The Doll Factory

I binge watched the full series and enjoyed it all the way, yet I admit it may only attract limited audience with certain interests.

First of all the setting is London 1851, when the very first World Expo was bringing London and the whole British Empire to a whole new cultural level, and many underprivileged people wanted to take this chance to climb up.

And then it plays with the art society especially the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, but instead of paying homage to the historic artists it took a critical perspective to see their artwork and artistic life.

The four occupations in the story (namely doll making, taxidermy, surgery and painting) were all about treating a life as an object. When doing the job like producing an artwork with passion and admiration, they gradually grow an obsession of eternal beauty and ignorance of real life.

This is what we call "objectification" in art. When they paint a portrait it's like gazing and owning of a real person, mostly a delicate woman in the 1850s context, very often a "damsel in distress" under chivalric gazes. But what if a woman wants to be a painter instead of a model? Can she assert a subjective voice of the painted character?

Also the image of cage is all over the whole series, from the poster and the opening sequence to various occasions the leading characters confront. When they think they could take the 1850s momentum to climb up in the art society, probably they are jumping into a larger cage.

If you had did artwork and critically thought about it yourself, this series may strike your notes. Also if you concern about female empowerment you may see a 1850s version in the series. But it is not for everyone.

Pros: Great costumes, acting, set design

Cons: Plot & characters. It's year 2023 and mental illness is still the major plot device. Blame everything on a bipolar woman and a schizophrenic man. Perfect! This is based on a book from 2019 that copies Jane Eyre and adds more mental-illness shaming. What an achievement!

I was hoping that by now we should be more open-minded. But it seems despite achievements in technology and costume/set design, the entertainment & publishing industries just keep recycling the same BS. Why bother making something good and fresh when you can just keep making the same stories over and over?!

I watched the show on one of my local streaming channels. What I get from the show is how Iris chooses her life compares Rose does hers. You should know women in that time in Europe had a very low social status. They didn't get to decide their lives, the society did. Iris didn't want to be a doll maker forever and refused to marry someone she didn't like. She wanted to be who she wanted to be: free and liberal. Rose, on the other hand, was defined by the society. She detested disobedience and her sister's actions. The show somehow reflects how women fought for their lives hundreds of years ago. But, 6 episodes for a very simple and dull plot, it was a waste of time. If it were a movie which was only 90 mins long, it would be interesting. A lack of depth was also a problem. It was just a love story between a doll maker and an artist. And how the crew members recruiting for extras/background actors, was a problem too. It didn't fit that era presented in the show. This is a problem for a lot of movies/tv shows that have a background of the general society of 100 years or earlier, a lack of authenticity.

Visually interesting at points, very inaccurate casting and set dressing. Agree with other reviews that the accents are all over the place, confusing also because it's taken two episodes to figure out exactly who is who, and considering the pacing it's rather odd that it's not become apparent earlier, as it's clearly taking it's time.

And again,

Visually interesting at points, very inaccurate casting and set dressing. Agree with other reviews that the accents are all over the place, confusing also because it's taken two episodes to figure out exactly who is who, and considering the pacing it's rather odd that it's not become apparent earlier, as it's clearly taking it's time.

I didn't think I was going to like this, but i found it captivating. It looks great visually. Bravo to the props department. The characters where interesting, with a complexed air of mystery to each of them. I liked the creepy feel that ran throughout the entire series, it was well acted.

Set in London during the Great Exhibition of 1851, it had a bleak Dickens doom and gloom vibe. Even Dickens himself appears, visiting the exhibition.

I'm surprised it's got a low IMDB score, but I guess this is not for everybody. It's slow, but in a refreshing way, which will put many viewers off, but not me.