Hazel55

I can't help but feel that this episodes juxtaposition of Ally and Pedro was intentional here on Murphy's part. A wealthy, well educated, sheltered white woman, ridden with anxieties whilst apparently unaware of her privilege, spends the entire episode freaking out about the "political situation," only to emerge unscathed at the end. Meanwhile, a man of color, to whom the political climate is, in reality, much scarier for, mostly endures his lot uncomplaining... only to be shot for no reason in the end. Society is much kinder to the wealthy, powerful, and well connected. Ally struggles with "first world problems," while Pedro gets shot for no reason. (And though Pedro was obviously not shot on account of his race, the shooting of an unarmed man of color due to a "misunderstanding" is too obvious an injustice in our current political climate to be passed over as a throw away incident.) Though of course Ally's seeing homicidal clowns everywhere, having a possibly evil babysitter, and running into the corpse of her employee makes this comparison deeply flawed, I still can't help but think Murphy was making an intentional point here.

After this episode, the biggest issue I'm facing is this: I find literally every character on the show (including the card carrying villains) more sympathetic and the hysterical, self deluding, increasingly violent, and (as we learn in this episode) laughably hypocritical Ally. The "evil" (and hilarious) neighbors, the possibly duplicitous Ivy, shady Winter, even the vile (but refreshingly honest) Kai-- I'd take any of them over Ally at this point. After the first episode, I found Ally to be a pitiable, if not exactly sympathetic, character. Her unusual, increasingly debilitating phobias and her steadily deteriorating mental state gave her some pathos, despite the fact that her "constant freak out mode" became quickly grating. But at first, she at lease seemed to be decent-- on the side of the good, self aware enough to know she might be losing it, and understandably concerned about how her own instability was effecting her wife and child. In this episode, she seemed to dial up the hysteria to an 11, as well as losing all her redeeming characteristics (all previous signs of self awareness, as well as all concern about how she was effecting those around her.) Even more disturbingly, this episode showcased her utter hypocrisy. Because if episode one seemed to define Ally by her fears, episode two seemed to define her by the laughable difference between her stated beliefs and her actual life choices. Just to review, in this episode, we see Ally: -Firmly state her opposition to anti- immigrant politics... only to allow a manager at her restaurant to throw anti-immigrant slurs ("speak english!", etc.) at a Latino worker. She looks down upon the likes of Kai for his anti-immigrant rhetoric, but won't prevent her own employee Pedro from being mistreated on account of his race. (She also falsely identifies him as "an immigrant," despite the fact that, as both Ivy and Pedro note, Pedro was born in America. Even though Pedro has worked for Ally for years, she's never bothered to find out where he's from; just makes the racist assumption he's "an immigrant" because of his skin color.) -Is a lifelong liberal almost surely against gun ownership, but buys a gun at the first opportunity. -Declares her fidelity to liberal "open minded" politics... then mocks her psychiatrist for being "a knee jerk liberal." -Professes to find the new neighbors "creepy"-- shortly after she's caught creepily staring into their window in their front lawn, uninvited. -Self righteously speaks of building bridges and cooperation, while barricading herself in her house, knife and gun on hand to greet somebody ringing the doorbell during broad daylight. (Kai could have been a girl scout selling cookies, for crying out loud.) -Looks down upon Kai, but basically lives by the standards he is professing (live in fear, don't bother protecting "immigrants" or the vulnerable, shoot first, ask questions later. Actually, that last one may just be something Ally thought up on her own.) At this point, Ally seems less like a character to me, more like a brutal caricature of all of the qualities stereotypically subscribed to the well educated, sheltered upper middle classes these days. (I'm not saying there's any truth in such a caricature; but I think most of us have heard these stereotypes before.) In contrast, the new neighbors, with their apparently endless eccentricities, are very amusing and colorful. Kai's views are appalling, but his willingness to call Ally out on her B.S. was rather refreshing by that point in the episode. Winter is clearly up to something, but is nevertheless quite beguiling, and far more interesting than Ally. And Ivy. Finally Ivy. I'm honestly not sure if she's evil/ working against Ally at this point. I think we in the very least have reason to suspect her, thanks to issues people have already pointed out. All I know is that at this point, her levelheadedness, rationality, and responsibility come as a welcome relief after Ally's endless histrionics in this episode. And if she is working against Ally.... well, who can really blame her at this point? (I'm kidding. Mostly.)

I agree 100 percent The fact that the clowns Ally is seeing automatically disappear each and every time Ivy enters the room is simply too big of a coincidence to be credited. Furthermore, it goes against everything we know about mental illness. Because if the clowns aren't there, and Ally is just "seeing things,"why would her delusional visions have the internal logic to stop every time Ivy comes around to see what's going on? A seriously mentally ill person having vivid auditory and visual hallucinations isn't just going to stop hallucinating the moment a certain person is pulled into the room. And the fact that the clowns know how to get in and out of Ally's house and place of work so quickly and so well suggests that someone very close to Ally (both at her work and her home) is providing the clown cult with some help getting to her. Since I'm doubting its the kid, I'm guessing it's Ivy.

That was quite funny, however, I'm not sure the humor was entirely unintentional. Last night there were a lot of dryly funny lines arising in the midst of unfunny, sometimes even sad situations. My favorites: “What if I get pregnant? Now where will I get an abortion?” “They should have put a trigger warning on this” (the news.) “Oh dear God. Please just stop tweeting.” (I’ve said this myself a few times, in exactly the same tone of voice.) And of course: Kai: “Was there blood? And… poop?” This line, which should have been merely gross and creepy rather than funny, was lifted into humor by Evan Peters’ hilariously somber delivery. And an honorable mention should go to Ally’s shrink advising her not to pay attention to what’s going on in the real world, and take up exercising or something. Paying attention to what’s going on in the world is apparently bad for one’s mental health.

It could also be that Kai is not the clown cult leader, and that the show is just trying to set us up to believe he is. It could be that later in the season, we get a twist where we find out that Kai is only a standard variety bigot, and the real leader of the clown cult is someone else. (My prime suspects for this are Ivy, Ally's psychiatrist, or both working together.) Some support for this includes the fact that they never actually showed hard core evidence of Kai being involved in the cult, but did dedicate considerable time to illustrate him being an obnoxious, standard variety bigot and troll. (Making offensive speeches, setting up immigrants, for assault charges, etc.) As for the random nature of the attacks-- I'd say that is a mixture of standard American Horror story sensationalism, and, perhaps, a dash of realism. After all, the acts of many violent cults-- the Manson family murders, for instance-- were apparently random and wholly senseless. It was violence for its own sake, and notable for taking place in areas that did not usually see such things.

I'm having similar thoughts myself. My theory: Ivy is evil, in league with the clown cult, and intentionally working to destroy Ally. The clowns are real, but those in the cult want Ally to believe she is going crazy. My suspicions started when Ally dropped the following line: “It was like they knew my fears. They wanted to murder me.” Which got me thinking—who knows Ally’s greatest fears in their entirety, in detail? Probably only two people—the shrink and Ivy. But Ivy, Ally’s longtime partner who has been in a relationship with her for 16 years or so, would probably know that best what allows Ally to function, and what would make her lose it. So perhaps Ivy is working with Kai, the leader of the clown cult, to set Ally up.* Somewhere along the road Ivy became Kai's lover and follower; he’s convinced her to take Ally down because of what she represents to him. (Everything he hates and fears.) Either she’s been Kai’s plant all along (unlikely, since Ally and Ivy have apparently known each other since their college days in 2001), or, far more likely, Kai managed to seduce and “convert” Ivy to his way of thinking within the past few years. However, it could also be Ally's psychiatrist setting her up, or both him and Ivy working together to do so. (Which would ironically show the two people Ally’s trusted most betraying her in the worst possible way.) For most shows, such a bizarre twist would be nearly impossible; but for American Horror Story, it almost seems like a probability. Some potential evidence for Ivy being in league with the cult: Again, whoever is setting Ally up (and I feel that what she is seeing must be at least somewhat real, since her hallucinating everything seems like a rather dead end in terms of future plot developments) knows her fears; her most intimate “triggers.” Who knows these, in their entirety? Probably only the psychiatrist and Ivy. Ivy’s reaction to the clown comic was weird. Ally has an utter freak out over it, then Ivy, after comforting Ally… discreetly puts the comic back in her sons drawer? Ally has been clearly “triggered” into having a hysterical break down from seeing that material once. Why would anyone in their right mind, after seeing a loved one react to something like that, not get rid of whatever object set them off immediately? And the argument that Ivy hid it in that drawer for the sake of her son doesn’t make sense, either—a graphic comic about a murderous clown is pretty inappropriate reading material for a 9 year old kid anyway. In this version, the clowns were real, but Ivy and the others (at the grocery store) pretended that they weren’t, to further upset Ally. The guy we met at the grocery store was a cult member, and thus pretended that he didn’t see anything. Ivy arranged to have the clown show up at the restaurant, then pretended not to see him to further advance Ally’s fears that she is losing it. (Ivy: I was just here! There was no one! Ally: I know what I saw! I know what I saw!) A powerful way to make Ally totally lose faith in herself. Someone also could have replaced the bloody crumpet and fingers when Ally ran out of the searching for the clown. Also: Ally and her kid are clearly being targeted for… something. Why is Ivy being left alone? One possible explanation: she’s in on it. She wants to destroy Ally, then bring their son into the cult. Which would explain why Winter (put to the task by Kai) is trying to get the son “initiated” into witnessing violence. * It could be that the leader of the clown cult turns out not to be Kai, but the psychiatrist or something. But for the sake of this argument, I'm just going to assume that Kai is the cult leader.

Great episode. At first (at least for me) the pacing seemed a little slow, it dragged a bit. And after Kai's speech, I was seriously fearing some lightly disguised, heavy handed political commentary. (I remember that they did this on American Gods once, where writers included a sequence that showed "Jesus disguised as an illegal immigrant" getting shot. Yikes.) However, the moment Ally started seeing Clowns, things began to improve. By the time they introduced the killer clown cult, I was hooked. Despite the generalized coulrophobia that has afflicted me since I saw Stephan King's IT at age 12, these clowns didn't creep me too much. I guess the bar was set too high by season 4 Twisty, who was truly terrifying the first several episodes of Freakshow. Currently, I find the creepiest thing on the show to be Winter the nanny. Her entire blank affect is so effective because it is unclear what it is covering-- an frightened girl operating under the orders of her older brother, or a depraved monster delighting in violence for its own sake. Seeing her interactions with the kid is truly unnerving, even more so than the clowns. Anyway, excellent performances by all involved, including the child actor playing Ally and Ivy's son. This season looks promising. I hope it doesn't go off the rails, as several previously initially fine seasons of this show have (most notably "coven," which started out great, but ended up denigrating into something so awful and mindlessly tasteless that it was actually comical.

My biggest fear is that the "why" will turn out to be a red herring-- And that (in the vein of "Side Effects" and Gone Girl,) Cora will end up being a total sociopath whose been manufacturing a bunch of "mental health issues" to fool those around her from the beginning. (Of course, some of the aspects of her backstory would have to be true in this version, but that would not necessarily be what is motivating her.) In this particular version, Cora's story would end up being "revealed" towards the end, and that it would end up being something that vindicates her, making it either look like a case of justifiable homicide or an incidence of temporary insanity. After Cora is cleared and gets her life back, Bill Pullman's character finds out some minor detail that gives him a "eureka" moment, and he realizes that Cora has pulled the wool over his eyes and fooled everyone. In the end she smirks evilly, and gets away with it. Anyway, I am hoping to goodness that this is NOT the route that the story takes. It would be both blatantly obvious and a cop out. Still, I figure this story can only go one of three ways: 1. Cora is a liar/ manipulator, and is playing everyone around her for the long game. 2. Cora suffers PTSD from being molested by her father/ and or some sort of religious cult. 3. Cora hated her life so much she murdered a man to get out of it. Or, I guess, some combination of one or more of the above.

Well.... I enjoyed episode I, if only because of the pacing, the cinematography, and Jessica Biel's surprisingly strong performance. Episode II lost me, to the point that I'm not sure whether to give it one more episode or not. It seemed as though this entire episode was pure, unadulterated treading water. No new revelations, no entertaining set pieces, little deepening of characterization, and, most damningly of all for a show like this, little real suspense or forward momentum. Of course, a certain amount of water treading, intentional misdirection, and time wasted on red herrings is par for the course for a program like this, in which a storyline that could easily be told in one or two episodes is stretched out for eight to ten. However, even assuming that there will be numerous red herrings, and entire episodes dedicated to dead ends and false leads, I expect to be entertained in the meantime. This episode failed to do that. So unless I'm missing something, this episode accomplished the following: We were taken on a wild goose chase, involving Cora being involved with the victim, only to find it was a dead end. (But far worse, it was not particularly interesting, and I'm pretty sure that most viewers figured it was not true from the beginning.) We learned that Cora was damaged by her religous fanatic mother. (We already knew this.) We learned that Cora has suffered some vague sexual/ cult like abuse, in obscure flashbacks involving lace curtains. (We already knew this.) We learned that Cora continues to have sexual issues, probably due to being sexually traumatized at some point. (We already knew this.) We learned that, though well intentioned, Cora's husband is almost laughably insensitive to her needs and fears. (We already knew this.) We learned that Cora is being dishonest, but whether in many small ways or in a larger calculated way is yet unclear. (We already knew this.) We learned that though incest/ sexual abuse has yet taken place in the scenes between Cora and her father, there continues to be a seriously weird vibe there, that may bode ill for the future. (We already knew this.) We learned that Cora may not want to return to her old life. (We already knew this.) As for all of the scenes pertaining to the private life of Bill Pullman's boringly masochistic detective, I fast forwarded through every one of them. Those of you who managed to sit through them are far more patient than I. Thus far, the only thing that's really struck me about this series is that Jessica Biel can actually act. From what I've seen of her in serious projects in the past, she always struck me as a fairly weak actress, whose main asset (I assumed) was her beauty. But she is fantastic here. I can only assume she got better with age.

Which brings us to another question: is Lucy really "an idiot" (as some have argued), or did she just stab the wrong guy? She should have just stabbed Harriet's stepson, and I suspect we'd all be okay with it. Seriously, whatever the consequences, I'd love to see somebody (preferably a courtesan) off racist Georgian Justin Bieber at this point.

I've kind of been cheering for Emily since the beginning. Sure, she was rude to the other girls. But she was also right-- Margaret Wells was-- and is-- exploiting the hell out of them. Nor can I blame Emily for wanting to scurry her way up the ladder-- hell, our "heroine" Margaret Wells is doing the exact same thing; the only difference is Emily Lacy has the integrity to use her own body in her upward climb, rather than those of her daughters and other women (as Margaret does.) And what I've heard some viewers (commenting on hulu) refer to as Emily Lacy's "Uppitiness" seems merely like basic common sense to me. So, Emily Lacy declares that it is not okay for her madam to force her to serve customers who brutally beat and abuse her? Yeah... sounds legit to me. Anyway, even if Emily Lacey had been an evil villain on the level of Lydia Quigley (kidnapping young girls for murder, and whatnot), it would be difficult to watch what she was put through and not sympathize with her. Somehow, the creepiest part for me was not even when Emily was being forcibly taken, beaten, or threatened, but when Lydia came up to wash Emily right before the attack was going to happen-- watching Emily tremble helplessly with fear, horrified by the knowledge of what was coming but utterly helpless, was difficult to watch. In short-- I'd agree 100 percent that its easier to root for Emily Lacey than it is for Margaret Wells at this point. I still find Charlotte highly sympathetic (and fascinating), and despite her mistakes, I'd give Lucy some leeway for being a 15 year old kid whose been sold, sexually abused and almost raped at this point. Margaret does not have these excuses.

Another exciting and action packed episode. Though she’s undoubtedly the show's central character, Margaret Wells comes across as more and more unattractive to me with each episode. I understand her horrible early life, her desperation, and her limited number of choices. But for the past several episodes (and even, hell, since the beginning) so many of her decisions seem motivated by pure, rapacious greed and the desire to advance/ secure her position rather than genuine, selfless care for her daughters. Even her sheltering of Lucy, whom some viewers (maybe not here, but I’ve read it elsewhere) view as spoiled, seems to be motivated by selfish factors—a desire to get all she can out of the girl, and a sense of extreme (and utterly justified) guilt over what she did to Charlotte. Of course, she is just as concerned about her daughters, and wants them to share in her good fortune. But in “making them successful” she gives absolutely no weight to what they want or need as human beings. She sells them off at appallingly early ages to be high class courtesans because that’s how they’ll “get ahead in life,” regardless of what they want. And sure, given her status and the norms of the time she lives in, options for her girls are surely very limited. But Charlotte, though able to excel at it, seems utterly ill suited (in terms of achieving real happiness) to the courtesan profession; Lucy is even more so. Anyway, to see Nancy’s well-earned dressing down of Margaret was a pleasure. Nancy is a fabulous and interesting character, and I hope she continues to get more lines and more screentime. (I’d also like to learn more about her.) Is it odd, or utterly predictable, that by far the most moral character on this show is not the magistrate, nobles, or lady preacher, but the dominatrix who specializes in whippings? Though she was tough and ruthless tonight, I continue to sympathize wholly with Harriet. Sure, her actions with Charlotte were rough, but no rougher than those Charlotte would have taken for her children. Plus, desperate times… And Lucy’s argument (“My mother took you into her home!”) would have been a whole lot stronger if Margaret would have done anything for Harriett due to selfless benevolence. As it stands, though Margaret did show some kindness, she is also economically exploiting/ benefiting off of Harriet, just as she is with all of the other women in her house. Though Charlotte’s working class love interest has been (to my mind) by far the least interesting character on the show thus far, I was fond of him tonight. He (and their relationship) seems in so many ways clichéd, yet the combination of the actor (who is genuinely talented) and the writing tonight made me genuinely like and sympathize with him for the first time. Perhaps this was due to the fact that he seemed to be the only one (besides possibly Charlotte) acting with some selflessness, nobility, and dignity amongst a bunch of amoral, grasping, dishonest characters. And Fanny. Fanny! Who started out seeming to be merely a combination of “brothel extra #2,” undeveloped side character, and comic relief, now becoming one of the most compelling characters on the show. Her problem, so mundane and common yet so compelling, is making for one of the most surprisingly interesting minor storyline. The actress, whom I wasn’t sure of at first, is also killing it. On a side note—I was kinda disappointed to learn that her main customer/ possible babydaddy was already married. First, because he was one of the few brothel customers I’d liked in the past; and secondly, I had hoped Fanny might achieve something resembling a happy ending in running off with him. Finally, the modern music is starting to kinda jive with the show with me…. Or perhaps I’m just learning to tune it out at this point. I suspect it’s the latter.

Yes, I was never trying to imply that anyone here expressing frustration with Lucy or her actions in recent episodes were supporters of rape (yikes!) or even being insensitive to Lucy's PTSD. I just wanted to point out how Margaret's treatment of her daughter (the sheltering, the giving her unrealistic expectations, the constant encouragement of the idea that Lucy was "better" than the other girls) may have led up to Lucy's current state of mind. As for Lucy responding poorly to her new lifestyle, a lifestyle that her own sister, as well as girls like Fanny, Kitty, Emily Lacy, and others are able to handle so much better-- I'd put it down to innate differences in psychological makeup, as well as differences to how people deal with trauma and stress. Not all soldiers exposed to trauma develop PTSD; something in Lucy's psychological makeup (she is clearly pretty sensitive, and lacks the quick wit and wherewithal of her sister and some of the other girls) made her unable to deal with the stress she's been exposed to. We've seen her try to deal with it as best she can, and after her weekend of horror with the Reptons, her mother could (and should) have seen that she was not cut out for this particular business. Instead, Margaret has pushed Lucy into terrible situation after terrible situation since then, and we've finally seen her hit her breaking point. Charlotte and (though we know less about their lives) Fanny and Kitty have clearly experienced trauma, sexual and otherwise. They've dealt with it in their own ways; however, they've found ways to function so that they can make a living in their particular profession. However, Lucy, who handles trauma by either shutting down or lashing out violently, is apparently incapable of doing this, and that's been evident for a while now, I think. (As evidenced by other viewers predictions that she couldn't make it through the season without stabbing someone.) I agree totally that Lucy would be far more sympathetic if she showed some proper gratitude towards (and solidarity with) Fanny and Kitty. However, I don't see the situation as something as simple as Lucy thinking she's better than the other girls. When we first met them, after all, Lucy was interacting with Fanny and Kitty as though they were all sisters. It was only after she began her work in the sex industry (by being bought by her sister's keeper, who couldn't perform and proceeded to threaten and abuse her) that she started to become distant from them (and nearly everyone else around her.) Meanwhile, we've seen her mother assuring her at every turn that she's "meant for better things." And it's worth noting that we've never seen Lucy, at any point, say she thinks she's better than Fanny and Kitty. When her mother told her in so many words that she was, Lucy merely responded by saying (rather hopelessly) "I don't want a life like Fanny and Kitty's." It was only in the most recent episode, when Lucy is terrified of being sold to a man who she is repulsed by, a man she clearly senses is dangerous and a threat to her, that she starts treating the other girls with rudeness and condescension. I saw this as lashing out, due to her clearly realizing that sex work (which she has no talent and no taste for) is her only possible future. So I definitely understand where you're coming from, regarding Lucy's air of superiority around the other girls being annoying. However, I just think there are other, far more complex issues influencing her behavior her, rather than just a belief on her part that she is superior.

Actually, it was your entire post I was disagreeing with. After noting (in one sentence) that you liked Lucy, you went on to voice a few sentiments that I disagreed with. To quote what I was disagreeing with: It was the last several sentences that I was (respectfully) disagreeing with. Lucy's rudeness to the other girls was obnoxious, I agree, and it was a pleasure to see Kitty send her to her room. However, I was pointing out, I saw her reactions to them here and elsewhere as expressions of her frustrations with herself and her situation, and her deep fear for her own future, rather than simply expressions of teenage brattiness. (Expressions of teenage immaturity, to be sure, but then, Lucy is 15 or 16 years old.) Lucy has said at one point that she wants a different life from Kitty and Fanny, however, that's less offensive than understandable, considering both Kitty and Fanny's lives, and the fact that Margaret has assured Lucy at every turn that bigger and better things are awaiting her if she only does what Margaret says to do. I was also pointing out that after being assaulted, hunted with rifles, and subjected to unwanted sex with her sisters keeper, Lucy would be unlikely to be grateful to Margaret or anyone else. As for "coming at you"-- that's not the case. I was just disagreeing with the sentiments you expressed in your post. Okay, noted, thanks. I never at all upset, but I'll remember to avoid directly responding to your posts in the future if it bothers you. Huh? I have no problem whatsoever with any of the other posters on these boards, who have thus far been polite and respectful. Many people were annoyed with Lucy after this episode, which is fine. I was simply pointing out the mitigating factors behind her behavior. Doing this is not tantamount to making personal attacks against the person or people annoyed with Lucy; it is simply bringing in a different perspective. And again, disagreeing with you is not making you a scapegoat.

I am really loving this series. Over the course of these six episodes, it has gone from a guilty pleasure, to simply a pleasure. At this point I'd confidently say that Harlots is a good show. (Not anywhere near great, mind you, but solidly good.) One adjective I'd use to describe it would be "Dickensian." It's full of minor characters who are so vivid, colorful, and multidimensional, that they frequently threaten to overtake the major characters both in terms of overall development and general interest. Besty, Scanwell and her daughter, Fanny (whose plight tonight was truly compelling), Violet, the male prostitute, and the divinely named Nancy Birch are all so fascinating and vividly drawn, they constantly threaten to drain all of the attention away from Margaret, Lydia, and the other main characters. And the writers do a brilliant job of weaving a plot that brings all these disparate characters together in believable and compelling ways. So... George. Yet another plot twist that I did not see coming. And while I'm not weeping any tears for George, the actor did do an excellent job of making him not just pitiable, but oddly sympathetic in the end. This episode once again demonstrated the fundamental differences in character between the two Wells sisters, as well as the ultimate ruthlessness and brutality of their mother, who resembles her enemy Lydia Quigly more and more with each episode. Last week we saw Charlotte being raped and abused by George, and her resulting choice to leave him and refuse to accept such treatment. This week, we see Lucy make an even more dramatic refusal of such treatment-- by stabbing her would be violator. Charlotte, who has consistently been shown to be more able to adjust to what life throws at her as a courtesan, and to be better able to play the role of courtesan than her younger sister, dealt with what was thrown at her, then attempted to get her own back and find a new situation. Lucy, on the other hand, was both unable and unwilling to accept an intolerable situation, and reacted violently. We haven't seen the violence from her in the past, but we have seen her strained and strained and strained by the treatment she must endure from her john's, until she's reached her breaking point. As for Margaret, her willingness to sell Lucy was chilling. She may have told Lucy that it was her "decision" as to whether she'd accept Lord Fallon for her keeper, however, when she accepted George's offer for Lucy without even consulting Lucy beforehand (and despite knowing the creepy weirdness of the whole situation with Charlotte), it became clear who was ultimately calling the shots. Her murder of George, endangerment of Emily Lacy, betrayal of Nancy, disregard of North and Hariett, and manipulation of everyone around her make her moral resemblence to Lydia clearer and clearer. There are still some fundamental differences between the two, but darn if the lines aren't becoming more and more blurry. Other thoughts: --Nancy's decision to take those rings from George will surely come back to haunt her (and probably Margaret and Lucy as well.) A fairly blatant Chekov's gun, there. --At this point I don't believe Margaret is worthy of North (who will always be Sembene to me.) I wonder if their relationships not over, following the recent debacle with George. -- There seems to be a deepening connection between North and Harriet; I personally would not mind seeing it turn romantic. When he attempted to buy back her children in that one scene, he clearly proved that he was both more compassionate and more genuinely moral than Margaret Wells. North is at this point by far the most compelling and well developed male character on this show. --The rather conventional romance between Charlotte and her working class boy toy remains the most boring aspect of this show for me. Successful courtesan (or noblewoman, or mistress, or actress) who has "forgotten how to love" due to her work being "saved" by a working class guy with a hot body and a heart of gold? I feel as though I've seen this play out on the small screen about a million times before. Their big sex scene? Meh. --Poor Emily Lacy. Margaret's willingness to sell her back to a woman she knew to be dangerous was chilling. And while she may not have known the specifics of the situation, her previous conversation with Nancy indicated that she was well aware that Lydia was a (perhaps mortal) danger to Emily Lacy and other girls who ran away from Lydia's brothel. By the sounds of things, Nancy and Margaret were in fear of their lives for a while after running away. Margaret's manipulations of numerous women in the brothel to assist her with murder and the disposal of the body was masterful but morally abhorrent, and was really a great demonstration of her character. --I feel nothing but pity for Scanwell at this point. Is her blindness from syphilis? I hope her sweet daughter wasn't born with the disease.

"Spoiled by her mother?" "...very ungrateful?" Huh? Margaret Wells auctioned off Lucy's virginity to the highest bidder, sent her off for the weekend to a secluded estate with a couple of sadists, and then, as the final indignity, went ahead and permanently sold Lucy into a situation she knew Lucy would find appalling, all because Margaret believed that the price was right. I think it would be a stretch to imply that Lucy is "spoiled" because Margaret did all of this to her when she was 15, rather than 12 (as she did to poor Charlotte.) One could argue that these were different times, that girls matured more quickly back then, etc. And as the daughter of a former prostitute and brothel owner, that Lucy should have known what to expect. In response I'd argue that human nature never drastically changed-- while its true that numerous girls of 15 had to resort to selling themselves at age 15, I'd be willing to wager that many of these girls, including those "born and bred" for it, like Lucy-- were suffering from a bad case of PTSD. (As Lucy clearly is at this point, which was, to my mind, her main "motivation" for stabbing George. Her probable rape and beating at Lord Repton's hands, her traumatic interacting with Lord Fallon, the times in the past George has been sexually aggressive and inappropriate with her-- these things clearly guided Lucy's hand to commit the impulsive, desperate stabbing that we saw.) In addition to post traumatic stress disorder, Lucy clearly feels she has no control over her life or her future at this point, and this impulsive act was, in a way, her attempt at taking control. As for Lucy "knowing what to expect"-- how could she, truly, get a clear idea of what life would be like for her? While she could observe others in her mothers house, some things-- the necessary detachment, the self loathing, the lies, the constant moral compromises, the deadening exploitation of it all-- could only really be grasped by actually doing the sex selling oneself. Lucy clearly had a glamorized, falsified idea about "what it was going to be like" for her, as we see in the beginning. She believes she will be like her sister (whom she clearly looks up to, and views as the epitome of glamor and sophistication), while occupying a high place in society (because her mother told her this would be the case) and enjoying herself. The ugly reality did not match up with her hopeful girlish visions, thats all. I apologize if I'm coming off as abrasive here; I have nothing whatsoever against you and your opinion. However, what you're saying about Lucy seems to be what most everyone else is saying (here and elsewhere) and I just thought I'd bring up a few issues with this line of thinking. She's not anywhere near my favorite character (I find others more interesting), but her actions (here and elsewhere) make sense. Her only bratty act (to my mind) is lashing out at the other innocent prostitutes at the house, however, I think she did so because she is under a lot of stress, and full of a sort of confusion and near self loathing.

Well, here's one from me: Up until he gave Charlotte that creepy look after shagging her in this past episode, I actually had some sympathy for Haxby. He clearly cares about his job and the dignity of his employers, yet his main employer is a senseless idiot who does nothing but party and piddle away his wife's fortune. And Charlotte, whom I really like, is nevertheless also a bane for Haxby-- just another frivolous decadent urging on his lordship in his terrible behavior, and creating yet more money troubles for the household. Add in Charlotte's constant rudeness, and I would be bored to.

Well, after a great first episode, a good second episode, and a third episode that dragged slightly, I'd say this show is back on track. A lot happened last night-- not just tons of game changing plot twists, but plenty of deepening characterizations, and some fascinating character contrasts. My most burning thoughts: First, Harriett. Harriett, whom I initially assumed would be a one or two episode side character, intended to illustrate the impossibility of being a black female at this time. To see her take charge of her destiny like that was both surprising and delightful. (Perhaps I'm dense, but I did not see Harriett falling into prostitution so quickly; and if/ when she did, I assumed that it would be portrayed as a coerced move that further disempowered her.) What was so striking about how she presented herself and entrapped and subdued the utterly creepy Repton was the fact that she did so with such elegance and finesse. She initially played shamelessly (and brilliantly) to Repton and the other guests racist fetishization of her as an African American woman ("I am Dido, queen of Carthage..."), initially indulged Repton's typical attempts at seduction and dominance, only to turn the tables on him at the last minute, in a way that was so subtle and seductive that Repton found it fascinating rather than threatening. It's fascinating to compare Harriett's efforts here to Lucy's botched attempts with Repton last week. Lucy, too, attempted to "turn the tables" a little bit on Repton, by gently teasing him about his lack of shooting finesse, but did so in such a way that she infuriated rather than charmed Repton. (Horrendously so, by the way, Repton is clearly a dominating, insecure creep, whose first impulse is to exploit and demean women.) This becomes fascinating when one realizes that here Harriett managed to successfully do the same thing-- she actually took control in a way from Repton, but did so in a way that flattered him and enhanced his feeling of masculinity, so that he was enchanted rather than angered. The contrast between the ways in which Harriett and Lucy handled Repton illustrates a lot about their characters. Lucy, while beautiful and young, clearly lacks natural abilities in the area of reading and exploiting customers. Meanwhile, the somewhat older and far more experience Harriett, who on account of her race would be considered "lower" than Lucy by many, is naturally savvy and experienced, and knows exactly how to successfully exploit and handle a man like Repton. Hearing her more or less acknowledge to her (fake) stepson at the end that she now realizes that his father exploited her and never recognized her true worth was the icing on the cake. Getting to Lucy, I am really enjoying this storyline, if only because I have no idea where it's going. Unlike other posters, I can completely understand and sympathize with Lucy's attitude and actions throughout the episode. Yes, she was raised in a brothel. And yes, she almost surely does know, on an intellectual level, that prostitution is all about flattering and pleasing the john's. However, on a psychological and emotional level, Lucy is an extremely young (I'm guessing 15 or so?) who has recently been exposed to numerous horrible traumas-- having her sister's paramour attempt to seduce her, being hunted like an animal in the woods by a couple who she though would just invite her over for the weekend, being physically abused during sex by the horrendous Repton. She may "know what to expect" and know what is expected of her, but psychologically, she is unable to deal with the trauma or the emotional cost of selling herself. Nor does she seem to have the "correct" sort of disposition to make a successful courtesan or harlot. She is introverted, not exceptionally quick witted, sensitive, and thoughtful; rather than extroverted, witty, and quick on her feet like her more resilient sister. She also seems less psychologically resilient than her sister. It's been made clear in a number of subtle ways that Charlotte is definitely and permanently scarred by both her defloration at 12 and the many demands that life as a sex worker has taken on her since then. Yet she seems to be able to successfully do the things (pretending to enjoy sex, maintaining an externally sunny disposition and positive attitude, pretending to care for her johns) that is necessary for a prostitute to remain successful. It seems as though it is literally impossible for Lucy to do the same; she is more sensitive and more earnest than her sister, and she is having trouble truly hiding both her growing horror and her deeply traumatized psyche. The most obvious route for the writers to go would be to have Lucy "find her inner courtesan", learn to charm men and fulfill the demands of the profession, and make this into a story of unlikely triumph. However, much to the credit of the writers, they seem to be going a different direction. Because the truth is, whatever their background, it is believable that there were many girls, despite having beauty and abilities, simply could not deal with the psychological cost of being a high-class courtesan or a prostitute. And from what we've seen so far, Lucy could easily fit into that category. A few other brief thoughts: --Despite the fact that I still find Charles to be an utter creep, I found him pretty sympathetic tonight. His affection for Emily Lacy is obviously sincere, and goes far beyond sexual desire. Seeing the look on his face during his mother's denigration of him was also rather heartbreaking. However, his ultimate refusal to let Emily Lacy escape when she begged him to makes him complicit in his mother's imprisonment of Emily, which keeps him squarely in the "villain" category in my books. --Yes, the note that Lydia received did clearly identify Lord Fallon as one of the men insisting upon procuring and deflowering virgins. (Furthermore, though this hasn't been directly addressed, it seems as though having the girls be unwilling is also part of the game for Fallon and his cohorts.) The note, along with Fallon's general creepiness, his attitude with Lucy, and his comments that he "has a matter to attend to" when he leaves the orgy make it clear that he is an active participant in the rape and abuse of the young girls Lydia keeps sending his way. Personally, I think he is shaping up to be this shows big bad; he seems potentially even creepier then Repton, which is saying a lot. A whole lot. --I was disappointed with the way the Charlotte/ Haxby thing went. I felt that Haxby having feelings of unrequited lust for Charlotte, and ultimately having the two hook up, was disappointing because so blatantly obvious. Haxby, who works for a irresponsible moron and his almost equally irresponsible and decadant courtesan, has legitimate reason to be resentful towards both his employer and Charlotte. The explanation/ motivation behind his annoyance with Charlotte being "it's all because he lusts for/ wants to dominate her!" seems both cliched and somewhat unfair. And it seems as though, with his look at Charlotte at the end, the writers are setting him up to go full on marvel villain, and start manipulating and controlling Charlotte (sexually or otherwise) next week. Ugh. --Mrs. Repton is gross, but hey, at least she's getting some from somebody other than her vile, cheating husband who punches her during dinner for no real reason. I know I should be disgusted by her shagging Charlotte's love interest, but beyond my "this couple is creepy" reaction, my real feeling was "well, good for you. I would too if I was married to your husband." --I am enjoying the Sarah Waters dynamic between the preacher lady's daughter and the prostitute whose name I can't quite recall right now. Bring on the velvet tipping!