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Last Tango In Halifax - General Discussion


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The look on Gillian's face when she woke hung over and realized what she had said to Caroline gave me the creeps. Laurence, abandoned by his father and unable to reach his mother made me angry and sad on his behalf. Kate announcing her pregnancy made me roll my eyes -- how long has it been since she broke off with Caroline? This series is starting to feel like an overdone soap opera to me, when all I was wanting and expecting was a gently comic story about the effects the romance between two older people had on their extended family.

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Poor Laurence. I wonder if he decided to walk home.

At least we now know that Eddie wasn't just a lad who liked to drink too much. He sounds as if he was a rotter. Gillian must have hidden the abuse from Alan. I don't see why Caroline would go to the police.

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Man, I was really hoping that Gillian's big secret was that Robbie was actually Raff's father or something like that.  It was bad enough when the story was that she put Eddie out of his misery, but why did they have to go one step beyond that and make her a full-fledged murderer?!  Poor Caroline looked physically ill when she was listening to Gillian confess.

 

I am glad that Gillian and Alan seem to be on better terms but they kind of skipped over their entire reconciliation.  I am also enjoying Gillian and Caroline's friendship.  Their drunken giggling and phone conversation when Muriel called Celia were both funny. 

 

 

Poor Laurence. I wonder if he decided to walk home.
At least we now know that Eddie wasn't just a lad who liked to drink too much. He sounds as if he was a rotter. Gillian must have hidden the abuse from Alan. I don't see why Caroline would go to the police.

 

I think that Alan suspected some abuse because he said something like "he liked to drink too much and he was handy with his first" when he was speaking to Celia about Eddie.  I know that Gillian is a murderer, but I just feel so bad for her with all of the crap that she's had to deal with. 

Edited by SonofaBiscuit
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I can't see Alan standing by while our Gillian was abused.

 

But it seems like that's what he did.  Unless Eddie and Gillian hid it from him - she did say Eddie was careful to hit her where no one would see.

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(edited)

I agree that they took the Eddie story too far. I was loving the budding friendship between Caroline and Gillian and then wham they turn Gillian into a murderer. I do think Allen knew, at some point, that Eddie was abusing and beating Gillian. Now, in my mind, the abuse she suffered and the fear for her life pushed her to murder Eddie but Allan and Caroline seem to dismiss it. There did not seem to be any sympathy for Gillian's plight from Allan or even Caroline.

I would have expected that Allan would have wanted to see Eddie dead for abusing his daughter but no, he dismisses it as if Eddie was an alright kind of guy that was just "fond" of drinking and using his fists. Just last week that ESPN announcer said violence against women is a terrible thing but women have to learn not to provoke the man. WTF? If history tells us anything is that exposing Raff to that type of violence could very well have led Raff to use his fists too. I hated that Gillian felt so sorry for Robbie by taking away his brother--the guy was a violent brute that probably would have killed her.

On a different note Celia is really a piece of work. So she wasn't just pining away for Allan but also for Fred. You'd think now that she had her true love she could get over her sister falling in love and marrying Fred but no, she somehow thinks she's entitled to every guy. I notice she didn't come clean with Allan about the real reason she hates her sister. Perhaps she thinks Muriel will make a play for Allen.

Edited by stafford
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Caroline has an almost ex who is a drunk and is living with a drunk. I know she has to let the boys see him, but I would have been checking in with my child.

It's because Caroline appears to be quite self centered and rather cold. Did you notice that when Celia hugged her when William is driving away, she was comforted at first then quickly moved away and walked up the driveway with her arms folded? Celia's arms were folded in a similar manner, so it seems they both are that way.

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The whole episode felt so sad. I kept waiting for the turning point when everything would be funny and it never happened.

 

I see no reason for a big fussy wedding after the deed has already been done and with Alan's heart so delicate. It just seems like a device to bring the extended families in and we have enough characters to keep track of already.

 

Judith is binge drinking while pregnant, Calamity Jane is passed around like a sack of smelly potatoes, it's just a matter of time until they lose track of who's watching her, and Laurence is wandering somewhere in drunk-town.  I'm worried.

 

Gillian!  Do you think you might have found a less gruesome way to murder someone?  Aren't there poisons all over a farm?

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On a different note Celia is really a piece of work. So she wasn't just pining away for Allan but also for Fred. You'd think now that she had her true love she could get over her sister falling in love and marrying Fred but no, she somehow thinks she's entitled to every guy. I notice she didn't come clean with Allan about the real reason she hates her sister. Perhaps she thinks Muriel will make a play for Allen.

 

When Celia went on about Muriel needing to be the center of attention, etc. I got that feeling that Celia was projecting her traits onto Muriel. But I agree, I think Celia's worried Muriel will make a play for Allen.

 

OTOH, I thought it was sweet that William called Allen "Grand Dad" when he left. And I think it's sweet Emily Jane's nickname is "Calamity" because Allan misheard Emily Jane over the phone. <-----that touch makes it "real" because family nicknames are usually given for silly reasons. Much better than calling her "E.J." or something like that.

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My sympathies are with Gillian. I think calling her a murderer is a bit of an over-simplification. She was being terrorized and finally put an end to it. If it had happened on the street, it would have been considered self-defense against assault. Because it happened at home, it's murder?

 

It's sad that she felt trapped and didn't feel she could go to anyone for help, but that is typical for battered spouses. Even now, her self-esteem seems to be low enough that she feels guilty toward Robbie, for "taking away his family" more than she feels angry that she herself was "bloodied in every room of this house." Someone who would hold you down and put a cigarette out on your head, and do it in a way that was hidden so others wouldn't see, is a vicious, calculating, monster, not someone who made a mistake in an out of control moment and might be expected to change. That's someone who would lie on court, make things up about you, paint you as crazy, and generally gaslight you and destroy your mind while they continue to abuse your body. I agree that disposing of him was good not only for herself but also for her kid.

 

It's just really sad that she didn't feel she could tell anyone what was happening at the time, and that she's had to carry the secret of how she stopped it until now. I hope Caroline doesn't prove to have been the wrong choice to open up to. The two of them were a lot of fun sussing out wedding venues for their parents.

 

One way of looking at it is this: if she had told Alan, and he'd gone into a rage and killed Eddie "for torturing my daughter" people would be sympathetic to him. But if she does it to protect herself, she's a murderer? I don't think so. And we still don't know exactly what happened. Was he terrorizing her for days and she finally snapped? What was the precipitating moment? Was he in the process of trying to off her and she turned the tables finally having had enough? She's so guilt-ridden that she isn't really trying to defend or explain her story the way you'd expect if it was anyone else.

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Poor Gillian.  I wonder if her father's guess that she finished Eddie off is closer to the deed that was done as opposed to an beginning to end murder.  Each time this comes up we get more details but it becomes cloudier as well.  I was fearful that Gillian would always resent Caroline.  Raff was so impressed with Caroline, 'She read Chemistry at Oxford!'  So the fact that the two of them shared such giggle over the hotel thinking they were getting married was a very sweet moment.

 

Kate needs to stop being so self centered.  Did she think the transition that Caroline was making was one nice smooth sail?  It's rocky to watch someone come out later in life.  I've seen it in friends and it takes patience from everyone.  Poo boys with their father being such an idiot, their mother struggling with her future, crazy stuff.  I really liked the interaction between Allen and William.  So sweet.

 

So this isn't going to be one big happy fun romp.  I'm okay with that.  I like all the different stories and how everyone is trying to make things work out.

 

For now I'm most sad for Lawrence and Gillian.  But I'm sure that changes as the episodes play out.

 

They are filming season 3.  We see the traditional BBC Christmas special next week.  I was a little fearful after reading of the terrible accident that Derek Jacoby had.  But if they are filming then things must be working out.

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(edited)

Kate announcing her pregnancy made me roll my eyes -- how long has it been since she broke off with Caroline?

Kate had had sex with the guy at the hotel where she and Caroline went for their romantic weekend. She said she was 12 weeks along, so 3 months have passed. 

 

I guess I kind of suspected that Eddie had abused Gillian. It certainly makes her more sympathetic, esp since we heard Allan tell Celia that he believed she had outright killed him. Although Allan may have known that Eddie was "handy with his fists," he certainly was unaware of the extent of the abuse. He may have even pushed the possibility out of his mind, esp if Gillian never complained or outright denied it.

 

Cheryl's a silly character, but she provides some needed comic relief.

 

Although I'm sorry that Lawrence couldn't reach his mom, I'm glad he's seen what a mistake living with John would be.

 

I was very excited to see Gemma Jones as Muriel. The Duchess of Duke Street is one of my favorite Masterpiece Theatre shows. As far as what's going on betw Celia and Muriel, I think Celia's right about some things. I can't stand people interrupting either. Muriel asking a question then not waiting for the answer was annoying. And maybe Muriel does like to be the center of attention. However, she seems like a nice person. I bet it's true that Celia has a fear Muriel will make a move on Allan. Maybe she realizes that's not rational, but she might still hold onto it.

 

The moment Gillian and Caroline walked up to the venue, I figured they would be mistaken for a couple. Still, that scene of them laughing was great.

Edited by peeayebee
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Oh, I don't feel bad about the fact that Gillian killed Eddie.  It seems like many agree that Eddie was an A-hole and Gillian did what she had to do.  It sounds like she was a victim of terrible abuse, definitely.  I'm just annoyed that the show seems to have retconned this from suicide, then to suicide with Gillian putting Eddie out of his mistery, and now Gillian outright killed him and even said, "I murdered him."  She's still my favorite, even though she makes some really bad choices.  I just wish the writers would give her a break every one in a while.  Some bad crap has happened to her, to be sure, so I don't see why they had to throw murder into the mix!

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Nicola Walker is a treasure. She gets more out of a scene than most actors, that's for sure. (And think about the varied roles she's played -- the brusque cop in Touching Evil, the hyper-efficient-but-mousy spy in Spooks, and now this, where I really do believe she's a farmer.) Rare among actors for being able to  manage unrelated business with their hands in addition to delivering dialogue.

 

Caroline's face while Gillian was confessing was amazing.

 

When I started watching this show, I sorta thought Celia was our heroine. But she's really kind of awful, isn't she? (Which makes the whole enterprise better for me, somehow.) Not that I think Muriel is in the right; sisters are often equally awful in different ways.

 

I got a kick out of the running gag "Men suck. Oh, present company excepted!" 

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So I watched "The Mother" the other day, with Anne Reid and Daniel Craig. The performances were good, but I really didn't think there was much to it. Actually, my favorite part of the movie was Peter Vaughn, who had a small role as Reid's husband Toots. I mean, with a name like Toots, you've got to be fun.

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I missed this last night and today wasn't able to get the audio and video in sync on pbs.org. Anyone else have trouble with that? Other videos there are fine. Fortunately, it was available on demand.

 

I love the friendship that has developed between Gillian and Caroline.  That part where they couldn't stop giggling together was nice to see.

I loved it, especially Caroline wanting to stop laughing because "my pelvic floor isn't what it was." Ha!

 

Love Celia and Alan the best, but was marveling at ex hubbie recitation of all women who have started wars.  I am warming to him.

That moment was possibly the most I've liked him, which is crazy since he was still being awful--drunk with his pregnant drunk girlfriend and with no idea where his son was.

 

New slang word learned: cludgey. The boat has one! (It's a toilet.)

 

If I were Caroline I would have some serious grappling to do with what I'd learned.

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I couldn't place the actress that plays Muriel (Celia's sister) until I remembered she was Mrs. Dashwood in Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility and played Bridget Jones mother. She is a terrific actress.

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The actress that plays Kate, Nina Sosanya, is in the current BBC series Silk. We've only had the 2011 series in the US but it went on for a number of seasons in the UK. She is excellent there.

Nicola Walker was just on a significant story arc on Scott & Bailey.

It's the incredible skills of Sarah and Nicola that make their scenes together so real and enjoyable. Why aren't these two in feature films?

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I'm glad I'm not the only one who dislikes Kate. She was so judgmental about Caroline booking two rooms, then when Mr. Baby Daddy joined them Kate was a bitch, totally ignoring Caroline while that bore went on and on. Caroline should have pulled out a book to read then, not at dinner with her son.

I am still amazed at William's singularly unattractive haircut! ;-o

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Caroline and Gillian's giggle-fest had me laughing along with them, but as soon as they got back to the farm, things got dark so very quickly. I feel like they've hinted at Eddie being abusive before, but what a sadistic bastard. It's frighteningly chilling that someone knows exactly how to knock out someone's back teeth so other people couldn't tell they were physically abused.

 

I'm not sure what to make of the relationship between Celia and her sister. On one hand, I can't stand when they ask questions and start speaking over top of you halfway through your answer, but some of that makes me want to write that off as nerves and excitement because she hadn't seen Celia in years. I did, however, sort of like Celia having the tables turned on her and having others meddle in her personal life and talk about things from her past and see how it felt. I didn't like how she tried to blame Alan's brother's family for not being able to start planning a wedding ceremony when all they needs is a date.

 

Poor Laurence; I hope he's all right, wherever he went wandering off to, but I think he just learned the hard way that what he saw as boring was really stability.

 

New slang word learned: cludgey. The boat has one! (It's a toilet.)

 

Ah, thank you! Even though I watch quite a bit of British television, that term completely escaped me.

 

Aside from the hair, William reminds me of Michael Sheen.

 

With the hair, he reminds me of Mick Hucknall from Simply Red.

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Poor Laurence; I hope he's all right, wherever he went wandering off to, but I think he just learned the hard way that what he saw as boring was really stability.

 

 

 

 Caroline's reading at the dinner table and completely ignoring Lawrence isn't stability. She's just as neglectful as John who dashed off to find Judith. Lawrence and William endure horrible things in that household: parents fighting, parent's lovers, etc.

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Not to excuse Caroline's behavior, but she just learned that her ex-lover was pregnant, and she just said goodbye to one son going off to university. Yes, it would have been nice -- for both of them -- if she focused on Lawrence, but I can understand why the character just shut herself off with the newspaper. She has trouble dealing with her emotions.

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Gillian wakes up having spent the night on the sofa. As she remembers her confession to Caroline the night before she is terrified. Caroline ends up being filled with empathy though. Preparations are underway for Alan and Celia’s big day.

 

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I think the Gillian and Caroline friendship is one of my favorites on tv.  They really are becoming sisters.  I do think Caroline's concern about Gillian/Robbie is understandable.  That whole situation is a ticking time bomb.  The closer Robbie/Gillian get the guiltier she feels and if she slips and tells him he could be vindictive.

 

In the end, I feel like Caroline was the vulnerable one when it comes to Kate.  I feel like Kate could move on from Caroline, but Caroline would pine for Kate.  I was so happy when Kate came back.

 

I loved Alan's boy band tribute to his bride.

 

I pity John/Judith's baby. 

 

I'm getting whiplash over Alan's attitude towards Gillian.  He was so contemptuous of his daughter just a couple of episodes ago and now they are back to their warm relationship.   It doesn't feel organic at all.

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I have to say I think Celia can be very cruel in general but especially to her sister. If she is finally marrying the love of her life why is she still holding on to such a grudge against her sister for Frank? I get that she had a miserable and humiliating marriage but she chose to stay and yes, I know people of her generation stayed in bad marriages but she needs to get over it. I thought the discussion over the Hen's Night was particularly mean spirited and I hated that Alan participated in it (especially since he doesn't know about Frank).

I also thought she was mean to bring up the house issue at the altar. She forgave him but why bring it up then? I think she wants the upper hand in the relationship. Celia's sense of entitlement is staggering to me. I frankly don't understand why Gillian told her especially since she and her father seemed to be in such a good place but Gillian does and says stupid things all the time--sleeping with Robbie goes right on top of the list of stupid things to do.

It was, however, mostly a sweet season ending episode if I ignore Celia. Caroline showed real growth.

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Yes, Celia is entitled and thoughtless, sometimes even cruel. And Gillian too often makes bad, but understandable, choices. Which is exactly why I so love this show; imperfect characters living their very ordinary lives provide an elegant example of character-driven story, which is what American soap opera used to be many years ago.

I just wish the seasons were longer; six episodes barely whets my appetite. Can't wait to see how the fallout from this episode -- Caroline and Kate, Gillian and Robbie -- plays out in season three. And then there's the dark cloud of Alan's health. There were a couple of times during the reception, and the next morning in bed with Celia, that I worried he might have another heart attack.

I also wish that these kinds of quiet shows got more attention from serious critics who all seem taken with edgier, darker shows.

Edited by wonderwoman
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I loved Alan and his backup singers. That was too funny and cute. I was also overjoyed that William got a haircut. He looked really cute. Glad Kate got off her high horse with Caroline. Nice to see Timothy West (Ted) again. Muriel was dancing with Harry. Possible match? Oh, Gillian! There she goes again!

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Gillian really can't resist putting herself in deep shit, can she?  I hope they have plans to give her character some growth, because this is getting repetitive,  and I'm starting not to care about her anymore.

 

Where did Robbie leave his girlfriend in order to spend the night with Gillian? 

Edited by izabella
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I kind of worried about Robbie's girl, too, she must have had to find another ride home. I started to feel defensive for the poor woman when they were calling her a "light weight." It's the first time I've heard a woman compared so negatively for not being as much of a bitch as her rival. I love the Jillian character but Robbie knows she cheated on him with John, aborted his baby without telling him and had sex with her son's gormless pal. If Robbie prefers that sort of challenge he'll be over the moon when he finds out she killed his brother. I hope his cheery girlfriend found someone else at the wedding.

I thought the discussion over the Hen's Night was particularly mean spirited and I hated that Alan participated in it (especially since he doesn't know about Frank).

Really. I wonder if this is more of an English thing. When I lived there, I was on the butt end of a couple of those, "Let's make fun of her while she sits here!" routines, the perps all seem to think they're terribly clever. You have the choice of being rude back or pretending you don't get it. I was much younger and nicer then. Now, I'd just pour my pint of ale over their messy heads.

Loved the boy band singing like Amurkan cowboys. Love all of these flawed, complicated characters. Bring on the next season!

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I really don't like the Caroline/Kate relationship. It seems so forced and I can't see Caroline ever being comfortable with a woman.

I love the Caroline/Gillian relationship.  It's like they've both found the sister that neither had.

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I wasn't quite sure how to read Alan and Celia responding to Kate and Caroline's kissing. It seemed Alan was perturbed/disgusted, which kind of surprised me as I thought he was okay with it, and Celia seemed put off as well, which really surprised me as she seemed to be secretly pushing Kate and Caroline back together during the whole episode (asking Kate to play the piano at the ceremony, asking Kate to stay after the ceremony, etc.) Maybe I read them wrong?

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Maybe Celia didn't like the PDA. I know I didn't. If it had been a man and woman kissing like that on the dance floor, I still wouldn't have liked it. I guess I'm old-fashioned.

 

Loved Caroline's toast. Loved Alan's song and his "Pips." Loved the montage of all the couples together, esp when we see John and Judith passed out drunk. Ha!

 

Something about the way Alan said, "Google it," to Celia really tickled me. I guess it was the accent.

 

I'm blanking on who said, "Have you ever seen a banana jump?  They must do it at night." That made me giggle, too.

 

Was the song Kate played as Celia walked down the aisle "The Queen of Sheba?" I can't remember the title of the music that Celia wanted, but whenever she mentioned it, I didn't know it. However, what Kate played was very familiar.

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I wasn't quite sure how to read Alan and Celia responding to Kate and Caroline's kissing. It seemed Alan was perturbed/disgusted, which kind of surprised me as I thought he was okay with it, and Celia seemed put off as well, which really surprised me as she seemed to be secretly pushing Kate and Caroline back together during the whole episode (asking Kate to play the piano at the ceremony, asking Kate to stay after the ceremony, etc.) Maybe I read them wrong?

I thought Alan looked surprised, then happy. It was Celia who really surprised me with her 'I thought she went home an hour ago' in that nasty voice she does so well.

 

Was the song Kate played as Celia walked down the aisle "The Queen of Sheba?" I can't remember the title of the music that Celia wanted, but whenever she mentioned it, I didn't know it. However, what Kate played was very familiar.

It's The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel. At least per the CC. It must be a popular movie standby, I know I've heard it before as well but never knew the title.

 

I've only just realized that the building they show the morning after is the hotel, so I guess all the sleeping couples we see stayed overnight. I can't figure out what the expression on Gillian's face when she wakes up next to Robbie is supposed to be: Is she surprised, happy, does she realize she's made a commitment and probably a huge mistake? And why of all things make that the final shot of the episode (and the season)?

 

I love the cinematography on this show, the huge sweeping downs. The only TV show I can remember using the location so well is Breaking Bad. But it seems like this season every time we see a high shot of a car traveling across the downs there's a huge dark thunderstorm plastered across the sky. I don't know if they just filmed all those shots on the same day and dropped them into different episodes as needed or if it's supposed to represent how dark this season was.

 

Absolutely lovely wedding. I loved the flowers at the banquet.

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I love the cinematography on this show, the huge sweeping downs. The only TV show I can remember using the location so well is Breaking Bad.

 

I love all the cottages in Yorkshire.  And I'm convinced that is a working sheep farm.

 

The costumes as well are so well done.  Whenever I see Caroline at school I think yes that is what the headmistress at a fancy school wears.  Celia looks so smart in her sweaters over slacks.  And the visual change in William is just what I see with boys going off to college and returning as young men.  It's like all that awkward starts to go away as they come into their own.  The scenes with Caroline and William seem very real.  That makes the lack of chemistry with Kate all the more odd.  It's not like she can't act.  I'm wondering if she is actually acting false in the relationship?

 

The wedding outfits were just perfect.  Loved everyone's get up.  I loved the young boys in their kilts.  That is just how these things end up.  For so many that is their one dress up outfit well into their teens.

 

I'm really upset that of all the series for PBS to decide to show us in a timely manner this is the one.  Otherwise I would be watching ahead online.

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I loved this episode, well most of it, anyway.  The costumes, the scenery, the wedding!  I was thrilled when Kate asked her to dance, but the extended make-out on the dance floor was Eesh.  I wouldn't like it if they were man/woman, either.  That stuff belongs somewhere else.

 

I think Gillian's look when she woke up was "Holy Shit, what have I done?"

 

QuinnM, I LOVE that kilts are the go-to dress-up wear for boys!  I didn't know that.

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I loved Celia's wedding outfit.

Yes, wasn't that gorgeous? I hated that little bolo jacket Caroline had on though. And would it hurt Gillian to run a brush through her hair. She always looks like she just woke up with that unkempt style.

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I have to agree with others about the make-out party on the dance floor. It didn't belong. It doesn't mater who the couple are. That kind of PDA on a dance floor at a wedding was a no-no.

Otherwise this was a great epi. Really enjoyed it, especially the "boy" band. I know I was smiling.

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I thought Alan looked surprised, then happy. It was Celia who really surprised me with her 'I thought she went home an hour ago' in that nasty voice she does so well.

I thought Alan looked happy, too, but I thought Celia's remark (since Kate had gone home an hour ago) was just meant to show how casual Celia had become about the whole gay thing, so much so that her confusion about the time was her first thought. Still, if we all heard it differently it shows the scene wasn't done exactly right.

I agree it was too much PDA.

I hadn't caught that they were all in the hotel. Cool.

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