Jodithgrace

I’m hoping that a British person can answer this for me. I was an English major long ago and an Anglophile so I have read many British novels and watched lots of British tv and movies. Up until a few years ago, people in England said, “Happy Christmas.” Suddenly, they are saying “Merry Christmas,” even in period pieces like this. It’s driving me nuts. I can understand the Americanization in contemporary fiction,but have the writers forgotten how people used to talk? Can somebody explain this to me? Other than that, it was a lovely episode. I was so glad the midwife showed up so we didn’t have the cliche of Siegfried or, heaven forbid, Carmody delivering the baby. And I’m extra glad that James didn’t succeed in going AWOL. So Oscar the cat wasn’t the missing stout drinker. But they gave him up anyway, which was very nice of them. I suppose that Helen won’t need his companionship now that she has wee James to care for. Poor Carmody. No wonder he’s so lacking in social skills. It sounds like he was raised as a science experiment. The dialogue was quite funny. edited to add: doing some research reminded me that Dicken’s Ebeneezer Scrooge says “merry Christmas,” so it’s not new and different. Further reading suggests a class distinction between the lower classes saying “merry,” and the upper classes saying “happy.” Which I guess shows what sort of Brit lit I read. So perhaps the people in the Yorkshire Dales might well have said “merry.” It’s just one of those things I notice, like when a British person says “sweater,” or “cookie,” and I think, oh no, America has struck again!

Yes, the book ended just this way and with Dex and Jazz climbing Arthur's Seat. This was a lovely production. I lost track of how many children Tilly and Graham ended up with. She always had what looked like the same baby, year after year. (It probably was the same actor baby. lol) but in the 2nd anniversary of Emma’s death, they showed the whole family and she had at least three.

Yes, it’s been so long since I read the book, I was afraid to watch him with Jazz while he was drinking. Thank goodness they didn’t go there. I also knew immediately that Sylvie was with someone. And of course it was Callum! Ugh!

I don’t know where the casting agent found those twins, but they were perfect. What a dreadful family!

Well, I would have murdered Ian on the first day at the Mexican restaurant, because I can’t stand people who are always “on” and think they’re funny. I say this as a person who did improv comedy for 20 years. And then he goes from Mr Funny to Mr. Desperate. Arggh. At least they parted as friends at the end of that dreadful scene. Really, the performances are so good.

I had to avert my eyes during the last episode because I can’t stand performers melting down, being a performer myself. I just cringe, and I knew it was coming having read the book. But it’s been a while since I read the book and was hoping that by this episode he would be over his douche stage, but I guess not. This dinner was excruciating. Yes, Emma is judgmental, but I think that’s why Dexter needs her. He is surrounded by sycophants and needs her to tell him the truth. But she needs him, too, and right now he’s not in any condition to help her.

I think this episode pretty much dealt with most of that. Well, except for the Herriots, of course. It looks like we won’t have to wait until Christmas for Helen’s baby to be born. Which is a good thing, since she’d be in her 18th month by then. Well, as predicted, Audrey couldn’t go through with it, when push came to shove. I still can’t tell whether Siegfried has any personal feelings for her. He was obviously stricken at the thought of her leaving him, but it might have been the last straw after Tristan, James, and then Helen. He does depend on her, and she seems to feel likewise since she couldn’t leave. But a romance…I just don’t know. I’m glad that Gerald finally got the balls (pun intended) to bring his dog in for surgery. And I love that he fixed the sink while waiting. But maybe if he weren’t so timid, Audrey would have been willing to go with him. But you just know he will end up being a slave to his invalid sister and Audrey won’t be happy.

The Murphy beds were odd and seemed discordant with the decor, all unstained wood, but if the couple don’t mind them, why should I? The whole layout of that flat was peculiar, but quirky is fun if you’re young and in love. They can tell stories about their first apartment in London for years to come. I liked Toby the realtor. He was refreshing and funny.

Once again, a couple says what I am always thinking, that this is a good starter place and they can move further down the road. I’m tired of couples agonizing over rental places as though they were going to be locked in for life.

They did show him looking at something on the computer about rock formations (I think) and it was in English. I think it’s fishy that he chose the roommate apartment without meeting the roommates first, but of course he did meet them beforehand and had probably been living there for some time. The roommates just didn’t want to be filmed. If a guy can throw cheese on a raw hamburger, (previous episode) why not chop up fruit into a bowl and throw chips into it? The directors probably just want the HHs to do some action, even if it doesn’t make sense, figuring that we won’t notice…but of course…we do.

I had assumed that Gator was a nickname, and for all I knew he could have been named Roy. I guess not, if Dot is to be believed. There was at least one other candidate besides the 4 Roys. I think the reason the debate went so bad is that Roy totally lost it and threw a tantrum and punched the moderator. If he had laughed, the whole thing might have even worked in his favor, but Danish knew he would respond the way he did. However, Danish miscalculated Roy’s anger and didn’t think that Roy would murder him in cold blood. Oops. I think that if Dot had dreamed about Linda and the ranch while asleep at night, she would have known it was a dream. But she was so exhausted that she had a waking dream in the diner, almost a hallucination, and so was a bit fuzzy about what was real and what was not. I think the penny dropped when she saw Roy dumping Danish’s body next to the windmill. When Dot does escape, or is rescued, she will literally know where the bodies are buried. I think murdering Roy would be too easy a punishment (for him) I’d rather see him locked up for good, though I suppose he could still do harm from prison, so I guess he has to go.

Did you watch the one guy making burgers? He put cheese on the raw side of the burger. I think he needs remedial burger training. And then he served his brother in law a “cheeseburger without the cheese.” A real knee slapper, that one.

Wasn’t Dot’s finding of the postcard part of her dream? That means that we don’t know if Linda is alive or dead. More dream clues. Dot’s car died right at the sign to the shelter, and she found it unerringly even though she had never been there. Then, after the puppet show, she and Linda are back in her car, now mysteriously repaired. Also, the other woman’s puppets were basic hand puppets, but suddenly Linda is creating this Bill Baird quality marionette with jointed hands, etc. I figured that the other puppets and sets, etc. were a fantasy as she told her story, but we saw her make that first marionette. I thought at the time that it was weird that the women had to carve the heads from wood. I mean, if the purpose of the puppet shows was to have the women tell their story, why not provide styrofoam balls or some other easier material? The purpose isn’t woodworking 101.

Haven’t we had the whole Sister Monica Joan is depressed and convinced she’s about to die story before? Where did sister MJ grow up? The whole scene she described doesn’t sound English, somehow. Why a Flemish painting? Knowing PBS, the whole thing was explained during the scenes they cut out. That poor Indian gentleman. What a horrible life he’s had since the war. Unfortunately they really didn’t diagnose PTSD until Vietnam. I’m glad the missing, possibly imaginary, boyfriend showed up. We can’t have a Christmas special with a sad ending, can we? I like the way Reggie is quietly determined, and doesn’t let people ride roughshod over his opinions. He’s right. Shepherds are a dime a dozen, but angels are special. Was this episode based on a real painting? It seems unlikely that the unknown Flemish painter included an angel with Down Syndrome.

Finalist Resumes Jake: I tried a whole bunch of things that flopped. And I made fire. Austin: I won a bunch of immunity necklaces, and pretty much ran the game. Dee: Hold my beer

Oh dear. I am officially over these Christmas themed episodes and I’ve only seen two! I have nothing against Christmas, but I do not understand people who make a fetish out of it! Every single room got a Christmas mention, except maybe the bathroom. “Oh, this bathroom is so small. Not sure if there’s even room for the Santa throne!” That said, I think they picked the right property. I’m sure the husband’s need for an office space doesn’t compare to the family’s need to be close to the Christmas market. I was amused at the fact that the episode was shot in the summer, based on their clothing, and then suddenly three months later, it’s Christmas! I mean, I guess it could work if they filmed it in August. I wonder how the wife’s photography business is doing, or if she just spent the three months decorating for, ugh, Christmas!

I’ve got an absolute boatload of HHIs upcoming on my DVR over the next day or so. I’m only supposed to be recording new episodes. Are these all Christmas themed? I hope not. Do they have a whole lot of episodes they shot in 2023 to get rid of? I’ve been getting two new episodes per week all year…how many can they possibly shoot? This Christmas themed one was annoying enough. I get that they want to be settled in by Christmas. They only mentioned it about 50 times. At least the husband talked about barbecuing. Otherwise it would seem like they are only going to be there one month out of the whole year. The rents were so high! Whew! The contrast is funny. We’ve seen people get decent apartments for less than $500 per month in some places, and here they can’t even find what they want for $7,300! And I understand that the prices are commensurate with the rents, so even food shopping for 4 will be a lot. I guess she must be paid a bundle for some kind of veterinary related job, if they can afford for him to be a SAHD.

That was hilarious. As soon as Ada mentioned all those papers on Luke’s desk that she hadn’t gotten around to reading yet…I knew! Good old Reverend Rich Dead Poet…I knew he’d come through in the end. Marian’s opera dress…dreadful! But I loved Bertha’s cape. One has to win with a cape like that. That is not a loser’s cape. And now that the first night of the opera is over and the battle won (and lost) Gladys can avoid marrying the Duke. What is he going to do, sue her for breach of her mother’s promise? Oscar has got some penance to do. I wonder if next season we will see him track down the slippery Miss Beaton…I wonder if her name was intended as a joke since she’s beaten him.

I got a tremendous kick out of all those arcane royal employees, and weird items of regalia. They forgot to mention the “bracelets of sincerity,” but I guess those are just for coronations. They also played my absolute favorite British hymn, “ Jerusalem,” not once but twice! Those Women’s Institute women really didn’t like Tony Blair, did they? Not the crowd for the word, “radical.” But I agree that aside from the original, my favorite Tony Blair is Michael Sheen.

Poor Harry. Not only did they age him up, but they gave him the haircut from hell. This new actor doesn’t look at Harry did, at all, and instead looks like he wandered in from Harry Potter. I wonder if they are going to give him short shrift. I was fascinated by all the outfits William wore just to go to school. The long frock coat he was wearing at dinner, that white tie thing he was wearing in the chapel…I can just imagine American kids being given that dress code. Ah William, enjoy that floppy hair.

I’m pretty sure that both of my daughters have sung that “Mama, there’s a spider in my room” song at various times over the years. I would have been happy with any of the three teams winning, but I was so impressed that Greg and John kept their cool, even though at one point, at the glass blowing challenge, I think, they were in third. Yes, they were young and athletic but it did take one of them 2 tries at the trapeze, and they couldn’t figure out the hidden amp thingie for the longest time. So it was really the memory task that won it for them. Well done, I say.

I like the way they kept us in suspense about whether Dee told Austin or not. If Austin had played his idol for Drew, we would have known she told him, but I assume she didn’t. And he really did look shocked at the blindside. I wonder if Austin will forgive Dee…aw, of course he will! I love the way Dee said that Mama J is her #1, and then later said that Austin is her “other #1.” I don’t think that’s how #1 works. Though Dee did seem all blushy about Austin in her talking head. But she is smart enough to put her emotions aside in planning her moves, unlike Mr. Lovesick. I love seeing a self styled mastermind blindsided, so I am glad it went through. He was not a happy camper, though. Jake went down the beach to “change his clothes,” and even got undressed in case anybody was looking. But didn’t he return in the same clothes? Both of his shirts have something Boston on them, so I couldn’t tell.

I have no problem with a person who has a specific need, such as a place to work from home, mentioning it at each location. It’s not frivolous like a swimming pool or (insert country here) charm. It’s a necessity. So, even if Cork wife (who really looked like she belonged in Ireland with her red hair) had a room to work in, in the fixer upper house, there would be constant noise and disruption. Plus, the kitchen was tiny…remodeling it wouldn’t help. I liked the upside down house they chose. But they never addressed how the blind dog adjusted to those stairs.

For all we know, he’s a teller.

I don’t understand the whole blurred faces thing. Hasn’t the January 6th footage already been shown extensively during the hearings and in footage released to the public? Many of the arrests that have been made came from that footage that we have all seen. What is the point of blurring it now? Is this previously unseen footage? Is Johnson going to be on there, pointing the way to Nancy Pelosi’s office?