Empressv

The blood bath was an amazing visual, and Lotte made the most of it! Really well done. That moment when Margaret really opened her eyes during the Lord John fortune telling scene was creepy as hell. Every time I see the actress playing Marsali, I think what a dynamite job they did casting her. Not only is she bringing that character to life, she actually looks enough like the actress playing Laoghaire to be related.

Am I the only viewer who thought, "No way is any man ever going to pick a fight at that moment! Maybe before, probably after - but not during." it knocked all the willing suspension of disbelief right out of me.

The group has covered most of the major points, so I'll just add a couple: I wasn't spoiled for Claire's modern hairdo, and so I completely failed to recognize her! Roger reminded me a bit of a young Paul McCartney. I went to college in Massachusetts. That wasn't even close to a Boston accent - more of a standard American broadcasting accent. And like others here, I was disappointed at the actress's stature and lack of resemblance to SH - but whatchagonnado? I once saw a 5-foot-7 actor play Malcolm X (who was quite tall), and he was utterly believable in that part. Maybe Sophie will make Brianna her own character too.

Seems unlikely Tom Felton would be a contender for LJG any longer (if he ever was) - he just signed as a series regular on The Flash. http://tvline.com/2016/06/30/the-flash-tom-felton-season-3-cast-julian-dorn-csi/

Just popping in to say I really liked Gary Lewis' performance, both with Cait and Graham. He brings a wonderful intensity. And I could listen to him talk all day long -- the way he speaks his lines, with a little rhythm, reminds me of studying Chaucer.

I live about 65 miles/100 km from Chicago. The accent here IS nasal and flat. That said, I agree the actresses could tone it down some. The way they do it doesn't sound quite right. I find myself really missing Josie and Florian. Or even just Miss Mardle with a juicy plot line, as Amanda Abbington is one excellent actress. I could buy Harry falling for Miss Whatsername so quickly. He misses Rose; she reminds him strongly of the things he loved about Rose. It doesn't seem like a leap to me. Plus, my own FIL was dating within a few months of his wife's death because he couldn't stand being alone. Some people are that way.

It's now airing in the States, and Episode 3 just ended. Did not see the attack on Kitty coming, although in hindsight, it seemed almost inevitable for the former soldiers to take out their rage on someone they would see as complacent and undeserving of her prosperity, while they came home to nothing. To my 21st century eyes, the two things that really stood out to me about that scene were the sheer sexism of their position (never mind that none of them could have done her particular job) and her confidence in her own right to walk alone among a big group of homeless men in a major city. I do think the show is doing a great job of showing the issues and frustrations the soldiers brought back home with them after the war. Even those like Henri, who could return to a good job, had dreadful demons and very little real help at that time to deal with them. And the housing shortage occurred again after WWII, at least in the US. Yes, I also keep wondering when Harry's mother is going to expose the new MIL's duplicity. That ought to be a good showdown!

Re: Hatgate. Lady Mary's announcement that she was going upstairs to take off her hat has apparently caused a lot of Internet/reviewer merriment. As a former fashion reporter, I must defend her. Unlike now, women historically couldn't just reach up and take their hats off because ladies' hats were anchored in place by long hatpins (the kind used by at least one murderer in an Agatha Christie story), which took forever to put in place properly. Once a woman had her hat on, it was considered part of her ensemble and didn't come off until she returned home and she -- or in Mary's case, her maid -- could take ten or fifteen minutes (or more) to get all the pins out and redo her hair. BTW, this is why women don't have to take off their hats for the National Anthem in the United States or when going indoors -- way back when those rules were written, women simply could not take off their hats in public without a great deal of trouble. IMO, Mary was simply signalling that she would be unavailable for the next half hour or so and intended to stay in for a while.

And here's a link to a Variety interview with Tobias Menzies: https://tv.yahoo.com/news/outlander-midseason-finale-preview-ron-moore-tobias-menzies-203837113.html

A couple of links to non-United States articles: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2014/08/30/on_outlander_and_other_historical_series_it_helps_to_have_period_face.html http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/pictures-outlander-stars-film-end-4122917 The second one also contains a link to an interview with Diana: http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/outlander-creator-diana-gabaldon-kilts-4083075

I've read the books and was not entirely sure what to expect from an adaption -- but Gabaldon herself has been selling it so hard via social media, I thought I'd give it a try. What a visual treat! This actually went FAR beyond my expectations and I very much look forward to seeing more at some point (I'm on deployment and can't get STARZ till I get home this fall.) I join those who weren't a fan of BookFrank -- I also feel this series gives him more depth and makes him more sympathetic as a character at this stage of the story. Neither Balfe nor Heughan (or Menzies, for that matter) are what I pictured as I read the books -- but I think they do one hell of a job selling their characters. As for the Gaelic, I thought the lack of subtitles was the right move. (I will add that as an American in Scotland 15 years ago, I had a dreadful time understanding English spoken with a heavy Scottish accent! I would hear people speaking, assume it was Gaelic and only later realize it was English. Mortifying.)

Double post. :(

And more from the Daily Mail -- both of these are long on photos of Jeremy Piven and short on new details. Still, he's an attractive man, as is Gregory Fitoussi... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2658881/Jeremy-Piven-gets-work-set-films-upcoming-season-Mr-Selfridge-biplane.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2671509/Modern-batchelor-Jeremy-Piven-makes-quick-costume-change-Mr-Selfridge-set-ITV-period-drama.html

The Daily Mail in the U.K. seems to be following filming of Season 3 pretty closely. Here's a recent photo package on Amanda Abbington (Josie Mardle), with Lauren Crace (Doris Grove). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2657206/Amanda-Abbington-high-spirits-shoots-films-tough-new-scene-Lauren-Crace-set-Mr-Sefridge.html

I've been re-watching the series on DVD, which is why i'm commenting so long after the air date. With luck, someone else on here is re-watching it too! Amanda Abbington shows some nice understated humor here, from her flustered reaction to learning Florian is in fact a man to her scene in the elevator with Mr. Grove. (Actually, both actor do a good job with the latter scene -- he realizes he's just said WAY too much and can't wait to get off the lift, and she just gets this look -- but it's very well done.) Even the dramatic scene with Florian as she presents him with the violin has a nice touch of humor, when he asks if the violin is hers and she looks down at it and starts as if she's forgotten she was holding it. And speaking of that scene, I thought Farnworth did well at conveying a lot of emotion in very few words. I don't recall The Adventures of Mr. Thackeray, Boy Detective, bogging down the action when I first watched the episode on TV, but I did get somewhat bored with it on later re-watchings, I feel like that sequence could have been tightened up. At the very least, I wished Henri Leclair would turn around, spot him and beat him to a pulp on the street, Something about him -- possibly his meanness to Agnes in earlier episodes -- brings out my bloodthirsty side! Responding to an earlier remark about Rose letting Harry back into her bed after she helps with the women's uniforms and goes shooting -- I thought that reaction was realistic. Nothing makes a person feel so good as being needed and competent and validated by the outside world. I could understand how, after feeling superfluous for so long, those events, combined with Harry's best efforts to woo her back, would make her feel like a vital part of the marriage once more. And that's sexy! As for the card game, well, the actors must have had fun with that!