Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Episode 3
Nov. 1st, 2021 11:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaThe Education of a Magician
+ The pacing continues to be slight off. It so hard to judge the passage of time on the show. Strange was at war for three years in the book but how much time has passed in the show? Frankly I'd buy weeks or months more than years but I have no idea either way.
+ Lady Pole making an embroidered tapestry of Lost-Hope, and the truths she can not speak, was brilliant. I loved that scene, it was such a great addition. It was a clever work around by Emma. But one that she inadvertently damages and I thought that was great too. I love that her agitation at not being understood and trying so desperately to get through to Arabella leads to an increasing tension and unease over the whole scene, especially when she grabs Arabella and pulls her to her side, scissors still in hand. Her actions damaging the message she's trying to get across worked really well. I like how this ties in to Arabella (and Stephen) finding her later with her tapestry in tatters and her wrists cut with those same scissors.
+ Thistledown Gentleman's obsessive, rapturous interest in Arabella has played so wonderfully. I didn't mention it but the scene when he first saw her (and Stephen saw him noticing her and tried to redirect his attention) was great, I feel like his interest in her is actually coming across better here. I really loved the scene where he was explaining to Stephen his intentions towards Arabella all while she sits contemplative and unknowing. I loved the music and sound effects and the slight echoing quality to his words. It hit the creepy otherworldly intensity note perfectly.
+ I loved Arabella seeing through the Thistledown Gentleman's offer - "do not make a bargain of my friend" was so great - and I very much enjoyed her walking away from him.
+ While I like what we've seen of Stephen and the Thistledown Gentleman thus far (their first scene was great) I'm also a little disappointed. The 'creepy otherworldly intensity' that I noted above that the Thistledown Gentleman is showing Arabella is very similar to what we saw from him directed at Stephen in the books and I'm not entirely getting that here in the show. I really hope this starts to ramp up in the upcoming episodes.
+ Those poor Neapolitan zombie soldiers. (At least there were only three.) I felt bad for them in the book too but what surprised me was how much I found myself feeling especially bad for Strange over this whole situation. He was so overwrought and upset by what he did and his inability to undo it. I did like the respect he got afterwards.
+ The forest debacle was unexpected. I felt bad for Strange in that scene too. And poor Jeremy!
+ Grant's suggestion that Strange let the undead soldiers loose into the countryside left me both incredulous and amused.
+ I liked so many of the soldiers offering up their letters from home for Strange to read to them.
+ I love that the tower and falling children were added to the tapestry but I wish they'd added in the scene where the Thistledown Gentleman explains that particular celebration to Stephen. It really encapsulated the fearsome terribleness of the Thistledown Gentleman so well.
+ I was not a fan of the mirror vision of Stephen's birth.
+ The pacing continues to be slight off. It so hard to judge the passage of time on the show. Strange was at war for three years in the book but how much time has passed in the show? Frankly I'd buy weeks or months more than years but I have no idea either way.
+ Lady Pole making an embroidered tapestry of Lost-Hope, and the truths she can not speak, was brilliant. I loved that scene, it was such a great addition. It was a clever work around by Emma. But one that she inadvertently damages and I thought that was great too. I love that her agitation at not being understood and trying so desperately to get through to Arabella leads to an increasing tension and unease over the whole scene, especially when she grabs Arabella and pulls her to her side, scissors still in hand. Her actions damaging the message she's trying to get across worked really well. I like how this ties in to Arabella (and Stephen) finding her later with her tapestry in tatters and her wrists cut with those same scissors.
+ Thistledown Gentleman's obsessive, rapturous interest in Arabella has played so wonderfully. I didn't mention it but the scene when he first saw her (and Stephen saw him noticing her and tried to redirect his attention) was great, I feel like his interest in her is actually coming across better here. I really loved the scene where he was explaining to Stephen his intentions towards Arabella all while she sits contemplative and unknowing. I loved the music and sound effects and the slight echoing quality to his words. It hit the creepy otherworldly intensity note perfectly.
+ I loved Arabella seeing through the Thistledown Gentleman's offer - "do not make a bargain of my friend" was so great - and I very much enjoyed her walking away from him.
+ While I like what we've seen of Stephen and the Thistledown Gentleman thus far (their first scene was great) I'm also a little disappointed. The 'creepy otherworldly intensity' that I noted above that the Thistledown Gentleman is showing Arabella is very similar to what we saw from him directed at Stephen in the books and I'm not entirely getting that here in the show. I really hope this starts to ramp up in the upcoming episodes.
+ Those poor Neapolitan zombie soldiers. (At least there were only three.) I felt bad for them in the book too but what surprised me was how much I found myself feeling especially bad for Strange over this whole situation. He was so overwrought and upset by what he did and his inability to undo it. I did like the respect he got afterwards.
+ The forest debacle was unexpected. I felt bad for Strange in that scene too. And poor Jeremy!
+ Grant's suggestion that Strange let the undead soldiers loose into the countryside left me both incredulous and amused.
+ I liked so many of the soldiers offering up their letters from home for Strange to read to them.
+ I love that the tower and falling children were added to the tapestry but I wish they'd added in the scene where the Thistledown Gentleman explains that particular celebration to Stephen. It really encapsulated the fearsome terribleness of the Thistledown Gentleman so well.
+ I was not a fan of the mirror vision of Stephen's birth.
