S01.E05: The Dogcatcher

[dubbel zout]

Tempers flare at Chevening House, where an unexpected guest's arrival sends Kate and Dennison scrambling for a resolution. Hal makes a new connection.

Drops on Netflix 4/20.

[txhorns79]

I kind of want a series all about Dennison's sister.  She was such a presence and her earring game rocked. 

[dubbel zout]

She's fantastic. I love her no-bullshit attitude.

[Irlandesa]

I had a hard time believing Kate wouldn't know that Dennison's wife died.

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

I had a hard time believing Kate wouldn't know that Dennison's wife died.

I handwaved that as she was named ambassador so quickly she didn't have time to get intel on everybody on the flight over. You'd think she'd read about her UK counterpart first, but I'm okay with her not knowing. 

[A coin in the hand]

Decided to try this series today...and this is the end of Day 1 binge. I f*cking love it. Tomorrow, I will wrap it up. I have alerts on The Americans because Keri Russel is quite singular. 

[IntrovertRed]

11 hours ago, A coin in the hand said:

Decided to try this series today...and this is the end of Day 1 binge. I f*cking love it. Tomorrow, I will wrap it up. I have alerts on The Americans because Keri Russel is quite singular. 

I'm loving it too!  

[merylinkid]

What I did not love was the pond scene.   because in episode 2 Kate said Hal doesn't cheat.  It would make it easier if he did.  

[TVForever]

On 4/28/2023 at 10:50 AM, merylinkid said:

What I did not love was the pond scene.   because in episode 2 Kate said Hal doesn't cheat.  It would make it easier if he did.  

In the weirdness of sexual politics, Hal didn't consider himself cheating. When Dennison's sister made it clear that she was "ready to rumble", Hal told he that he did "everything but cheat". This is after they are already kissing and hugging on each other naked in a pond. Then he went on to (presumably) penetrate her manually, but since it wasn't his penis, it was okay. 

Made me think of an early scene in Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts' character lets Richard Gere's know that she is basically down for anything he wants sexually, but she would not kiss him on the lips. That, apparently, was too intimate, and a step too far.

It's clear that, as roguish as Hal may be, he and Kate are clearly partners. They finish each others' sentences, they eat off of the same plate, etc. 

The point's been made more than once that Hal has a problem with knowing where the boundaries are. Looks like that extends to the boundaries of sexual fidelity too.

[KittyQ]

On 4/30/2023 at 8:07 AM, TVForever said:

In the weirdness of sexual politics, Hal didn't consider himself cheating. When Dennison's sister made it clear that she was "ready to rumble", Hal told he that he did "everything but cheat". This is after they are already kissing and hugging on each other naked in a pond. Then he went on to (presumably) penetrate her manually, but since it wasn't his penis, it was okay. 

I also got the impression that he told her (Dennison's sister) that he didn't get hard for anyone but his wife - he told her to check it out for herself in the water. Later, when he told Kate all about it (!) he said something like, "it acted the way it does with anyone but you".  If my husband did that stuff, even skinny dipping with another woman, I'd be furious, but apparently, they have some kind of "arrangement" or "understanding" similar to what Stuart tried to suggest.

[Kel Varnsen]

I am trying to figure out if when the Prime Minister showed up and said that he was the one who was elected was just to show that he was kind of an idiot, or if it was bad writing. Because in the British parliamentary system the Foreign Secretary would also be an elected member of Parliament just like the PM.

[SlovakPrincess]

I must say, I rolled my eyes at the Hal character / the turbulent marriage stuff in the first episode …. but he’s such a chaotic and amusing and multidimensional character that I weirdly love him now?   I mean, he is legitimately driving his wife insane with his antics and I feel for Kate … but I also am buying that he’s hard to quit even for no-nonsense Kate. That is not easy to make convincing onscreen and Rufus Sewell is selling it.  
 

I love Stuart and I’ve warmed to Eidra but I’m not that invested in their relationship. 
 

Dennison … omg that poor man dealing with Trowbridge all the time.  
 

Dennison’s sister is a fun character, I hope we get more of her.  I love that even while she and Hal were drunk and getting high Hal was still getting useful insights from her about Trowbridge.

[catsitter]

I guess in this universe, neither Margaret Beckett nor Liz Truss (nor any fictional woman) was ever Foreign Secretary, or they would have sorted out the chair issue.

Also, Trowbridge being Prime Minister, he would not be allowed to drive himself anywhere. (For security reasons.)

[cardigirl]

 

On 5/12/2023 at 8:38 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

I am trying to figure out if when the Prime Minister showed up and said that he was the one who was elected was just to show that he was kind of an idiot, or if it was bad writing. Because in the British parliamentary system the Foreign Secretary would also be an elected member of Parliament just like the PM.

I thought the Prime Minister appoints his Cabinet, which is then approved by the Monarch. While the Foreign Secretary would have been elected to Parliament, the role of Foreign Secretary is not elected but appointed by the Prime Minister. 

I kind of like that Trowbridge is shown to have some savvy, even if he's not as informed as Kate. He's a politician, but he also somewhat commanding. They were having a meeting without him. No problem, I'll just show up. And commandeer it. And reiterate that British citizens were killed, and Britain is being used as a pawn, either by Russia or Iran (in his mind up 'til now) and now he's demanding action. I get it. 

His cabinet may be concerned he's trying to lead the world into a nuclear war, he's concerned with not showing enough strength. His talk about how all the sanctions that were levelled on Russia for invading the Ukraine did very little to stop that insanity, shows he's paying attention. 

I think he's a bit more complicated that being an annoying f-er. 

 

[Kel Varnsen]

4 hours ago, cardigirl said:

thought the Prime Minister appoints his Cabinet, which is then approved by the Monarch. While the Foreign Secretary would have been elected to Parliament, the role of Foreign Secretary is not elected but appointed by the Prime Minister. 

It's kind of weird. Generally the PM and the foreign secretary (called the Minister of Foreign Affairs here in Canada) are both members of parliament elected to represent their local riding. The PM is selected by his or her party to be the leader either before or after an election depending on the circumstances. And he becomes PM if his party wins the most seats. But the whole country doesn't vote for a PM the way they do a president and the FS isn't selected the way the secretary of state is. So they are kind of both elected and not elected the same way.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Kel Varnsen

[sugarbaker design]

On 4/22/2023 at 4:33 PM, dubbel zout said:

You'd think she'd read about her UK counterpart first, but I'm okay with her not knowing. 

But her counterpart would be the UK ambassador in DC.  Dennison is the UK Home Secretary, the US Secretary of State's counterpart.

[dubbel zout]

7 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

On 4/22/2023 at 4:33 PM, dubbel zout said:

You'd think she'd read about her UK counterpart first, but I'm okay with her not knowing. 

But her counterpart would be the UK ambassador in DC.  Dennison is the UK Home Secretary, the US Secretary of State's counterpart.

My mistake; but the point is, she should have read up about everyone she might have dealings with.

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

My mistake; but the point is, she should have read up about everyone she might have dealings with.

On that we agree!