Annika - General Discussion

[Redrum]

15 hours ago, statsgirl said:

I don't get why they didn't just take Morgan off as the trustee since he was clearly abusing his position.

I think there was some family shame involved in that. I was hoping this was gonna be a "well, lets wink and pretend Morgan's dad didn't just admit to murder" moment. Because Morgan was just an ass. 

I admit to kinda liking the subplots with the daughter. For all the bitching the daughter does, she seems to have a good relationship with Annika and Annika seems like a pretty good if weird mom. I'm also liking that the team seems to like Annika. 

The Ibsen stuff was interesting. I admit I am also intrigued as to what the problem is with the grandparents although Annika already revealed they moved back to Norway when she was fifteen and had no issue with her staying in Scotland.

Edited October 31, 2022 by Redrum

[Driad]

Morgan is the name of Annika's daughter, not a murder victim or a murderer (as far as we know).

The body in episode 1.3 was that of Murdo Stirling.

[Dowel Jones]

Gotta love it when Annika and Mike both put down their cups of tea almost in unison.

[AZChristian]

Love Nicola Walker.

Wanted to love this show because she's in it.

But I don't.

But I thought it was interesting to see Paul McGann.  At first glance, I thought he was his brother Stephen . . . and wondered if this was filmed during a Call the Midwife hiatus.  LOL.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

On 10/31/2022 at 2:51 PM, Dowel Jones said:

Gotta love it when Annika and Mike both put down their cups of tea almost in unison.

Lol, I think Annika raised the cup to her mouth, smelled it or took a tiny sip of it and looked like it was horrible. And yes, that was funny as hell, the two put their cups down promptly .

[howiveaddict]

On 10/31/2022 at 6:31 PM, AZChristian said:

Love Nicola Walker.

Wanted to love this show because she's in it.

But I don't.

But I thought it was interesting to see Paul McGann.  At first glance, I thought he was his brother Stephen . . . and wondered if this was filmed during a Call the Midwife hiatus.  LOL.

That's why I kept thinking he looked familiar.  I like this show, quirks and all.

[Blackie]

On 10/23/2022 at 6:49 PM, krankydoodle said:

Oh no, sorry! I watched through my PBS subscription on Amazon and didn't realize the finale hadn't aired on tv yet. I'll go back and hide my posts under spoiler tags. Sorry, everyone!

Geez I was thinking PBS was doing some weird editing like the do with CTM.

[krankydoodle]

Apologies again! I thought maybe I was losing my mind and seeing something that wasn't there since no one else seemed to be commenting on it. I was able to watch the whole season back in July on Prime Video's PBS channel and am still surprised it was available to stream that soon if PBS wasn't planning to start airing it until the fall.

[izabella]

May I ask that the people who quoted @krankydoodle's spoiler for the final episode to please delete it or put it under tags?  I was frankly really annoyed to be spoiled on a major plot point from the last minute of the final episode right on the first page of this thread for a new series.  Even though @krankydoodle put the spoiler under tags after the fact, it still shows up in people's quotes.

Edited November 6, 2022 by izabella

[Ceindreadh]

Isn't the site policy that there's no need for spoiler tags if the series has already fully aired and/or streamed?  

[dargosmydaddy]

Plus it's too late to go back and edit. I tried.

[izabella]

If that's the case, then I will stay out of this thread.  Thanks.

[buckboard]

13 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

Isn't the site policy that there's no need for spoiler tags if the series has already fully aired and/or streamed?  

But the series HASN'T fully aired for most viewers.  People with a PBS Passport have access to the entire series, but everyone else is going week to week.  

[statsgirl]

14 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

Isn't the site policy that there's no need for spoiler tags if the series has already fully aired and/or streamed?  

It's easier in a full forum where episodes that haven't been aired in the US have tags saying so so that people can remain unspoiled.

Another way of handling it is to put things under spoilers until it has aired in the US. This is not one of the site rules but a consideration to those in the US who haven't seen the episode yet.

The posters at the Murdoch Mysteries thread, which airs in Canada before it gets to the US, came up with the idea of putting the season and episode number at the start of the thread so that you can see which one it is and then decide whether to read the comment or not.

E.g. for tonight's episode:

Episode 1.4

I didn't get much of a sense of who Cara was as a person and why she behaved the way she did. Was she just an opportunist hitching her wagon to prevailing public opinion and not caring who she hurt?

I like Blair but I can't say the same for her sister although it's early days yet.

"Your plaice or mine?"  Totally cheesy but fun.

The "Making of Annika" section talked about Annika breaking the third wall and talking to the audience as if she was talking to another detective trying to work things out i.e. making the audience a participant on the show.

[Dowel Jones]

4 hours ago, statsgirl said:

"Your plaice or mine?"  Totally cheesy but fun.

I'm glad you posted that because I was completely lost!  Especially since the result was the same.

[Redrum]

Does Annika know that Morgan is bi/gay? I was noticing that Morgan's moments with girls are never around Annika.

Am I wrong in thinking Morgan is gay/bi?

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Morgan is at that age where she's  just trying to figure what she likes.

[Daff]

On 11/7/2022 at 12:33 AM, statsgirl said:

It's easier in a full forum where episodes that haven't been aired in the US have tags saying so so that people can remain unspoiled.

Even that’s not reliable as the “unaired” tag seems to remain past the air date. 

On 11/7/2022 at 10:51 AM, Redrum said:

Does Annika know that Morgan is bi/gay? I was noticing that Morgan's moments with girls are never around Annika.

Am I wrong in thinking Morgan is gay/bi?

That wasn’t a “friend” kiss goodbye in the morning. Frankly, I think she’s trying to figure out who she is, and like most teens, doesn’t want to do that under close scrutiny. 

[Daff]

On 11/7/2022 at 5:15 AM, Dowel Jones said:

I'm glad you posted that because I was completely lost!  Especially since the result was the same.

But sad that it was a PUN that changed her mind about taking the date further. 

On 11/6/2022 at 1:10 PM, izabella said:

If that's the case, then I will stay out of this thread.  Thanks.

And it’s not the same, coming back later, because the draw is all about what we all just experienced.

[Driad]

On 11/7/2022 at 12:33 AM, statsgirl said:

"Your plaice or mine?"  Totally cheesy but fun.

And the closed caption spelled "plaice" correctly too.  But the closed captions fail when someone speaks another language; they just say "Speaking Norwegian" or whatever.  I'd like to know what the character says, although usually the gist is pretty clear.  (Maybe the closed caption people thought there would be open captions for other languages, which there should be.)

Edited November 8, 2022 by Driad

[Daff]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

And the closed caption spelled "plaice" correctly too.  But the closed captions fail when someone speaks another language; they just say "Speaking Norwegian" or whatever.  I'd like to know what the character says, although usually the gist is pretty clear.  (Maybe the closed caption people thought there would be open captions for other languages, which there should be.)

Sometimes there are, but your device’s cc will appear on top of the foreign language translation. Usually you can only see the last couple words of a sentence. 

[12catcrazy]

On 11/7/2022 at 5:15 AM, Dowel Jones said:

I'm glad you posted that because I was completely lost!  Especially since the result was the same.

Could somebody explain the joke (pun) to me please?  I still don't get it.  

[statsgirl]

They had just been to see an exhibition about fish since Jake had already seen the bridge part of the exhibit. The plaice/place was a bad pun, but it got Annika interested.

[Dowel Jones]

Plaice is a type of European flatfish.  I had no idea until Statsgirl spelled it out and I could look it up.

[Daff]

14 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

Plaice is a type of European flatfish.  I had no idea until Statsgirl spelled it out and I could look it up.

If I can add, I believe the infamous “fish and chips” popular in England is plaice. Also, the roadway restaurants you read about in novels always serve plaice and “mushy peas” (no resemblance to our peas-they’re marrowfat peas, high in protein). 
 

To tell you the truth, I believe he quickly backpedaled on the spot with the pun when he (therapist, after all) perceived Annika’s hesitancy. 

[zoey1996]

6 hours ago, Daff said:

If I can add, I believe the infamous “fish and chips” popular in England is plaice. Also, the roadway restaurants you read about in novels always serve plaice and “mushy peas” (no resemblance to our peas-they’re marrowfat peas, high in protein). 
 

To tell you the truth, I believe he quickly backpedaled on the spot with the pun when he (therapist, after all) perceived Annika’s hesitancy. 

I've had plaice in a fish and chips shop, but they also offer cod as well as other fish, and I prefer the cod. DD prefers plaice. Their peas are very much like ours, but that may be a nod to foreigners not familiar with their mushy peas.

[Daff]

21 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

I've had plaice in a fish and chips shop, but they also offer cod as well as other fish, and I prefer the cod. DD prefers plaice. Their peas are very much like ours, but that may be a nod to foreigners not familiar with their mushy peas.

Plaice and mushy peas is a dish often mentioned in Martha Grimes novels.  When I first read it, I almost gagged, as all I could think of were the horrible canned peas here. I was 9 before I ever had a pea out of a pod! I was pleasantly surprised. My friends who were children in England told me what the mushy peas really were. 

[sempervivum]

I think at least half of the most recent episode was spent on Annika's and her daughter's romantic issues. Not interested.

[janeta]

So can Annika not swim or something? How come what's his name is always the one ending up in the water?

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Possibly because  he's(DS Tyrone) is possibly 15/ years younger than Annika and  way more athletic  ? Besides , Annika is the DI. 

[proserpina65]

10 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Possibly because  he's(DS Tyrone) is possibly 15/ years younger than Annika and  way more athletic  ? Besides , Annika is the DI. 

Exactly.  The boss doesn't jump in if there's a subordinate who can do it, especially one who's more athletic..  (In real life, Jamie Sives is only 3 years younger than Nicola Walker but I'm not sure what the age difference is supposed to be on the show.)

[dargosmydaddy]

23 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Possibly because  he's(DS Tyrone) is possibly 15/ years younger than Annika and  way more athletic  ?

It was Michael who jumped in the water, not Tyrone.

I found that whole scene kind of odd, mainly because of Annika's very understated reaction... The woman went up in flames, and seemed like she would have been severely burned even in the small amount of time it took Michael to react. Heck, I think there was a good chance Michel would have suffered not-exactly-minor burns during their descent off the side of the boat. But Annika basically looked at them and shrugged, and we didn't get any kind of follow up, so I guess they were fine?

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Lol, wow, how did any of us ever get through our teen years without a lawsuit? 

[LisaM]

I just watched the entire series for the second time. (Saw it originally on Amazon Prime when it was first released.) I really enjoyed it. Nicola Walker is one of my favorite actresses and it was very nice to see her in a happier/more humorous role than she usually plays. I liked hearing her thoughts via breaking the fourth wall. Also liked the entire team (although Tyrone will always be the shrink from Blindspot for me). 

Going to Glasgow in April so I was thrilled with the location shots. Looking forward to Season 2. 

[sempervivum]

These 'seasons' are so short that I barely feel connected to the characters. I don't know when the next one will show up on PBS (for me), but I doubt I'll remember much about the 'previouslies'. 

Also, really, the bratty daughter had to be the center of attention again?

[Driad]

I enjoyed this, although I agree the daughter got too much air time.  (At least she wasn't kidnapped.)  One hopes that a single parent with a dangerous job would have made provisions for her child "just in case," say 16 years ago.

[buttersister]

Quote

One hopes that a single parent with a dangerous job would have made provisions for her child "just in case," say 16 years ago.

They made Annika look foolish for the sake of a reveal we've been expecting all season.

Edited November 22, 2022 by buttersister

[statsgirl]

Annika being so cool locked in the truck and thinking that she should have made provisions for her daughter doesn't seem out of character to me. She's been very rejecting of help, from her parents who she appears to have an antagonistic relationship with, and from 'outsiders' as she doesn't appear to have close friends.  When you're young-ish and healthy, you think that you will live forever, or at least until Morgan becomes an adult. This is probably the first time she's been in danger of losing her life and thinking that she should have made plans for Morgan if she does.

I like how the reveal was done. First Annika sees Michael at home and what a good family life he has. Then they have a fight about his brother followed by a sort-of peace. At the bar, they talk about how they used to fight and that they got over it, to which she replies that they can't solve fights that way now (i.e. presumably by sex since he's married now). He asks if Morgan ever talks to her father. Annika replies that they don't, followed by a line to the audience that they are talking to each other now.

I'm glad that this show is going to have a second season. I like the self-deprecating humour and the laid back attitude of the team and the show. And I like the bits of trivia that it throws at me.  Twelfth Night is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays (and no, Orsino never threatened to kill Olivia's other lover, that was something Annika made up to tell the killer.)

But I really, really don't want Annika and Michael to have an affair or for his marriage to end.

[Driad]

In an early episode, Michael mentioned the ages of his children.  Was one of them older than Morgan?

[Dowel Jones]

2 hours ago, statsgirl said:

Annika being so cool locked in the truck...

Especially what with the cameraman and the sound tech scrunched in there with her.  🤪

[statsgirl]

3 hours ago, Driad said:

In an early episode, Michael mentioned the ages of his children.  Was one of them older than Morgan?

I don't think so. IIRC Annika was surprised to learn that he had married.

[dargosmydaddy]

4 hours ago, Driad said:

In an early episode, Michael mentioned the ages of his children.  Was one of them older than Morgan?

I wondered this, too. I don't know that he mentioned specific ages, but there was a conversation they had about Morgan going to therapy where it seemed like Michael had teenagers, too, and it was almost like Annika was asking his advice because he had more experience. So now I'm wondering if he cheated on his wife when Morgan was conceived. I hope not because I want to continue to like Michael, but it would make more sense as to why Annika didn't tell him, and why Michael doesn't question whether he's Morgan's father (because he really doesn't want to know).

If he wasn't married-- yay, I can continue to like Michael-- I question why Annika didn't tell him (Ok I kind of get it, because Annika's Annika, but still...), and I majorly question how the news of Annika's pregnancy/ child didn't get back to Michael and why he couldn't immediately do the math... Like, he seems not to suspect at all, so did Annika outright lie to him and say he's not the father? Yikes. And the fact that Annika chose to take this job that would bring her back into Michael's orbit (I'm forgetting if she actually knew he'd be working for her? I know she got the job over him) seems like she's deliberately playing with fire.

That said, I really enjoyed the series. I found all the characters likeable and engaging (yes, even Morgan), the mysteries weren't paper thin (my main complaint with Miss Scarlet and the Duke), and it had some much needed levity without spiraling into weirdness. I'll definitely be back for season two!

[dargosmydaddy]

OK, I went back to the transcript of episode one, and Michael does say his kids' ages-- 8, 10, and 12. So presumably no extramarital affair. Yay!

Makes it even harder for me to believe that he had no inkling of Morgan's existence for...how long?... and that he wouldn't have inquired about her paternity whenever he did find out about her.

[statsgirl]

Annika left Glasgow for a job elsewhere (Michael said that he should have got the job as head of the team because he has put in his time at MCU in Glasgow while she left). She said in an early episode that it was her decision to have Morgan on her own and not involved the father. If she left before she was showing or maybe before she knew that she was pregnant, he might not have put the dates together or just assumed that the father was from wherever she went to.

When Annika got back to Glasgow to run the unit, the relationship between her and Michael was prickly (the aforementioned resentment that he didn't get the job) so he probably wouldn't be wondering about her personal life and Morgan's father.

[cinsays]

On 11/6/2022 at 10:22 AM, Ceindreadh said:

Isn't the site policy that there's no need for spoiler tags if the series has already fully aired and/or streamed?  

Well, it just was broadcast this week on pbs here in atlanta, so that should not be the policy.

i'm just glad i did not look at this forum until today so i didn't see the spoiler until now.

[dargosmydaddy]

If you're watching a British show and don't want it spoiled, it's best to avoid the threads. Annika originally aired in the UK in August 2021 (so, over a year ago!)... sure, most of us here didn't see it till now, but "no spoiler tags after a series has aired" is a simple policy to abide by.

On 11/23/2022 at 4:24 PM, statsgirl said:

When Annika got back to Glasgow to run the unit, the relationship between her and Michael was prickly (the aforementioned resentment that he didn't get the job) so he probably wouldn't be wondering about her personal life and Morgan's father.

Even if Michael had no inkling of Morgan's existence until Annika came back, you'd think sitting around ON HER BIRTHDAY might trigger the math for him and cause him to go hmmm... Yet judging by his attitude in the final scene (and the very innocent way he brought up her father to Annika), this was not the case. It just seemed very odd to me, unless Annika has outright told him at some point that he's not Morgan's father (which I wouldn't put past her).

Edited November 25, 2022 by dargosmydaddy

[Daff]

52 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

If you're watching a British show and don't want it spoiled, it's best to avoid the threads. Annika originally aired in the UK in August 2021 (so, over a year ago!)... sure, most of us here didn't see it till now, but "no spoiler tags after a series has aired" is a simple policy to abide by.

Even if Michael had no inkling of Morgan's existence until Annika came back, you'd think sitting around ON HER BIRTHDAY might trigger the math for him and cause him to go hmmm... Yet judging by his attitude in the final scene (and the very innocent way he brought up her father to Annika), this was not the case. It just seemed very odd to me, unless Annika has outright told him at some point that he's not Morgan's father (which I wouldn't put past her).

You give the man too much credit for seeing beyond the length of his nose, as most men don’t (being a detective notwithstanding)! And, when Annika finally gets around to telling him, he’ll probably be outrageously angry that she didn’t tell him from the start. 

[Corvino]

Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night did, in fact, threaten to kill not Olivia's actual other lover, Sebastian, but Cesario, the "boy" Olivia had fallen for who was actually Viola, Sebastian's twin sister, in disguise. Orsino erroneously thought Cesario had betrayed him. Annika was right in saying he (very temporarily) threatened to kill the person he loved rather than let another have them, but he didn't realize yet that Cesario/Viola was the person he really loved. All this was too complicated for Annika to convey to a murderer crazed with rage and regret from the trunk of the car as he drove to his death, so I excuse her inaccuracy.

So I saw the last episode last Sunday night and (being with two loquacious friends, and in a postprandial food coma) missed the last line. I just rewatched it and said "WHOA!!" I then came here, for the first time, to see if I'd understood right, and got the unfortunate reveal of Morgan's paternal parentage on the first page. So it's confirmed; I did understand right. I'm glad I wasn't spoiled; it really worked for me.

I too love that Nicola Walker is playing someone cheerful, and I love her fourth-wall breaking. Like Shakespeare and Hathaway, which has referenced a Shakespeare work in each episode, the episodes here don't always chime with the literary classic she tells us each week, but it's fun to look for parallels.

[nara]

I am obsessed with this show… from “call me Annika” and the Moby Dick references to the last line in the series/season, which literally caused me to emit a high pitched squeal. 
 

I love the actors, the breaking of the 4th wall, the sulky teen.

[nara]

On 11/25/2022 at 9:59 AM, dargosmydaddy said:

Even if Michael had no inkling of Morgan's existence until Annika came back, you'd think sitting around ON HER BIRTHDAY might trigger the math for him and cause him to go hmmm... Yet judging by his attitude in the final scene (and the very innocent way he brought up her father to Annika), this was not the case. It just seemed very odd to me, unless Annika has outright told him at some point that he's not Morgan's father (which I wouldn't put past her).

Assuming there is a second season, he may think about the timing. It was a very rough day after all…

The sad thing is that he has turned out to be a great dad and Annika often relies on him as a sounding board and advisor on parenting.

On 11/15/2022 at 9:55 PM, janeta said:

So can Annika not swim or something? How come what's his name is always the one ending up in the water?

Michael is introduced in the first episode as the diver of the team.