EyeS1971

Nooooooo!

Okay, anyone that has lived with the Doctor far long enough will know that there is generally a feeling of 'not as good as the previous Doctor' in viewers until the new actors-characters-viewer relationships are bedded in. Even so...

After what was for me a terrible opener in Space Babies, this started out with hints of intrigue and darkness that seemed to be going in the right direction. There are some good performances, too. I'm not going to give any spoilers but, for me, after a few wobbles and recoveries, the whole story just tanked at the climactic part of the arc. I'm so very disappointed, as Russell is capable of so much more than this. Is it the new paymasters calling too many shots? Please no.

So, this is marginally better than episode 1. Hopefully episode 3 will continue the trend towards improvement. I only hope it accelerates it a little.

What a fabulous drama. The style of the show is wonderfully nostalgic of an era of glamour and prejudice. The hero - Harman - is a three dimensional character with depth in her strengths and weaknesses. As she grows these strengths and weaknesses change and develop and we see her emerge as a strong and confident person yet still with clear fracture lines and weaknesses. Absolutely wonderfully written and portrayed - at all ages!

The story combines her coming-of-age and growth with the drama of her drive to beat Borgov. Will she manage it? Because of the authenticity of the piece, it is not even clear if this series will end in the traditional 'Yay, at last she has the victory' moment, as her growth is more important even than the chess. If you don't know if she wins or loses - or if we don't even find out - then I won't say anything.

Just sit back, enjoy the ride and delight in some brilliant tv that DOESN'T involve fighting and shooting and violence. One of my best watches of the year, and so good I have ordered the book.

So, humour is in the ear of the be-hearer, right? I get that. Quite a few people seem to enjoy this show. I'm not among them. Still, it indicates that the show has a certain merit, even if I can't see it.

For transparency, I only tolerated the 1st episode. After that, I'd heard enough childish references to bum-holes and suchlike to last me at least until I die. The entire thing seemed scripted by an adolescent boy who does things with his fingers that require privacy and litres of sanitizer.

So - if you enjoy unashamedly juvenile humour - and there's nothing wrong with that - then take a look; Myers is, as always, a decent performer. If, though, you prefer nuance... take your bum-hole to another show.