S01.E04: Episode 4

[dcalley]

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Just when John Beecham thinks all is going well, Violet witnesses a scandal and reveals it to someone else. John realizes he has no choice but to reveal the truth about his past, even if it risks the safety of his child. Airing 7/5/2020 @ 10:00 PM

 

[HoodlumSheep]

I don't really care for any of the romances in this show. 

@ the opium confrontation scene: Huzzah! A scene with Mrs. Patmore i actually liked! 

So we finally learn john's backstory...i'd consider it a win with my guess of it being the lady who probably helped nurse him back to health. 

All these secret conversations being held with doors wide open and in large, open spaces where anyone could hear them...

The friend is literally twirling his evil mustache for all to see and young beecham is the only one who suspects anything 😕

[buttersister]

So, unfolding exactly as widely predicted. Okay. The Beecham Boys are still pretty. But oy, that script. Did anyone else find John's FIL's mustache spell-binding, asked the person who doesn't care for facial hair?

Blindspots are a character flaw in lit and movies, but it's been a long time since I've seen a hero with so damn many of them!

[Kabota]

I agree -- the opium confrontation between mother and son was the best all around scene, possibly of the series. It stood out way more to me than the backstory reveal which, for all the secrecy, wasn't hard to figure out. And we know that Baadal at least overheard the story. 

The baby is beautiful, but appears to be maybe 6-10 months old? No idea how old he was supposed to be at the time of his mother's death, but Beecham doesn't seem to have had much time for mourning before falling hard for the governess. 

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, Kabota said:

No idea how old he was supposed to be at the time of his mother's death, but Beecham doesn't seem to have had much time for mourning before falling hard for the governess. 

I think he was at least  a couple of months old so, I agree, it does seem like the mourning period was pretty short.  But I really don't see any chemistry between Beecham and the governess anyway.  He's exchanged, what, a half dozen words with her?  I was actually surprised that they are supposed to be romantically involved.

The brother is a smart kid and sees through the partner as well as his mom's excuses.  I loved it when he had that confrontation with her.   She's no Mrs. Patmore, that's for sure!

[gingerella]

Oy, the poor script, it's just abysmal. The sets and costumes are fabulous and very accurate, but the dialogue is tediously boring and the actual acting out of the dialogue is even worse. All the oooing and ahhhing by the cast and crew on the behind the scenes makes the director sound like she's an Indian Scorcese, and honestly? A director should have known how bad the script was and had it re-written! The worst part is she is the co-creator so she had to know the script was awful. At best, she's good at art direction, sets and costumes. But you can only get so much out of actors if they have a shitty script and/or they are limited in their acting. Sadly Mrs. Patmore seems limited in her acting. And everyone else seems like a caricature of someone.

Last night's epi was particularly confusing in that John made SUCH.A.BIG.DEAL having a sit down with his family and closest friends to tell them this big truth he had been hiding. And yet, he didn't answer or clarify the biggest reason to tell them all that shit - he was doing it to clarify for Margaret (or whatever her name is) vis a vis Chandrika coming to his room late at night. And yet, all we learned was that Chandrika is his late wife's sister. A sister that, according to the opening scene, does indeed have feelings for John and he for her. So what the hell did he actually clarify? A big fat nothing, that's what! How nobody on the team could have picked up that glaring plot hole is beyond me. Unless I missed something minute that you all caught?

[magdalene]

Is anybody else finding the younger brother more interesting than the hero?  I also kind of like the companion of his mother.  Mercenary as she is is.  Maybe it's the actor.

As pretty as the show is the scripts are not up to standards and drag everything down.

[buttersister]

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Unless I missed something minute that you all caught?

Of course! And it will be revealed next week. I'm so kidding and dearly wish I wasn't. You nailed it.

[Suzysite]

On 7/6/2020 at 6:48 PM, gingerella said:

So what the hell did he actually clarify? A big fat nothing, that's what!

Yes, I wanted Margaret to confront John after the family sit-down and say, "So, does this mean your sister-in-law went into your room at night or not?  And why?"     She let it drop way too easily.

[seacliffsal]

If the emperor gave the license to John, why wouldn't John tell the emperor about the diamond?  His loyalty should be to the emperor, not the prince who is obviously hiding things from his father.  John just doesn't seem too bright and more's the shame.  

I also don't understand why they dragged out this "big" mystery.  I think most of us figured out everything during the first episode.  I would have preferred a straight chronological telling of the "mystery" as it took up too much of the series thus far and seems like a lot of wasted time.

Agree with others about the scene between Mrs. Patmore and the younger brother.  Well done.

[Ilovepie]

On 7/6/2020 at 3:48 PM, gingerella said:

So what the hell did he actually clarify? A big fat nothing, that's what!

Thank you! I came here to see if I missed something that explained why the sister in law went to his room. But no.....what a whole lot of nothing!                                        
It’s embarrassing how dumb John looks for his blind trust in his friend.

This show is not great, but it is pretty and I like period drama. 

[magdalene]

I just realized where I know the younger brother from - he had a role in Victoria.  Quite a good actor really.

[Ilovepie]

32 minutes ago, magdalene said:

I just realized where I know the younger brother from - he had a role in Victoria.  Quite a good actor really.

He was also in Sanditon. Another one and done end-on-a-cliffhanger British period piece......

[12catcrazy]

Gosh, is this show a snooze-a thon.  Beautiful sets and costumes but the writing leaves much to be desired.  It's basically a soap opera placed in an exotic locale.  

The hero is tall, dark, and handsome, and a crashing bore and seems as dumb as a box of rocks.  The old lady is a pain in the ass and the only time she seemed "real" was in the intervention scene with the younger son.   And at least the younger son seems interesting and smart, Rounder that he is.  The young nanny - what the hell was she thinking?  Oh, ok, she wasn't - she was a bit 'o fun for the younger brother - not the first girl to learn THAT lesson the hard way (and sure not the last).  And any guesses that she winds up with a baby on the way.?  And the servant who has been mooning after her will marry her to save her honor or some such crap, 'cause that's the level of drama in this show.   Sigh.   Beecham House had potential, but it seems like all the budget went to sets/costumes and very little to to writing dept.    Oh, I have to say that I love the French general.  Now that man is the epitome of the sexy bad guy....