S03.E04: Bubbikins

[PRgal]

I wonder if Philip felt he was being forced to have his mom live with them and thus, have a relationship with him.  That QEII doesn’t “get” that not everyone has good relationships with their moms like her.  Maybe he’s even resentful that his wife had a good with her mom.  

[Roseanna]

22 minutes ago, PRgal said:

I wonder if Philip felt he was being forced to have his mom live with them and thus, have a relationship with him.  That QEII doesn’t “get” that not everyone has good relationships with their moms like her.  Maybe he’s even resentful that his wife had a good with her mom.  

It wasn't as if the Windsors had a small apartment and they have to live in the daily contact with the Philip's mother. Even then, most decent people would have done their best to save their family member whose life in danger, no matter how bad relationship they had. 

Instead, as we see, Buckingham Palace is so big that Philip can completely ignore his mother if he wants to. He seems not to "get" that if the son and daugher-in-law doesn't try to save her, that would be very bad to his PR project.   

[PRgal]

32 minutes ago, Roseanna said:

It wasn't as if the Windsors had a small apartment and they have to live in the daily contact with the Philip's mother. Even then, most decent people would have done their best to save their family member whose life in danger, no matter how bad relationship they had. 

Instead, as we see, Buckingham Palace is so big that Philip can completely ignore his mother if he wants to. He seems not to "get" that if the son and daugher-in-law doesn't try to save her, that would be very bad to his PR project.   

True, but I think it might be more of a "having her on the property bugs me, considering what happened when I was a kid" sort of thing.  And the fact that he felt she never loved him like moms should love their kids.  She very much loved him.  Consequences and how women were treated at that time led to the distancing.  Little Philip really needed hugs and kisses.  He never got any.  

[Pallas]

A mother visibly suffering, and regarded as crazy and louche by one's elders, can be a source of tremendous shame for a child: toxic and often disfiguring. What bubbikins experienced of his mother's vulnerability -- and what he saw as its result -- may partly explain why he was so dismayed by his first-born son's sensitivity. Not only because Philip found it uncongenial, or unsuitable in an heir to the throne, but because it threatened him: at close hand, inescapably, and to his core. 

The show introduced this idea last season, in Paterfamilias, when we first saw the flashback to Alice's being taken into custody while young Philip wept. That episode juxtaposed traumatic scenes from Philip's childhood with those that he later imposed on Charles (as a corrective, Philip believed). In this episode, the erstwhile bubbikin's own "sweetie," Anne, steals a march on her papa and saves the day. And Philip is seen to be proud: prouder, even, of the mother who is seemingly so unlike him. The source of the sinew he wanted to pass on, to work into the crown.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

15 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

The actress was well cast - looked and sounded very much like Anne.

It's a measure of how well cast she is that with zero introduction, we (the viewers) take one look and say "Oh, it's Anne."

[TaraS1]

As soon as the actress playing Anne opened her mouth, I was like, "Oh yeah, she's perfect."

Personally, I found this episode and everything that Princess Alice went through even more moving than the Aberfan one.  Nice work by Tobias Menzies and the actress playing Alice.

On the downside, I find some of the dialogue this season so insanely unbelievable that it takes me completely out of scenes.  I know there's dramatic license and all, but I can't picture the Queen saying some of these things in a million years.

[pasdetrois]

I felt the hands of revisionist scriptwriters creep into this episode. Did the scene between Phillip and Alice really happen in real life, as written and directed? Did a reporter swoop onto her in the palace without anyone intervening? Not even a palace press officer? Did Alice's popularity really sway public opinion?

And Anne's immediate fangirling her grandmother.

Not to mention the excessive cheerleading at the newspaper office.

One can see how Wilson made it in politics - those carefully crafted responses to the queen at each meeting.

I wondered where Charles was during the documentary production and figured he was at school.

More importantly: what happened to Alice's sapphire brooch?

I could swear I've seen footage from the documentary.

Least favorite episode so far (with apologies to the saintly Alice).

[merylinkid]

17 hours ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

It's a measure of how well cast she is that with zero introduction, we (the viewers) take one look and say "Oh, it's Anne."

I knew it was her as soon as I saw the jodpurs and boots.   As Philip famously once said "if it doesnt neigh, she's not interested."   They got the actress down perfectly.

Edward and Andrew were featured in the documentary.   I've seen still photos from the documentary where the Queen is reading to them and they are watching tv together.   Which would be much more natural than her watching tv with her mother and sister who did not live there.

The documentary was not well received for the reasons Wilson said.   People want the Royal Family to be a mystery.   Not to be seen watching the telly like the rest of us.   The documentary took away the mystery.   

Bubbikins, sweetie, cabbage.  

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

I'm assuming Elizabeth knew Phillip called Anne "sweetie;" otherwise, she seemed awfully unconcerned with his using an affectionate nickname towards a woman that wasn't herself. I loved how she didn't even look up when telling the aide Phillip's pet names for her.

[Cheezwiz]

6 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I could swear I've seen footage from the documentary.

I know I have seen excerpts from it. I don't think the documentary was completely buried as the show suggested. I think it aired in the U.S. and "the colonies" to more favourable reception.

[Carbon60]

You can see a clip of the Royal Family documentary and hear some viewer comments at https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a29774568/the-crown-royal-family-documentary/

[Umbelina]

Fabulous, lovely seeing the Queen smiling and being normal, giggling with Charles.

Edited November 21, 2019 by Umbelina

[Magnumfangirl]

15 hours ago, TaraS1 said:

Personally, I found this episode and everything that Princess Alice went through even more moving than the Aberfan one. 

So did I.  Aberfan was depressing and this one was too in a way, but it did have an upbeat ending.  Props to the Queen for inviting her to come and live at the Palace.  

Quote

Being completely deaf and knowing 3 languages AND lip-reading only would be very difficult and stressful all on it's own.  Her conquering that is one more reason I don't think there was anything wrong with her.

I doubt there was anything seriously wrong with her either.  When you read up on her she's almost a modern day Joan of Arc combined with Mother Teresa.  One thing's for sure though; Freud was an asshole.

Phillip's been my favorite character since the beginning.  Sometimes he says and does jerky stuff, but he comes across as the most real and honest of all them.  He seems to be the only one to understand that their position as royalty is precarious.  Which is weird since he's technically the most "Royal" of the entire bunch.  Of course, he's also the only one to have been ousted (as a baby, but still), but then again QEII was never supposed to be queen in the first place so you'd think she'd get it too.  Four episodes in and Tobias Menzies is better than Matt Smith, but Claire Foy is still better than Olivia Coleman.  And where is Charles????  It's past time for the future King to make an appearance!!

Edited November 22, 2019 by Magnumfangirl

[GaT]

Anne was perfectly cast, I hope we see a lot more of her.

[Eeksquire]

Quote

My mind kept wandering throughout this one.  I had to keep rewinding to try and keep up, and I honestly felt a bit bored at several places.

I couldn't even watch the whole episode - I turned it off halfway through. I guess I'll try and struggle through the rest tonight.  I suspected I'd be disappointed by this season because, while I realize this is a terribly unpopular opinion, Olivia Coleman just doesn't do it for me.

[Ohiopirate02]

8 hours ago, Magnumfangirl said:

Phillip's been my favorite character since the beginning.  Sometimes he says and does jerky stuff, but he comes across as the most real and honest of all them.  He seems to be the only one to understand that their position as royalty is precarious.  Which is weird since he's technically the most "Royal" of the entire bunch.  Of course, he's also the only one to have been ousted (as a baby, but still), but then again QEII was never supposed to be queen in the first place so you'd think she'd get it too.  Four episodes in and Tobias Menzies is better than Matt Smith, but Claire Foy is still better than Olivia Coleman.  And where is Charles????  It's past time for the future King to make an appearance!!

Elizabeth was always supposed to be queen, just not in 1952.  She came out of the womb third in line to the throne.  Her grandfather in his later years said "I pray God that my eldest son will never marry and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet and the throne."  

I also am enjoying Tobias Menzies more than Matt Smith.  Matt's Phillip was too whiney in my opinion.  Tobias's Phillip still says the wrong thing, but it does not grate as much.  I will defend him and his quest to raise the income of the royal family though.  I want to say that Buckingham Palace in the 60s and 70s was not a great place to actually live in.  The building needed renovations, but the money wasn't there.  The family cannot raise money by selling off artwork or furnishings because the individuals don't own them, the Crown does.  Phillip being Phillip goes on Meet the Press to complain about losing the yacht instead of talking about the crappy plumbing, bad electrical, etc that he deals with on a daily basis in the palace.  

[Umbelina]

7 hours ago, Eeksquire said:

I couldn't even watch the whole episode - I turned it off halfway through. I guess I'll try and struggle through the rest tonight.  I suspected I'd be disappointed by this season because, while I realize this is a terribly unpopular opinion, Olivia Coleman just doesn't do it for me.

I think the episode was poorly written.  5 minutes on Google showed how completely fascinating Alice really was.  The show?  Did not.  Also, it's a personal quick, but I dislike meeting a new character with subtitles.  

I love Olivia Colman, but I agree, she did nothing for me, except perhaps make me dislike the Queen.

[Eeksquire]

Quote

I will defend him and his quest to raise the income of the royal family though.  I want to say that Buckingham Palace in the 60s and 70s was not a great place to actually live in.  The building needed renovations, but the money wasn't there.  The family cannot raise money by selling off artwork or furnishings because the individuals don't own them, the Crown does.

I totally agree - as smart as he seems to think he is, he couldn't figure out that whining about losing the yacht wouldn't be a good argument? How about "it is a matter of public interest that the United Kingdom's priceless artifacts, artworks and architecture be appropriately conserved and maintained and that requires money"? 

[junemeatcleaver]

Quote

I had to hit pause at the beginning of the episode to laugh about the reporter asking Philip how the royal family could possibly survive on their current allowance. Let me wipe away these tears of laughter with hundred dollar bills, y'all. I was rolling my eyes when Philip said they had to make considerable budget cuts. Really, Philip? Like the servant who has to turn down the volume of the tv for you while you're sitting twelve inches away? And you had to sell a small yacht and you MIGHT have to give up polo? The indignity of it all! THE SUFFERING!

The show did establish why he was obsessed with ensuring the BRF's financial security, but his complaints were utterly ridiculous.  It boggles my American mind the Windsors have lasted as long as they have.

[swanpride]

Frankly, I first thought that he was joking and when I realized that he was completely serious...oooch.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

3 hours ago, junemeatcleaver said:

The show did establish why he was obsessed with ensuring the BRF's financial security, but his complaints were utterly ridiculous.  It boggles my American mind the Windsors have lasted as long as they have.

There's nothing wrong with wanting financial security, but his idea of financial security differs vastly from 99% of everyone else's. He couldn't possibly take the bus or live in a semi detached home LIKE A PEASANT. Most of us don't have a yacht to sell if we have to start cutting corners. And to go on television and publicly state to millions of people who have far less than he does that he and the royal family were in dire straits was so tone deaf and showed how completely out of touch he was with his subjects (and common sense). 

[PeterPirate]

You can see the first minute or so of the real interview here. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/mtp-archive-prince-philip-defends-the-monarchy-936341571948

Edited November 24, 2019 by PeterPirate

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

There's nothing wrong with wanting financial security, but his idea of financial security differs vastly from 99% of everyone else's. He couldn't possibly take the bus or live in a semi detached home LIKE A PEASANT. Most of us don't have a yacht to sell if we have to start cutting corners. And to go on television and publicly state to millions of people who have far less than he does that he and the royal family were in dire straits was so tone deaf and showed how completely out of touch he was with his subjects (and common sense). 

Exactly, that interview would have failed no matter when he gave it but especially at that time when the country was in dire straits financially. They needed that bail out only a couple episodes earlier for the country. They mention in this episode they cost more then four times the amount of the average citizen a day. Then have Philip complaining about selling his yacht and having to give up polo. Oh, not the yacht and polo. God knows those are life essentials. He might not be able to go out on a boat and play a sport. I can't imagine how that didn't win anyone over. Oh no he can't ride the bus. You know like how many of his citizens use. Especially when they have to cut back, tight the money and don't have a yacht to sail leaving them to sell their car. 

Edited November 24, 2019 by andromeda331

[AZChristian]

13 hours ago, PeterPirate said:

You can see the first minute or so of the real interview here. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/mtp-archive-prince-philip-defends-the-monarchy-936341571948

Irony.  He said that the reason the British monarchy is still strong (as compared to other European monarchies that failed) is because they are more "in touch" with their citizens.

Which shows just how "out of touch" he is!!!

[Scarlett45]

I enjoyed this episode very much. I had doubts about Tobias as Prince Philip (not against him as an actor, I think he’s brilliant), but he 100% captured the nuances of the shame, embarrassment, self doubt, guilt, fear etc that he felt towards his mother. Intellectually he may know that his mother didn’t “abandon him”, but he had a very tumultuous childhood, always the “poor relation” shuffled here and there (although he was educated and provided for), he’s upset about that. And yes his sisters did have happy years of his Mom being stable and nurturing that he didn’t get, while that’s not his mom’s “fault” he’s still got those feelings (there’s jealousy there too). Plus the social embarrassments around mental health (even now much less when he was growing up). 
 

I don’t think Princess Alice had schizophrenia- I think she may have had PTSD or a panic attack after being forced out of Greece (a perfectly understandable response) and to be rid of her, Prince Andrew (her husband) threw her in an institution and passed his minor son off to relatives so he could be free. 
 

I can certainly see Princess Anne wanting to bond with her and hear stories of her life, we could’ve used a few more scenes of them hanging out. 

[mledawn]

"Not me, I'm afraid - Sweetie is someone else" had me laugh out loud. It also rang a little false that the entire staff of the palace wouldn't know this...

Anne and Philip's first scene was great. Their exchange (and subsequent scenes together) made me wonder if their relationship was that good in real life.

On 11/18/2019 at 1:55 AM, Ravenya003 said:

Good to know that while Merlin was waiting for Arthur's return, he occupied himself by dissing other members of the British monarchy in print.

Ahh!! Yes, I couldn't figure out how I recognised him - in my case, The Fall but thank you for this nudge.

On 11/18/2019 at 8:17 PM, greekmom said:

Actress that played Alice had terrible Greek. I hardly was able to understand her.  

While I enjoyed the episode I can't really comment on Alice except to say that Phillip is an ass.

I know zero Greek, and I bought it, but I can imagine how annoying it would be to a native-speaker for the show to have a lapse on this detail.

I am not a big Royal fan but I had no idea about Philips's mother. As others have said, her story is fantastic and it's a shame we've all had to go elsewhere to learn more about it.

Philip IS an ass, agreed! I can't remember who upthread mentioned Matt Smith's Philip being so whiny, and I agree. I also enjoyed Matt as Philip, but Tobias is showing Philip as he mellows.

On 11/19/2019 at 10:17 AM, kwnyc said:

Andrew and Edward would have both been fairly young (under 10), so maybe they didn't want the younger children on camera.

I think for viewers who aren't really aware of the Royals, the boys are out of sight and out of mind. I'd forgotten they exist entirely. I think a side comment about the whereabouts of all the boys would be helpful.
 

[khyber]

20 hours ago, mledawn said:

Anne and Philip's first scene was great. Their exchange (and subsequent scenes together) made me wonder if their relationship was that good in real life.

I've read in the past that many people seem to think that Anne was Philip's favorite child. 

[Milburn Stone]

Enjoyed the episode. I've grown accustomed to most of the episodes containing something I can't buy (seems like all of us have), and for me, it was the Family not seeing the documentary until the whole country did. Really? After as much micro-managing as Philip did with the filming, he never asked to see the cut?

Edited December 1, 2019 by Milburn Stone

[retired watcher]

On 11/20/2019 at 10:03 AM, PRgal said:

True, but I think it might be more of a "having her on the property bugs me, considering what happened when I was a kid" sort of thing.  And the fact that he felt she never loved him like moms should love their kids.  She very much loved him.  Consequences and how women were treated at that time led to the distancing.  Little Philip really needed hugs and kisses.  He never got any.  

Phillip's sisters took over the job of mothering him but that is just not the same. 

On 11/27/2019 at 2:09 PM, mledawn said:

"Not me, I'm afraid - Sweetie is someone else" had me laugh out loud. It also rang a little false that the entire staff of the palace wouldn't know this...

Anne and Philip's first scene was great. Their exchange (and subsequent scenes together) made me wonder if their relationship was that good in real life.

Ahh!! Yes, I couldn't figure out how I recognised him - in my case, The Fall but thank you for this nudge.

I know zero Greek, and I bought it, but I can imagine how annoying it would be to a native-speaker for the show to have a lapse on this detail.

I am not a big Royal fan but I had no idea about Philips's mother. As others have said, her story is fantastic and it's a shame we've all had to go elsewhere to learn more about it.

Philip IS an ass, agreed! I can't remember who upthread mentioned Matt Smith's Philip being so whiny, and I agree. I also enjoyed Matt as Philip, but Tobias is showing Philip as he mellows.

I think for viewers who aren't really aware of the Royals, the boys are out of sight and out of mind. I'd forgotten they exist entirely. I think a side comment about the whereabouts of all the boys would be helpful.
 

There is a video on Youtube called the Queen's mother-in-law. An excellent way to learn about her.

[VCRTracking]

[CeeBeeGee]

On 11/17/2019 at 9:37 PM, Ellaria Sand said:

Prior to this episode, I was under the impression that the documentary was generally well received. I know that it has never been shown in its entirety again.

Princess Alice led an interesting life. I’m glad that the show devoted time for her. Philip is a complex man and this episode certainly highlighted it. Tobias Menzies continues to provide a brilliantly nuanced portrayal of Philip. 

Love the introduction to Princess Anne. Looking forward to seeing more of her. Also happy to see that Martin Charteris is getting screen time. He seems to be the most practical of the Queen’s advisers.

It was generally well-received. I think the show is telescoping the overall reaction here--it was only after a few years that Elizabeth came to see that perhaps she'd made a mistake. But at first reaction was very positive.

Anne was great! I loved her taciturn conversation with Philip. And she was certainly a Swingin' Sixties bird! I also loved seeing Young Philip again--he was extraordinary in Paterfamilias last year, a great young actor.

On 11/18/2019 at 11:16 AM, marypat57 said:

I think that the actor who plays Charteris also played David (who abdicated) in the movie Bertie and Elizabeth.

Bertie and Elizabeth is a great movie that portrays their relationship from the time they met in the early 20s until the King's death in 1952.   It is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

LOVE that movie! And of course when Wallis Simpson first appears they play what I call the Slutty Music Cue (sultry horns) so the viewer knows right away What Kind of Woman she is.

Did Princess Andrew (as she was styled after her marriage to Philip's father) get an operation or something for her deafness? She said she was "born deaf," as though she no longer were, and it didn't seem to be a problem for her. I wish we could heard more about her extraordinary life.

Edited December 7, 2019 by CeeBeeGee

[Scarlett45]

53 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

Did Princess Andrew (as she was styled after her marriage to Philip's father) get an operation or something for her deafness? She said she was "born deaf," as though she no longer were, and it didn't seem to be a problem for her. I wish we could heard more about her extraordinary life.

It was my understanding she was not 100% deaf. A better term to our 21st century minds would likely be “hard of hearing”. She was able to learn to speak multiple languages and understand lip reading, she had some hearing. 

[dubbel zout]

She could lip-read three languages, which I find amazing. And she would lip-read silent movies for her grandkids, which is hilarious.

[Love2dance]

On 12/2/2019 at 8:02 AM, retired watcher said:

Phillip's sisters took over the job of mothering him but that is just not the same. 

There is a video on Youtube called the Queen's mother-in-law. An excellent way to learn about her.

Thank you so much for the recommendation. One of the most interesting biographical documentaries I have ever watched!

[vavera4ka]

On 11/19/2019 at 11:22 PM, Cheezwiz said:

Seriously, I think Anne was the son the Duke of Edinburgh always wanted.

The actress was well cast - looked and sounded very much like Anne.

she also looks like Tobias could have fathered her. Spot on casting indeed.

[FozzyBear]

On 11/18/2019 at 8:09 PM, Paloma said:

I didn't understand why Anne had a warm relationship with Alice at this point. Anne was calling her Ya-Ya and acting like Alice had been in her life for some time, but didn't they just meet for the first time? I thought Alice was absent from the family (sent to an asylum when Philip was a kid, then living in Greece for many years) for Anne's entire childhood. 

That’s funny. I didn’t actually interpret that as them actually having a close relationship (especially given the way Anne threw her at the reporter later), but as Anne trying to rebel against her father knowing that it would annoy him. I thought we were supposed to believe that they had basically just met but Anne jumped on the chance to irritate her parents a bit. “I just LOVE my grandmother! You know the one you never speak to. She has so many INTERESTING stories. Just fascinating. Anyway, let’s sell off the castle the buy her more nun habits and cigarettes. No, we can’t legally? Well, I had no idea. Poo. Oh well,off to my interview. Don’t want to be late. That wouldn’t be very down to earth of me.”

[Deskisamess]

On 11/22/2019 at 7:56 AM, Eeksquire said:

I couldn't even watch the whole episode - I turned it off halfway through. I guess I'll try and struggle through the rest tonight.  I suspected I'd be disappointed by this season because, while I realize this is a terribly unpopular opinion, Olivia Coleman just doesn't do it for me.

I couldn't agree more. I usually really like her, but she is miscast here IMO. She looks too old, too heavy, and too sour. Claire Foy managed to keep her expression "flat" without looking grim and totally unhappy. OC isn't managing it.

The Queen was 43 in 1969, OC looks at least 10 years older than that, mostly I think because of that sour dour look on her face. QE was a beautiful woman in 1969.

It's ruined the show for me, every time she is on screen. 

[AnnieBananie]

On 11/17/2019 at 6:45 PM, Mindthinkr said:

I missed having a follow up at the end of what became of Princess Alice. 

This is certainly an episode that would have benefited from a Black Screen of Information for those of us who are underinformed - how much longer she lived (was it all in the Palace?), some broader notes on her achievements and those she helped. 

One thing I had hoped they would mention in a BS of I:

Spoiler

Princess Alice has been bestowed with a rare honor, as one who is Righteous Among Nations by Yad Vashem, in Israel, a non-Jew who helped save Jews during the Holocaust. The Princess kept her actions a secret for decades.

 

[RedbirdNelly]

I really enjoyed this episode--especially the scene at the end with the walk in the garden. 

[wmdekooning]

On 11/20/2019 at 4:11 PM, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

It's a measure of how well cast she is that with zero introduction, we (the viewers) take one look and say "Oh, it's Anne."

The actress playing her looks like she's either Tobias Menzies' daughter or they CGI-ed his face on a young woman's body...

[JudyObscure]

I loved this episode and watched the, "The Queen's Mother-in-law," suggested here, afterward.  What a wonderful woman Princess Alice was.  I agree that her deafness probably was only partial, or improved over time, for her to be able to speak and read lips so well, in any case she managed her hearing problems brilliantly. 

She definitely did have schizophrenia, she heard voices, had  delusions and hallucinations,  -- all the classic symptoms of the disease -- but she may have gradually recovered from the worst of her symptoms as some people do with age and the 1950's to 1960's were when the first anti-psychotic drugs were first being developed to correct the dopamine imbalance in the brain. 

I'm always happy when we see people with the disease on TV who are as admirable as Princess Alice, because the crime dramas never tire of writing schizophrenia patients as serial killers.  I just wish everyone didn't want to insist that she really didn't have it, as though it's impossible to be intelligent or live a meaningful life while having this serious mental illness.  

[Camera One]

This is the first episode in Season 3 I actually liked.  Ironically, I wasn't too fond of the Philip-centrics in Season 1-2, but I actually felt for him in this one.  It was nice to get some humor and lighter moments.  I'm trying to think of this season as a completely different show about the Queen and not a continuation of the characters we saw in the first two seasons.  Though the bigger problem is they still haven't made Elizabeth a likeable multidimensional person after four episodes.  

[Spartan Girl]

On 11/19/2019 at 11:54 AM, tennisgurl said:

I mean, if they wanted a royal family documentary that everyone would love, they should have just filmed the corgis running around the palace doing cute corgi stuff. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d watch the crap out of that! 

My sentiments exactly.

Anne sending out Princess Alice to do the interview was a pretty savvy move. Yeah, you want people to like the royals, illustrate their biggest struggles and accomplishments, don’t try to normalize them.

Glad that Philip came to terms with his mother. I get that he had a hard time as a child and his misplaced anger and sadness at being abandoned shaped who he was. I really thought he was going to be pissed at Anne when the article came out, but it actually helped him understand his mother better.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

This one hit home for me.  My mother had some tragedy in her life (not so much as Alice) and there was not a ton of affection from her.  But, there was a huge amount of sacrifice and making dang sure me and my siblings were given great chances at success.  It wasn't until her later years that I had a deeper understanding and appreciation for her - not unlike Philip's late realization.  

Of course Elizabeth, who is supposed to be the ice beyotch, was the one who knew Alice needed to be brought home.  Sure, the Queen was rather unique.  But, she was not completely devoid of love.  Not even close.  Which is why I was angry with the last shot of the ep.

She had just seen an incredibly touching moment for her husband and her remarkable mother-in-law.  It only happened because of Elizabeth Regina.  And we see her sitting there looking cold as ice, never for an instant having smiled at the wonderful moment unfolding below.  Really bad choices, here.  So far, OC is not to standard.

I wonder what became of the sapphire pendant.  

[aghst]

On 11/18/2019 at 5:57 PM, tennisgurl said:

I loved seeing Alice, and reading more about her life has really shown what a tragic and yet incredible life that she led. I am glad that she and Philip had some nice moments, it was very sweet seeing them both acknowledge that they wish things had been different, but it wasnt either of their fault that she wasnt there for Philip when he was growing up and struggling as a child. 

The whole newsroom at The Guardian cheering and shaking hands with reporter guy seemed pretty ridiculous. Like, he wrote a bad review about a documentary, he didnt exactly bust open the Watergate story. This isnt much of an accomplishment. 

Princess Anne was great and its nice that we are expanding on the royal family more, now that time has passed and "the kids" have grown up. 

Loved the Guardian scenes.  That writer took the piss out of the Royals.  The sarcasm was brilliant and showed Philip out of touch asking for more money from the government when the economy overall was struggling.

But he had something of an open mind, was willing to interview Anne and wrote not only an honest account of his interview with Alice but justly lauded the good, selfless things she'd done all her life, without any rancor or bitterness about how she was treated.

In fact this episode might make me actually give The Guardian a donation.

 

[andromeda331]

On 10/17/2023 at 11:05 AM, aghst said:

Loved the Guardian scenes.  That writer took the piss out of the Royals.  The sarcasm was brilliant and showed Philip out of touch asking for more money from the government when the economy overall was struggling.

But he had something of an open mind, was willing to interview Anne and wrote not only an honest account of his interview with Alice but justly lauded the good, selfless things she'd done all her life, without any rancor or bitterness about how she was treated.

In fact this episode might make me actually give The Guardian a donation.

 

I really like that he changed his story after interviewing Alice. I really wish they gave us more scenes with Alice. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by andromeda331