[Indian Summers - General Discussion]

Eugene died of malaria.

[Indian Summers - General Discussion]

Loved the finale. It left us right on the edge and ready to pick up the story at the beginning of Season 2. Ralph is an interesting character study. One minute he seems almost kind to Alice, to Afrin, to the servant/boyhood friend, and then he goes off and orders the hanging of Mr. Sood, who he knows is innocent. That was such a treacherous move. Hated him for that. It must be a dream role for an actor to portray - the dichotomy of good and evil.

 

Afrin was radicalized at that moment, at the hanging of Mr. Sood, and now knows that Ralph, and the British, can't be trusted. His innocence and naivete is gone.The Sikh police officer is working for the radicals and not the British.

 

Ian McLeod proved to be the most upstanding of the British crowd in Simla in the whole sorry Sood affair. He did the right thing. It was touching when Sood's mother paid him respect by touching his feet and Sooni explained to him what she was doing.

 

The scene at the club was seething with racism. The club members did not want to vote for allowing Indian members to join the club it was forced upon them by the Viceroy and Ralph for political reasons. The women at the club's behavior was vile towards Afrin and his father. Afrin's father is a lovely man and he is so loyal to the  Brisitsh. Even the Indian bartenders wouldn't serve Afrin and his father at first because of the long standing traditions they were wtiness to. Remember the sign in front of the club "no dogs or Indians allowed". The treatment of Afrin and his father at the club was exactly the way African Americans were treated in the south after the Jim Crow laws were repealed. What was portrayed in last night's episode was neither unrealistic or over the top. Sadly,  it was all too accurate. The Indians were treated despicably by the Brisitsh during the Raj. I urge you to go and read your history.

 

I think Dougie and Lena will be very happy together at the mission school and may even raise Adam as their son. Afrin, Alice, Ralph, Cynthia, Ian, Sooni, such fascinating characters! I hope we don't have to wait too long for Season 2!

[Indian Summers - General Discussion]

Adam and the other children at the orphanage/mission school are half-Indian,half-English, not Dalit. Leena is also half-caste, not untouchable. There is a history of discrimination against half-caste children/people.

[Indian Summers - General Discussion]

Loving this series. Can't wait for the two hour finale this Sunday. The last few episodes leading up to it have had so many twists and turns that it's really heating up. I hope we find out Ralph's secrets on Sunday. I'm not talking about what we already know like being Adam's father or whether he was involved in the murder of Shaya but is there something else in his past he is hiding involving Alice and Cynthia. Ralph is not a straight up villain but is multi-layered and complex just like real people. That's why I find his character so intriguing,

 

It appears that young Ian McLeod is shaping up to be the hero of the piece. 

 

To those of you who think the British couldn't have treated the Indians that badly, I have news for you. Sorry, folks, that's colonialism. Read up on it. It wasn't pretty.

 

Loving it all - the acting, the scenery, the costumes, the sets, the drama! Great series!