Victoria Series 2 Episode 6 Review: Faith, Hope and Charity

Another late review unfortunately, as I had to rely on TiVo for this one! But still I couldn't go without my Victoria review, especially when this episode was so poignant. It got people talking about a time in history that people do not always cover in school.

So this episode covered the Irish Potato Famine, an awful occurance killing a million Irish people over the course of about seven years. I think that Victoria did the event justice the best they could, bearing in mind it was only one episode. The scenes on the famine were harrowing, and it made my blood boil that people were denied help simply because they were Catholic, and they should 'learn to live within their means'. I had never heard about this in detail, so I did some research on it, and it is sad to hear how little te government were said to have done.

I guess this is where the show was at a crossroads. They have been showing Victoria as a strong feminist figure, but how could they do that when from the outside it looked like she did nothing to stop the people. Well, her hands were tied by her Prime Minister who wanted to maintain his power over his party. Thus, no matter what she wanted, she could not do much.

I thought focus on one particular area through the eyes of Dr Robert Traill, played by Martin Compston was genius. He saw people starving in his parish, and wrote to Her Majesty, resulting in an invitation to Buckingham Palace to tell her in person how bad things were. It brought a more personal level to the disaster, which made it more effective to tell the story in one episode. Furthermore, Traill was a real person, as we tragically saw at the episodes end.

This was the main focus of the episode, so I wanted to make my review around it, but I will also talk about Miss Cleary, and seeing her suffer as her family starved. It was real, especially when her family were forced to emigrate to survive. It reflects very strongly with today's issues, and it showed the discrimination her faith suffered, and how not everyone agreed with it. I loved the scene when Lahzen apologised to the Queen for hiring a Catholic, and she just went 'what does it matter?' I wanted to applaud her! 

I liked this episode very much, despite the dark storyline, and I am interested to see what the series covers next.

What I've watched on TV this week!

Thank goodness for TiVo!

So I wanted to do a little write-up on some of the TV I've watched this week...there's a lot! I've watched soaps, reality TV, dramas and a bunch of other stuff in between.

So let the showcase of my couch potato lifestyle commence! Spoiler alert of course!

Scorpion
So after a so-so season premiere last week, the second part was much MUCH better. Not only did it feel more intense, but there was just a lot more drama and less genius jargon. While my theory about Collins did not come true, I was 100% correct that he is still as crazy as he was before. I hope we see him again this season! And we have been left hanging about Cabe's fate. How can they arrest him for that? 

Will and Grace
YES! Just over a year after a Trump sketch got the ball rolling the sitcom finally returned and I watched the premiere episode. Like all other TV events/shows at the moment, it decided to get political, and to be honest I didn't like it. I like my Will and Grace a bit more whimsical, although there were some fabulous Jack moments that always make me smile!

How to get Away with Murder
Ah Shonda Rhymes you always know how to baffle me! Not only have the Keating Four been given the boot, but what is going on with Laurel? Why is she in a white room? Why is Annaliese's therapist involved? Where is Laurel's baby? So many questions! The premiere has set a fabulous mystery in motion, and I can't wait to see where it leads!

The Great British Bake-off
As I write this, I am watching Pastry week, with the pie showcase making me substantially want a meaty masterpiece like the ones I am seeing. Right now I am team Liam, but Yan's science knowhow and her inclusion in baking makes me root for her too. This show is so cosy, and I love watching it every Tuesday!

Strictly Come Dancing
My favourite primetime talent show, my list of predictions is already crumbling. I am not particularly surprised to see Alexandra and Aston nailing it already, with strong scores. My favourite Brian Conley has struggled so far, and my man Jonnie Peacock has been utterly sensational! Bring on Movie Week this week. I haven't seen the dances yet but I. Am. Excited!

Liar
Like most of Blighty, I was wrong as to who was lying, and now I love that they have gone full psychopath with Andrew for the remaining episodes. I really really hope they catch him, especially after what he did to Vanessa this week. 

Soaps
I am a bit inconsistent with my soap viewing so I am lumping Corrie and Emmerdale in together. They are both in the middle of seriously intense weeks, and I just watched the big fire/explosion/shooting in Emmerdale. All I will say is I seriously hope a certain character dies that is due to leave. I need her to die now! And after watching last nights Corrie, I was applauding Bethany for her taking the stand against Nathan! Take that evil man down!