Mr. Selfridge - General Discussion

[treeofdreams]

I just can't get into this series, and I think it is because I don't really care about the characters.  The only ones I like are Mr. Crabb and Miss Mardle, and their parts aren't very big; I also liked Lady Mae, but she's gone off to Paris to open a fashion house so we probably won't be seeing her.  My favorite series I watch over and over because I love the characters and want to spend time with them (Lark Rise to Candleford is one of my favorites - I adore the characters in that!)  But here I don't care at all for Harry, and I'm just not interested in the others.  But I still watch because of the pretty!

[shksabelle]

I really need that black and white furniture from the honeymoon "send off" gathering.  :-)

[maraleia]

Hey everyone- I know it's hard but can you post some of your comments about last night's two episodes in the Part Two thread. That way there will be comments in both places. I guess this show isn't that popular in the UK so that's why there are zero comments in many of the episode threads.

Thanks!

[dcalley]

I thought the black dress looked great while Mr. Thackeray was holding it, but it did nothing for me once it was on the model.

 

I am bored by all the jazz club stuff. Bring in Geordie and Sidney (from Grantchester) and I'll be interested! I also don't care for Bolotoff's scenes, especially with Lord Loxley.

 

Gordon should lose the mustache.

[treeofdreams]

I'm glad Miss Mardle is staying; I hope they give her a good storyline this season.

Edited March 31, 2015 by treeofdreams

[AZChristian]

Gordon should lose the mustache.

 

The mustache doesn't bother me too much as a method of making him look 5 years older.  But that darned ACCENT has bothered me since last season. 

[treeofdreams]

 

Henri in uniform! Thud!

 

Henri has the gift of acting with his eyes.  When he looked at Agnes, the love just shone out.  He didn't need to say anything.

[kathe5133]

Ehhh.  Not interested in Victor and the Jazz Club.  I never liked Victor anyway, so.....  Not interested in watching Agnes nurse her drunken, PTSD suffering husband.  Not interested in Rosalie and her philandering husband.  Not interested in watching the actress who plays Violette chewing the scenery.  All of the actresses of that age in the world and they chose her, on purpose?  Why?  Loxley was played out last season.  So, so, so, not interested in his evil plots.  Did I like anything?  Kitty and Frank are cute.  I like Kitty's younger sister and her storyline (if they give her one...) could be fun.  Miss Mardle, as always is charming.  I look forward to watching her take over the Fashion Department.  Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Grove are always entertaining.  That Webb woman could be an interesting love interest for Harry.

 

It would have been nice if Victor was gone.  I would have welcomed watching Agnes and Henri work together as a married couple in the store.  Have them be happy, have a baby.  Honestly, why does every couple who struggle to find each other be put through the ringer instead of settling into happiness?  Substance abuse is not a pleasant thing to watch when it's portrayed in any era.  The trauma suffered by those who went to war is also very real and not pleasant to watch.  Especially when it's done to a character who was previously beloved. 

 

I usually don't get this picky about my dramas.  I like to watch and let the story unfold at it's own pace, and don't criticize the writers.  But, watching this episode made me feel extremely uncomfortable.  Did anyone else feel the same? 

[Brookside]

Thank god Rose is dead.  I was trying to decide between two British period soaps and matriarchs with awful simpers and weird American accents. Now I can still feel dirty about watching this and Downton.

[AZChristian]

Rose didn't bother me as much as Cora.  At least Rose stood up to Delphine and told her to back off.  I think Cora would just get that stupid little simpering look on her face and explain to anyone flirting with Robert (if she saw it), "Dear, you know he's married to me.  I bought him and paid for him.  Please do not embarrass yourself by thinking he'll walk away from the money tree for YOU."

[morakot]

Not sure why they had to make Violette quite so obnoxiously "American" -- I had to guffaw when she went swaggering around the place, rolling her eyes and being loud. All she needed was a camera around neck. Was it just to show how much she is her father's daughter?

[StrictTime]

I just finished binge watching MS, and after seeing both S2:10 and S3:1/2 back to back, I would say the whole tone of the show has changed, and not for the better. I want to see THE STORE. It's the main character. Almost every scene in the ep took place somewhere else. If the writers bring it back to Selfridges, I will be so happy.

The actresses playing the Selfridge daughters were concentrating so hard on forming their American diction correctly that they conveyed no true emotion. None of their scenes were warm or real, IMO. Perhaps as the S3 moves in they will get more comfortable with the accents; if not, it will be terribly frustrating.

I wish that we could get a happy story line. Soon!

[treeofdreams]

Wasn't Loxley arrested for treason?  Why is he out and about to make mischief?  War profiteers were dealt with very seriously, he should at the very least be in prison for life.

 

I agree with not liking the storylines very much.  Or the characters, as I mentioned before.  Quite disappointed.

[Ohwell]

I can't stand Violette and her "American" accent.  Not looking forward to her storyline, whatever it is. 

 

Cannot stand the new conniving, greedy husband or his conniving, greedy mother.  I want her to trip on the carpet and tumble down the stairs of that hotel she's staying in that Selfridge is paying for.  I feel so sorry for the daughter (can't remember her name) because she now realizes she made a horrible mistake marrying him.

 

I'm also not looking forward to evil Loxley.

[txhorns79]

Cannot stand the new conniving, greedy husband or his conniving, greedy mother.

 

I find the husband's attitude towards his new father-in-law absolutely baffling.  I don't understand why he's so hostile towards Harry, and acts like there is nothing Harry can do about it.  I mean, I understand how some people simply feel entitled, but he's acting like he's already won the game without ever having to play.  

 

And yeah, evil Lord Loxley is not something I'm looking forward to.   

[vesperholly]

No spoilers but having watched all of Mr Selfridge series 3 ... Mr Selfridge >>> Downton Abbey. Coherent storylines! Character development that is not in a circle!

[AZChristian]

I keep wanting Lady Edith to pop into Selfridge's for some clothes for Marigold while she's in London.

[Tim McD]

I keep wanting Lady Edith to pop into Selfridge's for some clothes for Marigold while she's in London.

 

 

Downton Abbey left off in 1924 and Mr. Selfridge is currently set in 1918 which was where DA was in their second season. It would be more accurate (and highly weird) if not-dead-yet Sybil strolled into the store.

[lark37]

Just looked up the two new actresses playing Rosalie and Violetta.  They are real-life sisters and both English born and bred.  I know the Selfridge daughters spent lots of time in the states growing up, but they also spent lots of time in England. I say let them use their natural English accents.  Their fake, over the top American accents (especially Violetta) just take me right out of every scene.  Like others have said, I could have done without Victor and his club and Henri and his PTSD.  Overall, I found the first two episodes pretty depressing.

Edited April 2, 2015 by lark37

[jordanpond]

Well, that was an eventful premiere! It had my head spinning a bit. General thoughts:

It was nice to see some black people on "Mr. Selfridge."

I really liked Agnes' blue wedding suit, and loved her and Henri's very romantic picnic reception.

I was glad to see most men made it safely back from the war, but was gutted for both Florian and Miss Mardle.

As to those wondering up thread whether it was realistic for Mr. Grove to serve in the war and for a jazz club to be already popular in 1919: I believe that both things would be historically accurate. Although Mr. Grove did say last season that he was too old, my understanding is that as the war progressed and casualties among the younger men were so great, older men started to serve. Also, black American soldiers were embraced by European troops, much more so than by their American counterparts. Black soldiers were known to entertain European troops with dixieland and jazz music, along with dancing. So I could see how such a club could be so successful in 1919 England.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the premier was that so many characters felt unfamiliar to me that it almost felt like it wasn't the same show. Not only were there a lot of new characters, but ones like Rosalie were so different that it didn't feel like Rosalie. It wasn't just the actress' appearance that seemed foreign, but her personality was completely transformed from that of the former Rosalie. I hope I'll get used to all the new people soon, because I just love this show, and am hoping to enjoy it as much as I did the first two seasons.

I have some thoughts on Mr. Crabb, Nancy Webb, and Harry ' s memory of Rose, but I think they were more concentrated in the second hour of the premier, so I'll put them in the "Episode Two" thread.

Edited April 3, 2015 by jordanpond

[jordanpond]

Some thoughts:

Of all the new characters, Nancy Webb is my favorite. It's not often enough that we get to see women portrayed in shows as both compassionate and assertive, so I was quite pleased to see her.

I thought Mr. Crabb was fabulous! He was never a yes man -- in fact some of his most comical moments were when he would voice his worries over Harry ' s "modern" or risky or even risque ("you want to sell lip rouge, Mr. Selfridge?!") Ideas. But in this episode, everything was so much more serious, and as bad as I felt for him, I thought he really shone like never before. I loved how Harry just tore up the resignation letter!

Okay, I have to call baloney on Harry's claims that Selfridge 's was all about Rose. Last season, before he even knew Rose was sick, he was saying that every brick, every counter, was for Rose. But that clearly was not the case. Selfridge ' s department store was always his dream, not Rose's. I don't think anything is wrong with that, so perhaps he should stop saying it was all for Rose, when it simply isn't true. What's worse is that Selfridge's was the site of frequent humiliation for Rose, with Harry making one of his mistresses the very public "face of Selfridge's," and had spending accounts at the store set up for other mistresses of his.

I think he truly loved Rose, but I think he needs to stop laying the "all about Rose" shtick on so thick before someone calls him out on it (like Violette so boldly did to Rosalie at the wedding.)

Edited April 4, 2015 by jordanpond

[izabella]

I was disappointed we'll be getting more Loxley and no Lady Mae.  Maybe she can come back for a visit?

 

Rosalie has tied herself to a lady's man loser.  Great.  Her MIL is a riot, though broke and not above lying to and taking advantage of her in-laws.  She will be needing a smackdown at some point, like her (probably) philandering son. 

 

So sad for Miss Mardle and Florian.  I guess everyone can't be happy.

[txhorns79]

Rosalie has tied herself to a lady's man loser.  Great.  Her MIL is a riot, though broke and not above lying to and taking advantage of her in-laws.

 

It amazed me that she was so brazen as to run up a huge hotel bill and charge it to Harry.  I mean, there's chutzpah and then there is CHUTZPAH. 

[kassygreene]

Pretty typical for a grifter, albeit a grifter who is collecting her "due" thanks to her social class...  She clearly raised her son to be the same.

 

The aggravating thing to me about this beautifully acted and dressed (sets, wardrobe, hair) series is that they are staying true-ish to the real Selfridge.  It only gets sadder.

[LittleIggy]

Can't you at least put the U.S. air dates in parenthesis in the topic title for clarity's sake?

[Empressv]

It's now airing in the States, and Episode 3 just ended.

 

Did not see the attack on Kitty coming, although in hindsight, it seemed almost inevitable for the former soldiers to take out their rage on someone they would see as complacent and undeserving of her prosperity, while they came home to nothing. To my 21st century eyes, the two things that really stood out to me about that scene were the sheer sexism of their position (never mind that none of them could have done her particular job) and her confidence in her own right to walk alone among a big group of homeless men in a major city.

 

I do think the show is doing a great job of showing the issues and frustrations the soldiers brought back home with them after the war. Even those like Henri, who could return to a good job, had dreadful demons and very little real help at that time to deal with them. And the housing shortage occurred again after WWII, at least in the US.

 

Yes, I also keep wondering when Harry's mother is going to expose the new MIL's duplicity. That ought to be a good showdown! 

[JudyObscure]

I read an online bio of Mr. Selfridge and yes, he did have big money problems in spite of the huge success of his stores, due to the sort of overly risky spending we see on the show and, of course, wishing to impress women. I was screaming at him to stop bidding during that auction.

That look on Harry's face as he watched his new "housing manager," work made my heart sink. Harry just can't say no to the ladies.

Agnes never should have gone to see Victor under any circumstances. That's not how you deal with a paranoid husband. I wouldn't have messed with Henri's brand, new beautiful windows either, to heck with Kitty's cosmetics.

Poor Kitty! Those jobless men wouldn't be so resentful of the women having work if they thought about it a little bit. I'll bet her nasty attacker couldn't stand up straight, in tight shoes, with a patient tone in his voice and a bright smile on his face for 14 hours. That's something I think the show has skirted over. It's always been, oh aren't they lucky to work in this fabulous store! When you know that anyone with less than perfect health would be in total misery by the end of those days. I once worked part time retail and counted the minutes till my five hours was up.

Harry should have decked his evil son-in-law and sent him and his parasitic mother out the door.

[AZChristian]

As soon as that guy at the auction got up and Loxley was sitting there, we just KNEW that he was going to push the bidding up.  Mr. AZC and I were discussing it this morning and he said, "Well, where did Loxley get the money to buy that land?  I thought he was broke."  I told him, "I don't think he had any interest in buying that land.  He just wanted to push up the bidding as high as he could to stick it to Harry.  And that's exactly what he did."

 

I am really loving Miss Mardle.  She was one of the types of women who paved the way for other capable women to be promoted according to skill.

[stanleyk]

I've always been lukewarm on this show, and the first three episodes of this season haven't made me warm to it further. Part of my problem is with Jeremy Piven - I can't figure out if he's PLAYING an egotistical tool or that's just his own toolishness shining forth. Either way, I find nothing to sympathize with or relate to with Selfridge himself. And the sudden (re)introduction on the daughters...I barely remember them from the first two seasons, so it feels like they're trying to reboot with a focus on their stories, yet I have no relation to or interest in these characters.

 

It's hard to feel too bad for Rosalie, who apparently rushed into a marriage with a dick so transparent that he didn't even wait for the wedding to be over to start acting like an asshole. And I cannot understand his high-handed, aggressive treatment of Selfridge - what power does he have in this relationship to act like that? I almost expected Selfridge to announce he was kicking him and his awful mother out and getting the marriage annulled - and I believe he could do it, so how does Prince Dickwad get away with acting like that?

 

With others who have said they wished the show would focus on the store and the employees, I concur. Much more interesting than watching Selfridge self-implode or his idiot daughters act like idiots. Though I will say I am also not taken with Henri's PTSD storyline. It may be accurate, but it's tired and depressing. And I think that's the biggest problem in this season so far - no levity. EVERYTHING is so dark and it looks like everyone is suffering to one degree or another. It is POSSIBLE to have entertaining storylines that aren't all doom and gloom, show. And more fantasical windows and displays! More crazy store promotions, please!

[apgold]

I'm actually enjoying this season, with the darker tone.  I like that they are showing how London was post WWI and that all was not rosy with the unemployed vets and PTSD (or I think it was called Shellshock back then?).  I don't really miss Rose either.

 

I am happy to see Miss Mardle back at work.  I do wonder if she and Mr. Grove will start up again at some point.

 

As for the new in-laws - happy to see Zoe Wanamaker in anything but sorry that her character is a freeloader.  She does keep Sergei in line though and is concerned with appearances.

 

I do like how sassy Violette is, and is not satisfied with just shopping.  Pairing her up with Victor should be interesting.

Edited April 6, 2015 by apgold

[roomtorome]

JP's portrayal is just so flat and uninteresting and just, well, off.  He takes me out of the era the second he appears on screen. All I can see is JP ACTING whereas the other performers are disappearing into their roles pretty well.  

 

I don't get the tolerance of this son-in-law except it is his daughter's life, not his so she is the one who needs to decide whether to remain with that prick but divorce was not viewed as it is now.  He could - theoretically - destroy her reputation with lies and innuendo, etc, and in those days, that was very significant vs now.

 

Ultimately, I would have really liked this show so much more if the central character had been played by an actor with depth and charisma.  JP is just JP - blah.  (my opinion only, of course).

[treeofdreams]

Weren't the men who attacked Kitty the same ones her husband was interviewing for his article/book?

[maraleia]

Can't you at least put the U.S. air dates in parenthesis in the topic title for clarity's sake?

Sorry but that's not our policy since this site isn't US centered. We treat every show equally which is why we have original air dates listed.

[BusyOctober]

 

JP's portrayal is just so flat and uninteresting and just, well, off.  He takes me out of the era the second he appears on screen. All I can see is JP ACTING whereas the other performers are disappearing into their roles pretty well.

I guess I've gotten used to JP's over-acting because it doesn't jar me out of scenes as much anymore.  However I have major complaints about the actress playing Violette.  Thank God she only had limited screen time in this ep, but even her few lines were delivered in an  OTT manner.  Maybe she learned to "act" from watching old silent movies, where everyone had to over-emote?  It's nails on a chalkboard when she comes on screen.  I guess I'm going to have to deal with her because it looks as though she's going to be paired up with Victor this season. Yuck.

[jordanpond]

Although I'm with many of you that this season has a much darker tone, I was much more comfortable with the tone this episode than I was in the premiere. I think it was because this episode focused much more on people we know and really care about. And also I think there was more humor and lightness mixed in.

Although heartbreaking, I found Kitty's assault and Henri and Agnes' very public difficulties - played out in their beloved window front of all places - to be very effective.

Other sad moments: I thought that the formerly rather naive and innocent George looked very grown up in a sad and weary way during his talk with Agnes. Even the personalities of those not suffering from anything as severe as shell shock are probably changed forever. And the sacking of the feisty Miss Ellis of the loading bay (who looked so different in her shop floor attire that I almost didn't recognize her) was incredibly sad. The most unprofessional thing she could have done in front of Harry was to start crying and I'm so glad she did! I don't blame Harry for letting them go, as they were told that their jobs were temporary, but I'm glad she wasn't ashamed to show some honest human emotion in front of the boss.

Some lighter notes:

Kitty was so very Kitty in this episode! She was such a natural posing for those rooftop photos, and she was sassy with Grace about her promotion, her sister about getting a job, and with Harry about how very "qualified" Gordon had been when he "earned" his job at the store. And I thought the fashion department looked more fabulous than ever.

The bad: I wish the actress playing Violette studied the actress who played her in the first season. That young actress did a wonderful job portraying the independent and modern Violette in a way which made you root for her, rather than wish that she'd just get off the screen. Young Violette joined the suffragettes' march, argued against Gordon being the sole heir to Selfridge's, and told Rose she should have as many freedoms as Harry. She was more adult, and more proactive and likeable, than the actual adult Violette, who confuses shouting everything she says with actually being independent, and who complains that she's only good for shopping. I think some of this isn't the actress' fault as she can only say the lines she is given, but I think her delivery could be improved a a lot.

Edited April 7, 2015 by jordanpond

[JudyObscure]

I've gotten used to Jeremy P's over the top portrayal of Selfridge, too. I think it may be due to watching that long documentary, last year, about the Roosevelts. Teddy had the same grinning, loud, over-enunciated delivery and I've come to think of that as the hearty manner of the turn of the century American man.

Just think -- now were going to have Violette, Rosalie, and Kitty's obnoxious sister, all three. I would much rather focus on Miss Mardle, Mr. Groves and Mr. Crabb.

[Kiss my mutt]

I've become used to JP's acting this season but it does come off as if he were doing community theater. I wonder how he got cast?

[txhorns79]

I am happy to see Miss Mardle back at work.  I do wonder if she and Mr. Grove will start up again at some point.

 

I hope she has more self-respect than that.  When it comes to his treatment of Miss Mardle, the guy is a jerk, plain and simple.   

 

 

She does keep Sergei in line though and is concerned with appearances.

 

I presume she tries to keep Sergei in line so as not to interfere with her meal ticket.  Though I still find Sergei's behavior and continuing hostility with Harry to be bizarre.  I mean, I could understand his being upset because Harry refused to invest in his plane deal, but he's just openly hostile. 

Edited April 8, 2015 by txhorns79

[jordanpond]

More random thoughts:

I am so glad that Gordon wants to take Grace out to dinner to celebrate her promotion. Last season, I thought their very sweet and supportive friendship had such an innocent quality to it that brought balance to the all the story lines of suspicion or evil or sorrow (which I thought were all really well done.) If they show scenes of Grace and Gordon this season it will once again provide good contrast to the darker story lines.

Miss Plunkett looks great with her wavy new hairdo.

I think the scenes of Miss Mardle and Mr. Grove don't imply any leanings toward future romance (even though I wouldn't be surprised if he still desires her.) I just think that after all they have experienced together, and all he witnessed of her and Florian, their relationship has a real ease about it now. I liked how she really needled him in the premiere when he was practically begging her to return to work. They never used to joke. I think it's really good for her that she can now.

Victor was a real jerk to Agnes.

And I love Nancy Webb. Her conducting a survey to find out what women want in their homes was really innovative for that time. She, like Harry, was a pioneer, but on a smaller scale, and in a much more quiet way.

Three cheers for Mr. Fraser and his detective work on Marie!

Edited April 8, 2015 by jordanpond

[jordanpond]

Well it's two days until this episode airs in the US, and I'm so glad that the preview shows Gordon and Grace are going to go on a date. I'm really enjoying this season, but after all the sadness so far, I'm ready for two such likeable people to go out and just have a fun time.

[JudyObscure]

Are Henri and Agnes gone forever? I don't mind Henri so much, but Agnes was the second lead during the first season! What the heck?

Kitty's pretty face! How will she swan around demonstrating her cosmetics?

Violette's snotty once over of sweet Doris!

Why on earth did Frank and the bartendress ever take such a risk having drinks off hours if it could mean jail for Frank and Victor losing his liquor license? I really like Victor and he doesn't need friends like this or girlfriends like pushy Violette. Wonder what sort of birth control she's using? Do the writers think she's typical of American girls in the 1920's? They're wrong if they do.

[LittleIggy]

The real Violette Selfridge lived to be 99 years old! The actresses playing the Selfridge girls are doing atrociously with the American accents. So nasal and flat!

I hope Agnes and Henri come back!

[cattykit]

Geez, could Harry have waited at least five minutes after his wife's funeral to hit on another woman?

 

 

The actresses playing the Selfridge girls are doing atrociously with the American accents. So nasal and flat!

Once I get past the horror of Anthony Hopkins's version of Richard Nixon-as-Welshman, I can live with most Brits' interpretation of US accents.

 

 

Are Henri and Agnes gone forever? I don't mind Henri so much, but Agnes was the second lead during the first season! What the heck?

Did they even say how they were both going to live, far away with no jobs?  Or is that a mere petty detail.  I never liked the Henri character much, but to close out the storyline and abruptly send them away, instead of showing us just how people really dealt with these problems, is a copout worthy of Downtown Abbey.

[XinaMarie]

I've become used to JP's acting this season but it does come off as if he were doing community theater. I wonder how he got cast?

Jeremy Piven is the producer of the show!

[Empressv]

I live about 65 miles/100 km from Chicago. The accent here IS nasal and flat. That said, I agree the actresses could tone it down some. The way they do it doesn't sound quite right.

I find myself really missing Josie and Florian. Or even just Miss Mardle with a juicy plot line, as Amanda Abbington is one excellent actress.

I could buy Harry falling for Miss Whatsername so quickly. He misses Rose; she reminds him strongly of the things he loved about Rose. It doesn't seem like a leap to me. Plus, my own FIL was dating within a few months of his wife's death because he couldn't stand being alone. Some people are that way.

[jordanpond]

Oh, dear. I used to love so much about this show. I thought last season was a marvelous mix of suspense, business strategy, grief, friendship, romance, comedy, and music and dancing. I thought it did a superb job of showing both the human and business costs of war, but presented it in a highly entertaining show about a fabulous department store and its variety of interesting characters.

But now it's entirely too much doom and gloom for my taste. It's not that I mind the show dealing with such severe effects of the war as shell shock, violence, job shortages and death. But the lack of balance between these themes and themes of lightness and fun is making this show take on more of an air of a documentary. You know, season 2 of this show actually inspired me to watch a 5 - part documentary about WWI in which I learned a great deal more about the human cost both during and after the war. But that was the documentary. "Mr. Selfridge" is supposed to be entertainment. And it's becoming much too dark for me.

Some random thoughts about the episode:

Although I thought Agnes' solution for Henri seemed really inspired, and an excellent move for the couple, I'm quite sad to see two more central characters gone.

Initially, I was very proud of Miss Webb for turning Harry down. I didn't read it at all as a lack of self esteem on her part, but rather a wise decision to not enter a romance with this business partner whom she barely knew. Didn't it ever occur to Harry (or evidently to the show's writers) that perhaps Nancy didn't think that she was so unworthy of Harry but that she simply didn't think Harry was right for her? Not only does Harry seem to see Nancy as Rose the second, rather than Nancy Webb,the individual, it's not like he treated the first multi-talented woman in his life all that well. He married Rose, then repeatedly cheated on her. So Nancy has not married any of her other suitors because she didn't want to settle, but the philandering Harry is the type of man she could really get involved with?

My other disappointment with the episode was that the fun date of Gordon and Grace looked like it would give some much needed youthfulness and lightness to breakup all the darkness of Kitty and Frank, Agnes and Henri, etc. But not only was their scene interrupted by the annoying Violette, the scene of Gordon and Grace never actually concluded. After Violette once again shouted some version of "I am independent!", the scene never really returned to Grace and Gordon again. It simply drifted off into Gordon eyeing Violette kissing Victor hello. And why must the actress who plays Violette accent random words and syllables when she speaks?

So I guess this season is starting to be nothing more than darkness and gloom about the characters we "know and love" interrupted by dull and repetitive scenes about characters (Serge, Violette, Marie) who lack any charm or interest. I hope this turns around really soon. It's been a big drop in quality from season 2.

Edited April 15, 2015 by jordanpond

[txhorns79]

Did they even say how they were both going to live, far away with no jobs?  Or is that a mere petty detail.

 

I honestly thought we would see them changing their minds at the end, if only because I think Agnes has given her notice a few times already in past seasons, only to reconsider.  But yeah, I have no clue how they intend to support themselves.  

[jordanpond]

I think Miss Mardle refused to accept rent from anyone. I would guess Agnes insisted on chipping in for things, but with paying no rent, and with a bigger salary as head of displays, she probably saved a good bit over the last 4 years.. I wouldn't be surprised if she started to work sometime in the next few months or year, once she saw Henri improve. And with Henri being Henri, I could see him in a few months passing some florist or other artistic endeavour in need of some part-time help, and being unable to resist taking at least a small step into doing something creative. So although Agnes expressed no plan for them working, I think it'll unfold. I don't usually like to speculate, but since this couple appears gone for good, this is the type of realistic and happy ending I think would be consistent with their characters and with their story lines that were developed.

I forgot to sing the praises of Mr. And Mrs. Crabb. Both together and apart they did their share of bringing some fun to this episode. I've always loved Mr. Crabb 's humorous faces and sayings, and ever since his impressive showdown with Harry a few episodes ago I appreciate him even more for the extra depth to his character. And I find her a great addition. They're a very sweet couple, and she is as entertaining as a shopper as he is as an employee.

Edited April 18, 2015 by jordanpond

[AZChristian]

Henri talked about going back to the home he lived in as a child.  If they stay with family, expenses would be lower.

[dcalley]

I read a book and surfed the internet a bit while watching this one. I paid the most attention to Kitty, Grace/Gordon, Miss Mardle, and the security force (Kitty's sister telling off the "pervert" was enjoyable). I don't really care too much about the loss of Agnes and Henri, though I liked that because of Agnes we would get to see Miss Mardle at home and will miss that if it stops.