A Place To Call Home - General Discussion

[theschnauzers]

Quote

Seems like just about all of the adult main characters make it into their 80s.

Except James, apparently. Dying in the 1980s, he would have been in his 50s. It was odd throughout the entire series that William, Olivia’s brother who was apparently James’ life partner, was never directly brought into the series except in brief glances when James was in Europe onscreen and that was apparently used to limit David Berry’s role in the final three seasons, even before he was also cast in Outlander. 

[Possum]

On 10/30/2018 at 9:25 PM, sas616 said:

Just finished watching the series finale and geez, I could have done without that last bit.  Probably just me, but it was kind of a downer.   Would have been fine had it just ended on New Years Eve.

The ending was a little much for me too.  There was just too much detail on what happened to the characters.  A little would have been great, but they didn't know when to stop.  I never want to see a show in reruns when you have specifics on the characters' endings.  As silly as it sounds, I can always imagine they still exist unless I am told that they no longer do.

On 11/1/2018 at 7:46 PM, USAFAN said:

Thank god it's over.  But did we ever see Sir Richard get his comeuppance?

Sir Richard was not shown in the last series, unless I missed him.  He was talked about as someone being on the hospital board, but that was all I recall.  I also was waiting to see him get it one more time, especially if Elizabeth would be the one to do it.

Edited November 3, 2018 by Possum

[bybrandy]

On 11/1/2018 at 6:46 PM, USAFAN said:

But did we ever see Sir Richard get his comeuppance?

Nah, he had a truce of sorts with the Blighs at the end of season 5.   And of course we saw George punch him and Larry throw fruit at him.  He was on the hospital board at the end and was at least a little bit involved in Burton trying to oust Jack but Jack's power play won and he stayed at the hospital.  Jack seemed at least a little bit to be plotting ways to get Richard off the board.  I'll assume he succeeds at some point, and if not it irritates Richard that he doesn't succeed in ruining any Bligh lives.   

 

On 11/1/2018 at 6:50 PM, mojito said:

 

Interesting that Frank was invited to Christmas supper at Ash Park. That seemed to have come out of nowhere.

 

Sarah said she thought another voice might get through to Jack indicating that she'd orchestrated it as part of her fixing Jack before going to Israel plan.   Because she really does always have to have the last word.  

On 11/1/2018 at 6:50 PM, mojito said:

I don't quite get the Sara's book, entitled, "A Place to Call Home" by Samantha Swanson. Does that name have any significance? I know that Andrew and Prudence's last name is Swanson. Something (besides the romance of Andrew and Olivia) whizzed right past me. 

Season 2 episode 1 had a flash forward to a blonde woman named Sam interviewing a very old Sarah.  Sam was played by the same actress who plays Olivia (with a blonde wig).   So Olivia needed to have a biological child sometime after 2x01 because obviously Georgie's children wouldn't resemble Olivia.  Olivia married Andrew and is shown in the epilogue with a baby dressed in blue.  The book jacket says Samantha Swanson indicating that the baby Livvie is holding at the end grows up to father a daughter named Samantha who writes the book about Sarah.    

 I feel like season 5 ended with Matt and Livvie engaged so if there wasn't a season 5 they had a blonde man who could have fathered Sam.   I feel like all of LIvvie's stories were ultimately about making sure there was a plausible blonde father for Sam. 

On 11/1/2018 at 6:50 PM, mojito said:

Seems like just about all of the adult main characters make it into their 80s. 

James his 50s, Elizabeth her 60s.   We don't know about Jack and Caro but the order of Australia isn't awarded until 1975 (and there were  only a couple of female MPs before then) so they could have fallen short of 80 but they probably did alright longevity wise.   

Poor Sarah though has at least 25 years (and probably a few more!) as a widow not counting the 8 years she thought she was widowed from her first husband.   That's harsh.  

[Badger]

On 11/1/2018 at 2:45 AM, bybrandy said:

I really hated that ending for Olivia, because she had the same story over and over and over again.  Olivia meets a boy.  He says he loves her.  She falls in love. He turns out to be entirely wrong for her, lather, rinse, repeat.  She fell for James quickly, he turned out to be gay and the second best choice she'd ever make.   She fell for the artist quickly and he turned out to be a cad.  She fell for Matthew quickly and he turned out to be a controlling arse. Then she fell for Andrew quickly and that time it worked out.. but it didn't feel like growth it felt like it worked out because they needed her to have a bio kid with a blonde to make Samantha worked ant that every story she'd had for the past two years had been not about Olivia but about that.   

I thought last year that Matthew happened so quickly and was annoyingly perfect and too pat so I sort of loved that he turned out to be controlling and gave Olivia a chance to play nothing other than sweetly in love with some boy.   But then they had her go and fall immediately in love again with a boy.  She was engaged to two different men during the course of her divorce.  So I feel like it worked out because they wanted to give sweet Olivia a happily ever after, rather than it worked out because Olivia was changed or even Andrew was. Which  guess was true but since we didn't get to see it. it would have worked better with more episodes with Andrew but honestly it needed a lot more episodes for me.  

I feel like Olivia is the most underserved character on the show.  I like her.  I want nice things for her.  But I don't feel like I know her even a little bit.  I mean this season had her have a scene with her brother without them interacting.  ?!?!?!

I felt like it was a woman can be happy in a variety of ways.  I hope it was.  In any case it feels better than her going back to Gino.   

Matt was probably the worst written character on the show, but then I think he was meant to be a plot device and not a character.  I still have no idea why he did what he did.  And what about his son?  What was up with that?  I wish he had been included in the "what happened to" segment at the end, even if it was just " No one ever heard from Matt again.  He had several other failed relationships and was never able to find his son.  He shot and killed himself after his business failed in the late 1970's."   

FTR, I have no problem with him and Olivia not getting a "happy ending."  I just have a problem with his going from being "the perfect boyfriend" to "villain" with absolutely no context.  

Another thing I noticed in the Season 2 episode with Samantha and a very old Sarah:  There was another elderly character in that scene called Leah who I assumed must have been Sarah's caretaker.  I wonder if that was Leah Gold now.  Or I guess Leah Gray since she married Larry.  

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

I wonder if that was Leah Gold now.  Or I guess Leah Gray since she married Larry.  

Yes, that was Leah Gold/Gray?  Larry's last name was Gray?  I totally didn't remember that.   Leah was also sitting at Sarah's bedside at the very end.  

I thought Matt was too perfect and neatly tied up in season 5 so I wasn't surprised at all he became some cartoon villain.  Too perfect boys always are.  IF they hadn't gotten a season 6 Sam would have a blonde grandfather but he was TOO boringy perfect to be Livvie's happily ever after in season 6.  Also, Douglas having a rift so deep with his son that he didn't mention it for YEARS with Elizabeth even as he lay dying, I mean the guy wasn't going to be a boy scout.  But obviously he had an impact on Georgie who kept surfing.  

Edited November 4, 2018 by bybrandy

[Badger]

I have no problem with Matt becoming a villain.  And yes, he was too good to be true.  But there was no context to what happened.  I mean, usually, there will be clues that you can point to when a character changes that much.  Like with Olivia ending up with Andrew Swanson.  That works because we know they were friends and that he had great affection for her even though he wanted Anna.  Look how genuinely pleased he was to see her with Baby George in the hospital.  

Maybe it was supposed to be a case of he came literally out of nowhere, had an impact on their lives, and then disappeared as quickly as he appeared.  It's also ironic that he told James that his son and the child's mother "severed all ties" and disappeared and then he ended up doing the same thing.  

[walnutqueen]

WTF? KPBS.  They went from delusional bitch in an asylum back to DAY ! of the series ...

San Diego must really be hurting for money to not run any further seasons.

[bybrandy]

On 11/5/2018 at 10:37 AM, walnutqueen said:

WTF? KPBS.  They went from delusional bitch in an asylum back to DAY ! of the series ...

San Diego must really be hurting for money to not run any further seasons.

I don't think many PBS stations have bought or aired new episodes since Acorn bought the rights.   

[walnutqueen]

14 minutes ago, bybrandy said:

I don't think many PBS stations have bought or aired new episodes since Acorn bought the rights.   

Well, that sucks for me, then.  :-(

[bybrandy]

2 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Well, that sucks for me, then.  :-(

Acorn has a free trial.    They don't charge you until the trial is up and you can cancel as soon as your registration goes through so they can't charge you but you still get access for the length of your free trial.   And if you use the promo code ACORNTVLOVE the free trial is 30 days.

[anniebird]

Am I the only one who thought Anna's baby was going to be born with fetal alcohol syndrome? 

[USAFAN]

And asthmatic to boot -:)

You can tell none of the actors are real smokers. I never saw anyone inhale.  And the way they held the nasty little things was strange.

As someone who once smoked two packs of Marlboros a day I can tell the authentic.

(Now, someone will probably tell me  that off camera "George" is a chain smoker.)

[Jeff Hanna]

Some seasons ago on APTCH, there was a flash-forward to the present day, showing a young blonde woman (played by the same actress who plays Olivia, in a blonde wig) driving up to Ash park and going inside to visit an extremely elderly Sarah. I don't recall exactly what she and Sara talked about  -   but I believe it involved Sarah's explaining a long-ago incident. I also don't remember how the young woman addressed Sarah, so was not clear about their relationship.

 

  Who WAS that young woman  -   and what were the circumstances of her visit?

[bybrandy]

21 hours ago, anniebird said:

Am I the only one who thought Anna's baby was going to be born with fetal alcohol syndrome? 

You aren’t the only one.  There was a lot of talk about it on various Facebook groups but no I didn’t assume that because the show was ending and they wouldn’t have any time to address it especially since it wasn’t discovered until 1973 so they wouldn’t have had the words to talk about it.  And aside from some physical things most symptoms wouldn’t present early enough for people to have noticed them.    

 

But yeah Anna drank and smoked a lot.  And it was noticed a lot.  

5 hours ago, Jeff Hanna said:

Some seasons ago on APTCH, there was a flash-forward to the present day, showing a young blonde woman (played by the same actress who plays Olivia, in a blonde wig) driving up to Ash park and going inside to visit an extremely elderly Sarah. I don't recall exactly what she and Sara talked about  -   but I believe it involved Sarah's explaining a long-ago incident. I also don't remember how the young woman addressed Sarah, so was not clear about their relationship.

 

  Who WAS that young woman  -   and what were the circumstances of her visit?

Olivia’s granddaughter Sam from Olivia’s son with Andrew Swanson. Sam was interviewing Sarah for what would become a book titled a place to call home.  That book was on Sarah’s nightstand in her final scene.  

[USAFAN]

I was alive back in the late 50's -:) early 60's.  One of my friends who smoked and drank throughout her first pregnancy delivered a son

who weighed almost 10 lbs.  And, yes, she did inhale.

[anniebird]

I had my kids in the 70's and it was still mostly accepted but I don't know anyone who drank as much as Anna did during this pregnancy.

[USAFAN]

RIP

[calpurnia99]

I've got one more episode left and then I will have binged watch all 6 series. Some observations:

1. There were hundreds of scenes establishing who was going where and why and to stay at which house: Ash Park, Carolyn's apartment in Sydney, Prudence's house, the guest cottage, Douglas Goddards house, Roy's house. Always a car coming or going and a whole scene of the arrival or departure,  which did nothing to move the story along just to let us know who is leaving this house for another house and why.  At any time there was such an odd assortment of cast staying at Ash Park, then later at the Goddard house. At least we got to see many vintage suitcases and cars.

2. I played a drinking game every time Sarah said "I understahnd" LOL then I added Elizabeth to the "I understahnd" game. Sarah was super woman and well-liked in series one, but then she became HOLIER THAN THOU. I really was rooting for her in the first 2 seasons but then she became insufferable.  By the third series I couldn't stand her. Doc was right, she always has to get the last word in.  So holier than thou, just a real know -it-all.  Plus she speaks in this phony affected posh type British accent that just yells snob! If she sounded more Aussie maybe she'd be more likable.

3. A few places in the series I was pretty confused by the plot. I have no idea why  they felt that having the doctor run for office was the only way to distract Sir Richard so they could get another loan. It made no sense at all- that was how to distract him? What? I also didn't feel like Regina had changed, that she was pretending to be on their side but was plotting to double cross them (triple cross them?). The way the actress played it, I really thought she was faking helping them to screw them again. I didn't really know that she really HAD been cured and changed and they wanted us to know that, until I saw the actress in an interview discussing it.  Why James didn't see Georgie when he was back from France also made no sense. I mean yes the new step dad was there, but really James was the only father he ever knew. 

4. When Sarah was talking about her time in the concentration camp, she never cried. When she was telling George about the guards raping her, not a tear. It was weird to me, that she showed no emotion. 

5. The actress playing Sarah, I'm surprised she never got a nosejob. There I said it. It is the type of bump high on the bridge that is easily fixed with plastic surgery. In some scenes I was just so distracted by her huge schnoz. I read she wants to get roles in Hollywood but I think in USA they don't go for an imperfections of this nature. I know I'm very unpolitically correct and I'll burn in hell for this. But I know some of you are thinking it!

6. I agree Anna was written to be so modern and she would have been shunned as a single and was- she lost a huge movie contract. Sometimes these period dramas inject very modern ideas and it's just ridiculous. At least with the homosexuality they tried to keep that more realistic with the reactions of people like Doris Collins, altho she changed her mind very quickly. 

7. Livia never found out that Matt had a son? What the hell. ...

8.. I knew we would get the lesbian story line at some point. I'm surprised it didn't come until the last season, but I knew it was coming for a main character to have a lesbian affair. There are NO drama series written in this decade that don't include a lesbian story line. What is shocking is that it took them 6 seasons to get to it. Yawn.

Even in the finale, there were so many useless scenes, that could have been cut and no one would have noticed. Like the scene of Leah and Sarah in the hall with David, some dumb dialog about his good night story, then Leah says she cant wait to start her training to be a nurse. Sarah says she should go into pediatric nursing because she has a way with kids. There were so many scenes like this throughout the series that served no purpose, they were fillers. 

 

If you don't agree with me, I understahnd 

Edited December 18, 2018 by calpurnia99

[USAFAN]

If the actress had a  nose job she would be just another pretty blond.  I can understand her motivation. However, Sarah became a bit too much.  Recently I read an article describing  a "Mary Sue".  Mary Sue is a character who is perfect ...she can do anything.. is pretty and feminine.  Sarah is definitely a Mary Sue.

The first two seasons of APTCH were so good.  Season 6 was almost a total disappointment. (And don't get me started on the lesbian bit.  I was alive during the '50s  and such relationships weren't even hinted at in public.  The worst thing was that obvious homosexuals were called "fruits"

by "polite" people.)

But I liked all the actors.  Hope they were well compensated.

[USAFAN]

Calpurnia...  I meant to say.... "I can understahned her motivation."

PS  Another thing I noticed....Mary Sue didn't look any older six years later than she did at first. (And that 2000 era blonde hair never showed a dark root.)  George did look more mature by Seasons 6.  (Altho at 54 even Brett Climo can't remain youthful forever.)

[Seaford john]

A book is shown at the end,does this exist as a search brings up nothing?

[bybrandy]

10 hours ago, Seaford john said:

A book is shown at the end,does this exist as a search brings up nothing?

Nope it was a prop made for the show explaining the flash forward from season 2.   

[bybrandy]

On 12/17/2018 at 4:28 PM, calpurnia99 said:

A few places in the series I was pretty confused by the plot. I have no idea why  they felt that having the doctor run for office was the only way to distract Sir Richard so they could get another loan. It made no sense at all- that was how to distract him?

I think Jack was the only person in town who knew enough people had a good enough reputation to that close of an election make it a real fight for George causing Sir Richard to pay more attention to the race than he would have had it been a sure thing for George.  Also Sir Richard might have been able to buy off another candidate who beat George, but Jack hated him for what he did to Carolyn so it isn't like Sir Richard could influence Jack to go along with his schemes should Jack win.  

On 12/17/2018 at 4:28 PM, calpurnia99 said:

5. The actress playing Sarah, I'm surprised she never got a nosejob.

Jennifer Grey did this and then she started looking exactly like everybody else.  It completely tanked her career.  Marta works consistently.  

On 12/17/2018 at 4:28 PM, calpurnia99 said:

8.. I knew we would get the lesbian story line at some point. I'm surprised it didn't come until the last season, but I knew it was coming for a main character to have a lesbian affair.

On 12/17/2018 at 7:21 PM, USAFAN said:

(And don't get me started on the lesbian bit.  I was alive during the '50s  and such relationships weren't even hinted at in public.  The worst thing was that obvious homosexuals were called "fruits"

by "polite" people.)

I guess I'm missing the part where the relationship was hinted about in public.  Everything I saw happened at Prudence Swanson's house.  Prudence Swanson's house is very much not public.  And Carolyn turns out to be at most bicurious.   "she dipped her toe in" 10 years ago and had 2 kisses with Delia before ultimately going back to her husband.  It really wasn't much of a lesbian story at all.   

[Mojoker]

Can anyone tell me when Dawn and Roy were married? We've watched every episode (we're currently nearing the end of season 5) and not only do I not remember seeing or hearing of them getting married, but I've searched episode guides and Google and can't find any mention of them getting married. It seems like Roy was being commitment-shy, then the next thing I know, they're talking about Dawn being pregnant and I'm thinking, "Wow, they seem pretty cool about an out-of-wedlock baby for the 1950s!" Then someone calls her Mrs. Briggs and I'm scratching my head trying to figure out when that happened. Anyone?

[TimWil]

Just finished watching the series finale (via Acorn/Amazon Prime) and absolutely loved all of it despite being well aware it was bonkers so much of the time. I was often surprised by it and often in a good way.

A few random thoughts/observations:

mojoker, I think Roy and Dawn married during the time jump between 1954 and 1958. We never saw the ceremony. 

Ash Park must have only been an hour or so drive away from Sydney. This seemed particularly apparent when Anna planned to get driven down to Ash Park from Sydney in time to have her baby.

Thank God they never brought Gino back, although I wouldn’t have minded us finding out that he was shooting blanks, he was married to wacko Rose, they’d adopted a child and he was NOT COOL with that.

The only major issue I ever had with the entire series was Matt never revealing the story of his wife and son to Olivia. Talk about a fecking hypocrite. Dude was all about SECRETS and he had a doozy he just sat on while going all sanctimonious on our Livvy’s ass. I do think the show dropped the ball by not having SOMEONE tell Olivia about Matt’s history after he left.

The show’s creator/headwriter Bevan Lee seems old enough to have been a very young fan of the now-defunct NBC daytime soap Another World, which was a very big hit Down Under in the 1970s/1980s. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Sarah was modeled somewhat after AW’s blonde nurse Alice Matthews with Regina being a rich bitch version of raven haired Rachel  Davis. By the way Sister Matthews was the name of the fictional nurse on the radio serial of Tender Vines. Something tells me that wasn’t a coincidence.

Caro’s “FUCK YOU, George. FUCK YOU.” was AMAZING.

Abby Earl (Anna) had better be perfecting her American accent because she seems destined to play Ivanka Trump Kushner in the inevitable miniseries or film about the Trump dynasty. The physical resemblance to her is quite striking.

And finally Noni Hazlehurst as Elizabeth was utterly fantastic in every damn episode. That final scene between Elizabeth and Sarah was pretty special.

That is all.

Edited March 25, 2019 by TimWil

[treeofdreams]

Does anyone know when the last season will be showing on PBS?  I had the impression it might be soon, but I haven't seen anything on it.

[treeofdreams]

I just purchased the season 6 DVD of APTCH. I had been waiting because the price was previously around $47, but I looked again today and it was $30. Amazon is offering a limited time deal at that price, so if you are interested hop on over; I don't know when that deal expires.

(Edited to add: I am in the US.)

Edited June 7, 2019 by treeofdreams

[bybrandy]

On 6/6/2019 at 7:02 PM, treeofdreams said:

I just purchased the season 6 DVD of APTCH. I had been waiting because the price was previously around $47, but I looked again today and it was $30. Amazon is offering a limited time deal at that price, so if you are interested hop on over; I don't know when that deal expires.

(Edited to add: I am in the US.)

Good choice as it is unlikely to ever air on PBS.  Good price, too.   

[HaaCHOO]

On 6/10/2019 at 12:15 PM, bybrandy said:

Good choice as it is unlikely to ever air on PBS.  Good price, too. 

I watched at least (3) seasons on PBS...and they sell the DVD set too.  I watch it on Acorn now...almost finished with Season 6.

[HaaCHOO]

On 2/23/2019 at 10:03 PM, bybrandy said:

Jennifer Grey did this and then she started looking exactly like everybody else.  It completely tanked her career.  Marta works consistently.  

Jennifer Grey didn't get a nose job; she got a NOSE JOB!!!  It was just too drastic.  Just a small shaving down of Marta's hump would make a prettier profile, but it's not my business.

[HaaCHOO]

On 12/17/2018 at 6:21 PM, USAFAN said:

I was alive during the '50s  and such relationships weren't even hinted at in public.  The worst thing was that obvious homosexuals were called "fruits"by "polite" people.)

I graduated from a Catholic high school in 1958.  It was located in downtown Phoenix.  As teens, we were ALL aware of Pat's Coffee Shop where "Lesbians" gathered and a Lesbian bar called "Kay's Happy Landing."  We walked by Pat's almost every day going to our bus station.  When we "cruised Central," we saw women going in and out of these places--alone, couples, and groups.  Most kids I knew definitely hinted at the relationships (even though we knew next to nothing about any "relationships").

Male homosexuals were called much worse than "fruits."  "Shirt-lifter" was a new one on me and sounded mild.  It probably wasn't in their day/locale.

[treeofdreams]

On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 3:28 PM, calpurnia99 said:

The actress playing Sarah, I'm surprised she never got a nosejob.

I love her nose!  She would look ordinary - beautiful but ordinary - without it.  I prefer that actresses not look like the usual cookie-cutter pretty people.  There are so many of them I simply cannot tell apart because they all look the same.  Marta has her own unique beauty.

[treeofdreams]

On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 3:28 PM, calpurnia99 said:

I have no idea why  they felt that having the doctor run for office was the only way to distract Sir Richard so they could get another loan.

Sir Richard had a grudge against Jack for having beaten him up that night at Ash Park, as well as having a vendetta against the whole Ash Park/Bligh clan.  And he knew that Jack would be attacking him personally in his campaigning.  Also, since Sir Richard was counting on George being elected so he could get his coal mine in the district, he didn't want any threat to George's election.

Even before Jack announced his campaign, Sir Richard was trying to get him removed from the hospital, because of his vendetta.

Edited June 24, 2019 by treeofdreams

[EtheltoTillie]

On 3/25/2019 at 12:28 AM, TimWil said:

Just finished watching the series finale (via Acorn/Amazon Prime) and absolutely loved all of it despite being well aware it was bonkers so much of the time. I was often surprised by it and often in a good way.

A few random thoughts/observations:

mojoker, I think Roy and Dawn married during the time jump between 1954 and 1958. We never saw the ceremony. 

Ash Park must have only been an hour or so drive away from Sydney. This seemed particularly apparent when Anna planned to get driven down to Ash Park from Sydney in time to have her baby.

Thank God they never brought Gino back, although I wouldn’t have minded us finding out that he was shooting blanks, he was married to wacko Rose, they’d adopted a child and he was NOT COOL with that.

The only major issue I ever had with the entire series was Matt never revealing the story of his wife and son to Olivia. Talk about a fecking hypocrite. Dude was all about SECRETS and he had a doozy he just sat on while going all sanctimonious on our Livvy’s ass. I do think the show dropped the ball by not having SOMEONE tell Olivia about Matt’s history after he left.

The show’s creator/headwriter Bevan Lee seems old enough to have been a very young fan of the now-defunct NBC daytime soap Another World, which was a very big hit Down Under in the 1970s/1980s. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Sarah was modeled somewhat after AW’s blonde nurse Alice Matthews with Regina being a rich bitch version of raven haired Rachel  Davis. By the way Sister Matthews was the name of the fictional nurse on the radio serial of Tender Vines. Something tells me that wasn’t a coincidence.

Caro’s “FUCK YOU, George. FUCK YOU.” was AMAZING.

Abby Earl (Anna) had better be perfecting her American accent because she seems destined to play Ivanka Trump Kushner in the inevitable miniseries or film about the Trump dynasty. The physical resemblance to her is quite striking.

And finally Noni Hazlehurst as Elizabeth was utterly fantastic in every damn episode. That final scene between Elizabeth and Sarah was pretty special.

That is all.

I just watched Season 6, so now I can read comments.  I put it off for a while, as I had ditched Season 5 because of excessive soap opera twisting.  Yes, you must be right about his having watched soaps, as he put it in the last season, where Anna became a soap writer.

I used to watch Another World in the 80s in the US for a couple of years.  It produced some big stars, including Morgan Freeman(!) and Jackee Harry.  I also liked Thomas Ian Griffith and his real life wife Mary Page Keller.  All soaps become unwatchable for me after a while.  I watched East Enders for awhile, and same thing.  Once they start pairing people up with the people they used to hate, I can't stick with them.

On 11/18/2018 at 5:17 PM, Jeff Hanna said:

Some seasons ago on APTCH, there was a flash-forward to the present day, showing a young blonde woman (played by the same actress who plays Olivia, in a blonde wig) driving up to Ash park and going inside to visit an extremely elderly Sarah. I don't recall exactly what she and Sara talked about  -   but I believe it involved Sarah's explaining a long-ago incident. I also don't remember how the young woman addressed Sarah, so was not clear about their relationship.

 

  Who WAS that young woman  -   and what were the circumstances of her visit?

I remembered this at the end.  We had to wait five years to find out what this was all about.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 10/23/2018 at 8:39 AM, walnutqueen said:

I'm watching this on my local PBS station (KPBS in San Diego) and am only at the part where they come for Regina with a sedative & straightjacket, and she flees Ash Park, thanks to verbose Rose.

I can only surmise it will get even sudsier ...  🙂

Hello, @walnutqueen!    I have just seen this as I put off watching the final season until this week.  I binged the first four seasons on Acorn during a surgical recovery in 2016.  Very sudsy indeed, which is why I put off watching the end for a while. 

[EtheltoTillie]

More final thoughts:  Olivia's relationship with Andrew?  Huh? 

James had a relationship with Harry and the doctor guy (forgot his name), then they doctor and Harry got together?  Typical soap opera round robin.

The will-she/won't-she with Caro and that other woman (also forgot her name) was just silly and not believable.  Also, Caro was turned into a spoiled brat in Season 6 so she could redeem herself.  They could have had a much more believable set of choices between Jack and Caro.  Poorly written. 

[treeofdreams]

On 1/28/2020 at 10:15 AM, GussieK said:

ames had a relationship with Harry and the doctor guy (forgot his name), then they doctor and Harry got together?  Typical soap opera round robin.

James had a relationship with Harry when he was younger.  James had a relationship later in life (after he was married) with Henry, the doctor.  Harry and the doctor never got together.

Edit:  (I stand corrected: I haven't finished Season 6 yet; didn't remember Harry/Henry.  My bad.)

I am just finishing season 6 on re-watch.  Still enjoying it.

Edited January 29, 2020 by treeofdreams

[bybrandy]

17 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

Harry and the doctor never got together.

If you just watched season 6 you missed something.  Harry and Henry end up together.   

[Plums]

I just finished watching the whole series, and I love it. I watched All My Children religiously as a kid, so the elements of soapy cliche melodrama were very recognizable tropes, and rather than bother me, they felt like nostalgic comfort food. 

I loved the final season for the most part. I think the only thing I would have changed would be for there to have been more show, less tell when it came to pairing up Olivia and Andrew. I actually got into the possibility of that ship when the baby buying plot was going on in season one (or two? can't remember). Their relationship had depth to it, and a base upon which to build an interesting romance with a single Olivia. I love that she unwittingly disarmed him just by being so genuine and trusting and made him feel like a total heel for betraying her. I just feel like, rather than inferring through the barest of clues that Andrew was haunted by guilt over what he did to her and became a better person in large part due to that guilt, I'd have liked to see it. Even just showing them meeting up again at that yacht party, and he sees her and goes out of his way to offer an utterly contrite, heartfelt apology would have been enough. Like, if a scene like that was a flashback that we see rather than Olivia just telling Anna that they met and got together and he's such a good man doing good work now, I would have no complaints at all. I would rather have seen him being kind to her and expressing genuine remorse than be told he's such a good guy because he rescues refugees now, which just felt like too much and made me role my eyes. As it is, it kind of felt like he was just tacked on in the end so that Olivia could have a happy ending and a blonde granddaughter.

I didn't mind at all that they revealed Matt was super controlling and Bad News, and it didn't feel like it came out of nowhere, because he was such a blank slate in season 5. All we really knew about him is that he was immediately drawn to staid, lonely, separated, single mother Olivia over glamorous, independent party girl hot mess Anna, and that he was the permanently estranged, disowned son of the kindest man in the world.  And like Elizabeth, that never sat right with me given Douglas's characterization. I'd be more disappointed if Matt wasn't revealed as super sketchy in some way, tbh, so it didn't surprise me in the least that his characterization turned in such a way that he probably fell in love with Olivia in large part because he wanted someone he could dominate. She does give off apparent weakness as a first impression. It's why James married her, why Andrew targeted her to manipulate, why Lloyd decided to use her. So striking that in the same episode Matt is arguing to Elizabeth that Olivia is a fragile girl, James reassures Olivia that she's the strongest woman he knows. Of the two, I know who I would choose as the guy who really loves and respects her. Wouldn't surprise me at all to learn Matt's ex who fled with their child ran for much the same reason Olivia did. I guess I wish we learned more about that before he just up and disappeared as quickly as he showed up out of nowhere. As it stands, whatever the circumstances were that led to his ex fleeing with their child is my headcanon for why Douglas disowned him. 

And all this drama with Olivia's canceled engagement to the man she intended to be Georgie's replacement father and dredging up the issue of the illegal adoption served as a natural way to bring James back into Olivia's story, which I like because the arc of their relationship has always been a highlight for me. it made me happy that James and Olivia settled into good friends and co-parents. I was very disappointed in James for being willing to just totally abandon Georgie, but the fact that it looks like they reestablish that bond post Matt makes up for it.

And I also love that James is kind of serving as this reasonable third party in season 6. He's not on either Matt or Olivia's side on the issue with contacting Georgie's birth mother. He sees Matt's point that Georgie's birth mother may have given him up of her own free will or she may not have and it's been torturing her, and the problem is that they just don't know and it's wrong to continue on if they don't know, and he sees Olivia's point that she is Georgie's mother in every way that matters and this woman has never once tried to find her son, at least in any way that Olivia would know about, and it's possible tracking her down and reminding her of the circumstances surrounding this birth could wind up being extremely cruel for everyone involved. And then the truth is somewhere in the middle- the birth mother absolutely gave him up willingly, the circumstances of his conception and birth were traumatically cruel, but she also needed the closure of knowing he was a sweet, happy boy being raised by a loving family. But I just kind of love that James represents the neutral opinion of "I just don't know what's right here" rather than having a firm notion one way or the other, because that's certainly how I felt. I think I would have sided with Matt's reasoning if he wasn't such an emotionally abusive, controlling ass about it. Like, just fucking tell her why this is hitting close to home! Don't go all moralistic and self-righteous and try to turn her family against her, Mr. Red Flag! And seriously, when you get to the point where the doctor is telling you the birth mother hasn't tried to find the baby and hinting very heavily that she gave the baby up willingly due to some sketchy circumstances, just fucking stop right there! Good riddance to that jerk. 

And I also appreciated James being Henry's advocate when it came to Anna's pregnancy. I genuinely was so disappointed that it was even a question for her over whether to tell him when 1)she's keeping the baby,2) he's such a loved friend and 3)she knows he wants to be a father and is extremely unlikely to ever have another chance to be a father. Like, I don't even know how she could contemplate not telling him. Yes, I know it's her body, her choice, but there is nothing at all objectionable about Henry and every reason to believe he would only be a wonderful father and a positive addition to her baby's life. And it is also his child. As soon as Anna decided to carry that pregnancy to term and bring a person into the world, I feel like Henry had a right to know and decide if he wanted to be involved. Paternal rights is murky territory though, because it opens a can of ethical worms over abortion rights. I guess I come down on the side of-  no one has the right to force someone to be pregnant, but fathers have a right to know if they have a child when it's born, and should probably get a say in custody, unless it's a case of rape or something. It's really not a subject I think about a lot though, tbph, even though it probably should be. Not interested at all in engaging in a debate about this on a fandom forum, but I like that the show made me think about things like this. I'm too complacent in my political views, and this whole story made me consider stances I don't usually think about. 

On a lighter note, I LOVED Harry/Henry. With James out of the picture, they could have just felt like pairing the spares and been written so thoughtlessly, but I actually found their relationship to be much more interesting and sweet than the James/Henry relationship, which felt less like a romance and more like a personal character journey for James, imo. But I just love that I can go back and watch those episodes in season 4, like- James taking Harry to the party in spite of Harry's class reservations, and Henry is in the midst of being blackmailed by his boyfriend's aunt/stepmother, so he's drunk and Not In The Mood, so when James ~Significantly Introduces~ them, Henry is just this utterly rude, dismissive asshole who writes Harry off immediately. I can go back to that scene and laugh about how he has no idea that beautiful country boy is actually the love of his life, if only he knew. 

I love that class conflict is a consistent theme with Harry. He was conscious of being written off as rough trade when it came to the posh queer community that James and Henry are part of, and he got in Henry's face for falling back on being just that kind of snob when Henry was hurt and rejecting him, not having the perspective that Sarah gives him of how justifiably scared and lost Henry is without his career, which is a huge part of his identity. I love the subtle misunderstandings that are revealed, like, Harry accuses Henry of privilege because his parents could afford to send him off to school, but then Henry reveals to Sarah that his mother disowned him when she found out he was gay, and he thought being a surgeon would make him worthy of her love again, but nope. Stuff like that. Like, Harry reads him mostly right, but is missing some crucial details with his blanket assumptions. Also, it's pretty easy to interpret Henry's vehement initial rejection of Harry as due in large part to being attracted to him, besides associating him with James. Because Harry's initial overtures are really so innocuous that Henry's defensive overreaction to them really says it all. In any event, I love that Harry never stops making friendship overtures and softens so much after Sarah talks to him. I love that Henry instinctively stops his car outside Harry's farm, and then just stays there because he feels safe. I love that Henry is at a party and stares at the door the entire time hoping that Harry will walk in, I love that Harry walks in looking like a perfect romantic dream, and that Henry is just totally smitten and breathless when he see him, I love that some dude is crooning The Wonder of You in the background as this is happening, and I love that Henry's declaration of forever is "I'm yours" and Harry is just SHOOK. I love that they grow old together and live to get married as nonagenarians. I just love everything about them. They really just absolutely made this season for me. 

Onto Carolyn and Jack! Omg, how painful were these guys! I think the scene were Carolyn is making the overture to Jack in his office in the finale is one of the best scenes in the whole show. I didn't mind Dehlia being introduced and representing the conflict in that marriage. The groundwork for their rough patch was laid in season 5. Caro was so bored she was breaking into strangers' houses and stealing artwork! It makes total sense to me that she would become bored in that life after marrying him and settling down back at Ash Park, considering who she was and the life she was living when we first met her. She had to lose him for real to realize she didn't want to lose him after all, and that's the way it works for some. I teared up when they reunited, ngl. 

[EtheltoTillie]

10 hours ago, Plums said:

I just finished watching the whole series, and I love it. I watched All My Children religiously as a kid, so the elements of soapy cliche melodrama were very recognizable tropes, and rather than bother me, they felt like nostalgic comfort food. 

I loved the final season for the most part. I think the only thing I would have changed would be for there to have been more show, less tell when it came to pairing up Olivia and Andrew. I actually got into the possibility of that ship when the baby buying plot was going on in season one (or two? can't remember). Their relationship had depth to it, and a base upon which to build an interesting romance with a single Olivia. I love that she unwittingly disarmed him just by being so genuine and trusting and made him feel like a total heel for betraying her. I just feel like, rather than inferring through the barest of clues that Andrew was haunted by guilt over what he did to her and became a better person in large part due to that guilt, I'd have liked to see it. Even just showing them meeting up again at that yacht party, and he sees her and goes out of his way to offer an utterly contrite, heartfelt apology would have been enough. Like, if a scene like that was a flashback that we see rather than Olivia just telling Anna that they met and got together and he's such a good man doing good work now, I would have no complaints at all. I would rather have seen him being kind to her and expressing genuine remorse than be told he's such a good guy because he rescues refugees now, which just felt like too much and made me role my eyes. As it is, it kind of felt like he was just tacked on in the end so that Olivia could have a happy ending and a blonde granddaughter.

I didn't mind at all that they revealed Matt was super controlling and Bad News, and it didn't feel like it came out of nowhere, because he was such a blank slate in season 5. All we really knew about him is that he was immediately drawn to staid, lonely, separated, single mother Olivia over glamorous, independent party girl hot mess Anna, and that he was the permanently estranged, disowned son of the kindest man in the world.  And like Elizabeth, that never sat right with me given Douglas's characterization. I'd be more disappointed if Matt wasn't revealed as super sketchy in some way, tbh, so it didn't surprise me in the least that his characterization turned in such a way that he probably fell in love with Olivia in large part because he wanted someone he could dominate. She does give off apparent weakness as a first impression. It's why James married her, why Andrew targeted her to manipulate, why Lloyd decided to use her. So striking that in the same episode Matt is arguing to Elizabeth that Olivia is a fragile girl, James reassures Olivia that she's the strongest woman he knows. Of the two, I know who I would choose as the guy who really loves and respects her. Wouldn't surprise me at all to learn Matt's ex who fled with their child ran for much the same reason Olivia did. I guess I wish we learned more about that before he just up and disappeared as quickly as he showed up out of nowhere. As it stands, whatever the circumstances were that led to his ex fleeing with their child is my headcanon for why Douglas disowned him. 

And all this drama with Olivia's canceled engagement to the man she intended to be Georgie's replacement father and dredging up the issue of the illegal adoption served as a natural way to bring James back into Olivia's story, which I like because the arc of their relationship has always been a highlight for me. it made me happy that James and Olivia settled into good friends and co-parents. I was very disappointed in James for being willing to just totally abandon Georgie, but the fact that it looks like they reestablish that bond post Matt makes up for it.

And I also love that James is kind of serving as this reasonable third party in season 6. He's not on either Matt or Olivia's side on the issue with contacting Georgie's birth mother. He sees Matt's point that Georgie's birth mother may have given him up of her own free will or she may not have and it's been torturing her, and the problem is that they just don't know and it's wrong to continue on if they don't know, and he sees Olivia's point that she is Georgie's mother in every way that matters and this woman has never once tried to find her son, at least in any way that Olivia would know about, and it's possible tracking her down and reminding her of the circumstances surrounding this birth could wind up being extremely cruel for everyone involved. And then the truth is somewhere in the middle- the birth mother absolutely gave him up willingly, the circumstances of his conception and birth were traumatically cruel, but she also needed the closure of knowing he was a sweet, happy boy being raised by a loving family. But I just kind of love that James represents the neutral opinion of "I just don't know what's right here" rather than having a firm notion one way or the other, because that's certainly how I felt. I think I would have sided with Matt's reasoning if he wasn't such an emotionally abusive, controlling ass about it. Like, just fucking tell her why this is hitting close to home! Don't go all moralistic and self-righteous and try to turn her family against her, Mr. Red Flag! And seriously, when you get to the point where the doctor is telling you the birth mother hasn't tried to find the baby and hinting very heavily that she gave the baby up willingly due to some sketchy circumstances, just fucking stop right there! Good riddance to that jerk. 

And I also appreciated James being Henry's advocate when it came to Anna's pregnancy. I genuinely was so disappointed that it was even a question for her over whether to tell him when 1)she's keeping the baby,2) he's such a loved friend and 3)she knows he wants to be a father and is extremely unlikely to ever have another chance to be a father. Like, I don't even know how she could contemplate not telling him. Yes, I know it's her body, her choice, but there is nothing at all objectionable about Henry and every reason to believe he would only be a wonderful father and a positive addition to her baby's life. And it is also his child. As soon as Anna decided to carry that pregnancy to term and bring a person into the world, I feel like Henry had a right to know and decide if he wanted to be involved. Paternal rights is murky territory though, because it opens a can of ethical worms over abortion rights. I guess I come down on the side of-  no one has the right to force someone to be pregnant, but fathers have a right to know if they have a child when it's born, and should probably get a say in custody, unless it's a case of rape or something. It's really not a subject I think about a lot though, tbph, even though it probably should be. Not interested at all in engaging in a debate about this on a fandom forum, but I like that the show made me think about things like this. I'm too complacent in my political views, and this whole story made me consider stances I don't usually think about. 

On a lighter note, I LOVED Harry/Henry. With James out of the picture, they could have just felt like pairing the spares and been written so thoughtlessly, but I actually found their relationship to be much more interesting and sweet than the James/Henry relationship, which felt less like a romance and more like a personal character journey for James, imo. But I just love that I can go back and watch those episodes in season 4, like- James taking Harry to the party in spite of Harry's class reservations, and Henry is in the midst of being blackmailed by his boyfriend's aunt/stepmother, so he's drunk and Not In The Mood, so when James ~Significantly Introduces~ them, Henry is just this utterly rude, dismissive asshole who writes Harry off immediately. I can go back to that scene and laugh about how he has no idea that beautiful country boy is actually the love of his life, if only he knew. 

I love that class conflict is a consistent theme with Harry. He was conscious of being written off as rough trade when it came to the posh queer community that James and Henry are part of, and he got in Henry's face for falling back on being just that kind of snob when Henry was hurt and rejecting him, not having the perspective that Sarah gives him of how justifiably scared and lost Henry is without his career, which is a huge part of his identity. I love the subtle misunderstandings that are revealed, like, Harry accuses Henry of privilege because his parents could afford to send him off to school, but then Henry reveals to Sarah that his mother disowned him when she found out he was gay, and he thought being a surgeon would make him worthy of her love again, but nope. Stuff like that. Like, Harry reads him mostly right, but is missing some crucial details with his blanket assumptions. Also, it's pretty easy to interpret Henry's vehement initial rejection of Harry as due in large part to being attracted to him, besides associating him with James. Because Harry's initial overtures are really so innocuous that Henry's defensive overreaction to them really says it all. In any event, I love that Harry never stops making friendship overtures and softens so much after Sarah talks to him. I love that Henry instinctively stops his car outside Harry's farm, and then just stays there because he feels safe. I love that Henry is at a party and stares at the door the entire time hoping that Harry will walk in, I love that Harry walks in looking like a perfect romantic dream, and that Henry is just totally smitten and breathless when he see him, I love that some dude is crooning The Wonder of You in the background as this is happening, and I love that Henry's declaration of forever is "I'm yours" and Harry is just SHOOK. I love that they grow old together and live to get married as nonagenarians. I just love everything about them. They really just absolutely made this season for me. 

Onto Carolyn and Jack! Omg, how painful were these guys! I think the scene were Carolyn is making the overture to Jack in his office in the finale is one of the best scenes in the whole show. I didn't mind Dehlia being introduced and representing the conflict in that marriage. The groundwork for their rough patch was laid in season 5. Caro was so bored she was breaking into strangers' houses and stealing artwork! It makes total sense to me that she would become bored in that life after marrying him and settling down back at Ash Park, considering who she was and the life she was living when we first met her. She had to lose him for real to realize she didn't want to lose him after all, and that's the way it works for some. I teared up when they reunited, ngl. 

Thanks for posting this analysis. I realize some of what I didn’t like in season six was set up in season five, which I had been unable to watch after waiting for it eagerly. I dot know why I even suddenly decided to watch season six at this late date—nothing else to watch, I guess—but I’m glad I did. 

Edited January 31, 2020 by GussieK

[treeofdreams]

What was this series based on?  I thought I read somewhere that it was based on a true story; I couldn't find anything about it being based on a book. Anyone know anything?

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, treeofdreams said:

What was this series based on?  I thought I read somewhere that it was based on a true story; I couldn't find anything about it being based on a book. Anyone know anything?

The writer missed the melodramas that were popular in his youth and wanted to bring back that style of storytelling and maybe elevate it.   There is a lot of historical detail in the show but it wasn't based on any particular person or story.

The book at the end was a prop.

[magdalene]

I am watching the final season on  my local PBS station.   Olivia has known how to pick them but Matthew truly takes the cake. What a selfish and controlling prick.  Olivia dear, that ass has no legal rights to force you to do anything you don't want to do. Get a grip and don't be so damn passive! She is making my teeth grind.

[Mara W]

On 2/23/2019 at 11:39 PM, bybrandy said:

Nope it was a prop made for the show explaining the flash forward from season 2.   

So glad of this explanation.  I was going crazy trying to find a book that did not exist. Funny thing is that there are quite a few books with the same title, different authors and that confused me even more. I still wished there was a book that replicated the contents of this entire series as I love to read.

[treeofdreams]

On 2/2/2020 at 8:28 PM, magdalene said:

I am watching the final season on  my local PBS station.   Olivia has known how to pick them but Matthew truly takes the cake. What a selfish and controlling prick.  Olivia dear, that ass has no legal rights to force you to do anything you don't want to do. Get a grip and don't be so damn passive! She is making my teeth grind.

It's been a while since I watched this, but IIRC, he was going to report her for buying a baby, which is illegal.  She was terrified that the baby would be taken from her, and she would go to jail.  

Edited to add:  Now I'm feeling fuzzy about this.  I don't think it was about him threatening to report her, but it had something to do with her losing her baby, by giving him back to the real mother.  Anyone else remember the details?

1 hour ago, hummingbird said:

ETA we love this show, will be sad when it's over, there are not that many dramas about which I can say that

I loved this show too; I thought it was brilliant.

Edited May 8, 2021 by treeofdreams

[buckboard]

On 10/23/2017 at 9:11 PM, bybrandy said:

I think Sydney in real life is a little under 4 hours from Inverness (in today's time, not saying what that would be in the 1950s).   So far enough that it is a trip but not so far that it isn't a trip you would take especially when money is no object and everybody but George can sleep at Carolyn's.   

 

While there is a town in Queensland called Inverness, according to the entry in Wikipedia "A Place to Call Home is set primarily in both the fictional estate "Ash Park" and the nearby fictional country town of "Inverness" in New South Wales. Inverness was also used as the country setting of Always Greener. Camden and the Southern Highlands in New South Wales serves as the backdrop for Inverness."

[buckboard]

On 11/24/2017 at 6:31 PM, USAFAN said:

Well... I just saw the first two episodes of Season 5 and it wan't as bad as I expected.  Looks like the Jewish religion vs C of E  has been put to rest for awhile but I still think Sarah needs psychotherapy.  I understand her honoring her first husband with her conversion.... but, come on, expecting George and the son to do so too!  

Sarah never asked George to convert.  It was George's own idea to discuss his converting with a rabbi.  Sarah just wants to see that her son is raised in her religion, which by tradition is also his.  As it stood, the Blighs were taking him to church every week and had him saying bedtime prayers to Jesus, but he was learning very little about his mother's religion.  She agreed that when David was an adult, he could choose whichever religion he wanted.

She wasn't doing this to honor her first husband.  She was doing this because she herself has lived as a Jew for around 20 years.  In Inverness, she observed the Sabbath with the Golds.

Edited September 27, 2021 by buckboard

[ch1]

I just binged this show thanks to David Berry from Outlander.  It wasn’t a bad show.  Berry is heartbreakingly good in the first couple of seasons.  I do think the last episode of season 4 would have been a better series finale.  Season 5 and 6 were tough to get through.

What I liked most about this show was the relationship between James and Olivia.  I just love the idea that these 2 people who could have been bitter and resentful towards each other actually did love each other and tried to do right by each other.

One of the reasons I prefer the ending of season 4 is that I could have gone without the gay character that would have rather been dead in the first season dying from AIDS in his 50s.  With what the guy went through he deserved a better than that ending.  

Another reason is that I think James suffered from writer character assassination to explain away the actor’s absence in the last 2 seasons and he and the actor deserved better than what was written for him.  
 

[bybrandy]

On 10/26/2021 at 1:38 PM, ch1 said:

I just binged this show thanks to David Berry from Outlander.  It wasn’t a bad show.  Berry is heartbreakingly good in the first couple of seasons.  I do think the last episode of season 4 would have been a better series finale.  Season 5 and 6 were tough to get through.

What I liked most about this show was the relationship between James and Olivia.  I just love the idea that these 2 people who could have been bitter and resentful towards each other actually did love each other and tried to do right by each other.

One of the reasons I prefer the ending of season 4 is that I could have gone without the gay character that would have rather been dead in the first season dying from AIDS in his 50s.  With what the guy went through he deserved a better than that ending.  

Another reason is that I think James suffered from writer character assassination to explain away the actor’s absence in the last 2 seasons and he and the actor deserved better than what was written for him.  
 

David Berry's availability (or lack thereof) absolutely is the reason for James's plots n season 5 and 6.  The creator of the show has said in interviews since that Olivia was the one who took care of James when he was dying which I think is likely given their relationship.  

[ch1]

4 hours ago, bybrandy said:

David Berry's availability (or lack thereof) absolutely is the reason for James's plots n season 5 and 6.  The creator of the show has said in interviews since that Olivia was the one who took care of James when he was dying which I think is likely given their relationship.  

Yes I would imagine that Olivia would have been there for James.  Their still being close is one of the few things I liked about the last season.  

I do wonder though what the deal was supposed to be with William during the epilogue. Was it supposed to be a given that he and James were still together when he died?