S06.E09: Hope Street

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Reeling from loss and wary of her Golden Jubilee, the Queen bonds with William, who finds his footing between normality and life in the royal limelight.

Dropping Thursday, December 14, 2023.

[Snazzy Daisy]

The Operation Paget inquiry was conducted between 2004 to 2008, wasn’t it? Not in 2002.

The “Dracula royal family”!       
Ohh Mou Mou…😅

It’s very unsettling for William to hear the investigator asking his father about any plan to assassinate his mother. It’s bonkers.

Quote

“It’s our duty to make use of the assets God has given us.”

Very appropriate advice from momager Middleton. 🙄

Dutifully, Kate shows off almost everything only for Operation Tay Bridge to disrupt their first kiss.

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Snazzy Daisy

[Roseanna]

1 hour ago, Snazzy Daisy said:

It’s very unsettling for William to hear the investigator asking his father about any plan to assassinate his mother. It’s bonkers.

If Diana really wrote it, it shows that she was paranoid (and sadly, people could play with it, as Barhir did in the last season).

[Roseanna]

My guess is that Morgan got his idea that Mou Mou had made Dodi court Diana by his bizarre behaviour irl shown in this episode. Because we were shown in 3rd episode that Dodi didn't dare to tell his father the truth, Mou Mou had a reason to believe in the engagement. 

But even then he isn't ready to face the facts that the Police says: the driver and the bodyguards were paid  by al Fayed, the driver was seen drinking in Ritz and it was Dodi who decided that they go back to his apartment.

I add: it was Dodi who insisted that they fly together Paris. Nobody else knew of their plans.

On the basis of this episode, Mou Mou had severe mental problems. Yet, he was an adult who had other children. 

 

 

[Straycat80]

I find it depressing enough to plan your own funeral but to have a meeting about it with twelve other people is even more morbid. But I guess that’s normal when you are the queen and her spouse. 
Mou-Mou maybe felt guilt for his sons death, that’s why he was blaming the RF. Just like William at first blamed Charles for Diana’s death. It was an unfortunate accident. 
 

[peridot]

I can't even imagine knowing my great-grandmother.  It's sad Elizabeth has lost the people who knew her the best.

I can't believe that Mou Mou kept adding more to his delusion and that the media kept entertaining him.  His speech at the end was so crazy.

Kate's mom is something else - "make sure he knows you're available", "show off those legs".  William said meeting her parents isn't a big deal, but all of the family knows what they are doing.  It's sad how nobody is really genuine with the royal family.

[MadyGirl1987]

1 hour ago, peridot said:

I can't believe that Mou Mou kept adding more to his delusion and that the media kept entertaining him.  His speech at the end was so crazy.

It was. Especially after he was shown to really want to be included in high society by ingratiating himself with the royals. Real “man on dating app/social media calling a woman ugly after she rejects his advances” vibes. You didn’t have any problems with British society when things were going your way, Mou Mou.

[dubbel zout]

Dodi's death irrevocably broke al-Fayed, and I think a lot of his insistence on those unhinged theories was a way to keep Dodi's name in the press. It had to be galling for Mou Mou that his son's tragic death was basically a footnote.

Morgan trying to make the connection between Carole Middleton pushing Kate toward William and Diana's family pushing her toward Charles was overdone, as is his wont. Diana was not Kate; Kate was not Diana.

Harry was responsible for his behavior, but I also think he was completely let down by his family and advisors. It didn't seem like anyone sat down with him and asked him what he wanted to do after Eton, or even while he was still at Eton. Did he want to go to university? If not, what interested him? Were there any charities or causes he wanted to get involved with?

William's chat with the queen about Kate and her family was pretty funny. Elizabeth really had no idea how most people lived. It's not her fault, but she was completely clueless. And the idea that families enjoyed being together!

[Brn2bwild]

This episode was a really bad example of tell, not show.  Harry's struggles should have their own plot line, but instead the episode focuses on William staring, and staring, and looking concerned, and staring.  Harry's problems happen off screen, and we're only told of them.

What bothers me about this William, other than the actor, is that there is nothing defining him other than that he lost his mother.  Young Charles, by contrast, was more than just a sad, neglected boy; he had ideas and passions as well.

 

[Anothermi]

12 hours ago, peridot said:

I can't even imagine knowing my great-grandmother.  It's sad Elizabeth has lost the people who knew her the best.

But I can. It was standard in my family—for all the life that I have known. There were pictures of 5 living generations from my mother's birth to the birth of my 1st nephew.  It ended there. My generation and our children were not as co-operative in the reproduction cycle. (I credit birth control.)

But there is a certain sense of comforting continuity in those photos...  and I intimately knew all the great grandparents. I thought it was normal. Lots of good stories of the olden days.

I can relate to the Elizabeth portrayed here. 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Anothermi
correct memory

[Spartan Girl]

On 12/15/2023 at 8:39 PM, dubbel zout said:

Dodi's death irrevocably broke al-Fayed, and I think a lot of his insistence on those unhinged theories was a way to keep Dodi's name in the press. It had to be galling for Mou Mou that his son's tragic death was basically a footnote.

I understand that, but to drag all that conspiracy theory out in the media was the last thing Diana’s family needed, especially William and Harry. Not to mention a huge disservice to someone he claimed was his friend.

I didn't feel sad about the Queen Mum dying because the show never gave her proper dues. She was reduced to being a meddling snobby Karen when in real life she was known for her sense of humor.

Still, I felt for Elizabeth. You expect to outlive your parents, but that doesn’t make it easy, and the fact she just lost Margaret and Porchy made it harder.

Edited December 17, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[Brn2bwild]

9 hours ago, Brn2bwild said:

This episode was a really bad example of tell, not show.  Harry's struggles should have their own plot line, but instead the episode focuses on William staring, and staring, and looking concerned, and staring.  Harry's problems happen off screen, and we're only told of them.

What bothers me about this William, other than the actor, is that there is nothing defining him other than that he lost his mother.  Young Charles, by contrast, was more than just a sad, neglected boy; he had ideas and passions as well.

 

To add, this episode (and Episode 7) was a fail for the Kate character.  Here was a chance to portray Kate as having intelligence and an inner life.  Instead she comes across as flat and very blank and, despite her protests to the contrary, manipulated by her mother.  

[Helena Dax]

This was a bit on the boring side. I would say I'm not enjoying the way the show is portraying the Middletons. I like William and Kate IRL just fine, but I don't find them interesting here. Their dialogue is always bland. I understand, not everyone can be Margaret or even Philip, but c'mon. I did like the scenes with Elizabeth and William, though. They have a nice relationship. 

 

[Ellaria]

1 hour ago, Helena Dax said:

This was a bit on the boring side. I would say I'm not enjoying the way the show is portraying the Middletons. I like William and Kate IRL just fine, but I don't find them interesting here. Their dialogue is always bland. 

Yes. I’m not enjoying the focus on William and Kate. It feels as if they are trying to make the story more interesting than it actually was. This approach plays into the heavy-handed writing for Carole Middleton.

I suppose that I’m just more intrigued by the Queen and Philip. The last two seasons have bored me. Imelda Staunton was great in this episode.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

As portrayed, William and Kate are equals to watching paint dry.  These characters do not carry a story.  

[jschoolgirl]

The Michael Middleton actor looks remarkably like the real person.

I thought the “eating in the kitchen” comments were tongue in cheek. Elizabeth had a twinkle in her eye at the end of that exchange.

[sistermagpie]

On 12/15/2023 at 8:39 PM, dubbel zout said:

Dodi's death irrevocably broke al-Fayed, and I think a lot of his insistence on those unhinged theories was a way to keep Dodi's name in the press. It had to be galling for Mou Mou that his son's tragic death was basically a footnote.

Or he was just mad at how things didn't work out for him--as someone said, calling the girl who rejected you on the dating app ugly. His focus was still on connecting himself with the royal family, not talking about Dodi. He didn't succeed in getting into the family via Diana's death so now he's claiming her for himself.

On 12/15/2023 at 8:39 PM, dubbel zout said:

William's chat with the queen about Kate and her family was pretty funny. Elizabeth really had no idea how most people lived. It's not her fault, but she was completely clueless. And the idea that families enjoyed being together!

I thought that whole conversation was a joke on her part. As she said later, she did live as a regular housewife and they were some of the happier days of her life. 

On 12/16/2023 at 7:16 PM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

As portrayed, William and Kate are equals to watching paint dry.  These characters do not carry a story.  

Can't say I'm surprised. There's never been any story there that I can see. They met at university, they're very similar people with stuff in common. They're a completely predictable couple. The only added twist is that he's the future king of England and she's perfectly ready to take on being the future queen at his side. There's no conflict here. Kate and William briefly dating other people is not a conflict. 

[Blakeston]

They couldn't even put the years of the Queen Mother's birth and death on screen at the end of the episode, like they did with Margaret? I'll bet a lot of viewers didn't even realize that she made it to 101.

Peter Morgan had no problem depicting George VI as a great man. The Queen Mother took the same risk as he did in staying in London during the blitz. Why he insisted on depicting her so negatively is strange. 

[Roseanna]

6 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I thought that whole conversation was a joke on her part. As she said later, she did live as a regular housewife and they were some of the happier days of her life. 

Joke is a good interpretation.

Yet, she and Philip hardly eat in the kitchen in Malta - even middle class families didn't do that. 

 

[Shermie]

On 12/15/2023 at 10:41 AM, Straycat80 said:

I find it depressing enough to plan your own funeral but to have a meeting about it with twelve other people is even more morbid. But I guess that’s normal when you are the queen and her spouse. 

Everybody should plan for their death, not just royals, esp once you hit middle age. While you don’t have to plan out the thrive thing like a royal, if you care about your loved ones, you’d provide a bit of guidance. 

All that footage of the paparazzi on motorbikes taking pictures just perplex me. I mean, what’s their intention, to get a picture of Diana sitting in a car with her new boyfriend? Big whoop, there were already lots of pics of them. I get wanting pics of them walking into a restaurant to see her clothes, or a pic of them eating dinner, I guess. But I really don’t understand chasing her around 24/7 to get blurry, badly exposed, boring, repetitive photos through a car window. And I don’t understand the public’s desire to see such pointless photos.

 

[iMonrey]

On 12/16/2023 at 12:28 AM, Brn2bwild said:

What bothers me about this William, other than the actor, is that there is nothing defining him other than that he lost his mother.  Young Charles, by contrast, was more than just a sad, neglected boy; he had ideas and passions as well.

Credit where credit is due. I thought the casting of William was pretty damn good. From certain angles, and from a distance, he really looked like the real thing. Kate Middleton? Not so much. They didn't even get the eye color right did they?

Wow. They really painted Kate's mother as a Machiavelli. I'd pay to be a fly on the wall to see what her reaction would be to this. 

[Roseanna]

On 12/24/2023 at 3:00 AM, Shermie said:

All that footage of the paparazzi on motorbikes taking pictures just perplex me. I mean, what’s their intention, to get a picture of Diana sitting in a car with her new boyfriend? Big whoop, there were already lots of pics of them. I get wanting pics of them walking into a restaurant to see her clothes, or a pic of them eating dinner, I guess. But I really don’t understand chasing her around 24/7 to get blurry, badly exposed, boring, repetitive photos through a car window. And I don’t understand the public’s desire to see such pointless photos.

While such a situation was unpleasant, it wasn't dangerous. The danger was caused by the driver who was drunk and yet tried to drive so fast he could leave the paparazzi begind. 

[LadyIrony]

It was so funny watching Mou Mou spit the dummy and vent about the Royals. After so long trying to weasel his way in and losing his son in the process the Royals are now racist and Dracula's and the British people backward because the Egyptians built the pyramids. 

Sums him up quite well. A spoiled naive millionaire who still wanted more. 

[Shermie]

20 hours ago, Roseanna said:

On 12/23/2023 at 8:00 PM, Shermie said:

All that footage of the paparazzi on motorbikes taking pictures just perplex me. I mean, what’s their intention, to get a picture of Diana sitting in a car with her new boyfriend? Big whoop, there were already lots of pics of them. I get wanting pics of them walking into a restaurant to see her clothes, or a pic of them eating dinner, I guess. But I really don’t understand chasing her around 24/7 to get blurry, badly exposed, boring, repetitive photos through a car window. And I don’t understand the public’s desire to see such pointless photos.

While such a situation was unpleasant, it wasn't dangerous. The danger was caused by the driver who was drunk and yet tried to drive so fast he could leave the paparazzi begind. 

 I didn’t say anything about danger; I said constantly chasing Diana in the streets seemed pointless because the photos they might get wouldn’t be very good. Not sure where you got anything about danger or about the drunk driver from my comment.

[formerlyfreedom]

Please stick to the episode: this is not the place to re-litigate what really happened. Thank you.

[nora1992]

On 12/25/2023 at 3:29 AM, LadyIrony said:

It was so funny watching Mou Mou spit the dummy and vent about the Royals. After so long trying to weasel his way in and losing his son in the process the Royals are now racist and Dracula's and the British people backward because the Egyptians built the pyramids. 

Sums him up quite well. A spoiled naive millionaire who still wanted more. 

10 years ago, I saw the memorial display in Harrod’s.  It was discomforting to see, knowing that his grief was behind it.  Disturbing is how I would describe it.  I felt sorry for Mou Mou’s desperation, but didn’t buy his theories.

[Sailorgirl26]

On 12/27/2023 at 7:01 AM, nora1992 said:

10 years ago, I saw the memorial display in Harrod’s.  It was discomforting to see, knowing that his grief was behind it.  Disturbing is how I would describe it.  I felt sorry for Mou Mou’s desperation, but didn’t buy his theories.

Was that god-awful tacky-ass ring really on display as well? Because there is no way in hell Diana would have ever worn that thing--yet another reason why I don't believe for a second they were some epic love story and were engaged when they died. I am 100% in the "summer fling to make Hasnat Khan jealous" camp. 

[tennisgurl]

Mou Mou has certainly changed his tune, he's spent years desperately trying to suck up to the British aristocracy and downplay his Egyptian heritage and now all of the sudden when his whole big conspiracy has been disproven the royal family are all a bunch of Dracula's and he's a proud Egyptian who's people built pyramids while the English lived in caves. Bitter much? I can imagine that a lot of this is him dealing with grief, guilt, and feeling like his sons death has been so overshadowed by Diana's, but its also probably his need for attention rearing its ugly head again and bitterness over his plans to ascend to the top of British society never working out. It really does feel like "you cant break up with me! I'm breaking up with YOU!"

Having to listen to your moms rather unstable rants and have your father questioned about having her killed must have been awful, poor William. I wish that they were giving William more to do besides deal with his moms death and flirt with Kate, its like they had to really push Kate's mom as the mastermind behind their relationship to make them more dramatic.

Its funny how the Windors seem to be constantly repeating their pattern of the "boring responsible" one and the "fun fuck up" one. Bertie and Edward VIII, Elizabeth and Margarete, and now Harry and William. I really wish we had time for a Harry episode, we keep hearing about his issues through William but don't see many of them ourselves. 

William and Elizabeth have such a sweet relationship, I always love their scenes. It seems like she finds it much easier to interact with him than with her children.

[MamaMax]

OOF, the writers really let Mo al Fay have it this episode! 

 

Did he really say all that hateful shit at a press conference?

 

Also, where/with whom  did the "Diana was pregnant"  story originate?  How long had she and Dodi been seeing each other? The show left me with the impression it was just a few weeks... 

 

[Roseanna]

On 1/2/2024 at 10:23 PM, tennisgurl said:

I really wish we had time for a Harry episode, we keep hearing about his issues through William but don't see many of them ourselves. 

I feel just the opposite - I am tired of Harry irl after hearing too much of him irl. 

Although William's storyline was boring, at least there was one, i.e. accepting his role and meeting his future wife.  

[Sweet-tea]

I also wondered if Mou Mou actually said all those words to the press or creative license was taken. (There are many people online who are still buying his theory. One of them blasted me when I commented there was no proof of this.) 

I was surprised when William suggested Kate move into the house. I'm not sure of the timeline on their relationship. It seems to have sped up on this episode. 

I liked the scene with William and the Queen. I don't like any of the scenes with Harry, mostly because I think the actor is miscast-with an atrocious haircut and looking too old. 

The actor playing William was a little better in this episode, although he's still not wowing me. I'm not really feeling the actress playing Kate. She's ok but doesn't remind me at all of the real Kate. 

I liked the balcony scene with all the family.