TV REVIEW: Outlander - Episodes One to Eight

This review of Outlander's first eight episodes is spoiler free, but Becky will be reviewing the remainder of the season individually and with spoilers, in our usual Buffery manner.

Based on Diana Gabaldon's rip-roaring and bestselling historical series, Outlander follows Claire Randall, a nurse in the Second World War who embarks on a holiday in Scotland with her husband, Frank, six months after VE Day. Whilst there, she finds herself drawn to a mysterious stone circle at Craigh na Dun and is pulled back in time to 1745, when Scotland was building to another Jacobite rebellion and intelligent, forthright women were viewed with suspicion. She attempts to get back to the stones and to her own time, but is soon drawn into the machinations of the MacKenzie clan and into a marriage of safety with the dashing Jamie Fraser.

Outlander has a huge weight of pedigree behind it, created by none other than television impresario, Ronald D. Moore (having previously worked on both Star Trek and the excellent Battlestar Galactica reboot), who brings his assured hand to Gabaldon's work. It's a smooth adaptation, streamlining out the story into something a little more manageable for a television audience that could be both in love with the books or without any knowledge whatsoever. Additions such as focusing on Frank in 1945 trying to find his wife, which didn't feature in the first book as it was Claire's first person narrative, builds the world up more and keeps alive the sympathy for an important character.

The world of 18th century Scotland is beautifully realised as the series sweeps through the Highlands. Muddy, brutal yet elegantly romantic, Claire's foray into the past carries the inherent thrill of seeing a world unknown, though it's considerably more bodice-ripping (literally) than your usual period drama. The sex, nudity and violence running through the story isn't sanitised from its source material, but nor does it feel gratuitous. Whilst there is the tendency carried over from the books to put Claire in as many potential sexual assault situations as possible, it's never supposed to be titillating; the focus on Claire herself in these moments ensures the focus is on her fear, not the man's enjoyment.

As Claire, Caitriona Balfe captures the character near-perfectly, from her belligerence in the face of 18th century attitudes towards women to a wicked sense of humour that bubbles beneath the surface. Claire already feels like a fully rounded character, naive in the face of these traditions for which she is an outlander, but learning to adapt quickly. It also helps that she has an excellent chemistry with both Tobias Menzies, in the dual role of Frank Randall and his 18th century ancestor, the Black Jack Randall, and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser.

Menzies has a particularly tough role in distinguishing the noble academic Frank from his sadistic ancestor. Black Jack Randall is the show's current outright villain and Menzies clearly relishes portraying someone who is convinced of his own inability to be redeemed. Frank is a gentler sort, but there are still the odd tics and reminders of their heritage, particularly when the desperation of both characters comes to the fore.

On the other side of Claire stands Jamie Fraser, the Highlander with a price on his head whom she helps when she first arrives in 1745. Heughan cuts a dashing figure in plaid and recreates Jamie's honourable ways as well as his wry humour that made readers all over fall in love with him on the page (myself included). Like the other main characters, Jamie arrives fully formed and the show works quickly to establish his back story, which will affect how the narrative develops.

It's a strong start for Outlander's first season, one which provides enough information for those unfamiliar with the story whilst hitting all the right narrative beats for those who are. There's a clear understanding of what makes the books work here and Moore has successfully translated that to the screen. Knowing what is to come for the remainder of the season adds a special level of tension to the developing relationships and I have every confidence that the show will continue to excel.

- Becky

Outlander is available to view now on Amazon Instant Video UK.

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TV REVIEW: Death Comes to Pemberley

Dear reader, I must begin this review with a confession. I have never managed to finish Jane Austen's classic Pride & Prejudice. I have attempted it three times and have slowly lost the will to live during each and every attempt. However, despite my ongoing internal battle with my determination to get through that book, I was mightily intrigued by the adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberley, based on the novel by PD James, which follows on from the events of Austen's narrative but takes on the guise of a murder mystery. Coupled with the excellent cast and the high standard which comes with a BBC period drama, I settled down to the series with a little expectation and smidgeon of anticipation.

Set a few years after the events of Pride & Prejudice, Lizzie (Anna Maxwell Martin) and Darcy (Matthew Rhys) are happily married and residing at the Darcy family pile, Pemberley. The house is in the process of getting ready for a ball, with the majority of the Bennets on their way to attend, except of course, Lydia (Jenna Coleman), married to the wicked George Wickham (Matthew Goode) and therefore uninvited. Not to be outdone, the Wickhams set off for the ball with their friend Captain Denny (Tom Canton) but a fight along the way and a dastardly murder in the woods finds Wickham arrested and Lizzie and Darcy trying to solve the crime.

The first episode got off to a slow start, but it had so many pieces to put into play that it was a necessary beginning. Once they were all in place, the tension ramped up steadily to the series' slightly heartstopping conclusion. Fortunately those like me who had never managed to finish Austen's novel, an extensive prior knowledge was not required as flashbacks and other references in the dialogue give you enough information to provide a good background to these events. Usually exposition scenes tend to detract from the main event, but here they provided a nice link between the two works, as well as highlighting some of our characters' anxieties, particularly Lizzie's.

As with any good murder mystery, there were a few red herrings to be fished out amongst the other clues but what resonated most was the way in which the murder acted as a catalyst for an analysis on relationships, rather than simply driving the plot towards to its conclusion. Both the Darcys and the Wickhams achieved their supposed happily-ever-afters (one genuine, one as the result of some fast monetary intervention), but the murder pries open cracks in each relationship. For the Darcys, it comes back to the idea of status and Lizzie's worry that Darcy regrets their marriage because he married for love not money. With Lydia, it is trying desperately to keep up the charade that she and Wickham are happy, whilst possessing the knowledge that he's been unfaithful.

There is also a typical marriage plot buried in one of the developing narratives alongside the main one, that of Georgiana Darcy's desire to marry the lawyer Alveston (James Norton) whilst her cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam (Tom Ward) vies for her hand. Both relationships are disrupted as a result of the murder with Darcy forcing Georgiana into an engagement with her cousin before he realises that his cousin is just trying to keep his reputation untainted. It lends a fascinating element to what could have been just a straight murder mystery and one that is enhanced by PD James' decision to use these existing characters; we're offered a chance to see what hand life has dealt them and how in turn they respond to it.

It helped that the performances were all excellent with Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell Martin bringing a lovely chemistry to one of literature's most famous couples. Though they remain the stoic centre at the heart of the chaos, they are never dull, always observing with a quick intelligence and Martin gets in some great one liners with Lizzie's trademark wit. Matthew Goode is another standout, carving a fine niche for himself in the charming reprobate category after this year's Stoker, whose Wickham may be all kinds of awful, but has enough charm and vulnerability about him that you keep rooting for him throughout. 

Trevor Eve made for a suitably gruff investigator, one whose motives remained in doubt throughout but ultimately came good in the end. Initially, Jenna Coleman and Rebecca Front hold up much of the comedic end in the first half of the series as Lydia and Mrs Bennet, but Lydia in particular far from one-dimensional. In just one scene she is transformed from a selfish, inconsiderate irritant to a put-upon wife determined not to allow her marriage to fall apart. It's a testament to Coleman's performance that this seen registered so strongly.

Finally, the most interesting element was the way in which Pemberley became a character in itself. Using the beautiful grounds of Chatsworth in Derbyshire (as well as interiors at Castle Howard and Harewood House), the estate itself became a crucial part of the narrative, not only as its location, but also because of the regard in which it is held by the characters. Whilst the murder itself was motivated more by individual concerns, the reason behind it, mainly the existence of baby George, was founded on Wickham's love of Pemberley and the memories he had of it. Darcy's attempts to rein in the scandal are to save its name as is Georgiana's decision to marry her cousin despite not really caring for him.

Much more than just a simple murder-at-a-country-house tale, Death Comes to Pemberley was a beautiful exercise in how to create a compelling story of family and scandal, with fantastic performances and a real dedication to bringing Austen's characters back to life. It may have just inspired me to give Pride & Prejudice another go. 

- Becky

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INTERVIEW: Jay Brown: Actor; Big Bad World

Clockwise from left: David Fynn, Seann Walsh, Rebecca Humphries, James Fleet, Blake Harrison, Caroline Quentin

I arrived for my interview  with Jay Brown,  a 30 year old actor currently starring in Comedy Central’s Big Bad World alongside James Fleet, Caroline Quentin, Seann Walsh and Blake Harrison,  to find the room also inhabited by two cosy looking leather armchairs, an ungodly sized bowl of popcorn and several beer  bottles. 


This set the tone for what transpired to be a relaxed, rewardingly informal chat with a very down to earth, generally chilled out guy. He also didn’t mind at all that due to some audio recording issues, I had to ask him to hold my girly pink leather-covered iphone to his face for a good fifteen minutes. 

Lovely to meet you Jay. To kick things off, would you mind telling us a little more first about the show, and secondly about your character, Dean? Big Bad World is about Ben, played by Blake Harrison, who has just finished uni, gone back to his home town of Great Yarmouth and it’s very much the same. He has to move back in with his Mum and Dad, and finds they’ve knocked down the wall between his bedroom and theirs, to make it into one giant room. 

Sort of open plan? Exactly yeah, and they’re really happy about it, and he’s not so much.

Understandable really! Especially when his Mum starts talking about love letters and the like. It’s really not the sort of conversation he wants to be having when he’s just come out of uni.

So your, character Dean. Tell us more about him. Dean is the pub chef of The Old Cock Inn. He’s the sort of chef you really don’t want to walk into a kitchen and find cooking your food- you don’t know what he’s going to put in it! He throws stuff in the microwave and just mixes it all up. He’s a pub chef…but he’s not a great pub chef!

        From left: Jay Brown and Blake Harrison

How does your character feed into the overall plot of the series? Well Ben and Dean work together at the pub, Ben gets an internship and does a work scheme with Dean, who just harasses him the whole time and makes his life difficult. Dean is the guy in the show who generally pops up and causes mischief. You know he’s not really going to amount to much in life. He’s the sort of guy who wears a hoodie in the middle of Summer.

What was it like working with veteran comic actors like James Fleet, Caroline Quentin and Blake Harrison, as well as comedian Sean Walsh? There are a lot of big names in this show! What sort of influence did they have on set? It was amazing. With comedy, you very much have to play it straight, if you play it for laughs it’s not going to happen. James, and Caroline as well, are absolute masters of that. James is just hilarious. Even when we were doing the reading, we were all sitting there just wetting ourselves. He very much embodies the character. Every single take is interesting, he’s just playing. Unfortunately we didn’t actually have any scenes together, but it was so interesting just to watch him work.

How about Seann Walsh, what it was it like working with a stand-up? Seann was hilarious. He hadn’t done any kind of acting at all so he was very nervous. He’d never been on a set before, but he took to it really easily. He was great, especially for a first time. But again, you’re just playing it straight, you’re not playing it for laughs. You deliver the line, and you just have to take whatever it is. You’re responding to what the other actors are giving you, and you just have to give it back. But Seann just created magic, he was really good. Actually on the first day, we all went to have breakfast, and I told Seann that we had to pay, and to make sure to leave a really good tip or for the rest of the shoot he’s just going to get at you. So then he went over and tried to give him some money, and the chef just looked at him and said ‘what are you talking about? The food’s for free mate’. I was just wetting myself. He was really embarrassed!

Sounds like you had a good time on set. We really did! We had a great time. It’s such a great, fresh cast, with some really good names in there, as well as some unknown and up and coming names.

It’s a lovely mix of talents. Yeah, and you can really see that it’s not all about the names, it’s about the script, which in itself is very funny and well executed. With the actors on top, it was just a dream.

                                                     

                 From left: David Fynn, Blake Harrison and Seann Walsh

Without giving too much away for anybody who hasn’t watched the show yet, do you have a favourite moment or scene? Perhaps that you particularly enjoyed filming? If you can narrow it down! I like Episode 4. Blake and I had a great time with that one. Episode 7’s great, too. Ben wants to do something new to The Old Cock Inn and mistakenly puts Dean in a responsible position, which isn’t a good move. All I can say is crabs.

I’ll make a note of that! As we’ve discussed, the show is primarily about Ben, a guy who returns from university struggling to get a job, and finding life much the same. What was your post-university life like? Can you relate to Ben’s story? Well personally I didn’t actually go to uni. I did Performing Arts at college, then I went straight off really. I was doing a lot of dancing, and a lot of music videos, that’s how I got into the industry really. My Dad actually owned a beauty salon on Oxford Street, and I used to help out, doing the odd manicure here and there! But that’s actually how I met my first agent. Letitia Dean who played Sharon in Eastenders used to come in to get her nails done, and she brought in my first ever agent. We had a chat, I showed him my CV and he pointed out that I’d actually done quite a lot of work. They took me on, and I haven’t really looked back since.

What a great story! So looking back on your career before Big Bad World, which of your roles or projects are you proudest of? I’m going to that really corny thing and say all of them! All of my projects I’ve loved in their own special way. This show, I actually came in just for the Pilot, and Dean wasn’t meant to be such a big character, and what they brought to the table with the small amount I actually had, the writers saw something and decided to make him a bigger part of the show. I also did a film called Fit, which tackles homophobic bullying in schools. It used to be a play, and we toured it. But the Director, Rikki Beadle-Blair, who I’ve collaborated a lot with, really wanted to make into a film. We got the green light and then shot it. It did superbly well, we took it to the Director’s Guild of America on Sunset Boulevard which was just mind blowing. We had a standing ovation at the end. It’s a great film which really does tackle the issue of homophobic bullying. It was brilliant. 
  
And finally, what are the people who haven’t tuned into the show yet missing out on? You’re missing belly laughs on a Wednesday night. Who needs Orange Wednesday?
 

Big Bad World is on Comedy Central, Wednesday nights at 9pm.

http://www.comedycentral.co.uk/shows/featured/big-bad-world/

Jen

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