Vienna Blood - General Discussion

[ComeWhatMay]

As usual, no fanfare for Vienna Blood as with the other two shows returning the same night. 

Returning January 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET

[bluestocking]

18 hours ago, ComeWhatMay said:

As usual, no fanfare for Vienna Blood as with the other two shows returning the same night. 

Returning January 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET

Good news!  I think there's one of the original books that they haven't used yet.  Interesting to see that both of our hero's love interests return, but the announcement features his former fiancee.  

[statsgirl]

1 hour ago, bluestocking said:

Interesting to see that both of our hero's love interests return, but the announcement features his former fiancee.  

Maybe they agree with me that she is the more interesting.

Having seen Mathew Beard as the gay lover in Magpie Murders, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get that character out of my mind. It seems a much better fit for the actor.

[Zella]

5 hours ago, bluestocking said:

I think there's one of the original books that they haven't used yet. 

I think there are two they've not adapted (Deadly Communion/Vienna Twilight and Death and the Maiden). Based on the brief season summary, I'm wondering if they're adapting one of them, but I cannot for the life of me remember which of the remaining books has that plot point. LOL And I think one of the other summaries could be an updated twist on one of the unadapted books. 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Zella

[bluestocking]

17 hours ago, Zella said:

I think there are two they've not adapted (Deadly Communion/Vienna Twilight and Death and the Maiden). Based on the brief season summary, I'm wondering if they're adapting one of them, but I cannot for the life of me remember which of the remaining books has that plot point. LOL And I think one of the other summaries could be an updated twist on one of the unadapted books. 

Does one of the not-yet-adapted books have a Chinese antiquities plot?  (That's one of the plot points mentioned in the Season 3 summary.)

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, bluestocking said:

Does one of the not-yet-adapted books have a Chinese antiquities plot?  (That's one of the plot points mentioned in the Season 3 summary.)

Nope that's the one that baffled me. I honestly have no memory of that in any of the books, though it was this spring when I read them.

Spoiler

I'm wondering if the cinema plot is a slight update on Death of a Maiden, which is about an opera starlet's murder. There is also a book that involves a society dressmaker, and I wondered if that was what the luxury fashion house was referencing. I am wondering if that is the un-adapted Vienna Twilight book but honestly cannot remember. If it is, that would cover both of the books not currently used in the series. 

[LGraves65]

Having watched all three episodes of Season 3, I am confused by one thing.  (I'll put it  in spoiler tags because only the first episode has aired in the UK even though all three are available via streaming.)

Spoiler

Amelia isn't in any episodes, even though she's mentioned in the article above.  No mention of her is made at all.

[bluestocking]

On 11/30/2022 at 2:35 PM, Zella said:

Nope that's the one that baffled me. I honestly have no memory of that in any of the books, though it was this spring when I read them.

  Reveal spoiler

I'm wondering if the cinema plot is a slight update on Death of a Maiden, which is about an opera starlet's murder. There is also a book that involves a society dressmaker, and I wondered if that was what the luxury fashion house was referencing. I am wondering if that is the un-adapted Vienna Twilight book but honestly cannot remember. If it is, that would cover both of the books not currently used in the series. 

Works for me.  Never a big fan of that character.  Would that be a deviation from the books?

[Zella]

1 hour ago, bluestocking said:

Would that be a deviation from the books?

Are you asking about what LGraves posted? Because if so, in the books,

Spoiler

Max's and Amelia's relationship is a lot more thoughtful and is developed throughout the books. I think Max in the series often comes off like a creepy asshole toward her. Like, I can't emphasize enough how much I hate their relationship in the TV show. In the books, he is very concerned about taking advantage of her and not ruining their friendship, and they clearly have a great intellectual rapport. It's easy to see why they're so taken with each other since they're always yammering on about music and science fiction and research together. It takes an eternity for them to even express affection for each other, let alone start a relationship. Honestly, it's quite charming in a very nerdy way. Clara is also basically a nonentity in the books after he breaks things off with her, and it's much less to do with Amelia than him realizing they're clearly not well suited for each other. I think he sees her once. So, yes, what we've been shown on the TV show is quite different, as well as what is being indicated about season 3. 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Zella

[bluestocking]

@Zella  I found this article previewing Season 3, which says that the character has returned to England.

A Sneak Peek at Season 3 of 'Vienna Blood' with the Actors and Crew | WTTW Chicago

[Zella]

16 minutes ago, bluestocking said:

@Zella  I found this article previewing Season 3, which says that the character has returned to England.

A Sneak Peek at Season 3 of 'Vienna Blood' with the Actors and Crew | WTTW Chicago

Very interesting!

[zoey1996]

I’m in the UK now and watched the first episode. Glad it’s back!

[HoodlumSheep]

Did the first episode just suddenly end right after the fashion lady describes the suspect to Oskar??? Like I can't tell if that's where they decided to split the first part of the season or what. It was weird. Time slot issues?

No Amelia; she should stay away for her own good. She deserves better than Max. So does Clara, but it seems like we aren't quite done with her yet. Congrats on the new job though. Good for her.

Did the coroner get an assistant or was she in one of the previous episodes already?

Archivist lady! Never disappoints.

Edited January 9, 2023 by HoodlumSheep

[Driad]

11 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Did the first episode just suddenly end right after the fashion lady describes the suspect to Oskar??? Like I can't tell if that's where they decided to split the first part of the season or what. It was weird. Time slot issues?

The beginning of the episode had the title "Deadly Communion Part 1."  IIRC, most of the episodes in the first two seasons were two-parters.

Glad to have this series back.  After seeing the "Max" actor play two characters in "Magpie Murders" I keep waiting for him to do something unexpected.

I'm particularly enjoying Vienna's architecture.

[HoodlumSheep]

@Driad

I just don't remember the episodes ending as abruptly as this one in particular. Oskar barely finished his sentence before it cut out. Terrible editing imo.

 

[Zella]

11 minutes ago, HoodlumSheep said:

@Driad

I just don't remember the episodes ending as abruptly as this one in particular. Oskar barely finished his sentence before it cut out. Terrible editing imo.

 

I've always watched them through streaming as combined episodes, but to the best of my knowledge, they'd always have a really clear scene ending and musical cue that told me roughly at what point the episodes were divided and aired. I also can't remember any of them that cut off a character speaking like that or interrupted a scene. How annoying!

[ComeWhatMay]

So glad the show is back. It’s a visual delight from settings to costuming. I preordered the DVD before I went to bed last night (March 21 release, iirc) and am looking forward to next week. I watch as it airs. I do wish the episodes were aired intact and not split over two weeks. 

Argh, Max. A “flirtation,” you say? Good grief. Grow up. 

Amelia 2.0 did the smart thing for herself getting out of dodge. Clara did the smart and fair thing for both of them letting Jonas go. Love her new occupation. 

[Irlandesa]

I enjoyed last night's episode more than I anticipated.  I'm especially thrilled that it appears as, once again, Max has lost his boring love interests yet Clara is still around. 

I love Clara.  Given the books likely go a different way, I wasn't expecting her to keep surviving but since they lost the original actress love interest (Amelia) after the first season, created a new/similar character (Lydia) but lost her too after the second, it's smart to just go with what works for the TV series. I wouldn't call myself a major shipper in this series but it still feels like an unexpected victory.

Now watch and we lose her if there's a fourth season. 

I'm assuming the rest of the series is on PBS Passport.  I'll probably watch there since splitting the three episodes into six episodes is going to be weird.  I understand why they've done it but still....

[12catcrazy]

Watched Ep 1 last night and enjoyed it although found the ending very abrupt.

Looks like Max has moved out of Mom & Dad's house and now has his own place.   Kind of startled by all of the white interiors - was that a new decorating trend in Vienna at that time period?   Also the fashion designer's dresses would have been considered very outre to say the least at that time.   I kept thinking her clothing reminded me of something that Elizabeth Taylor wore during her fat period.  Artistic Caftans.  The French fashion designer Paul Poiret is credited today as the designer who "liberated" women from corsets. His pre-Twenties dresses may look odd to us now (probably looked odder back then) but not as odd as the tv designer's dresses.   I guess that the "medicine" she is using is inspiring her fashion sense.  

And yeah, it's hard to watch Max and not think of the actor's dual role in "Magpie Murders".  

[dargosmydaddy]

1 hour ago, 12catcrazy said:

And yeah, it's hard to watch Max and not think of the actor's dual role in "Magpie Murders".  

Where the actor who played his father on Vienna Blood played his lover...

[Irlandesa]

On 1/11/2023 at 4:36 PM, 12catcrazy said:

And yeah, it's hard to watch Max and not think of the actor's dual role in "Magpie Murders".  

I recognized the actor on the Magpie Murders but I couldn't quite place him until I looked him up on IMDb.  Luckily, I don't have overlap confusion.

[Driad]

In part 1, I considered looking up "skeevy" in the dictionary to see if they had a picture of the photographer.

The man who worked at the funeral home (in part 2) wasn't Max's compulsive handwashing patient from part 1, was he?

[statsgirl]

8 minutes ago, Driad said:

The man who worked at the funeral home (in part 2) wasn't Max's compulsive handwashing patient from part 1, was he?

I think the handwashing patient had a beard.

I think the show has found a good footing this season. Last season it seemed to be flailing around a bit. It feels like the actor playing Max is more comfortable now. And I'm glad that Clara is still around seems to be in a good place in her life.  

When I saw the little girl at the home of the woman who thanked Oskar, I thought Oh, oh, he's going to be a goner having lost his own daughter.

I love the setting and all the art deco furniture. If I ever get the money, Vienna is going to be at the top of my itinerary.

[bluestocking]

I wish we had a "compare the book and the show" thread for Vienna Blood.

I just finished reading the first book now, and my heavens they have changed so much!  I won't mention plot deviations, but re the characters:  Clara has a whole family--parents, sister, brother, sister-in-law and two toddler nephews.  And Rheinhardt has an intact family--wife and two daughters.  

Also I thought in the show it was mentioned that the Liebermanns were originally British and had moved to Vienna?  Did I imagine that?  In the book they are entirely Viennese.  

I need to watch Season 1 again--it seems I missed a LOT of the plot

 

 

[Driad]

"The God of Shadows" part 1: Guessing that the two cases (the robberies involving lacquered cabinets, and the disturbed veteran) will be connected, but how?

A lighter moment in the serious scene with Max and the patient in the mental hospital. The patient said something like "They treat me like a rabid animal" and Max offered him water, which he drank. Rabies was sometimes called hydrophobia because infected animals and people developed throat spasms and became afraid to drink.

[mjc570]

I don't really have much to say beyond how much I like this show.  I do have two comments about this particular episode: (1) Since both cabinets look Chinese, I assume that is the tie-in to the Boxer Rebellion flashbacks.  Not sure what they contain, though, perhaps pieces of an incriminating letter?  

(2) while I like to see Reinhardt enjoying himself, I thought he was married and had a daughter who had died?  

[milkyaqua]

On 1/18/2023 at 6:20 AM, bluestocking said:

I wish we had a "compare the book and the show" thread for Vienna Blood.

I just finished reading the first book now, and my heavens they have changed so much!  I won't mention plot deviations, but re the characters:  Clara has a whole family--parents, sister, brother, sister-in-law and two toddler nephews.  And Rheinhardt has an intact family--wife and two daughters.  

Also I thought in the show it was mentioned that the Liebermanns were originally British and had moved to Vienna?  Did I imagine that?  In the book they are entirely Viennese.  

I mentioned this in another thread re: books, it can be jarring to compare the books and show but it's really not unusual.  A lot of us have seen Bones and those who've read the books know how far those differ.  But even shows like Rizzoli and Isles or even older ones like Perry Mason or Mike Hammer.

I'm okay with Clara having her own life but I'm not sure I'll like it if they try and make her and Max the endgame.

[Driad]

Did the disturbed veteran have a gun in his room? Even though it was unloaded, it would have made a good club if he wanted to attack someone.

[kaygeeret]

I was horrified when the guys discovered the hidden room and the mask used to terrorize the patient who committed suicide.

But so far this mystery is a mystery to me.  Who gains from this poor veteran's horrors and why would any medical facility be so cruel.  

The writing on this show is very, very good.

Can't wait for next week when we find out and the guilty are punished.

 

[Dowel Jones]

I felt really badly for that coachman, waiting out there in the rain until Reinhardt finally told him to go home.

Oh, and the "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar..."  You had to go there, eh?

Edited January 24, 2023 by Dowel Jones

[statsgirl]

On 1/24/2023 at 2:19 AM, Dowel Jones said:

I felt really badly for that coachman, waiting out there in the rain until Reinhardt finally told him to go home.

Oh, and the "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar..."  You had to go there, eh?

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. 😉

I thought the Reingardt told the coachman to stable the horse, and then lied to the doctor that the coachman said the rain made it impossible to return home that night. (Poor coachman, really the low man on the totem pole.)

I'm enjoying the season much more than the previous two. They appear to have found a good rhythm.

On 1/23/2023 at 12:53 PM, mjc570 said:

 while I like to see Reinhardt enjoying himself, I thought he was married and had a daughter who had died?  

I seem to remember that his wife left him because she could not get over the death of their daughter.

[Tardislass]

I'm loving this series and I got my parents watching it too. I'm also glad that Max is not with either woman as he tends to be better as a single man. And as an Oskar fangirl, may he finally get some loving!

I'd had to laugh at Max's family butting in his business. Very real.

[Tardislass]

Can someone tell me what happened to the Chinese bar/opium den owner? Did she leave with the treasure? Why did Oskar just let her go? Based on her comments, I"m surprised our duo didn't piece her involvement in getting the treasure.I think I missed a scene somewhere.

And a nice homage to The Third Man(again) with the villain running hurt in the sewers. The writers must default to the Harry Lime character whenever they need an ending for a villain. First the ferris wheel, now the sewers.

I hope Max's sister Leah can play a bigger part in the mysteries. She seems rather a fun character and certainly better matched with our duo than the boring Clara with the on/off relationship. Plus I've loved the actress since her days on Ripper Street as Rose.

[DonnaMae]

Did Oskar know exactly what the treasure was, that it was diamonds?  He probably didn't realize that the bar owner had it.

[Tardislass]

On 1/31/2023 at 6:53 PM, DonnaMae said:

Did Oskar know exactly what the treasure was, that it was diamonds?  He probably didn't realize that the bar owner had it.

I'm guessing they both thought the treasury was in lost in the river. 

Happy to see there is one more episode left. Hoping that the BBC renews it again as I love me some Max/Oskar and I can hope that Clara finds another beau. I like her as an asset to the cases but they need to stop the pseudo-romance storyline.

[Driad]

I was disappointed that the treasure was diamonds (that looked like ice cubes). I was hoping for a historic artifact carved from a rare type of jade.

[ComeWhatMay]

I was caught up watching the Chiefs and Referees vs. the Bengals debacle on Sunday night and busy with work so just watched the episode last night. ;-) 

Party of one for Max and Clara. I loved their chemistry there at the end. Max seeing what’s been there all along and Clara not making it easy for him. Well done, Clara. 

[Tardislass]

On 2/4/2023 at 11:30 AM, Driad said:

I was disappointed that the treasure was diamonds (that looked like ice cubes). I was hoping for a historic artifact carved from a rare type of jade.

The whole treasure seemed like a MacGuffin. Hopefully BBC will renew this again. The next book in the series seems well tailored for TV.

[HappyHanna]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:16 PM, ComeWhatMay said:

Party of one for Max and Clara. I loved their chemistry there at the end. Max seeing what’s been there all along and Clara not making it easy for him. Well done, Clara. 

Make that a table for two. I am liking this Clara and how she is keeping Max on his toes (maybe she was this way all along? I haven't rewatched, but I did always prefer her to the inappropriate Amelias)

[HoodlumSheep]

Falling a little behind on commenting:

Chinese cabinet ep:

Opium dealer--kind of shocked Oskar & Max didn't suspect her of anything based on how their previous conversation went (how she wished all those dudes would rot). Weird how they just believed her about him falling into the water. The ending wasn't the most satisfying.

Loved the auction scene. Glad to see more of Max's fam this episode. Fun stuff.

Movie star ep pt 1:

I like Clara's new found independence but I'm worried that she might start using Max for stories. Didn't like how she kept pushing him for hints before the released police report. 

Currently suspecting that one assistant (Production crew member?) or whoever they were that was hanging around the actress.

Every season I need a refresher on what happened to Leah's kids/husband. Seeing her surrounded by all those men made me think of them. I can never remember.

[Tardislass]

12 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Falling a little behind on commenting:

Chinese cabinet ep:

Opium dealer--kind of shocked Oskar & Max didn't suspect her of anything based on how their previous conversation went (how she wished all those dudes would rot). Weird how they just believed her about him falling into the water. The ending wasn't the most satisfying.

Loved the auction scene. Glad to see more of Max's fam this episode. Fun stuff.

Movie star ep pt 1:

I like Clara's new found independence but I'm worried that she might start using Max for stories. Didn't like how she kept pushing him for hints before the released police report. 

Currently suspecting that one assistant (Production crew member?) or whoever they were that was hanging around the actress.

Every season I need a refresher on what happened to Leah's kids/husband. Seeing her surrounded by all those men made me think of them. I can never remember.

Leah's husband died in a war(?). Her son is off at boarding school.

[Tardislass]

My random thoughts after part one:

Leah must be the one not wanting to marry as we see that she is more sociable than Max and men enjoy being around her. But your boss and your sister? Poor Max.

Glad to see the writers acknowledge the handsomeness of our police inspector.

Poisonings are usually done by women.

I absolute hate how PBS cuts the episodes in half. Wish they could air the 2 hour BBC version.

[Irlandesa]

On 2/5/2023 at 10:26 PM, HoodlumSheep said:

I like Clara's new found independence but I'm worried that she might start using Max for stories. Didn't like how she kept pushing him for hints before the released police report.

I think she has been 100% clear about what she wants from Max and what she doesn't want so if she's "using" him, she has done so by telling him that's what she's doing.  And he did string her along in the first season while he mooned after his mysterious crush so I don't feel much sympathy for him.

On 2/5/2023 at 10:26 PM, HoodlumSheep said:

Currently suspecting that one assistant (Production crew member?) or whoever they were that was hanging around the actress.

For so much of this episode I suspected the other psychiatrist who treated the actress, especially since it seemed like he performed a miracle cure on her.  I wondered if he hired her to be a walking advertisement for his quick fix. 

[Driad]

The patient who insisted that her arm was not "hers" reminded me of A Leg To Stand On by neurologist Oliver Sacks. "Here the doctor becomes a patient, as Sacks chronicles the mountaineering accident which left him with the uncanny feeling of being 'legless,' raising profound questions of the physical basis of identity."

[Tardislass]

On 2/8/2023 at 4:38 PM, Driad said:

The patient who insisted that her arm was not "hers" reminded me of A Leg To Stand On by neurologist Oliver Sacks. "Here the doctor becomes a patient, as Sacks chronicles the mountaineering accident which left him with the uncanny feeling of being 'legless,' raising profound questions of the physical basis of identity."

The show has made me want to read the books as they are written by a psychiatrist. I feel that the books probably go into more depth with Max's other patients. 

[Zella]

2 hours ago, Tardislass said:

The show has made me want to read the books as they are written by a psychiatrist. I feel that the books probably go into more depth with Max's other patients. 

Yes they do. There is often a thematic connection between the crime he's working and one of his other patients. 

[HoodlumSheep]

On 2/7/2023 at 2:50 AM, Irlandesa said:

For so much of this episode I suspected the other psychiatrist who treated the actress, especially since it seemed like he performed a miracle cure on her.  I wondered if he hired her to be a walking advertisement for his quick fix. 

Nice guess about what's-his-face!

Oof. Poor Oskar at the end :(

The info leaker thing really fizzled out didn't it? Got an offscreen "oh it was one of the younger detectives or whatever." and called it good. What was the point? I had a theory about the leaker being the shady assistant fellow archivist guy that we got shady shots of from time to time. 

I feel like there's a couple of unfinished things that I wonder whether they'll get touched up on.

1. Like I mentioned, that other shady archivist guy we saw in multiple episodes. Never got lines but he was lurking suspiciously. Never learned his deal.

2. The pickpocket. Also offscreened (dumped his girl and ran).

 

 

[Irlandesa]

24 minutes ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Nice guess about what's-his-face!

Yes.  I got some of the details wrong but I got the right guy.

[ShelleySue]

On 2/12/2023 at 11:02 PM, HoodlumSheep said:

Oof. Poor Oskar at the end :(

I remember about Oskar's daughter and his wife leaving him (I think twice). But I can't remember if they are divorced or still married. I also can't remember how his daughter died. Can someone please refresh my memory?

 

On 2/7/2023 at 2:50 AM, Irlandesa said:

For so much of this episode I suspected the other psychiatrist who treated the actress, especially since it seemed like he performed a miracle cure on her.  I wondered if he hired her to be a walking advertisement for his quick fix. 

From the beginning of the season I was hoping that something would happen by the end of the season so he'd be gone by the end of the season. I never dreamed that he'd be a murderer though. I had thought that he'd end up being a victim.

[12catcrazy]

I did not see the twist coming about Max's Professor being the murderer; figured that maybe the actress was playing him in some way but hadn't pegged him for the bad guy. 

Guess the show is going to keep trying with the Max/Clara pairing.  Why do they always have to shove the romance down our throats in these Mystery detective shows?   Every time I see "Clara" all I can think about is how she looks like a young Jessica Lange.   And there also seems to be so little chemistry between the actors who play Max and Clara - I can see them as friends or brother and sister but I don't feel any heat there; the relationship feels more of the mind than anything else.  As with all of this stuff, YMMV.                                                                                                                                                                                                         I felt so bad for Oskar at the end.   Why did that woman come on to him when she wasn't entirely "free" to do so and not tell him about her situation.  Really crappy - especially since she had Oskar over to her apartment and he was getting attached to her daughter.   The season ends with the positive for Max & Clara and a disappointed heart for Oscar.   Hopefully, the show gets renewed and we'll see what happens next.