S03.E01: Valediction

[zoey1996]

Turn: Washington's Spies returns Monday night.   

 

In the third-season premiere, Abe covers up a murder with an unlikely accomplice. Elsewhere, Benedict Arnold abuses his power as he settles into a new home in Philadelphia.

I'm happy this show is returning, and excited that I will get to attend a premiere at Colonial Williamsburg's Kimball Theatre tomorrow (Thursday) evening.  Scenes set in Philadelphia were filmed in Colonial Williamsburg and, if you're familiar w/CW, some will be recognizable.  Following the screening, there will be a Q&A.

[OtterMommy]

Turn: Washington's Spies returns Monday night.   

I'm happy this show is returning, and excited that I will get to attend a premiere at Colonial Williamsburg's Kimball Theatre tomorrow (Thursday) evening.  Scenes set in Philadelphia were filmed in Colonial Williamsburg and, if you're familiar w/CW, some will be recognizable.  Following the screening, there will be a Q&A.

 

I'm green with envy over here.  4 of the best years of my life were when I was at William and Mary and I haven't been back since I graduated!  In fact, I started watching this show after I read in the alumni magazine that they were filming on campus.

 

Have fun at the premiere and let us know if they drop any good tidbits!

[HalcyonDays]

Episode synopsis: In the third-season premiere, Abe covers up a murder with an unlikely accomplice. Elsewhere, Benedict Arnold abuses his power as he settles into a new home in Philadelphia.

[zoey1996]

The premiere was really good, and the Q&A w/Samuel Roukin (Simcoe) so interesting!  That's all I'll say for now.  Enjoy the show!

[Primetimer]

The Culper-ring spy 'drama' is back with new alliances...and the same old pacing problems.

Read the story

[HalcyonDays]

I really liked it too. I admit though - I did forget some of the intrigues that occured before the S2 finale, but quickly picked it up.

 

Arnold is already showing how "maligned" he feels of his treatment by Washington. I love that.

 

Love Abe and Mary working together in their spy-games, and how Abe obviously was "getting off" on it. Hee.

 

I admit - I got teary when Hewlett declared his love for Anna. He really is such a sweetheart. Truly. And she looked actually affected and moved...

 

Ben Talmadge - nice to see you again, you sexy man.

 

Also, Mr. Simcoe, nice to see you, you devious man. Same with you, Mr. Rogers...

 

Woodhull Sr. needs to just go away.

 

Overall, I really love this show and am so glad it's back.

[Yolapukka]

Abraham; "I have a cunning plan."

Rogers; "HaHaHaHa-Ha!!!!!!"

 

Anna *plays song about milkshake*

 

Peggy; "I totally don't want to fuck you, so you must accept my excuse about respectable conduct."

*sneaks out to slide under Benedict anyway*

 

Andre "I am the greatest spymaster alive, which is why I will urge my household staff to read the correspondence on my desk."

 

Old Man Woodhull; "I have been a terrible Father, I will fix that by exposing my son as a traitor and allowing his toddler son to race unchecked amidst armaments and sharpened pikes."

 

Rogers "HAM SANDWICHES FOR ALL!!!!!!"

Edited April 26, 2016 by yuggapukka

[LittleIggy]

I like Rogers.

Slutty Peggy still scurrying around at night. That is so ridiculous.

[Haleth]

I had no idea this show was coming back already.  It was just by chance I saw an ad over the weekend.  I'd forgotten how much more I loved the British characters than the Colonials (well, Abe anyway.  Caleb is fine and Ben is dreamy.).  It's hard to remember where we left off last summer.  Rogers was colluding with Abe because he was replaced by Simcoe?  

[blackwing]

I too have forgotten a lot of the storylines.  I was confused as to why Rogers seemed to be working with Abe.  I had the hardest time last season figuring out who he was and what he was doing, I always called him Funny Hat Guy.  Can someone summarise please?

Actually I think it would be nice to have a summary of what each character's situation is and what is motivating them.

Hewlett - please remind me who captured him last season, I recall him being stripped naked in the middle of winter and being kept outside in a circular wood prison.  Who rescued him and what is he doing now?  

Anna - always been sympathetic towards Hewlett and now finds out he is in love with her.  But she's part of the spy ring, so is that why she is so conflicted?  Because she is in opposition to a man she cares about?

Abe and Mary - still spying.  I remember the tension last season between them.  She thought he was in love with Anna and didn't approve of his spying.  But now it seems like she is besties with Anna and she is actively helping them to spy, and deceiving his father?

Ben - can't remember what he is up to

Major Andre - can't remember.  His housekeeper is Anna's former housekeeper and she doesn't want to be mixed up in the spying.  Andre had the hots for Peggy Shippen but found out she is marrying Benedict Arnold.  I can't figure out that whole business with having the housekeeper's son read out the letter.  What was that supposed to be about?  Are we really supposed to believe he wouldn't have read the letter himself first?

Peggy Shippen - can't figure out her motivation in the least, all I know is that she is scorchingly hot

Benedict Arnold - seems like a controlling ass.  Can't see what Peggy sees in him at all.

Abe's father -  Grade A jerk as usual.

 

Sorry for being dense.... appreciate any help here.

[Kabota]

I thought upon first watch that the episode was too exposition heavy, but I guess that's what you're going to get after a year, with a need to set up season arcs for the next 9 episodes. Seriously disappointed that the ep 1 casting call for Nathan Hale led to the square root of nowhere.

That opening scene was pretty dark and unsettling. I was a bit taken aback that Caleb was the executioner. Washington and Ben looked super dramatic as always.

Setauket-based episodes aren't my favorites, in general, but I do always enjoy Mary's shenanigans. I'm glad that they've decided to cash in more on Abe and Mary's weird, interesting chemistry. I know lots of people really love the relationship between Anna and Hewlett, but I'm still over here thinking, "The woman's married, right?" Like give us some closure on the Selah thing, at least. Richard is so self-righteous -- he's turning himself in, technically, too, as having been complicit, but I guess he's a better friend of Hewlett's than the guy who turned in the petition back in season 1, and got himself hanged for his snitching. Rogers likes training up his young pups, apparently -- he and Abe as the odd couple should appeal to some folks. As for me, I've face-palmed myself into oblivion over Abe's convoluted antics too many times, though.*

The Arnold/Shippen/Andre thing is truly painful to watch, but they are beginning to show Peggy as using more agency in her moves, which is good. I guess they want us to think that Andre's desperation as to the Peggy/Arnold predicament will be responsible for some upcoming risky moves and possible mistakes?  

Ironic how Abigail comes across as the most real character of them all -- and she with no historical counterpart that we know of.

Do hope to see more in the coming episodes of Robert Townsend and the NYC connections. And too little Ben and Caleb makes me cranky.

eta: *How many people are going to know that Abe is a spy before the ring is thoroughly compromised? There's NO WAY Simcoe doesn't know exactly who Culper is. 
 

Edited April 27, 2016 by Kabota

[ganesh]

I hope the joke is that *everyone* knows who Culper is but doesn't think anyone else knows, so they won't tell anyone else because they want to hang on to the information for their own ends. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the episode. Even with all the exposition, there's suspense with Abe *always* being deceitful, while at the same time sharing it with his wife.

The Judge was annoying me. He was like a nagging old person. "Where are you going, what are you doing?". Then at the end I said: He's got to go. Sic Angus on him. It's the perfect murder because no one knows he and Abe are in cahoots. 

Hewlett is probably going to not believe him anyway. 

[Hanahope]

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Hewlett - please remind me who captured him last season, I recall him being stripped naked in the middle of winter and being kept outside in a circular wood prison.  Who rescued him and what is he doing now?  

Simcoe captured and tortured him.  IIRC, Hewlett was trying to work with the colonists/rebels to resolve some problems, Simcoe butchered some rebels and somehow framed Hewlett, who then tried to locate Simcoe and got caught instead.  So Hewlett hates Simcoe, but I think still has to work with him.

 

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Anna - always been sympathetic towards Hewlett and now finds out he is in love with her.  But she's part of the spy ring, so is that why she is so conflicted?  Because she is in opposition to a man she cares about?

Yeah, I think Anna still loves Abe and the rebel cause, but cares a helluva lot about Hewlett.  So she's totes conflicted.

 

Quote

Abe and Mary - still spying.  I remember the tension last season between them.  She thought he was in love with Anna and didn't approve of his spying.  But now it seems like she is besties with Anna and she is actively helping them to spy, and deceiving his father?

Mary came around when she feared losing Abe would adversely affect her and their son, and when the British soldier that was staying at their house found out Abe was a spy, confronted Mary and Abe shot him and they had to set fire to the house.  So their sortof partners in spyhood, and Mary has become a willing participant.

 

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Ben - can't remember what he is up to

I believe he's still hanging around Washington trying to coordinate the spy ring.

 

Quote

Major Andre - can't remember.  His housekeeper is Anna's former housekeeper and she doesn't want to be mixed up in the spying.  Andre had the hots for Peggy Shippen but found out she is marrying Benedict Arnold.  I can't figure out that whole business with having the housekeeper's son read out the letter.  What was that supposed to be about?  Are we really supposed to believe he wouldn't have read the letter himself first?

Andre is trying to find the spy ring, but also doing what he can to make British spies.  The housekeeper was helping Anna/Abe in order to keep her son safe and got the son to live with Andre, so now she's not as interested in helping out the Culper ring, at least very much.  Andre and Peggy were a 'thing' and Andre wanted to propose, but Peggy's dad didn't like it because Andre is too 'lower class' for him.  Andre found out Arnold has the hots for Peggy and  convinced her to encourage him so that Andre can turn Arnold against Washington and the rebels (which *** spoiler alert *** we all know that works).  So Andre pushed Peggy to follow Arnold back to Philly and be his 'girl' to try and convince Arnold to turn (haha, see what I did there).  I don't believe Andre had read Peggy's letter first when he gave it to the son to read to him (for practice) and was just taken aback that Peggy is now engaged to Arnold (because she had to keep the charade going to keep Arnold close - and Arnold proposed - what could she do, say "no, I just want to hang out together?")  I'm sure Andre just thought it would be a nice 'I'm doing fine' letter, since obviously Peggy couldn't say anything 'spyish' in the letter.

 

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Peggy Shippen - can't figure out her motivation in the least, all I know is that she is scorchingly hot

See Andre.  She loves Andre and is a loyalist.  She will do what she can to help him and the British cause.  She's trying to push Arnold to hate the rebels/Washington so he will turn on them and spy for the Brits.

 

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Benedict Arnold - seems like a controlling ass.  Can't see what Peggy sees in him at all.

He feels slighted by Washington in not getting certain promotions/compensation.  I believe he had hurt his leg such that he was no longer useful on the battlefield.  He feels he's not getting the recognition he deserves.  Don't worry Arnold, your name will always be remembered.

 

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Abe's father -  Grade A jerk as usual.

Yup.  Loyalist to the core and if he knows about Abe's contribution to the other son's death, he won't forgive him (or at least won't forgive him for not being like his brother).

 

Hey, we had a honorable mention of cabbage this episode!

[SharonH58]

Loved the episode.  I had to rewind during the hanging, what? a head popped off?   The hanging was the 2 examples of what happens when the knot isn't placed right.  And Caleb had to be the hangman?  Does he have to do everything?   Loved Rogers and Abe together, planting a body and  "so when should I plant cabbage?"  haha

I think Anna has feelings for Hewlett.  How can you not?  He has been sweet to her, protected her for psycho Simcoe and is so cute!   But I cannot imagine what he is going to do now that the Judge has ratted out his son.  I cannot believe he did that knowing the penalty is death. 

Love all the actors.  They all do a fantastic job.  I am planning my day trip to visit some of their filming locations.

[Granny58]

does anybody know when these episodes are filmed?   

love the abe and angus dynamic.  Good lines. 

Like Anna and Hewlett....wish that would work out for his sake.

Simcoe is riveting. 

the father...omg please drop his character. what does he add?  nothing.

I have to admit a particular fascination for Peggy Shippen.  Many years ago when I was 13 (so MANY years ago) I came across the book "Peggy" and it was all about her.  I don't remember the author, but I loved the book....read it many times that year.  

[blackwing]

Hanahope, thank you so much for your response!  Helped me immensely to recall what had happened last season.

[millennium]

When Abe explained to Rogers how he had to fake this letter, plant it on that body, so that so-and-so thinks Major Andre doesn't think that Abe is a double-agent or something, I had the same reaction:

"That is some serpentine shite!"

Edited May 6, 2016 by millennium

[SharonH58]

On ‎4‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 4:11 PM, Granny58 said:

does anybody know when these episodes are filmed?     

I found an article in the Richmond paper from last year looking for extras from Nov to Feb.

[LilJen]

Just found this series on Netflix and have binge-watched up to this point. My reactions thus far?

• Abe has become a total murderous douche. Plus he's really stupid. He never should have concocted the double agent scheme, because he's too dumb to handle it.
• Simcoe continues to be incredibly scary with his total absence of conscience and apparent enjoyment of killing. I call antisocial personality disorder on him. I don't know what other roles the actor has played but I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley!
• Major Hewlett. . . this cannot end well. When Anna inevitably rejects him he'll have to go back to cosplaying as Copernicus. He was so cute and nerdy in his little velvet cap and cape with his telescope talking stars with Anna a few episodes ago.
• Andre and Peggy are in wayyyy over their heads with the volatile Benedict Arnold, who with his volatile temper is nearly as scary as Simcoe.
• Mary: she has BALLS. I don't know why she is so head over heels over Abe, because he's a jerk, but she's got serious cojones and a better poker face than he does.

Lots of people on this show are stupid. Too much talking in a normal voice about totally secret things, and then they wonder where someone got this 'super secret intel'? Riiight.

Bit sad that the head spy guy got killed (Stephen Root, aka Jimmy James on NewsRadio). I was waiting for the actor to throw in some NewsRadio quotes. "I am a cipher, a cipher wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce."

Edited November 16, 2017 by LilJen

[LilJen]

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 0:01 AM, yuggapukka said:

Andre "I am the greatest spymaster alive, which is why I will urge my household staff to read the correspondence on my desk."

 

Old Man Woodhull; "I have been a terrible Father, I will fix that by exposing my son as a traitor and allowing his toddler son to race unchecked amidst armaments and sharpened pikes."

SO much this! Just more evidence for my "everyone is stupid on this show" idea.