vaguely recognised some of the supporting cast, so it was all pretty familiar, which is partof the appeal. But I will be sticking with VMars next week.