S01.E07: The Engine Of Change

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Now That Victoria's Knocked Up, What's Next?

Let's look to the future and side-eye some home remedies!

[iMonrey]

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Victoria could have reminded her mother that despite all this "mother knows best" nonsense, that the Duchess only managed to bear one small girl child...

Actually, Victoria's mother had two other daughters before Victoria was born. That's one of the reasons she was considered a suitable bride for the Duke of Kent: she was proven to be fertile. So Victoria has two half-sisters running around somewhere that this show has chosen to ignore.

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 And what's with they young guy that hangs around the kitchen?  Does he have some sort of crush on the dresser?  

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Did anyone else think there was a scene missing when Brodie suddenly started yelling at Francatelli?  I figured there must be something missing.

Near as I can figure out: this young guy (Brodie?) has a crush on Skerrett, which is why he was yelling at the chef about trying to impress someone when the Queen wasn't even at home. This would somewhat explain that odd scene where Penge asks him if he wants him to put on a frock to cheer him up. I'm at a loss to explain Skerrett playfully tousling his head after Jenkins thanks her for the embroidery work. I took it to mean he did the work for her but I couldn't be sure.

Honestly - all these little scenes with the servants seem like they are missing a whole lot of footage. I don't get how the writers expect us to pick up on what little passes for their "stories." 

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(I mean come the fuck on, they cant afford to rent highest quality paste bling?!),

I have no complaints about the production values. Prior to either WWI or WWII diamonds were not cut in the modern way that they are now, and were surprisingly less brilliant and less impressive. My mother inherited some diamonds from an elderly aunt and found out they were virtually worthless because they were so old.

[MaryHedwig]

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Actually, Victoria's mother had two other daughters before Victoria was born. That's one of the reasons she was considered a suitable bride for the Duke of Kent: she was proven to be fertile. So Victoria has two half-sisters running around somewhere that this show has chosen to ignore.

It is my understanding that Princess Victoria, Victoria's mother, had a son, Carl, and a daughter, Anna, prior to her marriage to the Duke of Kent.

Edited February 22, 2017 by MaryHedwig

[iMonrey]

Right you are, MaryHedwig. Don't know where I read otherwise.

[Blergh]

On 2/20/2017 at 11:24 AM, taurusrose said:

 

• The argument ending with Albert telling Victoria England was his country 

I liked how this episode showed the resistance the old guard continued to display toward the young monarch and her consort, the growing partnership between Albert and Peel, and Victoria and Albert. The subplot with the train was well done. 

 

 Technically speaking, as in the case of all Queen Consorts upon their marriage to a King, Albert was alreadya British subject when he wed Victoria (though one may wonder what would have happened re citizenry had the wedding been called off after this had happened). Moreover, he became a 'Royal BRITISH Highness' when he wed her and the thing that would infuriate both of them was that there would have been NO question re precedence had it been the wife of a king- as queen consorts were expected to be bowed and curtsied to by all members of the royal family save only for the king himself but the other royals were so unaccustomed to the idea of a woman ruler that they were not to be so accomodating to the queen's husband. 

[humbleopinion]

Darn...I wanted to see Her Majesty literally... blow beets.

[kassygreene]

9 hours ago, janeta said:

30 mph might have been top speed, but with Albert running alongside the train, it must have been doing about 6. :-)

...

Since the screenplay had the locomotive crew congratulating themselves on a successful trial run with the Prince & Peel, only to have the Queen ride up (and I absolutely called the dialog of the engineer's reaction: "Christ"), I think it's very reasonable to assume that the ride the (pregnant) Queen got was at much less than top speed - it was in fact at a speed that Tom Hardy could manage while running alongside.

8 hours ago, PJ123 said:

This episode was a bit boring.  But it was sweet when Victoria put Albert's hand on her belly while doing paperwork together.  However, didn't Victoria hate the whole pregnancy process beyond the pain/fear factor?  She didn't even want to see a pregnant woman as it disgusted her.  Amazing how she went on to have 9 children.

The slap was interesting I guess.  That German assistant is the only downstairs person that is remotely interesting.  Any bets next season there will be a love triangle between Albert's assistant, dresser and cook?  Ugh.  Why is this dresser so special?

So is anyone else's PBS station pre-empting the final episode next Sunday?  Guessing because its Academy Awards is on.  I mean its one episode - the final one - so we have to wait 2 weeks?  I know first world problems but this could have have premiered a week earlier and had the final episode on this week. 

The slapped person was the younger footman at the Palace - Albert's valet was in Staffordshire with his Prince.

[elle]

6 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Prior to either WWI or WWII diamonds were not cut in the modern way that they are now, and were surprisingly less brilliant and less impressive. My mother inherited some diamonds from an elderly aunt and found out they were virtually worthless because they were so old.

From what I have read, stones were cut to capture the light sources of the time.  What we see as less brilliant now, back then really sparkled under candlelight and gaslight.  Did your mom get a professional appraisal?  I would question someone who said that diamond were virtually worthless because of being old.  (If they then offered to buy them from your mom, that would be a conflict of interest.)  It may be worth her time to get another appraisal.  (I'm not a gemologist, I just watch a lot of Antiques Roadshow)

When Prince Albert said Snap, though he did quickly explain that he was referring the card game, I thought that was odd.  So did Peel for a moment, then they bonded.

[Constantinople]

You know it's the 1% when the boys, instead of playing with train sets, play with actual trains.

[kieyra]

On 2/21/2017 at 8:12 PM, kassygreene said:

Since the screenplay had the locomotive crew congratulating themselves on a successful trial run with the Prince & Peel, only to have the Queen ride up (and I absolutely called the dialog of the engineer's reaction: "Christ"), I think it's very reasonable to assume that the ride the (pregnant) Queen got was at much less than top speed - it was in fact at a speed that Tom Hardy could manage while running alongside.

The slapped person was the younger footman at the Palace - Albert's valet was in Staffordshire with his Prince.

Sanity check. Did you really mean Tom Hardy?  I only ask because it's late and I'm on a lot of cold medicine.

[kassygreene]

No, it's Tom Hughes.  Which I knew.  I even generally like his work, one-note though it often seems (The Game was great, and should have been picked up for a second series).

I guess this comes from watching two 19th century period dramas at the same time (TH is starring in Taboo, and his one-note work is somehow very expressive, even menacing.  

[Badger]

On 2/21/2017 at 1:59 PM, MaryHedwig said:

It is my understanding that Princess Victoria, Victoria's mother, had a son, Carl, and a daughter, Anna, prior to her marriage to the Duke of Kent.

 

Victoria's half-sister was named Feodora.

[gingerella]

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 6:03 PM, elle said:

From what I have read, stones were cut to capture the light sources of the time.  What we see as less brilliant now, back then really sparkled under candlelight and gaslight.  Did your mom get a professional appraisal?  I would question someone who said that diamond were virtually worthless because of being old.  (If they then offered to buy them from your mom, that would be a conflict of interest.)  It may be worth her time to get another appraisal.  (I'm not a gemologist, I just watch a lot of Antiques Roadshow)

When Prince Albert said Snap, though he did quickly explain that he was referring the card game, I thought that was odd.  So did Peel for a moment, then they bonded.

iMonrey, Elle is correct. Old cut diamonds were indeed not cut to perform under the harsher lighting we have nowadays but that does not mean they were inferior in any way - they have gorgeously fat faceting that shoots off big bursts of fire under many lighting conditions, each one being hand cut and thus no two alike. Sadly, your mother either inherited diamonds that were simply not high quality and/or well cut  (no offense), or more likely the person evaluating them didn't know much about antique stones and as many will do in such cases, they either say the stones are worthless - to get your mother to sell them to them at a huge loss unknowingly - and/or they say to get them recut to modern round brilliant proportions because that's all they know about is modern cuts.  Unfortunately most jewelers and appraisers today don't know their ass from a hole in the ground when looking at antique diamonds, though you may be surprised to know that antique diamonds are quite popular nowadays because when they are quality stones and with good cuts, they are to many, superlative to the 'dime a dozen' look of computer cut modern stones.

I remain perplexed as to why this production couldn't be bothered to rent suitable paste versions of Victoria's jewels because most of the tiaras and crowns are an abomination, looking no better than a plastic princess tiara one can find at their local five and dime shop. And that is just unacceptable and shoddy costuming.

*steps off antique jewellery soapbox now*

[AAEBoiler]

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Next episode he invents the Awesome Blossom for Her Majesty.

C'mon, everyone knows that was created in Australia!

[Roseanna]

On ‎20‎.‎2‎.‎2017 at 7:23 AM, Ohmo said:

  I also like how Albert is kind to Victoria while also telling her the truth.  In the last episode, he told her that the only way to prevent having children was by being abstinent.  

But it was not the truth. There were methods even then, as is shown that families had fewer children than before. As Albert was inexperineced, he probably didn't know about them, nor other sexual ways than intercourse.

[Hanahope]

On 2/21/2017 at 11:19 AM, PJ123 said:

didn't Victoria hate the whole pregnancy process beyond the pain/fear factor?  She didn't even want to see a pregnant woman as it disgusted her.  Amazing how she went on to have 9 children.

She apparently liked the process of having sex, just not the result.  I'm sure she rued her fertility (as did much of Europe when hemopheliac was discovered).

I didn't know that referring to pregnancy was considered "impolite."

It definitely was an exciting time for technology back then, as it is now.  Even if it takes Albert to push her, she did follow through.  Peel was right, Albert does have power, power over Victoria.

[dubbel zout]

18 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

I didn't know that referring to pregnancy was considered "impolite."

If a woman is pregnant, it means she's had sex—eek!

[Hanahope]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

If a woman is pregnant, it means she's had sex—eek!

Heh.  But she couldn't even say so to her husband, who kindof knows she's had sex.

[kassygreene]

Lucille Ball was pregnant in the first year of I Love Lucy.  They wrote it in, but they weren't allowed to say she was pregnant.  She was 'specting, and also enceinte.  This was 1951.

[AZChristian]

13 hours ago, kassygreene said:

Lucille Ball was pregnant in the first year of I Love Lucy.  They wrote it in, but they weren't allowed to say she was pregnant.  She was 'specting, and also enceinte.  This was 1951.

"We're havin' a baby . . . my baby and me" . . . who can forget?

[Hanahope]

Simply amazing that the word "pregnant" was considered "impolite" at any time.  I guess it was, what, a curse word, a la other ones, like "f" and "s"?  I mean really, wow.

[Anothermi]

27 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

Simply amazing that the word "pregnant" was considered "impolite" at any time.  I guess it was, what, a curse word, a la other ones, like "f" and "s"?  I mean really, wow.

Haha!  I don't think it was considered a swearword but, perhaps just a bit to vulgarly descriptive. As in the "lacking sophistication or good taste; unrefined" meaning rather than the "making explicit and offensive reference to sex or bodily functions; coarse and rude" meaning (which your other suggestions are). I have never encountered a use of the word pregnant! (in my readings from/of historical times, nor any other) as an expletive! But its use may have caused discomfort or consternation in polite society perhaps, as noted above, due to its closeness to the word impregnate which does imply the act itself. (oh my!)

[Pallas]

Livestock are said to be pregnant. So not only does the state of pregnancy heavily allude to prior sex, the word "pregnant" suggests that despite our pretensions, we humans are still animals. Even aristocrats; even the middle-class "angel in the household." Especially her -- visibly so, and with more than an angel's heft -- when pregnant. So instead, pregnant women were said to be "with child," as no non-human can be. And "expecting," in a way it was assumed that non-human animals were not. 

In English, the reproductive expletive is menstrual: "bloody."  

[Anothermi]

On 2/9/2018 at 3:36 PM, Pallas said:

In English, the reproductive expletive is menstrual: "bloody."  

All these many decades of my life have passed and I never once imagined that was the reason "bloody" is considered a swearword in Britain! I kept picturing disembowelment and other violent acts...

Now that you lay it out there - yah.  I can see it now. (ridiculous as it is, sigh)

[kassygreene]

I always thought that bloody was a contraction of By Our Lady (i.e. Mary), and was therefore a major blasphemy.

[Anothermi]

4 hours ago, kassygreene said:

I always thought that bloody was a contraction of By Our Lady (i.e. Mary), and was therefore a major blasphemy.

Thanks for weighing in, @kassygreene. That was one theory that I was unaware of (despite it's popularity). So now you've got me looking this up and I'm no closer to knowing the origin of "bloody" as an offensive word than anybody else. I DO know that the meaning of words can transform completely over time (usually via a connection to transitory historical context).

Anyway, there is an article in Wikipedia - and that's as far as my search went.  It covered the two ideas presented above, as well as my own bracketed theory, in this quote:
 

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A popularly reported theory suggested euphemistic derivation from the phrase by Our Lady. This possibility was discussed disapprovingly by Eric Partridge (1933). The contracted form by'r Lady is common in Shakespeare's plays around the turn of the 17th century, and Jonathan Swift about 100 years later writes both "it grows by'r Lady cold" and "it was bloody hot walking to-day"[2] suggesting that bloody and by'r Lady had become exchangeable generic intensifiers. However, Partridge describes the supposed derivation of bloody as a further contraction of by'r lady as "phonetically implausible". According to Rawson's dictionary of Euphemisms (1995), attempts to derive bloody from minced oaths for "by our lady" or "God's blood" are based on the attempt to explain the word's extraordinary shock power in the 18th to 19th centuries, but they disregard that the earliest records of the word as an intensifier in the 17th to early 18th century do not reflect any taboo or profanity. It seems more likely, according to Rawson, that the taboo against the word arose secondarily, perhaps because of an association with menstruation.[3]

The Oxford English Dictionary prefers the theory that it arose from aristocratic rowdies known as "bloods", hence "bloody drunk" means "drunk as a blood".[4]