Victoria Series 2 Episode 5 Review: Entente Cordiale

Yes another Victoria review! And it was a happy episode, much less soapy angst this week that I very much enjoyed!

I think I've happily entered a stage of ignorance as to how historically inaccurate the show is at this point. I know people moan that it's a bit out of order, but I don't care, because it's not like we are watching Victoria in 2017 getting Ubers to France and taking phone snaps of Albert in the lake.

So while it was nice to see Victoria meet foreign sovereigns and try to establish international relations, the main thing I enjoyed about the episode was the fact they were in France! It's so different to England in so many ways, but also it felt more like today. Girls being catty about Her Majesty, wearing makeup, and getting busy with Ernest in the hedges, it was like watching a reality show!

I'm glad they have not dragged out Albert's father storyline, because it was a real downer, and made the character a bit of a downer. Seeing Victoria accept him in that way, was probably a bit TV-esque, but touching all the same. Tom Hughes and Jenna Coleman have the best chemistry.

And I can't skim over the skinny dipping scene, because it was skinny dipping and it was funny and a bit random but I still loved it.

Also I felt really sorry for Miss Cook, because she blatantly had feelings for Ernest, and he's off doing dalliances with the French ladies. She looked so upset! I don't like that she's so heavily belittled by her aunt. Hopefully she will have a spine by the end of the series, and if she gives some epic speech, I will go all Braveheart and shout FREEDOM!

Was I surprised their trip was all for nothing?! Not really. It keeps things interesting in TV-land, and I don't actually know how much of that is history, so as I previous mentioned, blissful ignorance!

I'm happy to watch a lighter episode, which is back up in the levels of the first episode in terms of quality. Once more unto the breach onto next week!

Victoria Review Series 2 Episode 4: The Sins of the Father

Yes my review is a bit late! But still, better late than never! Although it will be briefer as I have another review I want to do!

This episode was very uneasy, which isn't surprising considering the subject matter it covered. Victoria's suffering of post-natal depression after the birth of her son was very sad, and I can see why it's been praised on social media. 

And Albert's history, or alleged history, was very surprising, although the whole introduction of it did take the show away from it's historical roots. It felt very soapy. Hopefully though that will the end of it for now. The show is stretching its historical roots more and more, and so far each episode hasn't topped the premiere yet.

Also, I was so glad Miss Skerrett was allowed to keep her job, considering her cow of a cousin ratted out her story to the press. She was trying to support her family with the job, and they threw it back at her. I hope she cuts all ties with the cousin now. And I was sad to see that the blame was pinned on the chef because he had treated himself with his pay rise. Lahzen is the worst housekeeper ever! She clearly wants to look good in front of her seniors and I just find her character annoying. 

So yes a very brief review, but there was nothing in particular from this weeks episode that truly stood out for me. Hopefully next week will be better!!

Strictly Saturday: Predictions!

Yes I know Strictly Come Dancing isn't back until next Saturday, but since there is little to watch this weekend (until Victoria tomorrow at least) I thought it would be nice for me to post my predictions for this years lineup! I am beyond excited for Strictly's return! 

I am going to split my views into two separate areas: Should do well, and rooting to do well. Sometimes I love a dancer that I know may struggle slightly, so I like to show my support for them as well. Although last year I was glad to see my favourite dancer take home the crown. Go Ore! Here's his famous jive if you fancy a trip down memory lane! 

Now I want to precede this with the note that these predictions are in accordance with my opinion on the celebs, mainly from watching Strictly for over a decade, and what many others are saying about the lineup. I'm not a dance expert, so I'm going on how similar celebs have done in previous years. There could be wildcards in there. No one pinned Ore as a winner, along with Jake Wood doing so well a few years ago!

So without further ado here are my Strictly predictions:

SHOULD DO WELL
Gemma Atkinson
Gemma is very fit with the kind of body that could easily take up dancing. She's been partnered with Alijaz, and I can see them making a very nice pair. He's won before with Abbey Clancy. Also her actress background means that she can 'act' the dance very well. She's got the cha-cha first, which is a nice one to start on, so we shall see. Also her acting past, mainly Emmerdale, will get the public voting for her.

Aston Merrygold 
We all know JLS can dance, and while some people like to moan that Aston's background means he has an advantage, JLS dancing is different to the Strictly kind. But the experience will definitely help, and so I can see him taking to the faster dances quite easily. I am not so sure about ballroom, but with a foxtrot as the first dance I could be proven wrong! And I am sure I do not need to say that JLS fans will want to vote for him, so he has the fanbase behind him.

Alexandra Burke
This is kind of the same points as Aston. She can dance from her music and stage career, and that will always help on Strictly. However, I would say it is more helpful in the Latin routines, so with a waltz first, I am very excited to see how it will be performed. I can see her being very delicate in ballroom, like Abbey Clancy again.

Mollie King
People are already pinning her as a good dancer, because of her performing background, and the fact that Frankie Bridge was also stellar when she competed. I cannot hugely elaborate much else, except that she is doing a jive first. I LOVE a jive! I can see high scores for her from the outset.

Davood Ghadami
The only reason I am including Davood here is because he has a similar build as Danny Mac, who was amazing last year. His samba blew me away! He could be very very good, but we have also seen similar guys struggle. A cha-cha could go either way. 

All of the above celebrities have established fanbases from their main works that can be very vocal in their voting. Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes it isn't. It can save them on a bad week, or keep them in the running when better dancers are voted off. Obviously we cannot call anything yet until we see them in action!

ROOTING TO DO WELL
Ruth Langsford
Hands down my favourite celebrity this year. I love Ruth on This Morning, and I was over the moon to see her paired with Anton! Ruth could be a good dancer, and I am so desperate to see Anton do well again after so many duds. He's one of two OG pros from the show, and it's clear he is an amazing teacher. I can see him putting together fabulous routines for Ruth. And with a waltz up first, I am very excited! Also I will be Eammonn spotting in the audience each week.

Simon Rimmer
Me and my Mum are both on the same page with Simon, as he could be a dark horse a la Ore, Jake Wood and Chris Hollins. He's been partnered with Karen Clifton who has done well in the past with Mark Wright. That and I just like him in general!

Brian Conley
Yes I squealed a bit with delight when Brian was announced. It was a shame to see him leave I'm a Celebrity so early, so I am already buzzing to see how he gets on. I can imagine him going the 'entertaining' route with his routines, which I am OK with as long as it is not overdone. Judge Rinder did something similar last year, and I loved him!

Jonnie Peacock
I am team Jonnie all the way! Mainly because I love his appearances on The Last Leg. He's been partnered with Oti who put together some amazing dances with Danny Mac last year (back to the samba again! And the jive! And the Charleston!). I am a fan of his, so fingers crossed!

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So that's my main Strictly predictions. I haven't mentioned everyone, as I wanted to focus on the main people I can see doing well or I will be supporting. Strictly is such a fun show, so whoever does well I will root for, but these are my thoughts ahead of the first dances next week.

I am not sure if I will be blogging every single week, but I will try to live-tweet @bylauramfox if I am watching it live! 

So watch this space, and in the meantime....keep dancing! (sorry couldn't resist!)

Soap Sunday: Who won and who lost

So this week was a week in soapland which some would rather forget. And I'm not just talking about the characters. 

Now I want to start this post with a disclaimer that I will not be talking about one of the 'Big Four' soaps since I don't watch it. But I wanted to talk about the other three because it was such a mad week, and not all of it was good. 

And it goes without saying SPOILER ALERT! I'm basically going to deconstruct what happened throughout the week in Eastenders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale! And I will define characters by their names and not their actor names so feel free to Google if in any doubt.

So let's start with my winner of this week: Emmerdale! I know my demographic are not huge fans of this Yorkshire soap, and that in generally appeals to the older generation. But the past couple of years, it's really stepped up its game and I've become a big fan!

Some of the highlights are the huge stunt last October with the motorway pile-up, Ashleys dementia storyline, and one my personal favourites is the Robert and Aaron relationship (I am crossing my fingers they will reunite).

This week was set up to be a fairly standard week in soap land. No big stunts, twists or dramas, and Emmerdale didn't tease anything like that in advance. Their big stunt week is coming again in October.

But far from it! So many bombshells this week, particularly in Thursdays episodes. Not only did Leyla find out about Pete and Priya's affair, which led to some epic speeches by Leyla, but the Nell twist came out of nowhere.

I just assumed her whole pregnancy thing would implode and she would leave. But I had no idea that her entire past was made-up, and the fact that Jai spotted it with that photo in the department store blew me away. Since it's already been confirmed that Nell is leaving soon, I can't wait to see how it ends!

Emmerdale didn't tease any of this from the outset, so rather than building it up to fall short, like another soap did this week, it seemed better than expected. 

Second up is Corrie. It wasn't a particularly groundbreaking week plot-wise, because the show is building up to the start of a sixth episode a week, with the climax of Eva's revenge. I am immensely excited about that, so this week didn't overreach, or provide any shocking twists, so I'll keep my thoughts brief.

And last up is Eastenders. They teased this week as '24 hours that will shatter the square' and dragging it out over the course of a week just made the whole thing feel like overkill. It's become very over the top as of late (that Abi scene that set Twitter off had me in stitches too!). And after red herring after red herring, the anticipated death was the one that everyone called beforehand because the exit was already announced! 

I found the whole thing a bit over the top, like the bus debacle at the beginning of the year.

So we shall we see where the soaps go in the next few weeks, but I mainly wanted to gush about Emmerdale in this situation.

Victoria Review: "The Green Eyed Monster"

After I loved the season premiere of Victoria so much, I was worried that the following episode would be a let down. And while I still prefer the previous episode, I cannot deny that I enjoyed this episode too.

And that is for one reason, and the reason Twitter rejoiced. Lord M (Rufus Sewell) has returned! He was one of my favourite parts of the first season, despite the historical inaccuracies, and while I was worried that his return would be forced, since historically at this point he was no longer Prime Minister, they have implemented it into the plot nicely.

Seeing how Lord M is still able to help Victoria (Jenna Coleman) with some of the most difficult decisions in her marriage is fascinating. Due to her sheltered upbringing, she has little experience in the obstacles of marriage. Her and Albert feel more and more like a real couple, with bumps in the road (some bigger than others! No spoilers don't worry.)

Considering Victoria takes place a century before any idea that could eventually become computers, and as a bit of a tech geek, I found the inventions of engines and early computer programs fascinating. The fact that it stems from a woman, Ada Lovelace, makes it even better. After a bit of research on the real Lady Lovelace, I am a fan. Seeing Albert (Tom Hughes) attempt to push these new advances is welcome in an era grounded in tradition and historical values. Just think, without these ideas, there would be no hub of knowledge and technology that we are so reliant on today.

If I had to give a negative for this episode, I just cannot grasp any interest in the 'below stairs' characters. I understand how the writers are trying to boost interest in them in an attempt to copy Downton Abbey, but it's just not working. Maybe the series needs to run for a bit longer but right not I'm not sure.

And finally, while I like the humour in Victoria, I find Dame Diana Rigg's character (Mistress of the Robes) a little bit tiring at this point. Her one-liners come across as general complaints, from an old woman so desperate to maintain her ways. I love her niece, especially as she is so passionate and intelligent, but the Duchess just ties her back. I frustrates me, as a lover of the passionate female in Victoria literature.

So, good episode as a whole, though not as good as episode 1. And with Lord M returning next week, the series is heading in the right direction!

I've discovered The Great British Bake Off!

As crazy as it sounds, considering its sky high ratings, innuendos and memes making many hours of happy posts for an avid tweeter, I have never watched The Great British Bake Off. It just never drew my attention. Also when I was on a diet seeing all the cakes (and the bread. OH THE BREAD!) just made me a bit food-sad.

So when the show made a move to Channel 4, causing massive backlash and the departure of three of its key players, Mel, Sue and Mary Berry, my interest was peaked.

This wasn't because I had an expectation that the show would be completely reinvented on a new channel, but actually something far more boring.

I was looking for a new show to check out, upon the end of Love Island, in the lead-up to the return of all my favourite US shows in late September (see my previous post about what I'm watching on TV right now). So I had nothing to lose, and set my recording since adverts irritate me.

And the verdict? I enjoyed it very much! I haven't grown very emotionally attached to any of the bakers yet, so Peter's elimination did not fill me with any permanent sadness. However I like Steven and Flo as of now, and the gentlemen who made a spreadsheet to nail his cake is officially one to watch. Baking admin is always a win in my book (although his chocolate mini rolls ended up being of weaker quality. Perhaps a signature challenge in Powerpoint form would have been more to his style)

But I felt the drama and stress when bakes were not going well. That intensity of whether a bake would deliver when a first attempt ended up in bin. And it was cake week this week. I love cake!

In terms of the new hosts, I do like them. There is no forced humour, and I find 'The Mighty Boosh' nostalgia on Twitter very funny. That was a big thing when I was at school.

It actually surprised me how much Prue Leith sounds like Mary Berry, so I don't see any substantial difference there either.

It's easy TV, so I can just cosy up in bed and enjoy it without much thought. And it's very understated, with minimal dramatic music and long pauses for effect. 

If it sounds like I'm saying stuff that has been said about Bake Off many many times before, then that's probably the case. That being said, I like it, I am a fan, and though I am seven years late to the party, I will be sticking around for the forseeable, soggy bottoms be damned!

TV Review: Victoria Season 2 Premiere

It's finally back! One of my favourite period dramas finally returned, and I was ready when it began, tea and biscuits at my side (yes I'm that traditional). 

When it was announced Victoria was returning for a second series, I was slightly worried. When I watched the first series, I viewed it as one with a start and an end. In a way it is still like that, but I wondered where they would take Victoria's story. Would there be a time jump? What elements of Victorian history would be focused on? WOULD LORD M BE RETURNING?

I can say, after a few minutes of this episode, I relaxed into the sofa knowing that we are in safe hands. The episode begins with Victoria (Jenna Coleman) confined to a wheelchair six weeks after giving birth, something Her Majesty is not happy about. It leads to one of her first brilliant lines of the episode, and it made me laugh. 

That's my first positive. The humour in this episode is out in spades, far more than the first series. While I began this with shades of The Crown in my mind (mainly as I finished the series yesterday) it soon separated itself. The tone is lighter even with the darker tales interwoven within the story, that are starkly true.

As a history-buff, I found the story about the invasion of Afganistan fascinating. Not only did I know nothing about it, leading to some immediate Googling, but the mirroring between that war and the Afganistan war on terror today is very poignant. Using the 19th Century framework to document these modern events captivated me, especially in the scene where Her Majesty meets the sole survivor of the Khyber Pass crossing out of the 4000 soldiers. The ongoing theme of 'The Soldiers Daughter' as the episode is titled was very smart on Daisy Goodwin's part.

Even that early in the Queens motherhood, she was making waves, as a monarch and woman. I had never heard of the concept of being 'churched', and it sounds ridiculous today. Not so much as a religious act, but that she had to undertake it in that manner. She was treated as an invalid after having a child, and you can see how we far we have come since time. Can you imagine a woman going through all that today? I don't think so!

Without getting all feminist, the two highlights of this episode that made me want to stand up and applaud, where firstly the scene where she reprimands her husband Albert for trying to keep secrets from her about Afganistan. As the wife, she is expected to submit, but as a Queen she rules. Torn between two worlds, it was great to see her bite back. (Shoutout to the Duke of Wellington here, hes one of few characters who treats The Queen as she should be treated: as a person. I like his character a lot.) And secondly, one of the concluding scenes in which she stands on HMS Trafalgar after the loss of troops in Afganistan. Not only was her speech just plain epic, but I viewed the scene as her saying "We are British we carry on!" I've seen that a lot recently in British historical media I've watched and read, and I just love it.

And as a hopeless romantic, I also loved the dynamic between Victoria and Albert (Tom Hughes). I'm still a hardcore Victoria and Lord M (Rufus Sewell) fan so hear me out! If you read my review of The Crown I sound like I am repeating myself here, but never mind. They feel real, and not in that 'real' way you see in reality tv land today. I mean they actually loved each other, they wanted to be intimate for them not for the needs of the royal bloodline. As Her Majesty greatly said, in my favourite line of the episode: "The country needs a Queen not a broodmare." 

I could write another paragraph about the acting, but I will save the words and typing time. Everyone is excellent. The Queens Mistress of the Robes (Dame Diana Rigg) is also great, and I mainly liked her because of her no-nonsense approach towards some characters I really dislike.

As it is only the start of the series, I won't give a substantial verdict just yet. I'm beyond excited for the return of Lord M next week, so we shall see where this series goes. 

TV Review: The Crown Season 1

So I know I'm a little late to the party on this one, since The Crown came out last November. But after a lot of planning to watch it, my Mum telling me how good it is, and a little bit of chance time off, I finally sat down and watched it! I'd like to say no spoilers, but all this stuff is British history, so it's a bit hard to spoil.

For anyone who doesn't know, The Crown is the story about our Queen Elizabeth II, from her marriage to Prince Philip right through until the present day.

The first season covers her engagement to Philip in 1947, coronation, and concludes with the dissolution of Margaret and Group Captain Townsend relationship. So in timeline terms, it's from 1947 to 1955.

I've always been a sucker for a good period drama, so I always planned to watch this show when it came. With it being on Netflix I knew there was no rush, especially since Season 2 isn't due out until December.

Despite it coming from the land of the binge-watch, each episode is very heavy and lush, so I wouldn't call it a show you can binge in one sitting. I couldn't watch more than one or two episodes before I had to take a break. That being said, if you like a challenge, or being one of those people who is found sitting in the living room muttering sweet nothings at the end of a TV binge, then knock yourself out!

The performances are solid too. For a bit of extra info, to faithfully document the entire life of the Queen correctly, the main characters are going to be recast every two seasons, with six seasons to cover the entire story, so the actors you see in this season will only feature in Season 2 from then on and that will be it. No news on the recasts just yet.

Claire Foy blends perfectly into the role of Her Majesty, presenting that 'fish out of water' idea as she was thrown into the role very early following the death of her father (sidenote: For a bit more background on George VI, Colin Firth does a fabulous job in The King's Speech). She starts off the series happily married, living a nice life in Malta with her two children, and then that all disappears as soon as she becomes the Monarch. She puts duty first, and some would say that is why she is still so well-loved today.

And while I was very excited to see Matt Smith play the Duke of Edinburgh, mainly as I am a big Doctor Who fan, I did not find his performance quite as compelling. Smith captures the mannerisms perfectly, but he just does not have as much to do. And that's fine, since I still enjoy his performance. I just hope we get to see more in later seasons of the way he is viewed today, for his quips and one-liners. I'm very intrigued who they get to play him next.

All props go to John Lithgow who plays Prime Minister Winston Churchill. His performance is by far the best in the show, in a role it would be very easy to stereotype. He plays Churchill in his second term of Parliament, when he had been viewed not as highly as in previous years, mainly due to his health and age. He was pushed to step down, and eventually he did. That being said, he absolutely nails the role of this fiery man trapped in an old mans body, and I'm sad he won't be in any future seasons.

Last mention goes to Vanessa Kirby as Princess Margaret. I knew nothing about her going into this, so to hear about her somewhat controversial past was fascinating. Her relationship with Townsend was very romantic, something out of Austen, and I am a bit of a sucker for that sort of thing. Her rebellious nature is something of an anomaly for the royal family (or at least in the 50s it was, not so much now), and I just loved it. 

I very much enjoyed The Crown, if I could sum up now. I can't deny that I've been obsessively Googling royal history to get more info, but as I'm a history buff that's pretty normal anyway. Bring on Season 2!

If you like reading my reviews, follow me on Twitter @bylauramfox. I live tweet some of the shows as I watch them. 

Kindle Chronicles: Caitlyn Moran, Moranthology

Since I've spent most of this week reading books on the train, I thought a review of my latest read would be on the cards. 

I've actually read Moranthology before, but since it was four years I fancied a re-read.

I remember the first time I read this book I was on holiday in Turkey, and worked my way through it as part of my days sitting by the pool. If there's one thing I do remember, I laughed. A LOT!

Moranthology is a collection of articles written by Caitlin Moran across her three regular columns, so she discusses a variety of topics, from Sherlock to Keith Richards to Gordon Brown (and everything in between).

I think the reason why I enjoy this book so much is because Moran reminds me of me. Just the awkward nature that comes across in her writing, and the random thoughts she has about day to day life.

Her views on celebrity news are given a new lens, criticising the culture without using defamatory or negative language. Her piece on the Michael Jackson Memorial was funny despite the circumstances, highlighting the highs and lows of the somewhat circus.

And of course, her Sherlock and Doctor Who fangirling. Sometimes it felt like her thoughts were more eloquent versions of my Twitter.

It's a great read, and it's a great tease for Moran's feminist views. I'm planning to read her other book How to be a Woman soon.

As the columns are quite short, if you prefer you can read it in small parts. And there is a follow up in the same format called Moranifesto and it's just as funny!

If you like my review, then you can follow me on Twitter@bylauramfox where I post all my regular blog updates!