Nidratime

I think Carla Hall or Jet's wife would be great to add to the show. Also Damaris Phillips or Aarti Sequeira might not be bad.

They should try Carla Hall. I think she's lovely. I'm out of it. Why is Valerie unstable? What's the down low on that?

Why did I think this was going to be on today on Netflix? Now, I'll probably end up being spoiled by each week's outcome as I was previous seasons even though I wasn't even looking for the results. Gah.

Just saw the movie tonight. Instead of wearing the color pink, I wore actual pink. I wore a T-shirt from a PINK concert I attended years ago, which is black but has a lovely rendering of Pink on the front wearing a pink tutu with the word Pink on the front and on the back. Thought it was an interesting way of expressing the same sentiment. ;-) Many people have made observations I would've made, so I'll just mention a couple of smaller ones. Initially I wasn't getting Ken's fascination with horses, other than him seeing manly police riding them in the real world. However, I recall how it's practically a stereotype that little girls love horses. Ken is a doll made for little girls to play with so his attraction to horses particularly makes sense on a second level. Another thing I thought about during the movie ... when Ken is having his melt down after being confronted about what he did to BarbieLand and his need for identity, I wanted so much for G.I. Joe to do a cameo, drop in, and slap Ken in a "snap out of it" move ala Cher in Moonstruck. LOL! (Of course, this couldn't happen because G.I. Joe is a Hasbro product, not Mattel's.)

Saw the film tonight. It was very compelling and equally confusing in terms of the structure of the story. One of my friends thought it might've helped if dates and names of characters were flashed on the screen. (I get that the structure issue was supposed to be helped by the color vs. black and white, but it wasn't enough.) Another issue we had -- the only IMAX theater in the city showing commercial films right now is at one AMC theater. (There would be at least one other place normally, but it's under renovation.) I don't know if this is a problem with AMC or what, but the sound was incredibly loud THROUGHOUT the film. People had to put their fingers in their ears and my friend went to talk to the management only to be told that the previews are loud but the sound would be decreased during the actual movie. It wasn't. We literally got a message on one of my friend's Apple watch that the sound levels we were hearing were potentially damaging. For the first time in my life, I thought I would have to walk out of a film because it was too loud. (Oh, and the AC wasn't working too well either and it was in the high 90s most of the afternoon and evening.) it's a credit to the film that everyone stuck it out despite the sound being almost unbearable and the AC being wonky. I'll look forward to seeing this someday on my TV or perhaps reading the book it's based on just so I can understand all the nuances better and not have my eardrums blown out by simple dialogue and music.

I have to say, I loved the closing song that played while the credits rolled. Had forgotten about that Elton John song. So beautiful.

All I've got to say is that I find George to be very attractive. I can see why Charlotte had 15 children.

I missed the conclusion of the last match because I misjudged how long the commercial was. Glad to hear that Stephanie won. The fact that Madison did not want to change the yellow squash irritated me. I like squash, but squash is mostly water. No flavor.

I remember last week, they said they couldn't taste Maxy's custard in her showstopper -- which was the key ingredient of the episode. So, I was actually surprised she wasn't up for elimination last week. This time, it could've been any of three people - Janusz, Sandro, and Maxy. Because of last week's results, I wasn't too upset about this week.

That Star Caker declaration was charming. And, I wouldn't mind seeing an American who is living in the UK on the show either. I remember that in one of their celebrity versions of the show, Teri Hatcher competed and she won! (She's a good cook so she might have been a ringer.) I have to say, when I saw the contestants, I was sure that one of the elder ladies -- not the one with the Muppet hairdo, but the other -- Dawn? I was so sure that Dawn had already been on the show. She looks so much like a couple of other contestants from former seasons.

I haven't seen the last episode yet, but thus far, Colin seems to make one big bone-headed decision per season. Season one: proposing to Marina. Season two: proposing to invest in Lord Featherington's "gem mines". He is the worst judge of character and needs protection.

The irony is, that the love shared by Lady Violet and Edmund, Lady Mary and her clerk, the Queen and King, Daphne and Simon were all atypical in that time. The type of marriage that Anthony was proposing to have with Edwina was much more common. One based on practicalities. Often to do with money, position, or family connections. But, that's why this is a romance. Another thing that wasn't common was a bride wearing white. It was Queen Victoria who popularized the white wedding gown and this is set before her time.

I've only watched up to episode five, so I don't know how they're going to get around all of these "obstacles". But, I agree. They don't *have* to be obstacles in the long run. These characters started on a certain course in the beginning and can't seem to see passed it. And, you're right. What's drawing this out for now is that Edwina thinks she loves Anthony and Kate will never hurt Edwina. Anthony has never said I love you to Edwina, that I can recall. So, it's possible he could finally just say what his true intentions were from the start ... to find a suitable young woman to marry who he doesn't love so that he never has to feel anything if tragedy strikes. The problem is, he chose a young woman who apparently does feel something, so clearly someone's going to get hurt -- marriage or not. But, she may break it off if he confesses his true feelings or she may stubbornly think that she can make him fall for her eventually. That's the chance he'll have to take in confessing.

You can tell I just watched this episode.... I think I may need to rewatch the dinner scene because I can't remember what spurred on Lady Mary's mother into her diatribe. She clearly thought that Lady Mary knew about the deal, but did she think everyone at the table did? Or, did she just get heated and had little self-control.

I have to keep reminding myself that Lady Mary did not know about the deal that the Sheffields offered to Kate. Otherwise, I don't think Lady Mary would've agreed to return to England. I think Kate feels a responsibility to return Lady Mary and Edwina to the world and life they deserved before Lady Mary ran off with Kate's father. Not that she regrets having Lady Mary and her half-sister in her life, but she feels they don't deserve to live in potential poverty in India due to their connections to Kate and her father, after his death. I think she was trying to "right the ship" so to speak. As for just deciding to upend the goal and have Kate and Anthony marry instead. Well, the Sharmas' intention from the first was to find Edwina -- who has just come into marriageable age -- a good husband who she loves and can provide for her and, presumably, Lady Mary as well. Apparently, the opportunities to do so via the British social season were better than in India. (How they roped Lady Danbury into it, I don't know. Unless it was totally due to Lady Mary's previous friendship with Danbury.) In any event, Kate at 26, is definitely seen as past the first blush of maidenhood. So, not exactly a great choice for a first coming out, especially as she is not actually Lady Mary's biological daughter and has no actual connection to the ton. Kate has always claimed that what would make her happy is to remain single and return to India. By the time Anthony had made up his mind to find a wife from that season's young ladies, Edwina had her coming out and was declared the diamond, and Anthony made his decision to court her, it was a little late to turn everything on its head and propose to her "spinster" sister who is not British and has no connection to the ton other than via a marriage that was considered a scandal. I don't think they had to be matched. Anthony isn't necessarily the most eligible bachelor of the season ... although he might be. I think it was more that Anthony declared he wanted to court "the diamond".