DHDancer

I can't believe this is the best meal Padma has ever eaten in 15 seasons, sigh. Radishes, seriously? Also, why wasnt the tasting "blind"? Oh, wait, silly me expecting a TRUE result based solely on the quality of the food. The very least they should have done was a "this is Team Blue's Dish" vs "Team Green" with no specific person seen or mentioned. Still, it is "must watch" for me, as it has been since Season 1. BTW, can we quit with the Blais hate and the Who the hell is Amanda? It's all been said already and frankly I doubt many of us care anymore.

My order of merit: 1. Brian V 2. Doug Adams 3. Stefan!

Um, perhaps because it was a very real class distinction.... "old money" vs "new money" with the added distaste that the Warleggans are "trade".

Anyone aware there's now "The Great American Baking Show" that's just started? http://forums.previously.tv/forum/2156-the-great-american-baking-show/ Looks like they have got competent cooks and Mary Berry!

Bad teeth the result of rationing? Really? I don't think so. It's much more to do with access to and prioritizing dental care. I always remember a line in an otherwise forgettable movie where the British aristos said "Americans, you can always spot them: Beautiful teeth and terrible skin" (of course another dreadful generalization but as with all generalizations, a smidgen of truth) If you've watched Supersizers Go episode about the 50s you will have learned that people were actually healthier than they had been previously as a result of rationing. Even in just a week Sue and Coran experienced improvements in their health.

Re one day challenges. I'm in total agreement that these seem to be the death knell of well designed and finished outfits, but I've yet to see (since the move to Lifetime) anything produced as a result of a two day challenge that supports that. It seems like the designers spend more time swanning about and not actually doing anything. Yes some of the designers produce better outfits, but not spectacularly so. Of course I'm well aware of the editing and producer monkeys who may be doing this deliberately so we stop moaning about one day challenges.

Exactly. And I still maintain that a girl (remember she's not that old at this point, despite how old the actress is) raised up out of poverty would NEVER risk everything by speaking so boldly, no matter what Ross had done (and remember he's no different to other men in his class). It's one thing to think all those words, but quite another to say them, even today I'd argue (but then I was raised in a different era I guess). Again, people are applying very modern sensibilities and interpretations. We may think her spunky and he deserved of her anger, but she had no legal or societal legs to stand on.

Well, I just watched the episode for the third time (I watched on the BBC airing schedule first). 1. Demelza was very lucky not to have been heartily slapped for her incredibly rude remarks to Ross. Her nasty bitchy comments would absolutely not have been tolerated then, and I seriously doubt now: I found her very offensive and I wouldn't accept anyone talking to me like that, no matter what the circumstances. This is very much "Debbie" Demelza and not "Book" Demelza. And anyway it's ridiculous that she would think she could leave with Jeremy: for one thing, her "born again" father would march her back to her husband the same night! 2. Caroline/Dwight in the pub was beyond laughable. Kissing in public, then going off to his room? I think not. She's got enough issues with her Uncle regarding Dwight and in no way would want to introduce a potential unwed pregnancy into that mix. Sigh. But I do adore the couple and I think the actors' chemistry is quite good. 3. The crowd scene at Trenwith. This seems to be a hangover from the 70s series except then they did burn down the house! I did enjoy the scene, I have to admit, but it was all make believe (ie not book) And George's bluster both during the confrontation, and especially afterwards to Elizabeth had me chuckling but it was absolutely not George's character to have done any of that. 4. Elizabeth's shock at Aunt Agatha's pronouncement about what if the baby comes early I thought was completely genuine, like she (Elizabeth) honestly hadn't even considered the possibility that she was pregnant by Ross until that moment. She'd put the Ross thing behind her once she'd married George. Now she's going to have major anxiety for the next 8 months. In the book, it was never made clear who the father was and Elizabeth I think really didn't know. We're only talking a month between Ross and marriage to George anyway...

Cool, thanks for the heads up!

I think some of the casting choices are excellent, others not so much. Matt Smith as Phillip is a complete miss for me -- his facial structure is just all wrong. I also think, while they are good actors, Claire Foy is NOT as beautiful as the young Elizabeth, and ditto for Margaret. Lithgow is just too tall for Churchill and it really shows in almost every scene where he's next to other characters. I can't fault his portrayal otherwise. And Greg Wise as Mountbatten: be still my heart! Mountbatten was a very handsome man, and Greg Wise has the same characteristics so a definite win/win.

This was a very powerful episode IMO and of course sets the stage beautifully for Churchill's stepping down as Elizabeth finally steps up to take the reins. I think John Lithgow has done a fabulous job with Churchill EXCEPT he's just too tall for the part and that keeps taking me out of his portrayal. They have him all hunched over but he still towers over everyone and just seems all wrong. I laughed myself silly at the scene of him sitting on that tiny chair in the waiting hall before his dressing down with the queen: that just made more of the point that the actor is way too tall.

Missing a zero --- 6000 is her personal legacy that she would take into her marriage to Dwight. She'd be losing the 40,000 inheritance from Uncle Ray etc.

Actually Geoffrey Charles inherited Trenwith House, the ancestral home of the Poldarks. So a marriage would join Nampara and Trenwith.

Llywela, you sum up my frustrations with this version very well. I found this latest episode (9) a bit of a travesty in all honesty. I really had a hard time with all the overt angst going on. It felt like the proverbial sledge hammer and very 21st C again. Sigh. I did think some of the Elizabeth stuff was interesting: having her stare out the window waiting for Ross etc whereas the book (in my interpretation) doesn't really have her putting things on hold in anticipation that Ross is going to throw over Demelza for her.

Hmm, so I didn't find "the scene" to be particularly disturbing: I've seen much much worse over my 50+ years. Yes, I've read the books (again over the past week or so - up to book 5 right now) and yes I knew to expect it but frankly I found the book description much more disturbing because it did leave most of it up to the imagination. Also, the TV scene was very clearly set up to be consensual IMO: she lets him into the room, even thought it's night, noone else is around yet apparently she's not scared (really?) then doesn't cover herself up with the dressing gown so her barely covered breasts are quite obvious, gets in his face a couple of times, and yes, she does thrash about a little bit when the inevitable happens (along with a "you wouldn't DARE!) but her hand actions etc smack of lady doth protesting too much. Sigh. I absolutely don't condone Ross's actions but as depicted I don't think it's worthy of all the fuss. And I do think this adds another dimension to Ross, even if it's pretty despicable. What I did LOVE was Demelza laying him out with an almight whack to the face! That was a fun addition!! What crap about having no choice -- I'd have belted him too!! I do think we have to be extremely careful about trying to overlay 21st century sensibilities: maybe these programs should carry a reminder at the beginning/end that the world was a very different place back then. Hell, even when Graham wrote the books in the late 40s/50s I think men could still insist on conjugal rights and legally rape their wives (can't be bothered to look it up and verify so correct me if I'm wrong).

My PBS station is getting ready to start airing this but I hate the editing that goes on so I watched both series on Netflix. Now, I love angst and sparse exposition as much as the next thinking person but seriously this program really was "lean and mean" on explaining the details of the stories. In the beginning I didn't mind, assuming we'd learn more as we went along but I'd sussed Mathias's story before the end of episode 2 (seen it, got the T shirt). Where I 'lost it' so to speak was Series 2, Episode 3: I couldn't for the life of me connect dots. Why did the old guy hate "Daniel" so much (and don't give me the born in another time bit -- it was completely irrational unless I missed the clue at some point). AND did Norah steal the kid to replace dead Daniel? And frankly I hated the whole, let's give Daniel back to his real Mum and they'll live happily ever after ending. Sigh. Towards the end, the brooding looks and lack of dialogue just smacked to me of lazy writing: a "knowing look" does NOT translate into clear communication in my experience. Did I enjoy it overall, definitely a Yes. Do I want to know how they are going to resolve Prosser's story and who shot Mathias? Yes! BTW, check out The Indian Doctor if you want to see Mared Rhys in a very different role!

A few comments about fabric choices and how that may have affected the judging results (not that I necessarily agree with the results) 1. What was Jenni's choice? I have a feeling it was a very fine silk something that in itself was a beautiful fabric but perhaps didn't have the weight to carry all that applique. If it was super-expensive silk, that may have swayed the judges (supposition). Ditto the appliqued sequins (oh, and I think it's "sequincing", not "sequencing" lol) 2. So Nathalia spent $125 of 1/2 yard of "chandelier" -- what did she spend the remaining $175 on? ESPECIALLY when she was given the lining fabric by Jenni 3. Cornelius -- just no, no way on the houndtooth ESPECIALLY in limegreen -- and I don't think he needed to turn the black/white inside out: just losing the green would have been enough. Also, he seems to keep making fitted dress 101 from Vogue How to Fit pattern -- I see absolutely no innovation in design with him. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I really liked Laurence's dress as it was sleek, had interest about the waist where people in conversation would notice it. I also LOVED the fact it covered her model down to the knees! But I'm so tired of the No Back in dresses: No wonder the model's boobs looked saggy: yet again, she couldn't wear a bra, sigh. And I really liked Roberi's and wished we'd been able to see more of it. I thought that choice of fabric really worked for the challenge. I wouldn't wear it (horizontal bright stripes, hmmmm) But his model looked great. Oh, and Rik, I think your inspiration on aprons came from the two cute guys in the bar wearing them, not the actual aprons, hahahahahaha. But the look worked for me EXCEPT yet again, we have a stupid open back which needed jury rigging with grosgrain ribbon, sigh. I've stopped really watching the entire show: I tune in for the beginning description of the challenge, and then the end for the runway and critique. That way I get an hour to do something useful, like washing the dishes....

Yeah, I like Craig Hall as a nice guy too, although he was pretty effective as the bad cop.

That was one of the funniest episodes so far this season: Jo Brand was on point! The BBC Tudor evening lineup --Strictly Cometh Dancing, etc-- had me cracking up.

Well, that was a whole lot of nothing IMO. I wasn't inspired by anything I saw on the runway. Sigh. For $2200 budget "Bouton" produced some pretty meh clothes. I'm sure the fabric looked more "lux" up close and I could see the yellow swing coat was made from some pretty up-market cloth but otherwise "whatever". And I'm sorry, Laurence's jacket looks like the same jacket we see over and over and over and over and .... Yeah it's ok but hardly innovative.... Team Unity was just such an eye roll effort AND I really wanted them to win, despite the paucity of $$s...I AM glad Roberi was safe and count me in as a "Tim Save" probability. I think Alex is one of the more talented folks cast this season so I hope he isn't gone gone.

Mary to Selasi: "Are the guinea fowl wild?" Paul to Mary: "They're livid" An actual JOKE from Paul, hahahahhahaha Loved the raised pie challenge. Jumbles had me scratching my head because that's what we used to call rice krispie treats (not the horrid marshmallow krispie squares here in the US but rather rice cereal mixed with chocolate, nuts, and copha and served in fairycake paper cups). The showstopper I found disappointing because I thought the whole thing had to be done in marzipan/marchpane and there they were doing cakes with just marzipan on top. Not at all 'sculptures' in any imagination. And yeah, count me among those who thought plagiarism from Candace of Nadyia's work. Sorry to see Benjamina go but suspect a boy/girl/boy/girl makes for a tidier final ;)

I agree, although I was rooting for Roberi who has been robbed previously. What I loved about Rik's was the addition of the pseudo belt on the swimsuit -- very flattering detail (I just realized it was a clever use of his original design -- it wasn't actually designed as a belt). What I dinged him for was a partial cover-up vs a true cover-up but it's a nit-picky point. If I had a swimsuit body I would definitely buy Rik! And yeah, glad you mentioned the crappy walkers we have this season! Roberi definitely has a loser model IMO: can't walk and has a constant smacked-bottom face! And poor Tasha got her sister apparently.

No! Don't do that! I enjoy your posts immensely as a kindred soul. Personally I would just not read too much into these other responses... Stating the obvious: There is no such thing as a perfect adaptation of anything --- books by their nature depend on our imagination so readers will always have different interpretations of the text. Once someone adapts it to the screen, that element of imagination is replaced because we have actual images of the adapter's interpretation of the source material. We either accept their "vision" or not. I'm struggling with the 2015 adaptation because it it too superficial imo ("too pretty") and while Turner is wonderful eye candy he is NOT an 18th century man and that rings false to me. Ah well. Please all, lets continue our discourse :)

Yeah I was also sorry to see Rav go. What a nice person he seems. And poor Andrew: I really felt for him -- I don't think his cheeks could have got any redder! These bakers are so hard on themselves, just like REAL people, eh?

I'm so glad Tom recouped himself with the fougasse and the showstopper. I would have liked to try his tea cakes :) I'm also very glad Jane is safe: I thought her floral white chocolate collars were beautiful (and matched her blouse!) -- it was just a shame she second-guessed herself so much on the cakes. I guess I struggled a bit with "citrus meringue pies" fitting the botanical label: to me botanical meant herbs, teas, and other flavoring types, not physical flowers, or oranges/lemons/limes/grapefruit/mandarins! Oh well, it was a fun episode.