Thoughts on: Wives and Daughters 1999

I am currently the proud owner of hamster cheeks. That is, I am trying to survive the extraction of those wisdom teeth. (It's okay, it really is. It's just cumbersome. And I don't exactly feel glamorous. :-P) But you know, why not do something minorly productive and write a blog post? Today I've watched 2 episodes of Mr Selfridge (it is so similar to The Paradise, like, I'm surprised one series didn't blame the other for plagarism), about 20 episodes of Emma Approved (#Knighthouse), I've slept and swallowed down ice-cream, and I'm currently listening to jazz (Marilyn Monroe is currently singing "I wanna be loved by you" and it's cute) and you know what, I'm going to write down a blog post.

Also, not to be Frank Churchill, but this heat is MADDENING. Belgium, you're supposed to have the reputation for bad weather. Prove it. THIS IS TOO HOT.

Anyways. Thoughts on Wives and Daughters. (That's another way of saying: "A review, but not a good enough one, so not worthy to be called a review." :-P) (Or "discombobulated ramblings on a dear movie.") (See, I am not that bad at blog post titles. Book titles, however, are an entirely different matter.)

Let us start by pointing out the negatives, shall we? (I know, I know, ever the optimist.)

MRS GIBSON. Aka. Claire or Hyacinth or the previous Mrs Kirkpatrick or, as I call her, the-spoilt-brat-who-ughhhh-no-leave-the-room. I cannot stand this woman. (Yes, those are grapes in her hair. But believe me, that is only a tiny fraction of her annoyingness.) Mrs Gibson is the kind of character you want to grab by the hair and scratch like a kitten (not to be blunt). The way she craves money and fame and attention is just ugh. I feel so bad for Molly for having to live with the woman, and I cannot give Mr Gibson much respect because he picked her out as a wife.

Speaking of Mr Gibson... I know loads of people like him as character, but personally he annoys me almost as much as Hyacinth! (Okay, not quite as much. Hyacinth is, granted, hard to beat on that score.) But really, I find him quite creepy - the way he calls his daughter goosey with that close stare and sends her off and controls Molly and then honestly thinks marrying Hyacinth is a SENSIBLE thing to do. And when he's angry at Molly when there's all the gossip about Mr Preston... like noo, just be calm, sir, have faith in your daughter.

The first episode, personally, I find rather slow. I only get 'into' the movie by episode 2. (Don't kill me, but Cynthia has to arrive to give the mini series the dazzle and the colour.) However, I do LOVE the scene in episode one where Roger comforts Molly when he finds her crying in the garden after she's found out about The Unwanted Engagement. Roger is like the BEST older brother and IT'S SO CUTE (because that's the thing: HE'S NOT THE OLDER BROTHER.) (Spoiler alert. :-P)

More negative things? Pheobe Brown was annoying. Kind of humorous, I guess, but definitely eye-roll-worthy-material. Sally's not much better. It always tickles me how she has a barouche in Wives and Daughters just like she famously has in Cranford. (Not Sally. The actress. She's called Mrs Jamieson-the-one-with-the-dog in Cranford.)

The Hamely-family scenes sometimes went on too much. (I only love them when Roger is in them. I could watch many Hamely scenes if Roger were in them all.)  Mr Hamely annoys me, although Michael Gambon is a good actor. (No sister-reading-this, don't say he isn't.) (My siblings somehow dislike Michael Gambon with a certain passion.) Mrs Hamely's death was sad, but I never got very attached to her as a character. She certainly is very sweet though, and man, I feel bad for Osborne for having to have his mum die being disappointed in him.

Osborne is a poor thing. The poor guy has one miserable happening after the other. He's not exactly what you'd call a lucky chap.

As we are still in the negative part of the review (or whatever), Harriet's hair in the last episode (the wig-pixie-cut-thing. yeah. that.) was a ghastly mess. Of course, a lot of the hair was ridiculous (remember the grapes in Mrs Gibson's hair-do), as were some of the puffed sleeves. Let's just say the wardrobes in here are an Anne Shirley gown heaven.

I DO like Lady Harriet Cumnor though; better then I did last time. She is a frank, open-hearted, confidant, witty lady. I like her face and her quick attitude. I like how she makes sure no-one thinks badly of Molly. I LOVE how she ships Molly with - spoiler alert but not really - Roger.

Can I also give a shout-out to Lady Catherine the Bourgh Lady Cumnor? She's hilarious. And her pwonouncishon is pwetty hilawious.

Let's speak of Cynthia. She is an interesting character with many different sides to her. Annoying, lovable, frustrating, ungenuine yet genuine. Do not unfollow me (well, I guess you can if you want to), but, but, but *whisper* I have a soft spot for Cynthia Kirkpatrick. Not that I approve of her actions - she is a flirt and she should not accept all those proposals and such and UGH the way she does not care a jot about Roger and her carelessness of his letters makes me so angry... but, but. I can't hate her. I cannot call her a villain.

And I feel bad for her with the Mr Preston plot. I also sort of feel bad for Preston. Look, it's a VERY good, unfortunate plot line. Preston loves Cynthia, Cynthia hates him despite the fact that she consented to marry him when she was 15. Preston has a very odd way of showing his love to Cynthia, which Molly (the DARLING) resolves. Whether or not you dislike Cynthia, I think we all agree her Preston-situation is very unfortunate. Yes, she shouldn't have promised him her hand but she was fifteen BUT DUDE, Preston has charm, and she changed her mind and that should be allowed.

I HATE that she doesn't break it off with Roger (or starts it in the first place) sooner. But I love how she admits her faults and how charming she is. I hate how flirty she is, but I love how she sees it. She is, you've got to admit, very honest. That is a good quality. (BUT SHE SHOULD TRY TO REMEDY HER FAULTS. Actually try.)

(Ignore Mrs Gibson in the above picture. Focus on Molly.)

Molly. Ah Molly. The girl who deserves so much more than she gets - the girl who has her heart broken and only mended till the very end - the girl who has to endure gossip because she's friendly - the girl who's left with everyone's problems - She is a DARLING.

I have no more to say. A DARLING. One of my favourite heroines out there, for sure. I love Molly Gibson.

I LOVE ROGER. Yes, I am sad he had the Cynthia phase, but I think they had him realise his mistake very well, what with him being so far away and just clinging to the thought of Cynthia because he knew nothing better. I love him best with Molly, of course. I wish for more Molly-Roger scenes and less Cynthia-Roger scenes. I always get excited when Roger is back in England. The guy is in Africa too often.

Seriously though. This guy has a place in my heart. Handsome, cute, a gentleman, so KIND and so good and also super clever. I mean... seriously. He's somethin'. (Underrated, too.) (And the nicest brother to Osborne.)

CAN WE JUST APPRECIATE HOW PERFECT THEY ARE TOGETHER?! I was literally sobbing during his proposal and ohh, I need more Molly-Roger scenes. They are so adorable and beautiful together and why it didn't happen sooner is a crying shame. The last episode is so glorious and tension-y filled it's almost annoying to watch. I love it though. Molly and Roger for ever and ever amen.

(Also I kind of wish there was a kiss. :-P) (Yes, there isn't.) (Not even a hug.) (They could at least have done a hug.) (The rainy proposal was so epic it made up for it though.) (And the Africa honeymoon.) (AND JUST THEM.) (Still wish there was a kiss.) (Or a hug.) (Or both.)

I'll stop with the brackets.

What do you think of this gorgeous miniseries? Have you seen it? Tell me thy thoughts.

PS I PERSONALLY LOVE THE COSTUMES IN HERE. Especially Cynthia's wickedly gorgeous dark blue ballgown she wears in London (:-O) and Molly's red one at the engagement party. The costumes are amazing in this miniseries, albeit sometimes rather much. Brownie points for whoever was in charge of the costumes, though.

Ugly Period Drama Dresses

My reaction to most of these:

Yes, there are some ugly Period Drama dresses, despite the fact that I seem to insist that 'every dress in this movie is AMAZING', and that, 'Gah I love her wardrobe.' I thought it would be fun to devote an entire post towards the bashing of those ugly dresses that either didn't flatter the character, looked completely comical rather than completely smashing, or just were downright ugly. Let's start - this ought to be fun. :-)

"What an ugly bonnet, Lydia. What possessed you to buy it?"

UGHHH, Cora's wardrobe isn't bad in general, but this dress is extremely unflattering, in my opinion. It highlights her figure in all the bad ways and the colours clash in all the bad ways as well. And then the gold? With the red? I don't like it. (Seriously, O'Brien is the better dressed one in this picture. When in doubt, stick to black - that's solid fashion advice.)

Suit yourself Anne, suit yourself, but I haven't the foggiest idea what you're so enraptured about. In the book, where you got an adorable double-puffed brown gloria dress, I can imagine it - fully imagine it. But in the Period Drama??? With the oversized collar, the Henry-the-Eighth-sleeves, and the unflattering milky blue - you look quite bad. (Please don't smash me over the head with th-- )

Ha. Ha. We alllll know what a fan I am of P&P05, right? (Sarcasm.) One of the reasons why I hate it is Caroline Bingley's Netherfield Ball "GOWN." I like to say that she forgot to put on her dress and that she's dancing around in her underwear because THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. Look - spaghetti straps. She's got spaghetti straps. (I'm going. Bye. Bye guys.)

Yes, this is probably the prettiest dress in this post, but it isn't pretty. Edith's wardrobe in the later series is AMAZINGNESS (Edith looks stellar in 20's clothes), but some of her outfits - mainly this one - have disappointed me. It looks especially vile when she actually stands up in it and walks. It's like someone added some sickly orange old drapes over a clashing blue blouse. I'm not loving it.

Molly, I love you, I love you --- buuuut really? You in a watermelon-sleeved dress and slithery, slinky feathers in your hair? Stick to adorable attires, they flatter you so much more. Yes, you look elegant, but you also look a bit ridiculous. The sleeves. I mean - I know - it's the fashion. Buuuut - it's ugly.

I know these dresses are made to look the sisters ridiculous, but I couldn't not mention one of their absurd matching ensembles in this post! Their clothes are actually hilarious - always over-the-top, always matching, always interesting, always ridiculous. They do prove with their outfits that they're good at sewing though, which is the point, because they own a dress-shop.

HAHAHA. LET US ALL LAUGH. Seriously, Bright Star made me rather queasy because of the moany main character, the odd mushy romance and... YUCK THE COSTUMES. The girl (Abbie, I think?) is supposed to be a seamstress with a sense of creativity, but I think she's a seamstress with a sense of clownish-creation-ridiculous-laughing-stock-creativity. (Or whatever.) Basically, I think her entire wardrobe is dreadful. I mean... just LOOK AT THE COLLAR. (And look at this vile dress.) (AND THIS ONE.) (And this hat!) (I know, ewww.)

And last and probably also least - we have Scarlett's red 'dress.' With tule around the elbows, ostrich feathers tumbling dramatically from the shoulders and a Marylin Monroe-dress bodice. Yes. Haha. You'd find someone wearing this after the Civil War, wouldn't you? ;-P I LOVE most of Scarlett's dresses, even the ones that aren't historically accurate, but OH THIS ONE. It's dreadful! I do not like it, not one little bit. :-P

Why I often like flirty(ish) characters in movies.

This is going to be a hard post to write, because no, I don't approve of flirting. Well, if there's a mutual serious love, then flirting is fine. And one can show signs of affection by mildly-flirting-define-flirting, I think, to a certain extent. But to bat your eyelids at strangers and all that jazz - I see it as shallow and unladylike behaviour. So bear that in mind - I'm not telling you that I approve 150% of what Lydia Bennet and those girls do. No sir.

However, there is a quality in those girls that I very much admire.

Their smiles. Their cheerfulness. The way they make other people smile. The way they make fun of themselves.

That I admire a lot. They're so happy - and genuinely so. Of course, between you and me, they are often happy for a ridiculous reason (Lydia: "Oh look, there's Denny. HAHAHA.") but they smile a lot, they make the best of situations, and they find hilarity in ridiculous things, which I just plain LOVE. Of course, there are times in which one ought to be serious, but there are sooo many time when one should just laugh and dust things over with a cheery spirit - and those 'flirty' girls in movies often possess that quality. And I like that. I love watching it. (Which is why I enjoy watching Lydia Bennet a lot + Julia Sawalha is amazing.)

Also, they easily make fun of themSELVES. Which boyyy, more people should do. Sometimes one should just laugh at themselves; because we're all such hilarious things, if you think about it. We're bits of skeleton and bits of skin and we all stand and talk and sleep and put things in our mouth??? I mean, that's hilarious. Laugh at that.

Of course, as I said before, there are times to be serious, and to take each other seriously. Like, if your friend comes to you with tears in her eyes and a heavy heart, you shouldn't go, 'HA HA, funny, water droplets coming out of eyes.' I mean, that's plain mean. But there are so many times in our lives when we could make situations so less awkward, or so less boringly serious if we just didn't take ourselves so terribly serious the whole time. (I suddenly realise I'm basically quoting this Mind the Gap episode.)

I like that. Lydia Bennet doesn't take herself seriously ENOUGH (duh, at all) but I do admire her personality to a certain extent. Cynthia Kirkpatrick is a spoilt girl with ridiculous hairstyles, but she doesn't take herself too seriously the whole time ("You know enough of me to know me capable of that!") and I like it. Rose from Downton Abbey is pretty boy-crazy (which is annoying) but she's so happy and cheerful that the whole room laughs with her (well, not always, but you know what I'm trying to say here.) And that, dear people, is an admirable quality to possess.

And Trixie from Call the Midwife - she's flirty ("... how do you know I'm not dazzled by your gaze?") and she's always talking about boys (just... stop) - but I really really love her. She's so happy and colourful, and she has such a warm, warm heart. I love Trixie. (Also, her FASHION sense is just ridiculously gorgeous.)

So lets be cheerful and interesting and lets not take ourselves too seriously the whole time. But lets also keep that sensible-ness and take ourselves serious enough to make good decisions. :-P Basically what I'm trying to say with this post: I often like the flirty-ish characters in movies, and here's why. Explained. The end.

You might be in a Period Drama if...

... You had a cow, you would call it Bessie, and often add a 'dearest' at the end.

... The only reason you're scared to have kids is because your husband might die when he drives to tell your family the good news of the birth. Or, if you're male...

... The only reason you're scared to have kids is because your wife might die of childbirth all because your parents-in-law chose the wrong doctor.

... Mothers usually have nerves.

... You talk about the fine weather when awkward silences arise.

... You have many, many one weaknesses. (But 'food' is the most frequent one weakness.)

... If your cat swallowed lace, you would not only make him vomit it, but you'd wear it afterwards.

... Songs played in F-major are big, hooty jokes.

... Valets with a limp somehow remind you of endless prison visits.

... You think the best cardrivers are Irish.

... You once told Sparkler to be quiet when he said there was no nonsense about you.

... You wonder how you could exist without a piano. (Life would just be a blank to you.)

... You decide to start up a music club.

... Mauves are more becoming than blacks.

... You've always wanted a wooden coal shovel.

... The Wind Do Blow when it's Christmas time.

... The guy you don't like just happens to ask you - and nobody else but you - to dance at a ball, and you just have to, and then it's awkward.

... You've spotted exchanging notes with the previous love interest of your stepsister. (Plots are complicated.)

... You know someone who thinks puffed sleeves are so ridiculous because you have to turn sideways to go through the door.

... Using big words means that you've swallowed a dictionary.

... An old man once jilted you at the altar.

... Railways are romantic places.

... Romances always get second chances, and the second chance always works out perfectly well.

... You're engaged to someone you don't love.

... Your older sister will always be ten times prettier than you will ever be.

... You have a younger sister who walks about in the hallway without being properly dressed.

... Shells are strung up on strings.

... Engagements and Elephants are two very different things.

... You have a friend who can't figure out what love riddles mean. (Maybe Shipcourt? Is that a word?)

... Chicken thieves are annoying.

... You get told on your wedding that, "She is VEE-RR-EEE Beeauuutiful. Veerrreee Beautiful."
... You can't ride a bike, but you can ride a horse and that's pretty much the same, right?

(By the way, thank you SO SO much for all your lovely comments on my last post. The fact that you are excited for us makes us even MORE excited and gah, I love you alllll.)

"What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again."

{No, this is not another post about being happy and focusing on the positive and neither is is a post with a list of my favourite things. This is a post about rain; the title is a quote of a musical song, and you should have known that without me telling you.}

Inspired by Amy's Ode to Tea and Emma's letter to Snow (which she wrote back in December, but still), I am here to talk about Another Thing Which Can't Think Or Talk But Which I'm Going To Pretend That Can. (I'm making sense, right?) 

I'm going to talk about rain. Rain, to say in the least, is disastrously underrated. In Belgium; February, March, and just every single month in general, are often rainy months. I go to French Class every Thursday evening, and I'm telling you, every single time they complain about 'the terrible weather in this country.' (In French.) On Sundays, I'll hear at least one person at Church bash my darling and dear Mr Rain. When there's a sunny day, they'll say, 'Oh this is so much better than all that rain.' Which, you know, I respect, and all that - but which constantly reminds me of the fact that rain is extremely and terribly underrated.

My dear and darling Mr Rain, I will be putting you in the limelight today. You may start smiling, for one of your pluviophiles is finally shedding you some glory. (You deserve it and you're welcome.)

“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” ― Bill Watterson

Dear Mr Rain, people say you are wet. Which, I cannot deny is a fact with extremely reliable sources as you are the very thing; wet. But by no means am I agreeing with the tone of voice in which people say that. They say this with disgusted faces; faces that look like my face when I watch Pride and Prejudice 2005. (Yes, I considered not writing down that about P&P05, but I decided to go for it because that movie just really irritates me and I ain't going to hide that.) People say 'ew, rain is so wet' as if it is a monstrous thing to be. Don't ever stop being wet, rain - I love that you are wet.

Why, if you weren't wet all the fun would be out of it. You wouldn't be an adventure, you wouldn't be cosy, you wouldn't want to make people go inside and warm their hands and put on new dry clothes.  You wouldn't make people's hair curly during rain-walks, and that would be a very sad thing indeed. That's the whole nice thing about you, rain - you are wet.

“The only noise now was the rain, pattering softly with the magnificent indifference of nature for the tangled passions of humans.” ― Sherwood Smith

Because you are wet, Liesl and Maria became friends rather than people with an 'oh-I-don't-need-a-governess'-relationship. No really, because if Liesl wouldn't have become wet, Maria wouldn't have given her her nightgown and Maria wouldn't have suggested to clean and dry her gorgeous pink dress for her. That started their good relationship. (No, don't say, 'Well, it would have happened sooner or later.' Be quiet, Sparkler.)

Because you are wet, Marianne Dashwood almost died but then didn't and then fell in love with Colonel Brandon. If you weren't wet, dear Mr Rain, Marianne Dashwood would never have fallen deathly ill, and she would have never really noticed Colonel Brandon at all. Colonel Brandon showed what a hero he was during her illness and without you being wet he would not have made such an impression on Miss Marianne. Also, because you are wet, Elinor looked really cute like that (see picture below) and Edward decided once and for all that he was really in love with her. Good job, Mr Rain.

Because you are wet, Emma Woodhouse was able to make her second match turn into reality. Miss Taylor and Mr Weston's love story only really started when He decided to share his umbrella with her. If you weren't wet, dear Mr Rain, they wouldn't even have had those umbrella's, and they would have never fallen in love! (Take that, rain-haters.) 

“Thunderstorms are as much our friends as the sunshine.” 

― Criss Jami

People complain also about you being cold. But just because you are cold and wet, you are just about the cosiest thing ever. I have several excellent memories of coming home from rainy walks and snuggling in dry pyjamas and drinking warm chocolate milk. You, my darling Mr Rain, make everyone appreciate the warmth and the dryth (I invented that word because it sounds very good) in our humble abodes. You make everyone nice and wet and nice and chilly so that we can feel that amazing feeling of coming home, drying ourselves, and treating ourselves with hot drinks and cosy evenings of dry blankets  and a good movie. That feeling is just about the best thing ever, and I really really really appreciate your coldness and your wetness.

And in the summer, your cold and wetness is even more appreciated. Ugh, it's just perfect when you decide to say hello when it's stifling hot outside - your wonderful fat and wet and cold raindrops are sheer glory on our burning skin during the summer.

Keep on being cold and wet, Mr Rain. Thank you. Let's shake hands.

“I love the smell of rain and growing things.” ― Serina Hernandez

People go on, complain that you are dreary. Who put that idea in their heads, pray? Okay, well, you can have the impression that you're grey and dark and grumbly - especially if you decide to thunder (which, don't get me wrong, I love) - but people don't see the good sides! I have said it already, but I shall repeat it again - you are cosy. There is nothing I love better than a long and dark rainy day. I love the pattern of your raindrops on my window, and I love spending time in my room when you are doing your thing outside.

You are romantic too, Mr Rain, for all of cinema's most epic love scenes are in the rain. (Except Mr Darcy's proposal in P&P05. That was just silly, Mr Rain.) 

Take Roger Hamely's adorable rain-filled proposal - Molly Gibson just loved it. And take Catherine and Henry's little rain-moment; not my personal favourite scene in Northanger Abbey, but millions adore it. And then there's that classic, classic scene in Singing in the rain, where the Gene Kelly guy dances and sings in the rain. (I know; it's not a romantic scene, because it's just him - but it's an epic and a famous cinema scene, sooo.)

“I love rainstorms...the thunder, lightning, wind, all of it. So much going on at once, so many emotions...just like me.” ― April Mae Monterrosa

Just like you, Mr Rain, Dr Seuss is a genius, because I'm pretty sure he loved you. First 'Sally and I' complain about not being able to do anything but 'sit sit and sit' (and they did not like it, not one little bit) just because it's raining. (Ha. They're so funny, aren't they?) But then The Cat comes in (which is really creepy if you think about it) and he says, 'I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny, but we can do lots of things that is funny!' And yes, I heartily agree with the good old Cat Hat.

WHO TOLD YOU, I ask, WHO TOLD YOU THAT YOU CAN'T DO THINGS WHEN IT'S RAINING?!!!

There a millions of things you can do when it's raining. You can read a book, write stories (writing always comes easier when it's raining outside), make pancakes, watch movies, tidy your room (tidying your room is nice when it's raining), make scrapbooks, read blog posts and I know not what! And if you want, you can go outside and sing and dance in the rain. That's always possible too. 

“Heavy rains and a good book. A perfect extravagance.” 

― Carew Papritz

You are also really emotional, rain - you provide for a lot of tear-gerkers. In fact, there's this famous quote by Charlie Chaplin in which he says that he likes walking in the rain so no-one can see him crying. (Apparently Rowan Atkinson said this too once, but he was probably just quoting Charlie Chaplin - who forgot to copyright his quote.) There are several scenes in cinema with you, Mr Rain, in it - which make me choke up a Whole Lot.

Molly Gibson and Roger Hamely's proposal is an example, but the classic example is Eponine's death scene in Les Miserables - and her gorgeous rain-filled solo, On My Own. 

"There's nothing in the world that compares to the feel and smell of brand-new rain." 

— Colleen Hoover

Furthermore, my dear Mr Rain, you smell amazingly. You make the earth smell amazing; you make the earth bring forth fruit - you make the flowers grow, the blossom colour, the trees green and the fruit ripen. In retrospect, you give us books - because without trees there wouldn't be books, and without you there wouldn't be trees. And you give us chocolate, because without cocoa beans and milk there wouldn't be chocolate, and without you there wouldn't be cocoa beans, and without cows there wouldn't be milk, and without you there wouldn't be cows alive on earth. 

You are amazing, Mr Rain, and you do, quite frankly, not deserve all the hate comments and bullying you receive daily. I promise I never sang 'Rain, rain, Go to Spain' when I was a little girl, and I promise I never shall. Seriously, there are so many people who yearn for some raindrops, so I know it's foolish to complain when you're so gracious to bestow my country with your showers of generosity.

Finally and most importantly, without you, my darling and dearest Mr Rain, there would be no rainbows, and that would make the world a very sad place indeed. (And without you, one wouldn't be in need of umbrellas - and umbrellas are pretty darn cute objects of shelter.)

Do you like rain?

(Say yes.)

7 Period Drama Characters I feel so sorry for

I love millions and billions and zillions of characters, but I don't feel sorry for all of them. Of course, there are more than just ten characters I feel desperately sorry for, but here are seven. Ten characters who I want to hug, ten characters my heart goes out to in deep compassion. The poor mites.

#1.

~*~ Edith Crawley ~*~ Downton Abbey ~*~

Poor girl. Sure, she made some very bad mistakes which I do not applaud at all, but seriously - the poor girl. 

Firstly, she was in love with Patrick, who was engaged to her older sister. Patrick died in the Titanic. Okay, sure, that happend. No-one really cared about Edith, she kind of gets shoved away. Then she finds love in the elderly kind bachelor, Anthony Strallam, who warms her heart and makes a nicer person of her. She gets jilted at the altar by him because he realises he is too old for her. Okay, yeah, that had to happen. Edith is, obviously, heartbroken.

Then, all that with her next lover, Michael Gregson. As I said, I don't approve what she did, but she seemed to deeply regret it afterwards, and I felt deeply sorry for the poor thing. Michael Gregson died. All those problems with her daughter Marigold. I mean... poor girl.

Edith is really the kind of character everyone desperately wants to see happy. I once watched an interview with the Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes, who said that a random lady was once following him around in town. At one point, he (Julian) said, he turned around and asked the lady what the matter was. She just said one thing. She said, 'PLEASE MAKE EDITH HAPPY!'
Haha.

All that said, I hope Edith has a better time in the next season!

#2.

~*~ John Chivery ~*~ Little Dorrit ~*~

Ohhhhh. JOHN CHIVERY. *wails and cries bitter tears of compassion*

I feel so, so, so, so, so sorry for this fellow. My heart sheds tears whenever I think of the guy. My siblings are used to me sometimes (ahem - often) going, 'Oh! John Chivery! POOR him!' I did that especially often when I had just seen Little Dorrit. He is probably the character I feel the MOST sorry for in all Period Dramas.

John Chivery is an emotional, young, happy-with-simple-things, big-dream, sweet-smile, boyish young man, who has a huge, serious, and yet-almost-childish crush on Amy Dorrit. The word 'crush' is an understatement, actually. He really is deeply and utterly and dreamily in love with that childhood friend of his. He would throw himself down a cliff if she asked him to. He worships the very ground she treads on. He loves her so much that he already imagines what people will write on his gravestone about how much he loved his beloved wife, Amy.

(Are you crying yet, guys?)

Now, unlike some people (haha) I do not think of Amy and John as a couple. In more modern terms, I do not 'ship' them. Amy and Arthur BELONG to each-other. Amy doesn't love John Chivery, and hard as it is for her, can't marry him. I also feel very sorry for Amy, by the way, but we'll talk about that later. But back to darling John Chivery- John cries when Amy rejects him. He tells Arthur Amy loves him, with tears in his eyes, because he loves her and just wants her happy. And then when we see him in that blue jacket of his at Amy's wedding. 

OH JOHN LET ME HUG YOU. I just want John to be HAPPY. *cries*

#3.

~*~ Molly Gibson ~*~ Wives & Daughters ~*~

Goodness, this girl, the POOR MITE. I want to bash into the screen and give her a hug. Firstly, she gets a new mother. And not just any mother. A mother who behaves more like a peacock, who barges into her room and throws all her 'old' things away (I WOULD BE SO ANGRY if someone did that to me! Gosh!) and a mother who doesn't know the difference between an engagement and an elephant. Or whatever.

Then, the person she is in love with (this seems to be a bit of a theme in this post, right?) goes off and proposes to her rather flighty but none-the-less kind step-sister, Cynthia. And then she (Molly) goes and cries in front of the window, looking at Roger walking away in the rain. OH PLEASE.

I feel very sorry for Molly.

#4.

~*~ Amy Dorrit ~*~ Little Dorrit ~*~

In most movies, when we have a rejected proposal, one roots for one side of the match, normally. Lizzy Bennet and Mr Collins - it is Lizzy we understand. Etc. But in Little Dorrit I felt disastrously sorry for both sides. I've talked about my heart-ache for poor John, but we have to think about Amy too! Amy is a lovely humble girl with a servants heart - but she knows what she wants and she does want to be happy. It must have been very hard for her to tell John that no, she didn't love him. Amy hates, hates, hates to make people unhappy. It's her worst nightmare. So, POOR AMY, everyone.

But that isn't the only time I feel sorry for Amy. I basically feel sorry for the almost-too-kind, always-trying-to-please-everyone, always-doing-the-chores Amy all the time. That about sums it up. I always feel sorry for her (especially on that trip in Italy when she has to act like a posh lady. Poor girl.)

Amy just deserves so much. Arthur knew it, everyone with a good mind knows it. I was so bursting-with-joy happy when I saw her so happy and relaxed and flowery and in love on her gentleman's arm in the end.

May you live happily every after, Amy. You deserve it so much I can't even tell you.

By the way, people, did you KNOW? I have been to the Marshalsea! That 'prison' Amy lives in! It was filmed in Hampton Court Palace, which is where my Grandparents go to Church every Sunday and which is where I have been so often in my life! When I realised it was filmed in Hampton Court I literally squealed in delight. I WAS THERE.  :-) It was really cool being able to recognise Hampton Court when we went on watching it afterwards. (My Grandma says she remembers it getting filmed. Had I known I would have gone then! (Okay, I was only nine when they filmed it, but still.))

#5. 

~*~ Tom Pinch ~*~ Martin Chuzzlewit ~*~

Tom Pinch! We're in the John Chivery situation again, guys. I guess Charles Dickens is good at makes us weep in compassion for dear characters such as Tom Pinch (who, by the way, is not the guy taking the ham in the picture, it's the one with the weird hair-style.)

The only thing I don't like about Tom Pinch is his awful hairstyle. The only thing. For the rest, he's an angel come down from heaven. He's a saint. Super nice, always good. A bit shy, rather quiet and keeps his thoughts generously to himself. Therefore no-one (or hardly anyone) knows, ever, that he is in love with Mary (who always tells him how much she loves Martin) - which makes it so much more... sorry for him-like.

Loads of people like him. At one point, the whole town is singing 'For he's a Jolly Good Fellow' to him (which he so deserves) - and Mary, the sweet little thing he is in love with, likes him too, and shares her heart-ache for Martin with him. It must be so hard for him, but he never ever lets Mary know his feelings for him.

In the end we see him alone on a bench, a bit further away from Martin and Mary in an embrace. Poor soul. Then he goes on whistfully saying that not all stories end well. OH NO. JUST NO.

#6.

~*~ Dr Harrison ~*~ Cranford ~*~

Why, yes, I feel sorry for him! Why would you be surprised? (No, I'm not automatically assuming that everyone of you is surprised, don't worry.)

Sure, Dr Frank Harrison (is Frank his name? I think so.) is not the first person that comes into mind when one thinks of 'pitiful' people in the period drama world, but remember that episode. REMEMBER? When he sits there, bewildered and sad. When he somehow, without realising it, got engaged to three people at the same time. When he lost darling buttercup-like Sophie Hutton and when he wasn't allowed to help her when she was deathly ill.

I felt SO sorry for Dr Harrison in the last episode. It's just not fair. It's so annoying when things like that happen in movies, isn't it? That kind of no-one-understands, YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN, and you-feel-dashed-sorry-for-everyone-story. Oh, especially Dr Harrison who everyone kinda shoved away. *clenches fists* Not fair.

And I love it when he just forgave Jack after that anyway. Dr Harrison is super kind.

I remember when we finished that episode that ends like it does in the screen-cap above. I seriously almost jumped out of my skin because I felt so sorry for that young fella. (Okay, not really that serious. I have never even 'almost' jumped out of my skin. I can't.) It was a torture to wait for the next episode, but I so desperately want to see that plot turned well. And Dr Harrison happy.

#7.

~*~ Anna Bates ~*~ Downton Abbey ~*~

NOOOOO. POOR ANNA POOR ANNA POOR ANNA.

*sniffles for about three hours and refuses to admit to the blogging world that I am exaggerating*

What Anna has gone through is just amazing. No person would be able to go through it like she did in real life. This proves, together with the fact that people within one house don't ever die so quickly, that Downton Abbey is, sadly, fictional. Anna is amazing. She tried to solve her Mr Bates' murder plot, she endlessly visited him in prison, she - poor thing - bore that everlasting prison-business better than us viewers did. Oh, this good girl has to be happy. I have to see her 100% happy, I HAVE TO.

Then, obviously, in the next seasons, even more cruel treatments lie await for Anna. She gets abused by a villain-y-type and ends up in prison. JUST NO GUYS. I just feel so sorry for Anna Bates, I can't even say it.

I need to see the next Christmas Special urgently, so urgently, because I'm in great need of a look at a happy Anna, I really am. She needs to be happy. So badly.

Now, THAT's better. :-)

~*~

What characters to you greatly pity?

Have I included them?

I think, that if I were to watch les Mis, I would have millions of more characters on this list, right?

10 fictional darlings

SO!

Olivia tagged me with the '10 favourite Screen Characters Tag'! Thank you, old sport. I'm one of those delightful little creatures that has tons and tons of favourite fictional characters, so, as other people have done before me, I won't pick my ten favourite characters - I'll pick ten of (mark the of) my favourite characters. It'll be fun.

By the way, the first five will be male and the last five will be female. Just, in case you can't see the difference between the two. Or just in case you scroll down and meet only men for awhile and don't understand why there aren't any females - they will come.

#1. Lionel Logue

(Geoffrey Rush, The Kings Speech)

Lionel Logue is Awesome. I just love him. If I had a pick a father of the Period Drama world, I'd pick this one, without a doubt. He's childish. He's funny. He's serious. He's smart. He loves people and he has flaws. He's definitely one of my all-time favourite screen peeps. I want to spend an afternoon with him and give him a big bear hug. I basically want him to exist.

#2. Bertram Wooster

(Hugh Laurie, Jeeves and Wooster)

Ah, Bertie. I have devoted an entire post or more to him, but I had to add him. Because, to be frank, he's that one character that cheers me up and I can never have enough of. He must be so much fun to doodle around with. Just imagine going for a walk with Bertie Wooster at your side - I really want to do that.

#3. Tevye

(Chaim Topol, The Fiddler on the Roof)

What even is Tevye's last name? Or is that it? What is his first name then? It'll always be a misty unknown-ness to me, it seems. Anyway, about him. He's just AMAZINGLY funny and awesome. I just love him. I even love how he shouts and loses his patience after five seconds of waiting and how he mumbles and kicks the chickens. He's just hilarious and one of the best characters, ever.

#4. Roger Hamley

(Anthony Howell, Wives and Daughters)

Roger Hamley is one of my favourite heroes and, to be naomi (well, my name isn't Frank, is it?), I don't understand why more people share my love for him. He did fall for Cynthia, yes. But he felt sorry for it afterwards and he's super kind and sweet and handsome. He can even pull of a beard.

#5. Mr Knightley

(Johnny Lee Miller, Emma)

I did think of adding Mr Palmer in Sense and Sensibilty or Sparkler in Little Dorrit but then I remembered Mr Knightley and all thoughts about the grumpy hilarious Hugh-Laurie-role and the Sparkler-ideas vanished. I LOVE Mr Knightley. Yes, love as in love. He's the kind of man I want to marry one day, if you see what I mean. He's just SO kind and good and wise and so handsome-especially-when-he's-super-angry. He'd also make a really good father, don't you think? He's my favourite hero, period.

#6. Beatrice Potter

(Renee Zellweger, Miss Potter)

I love Miss Potter. Aside from she being a huge animal-lover and me not that huge, I relate to her a lot. We both love to write, we both love to paint and have a super artsy bedroom. She's quirky and special and does things. 

#7. Elizabeth Bennet

(Jennifer Ehle, Pride and Prejudice)

BECAUSE SHE'S AMAZING. How can you not love her? She's just the nicest character. Quick tongue, pretty starry eyes, sweet smile, witty one-liners, kind kind heart. She could be my friend, please. I will never tire of her. Indeed, there is not a tiry bone in her body - one can be entertained by her for hours in succession. Lovely heroine.

#8. The Dowager Countess

(Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey)

Oh my goodness, how can she not be everyone's favourite Downton character? She definitely is mine. She just SUCH a character. I want her to be my Grandma so bad. Is it possible to have three Grandmothers? I want her to be my third. (Want, want.) She's HILARIOUS. Everything she says - every little syllable that whisps out of her body - is hilarious. Her facial expressions are hilarious. And what makes it even more hilarious is the fact that she's the most serious character at the same time.

#9. Melanie Wilkes

(Olivia de Havilland, GONE WITH THE WIND)

She deserves more friends. She loves everyone. She never sees wrong. She's almost soppy. But yet I love this beautiful darling doll. She's so sweet. Olivia de Havilland did her so well. What does annoy me about Melanie is the fact that she so adores that witch-Scarlett. But still, I can't dislike Melanie. She's just a pot of shining gold. I always cry when I read her death scene.

#10. Maria von Trapp

(Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music)

Starting off as a wild, getting-into-trouble, big-hearted, challenge-accepting, problem-solving tomboy. Ending as a mature wife, darling mother, beautiful-smile-owner. I just love Maria von Trapp. She's a lovely nanny and a lovely mother. Exactly what Geog and the children needed, I should say. And she's funny too, isn't she?

Have you seen these movies?

Do you enjoy the same characters as I?

How to gossip like the Period Drama ladies

Gossip is one big 'thing' in the Period Drama world that has not gone out of fashion. But now we do it differently than the ladies do on our favourite screens. I will, dear readers, give you some tips on how to gossip like the Period Drama ladies do. Instead of spreading Prince-Harry-Emma-Watson rumours via Facebook or Twitter with hashtags and all that horrible modern poffle, you'll learn how to do it the good old way. :-)

 

So! You want to gossip. You can't gossip on your own and that's a fact. You need to be part of a gossip-clan. You need to have those friends you scurry to whenever you "accidentally" meet in town to get updated on.

 

First, to be part of a gossip clan, you have to be the right age. At least forty, I should say - that's when gossip get's to it's finest, because then the old ladies (who always know the most, you know) appreciate your company and divulge you into all their biggest secrets. So sorry girls, if you're far from forty - we will have to stick with the young folk, who don't know half as much as the older ones. But we'll get there ONE day, won't we?

 

Just, young folks never get the right end of the stick when it comes to gossip. Look at Emma Woodhouse, for instance - she gossiped loads but got everything wrong, right? No, we just have to wait to do it the right way.

 

Wearing big hats, you know, is a no brainer - feathers are a good sign to show that you're there, brimmed with news. Two feathers is even better.

 

Lace caps are a no brainer too - but make sure you don't wear two over each other. Never walk out of the house without a hat - no, seriously. You always have to wear several layers over your head if you want to be part of the gossipers. You have to be able to whisper secrets under the shadows of all the bonnets; oh yes, quite important, that. But if you see someone going out without a hat - why now, that's an entirely different matter. Then you have to pretend (well, of course, you ARE) to be really shocked and go in a flurry and tell all the people in your gossip clan as quickly as possible, whispering that the said hatless lady really is walking down the wrong path in life.

 

Your fellow gossipers will be open-eyed listeners, of course, always.

 

The gossip clan should come together with great frequency, for there is always big news looming on the horizon, like, every minute there's new news. Of great importance. That, like HAS to be told. So you have to meet up with fellow gossipers in all kinds of circumstances. During a ball, why you'll meet up. And if you're playing whist, you won't really play whist, you'll talk about the very shocking latest bit of news. And you'll meet on the road. People won't realise you're gossiping, of course, because you're SO good at keeping stuff secretive, AREN'T you.

 

 

If I had to sum the rules of gossip in two words, it would be these: ALWAYS EXAGGERATE. If you don't, gossip wouldn't exist. Exaggerating isn't lying, it's just explaining situations with more gusto than the boring folks. You have to accentuate points and put two-in-two together. You have to tell you friends what happened in an exaggerated way. Because that's how you make the news sound interesting, right? For instance, something like this might happen:

 

You overhear two young girls in a glove shop. One, let's say Jane, says, 'I'll buy the red pair. Pa did tell me to be careful with my money, but I do so love them.'

AH. That MEANS that Jane is rebellious towards her father (the red pair of gloves was, you know via experience, one of the most costly ones in the shop) and that, of course, explains why Jane wouldn't go to the charity ball her father had organised! Jane is a rebellious daughter. You can go and tell you friends that. It's a HUGE piece of news.

 

And if there is no particular news around, you simply have to MAKE news by matchmaking. Really. During balls this is easy, you stand at the sides with your friends, and comment on how good this and that looks with this and that and how nice a couple they make and how well they compliment each other. If you have friends over - single and of marriageable age - you simply have to find out whether they are attached somewhere or not. If they are silent, pester the younger sister with questions. Twiddle it out. (And if it really doesn't work, bribe with olives. That's irresistible, you know. A cure for everything.)

If you see two people holding hands, they are engaged. Just, that's how things work. If you see a girl smiling more than three times to a man across the room in one hour, that means that they have a secret love relationship. If there's a girl who flirts with all the men in the room but one, it means the man who she isn't flirting with is in love with the girl. You have to learn the tricks. :-)

Oh, and everything is shocking. Make every bit of news something big. Take your chance and make it a dramatic, upholstering scene. Open your mouth and your eyes and your ears. If you're good at fainting on the spot, DO it, seriously, you have to. God didn't gift you with the talent for nothing, you know. Yell for smelling salts, make a SCENE. Because that will give you something more to gossip about the days afterwards.

 

I hope this helps. :-) And I hope you enjoyed the post, girls. :-)

 

Oh, by the way, have you heard that Romola Garai is going to be in the sixth season of Downton Abbey? As the undercook? I'm SOOOO excited about that. Like, SO. And don't worry, it's official as official can be - not just a rumour. ROMOLA GARAI in DOWNTON. Squeeeeee.

 

(jk)