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S04.E04: Episode 4


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Episode Synopsis:

Ross is reunited with his family at home, but tragedy strikes in Cornwall. Dwight tells Caroline some devastating news about Sarah. Ossie is seen visiting Rowella by her husband Arthur, who grows suspicious. Emma returns to give Sam her answer, whilst Drake is persuaded into courting Rosina.

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It was really rather rude of Hugh's uncle to tell Ross that Demelza was likely one of the few people who knew Hugh. Is the uncle that obtuse?

Poor Morwenna. Married to a monster and no recourse. At least Dwight has no trouble telling Ossie how he feels.

Did Ross really think he'd have free rein in Parliament? Of course his patrons are going to want him to vote a certain way on certain issues.

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Both Demelza and Ross were being stupid. First after getting it on, Demelza is all “can we move on?” Again! Then later after poor baby Sarah’s funeral (I hate you show!) Ross is all does this remind you of Hugh? For goodness sake, can we all just move on please? That story is Tireeddd.

honeslty I don’t feel much happened this episode. Tragedy strikes at the mine again. The baby died which we all saw coming. 

  • Love 19
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This show really enjoys inflicting pain on its characters - and the viewer!

I am not a baby person and I don't automatically go gaga over every fictional infant but watching Caroline and Dwight being so in love with their baby daughter only to kill her off - that sucked!

If any character needs to die it should be that horrid vicar.

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12 hours ago, TiredMe said:

First after getting it on, Demelza is all “can we move on?” Again! Then later after poor baby Sarah’s funeral (I hate you show!) Ross is all does this remind you of Hugh? For goodness sake, can we all just move on please? That story is Tireeddd.

AMEN!  Every. Damn. Episode.  And I'm a bit more forgiving (not much though if this stupid story line continues...) of Demelza bringing it up over Ross since she can feel/see/hear his mistrust in her at every turn.  Ross is just aching for a fight in his "woe-as me" pitty party lately.  "Wah!  I don't get to make all the political moves I want to because I have a patron!"  Um, yeah, Ross...that's how the political machine has rolled for centuries.  You don't think the Greeks & Romans had lots of manipulation and coercion and purchased votes in their "cradles of democracy"?  "Wha!  Demezela is sad that our dear friends' weeks old infant just died tragically!  I bet she's just really mourning her dead poet BF!"   So, now ANY time your wife is upset or sheds a tear, you're going to make it about YOU being cuckolded that one time? But she can't weep or frown over you getting with your ex and spawning a love child?  Dude, get over yourself!

The Vicar had better come to some bad end soon.  I can't stand looking at his shiny pig face!  If he "accidentally" dies, will Morwenna's son inherit everything?  Then she can tell her pushy mother-in-law to get the F out and live happily ever after!  Well, if she can get over Drake's moving on to Rosina that is.

Is George's latest mustache-twirling bank plot happening b/c the dying guy embezzled from the bank where Ross' money & investments are held?  Or is  George using the list of soon to be bankrupt investors to bail out & use that power to get back into Parliament?  Both?  

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Is George's latest mustache-twirling bank plot happening b/c the dying guy embezzled from the bank where Ross' money & investments are held?  Or is  George using the list of soon to be bankrupt investors to bail out & use that power to get back into Parliament?  Both?

I think the former. George is hoping Pascoe's Bank will fail taking Ross' money with it. (As far as I can tell, George is already headed back to Parliament regardless what happens to Ross' bank.)

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2 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

AMEN!  Every. Damn. Episode.  And I'm a bit more forgiving (not much though if this stupid story line continues...) of Demelza bringing it up over Ross since she can feel/see/hear his mistrust in her at every turn.  Ross is just aching for a fight in his "woe-as me" pitty party lately.  "Wah!  I don't get to make all the political moves I want to because I have a patron!"  Um, yeah, Ross...that's how the political machine has rolled for centuries.  You don't think the Greeks & Romans had lots of manipulation and coercion and purchased votes in their "cradles of democracy"?  "Wha!  Demezela is sad that our dear friends' weeks old infant just died tragically!  I bet she's just really mourning her dead poet BF!"   So, now ANY time your wife is upset or sheds a tear, you're going to make it about YOU being cuckolded that one time? But she can't weep or frown over you getting with your ex and spawning a love child?  Dude, get over yourself!

The Vicar had better come to some bad end soon.  I can't stand looking at his shiny pig face!  If he "accidentally" dies, will Morwenna's son inherit everything?  Then she can tell her pushy mother-in-law to get the F out and live happily ever after!  Well, if she can get over Drake's moving on to Rosina that is.

Is George's latest mustache-twirling bank plot happening b/c the dying guy embezzled from the bank where Ross' money & investments are held?  Or is  George using the list of soon to be bankrupt investors to bail out & use that power to get back into Parliament?  Both?  

Yes, if Ossie dies his son will inherit whatever property is in Ossie's name.  I don't know if he owns the home they are living in or if the church does.  If the church owns it, then Morwenna will have to vacate for whomever George (or the local lord) appoints as the new vicar.  Morwenna might be stuck with her mother-in-law it all depends on Ossie's will.  During this time period a child is considered the property of the father and Ossie gets to decide who will raise his son if anything happens.   Morwenna has few legal rights to her son.  If Ossie does not specify a guardian in his will, then the courts would decide.  If Ossie dies before the son is an adult, Morwenna's situation could turn from bad to worse.  Morwenna is only entitled to whatever was decided by Ossie and George in her marriage settlement.  It has been shown that Ossie has expensive tastes that his income does not sufficiently provide. 

  • Love 4
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6 hours ago, TigerLynx said:

I hope Rowella's husband kills that monster Morwenna was forced to marry, and then Morwenna will be free of the bastard.

 

2 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

The Vicar had better come to some bad end soon.  I can't stand looking at his shiny pig face!  If he "accidentally" dies, will Morwenna's son inherit everything?  Then she can tell her pushy mother-in-law to get the F out and live happily ever after! 

I don't think that it's enough that he die; it has to be a particularly undignified death. Suffering a stroke while sucking a prostitute's toes. Having Rowella's husband discover the two of them. While having to flee the house, he trips, falls, and accidentally lands in and drowns in a trough while half clothed. Having to engage in a duel with Rowella's husband, Ossie accidentally shoots himself while trying to load his pistol. Like Elvis, Ossie can die while using the toilet. Or he can die of a heart attack or stroke while his mother is visiting: he seems to be in distress, his mother attempts to help him, he's too heavy and takes them both down. They are discovered with his mother trapped under him and face is in her cleavage. 

  • Love 18
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The Ross-Demelza storyline does indeed feel like they're going in circles, but there's a whole lot of projection and quiet seething going on under the surface.  Ross never got to have much of an outward reaction to the Hugh situation because by the time he took it seriously enough to realize it was happening, it was too late.  Then Hugh promptly died tragically young not long after that.  Quickly followed by Ross going away for the better part of the year to Parliament.  So now he's continually looking for additional cracks in the foundation that he worries he might have missed while Demelza sees him doing it and feels mistrusted as a result.  But she can't really say much about it beyond worrying that they'll be okay because she was in fact the one in the wrong.  Still, way to make even mourning over your best friends' dead baby about your marital woes, guys.

I don't know whether it's more amusing that Ross now wants to get his back up over being expected to at least vote occasionally the way his patrons want or his patrons, knowing as much about him as you know they surely do, actually expecting him to do it.  I kind of love that even in the small things like knocking down fence rails to take a mostly empty swipe at George that Ross just can't help who he is.  

Rowella is perfection in playing Osborne with utter indifference while presenting him with a laundry list of things she wants from him.  As gross as he is, get it while you can.  Christian Brassington as usual deserves full marks for playing Ossie as a character who practically oozes onscreen.  There's something horribly darkly amusing about how he doesn't have the slightest bit of shame in telling every random person who will listen about Morwenna denying him "my rights."  Of course he sees that as evidence of insanity rather than any sort of indictment of himself.

Dwight and Caroline were each in their own way breaking my heart, even if I imagine Dwight's outward kind of grief is probably much easier to portray than hers is.  Caroline's purple dress in her going away announcement scene was everything.  

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I can't speak for Season Four, but with PBS's airing of Seasons One-Three, we didn't get the entire episodes.  They were cut down for US airing (most get in contributors and promos for additional series).  When you buy the DVDs though, the ones labeled the BBC version have all the content.

Because it's been a while I can't remember most of the deleted content.  The one that I do remember is the scene where Ross visits Elizabeth.  There is a lot more sparring going on before getting it on.

It's my guess that Emma and Sam's scene fell prey to the PBS knife.

  • Love 1
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The Ross-Demelza storyline does indeed feel like they're going in circles, but there's a whole lot of projection and quiet seething going on under the surface.  Ross never got to have much of an outward reaction to the Hugh situation because by the time he took it seriously enough to realize it was happening, it was too late. 

On the flip side of Demelza never being wooed by Ross is that Ross never had to win Demelza. She was easy for him. I can understand why he is unsure of her now since he never had to work to show his affection and this is all new to him. Ross' wife just took whatever scraps Ross was willing to give. This sounds harsh, but it's true. He played the romantic with Elizabeth. With Demelza, Ross knew she was a sure thing and he only seemed to do the least he needed to. So, I am feeling no sympathy that he now has to woo a woman whose love he took for granted. Buy her jewelry, worry over her feelings ... ha! Now you know how she felt.

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12 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

I don't think that it's enough that he die; it has to be a particularly undignified death. Suffering a stroke while sucking a prostitute's toes. Having Rowella's husband discover the two of them. While having to flee the house, he trips, falls, and accidentally lands in and drowns in a trough while half clothed. Having to engage in a duel with Rowella's husband, Ossie accidentally shoots himself while trying to load his pistol. Like Elvis, Ossie can die while using the toilet. Or he can die of a heart attack or stroke while his mother is visiting: he seems to be in distress, his mother attempts to help him, he's too heavy and takes them both down. They are discovered with his mother trapped under him and face is in her cleavage. 

Damn!!!  Do you have any ideas left for another ignominious death?  How about explosive diarrhea while delivering his latest sermon on the pulpit.?  Stain those white robes a lovely shade of brown?  This was a depressing episode, everything was going to Hell.  Dwight knows Caroline well, and he knows that she basically speaks conversely to the way she feels.  It's almost laughable if it wasn't so sad.  Dwight should NOT have informed Caroline about Sarah's future so abruptly.  Even I gasped. Imagine hearing point blank that your daughter is going to die.  Ross, of course, asks how long before she dies.  Fuck guys, Caroline's right there, can't you discuss that somewhere else, or better yet, Ross, how about trying something supportive?  You had the right idea when you invited Dwight to get some air.  

Are we okay? Does this remind you of Hugh?  Will we ever mend?  C'mon guys, the both of you have been through a LOT together. You've got two lively kids who bring joy into your lives.  Learn to enjoy life a little and stop thinking about Boy Band. Not to be too mean or anything but, Boy Band is dead!  I'm sure Demelza thought about a lot of things, not just Hugh's death.  Ross, learn the fine art of shutting the fuck up every once in awhile. Ross can be so perceptive when it comes to Dwight's emotional state, but blurts out untimely comments when around Demelza.

Too bad Morwenna can't have Pig-Face committed for breaking one of the commandments and being a slime-ball about it.  Have him committed for being an atrocious husband, lousy father, worthless human and general all-around POS.

Anybody know what the Hell happened to Zacky in the flooding of the mine?  Ross told Zacky, he'll get his nephew, so Zacky heads on up to the grass and doesn't even think about stying behind and, perhaps, helping Ross?  I don't know if I believe a real miner would just book and save himself.

Elizabeth, Elizabeth, leave it to George to turn an idle comment about Demelza helping two respectable men settle their feud and get along, into a diatribe about the kitchen maid denying him what is rightfully his.  How do you put up with this man?  Just tell George, that that kitchen maid got two Gentlemen to make peace.  Seems to me, she should be commended for brokering the peace.  Why did Elizabeth feel the need to let slip that little nugget, or better yet, why did the writers put those words into her mouth? I would be willing to bet that the entire audience groaned aloud when she started with that " 'tis said that Demelza.....".  Words that Elizabeth should never utter especially when connecting it with George

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If someone could provide a short explanation regarding how George's buying a borough works to get him a seat in Parliament that'd be great. Is he buying actual property or bribing voters or what?  What might a maneuver like that cost? 

And I must comment on Dr. Enys/Luke Norris- the work he did in this episode was stellar. The death of a child is heartbreaking in any context but his ability to portray the pain hovering just under the surface then erupting when all effort to contain it has failed was remarkable. And the undertones in his and Caroline's words as she left for London-  very strong performance.  

Mining be dangerous- can't they just go farm barley or rye or something? I know it's a family tradition to mine but the meager living they are making doesn't seem worth the extreme risks. Does Ross not receive a salary as an MP?

Agree that his continuing to bring up Hugh is infuriating, but then I found the entire Hugh storyline to be ridiculous in the extreme, so that it continues to haunt us in such an jarring manner comes as no surprise.

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5 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

 

Elizabeth, Elizabeth, leave it to George to turn an idle comment about Demelza helping two respectable men settle their feud and get along, into a diatribe about the kitchen maid denying him what is rightfully his.  How do you put up with this man?  Just tell George, that that kitchen maid got two Gentlemen to make peace.  Seems to me, she should be commended for brokering the peace.  Why did Elizabeth feel the need to let slip that little nugget, or better yet, why did the writers put those words into her mouth? I would be willing to bet that the entire audience groaned aloud when she started with that " 'tis said that Demelza.....".  Words that Elizabeth should never utter especially when connecting it with George

I was wondering how Elizabeth even knew what Demelza and Caroline had done before the election.  Did Elizabeth not hear that Caroline was involved as well?  That Caroline had actually instigated it?  Why tell your husband that the local gentry like Demelza more than him?  Also, if it is alright for Elizabeth to campaign for her husband, then they would have to expect Demelza to do the same for Ross.  

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3 hours ago, Pestilentia said:

If someone could provide a short explanation regarding how George's buying a borough works to get him a seat in Parliament that'd be great. Is he buying actual property or bribing voters or what?  What might a maneuver like that cost? 

And I must comment on Dr. Enys/Luke Norris- the work he did in this episode was stellar. The death of a child is heartbreaking in any context but his ability to portray the pain hovering just under the surface then erupting when all effort to contain it has failed was remarkable. And the undertones in his and Caroline's words as she left for London-  very strong performance.  

Mining be dangerous- can't they just go farm barley or rye or something? I know it's a family tradition to mine but the meager living they are making doesn't seem worth the extreme risks. Does Ross not receive a salary as an MP?

Agree that his continuing to bring up Hugh is infuriating, but then I found the entire Hugh storyline to be ridiculous in the extreme, so that it continues to haunt us in such an jarring manner comes as no surprise.

George is buying what would have been called a "pocket borough."  The Wikipedia entry gives a short overview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten_and_pocket_boroughs

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Elizabeth did say it was gossip she had heard about Demelza influencing Basset and Falmouth.  Mentioning Caroline of the "superior" birth wouldn't have had the same effect on George.

 

2 hours ago, Pestilentia said:

If someone could provide a short explanation regarding how George's buying a borough works to get him a seat in Parliament that'd be great. Is he buying actual property or bribing voters or what?  What might a maneuver like that cost? 

I wondered how tough this would be to follow without having read the long sections of the books about the changing political and economic landscape of Cornwall and larger England.

Basically, they're at a point in English history where Parliamentary representation doesn't match the growing demographics of cities.  Sort of like the ongoing argument about the Electoral College in the U.S.  So political boundaries that were drawn up centuries before to give a region like a borough say two seats in Parliament don't reflect that that hamlet or borough may now only have a handful of residents to represent while burgeoning industrial cities in northern England like Manchester have none.  Compounding this is that those seats are usually controlled by whoever the local wealthy landowner or patron is.  Ross's patrons Basset and Falmouth are representative of this.  George is buying up the property, yes, and the influence that goes with it so he can be his own patron and the patron of another seat besides.  I can't remember the numbers off the top of my head from the books, but it ran into the thousands and thousands of pounds, so pretty extravagant for what was basically a vanity project for George.

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On 10/21/2018 at 8:22 PM, Magnumfangirl said:

The synopsis mentions Emma, but I don't remember her in this episode.  Did PBS cut her out?

I normally have Closed Captioning on when I watch shows and I thought I read the word “Emma” on the screen, BUT, it was in the very beginning.  Perhaps it was his family teasingly asking him where she was. I don’t recall actually seeing her.

 

I love me some Caroline. She’s a walking, talking contrast of emotions and image.  She wants to project this stoicism and separate her demeanor from that of Demelza, yet, she realizes that if Ross HAD brought Demelza, the both of them would break down. Caroline is a sweet softie, remember how she met Dwight, insisting that a human medical doctor examine and treat her beloved Horace. Sort of like how Demelza was with Garrick in the early seasons. I see Garrick still sneaks food off of the dining room table.

Edited by Jacks-Son
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On 10/22/2018 at 6:22 PM, magdalene said:

The actor who plays the slimy vicar is a cutie pie and a sweet heart in real life!  The power of acting , you guys....

I’m watching Land Girls on Netflix right now and in it Brassington plays a unscrupulous American GI. Personally, I don’t think he’s much of a cutie—albeit he is a bit thinner in that show. He may be a sweetheart in real life though no way of knowing that. He does seem to play slimy very well  

As for this season, so far I am bored bored bored. It’s the same old thing every season now. Infidelity on either Ross or Demelza’s part, a mining disaster or shipwreck, a dying baby or child, the odious vicar is awful to his wife, George and Ross are enemies, etc.  If they don’t shake it up with something new, I’m out. It’s starting to feel like an 18th century soap opera! Oh wait I forgot Ross has to be self righteous about something too. In my opinion, Aiden Turner’s good looks aren’t enough to sustain a show that like Downton Abbey did keeps repeating the same story lines. 

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Oh good god. That stupid will we ever get past it again. And when Demelza says of a baby’s death it reminds me of our baby’s death the father brings up... Hugh? I was so startled for a moment I thought it was a different baby. BAD WRITING. 

 

Carolines comments about her beastly baby when she’s clearly completely devoted to it are sweet. But girlfriend needs to cry now!, glad she doesn’t blame Dwight for being away.

 

this felt kind of like filler.

Edited by lucindabelle
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I was wrong, as far as Sarah's health is concerned, I thought she was blind, but she was tracking Caroline's face.  Anybody know, besides saying, he's a doctor, how Dwight was able to determine that Sarah's heart was weak or damaged?  Any visible signs that they tried to pretend were there?  The baby looked fine to me, Dwight picked up Sarah and immediately determined her condition.  How?  TV medical drama?

Frankly, I'm surprised George was at the funeral and managed not to be as offensive as he was with Ross & Demelza's daughter Clowance, with the comment, "I hope they manage to hold onto this one" (Julia) 

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I didn't think Hugh could get more annoying.  But it turns out dead Hugh is just as fucking awful as 18th century boy band poet Hugh... only more oppressively present.

Edited by RachelKM
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5 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

I was wrong, as far as Sarah's health is concerned, I thought she was blind, but she was tracking Caroline's face.  Anybody know, besides saying, he's a doctor, how Dwight was able to determine that Sarah's heart was weak or damaged?  Any visible signs that they tried to pretend were there?  The baby looked fine to me, Dwight picked up Sarah and immediately determined her condition.  How?  TV medical drama?

I don't think it classes as a spoiler to say that in the book, Dwight tells Ross that he noticed Sarah's lips were slightly blue. As a doctor, he spotted it immediately, knew what it might mean, and so listened carefully to her heart, thus detecting the murmur. But he knew that neither Caroline nor anyone else would have spotted it, so kept it to himself - Ross is the only person he tells.

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Thank you for that.  I don't think it classifies as a spoiler and I'm reasonably sure it can squeak by the "No Book TalK" rule. Mod's choice obviously, but it does answer my question. I know it's just a child actor and there's only so much you can do to reflect illness, but a few worried looks; brooding in the dark; cradling the baby constantly; all signs of concern, but a few simple words like, "I don't like her coloring", could at least give you a clearer picture of what was wrong with Sarah.

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3 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Thank you for that.  I don't think it classifies as a spoiler and I'm reasonably sure it can squeak by the "No Book TalK" rule. Mod's choice obviously, but it does answer my question. I know it's just a child actor and there's only so much you can do to reflect illness, but a few worried looks; brooding in the dark; cradling the baby constantly; all signs of concern, but a few simple words like, "I don't like her coloring", could at least give you a clearer picture of what was wrong with Sarah.

I haven't actually seen these episodes, I stopped watching last season - does TV Dwight not have that conversation with Ross, then, in which he says out loud what is wrong with the baby and why he doesn't expect her to live past the first cold she happens to catch? 'Cause if they'd included that conversation in the show, you all wouldn't have been so puzzled about the whole thing!

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Yes, they have that conversation where Dwight specifically tells Ross she has a "congenital defect of the heart."  There's more than one scene of him throughout these episodes putting his ear to her chest and looking intently at her color.  It's one of those things that one of the later Outlander books (roughly same time period) mentions as something they knew about it but didn't have the means to fix.

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11 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Frankly, I'm surprised George was at the funeral and managed not to be as offensive as he was with Ross & Demelza's daughter Clowance, with the comment, "I hope they manage to hold onto this one" (Julia) 

George needs to stay on good terms with Dwight and Caroline, I think, because Dwight is a doctor and Caroline has big bucks and is a behind-the-scenes influencer, besides being at a higher social level. You never know when you might need her connections, even if they aren't friendly. George is nothing if not calculated about whom he interacts with.

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Sort of like how Demelza was with Garrick in the early seasons. I see Garrick still sneaks food off of the dining room table.

Makes me wonder how old Garrick must be by now. Is this current dog Garrick Jr.?

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9 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

George needs to stay on good terms with Dwight and Caroline, I think, because Dwight is a doctor and Caroline has big bucks and is a behind-the-scenes influencer, besides being at a higher social level. You never know when you might need her connections, even if they aren't friendly. George is nothing if not calculated about whom he interacts with.

I don't think George has any illusions that Caroline would ever lift a finger for him.  However, I agree that her station is what requires he show civility and respect.  While she may never be on his side, he cannot afford to commit an open affront to her or her family.  It's not her support that would be in jeopardy, but that of everyone else he needs.  They may like his money and they may grudgingly let him play lord in light of his cash and marriage into an appropriate family, but he's only in as long as he plays by the rules which means never openly flouting the social obligations of their respective stations. 

Edited by RachelKM
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17 hours ago, RachelKM said:

I didn't think Hugh could get more annoying.  But it turns out dead Hugh is just as fucking awful as 18th century boy band poet Hugh... only more oppressively present.

LOL Agreed! I feel like I'm being punished.

I found this episode pretty tedious, to be honest. 

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On 10/22/2018 at 2:30 PM, HunterHunted said:

Or he can die of a heart attack or stroke while his mother is visiting: he seems to be in distress, his mother attempts to help him, he's too heavy and takes them both down. They are discovered with his mother trapped under him and face is in her cleavage.

I can't stop laughing at this, because I see it so vividly in my head. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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