Indian Summers - General Discussion

[izabella]

Comcast changed their catch-all "Masterpiece" to "XYZ on Masterpiece" a long time ago.  It is really useful if you don't want to pick up ALL Masterpiece series (because they are NOT all masterpieces, lol), and record just the ones you're interested in.  Once you have your DVR set up for the new names, it works really well.

[Brattinella]

Well, our local PBS station that has Indian Summers has decided to air some political crap tonight.  GAH!

[LiveenLetLive]

5 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Well, our local PBS station that has Indian Summers has decided to air some political crap tonight.  GAH!

the episode is on youtube if you can't wait--I couldn't. unfortunately episodes 6--8 are not on youtube so I will have to wait for them.

[magdalene]

I am confused. My PBS station has not aired either Poldark or Indian Summers tonight.  Instead they are airing an episode of Sherlock Holmes and "The Lady Vanishes".

[dcalley]

17 hours ago, magdalene said:

I am confused. My PBS station has not aired either Poldark or Indian Summers tonight.  Instead they are airing an episode of Sherlock Holmes and "The Lady Vanishes".

Individual PBS stations can decide to air what they want, but for the most part they follow the same schedule. Most PBS stations aired the presidential debate, with Masterpiece taking a Sunday off. Apparently yours decided to air reruns instead of the debate. You can check your channel's Masterpiece schedule here.

Edited October 10, 2016 by dcalley
added strikethrough because I stupidly forgot about the west even though I've lived there. Sorry, I watched the debate and I think it negatively affected my brain!

[magdalene]

My station aired the debate, which started at 6 and was finished by 8 pm.  Then they were supposed to air Poldark at 9 and Indian Summers at 10.  But they didn't.  I am in California so I am guessing our programming was pre-empted because of the Eastern time zone.

[LiveenLetLive]

12 hours ago, magdalene said:

I am confused. My PBS station has not aired either Poldark or Indian Summers tonight.  Instead they are airing an episode of Sherlock Holmes and "The Lady Vanishes".

I'm on the west coast, they ran the debate and hence weren't showing Poldark or Indian Summers last night.

[Constantinople]

15 hours ago, magdalene said:

My station aired the debate, which started at 6 and was finished by 8 pm.  Then they were supposed to air Poldark at 9 and Indian Summers at 10.  But they didn't.  I am in California so I am guessing our programming was pre-empted because of the Eastern time zone.

That would be my guess.  Otherwise next week different time zones would be watching different episodes of Poldark and Indian Summers.

[skyways]

Why are you guys bothering yourselves?? There are ways and means to watch them. I watched Masterpiece Poldark on same 'ways and means' so I pretended it was my own Sunday line-up.

[Constantinople]

3 hours ago, skyways said:

Why are you guys bothering yourselves??

Nostalgia for the days when you had to be in Britain or know someone at the local PBS station to see an episode ahead of time.

[skyways]

Lol it's like every one here has moved to Corfu! Oh well.......don't blame you.

[AnnieBeez]

8 hours ago, skyways said:

Lol it's like every one here has moved to Corfu! Oh well.......don't blame you.

I know! Has everyone else given up? I'm only seeing it through til the end now. 

[magdalene]

I am still watching - though mainly for somebody (hey, Ralphie, do something useful!) to kill Alice' awful husband.

[TVForever]

3 minutes ago, magdalene said:

I am still watching - though mainly for somebody (hey, Ralphie, do something useful!) to kill Alice' awful husband.

That's what I'm holding on for,too! I also wouldn't mind seeing the Queen of the Colonists Club get a dose of something bad. Seeing Ralph reject her was a good start.

[GinnyMars]

Unpopular opinion but I still like it! Was disappointed by the lack of posts here after all the crazy stuff that happened in this week's ep though.

[LittleGreyCells]

I'm still in GinnyMars!

[Brattinella]

Me, too!  Can't wait!

[izabella]

On 10/19/2016 at 4:30 PM, magdalene said:

I am still watching - though mainly for somebody (hey, Ralphie, do something useful!) to kill Alice' awful husband.

I have been waiting for that since his first scene!

[Constantinople]

Last night's episode was Season 2 Episode 6, when the bomb went off

I'm writing about Episode 5, in which Cynthia tells Ralph that Cynthia's husband Reggie is Ralph's biological father.

The number of people whose lives are ruined or ended because of Adam is a bit much.  That kid better end up curing cancer or inventing a longer lasting light bulb or something.

I'm not sure why Leena was willing to go to jail to protect the kid.  Were they trying to suggest that she felt guilt because she would have been willing to sleep with Lord WhatHisName?

I should be angrier at Charlie for the way he treats Alice, this time he was about to belt her, literally, while she was lying on the floor.  However, I'm even angrier at Ralph for borrowing money from Charlie, thereby putting Alice further under Charlie's control.  And how nice of Ralph to strike Cynthia for revealing Ralph's parentage.

That said, I don't much like Alice.  Just because a character is a victim, doesn't make her interesting.

Naresh Banerjee is alive.  Shocker, not.

[LiveenLetLive]

11 hours ago, Constantinople said:

Last night's episode was Season 2 Episode 6, when the bomb went off

I'm writing about Episode 5, in which Cynthia tells Ralph that Cynthia's husband Reggie is Ralph's biological father.

The number of people whose lives are ruined or ended because of Adam is a bit much.  That kid better end up curing cancer or inventing a longer lasting light bulb or something.

I'm not sure why Leena was willing to go to jail to protect the kid.  Were they trying to suggest that she felt guilt because she would have been willing to sleep with Lord WhatHisName?

I should be angrier at Charlie for the way he treats Alice, this time he was about to belt her, literally, while she was lying on the floor.  However, I'm even angrier at Ralph for borrowing money from Charlie, thereby putting Alice further under Charlie's control.  And how nice of Ralph to strike Cynthia for revealing Ralph's parentage.

That said, I don't much like Alice.  Just because a character is a victim, doesn't make her interesting.

Naresh Banerjee is alive.  Shocker, not.

Wait--no one is going to comment on the old lady "hand job?" ewwwww! Why did Cynthia even do that? LOL. 

So in episode 6 Ralph just moves on with life even though there are clearly unanswered questions about his parentage, man I can't imagine being that "uncurious."

[attica]

I, for one, am glad that the Bannerjee Bomb Plot is done. Aafrin has enough to twitch about with his affair with Alice without compounding it with clandestine missions. I grow weary of Twitchy freaking Aafrin.

I loved that awful bust of the maharaji. I'd put it in my foyer if he gave it to me!

The Sooni Love Triangle is heating up!

[taanja]

On ‎10‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 4:30 PM, magdalene said:

I am still watching - though mainly for somebody (hey, Ralphie, do something useful!) to kill Alice' awful husband.

I want Alice to do it all by herself...like they are standing on a balcony or some other high up place and she just...pushes him-- whoops!

And I want her to get away with it.

God I love Ralph. There's a sort of dark desperation about him that makes me love the character. I'm going to miss him most of all...

[magdalene]

4 hours ago, taanja said:

I want Alice to do it all by herself...like they are standing on a balcony or some other high up place and she just...pushes him-- whoops!

And I want her to get away with it.

God I love Ralph. There's a sort of dark desperation about him that makes me love the character. I'm going to miss him most of all...

Nods.  Ralph is certainly the most interesting character of them all to me.

[Constantinople]

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but Sarah was twice referred to as Mrs Raworth in last night's episode.  Don't these people realize that when a married woman is widowed, she reverts to using her maiden name, as in Miss Whelan?

The less said about Ralph/Madeleine/the Maharajah/Sirene the better, though I do feel bad for Olivia Grant, who plays Madeleine.  She rarely gets two words of dialogue unless it precedes or follows a sex scene.
 

[Brattinella]

That whole deal with the Maharajah was disgusting and loathsome.  I think I sat there with my mouth hanging open until it was over, so distressed!  I don't know why Madeleine was so upset after, though; she seemed like she was REALLY into it.

Reverting to one's maiden name after being widowed is a matter of choice, I think. 

[LiveenLetLive]

Last night was certainly lurid, LOL. Liked Sonni and Mr. Khan, hated the whole Maharajah charade (is that Art Malik? had no idea until he took off his Maharajah hat, LOL, The Jewel in the Crown was really a long, long time ago..) Oh dear Rachel Griffith is looking a bit worse for wear and that sad play for the distraught (but spineless) Ralph was pretty gross. On top of that was Cynthia implying that her husband (or was he?) had syphilis or whatever so she kept having stillborn babies?? WTH is going on in the writer's head? haha

[skyways]

Yuck. My Closed captioning kept saying 'woman moaning................woman moaning'................. I knew this series wasn't going to do well.

[Pickles]

The episode last night was so disturbing. The tiny child tied to the tree to lure the tiger. Omg! Horrible! Madeline and the whole sex thing. I was horrified. Why did she go along with that?? I have never liked Rachel Griffith and her role on this show is bizarre. Ralph is headed for a breakdown, if he hasn't already lost his mind. I like Suni. She was the only bright spot.

[magdalene]

I am not surprised this series was canceled. Personally I would rather not watch a show that humiliates and degrades its female characters like this.  I am spending all my time watching and feeling horrified for Alice and now poor Madeline.

The series looks gorgeous but the moral rot is just too much for me.

[LiveenLetLive]

1 hour ago, magdalene said:

I am not surprised this series was canceled. Personally I would rather not watch a show that humiliates and degrades its female characters like this.  I am spending all my time watching and feeling horrified for Alice and now poor Madeline.

The series looks gorgeous but the moral rot is just too much for me.

Moral rot--perfectly put. I will watch it out because nothing else is on in the time period, and I enjoy looking at the actor who plays Ralph, but just ick.

[Mumbles]

What a bunch of loathsome characters. Sooni and her trio of suitors - all sweet in their own way - was a bright spot in a bleak, mean-spirited episode.

Not to say that I am glad her husband pimped her out, but I have always hated Madeleine, from the first season and her blatant gold-digging. Plus, I was disappointed that as an American she cheerfully bought into the racist underpinnings of colonialism with such ease (yes, I understand that the US at this time was racist as all hell, but still...). I still don't understand how she ended up marrying Ralph after she went back to the US when her brother died (as Cynthia commented, she was the type of woman who doesn't come back), especially since Ralph realized she wasn't rich.

[TVForever]

14 hours ago, Pickles said:

The episode last night was so disturbing. The tiny child tied to the tree to lure the tiger. Omg! Horrible! Madeline and the whole sex thing. I was horrified. Why did she go along with that?? I have never liked Rachel Griffith and her role on this show is bizarre. Ralph is headed for a breakdown, if he hasn't already lost his mind. I like Suni. She was the only bright spot.

That scene with the tiger- I almost couldn't watch. And watching Bhupi have to walk around continuing to serve these people after they abused his child that way... Honestly, I'm still upset by it. The ugliness of that period (which I suppose still exists in its way), it's just insane to think that people could treat others so horribly.

Ralph-- I've always wanted to see him as this conflicted man who wants to do the right thing in a strange time, but he has been prone to some very wrong actions over the course of the series. And watching him offer up that tiny child to save his own son? NOTHING he does after this gets sympathy from me- nothing.

[taanja]

18 hours ago, magdalene said:

I am not surprised this series was canceled. Personally I would rather not watch a show that humiliates and degrades its female characters like this.  I am spending all my time watching and feeling horrified for Alice and now poor Madeline.

The series looks gorgeous but the moral rot is just too much for me.

Yeah. Once again I sit at my little table all alone...

I have no issue with the "moral rot" -- in fact I find it fascinating. The English (the whites) living in their privileged bubble even though India was changing under their very feet. Ralph's little man servant first observing that his own son being used as bait then watching that whole scene with the maharaja (is that his title?) taking Ralph's wife upstairs for sex while Ralph himself and the maharaja's "wife" have sex on the couch in the main room. He (The manservant -- whatshisname-- Boopie? << I'm gonna just call him that) looked disgusted. Gandhi is out there preaching about equality and independence and being free of British rule--- meanwhile the Brits "moral rot"  is in full view.

Side question--Madeline (Ralph's wife) has a kid? say what? when? is it Ralph's? The only child I remember in that household is Alice's son Percy.

Cynthia's story was interesting. She comes across as independent and a bitch and Ralph wonders why she didn't do anything to stop her husband (Ralphs bio father) from having many affairs but of course and as always she was a woman of her times. The husband was lord and master and the wife just did as she was told. Even Cynthia.

I'm going to be sad when this show ends.

[attica]

On 10/31/2016 at 11:48 AM, Brattinella said:

I don't know why Madeleine was so upset after, though; she seemed like she was REALLY into it.

I would suspect that the Maharajah would have been displeased without a vocalized response from Maddy. And it's not like it's out of the realm of possibility that a woman can fake such a response, now, is it? Also, too, I'm willing to entertain the notion that the moaning Ralph heard outside the door was a memory of his mom with Reggie, given the flashback cut right there.

The Sooni Love Triangle is a Quandrangle! And all her suitors are nice in their own ways! Argh: for whom shall I root?

6 hours ago, taanja said:

Side question--Madeline (Ralph's wife) has a kid? say what? when?

Yeah, this leapt out at me too. Maybe a lie from Madeleine?

14 hours ago, TVForever said:

it's just insane to think that people could treat others so horribly.

And equally insane that people look up to 'their betters' who treat others so horribly. And yet, and yet.

[Brattinella]

@attica I was referring to Bug-eye lady's response when he first suggested sex, not the interlude behind the door.  She looked very excited at the prospect. 

[Pickles]

Is Madeline's child with Ralph? I have no memory of a child! Can someone enlighten me?

[attica]

Ah, well, I read her reaction as a combination of things, interesting to flit across the actor's face all together. I saw shock,. desire to support Ralph, maybe some bit of flattered-ness (A prince will hand over the keys to the kingdom for a roll in the hay with me! Whoo!), and maybe a hint of triumph over Sirene (who's got your fella now, missy!) I thought she regained her reserve and rectitude during dinner, and that her recoiling at the necklace gift was sincere.

I'm not on the Madeleine Defense Staff, but I am enjoying the character and the characterization. I wouldn't peg her as a gold-digger, even if it was her brother's ambition for her. Seemed to me she fell for him, hard. She's an American in a pit of aristo-vipers, now at their mercy, really. It's a dismal, no-win situation.

[Brattinella]

I must say, though, she looked devastated after the act.  I don't think it was a pleasant experience at all. 

[GinnyMars]

That Maharajah's a cruel man... He was awful to poor "Phyllis" in particular. He might even be more fucked up than Ralphie, which isn't easy.

I think the writing in the Madeleine/Maharajah/Sirene scene wasn't great, I too wasn't sure where Madeleine was standing, if she wanted to go through with it or not...

Madeleine and Ralph have a kid, yes. A girl, I think. There's been a few lines in earlier episodes about "[Child] would like to spend time with you too", "[Child] would enjoy x too" that showcased Madeleine's (in that case perfectly legitimate) jealousy of Adam.

I wonder if/when Bhupi's gonna snap. I think it's coming...

Lastly, the most interesting part of the show, to me at least... I don't get why Sooni picked Mr. Khan right after saying he was like a brother to her! I wish it had been Ian. I'm glad Ian was the first to propose, though, at least it didn't come from feeling threatened by a previous proposal or something. I'm still rooting for him.

I'll be sad when this ends too!

Edited November 2, 2016 by GinnyMars

[TVForever]

Ah, Sooni and her suitors:

I must admit, I like all three of them, even Mr Eyebrows, lol!! I appreciate the show not putting an obvious bad guy in the mix. They're just three very different men who are attracted to Sooni, and why wouldn't they be? She's adorable, smart, and feisty, if a bit annoying. It seems she has chosen Mr Khan (at least for now), but I'll be really disappointed for the two who lose out. A choice of three seemingly great guys is a nice problem to have...

[Mumbles]

Mr Eyebrows seems to be a bit of a mama's boy. And Mr Khan did always have a big brother vibe. My vote would be for Ian because he's so Bolshy, and of the three was the first to appreciate how smart Sooni is.

Here's what I don't get....if Ralph's dad was Cynthia's husband, why is she so supportive of him, you think she would resent him as tbe manifestation of her husband's infidelity. Of course Cynthia may be playing a very long con here.

[GinnyMars]

1 hour ago, Mumbles said:

Here's what I don't get....if Ralph's dad was Cynthia's husband, why is she so supportive of him, you think she would resent him as tbe manifestation of her husband's infidelity. Of course Cynthia may be playing a very long con here.

Since she couldn't have her own children, I guess in a way, she "adopted" her husband's love child as her own... Although what I personally don't get is whether she loved or hated the man. She spat at his photo, but later defended him. Both, probably...

Edited November 2, 2016 by GinnyMars

[taanja]

3 hours ago, Mumbles said:

Here's what I don't get....if Ralph's dad was Cynthia's husband, why is she so supportive of him, you think she would resent him as tbe manifestation of her husband's infidelity. Of course Cynthia may be playing a very long con here.

My question is-- if Ralph's mother and bio dad had years long affair-- is Alice also a product of that affair?

[dcalley]

On 10/24/2016 at 9:13 PM, LiveenLetLive said:

Wait--no one is going to comment on the old lady "hand job?" ewwwww! Why did Cynthia even do that? LOL.

Either I did a phenomenal job of wiping that from my memory, or PBS cut it from the version I watched (on pbs.org).

[Brattinella]

2 minutes ago, dcalley said:

Either I did a phenomenal job of wiping that from my memory, or PBS cut it from the version I watched (on pbs.org).

On 10/24/2016 at 8:13 PM, LiveenLetLive said:

Wait--no one is going to comment on the old lady "hand job?" ewwwww! Why did Cynthia even do that? LOL. 

 

I don't remember that either; who was the recipient?

Edited November 2, 2016 by Brattinella
replied to wrong person

[TVForever]

Just now, Brattinella said:

I don't remember it either; who was the recipient?

I think it was the old McFart (I can't remember his name) who got burned by Adam and spent a long convalescence at the club.

[Brattinella]

43 minutes ago, TVForever said:

I think it was the old McFart (I can't remember his name) who got burned by Adam and spent a long convalescence at the club.

Thank you!  And ewww.

[izabella]

Is that what she was doing?!  I thought she was putting that vinegar lotion on his burns.

[candall]

Wow.  I am SO on a different wavelength.  This is my favorite show.  I saved up three episodes so I would have a feast instead of a small weekly portion.  And when the US election got me down so far I couldn't stand it, I left it all behind and went away to India.

The first of the three episodes was solid story-building, the next episode had the bomb, and the last episode was non-stop:  bam! bam! bam!  I can't tell you how disappointed I am to be denied the last seasons--I still can't tell whether the stories will be truncated or left incomplete.

 

 

I thought Madeleine's reaction was perfect.  She's been living so long with the general insignificance of women, combined with her marital position of "Afterthought."  Suddenly her husband's career, their entire future, the path down which the whole damn country will ultimately go--have all come down to her being deemed highly desirable and coveted by a powerful man with a reputation for being sexually insatiable.  The choice to sacrifice, or not, is up to her.  That's some very heady wine!

I thought it was a remarkable, brutal, moment when the prince whispered to her that her husband would not ever forgive her, and she was wrong to believe he would.

(Of course Ralph is going to destroy her when he reveals she was merely a substitute for Alice.)

 

 

I think this show is just brilliant at moving the viewers' sympathies back and forth, up, down and sideways.  I know I used to yearn to see Ralph strung up by his thumbs--and then I couldn't really remember why.  Oh, right, thanks, Aafrin--the assassination attempt, the forged documentation and Mr. Sood.

I once would have said seeing Ralph wallop Mrs. Coffin across the jaw would be highly satisfying, but no.  She's so tragically pathetic when she assures Ralph, with pride, that for his father, "honor was everything."

I used to be 100% pro-Sooni, fighting the crushing misogynist social mores so hard, and I still have to stand by her on principle, but now I think she rarely opens her mouth that foolishness doesn't fall out.

 

 

I'll tell you one overlap that occurred to me between current events and most of the stories we're seeing unfold in Indian Summers--this quote from "A Thousand Splendid Suns":

Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman.

[LiveenLetLive]

4 hours ago, izabella said:

Is that what she was doing?!  I thought she was putting that vinegar lotion on his burns.

yes that is what she was doing, to make sure that I wasn't crazy I hunted down the original UK comments/synopsis on this episode, LOL.  What she hoped to accomplish I still can't figure out.