A Place To Call Home - General Discussion

[USAFAN]

bybrandy....yes, talk about eye rolling! It's a good thing the show is coming to an end before Sarah actually kills someone. (remember when she strangled Regina?) Guess she acquired her lethal skills in Europe... along with the riding and the shooting and etc etc etc.

[bybrandy]

11 hours ago, USAFAN said:

 

bybrandy....yes, talk about eye rolling! It's a good thing the show is coming to an end before Sarah actually kills someone. (

 

There are still some episodes left.   I'm not placing bets.    

[ichbin]

On 9/17/2018 at 1:20 AM, bybrandy said:

No, Although I did roll my eyes so, so, so, so much at that too.   I was referring to when she just happens to go to Canberra with George one time and happens to go to the one party where there just happens to be a delegation visiting from America that just happens to have in attendance a Nazi war criminal she's had personal experience with.   

OMG, yes! The thing I was questioning about that was how that concentration camp guard became a happy hausfrau with an American husband of some importance. 

13 hours ago, USAFAN said:

bybrandy....yes, talk about eye rolling! It's a good thing the show is coming to an end before Sarah actually kills someone. (remember when she strangled Regina?) Guess she acquired her lethal skills in Europe... along with the riding and the shooting and etc etc etc.

Right?  Exactly how many years was she away from Australia?  She had enough time to learn to practice her faith like someone who had grown up with it.  She also fought with the resistance and  spent time in a psychiatric hospital  after liberation where she underwent shock therapy.  She was at the train station every day searching for her first husband too.  Somehow she arrived back in Australia with nursing skills which put her abilities equal to, if not better than trained doctors. Lets' not forget the other skills too. She's also a detective, teacher, and social worker.  I'm sure I'm leaving something out. 

[USAFAN]

I just saw the 4th episode.  Couldn't figure out what was in that jewelry box George gave Sarah at breakfast.

Charms of some sort?  James Bond devices?

[Badger]

I think they were earrings.

[luvmylabs]

Matt--"no secrets"  Really!  He still hasn't told Olivia about his child?

[USAFAN]

Once again I think the writers are creating unnecessary complications.  If Matt told Olivia of his son she would understand why he is identifying with Georgie's birth mother.  If everyone acted logically they wouldn't have enough drama to fill out the 6th season.

[Badger]

Or she could start wondering about why they left.   I think that maybe Matt's son and the child's mother are dead.  He knows they're dead because he saw them die.  He has never been able to accept it because he feels guilty because he thinks he could have prevented it and didn't.  So he's come up with this defense/escape mechanism where they are alive, but "disappeared."  He may even have blanked it out but it all came back when Olivia told him about Georgie.   I also think he has issues stemming from his childhood and his relationship with his father.

Have they ever said why Sarah left Australia?  Was she already a nurse then?  

[USAFAN]

Her aunt sent her to France to visit her fahter's grave.  Also, I think to get her away from her mother who wanted her to become a nun.

She was 19 at the time so I suppose she 'd had her nurses training.

[limecoke]

I really dislike Matthew this season and silly Olivia.  Ep. 3, she says she won't allow herself to be manipulated by a man again and in Ep. 4. is once again manipulated by a man, and Ma Bligh for that matter.  Of course selling a baby for adoption is terrible but ultimately it's Olivia's decision and hers alone (especially since James has absented himself from the situation).  None of this makes any sense.  And, oh, Anna...great job shooting down your dad's fragile psyche.  I wanted to throttle her.

I hate the Stan story.  It seems like a retread of an earlier storyline.

No woman in the early 60's, no matter her station in life or degree of Anna-like individuality would have dressed as Anna is dressing during her pregnancy.  It's ludicrous and boo to the wardrobe people for this anachronism.  To this point, they've done a pretty good job with the clothing of the era, but here are still some of us (barely) old enough to remember.  

[Badger]

It's kind of like the Bert Ford storyline in Season 1.  Bert Ford was the abusive partner of Harry Polson's sister, Eve Walker.  He's the one Roy and Sara weighted down and sank in the pond after Eve's son Tristan killed him when he caught Bert assaulting his mother.

[ichbin]

17 hours ago, limecoke said:

No woman in the early 60's, no matter her station in life or degree of Anna-like individuality would have dressed as Anna is dressing during her pregnancy.  It's ludicrous and boo to the wardrobe people for this anachronism.  To this point, they've done a pretty good job with the clothing of the era, but here are still some of us (barely) old enough to remember.

That has been bugging me too. Form fitting knits over baby bumps is a rather recent trend. Women didn't dress like that even in the 80's and at least part of the 90's.  I remember thinking that even Olivia's maternity clothing looked a little sleek for that time.  My idea of 50's maternity wear is what I used to see on I Love Lucy reruns, skirts with very loose, flared tops...and very ugly.  I have a feeling people in the 50's seeing a pregnant woman wearing something like Anna's pink knit dress  in series 6, episode 5 would have been clutching their pearls over that dress as much as Anna being an unwed mother.

[USAFAN]

Just saw that episode. The pink dress is a bit much.  Since her behind is almost as big as her bump it presents an interesting silhouette.

But Olivia!  Where are these happy endings Bevan Lee was promising?

[bybrandy]

4 hours ago, USAFAN said:

But Olivia!  Where are these happy endings Bevan Lee was promising?

Reserved for episode 10 and I'm not sure Jack's getting one at all, but remain hopeful on that front.   But seriously not being saddled with Matt, seems like a happy ending for me if I'm Olivia.   She gets to keep Georgie, his mother doesn't want him back and she found out that who her fiancé was before she married him.  I'm not a thousand percent sure he won't be back before the end, though.  

[Badger]

I think a lot regarding Matt and Olivia is going to depend on whether anyone finds out about Matt having a son he hasn't seen since the child was 2 years old and what their reaction to that is.  

[USAFAN]

Well..when Matt first appeared I thought... oh oh... something wrong here.  But then I was lured into complacency.  I think he was set up to be a villain.  Probably his first wife or companion whatever... left because of his controlling ways.  That would explain lack of access to his son. Now.... ...why being a misogynistic PITA would estrange him from his father is another question

[Badger]

1 hour ago, USAFAN said:

Well..when Matt first appeared I thought... oh oh... something wrong here.  But then I was lured into complacency.  I think he was set up to be a villain.  Probably his first wife or companion whatever... left because of his controlling ways.  That would explain lack of access to his son. Now.... ...why being a misogynistic PITA would estrange him from his father is another question

1

I've seen Episode 6, so here's a bit of a spoiler: 

Spoiler

Matthew tells Elizabeth that she was right about Douglas not being responsible for their estrangement, at least not at the end.  He observes why should he have anything to do with a man who wished him dead.  That kind of leads me to believe he may know where his son is.

 

[USAFAN]

Badger.... now you have me intrigued.   We won't get the episode here til Monday....so I will have to remain in suspense -:)

[mojito]

Quote

 If everyone acted logically they wouldn't have enough drama to fill out the 6th season.

I've seen criticisms of Sarah, but really, how hard is it to be more dignified and wiser than most of the other people in that family? 

[USAFAN]

Well.... I just watched episode 6.  It's all too much.  I"ll be glad when they end it all and put me out of my misery.

And I find this Delia person really unattractive and annoying.  As if there wasn't enough on everyone's plate without her arrival.

[Badger]

I had to laugh when Elizabeth told Matt that he was a "child" while his father was "a man secure in our equality."  Um yeah, but wasn't that because she went out of her way to be the woman he wanted her to be?  Remember they had a short breakup when he thought she was being "Elizabeth Bligh" instead of the sweet "Lizzie."  He told her he didn't want to be her lapdog.  

I've been using a VPN to watch the episodes the day after they air, but I've decided to hold off and not watch the ones after episode 6 until the season ends.   I have several different theories on how the series ends so it will be fun to see which ones I get right or wrong.  

[ichbin]

On 9/12/2018 at 7:55 PM, USAFAN said:

Perhaps I've been too negative on Marta D.... the scripts mostly ask her to just stand there and radiate.

It is possibly this show.  I've been pretty negative about her too, but I recently watched the first two Jack Irish movies and she is very different in that.  Doesn't seem to mind nude scenes either which kind of threw me considering the only other thing I have seen her in is A Place to Call Home.  

[Badger]

Don't forget Conrad Coleby.  He's 6' 4" tall.  Also, Dominic Allburn who plays Harry is 6' 1." 

Noni Hazlehurst is also short like Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood.  

[treeofdreams]

Does anyone know when this last season will be showing in the US on PBS?  Thanks.

[bybrandy]

On 10/7/2018 at 1:53 PM, treeofdreams said:

Does anyone know when this last season will be showing in the US on PBS?  Thanks.

PBS isn't one entity so local stations air it or not as they contract to do so.  So maybe some day or never.  Last year there was some issue with who owned the rights to the show that held up the airings from some PBS affiliates who had aired previous seasons.  My guess is I wouldn't hold my breath.  I'd probably wait until the whole thing is up and then watch it on Acorn during a free trial period.  You can join the free trial and cancel it immediately you get the 7 days and no chance of your card charging.  Or you can subscribe to acorn for real which really is lovely, Or you could wait and buy/rent/check out DVDs from your local library. There are a few libraries (weirdly including the one in the town next to mine) that have acorn access with your local library card but this is a new service and not a lot of libraries have it, yet.   

 

[theschnauzers]

In looking at the Acorn site today for APTCH, it was made explicitly clear the series finale will be available Monday, October 29th. I assume the complaints have been made loud and clear. And David Berry posted on IG that

Spoiler

three images of him as James in a great looking suit and tie in preview pics for episode 9. So I guess we’re about to see where James story arc ends up.

[luvmylabs]

Just watched episode 8.  This is not going to end well for Jack, one of my favorite characters.  And, mean girl that I am, I was glad Anna got her come-uppance from Hollywood, although she got a mild reprieve in the end.  I enjoy Marta Dusseldorp, having seen her in other programs, but she is no Meryl Streep.

[limecoke]

Watching episode eight of season six, I realized that, for me, there’s no one left that’s remotely likable except for Jack, Roy and Lucky.  

This last season is an enormous disappointment and I barely care to see how it all ends because I’ll probably hate it. What a sorry bunch of selfish people.  

[USAFAN]

Well,I hope Bevan Lee doesn't read Facebook comments. Especially those about Episode 8.

I like all the actors. Hope all this negativity doesn't affect their residuals in the future. I don't think I have the stomach to watch the last two episodes.

[USAFAN]

We don't have to worry about Carolyn.  She's in Canberra sleeping with Cleaver Greene-:)

(Sara Wiseman is appearing in Series 5 of Rake.)

[luvmylabs]

Just finished watching episode 9.  There are no strong men (except Roy) in this program.  Everyone of them caves to a woman.  There is no compromise.  My wish is that Jack would stay where he is but you can bet that he will eventually cave to Carolyn and leave Inverness Hospital for the big city where she can pursue her dreams and gay (I do not mean that in the sexual way) lifestyle.  George will move to Israel as ambassador to make Sarah happy.  I am so disappointed in how this will all probably turn out.

[ichbin]

104!  My eyes nearly rolled out of my head.  

[ichbin]

4 hours ago, luvmylabs said:

There are no strong men (except Roy) in this program.

I think Harry is strong too. A lot of the other main male characters not so much though.   

[bybrandy]

2 hours ago, ichbin said:

104!  My eyes nearly rolled out of my head.  

Of course she did.  

[bybrandy]

Jack is by no means perfect but I would wildly disagree that he is not a strong man.   For as much as he "got stuck" you don't survive what he survived and come back and devote your life to doing good and helping people if you aren a strong person. You don't make the choice to try to save a man who has picked at your deepest insecurity over and over and over again.   You don't, despite your having a hard time with homosexuality, develop a relationship with Henry where inhale middle of everything else going on you feel genuinely crappy about having a row with him and go out of your way to try to make it right.    I mean Jack's whole life was collapsing around him and he's like, "and on top of it I'm fight with Henry."   Team Jack.   Who again...not perfect, but a genuinely good and strong man.   

And I genuinely don't like George (although I didn't dislike him much this season.  He just a really, interminably boring character) was the one who got the lead on Israel and suggested they go and Sarah was the one who waffled.   For as much as George cares about Ash Park he always seems ready to bolt first to Canberra and now to Israel twice in  the course of year.   But I can't really put that on Sarah.   I still find George yawn worthy but why not let his wife explore her faith.  We've never gotten any indication that his own faith is all that important to him. 

 

I also like Henry, and Harry grows a tremendous amount this season.... although at the cost of a tremendous amount.    

 

[walnutqueen]

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 ...  :-)

[mojito]

Wow, @walnutqueen, you sure have a long way to go! Enjoy the twists and turns to come! 

I'm up to date, Acorn-wise, and I'm having a hard time remembering all the character's names and the various homes and the homes' locations. (I mean, really, did they have to name two guys Henry and Harry?) You might want to take notes so you can better keep up as time goes on. 

[bybrandy]

1 hour ago, mojito said:

(I mean, really, did they have to name two guys Henry and Harry?)

They even acknowledge this in season 4.  

[luvmylabs]

On 10/23/2018 at 3:31 AM, bybrandy said:

Jack is by no means perfect but I would wildly disagree that he is not a strong man.   For as much as he "got stuck" you don't survive what he survived and come back and devote your life to doing good and helping people if you aren a strong person. You don't make the choice to try to save a man who has picked at your deepest insecurity over and over and over again.   You don't, despite your having a hard time with homosexuality, develop a relationship with Henry where inhale middle of everything else going on you feel genuinely crappy about having a row with him and go out of your way to try to make it right.    I mean Jack's whole life was collapsing around him and he's like, "and on top of it I'm fight with Henry."   Team Jack.   Who again...not perfect, but a genuinely good and strong man.   

And I genuinely don't like George (although I didn't dislike him much this season.  He just a really, interminably boring character) was the one who got the lead on Israel and suggested they go and Sarah was the one who waffled.   For as much as George cares about Ash Park he always seems ready to bolt first to Canberra and now to Israel twice in  the course of year.   But I can't really put that on Sarah.   I still find George yawn worthy but why not let his wife explore her faith.  We've never gotten any indication that his own faith is all that important to him. 

 

I also like Henry, and Harry grows a tremendous amount this season.... although at the cost of a tremendous amount.    

 

I have to agree that Jack is strong considering all that he went through, but I still wish he would stay at the hospital for that very reason.  He has found a good place to be.  Not just safe for him but a place he can make a valuable difference for the community.  It is something he apparently loves.  I would rather see them separate than have him move to keep Carolyn.  But this is a female led show and I can see this probably won't happen. 

On 10/23/2018 at 1:11 AM, ichbin said:

I think Harry is strong too. A lot of the other main male characters not so much though.   

I have revised my opinion of Jack...he is strong, but I still wish he would stay at the hospital.

[mojito]

@bybrandy who is "they"? Thanks.

[bybrandy]

2 hours ago, luvmylabs said:

, but I still wish he would stay at the hospital.

Spoiler alert.

Spoiler

He does.   

Bigger spoiler alert
 

Spoiler

And not at the expense of his marriage.  

Just now, mojito said:

@bybrandy who is "they"? Thanks.

The show?   James maybe?  I can't quite remember but after James's shock therapy he doesn't remember Harry and then Harry shows up for a couple of episodes and James doesn't quite remember him but feels like he should and at some point in there he says, "Harry and Henry, that's the same name right?"  Or something like that.   Then he does remember Harry and he takes Harry to start his life in the city.

[sas616]

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.

[luvmylabs]

I watched the last episode.  Have to admit I was crying while watching the scene when Caro confronts Jack in his office.  I think those two are pretty good actors.  I wonder how difficult it is to do a scene like that with your real spouse?  They wrapped it up nicely.  Tied up all the loose ends.  

Edited October 31, 2018 by luvmylabs

[mojito]

Just saw the finale, too, and as one who appreciates history, I like knowing the very end. I can understand, though, how many would rather have ended the story at January 1, 1960.

The very youngest of the characters would currently be in their 60s now, so let's face it, almost everyone else would be dead in 2018. 

Glad the show ended when it did. It was becoming a struggle for me to keep my interest in the show. I wish all shows would vanish gracefully instead of desperately clinging on.

EDITED TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINAL EPISODE TO READ NO FURTHER.

Edited October 31, 2018 by mojito

[bybrandy]

I liked the Epitaphs because they gave more people than not happy endings.  Could have done without Lucky's demise but everybody else had nice moments of Grace.  George and Sarah were HUGE eye rolls for me but then they were in the rest of the series for me as well so I'm sure those two worked for the George and Sarah fans... and in fairness the only thing that bugged me about George was Bevan going in for his "being decent doesn't mean being weak."  If you have to tell us in the last line of the series in type you neglected to tell us during the 6 series that preceded it.  (I don't actually think George is weak but seriously if you feel the need to spell it out....)

I loved Caro being the first female MP for Inverness.  The whole time Jack was running in season 5 (so like that one episode) I was like,... "Carolyn couldn't win in 58 but she's the one who should be doing this!"   

[bluestocking]

Generally satisfying Finale.  I'm glad Doris got some love in the end--though I don't think we know from whom???

Wish we could have seen more of the Olivia-Andrew courtship.  Maybe the actor wasn't available.  Wasn't a fan of how they assassinated Matthew's character.  By the end I was watching mostly for Olivia, so missed seeing her story play out on screen.  

Interesting choice to keep Anna single.  Was that a statement that women can be happy without marriage--or just no convenient character to hook her up with?  With Olivia-Andrew as undeveloped as it was, at least there was a foundation set up in earlier seasons, so it didn't come out of nowhere.  

I'm glad they gave Elizabeth 3 more years.  So she probably saw George and Sarah come back from Israel.  Wonderful Elizabeth-Sarah scene over Elizabeth's diagnosis.  

[sas616]

3 minutes ago, bluestocking said:

Wonderful Elizabeth-Sarah scene over Elizabeth's diagnosis.

 I really was.   Especially considering their relationship at the start of the series.   

[bybrandy]

7 hours ago, bluestocking said:

Generally satisfying Finale.  I'm glad Doris got some love in the end--though I don't think we know from whom???

Wish we could have seen more of the Olivia-Andrew courtship.  Maybe the actor wasn't available.  Wasn't a fan of how they assassinated Matthew's character.  By the end I was watching mostly for Olivia, so missed seeing her story play out on screen.  

Interesting choice to keep Anna single.  Was that a statement that women can be happy without marriage--or just no convenient character to hook her up with?  With Olivia-Andrew as undeveloped as it was, at least there was a foundation set up in earlier seasons, so it didn't come out of nowhere.  

I'm glad they gave Elizabeth 3 more years.  So she probably saw George and Sarah come back from Israel.  Wonderful Elizabeth-Sarah scene over Elizabeth's diagnosis.  

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.  ?!?!?!

7 hours ago, bluestocking said:

Interesting choice to keep Anna single.  Was that a statement that women can be happy without marriage--or just no convenient character to hook her up with?  With Olivia-Andrew as undeveloped as it was, at least there was a foundation set up in earlier seasons, so it didn't come out of nowhere.  

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.   

[USAFAN]

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

[mojito]

Interesting that Frank was invited to Christmas supper at Ash Park. That seemed to have come out of nowhere. Leah actually marries the rock 'n roll heartthrob? And she and Frank become in-laws? Wow. Didn't see any of that coming.

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

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.