Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Episode 7
Nov. 22nd, 2021 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaJonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
Mixed feelings about this but in large part caused by comparing it to the book. As an end to the series I liked it.
Things I Liked
+ I enjoyed Norrell and Strange's interactions. Honestly everything with them was great. I loved the reveal that Norrell kept Strange's book because "This is the most beautiful book of magic I have ever read." Awww! I liked their moment after Norrell attacked Strange with rain. I liked Norrell carrying Strange through to Lost Hope. I liked Strange calling Norrell friend and Norrell's smile (even with his empty library!). I loved their final moment with Norrell cradling Strange and reassuring him. I loved how supportive they were of each other. They were excellent.
+ Norrell making a door from rain to get them to Lost Hope was great and I loved his glee once they got there. I don't think we've ever seen him that happy. It was kind of adorable.
+ I liked the change in Norrell over the course of the episode. From still trying to hide Lady Pole's finger while planning to hide in his labyrinth to promising Strange that if Strange died he would spend his life trying to free Arabella to giving up his library (!) to taking them to Lost Hope to calling out to Stephen and even asking before their escape to help Stephen, and then reassuring Strange at the end and telling him that he was not afraid. He went on a journey this episode into making the right choices and being a better person and I was rather proud of him for it.
+ I was torn on the end of Norrell/Strange because I loved how things ended with them in the book and thought that was perfect. But I actually quite like this ending too. The mystery of it, them seemingly having become a part of magic in some way, is really interesting and feels fitting. That the two magicians to bring back magic disappeared into the magic and it being such a mystery as to their fates is neat.
+ I liked the final scene with Childermass, the magicians of York and Vinculus. I like that solving the mystery of what happened to Strange and Norrell is a part of Childermass's goals. I like that there was a woman and men of lower standing there, just as Strange promised Flora.
+ "You've made the wrong choice as usual." I like that the break between Childermass and Norrell happens over Childermass wanting to take the finger back to Lady Pole and free her while Norrell is once again refusing to face up to his greatest mistake and trying to hide it.
+ The Stephen/Thistledown Gentleman scenes were good. I liked their last moments in Lost Hope. I liked Stephen sinking the Thistledown Gentleman into the tree at the centre of the court.
+ Lady Pole mocking the Thistledown Gentleman to his face and her refusing to let Walter 'protect' her were both delightful.
+ "I will not go from one kind of helplessness to another." I loved Emma choosing to leave Mr. Pole and instead moving to Venice to join Arabella.
+ I wish we'd gotten more of Arabella/Lady Pole's friendship while captive but I did really like Lady Pole stepping between Arabella and the Thistledown Gentleman and taking the dance instead.
+ The final Stephen/Arabella scene was lovely. I loved their embrace through the water reflection. Arabella declaring that "I'll bring you back myself" in response to Stephen telling her not to wait was a great little moment for her. It's basically the opposite of what I loved so much about the book end for them but the series has put so much more of an emphasis on their love for each other that this change worked for me in consequence.
What I Didn't Like / Neutral
This episode made a lot of little changes that I didn't really like and overall this episode felt very rushed.
+ I think that the biggest issue I had with the series is that it rather failed in fully getting across how terrible and creepy and horrifying the land of Faerie and the fairies themselves are. I liked this version of the Thistledown Gentleman okay but he did feel a little lacking.
+ They had moments but overall the Stephen/Thistledown Gentleman relationship wasn't as well done as the books and was missing what made it most interesting.
+ I'm deeply annoyed that we didn't get to see Stephen as king of Lost Hope, not even a glimpse. Boo! I can't believe they left that out of the epilogue. This was his triumphant reward and seeing how Lost Hope was already changing with him as it's Lord would have been a good cap to his story and the story of the Thistledown Gentleman. In fact by leaving it off Stephen's story feels weirdly unfinished. On the whole I feel like they shortchanged Stephen this series so I guess in a way it's appropriate they continue it to the very end.
+ Strange making it part of his binding that the nameless king kill the Lord of Lost Hope annoyed me. Stephen would always have done that so why muddy the waters there? Stephen has had so little control over his own life and that should have been entirely his own choice without the implication that he was also being forced to enact someone else's will.
+ I was not happy with how things played out at the mental asylum. Segundus and Honeyfoot know exactly how part of Lady Pole's curse works because they worked it out with her! As soon as Stephen started babbling a story they had to know he was also under the same enchantment as Lady Pole so why did they immediately work with Childermass to lock him up? Why no curiosity or attempt to speak up for him? Also we know from what Strange said to Drawlight that he believed all three of them are under the Thistledown Gentleman's power so what the heck did he write to make Walter think that Stephen worked willingly for him?
+ "I've been in contact with your husband, I'm to watch over you." MEH. Lady Pole and Arabella were friends in London and during their captivity together they became closer, the entire time of it Lady Pole has watched over Arabella and none of it had anything to do with Strange nor did she need Strange's orders to do it.
+ I was meh on the tower of black slowly killing Strange (and Norrell once he was in it).
+ I wish we'd gotten the big fight between Stephen and the Thistledown Gentleman.
+ Lascelles got off a lot easier in this version - unless he's still alive in the shards though I think not. I'm sad they didn't go with his actual fate because it was delightfully creepy and terrible, and how it all played out was such a fitting end for him.
+ I wish they'd shown Drawlight's body being covered by vines and trees.
+ I can't believe that Norrell made it rain in his library!
+ So Norrell and Strange disappeared at the end because they were part of the spell cast by the Raven King and when it ended they were taken away with it? Hmm.
Mixed feelings about this but in large part caused by comparing it to the book. As an end to the series I liked it.
Things I Liked
+ I enjoyed Norrell and Strange's interactions. Honestly everything with them was great. I loved the reveal that Norrell kept Strange's book because "This is the most beautiful book of magic I have ever read." Awww! I liked their moment after Norrell attacked Strange with rain. I liked Norrell carrying Strange through to Lost Hope. I liked Strange calling Norrell friend and Norrell's smile (even with his empty library!). I loved their final moment with Norrell cradling Strange and reassuring him. I loved how supportive they were of each other. They were excellent.
+ Norrell making a door from rain to get them to Lost Hope was great and I loved his glee once they got there. I don't think we've ever seen him that happy. It was kind of adorable.
+ I liked the change in Norrell over the course of the episode. From still trying to hide Lady Pole's finger while planning to hide in his labyrinth to promising Strange that if Strange died he would spend his life trying to free Arabella to giving up his library (!) to taking them to Lost Hope to calling out to Stephen and even asking before their escape to help Stephen, and then reassuring Strange at the end and telling him that he was not afraid. He went on a journey this episode into making the right choices and being a better person and I was rather proud of him for it.
+ I was torn on the end of Norrell/Strange because I loved how things ended with them in the book and thought that was perfect. But I actually quite like this ending too. The mystery of it, them seemingly having become a part of magic in some way, is really interesting and feels fitting. That the two magicians to bring back magic disappeared into the magic and it being such a mystery as to their fates is neat.
+ I liked the final scene with Childermass, the magicians of York and Vinculus. I like that solving the mystery of what happened to Strange and Norrell is a part of Childermass's goals. I like that there was a woman and men of lower standing there, just as Strange promised Flora.
+ "You've made the wrong choice as usual." I like that the break between Childermass and Norrell happens over Childermass wanting to take the finger back to Lady Pole and free her while Norrell is once again refusing to face up to his greatest mistake and trying to hide it.
+ The Stephen/Thistledown Gentleman scenes were good. I liked their last moments in Lost Hope. I liked Stephen sinking the Thistledown Gentleman into the tree at the centre of the court.
+ Lady Pole mocking the Thistledown Gentleman to his face and her refusing to let Walter 'protect' her were both delightful.
+ "I will not go from one kind of helplessness to another." I loved Emma choosing to leave Mr. Pole and instead moving to Venice to join Arabella.
+ I wish we'd gotten more of Arabella/Lady Pole's friendship while captive but I did really like Lady Pole stepping between Arabella and the Thistledown Gentleman and taking the dance instead.
+ The final Stephen/Arabella scene was lovely. I loved their embrace through the water reflection. Arabella declaring that "I'll bring you back myself" in response to Stephen telling her not to wait was a great little moment for her. It's basically the opposite of what I loved so much about the book end for them but the series has put so much more of an emphasis on their love for each other that this change worked for me in consequence.
What I Didn't Like / Neutral
This episode made a lot of little changes that I didn't really like and overall this episode felt very rushed.
+ I think that the biggest issue I had with the series is that it rather failed in fully getting across how terrible and creepy and horrifying the land of Faerie and the fairies themselves are. I liked this version of the Thistledown Gentleman okay but he did feel a little lacking.
+ They had moments but overall the Stephen/Thistledown Gentleman relationship wasn't as well done as the books and was missing what made it most interesting.
+ I'm deeply annoyed that we didn't get to see Stephen as king of Lost Hope, not even a glimpse. Boo! I can't believe they left that out of the epilogue. This was his triumphant reward and seeing how Lost Hope was already changing with him as it's Lord would have been a good cap to his story and the story of the Thistledown Gentleman. In fact by leaving it off Stephen's story feels weirdly unfinished. On the whole I feel like they shortchanged Stephen this series so I guess in a way it's appropriate they continue it to the very end.
+ Strange making it part of his binding that the nameless king kill the Lord of Lost Hope annoyed me. Stephen would always have done that so why muddy the waters there? Stephen has had so little control over his own life and that should have been entirely his own choice without the implication that he was also being forced to enact someone else's will.
+ I was not happy with how things played out at the mental asylum. Segundus and Honeyfoot know exactly how part of Lady Pole's curse works because they worked it out with her! As soon as Stephen started babbling a story they had to know he was also under the same enchantment as Lady Pole so why did they immediately work with Childermass to lock him up? Why no curiosity or attempt to speak up for him? Also we know from what Strange said to Drawlight that he believed all three of them are under the Thistledown Gentleman's power so what the heck did he write to make Walter think that Stephen worked willingly for him?
+ "I've been in contact with your husband, I'm to watch over you." MEH. Lady Pole and Arabella were friends in London and during their captivity together they became closer, the entire time of it Lady Pole has watched over Arabella and none of it had anything to do with Strange nor did she need Strange's orders to do it.
+ I was meh on the tower of black slowly killing Strange (and Norrell once he was in it).
+ I wish we'd gotten the big fight between Stephen and the Thistledown Gentleman.
+ Lascelles got off a lot easier in this version - unless he's still alive in the shards though I think not. I'm sad they didn't go with his actual fate because it was delightfully creepy and terrible, and how it all played out was such a fitting end for him.
+ I wish they'd shown Drawlight's body being covered by vines and trees.
+ I can't believe that Norrell made it rain in his library!
+ So Norrell and Strange disappeared at the end because they were part of the spell cast by the Raven King and when it ended they were taken away with it? Hmm.
