S01.E04: The Wounded Wolf

[AnimeMania]

Fifteen years earlier, Trafford witnesses a violent massacre in America which triggers another tragedy across the ocean in England setting the course of Eli and Cornelia’s destiny.

Premiere Date: November 10, 2022

[pasdetrois]

This episode lost me a bit. The bad guys were cartoonish, especially Rafe Spall chewing the scenery. The supposed southern accents were too exaggerated.

I was confused by what happened in Cornelia's drawing room. Was she raped by Melmont? Or did he just overpower her in order to steal the money? The writers took care to emphasize that Cornelia was alone in the house (except for the piano tuner), setting her up for villainy. They also mentioned visiting a bawdy house.

I appreciated Clarke (Gary Farmer) mentioning that nothing would grow on his allotted land, thus the thievery. Indians were expected to have a functional farm 25 years after receiving their allotment of land, and to be able to start paying taxes. If not, they lost the land and it was sold to non-Indians.

I also appreciated that Cornelia's attack and the Chalk River massacre were not portrayed visually.

Edited November 29, 2022 by pasdetrois

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, pasdetrois said:

Was she raped by Melmont?

Yes.

That's how she got syphilis.

[Rickster]

27 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

Yes.

  Reveal spoiler

That's how she got syphilis.

I wondered, given their differences in social class, why Cornelia couldn’t have had Melmont immediately arrested and make the charges stick. Perhaps she was too traumatized. Of course, if she had, then we wouldn’t have a show.

[dubbel zout]

I think her family wouldn't want the attack made public. Even as an aristocrat, Cornelia would be subject to a lot of nasty gossip and innuendo. 

[Kirsty]

I just watched this one. I found it a little hard to follow because while I recognise the face of Thomas Trafford, I didn't know his name. So it took me a while to figure out who was being discussed! But ultimately it was shocking.

Melmont raping Cornelia fit with everything else we had seen of him until then. He seems like a sociopath. So he came hoping to scam a fortune out of Cornelia, and as she was alone and unprotected, he took the opportunity to rape her as well.

Ciaran Hinds' character was about to rob her and rape her also, in the first episode.

On 11/28/2022 at 2:35 PM, pasdetrois said:

I also appreciated that Cornelia's attack and the Chalk River massacre were not portrayed visually.

Agreed.

Crikey, that is some backstory to introduce at this point in the show.

Edited December 3, 2022 by Kirsty

[Quickbeam]

I am completely 100% lost. My spouse and I watched this and came away with different conclusions. I know she was raped and impregnated (or appeared pregnant in the last scenes) but I have no clue what the episode was about. My spouse missed the rape completely. 
 

is this a case of needing to read the book first? Because We loved the show up to this episode and now we’re in the fog. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by Quickbeam
More confusion

[Fellaway]

3 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

I am completely 100% lost. My spouse and I watched this and came away with different conclusions. I know she was raped and impregnated (or appeared pregnant in the last scenes) but I have no clue what the episode was about. My spouse missed the rape completely. 
 

is this a case of needing to read the book first? Because We loved the show up to this episode and now we’re in the fog. 

I missed a lot of points, too, during my first watch, so I started a re-watch, which has definitely made some things clearer. I'm not sure binge watching this show is a good thing or not, but re-watching is definitely recommended.

[chediavolo]

Oops wrong episode 

Edited December 18, 2022 by chediavolo

[paramitch]

This was really riveting and horrifying, if (I agree) occasionally a big confusingly presented.

I really liked Spall as Melmont and think he's a fantastic villain given the story and subtext. We've already seen that this wild place, as viewed by all "the English" seems to inspire or unleash something in them. It is not theirs, it was never meant to be, but they feel this need to corrupt it, ruin it, take it. Which is exactly what Melmont did to poor Cornelia.

I thought Melmont's journey was well presented here -- the way he finds this creepy joy in just going absolutely fucking feral -- because he can. Because he feels this place gives him permission.

It's like all those horrifying behaviors across mankind, from the Coliseum, to enslaved peoples, genocides, concentration camps, war crimes, etc.: Once certain people are given permission to be evil, base, vile, and cruel, they will do so, and revel in it.

So I liked how Melmont presented it -- almost like a religious conversion. It's horrific and disgusting but I thought it was sort of fascinating and well-acted. I've seen Spall in other stuff but found him unrecognizable here -- I didn't recognize him at all. I thought he was fantastic.

But poor Cornelia!

What was especially horrible to me was the fact that Melmont raped, brutalized, and robbed Cornelia, then came downstairs -- and stood there for a full minute or so to listen to the piano tuner play Dvorjak. I mean, it's just so cold and calm and scary.

I was confused at times here too on some of the supporting players and timeline -- there were a lot of really grubby mustachioed guys being all icky and ornery and yeah, it was a little hard to keep them straight.

Also -- the show's use of current/pop music is interesting. It's weird but I like it. I'm a fan of anachronistic music if it says the right things for the moment.

Edited June 17, 2023 by paramitch