formerlyfreedom March 23, 2015 Share March 23, 2015 During London's fashion week, the Queen and Princess Eleanor throw competing fashion shows; Prince Liam narrowly avoids disaster. 1 Link to comment
Stella MD March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 I seriously hate all these people, except maybe the king. Am I supposed to be on the side of disbanding the monarchy? Because I want to see every last one of these losers get a job and stop being vapid, useless idiots. 6 Link to comment
Arynm March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 They are all terrible people. I still love this show, but damn, they are all deplorable. Not one redeeming quality amongst them 3 Link to comment
portfino March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 The problem is that the Queen and Cyrus are operating out of the same "space" when Queen Helena should be different because so much of the show depends on Elizabeth Hurley. To take a better version of this show, you always believed that underlying his nefarious deeds doing what was best for Ewing Oil motivated JR Ewing. Queen Helena doesn't seem motivated by an overarching sense of defending the monarchy. The show would be better if continuity, tradition, and social order were behind her actions. (Is the whole head of a religion thing even going to come up?) She sometimes pays lip service to this but it never seems genuine. There would be a nice parallel too. Everything she does is to protect her children and her "children." Link to comment
Ms Blue Jay March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 Anyone else as hooked on the show as I am? I guess I'm lucky that it's already been renewed. 8 Link to comment
Ariah March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 I kind of like Jasper. I just wish they wouldn't have him have this not really consentuous sex with the princess. With all the talk about calling rape a rape, I feel really uncomfortable with myself seeing this character whom I kind of start feeling sympathy for taking advatage of a young woman. I also feel uncomfortable seeing her reaction to his actions - I get it, she's treating everything like a game, but this does not help the real-life cause. It's like the show is trying to tell me: "Yes, he may have sort of taken advantage of her, but she asked for it. And yes, he's still asking for sex, but look, she really kind of likes it. And she does exercise some power over him, so it's not one-sided. Now look, he's kind of cute. And he may care for her - see? Stop overthinking the rape issue!" The problem is, "she asked for it" is not an argument, "he cares for her" should come before the sex and blackmail and I do believe the show shouldn't try to whitewash the issue. But I do agree Jasper was kind of cute this episode. Bummer. 2 Link to comment
justawatcher March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 For all the folks having Jasper issues: back up a minute- who is saying they didn't have consensual sex? Has there ever been a time shown when the sex has not been consensual? Go back to the very first time, when she thought he was a bumbling fool and she was completely like "That was fun, get out of my bed, go get fired". Then he played the video card. To my knowledge, he has not shown her the video to prove it exists, he just sort of waves it there. As far as her continually calling it "blackmail sex", as he pointed out last night, she has a panic button. She could go to Ted. She could go to Daddy. She doesn't. Their thing is twisted foreplay- untraditional to say the least- but I have never seen him force her. Last night he walked away. The night of the swimmer, he walked away. And as Helena said last night "Eleanor doesn't need a mother, she needs an adversary." Maybe she needs an adversarial man as well. 5 Link to comment
biakbiak March 30, 2015 Share March 30, 2015 He told her that he drugged her and she has no memory of that night. 2 Link to comment
BooBear March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 For all the folks having Jasper issues: back up a minute- who is saying they didn't have consensual sex? Has there ever been a time shown when the sex has not been consensual? Go back to the very first time, when she thought he was a bumbling fool and she was completely like "That was fun, get out of my bed, go get fired". Then he played the video card. And as Helena said last night "Eleanor doesn't need a mother, she needs an adversary." Maybe she needs an adversarial man as well. Yes, I don't think it will turn out that he did anything wrong. Eleanor is the Princess of England. If she was really worried Jasper would be in jail and his cell phone and phone account would have been disabled about 3 seconds after she left the room. I think she just got drunk / wasted and slept with him and he was poed that she was so nasty in the morning. Jasper seems to be trying to pull out of their confrontational relationship and I think Eleanor was grateful that he got Liam out of the car. I didn't think I would like this but I am starting to. It is very fun and what you would want Royal life to be like, if you were the "E" network. Link to comment
biakbiak March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 He is doing something wring by making her think that he drugged her even if he didn't and blackmailing her. 3 Link to comment
Shermie March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 The show is so campy and over the top, it's absurd. I kinda love it. Elizabeth Hurley is bringing it, but she is a cold-hearted mother. The king's brother simpers and purrs like Scar, another jealous brother of a king. But I think he looks like Rick Mercer. During the family photo, I was thinking the brother should run the lighting wire through a pool of water and then step away - you know, to clear his way to the throne/tm King Ralph. 1 Link to comment
Ariah March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 You see, that's what worries me, the blurred lines - is sex under the threat of blackmail consensual sex? I agree that lately Jasper simply walks away and does not force himself on the princess - that's good. I'm not even referring to the initial drugged sex that led to the blackmail video, because that can easily be explained as a bluff (nothing happened, the princess believed she did those "depraved" things while she was sound asleep). What makes me squirm is the sex that came afterwards, when he exercised his power over her - not physical power, mind you. Are we supposed to believe that "Oh, alright, just don't post the video, maybe it'll be fun..." is a consent? I always thought consent is a clear "yes, I want you" followed sometimes with "now" or maybe "on the table"... ...Aaaand I run away from the episode discussion. Sorry. 3 Link to comment
GaT March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 For all the folks having Jasper issues: back up a minute- who is saying they didn't have consensual sex? Has there ever been a time shown when the sex has not been consensual? He told her that he drugged her and she has no memory of that night. She keeps referring to it as "blackmail sex", that doesn't sound consensual. I love the cousins, but having their father take a picture on his phone of his daughter during a bikini wax was just a bit too much for me. Why doesn't the king sleep in a king sized bed? 1 Link to comment
justawatcher March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 So let me ask two fundamental questions, or else we're going to be circling each other for the rest of the season: 1) For those of you on Team "I hate Jasper" - every time Eleanor goes out she gets drunk and wasted. That's her MO. Do you believe it is not possible for a drunk person to give consent? Does that mean (in your mind) that every single person whom she has ever slept with engaged in non-consensual sex and every single one of those people is bad? That's a bit absurd, don't you think? At what point does Eleanor become responsible for her own behavior? Her own choices? Because I guarantee you this: your parents were likely surfing a cocktail or two the first time they got together. In fact, I'll bet if you were to poll people and they answered honest, if the question was "Think back to the first time you had sex with a new person- was alcohol involved in any way?" almost every hand would go up. People who expect every sexual encounter to begin and end sober and with a direct question of "Do you want to have sex with me?" are likely people who do not have sex very often. The power dynamic someone upthread was getting upset over? He's a very boilerplate alpha male- also found as the hero in every action movie and the hero in every romance novel. It's a standard character and yes, women do indeed get very turned on by it. 2) For Team "This is Not Real, Why Would________?"- have you never watched a nighttime soap before? Did you hold Dallas or Dynasty to the same standards you are trying to hold The Royals to? What about General Hospital? Young and Restless? Victor hasn't aged in 35 years! This is not reality any more than The Walking Dead is reality. And I have to tell you (general): the same debate is raging over in Vikings with imagined perceptions of the fictional show vs. mythical descriptions of what gods did. My head already hurts for the premiere of Game of Thrones when the book nerds will post about how her dress should have been a different shade of green. It's a fictional TV show. Lighten up. If you don't like it, don't watch it. 3 Link to comment
MoonBeam March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 Anyone else as hooked on the show as I am? I guess I'm lucky that it's already been renewed. Oh, I'm with you on this show, Ms. Blue. I like the show as well. Sure it can be picked a part to death, but it's fun to just watch it for what it is. I'm also pretty excited that it has already been renewed. I'm interested in seeing how these characters develope. Right now they are all pretty much predictable, but I have a feeling that is going to change and I'm here for it. I'm glad The King called out The Queen on this hatred she has going on for her daughter. It makes me not like that character. I'm still liking Liam, Gemma and Ophelia. Looks like the writer(s) are going to make them be...dare I say it..."friends"? Hmm... 1 Link to comment
88Keys March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 So let me ask two fundamental questions, or else we're going to be circling each other for the rest of the season: 1) For those of you on Team "I hate Jasper" - every time Eleanor goes out she gets drunk and wasted. That's her MO. Do you believe it is not possible for a drunk person to give consent? Does that mean (in your mind) that every single person whom she has ever slept with engaged in non-consensual sex and every single one of those people is bad? That's a bit absurd, don't you think? At what point does Eleanor become responsible for her own behavior? Her own choices? She is responsible when she willingly takes drugs or drinks alcohol. When someone slips drugs into her drink without her knowledge or consent, she is not responsible. Seriously, what is so hard to understand about this? And yes, she has "consented" to the later sex, but only with the threat of releasing the tape held over her head. There is nothing romantic or sexy about that. If he were holding a gun to her head or threatening to kill her family if she didn't have sex with him, would you still feel the same way about him? It's a fictional TV show. Lighten up. If you don't like it, don't watch it. I really hate it when people say that. It like they're saying "if you can't agree with me and discuss the show the way you should, then don't watch. Sorry, but this is a discussion board. With that said, I think I'm done with this show. Like others have said, there's nothing good or interesting or redeeming about these people. We need some contrast between good and bad, but it's like they're all bad. 7 Link to comment
kat165 March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 It surprises me immensely that the King and Queen still sleep in the same bed. They live in a damn castle! Surely there are other bedrooms. They don't even seem to like each other much. 1 Link to comment
HeySandyStrange March 31, 2015 Share March 31, 2015 I'm glad The King called out The Queen on this hatred she has going on for her daughter. It makes me not like that character. Yeah, the hatred and indifference the Queen seems to have for her children is really off putting. I get that Queen Helena is supposed to be a cold-hearted bitch, but damn, even Cersei Lannister loves her children. Queen Helena almost spits on Eleanor, Liam is an after thought, and she could barely squeeze out a few tears over the death of golden child Robert. I hope Joan Collins appears soon, it might actually give some insight to why the Queen is such a crappy mother. Was it just me, or was the dialogue in this episode even more stilted and awkward then the last two? 1 Link to comment
rho April 2, 2015 Share April 2, 2015 My threshold for this show is really low; it's mindless entertainment at it's best. But Jasper's implied rape/blackmail is poor writing at it's absolute worst. He actually has a rather compelling story as a mysterious grifter faking his way into the palace's security team. In fact, I think his weird romance with Eleanor might be the only interesting part of this show. I just don't understand why they had to include the tidbit about him slipping her something. There are a million ways he could blackmail her into keeping his job after they slept together. Even if he made the whole thing up, it's a sickening move. The line is already so muddy in real life cases like these, I feel it sets a nasty precedent. Fingers crossed they find a way to bury that story neatly so I can keep watching this trash without feeling icky. 4 Link to comment
GaT April 2, 2015 Share April 2, 2015 But Jasper's implied rape/blackmail is poor writing at it's absolute worst. I actually think the whole Prince Cyrus demanding blow jobs from the staff (and no one complains or tries to stop him) is the absolute worst. 4 Link to comment
Ms Blue Jay April 3, 2015 Share April 3, 2015 I really hate it when people say that. It like they're saying "if you can't agree with me and discuss the show the way you should, then don't watch. Sorry, but this is a discussion board. Hear, hear 88Keys! 1 Link to comment
xtwheeler April 5, 2015 Share April 5, 2015 Well, I'm hooked. I'm a little mystified as to why Jasper doesn't bother me more. I guess I haven't gotten the feeling he is continuing to blackmail her into sex. I think they have a love/hate thing going n and her motivations are as complex as his. I have to say I really like Ophelia with the new guy, but you could totally lose her from the show and I wouldn't notice. It's got a very recycled "What A Girl Wants" vibe. 4 Link to comment
justawatcher April 5, 2015 Share April 5, 2015 I agree about Ophelia and the new guy. I think it's going to be a Prince Dumped tabloid kind of thing. Link to comment
catray April 6, 2015 Share April 6, 2015 Ugh, Ted is seriously the worst head of security ever! He and Ophelia should be sent packing. Worst palace security ever! Also, does Ophelia's school only have one exit? Stupid. 1 Link to comment
CarBe1 April 7, 2015 Share April 7, 2015 I think Jasper said he drugged - said but in reality did not - Eleanor's drink to wake her up a little about how bad things can go if you get black out wasted with people you don't know well. I think he has good motivations, that haven't been revealed yet, but he's using brutal "tough love" to stop her from getting black out drunk all the time. In every episode we've seen so far, he hasn't forced himself on her, he waits for her to initiate. Link to comment
AAEBoiler April 9, 2015 Share April 9, 2015 It surprises me immensely that the King and Queen still sleep in the same bed. Not only that but it was a small bed ... not even king-sized. [takes sunglasses off] Link to comment
Red Fields January 2, 2017 Share January 2, 2017 On 3/31/2015 at 5:38 PM, kat165 said: It surprises me immensely that the King and Queen still sleep in the same bed. They live in a damn castle! Surely there are other bedrooms. They don't even seem to like each other much. On 4/9/2015 at 9:01 AM, AAEBoiler said: Not only that but it was a small bed ... not even king-sized. [takes sunglasses off] Yes, a very small bed was my first thought, too, after wondering why they even sleep in the same room. Link to comment
Recommended Posts