I thought episodes 5 and 6 this weekend were some of the best TV I've ever see.
"The Bridge" - Season 4 on BBC2
Collapse
X
-
Originally posted by Stunsworth View PostI thought episodes 5 and 6 this weekend were some of the best TV I've ever see.[FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by Stunsworth View PostI thought episodes 5 and 6 this weekend were some of the best TV I've ever see.
-SPOILER DELETED-
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
Comment
-
-
for me it is the best thing on telly at the moment but i am open to suggestions
i love Martin's work on Jens - to make him feel again so he can know and regret his murders
i had not spotted the sister's infidelity [alleged by her to win a job]
and golly Saga tells Martin that people do not think she can be hurt - my eyes moistened ... and then acts with decisive and bravura determination in her hotel room ...
such a joy innit?According to the best estimates of astronomers there are at least one hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe.
Comment
-
-
Sorry to be a voice of dissent but I am far less enthusiastic about this series.
[SPOILER ALERT]
I thought in the first series, and I still think in this one, that the underlying concept behind it of having a lead detective who has no real understanding of human motivation, emotions, reactions other than what she had gleaned by reading would in practice be a catastrophic handicap, an elementary inability to "read" the psychology of suspects or witnesses. Additionally it would make it extremely difficult for that detective to operate as a lead member of a team, as she would be regularly irritating and demotivating colleagues and bosses (as indeed is shown from time to time). An example is where she threatens to report the junior detective for not following proper procedure in obtaining his results, yet she does exactly the same thing in following up her theory of a case of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy being responsible for the illness of Martin's son - she breaks into someone's house without a warrant (and MSbP is an extremely controversial diagnosis which in this country has led to several miscarriages of justice, e.g. that of Sally Clark).
Martin appears to be a mere cypher as a detective, his main role being as a vehicle for the exploration of his psychological issues with his family and with Jens, and as a foil for Saga.
There is the baroque plotting, whereby, as in the first series, red herring subplots are introduced largely as a device to throw the viewer off the scent - this seems an inevitable corollary of longer series to allow them to last the course. One of the more implausible ones was the copycat eco-terrorist group attempting to abduct Noren, a ludicrous idea. And characters are developed to involve the viewer - like those of the first eco-terrorist group who ended up poisoned, and the younger brother of one of them - and then simply vanish from the plotline to be replaced by others.
Another aspect of both series that has not attracted comment is its dubious message. In the first series, gruesome murders seemed to be committed by someone or a group identified with commitment to progressive social campaigns. In the second series, there are not one but perhaps several eco-terrorist groups committed to inflict destruction on the community in pursuit of their campaign to bring ecological failings to public attention. The underlying message of The Bridge seems therefore to be: people committed to campaigns for social justice and environmental concern are likely to be homicidal fanatics.
It's certainly watchable, and there is precious little in home-made drama to impress on TV atm, but I think it's basically hokum. It seems as though as long as there are Scandinavian accents, desolate Nordic landscapes and (above all) attractive Scandinavian women on the screen, then everyone will fall down in uncritical praise. Sorry to disappoint.
Comment
-
-
clive heath
Chomsky notwithstanding, if a message is what you seek, it may be that" some people committed to campaigns for social justice and environmental concern are likely to be homicidal fanatics." There is some evidence for this.
Why Animal Rights Activists Bombarded Terminally Ill Woman With Death Threats, Vile Comments... headline from "Blaze"
Irate Animal Rights Activists Bombard Dying Girl With Hate Mail, Death Threats.... headline from "Independent Journal Review"
Comment
-
Originally posted by aeolium View PostIt's certainly watchable, and there is precious little in home-made drama to impress on TV atm, but I think it's basically hokum. It seems as though as long as there are Scandinavian accents, desolate Nordic landscapes and (above all) attractive Scandinavian women on the screen, then everyone will fall down in uncritical praise. Sorry to disappoint.[FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View PostI don't know about your "disappointing" anyone, aeolie - but you do sound as if you're patronizing them with this last paragraph. Perhaps others have understood/appreciated it better than have you. Or maybe, some of us rather enjoy the Baroque.
Comment
-
-
I think you're certainly right about the inconsistency in Saga's breaking-in to Martin's house - the very first time we met her in series one, she reported Martin for a breach of protocol, just as she means to report the idiot boy detective on Saturday. MSP is controversial, but I think we're being given hints about Saga's past with this aspect of the story - along with the emerging picture of her sister's suicide.
I think your statement about Martin "appearing to be a mere cypher as a detective" also rings true, up to this point in the plot. But your further assessment "his main role being as a vehicle for the exploration of his psychological issues with his family and with Jens, and as a foil for Saga" suggests that these "main roles" are considerable - I suspect that his encounters with Jens are going to be fundamental to his (part in) solving the plot.
Another aspect of both series that has not attracted comment is its dubious message. In the first series, gruesome murders seemed to be committed by someone or a group identified with commitment to progressive social campaigns. In the second series, there are not one but perhaps several eco-terrorist groups committed to inflict destruction on the community in pursuit of their campaign to bring ecological failings to public attention. The underlying message of The Bridge seems therefore to be: people committed to campaigns for social justice and environmental concern are likely to be homicidal fanatics.
In the current series, distance has been clearly established between the genuine Eco groups and the extremists (Mads was expelled from the Eco group because of his sadistic tendencies) - and there is even further distinction within the extremist terrorist cell between the violent and those pulled into their orbit. (And further between the idiot copy-cat duo who tried to kidnap Saga.) Again, I suspect that the "mother-of-three" has nothing to do with campaigns for social justice and environmental concerns, but is instead using such groups as a front.
As for the Baroque - well, that's a matter of preference: I love the machinations of the plot, where leads are suggested, shown to be false, then revealed to be right after all. What the writers are doing (splendidly, in my view) is presenting possibilities to guide and mislead the viewer - it's a detective story: that's what they do! And who has "disappeared"? The series ain't over yet: there are four hours for the younger brother (and his bullies) to reappear.
There are weaknesses in this second series - I mentioned the increased emphasis on comedy last week - that weren't there in the first; but the overall narration, the unfolding of the mystery, and the relationships between the characters are all so successful - much more important than the scenery and Saga's looks.
But there you go. Have you sampled Hinterland at all, aeolie?[FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]
Comment
-
-
Here I believe that you have oversimplified the issue - in Series One, the "gruesome murders" were very definitely not committed by anyone "commited to campaigns for social justice and environmental concerns" but by a disillusioned ex-cop. Nobody deduced from this that the "message" ("dubious", "underlying" or otherwise) was that "people committed to the police force are likely to be homicidal fanatics".
Anyway, as you say the series is not yet over and we will see what transpires. Thanks anyway for your well-argued points.
Have you sampled Hinterland at all, aeolie?
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by aeolium View PostUnfortunately not. It's only available in Wales, isn't it?
Detective drama series. DCI Tom Mathias is called out to a quiet seaside bungalow to investigate a suspicious disappearance on his first day at work in Aberystwyth.
EDIT: This isn't a mega-series, but are one-off, 90-minute dramas - more like Wallander than The Killing.Last edited by ferneyhoughgeliebte; 20-01-14, 21:56.[FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]
Comment
-
-
Anna
Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View PostVia the i-Player, for us Saesnigs, too
Detective drama series. DCI Tom Mathias is called out to a quiet seaside bungalow to investigate a suspicious disappearance on his first day at work in Aberystwyth.
EDIT: This isn't a mega-series, but are one-off, 90-minute dramas - more like Wallander than The Killing.
Back to the enjoyable hokum that is The Bridge. We never saw what the tattoo was - could it be a toad? Who poisoned Claudio - Viktoria's brother knew Bodil was to publish the autobiography so he knew Viktoria slept with Claudio. When Julian was poisoned he was the fourth on the spreadsheet and took the longest time to die, that's significant. Also, twice Saga has unzipped her trousers when alone - could she be pregnant?
Conspiracy theories on a postcard please!
Comment
Comment