The Duchess Season 1 Discussion

[PWHCHCH]

I take it this for the Katherine Ryan Netflix series, The Duchess. I’m a KR fan so I was really anticipating this. Could have been better. Must say that poor Evan was treated badly. Enjoyed it for the most part. 6/10. 

[DanaMB]

I feel like I need to finish this since I’m on episode 4 and it’s only 6 episodes, but it’s a struggle. The lead is so unlikable. 

Edited September 12, 2020 by DanaMB

[Fake Jan Brady]

21 hours ago, PWHCHCH said:

Must say that poor Evan was treated badly.

The finale really soured me on the season, which I was pretty much enjoying up until that point.

How much money is in the body affirming pottery market? 'Cause that was a giant house Katherine and Olive lived in.

[Oh, and kudos to the girl playing Olive - she's a natural]

[fuzzyreception]

I have a different perception of The Duchess from watching the first two episodes and reading reviews

This show is stuffed with crass one-liners, rude jokes and awkward moments. The very first scene involves Ryan’s semi-autobiographical character (also Katherine Ryan) walking her nine-year-old daughter to school in pyjamas and a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words: “World’s smallest pussy.” When mother and daughter arrive at the school gates, Ryan calls the playground bully “dicks-lexic” and a “tasteless little ditch pig”. Three minutes in and you should already know if Katherine’s no-fucks-given, sharp-tongued anti-hero is for you.

Although her cutting remarks are a frequent highlight of the fast-paced six episodes, The Duchess isn’t just an exercise in doling out scalding hot burns. The story was loosely inspired by Ryan’s own experiences as a single mum, and take us inside the relationship between real-life Katherine and her daughter Olive (Katy Byrne), like a far cruder, less wholesome Gilmore Girls.

Olive wants her mum to have a second child and, committed to the idea that her daughter should have some pals to play with, Katherine begins to explore the idea. Her journey begins in a high-end fertility clinic with a waiting room populated by baby-faced students (“How do any of you even have balls yet?” she hollers at them as she leaves). Eventually, she battles through a gritted-teeth encounter with Olive’s deadbeat dad (and former boyband member) Shep (Rory Keenan) in an alleyway, where she repeatedly yells at him to “cum in my hand!” That scene, in particular, nails one side of The Duchess’ appeal – squirm-in-your-seat awkwardness that’s as hilarious as it is uncomfortable.

When the series progresses, though, it also exposes another side of itself – one that’s full of heart and warmth. Ryan’s narrative is centred around Katherine and Olive’s bond, and the two stars bounce off each other with an ease that feels totally natural. Elsewhere, The Duchess manages to avoid falling into the trap that many other shows with similar themes have done in the past – portraying single parenthood as something tragic and messy. Katherine may not be perfect (far from it), but we never see her looking anything less than glamorous, confident and fiercely independent. It’s a refreshing change.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

17 hours ago, Fake Jan Brady said:

How much money is in the body affirming pottery market? 'Cause that was a giant house Katherine and Olive lived in.

And she was supposedly going to pay Shep 10,000 pounds.

 

[fuzzyreception]

HELLO recently added some fuel to the controversy

One viewer asked: "How can she afford that house and all the unreal clothes?? How’s much are those pots like!?" with Katherine replying: "On Netflix #YOU, how can male barista & librarian Joe Goldberg afford multiple NYC and LA rentals with panic rooms to murder women in? How can the male journalist for a local print newspaper afford a £3M house on the edge of Hampstead Heath in Afterlife?" 

Speaking about her new series, Katherine told Forbes: "I hope viewers will take the message from this show that we’re celebrating family in whatever shape it happens to come in. I love the idea that a woman in any position or situation can find love in an unconventional way and be empowered by that. I also believe a woman doesn’t need a man to be happy."

[Whimsy]

Discuss The Duchess episodes here 

[Keywestclubkid]

Ok I like her stand up but in this series as she is portrayed she is horrible person and in no way do you root for her... There is nothing redeeming really about her, she's selfish at the beginning and remains so through the rest of the show. with no one to really root for it just falls flat from that for me... it comes across as to abrasive especially to the boyfriend who she repeatedly shits on throughout the show, attempts to cheat on, belittles, lies to repeatedly hides things from and mocks...He still sticks by her and yet somehow the show  manages to end up making HIM the bad guy at the end after all the lies and shit she put him trough with no Irony of how ridiculous that is .. I get that people are messy and complicated but that just doesn't work for this show when those messy and complicated people have no growth at all. IF this comes back they need to fix some stuff . did it have funny lines/situations? Yes ...was  there some things that worked? Yes yay she loved her daughter (but having a baby just cause ur kid wants it? treating ur child like a adult who gets to make these decisions was ridiculous and thats not even taking into account every other shit trait she had) and no she doesn’t need a man I understand that but they could have gone a totally different route then shitting on him. Again it’s major flaw is the fact that there was Zero growth for anyone and you actually wanted bad things to happen to her just because of the shit person she was at the end.... it just killed it 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Keywestclubkid
sorry just so many thoughts about this ..ugh

[sskrill]

On 9/15/2020 at 4:15 PM, Keywestclubkid said:

Ok I like her stand up but in this series as she is portrayed she is horrible person and in no way do you root for her... There is nothing redeeming really about her, she's selfish at the beginning and remains so through the rest of the show. with no one to really root for it just falls flat from that for me... it comes across as to abrasive especially to the boyfriend who she repeatedly shits on throughout the show, attempts to cheat on, belittles, lies to repeatedly hides things from and mocks...He still sticks by her and yet somehow the show  manages to end up making HIM the bad guy at the end after all the lies and shit she put him trough with no Irony of how ridiculous that is .. I get that people are messy and complicated but that just doesn't work for this show when those messy and complicated people have no growth at all. IF this comes back they need to fix some stuff . did it have funny lines/situations? Yes ...was  there some things that worked? Yes yay she loved her daughter (but having a baby just cause ur kid wants it? treating ur child like a adult who gets to make these decisions was ridiculous and thats not even taking into account every other shit trait she had) and no she doesn’t need a man I understand that but they could have gone a totally different route then shitting on him. Again it’s major flaw is the fact that there was Zero growth for anyone and you actually wanted bad things to happen to her just because of the shit person she was at the end.... it just killed it 

Ditto all of this.

I really like her, and really looked forward to this.  It took everything I had to make it through all the epsisodes.  I started the series the day it came out - got through 3 episodes and couldn't be bothered to finish.  I finally finished the last 3 tonight and it took a lot to get through them. I would not watch a second season.

The character is irredeemable as is and treated everyone like shit.  She's someone I would seriously dislike irl.

 

[Jehejehehe]

This show is awful. I gave it a chance, and then another chance, and then another. The main character is horrible, and horrible to all the other characters. Maybe I’m missing the comedic style of the lead, but she treats everyone like garbage. I couldn’t help but feel that the lead character has some sort of personality disorder and needs help, ASAP. When psychological help wasn’t any part of the show I didn’t understand what the point was? 
 

If there is a second season I’d only watch it from Evan’s point of view. He was the only character I actually cared about. 

[Keywestclubkid]

Thank GOD this got canceled ...

[Kel Varnsen]

I finally watched this show after it being on my Netflix list since it came out. It was weird. There were a bunch of scenes that made me laugh which I liked. Shep and the boy band getting back together at the wedding was really funny. 

But Katherine being such a terrible person didn't really work. I mean I like shows about bad people, Archer is one of my all time favourite shows. But they never bothered to explain why so many people would just tolerate her terrible behavior. Like even Millie's mom became a closer friend. 

And they could have done a better job explaining how Katherine lives such a great life. It could have been just one line about how instead of child support payments she took like a one time payment from Shep at the height of his boy band career of like 3 million or something. He expected that he would be making money forever and thought it was a deal, but she knew his career was almost over.